Crayon Crunch Kickstarter Relaunch

Wanted to let everyone know that the Crayon Crunch Kickstarter has been restarted.  They are a new company that makes personalized books for your little one.

By contributing to the Kickstarter you get a book as well.  Here is some more information about the project:
http://learningtopeewiththedooropen.blogspot.com/2015/05/crayon-crunch-kickstarter.html

Here is the Kickstarter link http://www.crayoncrunch.com/learningtopeewiththedooropen/

The First Trimester

With my 1st pregnancy the 1st trimester was great as was the rest of my pregnancy for that matter.  My 2nd pregnancy was a nightmare (I miscarried in my 13th week).  My 3rd pregnancy was fine.  This pregnancy oh holy mother of nausea.  I have been so nauseous the entire time.  Eating is definitely a challenge.  My mind knows it needs to eat but some how my body is not happy with this.  Most times I am forcing down a meal because I need to eat.  But most of my days are spent in a general state of nausea.  Many times I have seen my bathroom far more than I would like.  My poor children have had a mommy that to them never wants to do anything.  I am hoping that my nausea disappears and my energy returns in my 2nd trimester.  Did you have a rough 1st trimester with your pregnancy?  What helped you to combat your nauseous feelings?

Note:  I wrote this in my 1st trimester I am currently in my 2nd trimester.

The Secret I Have Been Keeping...

I have always prided myself on my authenticity.  I am a very open person and I am happy to be one.  I have been keeping a big part of my life private for quite sometime.  Writing a blog and keeping this part under wraps have been very difficult.  But I think I am finally ready to shed some light on the life I have been living for the past 4-5 months.  In 2011, I found out that I was pregnant and was so excited my oldest at the time was 2 and we were looking forward to adding another child to the family.  At my boy's upcoming 3rd birthday we made a Wonder Pets themed shirt that said "Guess who is going to be a big brother" on the back and let him run around and see how long it took for everyone to notice.  At the time I was 12 weeks had already visited the doctor and felt I was out of the  woods.  Excitedly we shared the news at the party.  A week later, at the time the unexpected happened and I began to miscarry our little one.  I was devastated  and even more so that we brought our son with us to the doctor for the ultrasound.  I tried to hold back my hysterical crying because my boy started to get really scared.  Fortunately on the drive home he fell asleep and I had the opportunity to grieve.  Looking back if I was really honest with myself I would have known that I was in the process of miscarrying.  We had, a month before my boys birthday, attended a cruise and I was having some of the signs of miscarriage.  The worst part about the miscarriage which made it more painful was having to share the news to everyone we had just told at my son's birthday.  It was so painful and heartbreaking to let everyone know.  It is amazing how quickly your life can change.  The day after the miscarriage I was in the living room with my boy and he told me he saw an angel and it was beautiful.  Out of the blue.  It really was an amazing thing to happen after such a horrible night of loss.  I went on after losing this child to have what they call a rainbow baby my youngest who is currently 2 in 2012.  Boy do you appreciate your pregnancy in ways you never thought about before. I was throughout the pregnancy considered high risk because of the miscarriage and lucky me at the gestational diabetes test was borderline.  So the girl terrified of needles had to check her blood 4 times a day.  I was a wreck and constantly stressed.  I lost a lot of weight and for awhile I was really terrified to eat. Thankfully my boy was born healthy and he is a little bruiser today let me tell you.

My secret was kept because of all of these experiences but I want to share with all of you what I have been keeping to myself for these months.

I am in a state of shock but so excited to share that we are expecting a little girl!!!!

The G Free Diet Book Review

My husband is living the gluten free life and has been for quite some time.  I recently got the opportunity to read The G Free Diet by Elisabeth Hasselbeck.  This book is a great book if you are newly diagnosed with gluten allergy or celiac and don't know anything about it.  There are great suggestions for food at home and restaurants that you can have a safe meal.  There is a lot of education information as well so if you are struggling to understand your new diagnosis this does a really good job of explaining it.  There are tips galore of how to handle social situations, traveling, and parties.  Now for me reading the book and my husband and I being immersed in the gluten free life for several years it was more of an overview of many of the things we have encountered with my husband's diet.  So if you are looking for new info or new ideas this probably isn't too informative but it is nice to read about another person's journey.

****This book was supplied as part of a blogging opportunity from Mom's Meet.  No additional compensation was given in exchange for this review.  All opinions are completely my own.

