This weekend was busy to say the least and I am not sure how single moms and dads do it.  I was without Melinda for less than 24 hours and it feel like I was going to die (maybe a slight exaggeration).

Melinda was at Bloggy Bootcamp in Philadelphia Friday night and Saturday which left me alone with the kids.  I want everyone to understand that I am not complaining that she went I just want to explain how busy it was without her.  Usually we will do a divide and conquer but I was solo on Saturday.

Here is a breakdown of my Saturday.

• Took Shae to dance which runs from 10:30am – 11:30am
• While Shae was at dance (closed to parents) I ran to get Melinda’s van washed and vacuumed
• Picked Shae up from dance at 11:30 then went home to get her changed for a noon birthday party
• At noon dropped off Sabreena, Shaun and Shae at the birthday party
• After I dropped the kids off at the birthday party I took my car to get it washed and vacuumed
• Went food shopping after my car was clean
• Went home to put the groceries away
• Got the two dogs  then went back to the party to pick up the kids
• Dropped the dogs off at home
• Took the kids to the mall for bathing suits (a lot happened while at the mall)

This was 10 minutes after Shae hit her head

• Took Shae to the Disney store for a treat since she dam near split her melon open
• Finally left the mall and went home
• Put pizza in the over and was about to take a shower when I got a text from Melinda
• Went to pick Melinda up at a friend’s house who drove Melinda home from Philly
• Stopped at Wawa so Melinda and I could get dinner since the kids ate the pizza
• Went home to eat dinner
• Chatted With Melinda for a while
• Melinda went to bed and I worked on my new computer that I won in a giveaway

I feel like we have a pretty good tooth brushing routine in our house for the most part. Are we perfect, no! Do we miss a tooth brushing if we get home late from somewhere, yes! For the most part meaning the other 99.9 percent of the time we are on top of it.

Our nightly routine starts at around 8:15 – 8:30 when we send Shaun and Shae up to brush their teeth. Shaun actually visited an orthodontist on a school trip a few months ago and they gave him what I remember as an old school egg timer. It is filled with sand and you flip it over and once the sand moves from one side to the other they are done with their teeth. Shaun and Shae do a pretty good job and don’t really fight when it comes to brushing their teeth.

I also have a pretty good routine where I floss every single night and brush every morning and night. Up until I received the Oral-B ProfessionalCare SmartSeries 5000 with SmartGuide I was using a no frills manual toothbrush. I have used a power toothbrush in the past and for some reason I went back to a no frills toothbrush and I have no clue why. I really like the Oral-B ProfessionalCare SmartSeries 5000 with SmartGuide because it now forces me to brush for a full 2 minutes which I know for a fact after using this new power toothbrush for the last week I wasn’t doing.

Here are a few additional features I don’t want to forget to mention:

• Separate, wireless SmartGuide helps maximize brushing performance
• Deep Clean mode removes up to 99.7% of plaque from hard-to-reach areas
• Pressure sensor stops pulsations when brushing too hard
• Gentle on teeth and gums
• 5 modes: Daily Clean, Sensitive, Whitening, Massage, Deep Clean
• Oral-B is the #1 dentist-recommended toothbrush brand worldwide

I really like the wireless SmartGuide because it tells me every 30 seconds when to move to the next quadrant of my mouth. I also like the ability to choose from one of the five different modes because I use the daily clean mode and Melinda uses the sensitive mode. The pressure sensor is also helpful because it will show a frown face on the wireless SmartGuide as well as flash red on the toothbrush. It seems like every time I switch to a power toothbrush I tend to use too much pressure so the pressure sensor has come in handy.

Overall I am very happy with the Oral-B ProfessionalCare SmartSeries 5000 with SmartGuide. Right now you can take advantage of the mail-in rebate offered by Oral-B (Oral-B is offering a $10 mail-in rebate on select power toothbrushes April 29 through June 16, 2012. Please visit OralB.com for more information). Trust me you won’t be disappointed.

