The Winner is Courtney #138
Babies.  Snuggly, clean, fresh cuddly babies.  Most people love them, including myself.  Let’s face it though – as much as we would love to snuggle and hold them for hours on end, reality is that there are times when our lives do not permit it.  You probably are familiar with the concept of a bouncie seat or a bouncer but Svan of Sweden is a brand that I was unfamiliar with… until now.  The good folks from Svan sent me a beautiful Bouncer in Chocolate and …

Grandma’s house is many things including homemade bread and jam, game after game of croquet, and a peaceful, quiet neighborhood.

It is always fun to visit Grandma and Grandpa’s home!

And fun is another of the descriptions I would use for the STYLUS TOUGH 8000 because it is just so easy to use.  I push one button and it turns on quickly and is ready to use.  It focuses quickly so there you don’t miss the shot.  And offloading the pictures is a breeze – insert the USB cable that comes with …

As our vacation continued on, so did the fun discovering the other great things this camera can do.
We drove through the Dinosaur National Monument area then stayed a couple of nights with my aunt in American Fork and had a wonderful visit.  She joined us on our visit to Bridal Veil Falls and Park City.
Brett and I had both been to Dinosaur National Monument before and since P1 and P2 love Dinosaurs, we figured they would be just as amazed by the Fossil Bone Quarry as we had.  Unfortunately, it …

We are indeed back safe and sound from vacation (plus BlogHer and a trip to Boston with TJ Maxx/Marshalls for me) with many a great story to tell so let’s get started!

We were driving through Colorado on July 4th, en route to Steamboat Springs for the night.  This was a fun little stop.

I’d say P3 thinks she is right at home here in the US, wouldn’t you?

P2 was loving the fresh air and sunshine.

P1′s shirt is so true…Miss Independent!

Just to show you a little of what this camera is capable …

I am so excited to have it opportunity from Olympus to try out their Stylus Tough 8000!! The timing could not have been more perfect…our vacation that takes us through Texas, New Mexico, Colorad0, Utah, Wyoming, Kansas, and Oklahoma for a couple of weeks plus the fun of BlogHer09 at the end of the month!  So, as we go along on our trip, you get to come along with me, learn about the Stylus Tough and see some of the pictures it takes.  After all, isn’t that THE point …

Accidents happen.  That is one of my favorite phrases…just ask my kids.  And when you are little, they happen a lot.  Take my oldest daughter, for example.  She recently took a tumble while riding her scooter.  After I gave her some love and dried her tears, we inspected the damage.  The Diagnosis?  Time for Salve and a Bandaid! (another of my common phrases:).

Out comes the Neosporin.  I remember my mom using it on my cuts and scrapes as a kid.  In fact, she still does.  Neosporin is a staple for …

The winner is #180 Rhonda Martin!
A couple of months ago Suave contacted me with a challenge regarding something they called Suavenomics. Since we are all paying extra close attention to the state of our economics here in the US, Suave wants to let everyone know that they can get great value for their dollar without sacrificing on quality.
From the website:
In 2008, Americans could have saved more than $5.5 billion by buying Suave beauty products instead of more expensive brands.
For over 70 years, the Suave brand has bottled our belief that …

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED AND COMMENTS ARE CLOSED
Since this was a joint giveaway with What’s That Smell?, we pulled a finalist from each site and then a winner from those 2.
The winner is:
#132 from the entries on 3 P’s: Teresha
This past weekend was crazy busy in our house as we did our version of Spring Cleaning – overhauling and changing the girls’ rooms around.  P1 and P2 have decide to become roommates, something we have our doubts about to some degree but know, as semi-wise parents that it is …

This contest is now closed. Thanks to all who participated and congratulations to our winner from comment #232 – Debbie !!! Stay tuned for more new and exciting giveaways soon!
Before I had children, one of my favorite things for new babies were diaper cakes or wreaths and knew that when I finally did become a Mom, I wanted one at my shower.  When I finally had a baby shower or two for my own babies, we were all so thrilled that these little angels were joining out family that …

Before you get all nervous and wonder if I have yet another ‘fun’ health issue, the answer is no, I do not have Diabetes but a lot of other people do.  According to the American Diabetes Association:
“Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity and …

Thanks to good ol’ Random.org, I was selected to receive and review one of the oh so chic eenamaria purses of my choosing.  I had heard about them just befor Blissdom then what to my surprise – there were a couple of them given out at BlissDom as door prizes!  Of course by then we were all drooling over it!
I love their tagline – eenamaria, the urban nomad.  How clever is that?  And the description on her ‘About‘ page of what it is to be an urban nomad – sexy. …

For the first time in my life, I am actually COOL.

