Christmas is coming soon!! Do you have everything you need for all your loved ones? If not you will definitely want to run over to Trolley Square to get what you need!

If it's just a last minute filler item you need, a super unique gift or maybe something really special for the "hard to buy for" person on you list Trolley Square has you covered and will take care of everyone on your lists this year. 

One of my all-time favorite stores at Trolley Square is Williams-Sonoma, if you can't find the perfect gift for the "chef" in you life there, you won't find it anywhere. Unfortunately I have to constantly remind myself why I am there and to stay on task! Otherwise I walk out with five items for myself and forget why I was there in the first place! 

Even if you don't know someone that likes to cook, you will find tons of great items that anyone would love to add to their kitchen. 

If I am looking for something completely unique that will have my friends wondering, "where did you find this?" (in a good way lol) I head to Cabin Fever where they have thousands of truly unique gifts that will WOW your friends and family. 

As soon as I walked in I spotted Dr. Who ornaments and other items and had to grab some! I am a huge Dr. Who fan, but I can't find any Dr. Who products off of the internet and who wants to have to wait a week or more to have stuff shipped? 

They also had tons of amazing My Little Pony items for the little girl or Brony on your list. lol My little girl is obsessed so I bought her an adorable hat that looks like Twilight Sparkle. 

At most malls you will find stores that just look like they were thrown in without any thought, but at Trolley Square you will find refined stores and unique stores. There was thought put into who occupies the beautiful space that is Trolley Square and that is why I will do I take care of my Christmas shopping there, but I keep coming back all year round. 

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Sickweather. I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

As a mom of young children and a working mom at that, I know I can’t afford to get sick. On average it takes me about nine days to get completely over a cold alone! (Can you tell I have really put some thought into this?) Nine days of me at best working at 50% efficiency, that’s not good… not good at all. As a mom if I am sick I know I can’t take care of my kids as well, and help them to get feeling better if they get sick. Who needs or wants a life-interrupting virus or other sickness? I know I don’t! I recently realized I needed to do more than just walk around avoiding anyone that is sneezing, coughing or otherwise and disinfecting every possible surface around me (looking like a crazy person). Instead I needed something a little more discreet, that’s where the Sickweather app. comes in. Like a superhero keeping me sane and healthy all at the same time. 

Keeping yourself well in a sea of illness might seem impossible, but Sickweather is now your new tool to help you navigate that sea. 

Now obviously there is more than just the common cold or flu floating around out there and the Sickweather app will warn and alert you to anything in your area that might be a possible health threat.  

You are probably asking about now, “how exactly does it do all of this?”  Now here is when it gets really cool… Sickweather works just like a weather Doppler. Sickweather shows you a forecast of the sicknesses in your area that are happening right then. Now this is amazing for this time of year when it seems everyone is getting a cold or flu, but I can’t wait to be using this during allergy season. Our family gets allergies really bad and we will be able to possibly prepare before it hits us. 

Our family also travels a lot and I can’t wait to use this app next time we are out of town. The last thing you want while on vacation is to get sick. We recently visited New York and all of New England, this was almost a two week trip and I remember worrying about one of us getting sick while we were out and it ruining part of the trip. I found myself being super paranoid and wishing I knew the information Sickweather could have informed me of. We went through almost eight states, that’s a lot of different areas that could have completely different sicknesses to worry about. This will be a lifesaver and huge stress reducer next time we travel.  

Once you have downloaded the free app, that’s right I said free, you will be able to see sicknesses in your area and also get alerts sent to your phone when a new illness pops up. Sickweather not only gets information from members that submit when someone in their family gets sick, but it also uses social media to get a bigger picture of what is going on near you! 

Check this out: 

Isn't that so cool?! So whether you want to just avoid the common cold or you want to avoid what might be spreading around at your child’s school or an outbreak of something even worse be sure to head over and grab the best tool out there to help you stay healthy… Sickweather. 

I have been compensated by VTech for my participation in this campaign as a part of the Mom It Forward Blogger Network. As always though all my crazy opinions and stories are my own. 

