America's Next Top Wooliteer Party

I wanted to tell my friends to stop torturing their clothes so I invited them to come on over to my house for America's Next Top Wooliteer Party. What is a Wooliteer you ask? A Wooliter is someone who uses Woolite because they love their wardrobe and don't want to torture it.   For me to be America's Next Top Wooliteer I talked with my friends about some of the ways they can stop torturing their clothes by using Woolite Extra Dark laundry detergent. We also play a Denim Care trivia game to see who knew the most about Denim trivia. I am not sure who won, because we were all have so much fun, I forgot to keep score.

All my guest went home with a sample of Woolite Extra Dark laundry detergent to try for themselves.


We Started off the party with a potluck snack bar.  Each guest brought a snack to share.  We had so much food and it was more fun than having a plain old dinner.

 I made guacamole dip, a meat a cheese tray and peanut butter cookie tarts.

 Some of my friends brought pizza, chipoltle dip and brownies.

  Here is a better look at the peanut butter cookie tarts.  They are so simple to make and tasted so good.  All you need is peanut butter cookie mix, a bag of peanut butter cup and a tart shaped pan.

Now back to the Woolite Party

We played the  Woolite trivia game, and we were surprised by some of the answers to many of the questions.

 Here is the photo of Woolite Complete and the sample of Woolite Extra Dark Care. 

 This is a photo of some of the buttons I made for the women to wear. I know they are a little hard to see, but they say "I heart my jeans", "Crowdtap", and  "Long live you jeans"

We played the Denim Care trivia game, I would ask my guest questions about denim care along with some multiple choice question.  I would wait to see who answered the question correctly.  We were surprised by some of the answers to many of the questions. 

Here is a sample question: Doing which of the following can help prevent damage to your jeans'denim fibers?

a. washing them folded

b. Wrapping them in rubber bands and washing them

c. washing them inside out

d. Only washing your jeans with other jeans

(to get the answer see bottom of post)

After the Woolite trivia game, it was time for our fashion show. I encouraged my friends to model their favorite denim outfits.   

Here is me holding up the sign telling the ladies we are having a fashion show tonight.   


Did you know? Woolite COMPLETE gives all your clothes the right balance of cleaning and caring. It doesn't contain harsh ingredients, so it won't cause stretching, shrinking or fading. With Woolite COMPLETE, you can keep all your clothes looking like new!

At our fashion show these are my scores from some of the ladies

Did you know? Woolite COMPLETE gives all your clothes the right balance of cleaning and caring. It doesn't contain harsh ingredients, so it won't cause stretching, shrinking or fading. With Woolite COMPLETE, you can keep all your clothes looking like new!


Not all my friends could come to the Party so we made time another day for me to share my love of Woolite.  It was like having two mini-parties.  Again, I encouraged my friends to model their favorite denim outfits.

We had fun giving each other different scores for our fabulous outfits.

Did you know? Woolite COMPLETE's™ formula has been specially created to Clean & Care for ALL types of fabrics and ALL colors in all washing cycles. Woolite's detergent effectively washes away everyday dirt, while helping care for all types of clothes - from jeans, to tees, to more delicate fabrics like wool and silk.

Here is another high score for my outfit from some of the ladies, and my daughter (she gave me the lowest score).

Did you know? Woolite® Extra Dark Care has a special formula that cleans and helps maintain the original color intensity of your dark clothes. It won't cause fading, shrinking or stretching, so dark colors stay vivid and clothes look like new for longer

This is Little Man giving me my score, at least it was a high score. 

Did you know? Woolite^® effectively removes everyday dirt, while helping to care for your clothes. For Extra tough or dried in stains, we recommend that you pre-treat the stains with a stain remover such as Resolve Fabric Treatment.

This is me showing all the women the sample of Woolite Extra Dark Care, coupon for $2 off Woolite and information packet they all took home for playing the Denim Care trivial game.


Now I think all of my friends who participated in American's Next Top Wooliteer, can be called a Wooliteer.  A Wooliter is someone who uses Woolite because they love their wardrobe and don't want to torture it.  


Click her to learn more about Woolite

Answer to trivia question: Doing which of the following can help prevent damage to your jeans'denim fibers?  (c.) washing them inside out

Disclosure:  The samples, prize pack and information were provided by Woolite through crowdtap.  I received a sample of product to review.  All opinions expressed her are my own and were not swayed by receiving products.   I am not held liable for failure to deliver prize pack.

