Kicking Off the Block Party Early- Poshling Review & $25 Giveaway

 Over the years and many shopping trips, I have become obsessed with children's boutique clothing. I love fashion and want my little ones to be stylish, too. I like dressing my boys in Mini Boden, Appaman, and See Kai Run shoes. Okay, I admit, It can be very expensive, but it doesn't have to be. With Poshling, Mom's can find luxury clothing at great prices!

About Poshling

Poshling is a new social shopping community for stylish, in-the-know moms! What sets Poshling apart from other deals websites is that members vote for their very favorite premium products they would like to see featured. Then, members gain access to exclusive discounts on the top-voted products. Plus, members will also find special hand-picked items by Poshling editors. The limited-time sales last only 48 to 72 hours, so be sure to check in often.

How do you become a member? It's simple and FREE! Just sign up by clicking HERE. In addition, for every friend you refer, you will get $15 in Poshling credit when they make a purchase.

My Thoughts

Every time I've logged into Poshling I've found some of my favorite brands and some other great finds I wish I'd known about earlier! Today I found an Appaman clothing (one of my favorites) and Heather Lehman nursingwear, all of which were discounted greatly. Later this week you can find cashmere sweaters and blankets from Amber Hagen and the adorably popular Morgan and Milo shoes. This is the type of deals website I've been dreaming about! It's selective, I have a say in what gets featured, and it's stylish.

Need another reason to give Poshling a try? Their $5 flat rate shipping! How many times have you been ripped off on shipping rates? I know I have. I make what I think is great purchase only for a $15-20 shipping charge to pop up at the end. It's ridiculous and makes me rethink my the purchase completely, but Poshling guarantees the flat rate of $5 for shipping and returns! That is very appealing for those of us on a budget!

You'll definitely want to stay tuned for future sales. With 2 stylish grads from Harvard Business School running the website, you can definitely expect great things from Poshling! I am crossing my fingers for a See Kai Run sale in the near future.

Win It

One Lucky Children Teaching Mama reader will win a $25 Credit to Poshling.com

How To Enter

Leave A Comment Below About Your Favorite Children's Clothing Brand!

**Remember to include your email address if it is NOT visible in your profile so I will know how to contact you! The initial entry is mandatory! Be sure to answer that question before earning extra entries listed below! Each bullet is worth one extra entry unless specified. Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry you earn and include your email address is at least one entry.

Additional Entries

• Become a Poshling Member (it's free and only takes a minute!)(3 Entries)
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Plenty of opportunities to increase your chance of winning! This Giveaway is open to US Residents and Ends June 6th at 11:59pm EST. Winner will be drawn by random.org. An announcement will be made on the blog and the winner will also be contacted by email. The winner has 48 hours to respond to my email or another winner will be chosen.

Announcing The Summer Block Party Line-Up

The moment you've all been waiting for is almost here! Beginning May 24th, 2 days from now, the Summer Block Party will officially begin! What is the block party? Well, there are 15 of us participating from May 24 to June 21st with 1 giveaway posted each day! Wow! That's over 400 giveaways in a month's time.  

This will be your chance to win some great summer fun items for you and the kids to make this the best summer ever!

Here is a list of the participating blogs:

Your Host

Include

Tatum & Christal

@

Tatum's Family Reviews

Cassie

@

Almost Crazy Coupon Lady

Randi

@

SAHM'S Crazy Life

Lisa

@

ohboy, ohboy, ohboy

Susan

@

Susan Heim On Parenting

Chacoy

@

Living In La La Land

Pam

@

The Thrifty Things

Robyn

@

Adventures In Abbyland

Tatum

@

Tatum's Family Reviews

Ashley

@

Veater Family

Sumana

@

Mon Cheri

Sophie

@

Unus Sed Leona

Michelle

@

Things Sent My Way

 

Maura

@

Happy Deal - Happy Day

After this is posted, I will be posting my first list of sponsors along with the date the giveaway will go live. Each of my giveaway will be live for 2 weeks, so you'll have plenty of time to get around and register for all the giveaways. (The other blogs may do theirs differently.)

Are you ready to join the Summer Block Party? 

Be sure to tell  your friends about it so they can join, too! Click below to Retweet and invite them!

