Share Your Photo #Fail with MAM #Giveaway

As a hobby photographer and mother of five, I have had more than my share of  photo sessions that have turned out less than stellar. Let’s be honest, they were total photo fails. You get this picture in your head, buy the perfect props, have everything set up, and then, the kids are tired, cranky or just not in the mood. We have all been there! Why not shed some humor on those moments to make us all feel better.

What does your funniest photo #fail look like? Does your child have their fingers up their nose, are they crying hysterically, did they spit up all over their picture-perfect outfit?

Share For A Chance To Win

If you have hilarious photo fails, you can share them with MAM and they will select three winners for their funniest #fail photo contest. Each winner will win a $100 prepaid card and a $100 pack of MAM goodies.

So, dig through those photos and enter HERE!  The Sweepstakes begins at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on 9/8/17 and ends at 11:59 p.m. EDT on 9/29/17 (the “Entry Period”). Here is one of my #Fails, even the dog was unimpressed.

Giveaway

Today is your lucky day because not only can you enter to win in MAM’s Photo #Fail Contest, you can enter right here to win a $30 Assortment of MAM Products. Thank you to MAM for sponsoring this great giveaway on Mommy Ramblings.  Open to US residents in the contiguous 48 states. Good Luck!!!

MAM $30 Assortment of Products Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

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The Best Job Experience To Put On Your Resume? Being A Mom

What’s the hardest job in the world? Rocket scientist? Brain surgeon? No. The hardest job in the world is being a mom. Nothing can prepare you for just how difficult it’s going to be raising a family. You’ll have to take on a level of responsibility and stress that no other job in the world would expect of you. Mothers do things that they never thought they were capable of while they’re trying to juggle all of their family responsibilities and they pick up some great skills along the way.

When the kids are grown up, you might think about going back to work but lots of mothers worry that they’re unqualified because they’ve been out of the workforce for so long but that’s not true at all. Mothers don’t quite realize it because they can’t write these skills on their Resume and cite job experience but they’re better qualified than anybody else in the workforce. If you’ve raised a family, these are the skills that you didn’t realize you had and the jobs that you could get with them.

Crisis Management Skills

An experienced office manager might be able to deal with a crisis like the phones or internet going down, or a lack of staff, but they don’t know what a real crisis is. Trying to get kids ready for school when the boiler breaks down is a real crisis and your kids aren’t going to be as understanding or helpful as adult office staff. Pulling everybody together to do the impossible like that is just everyday life for your average mother. Being able to deal with crisis situations like this is useful in any job but it prepares you specifically for certain jobs that a lot of people just can’t handle.

These crisis management skills are vital in any kind of medical job but in fields where you have to deal with difficult patients on a daily basis, they’re extra important. Being a social worker involves dealing with lots of difficult and often unpredictable situations on a daily basis so mothers are perfect for it. They also have the empathy that you need to succeed as a social worker. You won’t be able to get a job with your crisis management skills alone. You can easily get social worker grad degrees that will qualify you to apply for social worker positions. It’s the perfect job for somebody that wants to spend their days helping people and giving something back to society.

If you thrive in these high stress situations then you could also get a job as a dedicated crisis manager. They are the people responsible for putting plans in place to deal with natural disasters like floods, hurricanes or fires. It’s a pretty intense job but as a mom, you’re prepared for it. You’ve got a couple of routes into the field of crisis management; there are specific crisis management degrees that you can do, or you can get certification from the Institute for Crisis Management.

Creativity

Creativity is a skill that a lot of people lack. When you’re a mom and you’ve got kids sitting inside on a rainy day complaining that they’re bored, you have to get pretty creative to keep everybody entertained. Spending so much time coming up with new games and crafts for the kids to do improves your creativity no end. You’ll also have creative problem solving skills because family life throws a lot of curveballs your way and you need to be able to come up with creative solutions at a moment’s notice. Creativity is a great skill that goes alongside crisis management so it will stand you in good stead in any of those jobs. But it also helps out with so many other careers.

Marketing jobs are one of the most common careers that are desperate for creative thinkers. Coming up with great advertising campaigns that catch the eye of the customer is far more difficult than people think. Companies need the most creative thinkers out there to create marketing campaigns that stand out from the crowd and drive sales. If you want to get into marketing, you can apply for entry-level admin roles with your skills as a mom and maybe some basic office experience. After a few years, you should be able to progress to a more senior marketing position.

