Flip Out Mama

You guys know how much I love a good book, and I have been trying to get back into reading a lot again, like I used to. (Ahh, pre-child life!) Recently, I got a chance to review a really great book, adn I am excited to share it with you!  This book was really not something I would normally choose to read. But, just like always, the things that I think I am going to dislike, I end up loving! As was the case with this book! The book takes us along for the journey of the Magi, the warrior priests who were called to the birth of Jesus. The book is pretty enlightening, sharing the story of the Magi in a way that I would have never thought of it. I never really took into consideration the hardships that the Magi must have faced, and what all went into their journey to meet the Messiah. The book is full of adventure, not really what you would think of from a book about the Magi and baby Jesus, but it really was action packed! It was really crazy to think about all the things ...

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of SAVE for SocialSpark . All opinions are 100% mine. As many of you know, we have never been on a "real" family vacation, although we are preparing for one in August. If I had to choose a destination, I would probably pick San Antonio. I love Texas, I love the atmosphere, the culture and the attractions! However, we all know how quickly vacation costs can add up, especially when there are kids involved!   That's why I was excited when I heard about the SAVE – San Antonio Vacation Experience program. The SAVE program makes it super easy to get deals and discounts on all kinds of must see and do attractions in San Antonio! I checked the list, and I saw a ton of things that we would like to do! Hmm, let's see.. Sea World, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, the San Antonio Zoo, Splashtown, all the fun on the River Walk, and so much more! I better hurry because thse are Limited Ti...

A lot of you may not know this about me, but I am kind of an emergency-preparedness freak. I mean, I guess you could say that I am a "prepper." I mean, not like a 2012-end of the world as we know it-doomsday-prepper, but I like to know that whatever happens, my men and i are going to be able to handle it. So, when I recently read about a solar iPhone charger , I was definitely intrigued.This sounds like something that could be incredibly useful to me! This thing looks super cool, and would be a lifesaver (literally maybe!) in a no power situation! You simply leave the solar panel pack out in the sun, and then you can use the USB cord to plug up your phone. Plus, it charges in 1-2 hours? That's how long it takes my phone to charge on the wall! I mean, really, this is a great idea. I know, I do a lot of posts about cool stuff, but this is really a product that is right up my alley! I am definitely looking into getting one of these soon, and I will be happy to share my...

Back about six or seven years ago, I faced a huge dilemma. I was only 19, and I was facing bankruptcy. Most teenagers and young adults face money issues and debt, but mine was a little more than, well.. a little.  I had accumulated tons of student loan debt that I couldn't pay back, blown through my inheritance from my father, and racked up credit card debt like crazy. It wasn't the only bad choice that I was making in my life at that time, but it's definitely the one that still haunts me today. I was so afraid of what was going to happen to me. If I had had a website like billsbills.com , it probably would have been a little easier for me to navigate all the hard times I was going through.  I had so many questions about bankruptcy, and none of the answers. Was this the right choice for me? Was I making a decision I would regret for the rest of my life? Was there a way out of this mess without bankruptcy? A consultation with a rude and unhelpful attorney ma...

Looking for a great e-book download for cheap? Today I have a great deal to tell you about!  A great ebook " Super Simple Yoga: 20 Simple Yoga Poses To Start Looking Great! " is currently on sale for only $.99 to download. It was originally $8.97, so this is a great deal! The book is written by Sharon Whistler, who is a yoga instructor in Portland. The poses are ones that she teaches to her beginning yoga classes, but they are also great for losing weight! If you have never tried yoga, I totally recommend it as a great way not only to get in shape, but also to relax and feel good all around! I especially love that yoga is an easy workout that you can do in the comfort of your own home, which is super important if you have crazy kids running around like I do!  If you are interested in learning some super simple yoga for under a buck, click here to download now! But hurry, this is only a limited time offer!

