Reviews

How to Make Playtime More Fun with Citrus Lane (and a Giveaway!)

December 13, 2013 by Sandra 9 Comments

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Citrus Lane.

For kids, playtime is essential.

I feel like, in my own family, there are times when I have to be very intentional about encouraging my kids to play with toys and games that stimulate their minds. I have to be careful not to allow them to simply gravitate towards screens or other mindless video games when they should be playing offline and not in front of a screen.

An Easy Way to Find Products that Encourage Kids to Play
One fantastic resource for parents when it comes to making playtime more fun and imaginative for little ones is a Citrus Lane subscription box. We recently received our very first subscription box in the mail, and Elisabeth, my almost 2-year-old daughter, absolutely fell in love with the products inside.

My older kids liked the organic chips. 😉

Citrus Lane’s box goodies include toys, books, snacks and personal care products.

As a mom, I couldn’t be happier with the items we received in our box, and I love that Citrus Lane tailored our box for Elisabeth’s age and stage of learning.

Because of this, we ended up with a delightful box of hand-picked items that were right for our baby girl.

Her favorite things to play with are by far the toddler tambourine and the Scrubble bath toy set. She brings these toys to and from the hospital to play with when Ruben and the rest of the kids come to visit David.

She’s very protective of her special toys.

What I Love about Citrus Lane
I’m 100% impressed with the quality of the items we were mailed in our box. I’m guessing this is because Citrus Lane chooses to send products that have actually been recommended by other moms and dads. I love that.

And now for the Giveaway!
ONE very excited reader will win a $25.00 voucher to the Citrus Lane Shop!

Citrus Lane recently launched the Citrus Lane Shop. The Citrus Lane Shop is stocked with the most popular Citrus Lane products. Parents can choose from the very best products by looking at over a million recommendations provided by the Citrus Lane community.

How to Enter the Giveaway

Simply enter this giveaway using the Rafflecopter below. I’ve included options for extra entries, too!

This giveaway will run from now until – December 16th at 12:00am. The giveaway is open to US Residents only, ages 18 years old and above. The winner will be randomly chosen. I will promptly send the winner an email notifying them that they’ve won, and the winner must respond within 48hrs. of the giveaway’s end, otherwise I will have to draw a new winner.

Enter Below
a Rafflecopter giveaway

What would you purchase from the Citrus Lane shop if you won this voucher?

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Citrus Lane. New customers who purchase a subscription will receive $10.00 off their first month with code BLOGPOST. Expires 12/31/2013.

Offer Terms: Discount may only be applied to subscriptions purchased by new Citrus Lane customers. It cannot be applied to gift subscriptions. Subscriptions automatically renew to full retail price, $25 per month. You may cancel anytime.

For more information, visit http://www.citruslane.com.

A Tablet That Fits into My Work-at-Home Mom Life – The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3

November 23, 2013 by Sandra 2 Comments

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper
insights study for Collective Bias® and their client.

I’m a work-at-home mom.

Technically, I also work from the library when I need to get away and write or design without a baby on my lap or a little person needing me. Those days, I’ll go to the library and check out a room, so that I can have peace and quiet and just write, return emails, check social media, and do the other things I need to do to keep this little online business of ours moving forward.

Even in the midst of all that’s going on with David, I still have to work, and I’ve been lugging around my crazy-heavy laptop bag filled with everything I need to work while I’m sitting in the emergency room again or spending time with David during another hospital stay.

Decisions, decisions…
I finally decided to stop the madness and get a tablet (for myself), so that I don’t always have to lug around a cumbersome laptop bag.

We trust Best Buy and have made several device purchases there in the past (plus I’m a fan of their warranty program), so we headed there to check out tablets. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 caught my eye. It has a powerful Intel processor (just what I need), and it’s sleek and lightweight, which I love.

The Best Buy Experience
The employees at Best Buy were incredibly helpful and knowledgeable when it came to the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3. They answered all of my questions, and explained the benefits of owning an Android tablet. They made me feel confident about my decision, and I walked away a happy customer.

How I Use the Tab 3
Now that I’m officially a tablet owner, I’ve stopped lugging around my laptop bag every.single.time. we go to the hospital. David had 8 appointments (yes, EIGHT) to go to this past week, and instead of bringing my laptop with me, I left it and simply slipped my tablet into my purse to take along on our adventures.

Whether I’m at home or in a waiting room, I can write posts and manage my blog on my tablet.

I also use it to check email and social media, listen to my favorite radio station, take pictures, and I even allowed my kids to install ONE game app on it. 😉

In the past, I’ve ever-so-carefully placed my laptop on the treadmill, so that I could walk and work at the same time. I love that I can now easily do the same things I did with my laptop on the treadmill but instead use my lightweight and portable tablet.

Across-the-board, I feel like this tablet is just what I need to be more productive as I juggle being a work-at-home mom with all of my other responsibilities. I know I’ll be using it a lot over the next few months, and I may even use it to create videos to share with you when David is in the hospital next month.

