Our Ordinary Life

Live Well + Family Fun

Main navigation

Giveaway

A New Weekly Reader Giveaway!

by 75 Comments

We’re starting something really fun here at Our Ordinary Life with our weekly reader giveaways! Every week you’ll get the chance to win some great prizes including gift cards, electronics and more!

This week it’s all about inspiring your next vacation and making memories this summer. So we’re going to give one lucky reader a gift card to one of our favorite places, Disney!!! That’s right this week you can enter to win a $50 Disney gift card to use on your next vacation or anywhere you like this week in our Rafflecopter giveaway!!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

7 Lessons Kids Can Learn From Traveling With Radio Flyer Girls Scooter

by

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Radio Flyer girls scooter. The opinions and text are all mine.

 

Living in Southern California there are so many things to see and places to visit. We are an active family who enjoys spending our time together creating lasting memories. Traveling provides our children with plenty of opportunities to learn new things and explore the many things that there are to do.

7 Lessons Kids Can Learn From Traveling

  1. Patience – Traveling is often times fluid, it changes quickly and often delays can arise. Traveling teaches your children patience and just rolling with whatever comes.
  2. Confidence – Traveling has given my children confidence, not only in exploring new things but in interacting with other cultures.
  3. Perspective – With traveling your children learn perspective realizing how big of a place the world is and how much there is to learn.
  4. Integrity – Traveling buildings integrity. Children get to see how other cultures live, experiencing new places and diverse backgrounds.
  5. A History Lesson – There is so much actual learning that happens when we travel. From the zoo to the museum, even just experiencing other cultures can be a learning experience.
  6. Family Bonds – With traveling you will gain a number of shared experiences and memories. You never have to be far form your family to feel like you are at home and that’s what it’s all about. That lasting family connection.
  7. The Ability To Be Carefree – When traveling as a family you are often on a vacation so just allowing yourself to be carefree. have fun, ride bikes or a scooter. Explore a new park and play tag. Being active with your kids energizes you and don’t we all travel for fun? So get out and play and have some fun!

girl on scooter

Just this weekend in San Diego our girls set out on our own adventure to one of our favorite parks downtown. It’s one of those places that our kids just love and has helped to build confidence with our four year old. Her girls scooter is not only fun but really she’s learning so many life lessons simply from playing. Being the youngest she is our most sensitive child so I like activities that grow her confidence and playing is a great way to do just that.

girls scooter

Building Confidence With Her Girls Scooter

For the last 100 years Radio Flyer has been inspiring kids to get out a play. Radio Flyer has introduced Radio Flyer Adventure Travel, the site that wants to inspire you to get out a play with your kids. With essential products for play like the Build-A-Wagon or Build-A-Scooter. Our youngest has her own girls scooter that is customized and pink and was have built just for her. It’s the perfect travel companion for all of our adventures this summer! Just put it in the back of the car and we are off!

Be sure to check out the video for more information.

toddler scooter

GIVEAWAY!!!

We have one $100 Radio Flyer gift card to also give away! Just comment below with a place you would go like to on adventure with your kids.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dealing With Spring Allergies

by

This post was sponsored by Xyzal® Allergy 24HR but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am one of those crazy people who will tell you they like to work out. From my favorite dance classes at the gym to even weight training, I somehow find the most relaxing part of my day is my workout. This year California has experienced a super bloom of flowers, making my watery eyes; sneezing; runny nose; and itchy nose symptoms at an all time high. I also love to spend time outdoors hiking and exploring nature so taking something for my spring time allergies is something I have to do. I suffer a lot from the itchy watery eyes and it can even start to affect how much I am able to sleep.

And I’m not alone.   According to a recent social experiment comparing allergy sufferers to non-allergy sufferers, allergy sufferers had a harder time falling asleep and staying asleep than people without allergies.  The allergy sufferers also reported that they felt less rested and less physically active during the day than the participants without allergies.

Luckily I’ve found something that effectively treats my allergies for 24 hours. Xyzal® Allergy 24HR is now available over-the-counter (OTC) at full prescription strength. Xyzal® Allergy 24HR treats the symptoms of my allergies and is effective from hour one to hour twenty four. It works all day and really helps me get back to doing the things I like to do most. Like dancing is my favorite class at the gym without my nose running. 😀 I also know that, because my symptoms are relieved, I get a better night’s sleep and am able to get the rest that I need.

You can learn more on the Xyzal website.

Xyzal provided me with a ‘Wise Up, Rise Up’ kit full of items to help me have a better night’s sleep and a more productive day.

How do your allergies affect your life?

Giveaway!!!

I also have one ‘Wise Up, Rise Up’ kit to give away to one lucky reader. Enter to win through the Rafflecopter widget below. Giveaway is open only to US residents ages 18 years of age or older. A winner will be selected at random at 12:00PM PST on June 20th and will be notified via email.

