Extraordinarily Mom

The winner of the Uglee Pen giveaway, chosen from Random.org, is comment #121: I learned that The UGLee Pen only weights 11 grams! #4 Jadavis42@students.tntech.edu I will be sending an email to Jessica also telling her of her win and requesting shipping information. Congrats to Jessica and thanks to all who entered. Keep an eye out for more giveaways to come soon!

Walmart has revealed their Black Friday Sales Ad. You can check it out here Walmart Black Friday Ad

I've always been patriotic; I guess it really started around 1990 when the first Gulf War started. I remember being 13, sitting in front of the TV with my family the night Baghdad was bombed and being scared to death. I had never lived through a war at the time; like many my age at the time, we were sure they were going to attack us right back. Over time, I discovered a love for the American Soldier; a respect for what they were doing to protect our country, our freedoms, our way of life. Even today, I'm still amazed at the fact there are men and women who are willing to face death, risk losing limbs, becoming disfigured, in an unknown country. I can honestly say, I don't have the guts to do that; but, I am so honored to know people who do. I'm fortunate to have met many veterans during my life; from WW2 to the present day wars. I get so emotional when I hear all the heroic tales, funny stories, and the many not so funny stories they wish they could forget.  I have ...

If you have ever read any of my previous reviews, you  know that I give my honest opinions of those products; I either love them or hate them, and will tell you so. The Slice Safety Cutter is one of those products that I LOVE!!!  I'm not much of a couponer, but I do occasionally find a few that I will put to use. The Slice Safety Cutter may change that for me; this is by far one of the best slicers I have ever used. When I first opened the package I thought I had a faulty product, I couldn't find any semblance of a blade except a tiny microscopic blip at the tip. I thought, well maybe that is it; so I got a piece of paper and sure enough, it quickly cut right though. I feel in love; and began thinking of all the possibilities of use for this product. If you are a couponer, you will never want to use scissors again after trying out The Slice. It cuts out coupons in the fraction of a time that it takes using scissors; this is also great if you have kids and don't want scis...

The UGLee Pen is a revolutionary ergonomic pen that is designed, created and used by a real physician. This Doctor-inspired grip pen is redefining the way people view pens and writing. The UGLee Pen is good for everyone who writes (even just a grocery list), and is especially helpful to people who experience pain and discomfort when writing, for example those with arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, etc.,. It's also the best writing utensil  for children who are learning to write and are developing fine motor skills, as well as helpful for special-needs children who find holding a pen or pencil properly difficult. And for high-school and college students who have to take copious notes, this pen helps keep hands and fingers from cramping. I recieved 3 Uglee Pens for reviewing and giving my honest opinion about this product. They're certainly different in other pens in look and feel. The pens I recived were dark green and kind of resembled a grenade; I thought that was cute, ...

    Congrats comment #33-Lisa, she is the winner of this giveaway ! Thanks for all who entered! More giveaways coming up, hope you will check them out.  I had the privilege of reviewing Prefense Non-Alcohol sanitizer recently and now I'm offering one lucky reader the chance to win this great product also.     I have 4 kids, as well as, work as a substitute teacher; needless to say, sanitizer has become a way of life for me. I usually keep a small bottle in my purse and in my bathroom at home as a way of keeping germs at bay; with kids it seems they catch everything going around, so one can never be to safe.        I'm sure most of you are familiar with the typical hand santizer....runny, stong smelling, and leaving your hands feeling dry. No matter what brand you purchase, its all the same; or at least that's what I thought. I recently received a bottle of Prefense Non-Alcohol Hand Sanitizer for reviewing and was plea...

The Holidays are fast approaching, and I wanted my first blog giveaway here at Extraordinarily Mom to be a little something to help celebrate. I am giving away to one lucky person, your choice of either a $25 Walmart Giftcard or a $25 Amazon Giftcard. The giveaway will end October 31 at 12:01 E.S.T. The winner will be contacted and will have 48 hours to repond or a new winner will be chosen. Thanks for entering and Good Luck! You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway .

 I love entering sweepstakes, I love the thrill of the possibilities of winning some great prize. The only downside to national sweeping is the boredom I would feel of entering the same sweepstakes week after week.. I discovered that blog giveaways are so much easier to win without the need to enter the same information week after week. I have won so many great prizes, many that I have put up to give out as Christmas presents this year which will save me a great deal of expense on gifts. At my peak, I would win anywhere from 5-12 giveaways a week; some were small items, some were really great like gift cards or toys. Since starting this blog and a new semester of school, I don't have as much time to enter giveaways, however, I still manage 1 or 2 wins a week. I will share with you how to enter and win blog giveaways: Look for low entry giveaways. This may seem like a no brainer, however, it goes without say that the lower the number of entries, the better the chances you have of...

