Getting Organized As a Brother P-Touch Ambassador!

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Brother P-Touch and received a product sample to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

When I was a kid, I had some very unique interests. I saved my allowance for things that any other kid would groan if they received as a Christmas gift- things like a rock tumbler, a calendar with journal writing prompts for each day, and one of my favorites- a label maker.

I was always such a slob as a kid {just ask my Mom} but for some reason I have always loved labeling. I’m not sure if it’s the sense of everything having a place or what but being able to label a box of objects so that I don’t have to dig & search for it later is almost therapeutic to me. So you can imagine my excitement at being a Brother P-Touch Labeler Ambassador!

Brother P-Touch Labeler

I was already familiar with P-Touch labelers from my old desk job, but the one that I received from Brother & Mom Central is about a whole decade newer than the one I was used to, so it has a lot of fun features that the old one didn’t have. With this one, I can change my font style and size, include characters & even add cute little pictures! I’ve been having a lot of fun playing around with the labeler & I can’t wait to show you some of my projects in a couple of weeks.

clear-shoeboxes-as-storage

As a sneak peek, I have to show you the importance of having labels. Remember the above “medicine cabinet” {really, a shelf in my utility closet} that I featured last summer in Storage Ideas & Inspiration post? I was in love with this cabinet because it had previously been a wreck, but had been recently organized into categorized boxes. This is what it looked like last week:

Disorganized Medicine Cabinet

The problem? I never labeled the boxes. At the time, I didn’t have my labeler & I just never took the time to make my own labels. So whenever I’d go to put something back, I couldn’t remember which one was the right box & I would just put it to the side or in front. Obviously, that hasn’t been working very well, so last weekend I took my trusty P-Touch & tackled that big mess! I’m only halfway done, so I’ll show you the “After” in just a couple of weeks, but I promise it doesn’t look like that anymore!

Now that we are about to undertake the giant job of converting our home office into a nursery {eventually- this is not a pregnancy announcement just yet!} I’m trying to clean & organize to make room for everything that is getting displaced. That means I have a lot more to label!

To keep me motivated around here, I’ve been keeping up with the Brother P-Touch Facebook Tab & answering the great questions they’ve been asking. They’ve really gotten me thinking about what’s holding me back from organizing- and why I want to organize in the first place. I really feel like organizing is a lot easier when you know why you’re doing it- other than just that you “should”.

So what projects do you need to complete? Anything you’ve been meaning to organize? Be sure to come back in a few weeks & check out my progress!

It’s Almost National Learn to Swim Day!

Today, when Justin got home from work, he immediately turned down the air conditioning, took off his overshirt &grabbed a large glass of water. He told me that on the way home, his car’s temperature gauge said it was 104 degrees outside. In mid-May.

Summer is upon us & with Memorial Day only a couple of weeks away, it’s almost “official”! Before the 3-day weekend & BBQ’s though, there’s a lesser-known holiday that I’m excited for- National Learn to Swim Day!

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This Saturday, May 18th, is the big day. On this day, Swimways encourages families to sign their kids up for swimming lessons, hosting a National Learn to Swim Day event or just by committing to learning to swim this summer. We don’t quite have access to a pool yet, so we’ll be celebrating in spirit & will be working on the cute coloring sheets that Swimways has made!

All summer long, Swimways will be working with Mario Vittone, former Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue Swimmer and instructor and water safety expert, to bring expert water safety tips to Swim Steps’ dedicated website TeachMeToSwim.com. In addition to these tips, families can download free materials and resources on the site, including a swimming certificate, National Learn to Swim Day party invitation, coloring sheets and more.

Last week, my Mother-in-Law & I went to Toys R Us with Shane to let him pick out some pool toys.  He’s already excited about swimming & has been for over a month but now that he has those toys he can’t wait to get in the pool! If you’re looking for some new swimming gear or pool toys, be sure to download the Swimways coupon for $5 off!

How will you be celebrating National Learn to Swim Day?


Note: I am a Swimways ambassador & will be receiving tools this summer to help me teach my son to swim. All opinions are my own.

Getting Ready to Kick Off the Summer!

It’s starting to heat up here in Vegas- it’s been in the 70’s & 80’s for the last few weeks & it’s supposed to hit the 90’s next week! Naturally, that means I’ve been begging my In-Laws to heat up their pool so we can come over for a swim!

You may remember that I have a mission this summer: to teach Shane to swim. He is so excited to learn & asks almost every day if the pool is ready yet- especially since we got a box of goodies from Swimways last week!

Swimways Swim Vest

Swimways has a Swim Steps system & each of their products corresponds with a level of swimming ability. Step 1 is Water Introduction, when baby can’t quite learn to swim and is just getting used to the water. Step 2 is Water Exploration, where toddlers and young children can learn to balance and paddle. Step 3 is Swim Training, where kids can really learn to swim.

