Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putty Review and Giveaway

 Recently, I was sent something great from one of my favorite sensory stores, Sensory Smart....

Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putty Creatures

This is a great product, especially when a sensory sensitive child is upset, angry, and just needs to get some aggression out. On a side note, this product is actually made BY people with sensory needs! It is also made in the USA...something that is hard to come by, these days!

I have not used this particular brand of putty before, so I wasn't sure what to expect when we first got it. But my middle son, Ethan, (the one with sensory needs) loves squid...and this looked like a squid, even in the little tin!

This putty is pretty stiff when you first get it out of the tin. At first, Ethan didn't really understand that he had to work it in his hands. He was thinking of it like play-dough...soft and pliable. So the first "creature" he made was this....

A Sea Rock

A Sea Rock was all he could come up with at first. (Don't look at what bad shape my table is in....I have 3 kids, you know!) Eventually, Ethan and Jonah remembered that rolling it like a snake was what they do with play-dough sometimes, so they gave that a try.

Add a couple of eyeballs and tah-dah! A snake! Even better, Ethan decided he needed to curl the snake up, and give it a frill. 

The snake led to a lovely orange bracelet...but that was quickly changed because Ethan said boys don't wear bracelets that are orange. I guess any other color would work, just not orange...how funny!

Finally, we got a squid. There were some arguments about whether or not is was a squid or an alien. Either way, the loved making it.

And, of course, we have to have a frowning face. Actually, Jonah wanted this to be a mad or mean face...notice the eyebrows. But in the end, we decided it was just sad.

...and a happy face! This is how the kids looked the whole time they were playing with this putty. The eyeballs really added a nice creative element to the putty. The boys were trying to come up with as many different creatures as they could...just to use the eyeballs. Their imagination  was challenged in a good way! 

So, the wonderful people at Sensory Smart sent me another tin of Aaron's Thinking Putty Creatures. If you would like to win this wonderful product, complete the tasks below. One winner will be chose at random. 

Spring Sensory Bins

Weather Sensory Bin

What are you guys doing this weekend? With the Spring weather that has arrived where I live, I am totally into bringing Spring into my house.

On the weekends, my boys tend to get restless. Jonah has severe asthma, so he cannot go outside for long...30 minutes is the max without him starting to wheeze! So I'm always trying to find things that they can do inside without fighting!

One of the things they enjoy is when I pull out the sensory bin. Right now, ours is filled with army men and different cereals...with cinnamon, nutmeg, and some other spices sprinkled on top. But it is time to change things up and I love these ideas for different Spring Sensory Bins!

Rainbow Rice

 I love the colored rice...this could be a possible project. All you need is rice (not the instant cook kind) and food coloring. Just separate the rice into as many different ziplock bags as the colors you want. Get the kids to shake the bags after a couple of drops of food coloring in each bag. Easy, kid friendly, and it will last quite a while.

A trip to the $1 Store would easily take our sensory bin to Ireland, celebrating St. Patrick's Day. Just look around the house and see what you could add...gold coins, plastic spoons...kids could even play with green items in it.

St. Patrick's Day Sensory Bin

Bunny Sensory Bin

Aren't these easter ones cute? I can't tell you how many easter eggs and how much easter grass I have. It's crazy! What a great way to use them, too.!

Spring Sensory Bin

Gardening Sensory Bin

This gardening one I am really "digging"...sorry, bad pun! i just helped my youngest do some planting for a pizza garden (upcoming post!) so I know how much he would like this. 

Have you ever used a sensory bin with your kids? Do they love them as much as mine? Even the local Children's Museums are now using sensory bins. They aren't just for kids with sensory needs. The Montessori schools and teaching uses sensory bins as a way to experience themes, units, and ideas in a "whole." 

You can visit the wonderful moms that originally created these sensory bins as well as many other ideas. Link up your blog post or your Pinterest idea for sensory ideas for your kids...or for Spring.

Run To Death

Did you hear about this story? A 9 year old girl in Alabama died after running for three hours outside her house. Why didn't she stop, you might ask. Well, it's because she was being punished. What could her possible offense be? Skipping school? Cheating? Beating someone up? Nope....she ate candy bars, then lied to her grandmother about it because she knew she would be in trouble. Seriously! Candy bars!! She's 9!!!

For three hours, this little girl ran around her house, without stopping....she was just in 3rd grade. After three hours of running, little Savannah collapsed and had a seizure. She died Monday, and an autopsy showed she was severely dehydrated and had a very low potassium level. The state pathologist has ruled it a homicide, and now the grandmother and stepmother who gave little Savannah this punishment are being charged with aggravated child abuse and state authorities may seek the death penalty.

Here is one of the confusing elements of this story...Savannah's father filed for divorce from the stepmother in 2010, citing that she had alcoholic tendencies and was bipolar and refused to take her meds. So, why would dad leave little Savannah with someone who is in this state. Ironically, the stepmom gave birth right after being arrested. Great!

