Water Fun + Review

At Sayita's 1st birthday, my cousin kindly brought her daughter's water activity table for the kids. It was such a great idea and an absolutely wonderful toy! It ignited an interest in some parents/grandparents that were at the party, including us. They wanted to get a similar table for their babies/grandbabies. In particular, our neighbors, The Castillos, got one the next day for their grandchildren. They ended up getting the very last Little Tikes Spiralin' Seas Waterpark.

We first got to see Saya interact with this table at last year's 4th of July picnic at the Castillo's house, but since she was so young she was more interested in the water hose instead. A few weeks ago, as we hung out at the Castillo's, Saya got to play with the table again. This time she loved it! She kept playing with it and when she would leave to play with another toy, she would return right back to it. So of course Mommy and Papi thought she should have one. Saya had one a few days later.

It is one of the best toys for Saya. First of all, she was trying to play with it while I was putting it together, which by the way was really easy. The parts either snapped in place and the only things that needed screws were the spiral tower and the knob for the ferris wheel. Took less than a half-hour! Much faster than some other water tables out there on the market. Ever since we put it together, she plays with it throughout the day. It's the perfect toy to just let her play with and I nor my husband feels the need to be on top of her protecting her. The only thing we occasionally have to do is get her to not drink the water. Yes, I have THAT child, lol.

So as you can tell, I am highly recommending this product for those with youngins. We even just bought one for my friend's twin boys who also will be turning two soon!

Here's some of my pros and cons...

PROS:
*  The price. Amazon had it for $43 at the time (read my Amazon Tip below).
*  Easy use for children who can stand unassisted.
*  Children love it!
*  Easy to put together - snap ins and only 8 screws. Took less than a half-hour and Mommy put it together ;)

CONS:
*  It leaks under the table where the Spiral tower is attached to the table but only when water is put in the tower. Since it is a water table so I couldn't care less.
*  Some of the snap in pieces (green spinner and the ferris wheel) can easily be pulled out by a child but they can easily put back.

Note: that this is a very popular toy. I have been wanting this exact version for some time but it was sold out at many places. At one point, even Amazon didn't have it and when we got Saya's, they only had 11 left to purchase.

If you were questioning which water table to get, this might just be the one for you (er...your kids!)


Amazon Tip: If you are looking to buy an item through Amazon.com now or months from now, I would suggest going to CamelCamelCamel.com. It's a wonderful website that will essentially watch an item and report back to you changes in the pricing of the item of interest. It even shows you trending. This was shown to me by my boss (Thanks JL!) who helped me save some money on my Father's Day gift for the hubs. All you do is copy + paste the URL for the Amazon page for the product and click the "Find Products" button. That's it! You'll be on your way to saving some dough!



Disclaimer: I did not receive any free product or compensation from Little Tikes or Amazon for this review. It was purchased for our daughter and since we loved it, we thought you would too!

Fun Fact Friday

I had a Glow-in-the-dark Scooby Doo comforter and bed sheets in addition to a large Scooby Doo doll when I was in college ;)


What is funny about this is that I was never really and am still not a huge Scooby Doo fan. I thought the glow-in-the-dark thing was pretty cool, so I ran with it.

Randomness: Favs of the Moment

Some of my favorite things at this time...

FAV Shows:

Pretty Little Liars

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Once Upon a Time

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FAV Kid Show:

Shaun The Sheep

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FAV Song:

"You and I" - Lady Gaga

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FAV Books:

Hunger Games Trilogy

Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy

FAV Color(s):

Teal-ish

Deep Purples

Grays (not related to 50 shades, lol)

      Color by COLOURlovers

FAV Pinterest Recipe:

Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

Source: the-girl-who-ate-everything.com via Gianna on Pinterest

What are some of your favorite things right now?

Happy Birthday Sayita!

   

*Photos taken at day care - Can't remember their name - Whoops!

Saya + Colored Rice

Colored Rice.

Yet again, I found another fabulous activity for my toddler via Pinterest! It's easy and cheap too! I've mentioned in this previous post that I have been trying to come up with simple activities to do with my daughter to keep her busy and prevent boredom. Maybe it has something to do with keeping Mommy sane too! ;)

Well I found the idea of colored rice or colored macaroni from the blog, The Baker Bee.  Once I saw it, I just knew I had to try it. This project really made a very happy little girl and Mommy. It was a great sensory activity. Saya seemed to have been mesmorized by the colors and the feel of the rice. No kidding, she plays with the rice anywhere from 20 mins to an hour! Do you even know how hard that is for a toddler? That is totally a #win!

