January 21, 2016 by Krista

Between the Sheets Game: At Home Date Night Idea

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #KYALittleTouch #CollectiveBias

This is my love story. Please read on to see how K-Y® TOUCH® enhances our relationship and click here for a $2 off one K-Y® product coupon.

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! Do you have plans already? Our anniversary is almost a week before Valentine’s Day, so I go into romance overload mode once the new year starts. It’s a lot of fun for me… and Mr. Napping doesn’t usually mind it too much either. Wink, wink.

Since our anniversary is so close to Valentine’s Day we usually go out for our anniversary – when it’s easier to get reservations and isn’t so crowded – and celebrate Valentine’s Day at home. I love me a good at-home date. It’s low-key, comfortable, and usually costs a lot less than going out. I feel like those are the dates I really get to enjoy my husband and his company. We’re approaching eight years together and, while our bedroom time is still hot and steamy, sometimes it’s fun to spice things up a little. If you’re thinking about an evening at home, I’ve got a fun date idea for you. And be sure to grab the K-Y® TOUCH® at Walmart in the health and beauty section using this $2 off one K-Y® product coupon!

BETWEEN THE SHEETS GAME
AT HOME DATE NIGHT IDEA

Recently, things just did not work out with gifts for my husband. In a pitch, I shared the Between the Sheets game I made. This still got him pretty excited…

We finally got to do our date and it was fantastic. Our evening started with a snack – because the way to my husband’s heart really is through his stomach. He was mildly curious when he came into our room and found the bed made (not a habit I developed, unfortunately), but was promptly distracted by the offering of food and sparkling juice. We talked for a little while, mostly about what I was up to. Mr. Napping doesn’t love surprises; too bad for him, because I do. When he was done with the crackers, we peeled the comforter off and I had his complete attention.

We read the rules and started to play. I had everything set up beforehand. A playlist with romantic songs ready to inspire and set the mood, a fun wardrobe change (or two), and our K-Y® TOUCH® pleasure gel. We love this for giving couples’ massages! We love the warming feature that can be sensual and can help relax tired muscles so you can really focus on all the other amazing pleasures and touches during intimate time. And you don’t have to stop to switch gears. Get in the mood and just go for it. You’ll both be glad you used K-Y® TOUCH®. Check out the full tutorial and make your own Between the Sheets game!

The idea of the game is to spend time together enjoying each other without rushing straight to the finish line. I mentioned we’ll be celebrating eight married years in just a couple weeks and sometimes we get so busy trying to squeeze in our time together between diaper changes, middle of the night wakings, and all our other responsibilities that we don’t get to really enjoy just being together. It’s no secret that men and women don’t typically reach that intimacy finish line at the same time and it’s an age-old question on how both parties can find a happy finish. We were both completely happy and satisfied at the end if this date. Completely. (P.S. That was the best night’s sleep I’ve had in … a very long time. Ahhh-mazing.)

Before this date, Mr. Napping and I were in need of some time together. Over the holidays, life had gotten crazy and our together time had dwindled. This was perfect. It was a great night full of laughter and fun. And we were able to make that connection again! We were dating again! The kids faded away, the mortgage, the bills, the deadlines, the responsibilities… just kinda disappeared. It was just us. It was amazing. The tall, dark, and handsome 23-year-old I fell for nine years ago is still around. Our whole house is happier and runs more smoothly when Mr. Napping and I have that connection and intimacy between the two of us. So, really, we do date night for the kids… wink, wink.

So, if you’re ready to get your romance on this Valentine’s Day, get to planning your own Between the Sheets game night. I’ll have more detailed directions on making your own game next week, so if you want a little more guidance you can come check that out. I grabbed our amazing K-Y® TOUCH® at Walmart. Click here for the $2 off one K-Y® product coupon! So, grab that coupon and start scheming the best Valentine’s date… what will you do?

