Trick or Treating Safety Tips

Well it is that time parents! Time for your little ones to dress up as their wildest imagination and collect candy door to door. Many children look forward to Halloween, but there are some important things to consider before going out on Halloween! Whether your children are old enough to go trick or treating with friends in the neighborhood without you or if you take your children trick or treating there are things to consider before going out. Here are some helpful tips for a safe and easy going Halloween. I know I am looking forward to a much less stressful Halloween by following these tips.

My favorite tip is Tip #1 Eat before you Trick or Treat. There is nothing worse than dealing with Hangry kiddos who are snipping candy here and there because they cannot wait. By feeding them before they go out they will have more energy and be more likely to wait before sampling some of the goodies in their bucket. Then when they get home you can check their candy for safety and have peace of mind that they didn't eat half of their bucket first!

Here is to wishing everyone a Happy, Safe, and Fun Halloween this year! And a special thank you to http://www.fletcherchrysler.com/ for providing us with these helpful tips!

What are some of your tips for a smooth sailing Halloween?

Be The Best Mom You Can Be

::From the back of the book::
What if you could sit down with a wise, experienced mom--someone who has dealt with her child being bullied, who has seen the impact of permissiveness, who has been forced to depend on God for every single day, and still talks with grace and compassion?
Through many years of tested faith, and her close walk with God, Marina Slayton has written this amazing book to help guide mothers through today's often times impossible expectations. In her book, Marina will help you to write a life-changing family vision statement, break the cycle of generational sin, and explain why you don't have to measure up to many of the difficult expectations society has created. With every move across the country, every illness she's struggled through, Marina knows more in heart, as to what it truly means to rely on the only trustworthy source of life. What is the source to being a good mother, and the strength to go through life's hardships? Quite simply, Jesus Christ.
 
 
In an age when brokenness abounds and cultural voices only add to the confusion, Godly mothers have never been more crucial. Many parents--and children--feel lost amidst the decaying family values in the culture, and the ever increasing amount of "best" parenting practices in the market place of ideas. With all of these issues and struggles being raised in today's modern family, some questions are raised by many mothers:
 
How can we avoid the pitfalls of a secular culture?
How do we raise children who are healthy emotionally and spiritually?
What if we're doing it wrong? 
 
Many mothers can agree, that wise counsel from a friendly corner is desperately needed. And Marina Slayton is here to do just that, sharing her experiences, her struggles, and her faith as she walked with God through it all. 
 
Marina has spent the past thirty years as a mother raising four kids. From California to Bermuda, from public school to homeschool, Marina has been there, and she's not afraid to share her mistakes, epiphanies, and practical ideas. But she doesn't stop there. In this incredible book that Marina authored together with her husband Gregory, Marina demonstrates how the power of God's Word, and the work of the Holy Spirit can give direction and freedom to parents who need it most. In this practical book for mothers, you will gain a deeper understanding of what it really means to Be The Best Mom You Can Be.




::My Thoughts::
I am always on the lookout for parenting books. Especially those geared towards mothers. This one grabbed my attention right away with the title BE THE BEST MOM YOU CAN BE because what one of us doesn't want to be the best mom we can be? I always look for ways to improve not only myself but my parenting style. Especially during these ever changing times. It seems like everything bad is acceptable these days while everything good is being pushed aside. So it's great to find a holistic book such as this that gives practical advice on bringing our children up whole.
This book doesn't lecture or drag you down. It doesn't focus on any faults per say but rather shows you how you can grow during your mothering journey. Once a mom always a mom, and we can always find room to grow.
I love that the author gives advice from her experience as a mom herself! Because let's face it while it's still good to take on information in general it's even more useful to often take advice from a fellow mom!
Communication and encouragement is focused on in this book. These are things that parents can sometimes forget to do. In a highly competitive world we can find ourselves lecturing more than encouraging. The world tends to get more and more busy and so do we. So we can forget to always keep that communication line open. We are the key to guiding our children through life experiences such as education, dating, drugs, world events, peer pressure, etc. Children are getting stressed and mothers are getting stressed. Through it all we must communicate and shower plenty of love on one another.
My absolute favorite thing about this book, though, is the talk on generational curses. We often pick up parenting styles from our parents who got it from theirs and so on. Not to say they are all bad, but we tend to use those styles also and may not realize it. We have to break the bad ones and stick with the good.
This is a great book for all moms no matter the age. This is great for moms of all kinds, and even dads who want to learn some great parenting advice. I highly recommend it.
There are also questions and reflections at the end of each chapter that you can go over, and will get you to take a deeper look into yourself while keeping you encouraged.






::Product Details::

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (April 14, 2015)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0718022149
• ISBN-13: 978-0718022143

::Find this book::
Kindle   Hardcover   Nook 



Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book as a BookLook Blogger in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

$1,000 Giveaway Ends Soon! 3 Days Left!

