Growing and Expanding With Miracle-Gro®

This year we've decided to try our hands at gardening.  Being the outdoor, nature loving girl that Moo is, she had been asking since Christmas to plant a garden.  So, we went to the store and picked out some seeds- Jack O'lantern Pumpkins, Buttercrunch Lettuce, Sugar Snap Peas and Sweet Pea (flowers).  Now having grown up in a house with a mother who loved flowers and gardening, I've learned that the best brand for potting and planting plants is Miracle-Gro®..  Hands down nobody else out there has better soil.

So, it was a no-brainer that we're using Miracle Gro® Expand ‘n Gro™ Concentrated Planting Mix for garden and potted flowers.

 

We're using Expand 'n Gro™ for specifically for a lot of reasons.  Being a busy wife, mother and career woman, I'm always on the go.  Thus, there are bound to be days that I'll forget or won't be able to water or feed our garden.  Thankfully, this planting mix holds up to 50% more water than other mixes and feeds plants for 6 months.  So, I can take comfort in knowing that our veggies and flowers aren't starving or thirsting to death.

Since, Expand 'n Gro™ will increase our yield up to 3 fold in comparison to just using dirt out the yard, we can look forward to nice lush and full garden.  Speaking of yard soil, using Expand 'n Gro™ adds years of improvement to your yard soil.  Who wouldn't want better natural soil in their yard, especially if you garden every year?!

One of the most important reasons I'm using this planting mix is to save money.  Since it expands 3 times the original amount when wet, i won't have to use as much to cover our seeds.  Talk about a score!  I could go on and on about Miracle-Gro® Expand 'n Gro™, but I highly recommend that you try it for yourself and see what you think.

Are you planting a garden or flower bed this year?  If so, will you be using a Miracle-Gro® planing soil?

This post brought to you by Scotts®. All opinions are 100% mine.

Doing Construction

Growing up I was a bit of a tom boy.  Okay, that's an understatement.  I was a huge tom boy.  Climbing trees, running outside barefoot and building things interested me more than putting on frilly dresses and playing tea party.  And three years ago, I gave birth to a little tom boy of my own.

Moo isn't as much of a tom boy as I was but she's certainly into the whole building things.  In fact, she's quite obsessed with blocks at the moment.  So, when we received the Blok Squad Construction Unit Mission from Mega Bloks, I was thrilled at the idea of having something that we could build together.  

Recommended for ages 5 and up!

Our set included two buildable vehicles-a 4x4 and front loader- and construction workers.  I'm not going to lie, at first sight those 218 pieces looked like they were going to be a challenge to put together.  However, it turned out to be really fun.  Not only did I get to spend some one on one time with Moo, but I got to teach her about some of the everyday heroes like construction workers, police officers and firefighters that we adults some times take for granted.  And do you know that while we visiting my mom, we saw a construction site and she told my mom about her toys we had put together. (Proud mommy moment!)

We are huge Mega Bloks fans and I highly recommend this brand.  They have a little something for every age group.  Their Blok Squad sets are great if you have older school age children who have graduated or outgrown the mini blocks and need more of a challenge to keep them entertained.  These detailed building sets are perfect for teaching kids the importance of following directions, patience and how to pay attention to details.

And for less than $10, you couldn't really ask for a better toy.  Seriously, this is a great bargain for your buck.  Your child will get tons of play out of this product.  If you haven't tried any of the products from the Mega Brands company, I would check them out.

You can find Blok Squad buildable sets at your local Toys "R" Us, Walmart and online at Amazon.com.  And don't forget to check out the Mega Bloks Family Club for exclusive offers, contests, promotions and more.  Go ahead and sign up here today to stay in the loop.

Disclaimer:  I received this product to review.  However, all opinions are solely and 100% my own.

Diapers, The Lorax & Seventh Generation

Diapers are hands down one of the most important essentials you'll have to purchase for your baby.  And there are many brands out there. Trust me, I tried quite a few different ones after I had Moo until we found a brand that worked well.  And until recently, I thought that brand was working well with JJ.  I was introduced to Seventh Generation about two weeks ago when received these lovely goodies in the mail.



