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.

Never lose your phone again!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sprint for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

I am super excited to share the new Sprint Total Equipment Protection App with my fellow Sprint customers.  As a dedicated Sprint customer for the last 5 years, and a mom of two tweens who are on our Sprint family plan this app means a lot to me!

Meet the Sprint Total Eqipment Protection app, aka TEP.  With this app, users have the ability to locate a phone, sync phones, remote wipe the phone, lock the phone and sound an alarm.


Ahem….I have children who have lost phones.  I am pleased to know that we will not have to worry about this anymore!

For those customers who enrolled in the TEP within 30 days of activating their phone, you can download and use this app at no additional cost.

If you didn’t enroll in t he TEP program, have no fear!  Sprint is holding an Open Enrollment from August 1-30 to allow you to add it to your phone!  Just visit www.tepenroll.com

I’ve already downloaded and installed the app on all of our phones since we are all Android users and suggest you do the same and save yourself the headache should you misplace your phone!  

Check out this video for more details!

All You Need

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Straight Talk for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Again, I am a parent who is all about teaching kids responsibility.  One way we have done this in our home is by purchasing prepaid phones such as the Straight Talk 2, for our children prior to adding them to our personal celluar plan.

Every time one of them wanted to call a friend they had to make sure that they did it from their own phones.  We taught them that they needed to be responsible for their phones and that they also had to earn their minutes.  

The nice thing about this phone is that there is no contract, no surprise bills, and no credit check needed.  No need for a salesman to reel you in hook, line and sinker and get you to purchase a phone with a fancy plan and all of the bells and whistles to go with.

We found that this type of phone offers everything you need including a camera, touch screen and more. Each phone has something to offer every need.  Just check out the video below!

As you can see, Straight Talk has affordable plans and leave you free of the activation, reactivation and termination fees making it the best type of phone for the pre-teen or teen in your life!

Just remember, mom knows best!! 

It’s Our Life, NOT YOURS!

**Alex is the Alex commenting.**
I’m sick of people judging me, my family, my children….my life in general.
(Alex – This happens way too much and it causes a lot of consternation in our household. And to those, unnamed, who like to think that all of the problems we have are due to my wonderful wife and I have no say in matters or that believe they know how I should run my life better than I do, you can just go FUCK yourselves.)
Yes, I’m fat (Alex – Hey SO AM I!!!)—I know it, get over it!
I plan on changing that after I’m done growing a human being inside of me.
Yes, I am a strict parent…when I need to be. (Alex – They are called CHORES for a reason. When our children have not finished the chores that they have been given because they decide they would rather goof off and procrastinate then they should not be allowed to go somewhere and have fun especially when they get back from this place they have an even worse attitude then before they went.)
Most of the time, I let my kids be kids but am teaching them responsibility at the same time. (Alex – They have more responsibility than I had at their age but I have grown to be a very lazy person who does not like to do anything so I am trying to make them a more productive member of society than I am and get them to grab hold of the opportunities given to them like I never did.)
No, I do not shelter or coddle my children.
I feel they are better off knowing how the world works and experiencing things. (Alex – I think it is much better for our kids to be informed properly than having to piece things together from the things they hear from other kids or to be woefully ignorant in the ways of the world.)
I also let my kids be kids and they run around barefoot when they want, play in the dirt, get grass stains, jump around and can be wild and crazy but that’s the fun of being a kid. (Alex – The way our parents were raised but some of them seem to have forgotten when raising us and when talking about our kids.)
They get bruises, banged up and get the occasional cut.
But again, they are kids and when you are being a kid these things happen.
Yes, I have moments when I am mean, when they get disciplined and when they are grounded but they know this happens because I am only trying to do what is best for them. (Alex – sometimes I do go overboard but I am working to be a better parent and I do apologize to the kids when I take the stress and anxiety from work and school out on them. I am doing my best to not be the same type of parent as my Dad but its hard when that is what I know.)
They get mad at me, tell me they hate me, but in the end they always forgive me.
In the end, this is OUR LIFE, NOT YOURS.
If you don’t like it, you don’t have to be a part of it.

Growing A Human

You would think that by now, you know after already having grown 3 other human beings, that this pregnancy deal would be a walk in the park.
It’s not.
I absolutely HATE being pregnant this time around.
That is probably because I am overweight and emotional, but this time is not fun.
Every part of me hurts.
And I mean, every. single. part.
I have absolutely zero desire to have sex.
Yep.
My poor hubby.
I feel sorry for him, I really do.
I’m to the point where I am actually considering getting him a stand in wife to bang for the duration of this pregnancy.

Oh did I mention that this time around I am actually tired too?
Yeah, me.
The night owl.
Tired.
All. The. Time.
I’ve slept more during this pregnancy than I have in the last 4 years combined.

It definitely gets harder to grow a human as you age.
I will attest to this.
Being pregnant in my 20’s was way easier.
The only comparison between past pregnancies and this one is the fact that I’m breaking out like a teenage girl just hitting puberty.
It’s bad!

Oh and why is it that in this pregnancy I pee more then I did with the others.
Seriously, we are talking a roll of T.P. a day just for me!

And to think I have AT LEAST 20 more weeks to go.

The only bonus this time around is that I’ve actually been keeping my weight gain to a minimum.
Yay!
Here’s hoping it stays that way!!

Next Baby Ellie check-up is this Friday. Looking forward to discussing my swelling issues with the doc and hoping we get to see the little one again!

Until then!

Last Minute Shutterfly Photobook Giveaway!! Ends 7/28/11

This giveaway is now closed. Winners have been notified via email.

/ I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE photobooks from Shutterfly.
I give them as gifts.
I use them as a scrapbook of family vacations.
I just think they are great.

Since I love Shutterfly so darn much, and happen to have 2 codes, each good for 1 free 8×8 Photobook (Shipping not included) I have decided to give them away to 2 of my awesome readers.

The only catch is that these codes expire on August 1st which means this giveaway is going to be over quickly and you will have to get creative right away to take advantage.

Here’s how to enter:

Leave me a comment below telling me what kind of photobook you would like to make.

That’s it.
Easy as pie.
One simple entry.

The winner will be chosen at random using the And The Winner Is plugin.

This giveaway will begin on July 26th and end on July 28th, 2011 at 12 NOON CST.

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. I simply earned 2 free photobook codes for a previous sponsored post and have decided to give them away because I am such a nice person!