All About Me in 30 days - Day 5

Day 5 - My Favorite TV Show

There are a handful of shows that I watch and really like, but do not watch routinely.  I really enjoy Parenthood, House, The Next Food Network Star, and a couple other.  However, there is only one show that Hubs and I record and make sure to watch each episode.  We LOVE The Biggest Loser!  I typically have a bag of Doritos are some other no no snack while watching, but oh well.  I do not know what it is about this show that draws me to it, but I am stuck.  I suppose it is the combination of the raw emotion  and that people are making a positive change in their life, but who knows.

All About Me in 30 days - Day 4

Day 4 – A Photo of Me As A Child

Look, it's me as a child :)

Now I see for a fact where my daughter gets here little turned up piggy button nose!

All About Me in 30 days - Day 3

Day 3 –  My Favorite Movie

This one is particularly hard for me!  Both hubs and I love movies!  When we were newly weds and living the high life (we didn't have to worry about a baby sitter and so on), we would go to the movies fairly frequently.  It seems like these days we hardly ever get to go out on dates or get to the movies.  Even renting a movie is hard for us, because hubs works late nights and I am often in bed when he gets home, so it is not like we get to watch movies together any more.  Anywho...

I have loved the movie Dante's Peak for a long time (since High School)

Hubs and I both REALLY enjoyed the movie Juno - too cute!

So, I think those are my two... my oldie and newbie(ish) :)

Winner

Congrats to our newest winner!  Lucky #7 again!

Congrats Allison!  I hope that you LOVE your mama cloth :)

All About Me in 30 days - Day 2

My favorite song

Sadly, I do not get to listen to much music these days.  The music that I listen to is namely kid's music and whatever is playing on the radio the few times I get in the car during the week.  I recently heard a song by Pink that I really like... "Glitter In The Air".  I do not know why I had not heard this song before, but I love it.

So, my favorite song currently Glitter In The Air by Pink :)

All About Me in 30 days - Day 1

<a href="http://marineparents.blogspot.com/2010/11/all-about-me-30-day-challenge.html"><img src="http://i1042.photobucket.com/albums/b422/taprilcrosier/aboutme.png" alt="all about me" /></a>

Day 1 - A recent picture of me.

This is the most recent picture of me... back in May.  It is from my husband's college graduation.

This was surprisingly more difficult than it should have been.  I actually had to get this picture from my hubby's facebook account.  The most recent picture I have of me on my computer is from the Ren Pen's birth.  The one before that was when I was pregnant.

All About Me in 30 days!

<a href="http://marineparents.blogspot.com/2010/11/all-about-me-30-day-challenge.html"><img src="http://i1042.photobucket.com/albums/b422/taprilcrosier/aboutme.png" alt="all about me" /></a>

Ever wonder who your blogger friends really are?  Wonder no more!  We've put our own spin on the "All About Me in 30 Days" blogging memes floating around to share a little bit of ourselves with our friends. 

This 30 day challenge begins today and ends on December 24th.... if you miss a few days, just play catch up!  No pressure :)  Be sure to grab the button so we know you are participating - post it anywhere on your blog or in each daily post!  Be sure to link up below and join in on the fun!

Day 1 – a recent photo of you

Day 2 – your favorite song

Day 3 – your favorite movie

Day 4 – a photo of you as a child

Day 5 – your favorite television program

Day 6 – your favorite book

Day 7 – a picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest

Day 8 – your favorite quote

Day 9 – your dream house (description or photo!)

Day 10 – a photo that makes you happy

Day 11 – a photo that makes you angry/sad

Day 12 – something you are OCD about

Day 13 – a description of what's currently in your handbag/purse/diaper bag!

Day 14 – a photo of a person you’d love to trade places with for a day

Day 15 – a photo of yourself and a new friend you met this year

Day 16 – a song that makes you cry

Day 17 – your favorite website

Day 18 – a photo of your favorite memory

Day 19 – a picture of somewhere you’d like to travel

Day 20 – a talent of yours

Day 21 – a hobby of yours

Day 22 – a photo of your wedding/future wedding plans

Day 23 – a photo of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently

Day 24 – a recipe

Day 25 – your worst habit

Day 26 – a photo of where you live

Day 27 – a photo of someone you could never imagine your life without

Day 28 – your hopes, dreams, plans for the next 365 days

Day 29 – a picture of something you want to do before you die

Day 30 – it's Christmas Eve! post a photo of what's under your tree this year!

Earnest Efforts Wooden Baby Rattle Review and Giveaway

I was so excited when Heather from Earnest Efforts contacted me about reviewing one of their beautiful wooden rattles.  I had seen their rattles once or twice while blog hopping and knew that I HAD to try one out with Ren Pen.

Naturally beautiful

We take this rattle with us everywhere, as it is one of Ren Pen's favorite toys!  I am constantly having people commented on how beautiful the rattle is.  When I asked Hubs what he thought about the rattle he said, "I like it, it sounds like what a rattle should said like... what at least what I think a rattle should sound like".  The rattle makes a truly beautiful "rain like" sound.  

