Those of you who are longtime readers of Tough Cookie Mommy know that I love watching movies with my boys and spending time with them. Entenmann’s Little Bites muffins are hitting the road, and just in time for the March 15th Alvin and the Chipmunks: Road Chip DVD and Blu-ray release! This means that not only can we watch some of our favorite characters on television, but we can also do so while enjoying our favorite Entemann's snacks! From February through March keep an eye out for the specially marked Entenmann's Little Bites Chocolate Chip-Munk Muffin boxes. Purchase of one box includes a FREE chipmunks song download, one fun on-box activity maze and a great coloring sheet inside the box! Entenmann's Little Bites is also hosting Little Bites "Road Chip" Sweepstakes for fans to enter for a chance to win a 4 day/3 night family trip to Hollywood! In the new movie, Alvin and the Chipmunks: Road Chip, Alvin, … [Read more...]
Spend A Fuller Night In! #StreamTeam @Netflix #Ad
When it comes to family night in our home, we love to cuddle together in the living room or in my king-sized bed and watch our favorite movies and shows on Netflix. My husband and I have grown tired of some of the programming on cable and network television because they often contain subject matter that is not always appropriate for younger audiences. This is not a concern that we have when we watch Netflix because they offer such a wonderful variety of family-friendly entertainment for us to watch. Growing up, I loved watching Full House because the Tanners were such a loving family and they always had each other's backs whenever one of them had a problem. That's why I'm so excited to see Kimmy, Stephanie and DJ all grown up and with their own kids on the recent launch of Fuller House. Although I figured my boys would love meeting this family as much as I loved them when I was a girl, even I wasn't prepared for them to love the … [Read more...]
Plan New Family Adventures This Year! #StreamTeam @Netflix #Ad
This year, we have decided as a family to take on some new adventures. We've always loved doing things together and, if last year's escapades are any indication, we are sure to have lots of fun together in the coming months. Since my boys are older now, I like to include them when it comes to making decisions about what trips and activities we will be participating in as a family. Over the weekend, we sat down and had a brainstorming session over what our boys would like to do this year and some of their suggestions were surprising. Here are the top five family adventures that they would like us to have this year: Camp out in the backyard overnight. Take a road trip to Florida. Sample new foods from all over the world. Go scuba diving. Learn how to ski. There's no other family that can relate more to having adventures like these than the Croods - you know, the prehistoric crew whose every day is a new … [Read more...]
12 Days Of Netflix! #StreamTeam #Giveaway #Ad
With Christmas at the end of this week and 2015 winding down, there's a lot to be grateful for. Friends. Family. Good health. Netflix is something that keeps giving back all year long. So in the spirit of the holidays, I've created a list of 12 reasons Netflix makes the best holiday gift for everyone on your list. 12 Reasons To Spread The Netflix Love This Holiday Season: 12. The Care Bears and Popples allow you to relive the 80s which, as those of us who lived through it know, it was one of the coolest decades ever. 11. Your kids are inspired to use their imaginations with shows like How To Train Your Dragon and Dinotrux. 10. Keep up with who Olivia Pope is representing on Scandal. 9. Watching movies on Netflix with the family is the best way to get some quality time in during the week. 8. Everyone has their own Netflix profile on your account so your favorite shows are right at the click of your remote. 7. You can watch from your … [Read more...]
Is Your Kid A Bedtime Staller? #StreamTeam #5MoreMinutes @Netflix #Ad
My nine year-old son is a master negotiator when it comes to extending his bedtime. He is always looking for ways to take full advantage of those last "five more minutes." Since he was diagnosed with epilepsy last May, adhering to a strict bedtime has become even more important because studies show that sleep deprivation can be a trigger for seizures. Here are some of my little darling's favorite excuses for not going to bed: "I need to go to the bathroom." "When are you going to bed, Mommy?" "I can't sleep without my Teddy Bear." "I'm thirsty and I need a drink of water." "Daddy is snoring too loud and keeping me awake." It turns out that I am not alone in this struggle of daily bartering. As a matter of fact, bedtime excuses are universal – more than 60% of parents around the globe are dealing with kids’ stall tactics before bed, adding up to nearly 20 minutes every single night. Imagine that, not only … [Read more...]
