I have been introduced to a company called Seed Power by a fellow blogger and friend Jennifer at HipAsIWannaBe. Seed Power is sponsoring a few lucky ladies for BlogHer ‘10 in NYC, so this is my entry for consideration. I honestly wouldn’t be writing about this company if I didn’t believe in their products or philosophy. After doing a little research about Seed Power, I will be purchasing some of their products on my next trip to Whole Foods.

I felt a connection to Seed Power just from reading their  ”story“.  I never really put much thought into the dangers of chemicals until I was pregnant. That was when I officially became a greenie and eliminated harsh chemicals from our household. It made me think, if it is dangerous to my unborn child then how can it be safe for my family and our four legged friend?

Funny thing is, that was my “ah ha” moment about being environmentally friendly. It was during my early pregnancy when I started a green movement at the company I was employed at. The group was called “Generation Green” and the focus was to educate people on how to reduce their carbon footprint. I organized a team of 15 employees and our work began (coordinating green education seminars, purchasing eco-friendly mugs and eliminating styrofoam from our offices, staring a car-pooling effort, organizing a community effort to clean a local park, and sharing green tidbits on a regular basis). I could feel that same level of passion just from reading about Seed Power which is why I am so excited to try their products.

Also, being a wine enthusiast I love the fact Seed Power uses the natural byproducts of the wine-making process for their products! They recognize the health benefits of wine and have carried that into their 100% natural products. Their seedology is,

“Everything begins with a seed. It’s a fact that a single seed contains all the nutrients that enable life. When you look inside a seed, it’s packed with elements that provide incredible skin health benefits. Our seeds are rich in Vitamin E, a powerful skin care rejuvenator. They also provide multiple forms of antioxidants and beneficial essential fatty acids. It’s all inside these tiny seeds – the essence and power to create a healthy life.”

Have you tried Seed Power yet? What are you waiting for?

Want to win a Pull-Ups gift bag filled with essentials to help your potty training toddler be successful? Two lucky readers can have their own Potty Party with Pull-Ups gift bags I am offering.

Each gift bag contains:

• A package of Learning Designs Pull-Ups (size 2T-3T)
• Floor dance steps for The Potty Dance
• A dvd of Ralph’s World performing The Pull-Ups Potty Dance
• A Big Kid Central Potty Training Success DVD
• An autographed copy of Ralph Covert’s newest cd “All Around Ralph’s World”

To win leave a comment on this blog post answering “What has been your favorite post on The Unemployed Mom and why?” Also be sure to mention whether you would like a boy or girl gift bag. Contest is open to U.S. residents only.

Contest closes on  March 18, 2010. To earn extra entries, after you leave a comment about which post is your favorite, do the following, but make sure you leave a separate comment entry for each extra. This will allow you additional chances to win.

• Join The Unemployed Mom’s Facebook Fan Page. If you’re already a fan, thank you very much! Just list your name below and indicate that you are.
• Follow @Unemployed_Mom on twitter and retweet this contest (you can use the convenient green retweet button)
• Post this contest to your facebook status.
• Subscribe to The Unemployed Mom’s RSS feed and let me know you have. Already a subscriber, thank you (just state that you are in the comment section).
• Have a blog? Follow The Unemployed Mom and let me know you are a follower.
• Have a blog? Link The Unemployed Mom to your blogroll and let me know you did so we can exchange links!
• Have a Blog? Blog about the contest and leave the url of your post.

Winners will be selected using Random.org. Please make sure to leave your email address so I can contact you. If I do not receive an email response from the winner within 3 days, another winner will be selected.

Good luck!

I am being compensated by Pull-Ups for my role as spokesperson, however the opinions and feelings expressed here are my own.

My biggest pet peeve is people who use their cellular phones while driving (texting and/or talking). It is a complete distraction that not only endangers the person doing the deed, but also everyone around them. I cannot tell you how many times I see someone swerve or take two lanes on a major highway and sure enough, when I drive by they are looking down at their phone texting or dialing. This is out of control and needs to stop!

Listen, no text or call is that important. What blows my mind is when I drive past the person committing the texting or talking sin and they have children in their car! Seriously, is your child’s life worth it? Take a moment and think about the consequences; could you live with yourself if you caused an avoidable accident and lost your precious family or took away someone else’s?

