I’m so excited to be adding a new contributor to my blog.  It’s actually something I’ve been thinking about for some time now and finally decided to make the transition.  Over the next few weeks, my blog will be getting a makeover so I figured since things are already changing a little why not change it a bit more.

I met Alesha almost two years ago at my husband’s 10-year school reunion. We hit it off right from the start and I could tell we would get along just fine. So when I started thinking about adding a writer, Alesha came to mind and the rest is history.  I had Alesha write an introduction post so you could all get to know her.

I was born and raised in Texas and came to Jackson, MS for college. I met the love of my life, and I tell everyone I got stuck here in Miss’ippi. I’m still a Texan at heart. I just hit 30. It scared me to death, but I survived. My amazing husband helped me through with retail therapy and hibatchi. I’ve been married almost 11 years to my college sweetheart, and everyday I love him more. He’s my hero, my head, and he holds the key to my heart. We have two beautiful, incredibly healthy and smart children, for whom I am so thankful for. My oldest is a girl, and I cannot imagine a bigger drama queen than Katie! She’s 6 going on 16, and some days it’s all I can do to endure her dramatics. My son is God’s apology for my daughter. He is THE most easy going kid a mother could ever want. He’s a very serious kid who didn’t really talk till he was almost 2. He just wasn’t ready, I suppose. Every summer my husband and I grow a garden entirely too big for our little family, and I LOVE it! I can and “put up” all summer long. I love giving away the surplus and finding new ways to use our fresh veggies. I enjoy reading a good book, when I find the time. I also am addicted to Facebook; I’m working on that though. I love all things cooking! I like searching for recipes, baking, and really enjoy using my crock pot and bread machine. I’m also very active in my church. I sing alto in the choir and praise team, organize our snack class for sunday school, oversee the hostess ministry, and send out prayer requests via text for our church. Since it was God who blessed me with my current stay at home status, I feel it is my duty to do as much for Him as I can with the time He has given me. I also feel it is important to be a good steward of what God has blessed us with; and therefore, I have become obsessed with finding the best possible deal on anything and everything. It’s almost become a game for me, and my husband is so sweet to humor me while I list all the good deals I find at the grocery store each week. Basically, I’m a country girl who would do anything for her family or her God.

Alesha will be providing us with recipes and tips on how she saves her family money. So, please help me welcome Alesha to the Simply Being Mommy team!

You would think that now since school is back in session that I would have all this extra time on my hands.  Um, totally not the case at all.  For one, I work 4 days a week outside of the home plus now I have the added task of taking and picking up Taylor from school.  If you’ve experienced the nasty, impatient moms picking up their children from school, please accept my condolences. Plus, I have the chore of homework duty.  Needless to say, I could use an extra few hours in my day.

As I started noticing all the things that weren’t getting done around here, I began to drift off into my fantasy world of laying on the beach in a tropical location…okay not really.  It’s pretty sad, but my fantasy world consists of a janitorial cleaning service that comes to my house and washes clothes, sweeps and mops, vacuums and dusts.  In my fantasy world my house is clean, the clothes are washed and put away and I’m running around outside with my three children chasing grasshoppers and butterflies.  Ouch, a little Hot Wheels car comes flying at my head and I’m back in my haven’t been dusted in weeks house.

In other words, I need a maid!

I’m not sure if you’ve noticed this cute little badge over there on the right sidebar, but I’m so glad to be a part of the Chuggington Conductor Program. And if you’re a Chuggington fan like I am, I have some really exciting news! Chuggington has been picked up for a second season on Playhouse Disney! That’s right y’all, another season of Chuggington.

As if that wasn’t exciting enough, Chuggington has just announced that it will be hosting a sweepstakes on Chuggington.com for fans in the US. Prizes will include die-cast trains and packs. You can also participate in Traintastic Trivia which is hosted on Thursdays at 1pm EST #Chuggington. Plus, the Chuggington Store has just introduced new toys that are sure to go fast so get them while you can!

I’m sure if you’re a fan of Chuggington then you probably have a favorite.  I know I do.  Who is your favorite Chuggington Trainee?

The Snap, Share & Win! Rayovac Summer Photo Contest will begin August 2, 2010 and will conclude on August 29, 2010. Each week will feature a different photo theme. Eligible contestants will be able to complete the entry form on Rayovac’s website, upload a photo and specify the theme. Contestants may upload 1 photo each week for a maximum of 3 photos. Once photos are posted, viewers can vote for 1 photo a day and add an unlimited number of comments. Contestants and viewers can share the contest with their friends (eighteen years old or older) utilizing the “Invite Friends” button or by sending an email. The photos receiving the most votes for each theme will win prizes. Rayovac Powers Fun, have fun and be creative with your photo entries! All levels of photography welcome! 

