Tony Hawk, Pierre Gagnon, Andy Macdonald, Simon Tabron, Jesse Fritch, Neal Hendrix and Kevin Staab

I have more pictures from the A Sporting Life event on Flickr.

Aw, Shucks It Was Nothing

Remember my expiring coupons? I got this note yesterday. It made me smile and I had to share:

Melanie-

Thank you so very much for the coupons! I invited two friends over last night and the three of us sorted, clipped and organized coupons for several hours! We all filled our binders full and there are still TONS left. Today I dropped off the rest of the box to the library on post [base] so that other families can share them. You have no idea how many families you have helped - we really appreciate it! My husband couldn't believe it when he realized the box wasn't from a relative but a "stranger." :D Thanks again!

-ML

I sent the box right before Mother's Day. I was in a hurry and didn't remember to take a picture of the stack of coupon inserts before I took it to mail, but the woman at the post office said the box weighed a little over 14 pounds! I wanted it to be a surprise and didn't tell ML it was coming. She sent me two books of stamps which is so darn cute. It's very true that every little bit helps. One small gesture on your end can make a big impact on someone else. Pay it forward when you can.

Thank you to the men and women in our armed services and 
their families!

Fun with Email: The Naughty Edition

From: PSheridan

To: MSheridan

Subject: What's up with that?!

Date: May 18, 2010

So I heard on the radio this morning that Jada Pickett Smith likes to send some nice photos to her husband Will every now and then. How come you never do that for me?

From: MSheridan

To: PSheridan

Subject: Re: What's up with that?!

Date: May 18, 2010

You're at an office, not your personal trailer on a movie set. And why don't you do the same for ME?

From: PSheridan

To: MSheridan

Subject: Re: Re: What's up with that?!

Date: May 18, 2010

Please. You don't want me to send you pics. And my cubicle is super private thank you very much. How else do you think I can do jigsaw puzzles at work :)

From: MSheridan

To: PSheridan

Subject: Re: Re: Re: What's up with that?!

Date: May 18, 2010

I wouldn't ask if I didn't want one.

I left the house to run errands right after I sent that. I did not think he'd take me up on it! Needless to say when I got home and opened my email again I was floored. And then I laughed my ass off. I'll have to repay the favor soon I'm sure. Hopefully Casey is open to working her Photoshop magic again.

This is probably one of the sweetest things Phil has ever done. Not because I wanted a photo of my husband's junk. Man parts aren't remotely sexy. It's sweet because I know it had to be a little weird and awkward for him to do but he did it anyway to make me smile. I appreciate that. 

We try hard to have fun and keep each other on our toes. That's important in a relationship; to never stop trying. While a somewhat blurry cell phone shot of my husband's goods doesn't get my juices flowing, a man who can still make me giggle after almost 12 years of marriage? That's sexy. 

Review: Sonicare for Kids Rechargeable Toothbrush

*Update 9/3/10 I've added a few more places to buy the brush and replacement heads along with coupon and deals info at the bottom of the post.

Sonicare has come out with a line of toothbrushes specifically for kids. We got it for Tyler to help with the morning and nighttime battles over getting him to brush his teeth at all, let alone thoroughly and for the required two minutes. Tyler was using our old Sonicare but he likes this better. He said the Sonicare for Kids is not as rough on his gums as the adult brush and the bristles are "less prickly."

Here are the things I like:

*The escalating tone the brush makes. When it's time to switch to another area of the mouth, the toothbrush beeps. The beeps get louder as the 2-minute countdown gets closer to the end. I can hear the beeps from upstairs so I know that Tyler is brushing and I know he's brushing the full two minutes because of the tones.

*The smaller brush head. I didn't think having an adult sized head would be a problem, but it makes sense since he doesn't have an adult sized mouth.

*The base is easy to clean. There are three pegs on the base, one for the toohbrush handle and two for the heads. The shape of the base is easy to wipe off, much easier than the adult Sonicare we have.

What I don't like:

*The cost of the replacement brush heads. They're not cheap at $22 for four. If you have a larger family the yearly costs will add up. But, I've used coupons from the Sunday paper for our adult brush, I've seen Sonicare coupons on Coupon Carryout ($5 off replacement heads is a great savings) and if you have any $10 off $30 from Bed, Bath and Beyond that would be a good place to check too. Still, the cost is better than dental treatments.

