So what person doesn’t like free?  Especiallly with many households trying to make ends meet and not having the luxury of spending money, other than paying off bills. It’s always nice to hear about free food, free events, and anything free in general.  I am always trying to find activities to do with my little ones that don’t cost an arm and a leg, and can create a lifetime of memories.

Summer months can be fun and difficult.  I love spending time with my children but the truth is that they get bored and I get bored, trying to do the same old same old.  However, it’s not easy to plan a field trip everyday considering the added costs that come with it.  So this is where “free” and “summer” comes in to save our days, weeks, and summer months!

I’ve listed some free activities and free food options to make all of our summer lives easier and more fun with our adorable children:

Coco’s and Carrows Kids Eat Free All Summer Long: Dinner promotion runs nightly from 4pm until close, starting July 8 at all participating restaurants.

Chipotle’s Free Kid’s Meal Deal: I love going to my local Chipotle because they offer healthier options (even Vegan options with the Garden blend) to the normally not so figure friendly Mexican food. Recently, I was excited to get an email from Chipotle with a new kid friendly promotion.  From August 1 through August 22, when parents eat a burrito, salad, taco, or burrito bowl, kids eat free.  I will definitely take advantage of this offer since I frequent the one near my home.

Free Bowling at 300: From now until September 7, kids 12 and under can join 300’s Summer Kids Club program at no charge, and every Sunday through Friday before 4pm, kids get one free game and free shoe rental.

Target Free Sundays: Every third Sunday, Target sponsors a free day in select museums across the country.  To see if there are any in your local area go here.  My children and I go to the Free Target Sundays at the Japanese American National Museum and they have fantastic activities for the kids as well.  The last Sunday my children got to make backpacks, luggage name-tags, and also did a stick on activity.

Whole Foods:  While this may be an odd choice for some of you as a destination spot, my children and I love goin to Whole Foods.  They offer Kid’s Club activities, which includes making healthy snack options and even doing a craft project or two.  The last time we went to a Kid’s Club event, my daughter made my husband an apron for Father’s Day.  Also, being a part of Kid’s Club means that your children get to choose an apple or a cookie from the store as their treat for coming to the store.  You can’t lose on this one!

Westfield Malls:  They have Kid’s Club events that range from cooking classes to crafty activities and sometimes they will have local musicians come and perform.  My children love going to these little events because they get to play and if it’s a cooking class, they get to eat too!

Have a Happy Summer!

Awhile back, I wrote about the Activeion Pro (to read the post go here).  It’s a great cleaning tool that was earth-friendly, money-saving, and safe for children.  Activeion took the same great product and upgraded it to fit the needs of a home cleaner.  The ionator HOM™ does everything the Pro did, but not only does it kill bacteria, it also kills the H1N1 virus (a.k.a. swine flu).

Last year, everyone was going crazy to get the vaccination for the the swine flu because it was a new strand of virus that were making people fatally ill and unfortunately taking the lives of many.  Every day I would read a new story about how another child died from the swine flu, which is every parent’s nightmare.

ionator HOM™ is not a vaccination to the H1N1, but it effectively kills the virus on your table-top without the use of any harsh chemicals (when used as directed).  For me, this was so great because I have a baby and a preschooler that touches everything and I mean EVERYTHING, and this will rule out the potential of them touching an unclean surface and transferring those bacterias + H1N1 virus into their nose or mouth (my preschooler occasionally picks her nose and my baby bites down on her fingers).  The thought of anything being transferred from a surface to the mouth, makes me quite queezy.

My daughter and I have been using the Activeion Pro since last year and we love it.  We don’t need anything but water to clean and sanitize our home.  My daughter is only 4 years old (she just turned 4) and she uses it to clean surfaces after play.  Although the Pro was heavy for her, she managed to place it on the floor and angle it just right, to clean her play area.

