Building Creativity, Joy and Pride with LEGO® Friends {#LEGOFriendsCGC}

Although my girls have no shortage of toys and games, I will forever have a soft spot for the classic names that have been around since the days of my youth (or even before). Sure, the trends will change and new fads will come and go, but are there other toys that can boast that the world's children spend 5 billion hours a year playing with them?

Clearly, nothing compares to LEGO.

Twice having been named "Toy of the Century," the traditional LEGO bricks offer unlimited building possibilities. In fact, LEGO building has been shown to be one of the few play patterns capable of channeling creativity towards solving specific questions or problems into different unique expressions, giving form to our imagination, feelings and identities.

Construction play makes it possible to harness curiosity and playfulness simultaneously in pursuit of learning and creativity. In short, research has shown children learn about themselves, others and the world through play and LEGO is the perfect catalyst to help children grasp the importance of persistence as they develop a sense of pride for their completed model or their own creation!

But, along with new colors, sets, designs, shapes and more, LEGO has also continued to debut new innovations that can do even more. In 2012, a completely new line was added that immediately burst onto the scene and wowed girls everywhere: LEGO® Friends.

LEGO® Friends is a collection of building sets that blend the iconic LEGO construction experience with stories, settings and themes designed to meet children's desires for creativity and a highly-detailed, character-based world.

Since its launch, LEGO® Friends has dramatically increased the number of girls building with LEGO bricks and enjoying the benefits of construction play. Every time a child sits down with a pile of bricks she unlocks her creativity and finds joy in building—all while gaining a sense of pride in her creation!

So what's new with these fun, colorful bricks and characters? With a shared vision of unleashing confidence through accomplishment, LEGO® Friends has teamed up with Girls on the Run® (GOTR), a physical activity-based positive youth development program to inspire girls everywhere to achieve their limitless potential.

This partnership is a perfect way to show how girls are using LEGO® Friends bricks and elements to tell stories, embrace their differences and find strength in their connectedness!

Knowing that Big Sister E has endless creative ideas and tales going through her head daily, I couldn't have been more excited when a LEGO® Friends construction set and a container of loose LEGO bricks arrived so that I could see her originality and imagination burst through.

Even better, these items arrived on a day that Big Sister E had a friend over, so not only did I get to see the inventiveness and resourcefulness brought out by LEGO® Friends in one 7-year-old... but two!

In no time at all, the girls had opened the Heartlake Juice Bar set and went immediately to work following the illustrated, step-by-step instructions for its construction.

Far beyond just following the steps to construct this adorable, accessory-filled playset (two blenders! A juicer! Tons of fresh fruit and sandwiches!), I loved hearing the girls' wealth of ideas emerge as they reached for the LEGO® Friends and LEGO bricks time and again.

Look at this! I made a car so that they can drive to the beach with their juice!
Did you make this 3-layer sandwich? It's so cool!
Here, if we use these in a square, they'll be the garbage can. And here's a recycle can next to it!
Have you ever had pineapple in your smoothie? It's soooo good.

Once their imaginations were going and the creativity was unlocked, both girls couldn't wait to show off any and all of their unique constructions. From the more-common to the extraordinary, I loved seeing their joy as well as their pride in all of the creations!

And, even though our afternoon playdate came to an end, the interest and exploration with LEGO® Friends and LEGO bricks hasn't lessened.

Big Sister E has returned over and over to these colorful bricks and has continued to come up with new, fun ways to build with them. Whether she has a plan in mind for a complex castle or simply explores with stacking to see what might come together, she never ceases to amaze me with her ideas... and her joy in hearing me praise them.

What better way to spend a little one-on-one time than by grabbing our LEGO® Friends and openly chatting about anything and everything as we build? I love hearing my daughter's thoughts on her day at school, what she dreams of being when she grows up, what stories she made up recently and more... all the while instilling self confidence and encouraging her sense of pride and accomplishment with her completed projects.

If you have a daughter, granddaughter, niece or friend in your life between the ages of 6 and 12, be sure to not miss the experiences building with LEGO® Friends can provide. This classic toy can help enhance imagination, sharing, self confidence, fun and so much more — Big Sister E and I always end up talking and laughing until our sides hurt!

