Datevitation review + GIVEAWAY.

[i received one book for the purpose of this review;

all opinions are 100% mine.]

remember those coupons you used to make as a kid for your mom or dad offering one day to take out the trash or one free car wash?

then as you got older, you made coupons for your special someone for one free massage or a romantic dinner cooked by yours truly...

and when those coupons landed you a marriage proposal, you got married, had kids, and made coupons for them good for one day free of chores, or an outing of their choice.

well, guess what? Datevitation.com is the web's first online platform to create a custom love coupon book. no more pre-packaged love coupon books. customize your book with specific places and or details to make it extra personal and special.

with a library of over 500 customizable dates (activities) ranging from hot air balloon rides to romantic sunsets to steamy adult-only activities, you can create a one-of-a-kind book.

love coupon books start at just $25 making them a fun, easy, and economical gift for your partner, friend, or children.

there's even an exciting new feature that allows you to add photos of your own faces for the illustrations! i tried it on a book for mini-she, and it is super easy and fun. it doesn't get any more personalized than that!

the coupons are printed on good quality 60# paper, and each page is perforated so you can easily tear them out to redeem. the books also come with an envelope so you don't have to worry about wrapping them.

are you getting ideas yet? check out the giveaway below to win your own love coupon book.

giveaway

prize: one custom love coupon book

giveaway open to US/CAN/military addresses; ends 12/4

[oomph. is not responsible for prize fulfillment.]

enter using the rafflecopter widget below

a Rafflecopter giveaway

can't wait?
shop now and get $10 off your purchase + free shipping with the code: OOMPH

place your love coupon book orders by December 13th to ensure delivery by Christmas.

keep it stylish on the go.

[This post is sponsored by Huggies;

all dirty hands and opinions are our own.]

hope everyone had a nice weekend celebrating with or remembering the fathers or father figures in your lives. the guys in our family just wanted to be near the tv at 2pm (NBA game), so we just hung out and ate. 

over the weekend, i picked up a couple new clutches that i wanted to share with you. i loved the fun bright prints and thought they would be perfect for summer. in addition, they have wrist straps in case i want to go hands-free or even hook them onto a bigger bag. but, the absolute best part about these clutches is on the flip side. scroll down to see what i'm talking about...

wait, what's that?

it's Huggies® new Clutch 'n' Clean Wipes...fooled ya!

seriously, though, how cute are these? this clutch comes in three adorable designs and can be refilled with your favorite baby wipes. when you're on the go, no more lugging around the big tub or those hard cases, nor do you have to be inconspicuous when making a diaper-change run to the bathroom. you can proudly flaunt these stylish baby wipes.

i know many of my long-time blog friends are new moms, so here's to keeping it stylish as you transition from fashionistas to fashionable moms (and dads!).

obviously, we had to move...

foxy brown was about to chomp that cookie!

mini-he is well out of diapers, but his messes keep on coming. i'm always needing a wet napkin, and these work perfectly.

in addition to changing diapers, these baby wipes are also great for cleaning sticky hands, messy faces, and the table when you're done, wiping down shopping carts, and even removing makeup.

click to learn more about Huggies® Clutch 'n' Clean Wipes and see how you can keep it stylish while on the go. which design would you choose?

#HuggiesMomStyle

reversible tote + email your kids.

i finally got around to using this reversible bag i ordered during christmas. it came in a bunch of bright colors, but i opted for this black/blood red one for ultimate versatility. i like that it is nondescript and doesn't have any pronounced hardware. i'm wearing my JustFab skinny denim with this super comfy trapeze tank. it's perfect for humid summers because it doesn't cling to your body. they are super cheap from a local store, so i always grab them whenever i see them. of course, i had to have the leopard one.

i came across an idea for kids recently; i heard about it years ago but it appealed to me this time around. the idea is to create an email account and reserve a (personalized) email address for your child...the thought being that many email addresses will be taken by the time they are old enough to have an account. throughout the years, email them. a note here and there, pictures from school, play dates, vacations, or random candids, and give them the password to the account when they're 18 years of age (or whenever you choose). 