So, we have a lot of birthday party issues. You guys know this. This year, it was the zombie party that got cancelled due to the 110 degree heat, followed by the pizza party place that was kind of a bust. Well, Tater had decided that next year, he wanted to have his birthday at a local laser tag place. Which was totally fine with me.... Until I checked the price!  $24.99 PER KID???? Are you kidding me!? Sure, Tater, sweet dear, you can have your party here, just invite one child, honey! Yeah, right! So, I was off to find something else!  And, find it I did!  Do you know what this is? This is a Tiny Tag . Do you know what a tiny tag is for?? Wait for it... A miniature game of LASER TAG!! I am not kidding, how cool is this!? You order as many Tiny Tags as you need for the number of kids at your own laser tag party, and they each get their own Tiny Tag. The Tiny Tag takes the place of the "gun" usually used in laser tag, and the kids use them to shoot t...

As you guys know, we are always trying to look for new and interesting books for the boys. I like for them to have things to read that they probably wouldn't pick out on their own. (If I didn't pick out different books for them, they would only read zombie books!) So, when I found this really cool book by Elizabeth Rooks, I wanted to share it with you guys! The book is called Rayne: Queen Water Supplier of the World , and it is so cute!  The story follows Rayne, an adventurous and imaginative little girl, who tells everyone that she is the queen water supplier of the world! She tries to convince all of her animal friends, Cora the Cow, Dale the Dolphin, Betsy the Bird, and Bella the Butterfly, but they don't believe her! This is such a cute story, and it actually teaches kids about water without them even realizing it!  Elizabeth Rooks did a great job with this book, and I would recommend it to everyone! I am really excited to read more of her children's...

Seriously. We have had Tucker for almost four years now, and he has always been a good dog.I really don't know what's up, but he has been so bad lately. Almost like a rebellious teenager.??? I don't know how to explain it, but he is really getting on my nerves with this new bad dog behavior. Last week, he peed on THE COUCH not once, not twice, but THREE times! He has NEVER done that before, and I mean ever!  I don't know what to do with him. Maybe I should take him to a doggie boot camp? My hubs suggested maybe finding some pet forums online or something to talk to other pet owners and see if anyone has any advice. That sounds like a pretty good idea. I don't know.. part of me wants to just to give up but I know  I can't do that...  Anybody have any advice for me?

You guys know I am always on the lookout for cool, unique gift ideas, and I have found another great company for us! Laughing Cat Studio creates unique, handmade jewelry, gifts and other accessories. They have some really awesome pieces that I am in love with! They have a wide variety of pieces, made with a mix of vintage and modern materials. I think they are fun, eclectic and just plain cool. Best part of all? All the items found at ALaughingCat.com are affordable!! What could be better??  I can't wait to show you some of the really cool stuff that I found!  You know I am a sucker for earrings! Look at these!They are called "The Watcher". They have antique brass dangles, Swarvoski crystals and serpentine beads! And, you wanna know the price? $16.50, y'all!  And, look at this print! Oh my goodness! Okay, listen to the story behind these prints! Each one is based on a real life actual cat, either a pet or a shelter cat. AND... each print is printed ...

I am going to be totally honest. When I started this book, I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy it or not. It didn't seem to be at all the genre that I am usually interested in. Nevertheless, I decided that I would tough it out and give it a try! I am so glad I started it! By the second chapter, I was hooked!  I seriously felt like I was reading a movie! Wanna hear about the story? Ryan Matthews is a former cancer researcher whose wife is battling ovarian cancer. It just so happens that he had developed a drug that he believed would be the cure for her and others battling the disease. His dreams are crushed when he learns that the vaccine that he created and believed in so much was actually accelerating her cancer.  After a devastating loss when his wife and children die in a plane crash, he sinks into a depression in the Bahamas, until he meets Jordan Carver, a female FDA researcher who is developing a clinic in Mexico where patients can go to receive "aff...

You guys know me. It's July, and I would have to say that I am around 30% finished with my Christmas shopping. It's just how I am. I hate stress, and Christmas shopping produces SO much stress for me! I just have to get it done early to avoid the madness!  Anyways, you know when I find something that I just have to have for a gift, that the first place I share it is here with you guys! Today I have another great gift idea for you!  This gift idea is from Etsy, come on, the #1 place for great gift ideas of all time! This Esty shop is by a seller named Anastassia Orehova , and her work is marvelous! She creates custom oil portraits on canvas, and they are so beautiful! The pieces that she has are really beautiful, and anyone would be thrilled to get one of these as a gift! Look at this one, it's absolutely amazing! The painting looks exactly like the photo! Now, tell me what parent or grandparent would not like to receive such a thoughtful gift! I love these! ...