Hello everyone! 

I just want to remind everyone that there's only 3 days left to enter the BoomBoomPrints $1,000 Mother’s Day SHOPPING SPREE! Last Day to Enter is Saturday, May 9th! 

Hurry on over to enter and win!

http://www.boomboomprints.com/Content/mothersdayshoppingspree 

Win a $1,000 Mother’s Day Shopping Spree!

BoomBoom Prints is an exciting new company that connects graphic designers with young families- and they are giving away a $1,000 shopping spree! Already interested? Enter here!

At least one mom this year will receive a gift of a lifetime for Mother’s Day- a $1,000 shopping spree from BoomBoom Prints! In case you’ve never heard of them, BoomBoom Prints is a company that allows graphic designers to simply upload their artwork to the site and they turn it into beautiful products for young families like wall prints, onesies, baby bibs, and more. The best part? All the artwork is family-friendly and perfect for kids rooms, playrooms, and nurseries!

The giveaway prize includes $500 to BoomBoom Prints and $500 in Visa Gift Cards, so you can redecorate the nursery and still spend a little something on yourself! Plus, it’s totally free and can you enter multiple times by following BoomBoom Prints on social media. Check it out and then be sure to tell your other mom friends about it- you know none of them would want to miss this chance! Last day to enter is May 9th.

The selected winner of this giveaway will receive a direct email from the sponsor confirming their winnings.

Ready to enter?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: No compensation was received for this post. Mommy's Musings is not responsible for prize fulfillment. Post provided by BoomBoomPrints.

Kroger's Time Saving Meals

Life as we know it can be extemely hectic at times. I'm always having those types of days where there just isn't enough time in the day to get done what I need to without worrying about preparing a meal. As a mom of two I'm always seeming to run here or there, doing this or that, and there's some days where dinner just seems to stress me out. I used to go to fast food places once a week or once every couple weeks (depending on what was on the agenda for said week), and realized how much we were spending on food we knew very little about. Even though we tried our best to keep it healthy you can't always put much stock into fast food places.
I love cooking for my family, sitting around the kitchen table, and talking over a nice home cooked meal. However, sometimes there just seems so little time for that. But as a BzzAgent I've found another way!
Kroger Skillet Meals, Kroger Garlic Bread, and Fresh Selection Salad Kits have easily solved my dilemma. Kroger Skillet Meals come in many varieties including (but not limited to): Tuscan-Style Penne, Sausage Rigatoni, Penne with Grilled Chicken, Shrimp Lo Mein, and Chicken Fajitas. They take only about ten minutes to cook and come with a healthy two servings per bag. Now if your a family of four or more then I highly suggest getting an extra bag, but you will be glad you did because the ingredients are so fresh and tasty.
Pair them up with Kroger Garlic Bread and Fresh Selection Salad Kits and you have a full meal in under 30 minutes that you can cook right there in your own home. So no more sacrificing dinner around the table with your family members and stressing out about the cost of out to eat.
Kroger products are very fair on pricing which I really like, and my kids love the Kroger Skillet Meals, Kroger Garlic Bread, and Fresh Selection Salad Kits. I loved them as well. So fresh and tasty, priced decent, and a brand I've come to trust explicitly. I highly recommend them, and couldn't wait to share the news with all my fellow moms out there who have those same stressful days where nothing seems to be getting done. This is an easy quick solution to those dinner dilemmas, as I like to call them. No need to sacrifice quality and taste when you don't have to! Our lives are hectic enough! But so worth it! :)


Disclaimer: I received the above mentioned products for free or discounted in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

A sleepless night...

you know the kind.
When you are ready for the kids to go to sleep so you can get some "me" time to yourself? But then nothing ever works out as you'd hoped, and everything begins to go wrong.
My night was going in a good pattern, and I was anticipating getting some reading done once the house was quiet and settled. Everything was done and put away, and our bellies were full from a good dinner.
The boys were bathed and squeaky clean, and I read them a story out of their big bedtime storybook, we said our prayers, and I got them settled into bed. Levi kept standing up in his bed and trying to get out so I figured once I left the room and turned the lights off he would settle. So that's what I did, and then stood around the corner peeking in to make sure all was going to be well and Levi settled in. After letting out a big sigh of relief I go to my bed where Josh is slumbering peacefully, and get under the covers with my book.
Snapping my book light on and opening my book I am more than prepared to get some reading in, but I am JUST SO EXHAUSTED my eyes don't want to stay open! I waited all day for this though! Oh well, I put the book down and went to sleep myself. It was 9:00pm.
But then in the midst of my slumber I hear: "MOMMY! MOMMY!" so I get up and go to the boys room to see what all the ruckus is about. Levi is standing up in his bed trying to climb out, and Lucas wants him to settle down so he can go to sleep. Lucas informs me:
"Bubby has been trying to climb out of his bed all night, I can't sleep"
So I try to get Levi settled in again, but every time I lay him down and say night night time he stands right back up and bounces in his bed. Oh no...
So I realize there's no way this child is going to sleep. I pick him up out of bed and try singing and walking with him. Sometimes this will have a positive effect even though my singing voice leaves some to be desired. He seems tired, and lays his head on my shoulder.

