Looking for a Camera - I need your help!

CLOSED - Since no one has given me any suggestions as of 9/16, I am ending this giveaway.  Either you don't have any good cameras either, or you just want to keep them all for yourself.  :o) Either way, I've decided to use my gift card to bribe people to join my facebook page instead. 

I don't know if any of you have noticed the pictures that I put up here, but the quality isn't very good. I'm currently using a HP photosmart 635 2.1MP 12x zoom. I know what you're probably thinking - they haven't made that for years! You're right. I got it in the early 2000s, before the birth of Peanut, but after I started my job. It was a great deal and I really did love it. It took "good" pictures and was VERY easy to use.  When I was teaching, I let my kids use it for school projects and never worried about them breaking it.  After I had my girls I could make it work, even with exhausted mommy brain.  It was a good camera.

The usefulness of my HP 635 has now passed.  I need something more compact with better resolution and perhaps a little more functionality.  I can handle a little more complexity, but it still must be generally user friendly.  I want a camera that is small enough to take anywhere, but durable enough to withstand a few short falls.  I'm thinking that it can't be more than 4 feet from my kids' hands to the ground, right?

In a dream world I'd be able to find a tiny little keychain camera with good resolution.  I can't even count the number of times I've seen something unexpectedly picture worthy when out and about and without a camera (No, I don't have a cell phone camera.  As a SAHM I don't use my cell phone often enough to warrant a monthly fee, so I have a prepaid plan and a basic flip phone.)  Also, there are so many times that I intend to bring my camera and just forget.  Wouldn't it be handy to always have one with me?!

So, I'm open-minded and need your help.  Please - does anyone have a camera that they just love and couldn't imagine life without?  Let me know what you have.  Be sure to tell me why you love it as well as if there is anything you would change about it.  I'd love a direct link to the camera as well.  Just for helping me out, I will give one lucky person a small gift card.

Giveaway Rules:

• One entry per person for telling me about a camera that you love.  If you don't have a camera that you love, then you can get an entry for sharing this post with your friends on twitter, or on your own blog.  You'll just need to post a link to the tweet or post.
• I will draw a winner using random.org
• Please include your email address if it is not publicly available
• I will keep this giveaway open for at least a week, but not more than one month.  I will close it once I have a suitable number of camera alternatives to investigate. 
• This giveaway is not sponsored by anyone other than MomOnTheEdge.  I have several low value gift cards to places like Amazon, Starbucks, CVS, Walmart, and Staples that I have received as rebates, for surveys, and as gifts.  At the close of the contest I will give the winner the option of choosing one of the gift cards I have available.
• I will be responsible for shipping or emailing the gift card, but am not responsible for any lost or damaged mail.

The Sweetness of Life - Milano Moments

Life is sweet in so many ways. My Thankful Thursday posts are evidence of all the ways that I enjoy and appreciate my life. From a surprise nap to the most sincere smile, my kids are full of sweetness that is often unexpected and always a joy to behold.   One of my favorite moments of sweetness from this summer occurred when I was dropping my girls off at my parents for a short summer vacation.  As I was giving hugs and saying goodbye, each girl said to me separately, "I'll take care of my sister if she gets sad and misses you."  I've always encouraged the girls to look after each other.  My sister and I are amazing friends, and I want the same for them as they get older.  Apparently they are on the right track - and nothing is sweeter than that!





*Disclaimer - Some information from this post came from One2One network.  I did not receive any compensation in exchange for this post, but am eligible to win a gift card.  If you want to experience a Milano Moment, you can go here to get a coupon for $1.00 off.  Also, be sure to check out the Pepperidge Farm Facebook page to read about and perhaps share your own Milano Moments.

Ten Tips for Planning a Unique Baby Shower

Baby? Did someone say BABY?

No mom, I am not pregnant . . . as much as you might wish otherwise.  We are done with babies in this house.  That doesn't mean I don't oooh and aaaah over every pregnant woman and new baby I see though.  In fact, every time a friend tells me that she's pregnant or posts a picture of her chubby faced cherub on her facebook wall, I get a small tinge of jealousy.  Baby's are sweet, innocent, and pure joy - even if you don't realize it when they are crying at all hours of the night.  These precious bundles of joy deserve a party to celebrate them that is as special and unique as each one of them is.  That is why the baby shower is very important.  How does one plan a baby shower that is fun and unique?  Here is where I'd start.

