Now, more than ever, I’m finding that I need help keeping the family organized and running smoothly.  Between the kids daily activities, my work schedule and other family and extracurricular obligations, I constantly feel that I’m forgetting to do something or forgetting to take someone, somewhere.

I’ve been looking around for something to help keep our family organized and I found out about DoughMain, which is an online family organizer.  This online tool acts as a family organizer, chore tracker and allowance tracker but also offers tools that help teach children about earning money, saving money and spending money.

As someone who is required to be online most of the day because of my job, I find that using an online tool is more efficient and effective for me.  I can access our information from any computer and don’t have to wait until I get home to look at a calendar or chart.  As I’ve been using DoughMain, here are my thoughts on tools they offer.

Family Calendar: The family calendar offers the functionality to keep track of everyone’s schedules and appointments.  It is color-coded so that you can easily identify each family member and their schedule.  You have the capability to sync the calendar with other platforms and can can manage it from your smartphone.

Chore Tracker: My children are at the age now where they need to be helping out around the house.  We haven’t been really strict on chores, but now that we’ve moved into a bigger house with more square footage, it’s too much for me and my husband to do on our own.  We’ve starting assigning the children chores, but hadn’t been keeping track of who did or didn’t do what.  The Chore Tracker makes it easy to keep track of what needs to be done, assigning the chore to a specific person and also allows you the capability to assign an allowance and/or Dough Points,  for each chore done.  You can assign your child a profile and allow them to access their profile to check off completed tasks.  Once they’ve completed a chore, you will be notified and have the option to approve it, if it was done right.  Only one of my children is allowed computer time, so I login with their profile and check off completed chores for approval.

Allowance and Dough Points Tracker: There are two ways to reward for completing tasks on the chore chart.  When your children complete chores, they are awarded the amount of Dough Points you specify.  You can also specify a certain dollar amount that will be awarded every week for completing chores.  At this point, we are only awarding $5 per week allowance per child, but they can use their Dough Points for special privileges such as 30 minutes of TV time, a sleepover, pizza outing, etc.  This will allow you to keep an accurate account of what they’ve earned and will allow them to see that when they help out, they earn special privileges.

DoughMain also features online games that teach basic money lessons and how to manage a business. TheFunVault.com is a Flash game portal aimed at children five and up that teaches basic money lessons. SandDollarCity.com is a multi-player virtual world where children ages eight to 12 learn how to manage the families candy shop. As we all know, technology plays a huge role in our lives and as our children get older, it will in theirs too. I think that learning games, while still offering a fun component, is the best way for children to learn.

If you are looking for a way to get your family organized, I recommend trying out DoughMain.  It’s a free service that offers you the convenience of keeping your schedule, chore charts and allowance tracker all in one place.  If you are going to sign up for the service, in the reference code section, please type in the word “mommy.”

Giveaway:

One (1) winner will receive a $100 Visa Gift Card!

How to Enter:

Simply leave me a comment below letting me know what feature on DoughMain do you think your family could benefit the most from!

Extra Entries Available:

After you have completed the first entry, you are eligible for additional entries. Make sure you leave a separate comment for EACH entry. Each counts as one extra entry unless noted otherwise.

• Subscribe to Simply Being Mommy by reader or email.
• Add Simply Being Mommy (Crystal Reagan) on Google+.
• Join the Simply Being Mommy Community.
• “Like” Simply Being Mommy and DoughMain on Facebook.
• Follow Simply Being Mommy and DoughMain on Twitter AND Tweet about the giveaway. Leave the URL to the Tweet in your comment. You can tweet once a day, but remember to leave the URL to each tweet. You must have at least 50 followers for this extra entry. You can tweet ” Enter to win a $100 Visa Gift Card from @simplybeingmom and @DoughMainBuzz http://bit.ly/KJVPTh #giveaway “
• Create an account on DoughMain and use the reference code “mommy.”

This giveaway will end on June 5th at 11:59 PM Central time. Winner will be chosen via a random number generator. Giveaway is open to US entries. The winner must contact me in 48 hours to claim their prize. Good luck to everyone!

The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely that of the blog owners. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. I received compensation for my time in trying out the service and facilitating this post.

After seeing the first 30 minutes of Brave and sitting down with the Director, Mark Andrews and Producer, Katherine Sarafian, I’m in awe of the talent and determination these two people possess.  And I’d probably be lying just a little bit if I said I wasn’t just a tad bit jealous.