Time goes by so fast, I look around and it seems like my kids are getting bigger by the second and the years pass by so fast. I think we sometimes forget to look outside our immediate family and take a closer look at elder family members and their needs. For grandparents and elderly parents their needs can change drastically with every passing year. I find it hard to come to terms with that sometimes and have to remind myself that they are getting older too and need certain tools set in place to help them out. 

An amazing tool I recently came across is the VTech CareLine, I found this to be a fantastic system that not only helps grandparents keep in touch with friends and family, but also provides some pretty cool safety features as well. I have a grandmother that has been loosing her sight since I was a child and is now legally blind, she can only see a very narrow field of vision and I know this will be the perfect gift for her this Christmas. 

The phone system comes with big picture photo dial, this means you can put the photos of those you call the most or maybe just all the grandchildren  right their on the phone easy to see and you can be talking to them with just the push of one button!

With my grandmothers sight fading this will be a feature that will help her out so much, even when her sight is completely gone she will only need to touch and push one of those four buttons and will be instantly connected to her loved ones. But even better than that is the Portable Safety Pendant that will help you in the event of an emergency. I think we have all seen the Life Alert commercials or other commercials like it that boast a pendant or button system that will alert 911. Unfortunately some of those systems can have a heavy price tag or monthly fees that can add up quick. The VTech Careline comes with a pendant that comes with no extra monthly cost or fees. With a push of a button she can contact emergency services or she can contact a family member or friend. I love that it doesn't have to be programmed just to dial for 911 sometimes you might have an emergency that a friend or family member can help you out with that doesn't warrant five emergency vehicles showing up at your doorstep. 

The phone I received for this review I gave to my father in-law to use and to get his thoughts and opinions on it, and the longer I watch him use it and discover all it's pretty neat features the more I realize what a great fit it is for even more of my extended family members. My father has had hearing aids for a while now and I know the Amplified Sound and the Audio Assist would be a great help to him. Now before I get a angry call from my parents... let me clarify they aren't elderly in the least, but you don't have to be elderly for this system to be a great system for you! I bet right now you can think of several family or friends this would be great for. 

I know a few people with children that have medical issues and sometimes those few seconds of running to grab a phone to dial 911 can make all the difference. Having the Portable Safety Unit for a family with medical concerns would be a great asset. 

Be sure to also check out all the amazing Amazon reviews of the product! It got four stars! 

If you are finding yourself getting a little stumped on what to get the grandparents this year I would highly recommend the VTech CareLine! And I have a little surprise for you today! I am giving away one VTech CareLine (Retail Value: $169.90) to one lucky reader!!! Be sure to enter below and let us know, "How would VTech CareLine™ give you peace of mind and your elderly loved one’s a sense of independence this holiday season?”

Also be sure to check out these other wonderful blogs that are participating in the VTech 12 days of Christmas! 

http://amomwithalessonplan.com/christmas-gifts-for-grandparents/

http://b-inspiredmama.com/2014/12/holiday-gift-guide-grandparents/

http://stuffparentsneed.com/gifts-for-those-with-dementia-and-alzheimers-disease/

http://www.yourmodernfamily.com/grandparents-gift/

http://blommi.com/vtech-careline-for-grandparents-gives-the-gift-of-peace-of-mind/

http://www.mynewestaddiction.com/2014/12/12-days-of-christmas-vtech-careline-giveaway.html

http://www.simplydesigning.net/best-gift-ideas-grandparents/

http://www.playpartypin.com/2014/12/gifts-for-grandparents.html

http://www.amomstake.com/2014/12/5-great-gifts-grandparents/

Good luck and may your holidays be merry and bright! 

I have been compensated by Panasonic for my participation in this campaign as a part of the Mom It Forward Blogger Network. As always though all my crazy opinions and stories are my own. 

When I say workout, what are some of the first words that pop into your head? Most of you would probably throw out words like: sweat, healthy, or fitness but the first word I think of is, music. I know it sounds odd, but it’s the only thing that gets me through my workout. Maybe one day I will enjoy or appreciate breaking a sweat, but for now I find working out to be incredibly difficult and I need some moral support; that comes in the form of music.

