Sniffle sniffle

Here is a GIVEAWAY to celebrate the big southern snow/ice storm! 

You love Boogie Wipes for your kids, right? The soft and lightly scented saline wipes are a must-have for runny nose season.

What do you do when that nastly school virus comes home to you? Do you get a painful, red and raw nose like I do? Well, guess what? Boogie Wipes have grown up! Have you tried Achooz?



Achooz are gentle saline, vitamin E, + aloe nose wipes for adults. Available in convenient sealable packages, either unscented or cool menthol. I am a huge fan of the cool menthol scent when suffering from a cold. No tissue could ever be this soothing!

Achooz are available in the tissue aisle at Walgreens and many other drug stores, as well as online via Amazon.com and Drugstore.com. Get a $0.50 off coupon HERE when you sign up for Achooz Newz.

You can also follow Achooz onTwitter: @chooseachooz

***GIVEAWAY!***
(Giveaway is now closed. Winner selected from Twitter and comment entries. Selected via Random.org. Congratulations to Angie!)

One lucky 3 Moms In 1 follower will win Achooz this weekend! Simply leave a COMMENT (don't forget to leave a method of contact!) or TWEET about the giveaway (be sure to inclue @balancingmama in the tweet so I can count your entry).

Winner will be selcted via Random.org from a compilation of all tweet and comment entries. Winner will be selected on Sunday evening, December 16th at 8:00 p.m. EST. Winner will be notified via email or Twitter. COMMENT ENTRIES must include a method of contact. Winner should respond with mailing address information within 36 hours or a new winner will be chosen. 

The age of me, me, me

The past few years have spawned a new age in our society: The Age of ME. Social media is no longer a novelty, it is a way of life. Communication is everywhere, and we can tell the world as much as we're willing to share.

Here are MY thoughts on some of the top social media entities.

“The Me Book” - Facebook

Our way of telling the world every mundane detail of our lives. Or in my case (I admit), my child’s life.

Before Facebook, we had no idea our neighbor was headed to the mall. No clue that our coworker was struggling with an old softball knee injury. We were ignorant of the toilet habits of our friends' children. We may not have known our eternally-single college friend was hoping for some action on an upcoming hot date. Now we know everything, whether we want to or not.

Nearly 130 million Americans are on Facebook each month (Nielsen Online Oct10 unique audience). People who knew us when we were nine are coming out of the woodwork. We know facts about “friends” we haven’t actually spoken with in a couple decades. Heck, we all of a sudden have several hundred friends! I wonder how many of those friends would actually be there in a crisis? Hmm, I’m guessing the few who were there in the dark ages? You know, 2002. Two (gasp!) whole years before Facebook existed.

“Facebook Lite” - Twitter
The fast and easy way to share a laugh, complain, or gossip – in 140 characters or less.

We can tweet from our phones at the nail salon. We can tweet while at work (quickly, before the boss walks by). We can tweet about coupons, contests, news, and scandal. If a celebrity embarrasses himself at a club? Someone will tweet about it. A mega online bookstore sells a distasteful book? Someone will tweet about it and 5,000 people will stage a boycott (one that lasts about 3 days, until more interesting news hits). Anxiously awaiting the numbers for a $300+ million lottery? No need to wait 4 hours for the official website to post, just search Twitter! I can promise you, someone tweeted that info in a matter of minutes.


Maybe I should start calling it “Facebook Instant… where you can read some stuff you want to know, some that makes you laugh, and a whole bunch of crap you could care less about.” Oh, wait. That’s more than 140 characters.

“Me Without Boundaries” - Blogging
A narcissist’s dream.

Like to talk about yourself without limitations? Want to share endless details of your child’s life? Want to show the world how funny you are? Want to get some free stuff by pimping out space on your web page? Then blog! Between Blogger and Wordpress alone, there are 47 million+ unique U.S. bloggers out there (Nielsen Online Oct10 unique audience). Think they all have mad writing skills? Think they all have something interesting to say? Think again.

“Social media in a business suit” - LinkedIn
Honestly, I don’t really get LinkedIn.

