Mom Confessions: What's Yours?

This post was sponsored by the Role Mommy Writer's Network, all opinions are my own.

Every mom has her confessions. That's just the way it is. We all have them. 

Oh. Are you waiting to hear mine? Oops... Okay then, I guess I have to tell you, don't I? 

Confession #1: Sometimes (not very often, but sometimes), my kids eat popcorn for dinner. Or cereal. Or some other less than Betty Crocker-ish meal for dinner. Don't hate. 

Confession #2: I have an entire stash of "mom snacks" that my kids don't know about. I hide from them when I eat them, so I don't have to share. 

Confession #3: I suck at reminding my kids to take baths. Seriously. Usually, by the time I remember they needed a bath, they are already tucked nicely in bed, and there is NO way in hell I am waking them back up. 

Confession #4: In my mind, "movie night" is code for "mom napping on the couch while nobody notices"! 

So, there you have it, those are my top four mom confessions! Speaking of mom confessions, I am super excited to see what kind of confessions Anna Faris is going to have in her new CBS comedy, aptly titled "MOM". I can't wait to watch! 

MOM is a comedy from executive producer Chuck Lorre starring Anna Faris as a newly sober single mom raising two children in a world full of temptations and pitfalls, and multiple Emmy Award winner Allison Janney as her critical, estranged mother. Christy is a waitress at a posh Napa Valley establishment who is four months clean and doing her best to be a good mom and overcome a history of questionable choices. Her sobriety is tested when her recovering alcoholic mom Bonnie reappears, chock-full of passive-aggressive insights into Christy’s many mistakes.  Bonnie joins Christy’s already complicated circle of relationships: her handsome, married boss – and lover – Gabriel; the restaurant’s hot-tempered chef, Rudy; her pretty, 16-going-on-25-yearold daughter, Violet; her sweet but overly honest son, Roscoe; her irresponsible ex and Roscoe’s father, Baxter; and Violet’s clueless boyfriend, Luke. Christy tries to remain positive as she pursues her new path in life, but she faces an uphill battle, surrounded by a dubious support system – and a copious amount of dysfunction.   Premieres Monday, Sept. 23, 2013, on the CBS Television Network.

I absolutely LOVE Anna Faris, she is such a funny girl, and I am thrilled to see her cast in a "mom" type role! Love her! I will definitely be checking out the premiere on September 23, I already have it on my calendar! Want to check out a preview of this great new show? Here ya go: 

MOM: Check it out on CBS, premiering September 23 at 9:30!! You are gonna love it! 

Nancy B's Science Club AquaScope and Activity Journal from #EducationalInsights!`

We are lucky enough to live super close to four nature preserves (within ONE mile of us!) and the beautiful Kentucky River Palisades, all complete with their own little creeks and streams. For us, this means lots of time in the outdoors, lots of splashing in the creeks, and lots and LOTS of mud! Now we have one more thing to take with us when we go on our excursions, and that is the Nancy B's Science Club AquaScope and Activity Journal from Educational Insights! 

This AquaScope is really cool, I had never seen anything like it before! It's a Nancy B product, which means it will really appeal to girls, but there is no reason that boys won't like it too! My guy likes it just fine, there is nothing super girly about it at all. It's a really cool science tool, and it magnifies things up to 5x, which is pretty awesome! It even has built in LED lights! Another great extra is the thermometer  where you can chart the water temperature. Then, you also have the activity journal where you can get prompts and activities to do when you need some guidance! 

We have really enjoyed this tool as a part of our lessons. We, of course, tried it out in the bathtub and the pool, which was fun, but not as much fun as using it in a pond! If you use it in the pond, you can see all the little creatures that live in the water! The best part? My guy is learning biology without even knowing it! I love to sneak in lessons like this when the boys don't know that they are really lessons. They think they're just having fun, but as a homeschool mom, every thing we do is a learning opportunity, right? 

This AquaScope has been a great addition for us and we really have enjoyed using it lately! We are even planning on going out in the morning to explore the puddles from the storms we are having right now! How fun! If you think this might be a cool tool for the kiddo in your life, you can buy it here for right around $35.00. Make sure that you are signed up for EI's newsletter, and follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest too! 

We received a sample product in order to conduct this review, however all opinions are our own. 

