http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/community/feeds/defaultThe latest discussions from the Better In Bulk Community - powered by BlogFrog(c) 2009, BlogFrog, INC. All rights reserved.5 I'm trying sooo hard to win an iMac. I've been in first for weeks. Someone is catching up quick so PLEASE vote for my Christmas wheelchair ? xox You have to do it twice for it to work. ? Please vote for my entry titled "Alternative To Christmas Tree" ? Ends Jan 2 https://www.facebook.com/ArrayStudios?sk=app_308725135818973&app_data=6214 http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/140952/please-help.htmlFri, 30 Dec 2011 20:25:47 GMT Just recently, I talked about how much CandyMan and I loved playing board games when we were dating and in the early years of our marriage. We took a little break from playing many games after we started having kids. We were tired and there were little hands interested in grabbing game pieces and messing up a game board. It wasn't a great recipe for for a fun and relaxing time together. Luckily kids grow up, and not only are my kids no longer interested in eating the dice, but they actually enjoy playing games with us. CandyMan and I can once again play the games that we love. And we all get quality time together. I decided to ask my kids and husband what they love most about playing games together. KitKat (14) "I like laughing and the funny things people say and having fun inside jokes and memories with them." Necco (12) "My favorite thing is playing and bonding with the family." Twizzler (10) "I like games because usually they are easy to understand and they involve strategic involvement." Reese (8) "It's fun to play with everyone." AJ (6) "I like learning things and laughing together." CandyMan (40) "I like to see how the kids get smarter and understand things better. How their vocabulary and thinking skills develop and how they approach problem solving differently. And the comedy that usually ensues." What do you love most about playing games together as a family? How are board games a bonding experience for your family? Reply for a chance to win one of five ultimate LEGO® Games prize packs!! LEGO® Games are the world’s first collection of board games that can be built, played and changed, that delivers a whole new way for families to have fun together the LEGO way. Whether challenging friends or family to a LEGO Game in a variety of themes and types – guessing, strategy, memory, logic and chance – no two LEGO Games experiences are ever the same! This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of LEGO Systems. The opinions expressed by me do not necessarily reflect the view of the LEGO Brand.  Official Contest Rules http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/137610/how-do-board-games-increase-family-bonding.htmlThu, 01 Dec 2011 09:00:10 GMT What's your favorite tip for raising a healthy baby? When my first daughter was born, there was so much about being a mother and raising a child that I was completely and utterly clueless about. I had a good example to follow - my mom was (and still is) a fabulous mother. I knew what I wanted my "end result" to be, but it didn't dawn on me til I was holding my new daughter that I really had no clue how to get there. I was blessed with a beautiful, healthy 7 pound, 11 ounce little girl. She was a ball of perfection with a little curl on top of her forehead. I couldn't have been happier. When I brought her home from the hospital, we settled into a routine pretty quickly. She slept rather well during the day and then once 10:00 pm hit, she would wake up and be a monster all night long. She screamed and arched her back for hours at a time, and if I was lucky enough to get her to go to sleep, she would wake up as soon as I put her down. It took me months to admit it, but my baby girl was colicky. She cried more than she didn't cry. As a new mom, I didn't even realize that all babies weren't like that for their moms. Instead, I worried. I worried that she wouldn't gain enough weight. I worried that she would never sleep in her crib. I worried about what she ate. I worried about what I ate. I worried that everything I was eating and doing was making my baby miserable, which in turn was making me quite miserable, too. Then one day I realized that the worrying wasn't helping. In fact, I realized that the worrying was probably doing more damage than any of those situations I was worrying about. I decided to stop worrying if the chocolate I ate was giving her stomach pains. I stopped worrying if she was getting enough milk at each feeding. I didn't worry about her lack of sleep during the night...as long as she was sleeping sometime. Schedules could come later. I decided to enjoy the time to catch up on all of my sitcoms on late night TV. I stopped worrying. And that made all the