Go Graham Go: Parenting | Recipes | DIY | Brand Ambassador | Product Reviews | NC Mom Blog

Several months ago we noticed a change in Graham.  Instead of him being his happy, sweet self we were faced with a child we did not recognize.  It seemed to pop up at certain points in the day and was happening more than normal.  The best way for me to describe it is that it was like he was from a different planet!  He was extremely hyper, could not settle himself, and was almost literally bouncing off the walls!  Matthew and I honestly asked ourselves where our child had gone.  After about 4 days of this I found myself handing Graham a package of fruit snacks that he never really eats (but had been that week) when it hit me... food allergy!



I immediately looked on the label and found the list of all of the artificial colorings that were in this one tiny package.  My mind went back to a time when my mom was describing how I acted when introduced to red dye #40 and I felt like I was living her life!  I picked up the phone and started describing Graham and she said, "take away the food dyes!".  We noticed an almost immediate difference the next day as I cut out any and all things with red dye #40.  To this day we can tell when he has consumed any red dye.

Now, I realize that his food allergy is not as severe as many other children's and I am so thankful for that.  I know of children who are deathly allergic to certain types of foods.  What I want to know is how the parents of these children manage?  It is hard enough for me to find foods without artificial coloring (it is everywhere)!  I can only imagine if he was allergic to something like wheat or dairy.



The lovely ladies at The Motherhood have asked me to participate in a webinar with Holly Robinson Peete and you are invited as well!  This should go along well with Super Bowl Sunday right around the corner.  Here's the run down:

Super Bowl Sunday is the second biggest eating day of the year after Thanksgiving, and according to a recent Nielsen survey, nine out of 10 people say they will be attending a Super Bowl viewing party this year. Since severe allergic reactions to food send 90,000 people to the emergency room annually, it’s important to arm yourself with knowledge on how to handle potential food allergy dangers! Join TV personality Holly Robinson Peete of CBS's The Talk (who is married to former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete and has four kids with food allergies) for a live video webinar about managing food allergies at gatherings like Super Bowl parties.

Webinar Info:
When: Tuesday, Feb. 1, at 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT)

Where: Click this link to get to the webinar, where you will be able to watch Holly via live video feed: http://agencyroad.na4.acrobat.com/allergyfriendlysuperbowl/

If you click the link, it will go to a page where you can type in your name and enter the webinar as a “guest.” (You don’t need to provide an email address or have an existing login/password.)

If you enter the webinar before the specified date/time (Feb. 1 at 5 p.m. ET), you will be taken to a page that says, “The meeting has not yet started. You will be able to access the meeting once the host arrives. Please wait.” When the host (Holly) arrives tomorrow at 5, the webinar will go live.

I also have the opportunity to talk with Holly after the Webinar so make sure to leave any questions you may have for her here so I can ask!  I would also like to know how you manage your child's allergies.

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I use my iPhone for just about everything these days (because there really is an app for everything).  One of my favorite free apps is the Craft Finder by Disney FamilyFun.  This particular craft has been fun, simple, and cute to make for Valentine's Day!  Pair these with the free printable airplane Valentine's and you are good to go!



What you will need:
Smarties candy
1 Red stick chewing gum (Big Red)
2 Peppermint Lifesavers (individually wrapped kind)
Rubberband (medium to small sized and thin)
Small heart stickers

Instructions:
Open up your Lifesavers from their wrappers and insert the rubber band through them.  Position the Smarties candy between the Lifesavers over top of the rubber band.  Place the stick of gum across the top and loop the ends of the rubber band over the gum to hold it all in place.  Add small heart stickers to the top of the gum to make it more festive!

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There is no doubt about it.  Having a baby is expensive!  There are so many things that you need and so many of them your baby will out grow in the first year.  I have been fortunate enough to receive many of the items I needed at showers or by borrowing them from friends, but I know that others have not had those same experiences.  Did you know that you will probably spend more than $10,000 on your baby in the first year alone?  We definitely met that the day Davis was born thanks to our insurance deductible!


TradingCradles.com is a wonderful resource for parents who are smart about saving  money.  The concept is a site that operates much like Craigslist, but is completely devoted to babies and kids.  You can find everything from used strollers to gently used baby clothes.  It is also much easier on the eyes and friendly to navigate.  All you need to do is click on the "Post a free ad!" tab and enter in your information.  Listing is free and there are absolutely no charges associated when a purchase is made.  Once your item has posted, buyers have the opportunity to contact you via email in order to inquire about purchasing.  You can also share the item on twitter, facebook, or email the listing to a friend.