Communication Skills

Source

They say the best way to explain something clearly is to imagine that you’re trying to explain it to a young child. As a mom, you did that every day for years. Any good business runs on communication so employers in almost any industry are always looking out for that as part of your skill set. Marketing features here as well because when you’ve got a vision, you need to be able to communicate it effectively to your team so that it is realized in exactly the right way and you don’t lose any of the magic of your original idea.

Teaching is another career that you can easily transfer into with your skills as a mom. A lot of your daily duties will be very similar to what they were when you were a stay at home mom, but communicating with the kids is your most important skill in the classroom.

Any kind of job in the journalism or broadcast industry is also well suited to mom’s and their great communication skills but you need to remember that you’ve got a different audience. Those transferable skills should still set you up for a job of this kind though.

Negotiating Skills

Businessmen might pride themselves on their ability to negotiate high stakes deals in the boardroom but when compared to an experienced mom, they’re just beginners. A toddler at bedtime is the harder to negotiate with than anybody you’ll encounter in the business world. These great negotiation skills will come in handy in all sorts of industries. Any salesman worth their salt relies on their excellent negotiating skills so any job that involves face to face selling to customers is perfect for you.

Real Estate is another brilliant and very lucrative job that you can thrive in using your excellent negotiating skills. You just need to get yourself a real estate license before you can legally sell properties. You can easily start out on your own by getting a small property and working your way up. It’s perfect for moms because you can choose your own hours.

As well as finding jobs in the first place, your negotiating skills can help you get more money for doing those jobs. When it comes to discussing salary, benefits, and promotion opportunities with your boss, being a good negotiator means you’ll come out on top.

Event Management Skills

Organizing and hosting a party is always hard work. Getting all of the food, drinks and entertainment sorted is one thing but keeping all of your guests happy is the most difficult thing. Now imagine all of those guests are five years old and high on sugar. If you can handle that then planning events and parties for a bunch of adults will be a piece of cake. There are all sorts of events planning jobs that you can get into. You can do parties, weddings, corporate events, and a whole lot more. You don’t need to have specific qualifications to start an event planning company as long as you’ve got a talent for it. Just advertise yourself well and see what jobs you can find.

It’s true that moms are sometimes at a disadvantage because they don’t have as much recent experience as some of the other applicants but they can more than make up for that with the skills they developed as a parent.  

This is a sponsored post. The views expressed may or may not represent those of Mommy Ramblings. 


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SingleCare is the Smart, New Way to Save on Health Care

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of SingleCare. As always my words and views are 100% my own.

Nearly everyone is aware that health care is not cheap. I think it is safe to say, most people would love to save on health services for themselves and their family. You are probably nodding your head in agreement as you are reading this. If I am right, you will want to keep reading, because I am going to share something that can help you do just that. SingleCare helps you save on health services without having to jump through any hoops. SingleCare is not insurance, but it helps fill in gaps and helps you save on health services not covered by your insurance.

With SingleCare you can see pricing for prescriptions, dental procedures, vision procedures and video doctor visits. Yes, video doctor visits. Have you ever had one? I have, they are awesome! Imagine not having any billing surprises and being able to access affordable treatment. Well, you don’t have to just imagine it, you can live it with SingleCare.

So, let’s cover the basics. SingleCare’s pharmacy savings card is accepted nationwide at over 35,000 pharmacies including Walmart, Target, Walgreens, CVS, Kroger, Harris, Teeter, Duane Reade, Longs Drugs and Fry’s. You can easily look up the price of a prescription and find out if your pharmacy accepts SingleCare by going to the SingleCare website or using the SingleCare App. On average you can save 50% on your prescription drugs.

Since SingleCare is not medical insurance there are no issues with exclusion due to pre-existing conditions. As long as you use a SingleCare provider, you can take advantage of SingleCare’s discounted rates.

While you cannot use SingleCare if you are paying for your visit through your insurance, it helps you to pay for dental, vision and many medical services not covered by insurance. Dental procedures are expensive, and so many do not have dental insurance. SingleCare offers savings on crowns, implants and a range of outpatient dental services.

Welcome to the future, see a doctor without leaving your home. Consulting an online doctor instead of going into your local pharmacy can save you both time and money. Video doctor visits are used for colds, flu, fever, rash, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, meal planning, special diets, diabetes and more. The cost for a video doctor visit depends on the type of doctor you see. An Urgent Care video visit for a SingleCare member costs $44, while a counseling session of 45 minutes costs $79 with an MSW and $99 with a PhD/PsyD. Video visits for diet and nutrition cost $25 a session.

