This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of NETFLIX.

Have I told y’all that we gave up our satellite television? It’s true. It’s been approximately two months now since we decided to turn it off. I am a news junkie, which isn’t always a good thing, but that is about the only thing I miss from our hundreds of channels. We didn’t watch the TV enough to justify the cost each month and we realized that more often than not, we were flipping over to Netflix for our entertainment fix.

Netflix is probably one of my favorite things ever.  I mean, we only pay $7.99 per month and we never run out of shows to watch and new movies to check out.  Justin and I spend every Friday night flipping through the movies or watching a show together. I loved it when they rolled out the Netflix for Kids section so they can only see the family-friendly shows geared toward kids 2-12.  I don’t have to worry about one of them accidentally choosing a vulgar show or one that I wouldn’t approve of for my 4 & 2 year old kids with Netflix for Kids.   Bryson and Bella watch Netflix together every morning right after they wake up.  They wake up, tell me good morning, share some snuggles with me, then they ask me to turn on Netflix.  That is our morning routine.  While they watch a show, I respond to e-mails, moderate comments, enjoy a cup of coffee, then start on breakfast.

Messy bedhead and watching Netflix- our typical morning!

Netflix recently added some new content from Hasbro, Disney Jr., and Cartoon Network.   Bella’s favorite is Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax while Bryson enjoys Cars Toons: Mater’s Tall Takes.  On slow nights, those night when supper is done early, everyone is home, we like to pick out a family-friend movie to watch together.  So far, we’ve watched 101 Dalmatians and ParaNorman.  Those were hits, especially with Bryson, and he talks about ParaNorman all. the. time.

New Netflix Shows & Movies for Kids

• My Little Pony
• Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax
• Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Road Rally
• Cars Toons: Mater’s Tall Takes
• 101 Dalmatians
• Batman and Beyond
• Transformers Prime
• Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue
• The Aristocats
• Pocahontas
• Angelina Ballerina
• Tron: Uprising
• Powerpuff Girls
• Thomas & Friends: Go Go Thomas
• Pingu
• Justin Time
• Jake and the Never Land Pirates
• The Adventures of Tintin
• Curious George
• H2O: Just Add Water
• Caillou
• Sesame Street
• Johnny Test
• Suite Life of Zack & Cody
• Curious George
• ParaNorman

This boy can’t get enough of Thomas. He often builds his tracks on the living room floor while watching Thomas on Netflix.

Netflix is used daily in our home and it’s also used on the go.  I have the Netflix app downloaded on my iPhone which comes in handy for trips or long waits.  Netflix has become a part of every day life and it’s hard to remember TV before Netflix!

What are you watching on TV with your family?
Netflix has family favorites from Disney, Disney Jr., Hasbro, Cartoon Network and Dreamworks that are available to stream anytime, anywhere.

And streaming is easier than you think! Download the free app on your iPad, click on the Netflix app on any gaming device, go to the website on your computer – and you’re in business. Check it out here!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of NETFLIX.

Tune in to watch parenting like you’ve never seen before with the first episode of Pretty Wicked Moms on Tuesday, June 4, at 10:00 pm ET/PT on Lifetime

As part of this post, I was asked to share time where another mom’s parenting style surprised me or was different from mine. Well, that isn’t hard.   The hard part would be trying to narrow it down to a specific instance, so I won’t.  I live in rural Alabama and things move slow around here.  Most of my parenting choices even beginning with birth are viewed as odd.

While discussing my desire for a natural birth when I was pregnant with Bella, I often received eye-rolls and comments like “You’ll be begging for an epidural!”  Once, I even received the “Well, bless your heart.” comment and if you are from the South, you know what that usually means.  No hearts are being blessed, that’s for sure.  Folks think I am crazy for standing against and refusing elective induction.  While I’ll never tell another woman what to do with her body, I will always advocate for letting nature take it’s course unless medically necessary.

The same goes for breastfeeding.  If you mention that you are nursing a 2 year old, eyes open wide and jaws drop.  Again, I’ll always advocate for the most natural food, breastmilk, and encourage mamas to give nursing a try but I am not anti-formula.  In fact, Bryson was formula fed after we ran into breastfeeding problems.

