A Little Pop of Color

I received the dress featured in this post for the purpose of review.

We had our family photos taken toady. It's quite the experience, to say the least. Eight kids are hard to wrangle and try to get them all to smile at once is nearly impossible. But, this day has been in planning for over a month! As you can imagine, finding the perfect clothing for a family photo shoot with a family of 10 is a bit daunting. With our last family photos we went with a grey theme...this time we wanted to do a little less matchy-matchy. 

The difficult thing is to find outfits that coordinate for many different ages and genders. Gymboree is fantastic for this. With clothing sizes of newborn to 12 years, you can find some great family looks that coordinate and will be perfect for that family photo shoot!

Family pictures

Our photographer, Tatum of Tatum Photo + Design, suggested that we add some pops of color into our outfits, and I love that we were able to get some great colors that still went with one another.

For Annabelle, we chose the Gem Ponte Dress and added some really fun tights to go along with it to give her that pop of color- and helped her dress fit in with the other boys' outfits, too!

The holiday season is the best time to be a kid. All the wonder, all the surprises, it's something we want to capture in our photographs! I adore this dress. It's classic elegance makes it timeless- this is a dress that will look great even when we're looking back at it in 10 years, which is good considering we WILL be looking at our family photos in 10 years (and hopefully not wanting to submit them to an awkward family photo website)!

Each of the gems on the dress are sewn on, although you cannot tell that they are unless you very closely inspect them. The quality of the fabric is wonderful, it's thick and comfortable to wear. The entire Joyful Holiday collection is great, and will be perfect for your family photo needs- it even includes items for Mom and Dad!

If you are looking for great family looks this season, be sure to check out the new collections that just came out, too, and the great sales that are going on!

I can't wait to show you the rest of our photos, be on the lookout for another post soon!

SI Kids- A Great #Deal and #Gift!

I received product in exchange for this post.

Just in time for the holiday season, Sports Illustrated Kids is now offering a special subscription for you! Now, when you purchase an entire year of SI Kids in print and on tablet for $19.95, you can send a second gift of 12 issues (1 year) for only $5!

Here is the link to this exclusive deal- www.sikids.com/gift.

The magazine is jam-packed with action photos, easy-to-read stories, tips from the pros, hysterical comics, and engaging activities for boys and girls who love sports. SI Kids has won highest honors from the Association of Educational Publishers, as well as the Parents’ Choice Award.

Here are more reasons to give the gift of Sports Illustrated Kids:

•  It is the perfect stocking stuffer

• It promotes reading to children who are reluctant readers

• Each issue is full of exciting stories, photos and games- the perfect distraction for holiday travel

• It is delivered straight to your door

• No gift wrapping required

• It’s the gift that keeps on giving the whole year through

Angelina Ballerina: Twirling Tales #DVD #Giveaway!

I was provided with a copy of the title for review purposes. All opinions are my own!

The all-new Angelina Ballerina: Twirling Tales is available on DVD tomorrow, November 5, 2013 from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment!

This wonderful tale tells of how the curtain is rising as Angelina Ballerina and her Friends take center stage for friendship, fun and imagination.  Angelina Ballerina embodies dance, music and performance while inspiring girls achieve their dreams.  Angelina and her friends stay on their toes in these twirling whirling tales of friendship and Fun! There are sweet surprises in store when Angelina and her friends must "dance like a cake" for Vicky's cake-themed dance day. It is the big Spring Fling too, but how will Angelina and her friends fit all their favorite types of music and dance into the grand finale? Angelina'sparents even get into the swing of things with their very own new dance routine. The stage is set for an absolutely, positively, amazing time. 

We have definitely enjoyed Angelina's new episodes, all the kids (yes, even the boys) can appreciate the fun stories and music in this DVD.

Check out a fun coloring sheet and the great giveaway below!

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A Word of Caution for those Seeking High Speed Internet from #Exede

These are my personal opinions and experiences. 

When we moved last month, I was disappointed that I could no longer keep my cable internet provider. When I looked for other internet providers I expected to find something comparable. Unfortunately I was sadly mistaken.

Of course, all non-cable internet choices have data limits. This was scary for me, since I am on the internet a fair amount of time. I figured I'd be paying a lot of money for extra bandwidth. Well, I haven't had that problem, that's for sure!

My internet practically never works. I am currently working in offline mode, and will finally publish this when I get a signal again. I have called customer service numerous times, and through resetting my modem and restarting my computer I CAN get internet back...for 5 minutes then it's out again. It is SO frustrating! I reset my modem at least 5 times a day, and I usually just plain give up.