A SingleCare membership is free, there are no fees or premiums to pay. The only thing you pay for are the services your received during provider visits. The charges are billed to the payment method you chose when you opened your free membership. A SingleCare fee is already included as part of the costs you see displayed on their website. This means, no unpleasant hidden or unexpected charges when you receive your bill from your visit.

You can learn more on the  SingleCare website and connect with them on Facebook and Twitter. SingleCare takes the confusion out of health care. Isn’t it time you discovered the smart new way to save on health care?


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3 Ways to Spot a Damaged Roof

This time of year can throw all kinds of weather at us; rain, wind, hailstones and more. So, whether you want to keep your home as safe as possible or your viewing new properties in the hopes of moving, it’s important to know how to spot damage. One of the most overlooked places on a house is the roof. Yet, if the roof has damage it can cause all kinds of problems inside the house. So, what do you need to look out for?

Check Your Shingles

One of the easiest tips, recommended by Elevated Roofing, is to check the roof for ripped shingles. After a storm, a few ripped shingles are often the easiest things to spot, just by looking at your roof from the ground floor. They may not look like they’ll cause a lot of hassle is left as they are, but it’s important to get them repaired as soon as possible, especially during the wetter months. One of the biggest problems to result from loose or damaged shingles is a leak in the house. You may not even notice it until it’s too late.

Hailstone Dents

It can be difficult to spot hailstone dents, but if you’ve recently had a bout of hailstones that you think could have caused damage, it’s worth checking. If you can spot dents on the roof, take a look at the angles of the roof, where the roof meets the wall. You’ll often be able to see dents in guttering too. If they’re present there, they’re likely to be present on the roof. If your roof slants, don’t attempt to climb it and check it yourself. Call a trustworthy professional who can give you a quote for any damage at the same time.

Inspect Your Attic

If you can’t see any visible damage by looking at your roof from the outside, it’s a good idea to get up into your attic and check for any leaks. If you spot a leak, it will easier to pinpoint where on the roof the damage is coming from and it’s often easier to contain and resolve the damp once found in the attic. If you don’t check or ignore the leaks found in the attic, it’s inevitable the leak will eventually spread throughout the rest of the house. Leaks will often present themselves as stains on the wall, rather than actual water puddles.

If you do find a leak in the attic but you have trouble pinpointing it, here’s a quick tip: Ask someone to help you and take a garden hose up onto the roof. Isolate small areas near to where the attic leak is. Let the hose run for several minutes in each area and have your helper in the attic looking out for leak. After a few minutes, the drip should appear in the attic. It can be time-consuming, but it will help you to narrow down where the damage is and find out how it needs to be fixed.

This is a sponsored guest post and does not necessarily represent the views of Mommy Ramblings.

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Bike Safer at Night with the LumaGlo Crossbelt #Giveaway

My daughter is an avid cyclist living and working in NYC. She takes cycling seriously, and beyond commuting by bike, she rides in all kinds of races and bike tours. In a few months she will be buying a triathlon bike as she is ready to conquer that challenge.

She is also the member of a bike club that goes on night rides. The cyclists in the club all have LED bike lights for their wheels as well as, LED headlights and tail lights. They have a great time riding together  and lighting up the night.

It is not unusual for me to get a call from my daughter at 4:30 am, as she leaves her building to ride to Penn Station and board a train to Central Park for the start of a race.  As a mother who worries, I appreciate being along for the ride. I definitely don’t want her riding alone at that time.

Recently, I was contacted by LumaGlo to see if I would be interested in reviewing their Crossbelt. I took one look, and knew my daughter would love it! I showed it to her, and I wasn’t wrong.

She was home the weekend I received it.  This unique Crossbelt can be worn as a belt or sash and provides 360˚ Visibility with moving LED light patterns. 

It was so easy to set up.  It comes with a mini USB to USB charger, the belt did need to be charged upon arrival. It did not take long to charge. If you watch my video below, you can see more about this great safety device for cyclists, runners, joggers, walkers and anyone who leads and active lifestyle.

I asked my daughter if anyone in the bike club has a LumaGlo Crossbelt? She told me no, but I think that will change when she wears hers to the next night ride.

I have great news, you can enter for a chance to win a LumaGlo Crossbelt below.

