Fisher Price Butterfly Cradle n' Swing Review

The Fisher Price Butterfly Cradle n' Swing is a beautiful swing in pink and butterflies.  I fell in love with this one and had to have it for my little girl.  I had it shipped all the way to Hawaii and it was worth the extra shipping costs.

Some of the features include:

• Butterflies that float by overhead to delight their little eyes.  My little girl seemed to like taking breaks in watching them spin above in a gentle motion.
• The soft, cushiony seat allows plenty of cushion to cradle their heads gently. 
• The swing has two modes of either back and forth or side by side.  This was a nice feature if you have a picky little one.  Mine seemed to favor the side by side swinging.
• The canopy adds to the prettiness of the swing and allows for the switch to be turned on that shows illuminating butterflies projected above and floating.
• It plays eight different lullabies that were gentle and not overpowering.
• It is powered either through the choice of batteries or AC adapter.  This is wonderful that it allows both options even though we utilized the adapter all the time.

Other bonuses: 

• The cushion comes out to easy wash and it is portable for easy storage and transportation.
• The swing endured traveling to Hawaii (where we resided when I purchased) to coming back to the mainland all the way to Georgia so it is durable!

I would recommend this for any new baby girl and it's a lot cheaper than what it was when I purchased it!  Of course, they have beautiful versions for boys too!

*Disclaimer:  I was not compensated for this review.

Unique Ways to Personalize Your Glasses: Ficklets Eyewear Charm Huggers Review & Two Winner Giveaway 2/6/10: CLOSED WINNERS

CONGRATULATIONS TO ...

AILEEN AND ♥Lisa♥ @ FinalScore:Boys3Girls2!!!

Aileen contacted me and said she won at another site and to pass this one to another winner!  How wonderful!

Aileen's replacement winner is Bacallsmom!  bbentry [at] aol [dot] com 

E-MAILS HAVE BEEN SENT AND EACH HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND BEFORE RANDOM.ORG IS USED TO SELECT MORE WINNER(S).

THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO ENTERED!

It's always nice to be able to project an image that is fitting of your personality and style.  Many products cater to this ability to apply fashion with your style but one new unique way is through charms that hug your eyelgasses.  I was first introduced to this creative way of putting a little jazz or personality into something that is an everyday feature of your face.  Ficklets is a great new product that will not only excite your child about wearing eyeglasses but is also a great way to let them grow individually.  There were even charms that I liked given the beauty and classiness of them.

Ros Guerrero, is not only a mom but the founder and creator, of this great idea to allow children to change their glasses based on their likes and even their hobbies.  Ficklets are so inexpensive, they can choose to have a wardrobe to match their clothing, their events or however they are feeling for the day.  Ficklets were created based on the inspiration of a 14 year old special needs girl, Gem, who was unhappy with wearing glasses.  Since having Ficklets, all that has changed!  To read more about Ros or Gem, click HERE.

I received the yellow daisies (pictured above) and they were just as cute as the picture shows.  They fit perfect on my niece's glasses and she loved them.  They really are nice and as I already noted, are very inexpensive.  She wants more and all her friends at school love them.  I would recommend them to anyone given the variety of choices.

There are animals, flowers, misc. styles to include holidays and other fun shapes and sports and arts.  For the older child or even adult, there is this nice variety:

The detail doesn't show up as well in my picture.  The stones accentuate the charms perfectly adding a classy look. 

Ficklets are so easy to attach to the glasses.  They attack to the temple of the frame by a band but only fit up to a size 7 mm wide frame so make sure the glasses will work.  Per the Ficklets' site, if you have wire frames, just wrap the band twice or twist.  It's that easy!

This really is a great way to encourage your child to like their glasses and wear them.  It might even make them feel better about themselves knowing they can show off a little bit of their fashion style.

The Giveaway:

Two lucky winners will receive TWO Ficklets of their choice!  This is a great offer!

To Enter:

Follow my blog and visit http://www.ficklets.com/ and leave a comment to what you would pick if you won.

Extra Entries:

Follow Ficklets on Twitter.
Follow me on Twitter.
Subscribe to my blog.
Blog about this giveaway.
Tweet about this giveaway (can be done daily).