1. Theme - Every party deserves a theme.  A baby shower is no exception.  Do you know if it is a girl or boy?  Do you know what the nursery theme is going to be?  Do you know that the baby was conceived in Hawaii or that the mom has had a name picked out since she was 8 years old?  There has to be something special about this baby (even before it is born).  Find something unique in this birth and center your party around it. 
2. Invitations - Select invitations that reflect the theme.  Perhaps include a lovely ultrasound picture.  If your couple is up for humor, use one of those sites that merge two faces to create a baby and include that on the invite.  The sky is the limit when it comes to an invite.  Just be creative.  If you need some ideas, you can check out TinyPrints Shower Invitations here.
3. Location - Not all showers need to be in a hall or in a private room in a restaurant.  Have a shower in the park, at a bowling alley, or someplace special.  You can have it at the place where mom and dad met, got married, or celebrated another special occasion.
4. Games - Some people love games and other people hate them.  If you want to have a unique shower, search for uncommon games and activities. 
5. Advice - Every past and future mother wants to give advice.  Allow them to give it at the baby shower.  Give each person an index card where they can write their best serious, humorous, and beneficial advice.  The mom-to-be might want to ignore it, but when she hasn't slept in 2 weeks, she might just pull it out and she if there are any pieces of useful information anywhere.  No matter how many times you've heard it, when you're sleep deprived you won't remember the most basic advice.
6. Food - Perhaps you can have all child-friendly finger food.  Or maybe you want to go with foods that the mom-to-be is sure to miss after junior arrives.  If you have a good theme, you can do foods to reflect it. 
7. Decorations - Have kids of various ages help with the decorations.  You have to get used to child-proofing and kid-friendly decor sooner or later.  Why not start now?
8. Gifts - Instead of the traditional registry, set up a website where everyone can go to post a gift that they're bringing that they could not live without when they had kids (to prevent duplicates).   If it is something small, have everyone supplement with a gift card to a specific store.  That way, the mom can get what she wants and each person can bring something unique.
9. Kiddos - Why is it that baby showers are almost always child-free?  Are we trying to avoid scaring the new mother with what she can expect shortly.  I say that if you want to have a truly unique shower allow the kids to come.  
10. Thank yous - While not directly related to the planning, I think that a unique thank you is one that is personal and specific to the gift.  I like to include a picture of the mom-to-be with the gift and/or gift giver.  Also, if the gift is one that can be used shortly after the baby is born, wait and include a picture of the baby wearing the outfit or using the item.  People really like to know that their gift was appreciated and used.

*Disclaimer - I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Tiny Prints blogging program, making me eligible to get a Tiny Prints gift code worth $50, plus 25 FREE Tiny Prints greeting cards—a total gift value of $149.75! For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Five Tips for a Bright Healthy Smile

I just recently posted about the value of a tooth here. While I still don't think they are worth $10, I do think that the value of a healthy tooth far outweighs the value of an unhealthy one.  Because of that, I encourage my children to develop healthy habits for their teeth which will lead to a bright and healthy smile.  I'd love to hear some of your tips for how you get your kids to keep their teeth clean.  Here are a few of mine:

1. My girls aren't able to brush their teeth after every meal, but they do brush at least twice a day - after breakfast and dinner.  
2. To ensure that my kids brush long enough, they sing while they brush.  The alphabet gets sung 4 times - once for their upper teeth, once for the lower, once for the fronts of their teeth (say cheese!) and once for the accessory parts (tongue, roof of the mouth, backsides of the teeth).  They like how they sound when humming with their mouths full of toothpaste, so the time just flies by.
3. The girls drink only water throughout the day.  I read somewhere once that it takes 20 minutes for your saliva to get all the sugars from sodas and juices off your teeth from a single drink.  If you are a constant soda sipper, then your teeth will be exposed to sugar constantly throughout the day.  By limited the juices to only meals, we prevent excessive sugar exposure.
4. Have you seen those commercials where the kids are getting into all sorts of trouble and when the parents ask them what they're doing, they say, "Fighting cavities."  Those really crack me up.  Besides that, they have been a good reminder to keep sugar free gum in my purse at all times.  That way, when we're out and about and the girls get a treat or a snack.  They can follow it up with some gum to keep their teeth healthy, even if they can't always brush.
5. My final tip is to find a dentist that you and your kids all love.  My girls love their dentist.  They look forward to going twice a year to have their teeth "tickled".  Our dentist is great with the girls and very patient - even though he isn't a pediatric dentist.  Get recommendations from family and friends, and don't be afraid to "shop around".  You are definitely more likely to go and take your kids if each experience is a good one.

