Posted By Tough Cookie Mommy on January 24, 2012

    It seems like every single time I turn around I learn that one of my old students just had a baby.  Now, of course we all know that the birth of a baby is a joyous event that should be celebrated.  However, I can’t help thinking that these young girls have no idea what they are getting into.  Most of these girls are in their late teens or early twenties and I doubt that they are fully aware of how a woman’s life changes after she becomes a mother.

    I had my oldest son when I was 26 and I really thought that this was a perfect age to have a child and that I was fully prepared to be a parent both emotionally and financially.  Boy was I wrong!  A close friend of mine made a great point when she stated that nobody is ever really completely ready to have a child and that each person learns how to parent through trial and error.  This statement totally makes sense to me now as I reflect upon everything I have learned about motherhood.

    It also makes me sad that these young women feel that dropping out of school and having babies is their only option.  Doesn’t it seem ironic that we have come so far in the fight for women’s rights only to have our young women regress to a time when women could not pursue getting an education and were having children at such a young age?  This really makes me wonder about the messages that we are giving young women about their role in society.

    Let’s be realistic, being a parent is amazing and rewarding but it is damn hard and anyone who pretends that it isn’t is full of it.  It is demanding and exhausting and it totally takes over your life.  I think part of the problem is that television has romanticized the idea of having babies at a young age with popular shows about teenage mothers making it seem like everyone is doing it and it’s the cool thing to do.

    The sad part is that all of my old students come back to tell me how right I was and that having a baby is so hard.  Most of them end up raising these babies alone or with the help of their families when their children’s fathers leave or become incarcerated and it is devastating to see their dreams about living happily ever after go up in smoke. 

    Personally, I think the solution to this problem is to instill feelings of self-love and worthiness in our young people so they will put off bringing children into the world until they figure out who they are.  What do you think?

Category: Family, Life Lessons, Motherhood, Parenting, Society, Women's Issues | 4 Comments »
Tags: Family, Motherhood, Parenting, Society, Teenage pregnancy, Teenagers

Posted By Tough Cookie Mommy on January 17, 2012

    All parents want to give their children snacks that their kids will love but, at the same time, can feel good about giving them these treats.  Ocean Spray^® Fruit Flavored Snacks provide kids with great snacks that they will love and give parents the confidence of knowing that these snacks come from a great place.  They come in two delicious varieties, Assorted Fruit as well as Berries and Cherries. 

    Ocean Spray^® Fruit Flavored Snacks are made with real fruit juice and natural colors* and flavors.  They contain 80 calories, are gluten free and contain 100% of the Daily Value of Vitamin C.  Also, they are available with year round Double Box Tops.  So you and your children can eat a yummy snack while collecting Box Tops for Education® to help improve your school and your community.

   This time I didn’t even wait for my sons before I ripped open the box of snacks and tried them for myself first.  First, I tried the Berries and Cherries flavor and next, I tried the Assorted Fruit flavor.  The first thing that struck me was the distinct fruity taste of each snack.  Although these snacks are made with fruit juice concentrate, I can tell you that they each tasted like real fruit.

    My sons were delighted to try the fruit snacks for themselves and each took a pack.  I knew they would both love them because they love fruit and these snacks taste fresh and delicious.  Since we received the snack boxes to review, they have started taking a pack each to school every single day to eat after lunch.  It is also very convenient to slip each individually sized snack pack in their schoolbags in the morning.

    Ocean Spray® would love to hear how much you and your family love them and plan to incorporate them in your healthful lifestyle this year! Visit their website and be sure to share all of your thoughts and ideas!

*Colors from natural sources.  These Fruit Flavored Snacks are made with apple, pear, and cranberry juice concentrate.  See package for a list of complete ingredients.  They are not intended to replace fruit in the diet.

Category: Giveaways, Reviews | 16 Comments »
Tags: Fruit Snacks, Giveaway, MyBlogSpark, Ocean Spray, Review

Posted By Tough Cookie Mommy on January 16, 2012

    The time has come for another Monday Mingle.  It is always a pleasure to meet those of you who are linking up for the first time and to see those of you back who have been linking up for a long time. 

    Please note that I have decided to remove Google Friend Connect from this blog since Google will be shutting it down for all non-Blogger blogs come March.  Please make sure you don’t miss any Monday Mingles and remember to subscribe via email.

    This blog hop continues to be for everyone with NO RULES. Personally, I hate having to follow a bunch of rules just to connect with all of you so this hop will continue to be RULE FREE!

    I hope you are all ready for a great week of networking. So please link up and follow each other on Google Friend Connect, Facebook, or Twitter. Monday Mingle will always be easy and fun because nobody wants to follow some boring list of blog hop rules. Here are the rules:

WELCOME TO MONDAY MINGLE!

