Rockwell Tools recently came out with two new tools, the BladeRunner X2 Portable Table saw and the Sonicrafter F30.  We previously worked with Rockwell on the Sonicrafter X2, a now older model, and Andrew loved it, so I was excited for him to try out the new one.  We were given the opportunity to use the Sonicrafter for a pumpkin carving project or the Portable Table saw for a DIY sign project.  Skibbles and I had just visited a pumpkin patch and got an extremely large pumpkin that was perfect for the project so we went with that.

He then used the Sonicrafter to take off the top of the pumpkin and then worked on the rest. He said it was the easiest pumpkin carving he’s ever done, as well as the most fun.  He loves the new Sonicrafter and says it’s fast and lightweight and didn’t get heavy while doing the entire project.  He’s actually asked to go buy more pumpkins so he can use the tool again.

Rockwell Sonicrafter F30 is the newest oscillating tool from Rockwell.  It’s up to twice as fast as competing brands!  The 3.5amp F30 and 4 amp F50 oscillating tools work harder than the competitors too!  What’s even greater is the true Universale Fit to accept other brand’s accessories without compromise.  It can be found at Lowes nationwide for $119.99 and comes in a hard case with separate bulk storage areas for the accessories. 

The Rockwell Bladerunner was one of the most popular benchtop table saws on the market, cutting everything from wood to plastic to ceramic tile and more! Now, the Rockwell BladeRunner X2  has launched, accommodating for longer and wider workpieces.  The new blade guard also has a splitter, helping to keep straight cuts on track and weighs 15lbs less than before! What makes this better than other benchtop saws?  The blade.  Instead of a saw blade, it has a standard 4in T-shanked jigsaw blade.  Available at many locations for $119.99 and covered by a 3yr warranty.

While I support all these topics in concept, I don’t practice many of them with my own sons, now ages 2 and 6. We have always used disposable diapers, I bottle-fed them both, I went back to work full-time when my oldest son was 2 ½ and worked until my youngest was 18 months old before returning home to blog full-time. We try our best to eat whole foods when possible, but don’t adhere to an organic diet and can sometimes be found in the fast food drive-thru lane.

At the event I rubbed elbows with many a mom carrying a baby or toddler in a carrier, dads following their children around while their significant other browsed the booths with baltic amber teething necklaces, essential oils and baby leggings. I struck up conversations with many moms who didn’t even have a booth and found out many had blogs of their own, were doulas, take their children to babywearing ballet, and could tell me the merits of the different kinds of cloth diapers and carriers. What I ended up taking from the experience is at our core we are all just trying to do the very best we can for our children. I teach my sons not to point out others differences and to embrace everyone regardless of their differences in opinion and beliefs and I know many other parents preach the same values so why shouldn’t we apply them to how we treat one another?

 

I’d love to share one of the products I received at MommyCon, a Kiinde Breastfeeding Starter Kit. 

BUY IT!  You can purchase the Kiinde Twist Breastfeeding Starter Kit

 for just $39.99 when you head over to Amazon.   

 

This breastmilk collection, storage, preparation, and feeding gift set contains:

20 Twist Pouches, direct-pump, recyclable breastmilk storage pouches
8 Direct-Pump adapters (compatible with ALL major pump brands)
1 Keeper breastmilk storage bag holder
2 Squeeze natural feeding bottles
1 Slow flow Active Latch nipple with case
1 Medium flow Active Latch nipple with case
1 Fast flow Active Latch nipple with case
2 Nipple cleaning brushes

This giveaway is a $39.99 ARV.  One lucky reader is going to win this for themselves.  Just fill out the giveaway form below.

About the author: Mending the Piggy Bank’s author and newly minted stay-at-home-mom to two crazy boys ages 2 and 6, Brianna, shares her frugal living tips, squealin’ fun activities in the Central PA area to do, hot deals, product reviews and delicious recipes on her growing blog. The self-described thrifty mama extraordinaire stockpiles name-brand diapers for $2 a package, cooks amazing meals on a $50 per week budget for her family of 4 and couponed long before it was considered a verb.