So, the other night, the hubs and I were talking about vacations.  We have never been on a "proper" vacation, money has always been tight for as long as we have been together, and there have always been either newborns, babies, or toddlers to deal with, and I am just not brave enough to venture far from home with them! So, imagine his surprise when he asked me what my dream vacation spot would be. I quickly replied, " Beacon Hill Holiday Cottages !" "Where in the heck is that?" he asked.. "Oh, just in Northumberland, United Kingdom." Needless to say, we won't be heading there this year! But, I found Beacon Hill Holiday Cottages online awhile ago, and they look like so much fun! They have everything I could ever want in a vacation destination. What really made me want to go, though, are their children's activities. They have the usual suspects, great pool, game room, etc, but there were some really cool extras I n...

Hey guys! Happy Sunday! We are celebrating a lazy rainy day while the husband goes to play paintball..And I am patiently waiting for tonight's Season Five premiere of Breaking Bad!  Anyhow, I wanted to share a giveaway with you guys! My friend (all the way from elementary school) Stephanie, is having her very first blog giveaway, and is giving away a Build A Bear Workshop gift card!  I would love it if you guys would stop by her blog and say hey! If you would like to enter, just click here!

It's that time again! I have to admit, one of my very favorite times of all, is when Sesame Street Live comes to town!  This year, Sesame Street Live's show is called "Can't Stop Singing!", and I can tell that it is going to be a super fun show! The Sesame Street gang is coming to Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky this Fall! They will be here from Friday, October 19- Sunday October 21, 2012! I can not WAIT to check out the show this year!  Here's a little more info about the show:  Doesn't that sound like fun! I know that the boys are going to have a fantastic time at the show, and there is one other thing that is new this year, that I am really pumped about!  Sesame Street Live has a new feature this year, the Play Zone Experience! Play Zone opens one hour before the show starts, and it is absolutely FREE! What is it, you ask? A whole new way for kids (and parents!) to experience our favorite street! Kids can hang out in Big Bir...

If you don't, I'm telling you.. you should.. Seriously.. This is not a review post, or a sponsored post.. This is just me telling you that I recently started shopping at Aldi, and that I am saving a lot of money since then!  I had never shopped there until a few months ago, when I started staying at home, but since then, I have really enjoyed the deals there! Last week, a 2lb bag of white onions was $.69! Five pounds of potatoes for $.99, and 4 ears of corn for $.75!  I have tried a ton of stuff since starting to shop there. At first I was a little bit worried about how the quality would be, since everything was so much cheaper, but we have been really pleased! We haven't tried a single thing that we don't like! In fact, some things, like the lunchmeat, and the popcorn chicken, we like better than the Kroger store brand versions! I was really impressed!  I tried to upload some pics of my reciept to show you guys some of the great deals that I found, but...

So do you wanna go to Paris?  Okay not really! But do you want to FEEL like you've been to Paris?  Then you have GOT to check out the Welcome To Paris Event at Bath And Body Works on Saturday, August 11, from 1pm-5pm! The Welcome To Paris Event is to celebrate the launch of the new "From Paris, With Love" collection! There are three new "Paris-Inspired" fragrances: Paris In Bloom, Sweet On Paris, and Paris Amour. You can enter to win a From Paris, With Love prize pack, and for each full size Signature Purchase, guests will receive a gift featuring a Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin Mini Candle, trial size body lotion, and a Caramel Apple PocketBac and Holder in a mesh bag package!  You can go here to see if your local Bath and Body Works is participating!    Don't forget! Saturday,  August 11, from 1pm-5pm!

