Science is FUN #NetflixKids

Science has always been my favorite subject and science fairs were so much fun!  My kids have not had the opportunity to participate in these yet but I cannot wait until they do.  I may be a bit of a science geek but I love to learn about the world and everything in it.  I could literally spend the day watching the Discovery channel, so I was thrilled to see I can watch some great Discovery Channel shows on Netflix, anytime, anywhere.

My kids and I love watching Mythbusters.  If you have never seen it, it is a show about examining some of the most commonly held beliefs in popular science and culture. Not to mention it's pretty funny!  I try to keep my kids interested in science here at home too.  We have done lots of fun experiments, incubated chicken eggs and watched them hatch, had live bunnies born here, grown gardens and so much more.

My little guy loves science and there are so many fun shows on Netflix for his age.  His favorite is the Wild Kratts, with the Kratt brothers.  He loves to learn about animals and he remembers so many great facts from the show.  And who hasn't heard of the Magic Schoolbus!  That is a show I grew up on!

Quaker Wholesome Goodness To Go {Plus Coupon} #QuakerShakes

Even though the name of this blog is Diary of a Stay at Home Mom, that is no longer the case.  Since starting this blog I have gone back to work and am even working two jobs right now in addition to blogging.  If you also add to that all the kids activities as well as housework, you can understand how little time I have to spare.

The one thing I try not to miss each morning is breakfast.  I really need fuel for my day but I don't always have time to make myself a meal.  Quaker came out with a new product that really helps me get the nutrition I need without the extra time it takes to cook in the morning.  New Quaker shakes provide a wholesome breakfast on the go and come in three delicious flavors, chocolate, vanilla and strawberry.

I love that I can grab one on my way out the door and drink it in the car or stick it in my purse and take it to work. They pack 10g of Protein, 8g of Whole Grains, 6g of Fiber* at 200 calories.  Call me plain Jane but Vanilla is my favorite.  My daughter prefers the chocolate one and says it tastes like chocolate milk.  I really like that the bottles are reclosable unlike some  shakes that come in cans.

PRINT A COUPON FOR $2 OFF 

These shakes are available at Walmart and select grocery stores.

This post was created in partnership with Quaker. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Dove Deodorant Caring for the Sensitivity of Your Armpit

This post contains sponsored content.

Though it may not feel like it yet, tank tops and swimming suits are in our near future which means its time to start keeping up with shaving ladies.  Nothing is worse that coarse stubble or razor burn under your arms that is why Dove is stepping up and taking care of those sensitive areas.

This year join Dove Deodorant in changing the way we care for your armpit.  Shaving is a harsh but necessary part of beauty routines.  To fix the damage done by a razor and restore beauty, simply use Dove Deodorant NutriumMositureTM after shaving to heal and protect sensitive skin.

Print $1 off digital coupon and save. 

Dove NutriumMoistureTM repairs and nourishes sensitive underarm skin, while offering 48-hour protection. Do yourself a favor and save your underarm skin!

Protein Packs that Fit My Life and Fit in My Purse #PortableProtein #shop

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser #CollectiveBias #PortableProtein #MeatCheeseNuts

I know it is a little deceiving that my blog is called Diary of a Stay at Home Mom, because really I am never home.  I was a stay at home mom when I started it but within the last couple of years I went back to wok.  I work full time at my children's school and if that was not enough I recently started another job in the office at our Tae Kwon Do school.  Not only do I work, but my kids are in a ton of sports and activities so I am always running from here to there and sometimes have no time to eat.  I know I could go through a drive through somewhere but everyone knows that is not the best option.  I try to stick to a high protein, low carb diet and there are not that many drive through options for that.

I was at Walmart the other day looking for some snacks that I can literally throw in my purse and that are high in protein when I found these little packs from Oscar Mayer called P3 Portable Protein Packs.  They are filled with cheese, nuts and meat and literally fit in my purse.

These wonderful little power packs were in the refrigerated isle near the hot dogs

These protein packs look cute and innocent but they pack 14g of protein!  There are 4 varieties, chicken breast with peanuts and cheddar cheese, turkey breast with almonds and Colby and Monterey Jack, ham with almonds and cheddar, and turkey with peanuts and cheddar.  Notice the price in the picture?  Yes these babies are $1.00 a piece, now that is a pretty sweet deal.

These protein packs get me through the day and help me make it til dinner time.  They taste great too.  My favorite are the turkey ones.