difference. Her colic didn't disappear overnight, but she was happier because her mama was happier and a whole lot more relaxed. Now when I talk to friends having their first baby, I counsel them to relax. Worry does not make baby happy. And worry certainly doesn't fix anything. Children’s health is at the top of every mother’s mind. What’s your favorite tip for raising a healthy baby? By replying, you will be entered to win an exclusive Million Moms Challenge Gift Pack, which includes an iPad2, a custom-made Million Moms Challenge pendant and a $50 donation in your name to Global Giving. Please show your support for the Million Moms Challenging by liking MMC on Facebook. This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Million Moms Challenge. The opinions and text are all mine. Contest runs November 14 to December 18, 2011. A random winner will be announced by December 20, 2011. Official Contest Rules http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/135227/worry-doesnt-fix-anything.htmlTue, 15 Nov 2011 08:00:10 GMT Did your child’s birth go the way you hoped it would? The moment that I held my oldest daughter for the first time exceeded all of my expectations. I was over-flowing with love for the tiny infant in my arms. It's a good thing that I loved her so much, because my labor and delivery was not what I had hoped for, and I was left grumbling and feeling irritated for hours after she was born. Image of my niece on her birth day, taken by her favorite Aunt Labor started pretty normally for my first. My water broke early the morning of my due date. I calmly called the doctor and headed to the hospital. I asked for an epidural shortly after I was checked in to the hospital and settled into the bed while my husband napped. "You mean this isn't normal?" Not knowing much about labor and delivery routines, I didn't realize that there should have been a nurse checking in on me regularly while I waited. When one finally came in, I mentioned to her that I could feel everything on my left side, and I was extra numb on my right. It was rather uncomfortable. The nurse left to find the anesthesiologist, who came in to give me another dose of anesthesia. I would have felt much better had it not been for the fact that the drugs made me nauseous. He left and I tried to relax. Shortly after the anesthesiologist left, a new nurse came on duty. She asked me how far along I was the last time the previous nurse had checked me. I told her that I had only been checked once - when I had been admitted to the hospital hours before. With a shocked look on her face, the nurse said, "Well, let me check your progress." To my surprise, she whipped away from me and started preparing for delivery. The baby's head was already crowning. Apparently, I had received the anesthesia during transition. Recovery was horrible. I won't go into all of the details, but will say this: after my daughter was born, I swore I would do it differently the next time. Planning the "perfect" delivery With my next four deliveries, I prepared all pregnancy for a natural childbirth. I wanted to be in control. I planned out my perfect delivery. But each time, something unexpected happened that kept me from having the birth that I envisioned. I was able to deliver my next four babies without an epidural (I didn't want to go through that again!) but there was always something out of my control that held me back from that "perfect" birth experience. My doctor had a scheduled c-section so she didn't want to speed things along before she was ready. The labor and delivery rooms were full so I had to labor elsewhere. Too much pitocin made me and the baby short on oxygen. Each labor took more hours, not fewer, as I was told it "should" be. As I lay in the hospital bed holding my last baby, I was again overwhelmed with the joy of motherhood and the miracle that each of my children were. Although I had been frustrated once again with another disappointing delivery, it hit me: I was not the one in charge. My body was delivering the baby, but I had only limited control over how the events played out. I could decide which hospital I attended. I could pick my doctor. I could pack my bags and decide what I was going to wear. I could chose who was in the delivery room with me. In the end, it WAS perfect But so much of the "other stuff" - those details that I was letting myself worry about - was completely unimportant. I was safe and my babies were healthy. How could I have asked for a more perfect delivery than that? What about you? Did your child’s birth go the way you hoped it would? Childbirth is such an incredible moment, and I’d love to know what went through your mind when you held your baby for the first time? By replying, you will be entered to win an exclusive Million Moms Challenge Gift Pack, which includes an iPad2, a custom-made