Pin It To Get The Perfect Mom's Day Gift

Every Mother’s Day everyone scrambles to get the right Mother’s Day gift. Although I have received a good one or two myself (my husband surprised me the year right before my was born with a pair of diamond earrings in my Sunday paper), for the most part it’s like Forrest Gump said, “you never know what you’re gonna get: (and in some cases, not get.) 

So rather than scour the planet to try to figure out what you think mom wants for Mother’s Day, I’m going to tell you exactly what to do to get it right this Mother’s Day... 

Go to Pinterest. You’ll find the motherload (yes, that was the perfect pun!) 

Yep, this social media site (whose users are 70 percent women in the U.S. according to Mashable) is going to give you a full listing of everything you can think of to get for mom and probably at every price point. Don’t know if your mom is on Pinterest or know she doesn’t have an account? Don’t worry: just get one for yourself and type in “Mother’s Day” to get tons of ideas that you can make or buy just to make your mom feel special this Mother’s Day. 

First thing you should know is Mother’s Day isn’t really about what you get her. Yep, while jewelry, purses and all that is nice, you can get away with a lot cheaper items and get big brownie points. A meal, a craft or a keepsake may make take you a little time, but remember, the gift is about letting her know how much you appreciate her. However, if your mama has been screaming for a new Louis Vuitton (like I have) and you’ve got the cash to splurge, don’t worry, you’ll still get your bonus points and a lot more too if you get if for her (honey, this special note was just for you.) 

Here’s just a few pins I’ve come across that might make good Mother’s Day gifts for mom, grandma, etc. And if you’re like me and you get to purchase your own gift and then let everyone know what they got you, there’s even a few ideas just for Mother’s Day for you to give to your kiddos one day to show them how this whole Mother’s Day thing is supposed to work. 

        

      

    

So to all your mamas out there, I hope this post helps to create your perfect Mother’s Day! 

Go Green Without (Really) Doing Anything

To recognize Earth Day, April 22, I felt I needed to do something environmentally impactful like start a compost pile or quit using disposable diapers. Unfortunately, my time and patience kept me from being the good example I intended to be. Instead I decided it was possible to still be a good patron of Mother Earth by just making a few changes with my family’s everyday that make tomorrow even better.


Turn in your toothbrush for the World Centric Compostable Toothbrush & Compostable Travel Case

With four people and several toothbrushes a year (and several multiples for us in different bathrooms), we are looking at around 20 toothbrushes just for our family. According to research reports, approximately 450 million toothbrushes are landfilled every year in the Unites States. 


Using a compostable toothbrush shows that you care about the environment and about properly disposing of waste. This BPI certified compostable toothbrush and compostable travel case are made from Ingeo™ (derived from plants), instead of petroleum based plastics. Bristles are not compostable. You can break off the head to compost the handle and travel case within 6 months in a commercial composting facility. You can also send them your old toothbrush and travel case for composting.

Cash in your carpet cleaner for CLEAN+GREEN Auto Odor Eliminator, Cleaner and Stain Remover

Source: mamachallenge.com via Autumn on Pinterest

We love our dog, Birddie. She’s a great dog and thankfully, she’s potty-trained, but sometimes there are accidents that must be cleaned in the house and sometimes in the car. When I take her to the vet or the groomer, she leaves a special scent that I’d rather bottle up and never open again. But to find something that can clean the problem and not run us out of the room/car with the fumes is an issue. Clean+Green line of cleaners provides a nice alternative to clean up the mess, the smell and not wonder if my pet or my kiddos are going to get sick if they inhale any poisonous fumes.

Used by pet and cleaning professionals, this professional strength product uses exclusive patented encapsulation technology and advanced eliminator formula. It’s made of natural ingredients like purified water, cane sugar derivatives, a proprietary blend of botanical extracts and hydrated cellulose (plant-derived cleaning agents), and a natural propellant – nitrogen. It’s environmentally non-toxic, non-flammable, non-corrosive, non-carcinogenic, biodegradable and natural propellant.


And good for me, it’s quick and easy; working on contact - no need to soak, scrub or rinse.