ARM & HAMMER® Plus OxiClean® Crystal Burst Detergent

ARM & HAMMER® Plus OxiClean® Crystal Burst Detergent: 


ARM & HAMMER® Plus OxiClean® Crystal Burst Power Paks combine the power of OxiClean® Stain Fighters and ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda in a new crystal form. This formula contains many active stain fighting ingredients that tackle a variety of stains, including dirt, grass, blood and oil. Each ARM & HAMMER® Plus OxiClean® Crystal Burst Power Pak is 99% active and provides 4-in-1 performance:

• Unique, Deep Cleaning Micro-Crystals
• Removes Tough Stains
• Brightens and Whitens
• No Measuring Required

Just toss one in the washer and the single use pak dissolves quickly and goes to work within seconds, gently bubbling to provide deep cleaning and stain fighting power to leave your laundry with a great fresh scent. No more mess. No spills. No more heavy, bulky bottles. It’s better in every way.


My grandma has trusted Arm and Hammer for as long as I can remember.  Arm and Hammer has been a company you can really trust.  With three kids I see many different kinds of stains, but none of them have been to much for Arm and Hammer Plus OxiClean.     I really enjoy throwing this little pods into my washer.  It is so easy I let my little man help me with laundry.  No more spill or messes liquid.  Try it for yourself.  


You can also try 

Fresh ‘n Soft® Fabric Softener Sheets, Fresh Burst

Thanks ARM and HAMMER® for my FREE detergent! 


If you would like a coupon Click here Check out their coupons! 



Disclosure: I received a free sample of Arm and Hammer Plus OxiClean Crystals Burst Detergent courtesy of Smiley360.  All information was taken from http://www.armandhammer.com.

Learning ASL is not easy

Learning about Sign Language at my ASL1 class.

  I just wanted to share with you I am learning ASL and about Deaf culture in my ASL1 class.  This is a photo of me and some of the other students in my class.  This photo was taken during one of our study group sessions.  We are using the sign for "ready".

Old Navy Beach Babe Party

As a member of Crowdtap I was asked to be on their Super Stylish Old Navy Style Council.  Since I shop at  Old Navy   for all my clothing needs, I jumped at the chance to be a member of the Old Navy Style Council.

This is a video of our Old Navy Beach Babe Party.  My friends and I discuss how we picked out the perfect Old Navy Beach accessories.  We looked at flip flops, beach bags, sun glasses and beach towels.  Then we mixed and matched our accessories to find our perfect style.

Head over to your Old Navy to find your unique Summer accessory style.

Old Navy Beach Babe Event:

Welcome to my Old Navy store. Take a look at these stylish Mannequins.  Can you tell which ones are real people?

                              Flip Flops


Here are some of the new Stylish Flip Flops at Old Navy.  There were so many flip flops to choose from.  You can go for the classic Women's New Classic Flip-Flops or Women's Logo-Graphic Flip-Flops.  Or for an added lift you can try the Women's Mid-Wedge Flip-Flops.


Here we are showing off Old Navy's Women's Embellished Flip-Flops.  They are great for an added little touch of bling. 

Here we are showing off Old Navy's Women's Embellished Flip-Flops.  They are great for an added little touch of bling.  

Here is a photo to give you a picture of the differences between the Mid-Wedge Women's Embellished Flip-Flops and the regular Women's Mid-Wedge Flip-Flops.  The two flip flops on the outside are the Mid-Wedge Flip-Flops and the one in the middle is the Women's Embellished Flip-Flops. 

Here they are at a different angle.  This is a photo to give you a better picture of the differences between the Mid-Wedge Women's Embellished Flip-Flops and the regular Women's Mid-Wedge Flip-Flops.  On the right is the Mid-Wedge Flip-Flops and on the left is the Women's Embellished Flip-Flops. The mid-Wedge give your legs a long and slender look. 

Click here to see Old Navy's huge selection of Flip Flops online. 

How do we look in our Flip Flops?

Beach Bags

How about some fashionable beach bags to add to those flip flops?

Old Navy has many beach bags to choose from;  Women's Printed Cross body Bucket Bags, Women's Canvas-Applique Beach Totes, and Women's Floral-Beaded Crossbody Bags, just to name a few.  Click here to see all the Old Navy bags available on-line. 

Sunglasses

If you are going to have some fun in the sun, you must protect your eyes, but not at the expense of your style.  You can protect your eyes with some sunglasses to fit your unique personality.    

  Old Navy has so many different styles of Sunglasses you are sure to fine one to fit your style. 

Beach Towels

I am on the left with my patriotic red, white, and blue beach towel and my friend Kathryn is on the right showing her Zebra striped towel.    