Find out much more about LEGO® Friends by visiting their website and connecting with them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Laughter and Relaxation at our Secret Clinical Strength Stress-Free Game Night!

Although there will forever be debates on being a working mom vs. a stay-at-home mom, about the importance of establishing a career before or after having children, and many more (why can't we all just get along?), one universal conclusion is that, no matter what you believe or choose, life is stressful.

Is there a woman out there that doesn't wish that she could find a way to add more hours to the day? One that doesn't struggle to cross items off of her to-do list? Or one that doesn't yearn for just a little bit more time to herself to relax and breathe?

Let's face it, managing stress can sometimes seem like a full-time job.

Whether it's caused by home, work, family, friends or perfect strangers, stress stinks… literally! Did you know that out of the three causes of sweat—heat, activity, and stress—stress sweat has been proven to smell the worse? Eew!

Fortunately, there are products out there that have us covered when stress strikes and help keep us fresh and dry hour after hour. Thank you, Secret Clinical Strength!

Moisture activated and formulated with odor neutralizing ingredients that release a fresh scent, Secret Clinical Strength is proven to give you 4X the protection against stress sweat (vs. wetness protection required of an ordinary antiperspirant).

Now available in two new forms – Clear Gel (no white marks!) and Invisible Solid (goes on dry and stays dry!) – along with the traditional Smooth Solid (which contains skin smoothing conditioners), there is a Secret Clinical Strength to help you feel dry, fresh, and fearless all day long!

The hardest decision is choosing between the Completely Clean, Powder Protection, Ooh-la-la Lavender and Sport Fresh scents to decide which is your favorite! Regardless, you can feel confident that Secret Clinical Strength will protect against all three causes of sweat and will provide stress sweat protection regardless of what the day brings.

That deserves a little celebration, doesn't it?

When it comes to relieving stress and having a relaxing evening full of fun, there's not much that I'd rather do than get together with great friends and fill a few hours with good food, good wine and plenty of laughter. Let the shopping and planning begin!

Although finding an open evening for five couples and ensuring that everyone could secure childcare proved to be a tiny bit stressful in itself, it wasn't long before we were gathered, chatting and eating and taking a night off from the weights of everyday life and parenting.

No stress sweat here, just a tasty good time!

While the first third of the party was spent catching up, filling our plates and cups and discussing the merits of Secret Clinical Strength and the way that it smells great and can keep anyone feeling fresh and dry...

...the remaining two-thirds were spent putting the Invisible Solid in the Completely Clean scent to the test while under the pressure of Cards Against Humanity.

If you haven't played this game before, its tagline "A party game for horrible people" is 100% the most accurate way to sum it up. You'll laugh until you cry, gasp in shock and horror (at yourself as well as at others) and will not be able to stop playing until you have gone through every single card in the box.

Just take it from me, this is exactly the kind of game that requires a strong deodorant so that your stress (of holding in erroneous giggles or feeling like you just might have an accident from laughing too hard) won't get in the way of an unforgettable good time!

Ready to find out more about the three varieties and four scents of Secret Clinical Strength as well as gathering more of the scoop on stress sweat? Head over to NoStressSweat.com as well as connecting with Secret on Twitter. This great product can be found now at Walmart as well as at your local shopping stores and online.

The Secret® product, gift card, and information for this post have been provided by Secret.

The Happy's, the Realistic, Interactive Pets Kids Love! {Review}

Much to my kids' chagrin, their repetitive requests for a pet have continued to go unanswered. As much as I know that they would adore having a dog or cat, it is just not in the cards for us right now.

Yes, the love and responsibility that would come along with taking care of an animal would be beneficial... but the idea of having one more living, breathing being to take care of around here is too much for me.

Fortunately, there are creative and innovative companies like Cepia, LLC that have continued to come up with lifelike imitations that entertain kids but don't require feeding, cleaning or anything other than turning on the power. After all, these toy masterminds debuted ZhuZhu Pets in 2009 and then followed up two years later with the next hot toy craze, Xia-Xia.