Twitter-like Shopping
One of the things I really like about TradingCradles is that you are limited to only 250 characters.  That means you are going to save time browsing as a shopper.  The person listing must only hit the highlights and most important features of the product they are listing.  If you are truly interested in an item and have more questions you can always contact the seller via email.



Security
If you are a mom, you are probably even more concerned about security and shopping on a legitimate site.  TradingCradles.com uses the Parental Team to screen all ads before they are posted.  That means you are not going to find any spam or inappropriate content on the site.  The Parental Team will even go to such lengths as asking for a phone number verification before posting certain items.  TradingCradles is also careful not to share your personal email with others.  The emails are sent back and forth using a special messaging system on the site.

Rid Yourself of Clutter
I can not tell you how many things we have either sold or given away because Davis or Graham has outgrown them.  If you have been in the position of having a house with no room, you know how important it is to move things out quickly!  So many times I have spent weeks trying to find a friend that would like some of my gently used baby gear (Goodwill won't take it for safety reasons I suppose).  Now, you can use TradingCradles to list the items you would like to give away!  This also means that you may be able to find some really great things for free!



Sell it Sunday's
What would you say if you could sell your used baby items as well as win great prizes like Target gift cards?  TradingCradles is randomly selecting winners every Sunday for fun prizes.  Just head over and list your items on a Sunday in order to be entered to win.  The prize changes so make sure to check it all out on the TradingCradles Blog.

Overall, I am completely impressed with what TradingCradles is doing.  They are providing a safe, easy to use, aesthetically appealing site for parents to save and make money.  Make sure you connect with them on Facebook as well as Twitter. 

This post was sponsored by TradingCradles.com. These are my honest opinions on the site.  Please see my Terms of Use for more info.
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The boys and I have this little tradition that started this summer.  It involves heading to our local Chick-fil-A just about every other Tuesday or so.  Why Tuesdays?  Just felt right.  Why Chick-fil-A?  Because it is food I can stand behind based on the values the company has.  I also secretly love their kid's meals goodies (usually books).



Now through February 5th you can pick up Martha Speaks books in your child's kid's meal!  Yay for Martha!  Yay for books!  Yay for Chick-fil-A knowing what parents would appreciate in a kid's meal.  Graham actually starts ordering when we pull up, "I'll have chicken, fruit, and a book please".  The poor kid is going to be disappointed if they stop offering books.



Martha Speaks has been one of Graham's favorite programs for a while.  It was one of his first favorites for "big boy" cartoons as I like to call them.  I love that it airs on PBS and teaches children about vocabulary.  The books even provide definitions of some of the words used in the back.  The Martha Speaks promotion is also featured on the Chick-fil-A placemats that are offered if you dine in.  I have always loved that Chick-fil-A takes the time and effort to provide these (especially during flu season).  On top of the placemats, you will also receive PURELL Sanitizing Hand Wipes.  No wonder Chick-fil-A is our go to place on rainy days and Tuesdays (I could write a song)!  Now, if we could just talk our local branch into building a bigger play area.



Keep up with all of the Chick-fil-A happenings by signing up for the quarterly e-newsletter.


This product was provided free of charge by Chickfila. These are my honest opinions on the product. I do not post reviews on products I can not stand behind. Please see my Terms of Use for more info. Subscribe to Go Graham Go! by Email as well as follow us on Twitter!

Heading back to work has been super stressful this time around.  I'm not sure if it is because of the time of year I headed back (right in the middle of changing over semesters) or if it is because there is absolutely no time to pump!  With Graham I was unable to keep up with him by pumping.  I ultimately had to supplement a little bit with formula when he was about 5 months old.  This time, Davis only wants mommy and he only wants breast milk!



I am definitely a huge Medela fan!  I own the Pump in Style Advanced Breast Pump and I am so thankful for it.  When it comes to storage, I typically find that freezing my milk in ice cube trays and putting them in freezer bags is quick and saves money.  I also have to say that we are MORE than blessed to have a baby sitter who comes to our home 2 1/2 days a week to watch Davis while I work.  What this means is that I am able to better organize the milk in my own refrigerator so that it is ready for her.  Medela has come out with a great solution to organizing and labeling milk whether you are going to freeze it or keep it on hand in the fridge.