This is one of my favorite photos because it shows all the cool Old Navy beach accessories we received at a unique view.  

We had so much fun shopping at   Old Navy   we had to pose for a funny photo with all the cool Old Navy Beach wear we bought.

For our final fair well we thanked   Old Navy   for making us Beach Babes.

Head over to your Old Navy to find your unique Summer accessory style.

Disclaimer:  Three of my friends and I received free Old Navy beach wear for participating in the Old Navy Beach Babe Party courteous of Crowdtap. 

Old Navy Style Council: Beach Babe Pre Party

As I am preparing for my Old Navy Beach Babe Party, I cannot seem to stop looking at all the cute accessories at Old Navy.com.  I thought it would be fun to do a little "window" shopping on line to prepare me for the Old Navy Beach Babe event.  Check out some of the styles I will be sporting this Summer.

For flip flops these stylish black ones can be dressed up or down for a cute all day look. and since I am 5'2" I can use a little lift too. LOL  Click here for my favorite flip flop.  Or if you would like to add a little color to your wardrobe, these tangerine flip flops are the way to go.

When you are in the sun, you must protect your eyes from all those UV rays with some sunglasses, but you still need to be styling too.  Check out these sunglasses with rhinestones for added bling.
Click here for my favorite Sunglasses

After you go swimming you need a towel to dry off, but not just any towel, a towel that will complement your unique style.  How about Old Navy Women's Printed Beach Towels it say "Love in the sun" and you know you do love the sun.  Click here for my favorite beach towel

Going to the pool or beach isn't complete with out a bag to carry it all in, but style is just as important as functionality.  With this Old Navy Women's Striped Straw Totes you will accomplish both.
Click her for my favorite beach towel


By the way, don't forget to keep yourself hydrated with this stylish water bottle. Click here for my favorite water bottle

Accessories add to your unique style so go ahead and head over to Old Navy and pick out accessories to complement you.

To check out my Old Navy Beach Babe Party Click Here


Disclaimer: I was chosen by Crowdtap to be a member of their Old Navy Style Council.  As a member I was chosen to host an Old Navy Beach Babe party at an Old Navy store, where I and my guests will receive free products.

Disney World with a Special Needs child

Earlier this year we meet my sister's family at Disney World.  It was the first time all the cousins have been together, and the first time our husbands have met (long story).

I admit I was a little nervous taking a child with special need to a busy amusement park.  Her moods can be unpredictable and out of control when she is over stimulated.  I did everything I could think of to prepare her for the trip.  The trip was a success and we all had such a great time.  I cannot wait to do it again or another trip with my family.  

As I was looking on-line to find ideas on how to prepare a Disney World trip for a child with special needs I was surprised there was not a lot of information out there.

Tips for a Great trip to Disney World with a Special needs child:

1. Be Prepared.  As a mom of a special needs child I know you are already used to being prepared for everything.  Remember just because you are on vacation does not mean you do not have to be prepared.   Expect the unexpected and walk through each scenario as to what you and your spouse would do in each one.  The second part of this is to prepare the child as much as you can for what they can expect.  Example our daughter has seizure at least once a week and sometime multiple times a day.  We had to talk about what we would do if she had a seizure in the park or on a ride (which by the way she did and the cast member at Disney World was awesome.  He was calm and got her off the ride as soon and safely as he could.  He was even prepared to call an ambulance.  I send a big Thank You to the cast member on the Leo and Stitch ride that helped us).

2. Medial stuff.  Keep your medical supplies with you in your carry on.  Essential, life saving  equipment needs to be with you at all times.   My daughter has a feeding tube so to save time and money we send some of her cans of food, bags, diapers, and a connector to the hotel using a US postal service flat rate box.  I called the hotel a few day before we left to make sure it had arrived.

3. Hotel-your home away from home.  We asked the hotel what they had available to children with special needs.  They were able to provide her with a bed rail, a refrigerator for her medication, and a room on the ground floor.  Bring things to remind your child of home, like a blanket, pillow and stuffed animals.  Also make sure you scan the room for potential hazards.  

3.  Routine.  Children with special need want as much of the same routine as possible.  I know it is impossible to have exactly the same routine,  but keep the basics.  Try to eat your meals at the same time you normal do. If they have a favorite snack, bring it and give it to them.  If your child takes a nap at the same time every day make sure you go back to the hotel and let them take a nap.  Keep there bedtime as close to the normal bed time as you can. 