Yes, I do think this tablet will become my new supertool.

Have you ever used a tablet? In what ways do you think it could streamline an area of your life?

Learn More & Be Social
You can learn more about the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 at Best Buy & receive Best Buy updates when you follow them on Twitter.

You can also stay up-to-date with Intel when you follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Saying Thank You…

November 22, 2013 by Sandra 1 Comment

This is a compensated campaign on behalf of Latina Bloggers Connect and Hallmark.

Wow. Ever since David, our four-year-old son, was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia, I’ve been overwhelmed by the love, support, and prayers we’ve received from so many family members, friends, and even people we don’t yet know personally but with whom we share a common heart’s desire to see David get well.

I have searched for words and ways to say, “Thank You.” But I’ve found that there really are no words to express how incredibly grateful we are for YOU – all of you – who have unceasingly cared for us these past few months.

Saying Thank You the Hallmark Way
Even though there’s no way I can truly tell you how much I appreciate you, I’ve decided that during the long days that are coming up in the hospital, I can show you in a very small way how thankful I am for you.

I’ll be sending out Hallmark Thank You cards.

Why Hallmark?
I decided on Hallmark cards because I can pretty much find them anywhere, and for a long time now, I’ve been a member of the Hallmark Crown Rewards program.

Hallmark Card Rewards
Now I recently found out that there’s another program called Hallmark Card Rewards, where you can earn rewards for buying Hallmark cards wherever they’re sold, whether it’s at the grocery store or the local drugstore.

Here are Benefits of the Hallmark Card Rewards Program:

Get rewarded everywhere you buy Hallmark cards. This includes more than 30,000 grocery stores and drugstores as well as supercenters across the country.

Earn 1 reward for every 5 Hallmark cards purchased (individual cards – not boxed greeting cards). Rewards include gift cards, discounts, dollars off, and more. *Hallmark Card Reward partners include Starbucks, Land’s End, and many others!

Use the Hallmark Card Rewards mobile app (Android and iPhone) to easily scan the barcode on the back of your purchased Hallmark cards and register your rewards for your account. You can sign up for the program online here.

Elisabeth’s Birthday Card
Besides the thank you cards I recently picked up, I also found a perfectly pink birthday card for Elisabeth. We’ll be celebrating her 2nd birthday while David is in the hospital for his bone marrow transplant. It’s not ideal, obviously, but we’ll make it work.

I think Elisabeth is going to love her card.

Last thing…
I obviously can’t send everyone a card who has prayed for David and showed us kindness in so many ways. I don’t have all of your addresses. 😉

But I still want to say…THANK YOU.

With endless gratitude.

Thank you.

A Day in the Life (and how I use the Moto X Smartphone)

November 15, 2013 by Sandra 2 Comments

I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Sprint.
I received product samples to facilitate my review.

Life isn’t easy these days.

No, not at all. But even with the unpredictability that’s present in my life right now, I still have a few tools that help me to stay organized and on top of my to-do list.

The Moto X Smartphone
A smartphone is one of the tools that I use every single day to stay in the loop, check and delete email, keep on top of what’s going on with my blog, and take pictures of my kids. I also use it as my only alarm clock and to send myself daily reminders to read my Bible — you’d be surprised how effective this is.

When my last phone decided to develop a mind of its own (people who know me in real life know what I’m talking about…), I switched to using the Sprint Moto X Smartphone. And it’s been awesome.

Incredibly Useful New Features
Besides being able to use this phone in all the ways I did with my old phone, there are new features that come along with the Moto X that have proved valuable in so many ways.

First, there’s the Touchless Control. With this feature, I don’t even have to touch the phone to get directions, check the weather, ask Google a question, etc… The Moto X knows my voice, and when I say, “OK, Google Now,” it responds. So far, I love using this feature to get directions quickly and easily.

Because people who know me in real life also know that I get lost easily. 😉

My second favorite Moto X feature is the Active Display. I use this feature A LOT.

It looks like this:

With this feature, information quietly appears on your screen, and with one touch of the finger, you can get more information and decide whether or not you want to swipe to unlock the screen and check that email or text message or whatever it may be.

A Day in the Life
Besides going over the cool features of the Moto X smartphone, I thought it would be fun to share what a somewhat typical day looks like for me at the moment.

Here goes…

A somewhat typical day:

Around 7:46 AM: I check the time on my phone, and then I sneak out of bed before Elisabeth wakes up (we co-sleep) and start getting ready for the day.

Around 8:00 AM: Elisabeth wakes up crying, so I grab my phone and lay back down with her. I nurse her and read my Bible using the app on my phone.

Around 8: 25 AM: Elisabeth has fallen back asleep, but instead of continuing to get ready for the day, I decide to sit at my desk and return an email.

Around 9:00 AM: I finally head for the shower. David wakes up shortly before this happens, and he’s in a great mood. But he has lots more pin-point red dots (petechiae) on his face and body. I know this means his platelets are low, and I start contemplating whether or not he’s going to be able to make it to his appointment on Monday before he needs a transfusion.

