This week at Guideposts, I posted about my cross-border shopping trip last week, when I foolishly brought along my family for the day. As disastrous as it was - at least I got a post out of it right?

Here is a taste — click over to finish reading it.

Family Shopping Trip

She agreed to take her husband and two kids along…how bad could it really be?

I am a proud Canadian. But as much as I love my country, we do have some serious shopping hardships.

Ladies—there is no Target in Canada! And that’s not all…there’s no Macy’s, no outlet malls and no Cold Stone Creamery!

Yes, we endure desperate conditions up here in the frozen tundra with our beaver pelts and moose-antler wall hangings.

So, every once in a while, we who live close enough grab our passports and our credit cards and make a run for the border. (But we do come back—did I mention we have free health care? Target can only tempt a girl so much.)

When I mentioned to my husband that I was going shopping in the U.S., he suggested that we turn it into a “family trip.” I didn’t have the heart to say no. Maybe it will be OK? I thought. I mean, there will be two of us to manage the kids, right? Sure—it will be fun. Let’s do it!

Did I mention I have a 7-year-old son, a 21-month-old daughter and a husband who hates shopping? A cross-border shopping trip really wasn’t the best idea for some quality family time.

I know you are right there with me. You can see me give my son “the look” that makes him drop to the floor to serve his time-out. You can feel my frustration when my husband tells me how long we have been in the store…every ten minutes.

But when we only had one hour until the mall closed and I offered to take the kids with me to Macy’s (to find some dresses that I desperately needed for an upcoming conference) and let my husband check out Old Navy by himself, well, that was the cue for things to turn ugly.

I maneuvered Olivia’s stroller between the racks, grabbing some dresses and racing against the ticking time bomb that was my overtired toddler.

There were no attendants, so another shopper told me to just go on in and grab a room. I positioned Olivia’s stroller against the door and gave into her wails to get out of her stroller. I sat her on the bench beside me. With one dress over my head, I heard my son cackle and the door open.

I peered out of the neck opening to see my toddler’s eyes dance with mischievous delight as she disappeared with my wallet into the store. Jackson was incapacitated with laughter.

I struggled to get far enough into the dress to follow her without exposing myself. “Jackson,” I begged my son, “Go get her!” And we both chased after Olivia, who had disappeared like only a toddler can…

Click here to finish reading at Guideposts.com…

YOUR TURN: Please make me feel better and tell me your shopping with kids disasters…

Written by Janice.
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Sophia’s favorite word to hear is “Ouch”!

I’m getting a little frustrated that my toddler’s mission in life is to get me to say “Ouch” as many times as possible.

She will pinch, scratch, hit — just for FUN! She is not mad. She is not trying to get her way. She just thinks it is hilarious when someone — especially her mother — gets hurt.

I try so hard not to react. I try to ignore her. I try to say no. I try to move to another location and not give her attention. But she constantly catches me off guard and I yelp in pain and she squeals with delight.

Tell me Ladies, do your little angels have a wicked side like Sophia? What should I do? Help… please…

Say It Forward – Carnival of Loyal Commenters is a new weekly carnival at 5 Minutes for Mom.com where bloggers feature their loyal commenters!

To read more about how to participate in Say It Forward and to get the button codes, click here.

And make sure you visit the links in the Mr. Linky here every Friday. These are the FUN blogging folk YOU want to be friends with. Go to THEIR sites. Read THEIR blogs. And of course, leave COMMENTS.

Oh-We can see the friendships forming already. It’s a beautiful thing!

Say It Forward - Week 25: This week’s loyal commenter is Brandy from No Time Mom.

Are you interested in finding out where the best online contests are? Are you looking for someplace you can go that will give you a comprehensive list of product reviews that are well written and enticing? If that’s the case, then Brandy’s site is for you.

Brandy, a stay at home mom of three young children, provides her readers with a lot of information, from contest listings to product reviews. Infusing many of her reviews with a personal touch, Brandy’s site is detailed, informative and a great resource for moms (though most of her online reviews are family or children related, some of the products Brandy reviews are for adults only).