Million Moms Challenge pendant and a $50 donation in your name to Global Giving. Please join the Million Moms Challenge and sign up today! This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Million Moms Challenge. The opinions and texhttp://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/133318/planning-the-perfect-delivery.htmlThu, 03 Nov 2011 07:00:10 GMT I was young when I got married. Young when I had my first baby. I don't have any regrets about starting my family young. In fact, I would recommend it to others. But I will be the first to admit that I did have to put my own needs on the back burner for a while when I was a young mother raising a house-full of young kids. I loved those years. I loved being home with my babies, playing with them on the floor, feeding them their meals before I ate my own, washing, cleaning, cooking. I was fulfilled as a mother. There wasn't anything else that I would have rather done with my time. But mothering young children was not always easy. In fact, it was usually very hard. Whether it was struggling with postpartum depression or not getting enough sleep - ever! - or figuring out what to do with my time once my kids started school....being a mom has been an ever-challenging, always-evolving journey. I am a very different place now. My kids are all in school full time and I am now working full time at home. I have had to adjust to my new circumstances, and as much as I miss the comparitively "simple" days of being a stay-at-home-mom, one thing in particular has helped me both thrive in my situation AND grow as a person. Creative Energy When I was asked to chose one of Cerra's Seven Intentions, universal human virtues - Grounded, Creative Energy, Gratitude, Inspiration, Courage, Wisdom, and Loving Kindness - though the other six intentions were wonderful and inspiring, I knew that Creative Energy was the one that I needed to focus on. No less than 7 days before my first baby was born, I graduated with a degree in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Spanish. However, a decade + after receiving that degree, although I still love young children and teaching, that was not what I needed. I found that the most important thing for me to "find" myself after my kids got bigger and not so "under-foot" was to explore my creative side. It was my very new photography hobby that pulled me out of postpartum depression in 2001. It wasn't the right time to pursue a photography business while I was caring for babies, but I nurtured my love for photography and developed my skills until I had more time to pursue it. Creative energy has also been the driving force behind my current career as a blogger and managing editor, and it has pulled me through the last 4 years of extreme financial difficulties. Creativity saves me every day. I know that when I start to feel down, I need to spend some time doing something creative. Sometimes that involves writing. Sometimes I need to pull out my camera more frequently. Other times, it means that I need to turn off my computer and make something with my kids...and my hands. And nothing helps to calm me like grabbing some yarn and creating something crocheted. Creative energy helps me grow, thrive, and find beauty in my life, even when life is difficult. PS - PROMO CODE: Enjoy 10% off and free shipping on any-sized first order from the Cerra Boutique! Simply enter code BFCERRA. This offer will expire on December 31, 2011. I'm curious to know: What has inspired you to grow as a person? By replying you will be entered to win one of two prizes! First Prize: $150 to a Local Spa, plus $50 Gift Certificate to the <a href="https://wwwhttp://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/130859/what-has-inspired-you-to-grow-as-a-person.htmlTue, 18 Oct 2011 10:00:12 GMT I remember clearly the day in 1996 when I took my very first pregnancy test. I had been married for 11 months, and my husband and I had decided to go off the pill just weeks before. I never expected to see that line, but it was clear: I was pregnant. I was thrilled and terrified in the same breath. There were so many things that I thought my husband and I would discuss and plan while we tried to conceive, but here I was...pregnant already. One of the first discussions that came up after we figured out the typical logistical dilemmas (the baby was due on Christmas Eve?) was the topic of finding out the baby's sex. The question of whether or not to find out the baby's sex was not an important issue for me. But it was of utmost importance for my husband, who believed that we must keep the baby's sex a surprise until the delivery day. I figured that I could as easily wait until the baby's birth to find out if it was a boy or a girl. It would be a surprise at either time. I went along with my husband's desire to wait....without complaint. It