Maty's Healthy Products Review and Giveaway

We've been all battling colds (the kids) and pneumonia (Scott and I) over here for the majority of the month. With the kids they are still too young to really be given anything other than Tylenol and Motrin and when it comes to congestion I think Vicks VapoRub is a little much at times. Plus, with Jill's sensitive skin the last thing we need is a rash on top of everything else. Thankfully there is a rub that is all natural and will not irritate her skin, Maty's Baby Chest Rub.

Maty's Baby Chest Rub is made with all natural products including Eucalyptus, Lavender and Chamomile. The chest rub is menthol and petroleum free. The essential oils boost immune function while it calms and soothes your baby. The chest rub is also menthol and petroleum free, which have the potential to be harmful to baby. The scent is really nice and not overpowering at all, like Vick's. Jill didn't mind having it rubbed on and it seemed to help.

Maty's has several all natural products for the whole family to use during cold and flu season. Be sure to check out their website to see all of the products and find out where you can purchase them.

Maty's is also running a "Be a Guardian Angel" Holiday Initiative. For every 100 new fans, Maty's will donate $100 to Vitamin Angels. Vitamin Angels reduces child mortality worldwide by connecting essential nutrients with infants and children under five. Essential nutrients enable young immune systems to fight infectious diseases, helping children attain good health and the opportunity to lead meaningful and productive lives. For more information, visit http://www.matyshealthyproducts.com/vitamin-angels. When Maty’s reaches 1,000 “likes” on Facebook, they will donate an additional $500 to the cause. Contest ends Dec. 30th so start now!

Want to win a container of Maty's Baby Chest Rub for this cold and flu season? Simply like Maty's Healthy Products on Facebook (let me know that you did this in the comment section).

For additional entries:

Follow Twice the Love Half the Sleep
Like Twice the Love Half the Sleep on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter (@amandanethero)
Follow Maty's Healthy Products on Twitter (@matyshealth)
Tweet about this giveaway (include @amandanethero and @matyshealth in your tweet)
Visit Maty's website and tell me what other product you would love to try

The winner will be announced on Friday December 2nd, so hurry and enter!

Disclosure: I was compensated by company or PR representative with a container of Maty's Baby Chest Rub for writing my honest review. The views are strictly 100% my own. Receiving the product(s) did not influence me to produce a positive review.

SugieWogie Review

I've talked about bathing suit woes before. Seriously, next to a root canal I think bathing suit shopping is my least favorite activity. I usually buy 2 piece suits (takini's) because most one piece suits are not made for amazon's like myself, so naturally I was a little skeptical about the SugieWogie.

What's a SugieWogie you ask? SugieWogie, created by Shari Riehl, is the first ever line of luxury SwimDresses for women of all sizes that control imperfections and trouble spots. Cut from lusciously soft nylon/spandex, the collection of SwimDresses have one-piece body shaping bodysuits complete with legs (thigh-controlling shorts). While most swimsuits cut off at the widest part of a woman's body — her hips — these SwimDresses are a bit longer, to cover problem areas. No more super tight elastic band hugging your upper thigh and causing a muffin leg. The legs are double lined and lay flat for a sleek look.

The SugieWogie Signature Collection consists of 4 SwimDresses and 2 cover-up tops. SugieWogie Signature Collection comes in four designer styles: Cheers for Tiers, Splash Safari, Marilyn Sighting and Ruche Hour. Each SwimDress is crafted from a luxuriously soft nylon/spandex blend with a concealing, sheer mesh overlay. The signature cover-ups are mesh tops that compliment your bathing suits in styles named Ruffles Hide Ridges and Oh So Kimono. All are available in black (but of course), are patent-pending and made in the USA.

I received a SugieWogie in Marilyn Sighting. Of the four this was my favorite style, and seemed the most youthful. What surprised me the most about this SwimDress is the weight. It definitely feels heavier than a normal swimsuit, but once you have it on you forget about the weight. The suit also fit me perfectly, especially lengthwise which is normally a concern. We are going on a cruise this summer and this SwimDress while definitely get packed. It will be perfect for the day we spend on the private island since I won't have to bring along a cover up.

