An Ode to Fathers

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.  #NauticaforDad #CollectiveBias

I think that fathers should be celebrated more than once a year. So often we hear about and only focus on the fathers who could (and perhaps should) do more for their children – but what about all of those men that go above and beyond and try their hardest to care for their families? Eleven months out of the year we keep pretty quiet on the subject.

All over social media I see jokes about mothers who need a break, or some coffee, or a glass of wine, but there are dads out there who have the exact same responsibilities, and they deserve a break too.

To all of the dads who work all day and come home only to turn around and coach their children’s sports teams – thank you.

To all of the dads who spend countless hours rocking colicky babies to sleep at 3 am; knowing that their alarm clock will go off at 4:30 – thank you.

To all of the dads who stay home and take care of the house so their partners can have the career that they want to have – thank you.

And to all of the dads who didn’t have to be a dad, yet stepped in to become a parent when a child needed one – thank you.

My husband has done many of those things for us; being a dad for Anika when she and I were alone; staying up countless nights so that I could get a couple hours of sleep; and rearranging his work load and schedule to help with the kids so I could pursue my career and have breaks.

I wanted to get him something nice for Father’s Day this year, because I don't think that the kids should be the only ones to get their Dad something, spouses should as well. Something that he could use and would never buy for himself – so when we were at Macy’s last weekend I snuck over into the fragrance department and purchased the Nautica Life gift set for him. For only a couple dollars more than what you would normally pay for just the men's fragrance. This deluxe gift set is only $65.00, a $128.00 value. This gift set includes: 3.4 oz Eau de Toilette, 2.5 oz Aftershave Balm, 2.5 oz Shower Gel, and 1 oz Eau de Toilette, all wrapped up in a in a nice box – so nice looking that I’m not even going to bother wrapping it!

The Nautica life men's fragrance smells fantastic and I’ve never bought Wayne cologne before, so I know he will be surprised and appreciate the quality of this fragrance and the thought behind it.

I hope you have something special planned for the Father in your life this weekend – and will make more memories with them not only on Father’s Day, but throughout the year. 

I'm also happy to be part of a fabulous giveaway that includes a cruise vacation package for one Grand Prize winner and five second place winners that will win a Nautica Men's Fragrance gift package! (Winners must be  18+) 

~Melissa

Nautica for Dad

How to Have a Radiant Summer

Compensation provided by Arm & Hammer™. All opinions are my own. 

I’m back! After working the past couple of days at my “other” job – I was beginning to go through blog and social media withdraws! I think I may have a slight addiction. :) 

The kids have been out of school for a week now – and we hadn’t really done anything together yet, with my birthday, working, and the softball/baseball routine still going strong – it really didn’t feel quite like summer yet.

Until today.

(Thankfully) I slept in until 8, laid in bed until 9, then decided to had better get up and break up the arguments (ha!) and tell the kids to get ready and load up – we were going to pick some strawberries. My friend Carolyn and I had decided a few days ago that we all needed to go together, so the kids and I met her at the u-pick farm.

The next two hours we spent in the radiant sun – hunting for the reddest, juiciest berries that we could find. Noah and Emma also happened to find some pools of water in between the strawberry rows which promptly turned into mud when they splashed in it!

We came home this afternoon with 16 pounds of strawberries, half of which I froze and the other half became strawberry jam.

Today finally felt like summer.

What activities really make summertime sink in to you? Is it BBQs in the backyard with your closest friends? Or perhaps spending the day at the county fair? Whatever activity it is, summertime should be full of fun memories. I always feel the most radiant; the most full of life – in the summer.

Summers are simpler, with less stress and more downtime (hopefully). Summers are not to be taken granted for – but so often we do. We rush through activities because we have to move on to the next one; we go through the motions, but aren’t always mentally present – I know I’m completely guilty of this.

As I knelt down picking those berries today I was present and living in the moment. I wasn’t on my phone or worrying about other things. It was a truly radiant moment for me, and I want my summer to be filled with moments like that.

