Tooth Tissues Review and #Giveaway

I know that you are supposed to start good dental habits with your children as soon as you can. It is recommended that you start even before their teeth come in. The American Dental Association states: "Begin oral care early. Wipe the baby's gums with a wet washcloth or a clean gauze pad after each feeding." I heard of Tooth Tissues and knew these would be perfect for me who can't exactly plan ahead to have something on hand to wipe my baby's teeth and gums.

Tooth Tissues are uniquely textured for plaque removal, neutral flavored, fluoride-free, paraben-free and sugar-free, and 99% natural. Created by dentists who were parent's as well, they found that it wasn't always easy to perform this important step and Tooth Tissues were born. These are easy to use, disposable, and effective for cleaning your child's teeth and gums.

They come in a pouch similar to baby wipes that open with a pull tab that is resealable. It is very handy but I have moved them into a travel size wipes container because the plastic is a little noisy. I mainly use them when I am done feeding my son before bed and I now it is quieter. I suppose you could get a wipe out before starting to feed but that would entail planning ahead and well, I already told you that isn't something I am good at.

I feel so much better using these and I don't fear taking the boys to the dentist. I am always afraid the doctor will tell me that I am not doing a good job with my kid's teeth. Now that I am using Tooth Tissues, I know I am doing all I can!

WIN IT!: One of my lucky readers will win a pouch of Tooth Tissues!

TO ENTER: Go to Tooth Tissues and tell me where you can purchase Tooth Tissues (online or at a store near you).

This is required before you may use any of the extra credit options.
Please leave your email address in your comment if it is not visible in your profile.

Extra Credit! You may do any or all of the following, just don't forget to leave a separate comment for EACH one you do:

1. Blog about the giveaway with a link to my blog (http://nateandjakeandme.blogspot.com) and to Tooth Tissues (http://www.toothtissues.com). Be sure to leave a link to your post in your comment.

2. Follow me! Click on Follow This Blog in the left side bar. (Current followers count too! Just be sure to make sure you are still following me.)

3. Subscribe to my blog via email at the top of my left side bar. Don't forget to activate your subscription. (Current subscribers count too!)

4. Add my button to your blog. The code is located in my right side bar. (If you already have it, just let me know!)

5. Follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/kariellen) and tweet about the contest. Leave the link to your tweet in your comment. You can do this once a day! Just come back and leave the link each time you do.

Don't have a blog? You can still earn extra credit entries by emailing 5 friends and invite them to enter the giveaway. Email must include the link to the giveaway and be cc'd to me (nateandjakesmom at gmail dot com).

Contest ends June 22nd at 11:59 PST and a winner will be chosen at random and contacted via email. I will contact the winner on June 23rd and they will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. US and Canada ONLY.

**Entries are Per Person, Per Email Address, Per Household, Per IP Address and/or Per Blog. Failure to follow these rules will lead to disqualification in this contest and all future contests on this blog. In other words, no cheating please.

Winner of the Post-it Recycled Notes Giveaway

Congratulations to the winner of the Post-it Recycled Notes Giveaway is:

deedleweedle

I will be sending you an email and you will have 48 hours to reply (2:00pm Pacific 11/9).

Sometimes you just have to laugh

I have 3 kids, you would think by now I wouldn't make such a rookie mistake. But then again, if you know me, you won't be too surprised to hear about my morning.

It started out like any other morning. The normal chaos of feeding, diaper changes and changing out of pajamas. Of course, as soon as you change Jake's diaper, he poops. He wants to see how many times I can change his diaper in a five minute period I think. Luke has always had difficulty pooping. We are lucky if he does at all. So when I started to smell something from him I simply let him at it and waited until he began to complain.

It smelled stronger than normal but I was just happy he pooped that I scooped him up and thought nothing much about it. Placed him on the carpet, because I am an expert diaper changer by now and who needs a changing pad, right? (Can you see where this is going?) I opened the diaper and was disappointed. There just wasn't much there. Figures.

As I lifted the diaper off I realized that there was indeed more. Much more. Of course, it went up and out the back. Apparently when I picked him up I put his back up against my chest and pushed it out all the way up to his neck. So what? Blow outs are bound to happen once in a while. But do you remember that there is no changing pad under this incredibly stinky and now poop covered child? Not a spot of poop on the floor! Oh no. We are talking about a poop smear the size of my child on the floor. It is of course on his back, his shirt, his arms (now) and his pants.

I pulled off the shirt and succeeded in spreading the poop onto his head and now Jake has decided he wants to help and yes, he now has poop all over him. What is next?? How can this get worse? I can tell you how. Remember how I picked him up and pressed him against my chest? You guessed it. I too am covered in poop.

So to summarize: Luke covered in poop, Jake covered in poop, Mommy covered in poop, carpet covered in poop and there goes Jake running to the couch which is now, covered in poop. Poop Happens. Sometimes the only way to survive is to laugh.