Brandy and her husband, Jack, an Army veteran who served two years in Iraq, live in North Carolina, where Brandy tries to keep tabs on her crew, despite the hectic nature of her life (thus the tag line of her blog: “A mom who hardly has time for anything but kids”). As is the case with young children, there is a bit of bickering and fighting amongst her children, which can be exhausting, but Brandy tries to find joy in the moments when they all get along.

Here’s how Brandy describes herself: I’m a stay at home mom of three. I’m happily married to my husband of almost 5 years. Residing in the triad region of north carolina. Just living life and enjoying my beautiful children.

Kenz is 4 and loves to sing and dance.(little diva)

Alex is almost 3 and loves to play house.(the shy one)

William is 17 months and is the life of the party(the boss)

When I’m not wiping noses,changing diapers, or chasing kids around, I like to blog and read and scrapbook.

Thank you, Brandy, for the resource that you provide to us, your readers.

And, of course, thank you for being such a loyal commenter here at 5 Minutes for Mom! Please display this Loyal Commenter badge with pride.

Click here to Add your Say It Forward Link and To Read Others

Yes, the talk these days is all about BlogHer 09 in Chicago.

We are so excited to get there and hang out with all you cool peeps… and for those fabulous others who can’t make it to Chicago (or who didn’t score a ticket before they sold out) we will be doing our best to capture the party on video.

Last year we filmed so much footage, that we saved some to get you all in the mood for this year’s event.

Janice and I will be filming again and we’re excited to have Kmart Design sponsoring our BlogHer 09 video shoot.

We’ll have our camera man following us to all the parties and capturing the fun so that you can get in on the action.

Here’s a video interview from last year’s People’s Party with Angela from Fluid Pudding.

We’ll be releasing more videos from last year’s event over the next couple weeks… stay tuned to our RSS feed.

I think driving your sick or hurt child to the hospital is one of the most dangerous things to do. Talk about being distracted!

On Monday night, Sophia suddenly started crying uncontrollably and wouldn’t sleep. I took her to the clinic and the doctor told me to take her to the hospital immediately — that she might have a bowel obstruction. (You can read the whole story over here…)

Basically, I didn’t really think the doctor was right… but he did start me worrying.

So as I drove Sophia into Vancouver’s Children’s Hospital, my mind raced. I thought of all the amazing mom bloggers who have shared their terrifying and heartbreaking journeys of sickness and loss. I thought of their faith and how they leaned on God and the community. And it gave me such strength.

I remembered driving this same road 4 years earlier with a screaming 4 week old Julia. That night I was sick with panic as Julia’s stomach was hard and distended. That night I was terrified that Julia had a bowel obstruction or some other terrible complication.

But with Julia, I hadn’t been driving the car. I was an obvious basket-case and so my mom came with me and drove the car.

This time with Sophia, I wasn’t panicked — I was quite sure that this was just another scare like I’d had with Julia.

But, I was still distracted. With my sick, screaming baby in the backseat and my mind racing through possible scenarios, how could I not be distracted?

I’d made it through the freeway, and I was in the city and stopped at a red light. There were two pedestrians crossing the road in front of my car, and I noticed how the man looked just like the pediatrician who had examined Julia when she was born.

I was lost in thought and as the pedestrians stepped up on the curve, I took my foot off the brake and slowly started moving forward.

Something felt a little wrong, the other cars weren’t moving. And then I heard honking. I looked up and saw a red light and it took a second to register what was happening. I was driving through the red light. But it was too late to stop, I had to get out of the intersection before I was hit.

Cars blasted their horns and I was so embarrassed and terrified and relieved. And I felt so guilty. My baby could have been killed because I was distracted.

I am so very fortunate that there had not been any traffic coming through the intersection. My mind was sick with “What if’s”. I tried to pull myself together and concentrate as hard as I could for the rest of the drive.

But I’m still shaken up by my mistake. It all could have ended so tragically differently.

I think the next time I have to drive my child to the hospital, I’m going to ask my husband or someone else to do the driving.

