A Silly Mommy of 2 Silly Girls: October 2010

Sunday, October 31

Not a Halloween Party at School

Halloween (and any costumes) is not allowed at my girls' school so the kindergarten classes had a Fall party. The class traveled to 3 classrooms and in the first I was in charge of the the spoon race. Princess G was very fast! In the next room I was in charge of golf. Princess G got a ball in after it hit my shoe which was tricky since I was not close to the hole at all. In this room they also had a spider game (similar to a fishing game) which Princess G won a very sparkly spider ring. In the last room Princess G made an owl for a treat bag (staple it over a sandwich bag) but she wanted it to play with. It is downstairs on a window as a decoration right now. Do you like our spiders? I made the same kind last year (click here for a tutorial I made last year) and this year my Daisy troop made them. Princess G, another Daisy at the school and I wore them all day and we each received many compliments. I even had one of the pre-school teacher drag me around to show some of the staff! She made one that night and wore it to school on Friday (the non-Halloween party was Thursday.)

Saturday, October 30

Carving our Pumpkins!

The girls could just not wait to carve our pumpkins. I cut the tops out and the girls started scrapping the 'yucky stuff' out. They did pretty well and even picked the seeds out too! They drew the faces on the front and I cut them out. I think our pumpkins turned out great and we already roasted the pumpkins seeds. They are so yummy. I washed and dried the seeds overnight. While the oven was preheating to 350 degrees I lightly coated the seeds in canola oil and sprinkled cinnamon sugar on top. I also made a small batch with just light sea salt since their Daddy does not like the cinnamon ones. I am still a little mad someone stole one of our pumpkins, at least it was one of mine and not the girls'.

Friday, October 29

Giveaway: Tiger's Milk

Have you ever tried Tiger's Milk? I never had them growing up but they were introduced in the 60s and according to their website they are 'America's Original Nutrition Bar.' I was sent one bar of the four flavors available, Protein Rich, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter & Honey, and Peanut Butter Crunch. I thought they were very yummy. The girls liked the Peanut Butter Crunch the most. Tiger’s Milk bars are an excellent alternative to candy bars this Halloween and since the packaging is orange and black they are already for trick or treaters. They taste good and they are an excellent source of protein and nutrition.

Nutritional benefits include:
- 16 vitamins and minerals
- Up to 10 grams of protein (king-size bar)
- Zero grams trans fat
- Good source of calcium and antioxidant Vitamins A and C
- Natural flavors

WIN!!!
One of my readers will a full box (24 bars) of Tiger's Milk!

To enter please leave a comment with a what you will be giving out to trick or treaters (if you are not giving out stuff what is your favorite candy.)

(If your email is not available on your blog please include in comment.)
US only
Ends 11/10/10 at midnight PST.
Extra Entries: (please leave a comment for each extra comment)

1.Follow my blog (button on side of blog)
2.Follow @SillyMommy on Twitter (leave your twitter name in comment)
3.Blog about contest (2 entries, leave link in comment)
4.Tweet about contest (leave link in comment, may tweet once a day)
5. Enter another of my giveaways (listed on right near top, one entry per giveaway entered)

I received samples to facilitate my candid review and Tiger's Milk will provide the prize.

Thursday, October 28

Pumpkin Patch

Princess G's best friend had her birthday at a pumpkin patch so we all went together. Princess G and I visited the same pumpkin patch last year with her pre-K class but Princess A was not able to attend when she was in pre-K. Princess A was most excited about the corn maze! We went down every path at least twice, if not more. We had so much fun running through it over and over. Here are the pumpkin you get to choose from if you take a preschool tour. they are small but cute! Since the birthday party did not include any pumpkins as soon as the party was over we went to pick out our pumpkins. Princess A climbed up on the tractor as soon as she could and sat there for quite a while. We bought two carving pumpkins, four small ornamental pumpkins and three sugar pumpkins for cooking. We left them on the front steps and yesterday someone stole one of my sugar pumpkins!! I can't believe someone stole on of my pumpkins!

It was Daddy's and Princess A's first visit to a pumpkin patch and they agreed we will have to go back next year!