Disclaimer:  I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Trident blogging program, making me eligible to get a $25 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Healthy Family Meals

What's for dinner?

Do you ever get tired of hearing that?  I know I do! 

Another thing I get tired of . . . trying to come up with healthy meals that everyone in my family will eat.  With two growing girls in the house, I want to teach them smart food choices.  I'm not with them all the time, so I like to make sure that the meals we do spend together are well-chosen.  Every night can't be chicken nuggets and pizza.  Even though that would really be an easy fix to my meal planning issues. 

When twittermoms gave me the opportunity to participate in a blogging program where I could share my recipes and tips and read other people's recipes as well, I couldn't turn it down.  I am always looking for a few good recipes, and those tried and true ones that will come from fellow bloggers seem like a great place to start.  (Unfortunately for those of you trying to take my ideas, consider yourself warned that they aren't that grand.)  Blogger or not, I'd love to hear your recipes and tips for planning healthy family meals that taste great too.  I'll start by sharing a couple of mine.

Tips & Recipes:

1. Reduce the quantity of sodium, sugar, etc in the recipes you already have.  If you reduce the amount little by little, it is likely your family won't even notice.  For example, I always put 1/2 cup of sugar in their Kool-Aid rather than a full cup.  I started by decreasing the amount to 3/4 cup, then slowly worked down to 1/2.  While it still isn't the healthiest option, it is at least a little better.
2. When possible, instead of using salt in a recipe, find a good sodium free option, like Mrs. Dash.  I personally love to use Tomato Basil Garlic in many of my soups and stews.  It adds great flavor without the sodium.  One of the easiest recipes I make using Tomato Basil Garlic is my Leftover Soup.  You start by taking all of the leftover veggies that you have throughout the month and continuously add them to one container that you keep in the freezer.  Once the container is full, you can add some Sodium Free Broth or Vegetable Juice, a little seasoning, then simmer for a quick easy delicious meal.  If you feel like it, you can even add some meat or pasta to thicken it up a bit.  I especially love it in the fall and winter with some homemade bread.  YUM!

Disclaimer:  I wrote this blog post while participating in the Mrs. Dash and TwitterMoms blogging program for a chance to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here .

Wordless Wednesday - An empty tire swing

The first day of school . . .

An empty tire swing . . .

A hole in my heart . . .

Who knew I'd miss them so much :o(

"Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." --Elizabeth Stone

SafeSocial

Have you heard of SafeSocial?

SafeSocial, a new AOL product that launches today, can help you protect your children, even if you aren't a social media expert. SafeSocial helps you:

Find out where your child has online accounts

Know who your child is "friends" with online

Get notified if your child is in a conversation about violence, suicide or drugs

See photos your child has posted online, and others' photos in which your child has been tagged

Another benefit? You can monitor all this activity without being a "helicopter parent." Your child will have to agree to be monitored, but you won't need to connect with them on the social media accounts, or hover over their shoulders in person.

*Disclaimer:  All information for this post was provided by Global Influence.  By posting, I am eligible to win a $25 gift card.  I will provide my thoughts and ideas about SafeSocial in a later post. 

The Great Tooth Debate

What is the value of a tooth?

Seriously . . . how much is a tooth worth?

This is a serious debate in our house.  "When I was a kid" we got a quarter for every tooth we lost.  According to the inflation calculator, what was worth a quarter in 1983 is now worth $0.55.  So, I would think that any teeth lost and placed under a pillow should earn approximately two quarters . . . maybe three if the tooth fairy is feeling generous, likes to round up, and can wrangle three quarters from the bottom of her overstuffed purse. Sounds fair, right?

However, upon talking to some other family and friends, the going rate seems to be between $1 and $5.  Some really generous fairies even give $10.  Seriously?  Ten Dollars for a tooth?  It isn't like losing a tooth is a difficult task.  Without any work at all they will eventually fall out, right?  I know that Peanut (and probably all children) wiggle and fiddle with them incessantly, but that isn't necessary for the end result.  Doesn't that seem a little high?