Prizes:
For each of the three themes there will be:

• Grand Prize- a Digital Camera Package, complete with a Photo Printer and Rayovac Rechargeables and a Digital Photo Frame for three of the Grand Prize Winner’s friends.
• Second Place Prize- Photo Printer
• Runner Up Prize- Digital Photo Frame Keychain.

How to Enter:

Phase One: Submit photo entry August 2, 2010- August 22, 2010.
(Week 1: Fun with Water Photo. Week 2: Fun Pet Photo. Week 3: Summer Fun Photo)
Phase Two: Public Vote August 2, 2010- August 29, 2010.
Phase Three: Winners Announced September 8, 2010. 

Make sure you “like” Rayovac on Facebook, share the widget and submit your photos enter to win some awesome prizes!

The first 50 bloggers to promote the Rayovac Summer Photo Contest won a prize from Rayovac.

I’m a good ‘ole southern country gal that lives on two acres surrounded by woods.  I actually tried a garden last year, but all the critters feasted on our harvest before we even got a chance to see it.  This year, I decided against it because I didn’t want to put in all the effort for nothing in return. But I learned some exciting news that Triscuit is working with Urban Farming, a non-profit organization, to create 50 new community-based home farms throughout the United States. Pretty awesome, right?!? As part of the Home Farming Movement, Triscuit has included plantable herb seed cards in 4 million boxes of Triscuits to help encourage people to grow their own vegetables and herbs!  I was sent two boxes of these special boxes of Triscuits along with a gift card to start my own home garden.

The Original Triscuits come with basil seeds and the Reduced Fat Triscuits come with dill seeds. The instructions to begin your home garden are included on the back of the Triscuit box. When I think of planting, I think of seeds. Don’t you? Well, you won’t find any seeds in your Triscuit box. Instead, you’ll find a seed card.  I’ve bought all my materials to start, but unfortunately I haven’t found the time.  I’m hoping once I get back from vacation that I’ll be able to get my home garden going.

The concept behind the Home Farming Movement is actually quite simple. Plant. Grow. Harvest and Share.  You can actually add your little home farm to a community-based map and share and swap with others around you.  I was excited to find so many farms in my area.  Also, the website is loaded with useful information to make sure your garden is a success.  I totally needed this last year.

So tell me.  Have you planted any basil or dill from the Triscuit boxes?

I received free product along with a gift card in order to facilitate this post.  No other compensation was received.

Okay, don’t get  me wrong.  I love my 17″ pretty pink Dell laptop and it’s perfect when I’m working from home, but carrying this thing around and using it while traveling just isn’t an option anymore.  It’s too big and it’s hard to handle while on the go.  So, I need suggestions from y’all for a new smaller laptop.  I need something practical that would basically be used for all my blogging activities while traveling.  It really doesn’t need to be anything fancy, just something that is easy to use and something that works fast.  I’ve always had Dell computers, so naturally I’m drawn to a Dell but I’ll happily take other suggestions too!

I’m not looking to spend a ton of money or anything and really just looking to get the most for my money.  I’m sure I could find a pretty good HP coupon as well as some Dell discount codes, so either of those brands will work.  I love Apple, but I don’t think I could switch right now.  So if you have any personal experiences you would love to share or just a laptop that you know works, please let me know in the comments below.  As always, thank you for your help!

Image: Michelle Meiklejohn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Last week I was in Dearborn, Michigan taking a tour of the Ford facilities.  I learned so much and it opened my eyes to the amount of testing that actually goes in to each and every aspect of each and every vehicle.  When I say the facilities are enormous, I don’t think that even comes close to explaining just how incredibly big the whole Ford complex is.  The Dearborn Truck Plant alone has just over 3,000 employees and sits on 1,100 acres.  That doesn’t include the Engine Plant, the Stamping Plant, the test course or where they do the safety testing.   I’m not sure of the exact number of the area of land that Ford owns, but it’s H.U.G.E.!

I’m going to preface this post with saying that my family owns a Ford and I’m happy to be a Ford owner.  After learning some of the history of Henry Ford and his vision, it’s nice to see that his vision from so many years ago is still the vision of the Ford executives and employees today. I’m not a car enthusiast and really have no vehicle knowledge other than the basics.  What you read on this post, is strictly my opinions and thoughts on the things I read, heard and saw while touring the Ford facilities and speaking with the executives.

