Sponsored-AF Archives - A Mommy Story

Mar 5, 2015

Showing Our #DisneySide with a Villaintine’s Day Party (Giveaway!)

Disclosure: I received free products to assist with hosting a #DisneySide @Home Celebration.

We wanted to get the kids excited about our late February trip to Disney, so we decided to host a party to build some anticipation for our vacation, and bring a taste of Disney to our friends as well. Since we planned the party the week of Valentine’s Day, we thought a Villaintine’s theme would be a lot of fun.

When Aaron and I spent a week at Disney to celebrate our first anniversary in 2004, Disney had a Villaintine’s Day event going on, with a set of Disney trading pins to obtain by hunting down the clues and answering trivia questions. We enjoyed exploring all of the Walt Disney World resort and parks to find the pins, and met a few villains along the way, too.

some of the Villaintine’s Day pins from 2004 in our collection

Disney and their partners sent us some supplies to help with the party, and then we supplied the remainder of the decorations, food, and entertainment. I let the kids plan out much of the party for their friends. It’s no surprise that I’m not skilled in the art of decorations or baking, but I think we still managed to pull together a nice event with some yummy snacks.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Disney, Sponsored-AF ·

Sep 22, 2014

Eat Ice Cream Again Without Tooth Sensitivity

By Christina ·

This is a sponsored post written in partnership with One2One Network and Crest.

I have sensitive teeth, so anything cold against those sensitive spots sends instant electric shocks of pain deep into my teeth. It’s disruptive enough that I have learned coping behaviors to avoid the pain. I prefer to drink cold drinks with a straw, and I like my ice cream in a spoonable form, rather than an ice cream bar that I’d have to bite into.

And I’m not alone: it’s estimated that over 33 million households have dental hypersensitivity, with women tending to suffer from sensitive teeth more than men. That’s a lot of people having mild to severe pain due to everyday factors like eating cold, hot, or sweet foods, or even having cold air hit their teeth. Thankfully, my pain is still relatively mild compared to some. It’s not pleasant, but it’s also not long-lasting when it happens.

I recently had the chance to attend a meeting with Dr. Robert Gerlach, a Research Fellow with Proctor and Gamble, and Dr. Travis Stork, Emmy® nominated TV host of The Doctors and board-certified emergency medicine physician. They discussed the causes of dental hypersensitivity, the current products to treat it, and the latest product from Crest that promises to provide greater relief to hypersensitivity sufferers. [Read more…]

Filed Under: healthy living, Sponsored-AF ·

Apr 21, 2014

Highlights from Disney Social Media Moms Celebration 2014

By Christina ·

Holy smokes, I don’t even know where to begin in telling you all about the past few weeks!

It’s hard to believe it’s been a week since I was in California for the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration. I’ve been to Walt Disney World several times, but had never been to Disneyland before this. I knew it was smaller, and the original – 1955 – but other than knowing a few rides that both locations have in common, I wasn’t sure what to expect.

The Man and the Mouse that started it all.

This was also the first time the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration was held at Disneyland instead of Walt Disney World, so it worked out well that this was my first invite to the conference. It was ALL new to me!

The question I heard the most from friends and family when I told them I had been invited was, “What is it?” Well, it’s technically a conference. But it’s a called a “celebration” instead of a “conference” partially because the purpose is to celebrate all things Disney and to inform and inspire the attendees in the process.

Disney succeeded on all counts.

I’ve been a Disney fan for a long, long time. The first film I saw in the theater was a Disney film. (Lady and the Tramp) My mom saved up and took me to Walt Disney World when I was nine. Our Christmas tree has always had a strong Disney theme to it. And while we couldn’t have a Disney wedding, Aaron and I did visit the Magic Kingdom on our honeymoon. We had dinner that night in the castle, too, vowing to come back on our tenth anniversary with our kids, which we did last year.

At WDW for our honeymoon (with Bride & Groom ears), March, 2003

The only downside of this trip to California was that I wasn’t able to arrange to bring Aaron or the kids with me. When I received the invite, we had already paid for our non-refundable tickets for Walt Disney World, and I couldn’t justify the flights or more time out of school for the kids.