while i'm not concerned about saving them an email address, i do love the idea of creating somewhat of a virtual scrapbook or journal that you can give them when they are older. i can't even tell you how many scrapbooks and decorative papers and die-cuts and paper punches i have bought with the intention of creating scrapbooks for my kids. i've never completed one. but email? i can do. right from my phone. at the moment. after all, this is the age of technology.

if you're a parent, is this an idea you would consider?

how do you document your child's memories and milestones?

some sample emails to your child...

it's a great way to keep those photos safe throughout the years, plus it doesn't take up storage space!

(JustFab denim (buy); Lulu's shoes;

ShopLately necklace; Happy Wahine bag)

Dean & Grace GIVEAWAY.

moms and dads of young children know that convenience is key.

everything we do is with ease of use and convenience in mind. we watch DVDs at home instead of going to the theaters, and we hit up the drive-thrus more often than we'd like to admit. shopping at the mall is a daunting task with a crying baby or active toddler on the run, so we shop online. but even that takes time...browsing different sites, narrowing your search only to find the item you want is not available in your child's size. enter dean & grace...a fun and easy way to shop from your phone, via text.

dean & grace offers cute and unique kids' clothing from brands and boutiques around the world.

sizes range from newborn to 5T.

prices range from $14.99 - $34.99.

it's free to join (your msg /data rates may apply).

shipping is always free.

join via text, facebook, or online. it only takes seconds!

*currently available to US residents;

international coming soon.

once you're signed up, you'll receive texts like these with

descriptions and photos of items in your child's size.

simply reply WANT if you wish to purchase the item.

you'll receive a secure link for payment.

get 30% off your first purchase with code: OOMPH30

(include code when you reply WANT)

GIVEAWAY

Dean & Grace is giving away one of their adorable items:

choose either one (1) Boy's striped sweater OR one (1) Girl's retro dress

open to US only, ends 2/21

blog comment mandatory, all other entries optional

enter using the rafflecopter widget below

a Rafflecopter giveaway

watch the video.
Dean and Grace: website  |  facebook  |  instagram  | twitter

love thy children.

anyone with kids knows that there are days.
good days. bad days. extremely bad days when you wanna scream F@CK! and pull your hair out.

yesterday was one of those extremely bad days with mini-he. he was whiny and rebellious. he grumbled about anything and evvvrything from the moment i walked in the door. and yesterday, maybe it was the hour and a half of traffic i had just sat through, i just couldn't take it. my patience had worn thin. by the time we struggled through homework and a snack (or two, or three) he had to have, i'd had it up to my ears with his crap.

i kinda stormed out of the house, and went to pick up mini-she from a school event. i purposely arrived about 10 minutes early so that i could just sit, de-stress, and have a few quiet moments to myself.

in that time, i decided to scroll through my facebook feed and came across a video someone shared. i saw it earlier, but didn't have the desire to watch it then. not sure why i decided to watch it now, other than the fact that i could. i had the time. there were several captions because it was a share of a share, etc., but one said, fyi, this is a girl, and my friend's caption was, this is so disgusting and sick!!!. the screenshot was of a mother (i'm assuming) sitting on one side of the bed, her back to us, with her baby (on her stomach, face down, maybe 7 months old) in the other corner against the wall.

i hit play.

and then kinda wished i didn't.

the baby was whimpering and crying, so the mother whacks the baby on the head with a pillow, repeatedly. mother stops. baby cries. mother continues to whack the baby's head with the pillow. she stops. baby whimpers. next she hits the baby on the head with her fist, repeatedly. baby cries. baby whimpers. this continues with a few slaps on the face in between. baby cries and whimpers. she proceeds to pinch and twist the skin on the baby's arms, body, and legs. she stops. baby cries.

if you're not feeling sick in your gut, or even tearing up yet, this next part got me.

