Life here has been pretty hectic lately. Last week, I crashed my car. I hit a couple of deer on the way to work. Of course, it was on a road that I never would have been on except my daycare called in sick and we were already short people at work. So, I brought Jack up to my parent’s house.

The ordeal was pretty scary. It was the worst wreck I’ve ever been in. I just couldn’t believe that I wrecked my new 2011 Malibu that I just got in February. After a few days, my insurance company considered it totaled and the fun would be begin. I’m very lucky that my insurance is offering an amount that pretty much pays my loan. Now I’m at square one. This time without a car to trade in.

I started the car shopping and I will tell you that it’s not as fun when you are being forced to get a new car when you loved the car you had. I couldn’t seem to find anything that I like or if I liked it, it was out of price or miles range I wanted. I just wasn’t having it.
It’s been just over a week since the accident and I’m less mad and a little more excited about looking for cars. If only there wasn’t that timeline before they take my rental away.
Of course, there was the initial panic that I wouldn’t be able to attend BlogHer. I’ve been reassured by many people that I will NOT be canceling my trip to NYC!! So thankful for that. I know not being able to attend BlogHer is not the worst thing that could happened out of this whole deal. But to work so hard to achieve something like a trip to NYC and then have it taken away because of something I couldn’t control would have sucked and sucked royally.

Now I’m just waiting for my insurance company to do their job so I can officially get a new car. The wait continues……..

Jack is almost done with his first year of preschool. I can’t even believe how much he has learned. It just floors me. I’ve also learned that Jack does really well by learning with electronics. Just like his momma and I love it.

Our newest app on the iPad is the Ruckus Reader.

What is The Ruckus Reader?

The latest from Ruckus Media Group, Ruckus Reader is the first library of mobile apps to deliver learning assessment and interactive educational content seamlessly, turning screen time into valuable learning time.

Featuring a revolving library of age appropriate digital storybooks, Ruckus Reader stars the characters that children love and parents trust, such as The Wiggles, Hasbro’s My Little Pony and Transformers as well as brands, including Crayola, SeaWorld, Cyberchase, Dino Dan and VeggieTales.

To start off, we downloaded the Chuck storybook. Jack just loves Chuck so I knew we were in business. I was sly and didn’t tell him that I downloaded it. He was ecstatic when he saw Chuck on the iPad!! He couldn’t to get started.

The storybook was really easy for him to learn. At 4 years old, Jack has mastered the iPad and the apps. As the narrator read the story, I loved that Jack ran his finger across the words as if he’s following along.  He also loved the interactive games. Throughout the story, there were tasks that he had to do to earn words. The interactive games then used those words to complete the game. I liked how the reader went back and forth between the story and the games. It really made it fun for Jack.

Jack is at the age where he loves learning and I don’t have to sneak it in.  But he is really learning so much. I have to say, that my most favorite part is the progress reports I get in my email.  I can see how long he’s used the app which lets me make some adjustments if I’m worried about to much iPad time.  I can also see what reading skills he learning how fast he’s learning them. I don’t have to worry about him outgrowing the lessons any time soon. The Ruckus Reader apps are good for kids from preschool to second grade. So we have a few years left.

The Ruckus Media Group has offered one New To Mom reader a six month membership to Ruckus Reader online!! Please use the rafflecopter form below. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email before another winner is chosen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I was provided a six month membership in return for a review. As always, all thoughts are my own.