This Valentine’s Day, K-Y® is inspiring couples to connect more deeply via the power of touch by using new K-Y® TOUCH®, a new touch activated gel crème for massage and intimacy that gently warms and intensifies sensation with every touch. The warm sensation builds with every caress and encourages couples to slow down and explore more of each other for a more profound intimate connection. Pick up K-Y® TOUCH® at a Walmart near you!

Also, click both the images below to receive a total savings of $6 off any one K-Y® product and see K-Y.com for more information on the new K-Y® TOUCH® and intimacy tips that can help you deepen your couples’ connection.

I did a post on the K-Y® LOVE pleasure gels back in September… it’s good stuff, friends! So make sure you take advantage of these discounts and spice up your Valentine’s Day!

See the full tutorial on making your own Between the Sheets game HERE.

January 6, 2016 by Krista

LEGO® Super Heroes for All Ages

We are all about super heroes in this house. And LEGO® bricks. So, when my boys saw these Super Hero LEGO® sets, I nearly lost my hearing. There was a lot of squealing and dancing going on for the better part of 20 minutes. They weren’t the only excited ones though. I’ve always loved the Spider-Man comics and my husband was mildly surprised when he found out I’m a bigger nerd in the comic book world than he.

Who doesn’t love a little LEGO®!? There are many, many things I love about LEGO® bricks – there would have to be to counteract the shocking pain and rage that bubbles up every time one of the little demons is underfoot in the middle of the night, am I right? But that just tells you how awesome these toys really are. One of my favorite things about them is that they encourage imaginative play. I walked in on my boys smack in the middle of an all out battle of good and evil this morning – Wonder Woman and Superman were trying to save the kitty from the evil “Dr. Deafstoke”.

I love that LEGO® has so many options that fit all of my kids, no matter their ages. LEGO® DUPLO® offers an unlimited source of creative play as young children explore the world around them with their growing imagination. Double the size of the iconic LEGO® bricks, yet 100% compatible, DUPLO® bricks grow alongside your child as they curiously create and discover many ways to play. Age appropriate minifigures allow even the youngest builders to role play. And LEGO® JUNIORS delivers fun, age-appropriate building sets with easy-to-follow building instructions, colorful photos and playful guidance to help to ensure a smooth transition to independent building. Quick start elements and modular bricks, such as walls and archways, facilitate easy builds—giving children out-of-the-box success. Storytelling and creative play is inspired by a variety of iconic themes. While LEGO® Super Heroes: MARVEL™ and LEGO® Super Heroes: DC UNIVERSE™ bring characters from comic books and new movie releases to LEGO® brick form for older kids.

Our DUPLO® set had some great basic pieces, two fun bridge pieces, a boat, four minifigures and Wonder Woman’s bike! My two youngest fight over the bike and the kitty all the time! Go figure, right?! The DC Comics set made two fun vehicles that my boys like to pretend can fly and three minifigures, plus a few more accessories. Big J loves the vehicles and that he can change them easily. But that’s not the only kind of playing we do with fabulous LEGO® bricks. Here are five ways we play with our bricks that encourage learning:

Counting. I have REALLY struggled getting Little J to learn. He doesn’t have the hunger for learning like his older brother does. He wants to play! LEGO® bricks let us do just that. We often count the connector knobs on the blocks when we’re building.
Size. This one is Little J’s favorite learning LEGO® game. Because bigger is always better… right? We have been working on sequencing and size comparisons.
Patterns. And here’s Little J’s least favorite. This one is the most obvious learning I guess. You can do simple patterns or more complex ones. You can even incorporate counting and size into the patterns.
Color recognition. This was the only way I could get Little J to practice colors. As we would build, we would say the color of the brick we were adding to the tower. The anticipation of knocking the tower over was enough to help me keep him engaged.
Shapes. This is one I do with both Little J and Big J. Most of the bricks are square or rectangular, but there are some with irregular shapes too.
Following directions. This one is pretty easy for Big J. I just give him the instruction booklet and set him to it. He is analytical enough with his thinking that he can usually handle the instructions with minimal help. For Little J, I will usually give him verbal instructions. “A four, a two, then a six.” The numbers refer to the number of connector knobs. He stacks them like towers.
Free building. We like to have competitions – we are a household full of testosterone over here. Someone will come up with an object to build (a car, a house, a helicopter, a motorcycle, etc) and then everyone does their best to build that object. Little J usually gets help from someone. Sometimes we’ll vote on who created the best one, usually we don’t. Daddy would win all the time.