Have you ever had one of those moments? Moments that when you look back it makes you smile? Right now through the end of 2015 Arm & Hammer Truly Radiant™ wants you to share those moments with everyone. They’ve partnered with the City of Hope Cancer Treatment Center to launch a social media initiative and are encouraging women to share their radiant moments using the hashtag #TrulyRadiantFinish across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For every hashtag used, Arm & Hammer is donating $1 to the City of Hope.

I love Arm & Hammer's Truly Radiant because they also want women to feel strong and beautiful with their smiles, and they've launched three new products this year for a stronger, cleaner, whiter smile.

There's the Arm & Hammer Truly Radiant Rinse, which is the first and only whitening rinse that strengthens enamel and helps stop stains before then start without alcohol or peroxide. Then there's the Rejuvenating Toothpaste, that goes beyond the surface to strengthen, clean and repair tooth enamel in a crisp, mint flavor. And finally, the Arm & Hammer Spinbrush™ Truly Radiant Manual Toothbrushes are the only manual toothbrushes that feature a rotating head, plus elongated, all-access bristles that get deep in-between teeth to help blast away plaque.

How amazing is that? Will you share your radiant moments with your friends?

And just how do you have a radiant summer? I believe that by counting your blessings and intentionally making memories, this could be your best summer yet.

~Melissa

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Arm & Hammer™.

A Week Full of Photos

Hey everyone! Just thought I'd pop on here real quick and share some recent photos with you. I'm working the next two days at my 'real' job, so I'll be pretty busy until Wednesday! This past weekend has been great - Friday night I stayed the night at the Chinook Winds Casino with four of my best friends to celebrate my 30th birthday, and then Sunday the family and I went to the mall and did a little shopping and hung out at Camp Macy's.

On a side note, we also re-homed a guinea pig. My little Miss Emma has always wanted one, and she named him "Freckles". He's very friendly and let her hold him last night. She's my little animal lover. :)

How was your weekend? 

~Melissa

6 Simple Father's Day Gift Ideas

Compensation for this post provided by Braun via Mode Media.

Have you begun thinking about what you are going to do for the dad in your life this Father’s Day? It’s only a couple of weeks away – so now is the time to plan!

We shouldn’t have to wait for a certain labeled day to spoil people, because I believe that we should celebrate life every day – and always let others know how much they mean to us; however, it’s fun to really make someone’s day extra special.

I think Father’s Day is the perfect day to share gifts of all kinds from handmade, edible, and special purchases – a combination of the three will put a smile on any father's face.

1. Cook up something special – while some may not feel that cooking may be considered a ‘gift’ I disagree. There’s nothing more special than re-creating his favorite meal or treats and displaying them nicely. Whether it is BBQ, cookies, or pancakes in the shape of his initials – make sure you put a special touch on this culinary gift. 

2. You can’t celebrate Father’s Day without giving a card! Why not make one and add a little special treat to it – one idea would be to add a special message onto some sticks of gum and use glue dots to attach them to your card. 

3. Okay, I think you should make a couple of gifts, and then buy a special one that you can’t make. Guys like practical things that they can use – and one of the biggest no-brainers is to upgrade his razor. It’s something that every many will need, use, and appreciate. I like the Braun Series 7 Electric Shaver. It’s an advanced premium shaver with innovative sonic technology with 10,000 micro-vibrations to help capture more hair. The Braun Series 7 Electric Shaver has 3 different shaving modes – extra sensitive, normal, and intensive. This is one present he will really love. 

4. Of course I think you also need to make him things – whether you have young kids or not! You can have kids paint something like flower pots with chalkboard paint and then plant him something cool – like a prickly cactus (and made a fun little card to go along with it and then let him open the Braun Series 7 Electric Shaver!)

5.You can also make something a little sentimental like a photo memory book. I love using online sites like Shutterfly to create a customized book for a certain event or theme to give to loved ones. 