During Katherine’s years at Pixar, she has an impressive line of accomplishments including her work on A Bug’s Life, Monsters, Inc., The Incredibles, Lifted, Ratatouille and now Brave.  As far as working at Pixar, Sarafian says “I’m coming up on 18 years working here, so obviously I like it. I really like being here. I think of it as an anchor and a home for me.” She went on to say that “I like that supportive atmosphere, and I consider the people here some of my closest friends.”

The story behind Brave is based on the relationship with Brenda Chapman, the films original Director.  The team has been working on Brave for nearly seven years and during this time the title has flip-flopped back and forth.  Sarafian disclosed that for a short time, Bear and the Bow replaced the films original title, but Brave seemed to be a more suitable title so it was reinstated a short time later.

Sarafian has been on working on the film from almost the very beginning and she says the biggest challenge of creating a film like Brave is “trying to tell a great story to the Pixar level of quality, it’s a challenge…because we really want to do the best that we can… and it’s hard work, it takes a long time, and we never stop.”

When Katherine was asked what character in Brave she would most relate to, she said “I think it’ll change based on the fact that I’m really feeling that working mom thing. I think I relate to Elinor, trying to kind of pull the kingdom together. But on a core level, I probably relate to Merida more, because as a teenager I was, very sure that nobody understood me.”

Given we did this interview several weeks ago, they should be completely done with Brave.  I can’t wait for the June 22nd release date!

I was invited to San Francisco as a guest of Pixar. Most of my expenses were paid and all opinions are my own.

I know that many of my readers are either about to be a new mommy, a new mommy again or have already delivered their little bundle of joy.  Because of this, I teamed up with the kind folks over at Dreft to offer a giveaway designed specifically for you!

Dreft, the baby laundry detergent that is most recommended by pediatricians and the brand that parents have trusted for over 75 years is as gentle for baby’s skin as washing in water and it’s specially formulated for babies with a light baby scent that moms love. When I was pregnant with my children, I used Dreft to help prepare for their arrival by washing all clothes, towels, blankets and bedding with Dreft.

Don’t forget to visit Dreft’s new Facebook page to engage with a community of moms, receive laundry tips and learn about great giveaway opportunities.

Giveaway:

One (1) winner will receive a Dreft New Mom and Baby Gift Basket that includes a variety of Dreft products!

How to Enter:

Simply visit leave me a comment below letting me know why you think it’s important to use Dreft!

Extra Entries Available:

After you have completed the first entry, you are eligible for additional entries. Make sure you leave a separate comment for EACH entry. Each counts as one extra entry unless noted otherwise.

• Subscribe to Simply Being Mommy by reader or email.
• Add Simply Being Mommy (Crystal Reagan) on Google+.
• Join the Simply Being Mommy Community.
• “Like” Simply Being Mommy and Dreft on Facebook.
• Follow Simply Being Mommy on Twitter AND Tweet about the giveaway. Leave the URL to the Tweet in your comment. You can tweet once a day, but remember to leave the URL to each tweet. You must have at least 50 followers for this extra entry. You can tweet ” Enter to win a Dreft New Mom and Baby Gift Basket from @simplybeingmom http://bit.ly/K5y0E1 #giveaway “

This giveaway will end on June 4th at 11:59 PM Central time. Winner will be chosen via a random number generator. Giveaway is open to US entries. The winner must contact me in 48 hours to claim their prize. Good luck to everyone!

The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely that of the blog owners. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. I didn’t receive anything facilitate this post because I just wanted to offer something special during this special time.

I was talking to some fellow parents last week and they were saying how they purchased URL’s in their children’s name. It was like an immediate slap in the forehead and one of those, “why didn’t I think of that” moments. Why hadn’t I had that brilliant idea that would make sure my children had their own personalized URL when they were ready?

That evening, I spent more than I care to talk about purchasing domains on Go Daddy for my children.

Those that know me, know that I don’t spend frivolously and I’m pretty tight with our money. But that evening, I didn’t care. I had to make sure my children had that when they were older and didn’t care how much it cost me.

My daughter is almost nine and already talking about starting her own website. I want to be able to give her the flexibility of having her own site and love that Go Daddy offers that for her. With WebSite Tonight®, a Go Daddy site builder, you have access to a template library containing over 2,000 design and color combinations and 120 pre-built websites. With that many options, there is bound to be something suitable for everyone.

