The other day I was looking around the P&Geveryday site. Have you ever been there? It is a great place to find content and resources on beauty, family, food, health, home and more – all alongside great offers from the innovative and trusted brands I use all the time. It is a best-of-both-world’s type site. I can find:

• Delicious recipes, beauty trends, and smart tips
• New products to try out for yourself, family and home
• Product ratings and reviews
• Fresh ideas and inspiration
• Coupons and samples from your trusted brands
• And much more!

P&Geveryday is about listening to what you truly need and sharing resourceful ideas, advice and products to make it easy for you to enjoy life … every day.

While I was there I came across “How Will My Children Remember Me?” In the article a young mom questions what her kids will remember about her. Will they remember that she wasn’t a great housekeeper, or that she couldn’t make banana bread? Will they remember the good times or the bad? This post brought me to tears and inspired me to write this…

My Mom Legacy

What I see as my “active mothering season” is coming to an end. I know we never stop mothering but Aaron is 21 and is getting married in just a few months to Summer, who has lived with us for over 2 years and I am glad she will finally be an “official” part of our family. Jordan is 19 and he is spending 10 months a year on the road as a full-time missionary to the youth of America so after Christmas break, my nest will be empty until he comes home again.

I hope when my kids think about me, they remember the fun and the love fore than the messy house and the yelling.

I hope they remember the sacrifices that we made to homeschool them and truly invest in their future every day of our lives.

I hope they remember the silliness, the “opera” days when we couldn’t talk and we had to sing everything-all day long!

I hope they remember to love others more than they love themselves and to always put others first.

I hope they remember that everything we did was out of love-especially when we had to discipline them.

I’m pretty sure they do think of those things, because, thankfully I’m very close to my kids and we talk…a lot, about deep things. They have thanked me for always being there for them, for homeschooling them, for sheltering them from things in the world that kids should never hear/see/know. They have told me I was strict, but not too strict. They are grateful for all of the fun we have together, and how much we laugh until we cry or pee our  pants or make soda come out of our noses.

Being a mom is the greatest calling a woman can receive and it is my honor to have raised two wonderful, amazing, talented, loving and giving young men. I couldn’t be more proud of them. I hope they are proud of me.

Stop by P&Geveryday’s website and Facebook page to see how they can inspire you!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

The post Pondering My Mom Legacy Thanks to P&Geveryday appeared first on The Mom Maven.

The post Ragu-Mom’s the Word on Dinner Winner appeared first on The Mom Maven.

As part of the campaign I want to share one of our favorite Ragu meals with you and then give you the chance to win a $20 Visa gift card to buy the ingredients to make your favorite Ragu meal.

We use Ragu in lots of recipes, it is the only tomato sauce you will find in my house. I always buy the traditional sauce so that I can modify it as needed.  One of our favorite easy recipes is Italian chicken with pasta.

The ingredients

Ragu Sauce with my secret ingredient

Garlic Bread

The finished product

This meal is a family favorite and it only takes about 30 minutes to make, sometimes I vary the pasta type depending on what I have in the cupboard. I get the Italian chicken at Sam’s and everything else comes from Walmart so it is affordable too! You just follow the package directions and add your favorite spices to the Ragu…I add garlic powder and parmesan cheese!

On to the giveaway…One reader will win a $20 Visa Gift card to create their favorite Ragu meal. **This Giveaway is closed**

Mandatory 1st Entry: I want to know what your favorite add in is…what do you add to your Ragu sauce to make it your own?

Bonus Entries:

• Follow @MomMaven on Twitter
• Tweet this I just entered to win a $20 Visa gift card from @MomMaven and Ragu http://bit.ly/r8ArgZ  #MomsTheWord (you may do this 2x a day-the the tweet url in your entry)
• Subscribe to my RSS feed via email or reader
• Be a Google friend Connect Friend
• Follow me on Networked Blogs

The post Ragu-Mom’s the Word on Dinner appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Also tonight (8/8) at 8pm EDT there will be a live chat on the Ragu Facebook page hosted by Audrey McClelland. During the chat we can all share our dinnertime stories and tips that work in our families when dinner gets tough. I plan to be in the chat and I hope you’ll be there too.

The post Ragu Mom’s the Word on Dinner-When Dinner Gets Tough appeared first on The Mom Maven.