You know  those cute boys Mark Ballas and Derek Hough (pronouced Huff)  from Dancing With The Stars, right? And remember a couple of weeks ago I told you how they are not only good friends but also partners in their band,  Ballas Hough Band, formerly called Almost Amy. Well just last week on March 10 they released their first cd, BHB and I was lucky enough to have a copy sent to me by the cool chicks at One2One Network.

Well, …

I think I have told you that I worked for Disney during my 20′s.  A lot of that time was spent with The Disney Store’s.  I had a lot of opportunities while working there including opening several stores, training Cast Members, and going to France to help open Euro Disneyland (yes, I know it is now called Disneyland Paris but that is a soapbox for another post.)  One of the most frequent opportunities while working in the stores was building (and re-building – frequently) Plush Mountain, the large mound of …

You may recall me telling you about a cool new game back in January for Nintendo DS, available from SouthPeak Games called Big Bang Mini.  In case you didn’t have anything better to do than rush out and buy it at that time, I got the chance to review it recently so I have some more scoop for you.  First, here is a taste of what to expect:

So, what do you think?  Fun right?  Well, it is!  Here are some bits of basic information on it:
Made for Nintendo DS
Release Date: …

My mom started piano lessons at a very early age…4 I believe.  Practice, practice, practice she did and is to this day a very capable pianist.  Brett and I knew that we wanted our girls to learn to read music and hopefully play an instrument so we researched a bit to find out what age would be optimal to begin lessons.  The consensus we reached was at about age 8 as they are able to read, sit for sufficient length of time and follow directions at that age.  Mom has …

At the end of 2008 I decided that 2009 was going to be the year that I got my self back.  I have had so many things to deal with that have really taken their toll on me but starting this year I was going to take better care of me.  One of the first things on the list was I wanted to get contacts again.  I had them before having children and had always loved them and I wanted them back.  Of course, I needed to visit the …

This one’s for all you girls about thirteen
High school can be so rough, can be so mean
Hold onto, on to your innocence
Stand your ground when everyone’s giving in

This one’s for the girls

This is for all you girls about twenty-five
In a little apartment, just trying to get by
Living on, on dreams and spaghetti-o’s
Wondering where you life is gonna go
This one’s for the girls
Who’ve ever had a broken heart
Who’ve wished upon a shooting star
You’re beautiful the way you are
This one’s for the girls
Who love without holding back
Who dream with everything they …

****This Contest has Ended. Congratulations to Suzanne with comment #119!! Thanks to all of you who played!!****
Meet my cute new soccer queen, P1 – just don’t ask her if they won their first game:).  While it is a constant challenge when it comes to getting her to eat healthy, I have always been grateful that she loves water.  Now that she has begun playing sports like soccer and such, especially here in Texas, it is super important that she stay well hydrated.
Of course, with most kids, if you …

When I was a kid, I did not understand why adults, as a rule, listened to such dull and boring music.  Now that I am an adult, what I once considered dull and boring is actually quite peaceful and calming.  Now you tell me what mother of small children does not need some peace and calm in her life, hmm?:)
Although I am still a country music girl at heart, as I have, ahem, matured (no snickering, there in the back), I have gained a much greater appreciation for music of …

See this pile?  Yeah, me too.  I see it every time I walk past the corner of my counter,  day after day.  What are they, you ask? Magazines.  And no, before you ask, I am NOT the crazy cat lady who cannot bear to do away with things.  See, I like to go through my favorite magazines like Family Fun, Creating Keepsakes,  the Ensign, and a few others and tear out the articles, images, and ideas I want to keep.  Reduces the size of the stack and since I put …

