The #Urbini Touri Travel System #mc #sponsored

"I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Urbini. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and as a thank you for participating”

When Penny was 8 weeks old, we traveled to Birmingham Alabama for my brother's graduation in Tuscaloosa from 'Bama. Being a new mom, I took a blind shot and packed our big heavy stroller and car seat because I wanted to be prepared for anything. As it turned out, it was more of a hassle than anything else. Getting through security, making sure that it wouldn't be broken during transport and then there was transferring it into the back of the rental car.. OY. 

Now as a seasoned mom I know where to cut out the extra heavy weight, so to speak. Though we haven't flown with Ruby yet, I know that any upcoming trip with include a soft carrier and our Urbini Touri Travel system. 

I have a cheapie umbrella stroller and it's exactly that - cheap. It's so cheap it might as well be disposable! It has zero storage, is difficult to collapse and isn't adjustable. I love the Urbini Touri  as a baby stroller travel system because it combines the ease of an umbrella stroller but also allows you to click in the Petal carseat (which is approved for air travel) and also adjust the recline of the main child seat.

I like this travel system because I've been able to use it for both of my kids. I can have the option of keeping Ruby in the carseat and having Penny walk next to me (if she has some energy to expend) or I can have Penny sit in the stroller and I can have Ruby in a carrier.  The storage under the stroller is OK, but I couldn't ask for much more since this stroller is meant to be more of a travel stroller versus a "hauling" stroller. The front wheels have a really easy lock mechanism to allow you to set the wheels to lock or swivel, they also remove easily for travel.

We put the Petal infant car seat into our Saab 9-3 and it fits really well too - our other infant car seat made it a really tight squeeze.  The car seat fits Ruby well (at 9 1/2 lbs, 22" and 1 month old). It was easy to install into the backseat of our Saab and didn't require us to move either of our front seats forward (as is the problem with many rear facing car seats and smaller sedans). There are a couple areas of improvement that I can see with this car seat. The adjusting strap to tighten / loosen the straps is difficult to use. I had to pull really hard to get it to tighten, whereas with our other car seats it doesn't take that much strength to pull the strap to tighten. I also don't really like the chest buckle, I would have liked the clip button to be more robust and for the chest plate to be a little broader.

I believe that the car seat will do its job in case of an emergency but the two ease of use features could use some revamping. Otherwise it's a very affordable system for parents on a budget or if you're looking for a lightweight secondary system.

The Urbini Touri Travel System features: 
• Includes Petal Infant carseat (holds children up to 35 lbs)
• Lightweight
• Multi-position reclining stroller seat
• 5-point harness for both the car seat and stroller
• Tuck-away sun visor
• Removable cup holder (I wouldn't recommend more than a 16 oz cup in it though)
• Front suspension wheels

You can buy this travel system at Walmart. Connect with Urbini on facebook and twitter

Disclosure: I received a Walmart gift card to purchase an Urbini stroller in order to facilitate this review and all opinions are my own.

Giveforward: A fundraising campaign platform for cancer patients

 Disclosure: This post was sponsored by GiveForward, 

but the story you're about to read is my own.

This June will have been 7 years since I lost my dad.

My dad was diagnosed with gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST)(cancer) in 1999. At the time, his oncologist had no clue what this even was, much less even begin to know how to treat it. We lived in a small town and he was referred to oncologist after oncologist. He tried chemo but hated the effects. He had a 13 year old daughter and a 7 year old son who were begging him to come play, after all. He wasn't given very good odds because of the rarity of his disease. Thankfully, this didn't stop him.

My dad wasn't the kind of guy to sit back and just let this happen. He started looking into medical trials and over the years was matched up with trials in Philadelphia, Boston and Santa Monica. He underwent several new-fangled surgeries (like being injected with a chemical that 'lit up' his cancer cells, very futuristic at the time) and at one point was traveling for treatment a cycle that sent him from Seattle to Boston on a rotation of once every 4 weeks, twice a month and then back to once every 4 weeks. Imagine the toll it takes on a healthy person to fly that often; and then imagine how a cancer patient feels.

Through his perseverance in trying to find a cure my dad lived with his disease for 9 years. I only know of one other person who has surpassed that time. My dad's battle is the symbolism behind my tattoo. During his travels for cancer treatment he took it as an opportunity to see parts of the country that he normally wouldn't have seen; and took my brother and I on several of those trips.