I’ve included a printable below that you can use to help guide you through some of the learning activities we like to do with LEGO® bricks. It’ll open a window where you can download the full quality version. Save it to your computer and then print.

Click to download

I love LEGO® because they help my kids grow. As children play, they grow confident in their ability to bring stories and ideas to life. LEGO® Super Heroes is a perfect way to introduce the entire family to the land of make-believe & open-ended play. With something for every age, you are never too young or too much of an adult to build your own version of a superhero with LEGO® bricks. What special power does everyone in the family wish they had?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

December 16, 2015 by Krista

Best Christmas Movies on Netflix

Everyone loves good Christmas movies, right? We don’t have cable or satellite, but we do have Netflix. Their selection of Christmas movies hasn’t left me disappointed this year. There’s lots to choose from, especially for the kiddos. So get ready to pop some popcorn, snuggle in on the sofa with some cocoa and enjoy some fun Christmas movies this season!

These movies are all on Netflix, but I have linked to the movies on IMDb (Internet Movie Database) so you can check them out more before you decide to watch them. I love being able to check the parent’s guide if I’m wondering about watching a movie with the kids. That way we know what to expect without having to screen every movie first. All of these movies I’ve either personally seen (marked with an *) or they are on my list to see. To find any of the titles on Netflix, just search them. (All images are from the IMDb site).

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES ON NETFLIX

For the Kids:
* Cat in the Hat Knows a lot about Christmas – The boys and I watched this one the other night. The Cat in the Hat and the kids help a lost caribou find his way back home on Christmas Eve. It was cute, although a little long for my little ones. The Dr. Seuss was there, as was the happy ending to the story. Big J got a little distracted part way through it, but he was glued to the ending.
* The Legend of Frosty the Snowman – This one was good for my older two (6 and almost 4). The animation was lively, the characters were fun and the message was feel-good. It was a good quiet time movie when we had an unexpected snow day on Monday and Baby N was napping.
* Kung Fu Panda: Holiday – We like the Kung Fu Panda movies and this one doesn’t disappoint. All the characters you love are back in a fun Holiday story where Po has to decide where he is really needed the most on his big night. Mr Napping even watched this one with us.

* Thomas and Friends: Merry Winter Wish – There are also four other Thomas Christmas movies on Netflix, but my boys really like Merry Winter Wish. This set of Thomas adventures includes four Christmas stories that my boys love. Even Baby N likes to watch these a little. Christmas and trains are hard to beat in this house. I love that I can choose how long I need my kiddos distracted for – they can watch all four stories or just one or two.

* Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas – This is one of my favorite kid Christmas movies to watch with my boys. They don’t love it as much, but it is a good compromise for everyone. They get the characters they love so much and I get the feel-good story line with beloved characters from my childhood too. I also like that this one is another one that we can watch just a show or it can buy me at least half an hour to wrap presents uninterrupted.

* Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas – My two-and-a-half-year old niece and Little J (almost 4) love this one. They love their movie dates when I let them eat popcorn, fruit snacks and watch George. About midway through December I started getting sick of this one, but it’s cute the first half a dozen times.

Family Movie Night:
* Christmas with the Kranks – I can definitely understand the appeal of skipping Christmas (Baby N tried to eat the glass tree ornaments last week and we’re down at least 3 more glass balls that Mr Napping and I got our first Christmas together – I have been tempted more than once to just take the tree down already), but I also know that it just wouldn’t be the same without all those things. The Kranks decide to skip Christmas until their daughter decides that she is going to come home. In trying to put together the perfect Christmas, they find out just what Christmas is really all about.