The Sonicare for Kids and the replacement brush heads are available online at:
Amazon.com 
Drugstore.com/Beauty.com (Shop through EBates.com and earn 6% cash back at either site! Go to Ebates and search for Sonicare)
Target.com

You can purchase in store at Bed, Bath and Beyond, WalMart and Target. There's a $10 coupon on page 142 of the June issue of All You magazine. Check with your dentist's office for a possible $5 rebate. Our office had the rebate forms at post time.

This is a a sponsored post. I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Sonicare and received a free Sonicare For Kids toothbrush to facilitate my review. The opinions are all me. Some links are affiliate links. Photo credit.

Mom Guilt Stinks

I've been feeling Mom Guilt since the moment I found out I was pregnant. Gasp! I had a few cocktails! What if something happens?! It's gotten progressively worse over the years. Even though I know it's a useless and wasted emotion, I carry it around with me like a favorite accessory.

I pushed for three hours and Tyler came out looking like a tiny prize fighter. Guilt. 

I had to go back to work when Tyler was only 3 months old. Guilt.

We started Tyler in Kindergarten at age 4. Guilt.

I try not to let parenting issues get me down, but I'm a worrier and I beat myself up over just about everything. It doesn't matter that Tyler is his own person, that he understand the basics of right and wrong and is mostly capable of making his own decisions. If he acts like a brat in public, people aren't wondering what his problem is, they're looking at right at me. 

The latest monkey on my back is Tyler's teeth. It seems he's inherited mine which resemble mini mountain ranges with steep peaks and valleys. The result? Four cavities and the makings of a new one. Guilt. 

I'm not sure what Tyler has against taking care of his teeth (and basic hygiene in general). We started fighting about it, meaning I'd yell at him for not doing it correctly and he'd whine that the toothpaste was too spicy and why can't he go back to the bubble gum flavored kind?! 

I found out that first, Tyler wasn't brushing at all, then he'd brush, but with no toothpaste! I resorted to doing random plaque checks, sneaking up on him when he's in the bathroom, putting the toothpaste in a specific position after he'd gone to bed and checking to make sure the toothbrush bristles were wet before we left for school. I had the dentist talk to him, showed him scary pictures of tooth decay and threatened to make him pay for any future cavities. The kid just wasn't getting it and I was ready to lay the ultimate smackdown.

As a last, last resort we got him a new toothbrush, the Sonicare for Kids. It seems to be working. We gave Tyler our old Sonicare when we got new ones, but I think the adult size head was part of the problem. He's brushing without fuss, with toothpaste, and seems to be more thorough. I'm happy that I can stop pulling my hair out and turning our mornings and nights into screaming matches. 

Photo from here

Now, if only I can find a way to get him to brush his hair and not leave the house looking like Crabman from My Name is Earl. Guilt. 

*We received a Sonicare for Kids from Mom Central. The opinions are mine, as is the guilt over not having this post up in time (despite the reminders) because I spent the last two days shopping, visiting with family and spa-ing with friends. Read my full Sonicare for Kids review.

How I Spent My Mother's Day Eve: Wordless Wednesday

Not pictured: The daiquiri machine to my left. Yum.

If You Give A Mom A Mojito

If I win the lottery I'm going to go into business with my mom. We both love to entertain, bake, cook and play hostess. Party planning and events are up our collective alley's. Spending someone else's money on good food and drinks? Yes, please!

Even though it was touch and go in the beginning, I had a lot more fun putting together this year's Mom's Nite Out than last year, mostly because I knew what to expect. I also decided not to stress (as much) and if things came together, awesome, if not, I tried. It's gratifying when hard work pays off. To hear people say they had a good time, that feels good. When people are still talking days later, that feels really good.

 Me, Jenn, Jen, Ali's laptop, Cathy, Natalie and Sondra

More pics on Flickr

I met new people, which I love to do, connected other people, which I also love to do and got to hang out with friends. Love to do that too. I'm sensing a pattern...

The view from the Porto Vista rooftop deck was awesome, the food was great, the staff and service were impeccable. Everyone enjoyed the raffle items and the prizes, the gift bags were a huge hit and I got wear killer shoes. I couldn't have asked for more.

Thank you again to all the sponsors!