wasn't until my family and friends found out that I was pregnant that I discovered the problem with waiting to find out the baby's sex. Although my husband and I were just fine waiting, nobody else was. It drove my family crazy that we didn't know (this was the first grandchild on either side of the family). Our friends looked at me with shock when they asked, "What are you having?" When I answered that we were keeping the baby's sex a surprise, they were dumbfounded. "How can you NOT find out? How can you plan for the baby? What about shopping? What are you going to buy? How are you going to bond with the baby if you don't know if it's a boy or a girl?" People gave me a hard time. I couldn't understand why anybody else but my husband and I would care. I decided to ignore the jests and strange looks and stick with our family's decision to wait until the birth to find out the sex, not only with our first pregnancy, but with all five of my pregnancies. Although what we did was not the norm for our generation, once I heard the doctor announce "It's a girl!" and immediately hand me my brand new daughter, all questions in my mind were eased. There was nothing quite like that moment, meeting my newborn child for the first time. Excitement, wonder, and the overwhelming feeling of knowing this new soul flooded my senses. There was no lack of bonding. There was no lack of preparation. There was only abundance. Blessings and joy beyond what I could have imagined. I'm sure I would have felt that same thrill had I decided to take a peek at one of my ultrasounds in a subsequent pregnancy. Honestly, I have no problem with all of my friends and family members who do find out the sex at 20 weeks. But that small decision to wait turned a first pregnancy trial into something I couldn't wait to repeat. When did you find out the sex of your baby? Becoming pregnant changed my life, and I’d love to hear more about your best or most difficult pregnancy moments. By replying, you will be entered to win an exclusive Million Moms Challenge Gift Pack, which includes an all expenses paid trip to a conference on mothers hosted by the UN Foundation in DC (Jan/Feb 2012), an iPad2, a custom-made Million Moms Challenge pendant and $50 donation in your name to Global Giving. Contest and prize details here. Please join the Million Moms Challenge and sign up! This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Million Moms Challenge. The opinions and text are all mine. Contest runs September 19 to October 16, 2011. A random winner will be announced by October 18, 2011. Official Contest Rules http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/129938/when-did-you-find-out-the-sex-of-your-baby.htmlWed, 12 Oct 2011 07:00:17 GMT I wrote out 8 things I wish I would have known before starting my photography business here. What would you add to the list? http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/123323/8-things-i-wish-i-would-have-known-before-starting-my-photo-business.htmlSat, 27 Aug 2011 21:28:33 GMT Hi Lolli! I hope you don't mind me sharing my huge photography giveaway going on over at my place with your community members... Stop by and enter to win $200 in photography and scrapbooking prizes by linking up your favorite summer photos in the Crazy Days of Summer Photo Challenge Sweet Summer Finale between Friday, August 26th - Wednesday, August 31st. All are welcome regardless of skill. One entry per household. Winner will be chosen at random. http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/123180/$200-photography--scrapbooking-giveaway.htmlFri, 26 Aug 2011 17:22:42 GMT I'm trying so hard to win this for my family but people are catching up pretty quickly. May I ask my fantastic blog frog friends for a very quick vote on facebook? Please click like on my awesome paint color Fisherman's Quarry ♥ http://apps.facebook.com/cilcontest/?colour=602 http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/122465/help-share-a-little-love.htmlMon, 22 Aug 2011 18:47:30 GMT This is Week 7 of the Crazy Days of Summer Photo Challenge and this week's theme is CRITTERS! If you have a child that has a love for all things living that occasionally grosses you out, this one may be for you. All are welcome regardless of skill level, whether you are a newbie or pro photog... Stop by and link your CRITTER pic(s)! It is open through Wednesday, July 20th. (And snag my free collage template while you're there!) You can read more about this Photo Challenge here.. http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/116087/critters,-critters-everywhere-(photo-challenge).htmlSun, 17 Jul 2011 13:24:39 GMT Hi Lolli! I hope you don't mind me sharing the new photography meme I'm co-hosting with your community. I'd love for you all to join in... I'm teaming up with the lovely Alicia of Project Alicia to bring