Wednesday, October 27

Wordless Wednesday: Dancing in the Rain

Tuesday, October 26

Happy Birthday to Me!!!!

Over the weekemd we were at the Great wolf Lodge celebrating my birthday! We are back but since today is my birthday (and I need to unpack) my blog will have to wait a little. I have some giveaways waiting to post and some reviews, I will have them posted in the next day or so.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!

Friday, October 22

KT Album Review

I am always excited to listen to new music. I am horrible with names, people I meet, band names and artist. I thought I had not heard KT Tunstall before but I have! I have been listening to the new Tiger Suit album (it just came out October 5)and I have to say I think that (Still a) Weirdo is my favorite. All of the songs are good. They have a good beat and frankly got me moving. Of course I have no problem singing and dancing along with song while in the car. Don't get me wrong these are not fast dance songs just fun songs that cause me to move but in a mellow way. I am just not good at describing songs, instead click through to Amazon and you can listen to clip of each of the songs. Make sure you listen to (Still a) Weirdo, my favorite of the album.

I received a review copy of this album and my post makes me eligible for a gift card via random drawing by One2One Network. All opinions stated are my own.

Thursday, October 21

Giveaway: Halls Cough Drops

Well our family finally caught a cold this Fall but it was not the girls who brought it home. No, it was Daddy. Normally my husband gets up very early and either goes for a run or goes to workout. One morning he slept in. If you knew my husband you would know how strange that is. He never calls in sick and usually thinks exercise will help him beat the cold. As soon as I noticed that he was sick I offered him the Halls that we just received. He took one right them and took the rest to work with him. He said that they really did help with his sore throat and sinuses. Next Princess A fell victim to the cold. She does not normally like cough drops (she says they taste too mediciny.) Luckily Daddy still had a few left in the Halls stick (we received the cherry flavor) and she liked them. Princess G had to try one too and tried to pretend she was sick so she could have some more. Princess G never did get sick but I did! The girls only had the cherry flavor and by the time I got sick (and remembered to take a picture) they had already finished the cherry flavor. I got to try the Honey Lemon Triple Soothing Action Halls and I was glad we had the Halls as I normally can't take anything more than cough drops of throat lozenges. Allergy season has passed for my husband (he suffers in the Spring and early Summer) but when he was suffering I gave him some Halls and they helped with his allergy symptoms. Now that kids are back in school and the cold weather is forcing more people inside more and more colds will be passed around, it is a good idea to have your weapons against colds ready. Whenever we get sick I like to have all of the medicines and comforts (we like herbal tea with honey) on hand because the last thing I want to do is go to the store when someone is sick. Have you tried Halls before? Two of you can win 10 sticks of Halls!! Giveaway: Two winners will each receive 10 sticks of Halls! Entry: To enter just leave a comment. (If your email is not available on your blog please include in comment.) US only Ends 10/22/10 at noon PST.

Extra Entries: (please leave a comment for each extra comment) 1.Follow my blog (button on side of blog) 2.Follow me @SillyMommy on Twitter (leave your twitter name in comment) 3.Blog about contest (2 entries, leave link in comment) 4.Tweet about contest (leave link in comment, may tweet once an hour) 5. Enter another of my giveaways (listed on right near top, one entry per giveaway entered)

This post was written for Family Review Network & Halls who provided the complimentary product for review and giveaway in exchange for my honest opinions.

Wednesday, October 20

Princess G is a Daisy!!

We had our first meeting!

Princess G is so excited to be a Daisy. We have 6 girls in our troop and I am the leader. I have a few co-leaders, my main co-leader is moving soon so I have 2 other part time co-leaders.

The first meeting was a little hard with all of the paperwork but once that was done we had a blast. Above Princess G is decorating her journal. At the end of each meeting the girls will write in their journal, just drawing pictures for now. We played, did crafts and had cupcakes! I thought cupcakes were perfect to celebrate our first meeting and we even put sprinkles on top.

