When we were at Disney Social Media Moms Celebration, my Olivia made instant friends (in the airport actually!) with a little girl named Cassidy from Hong Kong. Cassidy’s mom, Maggie Tong, was just as sweet and friendly as her daughter and insisted on sending Olivia some clothes from her online store, Cotton Candy Kids.

When the box of clothes arrived, I was overwhelmed with Maggie’s generosity and the incredibly quality of the gorgeous girls’ clothes. Last week, I did a couple of photo shoots with Olivia modeling some of the clothes. (Olivia was wearing my favorite of all the items — a beautiful black dress — in my Tackle it Tuesday photo yesterday.)

I will show you more of the clothes soon, but for today’s Wordless Wednesday, I just had to share this shot of Olivia. She was demonstrating to her cousin Julia, how to do a “sassy” pose.

Thanks Maggie and Cassidy — the clothes are gorgeous and we had so much fun with you both!!!

Mom Bloggers (and Dad Bloggers too!) post a photo on your site, link up and find others… Wordless Wednesday is tons of fun. (And I know it says “wordless” but I just can’t bear to not write anything! If I had created it, I probably would have named it something different! LOL So feel to link up your word-full or word-less Wednesday photos!)

Leave the URL to your photo (clearly mine are never truly “wordless”) and then visit others!

Here is a fun thumbnail linky:

And here is a basic linky if you prefer your linkies the good old fashioned way!

Thanks to Uisce for creating Wordless Wednesday.

Written by Janice, co-founder of this Mom Blog 5 Minutes for Mom

If you like this post, we would love it if you gave it a Stumble, Tweet, Pin, or Facebook Like. Thanks so much! We really appreciate your support of 5 Minutes for Mom.

Most parents will laugh when you start talking about relaxing family vacations. To many, it sounds like an oxymoron. “Relaxing” AND “Family” — Can they even coexist in a  vacation?

Then I realized…to have a *relaxing* family vacation, you just need to find the right destination!

After spending a long weekend at the Grand Solmar Land’s End Resort in Los Cabos, Mexico, I think I just may have found that right destination!!!

The Grand Solmar Land’s End Resort is part of the Solmar Hotels & Resort family, nestled between vermillion mountains and the Pacific Ocean at the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula. And, yes, it is as beautiful as it sounds!

A bit of history…

I’m a sucker for a good back-story and the Solmar Hotels & Resorts has a really great one! In 1955 Don Luis Bulnes moved from Spain to Los Cabos to help establish a large tuna packing plant. Fifteen years later, after falling in love with the area and the people, he began purchasing land in Los Cabos and built the Hotel Solmar.

Since then, Sr. Solmar has renovated the Hotel Solmar (now Solmar Suites), expanded and built new resorts, started Los Cabos’ largest sport fishing fleet, and continued to invest in the local economy.

The Resorts…

While in Los Cabos, I was able to tour four of the five Solmar properties and…Oh. My. Word!

The Solmar, the “original” hotel, has been completely renovated but the rooms continue to feature a more authentic Mexican decor.

The Playa Grande Resort and the Ridge at Playa Grande are absolutely stunning. The Playa Grande suites feature their own private balconies, while the villas at The Ridge will just leave you speechless. The property itself features theme nights, a fabulous Spa, tennis courts, and a Kids club!

The Grand Solmar, the newest addition to the family, is just unbelievable. This is where I stayed and to say I felt so incredibly spoiled is an understatement! Opened in 2011, The Grand Solmar is literally at Land’s End, as the tip of the Baja Peninsula is just down the beach, and 119 suites. When the second phase of construction is completed (2013), that number will increase to 289 suites!

The entire resort is beautiful and tranquil. And, with suites ranging from the 737 square foot Studio Suite to the 6,232 square foot Four-Bedroom Penthouse, you’re sure to find a room that comfortably fits your whole family!

All of these properties feature some of the most amazing restaurants (and quite a variety), heated pools, and kitchens or kitchenettes in every room/suite/villa.

And each one is so different. Chose from All-Inclusive or A la Carte, infinity pools or water slides, evening beach parties or a relaxing dinner in your room. They truly meet the different vacationing styles of different families!

Oh! If you happen to be visiting the Grand Solmar for a special event (or any event), let them know! They do this fabulous, complimentary, sand-message writing on the beach! What a great way to personalize your trip!!!

*Don’t worry if you can’t read what is written in sand in this picture…it’s written in Russian! 

Okay, okay, okay! Enough already! Go check out Solmar.com and start planning your Los Cabos vacation!

