Category Archives: New posts

Here’s PBS Kids’ Halloween Programming Line-Up!

October 21, 2013New posts, Televisionhalloween, PBS KidsAlicia

My daughter loves PBS Kids and you have no idea how happy I am about that. With all the other ‘kids’ programming available, I’m glad she still finds PBS Kids fun to watch considering she’s 7. She’s very excited, as am I, about the upcoming Halloween shows on PBS. Holiday specials always remind me of my childhood. We didn’t have characters like Arthur when I was young but she’s grown up watching Curious George, Arthur, and The Cat and the Hat (which I did read.. I’m not that old) and she loves it when they have holiday specials.

This October, PBS KIDS features an array of exciting Halloween programming, including an all-new one-hour special, CURIOUS GEORGE: A HALLOWEEN BOO FEST, new episodes from THOMAS & FRIENDS and PEG + CAT, as well as encore presentations of Halloween episodes from all of your favorite PBS KIDS series.

Here is a full list of PBS KIDS’ 2013 Halloween programming, along with air dates.

CURIOUS GEORGE: A HALLOWEEN BOO FEST
Premieres October 28, repeats October 31

PEG + CAT
“The Parade Problem/The Halloween Problem”
Premiering October 22, repeating October 26, 27, 28, 31

THOMAS & FRIENDS
“Spooky Charms”
Premiering October 22, repeating October 28 and 31

ARTHUR
“What Scared Sue Ellen?/Clarissa Is Cracked” – October 28
“Tales of Grotesquely Grim Bunny/Pet Projects” – October 8, 13, 29
“Fernkenstein’s Monster/D.W., Dancing Queen” – October 30
“Hic or Treat/Mr. Alwaysright” – October 31

CAILLOU
“After Dark!” – October 28
“Fall Is in the Air” – October 23, 31

THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT!
“Aye Aye!/Trick or Treat” – October 31

CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG
“Clifford the Scary Puppy/Things That Go Bump” – October 30
“The Halloween Bandit/ An Honest Spin” – October 11, 28, 31

DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD
“Katerina’s Costume/Dress up Day” – October 28, 31

DINOSAUR TRAIN
“Haunted Roundhouse/Big Pond Pumpkin Patch” – October 26, 27, 28

MARTHA SPEAKS
“Martha Gets Spooked/ Martha Changes Her Luck” – October 24, 30
“TD’s Magic/Scaredy Cat” – October 28, 31

SID THE SCIENCE KID
“Halloween Spooky Science Special” – October 22, 28, 31

SUPER WHY!
“The Ghost Who Was Afraid of Halloween” – October 22, 28, 31

WILD KRATTS
“Secrets of the Spider’s Web” – October 17, 30
“A Bat in the Brownies” – October 22, 31

WORDGIRL
“Tobey’s Tricks and Treats / Escape Wham” – October 28, 31

WORDWORLD
“A Kooky Spooky Halloween/Sheep’s Halloween Costume” – October 25

The PBS Kids website has lots of fun halloween activities for kids like the Maya and Miguel Halloween Card Creator where Madelyn created this halloween card:

..and printed this coloring page to color! Here is a Arthur’s Halloween activity page on PBS Kids.

I love that my 7-year-old doesn’t feel too old to watch PBS Kids.

Get your Duck Tape® Back-to-School supplies at Walmart + Craft Idea!

August 14, 2013Arts and Crafts, DIY Craft Projects, New postsback to school, Crafts, duck tape, WalmartAlicia

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

Pencils, paper, folders, and binders are just a few of the school supplies that are on your kids back to school supply shopping list, right? While you’re picking up the kids back to school supplies, don’t forget to buy Duck Tape at Walmart too! I know, I know. You’re thinking, did she really say Duck Tape®? Yep! My kids think Duck Tape is the best thing ever for fixing things around the house, hanging things up when we go camping, and for projects for back to school items that they want to make.

There are lots of reasons that you might need to buy Duck Tape at Walmart when you are doing your back to school shopping.

Like this one:

Have your kids cover their school books with Duck Tape® instead of a boring paper bag!

Photo courtesy of Wikihow.com

Walmart has a huge assortment of Duck Tape® for back to school.

Polka dots, camo, and standard colors too. You will find Duck Tape® products in the paint department and the craft department and your local Walmart.

There are so many fun back to school projects that you can create with your kids using Duck Tape®.. run out and get some Duck Tape® today and see what your kids come up with. I bet they’ll be occupied for hours!

Here are a couple of ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

Make a pencil cup holder for a cute teacher’s gift
Make a custom name plate for your child’s desk
Make a colorful bookmark
Make a school supply case to hold your child’s crayons and colored pencils
Feeling really crafty? Make a book bag!