Nogii Review and Giveaway

Gluten free is a way of life for a lot of people from any reason to health to eating healthier.  Nogii is a gluten free product with many yummy options to get protein throughout your day.  There are many flavors of Nogii

                                                                  Chocolate Mint

                                                                     Rocky Road 

                                                                 Cookies & Cream

                                                                 Cocoa Brownie

                                                                  Chocolate Coconut

                                               Chocolate Peanut Butter Caramel Crisp

                                                     Peanut Butter & Chocolate

Paleo Bars No Dairy or Gluten (My husband compared these to breakfast bars)

                                                                Nuts About Berries

                                                                   Nuts About Nuts

                                                       Nuts About Tropical Fruit

Why & Quinoa Protein 

This comes in vanilla bean and chocolate

Chocolate Caramel Bliss

As you can see there are a lot of options.  Each bar is full of protein and if you are fan of chocolate most of them have this.  Every bar that I tried was very good.  These are great for any situation when you are in need of a snack and being gluten free this can arrive in many different situations.  I know a common concern is being able to get sufficient protein and nutrition from your food.  

I want to give you an opportunity to try these bars for yourself.  I received quite a haul of these delicious bars.  I will choose 5 winners from this giveaway so that several of you can try these.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***Moms meet provided this blog opportunity and all of the Nogii product.  Winners has 1 week to claim their prize.

Minecraft the Obsession

My boy is obsessed with Minecraft!!!  If I let him play 24/7 it wouldn't be enough.  It is such a simple, pixelated game but I am sure you know a child who is quite attached to it.  I think what is so appealing about the game especially for my boy is that you can make whatever you want to make.  There is no specific formula or steps to follow.  It is easy to understand and to play.

I wanted to share with you one of the recent creations my boy proudly made.

I will let you be the judge of if Mario is waving or doing well, something else. My husband and I got a little laugh out that one.   If you haven't guessed my boy has quite a Mario obsession as well.  So he goes into Minecraft and makes Mario worlds.  Pretty awesome.  This game definitely makes kiddos use their creativity.

***This post is not sponsored or affiliated with Minecraft or Mario.  All opinions are completely my own.

Diaper Catastrophe

In my years as a mom, I have encountered a lot of really disgusting, messy diapers as most moms have.  But I wanted to share with you my most traumatic diaper mess to date.  When my oldest was around 2 he won the award for the most disgusting experience.  I was in the kitchen and he was in the family/playroom.  I was busy cooking and knew he was right there.  He was really happy, dancing around, giggling so I didn't think anything of it.  Our kitchen has an island so I could only sit the upper part of his body having lots of fun.  When I went around the island that is when I saw what was so funny to him.  He had taken off his diaper and of course it was a poopy diaper and he had smeared all over the floor and was dancing in it....in carpet.   Needless to say lots of cleaning of not only my boy but the floor as well.  Thank goodness for steam cleaning because otherwise this carpet might have needed to be replaced...yes it was that bad.  I have been pretty fortunate with my youngest and there has not been anything too horrible or I blocked it out.

Crayon Crunch Kickstarter

I am a huge supporter of new businesses run by passionate people for mom/kids.  There is a start up company Crayon Crunch that is launching a kickstarter this week. Crayon Crunch is a personalized book made just for your little one.  The book can be made with custom art with a imaginary story premise titled My Magical Adventure.  Customizable options include name personalization,  hairstyle and color, facial features, eye color, skin tone, clothing, and even special needs items.  Here is some info about the project and what goes into making this one of a kind product:

We're combining new technologies with an original story to reinvent the picture book," said Tim Osterbuhr, Chief Executive Officer.  "Instead of working with a publisher, we are using in house technology and expertise.  This gives us full control over the creative as well as the operational site."

Studies show that reading of personalized books encourages language development in young children.  "While some companies allow readers to customize character names, no one has yet provided the way for them to help their children identify with characters by effectively customizing their appearance," said Kai Schmittat, Crayon Crunch's director of print operations.

"If you're a parent of a child with special needs or of color, finding relatable children's books can be challenging" said Friederike Gelken, lead engineer and creative director.  "We have an opportunity to create a first-of-its-kind product and start pushing harder on diversity in books."

This unique project comes to Kickstarter today to achieve the funding needed to make their project a reality.  If you are interested in learning more you can visit http://www.crayoncrunch.com  If you are interested in being a part of this Kickstarter http://www.crayoncrunch.com/learningtopeewiththedooropen/

***This post is not sponsored or affiliated with Crayon Crunch.  No compensation was received for this post all opinions are completely my own.

