I know I was MIA for most of the beginning of this week, but in addition to trying to finish up a couple of designs I’ve been finishing up my own little venture.  Now, please understand that I’m not REALLY adding yet another site to the mix, it is simply making a site I already had up and running a little more formal! 

Most of you are aware that I own www.SweetnSimpleDesign.com and there I offer a wide variety of design options for moms and wahms.  From shoppe designs and business cards to mommy blogs and mommy cards, you’ll find it there.  Here’s the problem …. although I have offered premade and custom blog designs there the whole time, the premades get ENTIRELY lost in the shuffle.  Sooooo, I decided long ago that they simply needed to have their own home. 

I now focus exclusively on custom blog designs at Sweet ‘n Simple Design and now offer all of my premades (well I’m getting there anyway) at www.SNSBlogDesign.com!!!   If you have a chance hop on over and take a peek and let me know what you think! 

Here’s a fun little extra to all of my readers … starting tomorrow at www.FroggyReviews.com I’ll be introducing this site there as well and asking everyone to tell me what they want to see me offer at the new site.  Everyone who leaves a comment telling me their favorite design or what they’d like to see will be entered to win a design!  So be sure to enter.

I am actually very excited to share a great website with all of you!  I was recently told about www.MommyDocs.com, a site for moms by moms.  Not just any moms either, both of the women behind Mommy Docs are MD’s (one is a pediatrician and the other is an Asthma & Allergy specialist)!! 

I was immediately thrilled to see a focus on car seat safety!  I was the type of first time parent that read everything I could put my hands on, researched anything possible online and went to all the classes.  Not all first timers are able to do this and I totally understand that now …. but back then, maybe not so much!

I was absolutely shocked speechless when I saw a couple driving out of the parking lot of a restaurant we were entering with a baby in an infant carseat FACING FORWARD.  Thankfully it was in the backseat …. in that case.  I have since seen my fair share of carseats in the front seat or otherwise improperly installed.  Needless to say, it is a big issue, so I was thrilled to see it addressed at their site.

Their podcasts are where they offer the most information.  From Car seat safety and Sunscreen to Allergy Shots and Fevers!  Right now they have been focusing on Summer Safety Tips and I highly recommend you take a peek.   Their podcast entitled “Let the Sunshine In” is only 8 minutes and 45 seconds and it focuses on keeping yourself and your kids safe in the sun!

I also enjoyed reading the blog!  It is informative, but totally in reach of a busy mom’s understanding!  In addition to all this they also offer a Health Q&A section where they answer many mom questions as well as a section that tells you all about who they are and more! 

So, hop on over there and check them out! 

Recently Lisa Friedman, co-founder of Someone Spoil Me contacted me and told me about her great site.  You all know that I love sharing great shopping tips and information, but my time is more limited than ever right now with all of the end of the school year events, so I was really struggling to come up with anything new and fresh.   So she sent me great information on how to access the best gifts for dad, most of this post is taken from that email from her (with her permission of course ).

While Father’s Day may not be as commercially popular as Mother’s Day it is still a very important holiday and therefore warrants a gift to be given. You wouldn’t want Dad to be left in the dust, would you?

So now the pressure begins… what to give?  Gift giving can be extremely stressful and exhausting, as you not only need to come up with an idea that your dad will love but also find a store that sells that particular product. It certainly takes a lot of time and energy. Well, that was BEFORE you heard of SomeoneSpoilMe.com! They make gift giving easy, fast and hassle free!

Lisa Friedman and Alexis Stein are the experts behind this fabulous gift guide. For years people were always asking them “What should I give Dad for father’s day?” Or, more simply, “What should I give Amy since she just had a baby?” They always knew the perfect gift to give and the best place to get it from.

From the coolest gadgets to the softest blankets, nothing was off limits. For so many, gifting seems to be such a challenge, so the two expert decided to take their skills and stylish taste to a broader level (hello dot com). With that being said, SomeoneSpoilMe.com has evolved into the best online source for giving and getting fabulous gifts!

They realize that they are many types of dads out there with many different personalities. This is why they have broken down their father’s day gift guide (http://www.someonespoilme.com/gifts/fathers-day-gifts-personalized-dad-cool-dad/) so you easily find a gift for Dad.

So hop on over and take a look.

Ok, I know I’m a little early, but I have a little gift to share with all of you.  It is a free Mother’s Day ebook with wonderful crafts, recipes and resources (that make great gifts too) for the Moms in your life!  Just click on the link below to grab the book and have a HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!!

Mother’s Day eBook

Oh, and I really hope that all of you have a very relaxing, fun and resful Mother’s day too!