1) Please find it in your heart to follow my blog on or Facebook , Google+ , or  subscribe via email since I am the genius who came up with this idea, plus I would really appreciate it!

2) If you leave me a comment letting me know that you are following me through Monday Mingle, I can follow you back.

3) Follow as many blogs as you would like from the Linky and make sure that you comment that you found them through Monday Mingle so they can follow you back.

4) Please note that this is a family blog. Any text that is inappropriate or deemed inappropriate by me will be removed. I reserve the right to remove anything that I feel conflicts with the overall theme of my blog.

5) Have fun and Mingle!

6) Feel free to snag the Monday Mingle button code in the sidebar and post it on your own blog to help spread the word.

Have a great week, Everyone!

Category: Monday Mingle | 2 Comments »
Tags: Blog Hop, Blogging, Monday Mingle #59, Networking

Posted By Tough Cookie Mommy on January 10, 2012

    Dulce de Leche can be found in many Latin inspired desserts.  It is absolutely delicious and the best part is that you can now taste it in the newest variety of Cheerios.  Yes, I said Cheerios!  Now you can have the best of both worlds since everything you have come to know and love about Cheerios comes with a hint of this traditional Latin flavor that has graced Latin meals for decades.

    The new Dulce de Leche Cheerios provides 39 percent* of the recommended daily amount of whole grain with a hint of caramel flavor.  You can now be among the first to taste this new twist on a familiar classic.  It is now available in the grocery aisle of stores across the country so you can add it to your family’s daily breakfast routine. 

    My sons have grown up on Cheerios from the moment they could eat finger foods.  I remember putting Cheerios on the trays of both of their high chairs and watching them grab the yummy and nutritious “Os” with their chubby little baby fingers.  They are now ages 5 and 8 and they still love to eat Cheerios for breakfast and even as a snack throughout the day.

    We were all absolutely thrilled to try the new Dulce de Leche Cheerios.  My older son actually ran into my bedroom with the box begging me to open it so we could all taste it together.  Without a doubt, we all agreed that this cereal is absolutely delicious!  The hint of caramel was reminiscent of other Latin desserts like Flan and it was baked into each crunchy bite of Cheerios.

    Make sure you check out the Cheerios website to find out about all the wonderful flavors of Cheerios and to stay up to date on future promotions.

* According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the daily recommended amount of whole grain for most people is at least 3 ounce equivalents, which is equal to 48 grams. Dulce de Leche Cheerios has 19 grams of whole grain per serving.

Product Review/Giveaway disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned above from Cheerios and General Mills through MyBlogSpark to test/review in exchange for my opinion and for the purpose of writing this post. I only recommend products or services I use personally and I believe will be “family friendly.” I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Category: Reviews | 6 Comments »
Tags: Breakfast, Cheerios, Dulce de Leche, Latin, Review

Posted By Tough Cookie Mommy on January 8, 2012

    The time has come for another Monday Mingle.  It is always a pleasure to meet those of you who are linking up for the first time and to see those of you back who have been linking up for a long time. 

    Please note that I have decided to remove Google Friend Connect from this blog since Google will be shutting it down for all non-Blogger blogs come March.  Please make sure you don’t miss any Monday Mingles and remember to subscribe via email.

    This blog hop continues to be for everyone with NO RULES. Personally, I hate having to follow a bunch of rules just to connect with all of you so this hop will continue to be RULE FREE!

    I hope you are all ready for a great week of networking. So please link up and follow each other on Google Friend Connect, Facebook, or Twitter. Monday Mingle will always be easy and fun because nobody wants to follow some boring list of blog hop rules. Here are the rules:

WELCOME TO MONDAY MINGLE!

1) Please find it in your heart to follow my blog on or Facebook , Google+ , or  subscribe via email since I am the genius who came up with this idea, plus I would really appreciate it!

2) If you leave me a comment letting me know that you are following me through Monday Mingle, I can follow you back.

3) Follow as many blogs as you would like from the Linky and make sure that you comment that you found them through Monday Mingle so they can follow you back.

4) Please note that this is a family blog. Any text that is inappropriate or deemed inappropriate by me will be removed. I reserve the right to remove anything that I feel conflicts with the overall theme of my blog.

5) Have fun and Mingle!

6) Feel free to snag the Monday Mingle button code in the sidebar and post it on your own blog to help spread the word.

Have a great week, Everyone!

Category: Monday Mingle | 7 Comments »
Tags: Blog Hop, Blogging, Monday Mingle #58, Networking

Posted By Tough Cookie Mommy on January 4, 2012

    Breakfast has always been a very important meal in our home.  Unfortunately, we have very hectic mornings with two working parents who work opposite shifts so we are constantly on the lookout for wholesome breakfast cereals that our family can eat on the go.  My boys love choosing from their favorite cereals and eating them before heading off to school.  We were especially thrilled at having the opportunity to try out Frosted Toast Crunch Cereal.