Hold on to your capes for a breakfast of heroic proportions! Big G cereals and DC Comics  have combined powers in their dedicated efforts to promote reading among children. They have enlisted the help of the Justice League, from Batman to Wonder Woman to Green Lantern, and they are coming right to your breakfast table! Available now, specially marked Big G cereal boxes feature action packed, collectable Justice League comic books. Want more action adventure? Each comic contains a link to www.BigGCerealHeroes.com for continuations of each story, not to mention a cut-out DC Super Hero mask on the back of the box perfect for helping the Justice League fight crime at breakfast time!  This information was provided by DC Comics and General Mills through MyBlogSpark

October 23rd would have been the 7th birthday of my second child, assuming he or she would have been born on their due date. It seems crazy to others that I can still remember dates that pertained to a child that I never saw, never held, never felt, but I still do. Life after a miscarriage, yes...life does go on; but, those days, and weeks, and months following are very hard. I had no problems conceiving my first child, even with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, we tried for only four months and had a very easy pregnancy. When my daughter was 3, we decided to try again; we were financially in a better place, my husband was in the Army and had great insurance, so we felt the time was right. After a year of trying, I knew it wasn't going to happen without medical intervention because my periods were almost non-existent. I was put on Provera to induce my period and Clomid to release an egg; to my surprise it worked the very first round. I was shocked, I'm a bit of a pessimist so I...

I've been an avid soap watcher since I  was little. So, I thought I would do something lighthearted that you may enjoy whether you are a soap fan or not. You know your life is a soap opera when:  You're being held captive, but no one realizes you are gone because your evil twin has taken over your life. That baby bump you are sporting is actually a pillow you are using to trap your best friends husband Although you have been in a coma for weeks, the hospital staff makes sure your hair and makeup are as perfect as when you came in. You never a shower, especially after sex. You can have sex with your body wrapped in a satin sheet. If you have a secret you can guarantee everyone else knows about and at least one of them is blackmailing you over it. The new rebellious teenager that just came to town is more than likely a child that you never remember giving birth to, You only hang out in hospitals, police stations, cemeteries and one restaurant. The r...

When I had my first daughter, I'm sure, like many of you, began taking steps towards childproofing my home. I bought those little kits that lock you cabinets, toilets, door knob covers and table corner bumpers; I thought I had it all figured out. I've learned over time, however, that if a child can't get into one thing they will look for something else; it's only when an accident occurs do we realize how dangerous something in our home really is. Here is a list of possible dangerous situations, most of them you may already know, but some you may have not thought to safe guard from your child: 1. Furniture Tip-overs     When my son was 3, I heard a loud crash from his bedroom. I immediatly ran to see what happened and found my son laying underneath his dress that had tipped over on top of him. Fortunatly, he was not seriously injured; however, he could have been one of the 100 children killed each year from furniture tip-overs.     Look around your hom...

I'm totally shocked, when I first read this I thought it was a joke, but apparently it really happened. I recieved this message in my inbox from AOLfriends: On October 11, the Topeka City Council voted 7 to 3 to repeal city laws against domestic violence. Domestic violence needs to be illegal! » Topeka needs to reinstate these laws, to prove to their citizens that the city does not tolerate domestic violence. According to the New York Times, "Eighteen people have been arrested on domestic violence charges since September and released without charges because no agency is accepting new cases." Take action today. Please tell the Topeka City Council to reinstate its law against domestic violence. » Seriously, what is wrong with these people? If you follow the above link it will take you to a petition that will be sent to the Topeka City Council, I encourage you to sign it and take a stand.

I don't make it a habit of sniffing my children; however, that was until I requested a free sample of Downey's new Unstopables scent booster. I washed a load of my childrens clothes last night before bed, and this morning I went to pull some school clothes from the dryer and fell in love. It has the same scent as regular Downey, but even stronger. Thier clothes smelled so good, very clean and extra soft; I kept telling my kids after getting dressed to smell their shirts, they liked it but being kids and all they didn't really care. I don't know how much this cost, hopefully not too much, but I'm leaving for Wal Mart later and will definately be adding this to my cart. If you would like to try it, go to Downey's Facebook page  and request a free sample for yourself. edited: okay, I bought Downey Unstopables at my local Walmart, the cost was a bit much at $6.97 for such a small amount. This probably won't be something I buy often, but I do like the scent s...

We've all done it; singing along to one of our favorite songs, when it happens, you hear your best friend giggling at you. Is she laughing because your singing is horrible? Is there something hanging from your nostrils? WHAT? After informing you the correct lyrics to the song you were singing you begin to go through what could only be compared to the 5 stages of grief..... 1. First, you deny that these new lyrics your friend speaks of is correct 2. You become angry with your friend, you are absolutly positive you are singing the right lyrics and she's being a meany poopoo head. 3.You then bargain with your friend, "Come on girl, I promise to let you borrow my new cashmere sweater if you just agree my lyrics are right" 4.You become depressed , "how can I face the world knowing they have heard me sing the wrong words all this time" 5. ....finally....you accept you made an honest mistake, laugh it off, and realize you hated the song anyway. Years ag...