So what is the newest pretend pet phenomenon destined to capture the hearts and imaginations of children all over the world? An amazingly adorable and remarkably real line of interactive motorized plush pets, The Happy's.

The 2014 sensation to fill the roll of entertaining and interactive toys, The Happy's are a line of puppies and kittens that love to spin, sit, pounce, play and run. Whether they are cheerfully exploring the house, doing tricks for Happy Treats, racing after their Chase & Play Ball, or more, this collection of furry pets is the next-best-thing to having a four-legged friend around.

From the moment we first saw the catchy Meet The Happy's TV Commercial, my kids have been wanting to provide a loving home for The Happy's, so they couldn't have been more excited when Sport, Chance and a Chase & Play Ball arrived.

How adorable are these furry little friends? They're already smiling and ready to go!

Right out of the box, it took all of 10 seconds before the kids realized that, with one press of the power button on the dogs' lower backs (located right next to their embroidered initials)...

...they were off zooming around, happily spinning, twirling, zigging and zagging around our hardwood floors.

But The Happy's are more than just a motorized dog with wheels, they really play with you! With a simple press of the button on the included treats, the dogs not only come to you (or follow you if you are moving with it), but they perform the individual tricks.

The girls were thrilled to see Chance and Sport wiggle and pounce on command!

Similarly, the Chase & Play Ball also grabs these puppies' attention, this time attracting them to it to continue to push, follow and chase it around the room!

Considering how much Big Sister E and Little Sister B loved their new puppy pals, it only made sense that, a week later, their Easter baskets each contained a new addition to our The Happy's family — twin Mittens the Kitty along with the Speedy Sports Car and the Zippy Skateboard!

Talk about doubling the fun, laughter and entertainment!

The Mittens kittens are not only adorably soft and fluffy, but they each came with their own yellow fish-shaped treat that entices all of the pets to sit up and beg!

The addition of the cats and the vehicles definitely added to the noise and chaos of The Happy's — in a good way! The girls adore having the animals take turns riding in the Speedy Sports Car or on the Zippy Skateboard and seeing all four pets run (or ride) around after the Chase & Play ball is just too cute!

While I would love to someday provide my children with the fun, devotion and responsibility of having a real pet, for now, The Happy's are proving to be a perfect substitute.

I love seeing my girls use their imagination while engaging with these cheerful, interactive puppies and kittens, but being able to turn them off at night (and not have to feed them, walk them, take them outside in the rain, etc during the day) is music to my ears!

The Happy’s are in stores now (as well as online from Amazon) and much more can be found about them by visiting TheHappys.com. There is even a fun and catchy video to get your entire family up and dancing right along with The Happy's!


If this is the first that you've heard of The Happy's, be prepared, as these plush pets are sure to be the next big thing on wishlists of children everywhere!

Are you familiar with The Happy's? Do they sound like the perfect pet to you?

I received two The Happy's pets and a Chase & Play ball as part of a promotional program with Cepia, LLC and MomSelect and all thoughts and opinions expressed are honest and my own.

A Beautiful and Endearing Movie: Labor Day {Dessert Viewing Kit Prize Pack Giveaway!}

With Mother's Day right around the corner, it's time to think of ways to pamper Mom and show her that you care.

A visit to the spa? Breakfast in bed? A framed family picture? Or how about an evening watching Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin tell a beautiful story right on her own television screen? Maybe with homemade peach pie a la mode?

That last one is easily possible now with today's release of Labor Day on Blu-ray Combo Pack!

Deemed "a romance to root for" by Elle and praised as "deeply touching" in the New York Observer, Labor Day is available today, April 29th, 2014, on Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand, just in time to be a perfect Mother's Day gift.

Featuring behind-the-scenes footage, deleted scenes and more, this endearing love story is based on the New York Times best-selling novel by Joyce Maynard. This tale centers on 13-year-old Henry Wheeler, who struggles to be the man of his house and care for his reclusive mother Adele while confronting all the pangs of adolescence.