Shane is currently in the second step, where he knows basic kicking but is still working on swimming. But with the help of his new Swim Vest & Swim Sweater, I know he’ll be learning the rest in no time.

Swim Sweater

Swimways Swim Sweater

-Stable, circular torso design rides high on child’s chest for extra stability.
-Sun sleeves add extra sun protection.
-Helps kids learn to paddle and balance in the pool – important pre-swimming skills.
-Great for use during potty training.
-Assorted colors to choose from.

swim vest

Swimways Swim Vest

-Sturdy foam inserts provide balanced flotation.
-Front zipper with safety closure for easy on and off.
-Sleeves offer added sun protection.
-Available in a variety of contemporary designs and stylish colors.

Shane loves both of them because we happened to get them in his favorite color {green} & I love that they are not only very durable products, but add extra sun protection. The water in the pool is still a bit too cold to test these out first hand, but we’ll be putting them to good use in just a few short weeks!

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In fact, we’ll definitely be getting in the pool on May 18th, which is National Learn to Swim Day! I’ll be sharing more about this special day & what you can do to celebrate soon so keep an eye out. In the meantime, we are digging out our sunscreen, pool toys & bathing suits and gearing up to start swimming!

How did you teach your kids how to swim?

Note: I was given the swim products listed above to facilitate this feature. All opinions are my own.

Sharing a Love of Swimming with Swimways!

I’ve always been a swimmer. When I was a kid, I used to start swimming {in the unheated community pool} as early as February- and I usually wasn’t done until they literally put a padlock on the gate in November. The community that I live in now doesn’t have a pool, but my In-Laws do, so every summer we go over there often to crash. The problem is- Shane doesn’t know how to swim!

Swimming with Shane

We’ve been working on teaching Shane to swim since his first summer. At just 9 months old, Shane hit the pool for the first time & we just held him while he got used to being in the water. He loved it then, and he loved it even more the next year when he had a whale floatie to sit in and play with. Last year, at 2, he was too big for his whale floatie, but he learned how to kick in the water {while being held} and how to jump into the pool into someone’s arms. He also learned pool safety rules, and while we would still never, ever, ever let him go outside by their pool without supervision, I feel better knowing that he knows the rules.

The time has come though to teach Shane how to swim for real. I am looking forward to a summer spent in the pool, and I want Shane to have the chance to love swimming as much as I do. Luckily, this year we’ll be Swimways Swim Steps Swim Team Members!

swimways ambassador

As a member of the team, I’ll be receiving items throughout the summer to help me teach Shane how to swim. Along with those items, I’ll be receiving information on swimming as well that should really help me take Shane through all of the steps to learning how to swim. In addition, I’ll be sharing news from Swimways with all of you- and even special savings, like the coupon below!

Swimways Coupon

{Click to download PDF coupon}

If you’re itching to hit the pool like we are, be sure to print out the coupon above &load up on some fun pool gear! You can also check out the Swimways website for information on teaching your child to swim, including information from experts and a downloadable Certificate of Achievement for when your child is an official swimmer!

When {and how!} did you teach your kids to swim?


Note: As a Swimways ambassador, I will be receiving products to support teaching my son to swim. No compensation will be provided. All opinions are my own.

Getting Organized with Bankers Box!

You may remember my awesome Bankers Box giveaway from a few weeks ago. I was lucky enough to receive the same set from Bankers Box & Mom Central, and I have had a lot of fun organizing with them!

Before Bankers Boxes

One of my favorite uses for them has been for our workout accessories. We had a great big tub of stuff before that was just sitting in a corner in our room, taking up space. I decided to use one of the under-bed sized boxes and everything fit neatly inside. It then slid easily under the bed, and now it’s still easy to get to but no longer an eye sore!

After Bankers Box

In fact, these boxes are never an eye sore. Unlike most of my plastic storage containers, these boxes have a really cute pattern that looks good with any décor. Even if you have to leave the boxes sitting out all the time, they don’t look bad!

Bankers Box View Window

I also love the boxes because they are easy to sort through- they have clear windows on the sides so you can see the contents easily. &Since they stack, they are more efficient and allow you to store more in small spaces. They’re available in a variety of sizes, which is nice because I have found several uses for them and places to store them.

Be Messy and Win

Don’t forget to enter the “Messiest Closet” contest where you can enter to win a consultation with a professional organizer from the National Association of Professional Organizers- and receive up to $500 worth of Bankers Box Stackable Storage products! Five second place winners will also win $500 worth of products. For more information, be sure to check out Bankers Box on Facebook!

Buy It: You can find Bankers Boxes on their website! They are available in several sizes, so no matter what you’re trying to organize they’ll have a box for it!

What would you store in your Bankers Box?

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