Giveaway ends February 6 at midnight.  Winners will be chosen by random.org.

US only please.

Thanks for entering!

Prime Time Health by Dr. Sears Review & Giveaway 2/6: 5 Winners CLOSED WINNERS

CONGRATULATIONS TO....

DBRANAM

JESSICA

JENNIFER

NICKOLAY

PURANGO

 

ALL FIVE HAVE BEEN SENT AN E-MAIL AND HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND.  RANDOM.ORG WILL BE USED TO CHOOSE NEW WINNERS IF ANY OF THE WINNERS DO NOT RESPOND.

 

THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO ENTERED AND IF YOU DID NOT, THIS BOOK IS WORTHY TO PURCHASE AS IT REALLY IS A WEALTH OF PRACTICAL, GREAT INFORMATION!

Product Details:

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; 1 edition (January 6, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316035416
• ISBN-13: 978-0316035415

Prime Time Health by Dr. William Sears and Martha Sears is a must have at any age.  Once I picked up the complimentary book I received from Hachette Book Group, I couldn't put it down.  I have recommended it to all my family and friends as the must have book to stay healthy and get healthier.  Dr. Sears packs the book with practical advice as well as advice he researched by talking to other experts in the various fields.  Having a chance to look at the personal purpose that drove Dr. Sears to write the book adds credibility to what he is trying to teach. 

Dr. Sears is a cancer survivor and has been able to incorporate all that he learned while facing that life threatening diagnosis while sharing it with all of us.  His practical advice and information is logical and is backed by science.  Dr. Sears also has a site for promoting better health with children.  It's the Bible for living well!  The book was created in sections to help guide the reader into understanding how to follow the plan for prime time living.  He provides useful and healthy recipes that will get you started on the right track. 

This is not another book based on minimal research or backed by some nutritional health company.  This is full of first hand knowledge, research and experience.  With Dr. Sears' Prime Time Plan, you will feel better, perhaps live longer and can help promote wellness among everyone in your circle. 

I highly recommend this book for better health and a chance to turn around your wellness at all ages. 

The Giveaway:

Five winners will get a chance to have this must have book.

To Win:

Follow my blog and go to Hachette Book Group and tell me what other book looks interesting.

Extra Entries (worth five entries each:

Tweet this giveaway (once daily)
Blog about this giveaway
Follow me on Twitter
Enter any of my other giveaways
Post a comment on any other post other than a giveaway

Giveaway ends 2/6 at midnight.  Winners will be chosen by random.org.

US Only Please

Adorable Baby Clothing for Babies & Older Kids

When my youngest was born, she was premature by one month so finding clothes to fit her was almost impossible.  She was the smallest of all three and coming in at five pounds versus the other over eight pounds, it was very different.  If you have a smaller baby, you know what I'm talking about! 

I happened upon this great clothing store with equally wonderful customer service.  The store is AdorableBabyClothing.com and the owner, Cynthia, has a wonderful selection of clothing to fit all needs and all ages.  If you are looking for gifts, she has a variety of gifts to choose from to include Halloween costumes, dress up, special occasionsd and more.

Some of the gifts like the diaper cake are very impressive and come in a variety of themes.  It really is the one gift for any new parent.

Other great items include school uniforms, suits, pajamas and novelty clothes.  I have purchased a variety of clothing articles from AdorableBabyClothing.com and have never been disappointed with the service or quality.  Every item I have purchased is made of high quality material and the customer service is uniquely personalized and above and beyond.

If you are in the market for baby or children clothes or need to find a special gift for someone, AdorableBabyClothing.com is your shop!

Eli's Cheesecake for Colts Superbowl Sunday!

We're getting ready to celebrate the Colts marching onto Superbowl Sunday!   In preparation for our party, as I was tweeting, I saw a tweet by Eli's Cheesecake.  No, no relation to Eli as in Eli Manning!   I was apprehensive about ordering it was $40 but that is not a lot when you consider how much real cheesecake costs and this had the Colts on it!  They have one with the Saints too but who would want that????

I ordered it and it arrived two days later completely packed and protected to eliminate damage and retain the cold.  It was in perfect shape and considering our UPS men are sometimes aggressive with boxes, it arrived perfect!

