Mommy Mischief

Tot School- Letter A

2011-08-28T23:29:00.001-04:00

This week we learned the letter A. Natalie pretty much already knew A just because it's the first letter. I felt that it was great for her to hear words starting with A over and over and learn the sound that A makes.

We started out Monday morning with Tot Trays because we were all still sleepy so I didn't want to start with too much. This is how I have our trays set up for now because this is what works best. I leave the trays out all the time but she really only plays with them when I suggest her to. I am trying to leave the same activity all week with only making a few changes here or there. I don't want her to get bored but yet I don't want to use all my ideas in one week.

A favorite activity is sorting. With this one I just have different color beads and she sorts them into different sections on the platter. I also have her go back and count how many she has of each color or have her count them as she sorts. There are a ton of beads for this one so she usually works on it at little at a time. Whatever works!

We made the A is for Alligator. I really love this craft. It's so cute and creative. I'm planning on making and ABC book as we go and keeping 2 crafts from each week so that we can go back and look through them and she can have her own little book. The alligator craft came from No Time For Flash Cards

We stamped with the letter A just to help her with recognition, I plan to do this each week with the letters since she loves stamping. I think she just loves the freedom to be able to do what she wants with the stamp and it doesn't have to look like anything when she's finished.

This is supposed to be a magnet sheet but since I don't have the magnets yet I let her paint it. She had such a good time and I thought it was cute how she did each section a different color.

We did apple prints as well because I remember doing them as a kid and I loved it. Nat wasn't that into the actual apple printing. I figured it would be great for her. She had a hard time dipping the apple in the paint so I ended up getting a foam brush for her to paint the apple then use it to stamp the paper. That was a little easier for her and she liked it then. I found this really neat idea at No Time For Flash Cards to make a wreath with the prints as a fall decoration. Since fall is fast approaching I loved this idea. Natalie had such a great time gluing the apples onto the plate that she was sad when she ran out of apples. We even made an extra for grandma because we know grandma's love these kinds of "gifts".

We also did lots of do a dots with different shapes and the letter A. She had a great time with her letter A traceables though she would get bored of it pretty quickly, instead of having her try to do even a whole row I would ask her to do 2 letters in between activities and that worked out really well.

We had such a great week I'm so excited to start on the letter B tomorrow, partially since our last name starts with a B! Have a great week everyone!

Activities- Tot School Week 1

2011-08-21T22:41:00.001-04:00

Natalie (33.5 months)

Well we started doing a little Tot School this week. I didn't have everything together to start with the letter A like I wanted to so we just started with our version of Tot Trays. I plan to actually use trays but I had to order them first. I started out calling them activities because I wasn't sure how else to explain it to an almost 3 year old. The first day she wasn't sure but once we got started she just kept asking for more activities. It was super cute. She had such a great time and didn't realize that she was learning as she was playing.

We played with her busy farm which we hadn't gotten out in a while. It's a great tool that we already had. I was so glad that we could incorporate a loved toy into our routine.

Then she loved the ABC puzzle that I picked up from the dollar store. I am planning on using it for stamps as well but she played with that puzzle a few times each day and she kept asking for it.

I found printables for a farm animal matching game (can't remember where) so I just printed that off and glued it to a folder and cut up the other copy. So easy but she loved naming the animals while matching them.

I also made a rice sensory bin. It was my first sensory bin so I just put rice in with a few tools from the kitchen. I wasn't sure how she would take it and the first time she wasn't sure what to do with it. I sat down and showed her she could just play and explore and she loved it.

This week we are starting with the letter A. I'm really excited to see all of my ideas come into play and just watch her learn so many new things.

