Monte Carlo - The Must See Summer Movie

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Monte Carlo for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

 Grab your daughter(s) and/or friends and race to the theaters this Friday to check out Monte Carlo!

Movie synopsis: Grace (Selena Gomez) is an ordinary girl who becomes an accidental heiress when a summer trip to Paris turns into the fantasy of a lifetime. On a dream vacation, Grace, along with her best friend and step-sister, discover that the greatest adventure is finding out who they really are. 

Check out the trailer .  You can get tickets ahead of time beginning Wednesday, 6/29, by going to Fandango, then you will be ready for the family date night Friday night when the movie hits theaters!

Be sure to "like" the official Monte Carlo Facebook page. This will be a fun movie for my daughter and I to watch together.  She is a fan of Selena Gomez and I am a fan of Paris! And we are both fans of dreams coming true - or in this case she had a fun time pretending!

It really looks like a great family- friendly movie, and sure to be a hit for moms and daughters everywhere!! Check out Monte Carlo for yourself, and make that date night with your special someone! My family enjoys spending time together and watching good movies. This movie will be one that the guys might not like as much as the girl do so we may have to make a mother/daughter date night and watch this without them. Most girls, like my daughter, likes Selena Gomez and they like the "fairy tale" story. That is what this movie seems to be, a modern-day Cinderella; except the girl in this movie is not stuck home cleaning and being a slave, but happens to look like someone famous and she gets to live the life of that other person for a short time. Wouldn't we all like to go to a place where our "twin" is famous and we accidentally get mistaken for them? I know I would, if nothing but a short time just to see what they other side lives like. Maybe if we all were given that opportunity, we could be grateful for the life we have.

Will you and your daughter have a date night?? Let me know your plans.

Important help from Cryo-Cell for new moms

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of CryoCell International for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

When a woman becomes pregnant she is either excited or scared or a little of both. No mother wants to think about their child not being healthy. In fact, a lot of times you will ask a new parent-to-be what they want, boy or girl, and they will say "It don't matter as long as it is healthy". It would be nice if that could be possible but sometimes the unfortunate happens. That is why it is important to check into cord banking with Cryo-Cell.

Since 1992, Cryo-Cell has helped more than 230,000 clients worldwide preserve their newborn's umbilical cord blood for potential use against many diseases. Along with cord banking, Cryo-Cell Cord Bank is pioneering the way in research, to find more solutions to preserve stem cells in a noncontroversial way. Cord blood is just the first step in new medical advancements.

Cryo-Cell knows that as a new mom, it's hard to find time to exercise. We believe that Cryo-Cell moms really understand the importance of safeguarding the future health and well-being for both their newborns and for themselves. With the award-winning Baby Jogger City Mini stroller, new moms can work out as they enjoy time in the beautiful outdoors with their new baby.

What better way to celebrate the birth of your newborn and get back in shape all at once? enroll today in Cryo-Cell's signature U-Cord service and for a limited-time receive a free Baby Jogger City Mini .

10 Tips for Keeping Your Family Safe on the Road

It is vacation time..YAY!! But with that, comes a little concern about safety and traveling. Safelite auto and SocialMoms has asked for some tips to stay safe...and here is my list to share with you.

1. The very first thing you should do before you ever leave the yard, is make sure everything on your vehicle is like it should be. Check the oil, tire pressure, make sure the wipers work, etc. The last thing you want to do is break down because of something that you could have prevented. It is not safe to stop on the side of the road anyway, but you also never know who may show up to offer "help".
2. Don't carry a lot of cash, but make sure you have some in an emergency. Just say you do break down and a truly nice patron comes along to offer assistance. It would be nice to offer him/her a little money for their help. Also, you never know where you may end up that doesn't take debit / credit cards
3. Beware of pickpocketing. They are unfortunately everywhere so you have to be prepared. Some suggestions for that is...don't have loose money in your pockets. Use a fanny pack or something else that zips so that it is harder to get into. Men~~ don't leave your wallet in your back pocket if it is loose and you cannot feel if someone touches you. Women~~ use a purse that zips and keep it zipped at all times!!
4. This may seem a little elementary, but use the buddy system!! Especially when going into public restrooms. This is safe for adults as well as children. Women get raped inside of public restrooms just like children.
5. Make sure that everyone that has a cell phone, has the ICE phone number listed. This is In Case of  Emergency. That way if you are in a wreck and someone needs to get help, they can easily find a phone number in someones phone. If your kids have cell phones, they may have the parents numbers listed, so in the case of everyone being together on vacation, it may be smart to change them all to the same person/number.
6. Don't look too obvious that you are a tourist or on vacation. Get your maps out at the hotel room to see where you want to sight see and don't pull it out in the street. You don't want to draw attention to the fact that you are a tourist or visitor because this makes you vulnerable to trouble.
7. Carry as little as possible. Don't carry your camera around everywhere you go, or pad your pockets so they look like you have a wad of cash in them. Be smart about what you carry out with you.
8. You also have to be careful in the hotel rooms. Make sure that the hotel you are staying at has a safe inside the room. That way you can lock up any extra cash you have as well as other valuables, while you are out enjoying yourself.
9. Make sure your family has a plan for the "what if's". I am sure everyone remembers the Home Alone movies where the little boy gets left by his family. Make sure your family is prepared and everyone is on the same page in any kind of scenario of getting lost or other scenarios. If you are planning a shopping trip to the mall, where is the meeting place if someone gets missing. Those things are not thought out before hand, but rather parents end up in a panic.
10. And last, but surely not least on my list, always be aware of your surroundings!! If you are going to the ATM, look around to see who is in the area. We all have natural instincts and in some cases you have to rely on them. If something feels weird, then go another route.

Most of all, have fun on your vacation!!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Safelite blogging program, for a gift card worth $30. For more information on how you can participate, click here.