 The dad is a contractor with the military and was in Pakistan...he had to fly for three days to get home to his daughter, kept alive on life support just so he could say goodbye. So to the dad, wasn't there someone else? I mean, this is the same wife/stepmother that also gave their own 3 year old a poisonous substance and had to have the stomach pumped. The same wife/mom/stepmom also took that 3 year old and hid the child from the dad at one point. But he still left his daughter with this woman. Maybe he felt his mother would take care of his daughter, but it didn't quite work out that way. These women are obviously taking out anger or hatred on the little girl. With a history of child abuse, it is sure to come out that this little girl was tortured by these women over and over.

The neighbors saw little Savannah running and running on that day...but didn't think much of it. Kids play outside, right? I am sure the neighbors were not glued to the window watching. But the guilt they must now feel...and the guilt of the father leaving his daughter with these two women who have essentially run his daughter to her death.

If you were on this jury, would you find these two women guilty of murder? Aggravated Child Abuse? Or innocent?

What a Great Mom!

So, being the great mom that I am, I broke the cardinal rule of having a child with severe ADHD...I let his meds run out without getting another prescription.  UGH!!! This is what happens when I get sick and am so out of it for so long! Am I the only one that has ever let this happen??

I have a place where I keep all my written prescriptions. I have a routine where I move all the prescription bottles that need refills within the next 2 weeks onto the counter...in full view...where I can call for refills. Although I had those bottles pulled out, I just assumed that I had prescriptions written for them.

If you do not have a child that uses ADHD meds, most of them are controlled substances and every month I have to use a written prescription....no refills available! Our pediatrician writes them for me 3 months at a time, as we have conferences every 3 months to discuss progress. When I bring them home, I put them in this special place, out of the reach of kids, but it's where I  have always kept prescriptions. (Have I mentioned before that we have LOTS of prescriptions?!!)

So, the minute the pediatrician's office opened, I was on the phone, talking to our doctors nurse. It's really sad when they know who is calling before even answering the phone based on the incoming number!! But luckily, she rushed it to the doctor immediately and by this afternoon, I had prescriptions in hand and then filled!

I think that having a good relationship with your child's pediatrician, the nurses that work with him, and other medical workers is imperative. It normally takes three days to get a prescription written, but because of the relationship I have with them, and the fact that they know I don't normally do this so it must be an emergency..well, that's how I got action so quickly.

So tell me, what is the worst mistake you have made with your kids regarding medicine? I know I cannot be the only one!!

Spring Pinterest Link-Up

I am finally coming out of this nasty fog called, Norovirus! To reward my recovery, Mother Nature has given me a beautiful sunny day that will be in the 70's today!! So, what's on my mind? SPRING..and I'm going to show you what you have to look forward to!

Photography from Etsy

Tulips and Limes

Get started on making your own Spring decor with these Spring Blocks

Doesn't this argyle fabric make you think of Spring?

This Spring Printable says it all!

 Are you looking forward to Spring as much as I am? Of course, I am not looking forward to the allergies related to everything blooming, but as long as I can enjoy the beautiful flowers and the green popping everywhere, I can be happy. Despite the fact that we did not have the worst or coldest winter (I never stopped wearing my flip-flops!), there is nothing like the arrival of Spring...knowing that Summer is around the corner and how happy that makes me!!

Link up your Spring ideas!!

Mommy Time vs Bloggy Time

Is it just me or do all mom bloggers find it hard to balance blogging against being a mom? Until recently, I thought of blogging as my "Job." Was I getting paid for this job? Well, no...but nothing new there. I'm rarely paid for anything I do! But for me, it had become a strong desire...ok, an obsession, that I MUST be successful at blogging...meaning that I must show my family that it is worth my time spent away from them.

Is this logical? I'm not sure. I'm not the best writer, but have always had people tell me I should write a book about my daily struggles with my kids. Sometimes my stories are funny, sometimes they are desperate, sometimes it just leaves us all shaking our head as to why!! But nonetheless, they are all enjoyable! I have funny, outgoing kids and things that come out of their mouths are just mind-boggling!

Not too long ago, someone very close to me helped me to reflect on what was most important. I am a wife and mother first. I wanted to stay home with my kids. My husband chose a career that takes him away from our family regularly, but he did it so that I could stay home and not have to work. I am extremely thankful for that choice made many years ago. But sometimes, being a mom isn't all that it's cracked up to be...you know?

I tire of the messes, the fights, the pick-ups, the drop-offs, the homework battles, the endless laundry, and on and on. Being able to sit at my computer and do something else was a getaway...more like a hideaway from life itself.

"Nope, sorry kid, can't fix you that sandwich. I'm trying to write something here." 
"No, I can't play that game with you now, I'm busy on the computer."
"Just run your bath water yourself...Mommy is entering her 429th Rafflecopter of the day!"