Duck Tape® is a creative and inexpensive tool for teachers, parents and students. The possibilities are endless on what you can create, embellish and decorate with Duck Tape®!

Don’t forget to buy Duck Tape at Walmart the next time you are shopping for back to school items.

For more fun and creative ideas on crafts to make follow along on twitter @theduckbrand.

Nutrisystem Fuel A Better You Sweepstakes | #FuelABetterYou

July 26, 2013Food and Drink, Giveaways, New postsfood, Nutrisystem, sweepstakes, Weight IssuesAlicia

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Nutrisystem, Inc.. All opinions are 100% mine.

The Nutrisystem Fuel A Better You Sweepstakes is brought to you by Nutrisystem. I have been remunerated to promote the sweepstakes.

Trying to lose weight is easier said than done for most people. I know this because over the years I’ve struggled with trying to lose 10-20 pounds. I feel like I eat right and exercise the right way and the scale still doesn’t budge. Working hard and getting no return can be so aggravating and discouraging! I sometimes feel like I’m in this weight loss game alone.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Nutrisystem has been helping America lose weight for over 40 years. They deliver quality food and meal programs directly to customers’ doorsteps. Nutrisystem provides a convenient way to learn how to lose weight and live healthier. They have over 150 perfectly portioned® entrees and snacks on the menu, so you’re sure to find all of your favorites!

I did not realize that they also offer vitamins, supplements, cookbooks and many other tools created to help you maximize your weight loss success!

Fuel your goals, fuel your greatness and enter the Nutrisystem Fuel A Better You Sweepstakes for your chance to win some great prizes!

To enter the Nutrisystem Fuel A Better You Sweepstakes, users can visit the sweepstakes tab on the Nutrisystem Facebook Page, fill out the entry form and press the enter button to submit their entry.

Prizes for the Nutrisystem Fuel A Better You Sweepstakes:

•Four (4) Winners who will receive one Nutrisystem® Select® program with 28 days of food products delivered to their door.

•One (1) Grand Prize Winner who will receive one Nutrisystem® Select® program, with 28 days of food products delivered to their door and five hundred dollars ($500) cash.

Head on over to the Nutrisystem Facebook Page for more information and to enter the Nutrisystem Fuel A Better You Sweepstakes!

3 Ant & Roach Prevention Tips + Combat Roach & Ant Killing Bait Strips Review

July 5, 2013New postsant bait, bug season, CombatAlicia

Let me preface this post by saying that I don’t condone the harm of any insect when they are not inside my home. I don’t allow my kids to step on ants or hurt insects unless they post a threat.. like mosquitos, wasps and bees. One insects such as ants and roaches cross the border into my home, that’s a different story. Take action!

I grew up in Florida and am very familiar with the Combat brand. I was the ‘roach detector’ in our house in Florida. Mind you, I was a young child.. how my parents and sister let me have that job, is beyond me. Because I grew up using Combat, it is the brand I go to whenever there is the first sign of an ant or roach in our house. I was recently asked by Combat to try out their bait strips and let you know if I like them and that is what I am sharing with you today.

I’m sure you’ve noticed the ant mounds creeping up in your yard over the last month or so. It’s that dreaded time of year again, and I don’t mean summer, I mean bug season! You know what that means, if bugs are outside your home, then they are sure to find their way inside. Using an insecticide safely inside your home can control pesky ants and roaches.

Does this look familiar?

Every year around early summer ants start marching in through the windowsill in our kitchen and invade any fruit or food that is on our counter. It’s awful. It’s like it happens overnight but every year, I resolve the problem quickly. 🙂 To keep bugs from making me uncomfortable in my home, I am using Combat’s new Killing Bait Strips. With the same killing power found in Combat Gels, the thin bait strips help get rid of roaches and ants so I can enjoy my summer, pest free! Thank goodness!

At the fist sign of an ant or roach head to your local store and pick up a box of Combat Ant Killing Bait Strips, or the Roach Killing Bait Strips, or both if needed.

How to use a Combat Ant or Roach Killing Bait Strip

Combat is very efficient when it comes to killing ants and roaches and the bait strips are very easy to apply. First, you take one of the strips out of the packaging. You will notice that the bait strip has a small removable strip on it that when removed, reveals sticky adhesive. Peel the strip off and just mount the bait strip where ants and/or roaches are attracted such as, dark places, under cabinets, and near garbage areas just to name a few. Once you have applied the bait strip to the area you will pull the main bait strip cover off and that’s where the bait is located.

Please note to make sure that the strips are kept out of the reach of children and pets.

The strip has bait in it that attracts ants or roaches to it. When an ant finds the strip, it will eat some of the bait then carry some bait back to their colony. Other ants in the colony are exposed to the insecticide and the entire colony is destroyed. Score! Sorry ants.

