Disclosure: this post contains sponsored content. CONFESSION: I have a phone with a dreadful battery life.  A couple years ago I had a dinosaur of the smart phone world, and while I took a healthy dose of teasing for my beast, the battery would last for days.  (Days, I tell you!!)  Since making the switch…

This post contains sponsored content. I have enjoyed celebrating Mother’s Day for the last 9 years, the extra cuddles from the kids, the flower on the way out of the sanctuary at church,the breakfast in bed.  What I love most about this day is that it is usually stress free.  My biggest effort is to…

You’ve all seen the commercial for the Microsoft Surface and if you’re like me, you’ve probably seen it too many times. But just in case, here it is one more time: When I first saw it on TV I immediately thought, “One more thing I’m going to be convinced I need.  Just one more thing…”…

Hi, my name is Amy and I’m addicted to office supplies. I love the white glow of a new, clean planner, the feel of a red rubber eraser, and binder clips…oh, how you make my heart race. Last year I introduced you to the Martha Stewart Home Office line of products from Avery available exclusively…

I have a confession to make. I have never bought a car. Growing up in rural Pennsylvania means that you are provided with something to drive when you turn sixteen because your parents are sick of playing chauffeur from one far flung friend to the other.  When your dad is a motor-head like mine, it…

My eight year old daughter has fallen in love with American Girl almost exclusively through their line of books including the historical fiction, advice, and activity lines.  As a mother-daughter pair we are reading The Care and Keeping of You, and right now my daughter is planning a sleepover with the American Girl title, Slumber Wonders.  Her…

This weekend I will be sitting in front of the fireplace, White Christmas on the television, and wrapping gifts for friends and family.  This is one of my favorite times of the season, even more fun than actually buying the gifts.  I love to carefully wrap each gift in beautiful paper and carefully write names on…

One weekend I was headed to a blogging conference when I found myself at the airport without my Nook. I wandered into the book store (yes, with real paper books!) and a book titled Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen caught my eye. I grew up in Pennsylvania Dutch Country and anticipated…

To explain how much the members of my family love Disney’s Phineas and Ferb, you have to listen to my cell phone. The text notification tone is a Perry the Platypus sound, and the ringtone is the Doofenshmirtz Evil, Inc. jingle. Our house is filled with everything from Agent P flip-flops to Phineas and Ferb…

I have been an HP fan for a few years ever since I fell in love with the HP Vivienne Tam Mini.  I never bought the computer, but I did get the matching scarf! Because even in my early days of blogging I realized that HP has a way to meet all of my technology…

Do you have one of those friends, or maybe it’s your mom, who will tell you what seems at first to be just an interesting story? She engages you, draws you in, makes you laugh. Then, at the end of her story, there is suddenly a lesson to be learned that you never saw coming,…

(alternative title: Disney Pixar’s Brave – review) I’m a planner.  Maybe I’m a control freak, but for now let’s stick with planner. I’ve known my entire life that someday I would be a mom, and I knew exactly what kind of mom I would be: laid back, fun, free spirited, whimsical, hysterical.  Yes, I fantasized that…

Before I say another word, you need to know something about me.  I was that kid who lived for attending over-the-top Broadway musicals, purchasing the expensive show book with the glossy photos, wearing the show t-shirt to school the Monday after… My plan by the time I reached junior high was to someday play the…

My dad and my son hanging out at the lake. My dad is one of those hands on, get outside, take on projects kind of guys, and he has taken his role of grandfather incredibly seriously carving out specific jobs and responsibilities within my home.  He’s a bit obsessed with batteries, always keeps us stocked…

To say I love music would be an understatement.  Some of my earliest – and favorite – memories from my childhood are of the times I spent with my dad in the front room of our house listening to oldies.  We listened to everything from the Beach Boys to all of the Motown greats, dancing…

I am not a big fan of gifts.  Well, I actually love to give gifts, but I have a hard time receiving them.  I never like that awkward moment of surprise when I’m taken off guard or the moment that follows when I try to decide what the gift-giver was thinking.  Gifts that are useful…

I have been waiting for months to write this review.  At first my post was delayed because the PR rep who sent me the product to test threw down the gauntlet, challenging me to perfect the “spinning on the top of a pen” trick.  I wanted ample time to master my new skills before pulling…

When I became a mother nearly eight years ago, I very much looked forward to staying home with my baby girl, spending our days together exploring the world around us.  What I couldn’t anticipate, however, was how hard it would be to have my husband an hour and a half away at work every day…

Summer camp season is here and for many parents, this means eight weeks of trying to track down lost belongings.  How many of us begin the summer months with one water bottle, towel, and tote bag only to find that by the end of the season we’re lucky to have even one of the original…

As I enjoy this holiday season with my family, I’d like to share some of my favorite posts from 2010… As parents we are bombarded with products that will help us care for our children and the stockpile of plastic things that come along with raising a kid. But there are always those little things…

In past years I wrote a series of holiday gift guide posts, but this year I decided to focus just on one category.  I hope that you’ll enjoy these gift ideas, and please add some of your own in the comments section as we all begin our last minute shopping! Toys for Boys Adventure Heroes:…