Well, our giveaway of a $100 gift basket of MILKSHAKE goodies is wrapping up today but our MILKSHAKE news and fun is far from over!
TONIGHT at 8pm CST we are hosting a LIVE GIVEAWAY of MILKSHAKE’s PLAY! CD and Screen Play DVD  set (+$29 value!).  Now, if you have never taken part in a Live Giveaway, they are really easy and so much fun.  Basically you leave comments on the designated post as do others and you all try to reach the magic comment number that I will designate …

Both P1 and P2 have expressed interest in learning to play an instrument – piano, violin, guitar – and their dad and I are all for it. After doing a bit of research, we decided that was something we would start once they turn 8 and as hard as it may be to believe, gulp, P1 will be 8 this Fall. Of course, we want them to start off on the right foot and be willing and perhaps even happy to practice their instrument once said lessons begin (as …

On the heels of  my recent post about the Baby List book, let me tell you about another cool product I have been able to review ~ coverPlug.  coverPlug is one of the more unique electrical outlet covers I have seen.  They are designed to be “out of sight, out of mind” for toddlers and with a toddler like my P3 running around, well, they could not have been more timely.
P3 has become such a happy typical toddler and to her, exploration is the name of the game.  Me, I …

If you recall, P1 is our daughter that we adopted domestically at birth.  We learned that her birthmom had selected us to be her family about two months before she was due to be born.  We were beside ourselves with excitement but had to do the best we could to keep it all under wraps until it was a done deal, so to speak, just in case the adoption did not go through. So during those two months, we knew we were hopefully adopting a newborn but that was about …

If you are a regular reader here, you have heard me rumbling about some behavioural issues we have been having with P1, our bright and shiny 7 year old.  She is as smart as a whip and twice as sassy these days.  Some of that is to her benefit and some, yeah, well, not so much.  She has always been a very emotional child.  On the positive side, she can have the most tender of hearts and give you an all-encompassing hug that you can see, feel hear and taste, …

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED AND COMMENTS ARE CLOSED
The winner is:
Staci A.
February 16th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
#90 from the combined totals from her and What’s That Smell?
Pirates off of the Play! cd would definitely be a favorite around here!

When I hear the name Milkshake, I think of something delicious and nummy yummy that slides down easy, don’t you?  Well I have a different sort of Milkshake in mind than the usual but all of the above still apply.
In case you are not familiar, let me introduce you to MILKSHAKE, one of …

During the eight long years we waited to become parents for the first time, it was an emotional rollercoaster and while it was not easy to wait, I did my very best to remember that God always keeps His promises, even if you have to wait longer than you would like
to see them fulfilled.  Much to my delight, the latest episode of Veggie Tales: Abe & the Amazing Promise, is essentially about that very thing.
In this new installment, Bob the Tomato interviews Abraham and Sarah about how they waited years …

Tonight on TNT,  a wonderful show debuted about Dr. Ben Carson called Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story.
TNT described the story as follows:
A frustrated young boy with problems in school overcomes the obstacles in his life to become a world-renowned neurosurgeon in the new TNT Original movie GIFTED HANDS: THE BEN CARSON STORY. This uplifting and inspirational JOHNSON & JOHNSON SPOTLIGHT PRESENTATION® stars Oscar® winner Cuba Gooding Jr. (Jerry Maguire) and two-time NAACP Image Award winner Kimberly Elise (The Great Debaters, The Manchurian Candidate). It is based on the true …

Pledge’s Cool New Pet Hair Remover

I love animals.  My husband – mmm, not so much.  His biggest objection is to the fact that they can be a nuisance, make messes and more work and as much as I love them, he does have a point.  I have a wonderful cat who thankfully does not shed a ton but my Mom is not quite as lucky.  She is always having to de-fur her couch since one of her catsis very, very hairy and loves to sleep on her purple velveteen couch.  …

As you may have read, we had a bit of an issue here last night requiring me to postpone some of my plans for the blog.  My wonderful 7 year old daughter P1, was AWOL last night for about a half an hour.  Needless to say, I was going out of my mind.  Thankfully, her father got home just as I began looking so we could look for her together.  It turned out that she had simply gone down the street to a classmate’s home but she had done so …

I love to create.  I really do.  Weather here on the blog or with my crafts or in about a zillion other ways, creating is a huge outlet for me. Thankfully, while I can be a perfectista about somethings, I have learned the the very essence of art is creativity and that some of the very best creations in our world evolved via an ‘oops’. Once I realized this, it was extremely freeing to me.  My Mom gave me a sign that hangs in my office that says, “Be BOLD …

I have mentioned before about how I am constantly on the lookout for ways to improve my family’s eating habits and quality and I have made it one of my top goals for 2009.