What I love about these is that I can throw them in my lunch, my purse, the fridge at work....just about anywhere.  They're ready to eat and don't require any silverware so I can just pop them open and snack away.  The other thing I really love about these is that I can stay on track with my high protein, low carb diet.

Get Back to Healthy {and Out of the Winter Funk} with Insync Probiotic #NaturalProbiotic #shop #cbias

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated

as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser. #CollectiveBias

I think of myself as a pretty healthy person most of the year, but right around Christmas is when everything just falls apart.  I try to eat healthy and work out but winter gives me the blues and before I know it my jeans are too tight.  Now that it's March and we are slowly climbing out of this Polar Vortex (which I thought would never end), its time to get back on track to being healthy.

Although I did still go to my Tae Kwon Do classes all winter, I did not go nearly as much as I used to and I stopped lifting and working out at home.  Needless to say I can totally feel my clothes not fitting right anymore.  My daughter and I have to test for our black belts in one month so I recently started back up on my workout routine.

The hardest part of winter for me is I tend to eat all the time.  When I'm bored, when I'm watching TV, when I'm baking, when I'm wishing for winter to end, and even when I'm hungry.  And its not the healthy stuff that I'm pigging out on, its stuff that I baked or some sort of comfort food.  By the time spring rolls around I feel pudgy and bloated all the time.  I recently started taking Insync, a #NaturalProbiotic, in addition to not eating so much junk and I'm starting to feel much better.  What really worked for my husband and I was cutting back on carbs and eating more lean protein and veggies.  The probiotic really helps me feel balanced and less bloated.

Why did I choose this specific probiotic?  Well, Insync has a GI cuard, a gradual release caplet which protects the delicate probiotics from heat, moisture and stomach acids.  This allows the good bacteria arrive alive so they can do their job.

Eating right is a big part of being healthy and thankfully I love veggies.  I actually enjoy coming up with creative ways to cook healthy meals.  One of my favorite recipes is a Mango Salsa Chicken recipe I created. It combies sweet mango with yummy veggies and healthy chicken and it reminds me of summer.

I have since replaced the chicken breasts with skinless, boneless chicken thighs just because the meat is a little more juicy.  

Now all I need is for the snow to melt and I can really feel 100% myself again!

My Kid is Just Like Your Kid: The Truth About Having a Child with ADHD

I try not to write much on this topic because frankly I just turn into a big sap and start dripping tears all over my key board, but yes, my son has ADHD.  But my child is just like your child, with feelings and emotions, so here is what I want you to know.  Don't ask him to sit still and be quiet, he cannot do it, and if he does manage to do it don't expect it to be for a long time.  Yes he is impulsive, and no, I do not believe he should go without consequences but punishing him for everything, especially since some things he cannot control, will only crush him.  As a matter of fact, constant punishment will only drive him to not care.  Positive reinforcement will get you so much further, praise him for something he has done right even if it is something small because to him it may be huge.

He knows what you say about him behind his back.  Nothing is worse than hearing your kindergartner come home and say he has no one to play with and he is the bad kid and gets his name on the board every day.  It breaks my heart.  He is not a bad kid and I am not a bad parent.....understand that....  He is loving, and funny and so incredibly smart.....  My son taught himself to read fluently at the age of 4.  Yes he will seem immature compared to other boys his age but he cannot help that.  He sometimes has a hard time making friends but that does not make him a loner.  Trust me, he wants friends and yes he does come home and talk to me about it.

Medication is not always the answer.  Last year, when he was 5, "people" convinced me that he kept needing his medication increased.  My son became quiet, withdrawn, pale and emotional.  He began to pull out his hair and eyelashes.  Not just a little, all his lashes and all his hair.  They told me that was not a side effect, that I need a re-evaluation, that he needs counseling.  I'm his mom, I know what he needs....  I took him off his meds for 3 weeks, let him get healthy again, gain some weight and be happy. I knew that no meds was also not an option since he could not function at school without.  He is now 6 and on half the dose he was on last year.  HALF. Is he perfect?  No, but he is himself and happy.

Don't tell your kids not to play with him.  Seriously, teach your children to be tolerant and that everyone needs a friend.  How would your child feel if you invited all the boys (or girls) in their class for their birthday and not even one showed up?  Thank God my friends came and brought their kids or my son's birthday would have been the saddest day ever to him.  Just think, it could be your child.

Don't judge him...I'm proud of my son and know he is a great kid.