* I’ll be Home for Christmas – I haven’t seen this one in a few years, but I liked it when I was younger. A young college kid decides to skip Christmas with his family until his dad bribes him to come home. But Jake runs into a few hang-ups on his cross-country trip that help him realize home is really where he wanted to be all along.

A Christmas Carol – I haven’t seen this version, but I love old movies so I’m thinking it would be a winner. At least in my book. The classic story of Ebenezer Scrooge and Jacob Marley is a must-see at least once around Christmastime. I might have to do some wrapping while I watch this one.

Date night:
* While You Were Sleeping – This movie didn’t actually inspire my blog name, but I think about it all the time. I love this movie and have ever since I was little and remember watching it at my Grandpa and Grandma’s house. As I got older and understood more of the story, I loved it even more. Lucy gets more than she wanted when she pretends to be engaged to the guy she likes, but has never really spoken to, when she meets his family.

White Christmas – I haven’t seen this one either and I’m not sure how that has happened. I hear it’s fantastic and, as I mentioned, I love old movies so this one is going on my list to see sooner rather than later. Mr Napping enjoys a good musical every now and again, so this one is on my date night list.

The Christmas Card – I haven’t seen this one, but it was nominated for a prime time Emmy and it has 7.1 stars on IMDb, which is a great rating. The parent’s guide looks pretty clean and I love a warm feel-good movie. So… I might trick Mr Napping into snuggling on the couch and watching it with me after we get the kids in bed some night this next week. It’s a war movie, hon…

Girls night
12 Dates of Christmas – So this looks like Groundhog’s Day for Christmas. I like Groundhog’s Day so I’m willing to give it a chance. It’s got a 6.4 star rating, which isn’t bad and tells me it might be worth seeing. There isn’t any info in the parent’s guide though, so be aware of that if you decide to watch it some younger viewers. I don’t know that I could convince my husband to watch this with me, but my sister would be all over it. Girls night!

Christmas Angel – This one has good ratings and sounds like a fun feel-good movie with a bit of romance in there too. Another great girls night choice. And it’s only 88 minutes long – the length of nap time maybe? When wishes start coming true Olivia discovers that some times, it’s not about what you want.

The Heart of Christmas – Great ratings and the cast looks solid, if maybe a little obscure. It also looks like you better bring the tissues to this one. A family comes together in a truly difficult situation to make it the best Christmas ever – even if it is in October.

What are your must-see Holiday movies?

November 18, 2015 by Krista

Do More with Levana Ayden™ Baby Video Monitor

I’ve had three babies. All three of them have been different kinds of sleepers – My oldest was a dream, my middle baby was a nightmare and my youngest is somewhere in between. Mr. Napping was unemployed for much of my pregnancy with my oldest and we had to really decide what were needs and wants for our new baby. Big J was our first baby and we had nothing. We depended heavily on hand-me-downs and consignment store finds. We lived in a multi-level townhouse when my oldest was a baby and we used some two-way audio receivers Mr. Napping already had as our baby monitors. They worked and we already had them – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – so we didn’t look at baby monitors much. They weren’t in the budget.

With my middle little one we started out in a two-bedroom apartment that was less than 1000 square feet and there was no need for monitors. You couldn’t get far enough away to not hear the baby. When he was three months old, we moved into our single-story home and we still didn’t need a monitor. He was (and still is!) such a restless sleeper that it was better if I didn’t have a monitor on him because every movement he made put me on edge… Is he getting up? Is he gonna cry? Should I go get him? We both slept better without a monitor – I wasn’t constantly hovering over him while he was trying to sleep. He expected me to be there every time he stirred and he was terrible at putting himself back to sleep because of it. It didn’t help that I need sleep or I am one grouchy momma. It really was better for both of us.

