Every Day Mom

In lue of Mother's Day this weekend, I thought it would be a good time to talk about the things that make me an every day mom. I'm not a Pinterest perfect mom who does every single fun craft with my little ones, who keeps my house looking like a five star resort, or who makes Food Network worthy meals every night. Let me clarify as well, I have no problem with those moms that I referred to as "Pinterest Perfect", in fact, I am insanely jealous of them. I wish I could make an amazing meal and keep my house perfectly spotless, but the honest truth is that I can't. I could, but then I would probably never sleep or shower or spend quality time with my husband.

I'm talking about the moms, like me, who are lucky to have brushed their teeth that day, find it an accomplishment to have gotten their kids up, dressed, and fed for the day, and who's version of cleaning the is taking the toilet brush and giving the toilet a quick scrub as the water is mid flush.

Okay, yes, I do clean my toilet a little bit better than that, but you get the picture.

Finding the Balance

It's been a long time since I have written to you all, and while I want to say that I am sorry, I'm not.

I desperately miss writing, but I am not ashamed to admit that I am in a bit of a rut. Since Little Boy was born, I have gone completely MIA and have been spending as much free time as possible with my boys. I also work part time from home and my schedule has been so busy with that, I am finding it hard to find the balance of maintaining the blog.

Every day is an inner battle with what I should do with Mommy's Obsessions. Do I close the doors (so to speak)? Do I just let it sit with no activity? Do I dive head first into what I use to do with it? I can't make a decision and honestly it breaks my heart a little bit to think about giving up the blog. I don't want to, but I feel like I'm letting you all down.

Glasstic Review and Giveaway!

*Mommy's Obsessions received complimentary Glasstic bottle's for review in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions*

Glasstic Bottle Co. is a healthy and active lifestyle company that began to develop the Glasstic shatterproof glass water bottle over three years ago when they saw a need in the market for high quality pure yet portable beverage containers.  Glasstic is changing the way people think about glass and the places they confidently use it to carry their favorite beverages!  It's a revolution in beverage containers, the purity of glass with the portability of plastic!!

5 Things That Baby #2 Loves

Mommy's Obsessions did not receive compensation from any of the mentioned brands, we are simply sharing what Baby #2 enjoys the most thus far!

When I found out that I was pregnant with baby #2 my immediate thought was "I wonder how close to Little Mister [in terms of demeanor, features, etc] he/she will be". I had saved majority of my baby items from Little Mister but I knew that I wanted to get a few new things for Little Boy as well. It's funny, being a parent you are so sure that you will know what your next child will love, almost as though you have some sort of psychic ability. But then they're here, and they're growing, and they're proving you wrong.

Cozy Coupe Sandbox Giveaway

*Mommy's Obsessions did not receive compensation for the promotion of this giveaway*

Welcome to the Little Tikes Cozy Coupe Sandbox giveaway hosted by Housewife on a Mission and sponsored by Little Tikes!

Spring is just around the corner, and to celebrate one lucky person is going to win a new Cozy Coupe Sandbox from the Little Tikes! Your little one(s) can have hours of fun in this sandbox, building sand castles and more! What fun for imaginative play outdoors!

MediPals Favorite Amazon Finds for Kids Giveaway

*Mommy's Obsessions did not receive compensation for the promotion of this giveaway*

Welcome to the Favorite Amazon Finds for Kids Giveaway, generously sponsored by Medi-Pals!

Last month, Thrifty Nifty Mommy introduced us to a fantastic kid-friendly medication dispenser called Medi-Pals. Available in 3 fun characters, Medi-Pals dispensers are familiar and fun for the infant, easy for the caregiver to use, and they always ensure that the child is getting the accurate dosage of medicine.

Fun in the Sun With the Urbini Emi Travel System #IC #Urbini

*I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Urbini. I received an Urbini stroller to facilitate my review as well as thank me for my participation.*

When it comes to strollers, I will admit that I have a mild obsession. There's something about getting a new stroller, putting it together, that new stroller smell...well, you get the picture.

When I first laid eyes on the Urbini stroller it was instant love. I was impressed by how sleek the stroller looked and I was shocked that it was a Walmart exclusive. Thumbs up for Walmart on nabbing this one. When I had the opportunity to review the Urbini Emi Travel System I jumped on it, because, well, new stroller. 

Step2 The Play Up Gym Set Giveaway

*Mommy's Obsessions did not receive compensation for the promotion of this post*

 It's been pretty cold lately across much of the US and that has us thinking one thing - Spring! We can't wait to get back outside and enjoy some warmth and sunshine! Thanks to the generous people at Step2, one lucky family is going to have a brand new Play Up Gym Set to enjoy once all the snow melts!

The Step2 Company, headquartered in Streetsboro, Ohio, is the largest American manufacturer of preschool and toddler toys and the world’s largest rotational molder of plastics. They strive to be the leading innovator of children’s products that build imaginations and enrich the family’s celebration of childhood. Step2 products are made to last and will hold up despite the beating that children tend to give everything they come in contact with.

LapGear Review and Giveaway!

*Mommy's Obsessions received complimentary LapGear products for review in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.*

The Lap Desk product category was created in 1974, in Wichita Falls, TX.  For over thirty years their family business continually brought useful, mobile workspace solutions to market through innovation and dedication. In January of 2006, their new brand LapGear was born! Lap Desks had developed into a perfect solution for a large and growing problem that prevents laptops from getting too hot on your lap.  Today, LapGear is the number one brand in lap desks, the hottest trending accessory for eReaders, laptops, and tablets!

Monster Jam is Coming to Tucson!

