Thank you AstraZeneca for sponsoring this post. Many of you who are long-time readers of Tough Cookie Mommy know that I originally began this blog after being diagnosed with leukemia. The diagnosis literally rocked my whole world as a young mother with a toddler and a newborn baby and I just needed a place where I could vent and share my emotions whenever I was feeling overwhelmed. I had no idea then that I would be telling my story to other women and families so many years later. And with September being Blood Cancer Awareness Month, I feel it’s more important than ever to share my story. My journey began in 2007, shortly after the birth of my youngest son. I had a routine follow-up visit with my doctor and she noticed that my White Blood Cells (WBCs) were kind of high after she reviewed my bloodwork. She discussed with me that, although it was probably nothing, she wanted me to see a hematologist just to make sure that nothing else was going on with me. She explained that a … [Read more...]
A Laser Tag Arena Right At Home With Laser X Revolution! #ad
As the holidays are approaching, I find myself scrambling to get all the gifts on my sons' and nephews' holiday list. Since they range from all ages, it can be tricky making sure that I find gifts that meet their unique likes and interests. My nephew loves laser tag ever since I had a laser tag party for my older son for one of his birthdays. I knew that Laser X Revolution would be the perfect gift for him this Christmas. Laser X Revolution can be found at Target and getlaserx.com. It is like having a laser tag arena in your own home! Blast opponents up to 300' away – inside or out, in darkness or bright sunlight. You can even choose from more than 20 team colors to light up your blaster! Blaster beams have the ability to go through windows and strategically bounce off walls and mirrors to hit opponents, while quick-slide reload keeps the action going. Advanced sensors allow an interactive voice "coach" to offer tips and tricks throughout the game. … [Read more...]
Battle It Out This Holiday Season With Wubble Rumblers! @SuperWubble #ad
As my boys are getting older, it has become increasingly difficult to figure out what to get them as gifts for the holidays. I've been wanting to create more opportunities for us to spend quality time together as a family by setting up game nights and making sure that we eat dinner together as often as possible. I was excited to be given the opportunity to review Wubble Rumblers because I knew they would be a really fun addition to our family activities. Wubble Rumblers are the latest in the Wubble family. Styles include a Wrestler, Ninja, Fist or Karate Hand. Whack 'em! Smack 'em! Bop 'em! Chop 'em! They are made for good old rough and tumble fun which is perfect for our family because I have two teenage sons! Wubble Rumblers can be used to battle it out with one another in play fighting competitions. These Rumblers inflate a gigantic three feet tall! Rumblers are squishy, squashy, super soft and 400 times more elastic … [Read more...]
The Pack TV Is Coming To NYC! #ThePackTV #PackedWeekend #Giveaway #Ad
To celebrate the premiere of The Pack on November 20th, Amazon Prime Video has created the ultimate holiday for dogs and the people who love them: an extraordinary PACKED WEEKEND, offering one-of-a-kind, pup-centric experiences in the New York City area. The stunt is in support of The Pack's launch, first and foremost, to bring awareness to the series via national and local promotions from dog-loving brands and charitable organizations. This global celebration, running Friday, November 20th through Sunday, November 22nd, invites everyone and their pets to experience pampering, exciting activities, and a way to help support local businesses. The show and Packed Weekend events are also a celebration of the bond between dog and pet parents. The Pack Walk Challenge is a monthlong virtual walking challenge hosted by MapMyFitness and MyFitnessPal apps. The event encourages viewers to get outside and walk their dogs in honor of three charitable organizations: American Heart … [Read more...]
Even Mini Acts Of Kindness Can Be Huge! #MiniActsofKindness @entenmanns #Giveaway #Ad
When you are the parent of two teenage boys, it can be a challenge sometimes to get them to be nice to one another. My boys are three years apart and they are constantly going back and forth about one thing or another. With Entenmann's, everyone's got a favorite and in our home my oldest loves their Minis while my younger one prefers Little Bites. That doesn't mean that they don't argue about who is going to eat the last one whether we have one variety or the other in our home! Entenmann's Minis are the same delicious variety of baked goods you know and love, from donuts, crumb cake, apple pie and more, perfectly portioned, and individually wrapped. Believe me, this is more convenient now than ever as we all embark on this remote learning journey. It's so easy to grab Minis because they are perfectly portioned and individually wrapped to make on the go snacking and lunchtime packing a breeze! Since I'm also teaching remotely, it helps so much that they can both head to our … [Read more...]