Another very touchy subject is car seat safety.  I did everything wrong with Bryson, but now that I know better, I do better.  When you mention to another parent, no matter how gently, that something is wrong with their car seat install or use, they quickly become defensive.  It’s one of those things I seriously wrestle with often.  Do I tell them their car seat is all wrong and that their child could be harmed in an accident because of that?  How will they react?  I’ve changed my approach over the years from being matter-of-fact and in your face to being caring and admitting my own faults.  That seems to help, but not everyone accepts my advice.

What I’ve learned since becoming a mom is that there isn’t always a right and a wrong.  What works for me may not work for you.  And that’s okay.  As moms, our days are tough enough, so we should spend our time encouraging one another, helping one another, and building one another up instead of tearing each other down.

It’s Gravy, Baby! aims to provide unbiased editorials. However, I wish to disclose that from time to time I may receive free products or other compensation from companies for blogger reviews.

Before becoming a mom, I had never changed a diaper.  Now?  Not only do I change diapers, I use cloth diapers.

Before becoming a mom, crumbs on the table grossed me out.
Now?  The table and the floor are covered with crumbs even when I clean them both multiple times per day.

Before becoming a mom, I would have never wiped someone’s nose for them.
Now, I’m slinging snot and picking boogers like a pro.

Before becoming a mom, the thought of someone’s vomit would have made me vomit.
Now, I can clean up vomit half-asleep without flinching.

Before becoming a mom, I enjoyed peeing alone.  Without an audience.
Now, I’ve learned how to pee while consoling a child on my lap.  Seriously.

Before becoming a mom, dress up seemed a bit silly.
Now, I don’t miss out on a chance to watch their imaginations soar.

Becoming a mom has changed me and challenged me.  I wanted nothing more than to be a mom.  While other girls were getting ready to go to college, I just wanted to start a family.  I wanted to be a mother.  That’s what we did and while people thought we were crazy, I wouldn’t have it any other way.  I may spend my days wiping butts and noses, cleaning up crumbs and spills, but these two little ones and the one growing in my womb are worth every crumb, every tear, and every prayer.  I never understood love- unconditional love, until I became a mama.

Johnson & Johnson For All You Love celebrates the importance of putting the needs of others first and all the ways people care for the ones they love. Love is the most powerful thing on the planet. Love is family. Love is life. Love is in a baby’s first smile, in a grandmother’s comforting touch and in all the wonderful moments in between.  As part of this campaign, recognizing their commitment to the health and well-being of moms and kids worldwide, J&J is also planning to donate $25K this Mother’s Day to Save the Children®.

How has becoming a mom changed you?

I partnered with J&J and The Motherhood to bring you this post.

Blast Zone Hydro Rush Set Up

One of my main concerns surrounding large inflatables is the set up. I expected it to be a daunting task that required a lot of effort and quite honestly, my patience wears thin with that kind of thing. That could not be further from the truth with the Blast Zone Hydro Rush Inflatable Water Park. Set up is an absolute breeze. Normally, with any large item, I wait on my husband to help me. On a whim, I decided to try out the Blast Zone Hydro Rush while he was at work. It was 80 degrees outside, the sun was shining, and I knew the kids would love it.

Set up was so easy.  Seriously.

I was impressed and thankful, because now I know that I’ll be able to provide hours of fun all summer long for Bryson and Bella. The instruction booklet walks you through the simple steps. There is also a DVD included, but I haven’t even watched it. It’s so easy that you don’t need to.  The hardest part of set up is taking the inflatable out of the bag because it fits so snug.  After that, it’s nothing.  Unroll the inflatable, stake it down, attach the constant air-blower, hook the blower up to a power supply, run the sprinklers through the designated hook & loop spaces, and hook up the water hose.  Turn on the blower and watch it inflate in just a snap!  Turn on the water and you are ready for hours of splashing fun!

Blast Zone Hydro Rush Features

The Blast Zone Hydro Rush is so much more than just a water slide!  No doubt the slide is the star of the show, but there are several other fabulous features.  The bottom fills as a shallow splash pool.  The water cannon is a favorite because it can be aimed and turned to spray unsuspecting folks.  The climbing wall of the slide is easy for little ones to navigate and they climb it over and over.

