Music anywhere with the HMDX Jam Bluetooth wireless speaker


Summer fun with music
In my family we love music. Music while we craft, music while we cook, and even music while we clean. But, while we have wired our house for sound, the fun unfortunately ends at our doorstep. We’ve been known to turn the music up and keep all the doors and windows open so we can still hear it outside while we garden, bounce on the trampoline, or play in the yard, but that unfortunately doesn’t work for when we’re at the park or beach.

And, really, what’s a beach party, cookout or camping trip without good music? Recently, we got to review the HMDX Jam Bluetooth Wireless Speaker courtesy of AT&T and it's now our go-to music source for whenever we're not indoors {and even sometimes when we are}.


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Need a new phone? Try the Best Buy Mobile Specialty Stores trade-in program


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Best Buy mobile specialty stores
In this day of electronic upgrades every other week, tech gadgets are dating themselves faster than ever before. This means that most of us have piles of old electronics filling our junk drawers and offices. I will admit that hubby and I have a sizable collection of old cell phones, PDAs, and more that are really just taking up space in our house.

Some of these gadgets are now glorified paperweights with 1997 technology and no ability to charge and I’ve needed to get rid of them for quite a while now. If you read my Best Buy post about their awesome recycling program, you know how much I love that they help you recycle old electronics responsibly for free, and I’ve been meaning to take them to the recycling station for quite some time.

But, what you may not know is that they have a great trade-in and buy-back program that you can utilize if you have old electronics that might be worth a little money. Best Buy Mobile Specialty Stores are popping up all over {typically at malls or shopping centers} and I happen to have one near me at the Northgate Mall, so I stopped in last weekend to see what they could do with my 15lbs of excess technology.

Trading in old phones

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Summer vacation shopping tips {BlogHer shopping at Northgate Mall}

It is summer vacation time, and everyone knows what that means: shopping. Whether you are ditching the rain and heading somewhere tropical or you are beating the heat and heading for cooler weather, chances are you need some new clothing and gear for whatever climate you’re headed to.

I like to view this as an invitation to splurge a little bit on myself to make vacation packing easier. Since I love vacation shopping more than any other kind of mall trip, I tend to plan one a few weeks before any big trips to refresh my wardrobe before fully deciding on what I will be packing. So, amed with a complimentary gift card, my daughter and I headed to Northgate Mall in Seattle to prepare for my upcoming Chicago trip for BlogHer.


Girl time at Northgate Mall
Packing for BlogHer is a bit different than any other vacation for me, because I need to be professional and put together in addition to staying cool and comfortable, so it’s not like I can pack a few shirts, a pair of jeans and some shorts and skirts and call it good. I need fancy dresses for at night, put-together outfits for day, and coordinating pieces that can do double-duty so I don’t end up with three suitcases.

Naturally, I was really excited to get my shopping started at Northgate Mall, but before I started shopping, I did a little pre-vacation prep. Having become a pro at shopping for trips in the past, this time I knew exactly what I was doing and I followed these guidelines:


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Getting a PowerUpgrade with Philips Sonicare PowerUp Toothbrushes


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PowerUp Toothbrushes
You know what you can’t do while brushing your teeth? Talk, clean, answer toddler questions, cook, do your taxes or pay bills. Is it any wonder that I love brushing my teeth? I look forward to shrugging and giving the “I can’t answer you right now” look for a few minutes each morning and night so I can escape into my own thoughts. It’s the small things, really.

So, how could I possibly make my “me time” even better? With a PowerUpgrade, of course. This month, I got to ditch my old manual toothbrush in favor of something more powerful, more effective, and much more beautiful: a Philips Sonicare PowerUp electric toothbrush.

Is it okay that I admit I was unreasonably excited about going to Walmart to pick up my new toothbrush? While I wasn’t this excited, I was close:


Fun with Sonicare Toothbrushes

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Gymboree Play & Music classes are a hit {free class thru 8/31!}


Gymboree play and music class
Everyone who has ever said “throw like a girl” was probably referring to me.  I’ve never actually seen myself throw a ball, but I imagine it looks somewhat like this Volkswagen commercial that makes me laugh hysterically every time it comes on. 

Since my lack of athletic prowess is something I hope to not pass on to my kids, I took the first preventative step this summer and signed them up for sports classes at our local Gymboree Play and Music center with a complimentary month-long membership.  While they aren’t in the big leagues, or even in Little League for that matter, I love that they are learning the basics of different sports in a cooperative and fun environment with other little kids. 


Gymboree classes room
The class is a little over 45 minutes one day a week, but even in that short amount of time I have seen a huge improvements over the past three weeks.  Not just with athletic ability, but also with confidence and a desire to be more active. 

Gymboree fun

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Name Art makes personalized art as unique as your little one

With four siblings growing up, you would have thought we’d have a lot of personalized items to help keep everything straight.  But, instead of items with our names or monograms, we each had a specific color we always used to help us find our stuff.  While the color-coded system was practical, it wasn’t always fun. 

After over a decade eating off the blue placemat, out of the blue cup, and hanging my stuff on the blue hook, I really longed for something that was a little more… personal.  Because of this, I have made a point to get my kids special items that have their names and truly reflect who they are as often as I can.

Name Art is a New York based company that was started for this very reason.  They specialize in truly one-of-a-kind items that help you celebrate each child with unique and personalized gifts.  From placemats to fine art prints, Name Art has a great selection of gifts and art that would be perfect presents for your little one.   

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Cast Iron Roadster Mechanical Bank from Wind & Weather

I’m a saver, not a spender.  Sure, I have things I like to splurge on, but I also love the feeling of saving and building a financial safety net.  While my kids know that we always buy with coupons and shop sales, they don’t get the concept of saving up for something and I wanted … Read more

Natural & Kid-Friendly Nail Polish from Piggy Paint

For Mother’s Day last year my husband surprised my daughter and I with a day at the salon to go get pedicures and manicures together.  Since she was only 3 years old at the time, I called ahead and asked if there was a fume- and chemical-free place to bring her and then asked about … Read more

Spring clean your air with 20% off Air Purifiers at Best Buy

It’s finally springtime and with it comes sunshine, warmer weather, and… allergies.  Like most everyone else, I have plans to sneak in some deep cleaning over the next few days, open up some windows, and get my house and yard ready for summer.  Is anyone else worried about me and my allergies?  Really, you should … Read more