Blog Redo

2011-08-17T12:35:00.000-04:00

So as you can see it's been 8 months since I blogged. What have I been up to? Well I had a baby.... Now I'm the mom of two beautiful girls. I love them both dearly and would do anything for them. ~~Some~~ Most days around here are hectic. I feel like I never know which side is up and most of the time it's dinner time before I know it. On the other days we are out running errands or going to play groups or enjoying the summer at the park. I feel like I never sit still. And by never sitting that means I never have time to write er type. I miss blogging. I miss the outlet that blogging gave me. I miss how it connected me with other moms or women that I would never known otherwise.

I came across my good friend Alexis' Blog and she was talking about Tot School. I was very intrigued by the thought of Tot School. I wanted to send Nat to preschool this year but her birthday is October 31st and the cutoff for the 3 year preschool is September. She isn't even close to meeting the date. I still felt like she really needed some structure in her days. Yes we play and I try to teach her as much as I can but often times I end up feeling like we play with the same toys over and over. A lot of times I feel like I'm just drilling the ABCs into her and she is picking it up but is she really enjoying it? So for me Tot School provided me the resources to actually teach her the ABCs at our own pace. There is no right or wrong way to do Tot School and I like that.

So I have decided that starting Monday we are going to start with the letter A. They even say you can do any letter in any order. You don't have to do alphabetical order but for my OCD brain alphabetical is the only logical way (not saying any other way is wrong). So I'm planning to post every Sunday and link up with the other Tot School moms about what we did that week and hopefully share and get some new ideas....
If you have any resources or suggestions for me I would love to hear them!! I am new to this and just trying to be open minded and try everything. I don't know what's going to work best for Nat until I try.

Swing Set

2010-12-08T20:43:00.005-05:00

One of the many changes we made around here this summer was getting a new swing set. We had been looking for a good wooden one that wouldn’t break the bank. Honestly, I was having no luck. I had been searching craigslist for weeks and just couldn’t find anything. A friend said she would sell hers to us but then we weren’t sure how we would transport it since she lives and hour away.

Finally I was shopping at Meijer one day and we were just browsing the toys. I think we were actually looking at trikes to see if we thought Natalie could ride one yet. I stumbled across the sign for all the swing sets and they had clearance tags on them!! I about jumped up and down I was so happy. I find the one that we had wanted expecting to see a tag for 25% off. I honestly would have been happy with that. Well, it ended up being 50% off!!! It went from $800 to $400. I had to call Hubby and make sure it was ok with him and that he would pick it up on his way home. He was just as happy as I was. I hurried and bought it because it was the last one.

This is picture before anything was started.

I didn’t really know how much work putting up a swing set would be. We went to pick it up and it came in 3 boxes that fit in our pickup truck. I realized then that Hubby was in for a lot of work. Of course we (by we I mean he) had to dig out a layer of grass and dirt and build a border, then put down weed barrier. After that he had to go get 2 truckloads of wood chips and spread those out. Then he could start building the swing set. I’m not even sure how long it took him to finish the whole project but I know he worked hard on it. I love him for it. I just had to entertain Natalie on the many days and nights it took him to complete the project.

I know he put so much work into but watching her enjoy it is just priceless. Her and her new sibling will enjoy it for years to come.

Here are some pictures of the finished project.

Baby #2 or not?

2010-12-06T20:30:00.000-05:00

There have been many talks in the Buckner household of when we thought we would be ready for baby #2. We thought we were ready so decided to try, then a few unexpected things happened and we decided that we weren’t ready after all.

We had been going through a normal “rough patch”, like most marriages. We had a vacation all planned out with lots of extended family. We went to Wisconsin Dells for 5 days. It was really what we need to reconnect and reprioritize our life. The vacation was amazing! (Pics and more about that will come soon). We get back home and are going through our day-to-day life. We were still set on waiting another year or so for baby #2. With Natalie it took us a year of trying to conceive so even though I was worried about that we both thought it was best to wait.