Check Out My Netflix Shelfie List! #StreamTeam @Netflix #Ad
I've been trying to make a little "Me" time on the weekend now that my husband is finally off for those two days after having worked through them for the past ten years. Since he is home now, he loves to take our boys out to spend some quality father and sons time together. As a result, I now have some time to enjoy some of my favorite things to do including watching my shows on Netflix. I'm very excited this fall because of all the new programs that are streaming on Netflix as well as catching up on the series that I have been meaning to watch but never had the time to do so before. If you don't know what a "shelfie" is, it is the shows you've been wanting to watch but they've been sitting on the virtual shelf because...well, because you're a parent and who has the time? The following is my list of top three shelfies that I plan on finally watching because I can finally do so! #1 SCANDAL A powerful team of Washington, … [Read more...]
5 Tips For Getting Your Family Ready For Back To School! #StreamTeam @Netflix #Partner
I cannot believe how quickly the summer is over! In less than one week, students will be getting ready for back to school here in New York City. Honestly, it is a bitter-sweet time for me because I relish every moment that I get to spend with both of my boys during summer vacation. As a Working Mom, I have to try to take advantage of the opportunities that I have to enjoy some quality time with them. No more letting them get away with staying up past their bedtime or sleeping in every morning. It's time to get their brains working and their creative juices flowing so they can start the academic year off on the right foot. That is exactly what I love so much about Netflix, its movies and television shows allow me to get them back into school mode while making them think that they are just having fun. Don't tell them but, they are actually learning something while watching these programs. Here are five tips for getting … [Read more...]
Join Us In Search Of New Dragons! #StreamTeam @Netflix #Partner
This past week, I finally had the chance to sit down and watch Dragons: Race to the Edge on Netflix. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed watching it along with my nine year-old son. The two main characters, Hiccup and Toothless risk leaving the safety of their home, on the island of Berk, to search for new dragons. My boys had a ball using their imaginations to create their own adventures where they set out to find mystical dragons. They were so excited about possibly finding dragons with some of the abilities of the dragons on the show including sending shock waves, cannon balls and fire blasts. Who knew that modern dragons had such amazing abilities? In Dragons: Race to the Edge, Hiccup finds the magical Dragon Eye artifact aboard and abandoned ship. This discovery leads him to learn that there is much more to find outside the Berk limits and he allows his curiosity to get the best of him. Hiccup’s own words, “this changes everything,” shows us that … [Read more...]
What Does Your Modern Family Look Like? #StreamTeam @Netflix #Ad
These days, modern families come in many varieties. Gone are the days of cookie-cutter, "Nuclear" families and, in their place, are so many wonderful possibilities for what a family unit looks like. Although my husband and I fit into the traditional mother, father and kids dynamic, we both come from extended families that are very non-traditional and this continues to enrich both of our boys on a daily basis. It has allowed our kids to respect and appreciate everyone, regardless of whether they are traditional or non-traditional. My husband actually comes from a blended family so he grew up with stepparents and step siblings which allowed him to be surrounded by a lot of love and many positive role models. Marrying him opened my eyes to all the wonderful attributes of families that might seem quirky but are truly perfectly imperfect in many ways. I've learned that the details of how the family is structured matter a lot less than all the love and support that each, … [Read more...]
How Can You Teach Your Children Not To Lie? #StreamTeam @Netflix #Partner
Before I had children, I assumed that when children lied it was because their parents never taught them any better or they learned to lie from their peers. When I was growing up, my siblings and I were taught that lying was wrong and would not be tolerated so I resolved early on that this would be a value that I would pass on to my own kids. That is why I'm always caught off guard when my boys get caught in a lie and I've come to realize that everyone lies at one point or another and that it is a part of life. The reality is that parents lie all the time, even if they do it with good intentions. Some of the lies we tell our kids are just to make things easier for us like telling them that the park is closed when we don't have time to take them there. We tell other white lies because we want to make our children happy such as telling them that the Tooth Fairy put money under their pillow or that the Easter Bunny dropped off their Easter baskets. The Rayburns, from … [Read more...]