On a back-to-school shopping trip, Henry and his mother encounter Frank Chambers, a man both intimidating and clearly in need of help, who convinces them to take him into their home and later is revealed to be an escaped convict. The events of this long Labor Day weekend will shape them for the rest of their lives.

Who doesn't love a heartwarming, tearjerker every now and again? Not to mention the important, deeply touching lessons and morals that this story portrays?

The Labor Day Blu-ray Combo Pack also includes access to a Digital HD copy of the film as well as the following:

Blu-ray

• Feature film in high definition

• Commentary by director Jason Reitman, director of photography Eric Steelberg and first assistant director/co-producer Jason Blumenfeld

• End of Summer: Making Labor Day

• Deleted Scenes

DVD

• Feature film in standard definition

If you haven't seen this tale of a mother and son who take in a mysterious stranger and show that a second chance at love is always a possibility, you're not going to want to miss it! Find out more by visiting the Labor Day movie website, becoming a fan on Facebook and picking up this film from Amazon or in stores near you.

But why not include a delicious dessert with this romantic tale?

As peach pie plays a pivotal role in the movie, Paramount Pictures has not only shared the ingredients and recipe to make one at home, but has turned this into a full date night (and beyond) because...

One lucky person will win a
Labor Day Dessert Viewing Kit Prize Pack (ARV $100)*!

*Prize Pack includes the Labor Day Blu-ray Combo Pack, Labor Day book, Labor Day peach pie recipe, a handheld pie dough blender, peach pie mix, crust mix, a pie dish, pie server, ice cream scoop, coffee mugs and a copy of What's a Hostess to Do? by Susan Spongen!

Entry-Form

A big thank you to Paramount Home Media Distribution for providing a prize pack for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

Entenmann’s Little Bites "Recycle…Reuse…Replenish" Fully Recyclable Lunch Campaign {Prize Pack Giveaway!}

Whereas my girls' interests might vary and change over time, one thing that they have both always stayed passionate about is helping the earth.

Whether it is the constant reminders to recycle every piece of paper, the disapproving looks as they hurry over to turn off an unneeded light, or the repeating questions as to why someone would even consider littering, I love knowing that they are growing up with care and concern about our planet.

Recently, we were introduced to yet another way to help make a difference... and it even involves delicious foods — a win-win! I'm not sure who was the most excited to join in the the Entenmann's Little Bites "Recycle… Reuse… Replenish" Fully Recyclable Lunch Campaign!

Entenmann's Bakery, the name that has been making life a little sweeter for more than 100 years with their amazing fresh-baked goods, has partnered with TerraCycle, an international leader in the collection and reuse of non-recyclable post-consumer waste.

Together, this dynamic team has launched the first-ever "Recycle…Reuse…Replenish" Fully Recyclable Lunch campaign that is helping kids become recycling pros and turn trash into cash for their schools!

The process couldn't be much easier (or more tasty). After kids snack on their favorite Entenmann's Little Bites muffins and brownies, they send the empty pouches to TerraCycle to be turned into new products through the Entenmann's Little Bites Pouch Brigade.

What a great way to teach kids the importance of reducing waste while earning money for their schools — I love that this unique partnership with TerraCycle demonstrates Entenmann's dedication to recycling and reducing the amount of Entenmann's Little Bites pouches that end up in landfills each year!

As the recycling and upcycling experts at TerraCycle are committed to creating new lives for Entenmann's Little Bites pouches, it is great knowing that the used packaging is turned into innovative new products, while also awarding points for schools that can be redeemed as cash for every Little Bites pouch received.

Entenmann's also has a great collection of Little Bites "Recycle…Reuse…Replenish" Fully Recyclable Lunch tips that can help the whole family stay green:

Recycle

• Check-it: look for numbers and recycling symbols on plastics to know what types get reused.

• Be sure to recycle your Little Bites pouches with the TerraCycle Brigade programs. Sign up your school if it is not already participating and check out what other lunch items TerraCycle recycles!

Reuse

• Put your sandwich in reusable lunchbox container to take home and use again.

