I discovered something...

I am not a 4 am mom.

Even after 4 children, I am NOT a 4 am mom.

You know... those moms who are up every day at 4 in the morning, kids down for a nap by 9:30 am, in bed at night at 6 pm.

I am NOT that mom.

My fourth child has given me a run for my money.  Her sleep patterns are nothing like my first 3 children, and she goes through phases where she either doesn't sleep all night, or is up at obscene hours (like this morning... 3:45am). She has made me realize that I am not 20 anymore, I miss my late evenings and, after being a mom for 13 and a half years, I am tiiiireeeddd.

For the last couple years, I enjoyed my routine. Up with my older two for school, an hour for coffee and quiet before my younger two get up around 10-10:30 am. Now, I am either up all night with my busy busy 18 month old, or she wakes me after 2 hours sleep to be up for the day. I drag my tired behind around all morning until my older kids get up, she falls asleep shortly after they leave and then my 3 year old is up for the day...

I am NOT that mom.

I know a lot of moms that can run circles around that schedule, but I am not one of them. By 11 am I look like I have spent 2 months on the Survivor island. There are also moms that take their tots to 8:30 am swim classes... 9:30 am playgroups... afternoon mommy groups...  while I struggle to book time with a friend for coffee at my house because I don't want to nod off in my mug...

Sometimes I wish I were that mom, but I kind of enjoy the disorganized version. My kids are happy, they are comfortable and, despite my lack of sleep, still meet their recommended hours of zzzzzs. I wouldn't trade the sometimes dazed time I spend with them for anything in the world. Especially not the 4 am alone time I get with my 18 month old.  She never wakes in a bad mood so, even if I don't want to get up that early, her playful smile automatically gives me that little boost I need -- to stick a K-cup in the machine.

I will be the first to admit, I sometimes crawl back into bed after my older two leave for school now. That 45 minutes of sleep is very much needed sometimes, and the extra couple hours I sporadically  get are glorious!

I enjoy not being that mom. I am far from perfect, but my kids are happy - and that is worth every sleepless minute and 3 am espresso!

Interested In Product Testing? Check out my Top 3!

So, a while back, I said I would give a run down of some of the ways I get to test products at home - for FREE! I have many different sites that range from free samples to review sites that I am a member of, but I am just going to focus on the big 3. I will create a post about some of the "smaller" or not-as-frequently-used sites.

I am going to start with My Top 3. These are my tried and true, been with them for a while, always full-size product companies. Now, let's get started!



1. BzzAgent

BzzAgent is the program I have been with the longest. It offers product testing campaigns to Canadians, Americans and has expanded to the UK and other countries over the years. I have had many campaigns over the past few years, ranging from deodorant to shampoo and conditioner, even toothpaste and a toothbrush! 

I get roughly 3-4 campaigns per year. When new campaigns open up, I usually get an email letting me know that a campaign has opened up that I qualify for. I log in and can accept or decline the product (I have never declined though!). Once I receive the product in the mail, I try it out and then log in to write my review. The activities have been expanding based on social media trends so, right now, here are some activities you can expect to complete:

- Post to Facebook

- Post to Twitter

- Post on Instagram

- Create a Board on Pinterest

- Post a Review on Amazon

and

- Write about interactions with people you have spread "Bzz" about your product to.

When I am not involved in a campaign, BzzAgent has now started to provide smaller activities that I can complete to keep me active. The more active you are with BzzAgent, the higher chance of qualifying for campaigns.

2. Influenster 

Influenster is another company which focuses more on beauty products (I have found, anyway), but also offers the opportunity to test a wide variety of products. You can link your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, blog, Tumblr, YouTube and other social media accounts to boost your influence score. You write reviews, ask/answer questions, complete campaign activities which include:

- Post to Instagram

- Post to Facebook

- Post on Twitter

- Review your product on Amazon 

This is the only one of my top 3 that has an App! 

3. ChickAdvisor

ChickAdvisor is solely Canadian! It offers a wide variety of products to test, from makeup to chocolate! The only requirement I have seen is that you write a review within 14 days of receiving your product. You can write reviews on other products you have tried, as well, to earn points. Points give you a higher chance of qualifying for campaigns and enters you into a draw each month to win gift cards.

ChickAdvisor now also offers a Premium feature, where you pay a minimal fee for boxes of products throughout the year - similar to other subscription services. 

I have been with ChickAdvisor for quite a while. I have tested sunscreens, dry shampoos and chocolate bars, participated in twitter cooking classes, and more! They now offer a men's program as well "XY Stuff".

Christmas is Coming?!

This Christmas is going to be crazy!

This is the first year in a while that I:
a) haven't been too broke to afford it
b) haven't been able to just shop when I need to (something I fixed today!)
c) managed to start my shopping before December 20th!