The price for a SugieWogie is definitely steep (well, at least for me). The Marilyn Sighting SwimDress retails for $272, however, the material and overall construction of the SwimDress makes it well worth the price. You are getting a high quality shapewear SwimDress that will last you a long time.

Be sure to check out the other 3 designs of SugieWogie SwimDresses and keep up with SugieWogie on Facebook and Twitter.

Disclosure: I was compensated by company or PR representative with a SugieWogie SwimDress and write my honest review. The views are strictly 100% my own. Receiving the product(s) did not influence me to produce a positive review.

The Elf on the Shelf

I finally went out yesterday and got The Elf on the Shelf. I think this year is the perfect year to start this with the kiddos and Scott and I were really excited to start the tradition. Plus, if it encourages good behavior we are sold.

Last night we read the kiddos the story of the elf on the shelf and it came time to name our little pixie friend. Here's how that went...

Jill: Um Ariel.
Me: Um....he's an elf not a mermaid. Aaron, what name do you think?
Aaron: Larry Boy.
Me: He's not a singing cucumber, any other suggestions?
Jill: Boyd.
Aaron: Yeah, Boyd.
Me and Scott: Boyd?!
Jill and Aaron: Boyd.
Me: Ok, Boyd it is.

I have no idea where they got the name Boyd from, but Boyd it is. Jill found him this morning watching them in the playroom....



Jill: Um, what's that?
Me: Boyd the elf, remember we read the story about him last night.
Jill: Oh yeah....Santa....hmmm....

When Aaron got up Jill showed him Boyd and Aaron asked to speak to him.

Aaron: Boyd, hey Boyd. I want a red train. (I'm so glad this is the part of the entire story he remembered...)
Jill: Ooooh I want an elephant Boyd!
Me: I'm sure Boyd will tell Santa, but you have to be good, remember?
Aaron (whispering): Boyd...red....train.

This is going to be awesome.

Our Thanksgiving

I'm not going to lie, I did not have high hopes/expectations for our Thanksgiving this year. Scott and I were/are getting over pneumonia, Jill has an awesome barking cough, and Mimi is in the hospital with a raging staph infection that is now seemingly under control. Paw Paw and I chatted and I said I had zero desire to make the full feast and we decided to order it in from Publix. Funny story, I ended up making everything except the turkey anyway.


Scott's only requirement on Thanksgiving is cornbread dressing, and actually his Mom makes squash dressing (which is cornbread dressing but with squash), and Maw Maw's gravy (which really is more of a soup than a gravy, but I digress). So I made a regular bread dressing for us Northerner's (Paw Paw and myself) and the squash dressing for the Southerners (Scott and Mimi since Paw Paw took her a plate). It's dangerous territory being a Yankee making southern food, but apparently I was successful.


Dinner itself was a success and really delicious. The turkey was perfect and so was my apple pie. The tryptophan kicked in right away for Aaron who was already tired. It only took one slice of turkey and the poor kid was out.


At the end of the day it was a great Thanksgiving. I may have eaten my body weight in stuffing and other various carbohydrates, but it was totally worth it. Hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving as well!

Thanksgiving Thursday - Thanksgiving Edition

Every week I list the things that I am thankful for, and since today is Thanksgiving the list may be a little bit longer.

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for:

• Scott and everything he does for us during the year. He is the sole bread winner and I know how much pressure that is on him. I am thankful for the days he gets up and goes to work when he would rather stay home or do something else.

• Scott allowing me to have access to the Netflix account so we can watch movies that have more than one word titles and star people other than Vin Diesel.

• Scott having both Thanksgiving and Christmas off this year. I honestly cannot tell you the last time this happened or if it has ever happened before.

• Aaron who has the best sense of humor and can always make me laugh, even when I don't need to laugh.

• Aaron who can give the best hugs when you need them.

• Aaron who genuinely loves, cares and shows concern for everyone around him. Some girl is going to be very lucky to have him one day in the very very distant future.

• Jillian who reminds me so much of myself at this age. Sometimes this is a good thing and sometimes this is the thing that nightmares are made of.