Bryson and Bella played on the Blast Zone Hydro Rush for six hours one day this week.  That was a first.  Nothing, absolutely nothing, has ever held their attention for that long of a period of time.  Ever.  It was almost miraculous.  I kept waiting on them to get tired or ready to quit playing.  That didn’t happen.  You know when they finally gave it up?  Supper time.  No kidding!

The Blast Zone Hydro Rush Inflatable Water Park is for residential use, but it is durable.  The bottom features a thick material to protect it from rips and tears.  The slide and climbing surfaces are commercial surfaces.  Because Blast Zone also offers inflatables for commercial use, you know their products are top quality and made to last!

Buy the Blast Zone Hydro Rush

The Blast Zone Hydro Rush Inflatable Water Park is sure to be a hit!  It includes the inflatable unit, a UL approved blower a carrying case, stakes for the blower and stakes for the bouncer and retails for $400, but it currently on sale for $369.99 at Amazon.com.

Win the Blast Zone Hydro Rush!

I am so excited to share this giveaway of the Blast Zone Hydro Rush Inflatable Water Park with you!  On top of that, Tiffany from Babes and Kids Review is  giving away a Spray N Splash 2 Inflatable Water Park on her blog. You must enter here and on her blog to be eligible and you may only win 1.  This is a Rafflecopter giveaway. If you are reading this via e-mail or feed, please click over to the post to enter. Thank you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We received the Blast Zone Hydro Rush for review. All thoughts and opinions remain my own, as always.

To give you an idea of where we are, Bryson is 4.5 years old.  He knows the alphabet and each letter sound.  He can sound out words and figure out the letters so simply going over letter sounds became redundant and boring to him.  I knew he was ready to move onto something a little more challenging, but nothing that would discourage him.  After using All About Reading Pre-reading for over 2 months, it is clear that it is the right curriculum for him.

All About Reading Pre-reading Deluxe Package

What’s Included:

• Teacher’s Manual (208 pages)
• Student Packet
  • My Book of Letters and Sounds Activity Book (192 pages)
  • Picture Cards
  • Letter Sound Cards
  • Capital Letter Alphabet Chart
  • Lowercase Letter Alphabet Chart
  • Progress Chart
• The Zigzag Zebra: a rhyming alphabet hardcover book
• Lizard Lou: a collection of rhymes old and new hardcover book
• Divider Cards (to keep your Picture Cards and Letter Sound Cards organized)
• “Letter Sounds A to Z” CD-ROM
• Ziggy the Zebra puppet
• Activity Box to hold your student’s learning cards
• Adorable Animal Stickers for the progress chart
• All About Reading tote bag to keep your components organized

All About Reading Pre-reading

Why It Works for Us:

We have used the Letter of the Week curriculum for quite a while, so we easily fell in step with the Letter of the Day theme for All About Reading Pre-reading.  Most weeks, we work on our All About Reading lessons 2 to 3 days so we are covering the letters at a slow pace.  This works well for Bryson, because I want him to love learning and I do not want him to get burned out quickly.  I was stumped about the next steps for Bryson since he knew his letter sounds and the All About Reading Pre-reading curriculum has helped me in that aspect.

Ziggy the Zebra is a huge hit, of course!  Both Bryson and Bella love to see him come out and Bella often asks to sit for our lessons or for her own “schoolwork.”

The daily letter craft is something Bryson enjoys.  It breaks up our learning time and offers him some time to create and craft while still learning.  There is also an entire page of hand-on letter activity suggestions which I find myself using a lot.  It is a wealth of information and ideas!

The included picture cards to go along with rhyming games are my favorite.  Rhyming games had never even crossed my mind and they are challenging for Bryson, so I know it is something we need to cover.  He likes playing the games with Ziggy and it’s so awesome to watch his face light up with something just “clicks” and he figures it out!

All About Reading Pre-reading covers the Five Big Skills- letter knowledge, phonological awareness, print awareness, listening comprehension, and motivation to read.  I had no idea where to begin to teach those things to Bryson at age 4 and All About Reading was a home-run for us.  It has filled in the gaps and is now the basis of most of our homeschool currently.

What I love most about the All About Reading Pre-reading Deluxe package is that it arrives ready to go.  You don’t have to gather a ton of supplies or put hours of preparation into the lessons.  You can absolutely open to box and begin right away.  For a new homeschooling mom like myself who sometimes lacks confidence, this is exactly what is needed.