I haven’t told the children yet, but I’m thinking about telling them on my daughter’s ninth birthday. Although my sons are a little to young to appreciate it, I think my daughter will.

There’s a lot that I did not know about Go Daddy! I use them to purchase all my domains and didn’t realize they have so many tools for bloggers! If you are a blogger, or just want to start a family website, check out www.godaddy.com to learn more!

And don’t forget to join in the conversation for your chance to win 3 year Unlimited 4GH Hosting from Go Daddy!

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

In the last few months, we’ve sold a home and purchased a new home.  I’m so glad the whole process is behind us (the stress was just too much) but during those stressful months I learned a LOT about myself and a LOT about what you don’t need to do and what you need to do to sell a home.

Photo Source: TruGreen

We’ve been in our new home for about two months and while we haven’t done too terribly much to our yard (don’t judge, we still have boxes to unpack), my husband does make sure that our yard looks nice at all times.  The curb appeal of your home is the first thing that people are going to see and you want it to be a good reflection of you.

Tips for Creating Curb Appeal

Install Outdoor Lighting. Low-voltage or solar landscape lighting can make a huge impact on your home’s curb appeal while also providing safety and security. They can be used to add accent lighting to trees, a flag, the house or simply illuminate a walking path. We have landscape lighting around the three trees in our yard, in addition to outlining the flower beds.

Don’t over-landscape. While there are times that adding elements to your landscaping can improve curb appeal, there are other times when removing something is even more effective. Be selective on the plants and shrubbery you put in your yard and make sure it compliments your home rather than take away from it’s appeal.

Think like a buyer.  Even if you aren’t planning on selling your home anytime soon, curb appeal is not something you create in a couple of weeks but rather something you create and nurture over time.  Take a step back and look at your house through the eyes of a buyer.  What are the best features of your home and where is there room for improvement?  Work on the areas that need improving and draw attention to those features of your home you think are special and set your home apart.

Keep it neat.  Keep your yard in tip-top shape with regular mowings and edging.  Properly maintain flower beds and areas around shrubs by making sure they are free of weeds.  Make sure garbage cans and children’s toys are kept out of sight preferably in a dedicated spot in the garage or backyard.

Lawn Care Tips

Water.  Your lawn can not survive without being properly watered.  The experts say that it’s best to water once per week, but make sure you water deep.  When you give your lawn a weekly soaking like that, it will help the roots extend deeper into the soil.

Weed and Feed.  There’s no doubt that weeds can kill a lawn.  It’s recommended that you fertilize your yard at least twice per year; once in the spring and once in the fall. It’s best to test your soil’s pH first so you know exactly what your soil is lacking and can treat it properly.

Mow.  Just like you hair needs a trim every once in a while, you lawn does too (only more often).  Not only does it help the curb appeal of your home by having a nicely mowed yard, when you mow properly (will be different for each grass type) it helps aid in better root development.

While these tips seem obvious and elementary, it’s important that you actually understand what you’re doing.  Just watering, feeding and mowing isn’t going to win you “Yard of the Month.”  You need to figure out what type of grass you have, get your soil tested and then you can create a plan of action to get your lawn in immaculate shape.

TruGreen has recently launched an educational web series starring TV Host Jason Cameron. During these webisodes, he provides simple tips for enhancing your home’s outer charm. According to the National Association of Realtors, “Curb appeal sells 49 percent of all homes.” But whether you’re selling or not, these seasonal webisodes will show you how healthy lawns and landscapes can help homeowners boost first impressions of their home.

And if you haven’t already, make sure you like TruGreen on Facebook to keep up-to-date with everything lawn related.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and TruGreen blogging program, and was compensated for my time. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own. To read more on this topic, click here.

Having a baby should be an incredibly exciting time in your life, right? You are bringing this precious little miracle into existence but if you were like me, all you could think about was getting the nursery just right.  The right colors, the right products, the right decor…everything just had to be right!

Please don’t tell me I was the only one…

I was a panicky, blubbery mess trying to make sure everything was perfect for baby’s arrival.  Everything had to be perfect, it just had to be.  Everything had its place, the colors had to match the bedding exactly and we couldn’t forget all the little knick-knacks that rounded out the room.  It was a gruesome, tiresome and trying time because, it had to be perfect and I felt like I was having to make all these decorating decisions all on my own (and when you know nothing about decor, that can be frightening).