My husband said I had to wait in spite of drooling over it while my two year old yelled out "I want cheeshcake!"  After tweeting about how delicious it looked today, I caved and I'm blaming Ros at Ficklets for my weakness!

This was the most amazing piece of cheesecake I've tasted!  The cheesecake was topped with this great tasting creamy mousse, caramel swirled, peanuts, bittersweet chocolate and chocolate covered pretzels.  The chocolate was the perfect amount to give you a chocolaty treat without overpowering the wonderful flavor of the cheesecake. 

The cheesecake was heavenly!  Rich and thick and absolutely melted in my mouth!  The crust was equally as good and like the chocolate, didn't overpower the taste.  All in all, perfection!

It states it can serve 16 hungry football fans but if you are like me, maybe five!

We are actually having other food on the menu but this is by far, the highlight and I cannot recall anything else.

*Disclaimer:  I did not receive any compensation for this post.  I purchased the cheesecake and wanted to share my opinion.

Rethink What Matters: Rethink The Need to Find Yourself

I think it's a common desire regardless of your gender and perhaps your age to a certain extent.  I think the whole purpose of personal goal setting accentuates this need to rethink the need to find yourself.  It's so easy to be caught up in the day to day demands we put on ourselves both out of necessity and what we perceived to be what we need.  I am in one of those modes where Bare Escentuals' campaign to this week's question, "Rethink the Need to Find Yourself," is perfect.

The quiz allows you to ponder where you are and what you have yet to accomplish.  Some would argue that life is never ending path of learning and I tend to agree.  What is so wonderful about our lives is if you figure out who you are and what you want to be, you have the options to alter the course you are on!

Upon completing the quiz, I was in the majority on four of the five questions so I know I keep good company!  Even though I'm not the same girl I was 13 year's ago, I can still get where I want to be once I rethink!

Every week, 500 random women will reap the benefits by participating in Bare Escentuals' campaign by answering some easy questions:  http://www.rethinkwhatmatters.com/

I'm Going to be a Grandma ...Yes, a Grandma!

I thought I was suppose to gulp and yell out that I'm too young to be a grandma but I'm not upset nor crying.  I'm rather happy!  I would have preferred better circumstances for the pregnancy but it's also interesting to watch this almost 22 year old experience a life inside her.

I can't wait!

Bloganthropy Valentines for Veterans Project: Leave a Comment Please

Valentine's for Veterans is a great project to boost morale of Veterans during National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Week (February 7-13).  Bloganthropy has this great project for bloggers to spread the word about Sew Much Comfort, Dollar Days and wounded veterans.

Being a military wife, I fully support this project and hope others will too!  My husband deploys to Kuwait in May and I sympathize with all the other military families enduring wounds and deaths overseas.

Sew Much Comfort (http://sewmuchcomfort.org/) provides adaptive clothing at no cost to support the unique needs of our injured service members from all branches of the military and national guard. This clothing fits around medical devices and prosthetics and gives the service member and medical personnel ready access to injured areas. The adapted clothing allows injured service members to have their clothing appear the same as normal civilian attire; an attribute which helps facilitate a more natural and comfortable recovery. Without adaptive clothing the only option for the service member is a hospital gown.

Through the volunteer efforts of seamstresses and donations of money, clothing and fabric, Sew Much Comfort has been able to provide over 75,000 pieces of adaptive clothing and comfort.

If you would like to help out, there are a few ways:

• If you have a blog, sign up to join in by clicking HERE.
• Donate clothing or financially by going to Sew Much Comfort for a list of needed items.   Sew Much Comfort specifically would love to receive t-shirts, long sleeve t-shirt or sweat shirts with logos of local sports teams in any area of the United States (size large is most needed). The wounded soldiers love having sport themed clothing but it is hard to get unless you live in that state.
• Comment as every post that has 10 comments, Dollar Days will donate another $50!  Dollar Days will donate $50 for every post!

Dollar Days (http://dollardays.com/) is providing clothing worth thousands of dollars in retail to Sew Much Comfort in honor of the National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Week. What a great thing for both Dollar Days and Sew Much Comfort is doing to help our wounded heros!  Thank you!