Lucas is almost fast asleep, and as I look at Levi his eyes are closed and his breathing even.
I place him back in bed where he stays sound asleep, and head back to my own room after giving them each a kiss on the head. My sweet baby angels. It's 1:00am.
After falling back asleep I hear some whining from Levi. He does this often and generally goes right back to sleep so I lay in bed just listening and the sound stops. I close my eyes. Then sounds the high pitched crying. It's 2:00am.
I get back out of bed and go in there where Levi is sitting up in his bed crying. I speak soothingly (and groggily) and check him out. Diaper is dry, I offer him some water, he takes a sip and lays back down to snuggle in. Finally sleep time...
Then at I hear Levi whining some more and go back in there. It's 3:00am. He is standing in his bed again trying to get out of it. Lucas is up and awake by this time, the crying breaking through his slumber as well.
Lucas: "Is it a great day?" (something he always says when it's morning and the sun is shining)
Me: "No my love, it is a great night. Let's go back to sleep."
Lucas: "I can't sleep, bubby keeps waking me up. He doesn't like his bed."
Me: "Well, he has slept in it every other time so he needs to sleep in it tonight."
Lucas: "Alright but I don't think he will"
I look over at Levi who is now wide awake and bouncing happily in his bed. I look at Lucas who is staring at some of his toys like he wants to get up and play. It's time for bed! I have been doing this every hour! They need to sleep.
I go warm up some milk for Levi and hope this will do the trick, when I offer it to him he refuses it and throws it over the side of his bed.
And then I hear the thunder and I see lightning light up the windows. Lucas is out of bed in a flash over to my side, and Levi starts to pout. Just what we need is a thunderstorm tonight!
Finally it's decided.
"Who wants to sleep in mommy's bed?" I ask, I was desperate!
"I do!" shouts Lucas gripping my pajama's in his little fists.
I scoop up Levi and we all go into mommy and daddy's room. I put them in the middle, and lay down to sleep. Luckily we have a king size bed.
It takes a whole other story for Lucas, some more walking around with Levi and singing, and finally they are out of it and fast asleep. It's now 4:30am. Only problem is hubby gets up at 5:00AM to leave for work which always wakes me up. Grrr....
So eventually after hubby has ate a quick bowl of cereal, gets dressed, grabs his lunch bag, and heads out the door I'm ready for sleep. It's now 5:45am.
The kids are still slumbering peacefully so I snuggle in for my much needed rest.
It feels like I have only closed my eyes for a matter of minutes even though the clock is telling me that it's 8:00am. (it's lying obviously)
"Mommy, it's a great day. The sun is out behind the window see..." says Lucas shaking my shoulder.
Then Levi begins to stir so I know it's time for everyone to get up.
"I want eggs and pancakes for breakfast! Can we have sprinkles on our eggs? I don't want milk poured in my eggs, let's eat candy instead" says Lucas.
Levi is awake and all smiles which I almost can't believe since he didn't get much sleep either.
And thus began our day...

But what I don't understand is the fact that we all pretty much got the same amount of sleep, and yet the kids are fully energized and I am dragging like a slug.
And when hubby called while he was on his lunch break I explained the events of the night to him which he didn't hear a bit, or pretended not to anyway, his response was:
"But if you start putting them in our bed all the time, they will will expect it and will quit sleeping in their own rooms"
To which I responded
"Okay, well next time I will be the one who stays asleep, and we'll see how YOU handle it"

Sincerely,
Tori

Momaholic Book Review

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (May 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0849947367
• ISBN-13: 978-0849947360

::From the back of the book::

Every mom has felt the need to be perfect.

MOMAHOLIC is one woman's private, dramatic, and often comical invitation to peek inside a time in her life where everything fell apart and she had to take an honest look at what she was doing right and what she'd been doing terribly wrong. With this simple discovery, her whacky family's season of becoming unraveled found a new glue (other than her blood, sweat and tears) that would re-bond her family and unite them in a deeper and more functional way than ever before.  

 The real life characters:

• A MOM who is literally the head writer of a network soap opera… at work and at home
• A HUSBAND who expects perfection from his kids and his wife, but who has the wisdom to know he's being unrealistic and yet, can't help but scratch his head in frustration as his family's troubles seem to spiral out of his control
• An autistic SON
• A popular DAUGHTER who is suddenly pregnant
• An ADOPTED DAUGHTER pulled from the jungles of Vietnam with no leg below the right knee and fingers fused together
• An ADOPTED SON from Ethiopia, rescued from the streets at the age of 9.