Giveaway

LumaGlo  is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. One lucky blog reader will win their own LumaGlo Crossbelt in the size of their choice! Thank you to LumaGlo for the review Crossbelt and for sponsoring this illuminating giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. Open to US Residents in the contiguous 48 states.

LumaGlo Crossbelt Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:
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Filed under Bikes/Scooters, Giveaway, Outdoor Fun, Review

Encourage Creativity in Your Kids with Colortime Crafts & Markers

Encouraging creativity in your kids is a wonderful thing. Giving kids the freedom to express themselves by creating one-of-a kind masterpieces, is the perfect way to start.

Colortime Crafts and Markers has a wide selection of coloring pillowcases, t-shirts, backpacks, permanent fabric markers and more. They even have brand new glow-in-the-dark products too! Their products are perfect for birthday parties and sleepovers. Not only are they a fun craft activity for your next party, they double as a unique keepsake, party favor.

Special Discount Code 

Mommy Ramblings’ readers get a 15% discount on any order at Colortime Crafts and Markers when they use Promo Code FGH15 at checkout.

 

Click HERE for the latest online special offers and promo codes for Colortime Crafts and Markers. Let me know if this is something you would like to do with your kids or use at their next party. I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

 


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Filed under Crafts, Discount Code, Parties, Review, USFG

Kinzd Crazy Horse Men’s Leather Wallet Review & Giveaway!!!

I recently had the chance to review a Men’s genuine leather wallet by Kinzd. It was the Crazy Horse Men’s Slim Bifold Wallet with RFID Protection. I was very impressed with this rugged looking men’s wallet. It has a very nice suede feel and was expertly crafted.

 

It arrived in a black gift box, so easy to wrap and gift. The details are very nice. The wallet is stitched around the edges and opens to reveal multiple pockets for credit cards, license, membership cards etc. there are small pockets on each side of the card holders and a large bill pocket.

 

The wallet is nice and slim and the leather has a distressed look that is very appealing. This wallet is perfect to give as a gift to any man. With the holiday season coming up, this would make a great gift!

See our video review below:

 

We have some good news, we are having a giveaway. Enter below for your chance to win your own Crazy Horse Men’s Slim Bifold Wallet by Kinzd.

 

Giveaway:

Kinzd  is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. One lucky blog reader will win their own copy of  Kinzd, Crazy Horse Men’s Leather Slim Bifold Wallet with RFID Protection! Thank you to Kinzd for the review wallet and for sponsoring this fantastic giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. Open to US Residents in the contiguous 48 states.

Kinzd, Crazy Horse Men’s Leather Slim Bifold Wallet with RFID Protection Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:
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prAna Clothing Fits Me & Whatever I am Doing Perfectly! #mod4prAna

Wow, it has been an absolute wild weather ride for Texas and Florida the last couple of weeks. Even if you don’t live there, chances are you have family members and friends who do. Add to that, the fires in Washington and California, the severe drought in Montana, and you may be like me, very worried about our world and its residents.

I think in these times people are looking to spread positivity, if there is anything good to come out of these catastrophic weather events, it is the way people have pulled together to help. I mean even in New York where I live, they are having clothing drives for the displaced Texans who lost everything in Hurricane Harvey. Now, I am sure, more people will band together to help Floridians get back on their feet.

One way to help our planet every day is to make sure everything you purchase for yourself or as a gift makes a positive impact. Clothing is something we all buy and yet, some manufacturers are not doing the right things. Recently, I ordered some items from prAna, they offer organic, hemp, sustainable and fair trade items that you feel great about wearing and giving for gifts.

The company’s mission is to give people the option of reaching into their closet and dressing in items that reflect who they are. I was pleased to browse their site, and see clothing that I could dress up or down. Pieces that had the versatility to go from hanging out on the weekend to a night on the town easily.

With the weather changing so quickly here in the northeast, it seems we embarked on fall well before we were ready to say goodbye to summer. Little did I realize, I would be embracing my new Daria Sweater Hoodie as soon as I did. It is so soft and comfortable. The sweater is woven from a lightweight organic cotton in a fine gauge knit. It is oversized which makes it great for layering. The perfect sweater to cheer my little ones on from the sidelines of the soccer game. I can wear a turtleneck underneath or wear it alone to change-up the look or for added warmth. Adding accessories can customize the look for wherever I am going. I love the big front pocket to keep my hands warm and the hood adds some fun flair.