My Big Boys Are Bonding With HALO Mega Bloks!

My big boy and his daddy. These two often have trouble bonding, so I am always on the lookout for ways to help them bond and things for them to do together. They always like playing video games together, but I have recently been wanting something a little bit more "unplugged" for them to do together. Thanks to Mega Bloks, I have found a great product for my two big guys to enjoy together! Mega Bloks has an entire line of HALO building products, based on one of my guys' favorite video games, and they have some amazingly cool products! 

We received the HALO Night Ops Gausshogg building set to review, and man, is it cool! It comes with a ton of pieces, and there are a lot of small parts, so make sure to keep it out of the reach of your small ones! This particular set is for ages 8 and up, so we made sure that Tater and daddy played with it together. This set has kept my guys busy for weeks now! 

Establish your army, build and expand your units with the UNSC Night Ops Gausshog by Mega Bloks Halo! The UNSC Gausshog is the light anti-armor variant of the Warthog LRV. Equipped with a 360° rotating Gauss Cannon, real working suspension and specially engineered floodlights, the Spartan Pathfinder and his Spartan Warrior gunner open fire on a Knight Lancer armed with a Suppressor. Now in desert camo with light features and in-game sounds, the Mega Bloks UNSC Night Ops Gausshog lets you play more than ever before!

Ideal for children ages 8 and up.

Features:

Buildable UNSC Gausshog with new light features and in-game sound!
UNSC Troops: Spartan in Pathfinder green, Spartan in Warrior green
Promethean Knight Lancer

Weapons: Railgun, Shotgun, Suppressor, Hooked Sword

As you might be able to guess, the most popular part of this building set for my guy is the gun! The army tank thingy itself is pretty dang cool, even for a mom who doesn't really "get" boys and their video game toys! It also makes lights and sounds, which is a big hit around here!This has become one of my guys' favorite toys, and they really do play with it almost every day! Tater in particular has really been having so much fun building and unbuilding this set, and then rebuilding it another crazy way. It's been great for his creativity and he now has all of the HALO Mega Bloks toys on his Christmas list! If you are thinking of checking out this set, you can get it online at several major retails for a little over $30.00. Click here for one link to buy this great set! 

We received a sample product in order to conduct this review. Although a sample product was received, all opinions are our own and are never influenced by outside means. 

Mega Bloks Skylanders Giants Arkeyan Robot King Review!

If you're like me, you probably think of blocks when you think of Mega Bloks. Regular old building blocks and building kits. However, that is just not the case anymore! We recently got a chance to check out an awesome building kit from Mega Bloks from one of Tater's favorite things ever: Skylanders Giants! 

Tater has been a longtime fan of the Skylanders Giants video games ever since they came out, so this Mega Bloks kit was definitely well received by him! Here's the scoop: 

Build a blasting battle with the Arkeyan Robot King by Mega Bloks Skylanders Giants™! Pop Fizz will have to gulp down all the soda he can and transform into Beast Form when he confronts the Arkeyan Robot King with working Iron Fist launchers! With two green Chompies guarding the treasure chest, Pop Fizz will have his work cut out for him as he tries to collect the Robot King’s loot!
When the battle is over, collect the treasure and prepare to build a brand new battle!

Ideal for kids age 5 and up.

Features:

Buildable Arkeyan Robot figure with working Iron Fist launcher
Special transforming Pop Fizz figure
Two green Chompies and loot-filled treasure chest
Combines with the rest of the Mega Bloks Skylanders Giants™ to build your battle!

This really is a cool toy, even to the mom who doesn't really like video games that much! Tater has really loved this toy, he plays with it at least once every day! I mean, come on, what little boy does not love a treasure chest? That is by far his favorite part! The giant robot king guy is also a very popular part too, and little Mr. Pop Fizz is often used to scare his little brother, of course! 

This toy is good for ages five and up, it does have some little pieces, so watch out if you have little ones in the house as well. In our house this is a toy that has to be picked up after playing with it so little brother doesn't get into it, but that's no big deal. It comes with quite a few  pieces, and is very affordable at right around $30.00. Thinking of adding it to your Christmas list? Here's a great link for you! Don't forget to follow Mega Bloks on Twitter and Facebook too for the latest updates! 

I received a sample product in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% my own and are never influenced by an outside source.