Want to make your own? All it takes is a few things you probably already have in your pantry or medicine cabinet. Let me warn you though, you may get dirty so don't you go wearing your Sunday's best when you make them. ;)

MATERIALS:
1 - 2 cups of rice for each color, uncooked
Gel food coloring in different colors (I used Wilton)
1 tbsp Rubbing Alcohol
Cups or bowls for mixing
Sheets of Parchment Paper/Aluminum Foil/Paper Plates (# is determined by the # of colors used)

INSTRUCTIONS:
In each cup/bowl, add a few drops of the Gel food coloring and then the rubbing alcohol. Mix until combined. (Note: the rubbing alcohol is strong smelling... Leave this part to Mommy. I think at some point I want to try this with Vinegar or something edible)

Add a cup to two cups of rice into each cup/bowl. Mix until all the rice has been coated.

Dump each cup of colored rice and spread out onto their own sheet of parchment paper. Let the rice dry for a few hours. I let ours dry overnight.

Once the rice has dried, dump them into a container of your choice that the child can play with. You can use any type of plastic container.

Don't have rice? You can use dry macaroni too!

See... That's it! Now you try ;)

"Recipe" by BakerBee

Throwback Thursday

One of my favorite pictures of my 2 loves! They truly are inseparable! Papi and his baby girl  ;)

You're Welcome!

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 This song will be stuck in your head ALL day! And I hope your child makes you watch this over and over again, like Sayita did to me ;)

PS: My sister saw the movie this weekend with her kids and said it was hilarious. Apparently the perfect movie for kids and adults! Enjoy!

Happy Father's Day!

It is never too late to show your love and appreciation to the man that gave you life and to the man who will father your children!

So, I want to wish a very HAPPY FATHER's DAY to both my Papi and my Hubby!

These two are the most special and important men in my life (of course my brother is included too)! Ironically, they are pretty similar people. They have the same personality and attitude and even look at things the same way. They come from two different backgrounds and generations but share the same view. It really is amazing how a girl can find her daddy in the guys she is looking for especially if their father played an important role in her raising.

Most importantly, because my hubby didn't and will never have a great relationship with his father even though he was and still is in his life, I wanted to make sure that he know's how much of a wonderful father he is to our Saya baby! It melted my heart when he said, "I am reminded everyday how much of a great father I am". He really and truly is great! Saya is her daddy's little girl!

And Papi, I love you with all my heart and soul and without you (and Mom), I wouldn't be the person I am today! Love you and Bendicion!


So to honor both my hubby and Papi, I wanted to replay the song I danced with my father for our Father-Daughter dance at my wedding.

Beyonce - Daddy

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Throwback Thursday

Saya's 1st documented laugh

Photo by her Papi

Fun Fact Friday

The Hubs and I met on Yahoo! Personals!

Personal Photo (2007 or 2008 -- can't remember...Ha!)

At the end of October, it will be 7 years from the time we met and it all started with Yahoo! Personals (which apparently closed in 2011). Too busy with my new job at the time and being very new to the Chester County area, I was looking to find a few friendships or people who could show me the ropes of the area besides the bar scene. Little did I know I was going to find the love of my life! So happy then and so happy now! <3

Flour + Water + Food Coloring...

= a FANTABULOUS day of painting with Little Miss Sayita :)

I haven't mentioned to many people but there was a change in my work schedule. A bittersweet change but a change that had many advantages such as spending 2 whole days during the work week home with my little miss. Because of this, Mommy had to start coming up with ideas on what to do to keep my little toddler busy during the day. Again, Pinterest came to the rescue! 

During my daily visit to Pinterest, I found this pin from the BowerPower Blog. Make your own non-toxic paint at home? Yes, please! Who knew flour + water + food coloring would make paint safe enough for toddlers to use? It was perfect since we have "that kid" that puts EVERYTHING in their mouth. Even at age 2, we will find Saya chewing on paper, coins and even old crumbs (yes!) -- Eek!

Anyway, I decided that Saya and I were going to have a little fun!