The Medela Breastmilk Labeling and Storage System is basically a tray that has "in" and "out" arrows along with well thought out bottle caps that allow you to adjust dates and times.  The lids allow you to select the day of the week as well as am, afternoon or pm.  Simply insert the bottles on the "in" arrow side and remove them from the "out" arrow side.  This will assure that you are wasting less milk!  If you prefer to use the breast milk storage bags they will also fit in the tray.  If you already own Medela bottles you can use the labeling lids with the ones you currently own.  The tray will hold up to 6 of the Medela brand bottles.



The Breastmilk Labeling and Storage System retails for about $16.99 and includes the tray as well as two Medela 5 ounce bottles with 2 labeling lids.  You can purchase additional labeling lids and bottles separately.


This product was provided free of charge by Medela. These are my honest opinions on the product. I do not post reviews on products I can not stand behind. Please see my Terms of Use for more info. Subscribe to Go Graham Go! by Email as well as follow us on Twitter!

Subscribe to Go Graham Go! by Email as well as follow us on Twitter!

Sorry.. this can't be wordless.  For several months now when we travel to Lowe's Graham always talks about the powerful, green lawn mower he is going to purchase when he has enough money.  On this particular trip, my husband was asked to take a photograph of him on his powerful, green lawn mower.  Please be advised: He picked out the most expensive lawn mower in the joint!  Yikes!



Also, I am trying my hardest to visit everyone's Wordless Wednesday's each week, but having a 3 year old and a 4 month old is proving to be a very busy task (imagine that). How do you guys do it?!

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One of my favorite classic Disney animations is celebrating 60 years!  Alice in Wonderland releases in a 60th Anniversary special starting February 1st.  It will be available in Blu-ray and DVD combo packs.



I love it when Disney does special edition promotions because they always include wonderful bonus footage. This favorite animated classic delivers brand new Blu-ray bonus features including a never-before-seen TV introduction by Walt Disney from 1959, original reference footage of Kathryn Beaumont (voice of Alice), pencil tests, and much more.  We really enjoyed the games on the DVD as well. It has been so much fun to introduce some of my childhood favorites to Graham and know that we will have this to share for years to come.

If you are looking to add to you Blu-ray or DVD library, you can pick this up for about $27.99 from Amazon for the Blu-ray/DVD Combo pack.  

This product was provided free of charge by Disney. These are my honest opinions on the product. I do not post reviews on products I can not stand behind. Please see my Terms of Use for more info. Subscribe to Go Graham Go! by Email as well as follow us on Twitter!

Matthew and I have started to ask ourselves if we could possibly receive any more "Important Tax Information Enclosed" envelopes in the mail.  It is definitely that time of year!  I am so thankful that my husband takes care of organizing all of our tax information.  I think if this was my job we would be in some serious trouble!



This year we were sent a few new Tax Organizing supplies from SMEAD that are making life much easier for us both.  The Tax Organizer is my personal favorite.  In years past I was given the responsibility of putting all of our tax info that came in the mail into a single manila folder.  The problem that came up was that at some point we lost it!  No worries... we found it... but not without much gnashing of teeth!  The Tax Organizer by SMEAD is a green color that is unlike typical files which automatically makes it stand out from our others.  It also comes with divided tabs (6) and three pre-labeled (W-2's, 1099's, and Charitable Contributions).  If you are a checklist person you will appreciate the list in the front as well.

If you have larger amounts of paperwork that needs to be filed all in one spot the Expanding file may come in handy.  We were sent the January-December file organizer that has 12 pockets and full height dividers making it easy to see the month you are looking for.  Now we can stay on top of our taxes for next tax season by putting our monthly expenses in separate tabs (too bad we didn't have this last year).  This sure beats our current filing system which consists of a cardboard box on the floor (yikes)!

If you are looking for some tax organization tips you can find a great article on the SMEAD website.  If you are looking for different organizational advice you can find that at the SMEAD Organomics website as well!

This product was provided free of charge by SMEAD and a gift card was sent to thank me for my post. These are my honest opinions on the product. I do not post reviews on products I can not stand behind. Please see my Terms of Use for more info.
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Subscribe to Go Graham Go! by Email as well as follow us on Twitter!

I warned you it was going to be all about the slow cooker lately!  This is such an easy recipe and tastes delicious!  I also love that it includes turkey.  This recipe was found on AllRecipes.com.

photo from AllRecipes.com (we ate it all before I could get a pic)!