Between my middle baby and my youngest, my sister-in-law had their first baby. They went all out with the changing tables, video monitors, diaper pails and more. I thought it was a little unnecessary… Then we were at my grandma’s house with the whole family and it was loud! Both of my younger boys still napped. Our room was too close to the noise and kept them from getting a good nap unless we put them in the attached apartment my parents were staying in. But we had no easy way to make sure our kids were still sleeping, safe and sound. My brother’s video monitor suddenly seemed like more of a need than a want, or at the very least not unnecessary. We made do with some apps on our mobile devices and tablets, but it meant someone had to leave their device in with the sleeping kids and the apps chewed through the battery!

Enter Levana’s Ayden™ Baby Video Monitor. Even though my little Baby N is closer to being two than one, I am so excited to have this monitor now. I know it will be so useful while we are traveling next week! I absolutely love this thing. It has all kinds of features I am so excited about. The most important feature to me, though, was a secure signal – I want to be confident that I am the only one checking in on our children. The Ayden™ Baby Video Monitor offers Private ClearVu® Digital Signal that is private, secure and interference-free from up to 750 feet away.

The picture quality is fantastic on the 3.5 inch screen and there is even an LED Night Vision option to give you a clearer picture of your baby in the darkness. This is amazing and essential for me, as our nursery is incredibly dark even during the day. I love being able to see my baby without having to shine a bunch of light in on him and worry about waking him. The actual picture clarity is even better than this photo.

Another feature I was very excited about was the option to use battery or wall power for both the monitor and video screen units. This means we can even take it camping! I am very excited about the freedom that will give me! You can turn on PEEP mode and your monitor and camera will enter sleep mode if it’s quiet. You see what you need to see when you need to see it and don’t use up lots of battery when there’s nothing to check on. This allows for up to 48 hours of battery life before you need to recharge.

3 TIMES I LOVE BEING ABLE TO USE MY LEVANA AYDEN™ BABY VIDEO MONITOR

1. When my Baby N finds himself overstimulated and tired. When this boy has had enough, he needs his space. Even momma is too much company. The worst case overstimulated scenario has the poor boy in hysterics and cuddles from momma or daddy just make it worse. I like being able to keep an eye on him while he calms himself enough for a snuggle before going to sleep. I don’t have to worry that he’s going to hurt himself or be naughty – he’s climbing all the things these days – while he’s alone in his crib.
2. To check on Baby N before I go to bed. You know what they say – Let the sleeping beast lie! Baby N regularly kicks his blankets off, but not all the time. I love being able to check and see if he needs to be tucked in again without entering the room and disturbing his slumber.
3. In the middle of the night. Baby N gets up usually once during the night, but he’s been sleeping all night more often lately. It’s really nice to be able to check on him when I first hear him fussing to see what he needs. Is he cold? Hungry? Did he just lose his pacifier? It helps me get him taken care of and back to bed faster.

The temperature monitoring is a nice feature. My youngest two boys kick the covers off all the time. With the Ayden™ Baby Video Monitor you can check on the temperature in their room and see if they need to be recovered without risking waking them up. There’s nothing worse than checking on them and them waking up just as I’m heading to bed. My boys have usually been asleep long enough they think it should be time to get up and play. Not what a tired momma wants!

The smart indicator ring was also something I thought was very cool. The ring around the directional pad will change colors according to the noise level in the baby’s room. You can keep an eye on your baby even when the sound is turned down. This would be a great option for times when your surroundings are loud already and for hearing-impaired parents and caregivers.

Two more features are a night light option and a lullaby option that you can turn off and on from the video screen menu. You don’t even have to go into the room. There are three lullaby options and the night light is a calming yellowy-orange color that comes from the top of the camera. There is a two-way communication feature that lets you talk to baby.

I am incredibly happy with this monitor. It’s feature-rich, I can keep eyes on my kiddo and I will be able to do more knowing my child is safe. That’s all this momma wants! Enter the giveaway below for a chance to win your own baby video monitor.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Get more info and stay up with all the latest and greatest from Levana on their Facebook page. Or check out the Ayden™ Baby Video Monitor and get your own with the button below!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Levana. The opinions and text are all mine. Pinky Promise.