Get Up & Play And Take The #TeamLittleBites Challenge! @entenmanns #Giveaway #Ad
Last summer we had the pleasure of visiting Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where we made cherished memories along 60 miles of beautiful coastline. During our trip, our son participated in Nationals with his traveling basketball team. We enjoyed time together as a family savoring warm Southern hospitality, fresh coastal cuisine, and unique flavor of fun. We cannot wait to return and make more family memories. Entenmann's wants families to get more active by participating in The Get Up & Play Challenge and Sweepstakes which encourages families to maintain a healthy lifestyle this summer through fun games, activities and challenges. Families can enter the sweepstakes for a chance to win sweet prizes from backyard games, Little Bites® snacks and a family trip to Myrtle Beach. Here is how families can enter to win: Submit your name and email address via entry form on www.teamlittlebites.com or mail in your entry form between June 14 and July 26 for a chance to win … [Read more...]
Celebrate The Dads In Your Life This Father’s Day! @gmtgiftbaskets #fathersday #ad
I've always felt that fathers don't get as much credit as they deserve on Father's Day. For some reason, Mother's Day is always such a huge holiday and when the dads' special day rolls around, it's not always sprinkled with the same fanfare that moms get. In our home, we make sure that we always show our love and appreciation for my husband because he is just the most wonderful father to our two sons and deserves to be pampered and recognized. The problem is that, when it comes to gifts, my husband is really difficult to buy presents for because he is not very materialistic and doesn't really spend a lot of money on himself. I knew that this year it was going to be important to make him feel really special because we have spent a few tough months here in New York City due to the pandemic. Since my husband is an essential worker, he has worked every single day while everyone else has been sheltering in place. As soon as I saw the Family Game Night Gift Crate from Gourmet Gift … [Read more...]
Turn Your Home Into A Gaming Arcade With ProjeX! #ProjeX #Giveaway #Ad
Most families who live in New York suddenly had to spend a lot of time with one another a few months ago and we all realized that this was the perfect opportunity to create opportunities to spend meaningful quality time together. When you have two teenagers like I do, it can be a little more challenging to do things as a family that are "cool" enough to keep teens engaged and away from their phones. If you have teens you know exactly what I am talking about! I was so excited when I learned that I would have the chance to review the ProjeX™ Projecting Gaming Arcade from New York City-based NSI International, Inc. ProjeX™ lets you blast targets such as ducks or UFOs that are projected right onto your wall like a real life video game! The best part is that all of these targets each come with its own unique sound effects! Since both of my sons are really tech-savvy and love competing against one another, I knew immediately that ProjeX™ was the perfect game for … [Read more...]
Manage Arthritis Pain While Staying Active! #Salonpas @Salonpas #Giveaway #Ad
May is National Arthritis Awareness Month, and in the United States, 23% of all adults—over 54 million people—have arthritis. As a Leukemia Survivor, I have developed arthritis due to some of the medications that I take even though I'm only 43 and I always thought that elderly people were the only ones who suffered from this pain. Unfortunately, as a busy Working Mom, I don't have time to be in pain but I don't like taking any additional prescription medications, if I can avoid it. Thankfully, I have discovered that Salonpas® is available to arthritis sufferers whose activities have been limited, and who suffer from severe joint pain. As someone who was raised in Spain, where people are less reliant on taking pain for pills than other countries, I was excited at the prospect of being able to use a topical analgesic to treat muscle, back and joint pain. The truth is that, worldwide, topical analgesics, physical therapy, and other approaches are often considered before … [Read more...]
Keep Your Kids Engaged During Remote Learning! @Snoopy #Snoopy #Ad
I've been a teacher for over twenty years and I have always known how rewarding it is to be an educator. However, I never imagined that I would be juggling my role teaching my students remotely while also homeschooling both of my own sons simultaneously. This is exactly what happened here in New York in March when school buildings were closed and we made the transition to remote learning. It became more important than ever to have the right resources to make learning engaging, not only for my students, but also for my sons. My younger son is in eighth grade and he is a huge Peanuts fan so I knew exactly what to do to not only make his learning fun while working from home, but also to keep him engaged and motivated to complete assignments remotely. Thankfully, I don't have to do this alone because Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts Gang are here to help keep your kids engaged and educated with a range of subjects including STEM, Language Arts, Social Studies, … [Read more...]