Below are 2009 statistics from Nationwide:

• Distraction from cell phone use while driving (hand held or hands free) extends a driver’s reaction as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent. (University of Utah)
• The No.1 source of driver inattention is use of a wireless device. (Virginia Tech/NHTSA)
• Drivers that use cell phones are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. (NHTSA, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
• 10 percent of drivers aged 16 to 24 years old are on their phone at any one time.
• Driving while distracted is a factor in 25 percent of police reported crashes.
• Driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37 percent (Carnegie Mellon)

Use some common sense and set a good example for your kids! Also, don’t be afraid to speak up and tell the person behind the wheel to STOP IT or let you out (been there, done that).

I finally figured out how to use iMovie, not that it is complex…I’m just a perfectionist. Now that I am familiar with it, you’ll probably be seeing more videos on my blog! After many edits, here is video footage from the Pull-Ups Potty Dance Party that took place in Orlando on February 25, 2010. It was a blast. Take a look and see for yourself. Like I mentioned previously, kids of ALL ages had fun!

*I am being compensated by Pull-Ups® for my role as spokesperson, however the opinions and feelings expressed here are my own.

Week 3 was better than week 2 on the potty training front; however, I’m starting to wonder if my son thinks the bathroom is just another play area.

Click here to see my 3rd official post for the Potty Training Time with Pull-Ups® facebook page. Keep your fingers crossed for us.

*I am being compensated by Pull-Ups® for my role as spokesperson, however the opinions and feelings expressed here are my own.

My family decided to visit Epcot last week to walk around the countries and just enjoy the Florida weather. Epcot has always been my favorite park, I feel like it is more of the grown up Disney World. During this particular visit, I FINALLY realized after 10 years of being an annual pass holder that Disney doesn’t really care about your experience, they care about your dollar bill. It’s a shame to see Disney go downhill like it has, but the truth needs to be told. I have learned it is a complete waste of time to complain because Disney does not listen nor do they care.

My son was excited to ride the Mexico ride. The cast member put us on a ride that appeared to be working fine (we watched a boat take off moments before we took a seat on our boat) and we sat for 5 minutes wondering what was going on. My kid doesn’t sit still long (he’s a toddler, what do you expect), especially when he’s excited about a boat ride that isn’t happening. I asked the cast member if there was a problem and she ignored me. Again, I asked her if the ride was broken and she said it would be a few minutes. Well, my son was having no parts of it so I asked if we could exit. Needless to say, she gave me attitude and said she’d have to turn the power off. Ummm, if the boat is on hold and hasn’t moved from the starting point for 5 minutes, what is the big deal? Finally, she let us off. I let her know her attitude and lack of customer service is one of the main reasons we are not renewing our passes! Walt would have been so embarrassed of her behavior!

Also, I realized after my husband and I spent $14 on a sample sized glass of cheap wine in France that we were totally being ripped off. I guess perhaps the economy is making me think because I know we could have bought a decent bottle from Total Wine for that amount. Plus, if we add in the $15 we spent in Germany on two glasses, we could have purchased some yummy wine pairing appetizers from Whole Foods.

Another shocker to me was that I went into several huge stores and NOT ONE OF THEM had a balloon! I don’t understand it, at the Magic Kingdom people walk down Main Street USA with a huge bundle and I’m always afraid the person will be lifted into the air. Epcot is another story, there is not a balloon to be found! This is not really great when you make a promise to your kid who made pee pee in the potty! Thankfully, I was able to go to Publix the next day and purchase a Mickey balloon.

I guess the truth finally came out, I am officially a home body now! My mom will be so proud to learn that I no longer desire to fight the thousands of people just to walk around the Mouse’s house! There are ways to still have a Disney type experience without actually stepping foot inside the theme park and fighting the crowds (character dining inside hotels, taking the resort monorail and visiting the various hotels near the Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Boardwalk and the Downtown Disney Marketplace). Now, if I could only break my son’s obsession with Mickey then it would all be fine. We have free one-day passes to use thanks to the Birthday promotion Disney ran in 2009, so once those are utilized it is bye bye Disney World for our family!

When is the last time a stranger held a door open for you in public? Have you ever sat back and watched how rude people are to each other? I am a frequent shopper at our local outlet malls for my eBay merchandise. Anyway, I see a lot of things that make me scratch my head. I am floored how people do not even say excuse me when they cut you off or run you over. The worst thing is how people hurry to get through a door and then let it close when they see a baby stroller coming towards them.