The Manta Pants I ordered are my new favorite pants. They are made of a hemp and recycled poly blend  woven with 3% spandex for extra mobility. The waistband is constructed from an organic cotton and hemp blend knit and features an adjustable internal drawcord to give me a secure fit. They are cut with a mid-rise and straight leg that give me that relaxed fit I love. They are so comfortable and the black herringbone color I chose dresses them up without compromising comfort. I can easily wear them out to run errands, attend meetings at the school, or to coffee with a friend, and they are my first choice to wear when spending a lazy day at home.

I think the versatility of prAna’s clothing is what appeals to me most. It really fits my lifestyle since I work from home and am a wife and mother of 5. Being able to change the look of an outfit quickly with a few accessories, is something that I need to be able to do, and prAna gives me the pieces I need to do that.

Whether my day’s adventures lead me on a hike in the mountains with my family, scouring our local farmer’s market for the best produce or meeting with the marketing agent of a company I am working with, my prAna clothing fits me and whatever I am doing perfectly. I think it works so well because all the designers create and test all of prAna’s clothing based on their own love for outdoor activities.

If this all sounds good to you, you can use my exclusive discount code MS15CM to take 15% off your prAna order.

 
As a blogger working with Modern Social Magazine, I was provided with the prAna clothing in order to facilitate my review. As always, my views and words are 100% my own.


 


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“Blaze And The Monster Machines:Wild Wheels Escape To Animal Island” DVD #Giveaway

TIME TO REV THOSE ENGINES AND ROAR LIKE A BEAST 

WITH BLAZE AND THE REST OF THE MONSTER MACHINES 

 

BLAZE AND THE MONSTER MACHINES: 

WILD WHEELS ESCAPE TO ANIMAL ISLAND

The mighty monster machines are back in an all-new DVD collection, Blaze and the Monster Machines: Wild Wheels Escape to Animal Island. In this high-octane DVD, available September 19, Blaze and his friends find themselves on Animal Island, transforming into high-speed animal trucks in order to save the day. Fans can join the gang as they thwart Lazard the lizard-truck’s evil plan, help their new friend Tooks the toucan-truck, travel to Insect City and cheer on Blaze in the Super Sky Race.

As always, Blaze, AJ and the monster machines go on wild rides and use their S.T.E.M skills to solve the problems around them. Created by Nickelodeon and distributed by Paramount Home Media Distribution, Blaze and the Monster Machines: Wild Wheels Escape to Animal Island races onto DVD on September 19, for the suggested retail price of $14.99.

If you have kids that love monster trucks as much as mine do, they will love this DVD that gets them thinking as well as entertaining them. We are happy to announce you can enter our giveaway below for your chance to win this great DVD.

Giveaway:

Paramount Home Media Distribution  is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. One lucky blog reader will win their own copy of Blaze and the Monster Machines: Wild Wheels Escape to Animal Island DVD ! Thank you to Paramount Home Media Dist. for the review DVD and for sponsoring this fantastic giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. Open to US Residents in the contiguous 48 states.

Blaze and the Monster Machines: Wild Wheels Escape to Animal Island DVD Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:
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“There’s A Monster In Your Book” #Giveaway

We love picture books, we love all books to be honest. That’s right, one big, happy, book loving family is what we are. I want to share a brand new, hot off the presses picture book with you called, There’s A Monster In Your Book. This is a shake, wiggle and tickle the monster out of this book, read-aloud bedtime story, that is so fun to share with your kids. The book is written by Tom Fletcher, a YouTube star, musician and children’s book author.

With the irresistible pull of Hervé Tullet’s Press Here and the charm of The Monster at the End of This Book, Tom Fletcher’s inviting interactive read-aloud will have kids tilting, spinning, and shaking the book to get the adorable little monster out! That’s right! He’s out of the book . . . and in their room somewhere. Uh-oh!!

The co-author of the Dinosaur That Pooped series has created a monster that readers will fall in love with—and want to play with—again and again! It will get your own little monster tuckered out and snuggled in!

Tom Fletcher has a huge social-media presence, with over a million followers on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. His videos “Buzz and the Dandelions” and “My Wedding Speech” went viral and have been viewed tens of millions of times all over the world.

 If you would like a chance to win a copy of this almost-too-fun book, just enter our giveaway below.

Giveaway:

Penguin Random House  is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. One lucky blog reader will win their own copy of  There’s A Monster In Your Book! Thank you to Penguin Random House for the review book and for sponsoring this inspirational giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. Open to US Residents in the contiguous 48 states.

There’s A Monster In Your Book Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:
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