
- LOCATION:
- Columbus, OH
- BIRTHDAY
- April 7th, 1978
- TWITTER:
- @gracehester productivemom
- FACEBOOK:
- http://www.facebook.com/gracehesterdesigns http://www.facebook.com/thegracehester http://www.facebook.com/theproductivemom
- PERSONAL WEBSITE:
- http://www.gracehester.typepad.com http://www.theproductivemom.com http://www.gracehesterdesigns.etsy.com http://www.gracehesterpapers.etsy.com

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The Forum
Productivity Tips and Tools
Come on in to share tips found or that we use ourselves to help make the mundane tasks just a little more efficient, so we can be free to focus on living Life with intention. Or pose a call for help and let's see if we can help one another out.
LATEST POSTED BY: Grace HesterDecrease Stress, Increase Productivity http://www.inc.com/marla-tabaka/decrease-stress-increase-productivity-.htmlViewNovember.15th.2010
Food Allergies and Sensitivities
Living with food allergies, or with a kid who has them, can be a real challenge. This is the place to share concerns, frustrations, ideas, and inspirations for living with food allergies and sensitivities.
LATEST POSTED BY: AllerKids.comHello! We are excited to be joining your community! AllerKids.com is a new venture dedicated to providing smart, stylish, and safe solutions for families with food allergies. We are two moms and psychologists with the goal of showcasing strategies and products that help support independence for children with food allergies without sacrificing safety. We hope you will check us out! We welcome feedback and suggestions. Find us at: http://www.allerkids.com http://blog.allerkids.com http://www.facebook.com/pages/Allerkidscom/235207449851119ViewSeptember.9th.2011
Contests and Giveaways!
So many great give aways and contests on the web! This will be a great way to round it all up =) Please note, all off topic posts will be removed! Also, if I can keep up, I will remove posts from contests and give aways that are over already!
LATEST POSTED BY: bloggerdiseGot some giveaway sponsors for your blog (go on, take 'em) Hey all. I run a community site called bloggerdise.com. Essentially we link up bloggers with businesses and artists that are looking to be reviewed, do giveaways or promote their offers. Our site is totally free to register and use. We have over 800 businesses to choose from. Though I figure I'd offer up some of my personal picks on this thread. Again, to actually view all the business contact info you just need to register on bloggerdise.com first, for free. Ok, here's my first batch ... [oh, and if you have any questions you can reach me @ jesse@bloggerdise.com] Awesome popcorn company that is into sampling. Love their caramel corn ! http://www.bloggerdise.com/offer/?offer_id=501 Novelist with a quirky sense of humor... http://www.bloggerdise.com/offer/?offer_id=982 Skincare brand that is in to doing sampling of different kinds of products. http://www.bloggerdise.com/offer/?offer_id=1422 Eco-lips (premium lip care) open to giveaways – http://www.bloggerdise.com/offer/?offer_id=531 About Abby (award winning web series) looking for interesting promotional ideas – http://www.bloggerdise.com/offer/?offer_id=1263 Vegan Web series starring Eric Roberts http://www.bloggerdise.com/offer/?offer_id=1206 Marcal tissues (open to giveaways and reviews) – http://www.bloggerdise.com/offer/?offer_id=872 Delicious Tea co. Open to sampling – http://www.bloggerdise.com/offer/?offer_id=1319 Charitable search site – http://www.bloggerdise.com/offer/?offer_id=1207 Applegate Farms (open to couponing) – http://www.bloggerdise.com/offer/?offer_id=1233 I got a bunch more, but interested to get your feedback (like if you want me to keep posting these.) Best, Jesse Bloggerdise.comViewSeptember.21st.2011
Ohio Moms Unite
Calling all mommies in the state of Ohio to join in this circle. Let's get this party started!