Tuesday, October 19

Bing "Our School Needs" Contest

I know that across the country schools are facing budget cuts. Things that used to be taken for granted such as music classes and art classes are gone. My girls' school still has a music teacher but no art teacher. A parent has started an Art Docent program where parents go into classrooms and teach different art techniques. I have done a few examples the students will be making in class for the volunteers at home (I will post the pictures soon.) Our school is lucky we have parents who are able to devote the time the time and find donations of materials to save art at our school. What is your school losing? Bing wants to help school fill those needs. Right now through October 22 (Friday) is having a contest. Students and teachers can learn about the contest and submit an entry at Bing. You can upload photos, essays and videos telling Bing what your school needs for a chance to win up to $100,000!! Can you imagine how much could be done with $100,000!

What does your child's school need? Maybe a library, more books for the library, computers, more teachers, art, music or a playground with equipment! Whatever it is your school needs enter here and if you want to understand how to enter there is even a video you can watch! Schools are important and Bing wants help them meet their needs.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Bing and received a DonorsChoose.org giving code and gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Sunday, October 17

Princess G's First Race

Last year Princess A ran the 1mile race and now it was Princess G's turn for her first 1 mile race. The 1 mile race was starting first so Princess G and I got ready! The race was four laps but near the end of the third lap Princess G said that it was her last lap! She informed me that her sister did not run a 1 mile race until she was 6 so she would not be running a whole mile until she was 6 too! Who can argue with that! I agreed that it was our last lap and we finished by running hard to the finish line. Princess A and Daddy ran in the 5K, her second 5K! She ran the trail (which was not paved) in about 33 minutes, a new PR (personal record!) I was a fun day and I also had my new Daisy troop run the race too. It was our first official activity!

Thursday, October 14

Waterpik SinuSense Review

My sister swears by her Neti pot but I had never tried one before. My sister and her husband use a neti pot everyday and they swear it is the reason they are rarely sick. I was always curious so I was looking forward to reviewing Waterpik SinuSence Squeeze Bottle and Neti Bottle. As soon as it arrived Princess G really wanted to try it. I told her I had to get everything ready first. I boiled the Waterpik Squeeze Bottle according to the instructions and also boiled water in my tea kettle and let it cool. Once the Waterpik Squeeze Bottle and the water in the kettle were the right temperature I prepared her first nose rinsing. I poured the cooled water to the line on the bottle and added one packet included in the box. Princess G and I went to the

bathroom to try. She leaned over the sink and I gently squeezed the bottle as it was in her nose. She thought it felt weird but did both sides of her nose. We did not use all of the solution in the bottle as it seemed too much for a little one. Later I tried the Waterpik Neti Bottle and I though it felt weird. Not bad just strange. I thought it would feel like getting water up your nose in the pool, it didn't. I was not uncomfortable just strange. As I did it more it felt less strange and felt more natural. I don't use it everyday (I mean too I just don't remember) but a few times a week. I have slight allergies, not enough to take anything but enough that I an snuffly. The Waterpik Neti Bottle seems to helping. I still have the slight allergies but they are even less than before for me. I must say I like the ease of the Neti Bottle and the Squeeze Bottle. I just added water and poured in the pre-measured packet. So easy!

MomSelect and Waterpik provided the products to facilitate my review. The opinions stated are my own.

Tuesday, October 12

Wordless Wednesday: After School at the Park

10 Easy Ways to Incorporate Fun Everyday

My girls and I love having fun but fun is not just during play it is for the whole day! Here are ten things we do to make the day fun.

