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Picky Kids? Share and win $1000!

26 Mar By

Even though I cannot bake worth a, well, a cookie, meal time is always a center around this family. Probably all families.

It’s the one time that everyone can come together and sit down, turn off the TV (or eat in front of it in some cases) and have a common get together moment. And while we are not perfect and most definitely make going out to eat choices and I am sure suffer from bacon overload on occasion (like last night), having my kids in the kitchen and learning to prep food is important to me.

Growing up my mom cooked a lot of homemade meals and as a result, I do the same thing as often as time and brain power will allow.

cooking-with-charlotte

And even though my daughter has been helping me in the kitchen since she was very young, she is relatively picky about her food. She was nearly 2 before she would move on from jarred puree. It was the only thing she would eat. She would sit in with a spoon and eat only Gerber.

I still laugh out loud when I watch this video of us trying to get 3 year old Charlotte to try Avocado:

Success with her? It’s been slow coming, but we do keep requiring her to TRY things. We do not make her eat full plates of stuff (trust me, tried and ended up with more gagging than I could contend with) but she is at an age where she cannot get up till she makes an effort. I hope as she grows up, her taste buds will get some refinement.

Luckily my son doesn’t have the same aversions. He would share a bowl with the dog (and probably has) if you would let him. While I do not need wild stories and airplanes that zoom into his mouth, having a little fun in the kitchen never hurts either!

In fact, you can get a funny plate right now with Tyson

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Even though I grew up mainly on home made food and prefer to cook for my family, there are times that I need a break.

And when we are having a day where Charlotte is being picky and mom (that is me) is too tired to deal with it, I do sometimes turn to meals like Tyson to get the job done. With all natural ingredients and no chemicals, I can feel less guilty than going out to eat, that is for sure!

WIN WIN WIN!

Now that I’ve shared how I got my picky eaters to eat balanced meals, share your success story for a chance to win a $1,000!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Tyson Chicken Nuggets. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.

Filed Under: All About Trisha Tagged With: , , , , , ,

New Year…NEW YOU!

11 Feb By 7 Comments

Every year you get a chance to reinvent yourself. Well, at least we all feel more motivated to reinvent ourselves each year. The truth is the chances are every day and we so rarely take them. As a mom I am constantly putting my kids needs in front of my own and while I am proud to be able to do that, sometimes you have to put the sacrificing way and start doing for YOU.

Now a few months ago I was proud to introduce you to the Damon System. As a former member of the “crooked teeth” club, I am so excited to be a Damon Diva and share with you my orthodontic journey, how my life has changed for the better, and how you can start on your journey of a happier, healthier and more beautiful smile.

First, I need to take some time to introduce you to the Damon System and what makes it unique and different. Sure, anyone can get braces, but the thought process of many people is how long they will take, how painful they will be, and how difficult they will be to manage. All of those preconceived notions are just untrue!

The Damon System

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First you have to ask yourself:

Why should I get braces?

In my case it was more than just about cosmetics. Although I had learned to hide my smile, which by the way is a terrible way to live, I couldn’t hide the dental issues I was having as a result of misaligned teeth. My dentist in college laid it straight for me. He said if I didn’t take the time to fix my teeth I would be looking at dentures by the time I was 40. My teeth were grinding against each other and he assured me that I did NOT want to pull all my teeth out. I can tell you that I am going on 35 and my teeth are healthier now than they have ever been before!

Am I too old to get braces?

NO WAY! I got them in my late 20s and off before I had hit 30. The beauty of the Damon System is that its so much quicker than traditional braces and generally doesn’t require any teeth to be pulled. The fear you had in your pre-teens is gone! The Damon System delivers amazing results and not just in a more beautiful smile but a more beautiful you. You have no reason not to start on a NEW YOU this year! Do something just for you! A smile brightens everyone’s day but most of all yours.

Why choose the Damon System?

With the Damon System you don’t have to go through those painful tightening procedures!I can remember how easy my appointments where. The little brackets open up and close down on the new wire. Done and done!

In fact, Damon says it best when they stated:

Certified Damon System doctors combine three key components, which when used together, deliver faster treatment, fewer appointments, greater comfort, and consistent high-quality results:

  1. Damon passive self-ligating braces that eliminate the need for elastic or metal “ties”. With Damon tie-less braces you can experience treatment without tightening.

  2. Light high-technology shape-memory wires that move teeth faster and require fewer adjustments.

  3. A new clinically proven treatment approach that aligns your teeth and enhances your facial aesthetics—usually without extractions or rapid palatal expanders.