As a new mom over four years ago, I was blessed with what I would call a perfect baby. I remember sitting there on maternity leave thinking that this whole motherhood thing was so easy. I couldn’t understand why other moms couldn’t find time to shower or clean the house. Jack loved his sleep. He would be asleep by 7pm and would wake up just briefly to eat once a night and sleep until 8. He’d be asleep a couple hours later for nap and so on. Even when I went back to work, I never felt like I was running on empty from no sleep.
Now, he is four and he never wants to sleep. He’s past the nap stage. At least at home. He naps at daycare which I’d love to put a stop to. I’ve adjusted his bed time and I’m still adjusting it.
Since it’s staying light longer at night, I’m not even putting him to bed until 9pm. Then I know he is going to have about hour in bed before he falls asleep. No matter what time I put him to bed, he’s be asleep by 10. We start waking him up about 6 am so we can be out the door by 6:30. His 10 pm sleep time hasn’t been an issue.
Now, he is trying to bend the rules. Instead of playing quietly in bed for an hour, he is moving to his train table and now out into the hallway. His  hour is now turning into 2 hours. Last night? He didn’t fall asleep until almost midnight! I wouldn’t be so upset about it except for A.) I can’t go to sleep before he does and B.) We are having to drag him out the door in the morning and he is NOT pleasant to be around.
Since it’s been nice, we are outside with him for two, if not, three hours after work while he runs and rides his bike. I thought for sure that would tire him out. It’s not. I’m at my wits end with his new sleep schedule.
I think part of the problem is that he is napping at daycare. I understand her policy about naps.  However, I think she is having him nap much longer than he needs and he’s not waking up until 20 minutes before I pick him up. I’m going to have a talk with her and find out what the nap schedule is. I’m going to wait a couple of days though as I’m tired and cranky. Not the best conditions to have a discussion like this.
If she doesn’t want to adjust the schedule, I might consider leaving. Which really blows because we like everything else about her. But I think I should have a say in this situation. What do you think?

Mother’s Day is quickly approaching. Have you thought about what you are getting your mother or any of the moms in your life? How about the gift of tech.
According to Nielsens, 50% of mothers are active in social media. This year, give mom something she can use to help her stay connected with friends and family – a sleek and stylish smartphone from HTC. Mom won’t miss a beat this summer, having a top-of-the-line camera and the latest updates from her favorite social networks right at her fingertips. Now she can show off all those family photos, share her infamous recipes and keep track of the family’s schedule, all with one device.
The stylish HTC One S was released with T-Mobile for a great price of $199.99. At just 7.8mm, it is the thinnest phone from HTC yet. Delivering a premium mobile entertainment experience, the HTC One S features a stunning 4.3-inch touchscreen and the latest Android software paired with HTC Sense.  Its 8-megapixel camera comes equipped with HTC ImageSense, improving every part of the camera including the lens, sensor and software. The HTC One S also offers 1080p HD video recording, with the ability to take photos while capturing video. With Beats By Dr. Dre Audio integration, HTC One S customers can enjoy an enhanced sound experience when listening to music, watching movies or playing video games. With access to T-Mobile’s HSPA+ 42 Mbps network paired with a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, the HTC One S offers a blazing-fast mobile experience in an ultra-sleek and lightweight package.
What mother wouldn’t like a new phone? I know I would. One thing I like about HTC phones is that they offer the newest technology for phones but still managed to make them easy to use. Perfect for the mom who is new to Android phones and updated for those who have had one in the past. It seems that HTC phones just keep getting better and better.

I know I’m not the first person to write about Method cleaning products. But I bought and used some for the first time and I thought I’d share my experience.

My before thoughts on Method:
I’ve read a lot about Method products before. Yes, they are earth friendly. Yes, they have super cute packaging. Yes, the different scents are enticing. But is cute and enticing going to clean my house? I live with two males. One who does construction and one who is 4. Need I say more?  I can’t really rely on cuteness alone to help make cleaning easier and effective. I need heavy duty products to get the job done. But, I had some Target coupons for Method and with the coupon, the price was right. So I thought I’d give them a shot.

My after thoughts on Method:
Method made me want to plug in that printer at home that’s been sitting there for two months unused. Huh? Let me explain. I had the most fun trying to pick out what scents and what products I wanted to buy. But again, good smelling products aren’t always the best. I bought the dish soap and the spray cleanser.
I’ve had the thought that earth friendly products are not going to clean as well as the other products. I guess I thought if I didn’t about pass out while cleaning the counters, I wasn’t cleaning. I will admit I was wrong. I bought the lime and sea salt. It’s a special edition apparently. My kitchen smelled like I was sitting on the beach with a yummy margarita. How did it clean? It cleaned very well actually. I was really surprised by how well it got the gunk off from the day. I didn’t have to use much elbow grease or anything.
I really expected to have it not work so then I would have to use the harsh stuff. Then I would sit and cry about how I wasted $5. I’m very glad Method was not what I expected. I was very pleased. I was so pleased that instead of just doing the counters, I ended up cleaning the stove and both bathrooms. On a Sunday night. You know, the Sunday night where I spend folding laundry and watching Mob Wives.