Sometimes if the girls sleep in and I have to actually wake them up, instead of waking them up I jump into their bed. I start snoring really loud while snuggling them and calling them by their stuffed animals names as if they were my stuffed animal.
The girls both have long hair so I do usually have to brush their hair for a while. Every morning they bring something into the bathroom to read or play with. We usually sit on the bathmat and they have fun while each gets the hair style they pick (usually part braids!)
For breakfast we like to sing while picking out breakfast and school lunch. We make up silly rhythms about what we are doing or foods we will be eating. Other times I just turn on the radio and we dance.
At the girls school we have to walk to the back of the school for lining up. We usually like to hold hand and sing "Skip to my Lou." Usually by the second or third time we sing the song I change the lyric to "Skip to my Chicken" or something else silly, though the chicken one is my favorite! I just keep singing as though I sang the song correctly and the girls giggle and say "No, Mommy you sing it this way!"
Every other Wednesday Princess G does not have kindergarten so we all wait in Princess A's line before school. While we wait the girls and I like to play clapping games, right now their favorite is "Double double Ice cream." Or I air tickle the girls. I make a movement as though I am about to tickle them but I never actually touch them. They always laugh as if I really was tickling them.
We do not have bus service and we are to far to walk so I am at the school three times a day. When Princess G and I pick up Princess A we like to play games. Princess G likes to play: hide and seek (there are only 4 poles to hide behind), steal Mommy's keys and hide them in a different pocket, and her favorite unzip Mommy's jacket. She sneaks up on me and unzips my coat. I pretend to get upset and zip it back up. I then turn in a circle as she tries to unzip it again. she will happily play this game for over 10 minutes.
After school the girls always want a snack. I like to give whatever they are eating a really silly name and the food likes to talk to them. Sometimes the food begs them not to eat them. Sometimes I make the voices and sometimes they do. The foods usually say "No, don't eat me!! O.K. you had a bite, no more! Hey, what are you doing!! Stop that!! Fine, just eat me! Never mind, DO NOT EAT ME!!" It goes on and on until they are done!
Our house has two levels so sometimes when I am coming downstairs I sit on the top step and pretend to fall asleep. One of the girls climbs on my back and I go downstairs. Once I am downstairs I star 'looking' for the one on my back. I call their name a few times. Once they giggle, I 'discover' them and tickle them until the wiggle off my back.
Our mail box is about a block away so we have to walk there. The girls like to ride their scooters. They usually race until I say freeze. I wait and then say "Go!" We do this over and over the way there and back.
When it is time to clean up I like to play music. We have to clean to the music. If it is fast we move really fast. If it is classical we clean as though we are doing ballet. I like to change songs while we are cleaning so it is always changing. It makes cleaning so much more fun

Do you have easy and fun things you incorporate into your day. The girls and I love being silly as you can see from the list above. I like to make everything fun. We also have special songs we have made up, we have one for brushing teeth, when it is time for lunch, when I pick them up from school, and bedtime. We are always making up songs or modifying the one we already created.

Life should be fun, play more!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and The Hub blogging program, making me eligible to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Friday, October 8

Princess A Lost her 7th Tooth!

Princess A's loose tooth has been bothering her for a while but I was not expecting it to fall out so quickly. Yesterday morning she cried in pain while trying to eat her English muffin. I ended up cutting it into very thin slices. Right before dinner she asked me to pull her tooth out. I did not think it was ready to come out but I gently twisted the tooth very slightly and out it came. It did bleed for a few seconds but soon she was good. She was so excited and could not wait for the tooth fairy. She also let me know that one of her friends received a Webkinz from the tooth fairy. She decided to write a very nice note asking the Tooth Fairy if she could leave something more than just money for the tooth. The Tooth Fairy was a little worried about how she was going to pull that off when I remembered that I had a Tamgotchi in my stash. I had bought it last year but at the time I thought she was too young and that I would be the one taking care of the Tamagotchi. Daddy Tooth Fairy typed up a note stating that the Tooth Fairy would grant her wish (and a few coins too) this time. The Tooth Fairy also mentioned Princess G and how it will be her turn soon. Princess A was just so excited to wake up this morning and have a Tamagotchi. She knew about them from her cousin who had one on her last visit two years ago. The Tooth Fairy scored a home run with this visit!

Tuesday, October 5

Tackle it Tuesday; ARM & HAMMER Laundry Tackle

Yes, I know it is not Tuesday anymore, I started this post on Tuesday but I forgot to post it until now.
Today I tackled my husband's and my laundry (I did the girl's yesterday before I picked up the ARM & HAMMER Power Gel laundry detergent.) I had a hard time finding the Power Gel version and finally found it at my local Target. Since I did the girl's laundry yesterday, I only did four loads today so we were able to even fold and put them all away by the end of the day. We always have lots of laundry but usually not to many with stains, especially large or tough to treat stains.