DESOTO SQUARE MALL CELEBRATES MOMS

AT NATIONAL MOM’S NITE OUT ON MAY 5

FREE event to a beauty bar, style presentations, shopping incentives & more

BRADENTON, Fla. (April 20, 2011) —  DeSoto Square Mall invites moms to let their hair down at the 3^rd Annual National Mom’s Nite Out on Thursday, May 5 from 5 p.m.to 8 p.m. This free event is a guilt-free excuse for moms to take the night off to relax and enjoy a celebration of motherhood. Mom’s Nite Out at DeSoto Square Mall is sponsored by VISIT FLORIDA, the state’s official tourism marketing corporation.

 

Moms will join together for a well-deserved break to socialize and relax at this event featuring a Beauty Bar, a Candy Bar, social networking, fun interactive activities, style presentations, food and beverages, shopping incentives, giveaways and more.

 

Mom’s Nite Out at DeSoto Square Mall will feature Manatee Memorial Hospital as a registered sponsor of the event this year.

 

“DeSoto Square Mall is the perfect place to thank and celebrate mothers for all that they do,” said Lauren Clark, director of marketing and business development, DeSoto Square Mall. “We absolutely believe that moms deserve some pampering and we are delighted to play a part in facilitating this special evening.”

 

“As consumer confidence returns, families are starting to add the experience of a shared vacation back into their budgets,” said Will Seccombe, Chief Marketing Officer for VISIT FLORIDA. “Now, more than ever, it’s important for us to remind families about all there is to see and do in the Sunshine State. Partnering with Simon Property Group on the Mom’s Night Out program is a tremendous opportunity to encourage thousands of travel planning decision makers to Share A Little Sunshine with their family and friends.”

Fifteen million moms are expected to take part in this national event. Moms across the United States will unite in celebrating motherhood with each other via local and national events as well as cyber celebrations. Organized by Maria Bailey, CEO of BSM Media, author and Mom Talk Radio host, National Mom’s Nite Out unites social media groups, companies, local playgroups, mom bloggers and networks in giving moms a well-deserved night off. Bailey organized the first National Mom’s Nite Out after watching moms take care of everyone else on Mother’s Day, but never themselves.

 

“We created National Mom’s Nite Out because so many of today’s mothers spend Mother’s Day focused on catering to the needs of others” said Maria Bailey, National Mom’s Nite Out organizer and mother of four. “We decided that moms deserve one night off from cooking, cleaning and responsibility and need time to celebrate motherhood with each other.”

 

Simon Property Group is hosting National Mom’s Nite Out at 115 of its malls across the country. All activities are free and open to moms of all ages.

About DeSoto Square

DeSoto Square, Manatee County’s only enclosed shopping mall, features anchor stores Macy’s, JCPenney and Sears, as well as more than 80 popular specialty stores such as Victoria’s Secret, Aeropostale and Finish Line. Conveniently located at the intersection of U.S. 301 Blvd. West and U.S. 41, the mall is open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Sunday noon – 6 p.m. For more information, including extended holiday hours, please call (941) 747-5868.

About Simon Property Group

Simon Property Group, Inc. is an S&P 500 company and the largest real estate company in the U.S. The Company currently owns or has an interest in 392 retail real estate properties comprising 263 million square feet of gross leasable area in North America, Europe and Asia. Simon Property Group is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana and employs more than 5,000 people worldwide. The Company’s common stock is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol SPG. For further information, visit the Simon Property Group website at www.simon.com.

 

About Manatee Memorial Hospital:

Manatee Memorial Hospital is a 319-bed acute care facility that is owned by a subsidiary of one of the most respected hospital management companies in the country, Universal Health Services, Inc. The hospital has served the Manatee County area for over 57 years and strives to provide a comfortable and convenient environment for each patient. Patients have access to wide array of services ranging from family medicine and pediatric care to vascular surgery and behavioral health services. With over 400 physicians and a staff of highly skilled and motivated nurses, Manatee Memorial Hospital offers a fully involved patient care team to fit the needs of each patient.