Around September 9^th I got a really bad cold or allergies. I still am not sure if it was a cold or not. My nose wouldn’t stop running and I just felt terrible for the next week. I finally asked Dh to pick up some meds on his way home from work and I threw in “oh yeah, grab a pregnancy test too just in case.” Honestly, I have learned not to get my hopes up. I figured I was just taking the test to make sure I wasn’t pregnant because I wanted to take meds and I had been really sick. I should also mention I was on day 39 of my “cycle”. I still didn’t think anything of it because my body is really wacky which is why it took so long to get pregnant with Natalie. I waited until after Natalie went to bed and ran in and took the test. I set it down assuming it would be negative and I glanced over and sure enough it was positive! My hands started shaking and I started crying. At first, I wasn’t sure if it was happy tears or sad tears or just tears of shock. I took a few minutes to try and put on a straight face. I went out to the living room and asked Dh if he heard the timer go off because I was baking bread (I really was). He said no. I then said “I figured out what Natalie is going to be for Halloween” “Oh yeah what?” He responded. Gulp “a big sister?” His jaw dropped immediately and he puts his arms out to me. We cried together. We sat there for probably 5 minutes and just said wow. We both agree that this is a blessing in disguise. We are both really grateful. It took us a little while to let the shock wear off. We waited until after my first appointment at 9 weeks to tell family and I think everyone was as surprised as we were.

So we are officially pregnant with baby #2!!! I am due May 17^th, 2011 and I’m about 16 weeks 6 day right now. Life is good.

My belly pic at 15 weeks 3 days

MOPS

2010-10-07T21:07:00.000-04:00

Well I finally bit the bullet and joined MOPS. If you don't know what that is, it stands for Mothers of Preschoolers. I learned about it last year at a local Mom 2 Mom sale here in Ludington. I really wanted to go but I had a 10 month old baby who napped at 10; MOPS was from 9:30 to 11:30. I really needed it last year but I couldn't make myself go. This year Natalie naps around 1:30 so I had no good excuse not to go. Actually I had all the reasons to go. I need to get to know more moms in the area, Natalie needs more exposure to playing with other kids and when the winter rolls around we are dying to get out of the house.

The first meeting came and I felt so nervous. It was like starting high school all over again, really. I had to drop Nat off in a nursery with strangers. She has never been watched by anyone but family so that alone made me nervous. We went in and checked out the toys, I clamped her name tag on and stuck her diaper bag in the little slot, letting them know if she needed a snack they were in the bag and I left. Natalie was preoccupied so I didn't even get to say goodbye. The tear filled goodbye that I had worked myself up for never came. I did go back 15 minutes later to check on her but she didn't even notice I was gone!

I headed down to the mom's area not really sure what to expect. They had it decorated so pretty and there was a table full of food. The ladies that we there already were so welcoming. They all introduced themselves to me and I didn't feel out of place at all.

The meeting finally started and we were assigned to groups, these will be our groups all year. I really ~~liked~~ loved that idea because it will give me a chance to get to know these few ladies on a more personal level. We soon found out that our activity for the day was "speed friending". Gulp. You mean I have to talk to more people? Don't get me wrong I love people just when I'm in my comfort zone. My table and my group was now my comfort zone. We did the speed friending, it's just like it sounds like speed dating. We moved chair to chair and got to know about 16 new people. It was really fun and I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

The 2 hours that we were there just flew by. Before I knew it I was going to pick Natalie up from the nursery. I was really excited to see her and hear how much fun she had. I was about 10 feet from her door and I heard her screaming. My heart sank and I felt so guilty. I had had so much fun and never even thought to check on Natalie again. The ladies said that she did great but the last 20 minutes she cried. I guess someone came down to take her picture and that upset her. Her first experience wasn't that great. I asked if she had fun playing with the kids and she said yes. She kept saying mommy the whole way home. I know I shouldn't feel guilty but I do. I just hope that with each meeting she will get better and she will enjoy it too. I know it was so nice for me to have that 2 hour break and not have to worry about Natalie. I got to know quite a few nice ladies and I'm really looking forward to our meeting next week.

Changes are happening.....