*Mommy's Obsessions did not receive compensation for the promotion of this information and giveaway* Photos seen in this article are compliments of Monster Jam

Hey Monster Jam Fans! Monster Jam is coming to Tucson, Arizona and I am so excited to offer local residents the opportunity to win a family four pack of tickets to see the show on February 27th!

How I Really Felt about the Fifty Shades of Grey Movie

*Mommy's Obsessions did not receive compensation for the following post. We are simply sharing our thoughts and opinions*

I love Valentine's Day, and not because it's the "day of love" and there's pink and chocolates and flowers everywhere, no, I love it for an entirely different reason all together.

Five years ago yesterday (Valentine's Day) at around one in the morning, Mr. Hunky and I decided that we wanted to be "exclusive" to each other and not pursue other relationships. We had just finished a comfortable evening at his parents house, hanging out, watching movies, and eating his specialty dinner - pasta with meat sauce - and I was getting ready to hit the road and go back to my house, when he took my hands, kissed me, and asked if we wanted to be exclusive to each other. It was about two weeks after we had met and we were both so smitten with each other. How could I not say no?

babyroues Letour Duet Giveaway

*Mommy's Obsessions did not receive compensation for the promotion of this giveaway*

Welcome to the babyroues Letour Duet Giveaway

We've teamed up with We're Parents!? and other bloggers for this is the FIRST ever giveaway of the BRAND NEW babyroues Letour Duet and we are excited to be apart of it!

Sponsored by babyroues

Easy Chocolate Dipped Pretzels [Valentine's Day Treat]

Valentine's Day is right around the corner and it's time to start thinking about some tasty treats to make for your family! I personally hate buying candy, the main reason is because I end up eating it all! Ever since my pregnancy with Little Boy, one of my biggest cravings has been chocolate, and around the holidays I rediscovered my love for chocolate covered pretzels. While being rang up for $3.99 for a small bag at my local grocery store, it dawned on me that I could just make my own. It couldn't be hard, could it? When I set out to make them I realized just how simple they were and they tasted just like store bought, if not better! 

My favorite part about making your own chocolate dipped pretzels is that they're easy, and you can decorate them however you please. Red and green sprinkles or crushed candy canes for Christmas, white chocolate and rainbow colored sprinkles for birthday parties, or red and pink sprinkles for Valentine's Day! The possibilities are endless, so today I am going to share my Valentine's Day pretzels in hopes of inspiring you to make some tasty treats for your family, friends, and teachers!

The Importance of You

As a parent, especially a mother, finding time to take care of yourself can be one of the biggest challenges. What's an even bigger challenge is remembering that you are important too. You're the chef, the maid, the teacher, the boo boo kisser, the therapist, the wife, the lover, the friend, but you're also you. Well of course you know that you're you, but do you really remember it? Do you remember to take care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally? What was the last thing that you did for you?

Love is in the Air Giveaway

*Mommy's Obsessions did not receive compensation for the promotion of this giveaway*

Valentine's Day is a special day where we tell those around us how much we love and appreciate them. Well this Valentine's Day, we want YOU, our readers, to know just how special you are to us, so today we're bringing you the Love is in the Air giveaway event full of fabulous Valentine's Day gifts for the whole family, sponsored by some of our favorite companies!

Fun & Flirty Gifts for Him: Personalization Mall's Valentines Day Gift Guide

*Mommy's Obsessions received compensation for the promotion of this article. As always, all thoughts and opinions are our own*
Photo credits: Personalization Mall

I love my husband, but I absolutely hate buying gifts for him. Whether it be for his birthday, Christmas, our anniversary, or Valentine's Day, I always struggle with a gift that he'll enjoy. He's the type of man that when he needs or wants something, he'll just go get it, so it makes it really tough for his wife to find him something as a gift! 

Luckily for me and all of the other wives and girlfriends out there who struggle with what to buy for their man, Personalization Mall has a super fun Valentine's Day gift guide to help you get through the "what do I buy?!" woes!

Rich & Chocolatey Granola Bars

One of my favorite snacks to grab while I'm getting ready to leave the house, about to sit down and feed the baby, or even to eat just because, is a granola bar. Little Mister and I eat them up like crazy, but I always have such a hard time buying them. Not only is a box of granola bars a little on the pricey side, but they're packed full of ingredients that I can't read the name of. Shouldn't a granola bar be simple? Yep, and that's why I decided to try my hand at making them and we loved them so much, I couldn't wait to share the recipe with you!

3 Kid Things That I Cannot Stand

Being a parent for over 3 years now, I've come to realize that there are a handful of things that I really just can't stand, some of which my son absolutely loves. Ironic right? Aren't they supposed to be little mini you's who like and dislike everything the same as you? Evidently not. So what can't I stand? Read on my friend because one or all of these may be on your list too!

Paying It Forward and Why You Should Do It

When I first heard the term "Pay It Forward", I immediately fell in love with it. By nature, I am a pretty giving person - I truly feel joy at giving people gifts, being generous, and passing along things that I may not want or need anymore, to someone who can use it more. Although I have never been that person who has paid for the person behind me's Starbucks, I do always try to think of ways that I can give back or brighten someones day.

Paying It Forward is essential to the worlds well being. And I say that wholeheartedly. There's a lot of danger in the world these days and the media thrives on that.

13 Smut Books We Highly Recommend

One thing you may not know about me is that I am an avid reader. I have always loved to read but the passion really flourished over the course of the last five years or so. One little confession that I have is that my favorite genre of books are smut. Never heard of the term smut?! According to Urban Dictionary, smut is "yummy erotic fiction or art", but I really am not a fan of that definition. So I came up with my own that's closer to what I look for in a book.