But, don’t fret.  Discover the nursery color that you and your baby will love with Baby Room Colors from Glidden Paint, as seen in What to Expect When You’re Expecting (only in theaters).  You can also find tips from Colortopia team members for decorating a girl’s nursery and decorating a boy’s nursery.

My Colortopia is a website that provides tools, advice, information and encouragement to help you get decorating results that you will love and cherish.  I took the quiz and base on my personality, style and preferences it came up with results that fit me and my lifestyle.  The widget contains multiple choice questions and upon completion, it will provide you with color schemes that best fit you and your baby’s personality and lifestyle.

Glidden is currently running a giveaway on Circle of Moms for a chance to win a $2,500 Walmart gift card to use towards furnishing and setting up your dream nursery.  Entering the giveaway is super simple.  All you have to do is go to the giveaway on Circle of Moms, looks through the mood boards and comment on your favorite one.  Easy peasy, right?  The giveaway will run from May 17, 2012 through June 7, 2012 and the winner will be announced during the week of June 18, 2012 on MyColortopia.com.  Please visit the blog post on MyColortopia.com for more details regarding the giveaway.

I wish I would have had MyColortopia.com almost nine years ago when I was stressing over my daughter’s nursery.  These mood boards have given me inspiration for many new projects in our new home.  Although I don’t have “babies” anymore, each of my children have new rooms that need to be decorated.  According to these mood boards, I see a bunch of prints in our future.

I have been sponsored by Glidden brand paint to write this post but the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Unless you live under a rock, I’m sure you’ve heard of home parties.  I’ve attended many and been invited to more than I could ever attend but I’ve found they are loads of fun and allow you connect with other women.

Handmade Peaces in the latest craze in the home party industry.  They have a fresh and truly unique business model in the home party industry, fundraisers and online shopping.  They offer handcrafted and eco-friendly products made by artisans in the USA, no imports! They offer everything from artisan jewelry, home décor, clothing, children items, garden, gift items and so much more!

They “pay it forward” and promote the little guy, charities AND “going green”.  They also make it easy for you to host your online home party through email and social media outlets including Facebook, and Twitter. Plus, your free products or hostess rewards add up faster because you can go nationwide with your party reaching out to friends, family, co-workers and followers.

Use Promo Code DFD0010 to redeem a $10.00 coupon off $65 or more on top of your home party, OR online purchase when you LIKE or SHARE on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Flckr. This offer expires on June 6, 2012 and can be forwarded to others as well so pass it on AND PROMOTE MADE IN THE USA!

How to Enter to Win

1. Make sure each of the Facebook Page buttons say you already like them
2. Now do the same for the Twitter buttons below – make sure you are following them all.

Follow @handmadepeaces	Follow @Deals4Dummies
Follow @simplybeingmom	Follow @waystosave
Follow @SassyScorpYM	Follow @MyBaybah
Follow @queenofswag4u	Follow @MamaBeeDoes
Follow @klippinkrazy	Follow @tammileetips

3. Now use the Rafflecopter form to record your entries. To start, click on the first button that says “DO IT” and complete the task!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Must be over 18 to enter. Giveaway ends June 1, 2012 at 12:01am EST. Winner will be chosen and notified by email within 72 hours of giveaway close. Winner must respond to winning email notification within 48 hours or another random winner will be chosen.

Thank you to Handmade Peaces for sponsoring this giveaway.

During baby’s first year, there are some baby products that make that difficult first year, a little bit easier. Fisher-Price recently did a poll of hundreds of BabyCenter Moms, and they’ve came up with a list of ten products that are Mom’s First Year Favorites and my favorites are on the list (no surprise there).

I will be co-hosting the Fisher-Price #FPBabyGear Twitter Party, along with Erika @ErikaB, Jennifer @Mami2Mommy, Colleen @classymommy, Dee @twoofakind, on Tuesday, May 22nd from 7-8pm EST. During the hour we will be giving away ten (10) $50 AMEX cards.

Fisher-Price will be re-purposing some of the tweets from the Twitter Party to place on the BabyGear site. They are requesting that when you RSVP in the comments below, that you include a disclosure with your comment. Guests who do not RSVP are more than welcome to participate, but Fisher-Price will not be using their Tweets on the BabyGear site. To RSVP for and join this Twitter party, post “RSVP” in the comments section below. If you would potentially like to see your Tweets and other materials that you contribute to the Twitter party appear in future Fisher-Price advertising, in addition to posting “RSVP” in the comments section below, also cut and paste the following agreement to the release at http://www.fisher-price.com/twitterrelease/, followed by Twitter handle:

“I agree to the release at http://www.fisher-price.com/twitterrelease/, including Fisher-Price’s advertising and other use of my content and identity [Insert Your Twitter handle].”