A lot can change in a few years.

A lot can change in a YEAR.

If you are ready to make that change about you and your smile, it’s time to make the move!

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Don’t forget to follow along with MomDot this year to enter for your change to win a smile makeover and learn more about the Damon System.

In the mean time, head over and visit Damon System on Facebook  or on their website!

~Trisha

I’m a Damon Diva and am being compensated for my time. My experience is all my own!

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Blog Ambassadorships, Thankyou to the Brands!

14 Jan By 7 Comments

Now that it is a new year, I wanted to take time to thank all the brands for the amazing past few years on MomDot. This is a small sample and does not encompass all the amazing brands and online work I have been privileged to be a part of by any means.

I just wanted to take the time to say thank you and happy new year to the great brands that have allowed me to be a spokesblogger or mom blog ambassador for. I have truly enjoyed the samplings of products, media groups, market testing, blog campaigns, and of course the amazing bloggers that are a part of the forums, referrals, and friendships I am so lucky to have.

Starting or continuing in 2013

  1. Damon Braces Ambassador
  2. LifeLock Ambassador
  3. PediCare Ambassador
  4. Finalist for Reynolds Wrap Mom

Spokesperson for 2012

A Few Sample Reviews and conversations from 2012

A few Highlights of 2011

This year I am also happy to be continuing my relationship with many brands that have been a part of Momdot for so long and look forward to beginning new relationships with exciting companies. I also will be making sure to balance all of that with exciting and fresh content that allows you, the visitor, into my family life, the raising of my son and daughter, and all the things that connect us as moms. If you are are a blogger, you may be interested in joining the forums to lend your knowledge and gain some  support. Also do not forget to start your year off right with a blogging planne!

If you are a brand that wants to get into contact with me for blog reviews, ambassadorships, or sponsorships, please do so here or email directly at trisha(at)momdot.com.

I cannot wait to see what 2013 has in store for all of us!

 

Filed Under: Campaigns Tagged With: , , , , ,

Mom Blog Meet and Greet: Mrs. Zeee

30 Apr By 3 Comments

momdot-meetup1I got a good response to the end of the Fab Fifteen and the beginning of the Momdot Meetup…hold on, was a good response to the end of something a good thing?

Whatever, I don’t know, and frankly I am too tired to try and pull it up and discuss  philosophy for bloggers.  I had quite a few bloggers contact me about featuring them which is what I wanted, so in order to be fair this first go around I picked the first person to get in touch with me.

WARNING: Do not expect me to be fair all of the time…in order to prep you for the fact that life and blogging is not always fair I will sometimes mix things up on you…complain all you like my response will be: :P

If you missed it, MomDot Meetup is where we focus on ONE blogger that is new on the blogosphere or could use some linky and comment love. We area asking you one day a week to go to the persons site we mention and leave them a comment so they know someone is listening. You know how good it makes YOU feel when you get a comment? It would make these bloggers feel good too. So if you have to pick one blog today to visit…please visit this one. We asked nicely.

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Mrs. Zeee was the first blogger to contact me…ding ding ding you win the linky and comment love prize!  I have to admit to the fact that I tend to read and find sites like my own (i.e review sites), so I more than likely wouldn’t have run across Mrs. Zeee’s site unless she emailed me, hit me in the face with a hysterical comment, or twittered me a couple times.

In case you haven’t noticed I tend to have a sarcastic sense of humor and writing style…I can’t help it, apparently I talk like that too.  So I always appreciate running into other bloggers with the same style and mentality as myself (it makes me feel like I am not alone).  Is Mrs. Zeee like me?  I think so.

In fact, I find her style and articles pretty hysterical.  It usually takes a lot for me to do more than crack a smile… but Mrs. Zeee got a laugh…and actual noise making laugh.  And the fact that she has only been blogging for about a month and has a cool site with funny posts means that there is actual work going into the blog…I appreciate people who work on their sites.

Enough of the blah blah blah, what should you check out on Mrs. Zeee?  Well, ideally you will go and check out EVERY post, but since that might/might not happen, I picked a couple of my favorites to get you going (in a humorous way of course…if you need help in the other department call your dr, your hubby, or use your credit card to invest in some fun.

*The Cowboys vs. the Metros

*Cost of Being a Bridesmaid (Note to Mrs. Zeee- You won’t have this problem if you choose to be like other bloggers and not have any friends…or you can “lose” the invites

If you would like to be featured on the MomDot Meet-up contact me with your blog url, a little bit about you and your site…also if you are running a special let me know the date(s).