• Jillian who comes up with some of the funniest observations I've ever heard.

• Jillian who also genuinely loves, cares and shows concern for everyone around her. I would say some boy is going to be very lucky, but he also gets her "stubborn" streak too. It will take a very strong man.

• My parents who are always there for me when I need them. I am so lucky to have the family that I have and honestly wouldn't change it for anything.

• My in-laws who are an amazing support system for us. They help us in so many ways and I don't know if I can ever say thank you enough to them.

• My brothers and sisters who have helped shape into the person I am today. This includes all traumatic experiences that have led to phobias in my life.

• My sister Tay-Tay (Cathy) who is someone I can always look to for a laugh, or a bitchy comment when I can't think of one. We may not have started out as the best of sisters but I am so incredibly thankful to have her in my life. Not to be super cheesy, but, if you look up sister her picture should be there.

• My amazing friend Dawn. She's like my sister from another mister, I love her!

• My friend Jenn who took the kiddos for the day when we were sick. She's an amazing friend in general and I love her dearly!

• The success I've had at Multiples and More. It has given me so many opportunities and has just been an overall blessing.

• Having a roof over our heads when so many people are losing theirs. We are blessed and lucky to still be where we are.

• Missy teaching me how to coupon to the point that I do. It saves us so much money and ensures that we have more than enough food to the point that people can literally shop out of our pantry if need be.

• Our church family. We are lucky to have found a great group of people in our parish.

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving? Link up over at Multiples and More!

Harmony Valley Foods Review

As many of you know I don't eat beef. It's not really a "don't kill cows" thing, I just hate the way I feel after I eat it. I usually sub ground chicken or ground turkey for ground beef in my recipes, but it gets old after awhile. I've also been looking for vegetarian options because I want to start cutting out the amount of meat we eat in general. Even if it's just starting with something as simple as a Meatless Monday.

I was able to try Harmony Valley Foods Hamburger Mix. Harmony Valley Foods is a privately owned and operated business in Fort Collins, Colorado since 1984. It creates shelf-stable protein mixes from vegetables to encourage health. The company is dedicated to fully sustainable business practices and is powered by the winds of Northern Colorado. Its products are certified vegan and kosher. Harmony Valley Mixes are available in natural food grocers. Harmony Valley is found in the dry foods aisle- near pastas and whole grains.

With 14 grams of protein and four grams of fiber, Harmony Valley’s soy-based vegetarian mix is the NEW item to have in the pantry to replace ground meat on Mondays. It’s versatile, quick and convenient, and only needs one thing to prepare for cooking – water. Harmony Valley is available in two great flavors: Hamburger and Sausage Mix.

Harmony Valley strives to educate consumers that replacing meat just once a week can improve health and reduce carbon footprints. On the average, Americans consume eight ounces of meat per day – 45% more than the USDA recommends. Going meatless once a week can reduce the risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. It can also help reduce carbon footprints, saving resources like water and fossil fuel. With a designated Meatless Monday, people have a scheduled and recurring reminder to start the week off on a nutritious note.

So what did I make with my Harmony Valley Hamburger Mix? I made nachos for the whole family. Prepping the hamburger mix was so simple, you just add water and put it in the fridge for 15 minutes. That's it. After that you just need to heat it through. So simple, right?

Add the hamburger mix with some vegetarian refried beans, low-fat shredded cheese, low-fat sour cream, salsa and corn chips and you have nachos for your whole family. All of us loved it and I cannot wait to sub this into more of my recipes!

Disclosure: I was provided a sample of Harmony Valley Hamburger Mix for review. The opinions expressed are my own and were in no way influenced.

The Gym Incident

I love my parents, they absolutely crack me up. Yesterday was no exception. As many of you know, my MOM had knee replacement surgery this year and is doing amazingly well. She decided to join the gym that my Dad goes to and now they work out together at some ungodly hour in the morning. There is nothing that makes me laugh harder than when my Dad talks about the gym, and when you have a case of pneumonia it hurts so good. I'm not kidding guys, I could not text my sister fast enough to ask if she heard "the gym story". Here's how it went down...

