Woo-Hoooo! Christmas is only about a month away! I know that many of you are still getting all that Holiday shopping done, and if you're anything like me, shopping for kids can be a little on the stressful side. Toys, clothing, knick-knacks, candy...All of the choices are a little overwhelming!
One great way to make your little ones happy this Holiday season as well as promote the love of reading is to give the gift of Holiday themed books. I know my toddlers love snuggling up for story time, and they also love books about Christmas. Seeing bright illustrations of Santa, Mrs. Clause, reindeer and the elves always makes them smile and helps make Christmas truly magical. Recently, I was sent 2 fantastic new books to review, "A Bit of Applause for Mrs. Clause" by Jeannie Schick-Jacobowitz and Susie Schick-Pierce, and a book from the "Santa Is Coming to..." series by Steve Smallman. A Bit of Applause for Mrs. Clause is a delightfully funny tale about all of the work Mrs. Clause does behind the scenes to prepare for Christmas when Santa is sick. It's really a true testament to the many things that wives and mothers do every single day and may not get the credit for! The book is beautifully illustrated and definitely fun to read with the family. Take a look at a few of the pages. I love all of the bright, vibrant pictures!
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Mia Mariu Giveaway EventHosted by Mom Powered Media Prizes: $300 Mia Mariu Shopping Spree & an iPad Mini Event dates: 12/1-12/30 Free Blog Event! Sign-up here, BLOGGERS WANTEDLoads of people are flocking to retail stores, struggling to find parking, and maybe even fighting off other customers all in the name of getting a great deal on Holiday gift items. I won't even dare take my 2 toddlers out during this time, because I seriously don't want them to get trampled by hoards of motivated shoppers! So I end up doing a lot of my shopping online, from the comfort of my own home. It's actually pretty awesome. I get the same great deals, often better, by shopping online, and I don't have to get the kids (or myself) dressed, put gas in the car, or get stuck in ungodly amounts of traffic. Plus I can shop at 2:00AM if the mood strikes me! It just doesn't get much more convenient than that! One store I really love is Vitacost. They carry a ton of must-have products for the whole entire family....Fur-babies included! Some of my favorites are their supplements, beauty products, and their organic products. They carry all the hottest brands like Jason, Weleda, and Burt's Bees, just to name a few. I plan on getting a good number of my stocking stuffers from Vitacost! Here's a bit more about the company, from their website: With Vitacost.com, you don't have to choose between stores that sell products you don't really want at super-low prices, and stores that sell the better health and wellness products you want at crazy-high prices. We offer over 2,000 of the top, most-trusted natural brands, diet foods and healthy living essentials-the very best nutritional supplements, whole foods and sports nutrition-at discount prices, up to 50% off. And we'll deliver them right to your door for FREE if your order totals $49 or more. Otherwise, shipping is just a small, flat-rate fee of $4.99, no matter how big the box. HUGE CYBER SALE GOING ON NOW!!! The sale starts Saturday morning and ends Monday night - 15% off everything Start Date: 11/24/2012 Time: 9:00AM EST End Date: 11/26/2012 Time: 11:59 PM EST Just click HERE to see what great deals you'll find! See you there! One of my daughter's current obsessions is playing dress-up. She loves wearing princess costumes, and even her baby brother's Eeyore costume. She even insisted on wearing her sequined princess tiara to a family dinner at The Olive Garden. She'd go out in costume all the time if I let her, I'm sure. Another thing Sophie absolutely goes wild for is fairies. Anything related to this mischievous, winged sprites makes her beam with absolute joy and excitement. I think that, like many young girls, Sophie sees fairies as something magical, fun, and beautiful. I know I used to believe in fairies. Maybe my parents or brother convinced me they were real, but I used to go into the yard and look for them. I never found anything more than bugs or slugs, but Fairy Hunting is something I remember well to this day. I hope Sophie believes at some point, too! Recently I discovered a company that takes my daughter's two greatest loves and rolls them into one. Everything Fairies is a fantastic website that offers just what their name implies...everything fairies! They have fairy costumes, sleepwear, clothing, books, crafts, toys, and even fairy purses and backpacks. Check out just a few of my favorite items from Everything Fairies: As the mother of two active toddlers, I am very picky when it comes to my babies' footwear. Actually, for the first several months of life, I do not put shoes on my babies at all. Ever. If it's cold, 2 pairs of socks and some