Of course, there is no reason why Exede would want to solve my problem. They'll get paid for the next 23 months regardless because I am in a binding contract.

Anyhow, buyer beware. Exede has been horrible for me, I would rather have dial-up at this point.  Exede requires auto-pay monthly on the first, and there are no paper bills. I have yet to receive an e-bill, but they have taken the money out of my account just fine.

I just cannot explain my disappointment fully in words here. I would be very careful and do some research in the area you are considering living in when looking into Exede internet. I wish I had done more research myself.  

Don't Forget to Fall Back! Make it Easier with Some Great Tips and @Pampers #giveaway! #DDDivas #DivasSleep #sponsored

This review was made possible by Double Duty Divas and Pampers. I was provided the featured product free of charge to facilitate my review, but all opinions are 100% mine.

As if sleep weren't difficult enough for children, we have to add in Daylight-Savings time. Oh yes, it's that time of year again!  This Sunday, most of us will be setting our clocks back an hour at 2am. Some people might rejoice- since we're gaining an hour of sleep- but parents...yeah right!

Those little beans don't understand that the clock says 6am, it feels like 7am and they are ready to go! Daylight-Savings time can change schedules and create chaos until everyone is adjusted again, but it's not all bad. 

Over half of moms (52%) feel that their baby's sleep patterns are thrown off when the clocks 'fall back' and Daylight Savings Time ends! If your baby is 5 months old or older (those younger haven't yet fully developed a sleep pattern), there are a few things you can do to help ease the transition. 

Here are a few tips from Kim West, LCSW-C, Sleep Lady Solutions, LLC (a sleep expert).

For children under 4 years old, its essential that we make naps a priority this time change. Quality nighttime sleep is dependent upon good daytime sleep. Make sure that your children are well-napped during the day so that when the time change takes effect having a later-feeling bedtime isn’t as much of an issue. Start moving your child's nap a few days before the time change. Make a point to slowly adjust your child’s bedtime and naptimes an hour earlier, just 15-30 minutes a day for a few days before daylight savings ends. This way, your child will already be adjusted to the time change. While you’re adjusting naps and bedtime, make sure that you also adjust mealtimes in 10-15 minute increments to help ease the transition.

Another great tip..Get outside. It’s getting colder, so bundle everyone up and take a morning walk, just 20 or 30 minutes to make sure that you and your baby get some sunshine, which will help your circadian rhythm adjust to the time change. If you can’t manage a morning walk, make sure that the blinds are open as you start your day, and keep them open up to 45 minutes before nap and bedtimes to help your child adjust to the time change.

I personally don't mind Daylight-Savings. I rather enjoy the first couple of weeks. I allow more time with the kids at night so we can re-establish a night-time routine. To ensure that your children know when it’s time to sleep, rely on your established soothing bedtime routine. Routines are comforting for children, so make sure that you keep your baby’s routine the same, although you will be starting it a bit later due to the time change. Make sure that you are changing your baby’s diaper right before you tuck them into the crib to help prevent wet diapers at night and unnecessary nighttime awakenings. If your baby often has diapers that leak during the night and require a change, please make sure to use overnight diapers that can keep your baby dry for up to 12 hours to help limit your baby’s sleep disturbances. Thankfully Pampers can help those babies stay dry throughout the night, so at least leaks aren't part of the chaos! 

We know this weekend may be a challenge, but we hope your well rested and up for a great Twitter party next Thursday!

#PampersSleepChat Twitter Party:

The Twitter Party will take place on November 7th at 9pm EST.  Chat about how the end of Daylight Savings Time can affect sleep patterns & get tips on easing the transition from The Sleep Lady, Kim West.

Please share this link and encourage your readers to join us and RSVP: http://twtvite.com/pamperssleepchat

Prizes include:

$50 AMEX Gift Card, $25 Children’s Place Gift Card, Pampers product and book by Kim West.

$100 AMEX Gift Card, Pampers Product, series of books by Kim West

Grand Prize: $500 AMEX Card to purchase sleep items such as a new crib, video monitor, etc.

To participate, follow your hosts @DoubleDutyDivas, @BridgetteLA, @CeceliaMecca @AngieKcom @WhatMommiesNeed @RamblingChick, sleep expert @TheSleepLady and our sponsor @Pampers.

Giveaway!

We're offering up a great giveaway including a Pack of Pampers Baby Dry Diapers, and a pair of Children’s Place PJ’s! Enter below with the easy Rafflecopter form!

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