My Dad is talking to me about how they went to the gym, and how on Monday's, Wednesday's and Friday's that gym is always busy. Please cue the Chicago accent...ahem:

Dad: All the THREADmills are taken but they had one of them air bikes but you know with that other knee she can't really do the bike. So I put her on that machine, you know, so she could work on her TIE muscles and build up strength in her legs. (*My face is already buried in my shirt to stifle my laughter*)

Me: Yeah, so how did she do?

Dad: She did good except when we went to leave she realized she lost her phone. I don't even know why she brought the God D@mn thing into the gym in the first place. And it's not like anybody stole it, we haven't had that problem there. I mean I would question it if she had it in her jacket, but she didn't.

Me: Did it fall between the seats in the car?

Dad: No, I checked. It probably feel out by that one machine because you are at an angle and it was in her pocket. I don't know why she even brought the thing in. She's there looking for it now.

So I razzed my MOM a little about it when she got home but then after texting with my sister we devised our plan (cue evil laugh):

Tay-Tay: I just called and left them a message telling them we want to know if they have locker's there.

Me: "Don't you two have anything better to do? Jesus Christ!" (This is our expected response from either or both parents)

Tay-Tay: Who two? Jesus and Christ? They are one in the same.

Me: I would pee my Pampers if you said that to them. Oh.My.God.

So a few hours go by and I call my parents to give them an update on my mother in law. After talking with my MOM for a while I casually say....

Me: So, do they have lockers at that gym?

MOM: Oh you know, what you two can go to hell!

And the laughter hurt....it hurt so good.

Oh this sucks....

Scott and I have had coughs and been somewhat sick since Tuesday. We assumed we just had colds and took some over the counter meds and tried to sleep it off. Let me also mention, we have never, ever been sick like this at the same time with the kids. It has not been enjoyable.

Finally, early (like 1 am) on Saturday morning I woke up because I was having problems breathing. Scott took me to the ER. 6 hours later they said I didn't have kidney stones (ok?) and that my chest x-ray came back fine. Probably just a viral thing, which I think in medical terms means, "yup, no idea". So we got home and a few hours later they called and said I had "a little bit" of pneumonia. I didn't realize you could have a little bit of that, but I do. Scott hearing this figured he should go in too. Turns out he has full blown pneumonia.

So here we are....the pneumonia twins, with our medical masks and our twins. Thank you to Jenn for taking the kids yesterday it helped so much!

The One with the Dentist

The kiddos had dentist appointments yesterday, and in true mini-Scott and mini-Amanda fashion, they were not excited. Surprisingly, Jill went back right away with the hygienist while Aaron stayed in the waiting room with me. Splitting them up actually ended up being the best idea ever, and I'll tell you why.

Jill screamed, Jill threw herself to the ground and wouldn't move, and Jill played the potty game for 20 minutes. That's when I got called into the office. In case you have never been lucky enough to be called into the office at the dentist, it is similar to being called into the principal's office. The office manager (the dentist wasn't actually there since it was just a cleaning) sat me down and turned the computer screen around. There she was, my stubborn daughter, curled up on the floor next to the chair. Epic. "She's kind of stubborn, isn't she?" I had to bite my tongue and not say "Is the Pope Catholic?". Then I had the flashback to all of my dentist appointments as a child. I was a monster. I used to make myself gag during x-rays, I cried/screamed the whole time, it was awful. Oh Lord....

They were able to get her teeth cleaned and walked her out as Aaron was being walked in, but they were sure to see that neither child saw the other one in passing. I'm glad they did it this way, there is no way Aaron would have gone back if he saw Jill's tear stained face.

Aaron, on the other hand, was the complete opposite of any of us and went back and didn't make a peep. He was done in less than 15 minutes. It was a dream. During that time Jill told me about the not-so-awesome time she had:

Jill: Mommy, I was crying.
Me: I can see that. Why were you crying?
Jill: They brushed my teeth.
Me: You were crying because they brushed your teeth?
Jill: Uh huh.
Me: But it's just like when Mommy brushes your teeth. Actually, it's better, you get to watch a movie.
Jill: I know...I cried. Where's Aaron?
Me: Getting his teeth brushed.
Jill: Oh no Mommy!
Me: Jill, he's fine, he's not even crying.
Jill: I cried....