2010-09-30T18:50:00.000-04:00

Well one of the changes we have been going through lately is the weather. It has gotten cold! Most days our high temps are in the 50’s to low 60’s. I know that doesn’t sound too bad but when you add in there that it has been windy and/or rainy it makes it seem cold. I have been wanting a lot of soup for dinner and we are bundled when we go outside.

This cold weather doesn’t stop Natalie from wanting to go outside and play. She loves the outdoors. Her love started early this spring when we both had cabin fever and we couldn’t handle being inside anymore! Last winter Natalie got 14 new teeth in 4 months and had 3 ear infections. We were ready for change. So I bundled her up and outside we went. We really didn’t have anything to occupy us so Natalie made her own games. She would collect acorns all day long. She had no idea what the acorns were or why she was collecting them but I guess it made the time pass. Natalie would spend hours outside before I would have to beg, plead and bribe her to go inside because I was cold.

This summer we had so much fun outside. Natalie would say “I go outside” and we would head out, not knowing how much time had passed while we were out there we would go back in when the sun started to set or just in time for dinner. We went to the beach and had picnics. We even had mud baths at the beach provided by Natalie!

We also found a new park by the marina. In the summer when it’s so hot out and the humidity feels like 100%; it’s the perfect park. The wind from Lake Michigan is a welcome break from the heat. It still gets hot but at least you get a little break here and there when the wind decides to blow. Natalie discovered the slides and the swings. There was even a slide that she would go up and down the stairs just to do over and over again.

I love fall but I’m sad to see the summer go. We created so many new memories and I know it’s a time we will never forget but we will never get back either. I look forward to the many summers we have as a family. I can’t wait to see what we will do next summer, what things we will explore and what adventures we will take.

I'm back (I hope)

2010-09-29T20:03:00.000-04:00

Life seriously has been way too busy. I wanted to blog but every time I sat down I knew there were other things that needed to be done. Right now I sit among a messy desk that needs to be organized but I want to blog. When I sit and try to blog and I'm distracted then my words don't come out right. It doesn't sound like me instead it sounds forced and to be honest it isn't much fun to read.

I'm putting in my best effort to blog again. I know I've said this before but this time I mean it. I need this outlet for myself so I'm going to make it a priority. Oh, there are plenty of changes coming this way too... I will be writing about them soon!

Little Ducks Organics Winner!

2010-08-17T10:37:00.000-04:00

The winner is...

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 20 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Chany said...
http://twitter.com/chany10/status/20310018036

August 4, 2010 11:47 AM

Congrats!!! I will be contacting you and you have 48 hours to respond.

Little Duck Organics Review and Giveaway

2010-07-22T17:31:00.002-04:00

My toddler is a snacker. I have such a hard time getting her to sit down for meals and when I do I feel like she doesn’t eat much. I can ask her at any given time during the day and she will say she is hungry though. I love to keep snacks on hand for her so that she stays satisfied. It’s very easy to get into the routine of giving her what is easy and not always making sure what she eats is healthy. I found Little Duck Organics snacks and they are the perfect solution for this dilemma. They are so easy! They come in a pouch and I just pour them into a little cup and let Natalie have it. She loves it because she feels like a big girl carrying around her snack!

We were sent the Strawberry/ Mango, Blueberry/Apple, and Strawberry/Banana to review. I assumed that Natalie’s favorite would be the blueberry apple because she loves blueberries but she surprised me and she loved the Strawberry/Mango. She kept coming to me signing “more”. I think she ate half of the package in 1 snack time. I didn’t feel bad giving them to her either! Talk about a gilt free snack.

Here is a little more from their site:
Tiny Fruits are naturally delicious baby snacks made with 100% real organic fruit. Each bag contains four full servings of fruit so you can feel good knowing that you are giving your child the vitamins and nutrients they need for healthy development.

Want to try some for your child?

You can purchase your own by going to their site and shopping online or you can find a store in your area that carries them.