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Litsy Designs: Colorful Wall Art (CLOSED)

28 Jan By 257 Comments

It is my pleasure to introduce to you Litsy Designs!
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Patsy Smith and Lisa Wojnovich, both stay at home moms each with two young children, teamed up in January 2005 with the idea of creating something to sell at a local arts festival. They were also motivated to create decor for their own children’s rooms.

They combined their passion for art, design and colors and came up with more than just an idea for the festival, they came up with a company; Litsy Designs.

I had the pleasure of working with Lisa who was kind enough to send me a gorgeous plaque to review.

Yes, it is a Christmas plaque…and yes, it is now mid-January! It has been busy to say the least with the new Mom Dot project going on…so THANK YOU to Litsy Designs for their patience in being featured!

I was all smiles when I opened up this package from them because I for one, love Christmas and two, this is something that will be with my family every holiday season from now on.

The entire plaque is finished off so lovely with grosgrain ribbon around the edges and soft felt on the back to keep it from scratching your walls.

As you can tell, Lisa & Patsy put a lot of care and personal touches into their work. I am sure this comes from being not only moms but also from having a love of what they do everyday to create something special for their customers.

There is a lot of buzz about their fabulousness because of their art work being on a few episodes of Grey’s Anatomy!

When I asked Lisa about this, here is what she had to say… “a buyer from the show found our site in 2006 when she was in search of nursery wall art (I believe she google’d nursery art??). We received an email through our site from here and they ended up buying seven 20″x20″ canvases that have been used on the set since season 3. They got the most air time that 3rd season because the character Addison – the Ob-gyn was on the show. In the last 2 seasons, there hasn’t been too many baby/pediatric episodes. There is a story line right now with the boy who needs a liver and intestines transplant which has been going on for the past 2 episodes and continues next week. Our canvases are on the walls in the hall by his room and in his room. If you watch the clip (http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=2355287n) on our site where we were on CBS early show there is a really cool back and forth between Patsy and the buyer from Grey’s. It was great to have that opportunity to have our art on National TV (even though – if you blink, you might miss it). At the time they bought those canvases, Grey’s was the top show. We feel very fortunate for sure. “

What an inspiration for all us mommy boutique owners out there! Good things come to good people!

CONTEST

Here’s the FUN part! You can get your very own Litsy Designs plaque for the holidays at 50% off! If you would like to purchase something from their NEW canvas line, they are offering Mom Dot readers 25% off now until the end of January! {Discount does not apply to items already on sale} Use the code: MomDot25

Even BETTER…you can WIN a plaque for FREE! The plaque that receives the most mention is the one the winner gets to have! Lisa @ Litsy was kind enough to offer that! Isn’t that so generous??!!

Here’s how to enter to WIN…lots of great chances:

  • Visit Litsy Designs and let us know what your favorite plaque is
  • Earn another entry by telling us who this plaque would be for if you won it
  • Twitter this giveaway for a 3rd entry
  • Got a blog?? Of course you do! Blog this and receive another entry!
  • Want to earn 3 entries?? BUY a plaque from Litsy Designs and let us know!

Contest ends Feb 6th, 2009 and winner will be announced February 7th, 2009………. but not here on Mom Dot…stay tuned!!

Product Review by: Clarissa of The POSHpreneur

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Blog News and Announcements Today

22 Jan By 16 Comments

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First, I could not resist sharing this with you all. Maybe this is a motivational poster for my office. Then again, what would this company say about motivational posters.

steakSecond, we usually have our Friday Night Live on…well, Fridays. Tomorrow is Charlotte’s BIRTHDAY! The big whopping 4.0. Which means Ill be delivering her up to my dads house in Florida so DH and I can take a dinner to ourselves on the gift certificate Carrabba’s sent to me for that nasty ass steak I had last time we went. Ahh, the power of the customer service text box on a site.  Is it wrong that I am using my daughters birthday as  way to pass her on to her grandparents to take the night off? We ordered take out and I got home to a medium rare steak and green beans instead of a medium steak and broccoli. This steak picture is after I cooked it for several more minutes in the microwave. You should have seen it before…it was still mooing. The whole point to this drawn out paragraph is could you be here on SATURDAY night instead? I have a few prizes of course and wanted to invite Kadi back to hang with us. Can we say 9pm central on Saturday? Who can make it?