If you have specific questions about this curriculum, please feel free to reach out to me and ask.

We received the All About Reading Pre-reading Deluxe package for review.  This post contains my affiliate link, so if you click through and make a purchase, I will earn a small commision.  Thank you for supporting my site!  All thoughts and opinions remain my own, as always, and we absolutely do love All About Reading and plan to continue with it.

Bryson pushing his Tonka Dump Truck at 16 months old.

Tonka Mighty Dump Truck

While brainstorming for this post, the Tonka Mighty Dump Truck was the first toy that came to mind.  Why?  Bryson received this truck as a gift for his first birthday and it is one of our most played with toys even 3 years later.  He has pushed this truck all over the yard, he would ride in the dump truck bed when he was little, he has hauled gravel, and this truck just keeps going and going.

Wooden Puzzles

Our first wooden puzzles were purchased at the thrift store for .50 each.  Bryson went through a stage where he played with those 4 puzzles daily.  Now, our puzzles stack high and both kids enjoy them.  We’ve added several more to our collection, mostly from Melissa & Doug.  Their floors puzzles, while not wooden, are also big hits in our home!

Wooden Trains & Tracks

It started with a trip to the Discovery Museum for his 3rd birthday.  Bryson fell head over heels for their little Melissa & Doug Figure 8 Set.  He did not want to leave.  Guess what he found under the Christmas tree a few weeks later?  Yep, that same set.  Since then, his love for trains and tracks, specifically Thomas the Train wooden railways sets has grown.  His building quickly outgrew his train table so now he fills his builds from one end of his room to the other and I find myself stumbling over train tracks more often than not.

LEGO Duplos & Bricks

We have both LEGO Duplos and the original LEGO bricks.  Bryson builds with the Duplo sets while he prefers to sit back and watch his dad build with the smaller bricks.  He is very into building with the Duplos lately and I love watching his little mind work as he creates.  He often builds planes and trucks.  Not too long ago, he brought out his LEGO board and wanted help spelling his name!

Books

Books are probably not considered a toy by most, but I couldn’t leave them off of our list.  Bryson and Bella are both crazy about books, which I adore.  I’ll share some of our favorites next week!

Homemade Play Dough & Cookie Cutters

My kids are play dough crazy!  They help me cook it then play with it almost every day.  For recipes and play ideas, check out our many play dough posts like  Chocolate Play Dough and Apple Pie Play Dough.

Trucks & Cars

Some of Bryson’s favorite trucks came from thrift stores for cheap.  His fire truck and Chuck are two of the most played with.  Small Hot Wheels cars, especially characters from Cars like Lightning McQueen are also played with quite often.

Play Kitchen & Food

I splurged on the KidKraft Grand Gourmet Kitchen, because I wanted to make sure it would last through our many preschool years.   There are many affordable options out there, but I’m very happy with this purchase.  This thing is sturdy which is great since I often find Bella standing on the counter.  We have several wooden food sets from Melissa & Doug.  The birthday cake and pizza sets are our favorites.

Water Table

Justin built this water table for the kids last summer.  They have played with it constantly, even finding ways to use it during the winter without water.  This spring, they’ve already set up a “coffee shop” with it and play restaurant.

Bath Time Toy Set

We are stilling using the same set we bought when Bryson was only a few months old.  It includes a boat and several sea animals.  We regularly clean them with bleach and then run them through the dishwasher.  I love the Boon Frog Pod for storing our bath toys.  We’ve used it for over three years now and it is the best thing ever!

What would you add to the list?

So, while I know that our home will never be spotless, there are certain spaces that I have to keep clean.  Our kitchen is the most used room in the house.  It really is the center of our home, the heart of our home, if you will.  It is not only a kitchen, it is my office and our school room.  Cooking, blogging, teaching, paying bills, crafts, projects- it all happens in the kitchen.  Even with a whirlwind of activity, the kitchen has to be clean.  If my counters are wiped down and the floor is swept and mopped, I can breathe a sigh of relief.  Bryson and Bella’s rooms can look like a tornado came through, but I need a clean kitchen.  After I broke my leg and ankle last year, Justin took care of most of the household duties.  He did a great job and I’m so thankful for him.  I still found myself looking at the kitchen floor and all of the sticky spots that he didn’t have time to clean and before long, I found myself mopping from my wheelchair.  I am that crazy about a clean kitchen.  What I love most about is clean home is how it makes me feel.