He couldn't have gotten to where he did without the help of others. As a state worker he was gifted vacation hours by his co-workers so that he can travel for his treatments. When he was in Boston he stayed with a family that made their upper floor available for cancer patients who came to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. He connected with Angel Flights, where pilots volunteer their time and plane to fly medical patients where they need to go; in my dad's case from Seattle to Santa Monica.

GiveForward is an online fundraising website and one of the easiest ways to raise money for a loved one in need. You can start a fundraiser in a few minutes and spread the word through social media easily. This can be employed to help a patient cover the vast amount of expenses they incur during their treatment. Giveforward has helped over 1,000 cancer families raise over 9 million dollars. You can link up to a fundraiser of someone you know, or bless a stranger with your donation.

Aflac #Duckprints Helps Fight Childhood Cancer + Giveaway!

This giveaway was made possible by Double Duty Divas and Aflac. I was compensated to participate in this campaign, but all opinions are 100% mine.

Unfortunately almost everyone has a story about cancer. No matter whether the story is our own, a parent's, family member's, friend, or acquaintance; it affects us in a very deep way. Tomorrow I'll be sharing my story about my dad's battle with cancer. Though all forms of cancer are tragic, but I think the one that hits us close to our hearts is childhood cancer.

Did you know that in 2007, approximately 10,400 children age 15 or younger were diagnosed with cancer in the United States? Cancer is the leading cause of death (by illness) in America for children under the age of 15. However, according to the National Cancer Institute, the five-year survival rates for all childhood cancers combined increased from 58.1 percent in 1977 to 79.6 percent in 2003. With the incredible research that is constantly being updated, 75% of these cancers can be cured.

Did you know that Aflac is helping find the cure through the Aflac Cancer Center? They provide support by committing to providing childhood cancer patients with advanced medical treatment, family-centered care, a child-friendly environment and innovative research. Aflac has donated more than $87 million to the Aflac Cancer Center, with the goal of reaching $100 million by the end of 2015.

You can help Aflac reach that goal by tweeting or facebooking with the hashtag #Duckprints between now through Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 11). For each #duckprints tweet/retweet or status, Aflac will donate $2 to the Aflac Cancer Center.

The Aflac Cancer Center is featuring patient Trisha Henry Gaffney’s inspiring story using in honor of their Mother's Day #duckprints campaign. 

At the age of 19, Trisha was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, an aggressive tumor usually found in the head, neck, hands or feet of young children. She underwent aggressive treatment that left her unlikely to have children in the future. “You don’t want your cancer to define you,” Trisha said, “but as you get older, you realize it plays a much bigger part in your life than you’re willing to admit.” She visited joined the Cancer Survivor Program at the Aflac Cancer Center, where she and other survivors are  provided with long-term follow-up care and help with treating the after effects of cancer treatment. Through a long journey of more treatment and freezing her eggs for the possibility of having children in the future, she and her husband welcomed their daughter Isabella in April of 2013 thanks to a friend offering to be a surrogate for them. Trisha encourages survivors to take advantage of the resources available through the Aflac Cancer Center so they can become healthy, happy adults ‒ and parents if they choose.

Aflac has joined with me to help spread the word of the #Duckprints campaign through a giveaway for a $50 restraurant.com giftcard. Just enter using the easy entry options below and help spread the word to get as much donated to the Aflac Cancer Center through Mother's Day.

This giveaway has ended. Thank you to everyone who entered!

Disclosure: The Pierogie Mama is not responsible for prize fulfillment. 

Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street LIVE?

Today we saw a show that we've been anticipating for a long time...

Sesame Street Live!

Penny LOVES all things Elmo. Her love for this furry little red guy started during my first trimester with Ruby. This mama was soo tired and there may have been a couple weeks where we watched at least 3 Sesame Street episodes a day. I'm not ashamed to admit it, we've all be there at one point or another!

Our local events center; the Comcast Arena in Everett, is showing; "Sesame Street Live - Make a New Friend" this weekend and there are many other showings that might be near you too. We had a ton of fun not only because this was pretty much Penny's dream come true to see her favorite Sesame Street characters live but also because the acting and dancing were actually pretty good! My favorite dancer was the Cookie Monster character..that guy definitely has some groove and you can tell he (or she!) loves what they do.