you a fun weekly summer meme that will run from June 3rd to August 26th. We'd love for you to join us and share your favorite images inspired by the Crazy Days of Summer theme-of-the-week. Just grab our sweet button or join our Crazy Days of Summer Flickr Group and stop by on Friday, Jun 3rd for our first challenge. The theme is "flowers." More details here. http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/108213/crazy-days-of-summer-photography-challenge.htmlMon, 30 May 2011 15:21:53 GMT I am getting ready to launch a new feature on my site, and I would love your help! I have put together a parenting survey and need your input. If you'd rather not fill out the survey, you can leave a simple comment with your best parenting tip, your favorite thing about being a mom, a silly parenting story....anything! Be sure to leave me your blog address and let me know if it's ok to quote you and link back to your blog. Hopefully it will get you some traffic, too. :) Thanks!! THE SURVEY http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/82293/parenting-tips-(are-better-in-bulk).htmlFri, 25 Feb 2011 15:27:44 GMT Hi everyone, we will be launching our new site Clout & About this week! We have been working hard at our content and we think we have some cool things for everyone. We discuss food, wine, people, events, places and lifestyle. We have featured many top chefs and Hollywood celebrities; often being granted one on one interviews. You'll see lots of food, wine and simple and good living on our site. Our contributors are located in strategic cities so we'll be covering conventions and red carpet events too! Hope you join our fun community! Have a great week! OH!! I forgot to tell you...we will be at The Pioneer Woman's book signing tomorrow! Can't wait!! Hugs!! http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/79085/joining-your-community--hope-youll-check-us-out.htmlMon, 07 Feb 2011 16:58:25 GMT As a special snow day treat "for the kids" (ahem) I bought a bag of jelly bellies. As I have been popping them in, some taste great while others get an "eww!" What are your favorite and least favorite jelly belly flavors? http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/77124/favorite-jelly-belly-flavor.htmlWed, 26 Jan 2011 21:10:36 GMT Blogs? Facebook? Twitter? Blogfrog? Tell me about your online social habits. I'd love to hear! I like to spread my time out, for the most part, because I am not willing to cut out any of my social media addictions! http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/75963/where-do-you-spend-the-most-time-online.htmlThu, 20 Jan 2011 16:33:37 GMT Bed time never comes early enough in my house! Now that my kids are older (14, 11, 10, 7, 5), bed time is getting later and later. And the more kids that are in a room, the harder it is to get them to go to sleep. Currently, I've got 2 kids in one room and 3 in the other. Oh, how I wish we had a bigger house and more rooms for kids! So, the bottom line is that bedtime is around nine, but they rarely settle down, quiet down, and fall asleep until closer to 10:00.http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/75601/when-do-your-kids-go-to-bed.htmlWed, 19 Jan 2011 01:11:02 GMT After an already-long weekend, we had an EXTRA day at home today. My kids don't seem to want to do anything but watch tv or play on the computer. How do you keep your kids involved when they have an unexpected day off school? http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/75455/how-do-you-survive-snow-days-with-your-kids.htmlTue, 18 Jan 2011 18:42:24 GMT Lead, Follow or . . . . . . How would you complete the above statement? Which are you . . . a leader or a follower? http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/68536/leaders-and-followers.htmlMon, 06 Dec 2010 14:58:10 GMT I've started a blog in September but I still haven't grasp all of the concept yet. I'm getting there just slow. I've been reading where you can make money on your blog and I"ve signed up for the adsense but I'm not sure of what I'm doing, If someone could email me and perhaps give me a few pointers in that direction that would be awesome. thank you so much in advance. http://www.shopping2scale.blogspot.com lisa http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/67254/making-money-using-your-blog.htmlSun, 28 Nov 2010 23:24:41 GMT The radios around here are already announcing that Christmas music will start in 2 weeks, which means that the season is upon us. When do you do the bulk of your Christmas shopping? http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/62386/when-do-you-start-your-holiday-shopping.htmlThu, 04 Nov 2010 13:59:01 GMT Apparently, the answer to that question for me is BEG and be borderline obnoxious. :) In case you haven't heard from twitter, Facebook, or my blog, I'm in the running (as one of 8 finalist in the US) to win $5000 for my avocado recipe. Each person (or should I say each email address) can vote once per day. I might even have some big prizes to offer at the end of this contest if I come home with the $5000 grand prize. Just sayin’. Tweets, Facebook updates, emails, etc are welcome! I am willing to write guest posts during the next few weeks to show my appreciation. Let me know if you need anything. I owe you guys. VOTE HERE Even better….