What about you? Have you ever made a driving mistake because of being distracted?

Written by Susan, co-founder of 5 Minutes For Mom.
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Finding a sponsor to help cover travel and conference costs is a Mom Bloggers dream! (Well, for most… I think.)

And tons of Mom Bloggers have made it happen. We LOVE to see how many bloggers have created win/win opportunities to promote a brand and help cover their conference costs. It is exciting.

But it is hard work. And it can take some trial and error.

Many moms ask us how they can find a sponsor for their trip to a conference such as BlogHer. So we thought we’d offer some advice and then ask you all to add your own tips and tricks.

Okay… here’s what’s up…

First, we’ll suggest some strategies for seeking sponsorship. And if you have already found a sponsor, you can add your link below and share some love for your sponsor.

And… if you are STILL looking for a sponsor for BlogHer 09 (it is sold out, so you must already have a ticket), leave a link in the second Mr. Linky linking to a post on your site telling potential sponsors why you’d be a good blogger to sponsor.

Hint… WE are actually going to sponsor a couple of bloggers ourselves for a new site we’ll be launching just in time for BlogHer 09. (Our sponsorships won’t be huge dollar values because our pockets aren’t very deep… but every bit helps, right?)

Click Here To Finish Reading

There’s nothing more peaceful than watching your children sleep. But I almost never take any pictures of them… and I lament that fact daily. This poor quality shot doesn’t do their sleepy cuteness justice.

Julia and Sophia co-sleep with us and when I put them to bed at night, they sleep the first few hours with just each other. Most of the time they stay out of each others way, but sometimes I’ll catch them snuggling together.

You’ll notice that Julia is wearing pajamas that are two sizes too small. Those are her beloved Dora pj’s that she received from Santa when she was two. Many nights I have had to endure her temper tantrums that she can’t wear her Dora jammies because they are in the laundry.

For her birthday I went crazy looking everywhere for red Dora pajamas to replace these ones, but I couldn’t find them anywhere.

Now it’s your turn… Please click over to add your Wordless Wednesday link and to visit more WW posts. (Due to the Mr. Linky slowly down the loading of our site, we have to move it off the home page. Sorry for the extra click!)

More on Wordless Wednesday - My Sleeping Girls

Her live simulcast is coming and your church can bring Beth Moore and Living Proof Live to your home town via Live Simulcast on August 28-29. You don’t have to take a road trip for this life changing event.

Beth has announced the theme of the message: “Coming Home to the Heart of our Desires,” out of Psalm 37.

So, to see Beth Moore and experience worship with Travis Cottrell, here’s what to do:

• Ask your church to host the LifeWay Living Proof Live Simulcast
• Let your church know there is a special flat fee price for smaller and larger churches.
• Send them to www.lifeway.com/lplsimulcast, or call 1.800.254.2022 to register.

You can also register to win a Beth Moore Bible Study Kit of choice and a Grand Prize Trip for Two to the live site in Green Bay with front row seats!

This post is sponsored by Lifeway.

Thanks so much Ladies for your patience and understanding that my tackle was published tonight without an actual ‘tackle’.

Erica was so kind as to publish a post with the Mr. Linky so that you all could link up.

I had planned and even photographed a tackle, but it’s now 2:45 AM and I’m too tired to get the photos off of my camera.

You see, my little Sophia suddenly started crying at about 6:45 PM and I could not console her. She wouldn’t eat a bit of food and wouldn’t even drink a bottle. I tried to take her to bed, but she couldn’t sleep.

I figured she must have an ear infection, because she’s had a cold and Julia currently has an ear infection and is on antibiotics.

I took her to a clinic. (Well, I took her to THREE clinics… the first two said they were not seeing anymore patients that night… even though it was way before closing time.)

The doctor said she didn’t have any sign of an ear or throat infection, but he said her bowel was in distress and that I must take her to the hospital right away. I explained that she often does have troubles with constipation and that her regular doctor had told me to give her PEG — which I often do. I told him she’d cried during a movement on Sunday, so I gave her some PEG Sunday night and again on Monday. I figured that too much PEG had upset her bowels.

