With this last season of The Biggest Loser over, we are all wondering how we are going to lose those extra pounds we seem to gain at Christmas.  Have no fear, Julie Hadden is here.  Julie is the first runner up on Season 4 of The Biggest Loser.  Like me, Julie is a stay at home mom who put everyone else in front of herself.  In reading her book, you get to learn about how she learned to make herself a priority.

I am a person who believes things happen for a reason.  Julie didn’t win The Biggest Loser.  Instead, she lost by 8 lbs.  However, she was able to adopt a little boy (which wouldn’t have been possible if she had won due to a media tour should would have had to do).  Here’s the weird part — her little boy was 8 lbs when they got to bring him home!  Another weird yet cool thing that happened to her was that they had gotten rid of their second car to save money, so she could stay at home with her kids.  On the show, she won a challenge.  The prize?  A brand new car!

The book gives us a glimpse into what it’s like to be on The Biggest Loser (I won’t tell you how long they work out daily!).  Fat Chance also provides tips that we can all do.  I love the exercises that you can do standing in line at the grocery store, washing dishes, or even doing  laundry.  There are even some recipes for you to try!

This is great book to get you on pace for the New Year.  With it’s great tips and real life story, Fat Chance is a book you should read.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/2

Ever read the What To Expect When You Are Expecting?  I personally think it’s a must read for all new moms.  It’s a book that really tells you the ins and outs of parenting and talks to you.  Well, that same author has teamed up with Clorox and has a new guide for us called:  What To Expect Guide To A Healthy Home.  This book is all about how to keep your home clean.  With the swine flu and everything else that is going on this year, we definitely need this. There is a lot of really great advice about to NOT get everyone sick.  There’s a tidbit about not sharing a cup in the bathroom when you brush your teeth that I have to show my husband.  I actually buy paper cups that can be thrown out, but he gives me some kidding about it.  I can’t wait to show him I was right (and now I have a good reason why they are better).  If you click here, you can download for yourself!  You can also get your hands on their As They Grow Growth Chart which has some great advice list on there like:

Don’t leave your home without hand wipes or hand sanitizer, and pack bottled water or a juice box so you can skip the public water fountain.

and

To show germs and allergens to the door after a playdate, toss stuffed animals in the laundry. If a stuffed toy isn’t machine-washable, you can put it in a plastic bag in the freezer overnight to help get rid of those dust mites.

Both of these guides are great for new moms and not so news moms like me. You can definitely learn a thing or two about how to keep your home cleaner and safer.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Clorox and the What to Expect Guide and received a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

My family and I travel a lot. This year was our first plane trip with the kids, and they did pretty well. However, after we came home, I learned something about the pillows on planes that completely grossed me out. Did you know that airlines don’t change their pillowcases after every flight?  That pillow the airline just charged you to use is probably covered in germs ( I know Ewwwwwwwwwwwww).  Some germs that can be spread include MRSA which can live on that pillowcase for up to 90 days!  Another gross thing you could get is lice too.  Completely grossed out now?

Have no fear though because Travel With Me has come up with JetHeads which is a disposable pillowcase.  All you have to do is slip one of these pillowcases over your airline pillow, and you can breath easier. JetHeads Disposable Airplane Pillowcases are made of a soft and comfortable, non-woven fabric and come 2 to a pack. They are also made in the USA.

What are you waiting for?  Make sure you order at least one set of these for  your next flight.  I know I am!

As a mom who shops with her kids, the Cart Stopper is one of those items that you wonder why you’ve never seen it before.  There is nothing worse than when you are unloading your cart into your car/van/truck, and you watch your car either roll into your car or the car next to you.  The worst thing is when your kids are in the cart when it happens.  The Cart Stopper was designed by a fellow mom who had this happen to her.  She actually created a company that develops products to make fellow parents life easier!

The Cart Stopper is super easy to use.  All you do is hook one side to the cart.  The other side suctions to your vehicle.  It doesn’t get easier than this.  It is small enough to fit in your purse or leave in your trunk (and take up only a small amount of space).  It would even fit in your glove box!  For less than $10, you have peace of mind.   This is a great gift for any mother or mother to be.

With having a new baby in the family (my sister, not me), I am finding all the cool new baby products out there. I often find myself questioning why some of these products weren’t out when my kids were little (and my kids are 5 and 2!). It is amazing all of the new things that come out. It’s also amazing to see what other women come up with to help us moms out.

The Scrunch Bottle Bib was not designed by a mom — instead, it was designed by a caring aunt who couldn’t figure out why there wasn’t a product out there to keep your baby’s neck dry while they feed.  Anyone who has bottle fed a baby remembers how much the baby seems to get in them equals the same amount they get all over them.  It also seems like the milk (formula, juice, etc) gets stuck in their neck folds which then either smells or gives the baby a nasty rash.

The Scrunch Bottle Bibs are reversible, 100% cotton, and best of all, machine washable.  I seriously can’t believe that no one has come up with this baby bibs idea before!  This is such a brilliant idea.  This definitely makes a new moms life easier and makes for a happier baby!