after a few (long!) minutes of this, the baby gets the strength to prop herself on her knees and reach out to touch her mama's knee. the mother flicks the baby's hand off her knee and pushes the baby away on her forehead, causing the baby to fall backwards and roll away. baby cries.

the unconditional love that this baby felt for its mama, even after all of that...wow. the baby instinctively reached out to her mom to be comforted. she just wanted needed a hug.
to feel safe.

the beating continued with her hand as well as with something hard like a remote control. what's worse? you can see two older children standing off to the side watching. not in awe and not scared. just watching, expressionless, while eating a snack as if this was nothing new to them.

i felt sick to my stomach.

i'm not a religious person, but i can only believe that god made me see that video for a reason. to put my feelings and situation with mini-he in perspective...that in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, trying to get everything done in the short time we have at the end of the day, amidst the orders i'm giving out and the demands he's making, sometimes all mini-he needs is a hug.

needless to say, i went home and cuddled with mini-he.

love your children.

ps. the video has since been reported and removed, but it popped into my thoughts while driving to work this morning, and i couldn't contain my tears. even while typing this. i give my sephora pitch black all-in-one waterproof eyeliner a hundred million stars for not budging or running!

and if you read this...thanks. you're awesome.

weekend in photos.

helloooo, monday.

i had a productive weekend full of firsts. and while i'm usually dreading mondays, i can't wait to get back on the treadmill. what?? i mean, just look at the first picture.

invited by a friend, mini-she and i went to our first women's conference on friday night. over 800+ women in an energetic atmosphere, singing songs of praise, inviting jesus into their hearts. for any newbie, it's overwhelming...even a bit uncomfortable. but i did enjoy the speaker and her message about change. after the conference, i had some one-on-one time with mini-she as we chatted over good eats.

mini burgers, southwest spring rolls,

and artichoke dip and chips.

on saturday, i met my friend (and marathon training partner) for our first run together in 2014. we have been keeping each other in the loop about our weekly workouts and treadmill runs, but it was nice to actually hit the pavement. following our 5-mile run (woot!), her husband juiced for us. i had my first ever green juice. greens & kale, green apples, lemons. it did have a strong "green" smell, but it was totally drinkable. i am definitely team green. how about you?

and on sunday, mini-she had a church outing to a local trampoline place. since i had to pick her up, i decided to check it out with mini-he. it was our first time there, and it was super fun. i'd only seen YouTube videos of similar places, so i was confused when the guy said 'only one person per trampoline'. makes sense, but there were tons of people there; how many trampolines could this place possibly have, i wondered?! but i understood once i saw it...one person per square.

you have to wear non-slip socks, which you can purchase there for $3. mini-he had such a great time and kept thanking me for bringing him to get some exercise. he did complain about being a little sore today, but so was i. i actually considered purchasing 90 minutes of jump time, but one-hour is plenty!

tell me about your weekend.

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what are you going to buy your valentine this year?

something totally awesome with the amazon gift cards

we're giving away!

enter to win a $500 amazon gift card

($100 gift card to a second winner)

it's About Time.

this post was sponsored by Universal Pictures through their partnership with POPSUGAR. i was compensated to write a post about About Time; all opinions are my own.


we experience things in life, big and small, that we'll remember forever. sometimes it's as innocent as our first childhood pet or first kiss, or sometimes it's life-changing events such as getting married or the death of a loved one. while i've had many favorite moments in time (vacations, buying my first car, graduating), the most obvious life-changing moment in my life was having kids. and life has never been the same.

as a single mom, life gets overwhelming, and it's frustrating trying to do it all. i wonder how things might be now if i did things differently. i even catch myself thinking,
"if i could only go back in time."

but what if i did? would i get the results i was hoping for? maybe, but then i would have erased all the other ups and downs that made my family what we are today. crazy, chaotic, critical, loud, but spontaneous, supportive and loving....and i wouldn't change any of that. and that's what Tim realizes in the movie, About Time, that life's imperfections are what make
it extraordinary.