For the paint, I used equal parts flour and water. I used separate containers or in this case plastic cups and put about a cup of each and then stirred until lumps disappeared. I then added food coloring. I had my Wilton gel food coloring, so I used them. You don't have to use much food coloring to get the desired colors, so I would suggest adding a teensy bit.

I thought the grass would be the best place for Saya to get down and dirty, so I rolled out some thick paper that my MIL purchased for Saya to use as her canvas. A "bucket" of water and paper towels helped complete the scene.

To get her started, I dumped paint on a few spots through the paper and told Saya to make a mess, which I thought would have made her excited but the reaction I got was a bit surprising. She did everything she could to not make a mess. It was pretty funny! But in Saya fashion, it didn't take her too long to warm up to the idea. 10 minutes in and she was starting to paint herself.

This was the beginning of the end...

 Yup, she is painting her hand. Did you notice the yellow, right foot?

And for the grand finale!

Look at that sweet little face! Even painted in blue, she is one adorable child (if I don't say so myself) ;).

I have to say that I think this was a great project for the both of us. Saya seemed to like it once she got going. I was extremely happy that she was happy. The best part was that I spent 0 dollars on it! This is just one of many activities I can do with Saya for FREE which makes Mommy and Papi's wallet nice and happy.

What fun and cheap activities do you do with your child? I'm looking for more ideas.

Throwback Thursday

Since at the end of the month, our little munchkin will be 2 years old, Throwback Thursdays will be all about Little Miss Saya!

From the moment I laid eyes on her, she took my breath away! We finally had our baby girl in our arms. It really was a special day! Our beautiful little blessing!

We LOVE you Saya!

To My Loving Husband...

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LOVE you with all my <3!

Mia2 by Clarisonic - Review

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In a previous post, I had mentioned that I had purchased the new Mia2 from Clarisonic and it had arrived. Well it is about a month since I have been able to use it so I wanted to provide a review.


Before purchasing the Mia2, I was doing research for a few days to figure out which option was the best for me right now in addition to whether this should be an option or not. I was looking for a change for my skin. In my opinion, it was horrendous. I have combination skin that usually is normal + dry but on occasion can be dry + oily too. I had many breakouts on the chin, right cheek and forehead.  They came often and almost always scarred. I felt like I was taken back to the teenage years except my teenage years were acne free. When I started the pill back in college, I again didn't have to contend with acne issues as much but when I stopped the pill, I broke out heavily as I believe came with a hormonal imbalance. Since having Saya, my skin has been nothing but crap. Nothing seemed to calm my skin...until Mia2.


No joke, this has been a wonderful purchase! Although it came with a heavy price tag of $157 (includes tax + no shipping), in my honest opinion it was worth every penny and I would spend it again. In all actuality, the price helped me decide on this version instead of the full-size but I will get back to that.


After using the Mia2 for a couple of days, it felt as if all the junk was pulled out from under my skin. It became seriously oily but very few breakouts resulted in it. I was aware that something like this would happen since my face was receiving a deep cleaning. According to the description, "cleansing six times better than your hands alone". This I truly believe. It really has made my face feel great! It hasn't and won't prevent all my breakouts but so far they have happened much less. At first, I used it twice a day but it kind of dried out my face a little. It is deep cleansing, you know? As a result, I used it once a day but then my face was so oily (no breakouts though). It cleaned my face a little too well that my face was moisturizing itself a little too much, so I received a recommendation from an Ulta consultant to use it every other day. That was perfect. It is more than enough time to help out my skin. 


It really is easy to use, too! The Mia2 comes with a built in timer - 20 seconds for forehead, 20 seconds for nose and chin and 10 seconds for each cheek totaling 60 seconds.You can even choose which speed works best for you.  All you do is add the cleanser of your choice (I'm currently using what came with the Mia2), dampen your face and the brush head with warm water, then pick your speed and your done. Once you turn it on, it immediately starts vibrating, starting with the first 20 second session. You put the brush flush with your skin but do not press hard and move the unit in a circular motion until the next session starts. Continue until all sessions have completed. If you wish, you can go for a round 2 but it most likely is not necessary. Finally rinse your face and pat your face dry with a clean towel. That's it! Pretty easy and fast! Even the busiest person can do this.


There were 3 reasons I chose the Mia2 over the other three versions, Mia, Clarisonic Skincare Brush and Clarisonic Plus. 

