Here’s a little secret – I would love {love} to write greeting cards.  No, I certainly didn’t sit around in elementary school answering “Work for Hallmark” every time I filled out one of those What Do You Want to Be activities, but the writer in me has always geeked out while looking at greeting cards.  When I was given the opportunity to ask a Hallmark card writer a few questions, I jumped at the chance.  Here was her response (grab a tissue before you click play…)

While this post is in celebration of Valentine’s Day and the card shared in this short clip is a valentine, I also want you to know about Hallmark’s new Tell Them program.  This is something close to my heart right now because as a busy work at home mom, I know there have been days weeks months really long periods of time when I have gone without telling the people I love just how much I love them, without telling my amazing kids just how amazing they are, without telling my incredible parents how  much I value their incredible support, without telling my husband that I would choose him again and again and again.

With the Tell Them campaign, Hallmark is reminding us to Tell Them we miss them.  Tell Them we need them.  Tell Them they’re still the one.  Tell Them they’re your superhero.  And for no reason at all, Tell Them you love them. It is something we all need to hear.

How can you participate in Hallmark’s Tell Them program?

1. Vow to Tell Them on Facebook: Hallmark launched a new Tell Them Facebook page and application January 30th, and now you can visit the Tell Them page on Facebook and “vow to tell” someone in your life what you think he/she needs to hear.
2. Share your Tell Them story on Facebook: Every “vow to tell” has a story behind it.  Who are you vowing to tell?  What do you want to tell them?  Visit the Hallmark Tell Them Facebook page, share your story on the wall and be inspired by the stories other fans have shared!
3. Tell Them with a greeting card: Tell Them is all about taking the time to make those people close to you feel special.  Feel like you remember. Feel like they matter. And for everything they need to hear, there’s a card to help you say it.

Yesterday I left a card in the bed for my husband to find, a little reminder of how much I love him and why.  I even made the bed, which I guess told him that I do remember how to do that.  Bonus!

And now it’s your turn!  One Resourceful Mommy reader will receive a greeting card prize pack so they can tell the people in their lives just what they mean to them!  To enter take any of the following steps and leave a comment for each one.

• Take the “Vow to Tell” on Facebook
• Share your “Vow to Tell” story on the Tell Them Facebook Wall or in a comment here!
• “Like” Hallmark on Facebook
• Follow @HallmarkPR on Twitter

Product was provided for giveaway and for me to tell the people in my life how much I love them.  No other compensation was provided. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, February 10th.

Giveaway Link-Up

If you are currently hosting a giveaway on your blog and would like to invite other Resourceful Mommy readers to enter, please list the link below. Thanks!

 

With resolutions for healthier living only a month behind us and Valentine’s Day just around the corner, February is a great month to focus on the heart.  Did you know that Boar’s Head offers dozens of deli meats certified by the American Heart Association?  They know how difficult it can be to make smart food choices, so the heart-healthy choices from Boar’s Head are just what the doctor ordered!  Join us for the Boar’s Head Eat Smart Twitter Party with special guest, Jill Weisenberger.

Boar’s Head Eat Smart Twitter Party

When: Tuesday, February 7^th from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. ET

Where: #BHEatSmart tag on Twitter

How: To participate follow host @ResourcefulMom, sponsor @Boars_Head, and special guest @nutritionjill and use the tag during the party hour.  New to Twitter Parties? Learn more about How to Participate in a Twitter Party.

Prizes

15 (fifteen) participants will each receive a $25 American Express gift card to use to purchase Boar’s Head heart healthy choices!

1 (one) Grand Prize winner will receive a $100 American Express gift card to purchase enough Boar’s Head for their very own heart healthy get-together!

RSVP

Planning on joining us?  Let us know here by adding your Twitter URL (http://twitter.com/username).  An RSVP is not required to participate or to be entered to win.

It’s time for another fun twitter party with @MomTalkRadio and the folks at MomSelect!

These days, technology is making our lives easier than ever before. We have mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, iPads, and laptops that we rely on in our everyday lives. These devices are great for on-the-go information, but are you able to print from you mobile device? Our friends at HP have created a wireless printer with the capability to ePrint from virtually anywhere, anytime.

Join us for a fun-filled twitter party to learn more about this new must-have technology. There has never been a more convenient way to print, until now.