Limited Edition Lorax Print Diapers & a copy of The Lorax on recycled paper



I had heard of Seventh Generation and even use some of their cleaning products.  However, I had never tried their diapers.  After all the brand I was using appeared to be working well.  And you know the saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."  Well, folks after two of trying out these bad boys, I have to admit that I wish I would have gone another experimentation with different diaper brands and tried these first.

What I Love About Seventh Generation Diapers

~Super Absorbent/Handles Explosions Well:  Usually, I have to wake up at least once to change JJ using our old brand or else there will be a little leakage.  Not the case with Seventh Generation.  I woke up out of habit to change his diaper only to find it dry to the touch even though I know he had peed in it.  Also, my little man is known to have a few diaper explosions if you know what a mean.  No problems with any leakage up the back of his diaper and having to change clothes. Can you say WINNING!!

~Great Fit:  I love fit.  The flexible tabs allow the diapers to conform to your baby's bottom shape and moves with them.  So, you don't have to worry about gaps that leave room for bodily fluids to escape and ruin outfits.  Plus, your baby want have to worry about wondering if their diaper is making their butts look big. LOL.  Even when soiled these diapers are eqipped to not puff out and make your baby look like he/she has a double booty.

~Environmentally/Skin Friendly:  You all already know the struggle I go through with two kids with severe allergies.  And it's because of those allergies that I have to be careful of what I put on my kids (diapers included).  I'm also Team Green when it comes to the environment.  So I was very impressed when I found out Seventh Generation's Free & Clear diaper products were hypo-allergic.  No laxtex, fragrance, chlorine or petroluem based anything.  And these diapers are made instead with plant based material that are better for the environment.  So, no worries about breakouts or funky rashes or non-biodegrateable diapers.

~The Lorax Print:  I am a huge fan of Dr. Suess.  Therefore, I was super stoked when I heard that Seventh Generation had partnered with The Lorax to make these limited edition Lorax print diapers.  Honestly, I like knowing that I have a product that is uber exclusive.  I even saved one for the sake of having it. (So serious)

I pretty loved everything about this diaper!  I highly recommend trying Seventh Generation diapers or training pants if you haven't.  In fact, one lucky reader will have the opportunity to win a Seventh Generation Diapers Prize Pack that includes:

~ (1) Package of Seventh Generation Free & Clear Diapers/Training Pants
~ A copy of The Lorax by Dr. Suess

The Mummies Are Here

The mummies have invaded the Queen City!!  Okay, not really but you can check out some pretty awesome mummies over at the Discovery Place's Mummies of the World exhibit.  We went and saw it last month and loved it!!

I've always been somewhat obsessed with the mummies and Egyptian culture.  The care in which they take when laying their loved ones to rest is just so touching and fascinating to me.  So, when I was offered the opportunity to check this exhibit out and bring the family too, I was beyond thrilled.  Prior to my visit, I'd only seen two mummies in person.

At the Discovery Place, we not only was able to to see human mummies, but we got view animal mummies as well.  We saw the tools used to embalm the bodies, the fabric used for wrapping the bodies and the sarcophagus.  I was in a state of awe just taking it all in.  And did you know that not all mummies are wrapped laying down?  We saw a few mummies that had been mummified in a sitting position with their legs drawn up to their chests.

I highly recommend that you check out this exhibit if you're in the Charlotte area or if you have plans to be in the Queen City before April 8th.  It's well worth the trip even if you live a few hours away.  You and your kids will leave with such a wealth of knowledge of about these ancient beings and an lifetime experience and memories for the scrapbook.  Need another incentive to check out Mummies of the World?

Well, the Discovery Place has decided to give out a "special prize package with 'hundreds' of goodies."   The key word being hundreds.  The prize pack will include:

~ (1) Discovery Place Membership ($100 value)
~ (1) $100 Grocery Store Gift Card
~ (1) $100 Gas Card
~ (1) Gift Certificate to Shop Science store at the Discovery Place
~ (1) $100 worth of Mummies of the World merchandise like DVDs, t-shirts, and so much more.

So be sure to grab your tickets by calling (704) 372-6261 or get them online here.

Here are some pics I took from our visit.