Be sure to also check out Oral-B on Twitter and Facebook!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Dad Central Consulting on behalf of Oral-B and received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

There’s more to Hershey’s than chocolate kisses and syrup. This year marks the 35th birthday of the Hershey’s Track and Field Games.

The HERSHEY’S Track & Field Games are the largest youth sports program of its kind in North America, with hundreds of thousands of children competing every year. Everyone has a chance to be among the 480 athletes who qualify to compete at the North American Final. The HERSHEY’S Track & Field Games has produced many Olympic medalists and competing athletes.

On Tuesday May 22nd at Northeast High School’s Charlie Martin Memorial Stadium children and their coaches, friends and families will gather to participate in Run, Jump and Throw activities. While there will be an organized track meet for kids age 9-14 there will be plenty of opportunities for children of all ages to have fun and get active. Step up to one of the many activity stations where you may jump rope, throw bean bags or join a relay race.

This event is free for the community and Hershey’s hopes to stress the importance of youth activity and living a balanced lifestyle while having fun. I’ll be on-site to help guide you and your kids to a fun evening of games and activities. Get all the details of the event and access to a RUN, JUMP and THROW Online Birthday Guide at www. Hersheystrackandfield.com.

Find an event in your area and RUN, JUMP and THROW with your own kids.

I am partnering with Hershey’s on this event

Shaun and I will be attending the Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam show in Baltimore, MD on 6/2 (Saturday) and we are super excited.  If you are interested in attending we are holding a giveaway and you can click HERE to enter.

Shaun and I have attended a few shows since last year and are becoming really huge fans and recently learned a few things that we found very interesting.

Not sure how much you know about Monster Jam or the trucks but I will share some fun facts with you.

Trucks: Usually 12 feet tall and about 12 feet wide, a monster truck must weigh a minimum of 10,000
pounds, with some Monster Trucks weighing as much as 12,000 pounds. The less the body weighs,
the more strength and weight can be put into the frame and engine without sacrificing speed and
maneuverability. Average cost: $250.000.

Engines: Custom-built, supercharged and methanol-injected, a monster truck engine burns up to 2.5
gallons of methanol per run. The size of the motor is limited to 575 cubic feet of displacement. The
average monster truck team will go through five engines in one year. Average cost per engine: $50,000.

Body: Made of fiberglass, a monster truck body is custom designed. A fiberglass company generally
owns the mold to the design. Average initial cost: $15,000. Average cost of remakes: $8,000.

Tires: Manufactured by Goodyear and Firestone, monster truck tires must be 66 inches high and 43
inches wide. Tires are customized and hand cut to accommodate track conditions and reduce weight.
Cutting one tire takes approximately 50 hours. Average cost: $2,600 each.

Shocks: Most Monster Trucks run with nitrogen gas shocks. Some trucks run with one shock per tire,
while others run with as many as two per tire. The complete shock package includes a coil-over-shock kit
and spring. Average cost: $1,600 each.

Paint: A monster truck must be painted to cover the rough fiberglass body. Airbrushing logos and
specialized artwork add to the cost. Average cost: $5000.

Race Team Budget: A monster truck team incurs a number of expenses throughout the year from repairs
and maintenance on a monster truck and the hauler to fuel, racing uniforms, lodging and food. Average
cost per year: $250,000

Crushed Cars: Steel body full-size cars are the vehicles typically crushed during a monster truck event.
Cars, as well as vans, buses, motor homes, airplanes and ambulances, are attained from local junkyards
and returned after each event. Average number of cars crushed per year: 3,000.

Tracks: A crew of eight works 18-20 hours for three days to construct a monster truck course. It is not
uncommon for dump trucks to make more than 200 trips to deliver the dirt to each stadium. Average
amount of dirt used per track: 700 cubic yards for an arena, 3,500 cubic yards for a stadium. Each year
700,000 cubic yards of dirt are used to put on Monster Jam events.

Tickets: More than 3.5 million people annually attended the Monster Jam events in North America,
Canada and Europe.