In Canada?  Not to worry: 

Canada also salutes its veterans on Valentine's Day and has some great tips for making Valentines for Veterans: http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/general/sub.cfm?source=feature/valentine06/tips
I'm going to have my six year old make Valentine's Day cards for our local VA Hospital (Charlie Norwood VA).  It's a good facility that my dad went to while visiting this summer.  Stay tuned for pictures!

In the meantime, please comment to help raise another $50!

Coming Soon! Another $50 Gift Card Loyalty Giveaway

I'm having fun giving back my Trimback win in gift cards to my loyal readers.  The current one is a $50 Sears card.

Any thoughts for the next $50 giftcard?

Leave a comment to secure a bonus entry as I'll use this post to list the giveaway!

BeiZ Mandy and Andy Interactive Storybook Application for Apple Review

BeiZ has done it again with this great interactive storybook adventure of Mandy and Andy.  Partnering with Satukustannus, BeiZ introduced this cute kid's application allows the little one's to either read by themselves or to be read to.  Each scene allows the little listeners to peek in different areas which allows a fun, interactive adventure. 

Mandy and Andy is the first interactive book based  on the traditional Mandy and Andy book series.  As the story is told, different animals are found hidden in different areas in the cottage.  Mandy, Andy, Mortimer Mouse and Uncle Tobias help to renovate the cottage hence the title Many and Andy Renovation.  The story is available in three languages:  English, French and Chinese.

The storyline is cute and provides an exciting opportunity for them to learn with great animations and high quality graphics.  This is not only entertaining but educational as it promotes learning and reading.

If you would like more information on this great interactive storybook, click here.  To purchase, click here.

If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch Device, this is a must have for children.  It's only $1.99 and more languages are coming as well as more series of the book will be introduced.  Both of my girls, ages 2 and 6, loved the interactive features of the story as well as the characters.

*Disclaimer:  I received a complimentary download of Mandy and Andy in exchange for my review.  My opinions based in this post are of mine and I received no other compensation.

Last Night's Winners & Ficklets

All four winners have responded for the wins!  Great news as it's much easier to move forward when I can close the loop.  I just have one of the sponsor's to validate the win.  I was also pleased to see a man win for the third time at one of my giveaways!  It's great to appeal to all audiences!  Grats Tim!

Don't forget that there are many other giveaways for the month of February with one that is near and dear mostly because she's a woman owned entreprenuer who I want to see succeed.  I did not know her prior to her contacting me from Twitter but I hope if you have children who wears glasses or know of one who does, you will check out http://www.ficklets.com/. 

Ros has many styles to choose from at extremely reasonable prices.  This allows children to personalize something they might not normally like to wear.

I have a giveaway ending on the 6th for two winners so don't miss out:  http://youthfultips.blogspot.com/2010/01/unique-ways-to-personalize-your-glasses.html

Say No to Artificial Sweeteners

I've been wondering about artificial sweeteners for some time especially in light of the cancer concerns and I've also read that they induce hunger.  I noticed when I drink Coke Zero or Crystal Light over water, I tend to crave more food and especially sweets.

A new study published in Physiology & Behavior put it to test and found that the two control groups, rats with artificial sweetener and rats on glucose consumed calories differently.  The rats on artificial sweeteners did in fact consume 50 more calories a week in comparison to the control group and gained 10 more grams of fat to their body weight.  Read full article here.

There you have it!  Another study supporting the fact that artificial sweeteners do increase desire to consume more and pack on more pounds.  It's time to just say no!

Oroweat (Arnold Bread) Bread: Enter to Win a Trip to Vail & Other Prizes

Looking to gain some energy and power to workout in order to keep that new year's resolution?  Do you just want to get healthier as I do?  I buy Arnold Bread due it being 100% whole wheat and I also like the multi-grain version.  I'm trying to rid my diet of processed flours and sugars and want to stick with the good, healthy ingredients.  If you know anything about skiing, it takes a lot of energy and stamina to ski.  When I found out that Lindsay Vonn, eats Oroweat Bread (also known as Arnold Bread in the east), I had a reinforced feeling that I chose the right bread.