When you have used all the strips out of the box that you need make sure you store the leftover ones in a cool, dark place away from food and children.

What if your kids touch a bait strip?

The insecticide in Combat’s bait strips was formulated to specifically affect insects and is virtually non-toxic to humans. However, it is recommended that anyone who handles the bait strips, washes their hands after contact for their own protection.

3 Tips to prevent ants and roaches from taking up residence in your home

1. Don’t feed the ants and roaches!
Don’t leave food and drinks out in any room of the house. Eat at the kitchen or dining room table and clean up after your meals, immediately. Don’t allow children to snack or drink juice in other rooms of the house.

2. Seal windows
Most insects enter a home through window or door cracks. Seal these entry spots with caulk.

3. Sweep and mop the kitchen floor often
Ants and roaches will often go unnoticed because they spend a majority of the time on the floor, under the cabinets, kitchen sink, or stove. To prevent ants and roaches from hanging out in these areas, keep them clean by sweeping and mopping often.

Thank you Combat for introducing me to another Combat product that helps keep my home free of bugs!

Do you have clever ways of keeping insects out of your home? Tell us in the comments below.

Castaluna Plus Size Fashion.. Brand New Moms Can Dress Fashionably!

July 5, 2013New postscastaluna, plus size clothingAlicia

Castaluna is an online store based in the UK that offers plus size women trendy reasonably priced clothes and accessories in plus sizes.

Consider this though, even if you do not live in the UK and you live in the United States or another country you can still use Castaluna for fashion inspiration and ideas.

Castaluna offers clothes that help make women feel and look more confident and accessories to complete the outfit. Many new moms, as I’ve talked about before on The Mommy Insider, feel that they can no longer dress fashionably because they can’t put together an outfit made up of sizes that they might not have worn pre-kids.

Here’s a tip..

Castaluna offers a large variety of items and brands. Their online selection include shoes, lingerie, dresses and bags, belts, shirts, and pants. Brands they offer include Hilfiger Denim, Diesel, and Cleo as well as dozens of others.

Castaluna specializes in clothes for plus size women. The sizes run from 14-36. Many of the women who shop online at Castaluna are plus size women looking for comfortable yet trendy clothes, women who are pregnant, and women who have just had a baby. In many stores there is just a small section for plus size clothes yet Castaluna is dedicated completely to plus sizes.

Becoming a new mom is hard enough finding clothes should be fun and easy and with Castaluna there are so many plus size options to choose from.

One of the best things about Castaluna is the variety they offer. One of my favorite sections on the site is the ‘vintage inspired’ section. The selection of vintage inspired pieces are items inspired by clothes that were worn in the 1950’s. The fashion in the 1950’s was classy yet fun. The vintage category includes lots of red and blue hues as well as fun patterns such as polka dots. The vintage inspired category offers cute bras, trendy bathing suits, plus size dresses, stylish purses and comfortable cute shoes.

The Green tonic category which is also found under the trends section at the top of the site is a great category if you are looking for clothes that are a little more fun and playful. The green tonic section offers beautiful green hues, long flirty skirts, gorgeous heels, comfortable shirts and much more. Not only is there a variety of styles in the green tonic section but there is also a lot of styles and colors to choose from. The green tonic section and the vintage inspired section are certainly two of the best categories for trendy, stylish clothes and accessories.

Even with so many great vintage, plus size, and trendy items there are a few items that just really stick out to me because they are just so beautiful. One of those items is a pair of Daxon Flower Earrings. For a day out on the beach pairing the turquoise earrings with the beautiful black body shaping swimsuit by TAILLISSIME is a great idea. The TAILLISSIME bathing suit is a great option because it uses materials that help suck in the skin and give the most beautiful curvy body.

Another great item that is perfect if you are a new mom or if you are about to have a baby is the cotton maternity and nursing pajamas by Cocoon. The pajama set includes a v neck long-sleeved shirt and a pair of high waisted pajama pants so they can be worn above or below the belly. The Cocoon pajama set comes in a few different colors as well as a few different sizes. It is so comfortable and light weight that it is a great item for new moms who need a simple comfortable pajama or women who are about to have a baby and need something stretchy and comfy.

Shopping for clothes after becoming a new mom, or while expecting a child can feel a little overwhelming sometimes but Castaluna takes away those troubles but offering a variety of plus sizes. Whether it is vintage, classic, modern or even funky many great clothing and accessories are available at Castaluna. Women and even men who are plus size do not have to settle for bland outfits when they an whose stylish, trendy outfits that flatter their figure.

Do you have a few favorite plus size items that you lived in after having your baby? Tell us about them in the comments!