Mommy Has to Work

New Contributor to Mommy Has to Work

June 23, 2015 By Anne

I have added a few new contributors to Mommy Has to Work. They will be helping to do some product reviews and posts as well as some back office stuff. I’d like to introduce one of them to you here.

Hi everyone! My name is Marijean Lechtrecker and I am originally from New Jersey, born and raised. I have been married for almost 11 years to my wonderful husband, Anthony. We have 2 children, Alison who is turning 7 and will be starting 1st grade, and Anthony IV who will be turning 4 and starting VPK. We moved to sunny Florida in 2014 and absolutely love it here. I am very excited for this awesome opportunity to review products for mommyhastowork!

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

Finding Out Your Pregnant with First Response

June 20, 2015 By Anne

I participated in a Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for First Response. I received product samples as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

I’ve always wanted to be a mom. I remember being 16 and “in love” and wanted to get married and have a baby. Whew! I’m glad that did not happen then. But fast forward 12 years and I was ready. I had married a man with three little boys but 7 years later we were ready to have “our” first child together. I remember the anticipation and the amount of pregnancy tests we went through. Hiding in the bathroom at work and doing a test. Sitting there waiting for the lines to change. Then on February 13th I found out I was pregnant. What a perfect Valentine’s present for both of us.

Then 7 years later we were ready to try again. This time I really wanted a girl. I was 35 and getting “old” and wanted to make sure I got pregnant but also wanted to have a girl as we had four boys. I remember going into the doctor’s office and asking what I could do to have a girl. Basically I was told to watch my ovulation. So…many ovulation kits did I buy! Oh the fun and frustration of trying to get pregnant and the absolute thrill of knowing as soon as possible when it happens. I loved all of it.

But it hasn’t always been so easy for many women. Pregnancy testing has changed a lot throughout the years. From analog to digital tests, and detection after your missed period to before, the advancements are numerous. First Response has redesigned their advanced Early Detection Pregnancy Test in a way that will diminish those awkward and troublesome moments that come with determining pregnancy.

First Response Early Result Pregnancy Tests are designed for a woman’s hand and have a longer handle which makes preforming the test much easier. You could get results as early as six days before your missed period and it can be done at anytime of the day! I would get upset if I had used the restroom in the morning and forgot to do the test. The tests are FDA approved and can detect all relevant forms of urinary hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) throughout pregnancy. First Response is available in all major drugstores and grocery stores and retails anywhere from $8.99 – $15.99.

How did you first find out you were pregnant?

Anne

3D Robotics Solo Drone @BestBuy – Father’s Day Gift

June 18, 2015 By Anne

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free

Solo, the Smart Drone

Looking for the perfect gift to give your husband or father for Father’s Day? Check out what’s new at Best Buy! Best Buy is the destination for drones, including the new Solo™ by 3DR. Now is the time to explore for Father’s Day.

Solo, the Smart Drone, arrived in over 400 Best Buy stores on June 8, just in time for Father’s Day. It’s the first-ever drone powered by two integrated Linux computers, making capturing the perfect shot easy for anyone. The Solo retails for $999. Oh my goodness this looks so cool! This intelligent drone is also the first to support full control of GoPro® cameras and deliver live HD video either wirelessly to your mobile device or through the controller’s HDMI port for live broadcasts.

A neighbor recently posted a video of our community pool which he captured from something similar. What an awesome thing to be able to do all by yourself! I love technology and am always looking for something new and fun. The only thing I see wrong with this is that it was not out in time for Mother’s Day! Haha!

two female hiker above the sea of fog on top of a mountain at sunset

Worried about flying the Drone and watching the camera at the same time? There is no need to with Solo. Solo can define its own flight, freeing users to focus on getting the shot.

My stepson has a GoPro and use to take great video of the mountains in California. Having the Solo to go along with would have made his videos so much better. I really wish my husband was into this so I could buy one. Maybe I’ll just have to get myself a special gift.

From June 7th to July 11th you can get a FREE Solo Smart Battery (Reg. Price: $149.99) when you purchase the 3DR Solo Drone (Sku: 5354101). Disclaimer: Offer valid with purchase of the 3DR Solo Drone SKU: 5351035

Would you buy one for you father or husband this year?

Anne

Have Fun This Summer with #SweetSwaps

June 16, 2015 By Anne

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for the SPLENDA® Brand. I received product samples to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation. All opinions and reviews are my own.

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Nature trails

Summer is here and that means more outdoor activities, delicious foods and more time in the pool. While most of us are trying to fit into our bathing suits again, I want to get my family eating smarter. Okay, yes I want to get back into my bikini too!