HP ePrint at Walmart Twitter Party

Date: Wednesday, February 8th

Time: 8 p.m. – 9 p.m. EST

Location: #HPePrint

Host: @MomTalkRadio (Maria Bailey, Founder of MomSelect)

Go to www.walmart.com/hpeprint and check out the HP Deskjet 3052A Wireless e-All-In-One Printer w/ ePrint to learn more about the printer we will be featuring. The HP printer with ePrint allows you to print from your tablet, smartphone, laptop or any other mobile device whether you’re in another room or in another state! HP is revolutionizing the way we print. The best part is that you can enjoy the convenience of wireless printing without sacrificing quality.

Of course, no party would be complete without some great giveaways! Join us for a chance to win one of these must-have ePrinters! Once you’ve ePrinted, you won’t know how you ever lived without it!

You can even enter to win a pre-party prize by:

• Clicking HERE to RSVP
• Tweeting out the details of the party between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. EST on the day of the party

Be sure to follow #HPePrint, @ResourcefulMom and @MomTalkRadio throughout the party for updates, prize information and contest details.

Wordless Wednesday

Want more Wordless Wednesday?  Check out:  The Bonafide Life, Better in Bulk, Shanamama, From Dates to Diapers, Not Your Momblog, The Divine Miss Mommy, Colorado Moms, Rajean Blomquist, Brain Foggles, Lil Kid Things, The Centsible Life, Rachel Ferruci, and Zensible Mama. Don’t forget to link your own photos below!

 

I rarely write reviews anymore on Resourceful Mommy because they can be very time consuming when done correctly.  However, when Lisa at Oliver’s Labels reached out to me about their new product, Room-eez, I was so struck by her excitement for the new product that I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to check it out.

Room-eez are peel and stick wall decals that claim to be easy to apply, easy to remove and easy to reapply.  I planned on finding out if that was true!

Some readers may remember when we were moving a little over a year ago and could not find the discontinued wall border in my son’s bedroom.  It was critically important to me to make my at the time four year old son’s bedroom in the new house look and feel as much like the old house as possible.  We ended up removing the old border and taking it with us, which made the transition much easier for him. Now a year and a half later, it is time to add some bigger boy touches to the space.  The wall next to my son’s door was completely bare except for the border from the old house, so we chose that space to try the Room-eez name decals with a set of decorative decals.

The instructions that came with the labels were very clear, and I especially liked the warning sticker reminding me to save the backing paper.  I handed my kids a book to read while I applied the labels, but I actually was finished applying the labels before my kids could even settle on which section of the book to read to “pass the time.”  I wish I had timed myself, but I am certain that the project was completed in less than 5 minutes.

In terms of durability, I was very impressed with the quality of all of the decals.  We have purchased many other wall decals in the past both for our kids’ rooms and my office, and they were much thinner and more prone to tearing than the Room-eez.  Room-eez have a sturdier vinyl feel rather than the thin plastic feel of other wall decals.

The real test was whether or not the labels were easy to remove and reapply.  I was unhappy with my initial placement of the hockey puck, so I removed it from the wall and reapplied it to a new position.  It was incredibly easy to do this and the decal seems to stick just as well as it did initially.

The only thing on my Room-eez wish list would be more choices of decorative decals to accompany the name decals.  The font options for the lettering were fantastic, so a more robust selection of decorative choices would make Room-eez the ideal product.

Ready to try Room-eez in your home?  Oliver’s Labels is offering Resourceful Mommy readers an exclusive discount code.  Use the code OLRM2012 for 25% off all Room-eez products!  This code is valid from now until Tuesday, February 14th.

Giveaway!

One lucky Resourceful Mommy reader will win one set of Room-eez (name or letter with a set of decorative decals).  To enter to win please comment below telling me which room in the house you would like to decorate with Room-eez.

Bonus Entry

Tweet about this giveaway using the tag #Roomeez and the tag @oliverslabels then comment below (no more than 5 entries per day, please).

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and ends Tuesday, February 14th at 11:59 p.m. ET

Don’t forget that you can also connect with Oliver’s Labels on Facebook!

Product was provided for both review and giveaway. No additional compensation was provided. All opinions are my own.

I’m excited to announce the first Twitter Party in a three part series for the opening of Universal Pictures’ new movie, The Lorax!