The time has come for a little bloggy organization.  As more and more great products, sites, movies, books and more are brought to my attention I needed a place for it all to go so that A Frog In My Soup could continue following it’s original path - chronicaling my journey as the mom of 6 boys, supporting and encouraging moms, sharing my journals as well as some great information and resources I have found. 

So, I’m very excited to introduce all of you to Froggy Reviews!  Simply hop on over to www.FroggyReviews.com to see what’s going on.  I’ll be offering many contests there as well as lots more great reviews and discounts!  It’s truly all the same information in a new location.  You can subscribe to it easily via email or any reader by following the various links offered on the site

I have already posted some great information and resources and today I am featuring a fun first contest that I’ll tell you more about later.  I think this will be a great resource and it is very exciting to have a better way to introduce all of these great shops and products to you!

 

There’s still a few hours to enter to win some very fun prizes over at Sweet Pea Cakes, etc today during their Virtual Valentine’s Day Party!!!

As the New Year arrived many of you probably made a new year’s resolution or maybe several.  For many of us who are no longer in their twenties (and some who are) and who have given birth to a few children . . . thus retaining much “baby weight”, the resolve to lose weight is usually not far down the list. 

It is very easy though to let our perspective get out of sorts!  What body are we trying to acheive?  The latest trend or the one we need to be healthy?  So many of us are looking to fit into a certain size pants and have a certain size waist and hips instead of working toward a healthier body.  Eating right and exercising is good for the mind and body.  I encourage all of you to keep the perspective realistic and acheivable as we enter the new year. 

Along the same lines, there are often young girls, especially teenagers who are struggling with this issue whether they really need to lose even one pound or not.  If they don’t fit into their conceived notions of what is socially acceptable they won’t be satisfied with where they are at. 

If you know a young girl like that I encourage you to look into a new campaign that Dove® has begun . . . The Dove Self-Esteem Fund.

The Dove Self-Esteem Fund (DSEF) was established to raise the self-esteem of girls and young women to make them feel more beautiful and confident every day. The DSEF is part of the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, a global effort designed to widen today’s stereotypical view of beauty.

One of the first steps they’ve taken toward their goal to reach 5 million young women by the end of 2010 is by creating www.CampaignForRealBeauty.com.  A site for and about girls, teens, their moms and mentors and anyone who is concerned about the negative body image influences girls are getting today. Here’s a short film that really gives us a vivid idea of what’s behind their new campaign as well as the realities of the media and it’s influence.

They have also created the Dove® Reality Diaries, a website that follows several young women on the road toward better self-esteem.   Getting other girls involved that can relate to one of these stories as well as offering expert advice and support.Anyone is welcome to check out these websites for more information.  I hope that you too can feel encouraged by a positive campaign for girls. I believe that we as adult women should also take note of what’s going on at these sites and with the young girls around us. Believe it or not, we are falling victim to these lies about “real beauty” just as much as teen girls!  As with so many other areas of adulthood and parenting we have to get ourselves squared away in this area before we can truly expect to see a difference in the girls in our lives.  If they hear us talking negatively about ourselves all the time that is what they are learning.  I know first hand that it is also disturbing to sons to see into their mother’s insecurities, so we really do need to be careful that our “realities” aren’t warped as well!

Links:
Campaign for Real Beauty Site
Dove Self Esteem Fund
Dove Reality Diaries
Share a Self Esteem Message

I seem to always be researching something online, so I thought it would be a fun theme for a Friday! So here’s some of the things I have found this week!

There are tons of moms out there who blog and there are also quite a few resources for them here are a few that I stumbled upon recently:

• 5 Minutes for Mom - bringing moms the best in blogging, shopping, parenting and entertainment. This site was begun by indentical twin sisters and is set up in blog format. Offers access to tons of great blogs, shopping, blogging information and much more!
• The Mom Blogs - Another great resource for moms who blog. Find other mom blogs and information about blogging.

Online Shopping:

• Creamy Candle - These are candles that you burn that smell great when you blow them out you use the liquid as a moisturizer! Too fun!
• Native Remedies - Offers wonderful natural remedies to help with a huge variety of issues for men, women, kids and even a whole line for pets! For children they have everything from bedwetting and bad dreams to tummy troubles and aches. For women they have pms and menopause symptom relief as well as remedies to help with endometriosis and weight loss. They also have a variety for men.
• Mineral Girlz - This is a super fun idea! Finally a mineral makeup just for girls (but moms love them too) - all natural makeup that is good for the skin! Parties, spa kits, create your own bath and body products and much much more!

I’ll leave it at that for today and see what I find next week! Should be fun!