Pinypon Party Sponsored by MommyParties

Recently I was chosen to host a party featuring some great new toys for little girls.  Pinypon toys are so much fun to play with, and come with lots of neat little accessories to mix and match.  I am not exaggerating when I say that my children have played with their new Pinypon set and dolls for hours, long after the party was over.  Here are some (not so great cell phone pictures) of them mixing and matching the dolls, discovering how to customize each doll to wear it's own individual style, and playing with the very cool Caravan set.

 

 

 

Yes, even the boys played!

 

 

One VERY excited party guest got to leave with a Pinypon Caravan of her own as part of our raffle.  And I was told later by her mom that she and her brothers had hours of fun with this set.  Definitely kid-approved.

 

 

My perspective on these toys as a mom:  They are great for strengthening fine motor skills, as each doll comes apart in many different ways, and children have to grasp, pinch, and rotate items to put them together and change their accessories.  The Caravan has many different compartments, doors, drawers, and windows that made it fun for the kids to use in lots of different ways.  In an afternoon they used it as a camper, ice cream truck, and flying spaceship.  The roof even doubles as a raft with surf boards.  I felt like we got a few different toys all in one package.  The only negative I found with the Pinypon toys is the MANY little tiny pieces.  This can be stressful for a mom like me that likes to have everything in one place and in one piece.  But I also think that the reason this entertained the kids for so long is because there ARE so many little pieces.  So it's not really a negative.  We just made sure to clean up really well, and everything went in one extra-large size Ziploc!

 

Overall, we had a great time playing with our friends and the Pinypon toys.  The kids enjoyed the figures and play sets, and the moms enjoyed the kids playing without argument so we could socialize.  And everyone left with valuable coupons in addition to their own Pinypon figures.  Thanks MommyParties and Pinypon for a great afternoon of fun!

 

Want to discover more about Pinypon and what they have to offer:  Vist their Website, or Facebook Page!

 

Disclaimer: The party kit with Pinypon products was provided to me free of charge in exchange for sharing my honest party experience and thoughts.  All opinions expressed are my own.

C25K -The Mom's Perspective: Week 3

Week 3 of my Couch to 5K Running Program started about 2 and a half weeks ago.  Sadly, I have yet to move on to Week 4.  I can explain...

Week 3, Day 1:

Oh My God, this was hard.  As I said last week, going from running for 90 second stints to 3 minutes feels like mission impossible.  And it kinda was.  I'm not gonna lie, I had to walk the last minute when I was supposed to be running.  My friend Kelly said to run until I feel like I'm going to fall down, then I can walk.  And I did exactly that.  I felt guilty as hell about it though, and vowed to do the workout in its entirety again the next day.  Until...

WHAM-O!  I got hit with a terrible cold, and had company arriving for the weekend.  Running was not an option.  Between my hacking, nose-blowing, and alternating doses of DayQuil, Tylenol Cold, and NyQuil, it just was not possible.  I was run down and tired from being sick, and I knew I had to give it a break until I was better.

Feeling better this week, I finally got to the gym on Wednesday. (8 days later than my last run!)  I re-did my Day 1 workout.  Without cheating.  I think I coughed up a lung though, and had a terrible night's sleep because I could not. stop. coughing.  Also, I'm more than certain that the people on the treadmills to my left and right did not appreciate the fat girl's huffing, puffing, and now hacking in way too close proximity.  Oh well.  That's what showers and hand-sanitizer dispensers are for, right?

Feeling empowered because I did what I set out to do, despite not feeling 100%, I often remind myself of this pin from Pinterest:

 

Or this one:



Week 3, Day 2:

Today I returned to the gym to run again.  Unfortunately, my cough is worse, not better, and the lack of Oxygen was just more than I could deal with.  I found myself struggling to catch my breath as I ran, and in an effort to not pass out, I decided to just walk it out.  So I walked during 2 and a half minutes that I should have been running.  I still managed to go 2.15 miles, but I was disappointed.  My lungs were just not happy.  (Doc appt. is set for Monday, I swear!)  So I'll re-do this day too.  Or maybe I won't.  I'm back to thinking that running is a stupid idea anyway.

To be continued...

Kroger Gift Card Winner

Congratulations to Post #15, Kristi, who said, "I would love to stock up on Cheerios."  Well, now she can.  Kristi, I sent you an email so please check your inbox!  Thanks to every one else who entered.  I really appreciate y'all reading my blog!  (yea, I said y'all... deal with it.)

Sibling Love?