I was invited to the Grand Solmar Land’s End Resort as a guest of the Solmar Hotel & Resorts. All travel and accommodations were provided by the resort. All opinions are my own. And, yes, I would definitely go back to the Grand Solmar with my family! 

Today, Heather is going to share some great tips on keeping ourselves, and our kids, shielded from the sun. Sunscreen should definitely become a priority with summer here.

Did you know that only one blistering sunburn during childhood more than doubles your chances for Melanoma as you get older? Research says that up to 90% of skin cancers are caused by over exposure to the sun, which means they are completely preventable!

Now, I know that I’m not always great at putting sunscreen on myself, but when it comes to my daughter, it’s a whole other story! At only 10 months old, she depends on me to keep her safe from the harmful UV rays, since she can’t herself. Infants are especially at risk for sunburns because of how thin and delicate their skin is. So what can you do to protect your little one this summer?

Image courtesy of Bigstock

Limit Mid-day Activities
The sun’s rays are most powerful between 10 am and 3 pm, meaning they can cause the most damage in the least amount of time so it’s best to stay out of the sun during the middle of the day.

Slather Up
There are dozens of sunscreens, all formulated for different needs. Pediatricians recommend an SPF of 30+, however, I tend to stick to 50+, make sure it’s waterproof, and (especially for younger children), formulated for sensitive skin. Remember sun screen should be applied before going out, not once you are already out.  The body needs time to absorb the sunscreen. Make sure you are applying it throughout the day as well, even sunscreens that claim to be “sweatproof and waterproof”. Babies under 6 months should use sunscreen sparingly, rather utilizing shade and wardrobe instead. Speaking of wardrobes…

 Cover
I know it’s tempting to get caught up in the cute itty-bitty bikinis made for infants but, cute factor aside, they are not the best option.  You should look for “rash guard” suits which offer more coverage for baby’s skin. Buy a hat with a wide brim.  The wider, the better and if you can get baby to wear 100% UV blocking sunglasses, even better. Not only will your child be protected from the sun, but they will be adorable!

all images via Carters.com

All Shade Was Not Created Equal
Opt to stay in the shade as much as possible, and if possible, utilize a beach umbrella rather than tree shade, as UV rays can still get through! Portable tents are another great option!

Get That Kid A Drink
Just because babies can’t speak, doesn’t mean they won’t tell you when they’ve had enough. Fussiness or being overly sleepy are signs that the baby may have gotten too much sun. Make sure they are staying hydrated as well, offering extra formula or breast milk for babies, or juice or water for older children.

Summer and sunshine go hand in hand, and as long as safe practices are exercised, there’s no reason not to enjoy both! So grab a cute suit, some sunscreen and enjoy!

Heather is a 20 something new(ish) wife and new(er) mom. Her blog has gone from an outlet of isolation to a pregnancy tracker to a new baby updater and is finally transforming into an extension of herself. She’s a full time working mom whose half way through her Masters. She writes about what books she’s reading, her 10 month old’s achievements, and what she loves at Target, the possibilities of her posts are endless! If you want to check her out beyond her blog (www.hgifford.blogspot.com) , you can find her on Facebook (www.facebook.com/keepingupwiththegiffords) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/mrsmamagiff)

Janice here…

What is that “tackle” you have wanted to do for years, but life — and maybe some lack of confidence — keep getting in the way? You know the dream that lingers each night in the back of your mind as you go through your mental checklist of accomplished and unaccomplished.

This weekend I decided to finally do something I have wanted to do for years. Instead of putting it off another day, I shouted “Yes, I AM going to do it, whether ‘I have the time’ or not!”

So, you didn’t see me on Twitter or on Facebook, or even here at 5 Minutes for Mom. I was researching themes and planning my new site: Janice Croze Photography.

For me, as I am sure most of you bloggers can understand, the meaning of life is found in our stories — the creating, the sharing, the remembering. I feel when a person’s stories go untold, a part of that life is lost forever.

As much as I love to preserve and pass on stories through words, I also love to tell stories through photographs. I crave the thrill of capturing a story with an incredible image. It is an ultimate high for me.

There isn’t much to see yet at my new site — I am in the very beginning stages of building it. I don’t even have a logo yet. But, I am going to be working hard on it and will update you soon.

What is your passion tackle that you keep putting off? What is keeping you from tackling it?

Calling All Tacklers!

We’re looking for YOU – guest bloggers to post about your own tackles right here. If you are interested in showing off your tackles (we all need some tips and ideas!) then send a quick email to lolli.5m4m at gmail (link in the About Lolli section at the bottom of the post). Thanks for your inspiring tackles!!