Lindsey is claimed to be the most successful female American skier in World Cup history and one of her Olympics sponsors, Oroweat Bread, is one product she consumes to prepare for competitions.  Her favorite sandwich is made of ham, Swiss and honey mustard that gives her the energy she needs to be so successful in her skiing career.
To honor the Olympian, the bakers of Oroweat Breads are giving fans a chance to “meet” the legend in-person and online. Fans can enter to win a trip to Vail, CO to meet Vonn at Oroweat.com between now and February 22. Other prizes, including a 46-inch LCD television and fitness gaming console are also available.

A customizable e-card allows fans to upload a picture of themselves to the virtual “Ski and Smile Photo Booth” to create a custom snapshot with Lindsey that can be shared via email, Facebook or Twitter.

Learn more about the contest here and don't forget to make your own card as I did above with my daughter!

*Disclaimer:  I received no compensation for this post.  I buy Arnold Bread and my entire family loves it.

Perennial Toys Giveaway: Polar Bear Pail Ends 2/2/10 CLOSED WINNER

CONGRATULATIONS TO....

LYNN

An e-mail has been send and she has 48 hours to respond.

Thanks to all those who entered!

"Connecting Children to Earth's Habitats" is the first statement seen when you log on to Perennial Toys aside from some really cute River Otter Books, Polar Bears, Ducks and more.  With the endless number of toys stores, it's hard to stand apart from others but when you have a unique product, it's easy.  I gravitate towards those toys that capture the imagination of children and help to teach.  One such toy company, Perennial Toys, is that. 

Perennial Toys is dedicated to creating toys and gifts that enhance a child’s understanding of Earth’s habitats. They focus on aquatic habitats and the endangered animals that depend on these sensitive environments. Each Perennial product also reflects their mission to manufacture and promote eco-friendly toys and gifts.  A portion of Perennial's proceeds goes into supporting wildlife conservation efforts.

Perennial Toys' artist is Daryl Tom who has received numerous awards throughout his career.  To read more about Mr. Tom, go here: http://www.perennialenterprises.com/aboutperennial/meetourartist.html.

Perennial Toys offers numerous products that will teach your child about earth's habitats as well as allow them to have creative playtime:

Children's Books:

1. Your River Otter Coloring & Activity Book is priced at only $4.00.  It has 16 8 1/2"x11" beautiful pages of activities, reading, and illustrations.
2. My Artic 1-2-3 is priced at $7.95.  It is a beautifully illustrated book on the Artctic and its animals by Vladyana Krykorka. Includes descriptions of Native American life and language. Perfect for 3-6 years old children. Each order comes with a FREE Perennial Toys mini coloirng book.

Perennial Pails:

• Duck Pail priced at $12.95. Includes: animal, crayons, badger balm, flexible magnet, and mini coloring book, & a surprise gift!
• Polar Pail priced at $12.95.  Includes: animal, crayons, badger balm, flexible magnet, and mini coloring book, & a surprise gift!
• Whale Pail priced at $12.95.  Includes: animal, crayons, badger balm, flexible magnet, and mini coloring book, & a surprise gift!

There are numerous gift sets to choose from whether it's the King Eider Habitat Gift Set, the Polar Bear Habitat Gift Set or a starter set, your little one will be happy!

Perennial Toys provides free coloring pages HERE and an area to learn more about habitats HERE.

Perennial Toys even has a My Earth Stories contest for children ages 6-12 that ends March 31, 2010.

The Giveaway:

One lucky reader will win the Polar Pail!  This is my favorite and it's what caught my attention when another blogger hosted a giveaway for this Polar Pail.  My girls love polar bears and the water so this is sure to be a winner with most children.
 
To Enter:
 
I'm reverting back to comments at the bottom of the post based on some feedback.  I'll re-evaluate after this giveaway as the forms are easier to track and pick the validated winner.  You must follow my blog, visit Perennial Toys and return with the mandatory ONE comment that tells me you follow my blog and another product you like.
 
Extra Entries (worth four entries each):
 
Sign Perennial Toys Guestbook.
Subscribe to my blog.
Follow me on Twitter.
Blog about this giveaway and return with a link to your post.
Tweet about this giveaway and leave your tweet link (can be done daily).
 
Giveaway ends February 2, 2010 at midnight.  Winner will be selected by random.ord.
 
US only please.
 