3 Step process on how the ionater HOM works:

It’s very simple.  No complicated instructions to look at and no time consuming set-up.  You literally charge the battery and when it’s done charging, you simply fill it with water and start cleaning. With the ionator HOM™, my daughter had an easier time holding on to it and transporting it from room to room because it was smaller in size and lighter.  I love the smell of cleaning our tables with the ionator HOM™ because it smells like a clean doctor’s office, thoroughly sanitized (some of you may not like that, but I do!).  If you are a professional cleaner who needs a more commercial approach to cleaning without the chemicals and toxicity, the ionator EXP™ (the professional version of the ionator HOM™) would be your solution.

Activeion is giving my readers a $20 off with coupon code “MITH” until 06/10/2010 for the ionator HOM™.

(Disclosure: Product was provided free of charge for review purposes and does not affect my views or feedback of the product.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

FOR THE GIVEAWAY

If you would like to have a chance at winning your very own ionator HOM™ you must (mandatory) visit http://www.activeion.com and leave a comment here telling me something you learned about the product/technology or why you would like to try the ionator HOM™.

For Extra entries (please make every entry separate even if you comment on multiple posts):

• Follow @Active_ion on Twitter (Tweet about why they would like to try the ionator HOM™)
• Become a Facebook fan of Activeion (Post a comment on the wall that you were sent by Mommas in the House and tell them specifically how you would use the ionator HOM to clean up your messes).
• Subscribe to Mommas in the House
  
• Follow @Mommasinthehous on Twitter.
• Tweet about the giveaway and link back (unlimited entries)

Giveaway ends May 24th, 2010 at 11:59pm PST. Please make sure you leave a valid email address so that we can notify the winner. We will notify the winner, and the winner has 48 hours to respond. If the winner fails to respond within that time period, we will choose a new winner. Open to US residents only.

Happy Mother’s Day to all my mommas!  This year I wrote my mother a poem for her Mother’s Day gift and wanted to share with  you.  I hope everyone has a day full of love, happiness, and thanks.

“Your words ring true”

Every day I want to say,
Happy Mother’s Day!

Through you I have learned the lessons in life
and therefore I always pick up the pieces
and be a good mother and wife.

I am thankful for the courage you instilled in me
you gave me the inspiration to be free.

Growing up it was hard to appreciate,
all the ups and downs that felt like mere fate.

Everything that you said was very true
and every day I stop and thank you!

It has come a time when we both celebrate
that being a good mother is never too late.

So mom and grandma, up above,
Happy Mother’s Day
with all my love.

Don’t get me wrong, I love flowers.  I love the smell of it, the vibrant colors, and what they represent.  However, sometimes it’s nice to get something different.  Something that doesn’t go bad within a week and something that you could cherish forever.  I’m not an accessories type of gal, but I love getting necklaces as presents.

When my husband got me a white gold necklace with a four leaf clover charm on our anniversary,  I was touched because he wanted me to think of him as my lucky charm (of course he is!).  Everytime I open up my jewelry bag and I come across that necklace, I always think of that day and smile.  With any kind of jewelry, there is always some sort of sentimental connection.  Jewelry makes any person feel person special and that is why, for most people, we get it on a special day or occasion in our life.

With Mother’s Day coming up this weekend, I thought a necklace would be a nice gift to give to any special mother in your life.  Just because it’s jewelry doesn’t mean it has to be very expensive.  Just look at your local newspaper and I’m sure there are tons of Mother’s Day jewelry specials on print.  I thought I would share some of  the Mother’s Day necklace options that I came across.

My daughter will be making her grandmother a simple necklace with the Melissa and Doug Wooden Stringing Beads.  It’s only $16.99 and you can find it online or at Toys R Us and I saw it at Ross for $14.99.  A fun project for you and your daughter, and will definitely bring a smile to a grandmother and any special mother in your life.

I love Etsy.com because you can virtually find anything and everything there.  The prices are just right and the necklaces are either “one and only” or custom made to your preference.  I found a cute one from Bead Creations International for $46.50.  You can personalize it so they have the childrens’ names on it.

If you want to buy a jewelry that supports a good cause, Ebay has a worldofgood.com which supports shopping for a good cause.  I found a beautiful Sterling Silver Filigree Fair Trade necklace for $78.

A necklace that is simplistic but also meaningful for a special mom.  Marie Todd makes these chic Initial Necklaces in 14K Gold ($295) and Sterling Silver ($100).