(for you) YOU can submit your own avocado recipe to The Amazing Avocado for a weekly chance to win a $100 grocery card! What is your favorite way to eat an avocado? And what would YOU do for $5000? http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/56477/what-would-you-do-for-5000-dollars.htmlSat, 02 Oct 2010 19:20:05 GMT This week, in celebration of my kids heading back to school (yes, with 5 kids, it really is a celebration!), I will be hosting daily giveaways all week. Be sure to check daily for new giveaways (including my first ever personal photo editing giveaway) as well as my regular posting. Yes, it will be a busy week around Better in Bulk! http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/50057/back-to-school-giveaway-week.htmlMon, 30 Aug 2010 01:19:35 GMT Personally I think it is alright if your doctor has recommended medication for your child. But ideally it is up to the parents. So what is your opinion on medicating children with ADHD? Do you have a child with ADHD? Is he/she on medication for it? Or do you prefer natural herbal remedies to treat your child? http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/48229/are-you-for-or-against-medicating-children-with-adhd.htmlFri, 20 Aug 2010 15:43:23 GMT I posted some funny (and so adorable!) photos of my two year today. You can view them here in this post. After the week I've had (not so wonderful) I would love to see some of your funny photos. I could use the laugh right now. So go ahead and share your blog links to some funny photos! PS - While you're on my blog I'd love some more Google Friend Connect (GFC) Followers (if you don't mind of course!!) http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/48048/funny-photos.htmlThu, 19 Aug 2010 23:35:54 GMT What do you think? Would you rather look good or be healthy? http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/47456/is-image-more-important-than-health.htmlTue, 17 Aug 2010 15:10:40 GMT Was snooping around and couldn't find a section of fabulous finds from shopping on the blog frog. If there is and I missed it than I apolgoize otherwise I would be more than glad to start one since I find great stuff listed all the time over at our site garage sales tracker. http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/46218/any-fabulous-finds-threads.htmlWed, 11 Aug 2010 16:20:56 GMT TONIGHT - More Back To School FUN Join us Tuesday night for more Back to School celebration fun along with Special guest Hollylu Coon as she shares great tips on the Power of Play. No cable required - Tune in Tuesday night and watch 24/7 MOMS Live in the comfort of your own chair, in your own home at your own computer. This Week 24/7 MOMS Live Features: - Power of Play - Back To School Celebration Ideas -MORE Back to School Giveaways We go live every Tuesday night 7pm PST and 9pm PST at www.247moms.com Put your kids to bed - Surf over to channel www.247moms.com on your computer and join us. Join the chat to WIN prizes ( instructions are posted atwww.247moms.com every Tuesday at 5pm PST) Tweet, TXT, Facebook , invite all of your MOM friends to this weeks 24/7 MOMS Live Webcast. http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/46038/tonight---more-back-to-school-fun-on-www247momscom.htmlTue, 10 Aug 2010 22:17:12 GMT Did you have secret ingredients for cooking Omelet? I love omelet and often cook for my dinner, and I have secret ingredent about cook omelet as I post on my blog. Did you have secret ingredients for cook omelet? What is it? http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/44274/did-you-have-secret-ingredients-for-cooking-omelet.htmlTue, 03 Aug 2010 06:39:31 GMT Hey, it’s Rita! I’m desperate and need your help. Spam isn’t something I enjoy; therefore, I hope you feel this is more personal than that. After having three children, I need to shed about 75 pounds. Where I live gets into the triple digits and there are days where it’s just not an option to take our baby out in this heat. Right now, I’m one of 20 finalists to win a Smooth Fitness treadmill. This contest ends tonight (Sunday). It’s super easy to vote for me. It only takes these three easy clicks: Visit this blog post: http://www.mamavation.com/2010/07/top-20-smooth-fitness-nominees-go-vote.html Locate & check the box next to my name, @lovelyritaann, on the voting poll Click Vote (*Please Note: You can vote from any & every device that has internet access – computers, laptops, phones, iPods, iPads, Nintendo DSi’s, etc.