Hopefully Monster Jam will come to an arena near you so you can get a chance to experience how awesome Monster Trucks really are!!

Then why is SNAP Funding in jeopardy of being cut. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was put in place to keep families fed during times of need. Unemployment, medical emergency and even a simple change in payroll could cause a family to need assistance they never needed before.

Congress is looking to make changes to the Farm Bill, the legislation that provides funding for the SNAP Program. The changes could mean radical cuts to a program that puts food on the tables of millions of families. Nearly half of all SNAP participants are children. That means even more hungry mouths in our schools, playgrounds and community.

As the wealthiest country on the planet how can we let this happen? Speak up about Share Our Strength and spread the message of No Kid Hungry, the SNAP Program and The Farm Bill to everyone that will listen.

• SNAP helps struggling families buy more food and fresh produce
• SNAP provides important economic benefits to the community. The For every SNAP dollar spent $1.79 stays within the community.
• 1 in 5 kids don’t get enough to eat each day. The lasting affects malnutrition are poor health, stunted brain development, reduced performance in school and future psychological issues.
• More than 2/3 of the SNAP funding goes directly to Federal Nutrition Programs to feed children.

Let Congress know you aren’t sitting by and letting them take away the basic needs of 46 million Americans. Take a stand and TAKE A PLEDGE to tell Congress to protect the Farm Bill and keep our families safe from food insecurity.

Bloggy Boot Camp is coming to Philadelphia. I missed it last year but there is was way I was going to let it pass me by again.

That’s they formal definition. I think of it more like a get together of like-minded, social women to discuss business, blogs, networking and more. I attended Bloggy Boot Camp in Baltimore 2 years ago when I considered myself a newbie. I’m no social media maven so there is still so much to learn and why not learn from the best, the SITS Girls.

When The Secret to Success is Support (SITS) was founded in 2008, its objective was simple: To create a space where bloggers could find their tribe and grow their audience. Although the site has evolved over the years, its commitment to this mission has not changed.

Today, the brand is managed by women who are passionate about blogging and creating a resource for others to find support online and learn the skills they need to become social media savvy. Our network of 40,000 members come to The SITS Girls site to see who we are featuring from the blogging community, learn the technical skills they need to be successful online, and chat in our discussion forum.

I’m excited to attend for several reasons. I love making new friends. While I know some of my connections will continue as digital ones they will be real. The SITS Girls is honest and comforting and supportive. Since I still have lots to learn as a blogger I’m looking forward to the sessions.

Topics for Philadelphia include:

• Business of Blogging: This 2 hour break out will cover everything from contracts to creating media kits to pitching effectively to running successful campaigns and giveaways and wrap up reports. We’ll be talking money and what you need to know to “go pro”.
• Using StumbleUpon and Pinterest: These tools are an amazing asset to build your traffic and engage a wider audience. Learn how they work and how to use them effectively.
• Vlogging: How to vlog and why you should consider adding it your blogging repertoire.
• SEO: Search Engine Optimization matters. Learn easy and effective techniques to building your sites ranking.
• Design: Is your blog putting it’s best foot forward? We break it down- the good, the bad, the ugly and the fabulous. Small changes can have a huge impact.
• Writer’s Workshop: A full 2 hour breakout for those interested in crafting excellent content. Nothing like sitting in a room with a bunch of writers who “get it”.

If you ever get the chance to attend Bloggy Boot Camp, DO IT. This is the perfect event for the shy , behind the screen types. The gathering is intimate and friendly without being overwhelming. Hope to see you there.

Ok people, now that spring is here it is time to walk through your house and take note of things you may want to update or may need to fix due to the winter weather.

I know when spring hits the first thing I check in our house are all of the pipes, pvc fittings under all of the sinks.  Now I know that may seem weird but there is nothing worse than a broken pipe or fitting which could cause major damage and cost a fortune.  I am not saying that a visual inspection will find all problems but it doesn’t cost any money to walk around your house and check so why not do it?