About the Social Experiment

This social experiment was sponsored by Sanofi Consumer Healthcare and conducted by Russell Research. It used wearable devices to assess the sleep patterns and activities of 160 participants (80 allergy sufferers and 80 non-sufferers) for 30 consecutive days between October and December 2016. During the experiment, participants also completed a daily survey to track perceptions of their allergy symptoms (for the 80 allergy sufferers), sleep patterns and activities, as a way to provide additional context for the wearable device data. For the purposes of the experiment, allergy sufferers are defined as those who suffer from moderate or severe indoor and outdoor allergies in the fall or year round, and who take allergy medication 2 days per week or less.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Why Taking The Time To Meal Prep Is Essential

by

We are happy to partner with Rubbermaid® on this post, all opinions are our own. 

At the beginning of the year I really wanted to take my fitness routine to the next level. I have always enjoyed taking classes and just doing the basics at my local gym but my goal this year was to really strengthen my body and finally learn how to use all the equipment around the gym. I signed up with a personal trainer and right away he told me how important to was to prepare my meals ahead of time. Half of being successful is being prepared so over the last few months I’ve learned that it is essential to prepare healthy meals ahead of time.

Rubbermaid Brilliance is Rubbermaid’s latest in food storage. What I like is that the containers are 100% leak-proof. In our kitchen we’ve started to use the Rubbermaid Brilliance. I like that it allows me to get meals prepped ahead of time and are a really easy to use storage solution. One of the keys to meal prepping when you’re lifting weights or trying to stick to a strict calorie diet is to prep meals ahead of time. Having containers that are easy to use and that easily close allow me to meal prep easily so it’s become more of a routine than a requirement to eating healthy. One of the meals I like to prep ahead of time are quick made lunches that are low in carbs and yet tasty and filling.

  • Protein: You’ll want some sort of protein, chicken breast, lean ground beef, pork tenderloin, flank steak.
  • Carbohydrates: I love things like quinoa, couscous, brown rice, and wild rice.
  • Healthy fats: Easy ways to get healthy fats include seeds nuts, olive oil, coconut oil, fish.

 

Some of the best prepared meals include my favorite wild rice blend, steamed veggies and fish. You can easily mix up this meal with chicken breast or beans. Cooking ahead of time allows you to be prepared and allows me to stay on track with my health and fitness goals. I like that you can easily take Rubbermaid Brilliance on the go to enjoy anywhere and can easily reheat contents inside if needed. For our kiddos I also like to make sure that they have plenty of fun fresh things to snack on too. Prepping fresh fruits and cucumbers ahead of time means the little hands in our house will go for the health snacks that are already ready to be eaten.
My husband is a meat eater and enjoys a nice steak. He likes to marinate it and allow it to sit in the refrigerator and absorb flavor. I always want to be sure that our family stays happy and healthy so I really like that Rubbermaid Brilliance is leak proof and easily cleanable in the dishwasher. Plus they stack perfectly in your fridge or counter space. Rubbermaid Brilliance is your all-in-one solution for meal-prepping, reheating leftovers, and organizing ingredients. 

 

Do you prepare meals ahead of time? 

 

Giveaway!!!

We’re giving away a Rubbermaid Brilliance prize pack to one lucky reader!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Love Is In The Air

by

We are happy to partner with Picture Keeper on this post, all opinions are our own. 

My husband and I were surprised with the pregnancy of our third daughter. Shortly before she was born we went on a trip to Cleveland Ohio. It was a trip away form our two girls and I was pregnant with our last baby, it was quite the baby moon and we had such a great time exploring museums and restaurants. This is my favorite photo of us because it really shows who we are. Interested in learning about the world, always side by side. It was really great to just be, and that trip was one that I really took in. If I could choose one word to describe the photo it would be, peaceful. If I ever lost this photo it would make me sad but I’d always know that we had that solitary moment together in that museum. 
 Love is in the air with Picuter Keeper Connect! The special candid moments captured on your phone should be stored forever. Picture Keeper wants to help you protect your cherished memories and allowing you to free up space. That’s exactly how it works and it’s a service I have used. It’s compatible with many different devices and allows you to easily save and transfer the files on your device. Visit the site to learn more and to purchase your own Picture Keeper today!

How to Enter: Submit a photo of you and your loved one on social media using the hashtag #YouHadMeAtKeeper and tag us! Visit the site to learn more! Hurry, Giveaway ends 2/13/17 (Winners will be announced on Valentine’s Day, 2/14/17)

You can win a Picture Keeper and other exciting prizes!! Submit a photo of you and win!

Can you think of a favorite photo you have with your significant other? 

6 Car Care & Safety Tips For Winter Weather

by

 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of International Carwash Association: WaterSavers. The opinions and text are all mine.