*) It’s absolutely that simple. I’m a little behind; however, with amazing friends like you behind me, I could have a chance at winning this awesome prize that would change my life! It would be appreciated if you voted for me & shared this information in any way you can. My apologies on the short notice. I’m also hosting a giveaway for a $50 gift card on my blog for my voters, if I am to win. My giveaway was pre-approved by the contest creator before I posted it. Feel free to enter yourself & share this information! You can find my giveaway by visiting my blog post here:http://lovelyritaann.com/2010/07/26/vote-for-me-win-a-50-gift-card/ If you have any further questions, feel free to contact me! http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/43799/i-desperately-need-your-help.htmlSun, 01 Aug 2010 18:23:59 GMT Do you know plumeria? I have this question because I'm not sure in America have this flower, I love this flower(plumeria) we have in our garden smell of plumeria remind me nice spa. I posted photos of Plumeria here. How about you? What is Plumeria's smell remind you? http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/42666/do-you-know-plumeria.htmlTue, 27 Jul 2010 16:46:19 GMT I have been under a lot of stress lately and it has taken control of my life, marriage, family, and my online business. You can read my complete story HERE. What I want to know is what causes the most stress for you and what do you do about it? Do you have any tips on how to deal with stress? http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/42600/what-stresses-you-out-the-most.htmlTue, 27 Jul 2010 16:02:26 GMT We are now in the terrible twos with our second kiddo. I forgot how much fun the hitting, the crying and the temper tantrums could be. WOW! What a night tonight. I really hope nobody can relate to this post at Typical Suburban Family. On a lighter note, don't forget to enter my HappyBaby giveaway. http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/41867/terrible-twos--how-fun.htmlSat, 24 Jul 2010 00:07:16 GMT Do you like Fridays? I like Fridays specially after 5pm.usually our family will have very nice evening together, my husband will stay longer with us before he go to his offic and work.My baby will watch her cartoon while I blog. I like Fridays!!! Time to follow friends!!! Leave me a comment to let me know you stopped by so I can come back to visit you.! http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/41820/do-you-like-fridays.htmlFri, 23 Jul 2010 22:19:35 GMT Hey, friends! I would love to hear about your tips for surviving triple digit temperatures with your kids. Do you spend all your time at the pool? Or do you stay inside and keep cool in the basement? Any food/drink tips or recommendations? http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/41758/triple-digit-tips.htmlFri, 23 Jul 2010 18:59:46 GMT Have you ever tried HappyBaby products? Well, now is your chance! I have a giveaway on my blog right now! It's really easy to enter and you can do so multiple times! Typical Suburban Family: HappyBaby Giveaway http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/41554/happybaby-products--giveaway.htmlThu, 22 Jul 2010 23:23:16 GMT I'm curious. How cool do you keep your house when you've got the summer AC on? What about during the Winter? In the Summer, I keep our thermostat at 77 or 78. In the Winter, I keep it around 68. http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/40671/what-temp-is-your-thermostat-set-to.htmlMon, 19 Jul 2010 14:06:49 GMT How does this work?? I thought I had a clue, but I don't think I really get it. For instance, how does Wordless Wednesday work in regard to the bloghop Linky deals? Some people have hundreds of links on theirs and some have a few. I only have a few, but I don't think I'm doing it correctly. What does everyone use and how does this work so it shows up on multiple blogs?? HELP! http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/39735/meme-bloghop-help.htmlTue, 13 Jul 2010 23:26:20 GMTWhat do you do with your kids' baby teeth after the tooth fairy has visited? I feel bad tossing them in the trash, but is there any reason to keep them?http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/39223/baby-teeth.htmlSun, 11 Jul 2010 11:42:29 GMT What do you do on Sundays? Does it end up being just like any other day of the week, minus work? Or do you have something special that you do or don't do (like blogging?) on Sundays? I go to church in the mornings and then almost always take a nap in the afternoon. I try to take a blogging break and spend some time with my family, since we're usually all home at the same time (before dark!) http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/39175/is-sunday-different-from-the-rest-of-the-week.htmlSun, 