• Before you toss anything away, stop to think about how you might be able to use it again. TerraCycle's team of designers make products out of wrappers and packaging and you can find DIY project ideas to try as well!

Replenish

• Have any leftovers from lunch? Before you throw away, make sure to check out what biodegradable foods can be brought back home to be added to a compost pile.

• Make compost at home! Be sure to include the three basic ingredients: Browns (dead leaves, branches, twigs, cardboard, newspaper), Greens (grass clippings, vegetable waste, fruit scraps, coffee grounds) and Water to make an effective outdoor composting area. More helpful info on composting at home can be found from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Big Sister E and Little Sister B were more than excited to enjoy the large variety of delicious Little Bites products while also knowing that their pouches would be recycled into things like garbage cans, park benches and even bike racks. Talk about a sweet idea!

Want to join in helping eliminate waste while also earning money for your school or favorite charity? Head over to the Entenmann's Little Bites Pouch Brigade today to find collection locations, see how much money has been raised, sign up and more!

You can also find out more about the full collection of decadent, drool-worthy Entenmann's selections by visiting Entenmanns.com and connecting with them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Plus, thanks to their generosity, one person will be celebrating Earth Month and beyond in a yummy way as well, because...

One lucky person will win an
Entenmann's Earth Month Prize Pack* (ARV $60)!

*Prize pack includes (1) $25 Home Depot gift card, (4) $5 Entenmann's Little Bites coupons and (1) Little Bites upcycled Lunch Sack made by TerraCycle.

Entry-Form

A big thank you to Entenmann's for providing the coupons, gift card and upcycled lunch sack for me as well as for one lucky giveaway winner, however, this giveaway is being brought to you by Thanks, Mail Carrier, not Entenmann's. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

Discover Your Financial Animal with TCF Bank and Find Out More at the Financial Literacy Center!

I participated in an Influencer Program on behalf of Mom Central for TCF Bank. I received a promotional item to thank me for participating.

When I look back at my years of school and college, there are some classes and lectures that I attended that now seem... pointless.

I'm sure that there are those people out there that use Calculus in their everyday life, but was there really a need for me to suffer through it? And I remember memorizing the name of every state and country (and all of the capitals) of the entire world in middle school. Really? Can you say Google?

However, on the other hand, there are some classes and skills that I wouldn't have minded learning in place of those. Why couldn't I have taken a semester of "The Secrets of Parenting" or "Multi-Tasking for the Long Term" instead?

Another area that I feel as though my knowledge is lacking is in all things financial literacy. Sort out my girls' schedules for the summer? Check. Make a healthy and fun snack for a class of 20 at the last minute? No problem. But tell you anything about my family's financial habits and our long-term goals for the future? Ummmm.

Fortunately, that's where TCF Bank comes in. This April, in recognition of National Financial Literacy Month, TCF Bank has made it easy to consider exactly that with their fun quiz that lets users find their "financial animal!"

In six short questions, you'll be on your way to planning and preparing for the future while learning what type of "financial animal" best represents you. Are you a spender or a saver? A free spirit or a realist?

I was happy to feel fairly confident in my answers to this unique quiz and, when I saw that TCF Bank had deemed me a Coyote, described as a "crafty scavenger always on the hunt for a bargain," I knew that they were pretty much spot-on! After all, my answers centered around using coupons and loving the word "free!"

As well as finding out more about your true personality with this fun and quick quiz, once you've completed it, it's easy to then explore the TCF Bank Financial Learning Resource Center to help assess and expand your knowledge.

How handy is that?

TCF's Financial Learning Center was designed to provide adults with practical, impartial and non-commercial information about money management. Through the use of video, animations, gaming and social networking, complex financial concepts are simplified for people of all ages.

I love knowing that it only takes a few clicks to find out more about important financial topics like paying for college, protecting yourself against identity theft, savings and investments, mortgages, overdraft, payment types and credit cards, credit scores and reports, insurance and protection, and more. We can all take control of our financial IQ!

Money management takes time and effort, but when it comes to meeting my family's future financial goals, there's no doubt that it is worth it. TCF's "financial animal" quiz has definitely made me consider the role of financial literacy in my life and I plan on using resources such as the TCF Bank Financial Literacy Center as a way to find practical and impartial information about money management!