If you've had the privilege of spending time with my family you'd notice within just a few minutes that 2 out of 3 of my children do not get along very well.  This is not a new phenomenon.  Not a stage that they will eventually grow out of. (although I pray that they will)  Put frankly, for one reason or another, Joey and Katelyn just don't like each other.

Sad?  Right.  Yea, it's a real downer.  I've tried countless ways to figure out why my oldest and youngest don't show the love for each other like they do towards Olivia.  They both really love Olivia.  I guess the main reason I can come up with is that they are more similar in personality.  Joey and Katelyn seem to take after me in the personality department.  Strong willed, opinionated, inquisitive, strong willed, stubborn, strong willed... yea, that about sums it up.  Olivia is more subdued like my husband.  She of course has her own opinion about things, and can throw a tantrum over a pack of gummies with the best of them, but she is definitely more compliant and accepting than the other two. 

Joey and Katelyn battle over just about anything.  Toys, shoes, (yes, Joey will wear her most favorite sparkle shoes around the house just to piss her off), what to watch on TV, who goes first, last, etc.  It's pretty endless.  And beyond frustrating as a mom who just wants peace in the house.  Sometimes they do it deliberately.  For example, Joey will purposefully act like Katelyn mispronounced something even though she didn't.  Katelyn will yell about it.  Joey will insist that she said it wrong.  Katelyn will yell some more.  Joey will yell back.  And eventually one of them will either throw something or smack the other one unless I break it up by using my scary mom voice telling them to CUT THE CRAP!

I noticed something the other day while I dropped Joey off at school.  These two, who act like they can't stand each other 90 percent of the time always say goodbye to each other.  He even turns after getting out of the car to say goodbye to Katelyn with a wave and a smile.  Maybe it's because they are so glad to have 7 hours away from each other.  But I'd rather think that its because deep down they actually do love each other.  So I'm going to go with that.  They totally do, right?

C25K -The Mom's Perspective: Week 2

Well, I'm happy to report that Week 2 was a success.  I actually did all of my running inside on the treadmill at the Y during week 2.  While I thought I liked it better during Week 1, I'm now ready to get back outside. (And by outside I mean after dark when my neighbors hopefully won't see me.) Running on the treadmill is sooooo boooooring!  Regardless, here's a quick recap:

Week 2, Day 1:

My body was in shock as I worked to complete this first workout.  While it may not sound like much time to you, to a self-proclaimed running hater like myself, going from 60 seconds of running to 90 seconds of running was a big change.  HUGE.  At least that first day it felt huge.  I could not stop watching the timer.  It just hurt so bad.... I was convinced that I was done.  Running was over for me.

Week 2, Day 2:

Not so much.  You see, I feel so great on the days after I run that it makes me want to go back for more the next day.  It's so strange.  I have more energy, more patience, and get a heck of a lot more done the day after a work out than I did before I started this.  So in some weird way, that motivates me to go back for more... Day 2 was probably my easiest day so far.  And by easy I mean I huffed and puffed my way through each running segment without cheating the clock a few seconds.  I even turned the treadmill up a decimal point or so during the walking segment to increase my distance and keep my heart rate up.  So maybe I'm getting the hang of this.  I don't know.  I still don't like it very much.

Week 2, Day 3:

Against all odds I made it to the Y to complete my workout for Day 3.  My husband and I each had activities planned for the day, so we were passing off the child-watching duties for the day.  He wasn't scheduled to be home until 8 or so and I really didn't want to do another late night run.  So, I made a last minute decision to pack up the kids and head to the Y.  We got there in the nick of time, as the Nursery was closing in 34 minutes.  Good thing this stupid workout is only 31 minutes.  I dropped off the little boogers, and charged upstairs to the last treadmill of the row.  (I feel like people don't see me if I'm all the way at the end.)  I cued up my iPod, pushed the green "go" button on the treadmill, and got to it.  A little problem came along around the halfway mark when my iPod died.  I easily could have given up there.  "Eh, no music, no one telling me when to run, when to walk, I'm done."  But I didn't.  I timed myself, paced myself, and finished my workout with only the pounding of my sneakers on the treadmill and the sound of my own puffing and huffing to listen to.  That in and of itself was a huge accomplishment for me, as I'm pretty much the queen of excuses.

Looking Ahead:

Week 3 has two segments of running for 3 minutes.  3 minutes?  Double what my body has just sort of gotten used to?  I'm cringing at the thought.  I'm not kidding when I say I can barely get through 90 seconds.  I really don't know how on earth I'm going to double that starting now.  If anything is going to break me, it'll be Week 3 for sure.