I can not believe that it is already almost back to school time! It feels like this Summer has flown by. I must admit, I am ready for first grade to start! It will be nice to get a break from my Mr. Cranky Pants for a few short hours each day! However, for a lot of college students, back to school time is not such a fun time. There are so many things to pay for with college, one of the most expensive being books! So, why in the world, would you choose to buy a textbook when you can RENT one instead?!?  At http://www.campusbookrentals.com/ , you can save 40-90% off of bookstore prices by renting your textbooks instead of buying them! Seriously, why would you even consider buying a book that you will never open again in a few months? They have a ton of great perks for ordering from them, including FREE shipping BOTH ways! Now that is a good deal!  Another great perk of Campus Book Rentals is that you can highlight in the textbooks! You can also get live customer...

Seriously, when you think about internet marketing , what comes to mind? For me, it's Twitter and Facebook contests, coupons, QR Codes, videos and sweepstakes, "Like" to join us, and so much more. I really feel like internet marketing puts all other forms of advertising to shame. I mean think about it, do you find most of the products or services that you use? The Yellow Pages? A TV commercial? Radio Ad? Billboard? For me, it's online and online only! There is no close second. I use the internet for absolutely everything, and I think that I am not alone! It really is crazy to think about how fast the internet has become such an integral part of all we do! I mean, I remember when I was in high school, and that was just eight or nine years ago. I didn't have a laptop, we had dial up internet, and I only used it occasionally. Fast Forward to now, where I am online almost 24/7. I shop online (just ordered Tater's shoes and backpack for school a few minutes ag...

I have been thinking of coming up with an email newsletter for my blog for quite some time. When I discovered Mad Mimi newsletter templates , my mind was made up! I am going to finally take the plunge and create my own email newsletter! These templates are going to make it easy and fun! (Gasp!) I am really excited about this! I think this can bring a lot of new people to my blog, and keep my old readers happy and engaged as well! I know that not every one has time to visit my blog every single day, and I am okay with that. But, what if there was a giveaway or article that they might really be interested in, and they didn't even know? That's why I think that an email newsletter would be great! I think Mad Mimi would be a great place to start! They do email marketing and they do it well! I really like that they aren't designed to only work with giant companies, this sometimes makes me feel a little out of place when I contact a company, so I am glad they are small-comp...

Okay, if you love Shutterfly, and I know you do, you are definitely going to want to take a few minutes and enter this new sweepstakes that they have going on on their Facebook page. It just launched on Monday, and I am really excited about it! What's the prize? A trip for four to the BAHAMAS!!! And, if that's not enough, a professional photo shoot while you're there, to remember your vacation forever!! All you have to do is upload your favorite Summer photo and caption it based on the theme of the week! So easy! And, you get a FREE gift from Shutterfly just for entering!! The sweepstakes lasts for FIVE weeks, and you can enter at any time during that five week period, so get going! Here are the themes: PHOTO THEMES •       Week 1(7/9): Americana •       Week 2 (7/16): Great Outdoors •       Week 3 (7/23): Water Fun •       Week 4 (7/30): S...

If you are looking for a great movie to watch at home with your honey (AFTER the kids are in bed, I'm telling you now!), you have GOT to pick up American Reunion when it hits shelves on Tuesday, July 10th! (AKA The Day After Tomorrow, Y'all!) I have always loved the American Pie movies, in fact, I was the same age as the gang was when the first movie came out in '99! I was in high school just like they were, and I laughed and cringed right alongside them! So, needless to say, when we got a chance to check out the American Reunion BluRay Combo Pack I was super excited to see "my old friends" again!! First of all, the Blu-Ray Combo Pack is definitely the way to go if you are going to buy this movie when it comes out. (And you are!) It includes the blu-ray (duh), the DVD, a digital copy, and the new UltraViolet. If you are confused, (and I was too, it's okay!), the digital copy is the one you can use to view the movie on your iPad, iPhone, iPod, et...