    Each crunch square of Frosted Toast Crunch is artificially flavored and baked with the taste of frosted vanilla and dusted with a dash of cinnamon.  With 11 grams of whole grain, 9 grams of sugar and a good source of calcium, it offers a good start to the day which is extremely important to me as a working mother.  Although I cannot prepare a gourmet breakfast for my sons every morning, I still want them to eat hearty breakfasts that will help to kick start their day.

    We all sat down together to try Frosted Toast Crunch as a family.  My older son likes to have his with milk along with my husband and I.  My five year old likes to eat the cereal by hand with no milk.  He has always preferred to eat cereal dry and to drink a cup of orange juice along with it.  We all agreed that Frosted Toast Crunch was delicious and we couldn’t stop going back for more of that frosted vanilla taste that was just delicious.

    If you crave these new FROSTED tasty squares, don’t worry at all.  They have just become available in your local grocers this month so you can run out and grab your own box!  Make sure you check out the General Mills website to find out more about their full line of breakfast cereals.

Click on the word “more” below to enter this giveaway using Rafflecopter. (more…)

Category: Giveaways, Reviews | 37 Comments »
Tags: Breakfast, Cereal, Frosted Toast Crunch, General Mills, Giveaway, MyBlogSpark, Review

Posted By Tough Cookie Mommy on January 2, 2012

    The time has come for another Monday Mingle.  It is always a pleasure to meet those of you who are linking up for the first time and to see those of you back who have been linking up for a long time. 

    I realize that the Mingle is going up much later than it usually does and that is because we are still reeling from the holidays.  As a result, I will keep it open for anyone to link up for the rest of the week, to give everyone time to get back to normal.  Happy New Year, Everyone!

    Please note that I have decided to remove Google Friend Connect from this blog since Google will be shutting it down for all non-Blogger blogs come March.  Please make sure you don’t miss any Monday Mingles and remember to subscribe via email.

    This blog hop continues to be for everyone with NO RULES. Personally, I hate having to follow a bunch of rules just to connect with all of you so this hop will continue to be RULE FREE!

    I hope you are all ready for a great week of networking. So please link up and follow each other on Google Friend Connect, Facebook, or Twitter. Monday Mingle will always be easy and fun because nobody wants to follow some boring list of blog hop rules. Here are the rules:

WELCOME TO MONDAY MINGLE!

1) Please find it in your heart to follow my blog on or Facebook , Google+ , or  subscribe via email since I am the genius who came up with this idea, plus I would really appreciate it!

2) If you leave me a comment letting me know that you are following me through Monday Mingle, I can follow you back.

3) Follow as many blogs as you would like from the Linky and make sure that you comment that you found them through Monday Mingle so they can follow you back.

4) Please note that this is a family blog. Any text that is inappropriate or deemed inappropriate by me will be removed. I reserve the right to remove anything that I feel conflicts with the overall theme of my blog.

5) Have fun and Mingle!

6) Feel free to snag the Monday Mingle button code in the sidebar and post it on your own blog to help spread the word.

Have a great week, Everyone!

Category: Monday Mingle | No Comments »
Tags: Blog Hop, Blogging, Monday Mingle #57, Networking

Posted By Tough Cookie Mommy on December 30, 2011

    Lately, I have been teaching my sons the ins and outs of doing laundry.  It’s not that I expect them to do their own laundry at ages 5 and 8 but I do hope to raise independent men who can take care of themselves.  I allow them to help me sort the clothes and even put laundry detergent and softener into the wash. 

    Over time, my 8 year old has gotten quite good at filling up the cap of detergent but I have not allowed my little one to help with that yet due to fear of him spilling it.  Thanks to Purex, I don’t have to worry about that anymore because they have figured out a way to simplify laundry by doing away with the mess, the spills, and the heavy jugs. 

    In February, 2012, Purex will be launching new UltraPacks detergent.  You might wonder what makes this detergent different from other detergents that you have tried out in the past…  New Purex UltraPacks are convenient pre-dosed liquid detergent packs that make doing laundry easier than ever.  You just throw them in with each load of clothes and they dissolve quickly once the washer is started-even in cold water cycles.

    Each one of these UltraPacks contains a powerful 2x concentrated liquid detergent, giving each UltraPack double the cleaning power in every drop when compared to traditional Purex liquid detergent.  In essence, Purex has managed to squeeze all the performance of their new Triple Action liquid formula into each powerful pack.  As always, Purex UltraPacks are formulated and safe for all machines, including high-efficiency (HE).