*Disclosure: This is a guest post.  Thoughts and opinions may differ from ours. Affiliate links may be contained in this post. We receive a small commission for purchases and thank you for helping us continue to run our site.

Giving birth is hard work, but that hard work doesn’t end once the beautiful bundle of joy is placed in your arms. In fact, it’s just begun. Establishing a nursing relationship, sleepless nights, and the constant stream of visitors wanting to sneak a peek of the newest member of the family can be exhausting. One of the more difficult aspects of bringing home a new baby is navigating all of the well-intentioned advice from family and friends. Hold the baby, don’t hold the baby, swaddle, don’t swaddle, it can make your head spin. Whether this is your first child or your tenth, there are differences with every birth that a family could use support in the changes. A postpartum doula can help navigate those early weeks.  But, what does a postpartum doula do exactly? First, it’s important to understand “what is a doula”.  A doula is a professional that provides continuous support before, during, and after birth. A postpartum doula specifically helps after a family has given birth and typically doesn’t see the family until they are home.  Research has shown the a quality postpartum doula can ease the transition that a family experiences with the addition of a family member and reduce the risk of postpartum depression (DONA).  There’s no “one thing” that you can say a postpartum doula does because their job requirements change daily based on the family’s needs.  They can stay with one family anywhere from a few hours to a few months and their hours vary based on the family’s needs as well.  A postpartum doula’s goal is to nurture the entire family and provide them with education, rather than only focusing on the baby.  So, Why Should You Hire a Postpartum Doula? Here’s 10 Reasons that a Hiring a Postpartum Doula could help ease your family’s transition to a new baby:   1) Assistance in making informed decisions 2) Emotional support beyond birth 3) Physical support beyond birth 4) Faster recovery from birth 5) Increased rate of success with breastfeeding 6) Assistance in meal and snack prep 7) Help caring for siblings 8) Access to a network of providers 9) Extensive knowledge in typical newborn behaviors 10) Reduction in instances of postpartum depression Who wouldn’t want to have a beautiful postpartum experience? A postpartum doula can assist in achieving that goal.   To find a doula in your area, check out Doula Match.   About the Author:  Lori resides in South Jersey, just outside of Philadelphia, with her husband of three years and a 2-year-old son.  They are a semi-crunchy family that cloth diapers, breastfeeds, and babywears.

Welcome to Time for Mom, the best parenting link up around!

Time for Mom is a place for mom bloggers to link up and connect with other mom bloggers!  You do not have to link up a post about parenting only, your post can be about anything as long as you’re a mom!  We only ask that it is today’s post or a recent one, and that you don’t link up the same post each week.  Please remember to check out a few others in the hop!  It’s no fun to link and run!

Please be sure to take a moment to follow your host and co-hosts in some way!

Rachel @ Can’t Google Everything

Larisha @ We’re Parents

Brie @ {…a breezy life}

Melissa @ Two Miracles

 

And if you didn’t get enough of us on our blogs, check out our Time for Mom Superstars Pinterest Board!  Each week we will pin some of our favorites from the link up to the board! Check it out and see who was pinned!

 

 

 

 

We have each picked a blog post from last week to feature!  This may be a fun recipe or kids activity, or a post that really inspired us or that we related with.  Be sure to check them out if you didn’t already last week!

Check these great post from last week out!

• Tips for going to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
• Halloween Shadow Puppets
• Superhero Nesting Dolls
• Trix Monster Treats

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Thanks for linking up!  By linking up with us you are opting in to our weekly email reminder for this hop and giving us permission to use an image from your blog if chosen for our weekly featured posts.  We will always link back to your post when we use your image when we feature you!

*Disclosure: This is a guest post.  Thoughts and opinions may differ from ours. Affiliate links may be contained in this post. We receive a small commission for purchases and thank you for helping us continue to run our site.

No one prepares you for that moment. I didn’t read about what to do when my son doesn’t start talking in any books while I was pregnant.