Coming to theaters March 2nd, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax is an adaptation of the classic tale of a forest creature who shares the enduring power of hope.  The animated adventure follows the journey of a 12-year-old as he searches for the one thing that will enable him to win the affection the girl of his dreams.  To find it he must discover the story of the Lorax, the grumpy yet charming creature who fights to protect his world. (Rated PG)

View the trailer here:

The Lorax Twitter Party

When: Wednesday, February 1st from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. ET

Where: #TheLoraxMovie on Twitter

How: To participate, use the party tag during the party hour and follow sponsor @TheLorax and host @ResourcefulMom.  Learn more about how to participate in a Twitter Party.

Want to connect with The Lorax now? Learn more at the official website of The Lorax, on YouTube , and don’t forget to like The Lorax on Facebook!

Prizing

Ten (10) winners will each receive a second place The Lorax prize pack, which includes: 

• $25 Fandango Gift Card
• The Lorax t-shirt

Five (5) winners will each receive a first place The Lorax prize pack, which includes:

• $50 Fandango Gift Card
• The Lorax t-shirt

Ten (10) winners will each receive an IHOP prize pack from IHOP, a partner with The Lorax where you can find menu items featuring the movie!  Each prize pack includes:

• $25 IHOP Gift Card
• The Lorax t-shirt

RSVP

Planning on joining us?  Let us know here by adding your Twitter URL (http://twitter.com/username).  An RSVP is not required to participate or to be entered to win.

When my husband and I began dating, he had just moved into his first apartment and was living on his own for the first time in his life.  His diet consisted of three things: microwave pizzas, frozen chicken nuggets with fries, and chips with queso.  My first experience living completely on my own involved almost daily trips to a salad truck in my west Philly neighborhood near my school.  I loved the fresh vegetables and the cheap meal and suddenly I was thinner and healthier than I’d ever been in my life.  Somehow when we moved in together two years later, the salads stayed behind and the frozen food joined us in the new place.  We got married, I gained weight, we both became less healthy.  I’ve been struggling ever since to convince my husband to eat green foods and yes, food that has never been frozen or processed in any way.

Fast forward to 2004 and the birth of our first child.  Like most parents, we introduced veggies before fruit knowing full well that no baby in her right mind would eat pureed spinach if she had the option to eat mushy bananas.  Mmmm, mushy bananas.  We were met with some dissent during our first attempt at veggie eating…

Two and a half years later our son joined our family and he, too, was not a fan of the veggies, especially the green ones.  We started with squash for him, too….apparently on a Saturday.

Unfortunately, he was also anemic, and so pushing those leafy greens that are rich in iron became a priority.

Behold, the power of Hidden Valley Ranch.

The way that we have always convinced our kids to eat veggies is to provide them with Hidden Valley Ranch for dipping.  My daughter has begun to join me in my love for veggies, but always needs her Ranch by her side.  My son still isn’t a big fan, but he hangs in there, dipping away.

And my husband?  He needs some Ranch for dipping, too.

So why do some people – like me – crave a plate of raw broccoli in the middle of the day while other people avoid it like the plague?  A study released last November suggests that dip can sooth bitter-sensitive taste buds in children.  It turns out that some people are just genetically more sensitive to bitter, and the dip acts as a way to block that sensitivity.  In fact, the study found that 70% of children tested were bitter-sensitive (meaning bitter foods, such as broccoli and cucumber, have a very unpleasant taste to them), but consumed 80% more vegetables when offered a dip (in the study’s case – Hidden Valley Original Ranch) than kids who weren’t given a dip.

As a member of the Hidden Valley Love Your Veggies Parenting Panel, I was provided with testing strips to test which members of my family were sensitive to bitter.  I went first, touching the strip to my tongue and then nearly eating the thing in case I had done it wrong.  All I tasted was paper.  No other sensation.  My daughter went next, and while she wrinkled up her nose, she certainly was not as upset as that day we gave her squash for the first time.  She said yuck and we moved on.  So one kid had a sensitivity to bitter, but not a strong one.  Now came my son.  He also made his ick face and asked for a glass of milk but conceded it wasn’t awful, just bad.

I began to wonder if maybe the strips didn’t work.  Had something happened to them while being shipped here?  Or maybe the line between bitter sensitive and not bitter sensitive was somewhat blurry.

