How Can You Beat the New Airline Fees: Space Bags

As you may have already heard, American Airlines announced last week that it will begin charging $15 to check your first bag. This is as a result of the ever-increasing cost of gas.

So you have a couple of different options when you fly.

1. You can choose not to fly American (most business analysts do say that other airlines won't be far behind in announcing similar fees)
   
   -or-
   
2. You can use a Space Bag to fit more in your carry-on bag

I think I am going to try both. The Space Bag basically vacuums out all of the air in your clothes making them a much thinner form of themselves, sort of like the FoodSaver does to food. And I am all for anything that will allow me more space for more clothes and more shoes!

Butter: Should it Stay or Should it Go?

Butter never goes bad as long as you keep it in the fridge, right? Actually, it is a common misconception that butter doesn't expire for more than a year. It actually lasts one to three months in your refrigerator. Butter does start to turn after a month or two in the fridge. It might look and smell OK, but its composition is deteriorating and it's turning rancid. If you are on the fence and it's been there more than two months, toss it. However, butter will last six to nine months in your freezer.

Stay tuned for more Should it Stay or Should it Go ideas very soon!

Fun with Tropical Zen and Hostess with the Mostess

On Thursday evening I went to a fabulous party in San Diego that was hosted by none other than the Hostess with the Mostess, Jenn Sbranti! She is touring the country over the next year sharing all of her great party ideas and had her inaugural party in her hometown of San Diego.

The Tropical Zen themed party was full of great ideas for a tropical themed party and also included fun drink ideas from Chambord. What was great about the decor was that it was amazing and affordable. Some party planners design great parties, but make it so difficult for you and I to recreate. But that is certainly not the case with Hostess with the Mostess.

I was so excited by the decor that I am helping decorate for an engagement party in this amazing theme. (I guess it does help that the betrothed couple is getting married in Hawaii!)

Be sure to check out the HWTM website and HostessBlog to find out when she is coming to a city near you. Maybe you can get lucky like me and attend one of her fabulous parties, too!

Mascara: Should It Stay or Should it Go?

We all go through it..You smell, shake, and poke a cosmetic or kitchen product, wondering if it's still safe to use. You can't remember when you bought it, but it smells, looks, and feels perfectly fine. Is this one of those products you are supposed to throw out after a few months, or does it have a long lifespan??? Who knows if there isn't an expiration date on it.

After some real digging for information, MSNBC.com came to find hard-and-fast rules of the shelf lives of five common household items. So here is the first one...

Mascara

A lot of people think that a tube of mascara that has been opened can be safely used until it dries up or becomes clumpy. This is so not true. Regardless of how it looks or feels, the older mascara gets, the more likely germs are growing in it. And every time you pull out and put back the wand, you're pushing germy air right into the tube.

Conclusion: Throw it out after three months, every time.

Stay tuned for more Should it Stay or Should it Go features...

Mabel's Labels Surprise Giveaway Winner

Thank you to everyone who entered the Mabel's Labels surprise giveaway. The lucky winner of the Student/Camp pack is...Julie D!!!

Julie D, please contact us information@housescouchesandbabies.com with your shipping address so that we can send out your personalized Student/Camp pack!

Stay tuned for many more fun giveaways!

Family Road Trip Tips

With Memorial Day just one week away, many of you may be hitting the road for a weekend of fun. If you are traveling with kids, you may not be looking forward to the road trip. Here are some tips from Eversave Travelers to make a family road trip a more manageable adventure:

1. Be realistic when picking a destination. If you have small children, they probably won’t be able to stay in a car for more than a few hours a day, so take this into consideration.
2. If your family car is relatively small, consider renting an SUV or a van for the trip.
3. To keep your children busy for at least a few minutes give them a map with your route outline on it. You can also show your kids the map ahead of time, pointing out cities along the drive so that you can possibly avoid "Are we there yet?"
4. Bring plenty of snacks and small toys. Pack a cooler that is easy to access while driving.
5. If you have a portable DVD player, bring it along with plenty of DVDs and CDs.
6. Bring a trash bag to avoid having to clean out the car.
7. Stop often to stretch and keep things interesting for your children.

Happy and safe traveling!

Photo courtesy of TravelChannel.com

Save on Ann Taylor LOFT Maternity Clothes

For a limited time only, you can save 25% off your entire purchase of Ann Taylor LOFT Maternity clothes and pay nothing for shipping. All you have to do is use the promotion code LOFTMOM25. Now doesn't a discount and free shipping make it easier to shop online???

Happy shopping!!!

NKOTB on TODAY Show

You don't really think I would have all of my silly posts on New Kids on the Block and not actually share with you their first performance on the TODAY Show, do you??? (Well, I suppose I could have considering they totally denied me access to their preparation show at the House of Blues in Hollywood this past Tuesday. Props go out to my husband, Jenny and Anderson for attempting to hook me up with tickets, but we still got negged. I guess I won't hold it over NKOTB's head!)



I digress...so their show was pretty impressive. They certainly aren't dancing as much as they did back in the day, but they still look good. There is definitely a smoother and simplified look to their moves. But perhaps that was the rain. And speaking of the rain, it certainly did not help the TODAY Show's production of their performances because, as you will see from the clips above and below, the sound quality at times was very poor.