Mom Bloggers — what are you tackling this week?

Link up your Tackle it Tuesday post…

Tell us what you’re up to with all your other tackles… housework and otherwise… add your link to your tackle in the Linky below!

We are Tackling Our To-Do Lists Together and making housework bloggable — Each week on Tuesday, we are posting before and after pictures of a project or trouble area that we tackled this week.

Find out more about how Tackle It Tuesday began.
The project can be little or big – whatever you want.

Basically, Tackle It Tuesday is about giving ourselves incentive, deadlines and satisfaction in tackling all our tasks — whether household or otherwise.

If you tackled a project this week, just add a comment and add your link below.

If you found this post helpful, we would love it if you gave it a Stumble, Tweet, Pin, or Facebook Like. Thanks so much! We really appreciate your support of 5 Minutes for Mom.

Written by Janice Croze, co-founder of 5 Minutes for Mom.

We want to get to know you better — Tweet with us: @5minutesformom, find us on Facebook: Facebook.com/5minutesformom, or join our newsletter list.

Have you ever watched a small child stack cans, blocks or building bricks? You can see the expression on the child’s face. That child is a picture of concentration. What is he thinking?

If I stack the blocks this way will the tower stay up?
If I stack the blocks that way will the tower fall?
Can I stack 3…4…5…6…or 10 blocks?
When will the tower fall down?

Learning truly does happen through play. I remember my oldest child stacking blocks at her grandmother’s house. She used the wooden blocks to create a road for her cars, a house for her dolls, even a tea set. She once even made a make believe bridge and walked on top of the blocks…she was little enough that her tiny feet fit perfectly on the flat wooden blocks. She loved that small cloth bag of blocks. So did her brother and sister and cousins.

Blocks allow for endless play and children learn through play. Blocks are the perfect toy to grow with your child. I recently received an enormous bucket o’ blocks from Back to Blocks. The bucket o’ blocks came in a box that became a playhouse for my son. He rolled around the kitchen in the box. Never seen a kid have so much fun until…he opened the bucket o’ blocks. Oh my, was he surprised with what he saw inside.

My son dug straight in to the blue bucket and pulled out handful after handful of blocks. Eventually he dumped the whole bucket on the floor. He was mesmerized by all the different shapes and sizes. He held piece after piece in his hands, examined the edges, placed one piece and then another, and yet another on top of each other. The pieces were long., flat, chunky, curved, archways, roof shaped, and many other shapes and size. It was more than a bucket o’ blocks, it was a bucket o’ fun!

Back to Blocks sent me the Wooden Block Set “Fun With Friends.” Blocks come in 20 different shapes and sizes and have over 160 pieces. The “Fun With Friends” retails for $110.99. The blocks are stored in a 5-gallon bucket — white, yellow, blue, and red.

Want to learn more about the Back To Blocks?

Search Back To Blocks for the perfect block toy.
Look for special offers on blocks.

Enter to win your Own Bucket of Fun from Back To Blocks

5 Minutes for Mom will be giving away a Fun with Friends Blockset. Use the Rafflecopter below to enter this giveaway. Remember that the more ways you enter, the better your chances are of winning.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
  I was sent the Fun With Friends set to facilitate my review. I was also compensated for this post. The views expressed in the post are my own. I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity. 

Jill Berry @MusingsfromMe is a writer who stays at home or a SAHM who writes…it depends on the day and her mood. While playing a writer on the internet, Jill has the gray hair AND blogposts from raising a kid, a preteen, and a teen. When not blogging at Musings from Me, Jill seizes family time whenever she can…dinner as a family, movie night, marathon family game sessions, traveling…you name it she wants to do it.

Are you ready to get your home clean and prepped for the last of Spring and beginning of Summer? If so, you will NOT want to miss this amazing Twitter party that we will be hosting for Stanley Steemer.

During the party, we are going to be sharing super easy cleaning tips for your carpet and home, chatting with Stanley Steemer experts about the dangers lurking in your carpet, and other ways to clean your home as well.

Stanley Steemer – The Experts of a Deeper Clean

 Here are a few things to consider regarding Stanley Steemer (and the carpet in your home!):

• Stanley Steemer cleaned more than 200 tons of dirt from American homes last year alone!

• Stanley Steemer has more than 60 years of experience in the cleaning business.

• Stanley Steemer’s expertise extends beyond carpet cleaning to include hardwood, tile, upholstery, air ducts, and more!