That is why when I washed Princess A's blue leggings the first time in our regular laundry detergent I forgot to check if the stain (I thought it was mud but now know that is was mud and grass!) came out. The stain had not come out and on top of that I had dried it in the dryer which usually sets stains for life.
I decided to try ARM & HAMMER Power Gel laundry detergent on the stain. I poured the detergent on the leggings and tossed it in with the towels (I had washed the girl's laundry the day before which is when I missed the stain.) As you can see the stain (the wet leggings are the before picture) did not completely come out but a lot of it did. I am going to try

letting the detergent soak into the stain for a few hours and then wash it again. I bet the stain will be gone of course it would of helped if I could remember not to place stained clothes into the dryer. I am sure the dryer only made the stain harder to remove. After doing four loads, including a bleach load, I have to say that I like this laundry detergent. Our laundry is clean and has a nice light scent. I know that this is the detergent I will use the next time we have tough stain to treat. After taking those leggings out of the dryer I assumed that the stain was here to stay. Now I know the stain is not gone but it is much smaller and lighter. It seems as though it will be washed out eventually. What are you tackling this week?

5 Minutes for Mom and ARM & HAMMER provided ARM & HAMMER Power Gel Laundry detergent to facilitate this post. All opinion stated are my own.

Monday, October 4

School of Rock's Free Week promotion

Through October participating School of Rock locations are offering a free week at the school for kids ages 7 to 18. The free week includes one private trial lesson (30-45 min) and one Rock 101 group class (90 min).
What a great way to introduce your child to music. My niece and nephew are taking music lessons where they live and they are loving it. I wish we had a School of Rock closer to us so I could sign Princess A up for the free week. She just loves music and would love to learn more. The free week must be completed by October 31 and is subject to scheduling and availability so if you are at all interested look in to it right away. To sign-up just click here and in the Questions/Comments field area enter: SORBLOG/A Silly Mommy of 2 Silly Girls

Now for those of you that know nothing about School of Rock (that would be me) here is a little more information:

School of Rock is the national leader in music education and has been teaching kids how to amaze audiences for more than ten years. They offer lessons in guitar, bass, vocals, drums and keyboards for kids ages 7 – 18. No experience necessary just eagerness to learn - School of Rock knows the best way to learn is by doing! The school's mission is to inspire kids to rock on stage and in life!

School of Rock's performance-based curriculum teaches kids to play rock music in a unique and interactive way, which is changing the way kids learn to play music across America. Professional musicians teach students of all levels, developing both their music skills and confidence. School of Rock operates 58 schools in 23 states .

If you want to find out more about School of Rock check them out on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.

I was not compensated for this review. By posting this review I am eligible to win a Yamaha PAC012 Electric Guitar or one of five $50 gift cards.

Sunday, October 3

Do the Puyallup!

Every year we 'Do the Puyallup' fair. This year we tried the bus. The girls were excited for the bus ride. We always take a picture here to see how they have grown in the last year. Princess G is getting so much taller. We also took our traditional picture with Mommy with the pumpkins. The Fair in the Fall is not complete without getting the soft serve ice cream, though I must say it really is not as good as it used to be. Last year a new dairy company took over but it still tasted pretty good, this year it was not bad just not terrific. We might even skip it next year even though it is Daddy's favorite part of the Fair. Since we went on the weekend the girls got a chance to go fishing. Princess G caught a fish first! She was able to touch the fish before it was thrown back. I was a little worried but Princess A caught a fish too, right before our time was up. We had some lunch and then off to the pioneer home. Princess A wanted to saw wood first, she is holding it in her hand. Of course Princess G had to have a turn next. Princess G was getting the cinnamon ready while Princess A churned some butter. Princess A chopped some carrots while Princess G got a turn grinding some flour. Now for their favorite part: washing clothes. They would happily spend an hour just washing these clothes and they only left because it was time for the clown show. We planned our whole day just so we could see Jest in Time. We love their show and we always make sure we attend at least one show each year, sometimes many more. This year we only went to the Fair one day and the girls' favorite part was this clown show. We have seen the show so many times the girls knew what was coming up next and happily they did not change the girls' favorite part: the toilet paper fight!

Have you ever been to the Puyallup Fair?

Do you have a great fair you attend every year?

Growing up I always went to the California State Fair in Sacramento and I loved it so!