My Shameless Plea

I am so incredibly lucky, my husband is technologically savvy and does all kinds of great things for me on my blog. (Seriously, you think I can do this stuff?!) He has limits though, and I want the blog to look a little more polished & he is so sweet about it, he still works on my blog knowing that as soon as I am able - I will get me a blog makeover.
I am also lucky that I have had the pleasure to make some super "bloggy" friends including Lori at The Down's Gang. She is having a contest right now where she is giving away a makeover by Southern Girl Designs.
Why do I need a makeover? Because I am the only girl in a house full of boys, some place in my life needs to have some girly feel to it, right? So as Meredith Grey would say: Pick me...choose me...love me.

Winner of Doodlebug Dezigns $25 Gift Certificate

The winner of the Doodlebug Dezigns $25 Gift Certificate is:
















Congratulations Molly! I will be sending you an email shortly! You will have 48 hours to respond.
Thank you to everyone who entered!!

Thank you

I really wanted to give a big thank you to my readers, new and not-so-new, for all the wonderful comments and emails. When you share your random thoughts or your opinions on products you wonder if anyone cares. As a stay-at-home mom, my adult interaction has decreased significantly. Living up in the mountains, especially now during winter, sometimes the only people I see for weeks are my husband and kids. Blogging allows me to "interact" with other moms who have the same interests as me. When I ask for help with a topic, I can get answers from mothers all over the country.
I get "thank you" emails for giveaways that I am holding and I feel a little guilty. While I enjoy doing reviews and hosting giveaways, I also do it because it brings more people to my site and then I get to meet more moms that are going through the same trials and tribulations as I am. So, I thank YOU for giving me so much. I intend to give as much or more as I am getting.

*** I must not forget the dads out there that are blogging their little hearts out as well. How wonderful to hear a man's point of view every once in a while! Thanks Dan!

The Creative Individual - Review & Giveaway - Coming Soon!

If you have not had the chance to check out The Creative Individual - I strongly suggest you head there now. Have been you looking for some children's decorative wall art or kids murals? These aren't your ordinary vinyl wall art. These are works of art. So it is such a thrill for me to be able to offer a giveaway from this company. I am eagerly awaiting my "Chocolate POKAdots" and you know, as soon as they come in, I will have my husband up in the baby's room figuring out where I want him to put them. (I am the "designer" he is the "labor" & there is nothing wrong with that, right?)

Don't forget to sign up for my feed or follow me on Blogger (both located on my left side bar) so you won't miss out on any of my upcoming fabulous giveaways! Stay tuned!!

Focus Friday #2

Oh the pressure!! Every day I thought to myself how pitiful it would be if I didn't complete my first Focus Friday. So yesterday, last minute as usual, I got it done! So yes, this works! If you haven't joined in yet, I suggest you do if you are like me and need a little accountability.
So for this week:
How did this happen? I still have bags and boxes from Christmas still "hiding" in a corner. These bags and boxes have gifts that my family received. They were transported from the family celebration to our house and were put on the kitchen table. There I knew I would get to them, it would drive me crazy if they were all up there. But then we had company and they got put into the corner and "out of sight - out of mind."
So, my focus this week will be to get these put away!

Happy Friday!

Giveaway List for 2/4

Short but sweet - I am so trying to finish my Focus Friday task... instead I am entering contests but I am feeling guilty about it... does that count toward progress?

Mama's Losin' It - Carolyn's Kitchen Apron ENDS 2/8

Piece of Me - Sprout Shell ENDS 2/5 (5)

Jamie's Precious Peas - Evolve Showerhead ENDS 2/14

Mom Fuse - Dapple Cleaning Products ENDS 2/14

Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House
- Make up bag from BagladyMomma ENDS 2/11 (3)

Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House - Spa Baby Tub ENDS 2/9

Chefdruck Musings - Tiny Prints $50 GC ENDS 2/6

Writer's Workshop #1

Over at Mama's Losin It she holds a Writer's Workshop. She gives you prompts and you choose which one (or more than one) that inspires you most. My choice for my first Writer's Workshop is,
"Choose a task you'd like someone to complete and write a poem asking them to do it."
A poem doesn't have to rhyme I know... but I never "got" those kinds of poems. I haven't written a poem since I was a boy crazy teenager. But this year I am attempting to step a bit out of my comfort zone. So please enjoy my attempt at poem writing and to my oldest child, I love you and you asked for it.

POTTY TRAINING

While you will always be my baby,
it's time I told you this
You need to learn we all suffer,
when you use the toilet and miss

Maybe it is because I'm a girl,
but I cannot understand
Is this something you can do alone,
or do you need a helping hand?

If it is dark please turn on the light,
and open your eyes please
Lift up the seat before you go,
no one wants to sit in pee.

I would help you if I could,
with this simple task
But should you need that helping hand,
It is your dad you should ask.