October 19, 2015 by Krista

Witch Away Kit with U by Kotex® and CVS

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ConfidenceUDeserve #CollectiveBias

Are you one of those ladies that can plan your schedule around that time of the month? Or maybe Aunt Flo is more of a drop-in kind of guest for you? Does she pass through your life with little more than a fleeting “hello-goodbye”? Or does she come and stay WAAAY passed her welcome? I have had all those interactions with every lady’s favorite aunt. But, more often than not, she comes bounding in at the least convenient times, stays days longer than I want her to and, sometimes, even brings out my inner witch. But even in October, I try to keep her under wraps. Cue the Witch Away Kit.

WITCH AWAY KIT
with U by Kotex® & CVS

The idea behind the Witch Away Kit is to pamper yourself just a little more than usual. Take a little more “me time” and don’t let that wily aunt wreak havoc; don’t let her pesky ways get to you. Being a lady has it’s ups and downs. Make more ups for yourself and celebrate being a woman. Because being a woman is awesome.

Every woman’s Witch Away Kit may look a little different. Splurge a little and get things you love and enjoy and wish you had more time for. Stash them in your kit. When you’re feeling down or under the weather and that pesky aunt is being particularly persistent with her antics, pull out your kit and show her who’s boss, because, Girl, it’s YOU! Here is what is in my Witch Away Kit:

Materials:
– U by Kotex® Ultra Thin Pads®
– U by Kotex® Barely There Liners®
– pain reliever of choice
– chocolate (it’s dark chocolate, it’s good for you, right?!)
– guilty pleasure magazines
– foot scrub (or face scrub you plan to use on your feet)
– moisturizing lotion
– nail polish remover
– cotton pads
– pedicure kit (get as fancy as you please. I went for the deluxe kit and haven’t regretted it!)
– new nail polish (yes, get new ones. Even if you have 122,234 bottles at home. There’s something special about a new bottle. It doesn’t have to be expensive. Unless you have a color that you just absolutely LOVE in your stash at home.)

I scored all my loot at my local CVS and I keep all these fun things in a cauldron. Yes, a cauldron. Where else would that inner witch keep her stash? It is October after all; she might peek through more than usual. And it all fits so phenomenally, I couldn’t pass it up.

Are you more of a tampon kind of girl? U by Kotex® also has some great tampons. I find I don’t use tampons a whole awful lot since having my babies, so I don’t keep a lot of them on hand. Since my hips have widened, I just cant seem to find one that fits me well. There are some neat U by Kotex® Click® compact ones that offer full-sized protection in one easy move though. When it clicks, it’s ready to insert. Perfect for when you want to carry a spare in your pocket. And the U by Kotex® Sleek® tampons sound like they would be perfect for someone with the opposite of my hip problem. Their smooth tip and slim size help you get the perfect fit.

If you like the pad option, the Ultra Thin pads I got have the U by Kotex® 3D Capture Core® with Xpress DRI that quickly draws in and locks away wetness, which is a feature I love. No one wants to sit in their own puddle. {Insert shudder now… Eeesh.}

Be sure to grab this coupon for $2 off your next U by Kotex® purchase and go now and check out more of the U by Kotex® feminine hygiene products line! If you want even more ideas on how you can pamper yourself when Auntie Flo comes to town, check out these other fun and fabulous ideas!

BETWEEN THE SHEETS GAME AT HOME DATE NIGHT IDEA

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES ON NETFLIX

3 TIMES I LOVE BEING ABLE TO USE MY LEVANA AYDEN™ BABY VIDEO MONITOR

WITCH AWAY KIT with U by Kotex® & CVS

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BETWEEN THE SHEETS GAME
AT HOME DATE NIGHT IDEA

WITCH AWAY KIT
with U by Kotex® & CVS