Tweet

Baby Freebies & Fun Sign-Ups

I was just looking around online for baby freebies and fun items to receive when you are expecting. I remember signing up for a ton of things back when I was pregnant and got 3 magazines, freebies, coupons and much more. There are some great websites out there to help you get ready and to get you some good baby freebies! Here are some of my favorites:

Publix Baby Club- This is definitely one of my favorites. If you have a Publix near you, definitely sign up. They send you a great parenting reference book that is worth $20 and has some great information (we referenced it many times when Josiah was a baby)! Plus, you will receive monthly coupons and a baby newsletter, too. You may have to live near a Publix to participate... not sure, but even if you don't shop there, it's worth a try.

BabyToBee.com- Once you sign up, you have many offers to choose between for freebies and other baby sign ups. This is a great place to start because you can sign up for several sites (Gerber, Enfamil, etc.) from here AND I also received a year's subscription to one of the baby magazines. There's a lot of stuff to weed through on here, but it's worth it to get to the good stuff. :)

Pampers Rewards- You've seen me post reward codes on here, so even if you don't use disposable diapers or have kids in diapers, you can still add up points to redeem for awesome prizes. I don't buy many disposables, but have earned enough to get $20 in gift certificates and 500 free prints from Snapfish over the past few years.

Gerber Life- No purchase is necessary and you get your free kit! Just click on the pic above or on the link.  I just signed up and am waiting for confirmation. If this doesn't pay out like it should, I'll remove it.

Planning Family- A great place to get free baby samples, baby magazines, coupons, etc. This is another one that will have lots of info and freebies, but takes a while to weed through.

Which websites to you recommend for parents of small children and parents-to-be. I'm sure there are more, but my mind is failing me right now. I used to go to Yahoo!Answers a lot when I was pregnant and had my first child. It's a fun place to ask/answer questions, but you can only take the answers with a grain of salt. LOL!

A New Muppet Movie This Year! Yay!

I just received an email from Disney letting me know there will be a new Muppet movie this fall! I'm so excited because I grew up with the Muppet Show and all the classic movies. Yay! This made my night. Hopefully this will still entertain kids with all the action-packed movies these days.

Here's the synapsis of the movie:

On vacation in Los Angeles, Walter, the world's biggest Muppet fan, and his friends Gary (Jason Segel) and Mary (Amy Adams) from Smalltown, USA, discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to raze the Muppet Theater and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets' former stomping grounds. To stage The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever and raise the $10 million needed to save the theater, Walter, Mary and Gary help Kermit reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways: Fozzie now performs with a Reno casino tribute band called the Moopets, Miss Piggy is a plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, Animal is in a Santa Barbara clinic for anger management, and Gonzo is a high-powered plumbing magnate. With secret, signature, celebrity cameos,

“The Muppets” hits the big screen Nov. 23, 2011.  

Breastfeeding In Public Park Banned - Your Thoughts?

I just read about this and HAD to write. Forest Park, GA previously passed a public indecency ordinance to prevent public nudity, which used to only cover Adult Entertainment Business. Now, however, the law PROHIBITS public breastfeeding for children over two years old. Since when is breastfeeding public indecency?

If you are as offended as I am, head over HERE and sign the petition. Apparently there has been quite a public outcry about this new bill (and rightly so), so only time will tell what happens. I will keep you updated.

What are your thoughts on breastfeeding in public? For our babies over 2 years of age? I, personally, say if you are offended simply don't look!

Carrabba's Pasta Personality Quiz & Delicious Dishes

I just took the Carrabba's Pasta Personality Quiz on Facebook and the results said my personality is "Spaghetti". Sometimes I feel like my brain is full of spaghetti, that's for sure!! Spaghetti is a classic and something I know the kids will enjoy every time I make it, especially with meatballs. I'm not sure I have a "warm and comforting personality", but we sure are a spaghetti eating family! What's your Carrabba's Pasta Personality? Take the quiz and comment below to tell me what the quiz results were. I'd love to hear about all of the answers.