footie-pajamas does the trick just fine for me. Why don't I use shoes on smaller babies? Simple! I don't feel that confining baby feet to shoes they're not ready to walk in is ideal for their foot development. Babies' feet are shaped differently than an adult's foot, and their shoes need special construction in order to preserve and encourage proper foot development. So in my mind, bare foot is best, as long as possible. Once a baby is standing and walking, that's an entirely different story, as shoes protect those tiny tootsies from the elements, sharp objects, ooey-gooey gum on the sidewalk, and any other hazards that come along with mobility. However, some shoes are made exactly with babies' feet in mind and are shaped properly for even the tiniest of toes. One of my new favorite brands is Jack & Lily! This company offers shoes and boots for babies as well as toddlers, and they couldn't be any more adorable! For babies 0-6 months, the soles are made from a slip-resistant suede. There is also great ankle support with a gentle, velcro closure. Shoes for toddlers have flexible, rubber soles that are durable and suitable for running, climbing and playing. They're also machine washable and can be thrown into the dryer, which is oh so convenient! Here are some of my own personal favorites. Jack & Lily has over 200 possible color and design combinations, so be sure to check them out and find your own perfect shoes! I have an odd obsession with my new Maytag Ice20 refrigerator. I am always going up to it, whether I am cooking or not, and I "ooh" and "ahh" for a few minutes. I even spend a little extra time polishing and cleaning it, just because I can. I look forward to cleaning the fridge, and who can really say they look forward to an often cumbersome chore? You know how some men baby their cars and treat them almost as if they were a living, breathing person? Yup. That's me and my fridge to a tee. You see, I have never had a "new" fridge. I have always used the old, often inefficient ones that just happened to be where I lived. Every other fridge simply served its purpose and nothing more. Now my Maytag? This appliance is special. It's drop-dead gorgeous, has great convenience features that make my life so much easier, and it's incredibly roomy. Now with 3 kids, one being a ravenous teen, that extra space comes in very handy. With the extra room and innovative design of the Ice20, I can always see everything in the fridge. This makes me so happy because I never have something forgotten in the back of the fridge that closely resembles a science project. It also helps me to save money because it's so easy to take a quick inventory before shopping, so I don't end up buying duplicates because I assumed we ran out of something. (Don't you hate when that happens?!) Check out just how amazing my fridge is. Yep. I am going to show you the contents of my refrigerator! iPad Mini Giveaway EventHosted by Mom Powered Media Please take a moment and visit our sponsors: Coupon Pro and Penny Auctions Canada!Coupon Pro is your daily money-saving blog for the hottest freebies and coupons from top brands. We want to help you save the most on everyday items your family needs. Join us today! Penny Auctions Canada is an online auction website that lets you buy awesome products for pennies! The iPad Mini has a beautiful display, powerful A5 chip, FaceTime HD camera, iSight camera with 1080p HD video recording, ultrafast wireless, and over 275,000 apps ready to download from the App Store. The iPad mini is an iPad in every way, shape, and slightly smaller form. Easy for on the go with that same great Apple power punch! One lucky reader will receive a iPad Mini {white}!Giveaway ends December 5th at 11:59pm, open worldwide {residents outside of the US will receive cash equivalent of $329}, ages 18+. To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck! Special thank you to our lovely co-hosts: Mommy Bear Media, Red Barn Boutique, My Vegan Gluten Free Life, What's Up - Giveaways, Contests, Promos and Deals, The Coup Diva, PR Mom Ambassador, Chant3llo's Blog, The View From 510, The World of ContestPatti, Just Davey & Me, The Flower Hazard, Sanity is for those without children and Creative Theme Wedding Ideas. I have to be honest...Before I became a mother, I never really gave any thought to whether or not commonly used household products were safe, non-toxic, or eco-friendly. When I was younger, that never really occurred to me. It's not like I didn't care, per-se, I was just very young and oblivious to that type of thing. I was more worried about what I would wear to some silly party or why the guy I liked wasn't paying attention to me that day. You know, silly teenage stuff that in the whole scheme of things really doesn't matter one single bit. Fast forward almost 13 years, and you'll find an entirely different attitude in my home. We try our best to make the best decisions for our family, and do quite a bit to help preserve not only the environment, but