Oh my goodness! I have a site for you guys to check out, and you are going to LOVE it! As soon as you hear the name, you know it is going to be good! Everybody loves ugly holiday sweaters , whether it be for a party or just for fun, and this website can hook you up for sure! It is called, wait for it.. ButtUglySweaters.com! I absolutely love it! It's cute, it's witty, and they have some damn ugly sweaters! Planning a ugly sweater Christmas party? (If you're not, you should be, they are SO much fun!) Well, here are a couple of real doozies for ya!  Don't wanna wait til Christsmas? Don't be bummed! I completely understand, sometimes the ugly sweater needs are just too great to only wear one once a year.. The folks at Butt Ugly Sweaters have sweaters for all types of occasions, not just Christmas!  How about a sweater filled with random taxis?  Or a sweater for all your aviation needs?  Oh my goodness, I told you these people have ...

Really exciting news to share with you guys! Back to school is almost here! (That's the REALLY good news if your kids are driving you nuts like mine is!) But, that is not what I am going to talk to you about today!  Elmer's, (yes, the glue people!), have come out with a great new app! It's called the First Day App, and it is a photo sharing app and website dedicated to capturing and preserving first day of school memories! The app is free, and you can take pics and share them with friends and family. You then log into the website, and you can customize your photos, and share on Facebook or email! This would be great for sharing with our family members who don't get to see the boys very often! Elmer's is such an awesome company, they are donating one school supply product for each and every photo uploaded using this app! Isn't that great!?! You can get this great FREE app from the iTunes store, or by scanning the QR code on Elmer's products! So, wh...

Today is one of those days that we are going to talk about a good resource for a bad problem, one that no one really wants to talk about. It is a great resource for families, and something we should all take the time to prepare for, even though no one wants to think about it.  The website is http://www.preventabduction.net/ and it is a great resource for families to guard against child abduction. Did you know that around 2000 children are abducted every SINGLE day? Most of these abductions take place in a park, store, or other public area. That is just an absolute crazy number to me, and I can't imagine how it would feel to be the parent of one of those kids.  The Prevent Abduction website helps families in a variety of ways, from showing videos, helping you to order ID kits, and child locators. This site is just a plethora of information for all families, and it can really teach you a lot by visiting the site. I truly believe that every family should be educated i...

Today I have a great ebook download to tell you guys about. The book is called "The Cancer Free Grocery List" and it is written by Julie Joyce. Julie is the Executive Producer and host of Cancer Free Radio and her mission is to help families lower the risk of cancer in their families. Did you know that one in three people will get cancer? ONE in THREE?? Those are crazy numbers! This book helps you to fight those odds by helping you choose foods that can help fight off cancer and help you to be the healthiest that you can be! This book is a great resource for anyone who is concerned about their family and their health! And, the best part of all? This book download is priced at only $.99! Who doesn't love that!? If you would like to check out this book, you can do that here!

I think my boys would like for me to have a cool job. I mean, right now, to them, I am just "mommy". I wonder what they would think if I was something cool, if I was some big time something or other. Like, if I worked on a TV show like The Walking Dead (our family's favorite) or something like that, I wonder if they would think I was "cooler". Or if I had a job that could make us some serious cash... What if I entered the world of loose diamond brokers or something totally awesome like that?  I don't know, sometimes I wish I had a really cool job, and that I was able to make a lot of money and make my kids proud. But, all in all, I think they are proud of me for just being mommy. I hope that when they grow up, they know how hard I have worked for them and how much I have tried to make sure that they grow  up to be responsible and decent men. I know there are a lot of things that they don't understand and I hope that looking back when they grown, th...

Please explain to me how it is possible that I am busier now that I am staying at home than I was when I was working? I really do not understand. But, things are coming along. I guess.  Today I got our "emergency cabinet" cleared out. Well, before today it was a crap cabinet. Now it is going to be an emergency cabinet.  This is where we are going to put our emergency supplies, bottled water, first aid kit, canned food, candles, etc... After a run of like 3-4 emergencies where I couldn't find/didn't have/couldn't get to what I needed, we are going to start being more prepared and ready for these situations. So, today, we cleaned out a cabinet in our hutch to use for emergency supplies. Also on the list, finishing the hallway. I got it done today! I painted last week, and it has just been hanging out kinda "half finished" since then. So, today, I hung my curtains, put my switch covers on, and hung my pictures back up. It looks SO much better! ...