All posts by Anne Younger

Anne is a 30-something full-time SAHM mom of 5 ranging from 3 to 17 and grandma of 1 who resides in Ashwaubenon (Green Bay) Wisconsin. She started blogging in 2008 as a way to regain her sanity. She enjoys coffee, chocolate, cheeseburgers and vodka along with spending time with her husband and kids.

Home Preschool Update

Earlier this week I posted about our potty training issue and how it has hindered Alexander from starting preschool this fall but that we had decided to do our own preschool program at home for him.

I chatted with a few homeschooling moms on a few message boards and I can’t say that I was well received. Many of the chastised me for even thinking of sending my 3 1/2 year old to preschool and that I shouldn’t be worried about how he is developing yet because he’s only 3 1/2.

Personally, I think otherwise. By this age, my 2 other children could count to at least 10, knew their letters, shapes and colors. My little Alexander counts to 2 and well, that’s about it. He talks….A LOT but his speech is hard to understand unless you’re like me and 100% fluent in toddler.

So, we are going to proceed with our home preschool program. I will be holding preschool with Alexander 2 days one week and 3 days the next. We are kicking class off on the 6th of September and that week we will do class on Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00-11:00 just like he would have done had he been able to go to the class we had enrolled him in. The following week we will have class on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Each week will have a theme and our daily activities will be planned around that theme. I plan to include art, music, math, science, small and large motor skill activities, and circle time with a story each day.

For me, I see all of this as more of a structured play time for the two of us together while he is learning new things. I have been busy planning our first month of “classes” and am looking forward to it all.

I will be posting updates of our Home Preschool Journey and let everyone know how it is going!

Piczzle Review

Sponsored by Tomoson.com

With 3 kids, we are constantly trying to find indoor activities to keep them entertained when the weather doesn’t allow them to go outside a burn off some energy. On these days, we like to do things like watch movies, play board games, break out the play doh, do crafts and even do puzzles.

On our last rainy day, I had a nice surprise for Zack and Alexander.
A brand new puzzle.

Their very OWN puzzle, by Piczzle, made with a picture of the two of them and their yo-yos.

Needless to say, they had a lot of fun putting it together.

Here’s the end result.

Piczzle Picture Puzzle service is an Internet-based retailing and manufacturing service of Custom Jigsaw Photo Puzzles. Piczzle’s Cardboard Puzzles are made of outstanding materials, top craftsmanship and the highest print quality. They are constructed of a premium grade cardboard that has been laminated with a glossy finish. Their cardboard puzzles are precision press cut so that all pieces will perfectly match one another and they are printed using an advanced digital printing technique that results in sharp, multicolored prints.

With Piczlle, there is a puzzle for everyone! You can order them in 12 pieces all the way up to 2000 pieces and even get them in 3 different shapes!

Since we enjoyed our Piczzle so much, the wonderful folks at Piczlle are offering you the chance to win your own unique 24 piece Piczzle with your favorite photo on it!!

Who doesn’t love an awesome picture puzzle??

Here’s how to enter:

MANDATORY 1st ENTRY:
Visit Piczzle and tell me what your favorite puzzle model.
For additional entries:

1. Follow me on Twitter for 1 entry. Leave a comment with your Twitter ID.
2.Tweet about this giveaway then leave me a comment with the link to your tweet. This is SUPER easy is your use the Twitter icon located next to this post.
3. Subscribe to my newsletter and leave a comment with your email address for 2 entries.
4. Subscribe to The Megalomaniac Mommy via a reader for 2 entries.
5. Follow me on Google Friend Connect (at the bottom of this page) for 2 entries.
6. Like The Megalomaniac Mommy on Facebook for 2 entries.
7. Follow The Megalomaniac Mommy on Networked Blogs (at the bottom of this page) for 2 entries.
8. Grab my button and add it to your page and leave me the URL for your page for 3 entries.
9. For 5 additional entries, blog about this giveaway and leave me a comment with a link to your post.
10. Submit this post to the social networking site of your choice and receive 1 entry for each submission just leave a comment with a link for each.
11. Like Piczzle on Facebook for 2 entries.

This giveaway will begin on August 20th and end on September 3rd 2011 and 12 NOON CST.

Disclaimer:  I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Carmex Review

In case you haven’t heard, I am a member of the Carmex Blog Squad which means I have a front seat to new products and promotions with Carmex.
I am a huge fan of Carmex and it is part of my daily regimen…. especially during our lovely Wisconsin winters.

Carmex has a great new line of products coming out and I am smitten!
I am loving the Carmex Moisture Plus ultra hydrating lip balm. It has vitamin E plus aloe which allow it to provide awesome protection.
It’s great!

Also, if you are anything like my kids and have issues of the taste of the original Carmex, they now offer Carmex Lite & Vanilla sticks too!!!
Not only do these lip balms taste great, they are also SPF 15, have all of the moisturizing ingredients of the Carmex line but they also offer 3 additional moisturizers!