Then my husband came home and I handed him a strip.  We giggled as he put it in his mouth, but the giggles stopped when the poor man ran to the sink and began spitting, begging for a glass of water.  So that is the reason he only ate frozen pizzas in grad school.

This mom – and wife – is thankful to have Hidden Valley Ranch to help her family love their veggies.

How about your family?  Veggie eaters?  Bitter food haters?  Ranch dippers?

This post was written in conjunction with my position on the Hidden Valley Love Your Veggies Parent Panel.  As a panelist, I am compensated for my time as well as my posts and have received product to test.  All opinions and bitter sensitive family members are my own.  

It’s the Year of the Dragon and P.F. Chang’s is inviting everyone to celebrate this Chinese New Year by visiting P.F. Chang’s China Bistro or enjoying P.F. Chang’s Home Menu items.  We’re celebrating with P.F. Chang’s by hosting a Red Envelope Giveaway.

The color red symbolizes good luck, and Red Envelopes, filled with gifts, are presented to family and friends during the Chinese New Year.  Thanks to P.F. Chang’s, fifteen Resourceful Mommy readers will each receive a Red Envelope giveaway prize.  That is one for each day of the Chinese New Year, which runs from January 23rd through February 6th.  The prizes are as follows:

1 Grand Prize Red Envelope includes a night out at the Bistro with their Dragon and a night in enjoying Home Menu with their favorite Dragon

14 Red Envelope First Prizes include Home Menu coupons, Bistro gift cards, co-branded t-shirts

To Enter to Win:

In honor of the Year of the Dragon, nominate a dragon in your life (based on Dragon traits such as confident, bold, honest, generous etc.) to be entered to win one of the fifteen Red Envelope prizes.

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents age 18 years or older and ends February 6th at 11:59 p.m. ET.  P.F. Chang’s Bistro and P.F. Chang’s Home Menu provided me with gift cards and free product and all opinions are my own.

Learn more about P.F. Chang’s delicious Home Menu offerings including Pepper Steak with Chow Fun Noodles, Grilled Chicken Teriyaki with Lo Mein Noodles, Garlic Chicken with Dan Dan Noodles, and Firecracker Shrimp with Yakisoba Noodles by visiting P.F. Chang’s on Twitter at @PFChangs and on Facebook at Facebook.com/pfchangs.

Good luck and happy Chinese New Year!

Giveaway Link-Up

If you are currently hosting a giveaway on your blog and would like to invite other Resourceful Mommy readers to enter, please list the link below. Thanks!

 

Prize Update:  The following prizes have been generously donated for tonight’s chat.

- FIVE (5) winners will each receive a $50 Visa Gift Card.

- ONE (1) winner will receive a $50 AmEx Gift Card.

- ONE (1) winner will receive a full pass to the Bloggy Moms Conference.

- ONE (1) winner will receive a Full Conference Pass to the Type-A Parent Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina plus the book Mom Blog SEO

- THREE (3) winners will each receive My Trainer Fitness for At Work

- ONE (1) winner will receive a 30 minute phone consultation with Rebecca Scritchfield, RD

More to come!

Two months ago I wrote about the damage that was done to me as a child when people called me fat – to tease, to “encourage,” to hurt and shame.  This week I read, shocked, about a new billboard campaign meant to help end childhood obesity, but using shameful words and pictures of and about innocent children to do so.  I have teamed up with Mamavation and other communities around the blogosphere to ask that this campaign be pulled and to help raise awareness about the life long damage caused by these sorts of shame campaigns.

I hope to see many of you Friday night at 9:00 p.m. ET for the #Ashamed Twitter Chat with @Bookieboo. The invitation follows…

Mom blogging and health-based  communities all over the internet are uniting thisFriday, January 27th from 9-10pm EST to petition the @Strong_4_Life Campaign and the State of Georgia to cease this campaign before it does any more damage to children. The Strong4Life Campaign has purchased billboard ads all over the State of Georgia in hopes to promote a “wake-up call” to Georgian parents about how many children are obese. Unfortunately, they decided to create ads that are so controversial, they are down right offensive and hurtful to children. We think they have gone too far. As a concerned group of moms we recognize that Georgia has a large scale problem with obesity. No one is refuting that. We are refuting however tactics that would inadvertently harm children in the process.