Thanks to Mom Central, I just learned about Stop & Shop Supermarket‘s Healthy Ideas, a new on-shelf symbol that helps customers easily identify foods that fit into a healthier lifestyle.
To take a lot of the guesswork out of making healthy food choices, Stop & Shop has placed the Healthy Ideas symbol on 3000+ items and shelf tags …

I have found a great site for all of the busy women and moms out there. Think of it as an online “club” that lets you post photos, make plans, and even arrange family reunions. It even helps you remember birthdays and anniversaries! In fact, that’s what it is called – ‘Qlubb‘ . I actually blogged about it before back in October, remember?

Qlubb makes organizing playgroups, book clubs, or even your girls night out super easy. It is web-based, so everyone in your group can easily …

That’s right, Love CAN and DOES make the World go around for some of us. The love I have for my sweet hubby and my 3 squirrely girlies keeps mine spinning day and night. I guess that is one of the reasons that Valentine’s Day has taken on a whole new meaning for me since becoming a mom. Romance? Oh yeah, I like some romance now and again but it is that “reason to get up in the morning and make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches …

You may recall that back in July, I wrote about my oldest daughter having her tonsils and adenoids removed. They were monster sized and causing her some real sleeping troubles as well as recurrent illness so we knew it was the right choice. P1 was such a brave girl and we were oh so pleased with the doctor, the hospital, the staff, P1′s recovery, the whole deal. It really could not have gone better.
I know we, as her parents, had a few concerns going into the whole process …

Thanks to the mah-velous Role Mommy.com, I had the chance to watch Trust Me, a New TNT Series coming January 26 at 10/9 central. It is starring Eric McCormick of Will & Grace fame whom I adore and Tom Cavanagh.
Set against the backdrop of the high-pressure world of advertising, TRUST ME focuses on Mason (McCormack) and Conner (Cavanagh), a pair of ad men whose strong creative partnership has served the firm of Rothman Greene & Mohr extremely well over the years. Mason, an art director, …

Have the kids up, dressed, fed and out the door by 7:30, drop the baby off at the sitter’s by 7:45, be at your first appointment by 9, race out of there to get back and pick up the baby so you can have her down for her nap by 12 so she will get enough sleep before you have to wake her up at 3 to go pick up the kids at school. Be sure to take a snack for them to eat on the way to your …

Ah cellphones. Funny things, that. I still cannot get used to people having Bluetooth headsets – invariably I think people are walking around talking to themselves.:) Of course, that doesn not mean I would not like one. See, we have elected to use Tracphones and pay as you go. It has worked fine for us and we save money. However, with all the new smartphones like the Samsung Omnia on the market, and the amazing deals various phone companies are running these days, well, I am …

Some books should be tasted
some devoured,
but only a few
should be chewed and digested thoroughly.
I Love Books. I do. I love to read, especially a good piece of fiction. I do not love it usually when they try to turn some of my favorite stories into movies because, as a rule, I have a much better imagination that what they can show on screen. Occasionally though, I am most pleasantly surprised and I think that will be the case with Cornelia Funke’s novel become movie, Inkheart.
Inkheart, …

Last summer, I wrote a positive review for Skin MD Shielding Lotion because I really liked the product. Well now the fine folks at Skin MD have taken things one further and created their Shielding Lotion with sunscreen. That’s right, they now have Skin MD Shielding Lotion + Sunscreen SPF 15.