Maybe they will finally decide to add some West Coast tour stops after the overwhelmingly large crowd braved the rain to watch them perform. (Hint, hint, hint!)

Not Just Any Label...Mabel's Labels Surprise Giveaway

Need some organization in your life? With 3 children...I mean with 2 kids and a husband, I feel like my once-organized existence is just chaos.

Mabel's Labels to the rescue! You name the label...they make it. If your child goes to daycare or pre-school, forget about writing your child's name on the clothing tag. You can use an Iron-On label or even easier Tag-Mates™ to hold claim on your child's clothing.

Do you want to show your child's teacher how much you appreciate him/her? Mabel's Labels Classroom Pack is a thoughtful gift that will make life easier for that oh-so important role model in your child's life.
And yet another cool label idea you can find at Mabel's Labels is the Allergy Alert label. Instead of pinning a note to your child, why not attach a label to their sippy cup or backpack listing their allergies. What a sigh of relief you can breathe knowing that other's know about your child's allergies!

And thanks to Mabel's Labels, (1) lucky Houses, Couches and Babies reader will win the Camp/student pack of labels they can customize for your family (pictured at top; a $34 value).

Each Camp/Student Pack consists of 15 Sticky Labels, 40 Iron-Ons or 50 Tag-Mates™ (your choice), eight Shoe Labels and two Bag Tags. This pack is perfect for summer camp or school. It comes in a variety of colors including Standard Pack of red, green and blue labels, the Princess Pack™ in pink, lilac and raspberry, or the Ocean Colours of teal, purple and ocean blue! Iron-Ons are always printed blue on white.

Here's how to enter:

• Check out Mabel's Labels website and post a comment right here telling us what label product you like the most (creativity counts).
• In your comment, please be sure to include your name (or blogger name) as well as your city/state/country (anonymous comments will not be accepted).
• Post your comment by midnight PST on Tuesday, May 20th.

The winner will be announced some time after May 20th, so please keep checking back to see if you are a winner!

THE WINNER WILL NOT BE CONTACTED...SO KEEP CHECKING BACK!!!

Good Luck!

Happy Mother's Day - Be Sure to Pat Yourself on the Back for a Job Well Done

I know these days everyone strives to be the perfect parent, but let me fill you in on an interesting fact I learned from a psychologist friend...children don't need a perfect parent, they need one that is good enough. When first hearing this statement, you may be appalled (just as I was). But in our over-achieving society, it is good to know that you can make mistakes and not be perfect, and your child will still be okay.

Having said that, here are some ways to balance the chaos we fondly call motherhood.

• Take care of yourself, and you can take better care of your family. When was the last time you did something just for you - a pedicure, a long walk at the park, coffee with a friend? If you can't remember, make time for yourself as soon as possible.


• Accept it: Things will never be perfect. But that's OK. The world will not end if your son goes to school with his hair sticking straight up. Forget the impossible standards and focus on what you do accomplish each day. Your children feel more secure every time you tie their shoes, read them a book or give them a hug.


• Ask for help. Let older children help younger children get dressed. As your partner to empty the dishwasher. Trade babysitting duties with a friend so that each of you can have a real mother's day.


• This is your 'today,' not your 'forever.' The kids will leave home eventually. When they do, it is quite possible that you'll remember these hectic days with fondness.

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Mother's Day Giveaway from The Cradle

Need some pampering???

In honor of Mother's Day, The Cradle is holding the "all about me giveaway" specifically for mothers and moms-to-be. The pampering package includes a 9 month candles set from Childish Clothing, Appreciate’ Organic Gift Set from BABYBEARSHOP and Anna Getty’s Pre & Post Natal Yoga Workout 2 –Disc DVD set.

Click here to enter this fabulous giveaway! But enter fast, the giveaway ends May 13th.

Protect Your Bones in May

Sure, you think osteoporosis is only for old people, and that may be partially true. But remember, the things you do today impact what happens tomorrow. And just so you know, women are four times more likely to develop osteoporosis than men.

May is National Osteoporosis Prevention Month and here are some things you can do to maintain healthy, strong bones (these are also great tips to share with parents and grandparents):

• get your daily recommended amounts of calcium and vitamin D (recommendations below)
• engage in regular weight-bearing exercise (baseball, basketball, soccer, tennis, weight-lifting, aerobics, dancing, and walking)
• avoid smoking and excessive alcohol
• talk to your doctor about bone health
• have a bone density test taken and take medication when appropriate

Daily Calcium Recommendations
Age - Calcium mg/day
1-3 500
4-8 800
9-18 1,300
19-50 1,000
51-up 1,200

Click here for more information on bone health.

7 Medicines You Shouldn't Give Your Kids

You should always check with your child's doctor before giving him/her medication. But here are 7 medications that BabyCenter recommends you keep your preschooler away from...

Aspirin

Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines

Anti-nausea medications
Adult Medications

Any medication prescribed for someone else or for another reason

Anything expired

Extra acetaminophen

For more detailed information as to why your child should avoid these medications, click here.