She even told Scott all about it when he got home from work. It was like it just happened minutes before. I have 6 months to work on this fear of the dentist with her. Any tips?

The Swiss Cheese Debate

I've mentioned it before, but the kids are seriously cracking me up lately, which is a welcome change from the moments I want to rip my hair out. Aaron has a cheese obsession, seriously it's not a love, it's an obsession. He varies between what kind of cheese he wants though, it can be either string, square (sliced) or chunks. He likes all kinds, even kinds you wouldn't think a 3 1/2 year old would like (Gruyere, Peccorino-Romano to name a few). However, he has a problem with Swiss cheese. This is how it went down....

Aaron: Momma, can I have a square cheese?
Me: Ok...here you go. (handed him a slice of Swiss)
Aaron: No, the yellow cheese (Cheddar).
Me: Aaron I'm out of cheddar, I just have Swiss.
Aaron: Momma, it's broken.
Me: No, it's supposed to have holes in it, see... (show him the whole package)... all of them have holes.
Aaron: Oh no, all the cheese is broken! Fix it!
Me: No, it's supposed to have holes.
Aaron: Daddy fix it?
Me: Nobody can fix it, it's supposed to have holes.
Aaron: (moment of silence and contemplation) I want yellow cheese.
Me: I don't have cheddar Aaron, I just have Swiss.
Aaron: I don't want broken cheese. (walks away)

True story.

Bounce Dryer Bar Review

I was lucky enough to sample the new Bounce Dryer Bar. I'm not a fan of dryer sheets, but I love the smell of fabric softener (don't act like you don't like the smell). The Bounce Dryer Bar is so easy to install and puts out an amazing scent. Plus, it lasts anywhere from 2-6 months. Isn't that great?

Here's how you install your Bounce Dryer Bar:

Installing the Bounce Dryer Bar is simple and can be completed in just a few easy steps. Just be sure to wipe down the dryer drum before you install the bar.

Step 1:

Select a location on the drum BETWEEN the dryer fins. DO NOT pick the back wall, the door nor the fins (the pieces that stick up from the dryer drum).

Step 2:

Wipe the area clean and dry and be sure it is free of any residue.

Step 3:

Peel back the paper backing from the adhesive on the back of the white holder of the dryer bar.

Step 4:

Stick the bar to your dryer and press firmly for 15 seconds. Be sure it's exactly where you want it before you attach it - changing locations will result in the holder falling off of your dryer. You can not reuse the adhesive.

Step 5:

Wait 15 minutes before using.

Easy, right? But what about when it needs to be replaced? The bar will reveal the word "Replace" when it's time to switch out your bar. How great is that?!

Thanks to the people from BlogHer and Bounce for supplying me with a bar to sample!

Van's Natural Foods Giveaway

I'm running another giveaway with the amazing people at Van's Natural Foods! I love their Muffin Crowns and Waffles, they are so yummy and full of great ingredients.


One of the newest products are the Muffin Crowns, basically the part without the stump (go ahead, insert that episode of Seinfeld, I know I did!). There are two flavors, wild blueberry and triple chocolate. I, personally, love the wild blueberry and Scott is a fan of the triple chocolate. The Muffin Crowns are made with at least 7 grams of whole grains and pack 6 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein per serving, in only 120 calories or less. They’re individually packaged and can be eaten oven toasted or simply thawed, so they’re great as a quick, portable breakfast or snack. For Scott this is a perfect, quick breakfast that he can eat on his way into work.


Another new product is the waffle sticks, which come in two flavors, vanilla and chocolate. We tried the vanilla sticks and the kids loved them. Van’s new Waffle Sticks have only 70 calories per serving and they are sized perfectly to fit in kids' hands, so they're a great treat on-the-go. You can either microwave these, put them in a toaster oven or toast them in the oven. We did them in the microwave and I'm happy to say they were not soggy at all! The vanilla flavor is sweet, but not overpowering, which is perfect for the kids.