• Stanley Steemer has grown to now service 95% of the country with more than 70 branches and 220 franchise locations in 48 states.

• Stanley Steemer achieved the CGI GOLD rating score 98.65% of dry soil removed from floors – as certified by the Carpet Research Institute. This rate is significantly more successful than self-cleaning methods.

Twitter Party Details

What: Join @5minutesformom and @stanleysteemer for as we discuss Spring Cleaning Tips for Your Home

Who to follow: @5minutesformom, @stanleysteemer, @susancarraretto, @janicecroze

When: Wednesday, May 23rd 2012

Time: 8pm-9pm eastern, 7pm-8pm central, 5pm-6pm pacific

Theme: Spring Cleaning Your Home

Party Hashtag:#stanleysteemer

Prizes: Stanley Steemer will be giving away 5 $100 Stanley Steemer Gift Certificates

Written by 5 Minutes for Mom Advertising and Communications Contact, Jennifer. You can find her sharing her thoughts at her own blog Jen’s Journey. Connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

My eight-year-old son had talked a lot about wanting to keep a diary. I thought that was a great idea, so I gave him a notebook as he requested, but he didn’t use it a whole lot. I’m still hoping to tap into that desire, because as I writer I know how therapeutic and inspiring and cathartic writing can be.

With two creative and artistic kids, I definitely thought that The Scribble Diary: My Brain Right Now by Lisa Currie could help them entertain themselves as they examine their days. This is a book that is a twist on a traditional diary — designed for all ages to be able to use.

Each two-page spread has a place to record events and feelings in a creative way, either writing or scribbling. Honestly, when I first looked at it, I wasn’t sure how it would really work in a practical way.

But my son LOVED it. He has used it consistently for the last week, even doing more than one entry during a day when he was feeling inspired. I even picked it up and left my own entry for him to discover.

So whether you want to encourage your child or teen to record their lives, or give them a creative activity for the summer or a long road trip, or create a fun family book, The Scribble Diary: My Brain Right Now is a unique way to do that.

We have TWO copies to give away today. Just leave a comment, and we’ll announce the winner in our 5 Minutes for Books column right here on June 4.

The winner of I Never Promised You a Goodie Bag is #46 Lori D.

Welcome to our weekly roundup here at 5 Minutes Around the Blogosphere.

As you know, you can come back all week and add a post or giveaway to our Linky. Be sure to check back often, as new links will be added daily. You don’t want to miss out on something fun.

What’s been going on at 5 Minutes for Mom?

• What Did You Expect When You Were Pregnant?
• Neato Robotics Vacuum for Your Home
• Eye Smart Week is This Week
• Wholesome Snacks for Your On-the-Go Kids
• Do Dr Sears and Attachment Parenting Make You Feel Guilty?
• Nature’s Hand-Granola That Every Family Member Will Love
• Creamy Blueberry Coconut Popsicles
• Experience Brave and Carland With Me
• Checking in with the Sisters-The Good Enough Mom
• Have you checked out the current deals featured at 5 Minutes for Deals?

Giveaways at 5 Minutes for Mom

•  NEW! Centrum Prenatal Vitamin giveaway (100 winners)
• NEW! Neato Robotics giveaway
• NEW! Mega Blocks Steer Me Steve Giveaway
• NEW! HTC Mobile Phone Giveaway
• NEW! Smartmune Giveaway
• NEW! Rabbit Air Minus2 Air Purifier Giveaway
• NEW! Use Your Words (Book) Giveaway
• Method Giveaway (30 winners)

Giveaway Winners Announced!

Giveaways galore! We’ve got more winners to announce for giveaways that ended this past week. Congratulations to all our winners! Emails have been sent…

The Winner of the Kodak Hero Printer is Danielle Dein.

The winner of the Hoodie Pet Giveaway is Heather Sidwell.

The winners of the Two Blue Peas review is Kenia Garcia and Sindy Murray.

Please note: all giveaway winners were selected using random.org.

Giveaways Around the Blogosphere

Would you like to share a fun giveaway? Please add it to the Linky below. You can come here any time this week to add in your link. Don’t miss out on the fun. Be sure to visit throughout the week as the linky grows, and more sites are added.

Or if you prefer the traditional linky….

Written by 5 Minutes for Mom Advertising and Communications contact, Jennifer. You can find me blogging at For Such a Time as This and tweeting at @jennifer_sikora.

Lolli here…

I love to travel, and this year, I’ve had more opportunities than ever to travel. In fact, in just a couple of weeks, a few days after my kids get out of school for the summer, I’ll be heading on another plane to travel to California for the 3rd time this year. This time, I’ll be representing 5 Minutes for Mom at the #BraveCarsLandEvent with Disney/Pixar.