But, he said I had to take her to the ER.

She cried off and on throughout the 40 minute drive to the hospital, but stopped crying soon after we arrived. For the next three hours she tried to sleep in my arms, but squirmed with discomfort. Eventually she fell asleep and we were called in to see the doctor.

The ER Pediatrician listened to her bowels and said they were still very noisy and overactive. But he didn’t think it was a bowel obstruction and he didn’t think it was the PEG. He said perhaps it’s a gastrointestinal virus or it could be something more serious — he said there’s some rare thing it could be where the intestines getting tangled or something like that. But basically he said we need to watch what happens with her over the next few days.

At this moment, I’m thanking God that it doesn’t seem to be anything serious. She is asleep upstairs in her bed and I think she is going to be fine.

So… my tackle for tonight turned out to be tackling toddler tears and doctor’s waiting rooms.

But what about you??? What did you tackle (planned or unplanned)?

Click here to visit other Tacklers and add your link.

The response to our BAGEL-FULS TASTE-a-monials post was incredible - everyone wanted to sample the delicious new BAGEL-FULS! A lucky 100 of you signed up to receive a complimentary box of Bagel-fuls as well as a chance to win some FABULOUS prizes thanks to Kraft foods.

By now you should have received your voucher allowing you to pick up a box of BAGEL-FULS, courtesy of Kraft foods. If the vouchers are still on their way to you, don’t worry, you still have plenty of time to make a quick trip to the store for your box of BAGEL-FULS. Don’t forget, you can find them in your grocer’s freezer section.

So now it’s time for you to get creative and have some fun. Please post your TASTE-a-monial below in the comments section.

A TASTE-a-monial is your written review of KRAFT BAGEL-FULS. Please share with us your honest opinion and/or photo in the comment section below and feel free to have fun with it. To thank you for your time we will randomly select 9 reviewers who will win some INCREDIBLE prizes.

1 Grand Prize Winner will receive:

• $500 AMEX gift card for groceries; Flip video camera; Breakfast prize pack: BAGEL-FULS branded toaster, TASSIMO coffee maker and coffee discs, five BAGEL-FULS vouchers
• Approximate retail value: $1,000

3 Second Prize Winners will receive:

• Breakfast prize pack: BAGEL-FULS branded toaster, TASSIMO coffee maker and coffee discs, five BAGEL-FULS vouchers
• Approximate retail value: $350.00 each

5 Runners Up will receive:

• Five BAGEL-FULS vouchers
• Approximate retail value: $3/voucher

That grand prize is amazing!!! Can you believe it? Thank you Kraft Foods for sponsoring such an exciting sweepstakes!

I had the pleasure of enjoying a box of strawberry Fruit & Cream Cheese BAGEL-FULS with my three children. We devoured them, LOVED them. I am a huge bagel fan and the KRAFT BAGEL-FULS are delicious. They are also very convenient, and on busy mornings because I can grab one to eat as I head out the door. They are a perfect way to start my day!

To inspire you, here is my TASTE-a-monial (please note, you are not required to make yours a poem. Any written review of your BAGEL-FULS experience is just fine).

Ode to BAGEL-FULS

KRAFT BAGEL-FULS, you delectable treat
Ready in seconds, you cannot be beat
A bagel and cream cheese rolled into one
With so many flavors, you’re tons of fun.

In the grocer’s freezer section you wait
But soon you will meet my fridge and my plate
You are so tasty
I savor, not eating too hastily

With dreamy PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese
You are a golden bagel, sure to please
As a busy mom, three children in tow
You are more helpful than you’ll ever know

Breakfast, the essential meal of the day
My to-do list often gets in the way
But now because of you, life is so grand
I eat, work and parent with you in hand.

So, enjoy your BAGEL-FULS and get started on those TASTE-a-monials.