 Do you like Italian food? We sure do and we eat it at least once a week. With the current economy, we, of course, can't afford to go out to eat every single time, but it's been fun for us to come up with some new and exciting recipes. We each have our favorites, but there is one simple dish that always satisfies dinner guests and kids alike. It's my Veggie & Shrimp With A Garlic White Wine Sauce Over Linguini. I used to work at an Italian restaurant in college and, since then, I've loved to experiment with different recipes. I've been making this one for years and my husband always suggests I make it for dinner parties. It never fails. Plus, it's very easy to make! Here's my recipe:

Veggies & Shrimp With A Garlic White Wine Sauce Over Linguini

-1.5-2lbs shrimp
-3-4 garlic cloves (crushed)

-2 TBSP EVOO
-1 onion
-1/2 cup white wine
-Butter (I like using a lot because this makes the sauce delicious and creamy!Try about 5oz or so depending on how much sauce you like)
-cooked linguini
-baby spinach leaves (1-2 handfuls)
-diced tomatoes
-mushrooms (optional, though they taste great in the sauce)
-Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper
-Lemon Juice (optional- I just think it goes well with the recipe)

Directions

-Heat olive oil in a pan (saute pan or a wok works really well) and add onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Saute until the onions start turning golden.
-Add shrimp and cook 1-2 minutes until done (don't cook too long or they'll turn rubbery)
-Add butter, white wine and a squeeze of lemon juice
-Add baby spinach leaves and tomatoes (1-2 minutes)
-Add Salt & Pepper to taste

Once the linguini is cooked, throw it into the pan with all the other ingredients to saute everything together and saturate it in the sauce! Then you are ready to serve! It looks especially nice with a few sliced roma tomatoes and a basil leaf on top.
----

You should give this a try. I'm actually making it tonight and have all of my ingredients ready. No mushrooms for my boys, though, so that can be left out. This recipe works well with chicken, too!


What is your favorite Italian food recipe? What do you most often cook for your family? It's amazing how a great Italian dinner can really make everyone feel at home. That's why I love serving Italian food at my dinner parties. Paired with a nice wine, everyone could sit around the table and talk for hours, enjoying great food and conversation. Just writing this makes me want to throw a dinner party again very soon!

Want to get out of the house and enjoy some delicious Italian food with your family? Carrabba's has some great dishes starting at only $10! Everything is fresh to order, too, so you really can't beat that! Here are some of their new limited time pastas, dishes, and a wine:


Featured Signature Pasta Meal:
Pasto Rambo – Named for the chef who created it, it’s made with shrimp tossed with imported Italian linguine, spinach, mushrooms, and tomatoes sautéed in our basil lemon butter sauce. Lobster is available instead of shrimp for an additional cost.

Other Limited Time Offers:
Parmesan-crusted Chicken – Topped with fresh arugula and grape tomatoes tossed in a hand-prepared lemon vinaigrette, served with choice of side. Substitution of wood-grilled chicken also available. Pairs well with Estancia Pinot Grigio.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin – Three pork tenderloin medallions wrapped with prosciutto, wood-grilled and topped with an apple and fig infused port wine sauce, served with the vegetable of the day. Pairs well with Coppola Pinot Noir.

Limoncello Bread Pudding – Back by popular demand! Brioche bread pudding made with fresh Madagascar vanilla beans and a rich custard, served hot out of the oven. Topped with Blue Bell vanilla ice cream and drizzled with Carrabba’s homemade Caravella Limoncello liqueur sauce.

Now Introducing:
Peach Sangria – Carrabba’s new light and fruity Peach Sangria blends Copper Ridge White Zinfandel, Absolut Apeach vodka and Patrón Citrónge with a splash of citrus. Topped with a fresh lemon wedge and strawberry, it’s a taste of the Amalfi Coast in spring.


Ready to visit Carrabba's? I know I am. Find a location nearest you at www.carrabbas.com! There are more than 230 locations nationwide.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Carrabba’s blogging program, for a gift card worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Wacky Wednesday Blog Hop

Okay, so I have not really been together lately and have skipped many fun blog hops. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things and will be posting more fun topics and reviews/giveaways starting next week during my Summer Block Party. I'm writing about that next.

Anyways, here's the Wacky Wednesday Blog Hop, one of my favorites!

Hosted by:

Rockin' Deals

Healthy Kids Smart Moms

The Freebie Junkie

Click HERE to read the rules and participate, too!

Have a great day!

Wordless Wednesday -Our Little Kitties

This weekend I wrote about our little kittens and some have asked for pictures, so I got my husband to snap a few shots tonight. Here are the two gray kittens (there are two black ones, too):

Anyone want a kitten? I think we are all getting way too attached to the little cuties. Can you really blame us? :) We are keeping the one with the white above it's nose and have named it after our kitty who ran away last year, Grey Pussen.