Please be aware that the release includes a broad license for Fisher-Price to use your Twitter party content and your Twitter handle for any other purpose including Fisher-Price’s advertising. See http://www.fisher-price.com/twitterrelease/ for full terms and conditions.

I look forward to connecting with you on during the #FPBabyGear Twitter Party!

Compensation was provided by Fisher-Price, but Fisher-Price is not a sponsor, administrator, or involved in any other way with this post. All opinions expressed in the post are my own and not those of Fisher-Price.

When I started my blog a little over three years ago, I had no idea what I was doing. I was a stay-at-home mom just trying to reach out to other moms hoping there was someone else out there experiencing what I was experiencing as a mom.

And I did just that and more!

I’m amazed at where I am now and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for me and Simply Being Mommy.

One of the things I learned very early on in my blogging career was that I needed professional business cards. People are constantly asking me about what I do and that inevitably leads to them asking for a business card.  Being able to hand over a business card that represents me and one that I’m proud of is my top priority when ordering business cards.

I’ve partnered with UPrinting to offer a giveaway of business cards.  You will be able to choose from a few different options as shown below.

Sizes to choose from:

• 2 x 3.5″ Rounded Corners
• 2 x 2″ Rounded Corners
• 1.75 x 3.5″ Rounded Corners
• 2 x 3.5″ Leaf
• 2 x 3.5 Rounded one corner
• 2 x 3.5″ Half Circle Side
• 2 x 3.5″ Oval
• 2.5″ Circle

Paper to choose from:

• 14pt Cardstock Gloss / Matte / High Gloss (UV)
• 13pt Cardstock Uncoated

You will have to provide your own business card design with the UPrinting dimensions.  If you are making your own business cards or having someone design them for you, please refer to these templates so that your business cards come out the way you want them.

Buy:

You can purchase business cards from UPrinting starting at just $20.

Giveaway:

One (1) winner will receive 250 Die Cut Business Cards!

How to Enter:

Simply leave me a comment below letting me know which size business card you would get!

Extra Entries Available:

After you have completed the first entry, you are eligible for additional entries. Make sure you leave a separate comment for EACH entry. Each counts as one extra entry unless noted otherwise.

• Subscribe to Simply Being Mommy by reader or email.
• Add Simply Being Mommy (Crystal Reagan) on Google+.
• Add UPrinting on Google+.
• Join the Simply Being Mommy Community.
• “Like” Simply Being Mommy and UPrinting on Facebook.
• Follow Simply Being Mommy and UPrinting on Twitter AND Tweet about the giveaway. Leave the URL to the Tweet in your comment. You can tweet once a day, but remember to leave the URL to each tweet. You must have at least 50 followers for this extra entry. You can tweet ” Enter to win 250 die cut business cards from @simplybeingmom and @UPrinting http://bit.ly/Kux3oP #giveaway “

This giveaway will end on May 29th at 11:59 PM Central time. Winner will be chosen via a random number generator. Giveaway is open to US entries. The winner must contact me in 48 hours to claim their prize. Good luck to everyone!

The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely that of the blog owners. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. I received compensation in order to facilitate this post.

Join me this Thursday, May 17th from 7-8pm EST as I co-host the #ChopInspiration Twitter Party with the National Pork Board and The Motherhood.  I hope you’ll join us to get recipe inspiration, test your “pork chop personality,” and win some pretty great prizes!

Five prize packs will be given away throughout the hour, based on responses to trivia questions. They will include $20 in pork coupons, a new Weber grill and other items to help unleash the power of the pork chop.  To RSVP for the party, click this link and press the orange button at the top right that says “Count me in!”

Other Co-Hosts

Divina, for Mom Confessionals
Ellen, Confessions of an Overworked Mom
Heather, The Fabulous Finds
Jackie, Free is My Life
Jennifer, Mom Spotted
Louise, Mom Start
Nichol, KiddiesCorner Deals
Stacey, Tree, Root and Twig
Victoria, Veep Veep

I hope to see you at the #ChopInspiration Twitter Party on Thursday evening!

I am a compensated co-host for this Twitter Party.  All thoughts and opinions are my own and not influenced in any way.