Have you used Method products before?

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Chili’s Grill & Bar for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

At this point in my busy life, I'm always looking for a reason to hang out with my girlfriends. The closest event would Cinco De Mayo. Where do we normally start our girl's night evenings? With a dinner at Chili's!
It's with my girlfriends that I can enjoy an evening out and a dinner at one of my favorite restaurants. It's a win-win for me.

To help celebrate Cinco De Mayo, try the CoronaRita at Chili's.

 What the heck is that you ask? It's made with Jose Cuervo Especial Tequila and Coronita. It's like buying your margarita a beer! I'm loving this idea. I'm guess it will go well with my favorite menu items that I ALWAYS order. The idea behind the CoronaRita is appealing to me. It's like two drinks in one. I love a cold beer but sometimes I want a blended drink. It's like having the best of both worlds. It's the perfect way to celebrate Cinco De Mayo with a festive twist. I don't know about your neck of the woods, but it's been super hot here. Like in the 80s and it's only April. I love having a cold drink on a hot day. Even though I do not like hot weather, cold drinks and hot weather seem to work well together.

I'm thinking I would start off the night with some chips and salsa. Since it would be Cinco De Mayo, it just seems natural. Plus I love Chili's chips and salsa and could probably eat all of it but I'm nice and share with my friends. That's what friendship is about.

I also think that Chili's has the BEST boneless buffalo wings. I love them so much, that I order them as my main course. I've had them at other places and hands down, Chili's is the best.
Would you try Chili's new CoronaRita Margarita? Would it go with something you would normally order from Chili's? Or would you maybe venture out and try something new?

***You must be 21 years or older to drink alcoholic beverages and as always, please remember to drink responsibly***

I thought I’d share an update on photography. I’ve been practicing so very hard and I can’t believe that I keep getting better. I just won’t show you the bad ones. Okay? I’m improving so much, that most of the pictures I took when we went to the circus, were taken without a flash.

I drug Jack and J to the park last weekend. I shouldn’t say drug, because Jack loves the park and especially loves Bacon Creek. He got to play and I took pictures like a maniac. Fun times for all.

Here are some of the best from the day:

Seriously. How classic is this face? I’m not he’s not annoyed with me at all at this point.

Whoohoo!! Bokeh affect! Only the second time I’ve been able to do it with my camera and fixed lens.

Now the bird is flying away. I wonder if he too, is annoyed by me and my camera. I’m beginning to see a trend here…..

Great action shot!!

I’m pretty sure this one is going in frame or something. It’s definitely going in the book.

So there you have it. I’m not a pro yet, but I’m getting better and I’m loving it.

I should start this by being honest. Yes, we went to the circus. However, we almost didn’t.
One of the perks of my job is that we can get box seats at the local events center. We put our names in and then winners are chose. So, I won tickets to the circus. It was going to be a really busy week and the last thing I wanted to do was go to the 7pm show on a Tuesday. I was all set on giving the tickets back. It’s not like Jack would even know the circus was in town.
I was content with this decision, that is until Jack saw the commerical for the circus. All I heard was something like, “MOM!! THE CIRCUS IS COMING!!! CAN WE GO?!” So I did what any good parent would do. I told him that I was way ahead of him and that we already had tickets. Crap.
It’s not that I don’t like the circus. It’s just that he’s been two times before and it is the same show every year. I would love to go if maybe they switched things up a bit.
So we went. It was fun. We got to see the tigers do their thing.

Then it was the cute poodles who also do their thing. I actually do like to see the different poodles jumping through hoops and all that jazz.

The elephants amaze me every time. Sure, they are doing the exact same tricks they have done the last two years. But they are HUGE animals and I just don’t know how they do it. I don’t think I could even do half the stuff that they do.

The circus also provided the man that shoots out of the cannon. Jack thought it was, “Awesome”.

Overall, Jack had a great time and it was a great event for our family to do together. I’m just glad I wasn’t a Debbie Downer and decided to keep the tickets.

Has your family been to the circus?