About VISIT FLORIDA:
As the state’s number one industry, tourism is responsible for welcoming more than 80 million visitors each year who spend more than $60 billion, generating 22 percent of the state’s sales tax revenue and employing nearly 1 million Floridians. For every $1 spent on tourism marketing, VISIT FLORIDA – the state’s official tourism marketing corporation – generates more than $147 in tourism spending and $9 in new sales tax collections, paid by visitors, not residents. VISIT FLORIDA promotes tourism to Florida through sales, advertising, promotions, public relations, new product development and visitor services programs. As a public/private partnership, VISIT FLORIDA serves more than 9,500 tourism industry businesses, including 2,900 invested Partners, 6,600 web affiliates and major strategic alliance partnerships with AirTran Airways, American Express Travel Related Services, Disney Destinations, Dollar Rent A Car, The Hertz Corporation, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment and Universal Orlando. To learn more about VISIT FLORIDA, go to www.VISITFLORIDA.org or follow our corporate blog at www.sunshinematters.org.
Share a Little Sunshine campaign overview:
‘Share a Little Sunshine’ is a statewide, grassroots tourism advocacy campaign that encourages all Floridians to send a personal e-mail to out-of-state friends and family inviting them to visit the Sunshine State. This social media driven campaign asks Florida residents and fans to do their part to make a positive impact on Florida’s economy, while having fun with friends and loved ones.  By inviting friends and family for a vacation, Floridians can create jobs and positively impact Florida’s economy.

 

I’d love to meet you so please tweet me @MomMaven or follow my tweets and Facebook postings to see where I am during the event.

The post Mom’s Nite Out May 5th appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Moms are always multi-taking and it is nice when we can find a product that is versatile enough to keep up with many of our needs. The DRIA Cover is not only multi-functional, providing versatility for moms-on-the-go, but it’s also fashionable.  Adria O’Donnell wanted a solution to feeling comfortable and stylish when it came to maternity wear.  After being inspired by a beautiful Italian scarf she owned, she came up with the elegant DRIA Cover.  It was the perfect cover-up while she was pregnant, and after giving birth to her daughter she realized that it was great as a nursing cover as well.

The DRIA Cover’s flexible material is not only chic but breathable and light weight.  Its silky blend allows for the cover to veil the nursing infant while wholly covering the mom, creating discretion and comfort, unlike other nursing covers or aprons.  DRIA Cover fabrics range from casual chic to limited edition designer fabrics such as Roberto Cavalli or Missoni.  The luxurious swathe is wrinkle and button free, so women can just toss it in the diaper bag and throw it on whenever they need.

Not only is the DRIA cover great for nursing moms but it also acts as a shield from the sun and unfavorable weather while covering strollers and infant car seats.  The handle on the car seat and stroller can be accessed through the neck hole, while still allowing women to peek in at their sleeping baby.

Adria O’Donnell soon realized that more moms needed something like the DRIA Cover.  When she noticed a mother with twins on the side of the road struggling to provide coverage on the stroller from the fierce sun, she immediately pulled over and gave her a cover.

I wish the Dria Cover was around 15 years ago when I had my last baby…and I know what will be on my gift giving list for baby showers! The Dria Cover does so much and looks great doing it! The cover comes in12 beautiful patterns and is available at DriaCover.com for $49.95-$179.95 depending on fabric choice. Stop by the website and order one today.

The post Dria Cover Multi-Tasks Just Like Mom appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Don’t forget to enter my other giveaways that are going on right now…

Thanks Dad book ends 4/24

Hey Dude Skincare ends 4/24

Great American Bake Sale $20 Gift Card ends 4/24

The post Touch’d Bath Butter Winner appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Touch’d bath and body was founded by Rachel Ferrucci, when she couldn’t find products to meet all the needs of her family. One product specifically, the organic sugar scrub, was created when her daughter had eczema and the doctors were prescribing medicated creams that seemed to be drying out her skin. She wanted to give her daughter relief without slopping medicated creams all over her delicate body. She researched and read every book on natural oils and how they can benefit our skin. She was successful in concocting the winning formulas in her home bathtub by making a product that was 100% organic and alleviated her eczema.

Other signature items in the Touch’d women’s product line include Bath Butter, Moisture Myst, and the Foaming Salt Soak, which is derived from the Dead Sea. The men’s line (inspired by her husband) includes the scents Outlaw and Captain.

Along with creating Touch’d her my family, She also wanted to meet the needs of discriminating women everywhere.
Rachel sent me a sample size bottle of Tropical Paradise Moisture Myst to try. The website describes it this way.