1. It was the perfect size for traveling. Due to our bathroom issues and our summer travels, I thought this was the best option since it is small in size that would fit into any bag. It also came with a travel case.
2. The price. At the moment, I couldn't justify buying a $200+ item that I wasn't sure was going to work well at all. 
3. It had two different speeds. This is the main difference between Mia2 and the original Mia which only had 1 speed.

Honestly, I cannot wait to save a bit of money to get the Clarisonic Plus system! I think it would be awesome to use on my back and chest, especially during the Summer where I can break out a little from sweating.


As with anything you purchase, please do your research! Not all products work for everyone. I am just glad I finally found something great! 


Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post by Clarisonic nor Sephora. My review is my opinion based on my purchase and usage.

New Domain...New Beginnings

When I started the Roddy Bride blog, my posts were fully related to my wedding planning but since I am already married and had my daughter I have been wanting to turn this blog into something more. More about life. More about me... All things G!

It all starts with a new domain. So you can now access my blog by entering AllThingsG.net. Please make sure you update your subscriptions but also please pay attention to the ".net", as ".com" will take you to someone else's page. But don't worry if you don't update everything since theroddybride.blogspot.com will redirect you to my new domain anyway.

Next up? A face lift...for my blog that is! Stay tuned!

Thank you again for your continuing support! 

-G

Ben and Jerry's Frozen Greek Yogurt - Review

Some time ago, I saw an ad for Ben & Jerry's Frozen Greek Yogurt and knew I just had to try it! Let me tell you, I am so glad I did! Just like the other Ben & Jerry ice creams, the frozen Greek yogurt doesn't disappoint at all!

This time around I picked up the Blueberry Vanilla Graham and the Banana Peanut Butter. Of the two, the BVG is both my hubby and my favorite flavor. The frozen yogurt base is creamy and smooth as you would expect with ice cream and as far as I am concerned it tastes just like ice cream. To me, tartness that typically comes with Greek yogurt is pretty subtle in this product. I think this is what shocked my hubby because he absolutely does not like Greek yogurt. He thinks it is too tart and cannot stand the taste. But when he had this, he was so surprised at how yummy it was (I wasn't it is B&J's...can you ever go wrong?). After he tried it, he was trying to "coerce" me into giving him my pint...oh heck no!

The best part is always the flavor for me. Get a spoonful of the blueberry, the yogurt and the vanilla graham swirl and your mouth will be partying! The flavors are so authentic and so darn yummy! Same is true for the Banana Peanut Butter flavor. The yogurt is banana flavored (yum!) and has PB swirls. The best part about that flavor is that the PB semi hardens in the frozen yogurt giving a teensy bit of crunch making it a nice change in texture. I just can't say enough how yummy they are!

Now for the healthy folks, the frozen yogurt is about 60 calories more per serving (1/2 cup) than the typical Greek yogurt so that isn't terrible but because of it's base of milk and eggs the fat and cholesterol content is higher. But since I am  no expert, you can review the stats yourself and make your decision on whether it is best for you. Still I think it is a better alternative than regular ice cream.

Nutritional facts for the Blueberry Vanilla Graham:

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Also, for those of you that do not know, I am lactose intolerant. Because of this, I usually stay far away from ice cream. It's just not digestible for me. This frozen yogurt in general work very well for me. I have no problems eating it and no after effects either. So that is a huge plus since it is very hard to find the Lactaid brand ice cream. So if you have the same issues, I would suggest trying this out. It may be another alternative, especially if you find it hard to stay away from ice cream.

Lastly, I purchased my pints at the local Giant Food Store but I am sure you can find it in your local grocery where the other B&J ice cream pints are found. If you would like to see where a certain flavor is located near you, click HERE and find your flavor. Click on your flavor and you will be taken to a page just for it. On the right side of the page, you can enter your zip code to locate the flavor. It will list all stores near that zip that sell your particular flavor...How cool is that??!!

So stop sitting around and get your Greek on!

Please let me know what you think of the new Frozen Greek Yogurt from Ben & Jerry's.

Fun Fact Friday

I was a cheerleader in High School!

"Golden Hawwwwks! Wooo! We're gonna win tonight, alright! 

All you got to do is put your mind to it and do it! Do it!"

Hahahaha! I know. You can't believe it either! But look at that hair! No lie, I could sit on it :)