Ants are a real problem in our house during the summer time!  I truly do not enjoy their invasion! In fact, I rather dislike it!  My kids, on the other hand…think ants are funny!  How about you?

Do you want ANTS in your house?

Well, thanks to “The Balancing Act” Show and Discovery Kids, “ANTS” are now welcome in our house…but in a contained and self sustaining habitat!

We received the “Discovery Kids” Illuminated Gel Ant Habitat to do a review/feature of!  My oldest son was super excited about this!  What boy wouldn’t be?

After taking everything out, reading the directions, and getting things set up and ready for the ANTS…we headed outside (armed with flashlights) to find some new occupants.  Certain we would find more than enough to fill our new habitat!

BUT UNFORTUNATELY, much to my dismay (and even after putting some honey out to try to lure some to our capture), we found NONE!  Not one single ant!  AMAZING…since our house is literally swarming with them during the warm summer months.  Guess they are all “in hiding” when it’s COLD outside?

So, now we will wait…because this kit comes with a card you can mail in to get ants shipped (who would have thought I’d be paying to have ants sent to my house…when they are pests I want rid of during the summer), to inhabit our new gel illuminated home for them.

Until then, this habitat makes an excellent nightlight (not really…we aren’t using it until the ants arrive)…but it is immediately ready for them when they get here.  My son can’t wait!  Honestly, neither can I.  After reading about the experience…I think it will be interesting to watch them tunnel, see them interact with one another and in a way, it’s almost be something relaxing & soothing to watch and to look at in the illuminated blue gel!

This kit is not only fun, but educational.  Plus…these are some of the lowest maintenance “pets” you can keep because their habitat is self sustaining.  You just have to open the top every once in awhile to replenish their oxygen supply.  Can’t get much easier or simplier than that, right?

CLICK HERE to learn more about it or to order this Discovery Kids Illuminated Gel Ant Habitat for your family to enjoy!

I was not paid to feature this post!  I was compensated only by the product sent for review/feature!

I can’t remember the last time that I went to sleep in my bed and woke up in “MY BED” uninterrupted, with just my husband & I laying there…alone. I knew having four kids would involve there being KIDS in every aspect of my life, but for some reason (maybe because my parents always kept their bed KID FREE), I never realized that our bed would constantly be bombarded with little visitors in the middle of the night.

So what is “ROTATING BEDS Syndrome” (yes, I like to make up syndromes)? Let me explain!

I start most nights out in our nice, comfortable bed…in our (my husband & my) bedroom. The appropriate place for me to get snugly, warm and ready to rest for the night. It might be an hour, it might be four, but soon…there will be little feet pounding the hardwood floors and a bounce of the bed, as a child flies up, snuggles in between my husband and I and we are off on another interesting night’s sleep. Our kids do not lay still when they are sleeping. They fling and wiggle and kick and flop. Which means that, basically in a nutshell, my husband & I hug the edges of the bed, while they get to spread out their little bodies and enjoy the entire rest of our beds.

But, here’s the thing, after having a child’s foot in my back, their arm across my chest or my arm stuck above my head so far that it’s asleep and numb…I go looking for another place to sleep. ROTATE (you know, like centers in school)! I know, I should move the child, but chances are…if I do…this same child will wake up ten minutes later, realize where they are and come darting back into our room once again. Typically, I will either go downstairs to the couch (which is my second choice for sleeping arrangements because it’s so gosh darn comfortable) or head to the bed that is currently missing the child. No…their mattresses are not quite as comfortable (and since they have plastic mattress covers on them, not quite as warm), but at least I will get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep…or so I think…UNTIL…

My baby boy wakes up and realizes that he’s alone in his big bed and he starts crying (which is actually mild screaming) and I have to go calm him down before the entire household of children are wide awake. His poor brother (he has to sleep like his father), because he seems to stay sound asleep through all the drama. Thank goodness. So once again, I find myself playing “ROTATING BEDS” and hopping into bed with the little guy, so he will fall back asleep. This is typically where I find myself sleeping, if I’m lucky and everyone else stays asleep for the rest of the night.

I love being a mommy! I know it was what I was meant to do…but I NEED MY SLEEP! Seriously! These trying nights of playing ROTATING BEDS needs to come to an end soon!

People tell me, how lost I will be when it’s just me & my husband (when the kids are all grown up). I agree, I will definitely miss them. But there are certain things that I will not miss…ROTATING BEDS is one of them. Being able to head to bed, fall asleep and wake up in the same bed will be delightful. I will not only wake up pleasantly (instead of by a screaming child in the middle of the night), but I might actually feel rested again! I forget what the feeling feels like.

So, how many of you have children’ who sleep with you in the middle of the night? You put them to bed in their bed and they find their way to your bed while you’re sleeping? How many of you change (ROTATE) beds (yourself) in the middle of the night? In desperation to salvage a few more hours of peaceful sleep. I know I’m not alone here! Please…COMMENT and share your stories with me! Advice is always welcome too!

http://www.oneboredmommy.com/2010/12/i-suffer-from-rotating-beds-syndrome-do.html

I find that I have no problem forgiving others, when they have done things to hurt me, my feelings, etc.

But why is it such a challenge, task, chore, and even heart breaker to forgive myself for things I’ve done? Promises I’ve broke? Challenges I’ve faced and handled the wrong way?

Am I the only one that finds this to be true?

Is it pride? I know that other’s aren’t perfect, which makes it easy for me to forgive them. Because I know that sometimes thing just happen, things are said out of thoughtless moments of anger, judgement or hurt. and it’s easy for me to accept apologizes and move on. But I should remember that I’m not perfect either, right?

Why can’t I just let go? I know that I have a GOD that forgives me, just like I forgive others. If there is no judgement there, then why is my will not releasing the past and moving forward? It’s peculiar, right? The struggles of the heart, soul, the spiritual battle that rages behind the scenes, etc.

One thing I know for sure…I am forgiven by the ONE that ultimately needs to forgive me! I am praying that the process of healing from & by forgiving myself will (with lots of prayer and focus) be something that won’t burden me the rest of my life. I know that if my faith and trust is where it need to be…someday I’ll be free of it! I am praying that someday is sooner than later!

Thanks for letting me get a little deep! Sometimes it’s necessary, right? To make us stronger, more positive, influential in an even deeper way and hey…we all struggle with life, right? The past couple months have been a struggle! How do you deal with your struggles?

This SAHM (stay at home mommy) of four, ages 10, 7, 5, and 3 moved from California to Connecticut over the Winter of 2008. After suffering from SEVERE cabin fever and reading an article on Yahoo about “MOMMY BLOGGING”, she hopped into action, creating “THE ONE BORED MOMMY BLOGSPOT”.

Since then, the One Bored Mommy Blogspot has not only been a place for mommies & daddies (and even Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles) to come learn about the newest products & must haves for the family, but it’s also become a community on Facebook (CLICK HERE) and a great place to go enter awesome giveaways, find discounts for your favorite stores and so much more!

Courtney Hutson has also enjoyed a little t.v. time in the past year, being a part of a segment on The Nate Berkus Show (with Dr. Oz) and on the Dr. Oz Show as well. She’s very excited to be a part of “THE BALANCING ACT” community, as every day for her is “A BALANCING ACT” in itself.