Trade in your Zip Lock for the Sandwich Sack SnackTaxi

Every day I pack a lunch for my three-year old so I try to make it easy for him and his teachers for cleanup. Unfortunately just like me, every day millions of plastic sandwich bags end up in U.S. landfills. So when I had to consider this Velcro sack. This stylish, reusable bag combines the convenience of a plastic bag with the durability of a food container and comes in several designs. Each one keeps up to 1,000 plastic bags out of landfills and is perfectly sized to carry your favorite sandwich. A Velcro® closure keeps contents securely inside, and they are flexible enough to fit into a wide range of backpacks, totes and diaper bags.

And did I mention you can put it in the washer – not the dishwasher, but the washing machine? (So one less thing for you to clean!)

Throw in the towel for Marcal Small Steps Napkins

Source: mamachallenge.com via Autumn on Pinterest

With two kids and a dog, we use a lot of napkins. Actually, did you know the average person uses six paper napkins daily.  So when I came across Marcal’s Small Steps® 100% recycled “green” napkins, it was exactly what I needed. And best of all, it wasn’t much more than are normal budget napkin. Another great features it that there is a drawstring to close the bag, so unlike my normal brand, I have napkins loose and getting wrinkled in the cabinet. Marcal’s Small Step Napkins are 100% recycled, hypoallergenic, free of dyes and fragrances and is manufactured without chlorine bleaching.

See? It is possible to make a little impact even if it’s just one toothbrush, napkin, sandwich bag or cleaner at a time. Little changes can make a big difference.

Happy Earth Day!

Disclaimer: I was provided the toothbrush, Auto Pet Odor Eliminator, and sandwich sack for consideration of this review. However, the opinions presented are all my own. 

Get My Produce and Eat it Too with Fresh Juice Mixes

With spring time in full swing, I enjoy everything Mother Nature offers like al fresco dining, working in the yard and consuming fresh fruit. Unfortunately, my vegetable intake is not exactly what it should be, although I have very good intentions when I purchase produce for my family. Undoubtedly, I end up throwing some of it away since I can’t always get to cooking something with it before it goes south. It’s a never-ending cycle that many times the cost outweighs my want for fresh vegetables and fruit, and I end up with frozen and canned versions instead (despite the flavor, color and quality.) 

Blushing Orange Juice with
strawberries.

Trying to provide some suggestions to my “taste it vs. trash it” conundrum, someone suggested I juice my produce. Of course, I immediately struck down the idea. All I needed was another huge appliance to take up space that would be hard to clean and from what I had heard in the past, would probably not work well anyways. But when I got my hands on the Omega juicer, the size of the juicer surprised me - it was small although was little heavy (due to the amazing motor I would find out later). Now ready to juice, I purchased several different fruits and vegetables and waited for the “right time” to make it and then clean up the mess.

So when my husband asked for some orange juice, I immediately thought this was a good opportunity to test it out. The kitchen was already a mess from Saturday breakfast preparation, so it wouldn’t be a big deal. And since the kids were all up, I didn’t have to worry the loud sound from the juicer would wake anyone up. Best of all, I had some help if I couldn’t figure out how to put it all together. So I decided to take the plunge.

In only three minutes I was able to put it all together without any instructions, I was pleasantly surprised.

Not bad.

Next I turned it on ready to have the kids look at me in horror of the noise, but there was no real noise. Just a little hum of the motor.

Even better.

Then I let my son put in the fruit and in just a few moments, we had fresh, delicious orange juice that was amazing. So being huge fans of strawberries, we opted to try another. Again, in just a short bit, we were all sharing our version of a Blushing OJ with strawberries, raspberries, apples and oranges.

Fresh and fantastic.

With the small amount of leftover juice, as requested by my three year-old, we put them in ice cubes and made popsicles.

Healthy and delicious treat for later.

But knowing that there wasn't a secret maid button on the juicer, I knew the clean up was going to take forever. I “womaned” up to the sink and only five minutes later, everything was clean and drying.

Excellent.