We didn’t notice that anything was wrong until we hung out with his younger cousin. She was saying several words and he had yet to say mama or dada. She was running around smiling, laughing, and calling after her mama, saying ball, baby and bubba. Jace wasn’t saying anything, he was barely babbling. I was ashamed, which led to anger, which led to disappointment. Not in him, but myself. What was I doing wrong? Why wasn’t he speaking? The more I thought about it the more I wanted to cry. I asked around and the response was usually the same. “Boys develop slower”. Jon and I were not going to accept that as our answer. We began our search for help and understanding.

The next week was his 15 month well-visit. I voiced our concerns to his pediatrician who recommended we call and set up an evaluation with Early Intervention. It is a program offered to all families, free in most cases- a therapist will come and work with your child if they “fail” or fall short on a certain test. He mentioned that most children were not tested or accepted into the program until 18 months. I refused to wait.

Six stalker-ish phone calls later and I finally arranged an appointment for him to be evaluated. As the day of the evaluation drew closer I felt sick. What were they going to say? What will be his diagnosis? After the two hour evaluation I felt my stomach spinning waiting for their response. As the words fell from their mouth I felt like I was miles away. “Your son has excelled and preformed at a two year old level in all areas…”a smile took over my face. 

“Except for in his speech” 

I felt myself crawling into a shell. I knew he was behind, but hearing someone tell you makes it all that more real. “What happens now?”, I asked. They informed me that a therapist would be assigned to work with him every other week. She would come to our house and play with him while trying to encourage his use of words. And that is where our journey began.

Marje (his therapist), was due to arrive any minute for his first session. So many things crossed my mind. “How will Jace act? Will he cooperate? Will he be scared? Do I stay in the room? Should I make snacks?” 

Snacks…Why am I thinking about snacks right now?

After his hour long session and our first progress report I felt relief and a bit of confusion. All they did was play on the floor, I do this with him every day. At that moment I did not believe that this was going to lead anywhere. To say I was doubtful in the program was an understatement. When Jon arrived home from work I discussed the day’s events with him. We agreed to follow through with the program until his three month review.

Jace was now saying about 5 words. Dada came first, followed by dog, cat, mum and what resembled thank you. Tears of joy and amazement took over me the first time I heard him say mum. 

Are we British? Nooo! 

What he called me did not matter; I was so gracious to be called “mum”. I had been waiting 18 months to hear this and I still smile every time I hear it escape from his mouth.

It was now time for our three month review. The woman in charge of his case was happy with what he had learned but recommended we add a second therapist- Jodi, JoJo as the kids call her. A look of worry took over my face. Why do we need another therapist? Is Jace that far behind? Then my worry changed to excitement. If Marje was able to get him to speak 5 words maybe Jodi could double, maybe triple that. I agreed and patiently awaited our first session.

When Jodi arrived she warned me that she had a different style than Marje. She pushed the children harder and expected them to try. Her demands would occasionally bring them to tears when they did not want to do what was asked of them. She told me I needed to be strong and reassured me that those tears would eventually lead to words. She wasn’t lying. After about a month of her visiting with Jace he was saying 10 words. 

Now in the present day he is saying an average of 23 words. They may not be perfect, but they are there. These 23 words may not seem like a big accomplishment to the everyday family, but to our family it is everything. We are so proud of Jace and all he has learned over these six months and it shows on our faces every day.

Today was our six month review and the progress Jace has made is outstanding. We have decided to increase Jodi’s visits to every week, while Marje remains at every other week. Not because we fear he is not progressing but because he is. I love watching him learn. I have gained so much confidence in the Early Intervention program, and Jace has gained confidence in himself. I can see the happiness in his eyes when he speaks, and I know he can see the joy on our faces too.

Is it still hard? Absolutely! When we are in public and people try to ask him questions and he doesn’t respond to them, they look at us funny. But no longer do I find myself making excuses. I bend down and look Jace in the eyes and try to sound out words with him. Jace is a brilliant young boy who like millions of other children, was diagnosed with a speech delay. 

