Time for Myself

Getting Time To Myself




Thanks to Crystal Light for sponsoring this post. To learn more about how Crystal Light can flavor your day with 30 refreshing flavors, visit http://www.facebook.com/crystallight.



Trying to find "me" time without sacrificing time with and for my family is hard, and it is a struggle every mother deals with. My three kids come first because they have to. I drive them to and from school, pack lunches, clean, cook, do laundry, dress them and then I go to work! Now that I work 20+ hours a week finding time to myself is even harder. When I was a stay at home mother I could find a couple of minutes here or there to watch a show or read a magazine, during nap time or while my kids played outside. Now getting that time is even harder.

I decided me time was very important to me and my mental well being. I can promise myself days at the spas, weekends away or manicures every Saturday but that rarely happens when the reality of day to day life hits.
All of my kids go to bed at 8pm and after that- it is me time! I spend time alone with my husband, I watch bad reality TV and catch up on phone calls and emails.
I earned that time and although sometimes I take that time to also fold laundry and do dishes, I do not have to do so while kids are asking me for a drink or fighting with each other.
I get to do it in total peace and quiet!


How do you get me time?

Remember, visit http://www.facebook.com/crystallight to learn more about how Crystal Light can flavor your day with 30 refreshing flavors. I was selected and paid for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Hickory Farms For the Holidays

Hickory Farms reminds me of the holidays. I remember going to their store every winter and sampling all of their treats. My mom always bought their cheeses and meats. When I was asked to do a blog post about Hickory Farms again this year, I was thrilled. I thought I would save the basket for the holidays but I only lasted 2 days.
My family and I loved the cheese with the honey pineapple mustard. My favorite is always the summer sausage but I also tried their famously thin peanut brittle. I would have never bought it but I loved it and I am hooked!
I received the Perfect Picnic Gift Basket and it came with:
Hickory Farms® Summer Sausage, creamy cheeses, crackers and mustards. Our Melt Away Mints and Famously Thin Peanut Brittle promise a sweet ending! Think of all the family picnics that will be all the more special because they open and close with a keepsake Peterboro Basket®. It is awesome!

Hickory Farms is perfect for anyone on your list. They also have gift baskets ranging in price from $16 to $120.00. Their most popular gift basket is only $36! Each gift is always nicely wrapped and shipped promptly.

I love that Hickory Farms remembers our military and is offering free shipping to military APO/FPO addresses on select products again this year.

I am glad I get to share Hickory Farms with my family like my mom did and I bet some family & friends will find great gift baskets under their tree this year!


I was given a basket from Hickory Farms in order to facilitate this review. All opiniosn are my own and I do not receive any compensation for this or any, positive reviews.

Lance Sandwich Crackers

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Lance Snacks.


I have a real problem finding snacks that I can pack for my kids that I know they will love and I don’t feel guilty buying. My twins are great eaters, but they love pointing out all the “garbage” snacks (as I call it) that their friends get at school. I want to give them something that won’t end up in the garbage and that they will ask for again.
We had the chance to taste some new snacks from Lance and they were a huge hit.

Chances are you have eaten some of the products from Lance snacks.
With no preservatives, no trans fat and no high fructose corn syrup, Lance Sandwich Crackers are very well topping my snack go-to list when shopping for snacks. Plus, every Lance sandwich cracker is baked fresh with real peanut butter or real cheese filling!
They are a perfect size for the diaper bag or snack bag and are just enough for the kids or I.


My sons both love the real sharp cheddar or cheddar on whole grain crackers and my daughter’s favorite is the peanut butter on whole grain crackers.
My favorite is the 100 calorie sizes snacks of its cheeses or peanut butter varieties. I love that I can throw one into my purse or car and fight off my hunger so I don’t have to buy $80 worth of food I don’t need at the grocery store (women, I know you know what I am talking about!)

Tell me what are your family’s favorite snacks for school lunches or anytime?

Learn more at Lance's official site.

Check out the rest of the BlogHer Reviews.

Baby Planet

Awhile back I had the chance to review a great stroller from Baby Planet and I loved it as much as I loved the company. Baby Planet now has added something else to its resume besides great strollers, a bassinet. Not just any bassinet, the Eden is a convertible bassinet!

Bassinets tend to be pricey and the baby grows out of it within a few short months, the Eden bassinet converts to a toddler seat for extended use, up to two years! This bassinet has clean sleek lines and is beautifully modern, it will look good with any decor. The “Easy Release” hand grips have an internal trigger to release the bed from its latched position, on the base, allowing you to move it around the house! I love this idea because then you do not need a Moses basket or another bassinet downstairs. It has soothing, peaceful music and dual speed vibration to help your baby soothe himself to sleep. Below the bed is an easily accessible storage basket to keep essentials like burp cloths diapers and wipes.

The Eden also takes part in Baby Planet’s industry leading Recycling Program. When it has outlived its life, Baby Planet will take it back and disassemble the bassinet, so the parts can go to recycling centers and stay out of land fills. So eco-friendly!
I love that this bassinet is useful after your baby grows out of it and that the bassinet materials are machine washable, which anyone with a baby knows is so important.
The only negative I can think of is that it only comes in the color/pattern seen here.