Once that is done if I find anything that seems questionable when it comes to the plumbing I fix it immediately because the cost now is far less expensive before it breaks rather than after.  Who wants to call a plumber in the middle of the night at rate of $50 – $100 hour when it could have been replaced at a much more reasonable cost and on your time.  I typically go to Home Depot if I have time otherwise you could go to a site like CIS and have the stuff shipped right to your front door.  

I know not everyone has the ability to do their own home repair but if you do have the ability you should make every effort to do it yourself.  It does sometimes take me a few days to a week to get to a project because of either work or something else going on that prohibits me from getting the job done right away but once I do have a free opening I am sure to get the job done before disaster strikes.

Do you make a list once spring time rolls around of things that you need to get done around the house? Or am I the only one?

Something happened last year that got Shaun and Rob really into Monster Trucks. They went to 2 shows last year, one already this year and have another 2 on the schedule. It’s a different kind of sport that they are used to. Instead of 2 teams battling each other the drivers are trying their best to just finish in one piece.

Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA, June 9, 2012

USHRA Monster Trucks including Grave Digger® driven by Dennis Anderson, Maximum Destruction® driven by Tom Meents, Advance Auto Parts Grinder℠, Lucas Oil Crusader℠, Monster Energy, Captain America, El Toro Loco®, Team Hot Wheels®, Iron Man, Grave Digger The Legend®, Madusa®, Monster Mutt®, Mohawk Warrior℠, Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Metal Mulisha!

Win a 4-pack of tickets to the Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam Path of Destruction, June 9th performance at Lincoln Financial Field. Just leave a comment with the truck you’re looking forward to seeing.

EXTRA ENTRIES:
To receive these extra opportunities for entries, you must fulfill the first REQUIRED entry above. Please note the changes to the entries and frequency, entries that don’t follow rules may be disregarded/ignored/deleted.

• Subscribe to LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! via email or RSS feed
• SHARE this giveaway on YOUR Facebook wall
• Like Monster Jam and LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! on Facebook
• Follow Mom & Dad & Monster Jam on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway (1 time per day), please leave your twitter link each time, tweet a form of this message: Win 4-tickets to @MonsterJam #Philadelphia #Giveaway from @lkwhtmomfound @anddadtoo http://bit.ly/IYqGr8 
• Enter another Giveaway – let us know which one in the comment (one extra entry per giveaway you enter, just leave separate comments)
• Leave a relevant comment on any other Review/Everyday Life/Thoughts post, let us know where to find it

Your entries must follow the rules or they won’t be eligible for prizes. This contest ends 11:59 pm, Friday, May 25, 2012. The winners will be emailed and will have 24 hours to claim their prize. This contest is open to Continental US residents only. For complete rules please read our blog contest rules page.

They saying buying a new home is one of if not the largest purchase you will ever make in your life time and I agree.

Finding just the right home in the right area is extremely important and even more so if you have kids because you need to think about school districts and what school will be best for you child.

I thought when we were in Maryland about two years ago that we would be there for a while and that was where we were going to call home. it’s too bad we moved because Southern Maryland new homes were on the rise at the time and a place we could have called home for sure.

I am not saying that I’m not glad we moved back to Delaware because I am since we are a lot closer to family but I am not sure Newark is the place where we will live forever. We have committed to living in our current home until Sabreena graduates from high school in two years because we really don’t want to uproot her in her junior year. That isn’t fair to her plus it’s super hard to make quality friends at that point in your high school career and Melinda can attest to that because that is something she went through.

When Melinda and I discuss where we would really like to live we both agree North Wilmington is for us. North Wilmington is where we lived before we moved to Maryland and in a way I wish I was able to turn the clock back because I know if we could do it all over Melinda and I would have decided to stay in North Wilmington.

Like I said we are in our house for a least two more years but I can totally see us hitting the road for North Wilmington once Sabreena leaves for college. For those of you wondering, yes I will tell Sabreena that we moved to North Wilmington. LOL.