Instead of being scared and running from it, take charge. Don’t be afraid to acknowledge that your child may need help. The earlier you begin the program the quicker you will see results. Early Intervention has been an amazing program for our family, and I guarantee it can only help yours too. Don’t waste another minute worrying in silence; your child’s voice could be right around the corner. And remember, you aren’t alone!

At First Signs, you can learn valuable information to see if the Early Intervention program would be beneficial to your family, as well as see the list of all services available. 

About the author: Melanie resides just south of Pittsburgh with her fiancé Jon and their two sons: Jace (who will be two in December) and Jaedyn (who was born in July). They are a cloth diapering, baby-wearing, breastfeeding, semi-crunchy family. 

*Disclosure: We received tix to MommyCon Philadelphia free of cost.. Thoughts and opinions are 100% ours. Affiliate links may be contained in this post. We receive a small commission for purchases and thank you for helping us continue to run our site.

Last year we went to the first MommyCon in Philadelphia.  Even though last year was tight and crowded, we had an incredible time all around last year and we know with the bigger venue this year, that it was going to be even better.  And it was! 
Unfortunately, we weren’t able to make the VIP day on Saturday, but we were determined to make Sunday enjoyable for the General Admission day.  I’m a firm believer in your experience is what you make of it, so we went in full of expectations that it was going to be fabulous.

When we arrived, we were able to check in quickly and easily.  We were given a booklet explaining what each seminar would be about, as well as a map that showed where each thing would be and were directed upstairs.  “Swag” bags weren’t ready when we got there, but after about 30 minutes, we saw on social media that they were available downstairs, so we went and grabbed them.

We love this parenting convention because whether you are new or a seasoned “attachment parent” there is something to learn if you just listen and take it all in with each speaker. Which, I’ll say, isn’t easy to do with a toddler wanting to run around.  But again, I was determined to have fun!

Overall, Skibbles was a huge sport during the event and we only had one meltdown.  Luckily, MoMo helped fix the meltdown.

The day was jammed packed with speakers on Attachment Parenting, Slow Movement, I Support You campaign, Breastfeeding, Babywearing, Car Seat Safety, Yoga, and SOOO much more. While I consider myself, personally, seasoned in attachment parenting, I still learned so much.  Jessica from The Leaky Boob, did a breastfeeding seminar about how Breastfeeding Heals.  It was incredibly powerful, and even though Skibbles and I did really have any issues, the first few weeks were hard, and knowing that I nourished her though the hard time is healing, but I had never put those two terms together.  I wish I could play the audio of her entire speech over and over again to so many struggling moms.

I’ll have to admit, my favorite part this year, hands down, was The Honest Toddler.  It was like a comedy show about my life.  I was curious if she would be as funny in person as she was on-line, and she was funnier.  She actually pulled a first time pregnant mom out of the audience and sat her down to discuss parenting.  “Want to eat chocolate?  You’ll have to do that in the bathroom” was one of her lines.   When describing toddler tantrums she can 5 main points

• Deadweight/Going Boneless
• Removal of pants, shoes, and/or socks
• Lowering oneself to the floor
• Break with reality
• Followed by 8 hours of sleep

Top Left: Xza, founder of Mommy Con and I. Bottom Left: Bunmi aka The Honest Toddler and I.  Right: Jessica aka The Leaky Boob and I

One of the most exciting things was that we the Babywearing World Record took place this year during MommyCon Philly and we were able to be apart of it.  Skibbles fell asleep, but we had such a fun time! It was amazing seeing all of those caregivers in one room wearing their babies and toddlers.  The official count hasn’t been released, but I’m hoping we broke it!

One of the funniest things was noticing a babywearing unicorn on the babywearing world record sign.

My interpretation: We all know unicorns are unique and each of us as a parent is unique in our parenting practices.  We need to respect each other and value the work we are doing as parents and try to judge less.