I want to teach my children the value of a dollar.  I want them to understand that you have to work hard to earn money...Money doesn't grow on trees...A penny saved is a penny earned...and other such famous sayings.  However, I don't want them to wonder why the tooth fairy likes their friends' teeth better than theirs.  Do you think kids compare how much they get under their pillows?

Right now, Peanut gets 6 quarters for each tooth lost.  We've decided on 6 since she is 6 years old.  If one day the tooth fairy can't find 6 quarters, she might get 6 dimes, nickels or pennies, but almost certainly not 6 dollars.  This tooth fairy just can't rationalize that kind of spending.

What is the value of a tooth in your house?

WINNER - Sam's Club Gift Card

Random.org selected #80 out of 117 entries for the Sam's Club Gift Card Giveaway. The winner has been contacted and has responded with her mailing information. Congrats Heather!

*Thanks again to MyBlogSpark, Sam's Club, and General Mills for sponsoring this giveaway.

Unstuff Your Life by Andrew J. Mellen - A Brief Review

Raise your hand if you have a cluttered house, drawer, room, shelf and/or car!

• For those of you that don't have your hands up . . . Are you serious?  You don't have one place that has "stuff" that you need to organize, throw away or find a new home for?  WOW - I am jealous!   You may still want to keep reading though, because everyone in your life can't possibly be as organized as you, right?  
• For those of you with your hands up, look around.  You are not alone.  Keep reading, because I may have found something that will help you "Unstuff Your Life" if you're at the point where you're ready and willing to put a little work in. 

I consider my home to be fairly neat and tidy.  Most everything has a place where it belongs.  We don't have anything on our counters in the kitchen and pictures are few and far between.  In fact, our house looks almost "sterile".  This is due primarily to the neurotic anti-clutter man I married.  However, there are still places that definitely need some help.  The girls' closets can sometimes be described as a disaster.  I guess I figure if I can shut the door on it so Doc won't see it, then it is good enough.  I have a junk drawer that is my vice.  It is a place I keep all my "stuff" that really should find its home elsewhere.  That is why, when I was given the opportunity to read and review Unstuff Your Life by Andrew J. Mellen I couldn't in good conscience turn it down.

I received the book and began reading, somewhat skeptical that reading anything would really help me to organize my life.  I actually thought that, if anything, this book might add additional clutter.  It is another object I have to find a home for, right?   So far, I am surprisingly intrigued.  After reading the first couple chapters, I am hooked.  Andrew J. Mellen does a great job of making you understand your perspective about what you need, what your "stuff" really is, and why you feel guilty getting rid of some of the useless items in your life.

In order to provide a true and accurate review of this book, I've decided to begin my own journey to organize my life.  Beginning on September 1st (Mellen recommends beginning at the start of the month.  Besides, there is no better time for a fresh start than a new school year.), I'm going to read and commit to "unstuffing my life".  I will provide updates to you all as I make my progress, and will let you know at the end of my journey how successful the book was for me.  Wish me luck!

Book Description (from Amazon)

One of the country's most sought-after professional organizers makes his foolproof rescue plan available for everyone

Arguably the most organized man in America, Andrew J. Mellen has created unique, lasting techniques for streamlined living, bringing order out of chaos for a client list that includes attorneys, filmmakers, and even psychologists. With Unstuff Your Life! he puts his powerful program in the hands of his widest audience yet. Acknowledging that it's often the "stuff behind the stuff" that holds people back, Mellen offers an action-based plan to redirect clutterers from dwelling on their feelings. This simple shift yields immediate results that will help everyone achieve organizational bliss-from the chronic key-loser to the hard-core hoarder. Mellen's mix of humor, honesty, tough love, and foolproof strategies motivates readers to work through their feelings and make real behavior changes that will have long-lasting effects.

Written in Mellen's signature no-nonsense yet hilarious tone, Unstuff Your Life! brims with personality, along with approaches not found in other organizing books. Built on the principle that we must distinguish ourselves from our possessions, Unstuff Your Life! starts with truly achievable goals and works toward the nightmare projects everyone tries hard to avoid. From the basement to the bedroom, the kitchen to the car, and more, readers will learn:

•where to find a permanent home for your keys and wallet

•how to sort the mail in a manageable and time-effective way

•what it means to group "like with like"

•how to tackle bills and budget

•how to problem-solve with your new skills, and more

The result is absolute freedom from the burden of clutter-and more free time than you ever imagined possible.

*Disclaimer:  I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  I did not receive any compensation for this review and am in no way obligated to provide a positive review.