Want to spend some good money on some bling-bling necklaces?  With a celebrity following, Jennifer Meyer (wife of Tobey Maguire) makes a really pretty Nameplace Necklace for $975 (not cheap, but if you have the money, totally worth it!).

With whatever you decide, I’m sure it will be super-special for that mother in your life.  Life goes by very quickly, so cherish your mother as if Mother’s Day is everyday because it really is!

To celebrate the arrival of the new Angus Gold Rush Steak, Coco’s is giving away over $10 million in prizes! Everyone wins something from food to discounts to the Grand Prize of $100,000.  Go to your local Coco’s to receive your scratch card.  It would be awesome if one my readers went home $100,000 richer!!!

UCLA Commons is a great community center where the family can come and relax.  I always feel great leaving there because I feel like I have gained an ounce of sanity back.  The center offers everything from Mindful Awareness, Family coaching, Martial Arts, Mommy & Me Yoga, Infant Massage, to my favorite, Mommy & Me Eco-Crafting.  It’s a very laid back atmosphere with a warm and caring staff and offers something for the entire family to enjoy.

I love to get my hands into different projects, and the Arts has been a major part of my life since I was very little.  When I heard about the Mommy & Me Eco-Crafting classe, it brought all the curiousity out in me.  Crafting?  Hmm…I didn’t every consider myself a crafter, probably more of a freehand sketch artist or a painter.  Eco?  I am always trying my best to be as green as possible, so this was definitely a thumbs up.  Eco-Crafting, like its name, is crafting but in an eco-friendly manner.  I really enjoy my time there, making hair clips, necklaces, bracelets, bags, scarves, and anything else you can think of.  Sonya Nimri teaches our class, and not only is she super creative and talented (author of two books), she has such a warm spirit.  It’s a very relaxing environment, where us mommies can unleash our creative side, while still being able to interact with our child.  If your baby needs to eat, you can literally pull out a boob to nurse (TMI, but keeping it real), and go about your daily business. 

Hair Clips made by me

If you haven’t gone to the UCLA Commons, what are you waiting for?  If you want a place where you can go and relax, meet other moms, have your children in a safe social setting, or just want to interact with other adults, this is the place to be!  I have been going there for about 3 weeks, and I cannot praise it enough (and no, I am not paid to write this).

UCLA Commons is having their Grand Opening Party on Thursday, February 4th, 2010 from 4-7pm.  They are going to have tours of the facility, live entertainment, food, product demos, and speakers.  If you can, get all your friends and family, and head on down to the party.  We deserve to have some fun, or a lot of fun, and support a neat community center that is made for US!

UCLA Family Commons
1221 2nd Street
Santa Monica, CA

My daughter has been wearing the Gro Baby Diaper Shells and Cloths for a couple of months.  I LOVE it!  I have been raving about these diapers since I’ve started using them.  A lot of people I know have made recent purchases because I have been dancing and singing about these diapers.   The Gro Baby Diapering system makes cloth diapering such an easy experience.  For those that are intimidated by cloth diapering, no need to anymore, with this system.

I love that the shell is waterproof with easy hook tabs to adjust to your baby’s size, so no more 2 size system for your baby.  The shell grows with your baby!  The organic cotton 6 layer soaker pads are amazing because they snap in and they are elasticized, so they mold to your baby’s bum.  I purchased about 10 shells and 20 soaker pads.  I have never had an issue with shortage, as I do laundry almost everyday and I leave them to air dry. Prices Range: Check Site

Another super innovative product they developed was the Bio Soaker Pads.  It’s pretty much an on-the-go insert for when you are out and about and do not want to hassle with cloth diapers.   They have great absorbancy (Comes in 2 Sizes).  I am IN LOVE with this product!  I have a receipt to prove how much I am in love with it.  Recently they had a buy 1 get 1 free promotion on their site and I purchased 8 boxes and got 8 boxes free, for a total of 16 boxes.  I don’t feel guilty about buying these soaker pads because they are bio-degradable and they are gentle on the earth. Price: $19.99

They recently won the PTPA Media Stamp of Approval and I knew exactly why.  I LOVE my Gro Baby diapering system and I will continue to dance and sing about it!