This convenient spray on moisturizer will revive and hydrate your skin with oils containing natural vitamins to penetrate rather than coat it. Moisture Myst contains no waxes, leaving silky smooth skin with none of the grease.

I used the Moisture Myst after showering every day for a week and I am pleased to tell you that it left my skin smoother and silkier than it had been. Even after spending hours at the water park in the sun and chlorine, the Moisture Myst penetrated my sun-dried skin and left it soft and healthy. For me the only negative I have about the product is the scent. The Tropical Paradise has a lot of coconut in the scent and honestly…I can’t stand coconut scented anything but, for the sake of the review I used it daily (see what I do for my readers). It is also available in Cucumber-Melon, Sugar ‘n Spice, Dream, Warm Vanilla and Almond Puff, so I am sure you could find a scent that you would like…I know I could.

I know you want to win a Touch’d product right? Well here is your chance because you can go to Touchd.net right now and place an order and use discount code MomMaven for 25% off your order!! The code is good through July 15, 2010. I am also giving away your choice of scent of Bath Butter!

Mandatory 1st Entry-Go to the Touch’d website and check out the available scents for the Bath Butter, then leave me a comment telling me which one you want…if you are the lucky winner.

Bonus Entries: Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

• Follow Touch’d on Twitter
• Like Touch’d on Facebook
• Subscribers get 1 entry
• GFC followers get 1 entry
• Networked Blog followers get 1 entry
• Facebook likers get 1 entry
• Tweet this “@Mommaven I want some @Touchd Bath Butter http://bit.ly/clf803 #touchd” You can tweet 2x a day leave a separate comment with the tweet URL for each entry.

The giveaway will end at 9pm Sunday June 20th and the winner will be chosen by Random.org.

The post Touch’d Bath Product Review, Giveaway & Discount Code appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Goby’s location-aware app allows users to quickly and easily find fun activities in their locale or fill their next vacation itinerary with fun things to do in just three taps on the iPad-optimized interface. Goby has over four million unique things to do across 350 categories, ranging from local festivals to hiking trails, beaches, restaurants, theaters and live music events. It covers every town and city in the United States, providing a rich set of listings and an interactive map for every category, allowing users to pinpoint the closest activity and learn about new things to do right around the corner. Activities can be selected in a single tap, and specific details including descriptions, reviews and photos appear in a fun, well-organized layout that is easy to view on the larger iPad interface.

With the Goby iPad app, users can be inspired to try new things to do whether they are bored at home, planning their next vacation or just looking for some fun in a new destination. Goby’s findings are time-sensitive, which makes finding out what’s happening today, this weekend or even this summer quick and easy. With one more tap, users can coordinate with friends by sharing their plans via social sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

“We created Goby to inspire people to try new experiences,” said Mark Watkins, CEO and co-founder of Goby. “The iPad allowed us to give users a visually compelling app that empowers them to easily find and explore new things from their own home, in an unknown city or on their vacation, in a fun and simple way.”

Launched in October, Goby’s “What, When and Where” search engine has helped hundreds of thousands of people across the country cure their boredom blues. The iPad application can be downloaded for free from iTunes.

The post Goby for iPad appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Anyway, I had a great time at the Tampa SmartMoms Solutions Roadshow. It was great to catch up with old friends like Connie of BrainFoggles, Stefanie of Mommy Musings, Daisy of Dr Mommy Chronicles, Tracey of Suburban Diva and of course, Maria Bailey of Mom Talk Radio. It was also great to meet some people in real life that I have only tweeted with up til now like Monica from My 3 Crazy Monkeys, Heather from Frugal Southern Living and Saph from Frugal Wife Blog. I love networking with other moms so today was a much needed respite of mom time for me.

Included in the mom time was learning time. Maria Bailey shared with us information on lots of great mom inspired products and companies such as LikeWear, BioGaia, ZippityDoo’s and more!

Daisy Sutherland aka DrMommy spoke to us about following your passion, helping others and creating products or services that help you support your family.

I learned a lot and received some awesome product information and samples and over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing them with you via reviews and giveaways!

If you hear that a SmartMoms Solution Roadshow is coming to your area, make a point to attend. It is a very fun and informative event.

The post Tampa SmartMoms Solutions Roadshow Recap appeared first on The Mom Maven.