The other day, my son fell asleep in his stroller as we shopped. I took my time because I didn’t want to wake him from his nap (which ended up being 90 minutes long)! Anyway, only one person held a door open for me in 90 minutes. ONE PERSON! Do you know that three people actually cut through doors as I opened them and tried to maneuver my stroller inside? I am just embarrassed how people treat each other! What ever happened to the golden rule?

Next time you are in public, pay attention to how people respond to strollers. Also, notice how tough it can be for one person to open a door and then try to hold it open as he or she pushes a stroller inside. An act of kindness like holding a door open means a lot!

Wondering how potty training has been going? Click here and take a look at my second post on the Potty Training Time with Pull-Ups® facebook page. It has been a bumpy ride, but we’re not giving up! I am hopeful we can work through this potty setback.

*I am being compensated by Pull-Ups® for my role as spokesperson, however the opinions and feelings expressed here are my own.

My newest tv obsession is the show “American Pickers” on the History channel. Two guys rummage through junk piles, abandoned barns, and neglected garages and buildings for hidden treasures. They make deals with the junk owners and then resell the merchandise for a profit. It is so comical to watch these guys get excited over the items they find.

Anyway, the reason for my blog is because I started thinking about the concept “picker” and determined that I am indeed an eBay picker. According to History.com, “pickers need a fabulous eye, especially when evaluating potential purchases”. Over the years, I have developed an eye for the merchandise I select and sell on eBay. At one time, I used to walk into Coach or Burberry and just purchase an item because it was on sale and seemed like a good deal. Granted, I would typically make $20 – $50 per item after auction fees, but now I make sure if I purchase an item it is going to bring in a substantial profit margin and be worth my time and energy. Now, I wait for coupons and I conduct research via eBay completed listings to determine which items will bring in the most profit prior to purchasing.

I recently hit it big at the Polo Ralph Lauren outlets. Just this weekend, I found black label merchandise for under $10 per item! Some of the merchandise is still being sold on the Ralph Lauren website for over $300 per item! Also, I purchased Double RRL nuggets. Since there are only a handful of Double RRL stores in the world, I feel fortune to have found rare merchandise. Each item is hand crafted and unique! I am going to name my price in my newly created eBay store and let the money roll in! It is exciting being a picker!

Yesterday, I took my son to the Pull-Ups Potty Party at the Central Florida Zoo. I have planned many corporate events in my professional career but I must say, I was impressed! Pull-Ups knows how to throw a bash! Despite the unseasonably cold weather in Orlando, parents still bundled their little ones and stood in line for the event.

Let me paint a picture for you…upon entering, children were greeted by enthusiastic Pull-Ups crew members. Girls received star wands, boas and tutus while the little boys were given top hats and bow ties. The room was kid friendly with small tables and chairs, soft bean bags, and colorful shag rugs. I personally loved the potty chairs with floral centerpieces, they were adorable. The bathrooms had complimentary pull-ups as well as potty chairs to encourage little ones to “ditch the diapers”.

Children tried to sit still long enough to have their faces painted or cartoon drawings done of themselves. But the sitting still part was difficult not only because they were toddlers, but because the dance floor was colorful and inviting. It didn’t take long for kids and parents to start breaking it down, especially when Ralph’s World started playing. Everyone (young and old) danced and had a fantastic time.

What an incredible show Ralph’s World put on! I had the privilege of meeting Ralph and his crew and they are the warmest, most genuine people. You can tell how much they love performing and every child in that room felt special! At the end of the show, they invited all the children on stage to help with the final song. At that point, the mom paparazzi went wild snapping photos left and right of their little prince and princesses performing with the band.

The event was at capacity and I noticed some families were turned away since they did not RSVP. If you didn’t have the opportunity to attend the Potty Dance Party in Orlando, I have some good news. First, there are two more Pull-Ups Potty Parties that will be taking place in Minneapolis and Seattle. If you haven’t done so already, I highly recommend you RSVP. Further details can be found here.

Also, I will be having a giveaway in the very near future. Lucky readers can have their own Potty Party with Pull-Ups gift bags I will be offering. Each bag contains a package of Pull-Ups (size 2T-3T), dance steps for The Potty Dance, a dvd of Ralph’s World performing The Pull-Ups Potty Dance, a Big Kid Central Potty Training Success DVD, and an Autographed copy of Ralph’s newest cd “All Around Ralph’s World”.

Stay tuned for contest details!

I am being compensated by Pull-Ups for my role as spokesperson, however the opinions and feelings expressed here are my own.