I definitely am now one of those people that appreciates what a good, quality juicer can do. For instance my juicer is the Vert VRT330 Juicer - equipped with a 2-horsepower equivalent single-phase induction motor. This masticating juicer thoroughly chews up plant fibers to extract vitamins, enzymes, and minerals from fruits and vegetables, including wheatgrass and leafy greens. The Vert VRT330 Juicer dual-stage juicing system ensures maximum juice and extremely dry pulp, the first crushing stage extracts and the second pressing stage squeezes. Its Low Speed Technology System (LSTS) and low rotation speed of 80 RPMs result in minimal heat build up and oxidation which means higher quality juice, flavor, and nutrients. Best of all, the automatic pulp-ejection function allows for continuous juicing - compost the pulp, or better yet, use it to flavor soups, cakes, and more.

The Vert VRT330 Juicer also features an Automatic Wiping System that utilizes a silicone wiping blade, similar to a car's windshield wiper, to help keep the juicing screen free of excess pulp. Other highlights include built-in reverse mode to prevent food from getting stuck, heavy-duty construction, and quiet operation due to squeezing slowly rather than grinding at high speed like centrifugal juicers.

I’ve included the recipe we made as well as my next conquest, Sweet Spring Mix, which is a lot like the Dr. Oz’s Green Drink.

Blushing Orange Juice
3 oranges
1 apple
1 handful raspberries


Juice together in the order given; stir the juice to mix the flavors.

Sweet Spring Mix 

Sweet Spring Mix 
1 cucumber
1 carrot
1 green apple
¼ cup parsley
¼ cup mint
1 stalk of celery
½ inch of fresh ginger
½ lemon (peeled)


For more recipes or information about the Omega brand of juicers, visit http://www.omegajuicers.com.

Disclaimer:
I received an Omega juicer and examples of recipes for purposes of this review. However, the opinions are all my own.

Can a little dab of Nutella do-ya?

Ever had one of those days that everything was so perfectly aligned that it HAD to be right. That was today for me. I wasn't really even thinking about my next mamachallenge would be, however, the stars seemed to line up and tell me - chocolate was a good idea today. I'm sure most of you are thinking, first, "when is chocolate not a good idea?" and second, "do you really need a challenge to eat it?", but let me explain.

I had received a lovely box of Nutella to sample. Not that I really needed any convincing of that, but that idea of being challenged to eat Nutella for a quick breakfast option seemed like something I could easily achieve (sometimes it's the little things, right?) Anyhow, I started off making my son a waffle with a little spread of Nutella and a side of strawberries. It took about 2 minutes to be the mom of the world, so I was happy.

Source: Uploaded by user via Autumn on Pinterest

A few hours later while watching the news, recently released findings from the Archives of Internal Medicine reported that "individuals who consumed chocolate more frequently had a lower BMI than those who consumed it less often." At that moment, I had another reminder of that jar of Nutella sitting in the cabinet. Although I know that the report probably was talking about Nutella in the study, all of sudden Nutella was on the brain. B-A-D. So practicing a little discipline, I pulled out one single strawberry dabbed a little of the hazelnut-cocoa confection on it in efforts to rid myself of the craving (and besides, one bite wasn't going to kill me, right?)

Wrong. The Nutella took over. Well, the craving for Nutella increased. Of course, rather than just to throw it away (who would do that?), I decided the best way to part ways was just to use it up - quickly. After a few minutes on Google, I found thousands of recipes using my now adversary. I could make anything from goat-cheese Nutella grilled cheese to a delicious mole sauce. But being the good wife I am, I decided it was best to go for something that could be shared - Nutella Brownies.

There were thousands of those recipes, but it was the one from Bakingandboys.com that made the cut because it was only 5 ingredients + the Nutella. In 30 minutes, I had delicious, gooey, and perfect brownies. Best of all, the foil kept me from another dirty dish.

Source: Uploaded by user via Autumn on Pinterest

And did that nip the Nutella craving in the bud? I've eaten 1 1/2 brownies and it's not even dinner yet...perhaps it is time for my "only eat vegetables for 5 days challenge."

This review also was published on ModernMom.com at http://www.modernmom.com/blogs/autumn-reo/can-just-a-little-dab-of-nutella-be-enough.