Around 9:50 AM: I head downstairs with the kids to eat breakfast. I bring my phone, laptop, and schedule with me, so that I can look things over and plan my day.

10:22 AM: I start preparing a spot at my kitchen table to take pictures of products I’ll talk about in an upcoming blog post.

11:01 AM: I’m finally finished taking pictures for my post. It takes a little longer because the kids decide they want to play outside, and they keep thinking they hear a loose dog.

11:05 AM: I sit down to nurse Elisabeth, who is very upset because she didn’t get to go outside with Nathan and Isaac. While I’m nursing her, David gets close and as I look at his face, I wonder whether or not I should call the doctor. He has so much petechiae. 🙁 His energy level is great, though, so I decide to wait until he sees his nurse this afternoon and go with her recommendation.

11:16 AM: Elisabeth is still upset about not being able to go outside, so I go outside with her.

Around 11:20 AM: Ruben arrives home, and after coming back inside with Elisabeth, I start getting ready to leave for the library. I’ll spend as much time as I can there getting work done.

11:46 AM: I leave for the library where I can check out a room for a few hours to work.

11:55 AM: I pull into a parking space at our local library and head inside. I have less than three hours at the library today, because I need to be back home by 3:00 PM, when David’s home health nurse will stop by for a visit.

2:28 PM: I pack up and get ready to head home from the library. Before I leave, though, I check out the books Nathan has on hold and choose five videos for the kids to watch this week.

2:42 PM: I arrive home, say hello to everyone, and then start a cup of coffee.

3:00 PM: David’s nurse arrives. I go over issues we’ve been having with David’s prescriptions and the obvious petechiae on David’s face and body. She wants me to call the doctor’s office right then and there, so I grab my phone and dial the number. I can only leave a message and have to wait for a call back.

3:28 PM: David’s nurse leaves, and while I could go back to the library to get more work done, I decide it’s best to wait on the phone call from someone on David’s care team. They may want us to take David to the emergency room today.

3:50 PM: I open my computer and try to get work done from home.

4:27 PM: Still no word from the hospital, so I take Elisabeth upstairs to nap.

4:45 PM: Elisabeth falls asleep, and I work online.

5:20 PM: I head downstairs to make dinner.

5:28 PM: I get a call from the hospital, and we discuss David’s increased petechiae and meds. David’s doctor is okay with David not going to the ER today, and an appointment will be made for him to go to the infusion center on Monday afternoon after the appointment that’s already scheduled with his doctor for that day. If there’s another significant increase in petechiae or other symptoms, I’m instructed to call back.

5:50 PM: Elisabeth wakes up from her nap. I leave to help her get back to sleep while Ruben takes over dinner.

6:07 PM: David bursts into the room yelling that his leg hurts. I try to help him while I’m holding Elisabeth, but he wants me to put her down, so I do. Thankfully, Elisabeth stays asleep, and I rub David’s leg. He’s feeling fine shortly after this episode and hangs out with me for awhile.

6:16 PM: Dinner is ready, and David and I head downstairs.

6:56 PM: Dinner is finished, and I’m almost done cleaning the kitchen when Elisabeth wakes up again. I head upstairs to nurse her.

7:25 PM: Surprisingly, Elisabeth falls back to sleep, and I spend time chatting with Ruben and check email and Facebook.

Around 7:40 PM: Elisabeth wakes up (for real this time), and we head downstair to get dinner for her.

8:32 PM: I take time to read to the kids from their current favorite superhero book.

9:00 PM: I say goodnight to the kids and then get back online to return an email.

9:16 PM: I get off the computer to pray as a family and say goodnight to the kids again. They go to bed for real this time.

9:26 PM: I get back online to work, check email, etc…. Ruben and I talk about life and the kids, and I finally make it to bed around 1:30 AM.

How I’m Staying Active with the Fitbit Flex
In addition to using the Moto X throughout the day, I’ve also been wearing a Fitbit, which has been awesome because it reminds me to keep moving as the day progresses.

I’ve gained weight since life turned upside down with David’s diagnosis, and the Fitbit is helping me take it off again. I’m still not down to the weight I was at, but little by little…step by step…I know I’ll get there.

The Fitbit offers you the ability to:

Track your steps, distance, and calories each day

Track your sleep cycle and learn how to get better sleep at night

Set goals and view progress

Log food, weight, and more on the Fitbit website or app

There’s so much you can do with a Fitbit
Besides the obvious visual reminder that the Fitbit Flex offers, I also use a personalized Fitbit dashboard online to track things like my progress, weight, and calories. Both the online dashboard and the app for the Fitbit are super easy to use.

Overall, the Fitbit has been helping immensely, and it’s also available at Sprint.

Have you ever used a Fitbit? Is there a tool that helps you stay on top of your to-do list? Or, what does a typical day look like at your house?

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