 I'm sure the title got your attention, how dare I compare a child to being a loser! Well...hang with me here, there is a reason why I asked that. I work as a substitute teacher for our local high school; two years ago while subbing for a Spanish class full of freshman and sophomores, a male student I was checking on sitting with a group of his friends, glowingly bragged about not being part of the loser group sitting nearby. The tone of what was a casual conversation changed for me; I asked him why he referred to them that way, in which he replied "Look at them". I looked over this group of "losers" as he said, 3 boys and a girl who were noticeably different in dress and manner than others in the class, however, sitting quietly at their desks that had been  moved together. They weren't bothering anyone, they weren't doing the work assigned to the class, but no one else was either; this group was behaving, talking amongst themselves, generally minding...

Even though I'm not sure why Wal Mart ever decided to get rid of layaway, one of its most popular services, I was delighted when I heard they were bringing it back for the Christmas season. The economy has hit most families hard and many low income families have been left wondering how they can possibly buy gifts for their children this season.  Layaway will begin at all Wal Mart stores on October 17 and run until December 16. Personally, I'm thrilled they are bringing back layaway; when I first became a mom, Wal Mart layaway was the only way I could have afforded to purchase presents for my daughter; I hope this will help in some way to relieve the burden on parents already cash strapped due to being out of work or underemployed. Wal Mart will open its layaway services for eligible items including toys, electronics, and jewelry; each item must be at least $15 for a total no less than $50,  there will be a 10% down payment along with a $5 service charge. 

 Want to get involved in the Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest without even having to turn on the oven?  Cast your vote and help decide which apron will be worn by finalists as they compete for $1 million at the 45th Pillsbury Bake-Off in March! Adding a dash of designer fashion, Pillsbury has asked three former contestants from a top fashion design reality show to compete in a "Runway Challenge" and help design the official apron to be worn by finalists at the Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest.   Althea Harper, Kara Janx and Carol Hannah Whitfield have each designed an apron to potentially be worn by the 100 finalists on the contest floor at the  Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest finals which take place March 25-27, 2012, in Orlando, FL. You can visit the  Pillsbury Facebook page to vote for your favorite and help decide which design should become the official apron of the 45th Bake-Off Contest.  Hurry and cast your vote before voting closes on Monday, October 17th!

 "I'll never clean that up!" , before I was a mom I would watch other moms wipe thier childs booger noses, or another mom wipe the poo off a baby as she changed its diaper; I couldn't imagine how any person could do such a thing without a gas mask and two layers of gloves, it was beyond gross and disgusting and I just knew when I had children they would never be as gross as these kids are. I write this post an hour after my 6 year old daughter projectile vomited all over the floor of my living room. After making sure she was okay, I casually gathered up old towels, floor cleaner and a can of Lysol, just as I had done thousands of times before and cleaned her and the floor up. I didn't think much about it, it was nasty of course, and there were many things I would have rather been doing at that moment, but some how the wretchedness I felt pre-mommyhood was no longer there. Since becoming a mom 11 years ago I've cleaned my fair share of vomit, poo, pee, boog...

Sometimes I feel that being a mother is the most unappreciated, thankless job a woman could ever have. Not to say motherhood doesn't have its rewards, those big hugs and I love you mommy makes it all worth it; but, it does require long hours, rarely do you get a day off, no sick leave, and it continues 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I often try to imagine what life was like before I had my children; sure I can remember many things, but most of the memories I cherish the most involve some event revolving around my child.  There are some mothers out there who don't deserve 2 cents for raising their children, most of thier kids raise themselves; but for the vast majority of moms, we work our fingers to the bone to make sure our kids have good food to eat, clean clothes, and a roof over thier heads. We have so many jobs in our home, cooking, cleaning, laundry, feeding, shopping, driving, bathing, healthcare, etc....According to an Associated Press article I found on Foxnews.com, st...

Hello- Welcome to my new blog “Extraordinarily Mom”. Why did I choose that name? Well, although I feel I’ve done nothing special in this life that would ever be concidered extraordinary, I feel as a mother of 4, a wife of 13 years, a full time college student, a part time substitute teacher, a child with Autism, a former Army wife and experiences too numerous to count; my life is truly less ordinary. Do I feel like I’m the only mother who deals with daily frustrations and joys, not at all. That is what this blog is for, to share and collaborate with other mothers; whether you have 1 child or 10, single or married, a stay at home mother or a working professional. I want to share how I cope or the times I totally lost it with problems that I have faced in my life, from PCOS and infertility, miscarriages, a child with special needs, having twins, following my husband across the country for his army career and deployments and so on…. I hope that you will follow me and occasionally get a go...