See how sad that is? My poor kids lost their mom to Blogger, Twitter, Google+...all after they just got her back from her addiction to Farmville and other Facebook games! Sad, sad, sad!!

And my poor husband...he's gone all week and comes home to a wife with a computer on her lap constantly. We try to watch a movie together and I"m too busy posting, or commenting, or whatever else it is that I'm doing. Not fair...not fair at all.

So give some much needed thought, I decided that a change was needed. I needed "Mommy Time" and "Bloggy Time."

I am the type that really needs my day planned out...I need a list or something. (Obsess much? Why yes, I do!) Somebody really needs to make an app for me! Instead, I literally made a schedule. Mornings, until I pick the kids up from school are "Bloggy Time." But once the kids are in my care, being a mom is a priority. After they go to bed, I can get back on the computer. I end up with about the same amount of time I always had...I just have to be more focused and not get caught up on one website or searching through a bazillion backlinks for something. Being a mom means you have to be efficient because we have lots to do all at once. So, this is the same thing...except now, I am being honest without myself and my family, letting them know that above everything, they come first!

So tell me, am I the only one with this problem? Does anyone else have a hard time balancing it all? How do you guys do it? Do you have a schedule? You just wing it? What do you do?

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and is a day of repentance. Typically, a person gives something up for Lent, with the idea that by giving this thing up that you would become closer to God. Well, that's the concept anyway.

In years past, I have given up silly things like chocolate (which could never happen!), or sodas...that sort of thing. But last year, I was trying to lose weight and get into better shape so I decided to give up nighttime snacks.

I have a tendency to want to reward myself after getting the kids to bed and that had led to quite a few pounds added straight to my rear end and thighs. Not pretty, right? But this time, I really wanted to succeed. I managed to stick with it for the period between Lent and Easter and combined with exercise, I finally started to lose weight. So I continued and so far have lost 40 pounds!

Sure I cheat every once in a while, but for the most part, I have changed the mindset that I "need" a reward after the kids go to bed. Now, that is my time to blog or spend with my husband. While this specific act might not be religious in nature, it has given me the opportunity to be closer to my husband and to feel better about myself.

Do you give up anything for Lent and if so, what?

Fat Tuesday

 Do you do anything special for Fat Tuesday? I have never been to Mardi Gras, but would love to...and after going to an Episcopalian Church, I do understand Ash Wednesday and Lent. But I have never really done anything special for Fat Tuesday. We've never made anything special to eat, or been to a party so I am not sure exactly what goes on. But clothes and food? That I can appreciate! So, given that I'm still sick and have nothing but time, I have found a couple of things you might like...

Fat Tuesday is also known as Shrove Tuesday. In most traditions, pancakes are eaten on Shrove Tuesday because they are made out of the main food available: sugar, fat, flour and eggs. There is a restriction on consumption of these items after Ash Wednesday.

From my Polyvore : Always need a good outfit to wear!

Will Ferrell was crowned King of Mardi Gras this year. He stated, "Let them eat cake!" So how about that cake?

This is the easiest Mardi Gras Cake I have found

So do you do anything special for Fat Tuesday? Do you have any special recipes that you make to celebrate? Please, feel free to share!

By the way, did you know that many store owners on Bourbon Street in New Orleans coat their poles and columns outside their shop with vaseline in order to keep rowdy revelers from climbing them? Sounds like quite a party!!

I Love My Online Friends Monday Blog Hop

I am participating in the I Love My Online Friends Monday Blog Hop! Join up to gain more followers!

Mom Has a Sick Day

So, the stomach flu has hit us here at my house...hard!! Literally, I have not left my bed for two days now...except to go to the bathroom, then practically crawling back to the bed! I wouldn't bring this up (because it's gross!) but how many times can a mom just drop off the face of the earth (or be non-existent in their house) and things are still going?!!

My husband had to leave town yesterday for work. Normally, I get the laundry done, keep the kids out of his way, and get everything ready so he can just walk out the door. Yesterday, it was all on him. He had to tend to his own laundry, his own meals, and even tended to the kids who were sick. All while I laid in the bed, sleeping when I could, and feeling terribly guilty. But it worked out.

Sometimes, a mom has to take care of herself. If she is so sick she can't get out of the bed, how can she take care of everyone else? Thank goodness I had my husband home half of the day yesterday, and then my mom came by with supplies yesterday and today. I would not make it without them.  But I no longer feel guilty about staying in bed, about being sick. We cannot help when a sickness hits us. But we can choose whether or not to take care of ourself when it does. My body has a tendency to get dehydrated very easily, so most importantly to me was to try to drink a little and stop the sickness. I really needed to just take a pill and go to sleep...so that's what I did.

Maybe tomorrow will be the day I can finally get out of this bed...