(Disclosure:This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

I always thought pancakes were something complicated to make.  Until I came across a pancake recipe that was super simple to make.  Of course, I had to tweek the recipe to fit my wants and needs.  It took me about a minute to mix all the ingredients and about 3 minutes, from pan to plate.  Super quick and super easy! 

P.S. Sorry.  I was so hungry that I ate all of it and then thought, maybe I should have taken a picture of it. Sometimes the hunger gets the better of me.

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Combine the 4 dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt) in a bowl.
2. Add the soy milk and vegetable oil to your mixture.
3. Mix until smooth.
4. Now the pan should be ready for your batter, so spoon one pancakes’ worth of the mixture into the pan. (medium heat)
5. Flip the pancake when you see the bubbles in the middle of the pancake, or if the edges are looking stiffened.
6. Plate it and sprinkle some walnuts, earth balance, and pour some maple syrup. Yummy!!!!

Serves 2 people (approximately 6-8 pancakes).

Do you ever cringe looking at your baby in a very distorted head positioning?  I do.  My little baby girl loves to be in her Orbit car seat.  However, whenever I look at her, her neck looks like it is straining and her head is so tilted to where it looks very uncomfortable.  Her Orbit carseat has a infant insert for the head, however, she always seems to get her head out of it.  Now that she is a little bigger, it is too small for her head.  Plus, I want something that will actually be comfortable for my baby and keep her head in a vertical position.  When I went to the ABC Kids Show in September, I came across Baby Elephant Ears.  From what I could see, it was very cute in design and the concept was quite creative.

After countless times of seeing my baby super uncomfortable in the head area, I thought about my brief encounter with Baby Elephant Ears at the show.  I remember that is was a head support pillow that supported the baby’s cranial-spinal development.  As a parent, having my baby develop properly is at the top of my list.  I had to try out the pillow.

Baby Elephant Ears in Grass Menagerie

Alicia, a mother and the mind behind Baby Elephant Ears, graciously sent me one to use on my precious baby girl.  As soon as it arrived, I was super anxious and excited to try it out on my baby.  Would it be all that it claims to do? Or will I be disappointed again?  I placed the Baby Elephant Ears inside the carseat and put my daughter in it.  I immediately noticed that it positioned my daughter’s neck straight and the pillow enveloped her neck and head. I did a mini-clap because of the people around me, but I was super excited inside.

The biggest test of them all?  Looking at my daughter, after she falls asleep for a good 20 minutes.  Usually, this is when her head moves around and goes into weird contorted positions.  After I went to pick up my other daughter at pre-school, I went to check on my baby.  I opened up her paparazzi shield, to discover…that her head was still in place and that she looked very comfortable and content.  It passed the biggest test of them all!

I love that you can also use the pillow in the stroller, swing, the floor, pretty much everywhere and anywhere.  It doesn’t have any straps or clips that can become a safety issue.  More importantly, it encourages healthy development and strong posture which is the building block and foundation to other developmental milestones.  Knowing that my child has good head and neck support for a healthy alignment, is very important to me.

Baby Elephant Ears is really cute, functional, and very easy to use.  You can throw in your diaper bag with your other essentials and when you clean it, just throw it in the washer.  It’s made with designer fabrics and also has organic fabric selections, using eco-conscious corn-fiber fill.  These would be excellent as a gift or for your own child and they also have matching blankets.  For more info visit their site here.

For my readers: 10% off with code REVIEW09

(Disclosure: Product was provided free of charge for review purposes and does not affect my views or feedback of the product.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

Tis the holiday season and so many gifts to buy, but don’t know exactly what to buy?  Well, PTPA Media gathered a list of PTPA winners to make it easier on you.  If you are not exactly sure about what to get for that special child in your life, click here.

Oh and don’t forget about the mommas and poppas out there, they definitely deserve a great Christmas gift too.  I mean without the parents, there would be no kids.  So if you are on the fence about what to get for that special mom or dad in your life, take a look at this list.

Remember, these are Parent Tested Parent Approved.  Just because your a last minute shopper doesn’t mean you can’t get something really great!