My local grocery store carries these and I didn't even have to check the frozen aisle to find out thanks to the handy store locator feature on Van's website. I'm a huge fan of the whole line of Van's products (the french toast sticks are without a doubt one of my favorites, followed closely by the apple cinnamon waffles and now the wild blueberry muffin crowns) and the fact that they are nutritious while still being delicious. A huge thank you to the wonderful people from Van's for allowing me to sample these new products!

One lucky reader will have a chance to try out these new products as well! Simply visit Van's Natural Foods website, check out their list of goods and tell me which product you'd like to try the most.

For additional entries:
Follow Twice the Love...Half the Sleep
Like Twice the Love...Half the Sleep on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Like Van's Natural Foods on Facebook
Tweet about this giveaway (be sure to include @amandanethero in your tweet)

The winner will be announced on Friday November 18th.

The winner will be announced Friday August 12th! Good luck everyone!

Thanksgiving Thursday

For those of you that don't know what Thanksgiving Thursday is, it is the one time during the week where you stop and basically count your blessings. Even if you've had one of those weeks, I promise you can find at least one thing to be thankful for, no matter how big or small.

This week I am thankful for:

• Scott and the patience that he has. Sometimes I think his name should have been Job.

• Aaron who makes me laugh when I need it most.

• Jill's singing in the car. It is so adorable!

• A fantastic week with my parents!

• A great day on Sunday with family and friends.

• A loving community that we are lucky to be a part of.

• This picture, it instantly puts me in a great mood and brings tears to my eyes from laughter:

What are you thankful for this week?

The Blessing

Sunday Scott and I planned to be remarried in the church. When we were married 5 1/2 years ago we married at Disney, which the Catholic Church does not marry at. At the time it was not an issue for us, Scott wasn't Catholic and I was what you would consider a 'Chreaster' meaning I only went on Christmas and Easter. However, now it is really important for us to have our marriage recognized. Sunday we received a special blessing and plan to set up our marriage for after the first of the year.

It was nice having so many people close to us there. My parents, my in-laws, our friends the B6 and then many of our Knights and Columbiette's friends were there as well. I don't have any photos from mass, but I finally remembered to take photos at lunch after mass. We all went to Maggiano's and it was fantastic (as always). Jill even got to ride there with her friends, which she thought was just beyond awesome.

Yes, I failed to get a photo of Scott and I on this special day. Score one for me :(

Thank you to everyone that was there, it meant so much to us to have you there with us!

Topricin Review

It's no secret I'm training for my second half marathon and with that comes a few aches and pains. I'm not a fan of taking pain pills and would rather try an all natural approach. Topricin is an all natural pain relief cream with formulations that the whole family can use. The three formulations are the original Topricin, Topricin Foot Therapy Cream and Topricin Junior.

Doctor-recommended Topricin® is called "a miracle treatment" by doctors and patients alike. It works because it doesn't just mask the pain. Topricin® uses no volatile oils such as camphor, menthol, or irritating chemicals and can be used as many times a day as needed with no fear of overuse or interference with other medications.

Effective For:

• Arthritis
• Back pain
• Bruises
• Bursitis
• Fibromyalgia
• Minor burns
• Sciatica
• Scrapes
• Sprains
• Strains
• Tendinitis
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Podiatrist-recommended Topricin® Foot Therapy Cream is specially formulated to relieve foot and ankle pain. It offers soothing treatment for swelling and soreness and effectively treats dry, cracked skin. Whatever the reason causing you to have aching feet, this fast absorbing, paraben-free formula will get you back on your feet in no time.


Effective For:

• Achilles Tendinitis
• Bruising
• Gouty Arthritis
• Heel Pain
• Impact Injuries
• Leg Cramps
• Nerve Pain
• Neuromas
• Overuse
• Planar Fasciitis
• Sports Injuries
• Sprains
• Strains

Pediatrician-recommended Topricin® Junior Children's Pain Relief and Healing Cream is specially formulated for a child's delicate skin. Whatever the mishap, bump, bruise, or boo boo, this paraben- and petroleum-free, patent pending formula treats pain associated with a wide range of children's injuries safely and quickly, delivering fast relief.