I’ve switched to using Lysol Power & Free Multi Purpose Spray for my kitchen cleaning. It has a fantastic scent and it cuts through the sticky messes with ease. I love that it powerful without containing bleach and it doesn’t leave a residue behind at all.  It contains hydrogen peroxide and kills 99.9% of viruses & bacteria.  Be sure to check out Lysol on Facebook for more information and special offers.

Lysol® Power & Free uses the cleaning power of a hydrogen peroxide formula for a powerful clean with no bleach harshness! This helps ensure you don’t have to make sacrifices while cleaning, such as opening all the windows or ushering the kids and pets out of the room. Lysol® Power & Free will help you break free from your ordinary cleaning routine- it’s a powerful clean that’s family friendly!

What do you love about a clean home? One of my readers will win a bottle of Lysol® Power & Free Multi Purpose cleaner to try in their own home! Comment below to be entered to win!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Lysol. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules

Baby B3 at 8 weeks, 1 day.

Baby B is the size of a prune!

How far along:   10 weeks

Due Date:  December 5, 2013

Total weight gain:   About 2 pounds.

Maternity clothes:  Not yet, but I do need to dig them out soon and go through them.

Stretch marks:  Between Bryson and Bella, I am no longer concerned about stretch marks and I doubt I will notice more.

Sleep:  I wake up at least once a night to pee.  Last night, Bryson woke up crying because his sippy cup of water (we need to break that habit) had leaked on his pillow.  Then, Bella woke up and came into our room ready to roll at 3AM.  Needless to say, I did not get out of bed and see Justin off to work this morning.

Best moment of this week:  Bryson is set on the fact that this baby is going to be a boy.  He only wants a brother.  Last night, he told me that he is praying to Jesus that this baby is boy.  For his sake, I hope it is too.

Miss anything:  Just being able to eat and smell without getting sick.

Movement:  Not yet!

Food cravings:  No cravings, but plenty of aversions.  I have found myself eating fruit like grapes, oranges, and apples more than usual.

Anything making you queasy or sick:  There is no rhyme or reason to what makes me sick.  Something can sound delicious when I start cooking, but by the time it is done, it totally grosses me out.  We helped out a local soup kitchen last week and Justin cooked green beans to serve.  On the way, the smell of those green beans in our van made me SO sick.  I ended up face-to-face with a gas station toilet before we made it to our destination.

Have you started to show yet:  I can tell a definite difference, but I’m not sure if anyone else can.

Symptoms:  Nausea and tiredness.  I went from a night owl to being in bed by 10PM every night.  Hence the lack of posts here.  I do not have it in me to stay up late and write right now.

Health/ Appointments:  At our 8 week appointment, we got our first glimpse of Baby B.  The heartbeat was between 168-171 and I measured right on according to my dates.  Justin took the day off work, so we saw the baby for the first time as a family with Bryson and Bella there also.  Bryson looked at the screen and said it was definitely a boy.  “Look at HIM!,” he said.  Our next appointment is at the end of the month.

Gender:  Our plan was to stay team green.  I am wavering now and will probably find out, simply because if it isn’t a boy, I want some time to prepare Bryson for a sister.  He will hear nothing of a baby sister so far.

Names:  We are sticking with the “B” theme and have a few front-runners so far.  Bryson wants to name the baby “Mix” and Bella wants to name the baby either “Macon” or “Lila” after her friends at church.

Belly button in or out:  In.

Wedding rings on or off:  On.

Happy or moody most of the time:  Happy, but very emotional.  I am crying over things I normally would not and I don’t remember being that way with either Bryson or Bella.

Shopping for Baby B:  I have started our newborn cloth diaper stash.  We are going with covers and prefolds for the first months.  I also found the Punch & Drop wooden toy from Plan Toys for only $2 while thrift shopping so I grabbed that up.  A gigantic shipment of toys came from Bright Starts for our upcoming playdate party, so Baby B should be good in the toy department for about 3 years!  Oh, and we finally bought a minivan.  Woohoo!