Thanks for entering and good luck!

Personal Ponderings Choice of Personal, Scripture or Literary Journal Giveaway 2/2/10: WINNER CLOSED

CONGRATULATIONS TO...

TIMBO!

An e-mail has been sent and he/she has 48 hours to respond.

Thanks to all those who entered!

How many times have you wished you had written down a great idea, kept track of memories or just had a place to store your personal effects?  I'm always grabbing a pad of paper here, a sheet from the printer or whatever is currently available to jot down random thoughts, to-do lists or whatever.  I can be the most unorganized person at times due to not organizing my thoughts.  I was happy to be able to work with Personal Ponderings for this great giveaway.

Personal Ponderings, as their easy to guide website depicts, are innovative journals that enable you to organize your thoughts, feelings, ideas, notes and experiences.  There really is no barrier for what you can utilize these great journals for.

There are three journals to choose from:

The Personal Journal is an all-new unique journaling system designed to enhance and simplify your journaling experience. Don’t have time every day to write? Use the one-line entry page. Want to access your memories quicker? Organize them by year. Want to keep track of specific special events? Use the tabs in the back.  The journal is 8" x 10" and contains 50 sheets, the PJ Organized Journal System, 8 blank tabs and travel companion with 50 lined gummed sheets. 

I really like the idea of not being restricted to record my thoughts based on the book's design.  This is a great feature to allow you to customize it to your own style.  The travel companion is equally impressive especially for those on the go.  This smaller version allows you to keep your random thoughts organized without having to worry about losing pages or forgetting that great idea or what you had to pick up for tomorrow's school snack.

The Scripture Journal is a Spiritual Journal and study tool. With the Scripture Journal you can record personal spiritual writings and notes, create your own spiritual quote book, become intimately acquainted with truths, gain a deeper understanding of Holy books, and come to know both God and yourself. The Scripture Journal is equipped with A to Z tabs so you can journal, organize notes, record personal insights, thoughts, and spiritual impressions by topic as you read and study scriptures and other deeply meaningful material; For example – Love, Faith, Hope, or Grace could all be study topics that you keep in your Journal. A benefit of using the Scripture Journal is it allows you to add to your topics over time, keeping everything organized and easily retrievable.

I have a friend who is really nudging me to devote more time to studying scripture and increase my spirtual knowledge.  This would be the perfect addition to allow an easier way to keep all my thoughts and scriptures in one place to ponder what I'm thinking or learning as well as to go back and refresh my memory.  This would make a great gift as would any of the other two journals.

The Literary Journal - Finally! A tool that provides a safe place for powerful and personal thoughts. The Literary Journal is a depository for personal philosophy that remembers for you the impressive things you read. As a reading, writing, pondering, and study tool, the Literary Journal allows you to alphabetically organize notes from books, lectures, etc. Create your own list of quotable quotes and organize them by topic.

Have you ever wanted to refer to or recall something you read once, but just can’t quite remember it correctly, or find which book it was in? The Literary Journal is an easy to use organizer that will solve that problem, and also become a best friend. Imagine having all the principles and insights from your favorite authors in one place: wisdom and understanding will deepen!

This would be optimal for the book I've been trying to write or my daughter in college.  She's like me and has numerous pads of paper where she is always jotting down notes and information and none of it is secure.  With a journal such as this, she would be able to maintain some organization.

Personal Ponderings also has all the available refills you need at low prices.  Even the journals priced at $24.05 is a great price.

As a small business with a woman president and co-founder, I'm very happy to provide this information to my readers.  Personal Ponderings seems to be a company that understands first hand the importance of organization and capturing those thoughts, notes, information and more.

The Giveaway:

Your choice of the Personal Journal, the Scripture Journal or the Literary Journal.

To Enter:

Follow my blog and go to Personal Ponderings and tell me something you learned about the company or the products.

Bonus Entries (worth five each):

• Subscribe to my blog.
• Follow me on Twitter.
• Blog about this giveaway.
• Tweet about this giveaway (can be done daily)
• Follow Personal Ponderings on Twitter.
• Join Personal Ponderings on Facebook.

Giveaway ends 2/2/10 at midnight.  Winner will be chosen by random.org.

US Only Please.