 

Our cars are investments. No matter the cost, any investment requires attention. For our family, its making sure our cars are clean and maintained from the paint, to the interior, to all mechanical systems. With the change of seasons also comes a change in environments that most cars will be handling.

For many people and with winter here, its time to really consider car care and maintenance for the harsh cold and wet conditions. We have had huge amounts of snowfall all across the country so its important to be prepared. Its also important to protect your car fro the harsh conditions and so its stays reliable not leaving your stranded need road-side assistance. But life happens, so being prepared is best.

With winter here, many of us are visiting family or taking trips to places where weather may be freezing. For us we want to enjoy the snow so we find ourselves driving 70 miles up to the San Bernardino Mountains for Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear. Our kids love to play in the snow and its just a great change of scenery. But when we get home the car is completely dirty with dirt, rocks, and grime.

While we do not have the ft of snow or layers of ice like many get during the Winter months, we still get rain and have some snow to encounter. Many of you get the full winter effect with freezing cold temperatures, salty roads, wet conditions and other challenges for drivers. Growing up in Oregon however especially living in mountains for some months to visit Grandpa and Grandma, I know about staying prepared. From keeping cars in top shape for the roads or keeping yourself ahead of potential problems by packing an emergency kit and jumper cables or preventative maintenance like getting a car wash to defend against ice, salt, sand and slush; being ready and prepared is key. For additional winter car care tips, visit carwash.org/watersavers.

For many the snow is a way of life right now, While we are having a good deal of rain, many are dealing with snow. No matter what the wet and cold conditions put a lot of wear on any vehicle.

We keep our cars winter-ready we rely on these tips:

  • Check Engine Coolant: Make sure your antifreeze coolant is up to date and at its proper level. Many people do not realize that antifreeze does have a life. Check with your vehicle manufacturer or shop with mileage and years your coolant should be replaced. It can vary from 36,000 miles to 100,000 or more or have a life of 3-5 years depending on make and model. Consult a mechanic.
  • Safe Tires: Make sure your tire tread is good using the penny test, Place a penny with lincoln’s head upside down and if you can see the top of his head, tread is low. Also visiting a local tire center can measure quickly. Also with cooler temperature comes lower tire pressure. When the air inside a tire gets cold, it gets denser and contracts causing the internal air pressure to decrease which can damage tires.

    Penny Test For Tire Tread Checking – If you can see his head and hair, replace. If You can see his head but not hair, replace soon.
  • Check Engine & Vehicle Fluids: Make sure the engine oil level is between the min and max mark (if applicable) and that your engine oil is not too old or have to many miles. Our house sticks with the 3,000 to 5,000 mile rule but we do a lot of dusty mountain freeway driving. Cold temperatures can also cause oil to thicken leading to potential starting problems. Fresh oil can help with easier starts in the cold months. Other fluids to check and/or change include: transmission, brake, and differentials (for AWD or rear-wheel drive).
  • Wax & Cleaning: One thing my husband always drags me out to help with is waxing the cars before wet nasty winter and hot summer months. Wax is important for protecting the paint and clear coat, especially during the winter months. It helps to protect against rain, ice, salt, sand and slush. Keep the underside and exterior clean by running through a car wash to prevent corrosion to metals, paints, etc. Check out a WaterSavers® Car Wash that not only saves water but provides everything for cleaning your car inside and out while using only 40 gallons (151.5 liters) or less of fresh water for each car wash, which is less than a load of laundry uses.
  • Check & Replace Windshield Wipers: Over time and especially in summer months, windshield wipes can wear out usually due to the sun and heat. Check your wipers to see if they are brittle or cracked, or even stiff. They should be smooth, bendable, and make no streaks on a clean windshield. With snow or when rain and water turn to ice, it is super important to have properly fitted wiper blades to keep your windshield clear. If any of these problems are noticeable, replace and be safe!
  • Keep An Emergency Kit: Be ready for most situations that can come up in winter weather. Keeping gloves, ice scrapper, shovel, salt or sand, warm clothing, blankets, jumper cables first-aid kit in your vehicle is easy and will help you out. If you have kids like us, we keep snacks and water.

 

Find out more about the environmental impact of car washes and how WaterSavers® Car Wash saves resources at Washwithwatersavers.com.

Find a location – http://www.carwash.org/watersavers/locations

 Giveaway !!!

Enter to win a Road-Side Assistance Companion (valued at $150 dollars)

  • Costco brand, but Costco membership not required for use
  • Road Companion Membership: 24/7 Nationwide Towing & Roadside Assistance, Battery Jump Start, Fuel Delivery, Lock-out & Tire Change
  • 12 month membership
  • Branded Duffle Bag packed with:
  • Branded CamelBak Water-bottle
  • Branded Stress ball (shaped like logo/water drop)
  • Branded Charger bank
  • Glass cleaning wipes
  • Leather cleaning wipes
  • Auto vacuum
  • Car Febreze

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pin It on Pinterest