4. Don't be ashamed to use the Special Needs pass! Lets face it, we do not get many perks for having a special needs child.  This is one perk that I am glad we took advantage of.  It was so nice for our daughter not to be confined and overwhelmed by people crowding her.  We were also able to use her stroller as a wheelchair and get her as close to the rides as possible so we could transfer her to the ride with ease.

5. Slow Down.  We were not able to see everything, but that was alright.  We had a much happier family when we slowed down and took our time.  Most special needs children do not like to be rushed so if you can slow down, you may not see as much of the park as you want, but it will make your vacation worth it in the long run.  The best tip for us was to hit the park when it opened, then at about 11am we would go back to the hotel for lunch.  I would take the two youngest and put them (and myself) down for a nap.  My hubby and our Oldest would take a swim.  When the kids woke up from their nap around 3pm we would head back to the park.

6. Have Fun.

P.S. If you are traveling with other people be realistic about what they can expect from your family and your child.  Most people are not trying to be rude or condescending,  they just don't get it!  They have no idea what it takes to care for a child with special needs.  Be as specific as possible about what could and will happen to your child if he or she is overwhelmed, and how you will handle the situation.  For example if your child has a melt down, what will you or your spouse do?  What do you want them to do?  When people are informed and communication is open it makes for a happier time for everyone involved.

If you have any questions about traveling with a special needs child, especially one with Rett syndrome, please feel free to e-mail me or post a comment below.

Disclamer:  This is my own opinion about what made our stay at Disney World enchanting.  Each child is unique and will respond differently.  

Children's Advil giveaway

Children's Advil Friends Mission:

Take this short survey from Smiley360 and enter for a chance to win a $200 gift card!

Click here to take the survey.


If link does not work try http://smiley360.com/645070.cfm

Disclosure: I received a free sample of Infant Advil courtesy of Smiley360.

Our Summer Fun Madagascar 3 Circus Circle’s Most Wanted Party

The school year has ended and it is Summer time. Are you ready to "move it, move it" this summer.   In an effort to keep my kids moving we had a Madagascar 3 Circus Circle's Most Wanted Party.  What a great way to kick off summer.   


We have watched the first 2 Madagascar movie and cannot wait to see the new one when it come to Theaters.


We invited everyone we knew to our Madagascar 3, Circus theme.  The party was a hit, because I planned some awesome carnival type games for the kids.  We made Gloria, Marty and Alex mask.  We played Pin the Tail on Gloria.  We had a fishing game too.  We had snacks and for the first time I made a zebra cake.   I also handed out goody bags for all who attended.

A party isn't a party without good food.  Since this was a kids party, I made sure I had kid friendly snacks.  

The food

 We had many snack to choose from, we had popcorn, snow cones, fresh fruit, chips, applesauce squeezeable and animal crackers.

Yes, you heard me right we made snow cones for all the kids.  They loved them, but I did make them go outside to eat them.  

Here is an up close look at some of the snack.  I even bought some cracker with the Madagascar 3 logo on them.  It's the little touches that add to the overall experience.

The Cake

For desert I made a zebra cake.  It looks really cool when you slice it.  I though it look plan so I frosted it and placed "Gloria, Marty and Alex" on top.

The games

Let the games begin..

Here is what the games looked like all set up. 

This is the fishing game I made.  I cut out the photos of  Gloria, Marty, Alex, and Melman.  It looks like they are underwater just poking their heads out.  This is a fun game for all ages.

Here is another game I made using a photo of the new Madagascar 3 movie. Then I cut out the mouths to make holes the kids could throw the pall through.

Of course you cannot have a carnival without a game of bowling.

I printed out this photo of Gloria and taped it to a Poster board covered in blue paper.  Then I added fish stickers.  We used this to play Pin the Tail on Gloria.  The kids had fun playing the game and seeing how close they could come to putting the tail in the correct place.

I printed out some Gloria, Marty and Alex mask and allowed the kids to color them.  This is Mare Bear wearing the Marty mask she made with the help of her aid. 

Here are some of the kids playing some games.

If your kids are sitting around the house watching TV or playing video games, it's time you made them "Move it, Move it".  Plan a fun party for them for no special reason. Get the kids involved in planning the theme, games and snacks.  It doesn't have to cost a lot of money to have a great party.

You can check out the new Madagascar 3  Europe's Most Wanted movie in the theaters now.

Discloser: The idea for the Madagascar 3 Circus Circle’s Most Wanted Party was given to me from Crowdtap.  I receive a email with ideas and printouts for the party, but did not receive any good or monetary compensation for having the party.