this november, the creator of Love Actually returns with his most personal and memorable film of all, About Time. About Time tells the story of a young man whose gift allows him to go back and relive any moment of his life. but instead of making every moment perfect, he learns that life and love are most extraordinary
when you embrace all of their imperfections.

on november 8, 2013, get ready to fall in love
all over again...with About Time.

about the movie:
at the age of 21, Tim Lake (Domhall Gleeson) discovers he can travel in time...
the night after another unsatisfactory new year party, Tim's father (Bill Nighy) tells his son that the men in his family have always had the ability to travel through time. Tim can't change history, but he can change what happens and has happened in his own life - so he decides to make his world a better place...by getting a girlfriend. turns out that it's not as easy as you might think.

Tim finally meets the beautiful but insecure Mary (Rachel McAdams). they fall in love, then an unfortunate time-travel incident means he's never met her at all. so they meet for the first time again...and again...but finally, after a lot of cunning time traveling, he wins her heart.

Tim then uses his power to create the perfect romantic proposal, to save his wedding from the worst best-man speeches and to save his best friend from professional disaster. but as his unusual life progresses, Tim finds out that his unique gift can't save him from the sorrows and ups and downs that affect families everywhere.

About Time is a comedy about love and time travel, which discovers that, in the end, making the most of life may not need time travel at all.

if you took a minute to reflect on your life up until this moment, would you be able to say it was perfect? do you have life-changing events that you would like to change or relive?

an [oomph] review. kiwi crate.

i was provided one kiwi crate to share with mini-he.

all opinions are 100% his. and mine!

if you have kids in your life, whether your own, or nieces and nephews, or your friends' kids, you'll want to read on. subscription boxes have been popping up like crazy, and this is one you will want to subscribe to. it's called Kiwi Crate.

kiwi crate was created as a way to 'celebrate kids' natural creativity and curiosity'. each crate contains 2-3 age-appropriate projects with all the necessary materials.

your child provides the imagination!

the theme of our Kiwi Crate was Wonders of Water,

and the activities included:

Floating Sailboat.

assemble a colorful sailboat, then learn to steer it

in the tub or pool

Watercolor Animals.

created vibrant sea creature art with color diffusing paper

and your own spray bottle

Water Experiments.

investigate surface tension and buoyancy with

included bonus materials

here's mini-he making watercolor animals.

our plant was perfect for drying our animals!

view this on you tube here.
check out the second part of this activity here.

our thoughts:

we absolutely loved this.

the best part was that the crate included all the necessary materials needed to do each project. (sometimes we were asked to provide water or pennies, things anyone would have at home.) the graphics were cute and simple, and the instructions were easy to follow. my son loved the two activities we did so far, and coincidentally, the water experiments lined up perfectly with
the science he was learning in school! 

crates start as low at $16.95/month.
you can buy 6-12 month subscriptions or purchase single crates; these would make great kids' gifts.

visit their website for more information.

have you tried kiwi crate?
if you have kids, would you consider kiwi crate?

mini style. food fight.

when it comes to kids' clothes, it seems girls have a lot more options. especially here in our warm, sunshiny state, the stylish option to layer boys up in collared shirts and sweaters or jackets...well, just isn't an option. (we're lucky if we can even get them to wear shirts on a hot day!). so with jeans, shorts, and tees as standard uniform, i try to make them fun tees and cool jeans with some killer shoes.

the other thing with kids? they grow too fast. all the clothes mini-he received as gifts years ago all-of-a-sudden fit. his t-shirt drawer is overflowing, and he has more shoes than any boy should have. i started him a 'closet' on the recently launched marketplace, because they grow too fast (www.btgtf.com), where i can sell or swap his pre-loved clothes, or buy new-to-him ones.

and for all you big kids (a.k.a. adults), you can start a closet on their sister site, because i shop too much.

a yummylicious "thank-you" from a friend. mini-he and i devoured this as soon as we got home. oops...sorry mini-she!

(ae kids tee; denizen jeans, old navy shoes)

try these:

*     *     *

enter here.