July 17, 2014
Superhero Pool Party Time!
How many of you have a little superhero in training at home? We definitely do and thought what better way to celebrate a special birthday with a Superhero themed pool party!
The first important item to check off your list is those superhero loot bags (the best part right?!). Try to stay away from the small plastic toys that you can usually purchase from the Dollar Store – you would rather spend a small amount more to get a better item that a child will use for a longer time. I still headed to the Dollar Store and was able to pick up Spiderman frisbees, stickers, bouncing balls, water balls (to coincide with the pool theme). I also picked up some gummies from the Bulk Barn.
I purchased green pails that the children could re-use over again at the beach or in their backyard. They also hold all the loot perfectly as well.
Place the frisbee underneath the pail to help with the wrapping process. I tried every place I could think of but could not find the spider webs – you know the ones that come out at Halloween ever year?. This would have been perfect to wrap around the pail and frisbee.
For the special birthday superhero I wrapped his with ribbons and used an extra pail to give it some extra height.
Why not create an outside fun bucket with all your supplies for the party – think sparklers, pool balls, and glow sticks.This extra pail helps to keep you organized and gives the children a glimpse of all the fun to come.
Get creative with chalk since you are outside anyways. Put your child’s name, how old they are and even a special message for them. Let your creative juices flow – the sky is the limit!
Now here comes the fun part – decorating! I love this part the most and can spend hours decorating.
All those awesome superhero toys you have? Put them to good use as props on your table. I used Hulk Smash gloves to give an extra punch to the the table set up.
Display the treats loud and proud – what child doesn’t love seeing all the goodies to come? Spiderman takes front and centre on the cake. Cupcakes with lollipops and swirly candles give an extra little flair.
I hope your little superhero has a fantastic party! What are your favourite themed parties for children?
July 15, 2014
Back to School Teach #Giveaway #US #CAN
Welcome to the Back To School Tech Sweepstakes!
At Mom Powered Media, we believe in higher education and want to help our network readers get there. To help you do just that, we are giving one lucky reader a $500 Visa Gift Card and HP 14″ Chromebook PC. There will also be 20 second place winners to take home Back To School Prize Packages. So what are you waiting for? Let’s get BTS ready, tech-style! Special thank you to our supporting co-host bloggers: Monica’s Rants, Raves & Reviews, The Jenny Evolution, Memoirs of a Clueless Woman, My Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Life, My Daylights, Barbara’s Beat, Saving You Dinero, Shaping Up To Be A Mom, Robyn’s View, Coupons and Freebies Mom, A Hen’s Nest, Budget Savvy Diva, Mutterings Of A Mindless Mommy, Your Sassy Self and Nest Full of New. Open your sleek, next-generation HP Pavilion 14-Q020NR 14″ Chromebook PC to get online, fast. You can access your favorite websites and Google Chrome apps on the 14-inch diagonal HD display in seconds. HP 14″ Chromebook PC features:
- Intel Celeron 2955U Dual-Core processor 1.40GHz
- 2GB DDR3 SDRAM system memory
- 16GB solid state drive
- 802.11a/b/g/n Wireless LAN
- Intel HD GMA Graphics
- Webcam
- SD memory card reader
- 1 x USB 2.0 port, 1 x USB 3.0 port, 1 x HDMI port, 1 x Acer converter port
- 3-cell lithium polymer battery for up to 8.5 hours run time
- 2.76 lbs, 0.8″ x 11.3″ x 8″
- Genuine Google Chrome OS Software
One grand prize winner will receive a $500 Visa Gift Card and HP 14″ Chromebook PC. Twenty additional winners will also receive a Back To School Prize Package.
Giveaway ends August 15th at 11:59pm, open to US and Canadian residents, ages 18+. Excludes Quebec. Only one entrant per household, per address. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Enter using the giveaway form below. Good luck!
Disclaimer: The participating bloggers were not compensated for this post. No purchase is necessary to enter. One entrant per household, per address. Void where prohibited by law. Winner(s) will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. The sponsor(s) will be responsible for product shipment to winner(s) of this sweepstakes. This event is in no way administered, sponsored, or endorsed by, or associated with, Facebook and/or Twitter, Google, Pinterest. Contact teri@mompoweredmedia.com if you have any additional questions or comments.