Soft Landing - Go BPA Free Advanced Feeding Kit Giveaway

We have all heard about the dangers of BPA . Whether you understand it or not, I say, when it comes to your children, you can never be too safe. So whenever we can we avoid all of these products and have been shopping at The Soft Landing which specializes in products that are free of BPA, PVC and Phthalates.

Safe certainly does not mean boring. Especially when you see that The Soft Landing carries Boon products (which you know I love!). They also carry toys, teethers, highchairs, health and safety products and even pet gear! The prices are fabulous but there is also a sale section with great names like Safe Sippy, Nuby and Thermos (while they last of course).

Don't know what you want? Can't decide what you really need? No problem. They have great sampler kits like the Go BPA Free Sippy Sampler Kit which includes a Foogo, Think Baby, Nuby and a Safe Sippy. Not ready for Sippy's yet? Try the Go BPA Free Baby Bottle Kit which includes a Green to Grow, Think Baby, Dr. Brown's and an Adiri Natural Nurser.

I tried out the Go BPA Free Advanced Eating Kit which brings together the perfect combination of tools for successful eating without toxic plastic. It included a waterproof iPlay Best Bib, a Boon Catch Bowl, a set of Boon Benders utensils and a set of three Sassy snack cups. We use all of these everyday and I can honestly say that the price of $17.60 is a steal!

WIN IT!: The Soft Landing is giving one of my lucky readers a Go BPA Free Advanced Eating Kit!

TO ENTER: Go to The Soft Landing and pick out something not mentioned in this review that you would love to own.

This is required before you may use any of the extra credit options.
Please leave your email address in your comment if it is not visible in your profile.

Extra Credit! You may do any or all of the following, just don't forget to leave a separate comment for EACH one you do:

1. Blog about the giveaway with a link to my blog (http://nateandjakeandme.blogspot.com) and to The Soft Landing (http://www.thesoftlanding.com). Be sure to leave a link to your post in your comment.

2. Follow me! Click on Follow This Blog in the left side bar. (Current followers count too! Just be sure to make sure you are still following me.)

3. Subscribe to my blog via email at the top of my left side bar. Don't forget to activate your subscription. (Current subscribers count too!)

4. Add my button to your blog. The code is located in my right side bar. (If you already have it, just let me know!)

5. Follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/kariellen) and tweet about the contest. Leave the link to your tweet in your comment. You can do this once a day! Just come back and leave the link each time you do.

6. Buy something from The Soft Landing during this contest and receive 10 extra entries!

Don't have a blog? You can still earn extra credit entries by emailing 5 friends and invite them to enter the giveaway. Email must include the link to the giveaway and be cc'd to me (nateandjakesmom at gmail dot com).

Contest ends June 19th at 11:59 PST and a winner will be chosen at random and contacted via email. I will contact the winner on June 20th and they will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. US ONLY.

**Entries are Per Person, Per Email Address, Per Household, Per IP Address and/or Per Blog. Failure to follow these rules will lead to disqualification in this contest and all future contests on this blog. In other words, no cheating please.

International Playthings - Toys That Make A Difference {Giveaway!}

I spend A LOT of time on the internet. I have run across all kinds of toy sites and International Playthings is one of my absolute favorites! The selection is amazing and a lot of the toys I have never seen anywhere else.

How to chose? How to chose? It was so hard to pick just one toy for each kid, but boy was it fun. I have seen the fropper before and it just looked like so much fun. Alas, there is a weight limit of 45 pounds and is for children 18-36 months so I didn't get to take a ride. However, it is perfect for Jake. He hasn't figured out how to "frop" on it yet as you can see in the video, but he loves it just the same. The fropper features a unique spring system that links the 2 level seat, creating a fun and bouncy ride-on experience. The caster wheels allow your toddler to easily change direction. A great feature is it's portability. It folds to a fraction of its original size.



Luke got the TAGGIES Activity Quilt which is great for all children, Birth+. As soon as Luke gets up in the morning, he is on that quilt and he loves it. It is incredibly soft, and it is perfect for Luke's tactile exploration and visual stimulation. There is the peek-a-boo ladybug mirror, a squeaky pig, a musical lamb and a crinkly cow that all help build his fine motor skills. The reverse side features authentic Taggies signature fleece and it has two soft handles for easy traveling. It is super durable as well and has taken the abuse of my heavy drooler and spitter-upper like a champ.


WIN IT!: The great people at International Playthings are giving one of my lucky readers a TAGGIES Activity Quilt!

TO ENTER: Go to the International Playthings website and take a look around and tell me one or two things you would love to buy. I am warning you - there are so many great toys - the site can be addicting.

This is required before you may use any of the extra credit options.
Please leave your email address in your comment if it is not visible in your profile.

Extra Credit! You may do any or all of the following, just don't forget to leave a separate comment for EACH one you do:

1. Blog about the giveaway with a link to my blog (http://nateandjakeandme.blogspot.com) and to International Playthings (http://intplay.com). Be sure to leave a link to your post in your comment.

