Urbini Dream Nursery Contest

I participated in a Blog Blast Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Urbini. I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.


One of the best parts of welcoming our little ones into our home was designing a beautiful space for them to sleep.  Now that I'm in the midst of designing three "big kid" rooms for our new home, I'm reminded of that lovely time spent picking out their first cribs, bedding and decor. 


For those parents who are planning a room for a little one, you can enter to win a "dream nursery" redesign of a room in your home, or a nursery update if you are welcoming another child.  If you're no longer in the nursery stage of life, you can still enter to win a daily $50 Walmart gift card by spreading the word. 

The grand prize winner will receive Urbini furniture including a crib, changing table, dresser, Cubi play yard, and a home visit by Urbini designer Rachel Dacks to outfit the newly designed nursery. You just supply the baby!  There is a second prize of a choice of one Urbini Crib, and third price wins an Urbini Cubi play yard.  

To enter the Urbini Dream Nursery Contest to win the Grand, Second, or Third Prizes, contestants must post an Instagram photo of the room they want to redesign to their personal Instagram account tagging #UrbiniDreamNursery and #Contest. For all other entry information, including entering to win the daily $50 Walmart Gift Cards, please visit www.UrbiniDreamNursery.com.

Urbini Dream Nursery

It's a technology cleaner. It's a toddler toy!

Last week I attended a training to learn about the iPad and its implications for classroom instruction. It was a fantastic training and I'm super-excited to take this technology for a spin in the classrooms I work with next fall.

I got a nifty prize - this fun microfiber mitt for cleaning the iPad screen.

It also works great as a toddler distraction device for cranky little ones with a hurt arm at the pediatrician's office. :)

It's summer!

Woo-hoo! Summer vacation is finally here! I love this time at home with my kids, and the chance to take on some other projects and new learning. This week I'll be doing some learning about iPads in the classroom.

Summer also means renewing my blog. I've got some plans up my sleeve, and can't wait to do more writing, idea sharing, and some remodeling of my little project on the web. I look forward to chatting with you in between days filled with sunshine!

Taking Care of Mom: Crest Invigorating Rinse

I have not had the best of luck with my teeth. I've always enjoyed soda, and coffee (LOTS of coffee!) and although I consider myself a healthy person, my teeth are starting to show some wear. One of my resolutions this year was to devote a little time to taking better care of myself, so that I can feel better and be a better wife, mom, daughter, and friend.


For the last few weeks, I've added the Crest Pro-Health Invigorating Clean Multi-Protection Rinse to my daily self-care routine, morning and night.

My overall impressions are:

It's really easy! Even on the busiest days, 30 seconds isn't impossible to find. You can use a mouth rinse while doing other things to get ready. (Yay, multitasking!)

It freshens breath - and that's never a bad thing!

I felt like I was doing something positive to improve my oral health. Since my last couple of dentist visits have been more "eventful" than I would prefer, any action to improve my health feels like a positive step!


I wish:

I would love it if Crest considered making a version without artificial coloring. I think an "icy mint" clear version would be great, and since I'm trying to eliminate artificial colors from other products we use, this would be a good place to eliminate these additives as well. I would like it just as much without the bright green hue!

Disclosure Statement:

“I wrote this review while participating in a test drive campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Crest and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central Consulting sent me a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Crest Pro-Health Invigorating Clean Multi-Protection Rinse Test Drive

I try to take good care of myself. But we all know, as moms, sometimes we come last. In between sleepless nights and taking care of my kids, my family, and my job, I will admit that dental care has not been the foremost thought in my mind most days. Even now, I'm often up too late and low on sleep. I brush, but I know I don't give it my all (or the entire two minutes recommended) many nights. I've never regularly used a mouthwash. And my dentist is nice enough to keep asking if I floss regularly, even though he knows the answer.

(I do! For about three weeks after each dentist appointment. Really! Then...not so good.)

I have a nice smile, and good intentions, but I'm not typically confident that each dental check-up won't result in two or three less pleasant follow-up appointments.

So, I was excited to be invited to participate in the Crest Pro-Health Invigorating Clean Multi-Protection Rinse Test Drive (just try saying that 3 times fast!)

I'll be adding this rinse to my daily routine for the next few weeks, and I'll update you with my results. I'm all for the invigorating sensation. Who can't use some more "invigorating" anything in their lives? Fresher breath can't be a bad thing either! It kills germs (which are bad) and keeps teeth cleaner longer (which is good.) I hope it's just the thing to help me take better care of...me!

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a test drive campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Crest and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central Consulting sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Spring Sensory Giveaway from Soft and SPDBN!

It's World Autism Awareness Day, so it seems like the perfect time to share a great giveaway. Soft clothing and the SPD Blogger Network are once again sponsoring a sensory giveaway. My little lady (and sensory-input seeker!) would LOVE the items in this giveaway!

Be sure to check it out if you have a child in your life with sensory needs!

Holiday shopping for therapeutic toys!

Well...I'm in full-swing shopping mode.

Maybe not so much on Friday morning at 4 am, but I'm definitely on the lookout for things that will bring my children smiles this year, and help them learn and grow.

My kids don't really need toys. At all. We seem to have toys coming out of every corner of our home, in fact. What I would like to do is provide my kids, and ask Santa to bring, some wonderful things that will help them make new discoveries and provide some new challenges and fun. For my daughter with autism, I'm shopping almost exclusively for "sensory-friendly" toys and materials that will support her therapy goals.

Soft clothing and HL3B have a Sensory Friendly holiday giveaway going on that would be so fun for my daughter to win. Check out the fun items they will be giving away:



I'd be delighted for her to have any of these play items to use in her therapy. She'd also look gorgeous in that yellow Soft party dress! No bothersome tag or seams, either!

Wish me luck, or go enter the giveaway for a child in your life who would also benefit from some wonderful sensory-friendly materials like these.