safeguard the health of our children as well. We cloth-diaper a lot of the time, use non-toxic, eco-friendly cleaners and personal care products, and buy organic foods whenever possible. Some say I've turned into a hippy of sorts, but I just think that being a mom has made me a much more responsible human being. I care now about the world we live in, and I want to do as much as possible to allow future generations to inherit a planet that isn't in total ruin. Okay, I am officially in panic mode here. Sure, I have gotten a lot of my Holiday shopping done, but I still have quite a bit left to do. My kids were easy to shop for. It's the adults in my life that have left me scratching my head. Well, except for my husband. He's easy. He wants a Keg-O-Rater and anything with a Chicago Bears logo. Anyway, I still have a few hard to shop for people to find great gifts for. I pride myself in being able to find gifts that aren't run of the mill, or can be found at any mass retailer. I like gifts that stand out and are memorable. Not something that will ultimately end up on a shelf collecting dust or being re-gifted. One of my absolute favorite places to find beautiful, unique gifts is VivaTerra. This is an amazing online shop that specializes in products that are not only breathtaking and unbelievably chic, but eco-friendly as well. The folks at VivaTerra believe that one doesn't have to sacrifice style in their mission to live a greener lifestyle. They rely on talented, passionate artisans and designers to make fantastic products using sustainable, recycled, or re-purposed items. At VivaTerra, you'll find cozy bamboo apparel, blown glass home accents, and even some fun "pets" made from recycled newspaper. Whether it be for the bathroom, bedroom, dining room, or kitchen, this boutique offers a wide selection of eco-friendly gifts, so you're sure to find something to fit into any decor.And the really cool part is that these products have influences from all over the world! So if you like Asian-inspired or African decor, (or anything in between!) VivaTerra has your needs covered. I literally spent hours on this site drooling over their products. See those great Root of the Earth Bowls at the top of the post? Look for a review coming soon! I know they will be a fantastic addition to my kitchen! While there is no denying that breast milk is the best possible food for babies, not all of us are able to nurse exclusively. Despite my best efforts, including seeing a lactation consultant, I was only able to nurse for a few short months with both of my toddlers. My daughter would just fall asleep when I tried to nurse, and nothing would wake her. Not skin to skin contact, not undressing her to make her chilly and rouse her...Literally nothing worked. My youngest son, Xander, was a great little feeder until he caught the same flu the rest of the house was sick with. The poor little guy wouldn't latch on because he just couldn't breathe very well. We even needed to take him to the Emergency Room because he ended up dehydrated. Talk about scary! Well the doctors recommended feeding from a bottle since it made it easier for my sick baby to breathe. So for months, I pumped and pumped and pumped some more, and still found that I had to supplement their feedings with infant formula because I couldn't provide all of the breast milk they needed. A nursing baby draws a lot more milk production than even the best breast pump. So my supply dwindled, despite all efforts to keep the milk flowing. My pediatrician swore that this was just fine, and that I didn't have to beat myself up over it. (I did anyway, though. I really wanted to nurse!) Eventually, we had to switch to formula. There are a ton of different options available when it comes to infant formula. Most of them have one thing in common: They are expensive! After talking to my pediatrician at length about the best choice for my babies, she told me that cheaper does not mean lesser quality when it comes to formula, and to consider using store brand formula, like Parent's Choice Premium (sold at Walmart) Or Up & Up Advantage (sold at Target). I was surprised, since a lot of moms mistakenly assume that brand name means better. My doctor told me that all infant formulas made in the United States must provide complete nutrition for growing babies and meet FDA requirements for safety, nutrition, and quality. In fact, store brand infant formulas are nutritionally equivalent to similar national formula brands such as Enfamil or Similac, but cost half the price, which can save you about hundreds of dollars per year. Now I don't know about you, but for my family, this kind of savings can go a very long way! |
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I'm Brandy, a happily married, proud Mom of 3 amazing kids. If you're interested in building a working relationship, please feel free to e-mail me at: NewlyCrunchyMamaOf3@gmail.com Links We Love :Archives
June 2023
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