Here’s a little sneak peek at what 24 other bloggers and I will be experiencing on our 4-day trip (and believe me when I saw that Disney PACKS in the adventure!).

We will be attending the red carpet premiere of Disney/Pixar’s newest movie BRAVE at the Dolby Theater (Yes, I will be walking the red carpet at the same theater where the Academy Awards are held) as well as interviewing Kelly Macdonald (voice of “Merida”), Kevin McKidd (voice of “Lord MacGuffin”) and Director Mark Andrews and Producer Katherine Sarafian. We will also be screening the upcoming movie PEOPLE LIKE US with a Q&A from Director Alex Kurtzman as well as seeing a sneak peek of Tim Burton’s new movie FRANKENWEENIE.

If all the movie and press day excitement weren’t enough, we’ll also be spending time at Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure parks, where we’ll be experiencing the new CARS LAND, 12 acres of fun with new three attractions, and so much more.

Stay tuned here, on my blog Better in Bulk, and by following the hashtag #BraveCarsLandEvent as I gear up for the trip and then as I set off on my adventure to California in just a few weeks.

Disclosure: Disney/Pixar is sponsoring my travel, accommodations and activities during the #BraveCarsLandEvent in June. As always, thoughts, opinions, and excitement are my own.

Breakfast time around here is always a rush.  It’s morning, and we are not morning people.  By “we” I mean “me” of course.  And the wee ones aren’t the most organized either, for that matter.  It’s important to me that whatever they eat, it’s healthy for them and that it contains enough protein to get them through the morning.  Little Miss is my more adventuresome eater and so goes through stages of scrambled eggs and oatmeal with peanut butter and the like.  Mister Man has his strict “school morning breakfast” of Greek yogurt with a little bit of preserves.

But me?  I like to mix it up a little for both of them.  I just received some samples of Nature’s Hand Granola, and I’m in heaven.  While I love making homemade granola, I don’t always have the time and I refuse to use my oven in the summer, so this is the perfect switch.  Nature’s Hand Granola has six different flavors, so it’s a perfect way to keep it a little different – vanilla almond, cranberry delight, French vanilla almond, raisin hazelnut, cinnamon apple, maple pecan, and wild blueberry.  The cranberry, cinnamon apple, and wild blueberry flavors are also made without nuts, although still in a facility that processes milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, and tree nuts.

As a parent, I’m grateful that this granola is made much the way I make my own granola.  Unlike many granolas on the market, there is no high fructose corn syrup and no trans fats.  The granola is in gorgeous little clusters, much more so than my own granola, which is always a good sign for me in granola.  Most of the flavors have only 6 grams of sugar and 3 grams of protein.

I love that these 13 ounce pouches are resealable at the top so that I don’t have to hunt for yet another storage container or risk the granola going stale.  I’ve tried a few of the flavors now, and both the wee ones and I can’t get enough of them.  While they’re great just plain – and I’ve been known to sneak a few handful as my “breakfast” – my favorite way of eating them is over some plain Greek yogurt with a little honey.  It’s sweet and crunchy and truly filling so that I’m not looking for something else to eat an hour later, something my summer wardrobe appreciates.

The wee ones also have enjoyed the granola for a snack after school.  They have activities too many days after school where we don’t have time to sit down and eat, but Nature’s Hand has very smartly also introduced single serving “Go>Nola” in vanila almond and maple pecan — it’s a pouch with just enough granola for a snack on the go.  This saved me this morning, in fact, as I realized that I forgot to pack Little Miss a snack to eat before gymnastics and the bus was waiting.  I handed her the maple pecan Go>Nola, and I know she’s set.

You can purchase a 1.75 ounce Go>Nola package for a suggested retail price of $0.99, while you can purchase the Nature’s Hand 13 ounce granola pouches for $4.99 available at retailers nationwide from Whole Foods to Schnuck’s to Mariano’s to Jewel and more.  You can also purchase them online at the Nature’s Hand site, including purchasing in bulk.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received two pouches of Nature’s Hand Granola and two single serve pouches for review purposes.  I was also compensated to write this post, but all opinions remain my own.

Written by 5 Minutes for Mom contributor Michelle who is glad that she’s solved the breakfast issue so that now she can work on packing more varied lunches for the wee ones.  Read all about what she’s cooking up on her blog Honest & Truly! or on Twitter where you can find her as @HonestAndTruly.