Black & Decker Ultimate Sandwich Contest- Cinnamon Toast Breakfast Sandwich Delight

I received a Black and Decker Convection Toaster Oven recently to participate in the Black and Decker Ultimate Sandwich Recipe Contest! We love using this toaster to make just about anything and became very creative with some recipes to make a perfect sandwich! This recipe is something my entire family enjoyed making and, of course, eating!

Cinnamon Toast Breakfast Sandwich Delight

Ingredients

• 2 pieces of bread 
• margarine
• ground cinnamon
• granulated sugar
• 4 slices bacon
• 1 egg

Directions

Part 1: Cinnamon Toast

1. Preheat Toaster Oven to Broil
2. Spread margarine generously across Tops of Bread
3. Sprinkle Ground Cinnamon Across the top of each bread slice
4. Sprinkle 1-2TBSP Sugar (it makes a yummy crunchy layer) On Top of Cinnamon
5. Place in Toaster Oven and Broil For 5 Minutes (watch toast to make sure it is evenly cooking. Sometimes you must rotate slices)
6. Place On Plate to Cool

Part 2: Bacon

1. Preheat Oven at 400-425F for ~15-20 minute
2. Spread bacon out over grill. Place Tray underneath bacon as a place for fat to drip!
3. Check Bacon at 15 minutes to see if fat is turning white and crispy. If not, up the temp to 450 F for another 5-7 minutes
4. Carefully Remove Bacon and place on a paper towel to remove excess fat

 Part 3: Baked Egg

1. Preheat Oven to 350F
2. Use the bacon grease to coat the toaster oven tray (the same you used as the drip tray, but just enough to coat it)
3. Crack Egg onto tray
4. Bake for about 5 minutes (check through window to make sure because time varies by egg size)

Part 4: Sandwich Assembly

1. Place Egg on 1 Slice of Cinnamon Toast
2. Place Bacon Slices On Top of Egg (3-4 slices depending on size of toast)
3. Put Other Slice of Cinnamon Toast on Top
4. Enjoy! 

This was a hit with the kids! If you give it a try, let me know! It takes about 30 minutes to prepare, but is definitely worth it. The cinnamon toast is something I eat all the time just by itself and have since I was a kid. What's your favorite Toast Oven Treat?
 

Disclosure: This post was written for Family Review Network & Black & Decker who provided the complimentary product for participation in this contest!

Yes, I'm A Proud Mama! Liam's 1st Neurosurgeon Appointment A Success

Yesterday we went to Liam's very first neurosurgeon appointment with Dr. Boydston, a pediatric neurosurgeon who specializes in NF (a disorder Liam has been diagnosed with). I was so very nervous, from the time we left our home until the end of the appointment, but Liam was quite the opposite. He was so energetic, happy and excited to be on an adventure with Mama! All the way to the appointment (an hour drive) he sung to me, clapped, pointed out cars, trees, birds and anything else he could spot, and was having a blast and being silly.

Once we arrived at the dr.'s office, we were in for a wait, as usual. Sitting in the waiting room for about 1.5 hours, Liam never seemed to notice or care. He waved at all the people coming to and from their appointments, said "Hi" and "Bye", sung, pointed at the "choo-choo" on tv, and had to play with all the toys. The nurses said he had been entertaining them the entire time he was there and I noticed so many people's faces light up as he waved and spoke to them.

Finally, we were taken to our room to wait for Dr. Boydston. Liam's usual response to doctors has not been very positive since they are always probing him and making him lie down on the table with the crunchy paper that he can't stand, but he loved Dr. Boydston. He talked to him, pointed at his eyes, nose, ears, hair, teeth, etc. The doctor remarked at how smart and happy Liam was and I had to agree!

Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes!

So, why did I write about this visit? Because it's the perfect way to describe why I'm so very proud of my brave little boy. No matter what he has already been through with testing and visiting doctor after doctor, he remains a happy and lively little boy. From the moment we left our home he did his best to make me laugh, to keep me optimistic, and to remember how lucky I am to have such a wonderful little man. His love of life and his happiness is absolutely contagious, as all the nurses and even the doctor mentioned. It's true! No matter how bad my day is or what we have gone through, one hug or smile from Liam and I'm revived and ready to take on the world.

This post is an entry for the Proud Mom contest sponsored by UPrinting event ticket printing services!