There was also some really exciting things happening as well.  Beco is a top sponsor of MommyCon events across the country and not only did they donate 200 carriers to the Lift Me Up and the Carrying On Project, but they announced that they would be releasing a toddler baby carrier at the end of October 2014, that will hold up to 60lbs.  This is HUGE.  There were three prints available and someone won each of them during MommyCon Philly making them the first people to own them. The founder of Beco even had Jamie, TheBabyGuyNYC, wear her in the toddler carrier to prove how strong it was.

The vendors were also amazing!  I was able to see many familiar brands like Happy Family, Joovy, Combi, Britax, Diono, and Baby K’tan; but, I was also able to learn about some amazing new brands like Kiinde, Bundle Me, Wean Green, and more.  There was a mix of national and small businesses there, and a great mix of products being offered to all moms.  I loved seeing new products from familiar brands too, like the new G2 Stroller from Combi that weighs just 8lbs, a new glass bottle from Joovy called The Boob, and the new Baby K’Tan Active carrier. 

There’s so much more to talk about from the comfy, plush lounge chairs in the nursing area to the awesome changing tables, cloth diaper resource center, toy area for the children, and the Babywearing Lounge.  So many amazing moments from seeing moms comfortable to pump or breastfeed in public, dads taking part in Project: Breastfeeding, and new and old friends coming together with one similar goal: to be the best, most nurturing parent and friend they can be to each other.

I continue to stand by and support everything that MommyCon is doing and continues to do for mothers and families all across the country.  So far, there’s no word on if there will be another Philly next year, but they will be in DC.  Here’s their line-up of the next cities they will be in:

*Disclosure: Affiliate links may be contained in this post. We receive a small commission for purchases and thank you for helping us continue to run our site. 

Fall is in full swing and that means that not only is the weather cooling down (at least here it is), but more than likely you are busier.  With kids back in school, there’s now homework, after school activities, sports, and more sucking away every last ounce of your time.  Today, we’ve gathered some of our closest friends recipes to put them all in one place for you!
Soups make for amazing fall meals for a variety of reasons:

• Warm and filling
• Great on your budget
• Makes a large portion that you can freeze leftovers for future meals or eat over several days
• Easy to Pack and eat on the run
• Many can be made in a slow cooker to save even more time

Welcome to Time for Mom, the best parenting link up around!

Time for Mom is a place for mom bloggers to link up and connect with other mom bloggers!  You do not have to link up a post about parenting only, your post can be about anything as long as you’re a mom!  We only ask that it is today’s post or a recent one, and that you don’t link up the same post each week.  Please remember to check out a few others in the hop!  It’s no fun to link and run!

Please be sure to take a moment to follow your host and co-hosts in some way!

Rachel @ Can’t Google Everything

Larisha @ We’re Parents

Brie @ {…a breezy life}

And if you didn’t get enough of us on our blogs, check out our Time for Mom Superstars Pinterest Board!  Each week we will pin some of our favorites from the link up to the board! Check it out and see who was pinned!

 

We have each picked a blog post from last week to feature!  This may be a fun recipe or kids activity, or a post that really inspired us or that we related with.  Be sure to check them out if you didn’t already last week! Last week we had a ton of great link ups!  Be sure to check out last week’s link up to see what you missed!  Here are a few we loved:

Stained Glass Art by Mosswood Connections  // Microwave Kale Chips by Do Try This at Home // Witches Brew by Domain of the Mad Mommy

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Thanks for linking up!  By linking up with us you are opting in to our weekly email reminder for this hop and giving us permission to use an image from your blog if chosen for our weekly featured posts.  We will always link back to your post when we use your image when we feature you!

• 8-in-1 tools
• Holds up to 300lbs
• Two oversized, balanced wheels
• Turbo Lift design makes load feels 4x lighter than traditional wheelbarrow
• Flat Free Tires – never need inflating!
• Easy Tool-Free 5 minute set-up

*Disclosure: We received the product(s) discussed in this post free of charge. Thoughts and opinions are 100% ours. Affiliate links may be contained in this post. We receive a small commission for purchases and thank you for helping us continue to run our site.