Third, Sawyer rocked the no shirt all LOST and we luv him for it. Thanks for not disappointing us. The only way this show could get better is if time travel split Sawyer into 2 men and we got twice as much Sawyer.

Fourth, I am doing this crazy insane review for My Wonderful Walls and we are going to be doing a GIVEAWAY as well with them. I mention it because its going to be a full project you get to witness from beginning to end. We are going to be muraling Charlotte’s room like this so you can watch it from a blank space and see what we create with the help of My Wonderful Walls Splendid Flowers kit. My wonderful walls works with all sorts of Kids Murals and Nursery Art. Then they will be giving away a $100 gift card where you can get this kit, a boy kit, or just the canvas’ for your child’s walls. Right now, I would LOVE to hear your ideas on the color scheme you think we should do for Charlotte. Should I do like light pink and then like bright flowers or maybe a blue sky and pink trees?

Fifth, our friends over at Bloggy Buttonz want all the bloggers to know they give out FREE Banners!

Last, I talked to Ronald Garner at  AudioStocks.com today and MomDot got a mention in Yahoos Finance page courtesy of Jane from Mom Generations and Kidz Med Inc. Thank you so much for including us in your link love and we appreciate the major massive shout out!  Kidz Med Inc. has some great products! And we cant deny we got a little giggly over being put on such a well known website. The little guy fights back! Take that you Unmotivational Blogger Poster!

yeah

~Trisha

Filed Under: Announcements Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Feature Blog: The Story of a Princess and Her Hair

3 Nov By 11 Comments

Because I am the Mom of two girls, I was so excited to interview our next November Feature Blogger!  I am in complete awe of her hairstyling creativity and talent!  Welcome, Kori to MomDot!

1. Congrats on being a MomDot Feature Blogger!  Why don’t you start by introducing yourself to our readers!

Hi, my name is Kori. I’m a SAHM with three kids.  Two boys (one still in diapers, anyone have any potty training tricks for me?) and one girly-girl-princess, my patient blogging partner!

2.  How did you arrive on the blogosphere?  What got you interested in blogging?

I’m fairly new to the blogging world. I’ve been blogging since February of this year.  A good friend of mine started up a family blog and got me addicted right away.  I love being able to take a look into people’s everyday lives. It’s almost as good as being a window peek-er (without the jail time.) So anyway, I started a little family blog of my own, mostly to stay in touch with friends and family.  A couple of months into it, I decided I wasn’t happy with just one blog.  (No, that would be too easy, LOL.)  I wanted to start another blog doing something I love.  But, I didn’t want it to be too time consuming or take away from the time I spend with my kiddos.  I had the idea to do a little girls hairstyling blog because it was something I was already doing on a daily basis.  Needless to say, it’s been more time consuming than I thought.  But, I love it!  Looking back on it, I have no idea what I did with all of my free time before I started blogging.  I CAN tell you that my house was a lot cleaner back then!!

3.  How did you become interested in hair styling?

Well, my mom is my main inspiration.  She did my hair EVERY DAY when I was little.  She is also the one who taught me some awesome hair tricks and all the basics like braiding.  She died from breast cancer several years ago, but if she were still alive, I’m sure she would love our blog.  I think about her a lot when I’m doing my daughter’s hair.

It’s also a creative outlet for me.  I really don’t have the talent for crafty things. (I’ve tried making hair bows, sewing, painting, decorating, and I stink at all of it!)

My daughter also loves the attention she gets from the hairstyles, and I enjoy coming up with them. The quality time I get to spend with her doing this is also a huge perk.  Some of our best talks have come while doing her hair.

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4.  How do you come up with new hairstyles?  On average, how long does one of your styles take to be created?

Oh gosh, I get ideas everywhere!  One of our hairstyles was inspired by a woven hot pad.  Another from a shoe lace!  I’m also always looking at little heads everywhere I go for new ideas.  (The grocery store, school, church.)  Who knows, maybe I was inspired by YOU, and you just don’t know it!  There are also some like-minded hairbloggers linked on my side bar who have wonderful ideas that inspire me occasionally.  I guess I’m just always thinking about it.  I dream about hair all the time too.  I even find myself waking up in the middle of the night with an idea and have to go write it down/draw it before I forget it.  Yes, I’m a freak!!
As far as time goes, I would say on average it takes me about 30 minutes to create and execute a style.  Some are much faster, and a few have taken longer.  It just depends.

5.  How on Earth do you get your daughter to stay still for all these new do’s?!?  (My daughter is 3 and I’m lucky if I can brush it before she runs off!)