Having 4 kids changes the way one would shop for Christmas.  This year, I have done more online shopping that I have in my life... and it feels good.  Especially now that both of my under 3s are sick! I can shop without having to take my babies out in the cold, try to wrestle them to blow their noses, or pry toys out of their hands as I browse.

If we go back about a month ago, I accidentally melted my baby carrier in the dryer.  I thought it would be OK to only put it in for 10 minutes. I was horribly wrong.
*Note to self: Never, never, never again*
As a result, I now have no carrier. So this means a lot of time spent at home browsing the online retailers to try to have all of my children's gifts shipped to my door as quick as possible. I am about 90% finished now!

I am actually loving this! I am almost done shopping!!  A lot of retailers have really awesome sales on baby/toddler stuff this time of year, and I managed to take care of some of my shopping on Black Friday/Cyber Monday. My two older ones are waaayyy harder to shop for. Their tastes are pretty expensive, and it gets worse as they age! Amazon was amazing for my older two, and Walmart was actually really great too!

Luckily there are places like Melissa & Doug, Mastermind Toys, and Toys R Us that keep the costs down with crazy sales! I managed to pick up a few things that were "Daily Deals" at Toys R Us - and their selection of Peppa Pig stuff was beyond anything I could have imagined!

I will say this, shopping for 4 children at Christmas time shouldn't have to break the bank. May retailers offer so many sales between Black Friday and Christmas that it makes it easier to get almost everything on your little one's Christmas list for decent prices.  I use a lot of cash back and retailer apps to curb the costs as well.  I will post a breakdown of how they all work soon.

Remember, Christmas is a magical time for your little ones. There is no need to stress about the cost! They are only little once...

Get Target’s weekly ad on your iPhone, iPad or Android mobile device by downloading the retailer’s app. You can also capitalize on Target savings by taking advantage of store pickup. Order online and pick orders up you local store for free and avoid pesky shipping costs, or Target always offers free shipping on orders over $25!

The Children’s Place’s entire website is currently 50-60% off. It’s the perfect time to find outfits kids love for Fall, and cool weather fun. Check out their graphic long-sleeved tees or make it easy on yourself and browse The Children’s Place’s matchables and complete outfits for girls, boys, toddlers and babies.

Been Away... big plans!

So, I have been away for a while. There is a post I have been working on for, I don't  know, 8 months?!

I have also been working on a few other ventures!

One of those have been helping fundraise and promote a family business. I have been busy with all the social media and the blog for The Plaza Theatre in Nipigon, Ontario, Canada.  The theatre was built in the 1940's and closed in 2001. It is now time to give new life to the building! Here is a link to the GoFundMe page.

My second venture is more of a personal one. I am toying with the idea of starting my own business! This thought has been on my mind for months and I am in "business planning mode" at the moment. It is scary but so exciting! I will definitely link to that as soon as everything is final.

I have also been working on some different campaigns from Shopper Army, Influenster and Chick Advisor. No new BzzAgent right now -> 😭😭😭 <- SUPER sad face. I will be sure to update if I get anything new from them.

I have also paired with another company and hope to share a bit about them soon as well.

Check back for updates!

Next blog coming really soon!

Happy Birthday

**Now, this post is somehow making it out of the woodwork earlier than my original post.. not yet complete. I will post it eventually- I think.**

Happy Birthday.
You know who you are.

It has been just over a year and a half since you left. There isn't a day that I don't miss you. There isn't a day that I don't wonder where you are. There isn't a night that I don't look at the stars and hope that you see me...

This isn't getting "easier".
...and today, it's really hard.

Today, your beautiful soul turns 29 - but your body isn't here to celebrate.

Today, 2 years ago, is the last time I talked to you. Which is something I will regret for the rest of my life.

Today, we celebrate a life cut short.

Today, 29 years ago, your mother became a mother.

Today, my heart hurts.

I just want to let you know how much I miss you. I want you to know that, I will never understand why you had to leave. I will never understand your pain.

You had this great light about you. You always smiled through it. I saw you as a strong young woman who tried really hard to achieve your goals. I even remember you texting me once, out of the blue, to ask about something. It was a subject that I didn't think that you would ever consider, but I was glad that you asked me. It was kind of a turning point because it was the first sign that we weren't all kids anymore - which is funny, because you getting married a few months before that never really solidified that for me. I'm glad you came to me. I'm glad that you felt you could come to me.

I remember you coming to visit me a few months before you got married, and I remember thinking how happy you were. You were glowing - you were giddy and funny - so happy.