The show was about an hour and a half long including a 15 minute intermission. You can buy memorabilia as well as many other concessions throughout the show.  Penny had her first taste of cotton candy and definitely suffered from a very strong toddler sugar crash towards the end...normally I try to avoid these kinds of foods but as a once in a while treat (as Cookie would say), I had to give in.

The plot is about Grover inviting his friend, Champki, from India and he has a long list of things he'd like to show her in the one day that she will be visiting Sesame Street. It turns out that she'd much rather have fun with all the Sesame Street friends and the big finale is Champki and the friends putting on a cute dance for Grover that shows off some of Champki's dance moves from India. There's several covers of pop hits (a Maroon 5 and Katy Perry song) which keeps the adults chuckling too. ;)

My favorite part was seeing the look on Penny's face when Elmo first came out. It was a couple minutes into the show and up until that point she was definitely interested and intrigued, but the pure joy and excitement really came out when Elmo pranced onto the stage. From that point on, the smile never left Penny's face and she would excitedly point out each of the characters as they came on stage and clap enthusiastically at the end of each number.

Mom of two littles tips:

• Diaper bags are allowed inside; they do a quick check at the door but didn't say anything about the snacks and water that I had packed.
• Photography is encouraged, but videos are not allowed.
• The arena gets dark during the show, so nursing was pretty much a breeze. 
• That's Ruby in our Boba 4g carrier - which we love!
• Have hubby scout the men's room before the start of the show to see if there is a changing table in there. Then at intermission, send Dad to do the diaper changes because you know the women's bathrooms are going to be packed! (I didn't think of this ahead of time, but managed to beat the intermission bathroom rush and got a changing table)

Oh, and silly husband quote: "I don't think I've ever seen so many toddlers, infants, pregnant women and nursing moms all in one spot before!"

Disclosure: Comcast Arena in Everett WA provided my family with free tickets so that we may enjoy the show. We loved it and hope you do too!

Dear New Sisters

Dear Penny and Ruby,

It's been about 2 months into the start of your lifelong journey of sisterhood. Your age difference of two years seems like eons right now, but I know that in a very short time that it won't be that much different at all. This Mother's Day Pampers has asked me to write a love letter to my children...after all, I have them to thank for making me into the Pierogie Mama that I am today!

Ruby,
On the night that you were born, my heart was so full of love that it nearly burst out of my chest. When your daddy and I were freshly married, all of my heart belonged to him. When we knew it was time to start a family we were so excited to meet our future children. What we didn't know about love back then is that love doesn't get spread around. By spreading love, that means it can get thin in some places and you might run out. Love multiplies. Over and over. The love we have between us grows exponentially for each other and our children. When we had your big sister my heart grew to give Penny love too. Now that you are here, my heart is so full of love that it bursts several times a day. God placed you into our family and I couldn't be happier to have you with us. 

Your big sister loved you from the very beginning. She was so excited to meet you, and often asked me "Baby Woooby home soon?" Or if we were going to go to the "baby house" (the birth center) that day. Though she couldn't possibly understand the full meaning of what was to come, I know that once she laid eyes upon you that your bond together was solidified. She protects you, shares with you and gives you so much love. It couldn't have been easy giving up the spotlight of being the only child, but she did it with such grace.

Though I know it may seem like some days that it feels like you just need to hurry and grow up so that we can all play together, trust me in that I love and accept you for whatever time you need to grow. Take your time, sweet girl, stay mama's baby for as long as you need. But don't hold off too long, your sister is waiting to share all of these wonderful things that the world has to offer that she's discovered. 

Penny, 
You've probably experienced the biggest change of all. You and I have to work harder than anyone else to incorporate Ruby into our lives. You went from being my one and only to getting a lot of responsibility put on your shoulders. There's a lot more expected of you now that you're a big sister, and I know it isn't easy every day. Even with your long legs that take you anywhere you want to go, your gorgeous blue eyes that can easily melt your daddy's heart and your big toddler will power that sometimes clashes with what mama needs you to do at that moment, I still remember you as my baby girl. My first, my beloved. My best friend. We have so many fun adventures together and we're doing pretty well with your little sister in tow. Though it isn't easy all the time, I want you to remember that your mama loves you and that I'm so proud of you. My love for you only grows, not divides, with the addition of your sister. Though we may not have all the one-on-one time together that we used to, it's only a matter of time before you and Ruby are playing together.

Love you both with my big swollen heart,
Mama

Disclosure: I received a promotional item in exchange for this post. 
All opinions expressed are my own.