During the first day of my stay we went on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Safety Innovation Lab and had the opportunity to see what crash test dummies really go through, learned about the Servo sled (an exclusive demo tool designed just for Ford), and watched as an air bag deployed.  And who gets face-to-face with the crash test dummies and doesn’t get a picture…not me obviously!

Do you know how much a crash test dummy costs?  I was astounded to learn that they range from the $100K range all the way to $150K!  I’m definitely in the wrong business, that’s for sure.  As you can see from the picture, there are a variety of crash test dummies that are used during these safety tests ranging from an adult male to a tiny 12-month infant.  Although, I will say the 100-lb female crash test dummy is not the standard for women these days. Who weighs 100-lbs anymore?

If you’ve never heard an airbag deploy, then you can not understand just how loud it is.  It’s incredibly loud and resembles a gun shot being fired right at your face.  We were told that most people don’t recall the sound, but truthfully, that’s hard to believe with a noise that loud.  I’m sure the panic, fear and anxiety takes over and your brain probably blocks things from remembrance.  I’m thinking probably a little like childbirth.  The pain at the time is so real, but after a few years you seem to forget just how bad it really was.  Probably not a good analogy, but that’s all you get when I’m lacking sleep.

The Research and Engineering Center in Dearborn, Michigan has conducted more than 17,000 crash tests since 1954.  On average 2-3 crash tests are conducted each day with over 500 tests per year.  To say I was shocked is an understatement when I learned that each crash test costs anywhere from $100K – $500K.

One of the newest safety features that will be debuted on the next-generation Ford Explorer is inflatable seat belts. This technology combines the attributes of traditional seat belts and air bags to provide an added level of crash safety protection for rear seat occupants. This new and advanced restraint system is designed to help reduce head, neck and chest injuries for passengers in the back seat, which are often children and older passengers who can be more vulnerable to such injuries. I’d love to have this safety feature in my vehicle.

Another safety feature that I learned about is Curve Control. There are about 50,000 crashes per year on curves and Curve Control is designed to slow down a vehicle by 10 mph in just one second. While it will eventually be on all Ford vehicles, they are starting with larger vehicles first.  I was able to experience Curve Control working while riding in an Explorer going around a curve at 50 mph.  Curve Control took over and immediately slowed the Explorer down while in the curve.  It was awesome to feel it working without the driver telling the vehicle what to do.

Some other safety features that really caught my attention is the MyKey and Cross Traffic Alert.  MyKey is perfect for parents with teenage drivers at home because it allows you to program certain aspects of the car such as music volume, speed control and more!  I saw Cross Traffic Alert in action and it is designed to keep you safe when backing out of a busy parking lot.  If you are backing up and there is someone or something approaching the back of the vehicle, you will hear an audible alarm plus there is a light that will illuminate on the side mirror on the side that the vehicle is approaching.  Pretty genius…right?!?

One of the most impressive experiences of this trip was driving the Ford Flex and experiencing Active Park Assist.  I’ve never paralleled park because quite frankly, I’m a country gal and the need to parallel park in a town of 1,200 just really isn’t necessary.  But while I was at the Ford facilities I captured a quick video of the Active Park Assist at work.

I seriously want a Ford Flex just so I can parallel park in places that don’t need to be parallel parked in…

I had an absolute blast in Michigan and learned so much about Ford and their commitment to safety. I’m happy to be a Ford owner and I look forward to all the research Ford is doing with the most sophisticated digital human body model to make Ford vehicles even safer.

I was given an all-expense paid trip to visit the Ford facilities but no monetary compensation took place. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are all mine and not influenced by anyone.

P&G is a brand that you can find in almost every room in my house.  It’s a brand that I love and a brand that I can stand behind.  I was recently sent a bucket full of some of the new P&G products and I wanted to share a little bit about them with you.

Crest 3D White Professional Effects Whitestrips –Whitens as well as $500 treatments* (*vs. light/laser systems)

Venus Bikini – Shave, Trim & Hydrate for Bikini Beautiful Skin

Ultra Dawn Plus Baking Soda Alternative – Fights tough odors even on plastics. Recommended by Tupperware.

Olay Regenerist Micro Sculpting Serum – Significantly firmer skin in just 5 days* (*hydrates for firmer looking skin vs. baseline)

PUR 1-Click Faucet Filter – the first faucet filter with 1-click installation – an easy way to remove 99% of lead and microbial cysts

If you’re a fan of P&G products, make sure you check your Sunday paper on the first Sunday of the month to pick up your P&G brandSAVER coupon booklet!