A few years ago, I might have looked at the addition of the sunscreen as kind of an ‘oh, that’s nice‘ kind of addition but not any more. Having my Dad develop cancer really showed me that …

Well, I don’t know about you but I am feeling fairly optimistic about life in general for 2009. I personally have decided to make a few changes for the better – here on the blog, in my mental and emotional well-being and in my parenting. My family has agreed to make some good changes too – taking lunch from home more often, fewer desserts, and healthier eating. Remember my post about A Month of Meals? This week we will begin following Jamie’s ideas whole-heartedly. I’ll …

Well, we are officially back in school….woohoo!! How do I know we are back in school? You mean other than the fact that tranquility reigns at our home until about 3pm M-F? Well, that would be because P1 came home with a reminder from her First grade English teacher that the kiddos are to read at least one book a night and then mark it off on their reading log. P1 LOVES to be able to mark off the design of the month – Oct was …

Recognize these eyes? Argh, those be the eyes of me favorite pirate o’ all time…Cap’n Jack Sparrow of Pirates of the Caribbean fame, they be. Aye, I loves ol’ Cap’n Jack- er, Johnny Depp.:)
So, when I heard about a new book called Curse of the Bone Pirates, a Nui Island Eco-Logical Adventure by B.T. Hope (Brian Machovina and Tina DiCicco), well, I couldn’t pass up the chance to check it out.
The Nui Island book site describes the book as:
An evil force is destroying the natural wonders of Nui Island, and …

I have told you several times about my horrible dry feet and about my daughter P3 and her dry little Asian skin so when I had the chance to participate in trial of Vaseline’s newest product, Clinical Therapy, well, I could not pass it up. Clinical Therapy is a prescription-strength lotion that is available without a prescription.

It started in Kodiak; one of Alaska’s many small towns, with a population of 6,000. Due to the location, Kodiak endures an extremely icy climate leaving many of its residents with dull, dry …

Is it January 3rd already?  Wow!  The Holidays were coming,and coming and coming then ~~whooosh~~and they were gone!  Now we are all looking forward to 2009 and trying to figure out how to live in the frugal new society fate has delivered us.

Thankfully, we have great stores like TJ MAXX and Marshalls to help us get the great items we want at the prices we need.  I just love TJ MAXX’s new ad – Smart Shopping is the New Black.  How true is that? How perfect for making great use …

Ahhh Pledge! My Mom used Pledge most of the time when I was growing up so now as a mom and homemaker myself, Pledge is my first thought and choice when it comes to dusting. They describe their product on their website as…
“Pledge Natural Beauty is ideal for quickly cleaning your wood furniture and wood surfaces. Its Anti-Dust™ formula keeps surfaces looking less dusty, longer. It removes dust, dirt, smudges, and common allergens like pet dander found in dust from your wood furniture in a flash. Plus, it protects against …

I am calm. I am at peace. Ommmmmm…….
HAH! Yeah right!
On the Day Before Christmas?
Are You Kidding Me?

Well, a girl can dream right? Actually, that ability has just gotten a wee bit easier with the release of Zenses, a great new group of games developed by Shin’en Multimedia and produced by The Game Factory. You remember them, right? They are the same great folks who helped to provide the Build-a-Bear Workshop – Friend Fur All Seasons Game for Nintendo Wii.
Zenses, active relaxation and …

Lots of us are at the point where we are running around like chickens with our heads cut off, trying to be ready in time for tonight and tomorrow, right? (Please tell me I am not the only one?!) Time is at a premium and dovetailing is the name of the game, right? Well, there is no better time to take advantage of Safeway’s PowerPump Program!
You may say, “But I do not have any Safeway’s near me.” Check this out -
“Safeway and its family of …

As most of you know, becoming a Mom did not come easily to me. Year of infertility lead to lots of ups and downs, heartaches and disappointments. In the end however, I have been blessed with 3 of the most wonderful children you can imagine. When we were in China to adopt P3, the people would often tell us that she was a ‘lucky baby’. I always told them that really it was I who is a ‘lucky mom’ so you can imagine the thrill I …

Buying toys used to be fun. Now you have to worry about whether that train set or doll necklace is going to poison the kids on your holiday list. Last year, more than 25 million toys were recalled, many because of lead. The good news is that toy recalls have slowed down and, even better, new lead laws have been passed.

However, many of these laws don’t kick in until February 2009 or later, well after the holiday shopping season. And items with …