Simple Slow Cooker Turkey Chili


Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound ground turkey
2 cans low sodium tomato soup
2 cans kidney beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
black pepper, allspice, salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
Brown the turkey in a skillet with the vegetable oil.  Coat the inside of the crock pot with cooking spray and add turkey and the rest of the ingredients to the greased crock pot.  Mix well, cover and cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.  We love to serve ours with shredded cheese and sour cream!

Fore more recipes: Balancing Beauty and Bedlam, Life as Mom, A Beautiful Mess, $5 Dinners, Blessed with Grace
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Valentine's Day has taken on new meaning now that I am the mother to two sweet little boys.  I don't know about you, but I take it as an opportunity to create fun crafts, bake yummy treats, and read all sorts of sweet books to Graham and Davis!

Cake Pops by Bakerella
If you aren't already a fan of Bakerella you really must head over to the website immediately and start being impressed and inspired!  Guess what?  She has a new book that you can pick up and it is awesome!  Cake Pops by Bakerella is full of fun ideas for parties, gifts, or just plain fun.  I plan on making the Sweet Hearts Cake Pops for Valentine's Day and there are amazing ideas for holidays and special occasions.  The book takes you step by step through the process of making Cake Balls and Cake Pops.  I really appreciate that she includes step by step photos as well.  Cake Pops by Bakerella retails for $19.95 and can be purchased at local retail and book stores.

Who Loves You, Baby?
This is such a sweet book for the tiniest of Valentine's on your list!  Who Loves You, Baby? features peek-a-boo windows that allow your baby to see themselves as different animals in the mirror.  Davis grins and laughs at this hardcover book when we read it together.  For only $6.95, skip the card Valentine's and give this out to your sweet little ones instead!

This product was provided free of charge by Chronicle Books. These are my honest opinions on the product. I do not post reviews on products I can not stand behind. Please see my Terms of Use for more info.
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We watched the adorable Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 movie last night to rewind from an eventful weekend trip (90 youth, a handful of adults, and my two kids).  I never saw the first Beverly Hills Chihuahua, but the trailers for both always looked so cute.



Papi (George Lopez) and Chloe (the Chihuahua's) are married and have puppies who are always up to some sort of mischief.  When their owner's are about to loose their home, the dogs all join together in order to come up with a solution.  The journey involves Chloe, Papi, the puppies, dog friends and the humans that love them.  Graham enjoyed watching this with us and was tickled pink to see that the actual dogs who played Papi, Chloe, and Delgado were on America's Funniest Home Videos that same night.





You can add this cute, family friendly movie to your library for about $24.99 (Amazon) starting February 1st in a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack.


This product was provided free of charge by Disney. These are my honest opinions on the product. I do not post reviews on products I can not stand behind. Please see my Terms of Use for more info. Subscribe to Go Graham Go! by Email as well as follow us on Twitter!

Subscribe to Go Graham Go! by Email as well as follow us on Twitter!

My prayer every night for my boys is that they will know the love of God and have a heart to serve him.  When Graham started developing an interest in books, Matthew and I really made a point to try and surround him with age appropriate books and Bibles that shared God on a little one's level.



We were sent the Read and Share Bible from Tommy Nelson to review and I have been very pleased with what it offers.  There are over 200 Bible stories included, many of them familiar favorites.  What I also appreciate is that they have included some stories that are not as popular (very different from many other children's Bibles).  The illustrations are bright and do a great job of capturing a preschoolers attention.  Of course, the stories follow the natural time line of the Bible which makes it easier to find specific stories.  You can also look up the stories in the Contents in the front of the Read and Share Bible.  At the end of every story is a thought provoking question that is great for expanding upon what was read and applying it to the life of your preschooler.





The Read and Share Bible is hard cover and retails for about $16.99.  This would make an excellent gift idea for your favorite preschooler!


This product was provided free of charge by Tommy Nelson. These are my honest opinions on the product. I do not post reviews on products I can not stand behind. Please see my Terms of Use for more info.

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Poor little guy went to a birthday party on Sunday and this was the result of pretty much running laps all afternoon!  Not the most exciting picture for you, but this never happens, so it was exciting for us! lol!




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You wouldn't know it lately, but I am a huge fan of handbags.  Before I had kids I used to change them up daily!  Now, I generally stick with just one or two because I need a pretty big one for all of my baby gear.  Finding designer handbags on sale that I love are like finding treasures to me and now that I've learned about Miche Bags I'm excited to share them with you!  They are a great idea for a stylish purse that is versatile and also inexpensive!