Overweight children in Georgia have been made to feel #Ashamed with these billboards. And furthermore, children of a normal weight are being exposed to very negative representations of overweight children. These negative representations of overweight children are only succeeding in ostracizing them even more, and leaving them open to more attacks. The children these billboards are hoping to help, they are actually harming. Overweight children will be made to feel even more #Ashamed. As mothers and concerned citizens, we are speaking out about this. This is just wrong.

We believe it’s wrong to fight obesity by fighting obese people…especially children. Children are defenseless and cannot fight back on their own. Obese people are not the problem, obesity IS. Campaigns that have a focus on hope, support, and education are far more beneficial to children. Most overweight children already suffer from self esteem issues, which are going to be considerably exasperated by these ads.

Event: Friday, January 27th from 9-10pm EST

Hashtag: #Ashamed

Purpose: To protest the Strong4Life Ads in the State of Georgia and chat about obesity and ways to solve problem

Here are some of the main mom blogging communities that have come out against these ads and will be at the chat:

1. Mamavation with Leah Segedie @Bookieboo

2. Resourceful Mommy Media with Amy Lupold Bair @Resourcefulmom

3. Type A Mom with Kelby Carr @Typeamom

4. 5 Minutes for Mom Community with Janice Croze @5minutesformom

5. Anissa Mayhew with Slightly Bent Productions @AnissaMayhew

6. Christine Young with Dates for Diapers @youngmommy

7. Cecily Kellogg with UpperCase Woman @Cecilyk

8. DietsnReview @Dietsinreview

9. Sue O Lear as @Mrsfatass

10. Amy Bellgardt with Mom Spark Media @Momspark

11. Stacie Haight Connerty with Divine Miss Mommy @Stacieinatlanta

12. Lisa Morris Frame with A Daily Pinch @Daily_Pinch

13. Social Media Moms with Kadi Prescott @kadiprescott

14. Bloggy Moms with Tiffany Noth @bloggymoms

15. InspiredRD with Alysa Bajenaru, RD @InspiredRD

16. DrMommyOnline with Dr. Daisy Sutherland @DrMommy

17. SugarjonesTV with Sugar Jones @SugarJones

18. Queen of Spain with Erin Kotecki Vest @QueenofSpain

19. Fitfluential with Kelly Olexa @KellyOlexa

(More to come…)
We will be doing giveaways during the night and updating this post with what they are…

Join us by tweeting this message:

Friday nite moms R joining together in opposition 2 @Strong_4_Life & their irresponsible ads towards kids, http://bit.ly/zA5FCk #Ashamed

If you would like to join us in opposing these ads and asking the Strong 4 Life Campaign to cease harming children with them, sign the linky at http://www.mamavation.com/2012/01/ashamed-twitter-party-and-petition-for-children-in-georgia.html.

My daughter is turning eight in one month.  Eight.  We have now entered the age of Taylor Swift albums, sleepovers, giggles and whispers in best friend’s ears, eye rolls at boy…eye rolls at everything.

I love that she can tie her brother’s shoes and usually helps him without being asked.  I love that she feeds the cat without a word from her dad or me, that she gets lost in chapter books for hours just like her mom, and that she enjoys practicing piano so much that we don’t even remind her to play.

I love that she’s old enough for inside jokes with grownups and those knowing glances when her little brother does something wacky.

But there are so many things I miss.

I miss the little hand that used to fit completely inside mine and stay there.  I miss the little face that looked up at me pleading to hear The Tooth Book just one more time.  No, I do not miss The Tooth Book.

I do miss Sandra Boynton: the hippos going berserk, the purple socks, the chickens dancing.

I miss wombats that like to curl up in a ball.

I miss Max and Ruby and Laurie Berkner.

I miss Miffy.  Oh, Miffy.

I miss Sesame Street and all the friends in the neighborhood.

I miss words that stand for words but aren’t really words, motions that signal wants and the dopey smiles that go with them.

I miss milky mouths and milk drunk naps in my arms.

I love my big girl. I miss my baby.

If you want to close your eyes 
And sleep beneath the tree 
You can rest your head on me. 

Under a shady tree, you and me 
Under a shady tree, you and me…

 ~Laurie Berkner