 This is a story showing the speed with which a "normal" family can fall apart.  No one dies.  No one gets kidnapped.  They just have to deal with each of their own issues….and then one unwanted and unplanned pregnancy.   This was a church-going family whose kids were taught abstinence until marriage. With the family running around as the tornado sirens roared warnings to take cover, mother, Miss Drama, becomes the biggest mess of all and ends up finding a whole new freedom for her soul.

::My thoughts::

I was drawn to this book because it said: "Crazy Confessions of a Helicopter Mom" on the front cover. As a mom myself I always like to learn about other moms, and there's just that connection as well that plays a huge factor. What I really enjoyed about this book is it isn't an ordinary self-help book. I wouldn't even really categorize it as a self-help book at all really, but the author does give some meaningful advice in tidbits throughout the novel. Mainly this is just the author telling her story about how her life spiraled out of control, and how she took back control. It's not a lecture, it's not a self-help, it's just confessions of a mom that got a bit overwhelmed. 

Head writer of Days of Our Lives Dina soon finds out that her daughter is pregnant and engaged! Did I mention the daughter just barely started her college journey? She also has an adopted daughter that has to be carried everywhere due to a surgery, an adopted son who is very active, and a biological son with autism. Of course it would be easy for her to get overwhelmed! I can't believe she held it together as long as she did to be honest! But of course things began to unravel eventually. I will let you read the story yourself to see how things unfold, and how she copes. I would recommend it to all moms out there who feel that we have to constantly be perfect. I learned a lot from this book, but mainly I learned that by trying to be a "perfect" mom and a "perfect" wife is highly impractical. We can only do our very best. And sometimes we just have to relinquish control for our health and our families.

This book is told from a Christian perspective, but in no way preaches. As a matter of fact the author points out that many of their close friends come from all types of backgrounds and beliefs.

The only thing I did not like about this book is the fact that it seemed as if the author was a bit harsh when mentioning her son Conner, with autism, at times. Of course maybe it's just my perspective of things. But of course her love for all of her children shows throughout the novel so I don't want it to sound as if I'm bashing in any way.

I still think this book is a fantastic read for all mother's, it is easy to relate to and you can snatch some snippets of wisdom here and there. After all who doesn't get stressed out a bit from juggling the world of being a wife, mommy, homemaker, employee, whatever your occupation? There's even a neat quiz at the end of the book that helps you discover if your a helicopter mom (one who hovers over her children and feels the need to do everything) or not.

(Incase your wondering I took the quiz, and I guess I'm a bit of a helicopter mom)

This book is available in~    ::Paperback::    and     ::Kindle::

Check out my review on Goodreads...I rated this book:

DISCLAIMER: I was provided this book for free through Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for my unbiased review. Opinions expressed are mine alone.

Mother's Day

        Well, it’s Mommy’s Day tomorrow! I can’t believe I’m a mommy myself! Life goes by so quickly! It is truly a day to be celebrated. Not many people realize all that mother’s go through for their children physically, mentally, and emotionally. We carry our children, have them, work for them in any way we can throughout our lives. We love them, we worry about them. It truly is a never-ending job, but it’s one that no matter what we wouldn’t change it for the world.
I salute all the mother’s in the world that do their best by their children and love them with all their heart. Without us, where would the world be?
I read on a friend’s blog where she posted about stay at home mom’s. This is what she posted on the subject:

A stay-at-home mom works many jobs throughout the day. She's a nurse, chauffeur, chef, teacher, playmate, housekeeper, laundry attendant, accountant, babysitter, and MORE all rolled into one. She doesn't receive a paycheck for the 24 hours a day, 7 days a week she's on duty. She doesn't get a pay raise, sick days or 401K plans. She is a mother, the most important job in the world. The glue that holds things together.
Now I am a stay at home mom myself, but I would just like to apply this to all moms because we are all special in our own ways, so to all you stay at home moms, work at home moms, or work out of the home moms Happy Mother’s Day!!! We are all mother’s 7 days a week. There isn’t a moment where our children aren’t on our minds, when we aren’t worrying about them, or thinking of them.

So to all the unselfish moms out there who traded sleep for dark circles, salon haircuts for a ponytail, long showers for quick ones, late nights for early mornings, and designer bags for diaper bags, and wouldn't change a thing. To the moms who don't care what they gave up and instead LOVE what they got in return...............Happy Mother’s Day!!!
　
　
For today’s quote in honor of Mother’s Day I am adding 3.

“A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.” ~Tenneva Jordan

“Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs in my field, since the payment is pure love.” ~Mildred B. Vermont
"May she who gave you birth be happy."
-Proverbs 23:25


As my oldest son likes to say when he wakes up in the morning and looks out the window: "It's gonna be another great day."