July 15, 2014
Skindinavia Makeup Primer Spray #review
I love my make up – it helps to enhance the look that I am going for that day, helps bring me confidence and on my tired days a good application of mascara prevents me from rubbing my eyes and yawning!
While I love the summer months they also bring the humid air that tends to send my makeup dripping off my face not to mention the eye shadow that magically disappears by the end of the work day (so unfair!). Finding a makeup primer is necessary to ensuring that gorgeous look stays put all day long.
Skindinavia makeup primer spray launched in May of this year. Skindinavia is a lightweight, breathable, silicone free makeup primer spray. It is also oil, paraben and sulfate free – it is also tested for use on sensitive skin (perfect for my tender skin that is so prone to breakouts!).
Skindinavia makeup primer is easy to use – three to four quick sprays in a T and X shape across the face, allow to dry and start applying your makeup! Easy right? I loved that it left my skin feeling soft and it actually allowed me to apply my foundation and eye shadow with little trouble. It helped my makeup last through the work day which I appreciated immensely. I was initially worried about break outs but I had none which was a relief. You can order online here.
THE FLAWLESS FACTS
- 83% of users agree this is the best makeup primer that have ever used.
- 93% of users noticed their skin felt smoother.
- Silicone-free base creates a breathable barrier between skin and makeup.
- Helps to prevent common skin issues associated with makeup use including redness, large pores and irritation.
- Proven to reduce the need for makeup touch-ups or blotting.
- Formulated to be worn with or without makeup.
- All SKINDINAVIA products are oil, paraben and sulfate-free. Each product is tested for sensitive skin.
July 15, 2014
Secrets At Court #review
I love historical romances (I can re-read them over and over!). Secrets at Court by Blythe Gifford is definitely one of those novels that I will treasure over and over.
Secrets at Court is based in England. Anne of Stamford has long been the keeper of her mistress’ secrets but when Lady Joan marries the King’s son – court life becomes quite dangerous. Sir Nicholas Lovayne has arrived to uncover the truth about Lady Joan’s past and Anne must do anything to keep him from discovering it.
Nicholas has always longed to escape court but he had never counted on the way that Anne would distract him. She refuses to accept pity for her clubfoot and this touches something deep inside him. He begins to find it difficult to follow his duty when every fiber of his being tells him to protect Anne.
Full of mystery, scandal and romance – Secrets at Court is a fantastic summer read that you will treasure for years to come. Anne is just the type of heroine that you love – she does not let anything stand in her way including a physical disability that causes others to look and treat her differently. She is headstrong, love able, kind and good hearted. You can’t help but fall in love with her and pray that good fortune comes her way!
Rating: 4/5
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
July 15, 2014
DIY Front Door Decor
I wanted to add some flair to our front porch but didn’t want to spend too much. So after spending hours scanning Pinterest (my poor hubby!) I finally put together several designs and headed out to pick up some supplies for my own DIY front door decor. I am not too big on floral designs so I chose something that included more greenery and a slight pop of colour.
For this project you will need:
- metal bucket (I picked ours up at the Dollar Store and I love it!)
- bag of potpourri (I also purchased this from the Dollar Store)
- stems of greenery, flowers if you would like at least two feet in length (you can trim them down to size)
- foam to stick the stems in to (I tried to use Styrofoam balls – it can work but it was difficult!)
- lantern in your desired colours (I chose black to match our new rails)
- scissors
Directions:
- Arrange your floral and greenery as you would like it look while standing. Trim the stems to your desired length (I only took off a couple of inches as I wanted the arrangement to be at least two feet high off the ground). Place the foam in the bottom of the bucket and firmly stick the stems in the foam.
- Add the potpourri around the stems.
- Remove any labels from your lantern.
- Arrange your bucket and lantern by your front door. You can now play with the floral and greenery moving and bending them to fall as you see fit. We also updated our front porch by painting our railings black and it really made the front porch pop (we used to have white railings).