11 Jul 2010 02:01:30 GMT How early did you let your kids start helping with basic household cleaning? Because my boys are absolutely addicted to it!! I've always encouraged them to help clean up their toys around the house; they were helping empty the dishwasher since they were crawling; and they both love to vacuum. I didn't make them do these chores, but they beg me to help. They are even obsessed with mopping. And over this last weekend, they picked up a new favorite cleaning chore. Read more about it at Typical Suburban Family. The pictures are worth checking out the post!! They are too cute. I know I'm biased, but still..... http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/38347/kids-cleaning.htmlTue, 06 Jul 2010 23:43:18 GMT I'm hoping this is going to be the first of many projects I do over the summer when it comes to organization. The problem is that I hate spending a fortune to get organized. I know I could walk myself into The Container Store, purchase every last thing I need to make my house perfect, but I'd also be several hundred (if not thousands) of dollars poorer. So instead, I made some great toy organizers at Typical Suburban Family. What do you think? What are some easy, quick and cheap organization tips & techniques that you have? http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/37638/organization-101.htmlThu, 01 Jul 2010 23:37:16 GMT Do you and your hubby share an email address? Or do you each have your own? I know so many people who share an email address with their spouse. I always think it's so odd. I mean, email addresses are free to create and they are easy to do. My hubby and I each have about 5 email addresses (yahoo, gmail, hotmail, comcast, etc) for different purposes. I would hate to filter through all the random techy newsletters and comics he subscribes to on a regular basis. So my question to you is... do you share an email address or do you each have your own? http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/37271/email-addresses.htmlWed, 30 Jun 2010 16:47:10 GMT How long does it take you to "recover" and get your house and routine back in order after a summer vacation? I have been back home from our week-long trip to Hershey, PA for 3 days now, and I m still not recovered! http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/37046/vacation-recovery.htmlTue, 29 Jun 2010 20:20:11 GMT Lolli and I and several other women are doing a 90 day budget boot camp to get our budgets in order and help us save money. Anyone want to join us. Check out all the details on our facebook fan page. http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/37010/join-us-for-a-budget-boot-camp.htmlTue, 29 Jun 2010 17:41:00 GMT I just wrote a blog post featuring a few of my favorite repeat spam comments. Some days, I only get a handful of spam comments in my spam folder. Other days, I get hundreds. I still don't get why my page views on those days don't reflect the extra traffic. How many spam comments do you typically get a day, and what are some of your favorites? http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/36042/spam-comments.htmlThu, 24 Jun 2010 11:01:12 GMT How do you handle the transition from school year to summer break? I love summer, but the first week or so are usually enough to kill me (or the kids kill each other). By July, we'll be adjusted and fine. But now....it's not so pleasant. http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/34978/transition-to-summer.htmlFri, 18 Jun 2010 16:39:50 GMT Or are the presents up to the kids (he's their dad, after all!)? For the record, I get him an awesome present every year. :) http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/34013/do-you-get-your-husband-a-present-for-fathers-day.htmlMon, 14 Jun 2010 17:58:39 GMT Children can be picky eaters. What do you do to get your picker eater to eat healthy? Share your tips! Our site has more information on nutrition if you are looking for more ways to keep your family healthy. http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/33984/nutrition-tips.htmlMon, 14 Jun 2010 17:16:05 GMT Hey guys! We're super sick over here near Lolli's land. Does anyone have any remedies for easing cold symptoms? 6 people shut in together do not make for happy people...most especially a happy mommy! So can you help a friend out? Thanks! http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/33720/sick.htmlSun, 13 Jun 2010 00:57:09 GMT I would love to get to know a little more about my readers. How many kids do you have, and what are their ages? My kids are 13, 11, 8, 7, and 5. Next year, I'll have one in high school, one in middle school, and 3 in elementary school. Crazy! http://theblogfrog.com/1297290/forum/33454/tell-me-about-your-kids.htmlFri, 11 Jun 2010 13:49:17 GMT