I’ve seen very few people actually use LinkedIn intelligently. Those people use it like an industry-focused Facebook. They post articles, research, and tidbits of interest to their network. If I were a hiring manager, I might chalk up a few extra points for these folks. At least they’re keeping up with industry news. But mostly, I see people (myself included) connect on LinkedIn, then never use it again. Until, that is, they get laid off. Then they’re requesting recommendations left and right.

Maybe I’m missing something fabulous about LinkedIn? I’m okay with that. I’m a mostly-home mommy. I spend plenty of countless hours on Facebook. For now, poop and playtime are my world. When the time comes to commit to full-time work again? Well, then I’ll be sending you recommendation requests. Don’t forget to tell them about my brilliance, okay?


AT&T used to have a slogan, reach out and touch someone. Today, we can reach out and "poke", "like", and "tweet" someone. We can embarrass them with middle school photos and annoy them with requests for virtual farm equipment for pretend farms. I remember the first day we got a VCR... I can't imagine what Amelia will be using when she's my age.

I'm sure whatever it is, I will have absolutely no idea how to use it.

In this age of me, me, me, I want to thank you for choosing to read ME today! I would love YOUR thoughts in my comments.

How do you know?

How do you know when something is right? How do you listen to voices not your own? How do you heed God's plan?

I feel a pull. I am trying to listen. But I just don't know what to do.

Last week, I spotted a man on a bustling corner. At the intersection of two U.S. highways in suburban Atlanta, this man stood with a cardboard sign in his hands. The sign said "Homeless Family. Pls help."

I did what I usually do. I stopped my car farther back so I wasn't right next to him. I tried not to look in his direction. I pretended he wasn't there. But as I stole a quick glance, I noticed a woman and three children sitting in the grass. Sitting in the grass, watching as Daddy held a sign. Watching as cars drove by.

Then I could not look away.
The kids looked bored. The mother looked tired. They didn't seem cold, because we had a nice sunny afternoon. But what about the cold nights? What about school? What about toys, blankets, and food?

I glanced down and spotted my paycheck. I was minutes away from the bank with my deposit slip. I thought about my house filling with toys from Christmas. My not-so-gas-efficient SUV. The wasted food I throw away each week because I just didn't get around to reheating it again.

The light turned green, and I moved on.

I moved on because I didn't know what to do. How do you know if someone truly needs help? If this family is hungry, I want to bring them food. If they are cold at night, I will bring them some blankets. If they truly need help, I can give of myself and my own belongings. But how do you know what is real? The last thing I want to do is fall for a scheme that involves innocent children and a heartbreaking lie. Were these kids nothing but props? Did they later go home to an apartment, a television, and a fridge full of Daddy's beer? Putting children in such a lie - and such an unsafe location - would be despicable.

But then again... what if they really do need the help?

I don't know why this is haunting me so much. I spend time in the city quite often. I'm used to beggars and scraggly folk sleeping under bridges. I distrust them, I ignore them, and I move on. But they never have full families along side them. They never have children looking at each passing car with hollow eyes.

I know there is plenty of help for the homeless here. I know these parents have access to food and shelter. But I also know the economy has hit many people very hard. I've never seen this family before. I wonder if I'll see them again? Maybe if I do, I'll go get those Happy Meals. If they accept them gratefully, then I've done something to help. If they show disappointment because money is the only goal, then I will turn away for good. And pray that such awful parents make a change for the good of their children's lives.

It's baaaaack! F2FF: Momma Kiss

It is the first Friday of 2011. The first Friday of the year my daughter turns three. The first Friday of my blog's second year. Hopefully the first of many happy, healty, family Fridays.

Also, the return of Friends 2 Follow Friday on 3MomsIn1.com!

Welcome Momma Kiss! Check out her mini invterview below. And her blog. She's freaking hilarious. (Just make sure to bring your sense of humor)

Blog name? MommaKiss

When was your blog born - and why?
I started blogging in 2008? On Blogspot, anyway. Before that I had a multiply blog – where certain posts were private and many public. But yes, I jumped to the blogspot and never looked back. I figured I had stories to tell that my husband was sick of hearing and seriously? I make myself laugh. Often. So I thought I’d share it. I’ve been anon from the start, though – which has been a Godsend to me! Allows me to talk about people any ole way I want.