LATEST POSTED BY: summerfloodWe're taking the kids to the circus this weekend and I found this great deal I wanted to pass along. We always have such a blast at Ringing Bros. and my kids are always asking for food, so I thought this was too good to pass up! Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey present FULLY CHARGED at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, OH May 10-13! You can get an amazing deal on a Ringling Bros. Family 4-Pack of tickets and food: Get 4 Lower Bowl $20 Tickets + 4 Hot Dogs + 4 Small Sodas for only $90! To take advantage of this great offer, click here http://www.ticketmaster.com/venueartist/41424/1507334 to buy tickets online, or you can order by phone at 1-800-745-3000, or at the Schottenstein Center Box Office and get a Family 4 Pack of lower bowl $20 seats, 4 Hot Dogs, and 4 Small Sodas to see FULLY CHARGED for just $90! There's no coupon code needed! Valid on all performances on the $20 price level only. No double discounts. Tickets must be purchased in multiples of 4 only. Not valid with the TicketFast Delivery option. Valid now through midnight on 5/9/2012. Don’t miss Fully Charged, the all-new surge of circus entertainment from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey where megawatts of thrills explode off of the arena floor with breathtaking dare-devilry, superhuman stunts and never-before-seen performances that energize Children Of All Ages! You can only experience this current of excitement at Ringling Bros. Fully Charged! Get your tickets for high-voltage fun today! Share this discount with your friends and enjoy!! Your whole family will love it. I work for Miles Of Marketing and this information was provided to me by them (www.milesofmarketing.com). We are a group of moms passing along great information like this to other moms!ViewMay.7th.2012
Kids, Food & Nutrition
Let's talk about what we're serving our kids, share ideas for nutritious meals and snacks, and post our stories, experiences, knowledge about kids, food and nutrition
LATEST POSTED BY: Erin OFood fails! 8 ways we're making our kids fat By Joy Bauer Bribing kids to eat their broccoli, banning sweets and offering too much 100 percent fruit juice can backfire on even the most well-meaning parents. Here are 8 feeding mistakes parents too-often make: Mistake 1: Telling kids to clean their plate For the most part, healthy young children eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full. As a parent, you don’t want to mess around with their internal cues by encouraging or bribing them to “clean their plates” and eat past the point of fullness. Instead, provide small-moderate portions at meals and encourage your kids to eat until they are comfortably full. Teaching your kids to be “in tune” with their own hunger and fullness cues will allow them to have a comfortable relationship with food and avoid overeating as they grow older. Mistake 2: Offering sweet rewards Trying to get children to eat their vegetables can be downright frustrating – and parents often resort to bribery. Does this sound familiar? “Eat your broccoli and you can have ice cream for dessert.” But unfortunately, this technique teaches our kids that broccoli and other vegetables are “less appealing” because their consumption requires a reward. At the same time, this approach positions dessert as the prize, something to be valued over other foods. Plus, multiple studies have shown that, in the long run, preference for foods decreases when kids are given rewards for eating them. Bottom line: Keep dessert a separate entity versus the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Mistake 3: Serving up too many snacks Constant snacking throughout the day translates to calorie overload – plus, can leave kids uninterested in nutritious food (like chicken and vegetables) at mealtime when lunch or dinner rolls around. Try to stick to a consistent meal and snack schedule. Allow at least 2 hours between snacks and meals. No more than 2-3 snacks a day, and limit them to about 150 calories apiece. See the rest: http://moms.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/28/9057922-food-fails-8-ways-were-making-our-kids-fatViewNovember.28th.2011
Summer Reading Fun with the VTech V.Reader
A recent national survey shows that 8 in 10 moms believe their children get the most benefit from reading. However, 49% of moms don’t think their child reads enough, especially during the summer. That’s why TheMotherhood has teamed up with VTech to help parents encourage their children to read as much as they can this summer. Over the next month, look for reading tips, experiences, creative ideas and advice to get your kids to read more during the summer. Learn what parents and kids think about VTech's new V.Reader, the first animated e-book system, designed to engage kids in an interactive reading experience, offer hours of play value, and help combat the dreaded "summer brain drain."
LATEST POSTED BY: Erin OWhat a cute idea for inspiring kids to read. Teachers rewrote the lyrics to Miley Cyrus' "Party in the USA," and their elementary school students made a "Reading in the USA" music video! Watch the news report: http://news.yahoo.com/video/chicagocbs2-15750637/new-music-video-inspires-students-to-read-23570937 Watch the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omBi4kLoZYMViewDecember.21st.2010
Creative Moms
Each and everyone of us is creative in our own ways. Some of us show it through writing, through art, through knitting, through scrapbooking, oh the list goes on and on! Here is a place for us all to come together and share our creativity with other moms.