We love great food.  Who doesn’t!? But Andrew is ridiculously picky when it comes to food, especially trying new food, so we naturally avoided food tours when we first learned about them when moving to the area. I thought it was a great idea and I’ve always wanted to go on one, but not knowing what you are going to eat before you get there, naturally, made both of us nervous. However, we were recently invited to check out the Chew Philly Food Tours, and after discussing with Andrew we decided that we would try it!  And we’re so happy we did!
The Chew Philly Food Tour is a 2.5 hour long walking tour through the Manayunk (pronounced Man-e-yunk) section of Philadelphia, PA.  There are 6 food tastings during the tour that are equivalent to a hearty progressive lunch.

The tour starts at the first location and then walks throughout all of Manayunk before wrapping up on Main Street.  Our tour guide Amy, was amazing, and so knowledgeable at the area.  We walked along the canal and she explained how they are revitalizing the area and cleaning everything up.  She even knew exactly where turtles were on the walk.

Andrew and I are both into art and architecture, so this was the perfect tour to see all of that.  Part of the revitalization is creating works of art along pathways, especially the canal area.  I loved learning that the city actually left one section undone so that local artists could come in and work on it themselves.  Manayunk is full of so many fascinating characteristics that make this area feel both old fashioned and modern.  We loved exploring the neighborhood in one day.

But what about the food!?

I know that’s what you are all dying to hear about!  The first stop of the tour was Marchiano’s Bakery, known for their tomato pie and stuffed bread (we call this Pepperoni Rolls in West Virginia). We actually had a difficult time locating parking because there was a festival going on the same day, so we missed this stop, by Amy actually took us back at the end for us to still enjoy it!  The next stop was Lucky’s Last Chance where was had a PB&J Bacon Cheeseburger.  SAY WHAT!?  Yes, a cheeseburger with bacon and peanut butter and jam on the side.  Andrew and I both looked at each other and went for it.  And we both wish we would have had more to eat.  It was so amazing. This burger actually beat out several famous celebrity burgers (like Bobby Flay and Emeril) to win the 2013 Philly Burger Brawl.

The next two stops were combined.  We went Sorrentin’s Deli where we had a classic Philadelphia cheesesteak made in a 3rd generation deli and then as we were leaving we had classic Philadelphia pretzels from Tasty Twisters that Amy had picked up before the tour started.

We then stopped at Volo Coffeehouse for a cappuccino and while we aren’t a fan of coffee, then was better than anything we have tasted before. I loved learning that all of their pastries aren’t labeled because they want you to ask what they are and engage in a conversation with each other!

We ended the tour with Sweet Elizabeth’s Cupcakes.  The phrase “Save the best for last” definitely happened here.  Andrew said hands down this is the best cupcake he has ever tried.  And while I personally am not a huge fan of red velvet cupcakes, I had to agree it was pretty spectacular. I had no idea but the little treat on top of the cupcake was a candied beet.  I would have never guessed that!

We absolutely loved this tour and we loved the time we got to spend together as a family. We even got to stop in a park called Pretzel Park and we stopped for a photo.  It was a great adventure and we hope to do another one in the future. The tour is child friendly, but not stroller friendly, so we relied on our Boba carrier to take Skibbles with us the entire day!

The Chew Philly Four Tour is normally $60 a person but right now you can book their Haunted Tour for just $36.  Head over to their website to make a purchase.

 

We’re super excited to announce that we’re growing! Hold on, before you get super excited, it’s not what you may be thinking. Well, we hope you’re a little excited.

We are NOT pregnant….well, not that we know of, there’s always that possibility right?

However, I am thrilled to announce that we have added on new contributors to our site!

For the next three months, you will get to know some of our new contributors as they complete a three month internship.  There are going to be 8 interns.  They will be helping us complete product reviews, as well as producing content that we are sure you are going to want to read.  They live all over the US, from here in Jersey with me, to Louisiana, Pittsburgh, and all the way out to California!
We are thrilled to announce this news and we really excited to see where the next few months leads us with our new contributors.