    In my home, we absolutely loved the convenience of throwing in the little UltraPacks into each cycle and not having to worry about it after that.  Also, I can now allow my five year old to participate in adding detergent to the wash.  He really enjoys throwing them in and feeling like a big boy.  Each UltraPack that we tried contained a concentrated dose of the Triple Action Mountain Breeze formula and we could smell the freshness of the scent immediately as we handled each one.

    For best results, it’s important that you dry your hands before handling the UltraPacks because water dissolves the protective film around each one.  Additionally, for larger or heavily soiled loads, it might be best for you to use two UltraPacks instead of just one. 

    The way it works is that you put one pack in the washer before even adding your dirty clothes due to the fact that the more time they spend in the water, the faster they dissolve.  Lastly, if you have a front loader, make sure to put the pack directly into the drum, not in the drawer.

    I’m really looking forward to including both of my sons in the laundry process.  Hopefully this will mean that they will be able to do their own laundry when they grow up and they won’t depend on others to do that for them.  Purex UltraPacks have made this much easier to do and they are keeping all my laundry fresh and clean!

Category: Giveaways, Reviews | 28 Comments »
Tags: Clothing, Giveaway, Laundry Detergent, Purex Insider, Purex UltraPacks, Review, Washing

Posted By Tough Cookie Mommy on December 29, 2011

    Purex has finally introduced a new Triple Action formula across their entire liquid laundry detergent line.  They stand behind their promise to leave your clothes bright, white, and clean for half the price of the leading brand!

    Their Research and Development scientists have been working hard to develop an even better Purex formula that will clean your clothes better and still continue to bring you a great product at a great value.  The result was a formula that delivers great cleaning plus improved brightening power.  They did not forget about their consumers’ pocketbooks and made sure that their detergent is still about half the price of other leading detergents.

    Since I am a Purex Insider, we had the opportunity to review the new Purex Triple Action laundry detergent in Mountain Breeze scent.  I was immediately impressed by its fresh and clean scent that was not too overpowering.  We go through a lot of laundry loads as an active family of four so I couldn’t wait to see how clean our clothing would come out from using this detergent.

    We washed two separate loads, a colored load and a load of white clothing.  I have to honestly say that all of the clothes came out smelling great and looking nice and clean.  Since I have used the pricier detergent brands in the past, it is easy for me to compare the cleanliness of the clothes from using different types of detergent.  Purex Triple Action Laundry Detergent definitely passed my personal cleanliness test and I felt confident that all our clothes were really clean.

    I also loved that new Purex Triple Action has been specifically formulated to work in both traditional and High Efficiency (HE) washers.  This means that you can use all the current Purex detergents no matter what kind of washer you have.

Category: Giveaways, Reviews | 39 Comments »
Tags: Giveaway, Laundry Detergent, Purex Insider, Purex Triple Action, Review

Posted By Tough Cookie Mommy on December 28, 2011

    We love to get together for holiday dinners as a family.  I always make sure to put out a spread of snacks that everyone can enjoy while they are hanging out waiting for dinner to be served.  The problem is that it is not always so easy to put together a variety of finger foods that everyone will love and I usually have to be very creative with the items that I choose.

    This year I had the opportunity to review the Christmas Gift Basket™ Classic from Gourmet Gift Baskets and I was thrilled that the basket would come already put together with all of the pre-dinner foods that my family loves to eat and that I would not have to go crazy running around to get all the items.  This particular gift basket boasted that it contained “a variety of award-winning gourmet snacks that appeal to a wide variety of tastes.”  We couldn’t wait to try all of the yummy snacks.

    Some of the gourmet snacks that were included in the gift basket were chocolate covered cherries, dark chocolate bar, chocolate chip cookies, almond clustered popcorn, raspberry honey mustard pretzel dip along with pretzels, and so much more.  Right away, I knew that there would be a little something for everyone in this basket and we eagerly set out to try every single thing as soon as we opened the basket.

    My husband’s absolute favorite were the Chocolate Chip Pecan cookies.  I can honestly say that I was only able to try ONE cookie before he polished off the whole box of them.  They were delicious and fresh which was something that we were definitely concerned about when trying food from a gift basket. 

    My sons and I loved the Almond Pecan-dy Crunch and the Buttered Peanut Crunch because they were sweet and crunchy.  We also enjoyed the parmesan, artichoke, and garlic Cheese Biscuits which were also fresh and savory.

    Make sure you visit the Gourmet Gift Baskets Website  and sign up to receive email updates as well as for all of your holiday gift basket needs and to find out about future offers, discounts, or events.  We are sure you will find their gourmet gift baskets as beautiful and delicious as we did in our home!

Category: Reviews | 2 Comments »
Tags: Dinner, Gourmet Gift Baskets, Holidays, Review, Snacks