Follow MommaKiss on TWITTER

The writer behind the words - list 5 adjectives that describe you.
Quirky, Loyal, Scarastic, Loving and Bold


Something that recently made you laugh?
My child, doing “warm ups” for a game he was playing with his little brother. His warm ups were ballerina twirls. I have no idea.

Favorite holiday memory?
If we’re speaking Christmas, it would have to be the year that my husband’s gift was a trip to Disney World. Now I’ve had really fun family holidays and they’ve been super fun since having kids, but that year, we were still just dating, I was 27 and had never seen Disney World. I’m not like some mega fan of the characters or anything, but just the fact that he knew I wanted to see it and knew I believed in that kid/magical world crap really made me realize he “got” me.

Have you ever kept a new year's resolution?
Nope, because I don’t make them.

If you had 2 hours of pure "me" time, what would you do?
These days, just sleep. Seriously. I really miss reading without interruption. And watching t.v. shows at my leisure instead of rushing through them after the kids are in bed. Maybe I’d bake? Man, the list could go on and on and on…

Back in my day...

Ahh, New Year's Eve. A night for celebration. A night for excitement. A night for confetti, noise makers, party hats, and adult beverages.

For some of you.

For me? I count myself lucky that I managed to stay awake for the first time in years.

It wasn't a bad night. Quite nice, actually. Enjoyed a late Christmas with family in Tennessee. Lounged on the comfy leather sofa with my sister, our husbands in the man chairs to either side. We speculated about the over-hyped Snooki ball drop, felt mildly uncomfortable watching Dick Clark, and flipped channels between various televised celebrations. We had full bellies from mom's delicious cooking and enjoyed the comfort and quiet of home.

And then it hit me...


I am old and out of touch.

Why, you ask? Well, for one, I was in my fleece PJ pants and fuzzy socks. And second, I couldn't believe I was actually awake. Part of me was longing to be upstairs near my zonked-out preschooler.

But then, we saw this:

 And my brain went nuts:

"Who is that?"

"What is wrong with music these days?"

"I hope my child never looks like that!"

(I came to learn this person is called Ke$ha. She's 23 years old and apparently quite popular. Sorry RCA Records... I won't be buying her album anytime soon.)

And then, what was that I heard? New Kids On The Block! Did Ryan Seacrest just announce the ever-so-dreamy NKTOB?

Oh. Never mind. Now I just feel old.

 If this New Year's Eve is any indication of my future?

Let's just say I am not expecting any Cool Mom awards.



(Another link up to Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop! Prompt: If the way you spent your New Year’s Eve is any indication of how the rest of the year will go, how would you say your future is looking right about now?)

Wordless Wednesday: Sunny December

With family in different states, we travel quite a bit for Christmas every year. Sometimes we make a special pit stop for just the three of us. This year? Melbourne, FL. We were blessed with a sunny day so we could say hi to the ocean.

Good morning, ocean

 

Towards the water & sun

Sand between those cute little toes

Running with Daddy

Discoveries

Ladybug enjoyed the trip too!

A little focus, please

Amelia is a very lucky and spoiled girl. She's the youngest on one side of the family, and the only grandchild on the other. Between Santa, grandparents, aunts and uncles, she came away with a truckload of new toys for Christmas.

I was soooo looking forward to these new toys. Winter weather traps us indoors most every day, and I had high hopes for the excitement of new playthings. So why is Amelia playing with each toy a matter of 3 to 5 minutes?

She needs help getting a game set up - but she won't finish playing it with me.

She bounces on her new trampoline - for about 45 seconds.

She drives her new Tinkerbell big wheel around the house - until she spots yet another toy.

She plays her electronic drum pad for a couple minutes. She colors for several seconds. And in between each activity, she calls out for Mommy. She wants help getting something out. She wants me to play something new. She decides to have a snack break.

These new toys didn't help me one bit! I'm busier than I was before Christmas. Crossing my mommy fingers that this is just a phase from the excitement of it all.