A Thousand Words Thursday #2

Normally I post pictures of my children happy and doing cute things but today - today I am almost ready to run away. I love my children, all of them. Each of them drive me a bit nutty from time to time. However, Jakey, my middle child, is trying to send me to the funny farm. Recently, the expression above is the the one that has greeted me each morning, when I am too slow getting his breakfast to him, when I leave to room to go to the bathroom, when I am holding his little brother, when he wakes up from his nap ... you get the picture. To his defense he is still pretty much non-verbal and it seems he is just frustrated that he can't convey what he is thinking/wants. We taught him some sign language thank goodness, but basically his vocabulary is AHHHH and BAAAHHHH. It could mean, "come back here!" or "I am having fun" or "I am hungry." You kinda have to guess.
Does anyone have any suggestions for getting through this stage. And please God, it is a phase, right?

Visit other Thousand Words Thursdays at Cheaper Than Therapy.

Looking Back - That's How I Roll!

Kristen at An Ordinary Life was "looking back" and invited us to join in. If you have your volume on, turn it off. Some crazy lady gets WAY TOO excited and the sound is obnoxious. This was the first day Jakey rolled over. Life was so much simpler then.



Head over to An Ordinary Life to see other "Looking Back" posts. Play along if you'd like and sign her linky too. If you participate, please leave me a comment. I would love to visit.

Wordless Wednesday - Complete Trust

Brenhams Hat Project

I was so lucky that Katie at A Listmakers Life forwarded me the link to When Hello Means Goodbye. When Hello Means Goodbye is written by Katie (same name, different person) who lost her little boy before he had a chance to live. Her story can be read here. After you read it, I know you too will be compelled to help out with Brenhams Hat Project. In honor of what would have been Brenham's first birthday, Katie is putting together a big basket of hats to take to the nursery at the hospital where he was born. For all the information, please visit her post here.

Fresh Baby - Review/Giveaway - Coming Soon

There is a special place in my heart for companies that are dedicated to improving the eating habits of our children. As a PE teacher, I noticed that every year the students would be bigger than the year before. I saw them eating Cheetos and cookies, never an apple or banana. I believe, as do the gals at Fresh Baby, that parents play a huge role in determining a child's eating habits. Controlling what your children consume is so important. I worry about what is in the jars of baby food, how it is packaged, what chemicals have been added. The answer? Make it yourself! People shy away from making homemade baby food, thinking that it is too hard or time consuming. Soon I will be reviewing Fresh Baby's So Easy Baby Food Kit. Everything you need to make your own baby food is in this kit and they say that you can make fresh, natural baby food in 30 minutes per week. I am really excited to try it out and even more excited to be able to share it with you!
Want to know when this giveaway will be posted? Subscribe to my feed or follow me on blogger or Twitter so you won't miss out! (All located at the top of my left sidebar.)

Giveaway List for 2/3

Does Mommy Love It? - Baby Sleep Bag ENDS 2/23

Does Mommy Love It? - Petite Palate sample of their Premier line of baby food ENDS 2/25

Does Mommy Love It? - Win one of 5 Readeez DVD's ENDS 3/1

Everything Up Close - Geezees custom canvas ENDS 2/7

Bellaziza's Favorites - SWAG #1: From gr8x, a gr8x Messenger Bag, Nursing Pillow and Two 2-pack Swaddling Wraps. SWAG #2: From Phil & Teds, The Traveller Portable Crib and The Me Too Portable Highchair. SWAG #3: From Dékor, a Dékor Plus Diaper Disposal System plus refills and a Soft Touch Changing Cushion ENDS 2/9

5 Minutes for Giveaways - CozyWedge ENDS 2/13

Amanda - Graco Suite Solutions Pack n Play ENDS 2/14

Amanda - Kolobags Golla Laptop Sleeve ENDS 2/9

Mom Fuse - Lillebaby Everywear Child Carrier ENDS 2/4

Mom Fuse - Hands2Go Sanitizer Spray ENDS 2/4

Amanda - Boppy (you can never have enough of these, right?) ENDS 2/10

Blessings Abound - Smartshopper ENDS 2/4

My Take On It- Tuesday

I was once a teacher, and if you have ever heard what goes on in the teacher's lounge... well, let's just say people had opinions on EVERYTHING and that was where we shared them. Now that I am a stay-at-home mom, the ladies on The View have become my "teacher's lounge." The only bad part is, no one hears "my view" or "my take on it."
So, lucky you! Every Tuesday I am going to share with you something frivolous and hopefully not too controversial and tell you, "my take on it."

Jessica Simpson: How sad that you go from people making fun of you because you thought Chicken of the Sea was indeed Chicken to being blamed for the Dallas Cowboys losing a game because you are dating the quarterback to now, being called fat?
Seriously? How many of us wish we looked like that? I understand what they are saying - she isn't stick thin like other celebrities in the news and yes she is bigger than she used to be, but look at her! She looks confident and happy and gosh, she is beautiful. Leave the gal alone. She has enough to worry about.