The concept behind the Miche Bag is that you purchase one base bag (choose from 3 different sizes).  We were sent the original Miche Bag along with 3 shells to review.  I must say that I was a little skeptical of how well these would work at first.  Once I got my hand on the bags I was more than impressed with the quality as well as how easy they were to change.  You can literally change the shells in seconds.  It works by using magnets that are carefully placed on the shells and the base.



Here's the part you are going to love!  The original Miche Bag Base retails for $34.95 and the shells range from $14.95-$29.95.  Again, this is a quality hand bag for under $50!  When you think about the fact that you can just keep your bag and purchase inexpensive shells, the savings really start to add up.  There are actually 40 interchangeable shells to choose from, so there are sure to be several that will fit your personal taste.





Overall, the Miche Bag is a great deal with gorgeous designs, especially if you love to change up your purses!


This product was provided free of charge by Miche Bags. These are my honest opinions on the product. I do not post reviews on products I can not stand behind. Please see my Terms of Use for more info. Subscribe to Go Graham Go! by Email as well as follow us on Twitter!

How many "rewards cards" do you currently have hanging from  your key chain or taking up space in your wallet?  I'll wait while you count them...

I have 9!  9 tiny plastic cards dangle from my key chain every day just so I can save money when I head to the grocery store, drug store, or restaurant!  Believe me, it is worth it, but I also get a little annoyed with all of the clutter hanging from my keys.  If you are anything like my husband, all of those rewards cards are in your wallet (taking up valuable space).  If you are looking for a way to get rid of the cards but keep your discount, look no further than SWAGG!

Image from SWAGG site

Organize Rewards or Discount Cards
SWAGG is a free app download that is making my life a little less cluttered.  All you have to do is enter your various rewards card numbers into the app and they are instantly saved to your iPhone or DROID.  SWAGG is only available for the iPhone or DROID at the moment.  Most of the stores I have entered give me a bar code that I can hold up for the cashier to scan (directly from my phone).  There are a few that only show the numbers (which you can still give to the cashier).  This is the feature that I use the most from day to day and it really is handy!

Organize Gift Cards
SWAGG also allows you to store your gift cards.  Because Christmas was just last month, this might be a feature you could use right about now.  I typically have about 2 to 3 gift cards hanging out in my purse at any given time.  The SWAGG app is helpful, because it even lists your current balance on the card.  No more asking the cashier how much you have left before you shop.

Send Gift Cards
If your friend or family member owns an iPhone or DROID and downloads this app you can send them SWAGG!  Talk about convenience for family members who live far away!  You don't have to worry about mailing a gift card, it automatically shows up in their SWAGG account and is ready to be accessed through their phone.  You can choose a store or let them choose a store with their SWAGG gift card.  Currently you can choose from: 1-800-Flowers.com, American Apparel, American Eagle Outfitters, Arden B, Buck Head Life, Crocs, LNM, Omaha Steaks, Steve Madden, or Wet Seal.



Overall, if you are looking for ways to organize, stay on top of saving money, and looking for a way to conveniently send gifts, the SWAGG iPhone app is a great choice.  Besides, who can beat FREE?  Download SWAGG and start simplifying.

I was selected to be a SWAGG Brand Ambassador by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity. This is a compensated program, but all of the opinions I share are my own. Please see my Terms of Use for more info.
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We tried an amazing recipe last night!  I found it on All Recipes and it is simple but delicious.  Even Graham ate it up.  Just so I warn you, the next few weeks are going to be full of Crock Pot meals (I got a new one for my birthday)!



Cranberry Roast in the Crock Pot

Not the best photo.. but how do you photograph meat?!

Ingredients:
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix (we used Beefy Onion Soup Mix)
1 (3 pound) beef chuck roast
1 (16 ounce) can jellied cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions:
Pour the dry onion soup mix in the bottom of the crock pot and place the chuck roast on top.  Pour the cranberry sauce over the top of the roast (it's ok if some of it falls down to the sides).  Cook on low for 8 hours.  After 8 hours remove the roast and set it aside.  Whisk together the butter and flower and mix it into the liquid remaining in the crock pot to form a gravy (delicious gravy)!  Pour the gravy over the roast and serve.

Fore more recipes: Balancing Beauty and Bedlam, Life as Mom, A Beautiful Mess, $5 Dinners, Blessed with Grace

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