6. A special coffee mug may not be very original, but it’s very practical. Every man needs a new coffee mug – and they make great vessels to fill with other things like chocolates or even gift cards.

Whatever you decide to create and buy for Father’s Day – don’t put it off! Plan you celebration early to ensure a stress-free Sunday!

If you  are thinking about purchasing the Braun 7 Electric Shaver for the Father in your life, you can receive$40 off right now with this coupon!

     What other gifts do you make/give on Father’s Day?

~Melissa

Braun Series 7 is the perfect shaver for the dad who has everything! Series 7 is the world’s first shaver with an active head oscillating at over 10,000 micro-vibrations per minute, helping to deliver the closest, most comfortable shave ever. It minimizes skin irritation by cutting hair extraordinarily close in a single stroke – for incredible closeness and comfort. Visit http://www.braun.com/us/male-grooming/series-shavers/series-7.html and you can save $40! 

5 Things You Need to Have on Hand For Summer Sleepovers to Keep Kids Healthy

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #RewardHealthyChoices #CollectiveBias

The kids have only been out of school for two days now and they are already begging for play dates – and sleepovers.

Most of the time I’m the mom who has the kids over, unless it’s a family who we know pretty well, then every once in a while the kids get invited over to someone else’s house.  After the kids begged me though, I started thinking, and I realized that I haven’t let the kids have their friends over for a slumber party in months!  Having a small (ish) house, it’s definitely something we need to plan out in advance most of the year – especially if we’re having more than one kid over for the night.

Summers are the perfect time to host a sleepover because the kids aren’t confined indoors. They can play outside, and if you’re lucky enough even sleep outdoors! One of my favorite childhood memories is when my sister and would sleep in tents in our best friend’s back yard. I believe it's healthier for kids to play outdoors when possible - it not only gives them fresh air and exercise, but promotes creativity. 

If you think you may have kids coming and going this summer it may be beneficial to keep a “sleepover kit” on hand. Get a basket, tote, or even a reusable bag, and fill it with designated sleepover items – almost like an emergency preparedness kit for slumber parties! Think of things that kids often forget to bring over, or things that you would need if anything happened. I always want the kids to go home happy and healthy!

What sort of things do kids forget to bring? Stuff like toothbrushes, mouthwash, sunscreen and flashlights. Hand sanitizer and wipes are always great to have extra of, and you could also add in special activity books, bubbles, colors, and whatever else to use for their special sleepover.

A good place to stock up on everything is Walgreens. They have pretty much all you’d need to fill up your sleepover kit – including Johnson & Johnson Healthy Essential Products like:

1. Band-Aids – Just in case – a covered wound heals faster than an uncovered wound.
2. Neosporin – again, just in case – because you should always have an antibiotic ointment on hand.

1. Listerine – It’s a sleepover – those kids and tweens will be eating lots of sugar and snacks. They’ll need to kill as many germs as possible!

1. Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist - Don’t forget to protect the kids outdoors! No one wants to come home with a sunburn! Neutrogena’s Ultra Sheer Body Mist is great because it’s non-greasy and water resistant up to 80 minutes.
2. Zyrtec  24 Hour Tablets – I always check with parents first, but Zyrtec is what we keep at the house for allergy relief as well as for other issues that arise when you’d need an antihistamine – like hives.  Zyrtec is safe to use for kids 6 and older.

I like shopping for this kind of stuff at Walgreens because I can use the Walgreens Balance Rewards for healthy choices app. The App helps encourage users to make more healthy choices and set goals. You can earn Balance Rewards Points for doing activities like walking and cycling. 

Let’s face it. These kids keep me moving, so why not get some extra rewards out of it?

Have your kids been begging for sleepovers? If you need additional ideas/tips here’s a link to one of my favorite posts: How to Plan a Girl's Sleepover Slumber Party in 10 Easy Steps.

~Melissa