Monterey Gourmet Foods Review

We are always looking for easy and delicious meals.  My boys and I are big fans of pasta, especially cheese flavored ones.  I found these at my local Publix with many different varieties in the refrigerated section of the store.  They also have Butternut Squash Ravioli,  Lobster Ravioli, Sausage and Kale Ravioli, and Fire Roasted Mushroom Ravioli.  They even had a vodka sauce in the store.  On the website they have a lot more varieties listed and even some Organic options but the store selection wasn't as expansive.  I picked the Five Cheese Ravioli and the Fresh Spinach & Cheese Ravioli to try.  Monterey Gourmet Foods is a company out of California that was founded in 1989.   There products are described as natural and wholesome ingredients with flavors from around the world.

The directions were very easy just boil water and put the pasta in.  The pasta was cooked excellently and the flavor was very good.  Fortunately, the ravioli stayed intact.  Sometimes when I make ravioli they burst apart in the boiling process and the filling comes out in the water.  The texture was great and flavorful.  Both of my boys enjoyed their pasta meal and I liked it too.

Dinosaur Train Live

I just happened to be listening to the radio at the right time and I found out that Dinosaur Train Live is coming to town.  My almost 3 year old is wild about Dinosaur Train.  So I quickly went to the site and was pleasantly surprised that the tickets were only $25/piece.

First of all, the show was held in our newly built Dr Phillips Center in Downtown Orlando.  The theater is beautiful.  I was really impressed with how nice everything was.  This was surprisingly a much shorter kids show than I am used to.  They had some interaction moments throughout the show that kept both of my boys engaged.  There were a lot of songs throughout which I didn't realize how many shows that were actually introduced in the show.  It was a simple premise and it was an interesting story.  They were puppets which was a little distracting at first to me but my boys really didn't seem to notice.  Overall it was a really fun show and great experience for my boys.  I saw the next show coming to town so if you are in Orlando and have a Chuggington fan you should check it out.

End of the School Year

It is only about a month away and I feel like I am ready now.  I am so tired of all the homework and bag a books.  I am looking forward to those 3 months of freedom and fun.  Now I may feel differently a little further into the summer when my oldest is driving me crazy and I am struggling to keep him active.  But...right now summer sounds like a dream.  Along with the ability to sleep in.  My boys will sleep in if I let them and this mama could use some serious sleep.  I kind of feel like I have been on auto pilot on the past few weeks and I have a feeling it will continue till the school finish line.  It is funny to think about how on the ball I was in the beginning of the school year but right now I have lost the steam.  Don't get me wrong I have been trying my best but I am getting tired.  School lunches I used to put a lot more effort in.  Now they are last minute creations in the morning.  My poor boy needs new shoes soon but the school year is almost over.  I don't want to buy a new pair of shoes when he will be living in flip flops and sandals all summer.  So I think we will make it.  To buy a new pair of sneakers right now would be silly anyways since he is growing so quickly they probably wouldn't even fit for school next year.   So end of the school year, I am more than ready for you!!!

Our Big Amazon Code Winner

Thank you everyone for entering our latest giveaway for a $30 Amazon Gift Code.  This was a unique giveaway as it was a Mother's Day Giveaway Hop!!!  So first of all to all of the mommies of this blog I want to wish you a very Happy Mother's Day!!!!  I hope you are shown the love and appreciation for all that you do for your kiddos everyday.









Our Winner is ....


















Jennifer P.

Congratulations!!!  An email has been sent out to confirm prize.  Please respond asap!!!

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

A wonderful day is coming up a time to celebrate the special, biggest supporter, and one who loved you first.  Mother's Day!!!!  I have put together a list of great ideas for the special mom in your life.

1.  Classic a flower bouquet

2.  Shari's Berries

http://www.berries.com/psrchszb?ref=SHBSRCHgoogkwdbrand_www%20sharisberries.com_b_c_&NoExitPopup=Y&matchtype=search&keyword=www%20sharisberries.com&adtext=70743729401&network=google&prid=shbmsg&cvosrc=PPC.google.www%20sharisberries.com&matchtype=b
3. A personalized gift

http://www.personalcreations.com/personalized-gifts-for-mom-PMOMBSL?ref=HomeNoRef&navContent=T%3aFor+Her%3a%26nbsp%3b%26nbsp%3bFor+Mom&navLocation=T%3a3-9%3a15-20
4.  Jewelry give mom some bling and show her you love her.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0035FZK48/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=honeaubr-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0035FZK48

5.  Cook book A great choice is a French Laundry Cookbook

http://www.amazon.com/French-Laundry-Cookbook-Thomas-Keller/dp/1579651267

***This post is not sponsored by any of the products listed on this post.  

God Bless Our Country Review

I love Berenstain Bears books.  They have so many different books covering all kinds of subject matter.  They also have a line of books in the Living Lights umbrella which help children learn how God wants them to live everyday.  God Bless Our Country is all about the 4th of July.  It really reminds me of how simply things were celebrated in the "old days."  Parades and home made costumes in my area we definitely don't have many simple opportunities to celebrate.  The book focuses on giving thanks and an overview of what 4th of July is all about.  This book also includes some festive stickers which can make any book more fun.  There are also reading questions in the back for discussion.  If you are interested in purchasing this book http://www.amazon.com/Berenstain-Bears-Country-Living-Lights/dp/0310734851/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1431000473&sr=8-1&keywords=God+bless+our+country+bear

***This book was provided for free from Booklook Bloggers.  Even though the book was free the opinions are completely my own.