I remember when you and your sister came to visit a couple years before that too. You were making a long drive back from the East Coast and, even after the long drive, you still found amazing things to say about it. "The trees are sooo pretty" (Now, if you know the area I live in, the trees really ARE pretty - but it's something that someone who lives in a bigger city definitely appreciates more). Watching you with my children was amazing. You were so kind, loving. My daughter was in her veeerrrrrrry inquisitive phase and asked you a bunch of questions. I don't remember the questions, but you handled it like a pro... you sat with them, played with them, joked, laughed... something you perfected as a big sister <3

I remember when I was going through probably THE worst time in my life. I was making horrible choices. One day, there you were. I know we were going to lunch. I remember how you looked at me. It was like you saw past everything and ignored it. You looked at me like I could do no wrong. I felt like crap inside, and you still looked at me like we were kids (we still were I guess, I was 19 and you were 16). I thank you for that. It felt like you were the only one who saw past my faults at the time. Thank you.

Today is so hard.
There will be posts on Facebook, and I will try to read them all. No. I WILL read them all. But, in my usual way, that even I don't understand, I will not acknowledge them. One day I will have the strength, but not yet.

Until then...

Happy Birthday, Cousin.
I love you. I hope you have a fabulous birthday, wherever you are. I hope you can feel the love we have for you.

Strong, beautiful, caring, kind, funny, delicate, stubborn, witty, soft, smart, proud, sophisticated, friendly, generous... just a short list of you.  You were so much more.
I love you.

So, CoverGirl surprises me again!

The last few weeks have been somewhat of a blur.

With 2 babies under 2 (at least for ths next week) and one of said babies teething (*gah*) I have been averaging about 2-6 hours of sleep per day. Yes, I say per day and not night because, I will get 2 hours here, an hour there, sometimes a nice 4 hour stretch in the evening... I rarely get any actual sleep between the hours of 2 and 7 am.

Anyway.... Last night was one of those nights. Baby woke at 2:30 am.
I had a total of 2 hours sleep in the previous 24 hour period so, I knew that if I even attempted to got back to sleep, I would not be able to wake myself come the morning 'rush' (my older two still have school to go to -come oooooon summer break! Lol).

******
Needless to say, I did attempt the impossible and, once my littlest finally closed her beautiful eyes around 5:30 am, I waited a few minutes and crawled into bed at 5:49 am.............fast-forward 21 minutes. Yes. 21 minutes.
You think, after 4 kids, I would have learned my lesson. NOPE! LOL
******

My day started officially at 6:10 am.
Woke my older two just after 7, showers, breakfasts, lunches, oh my.
BUT... This morning also involved a meeting at 9:20 am. Ugh... 

So, armed with my Maybelline foundation and my CoverGirl Plumpify mascara (that I got for free from BzzAgent!), I quickly slapped this wonderful magical sleep-deprivation-hiding product to my face. I didn't even have time to make coffee - which, in hindsight I should have put a pot on at 3 am (don't judge).

I get 3 out of 4 of my babies ready to head out the door, we walk over to the school. I say goodbye to my oldest daughter and walk around the building to the front door with my oldest - did I mention he had a giant project that had to be carried over too? No? Ya, there's that. Lol

Just as we are rounding the corner, I smell it. Coffee. Parent council was giving away free coffee! I love free, but I love coffee even more!

I grabbed a coffee, headed to my meeting, and not ONE person commented on how tired I felt LOL

The magical parent counsil ladies thought I was fibbing when I told them about my night: Thanks CoverGirl & BzzAgent!

The school staff said something along the lines of "you don't look it!" (Aww thanks, you make me blush!): Thanks CoverGirl & BzzAgent!

*****

▪I absolutely love the curl effect with this mascara! I almost instantly felt a change in how my eyes felt.
▪I could feel my eyes widen because my lashes weren't weighed down.
▪I applied less than I normally would and it still worked to curl my lashes.
▪It didn't clump! (Probably because I used less)

See! See!

Want to test products for free??

Join me on BzzAgent! 

http://www.bzzagent.com

More BzzAgent fun with Cover Girl!

So, one of my latest campaigns for BzzAgent is for Cover Girl Plumpify Very Black Mascara!

Now, I am not really a "make up" person, the most I have put on my face since having children (and even before that) is a decent foundation/concealer and mascara.

I was excited to get this campaign because I am always looking for an easy to use, great looking mascara. I chose the "Very Black" colour. I am fair skinned for the most part, so I felt it would "pop" more than a regular black. This mascara is also supposed to lift and curl lashes.

So, above, is my "before and after"

I took a pic of each eye - because, really.. It's easier to take a decent Instagram picture that way - am I right?!

The bottom photo shows after I applied 2 coats. As you can see - not only does it make this momma NOT look tired, but it actually DID lift my lashes to a certain extent. Not fakies high, but still a lift :)

A bit of a con for me; was the clumping. As you can see, it did clump a bit in the corner of my eye. Nothing that smothing out a bit didn't manage. 

A neutral point for me; was the wand. This product prides itself on having THE biggest wand. Pic below ↘↙↘↙↘↙