My husband and I both work from home so we like to exercise together, one of the easiest workouts for me is cycling so we head out every week cycling around our area. About a couple of miles in and sweat dripping out of every pore I start hinting to my husband that we have done enough and could start heading back home, he then turns to me looking like he’s out for a leisurely stroll and says “let’s just head to the end of this hill” at this point I am delirious from loss of fluids and I agree, not thinking about the fact I will just have to go back up the hill to get back home. He could cycle a century and find it relaxing, so he thinks it’s no big deal to push me a little further. That’s when I pull out my secret weapon my butt kicking workout music. You know the stuff… with a beat that just wants to make you dance and you use that energy to push you harder.

With awesome music you need some headphones to match which is not easy to find. Headphones are used for so many reasons not just to work out and because of that it can be hard to find a great headset that can keep up with your workout routine. I can’t even count how many headsets of mine have given out due to them saying they were sweat proof, but apparently weren't prepared for the buckets I can pour. I swear whoever tests these quote unquote sweat resistant headphones doesn't actually have any pores.

I was recently sent the: Panasonic pen-Ear Bone Conduction Headphones with Reflective Design - RP-HGS10-W and I was skeptical due to the history I have had with other headsets, I took them out for a spin and even had my husband try them. These were the features it boasted and they all seemed great for any workout, but especially awesome for cycling:

:: Open-ear headphones allow you to hear your surroundings while listening to music

:: Bone conduction technology sends music from cheek bones to inner ear

:: Use rain or shine – these open-ear headphones are water resistant against rain and sweat

:: Bright, reflective headphone design provides added visibility at night

I was ready to test these bad boys out so we hit the road! It can be really dangerous out on the road with cars, buses and the terrifying semi or two that passes you by so you need to be constantly aware of everything around you and you can’t have your hearing completely blocked, so that is the first thing I really notice with these. I could hear my music, but also hear cars other cyclists and my husband next to me.

This is crucial for me to be able to stay sharp and safe. The next thing I noticed is the headset wasn't absorbing all of my sweat and it didn't feel uncomfortable, it felt great! I didn't feel like it was glued to my head with sweat by the time we got back home. It felt like headphones are supposed to, light, comfortable and pushing me to my goals. You don't have to be a cyclist or even workout to appreciate these headphones, they were great while I was cleaning around the house as well. I could get all my cleaning done and yet still hear if a kid needed me or if my phone was ringing. If you are looking for the perfect gift this Christmas or need these for yourself be sure to head over here and grab the Panasonic Open-Ear Bone Conduction Headphones! 

Unfortunately with winter right around the corner my husband and I will have to workout indoors. The other day it was around 35 degrees and there was no way I was going outside in that cold! We headed to the basement to workout and decided to try out the Panasonic Link2Cell Digital Phone with iPhone5 Integration Handsets we just received. Now this thing has some crazy features, it looks like a home phone, but is so much more! We started our workout and synced up our phone. It says that it's for a Iphone 5, but don't worry if you don't have an Iphone you just won't be able to dock your phone, but you can enjoy all the other amazing features. After syncing up our cell phone we were able to play music through the base and hear all our favorite tunes we have on the phone. This also came in handy later when I was cooking dinner, I love listening to music while cooking and my kiddos love dancing around the kitchen while waiting for dinner and it stops the demands of, "mom when is dinner going to be done?".

Another awesome feature that came in handy while we were working out is the handset will tell us if anyone is calling and also who is texting. If I had to stop working out for every text I get I would never make it through my workout! Now I can know if it's important enough for me to stop or if I can deal with it when I'm done, and I don't even need to have my phone in the same room! My phone can be in a completely different spot in my home and the handset will do everything I would need. I love that you don't need a landline for this to work, to be completely honest I am done with landlines. If you like having a landline or already have one this system can work with it, but isn't necessary. If you have an iPhone this will be a great new way for you to keep your phone charged and reduce more cords. It's the perfect buddy system for your cell phone and would make a perfect gift for anyone! Panasonic is the way to go this holiday season for all your technology needs! For other great holiday ideas, visit Pinterest.com/PanasonicGuide. 

As most of you know recently my husband and I took an RV excursion through New England in the fall. It was an amazing journey and the fall foliage was spectacular! It was definitely a trip we will never forget and right now you can follow along and be a part of our journey.

Check out the first of four posts here! Have you been to New England in the fall? What were some of you favorite parts of the trip? Be sure to check out more posts of our trip to New England in weeks to come!