What financial topics do you need to learn more about? Understanding your finances allows you to best plan and prepare for the future, so be sure to arm yourself with all of the knowledge you can to take control of your current and future finances!

Take the TCF Bank quiz and let me know what "financial animal" you are!

Speechless: The Disney Social Media Moms Celebration 2014 {#DisneySMMoms}

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, an invitation was sent.

Not by horse-drawn carriage, not by the order of the king, but, being the modern times in which we live, by email.

And, while I may not remember what thoughts ran through my head when I saw the look on my true love's face as he stood waiting for me at the altar or when my firstborn child was placed in my arms for the first time, every detail of when I opened that email is still crystal clear in my mind.

One of the only family-friendly conferences for those of us in social media, the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration is a one-of-a-kind, invite-only, premier event based on learning, networking, inspiration and, of course, the magic of Disney.

Did I want to attend the 5th annual Celebration and take my first trip to Disneyland Resort in California? Is that really even a question?!

While the DisneySMMoms Celebration itself lasts three days, my family turned this opportunity into a 7-day event to truly immerse ourselves in all things Disneyland. After all, between Disneyland Park (the original Disney theme park), the reimagined Disney California Adventure Park, the Downtown Disney district and our stay at Disneyland Hotel putting everything within walking distance, this was easily going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

We began at registration, something that might typically be mundane, but was instead already fun and family-friendly.

The girls were thrilled to already have the opportunity to meet Mickey Mouse himself...

...as well as Chip and Dale.

These two jokester chipmunks then hung out with us a little more as we learned about the Disney Wild About Safety campaign, a creative and fun program designed to help kids learn and understand the importance of being safe in all sorts of situations.

While it's hard to top getting to hang out with a few of our favorite Disney buddies, other registration highlights included visiting the New Balance station to see their incredible line of Disney-themed running shoes...

...as well as check-in and pick up the supplies I needed to participate in a two-mile runDisney event a few mornings away.

From Disney apps to in-home innovations (and much more), the room was filled with information, ideas and technology that are available to teach as well as enhance all of our lives!

Whew! After we made it through registration and checked in to the gorgeous Disneyland Hotel, it was time to spend the afternoon getting to know the Happiest Place on Earth.

Are there words to accurately sum up how it feels to visit Disneyland for the very first time? To walk through those gates and know that one man and one mouse started it all right on this spot? And to know that, as much as my eyes were open to see anything and everything, that it was made infinitely better by being able to see my children experience it as well?

After hours spent riding rides, watching shows, celebrating the 50th anniversary of It's A Small World, meeting even more characters, and more...

...it was time to take part in the opening events of the DisneySMMoms Celebration.

We began with a pre-dinner cocktail hour sponsored by the awesome folks at Coppertone, who not only threw a great event, but gave us the opportunity to hear about (and try out) many of their fabulous new products.

At the same time, we heard from Leanne Jakubowski (Director, Social Media), Michele Himmelburg (Director, Disneyland PR) and Michael Colglazier (Disney Resort President), who welcomed us and made us all even more excited about what was in store for the rest of the weekend (if that was even possible).

Following this reception, we met up with our families and headed to Big Thunder Ranch Jamboree for a buffet-style dinner filled with music, characters, face painting, magic tricks, a scavenger hunt and more. Disney Magic of Healthy Living was also there to introduce us to the new TRYit! food line of  healthy on-the-go snack options for kids!

How is it possible that we had been at Disneyland Resort for less than 24 hours but were already having the time of our lives meeting new friends, catching up with old ones and being a part of the wonder and magic of Disney? Could this get any better?

Stay tuned to find out and for more of our Disney Social Media Moms Celebration 2014 fun, learning and inspiration!

I was invited to attend the DSMM Celebration. I paid my own conference fees and received gifts during the conference. All opinions, experiences and thoughts are my own. Special thanks to Josh Hallett, the official DisneySMMoms photographer, for the use of many of his amazing photographs.