Those Who Can, Do! Valentine's Day Edition

Have you ever noticed the shortage of cute boy clothes?  Especially around a holiday!

Christmas was pretty easy, 2 matching dinosaurs tangled up in Christmas lights surrounded by presents sweaters at Macy's, $14.99 each.  Instant cuteness!

Enter Valentine's Day. 

One very cute TooPoo (Snoopy for those not fluent in toddlerise) size 5t shirt at Target $9.99 and not a single thing in size 7.  Not one!  Nothing!  Is a kindergarten boy too cool for Valentine's day?  Pfft.  I don't think so!

Enter one awesome Mema and her laptop.

Etsy to the rescue.  But those prices!  OMG!  I refuse to pay $20+ for a shirt that won't get much wear! 

I. WILL.  NOT.  DO.  IT.

Fortunately, Etsy is an awesome inspiration for those who can.  For all others there is Visa and Master Card.

Even more fortunate is that this Mema can!

For a fraction of the price.

Two blue long sleeved t-shirts from Target on clearance for $4.88.

Some fabric scraps already at home. 

A little Heat n Bond.

A little imagination.

A pen, scissors, an iron and my trusty Singer.

Less than a half hour later, let me present....

Matching Valentine's shirts for my very favorite little boys!

Feel free to copy, I did.

Take the Scare of of the Dentist's Chair

Did you know that February is National Children’s Dental Health Month?

Ten Ways to Take the Scare out of the Dental Chair from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry

1. Start early – The AAPD recommends that every child establish a Dental Home and visit a dentist by their first birthday. The earlier the visit, the better the chances of preventing dental problems, which can source fear for visits to come.

2. Test the waters – Parents with toddlers, who have not yet seen a dentist, should consider a “get acquainted” visit to introduce your child to the dental office before the first appointment.

3. Choose words wisely – Be careful about using scary words. Check-ups and 90 percent of first visits do not have anything to do with “hurt,” so do not even use the word!

4. Time it out – Select an appointment time when your child is alert and rested.

5. Be confident –Children often perceive a parent’s anxiety. They also tolerate procedures best when their parents understand what to expect and prepare them for the experience. As parents become more confident, so will the child.

6. Make ‘pediatric’ a priority – Pediatric dentists are the pediatricians of dentistry, with two to three years of specialized training in treating children beyond dental school. Plus, because they see only children, their office environment is set up for children.

7. Manage expectations – Before the visit, explain that the dentist is a friend and will help your child keep their teeth healthy. Reinforce that the visit will be fun.

8. Share a story – Read your child a story about a character that had a good dental visit. (Ask the dental office for suggested reading.)

9. List out questions – Make a list of your questions about your child’s oral health in advance. This could include such topics as home care, injury prevention, diet and snacking, fluoride and tooth development.

10. Offer control – Give your child some control over the dental visit. Such choices as “Will you hold your bear or should I?” or “Which color toothbrush do you like?” will make the visit more enjoyable.

Save Big With Walgreens Prescription Savings Club

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

In a time when everyone is looking to save money, Walgreens is offering a special discount on membership for it's Prescription Savings Club.  A full year membership will cover your entire immediate family, including spouse, dependents under 22 and pets for only $35.  Individuals can join for $20 annually.

If you lack drug coverage, or your prescription coverage is inadequate, then join the over 2 millions already saving money with Walgreens Prescription Savings Club.

Benefits of membership include:

-Savings on more than 8,000 brand-name and all generic medications

-Discounts on flu shots, pet prescriptions, compound medications, nebulizers and diabetic supplies

-Bonuses when you purchase Walgreens brand products and photofinishing services

These valuable benefits are all backed by the trusted health care expertise you've come to expect from Walgreens.  It's easy to enroll online or visit your local Walgreens pharmacy, where the friendly pharmacy staff will handle the registration for you.  If you enroll in store your membership is active immediately, when enrolling online allow for 24 hours.  You will receive a permanent card with 2 weeks.

Through their Prescription Savings Club, Walgreens continues to help consumers save money on medications, store brand products as well as photo finishing.  I encourage you to show your support by following Walgreens on Twitter and liking Walgreens on Facebook.

Light Up A Life Winter Survial Kit #EnergizerCFK

Here in the Chicago area we've really been lucky this winter.  Just last week temperatures were hovering near 40 degrees and we've only had one winter storm that dumped almost 9 inches in our area.  It's a far cry from 2011's Snowmagedon of 22 inches, that had travelers stranded on snow covered roads overnight in some instances.

Fortunately during that snowstorm, my family and I were safe at home.  But I wonder if those motorists on Lake Shore Drive last year were prepared?  Did they have anything in their cars to sustain them in this emergency?  Where any of them traveling with children?

Did you know:

• Over 9 million children suffer from non-fatal injuries each year, and accidents are the leading cause of death for children. Additionally, dangerous weather events cause hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries every year.

• 70% of power outages in the U.S. are weather related. Numerous power failures are caused by natural weather phenomena such as lightening, rain, snow, ice, wind,and even dust.

The Center of Disease Control recommends having a kit ready in preparation for
any emergency that may arise. They recommend the kit include food, water, flash
light, extra batteries, first aid kit, sanitation and personal hygiene items, and other necessities.

This month I'm partnering with Energizer and Champions for Kids in the Energizer Light Up A Life Champions for Kids Campaign.  My task is to put together a Winter Survival Kit to help children in need stay safe and be prepared for winter weather emergencies.  Later this month I'll be sharing what I included in my Winter Survival Kit.

I encourage you to gather your co-workers, family and friends and put together a few items that would be useful in an emergency and donate them to a shelter or other organization that serves children and may not have the means to purchase these items.  Together we can reach thousands and be true Champions for Kids!

Please join us for a Twitter Party on 

Thursday, February 9th at 8:00 p.m. EST

to spread the word about this campaign.

There will be prizes!  (2) $25, (1) $50, and (1) $100 Walmart Gift Cards.

RSVP here and follow along using hashtag #EnergizerCFK

For additional information visit:

• Champions For Kids Website:  http://championsforkids.org/simple/
• Energizer’s Website:  http://www.energizer.com/Pages/default.aspx
• Energizer’s Positive Energy Website:  http://www.nowthatspositivenergy.com/
• @Champions4Kids on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/#!/search/champions4kids
• @Energizer on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/#!/EnergizerBunny
• Champions for Kids on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/ChampionsForKids
• Energizer on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EnergizerBunny

Disclaimer:  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias, all opinions are my own.