Thank you COOL WHIP for sponsoring this post. Join us on Facebook for inspiration and recipes for everyday treats. What you add makes it. #coolwhipmoms

I think all of us have that one special dessert that brings us back to our childhood. Maybe it’s your grandmother’s apple pie? Mine is candy apple salad with COOL WHIP Whipped Topping. It’s not something that we ate all the time but I would get so excited to see it a get togethers. As a mom, I try to incorporate my favorite childhood desserts in our menus. I love sharing with Jack my favorite desserts in hopes that he will enjoy them as well.

I also think that candy apple salad is one of those every day simple desserts that is really easy to prepare but tastes so good.  The use of easy every day ingredients make this salad easy to make on a whim. One of the ingredients in the salad is COOL WHIP. I can’t imagine making this salad with anything else. I think the creaminess of COOL WHIP adds such a wonderful texture and sweetness to the candy and apples.

Not only is candy apple salad a favorite of mine, I do love a warm piece of pie. I love most pies but homemade peach pie with COOL WHIP has to be a favorite. I can’t always have homemade pie so a premade pie will do just fine. What makes this simple dessert special is COOL WHIP. It takes me back to when I was kid at our holiday parties. It wasn’t a holiday if the pie table didn’t have stacks of COOL WHIP containers on them. There is something so comforting about taking a bite of a warm pie with a dollop cold of COOL WHIP.

Or how about on a brownie? I normally make brownies from a box mix. Which is fine with me, but I’d like to add a little flair to my not so homemade items. You know, make them my own. For an easy fix, I like to had some COOL WHIP on top with a sprinkle of chocolate powder or maybe even a cherry. Or if I’m really feeling fancy, I’ll scoop some ice cream on a brownie and then top it with some chocolate syrup and add my COOLWHIP. Whatever I’m making, adding COOL WHIP makes my everyday desserts that more special to my son.

Have you ever had candy apple salad? Here is the recipe that I use, but I normally end up doubling it because I like it so much.

Candy Apple Salad

1 lg. instant vanilla pudding
8 to 12 oz. COOL WHIP
4 to 5 SNICKERS® bars
5 to 6 diced apples
3 to 4 sliced bananas

Use 1 1/2 cups milk to pudding and mix until creamy. Add COOL WHIP. Add SNICKERS® (cut in pieces). Add fruit to mixture. Serves 8-12

Sponsored posts are purely editorial content that we are pleased to have presented by a participating sponsor. Advertisers do not produce the content. I was compensated for this post as a member of Clever Girls Collective, but the content is all my own

Yesterday, I gave a little background on my rosacea. Had I known the signs of rosacea, I would have seen my doctor much sooner than I did. I could have saved myself the embarrassment of the painful bumps. I probably could have even prevented them

Could you have rosacea? Symptoms can very by person, but here are the most common signs:

1.  Blushing:  a  tendency  to  blush  or  flush  easily
2.  Redness:  persistent  redness  in  the  center  of  the  face
3.  Irritation:  a  burning  or  stinging  sensation  on the face;  the skin may itch or feel tight
4.  Bumps:  red  bumps,    visible  blood  vessels  and  pus-­filled  pimples  may  occur
5.  Eyes:  burning,  itching,  watery  eyes  and/or  swollen  eyelids

As I’ve mentioned a few times, rosacea did cause me some emotional distress. I was so uncomfortable in my own skin. I’m normally a pretty confident person but before I started treatment, I didn’t want people to see my face.  I seriously felt like every time I spoke with someone, they were looking at my face and thinking, “What the heck is wrong with this girl?” It probably wasn’t the case, but that’s how I felt. It really hurt how I interacted with people.

The good news is that there is treatment available!  It’s important to start treatment because if left untreated, rosacea can cause permanent damage to your skin. There are topical and oral therapies. I’ve been taking a low dose antibiotic and couldn’t be happier. I’ve also made some lifestyle changes that are totally helping.

To help spread the word about Rosacea Awareness Month, Cynthia Nixon is speaking out  for the first time about her rosacea:

It seems to make me feel better when a celebrity speaks out about an issue. It helps me feel like I’m not alone and that even famous people can have the same issues that I have.

To find out more about rosacea, visit the RosaceaFacts website You can take a screening and find a dermatologist in your area that can help you get the treatment you need and deserve. To join in on the discussion and find support, join the RosaceaFacts facebook page.

Disclosure: This post enters me into the running to be a RosaceaFacts Ambassador, sponsored by Galderma Laboratories, L.P.