2. Follow me! Click on Follow This Blog in the left side bar. (Current followers count too! Just be sure to make sure you are still following me.)

3. Subscribe to my blog via email at the top of my left side bar. Don't forget to activate your subscription. (Current subscribers count too!)

4. Add my button to your blog. The code is located in my right side bar. (If you already have it, just let me know!)

5. Follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/kariellen) and tweet about the contest. Leave the link to your tweet in your comment. You can do this once a day! Just come back and leave the link each time you do.

6. Buy something from International Playthings during this contest and receive 10 extra entries!

Don't have a blog? You can still earn extra credit entries by emailing 5 friends and invite them to enter the giveaway. Email must include the link to the giveaway and be cc'd to me (nateandjakesmom at gmail dot com).

Contest ends June 18th at 11:59 PST and a winner will be chosen at random and contacted via email. I will contact the winner on June 19th and they will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. US and Canada ONLY.

**Entries are Per Person, Per Email Address, Per Household, Per IP Address and/or Per Blog. Failure to follow these rules will lead to disqualification in this contest and all future contests on this blog. In other words, no cheating please.

Winner of the Rembrandt Contest

Congratulations to the winner of the Rembrandt Teeth Whitening Contest:

Gianna

I will be sending you an email notification shortly.

** My comment numbering goes from 1-200 and then starts up again at number 1.

Gianna's comment number is 293.

Winners of the PeopleFood For Dogs Giveaway

Congratulations to the winners of the PeopleFood for Dogs Giveaway:

LT & always_317537

Thank you so much for entering and I will be
sending you an email shortly!

Why me?

I recently watched "Farrah's Story," which chronicled Farrah Fawcett's fight with cancer. I was impressed with her courage and resilience. I was also struck by something one of her friends said about her and have been almost haunted by it. Her friends say she has never asked, "Why me?" I guess I am not that strong of a person. I have been asking "Why me?" almost daily since February.


I don't know if anyone has noticed but I haven't been posting as much as I usually do. I haven't been doing a whole lot of anything but spending time with my boys and soaking up every moment with them. I am looking at my mortality straight in the eye and well, asking, "Why me?"

I just want a break.

It all started with a pregnancy that never should have happened since I had been sterilized. I then had to terminate this pregnancy due to it growing outside of my uterus and this also resulted in a hysterectomy. I am also facing another neck surgery to re-fuse my vertebrae after the last one didn't work and I have since found out that another vertebrae will need to be fused as well. I then began experiencing a sharp pain in the left side of my abdomen which just got worse as time went on. I was told that I had a cyst on my left ovary. I was told not to worry about it. As soon as I really started not to worry, I got a call that said I needed to go in for another ultrasound because they really don't know what it is. The terms used were, "undetermined" and (ugh) "abnormal." For the first time I also heard the dreaded word, cancer.

I know that I don't have necessarily have cancer. They do, however, want to rule it out. But this news surely doesn't make me stop saying "Why me?", that is for sure. As I think more about this feeling, I have realized that I am most afraid of not being here for my kids. I look at Luke and Jake who, if I died, would never remember me. I look at Nathan and think that there are so many things left to teach him about life and how to survive without his mommy there to pick him up when he falls down. I guess what I am really feeling is, "Why them?"

"That which does not kill us, only makes us stronger." Gosh, I hope so.

Thank you all for your unending support over these past months. I hope to someday be able to give back to you, all what you have given me.

I got inquiries as to why I disabled comments. Basically I am whining and saying "poor me" and I didn't want to seem like I was begging for sympathy. I just needed to vent, whine and pout. I'd throw myself on the floor and pound my fists if my kids weren't around. :)

Take Me Back Tuesday - Engagement

<center><a href="http://nateandjakeandme.blogspot.com"> <img src="http://web.me.com/mraceto/kari/tuesday/button.jpg" /> </a></center>
How do you play along?
We all have tons of photos from the days before the digital camera. I figure if I just scan a few each week, eventually I will get them all safely into my computer.
Every week you can come back here and share photos that "take you back." Maybe it is the bad hair we all had in the 80's or the bell-bottoms you swore were so hip in the 70's. Whatever you want to share! If you decide to play along - just sign the Linky leave your link in your comment and I promise to head on over and spread some comment love your way! (Linky has been disabled for some reason)


This is our engagement picture. My husband and I were just saying that we no longer can remember not being married. Does this mean that we are comfortable or just old? I do remember taking this picture in July, outside, and in 90+ degree heat. The photographer said to lean against him but it was too hot. If you look closely you will see that only my arms are touching him.

VISIT OTHER Take Me Back POSTS:
Eighty MPH Mom
Kekibird @ Why Bother?
Amy @ Coffee with the Mrs.
LT @ A Day With Two
MamabearMills
Aunt Di's Experimental Life
Aloha Monkey's
That Random Leila
Kimberly @ Things that are Happening