Reactions from Bryson:  Bryson is super excited, except when I break his heart by telling him this baby could be a girl.  Then, he doesn’t want to talk about the baby anymore, ha.  After I had a bout of sickness last week, he said, “Mom, I’m glad it’s the baby making you sick and not me and Bella!”  Bryson also told me that we should just go ahead and have a 4th baby so he can have a brother and Bella can have a sister.  Yeah, his dad isn’t hearing that talk…. yet. 

Reactions from Bella:  Bella picks up our ultrasound photos and says, “Aww, cute baby!”  She talks to my belly a lot and tries to look in my belly button so she can “see” the baby.

Looking forward to:  Reaching the second trimester, hopefully regaining some energy and losing the nausea.

I’m hoping to start taking belly shots this week, so hopefully our week 11 posts will include the bump.

I have a simple summer activity series in the works, but for now, I want to share a few ideas that can turn those ordinary days into extraordinary.  Most of these are low cost or no cost and can be pulled off with no preparation.

Extraordinary Ideas

(in the eyes of little ones, at least)

• a trip to the playground
• colored ice cubes on a hot day
• make mud pies
• a car wash (shaving cream, water, towel, Hot Wheels= instant car wash)
• build a fort
• play in the water hose
• fly a kite
• have a water balloon fight
• create a picnic in the backyard
• make rainbow cupcakes
• hide a glow stick in their bed at night

Kids are so easy to please and I’ve found that I over think their activities too often.  A few weeks ago, I decided to take the kids to the playground.  As we were walking out the door, Bryson turned to me and said “Mom, we could just stay and play in our backyard.”  I was so busy planning this fun day for him that I hadn’t even thought to ask what he wanted to do.  All he wanted was to play in his own backyard with his homemade water wall and dig around in the dirt.  To him?  That was extraordinary, even better than a trip to the playground!

One way to start your extraordinary days off right is with breakfast.  Don’t we all know that?  I am guilty of skipping breakfasts more often than not, because I am far from a morning person.  I’d like to not pass on that habit to my children though, so I’m thankful for quick and easy breakfast meals like Quaker’s Perfect Portions oatmeal.  Quaker Perfect Portions contains no sweeteners so we can all have our oatmeal just the way we want like with honey and fresh fruit.  Whether I’m feeding myself or the kids, I can cook up the perfect bowl of oatmeal while I’m still trying to wake up.

Every day is an adventure and with Quaker® Perfect Portions I know I am providing my family with the fuel they need for their epic adventures.

Share how you make everyday an adventure and see other stories on Everyday Health.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Quaker®. The opinions and text are all mine.

I’ve owned a few different brands and styles of pumps and I definitely recommend a double electric pump if you are shopping for one.  While they tend to cost more, they are worth the extra expense, in my opinion.  Lansinoh is a name I trust, because I’ve used their products (lanolin and breast pads) with both Bryson and Bella.  The Lansinoh Affinity Pro Breast Pump did not disappoint.  Breast pumps are not one size fits all or one mode fits all which is why I really like the Lansinoh Affinity.  They understood that and created a pump with several different suctions modes and speeds.

Lansinoh Affinity Pro Breast Pump Features

• 3 customizable pumping styles
• Closed system eliminates the possibility of milk back-up into the tubing
• LCD screen with timer
• The Pro Double Lansinoh Electric Breast Pump has a compact, lightweight base
• Compatible with any hands-free pumping bra
• ComfortFit flanges for a comfortable, proper fit
• Bottle holders prevent spills
• BPA free
• Includes carry tote for on-the-go convenience
• Large flanges and other accessories available
• AC or battery power

The Lansinoh Affinity Pro Breast Pump is comfortable, offers fabulous features, and it is affordable.  You can find it for around $120!  Other double electric pumps go for twice that, so I am glad to see Lansinoh fill the void in the market so even women without large budgets can own a great pump.  The Lansinoh Affinity Pro is available at Walmart.com, Target.com (best price), and several other online stores.   I don’t think you’ll find a better pump at this price point and I definitely recommend it.

I received the Lansinoh Affinity Pro for review.  All thoughts and opinions remain my own, as always.