Well, my daughter is 5, so I’ve got an advantage over you and your young pup!  Also, lets just say……. Disney is our friend!  We watch a lot of Disney!!  On top of that, I’ve been doing her hair since the day she was born so she’s used to it.  I couldn’t wait to stick a bow on her cute little newborn scalp and even brought some glue and a bow to the hospital with me when I had her!!  She really doesn’t know there’s any other way of doing things.  Most likely she thinks everyone does this crazy hair stuff.  Don’t tell her we’re the exception -k!

6.  What are your favorite hair products?  Favorite accessories?

I’m actually really cheap when it comes to hair products.  I use Suave and Equate a lot.  Suave makes a really good detangling spray that I love.  We also go through a lot of conditioner.  It’s SO much more pleasant to start a style without having to comb out a rat’s nest first.  I really try not too use too much product in my daughter’s hair.  Just a little hairspray when I’m done, and occasionally some gel/pomade to keep fly-aways down.  I’m also a huge fan of cute bows to top things off.  They add so much to a style.

7.  Can you give the MomDot readers a “sneak peek” into what’s coming up next for your blog?  Any new events, giveaways, interviews, etc.?

I’ve got some really cute hairstyles in my folder that I’m excited to post.  Everything from very simple do’s, to over-the-top crazy and complicate ones. I’ve also had some requests for basic stuff like braiding, so I’m working on getting some video tutorials together.

Since I CAN’T make bows, I always love it when a boutique/store owner contacts me to host a giveaway or feature.  I’m totally amazed at all the talent out there in this area.  If you are in the hair accessory business and would like me to feature your boutique, feel free to contact me.  I’m game!

Thanks for sharing your amazing talent with us, Kori!  If you want to read more, check out some of Kori’s favorite posts:

Sewn Braid headband with messy bun
Heart
Woven Piggies

Interviewed by Bridgette

Filed Under: Blog Resources Tagged With: , ,

Dottie Award Winner: Captain of the Debate Team

19 Oct By 8 Comments

This is the first of our Dottie Award Winner Self interviews! We wanted to bring you something different and asked the blogging winners to talk about THEMSELVES! So please take the time to comment to them (as its hard to talk about yourself!) and visit their blogs. These are the blogs that were voted by their blogging peers as the best! ~Trisha

First, I just want to say that I am very flattered to have been nominated for and then it was even a greater thrill to win !  I want to say thank you to those who nominated me and then for all of those who voted for me.

It’s actually kind of funny that I chose to write a debate blog and honestly I didn’t get much support when I was starting out.  Not because people didn’t think I was capable, but that I am quite sensitive and easily offended and people didn’t think I could handle the comments.  Well, so far, so good !

I really do enjoy talking to people and getting their viewpoints on issues and that was what motivated me to start my blog.  I truly believe that by opening our hearts and minds to others opinions we grow as humans.  I must say that in the short time that I have been running my blog I have learned a lot.  For me it’s kind of like going to school every morning and I enjoy that.

Personally I am one of those woman who have taken on the impossible task of trying to work and raise a family.  Someone once said that you experience full-time guilt when you do this and I must say that’s how I feel some days.  You send a slightly sick kid to daycare when you have an important meeting and you feel guilty about that and then when the day comes and they truly are sick and have to stay home you feel guilty about not being at work.

Fortunately I was able to find a career where I could work part-time and most of my job is project work so as long as I meet my deadlines my hours can be pretty flexible.  This does allow me to be involved in my daughters school and extracurricular activities which I enjoy.  I could never be a stay at home Mom as I truly need the regular intellectual stimulation that for me only a career can provide although there are days where I long for it.

I work in energy conservation and love it.  I am passionate about the environment and truly want to leave the world a better place than what it is now.  My job can be challenging in that sometimes it’s hard balancing what’s right for the environment with what someone can reasonably afford but more and more people are realizing that environmental stewardship makes good business sense and that makes me happy.

I don’t have much free time but when I do I love to write and play music.  I have currently started my first book.  I have no idea how long it will take me to complete it or what I’ll do with it when I’m done but I am enjoying the process.

I’m at the stage in my life where I am also contemplating retirement and I have started to think about what the next stage of my life will look like.  I really enjoy traveling and I suspect that I will be spending a lot of time visiting the places that I have spent my time reading about in books.  I also think that I will start teaching music.  I love seeing people succeed and it makes me feel truly blessed when I think that I might have played some smart part in it.

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