If you are one of the 100 reviewers, you have until July 20th to submit your TASTE-a-monial in the comment section below (remember to include your email address so we can track your entry and get in contact with you if you’re one of the lucky winners!). On July 27th we will announce the winners, chosen at random.

Reminder: The BAGEL-FULS TASTE-a-monials sweepstakes is limited to the 100 bloggers who signed up to participate. Only those bloggers who received vouchers will be able to comment below. The comments will also be moderated for profanity/inappropriate language or factual product misrepresentations. They will not be edited for positive/negative sentiment. TASTE-a-monials with any factual product misrepresentations will not be posted, but all submitted entries will be entered into the random drawing.

Good luck! We look forward to your TASTE-a-monials.

This sweepstakes is limited to US residents only. Please see the official KRAFT BAGEL-FULS TASTE-a-monials Sweepstakes Rules as well as the Terms and Conditions for 5 Minutes for Mom.

What parent doesn’t want the best for their children? From the day our little kidlets are born, we’re looking out for their best interests from food, to education, to playmates and influence.

We also love to give them yummy treats on special occasions. Frequently we like making special occasions out of ordinary days. We love creating things that will cause our children’s eyes to light up and sparkle. I know that I love to hear my son laugh when he’s delighted by something that I’ve presented him with. Pure, undefiled enjoyment of a young child. You cannot beat that with anything! Enter BabyCakes: Vegan, Gluten-Free, and (Mostly) Sugar-Free Recipes from New York’s Most Talked-About Bakery. Excepting the fact that I haven’t been talking very much about this bakery, everything else included in the title is true. This is the recipe book to beat all vegan recipe books for children. What is most appealing about it? Cupcakes. Cakes. Scones. Cobblers. Yummy sounding, tasty things that LOOK tasty also. Deliciousness. Furthermore, all of the things I just mentioned can be made with healthy ingredients.

The great thing about this particular recipe book is that it encourages special foods on ordinary (and otherwise) days but presents the food in such a way that you don’t have to feel so very guilty handing it over to your two year old. It encourages and provides recipes that use fresh fruits, agave nectar, coconut oil and apple sauce instead of sugars and other oils which are hard for little bodies to process. If the pictures are worth anything, you can use these alternative and all-natural ingredients and your food will still look fabulous and taste delicious. From vanilla cupcakes to blueberry crumb cake, to double chocolate chip cookies, I didn’t run across anything in this cookbook that looked un-edible. I myself would scarf any of it down and I imagine I wouldn’t have to bribe my two year old into some taste testing of his own. This book is good stuff, pure and simple.

If you or your little one suffer from any variety of food allergies or if you just want to avoid sugars, you’ll want to look into this particular cookbook. It can be discouraging to find desserts that aren’t packed with sugar and this book offers some suggestions and hope that even a strict diet can be a fun one.

Even if you already have a healthy household and are food conscious, this book is helpful in that you will not have to read an “ordinary” recipe and try to figure out the substitutions for eggs/sugar/gluten, etc. The measurements and ingredients are specifically for vegan/gluten-free foods making it very straight forward for the health conscious cook. I love it! Check out BabyCakes! I doubt you’ll be disappointed.

We have one copy of BabyCakes to give to one of you. Leave a comment (U.S. residents only) if you’d like to win.

The winner of Sometimes a Light Surprises is #11 -Becky .

If you didn’t receive an email asking for your shipping information, please send it to us.

In addition to contributing to 5 Minutes for Books, Carrie blogs about books regularly at Reading to Know, and is the author of the 5 Minutes for Photography column.

How quickly holiday weekends come and go. Did you all have a wonderful 4th? I hope that you get a chance to take part in our Hebrew National July 4th Virtual Backyard Barbecue, by adding in your blog posts and/or photos from your 4th of July celebrations.

We had such fun during our 4th of July barbecue. The sun was shining, the kids were smiling and the food was divine!

Here’s a fun little slideshow from my 4th of July barbecue sponsored by Hebrew National. ENJOY!

Thank you again Hebrew National!

This post was written by 5 Minutes for Mom contributing editor: Erica from Butterfly Kisses.