Raglan Road

Just recently we got the chance to go to one of our favorite themed restaurants at Downtown Disney.  Raglan Road is an Irish restaurant that in the evenings has live music and dancers.  My husband enjoys going especially because they make gluten free fish and chips.  

I have tried many of their sides and they are all excellent.  The cauliflower au gratin is one of my favorites.  The great thing about this restaurant is they have a group of dancers that go into each area of the restaurant and dance.  Then they have any children who want to dance to have the chance to dance with them as well.  My boys loved it.  They really made a big deal out of the kids taking part and it was not lost on my boys.  If you are looking for a dining experience that is themed and unique food check out Raglan Road.  

***This post is not sponsored by Disney or Raglan Road.  I received zero compensation for my review.  This review is completely my own.

Beach Birthday Celebration

My husband loves the beach especially if it is in the evening and the temperature is cool.  It is his relaxing, rebooting, and stress free place.  Today I am surprising my husband by treating him to dinner with the kiddos in tow to a restaurant with wonderful views and outside seating.  This is a big deal for me.  I am a stay at home mom with very little income so I am excited to treat my guy to a special dinner out.  There is no one who deserves it more.  My husband works tirelessly in a very intense job that enables me to be at home with our boys.  I am forever grateful and thankful to him for making it possible for me to take care of our boys without the stresses of financial.  He takes all of it on and doesn't complain.

It is funny how expectations of a evening and the actual reality with kids can differ.  First of all we went to the restaurant and there was no seating.  Fortunately there were other restaurants and we were able to find a place to eat of one of them.  My 2 year old was in a funk partly due to a short nap.  So he was pretty whinny but it was a loud restaurant so it wasn't really heard to anyone but us.  Our food came out and my 2 year old decided he wanted the burrito my taco came in so he pulled it and all of the contents went on the ground.  After cleaning that mess up my 6 year said he had to go the bathroom and got sick.  After the meal it seemed we were finally through all of the stressfulness and then my husband realized that the gas light came on with no gas station in site.  But fortunately we were able to get gas before we were stranded.  Toyota Siennas are excellent after the light comes on you have 39 miles to get gas.  It saved us for sure.  It was definitely an adventure!!!!

When we do birthdays we don't normally just celebrate for the day of we celebrate for a week so we hopefully we have some more successful celebrations.

Mom's the Word Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Mom's The Word, Mother's Day Giveaway Hop!

Organized by:

Mom Powered Media Bloggers

Mother's Day is just around the corner! Whether you're wanting some new jewelry, cash, home decor, clothing, or something else, we have it in this amazing giveaway hop from over 60 fabulous bloggers! Each participating blog below is hosting their own unique giveaway with a value of at least $30. Some feature gift cards to your favorite stores while others have high value giveaways from companies you know and love! Mom Powered Media is also hosting a Grand Prize Giveaway Package valued at $700!

 Included in the Grand Prize Package for ONE lucky winner: Hallmark - Card Pack ($55) Jamberry - Ruby & Rose Gift Set ($45) Vitabath - Pineapple Sunset or Raspberry Vanilla Velvet Carrier Set ($15) Epson - Ribbon Label Maker ($70) Housewives Jewelry - 3 Heart Swarovski Earrings ($75) Cariloha - Resort Bamboo Sheet Set ($260) PacaPod - Idaho ‘Lite’ bag ($150) Pink Zebra - Simmer Pot and a jar of Sprinkles ($30) You can find all of the giveaways to all the blogs involved below! Hop around and enter each one, and don't forget to enter the grand prize giveaway! This giveaway hop ends on May 10th, 2015 at 11:59pm Eastern time. The MPM Blogging Network is not responsible for prize fulfillment and associated bloggers are responsible for their own giveaways. Good luck everyone and happy Mother's Day!

At Learning to Pee with the Door Open we are excited to participate in our first group giveaway and what better occasion than Mother's Day.  We are going to be giving away a $30 Amazon Gift Code.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
***This prize is not sponsored or affiliated with Amazon.  Winner has 2 weeks to claim their prize with a valid email address to send the code to.  Winner's entries will be verified.

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