And that is "My Take on It." If you want to play along, feel free. Just leave me a link in a comment so I can stop by and take a read!

Make Something Monday #2

I love to crochet. Ok, let me amend that statement. I love to start crochet projects and I have about 4 or 5 UFO's (UnFinished Objects) currently. With 3 kids, finding time to do stuff that I love is hard but I did manage to complete this blanket which was my first foray into making something that was not a circle or square. It turned out ok but I learned that one must wash yarn that has strong dye colors before using it. This was the last time the white yarn in this blanket was white. I also learned that I hate blocking items as you might be able to tell by the less than straight points on the stars. Live and learn!

Head on over to Go Graham Go! and Jolly Mom for other "Make Something Mondays."

Giveaway List for 2/1

Katydid and Kid - Baby Wit Kalencom Diaper Bag and Matching Mom and Baby ENDS TODAY at 11:59 EST HURRY

Just a Mom's Take on Things - My Wonderful Walls Wall Art ENDS 2/1 @ 11:59PM EST HURRY!!

Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House - Two Blue Peas Monogrammed Lovie and Pillow ENDS 2/5 (2)

Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls - Boon Animal Bag ENDS 2/3

Jolly Mom - Jump Snap ropeless jump rope ENDS 2/14

Jolly Mom - Truly Mom planner ENDS 2/13

Jolly Mom - LAF Brand Roll N Go ENDS 2/14

Jolly Mom - Invisibelt ENDS 2/8

Jolly Mom - Miss Oops Critical Care Kit and a Moms-To-Be Kit ENDS 2/14

Jolly Mom - Box-O-Box ENDS 2/9

Jolly Mom - Earthlust Stainless Steel Bottle ENDS 2/5

Go Graham Go - Crave Body and Bath ENDS 2/8

Go Graham Go - Alli's Original $40 GC ENDS 2/4

Go Graham Go - Simply Sarah Shaw Hand Bag Organizer ENDS 2/5

Go Graham Go - Green Chic Bag Company Bag ENDS 2/3

Go Graham Go - Just Be Apparel Shirt ENDS 2/3

Go Graham Go - Jessie Steele Apron ENDS 2/6

I Never Grew Up - Stubby Pencil Art Supplies ENDS 2/6

Rundpinne - Bazil Essentials Gift Set ENDS 2/4

Busy Mom - Earthlust Giveaway ENDS 2/4

Feisty Frugal and Fabulous - Buzzillions $25 PayPal credit ENDS 2/2

Feisty Frugal and Fabulous - Peddodles Shoes ENDS 2/6

Let's Party!!

On a previous post I mentioned a new site, Extraordinary Mothers. Well, it is time to officially launch the site with a Huge Party.
And who isn't game for a party?

It will all start on February 9th, mark your calendars!! During the party, there will be all sorts of fun party activities. From Twitter, LIVE giveaways, and even some free bloggy love for everyone who attends.
This is one party you won't want to miss!
Of course they will have a lot of prizes to win!
Click HERE for more information!

My Lil' Monkeys - Review/Giveaway - Coming Soon

I live in a California where we often get horrible wind conditions called Santa Ana Winds. If that isn't enough, I also live in the mountains where the parking lots of stores are never level. A few weeks ago I had my toddler and my baby with me at the grocery store. I had one foot on the cart with my baby in it trying to hold it steady, the other leg was propping open my car door while I attempted to put my toddler into his car seat. All while gusts of wind were making this even harder than it normally would be. I had heard of My Lil' Monkey's product, The Cart-Stopper, which holds the cart in place, hands-free! I knew then I HAD to have this. So I contacted Dyanne at My Lil' Monkeys and she is going to be sending me one of their "must have" Cart-Stoppers and one to give away to you, my wonderful readers!!
Remember to follow this blog and/or subscribe to my feed (both located in the top left sidebar) so you won't miss out on this or any other product review and giveaway.

Spa Time Baby - Review/Giveaway - Coming Soon

One of our favorite times of day is bath time. I am very lucky that my children are all "water babies" and you put them in the bath and they are just as happy as can be. So, when I learned about the products at Spa Time Baby, which are designed to create a "relaxing, pampering and nurturing experience for parent and baby during and after bath time," I was instantly interested. I know that a lot of you may have difficulty getting your children to want to take a bath. So for those of you who look forward to this time of day, and for those of you who cringe at the thought, Spa Time Baby could have just what you need. I have heard wonderful things about their Cozy Care products and am so excited that I will soon be able to share what they have to offer with you! Stay tuned - Remember to subscribe to my feed (top left hand sidebar) so that you won't miss out when I bring you the best products for you and your family!