I’ve promised them that if I get the chance again, they’ll be with me for certain. However, I didn’t go alone. My brother-in-law and his wife were happy to join me for the trip, which resulted in plenty of fun photo opportunities.

Especially once you know where the cameras are!

Disneyland was fantastic, and I came back with a notebook full of stories and quotes and my heart filled with magic, creativity, and accomplishment. Beyond experiencing the parks, I heard about new additions to Disney Parks, new movies coming soon, inspiring speeches on tapping into and finding your creativity, examples of those who found their success and how they did it, and new initiatives to promote healthy living, literacy, and conservation.

Disney’s legendary guest services were on display and proved why other companies come to them for lessons on how to make customers for life. I made new blog friends, saw old friends, and ended my stay with a two mile run through Disneyland and California Adventures that was exhilarating and gave me the feeling that anything is possible.

There’s SO MUCH more I have to share about what I learned while at Disneyland. But it’s too much for a single post. You’ll see more from me soon on Disney Junior’s new Give a Book, Get a Book program with First Book and Reading Rainbow, more on why I’m beyond excited for the new movie Maleficent, and more about the lessons I learned from the inspirational speakers who took the time to share their lessons and stories. Plus more about Disneyland and how it compares to Walt Disney World, too.

In the meantime, I used iMovie for the first time to put together a photo slideshow of some of the highlights of the trip. Enjoy!

“Always, as you travel, assimilate the sounds and sights of your world.” – Walt Disney

Disclosure: I was invited to attend the #DisneySMMoms Celebration. I paid my own conference and travel fees and received gifts during the conference from conference sponsors. All opinions, experiences and thoughts are my own.

Filed Under: Sponsored-AF, travel ·

Mar 27, 2014

Udi’s Makes Gluten Free Living Tasty

By Christina ·

Disclosure: I participated in this program on behalf of Udi’s and The Motherhood. All opinions are my own.

It was about a year and a half ago that Aaron went gluten-free. At the time, I had first learned about Udi’s Gluten Free foods, and they suggested we try a two week gluten-free challenge. Aaron and I both tried it, completely eliminating gluten from our diets for two weeks. At the end of it, we felt pretty good, but the true test was to see how we felt eating gluten again. I had no trouble going back to gluten. Aaron, on the other hand, discovered just how badly his body handles gluten, and after a few days of extreme pain, realized that maybe gluten-free would have to be a necessary lifestyle change.

This isn’t an uncommon path for many with gluten intolerance, I’ve found. Udi’s reports that only 10% of those who go gluten free are medically diagnosed, while 37% are self-diagnosed and discover through elimination diets. Although in our case, Aaron went to his doctor after this and was told to remain gluten free due to gluten sensitivity. It’s possible he’s had this sensitivity all of his life, although it’s also possible to develop it later in life after a major change to the body or traumatic event.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Aaron, healthy living, Sponsored-AF ·

Jan 27, 2014

Time To Get Moving and #GetMotivated

By Christina ·

Thank you to Best Buy for sponsoring today’s post.

This is usually the time of year where I decide I’ve had my fill of the holiday desserts and slacking off on exercise and rededicate myself to healthy living again. I do this every year. Some people have New Year’s Resolutions. For me, I call the period between Halloween and early January my “hibernation” period, when I stop calorie counting and just enjoy the holiday treats, and then get back on track in January.

I usually gain a few pounds over the holidays, but it’s rarely more than five, and I consider that time off a sanity check for myself. I want to take care of myself, but a free period where I can loosen the rules makes keeping on track the rest of the year much easier.

But this year, it’s a little harder for me. First, it’s been cold. I haven’t wanted to switch into workout clothing when it’s chilly downstairs each morning. Staying in warm, fuzzy layers is far more comfortable. And when it’s this cold, I have the urge to eat, especially warm foods.

It’s also been hard due to my shoulder injury. Normally I’d pull out a Jillian Michaels workout or Bar Method DVD, but the limited motion and pain in my left shoulder means no full-body workouts for now.

[Read more…]