School’s been out for a week now and the kids are just laying around and being lazy. I want to get them and myself up and moving more this summer. I also want us to make smarter food choices by looking for simple recipes that can be part of a balanced lifestyle.That’s why I said yes to working with SPLENDA for this post. We, my husband and the kids mostly, eat a lot of snacks. Why not make try to make them better? Check out the SweetSwap.com website for some delicious dishes that include swapping out full sugar for the SPLENDA® Sweetener Products such as SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated, SPLENDA® Sugar Blend, and SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend. There you can mind lots of tips, tricks and delicious recipes.

Getting out with friends.

I decided to have a fun mother and kid nature walk last week. I had a group of us meet at a local playground. Off from the playground is one fo the many entrances to our community’s nature trails. It is so wonderful that we have these nature trails right here where we live, we just need to go visit them more often. We ended up walking a little over 30 minutes. Then we went to the park’s picnic areas and had a slice of Dulce de Leche Cheesecake made with SPLENDA. I found the recipe on SweetSwaps.com. I also provided some muffins and iced coffee for everyone. Surprisingly all the kids loved the cheesecake. It did not have as much “dulce de leche” to it but it was not bad. I think it needed a topping of some sort. Maybe some frozen fruit would have been nice. But we did have a great tome getting outdoors and I heard from quite a few friends that were not
able to come that they are eager to come to the next outing. Hmm, what to make next?

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

Here is the recipe:

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Recipe

INGREDIENTS

Crust:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:

3 (8 ounce) packages reduced-fat cream cheese
1 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated (Did you know that swapping just one cup of sugar with one cup of SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated can save more than 600 calories?)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 eggs
1/3 cup reduced fat milk
½ cup dulce de leche

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400º F.
Mix crust ingredients together, and press into a 9-inch springform pan. Place pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
Reset oven temperature to 325º F.
Beat cream cheese, SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated, and flour together until well mixed and smooth. Add vanilla and mix until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix until smooth. Add milk and mix until well blended.
Measure ½ cup of the cheesecake batter and pour into a small bowl. Add dulce de leche and stir until well combined.
Pour plain batter over crust. Top with dulce de leche by placing rounded spoonfuls over the cheesecake batter and gently swirl into plain batter with the tip of knife or spatula.
Bake 45-55 minutes or until center is almost set. Remove from oven and gently run metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cheesecake (this helps prevent cracking). Let cool 20-25 minutes before covering and placing in the refrigerator. Refrigerate 4- 6 hours or overnight before serving.

Servings Per Recipe: 16

Serving Size: 1 slice (1/16 of cheesecake)

Enjoying our desserts after our walk!

Visit SPLENDA on their social sites too!

SPLENDA Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/splenda

SPLENDA Twitter: @Splenda

SPLENDA Pinterest:https://www.pinterest.com/SPLENDA/

Anne

The Proposal at Siesta Key by Shelley Shepard Gray

June 15, 2015 By Anne

The Proposal at Siesta Key is the second in the Amish Brides of Pinecraft Series by Shelley Shepard Gray. While I did read the first book, you don;t have to read the entire series to enjoy just one of the books. I love reading Amish books as they a light easy read and a nice change of most of the books I read. This particular series is staged in Pinecraft, Florida. This is a perfect summer book to read at the beach or pool.

The Proposal at Siesta Key is about a young Amish woman who has been sheltered most of her life after the horrible death of your older sister. Her parents are afraid to let her go but Penny is determined to fight back and live life. She goes and gets a job at a local bed and breakfast and falls in love all in one summer.

A young Amish woman, yearning for freedom, crosses paths with a handsome Mennonite celebrity in a deeply moving tale of friendship and self-discovery—the second installment in the unforgettable New York Times bestselling author’s new Amish Brides of Pinecraft series.
Penny Troyer rarely disobeys her parents. In the years since her sister’s tragic death, they’ve wanted nothing more than to keep her safe…even if it means never leaving the house.
But tonight, she’s bending the rules because Michael Knoxx, the most famous member of The Knoxx Family Singers, a traveling Mennonite Evangelical family —is scheduled to speak. Penny has heard of Michael—how he lost part of his leg in a terrible accident and uses the experience to inspire others—and knows she must meet him. So, for the first time ever, Penny stands up to her parents and goes out on her own.
Though he speaks about living life to the fullest, Michael knows he needs to take his own advice. Life on the road is grueling and Michael wants to slow down, to rest…to perhaps meet someone who sees him as a man, not just a celebrity. So when a twist of fate allows him the chance to stay a little longer in Pinecraft, Michael knows God is showing him a new path, especially when he discovers how much he and Penny Troyer have in common.
But new friendships can’t stop time. Soon, Michael’s time in Pinecraft will be over and he’ll be back on the road. Her time with Michael has brought her happiness, but will she be able to follow her heart? Or will she be faced with the one thing she’s sure she’ll never have the courage to do?