Or

Little Duck Organics has provided 3 bags of their snacks to give away to 1 of my lucky readers!!!
Mandatory Entry:
Visit Little Duck Organics and tell me what you think your child would like most.

Extras:
Follow my blog via GFC. (1 entry)
Follow me on twitter @Kaylynbuckner (1 entry)
Follow Little Duck Organics on twitter. (1 entry)

Tweet about this giveaway including a link back here, @Kaylynbuckner, @littleduckorg or use this “Love Organic Snacks? Enter to win some from @Littleduckorg and @Kaylynbuckner. http://bit.ly/bTHTkH “ (2 entries per day, must be 4 hours apart)

Like Little Duck Organics on Facebook, tell them I sent you. (2 entries)

Giveaway will end on 8/5/10 at 9 P.M Est.
*I was given Little Duck Organics snack to review but I was not paid for my review, all opinions expressed here are my own.

The first big incident

2010-07-18T13:20:00.000-04:00

The title of the post says it all, well most of it anyway. Natalie had her first big incident this past weekend. We took a road trip to Chicago to visit some family. We had a pretty busy weekend planned and the trip down went perfectly. Natalie got a little fussy at the end but I turned on Diego and all was good again. She fell asleep too and even got about an hour nap. Our first stop was Dh’s grandma’s house. Hubby’s aunt wasn’t supposed to be home but she got out of work early. She was very happy that she was going to be able to see Natalie since it’s been over a year since we have seen them. When we first arrived Natalie was still napping so we decided to wait in the car until she woke up, it only took a few minutes. We went inside and were greeted with hugs and warm welcomes. Natalie was being very shy, even shy for her. She is shy by nature but she wouldn’t even take her head off of Hubby’s shoulder to look up. They have a dog so I thought it would be a good icebreaker for her to pet the dog because she loves dogs. (This is where I mention that it’s a pretty decent size dog, they stand face to face.) Hubby put her down by the dog and she reached out to pet it and he snapped and bit her! I wasn’t right there; I just heard all the commotion. Hubby didn’t think the dog had actually gotten her at first but then she started bleeding pretty badly.

I took her thinking she would calm down but she just kept screaming “dog dog” and pointing where the dog was. She didn’t understand what had happened at all. She wouldn’t calm down a bit and after I few minutes I suggested we leave so that we could all calm down. I had been holding in all my emotions from the moment it happened, when I got in the car I just exploded. I burst into tears and I couldn’t hold it back anymore. That just made Natalie more upset so I tried to cry quietly. Meanwhile, my mom called our pediatrician to see what we should do. I didn’t want to take her in but I was so worried about the bacteria. Sure enough her doc said to take her straight to the ER. She said that even if we were in MI that she would want us to take her just because of the risk of infection.

We finally found an ER and took her straight there. Once inside we got the millions of questions. I felt bad telling them about the dog because I didn’t want anyone to get in trouble. I know it was just an accident but Natalie is my baby so I was really having mixed feelings. The doc looked at her bite and said it was pretty bad. He then asked if we had cleaned it out at all. Hubby and I just looked at each other like, it was very important to do that and we both flaked out on it! We did put antibiotic ointment on it though, doesn’t that count for something? They finally cleaned it out and did X-rays. The doc said that since it was so deep they didn’t want to stitch it because it could essentially just trap the bacteria in the wound. The X-rays were fine so they just put some glue and bandages on her hand and said we were free to go. Natalie was doing great by this point; I think it was harder on me than it was on her. As long as nobody touched her hand she was calm.

We finally left the ER with a bandaged hand and a prescription for antibiotics. I am happy to say that her hand is healing very well. She isn’t scared of dogs at all, which is wonderful. But she is scared of loud noises now. When we are playing outside if there is a loud car or truck that goes by she comes running up to me crying. It just breaks my heart because she wasn’t skittish at all before. I am very thankful though that for her some day she probably won’t remember this. Mommy will never forget it but we will get over it. Hubby said I was overacting but it was one of those situations where you beat yourself up because it even happened.