We saw an awesome presentation

Discovery Place has one of the best views of Uptown

His first visit to the Discovery Place!  I think he loved it!

Disclaimer:  I was not compensated for this post.  I am a huge lover of the Discovery Place and will be blogging, tweeting and facebooking about them from time to time!

Future Fortified

Many of us will never know what it's like to live in a third world or underdeveloped country.  We won't have to worry about how our children will get access to essential vitamins and nutrients needed to help them grow.  I'm pretty sure that each of us had access to proper nutrition during our pregnancies.  However, there are about 2 billion people worldwide who are not as lucky as we are.

Thankfully, Future Fortified is working hard to provide new moms, pregnant women, adolescent girls and other young children around the world with Home Nutrition Packets.  Starting as low as 3 cents per packet, moms can just sprinkle the micro and macro nutrient rich packets directly onto their family's regular food.  What's even better about these Home Nutrition Packets are tailored "according to local nutrient needs and local consumer demand."

As a mom, I think that the Future Fortified campaign is amazing.  I love that they are bringing awareness to how important the role of good nutrition is to these countries becoming more economically stable.  After all, children are the future and if they aren't healthy enough to see the future or go out get jobs that will improve their communities, then these countries and villages can't grow beyond what they are now.  And I applaud the fact that the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) realized this and set the goal "to provide sustainable access to improved nutrition for 50 million women and children in developing countries by 2015."

I was also inspired to share this campaign because of my own family.  I've mentioned before that I have relatives who still live in Jamaica and even a few who have gone back to Africa.  And while most of us have only seen the beautiful beaches and smiling faces they show on tv, I know a different view of these places that isn't often shown.  I've heard the stories how my cousins struggle to find good and affordable healthcare and nutrient rich foods.

For me, campaigns like this hold a special place in my heart because with the thousands of miles that separates my family here in America from my family in Jamaica and Africa, we feel a little bit more at ease knowing that all the pressure isn't on us to help them.  I can feel a little less guilty that my great, great grandparents came to America and made it possible for me to have access to nutrient rich foods and decent healthcare.  So, I hope that you all will join me in supporting this campaign.

You can find out more information on Future Fortified and ways you can help on their website here.   Also, show your support by following them on Facebook and Twitter.

Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf Future Fortified. To thank me for my contribution, Mom Central donated $20 to the Future Fortified campaign.  Any and all personal opinions are my solely my own.

Stumbling Into Infinity

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar once said, "Wake up and see, life is a game.  ...[T]here were good events, bad events, you had profit, you had loss."  Author and spiritual leader Michael Fischman knows all to well about the good, the bad, the profits and the losses that life deals us.  He chronicles his own game of life and struggle/journey to in his memoir Stumbling Into Infinity: An Ordinary Man in the Sphere of Enlightenment.  The son of a Polish deli owner and World War II survivor, Fischman gives readers an intimate and raw view into the events that molded him into the man he is today. 

Fischman talks about surviving an abusive childhood with a father who most likely suffered from an undiagnosed post-traumatic disorder.  He opens up about how his inability to properly cope with death and the loss of loved ones causes him to question God, his life's purpose and becomes the start of a downward spiral.  Eager to "know truth, which I believed would lead me to God," he begins to dabble in the world of Transcendental Meditation.  It was his exploration of Transcendental Meditation that would eventually introduce him to his spiritual guru, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and ultimately help him discover his life's meaning and inner self.  The passion and awe in which he describes his the transformation of their relationship from teacher and student to friends will leave readers craving the same closeness.

Stumbling Into Infinity is a great read that you will find yourself not wanting to put down.  Fischman's story will touch your heart making you want to smile, feel inspired and other times shaking your head in disappointment at some of his bad choices.  Overall, you will be reminded that we don't have to play this game of life alone.  We all have a Sri Sri Ravi Shankar out there waiting for us to meet and to help us find our way.

 To learn more Michael Fischman visit his website here.  You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and visit his blog.

Order your own copy of Stumbling Into Infinity here or leave a comment below for a chance to win one!

Giveaway ends March 9th at 11:59 PM.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book to review.  All opinions expressed above are 100% my own.