Effective For:

• Bruising
• Bug/Insect Bites
• Eczema
• Growing pains
• Joint pain
• Minor burns
• Muscle sprains
• Scrapes
• Scratches
• Strains

I have to say that my favorite thing about this product, aside from the fact that it works, is that it doesn't have a medicine smell to it. Other creams I have used have an awful smell that everyone can smell from a mile away. Nobody will know you even have this cream on, and like I said, it really works.

Topricin also makes a "The Boo Boos Happen First Aid Kit" ($19.99), which is a must-have for every family and includes: a 1.5 tube of Topricin Junior and 20 standard size ‘Ouchies’ self adhesive bandages in five colors (pastel purple, blue, yellow, green, pink) that kids can decorate themselves with three markers (dark blue, red and purple) that are included. The Boo Boo Happens First Aid Kit retails for $19.99 and can be purchased at Topricin’s online store at http://www.topricin.com/product/boobooshappen/. Enter in promo code BOO25 to receive 25% off your order.

Topricin is available in pharmacies, natural food stores, and other fine retailers nationwide, including Whole Foods, Vitamin Shoppe, Vitamin World, Fred Meyer, Wegmans, and other retail stores throughout the U.S., as well as direct from the Topical BioMedics’ online store.

If you have any muscle aches and pains definitely check out Topricin, it's a fantastic product!

Thank you Topricin for supplying me with products for this review!

Lunch with the Characters

Wednesday we had lunch with Disney Junior characters at Hollywood and Vine at Disney's Hollywood Studios. The kids had a blast when we went for their second birthday, and this time was even better. They got to meet Oso, Leo, June, and Handy Manny. Aaron even participated in the dance party that they do.

We also discovered during this little luncheon that Jill loves red velvet cake, who knew?

Thank you to Busia and Dzia Dzio for taking us to lunch there, I know they had fun, too.


After lunch we went and watched the parade, saw the Little Mermaid show, the Disney Junior Show, the Beauty and the Beast show, went on the Great Movie Ride and finally we went on Toy Story Mania. It's the first time any of us have been on Toy Story Mania because we've never wanted to wait in the line. The kids loved it and so did the big kids ;)

Hope you're having a great start to your weekend and be sure to visit Multiples and More because I'm the guest blogger today.

Thanksgiving Thursday

For those of you that don't know what Thanksgiving Thursday is, it is the one time during the week where you stop and basically count your blessings. Even if you've had one of those weeks, I promise you can find at least one thing to be thankful for, no matter how big or small.

This week I am thankful for:

• Scott being able to take some personal days while my parents are in town :)

• Scott and I being able to finally have our marriage recognized in the church. It's something we've wanted to do for a while, but we just never did it.

• My parents being in town, not only to spend time with us, but also to be here when we renew our vows.
  

• Aaron's humor this week. He's basically been telling Dzia Dzio how it is at Disney.

• Jill's sweet moments, even though they are not as frequent as her diva moments.

• My mother in laws infection clearing up. She's had a rough go since she had a procedure done on her back, but it sounds like things are on the mend.

• Apple being able to fix the screen on my phone after it took a nose dive on the platform at the safari.
  

• The person that gave full size Butterfingers out on Halloween. I love you more than you will ever know.

What are you thankful for?

But you have to...

Last night we went trick or treating with our friend Jenn and her son. We had so much fun and I am so thankful Captain America was there to keep us safe on our journey!


Today my parents got into town and the kiddos were beyond excited to see them. We happened to get to their hotel the same time they did, so my parents got the biggest, loudest welcome of everyone on the bus.

After lunch we went to Magic Kingdom to hang out for a little bit. Before we got there Aaron was telling Dzia Dzio that we had to ride the tram and monorail before we could go to the park and Dzia Dzio said "No, we're not going to take them." to which Aaron replied, "No Dzia Dzio, you have to. You have to."

We didn't spend a lot of time there, but we were able to ride the train, meet some characters and watch the parade.
We cannot wait to spend the rest of the week with my parents! Hope you all are having a fabulous week as well!