LATEST POSTED BY: BrandieRuffle Flower Scarf http://mama-says-sew.blogspot.com/2011/01/ruffle-flower-scarf.html I took a couple of my favorite projects and combined them into something for me. After all that creating over Christmas for other people, it was fun to make something for myself. Not that I don't enjoy creating for others, of course. I'm sure you know what I mean. ***** I would like this in several lovely fall colors. Who will make them for me? LOL! =)ViewSeptember.11th.2011
Centsible Moms
Centsible Moms is a place to discuss saving money, making smart money choices, and living a centsible life. This isn't just for the frugal minded moms, maybe you want to spave (spend to save), or you want to get rid of the stuff you could care less about so you can spend more time and more money on the things you do care about. Living a centsible life is all about making smart choices, and being able to manage your money, whether you're a stay at home mom, or a CEO.
LATEST POSTED BY: Kayla SHmm...is this 'centsible' or just plain weird? ___________ Why your grandma swipes sugar packets CNN - If you build it, they will come. And if you put it on the table, chances are someone is going to take it. This includes, but is certainly not limited to, condiment sachets, paper napkins, individual coffee creamers, cracker packets, and just about anything else “not wrapped for individual sale” that can easily be stuffed into purses and/or pockets without a single qualm. Whether it’s your best friend, grandma, crazy uncle or maybe even yourself doing the lifting, evidence of the petty pilfering can be found in drawers and car glove boxes across the nation – each with their own little cache of restaurant and sugar caddy bounty. Diane Merrits of Orlando, Florida, says she saves money this way. She hasn’t had to buy coffee creamer in years, takes extra ketchup packets at fast food restaurants and saves all the leftover condiments sachets when she orders delivery. She even washes and reuses plastic tableware because “it is good for the environment and better than wasting money.” “It’s easy for some people to say – to rationalize – taking these items is not going to have an impact. 'No one is going to feel it if I take five Sweet N’Lows,'” says Kristene Doyle, psychologist and the Associate Executive Director of the Albert Ellis Institute. For those people, it’s the restaurant's way of paying it forward. “Although there is an unwritten understanding that condiments and small spices or ingredients for making the food served at restaurants more flavorful are there for limited use, some people choose to see this as an unpaid bonus of having come to the restaurant,” agrees Patricia Farrell, clinical psychologist and author of “How to Be Your Own Therapist.” Farrell adds some of the caddy swipers might say to themselves, “It's there for me, isn't it? Why shouldn't I take it? If they only wanted me to have a little bit, why didn't they just put out a little bit?” - an example of what psychologists call attribution of responsibility.ViewJanuary.13th.2012
The Hebrew National Better-Than-A-Picnic Picnics
From May through July 2010 Hebrew National, TheMotherhood and forty-seven influential mom bloggers will host nine Hebrew National Better-Than-A-Picnic Picnics nationwide. At each event we will enjoy 100% all-beef Hebrew National hotdogs (the Better-Than-A-Hotdog Hotdog!), participate in service projects to make the community a better place and have a ball with special, fun interactive games and even entertainment like local bands and DJs! All are welcome! See below for a schedule of events!
LATEST POSTED BY: ConnieFogglesI found the newspaper article about the Tampa picnic. - http://www.theobservernews.com/news/front-page-news/414-mommy-bloggers-vs-the-gulf-oil-spill.htmlViewAugust.15th.2010
Marriott Tots Travel Too
The Motherhood and our AWESOME blogger team are working with Marriott to collect the "All Time Best Tips and Tricks for Traveling with Toddlers." Share your wisdom and check back often to see what moms in the know advise.
LATEST POSTED BY: Kim (@kimworld)Portable Child Proofing = Roll of Blue Painter's Tape It helps keep those nightstand and dresser drawers shut without hurting the finish of the furniture. Works on closet doors and mini fridges too!ViewAugust.6th.2010
Mom Entrepreneurs
A place for moms who own a small business can come and share what they do and share tips and tricks of their trade.
LATEST POSTED BY: saraI'm Sara, and I just wanted to take a few minutes to introduce myself to you, and let you know a little about what I do. I'm a Disney vacation planning specialist. My services are completely free because Disney recognizes the value of experts helping families plan their vacations. Here are just a few of the things that I can do: **assisting in making reservations and monitoring for new discounts **least crowded parks recommendations ** a custom itinerary showing park hours, parade times, crowd levels, and dining arrangements **tips on best viewing spots for parades and fireworks ** photo pass tips **attraction tips **fast pass tips **a list of free things to do at Walt Disney World ** unlimited access to me via phone or text to answer any questions that may come up during your vacation! You can reach me by email at sara@magicalmemoriestravel.com or by phone at 815-214-9832. You can also check out the blog for fun tips or to request a quote at www.disneyinstyle.blogspot.comViewMarch.21st.2012