 

They are the perfect shape and size for little chubby hands to hold.

With all of the news about BPA these days, why take the chance of having our babies chewing on a plastic toy.  Earnest Efforts rattles are handmade from sustainably harvested Oregon woods.  There aren't any dyes or paints, so no need to worry about things like lead!  The rattles are made with ASTM & ACMI certified non-toxic wood glue and finished with Clapham's natural bees wax!

Ren Pen loves to chew on her rattle :)  They are the PERFECT teething toy!

Like I said before, we take this rattle everywhere... I am thinking that I may need to get a couple more, so that I can make sure to always have one with us and not have to worry about where I left it last!  These are the perfect size for a GREAT stocking stuffer!!!

Ready to get your hands on a beautifully handcrafted wooden rattle for the little one in your life?  You can buy when HERE for $15.00!  There are 6 different woods to pick from!

Earnest Efforts also has a blog and is brand new to facebook!

You can also enter here on our blog for a chance to win a rattle!  Heather has offered to give one of our winners a rattle of their very own!  All I ask you to do is go to Earnest Efforts Etsy Shop and comment with a LINK to your favorite product!  Please make sure that your email address is either in your comment or public on your profile.

As always, if you make a purchase during this giveaway, you will get 5 extra entries into the giveaway.

Don't forget this method to get daily entries into the giveaway!

This giveaway will close on Dec 1 at 11:59 pm EST.  I will draw a winner via random.org

Disclaimer / Disclosure: While I was supplied with the item(s) reviewed, I was not compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own!. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising 

More giveaways I am entering

$20 gift card to Bugalug - would love to win this to get Ren Pensome really cute non slip clips

Guidecraft Hideaway Bookshelves (ARV $420) - Little Boy Blue would LOVE this!  He is really into forts right now and he likes to "hide".  Of course he is also a HUGE book fan!

KinderGlo Night Light - How cute is that!  Would really like this for both my babies!  I like that it can be set to fade off!

Funrise Toys - Tonka Strong Arm Fire Truck - Little Boy Blue is all boy!  Loves all things boy... trucks and cars included!

Melissa & Doug Wooden Workbench OR Folding Wooden Princess Castle from GummyLump - not sure which one I would choose... having a boy and girl after all!

And Twins Makes 5 has this as well!!!

Melissa & Doug Shopping Cart & 2 Play Food Sets from Gummy Lump - SO want this for Little Boy Blue!  We call him the angry chef, he loves to play in his play kitchen and make us all "soup".

A Blogtastic Extravaganca Sponsor Announcement

I am pleased to announce several more sponsors for our upcoming A Blogtastic Extravaganca!

The Eli Monster

Boodle Bottoms

The Green Nursery

Elite Bowtique

Picture Perfect Baby Boutique

EcoMom

Maxwell Dean Designs

 Go Green Pocket Diapers

Paci Catchers

We are going to have a great time with A Blogtastic Extravaganca!  Our prize packages sure are rounding out nicely... you heard me right... PACKAGES!  

Feel free to let your favorite "green" companies know that we are looking for more sponsors and that you would love for them to join in on the fun.  If you do not feel comfortable telling them, tell me and I will contact them!

Welcome to the Winner's circle :)

We have a winner...

Lucky # 7

Life of the Leatherberry's win a 4 oz candle of their picking from JKM Soy Candles!!!  I will be sending you an email promptly. Congrats!

Crossing my fingers!

Little Tikes Double Duty Engine and Workbench at Minnesota Mama's Must Haves

 Little Tikes Cozy Shopping Cart at Sugar Pop Ribbons

Little Tikes Neighborhood Market - This is part of And Twins Makes 5's 2010 Holiday Gift Guide

Thanks, Mail Carrier is also giving this away from Little Tikes!

Garnet and Diamond White Gold Pendant at Just Another New Blog

 Juppy Walker at Just Another New Blog

Little Tikes Play House at Mommy Mandy's

Could do this all night long!

Learning Curve Thomas Wooden Railway Early Engineers giveaway

 Knickernappies Amber Necklace

Little Tikes Neighborhood Market

Kix Prize Pack

 

 

 

Philosophy Giveaway

Wordless Wednesday - Pickle Eater

Moms Crafts 4U Review and Giveaway

This post is about mama cloth... if you don't want to know anything about my period, consider yourself warned.

I am not going to go into the whole, "reasons why I started using mama cloth" in this blog post, but I do plan on writing more about mama cloth and alternatives to disposable menstruation products at a later time.

After much deliberation, I have decided that the best way to do this review write up is going to be two list (things I like and things I don't).  Moms Crafts 4U sent me two super absorbency reusable cloth menstrual pads.  So without further ado...

LIKES

1.  I like how thin these pads are

2.  I like that each pad has a number tag attached to the wing, so that you can easily tell what absorbency you are grabbing out of your stash. 