Like I said, I adore Carmex and am loving the new items!
Since I love all of this so much, Carmex has decided that I get to give 1 lucky reader of The Megalomaniac Mommy a Carmex Prize Pack that includes 1- Carmex Lime Twist click stick, 1 Carmex Vanilla Click Stick AND an awesome picnic blanket!!!

Here’s how to enter!

MANDATORY 1st ENTRY:
Tell me why you what you like about Carmex.
For additional entries:

1. Follow me on Twitter for 1 entry. Leave a comment with your Twitter ID.
2.Tweet about this giveaway then leave me a comment with the link to your tweet. This is SUPER easy is your use the Twitter icon located next to this post.
3. Subscribe to my newsletter and leave a comment with your email address for 2 entries.
4. Subscribe to The Megalomaniac Mommy via a reader for 2 entries.
5. Follow me on Google Friend Connect (at the bottom of this page) for 2 entries.
6. Like The Megalomaniac Mommy on Facebook for 2 entries.
7. Follow The Megalomaniac Mommy on Networked Blogs (at the bottom of this page) for 2 entries.
8. Grab my button and add it to your page and leave me the URL for your page for 3 entries.
9. For 5 additional entries, blog about this giveaway and leave me a comment with a link to your post.
10. Submit this post to the social networking site of your choice and receive 1 entry for each submission just leave a comment with a link for each.

This giveaway will begin on August 19th and end on September 1st 2011 and 12 NOON CST.

Disclaimer:  This giveaway is sponsored by Carmex.  I received a similar prize pack as the one being given away.

In Search of Pen Pals

My 2 oldest children, Zack and Libby are in search of pen pals. They have been asking me for awhile now to help them each get one. So, this….this is me helping.

I had multiple pen pals when I was their age and loved it. It was a great way for me to learn about other people and for me to hone my awesome letter writing skills not to mention improve my penmanship.
Not just fun, but educational too!!

I am wondering if any of my fellow bloggy friends have children who would be interested in corresponding with my kids via snail mail because seriously, getting mail when you’re a kid, it’s wicked awesome!

Zack is 12, in 7th grade and enjoys all things sports. He’s a die hard Green Bay Packer fan, who loves football, baseball, Nascar, WWE and hockey. He loves to read, skateboard, ride his bike, play video games and go hunting with his Pa (grandpa).

Libby is 11, in 6th grade and is just as her name states—-Dramatic. She loves to act, be creative, draw, paint–you name it. She also LOVES music, swimming, soccer, movies and is in her second year of German and is obsessed!

So, if you have a child in your house that you think would be a great pen pal for one of my kidlets, please use the form below!

All Terrain Herbal Armor Insect Repellent Review

Sponsored by Tomoson.com

Being pregnant, I cannot use your typical, everyday bug spray. Living in Wisconsin, this poses a problem….seriously, it’s like bug central around here! Giant mosquitoes are constantly on the hunt and personally, I am not a fan of itchy, giant, red bug bites.

So, when I stumbled upon the opportunity to review the All Terrain Herbal Armor Insect Repellent that is completely cruelty and DEET free, I jumped on it!

I have been using Skin So Soft oil to combat the bugs prior to using the All Terrain Herbal Armor Insect Repellent, which I don’t mind and love the smell of but it seemed to stop working after about an hour.

The All Terrain Herbal Armor Insect Repellent on the other hand worked like a charm and is 100% effective for two hours and 95.8% for three hours! It uses six natural-repelling oils at 25% the concentration.

And as an added bonus, you smell like a citronella candle when you use it!!

I am thrilled that I have found something I can use through the remainder of my pregnancy that actually works and I’m even more excited that I get to giveaway a 4oz bottle of All Terrain Herbal Armor Insect Repellent to one lucky reader of The Megalomaniac Mommy!

MANDATORY 1st ENTRY:
Tell me why you want to win the All Terrain Herbal Armor Insect Repellent.
For additional entries:

1. Follow me on Twitter for 1 entry. Leave a comment with your Twitter ID.
2.Tweet about this giveaway then leave me a comment with the link to your tweet. This is SUPER easy is your use the Twitter icon located next to this post.
3. Subscribe to my newsletter and leave a comment with your email address for 2 entries.
4. Subscribe to The Megalomaniac Mommy via a reader for 2 entries.
5. Follow me on Google Friend Connect (at the bottom of this page) for 2 entries.
6. Like The Megalomaniac Mommy on Facebook for 2 entries.
7. Follow The Megalomaniac Mommy on Networked Blogs (at the bottom of this page) for 2 entries.
8. Grab my button and add it to your page and leave me the URL for your page for 3 entries.
9. For 5 additional entries, blog about this giveaway and leave me a comment with a link to your post.
10. Submit this post to the social networking site of your choice and receive 1 entry for each submission just leave a comment with a link for each.
11. Like All Terrain on Facebook for 2 entries.
12. Follow All Terrain on Twitter for 1 entry.  Leave a comment with younger Twitter ID.

This giveaway will begin on August 19th and end on September 1st 2011 and 12 NOON CST.

Disclaimer: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.