3.  I love that I can wash these with my diapers or clothes (hot water, cold water, doesn't matter)

4.  Love that they snap up and store nicely (I realize this is not unique to this mama cloth, but I still LOVE it).  They are so much more discreet then disposable.

5.  Love that I am not throwing more disposables away.

6.  No odor... enough said

7.  They are absorbant :)

8.  They do not stick to you like disposables do.

DISLIKES

1.  I found them to snap up too narrow for me, causing them to bunch more than I like.  I would like them more if they had two in order to adjust the width.

2.  I would prefer them to be longer, I realize this is a personal issue, but for me, I like my pads long.

3.  I found that because the wings are the same material as the pad (one piece construction), if I was not careful, if I bleed too much then the wings would get bloody... not fun.

 I want to add that Moms Crafts 4U sales BEAUTIFUL wet bags!!!  Moms Crafts 4 U has many useful products for a mothers everyday use such as Check Book Covers, Cloth Mama Pads, DS Cases, Fleece Socks, Wallets/Purses/Totes, and Wipes / Cloth Tissues!

Veronica from Moms Crafts 4U is currently not taking orders, but has offered one reader a pair of pantyliner thickness pads.

Shop: www.MomsCrafts4U.etsy.com
Blog: www.MomsCrafts4U.blogspot.com 

Twitter Page: www.twitter.com/MomsCrafts4U 

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/Moms-Crafts-4-U

For this giveaway all I ask is that you are a fan of Moms Crafts 4 U on facebook and let me know if you have used Mama Cloth before.  Please leave your email address in your post if it is not public in your profile.  

This giveaway will be close at 11:59 pm EST on 11/24.  I will draw a winner via random.org

 Disclaimer / Disclosure: While I was supplied with the item(s) reviewed, I was not compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own!. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising  

more...

 

Pillow Pets Giveaway!

 

 

K'Nex Giveaway!

 

 

 

 

 

Britax B-READY Stroller Review and a Giveaway ($499.99 Value!)

 

  HearthSong Personalized Book Rack

 

  Melissa & Doug Easel from Gummy Lump!

 

 

 

 

 

 

More giveaways I have entered

Little Twig Mini Gift Set Review

ATG Stores $100 GC

CSN Stores $70 GC

Baby Fables milestone stickers giveaway!

Radius Toothbrush

Go Green! Pocket Diaper

 

 

 

 

 

Giveaways I am hoping to win :)

Belvedere Designs Review & $50 Gift Certificate

New Children's Book Series - Brodie & The Yeti Ends 11/26

Rubik's Slide and Bubble Talk from Techno Source

PhotoWeavers Photo Blanket

Customized 11x14 Childrens Print from Sweet Arts Design

$20 Gift Card to My Playful Creations - 2 Winners!

Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Mop 

Zuvo Water Filtration System ($300 ARV)

Baby Bond Nursing Cover - A Perfect Solution

I recently was given the opportunity to try our a BabyBond nursing cover.  I have said it before and I will say it again, I am not a huge fan of traditional nursing covers.  That is what is so great about the BabyBond Nursing Cover, it is not like a traditional cover.  This cover allows YOU to cover up without covering up baby.  You are able to nurse comfortably and modestly while still maintaining all of the wonderful aspects of nursing (eye contact, communication, socialization)!

There are three different styles of the nursing cover.  There is the Original, Flex and Couture.  I chose to try out the Couture.  The Courture style is multifunctional and adjustable!  I do not fight into "normal" size ranges due to my large breast, so I really appreciate the fact that there is a style that is adjustable.  I also LOVE the fact that the nursing cover is multifunctional.  

 

When you use the BabyBond nursing cover you should ideally be wearing a nursing shirt (one that opens from the top).  I rarely ever wear a top that I nurse from the top.  I typically just lift up whatever shirt I am wearing from the bottom and nurse away.  The BabyBond Couture cover also works as a belly band.  As the above picture shows, you can wrap the cover around your waist and pull it up to cover up your belly and back while nursing.  I have talked to several other mothers who feel the same as I do... that they are not bothered by showing there breast while nursing, but the thought of having their postpartum belly and back showing is bothersome to them. 

I have found that there is a limited amount of space in my diaper bag (imagine that - two kids and all).  I really like that this nursing cover rolls up and takes a limited amount of space in my diaper bag.  I know that for myself, I am much more likely to use something if it is is not bulky or cumbersome.  I can honestly say that for mothers like me, who would like to remain modest while breastfeeding, but not have to cover up baby, this nursing cover is ideal!

BabyBond has generously offered a 75% discount on their site for any reader who orders a BabyBond on BabiesRUs . So, you will be able to buy 2 BabyBonds for less than $46.  All you need to do is email a copy of your receipt from bru.com to missy@babybondnursing.com and she will reply with the discount code that will allow you to order another BabyBond on Baby Bond's site with 75% off.

[Product review & giveaway disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."]