CSN Review

2010-07-13T14:32:00.002-04:00

I have had an amazing opportunity to host a giveaway for CSNstores.com in the past. I loved it and I had great success on my blog. Now I am going to be doing a review for them as well. I couldn’t be more excited! This is a great company to work with. They have over 200 online stores! They have such a wide variety of things including outdoor furniture, dining room sets, baby stuff and even shoes! I have no idea what I’m going to select to review yet but I sure will have fun looking!

So stay tuned for an awesome review coming soon. Thanks so much for reading!

Memories of Grandma

2010-06-23T13:29:00.002-04:00

Before writing this I need to just say that my grandma has not passed, that is not what has inspired me. Sometimes I feel like she has but she has not.

You see, my grandpa passed away about 14 years ago now. My grandma was remarried a few years later. I don’t blame her for getting remarried, not at all. In fact, I was very happy for her. The man seemed nice enough and she was happy. I loved seeing her happy again after going through such a rough patch after my grandpa passed.

Then things changed. My grandma and her new husband moved to North Carolina, I reside in Michigan. This makes things difficult. They moved November 4th, 2008. Natalie was born October 31st, 2008. My grandma got to see Natalie twice before moving away, she has seen her twice since one of those times being yesterday. She isn’t the same grandma I knew as a child and I wish Natalie knew her the way I did.

When I was young we would have sleep over’s and our grandparents every other weekend. We would just hang out and play and watch movies together. Grandma would let my sister and I do her hair. We would brush it and she would let us put pony tails in. Of course she never left the house this way but we thought it was so fun that she let us do what we wanted with her hair.

My Grandpa had a motorcycle and he would take us on rides all the time. It was only around the block and then it was my sister’s turn but those were some of the best days of my childhood; just me and grandpa with the wind in my face and my hair whipping all around. I could pretend then. I could pretend that there were no worries in the world and nothing else mattered. Even if the trips lasted mere minutes they were great.

Grandma would always make home cooked meals; which we didn’t always get at home because life was busy with two working parents. I remember grandma used to make the best goulash, I can’t tell you how she did it but nothing compared. After dinner there would always be a sweet treat waiting for us.

It was really amazing and I feel so blessed to have a grandma that used to be like that. She has really changed. It’s so hard to see her and not have her the way she used to be. She is cold, she still cares but you don’t see it or feel it like you used to. I know I have grown up and things change but I want her to be there with Natalie. I want Natalie to taste grandma’s goulash and brush grandma’s hair the way I did. That will never happen so I just have to cherish the memories because things will never be the same.

Winner winner!

2010-06-09T20:57:00.000-04:00

The winner for the giveaway from Connie's shop is...

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 7 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

ColleenMarie82 said... 7

I entered the Zak! Design giveaway

inman@mobap.edu

And the winner of the Zak! Designs Giveaway is...

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 23 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

DeniseSanborn said... 23

follow Zak Designs on twitter
May 31, 2010 6:21 PM

Congratulations ladies!! I will be contacting you and you have 48 hours to respond or I will have to pick a new winner.

Business

2010-06-03T20:44:00.001-04:00

I have really really missed my blog lately! I feel like I have been so busy I barely sit or have any time for myself. Mostly it's my own doing but Natalie has been keeping me really busy too.

I am in the process of becoming an Independent Consultant for Arbonne! I am so excited for the opportunities that this is bringing for myself and my family. I cannot wait to get to know more people in my community. I found a company that I can relate with. I looked into their products by only trying a 5 day sample packet and I fell in love. I cannot even begin to tell you in words how excited I am for these products and sharing them with others!

Arbonne means "good things from the earth". To me that tells you that the products are from the earth, botanically based. Arbonne products are formulated in Switzerland but made right here in the USA. Europe has stricter standards on health products and botanicals and more restrictions on their ingredients. There are over 500 chemicals banned in Europe that are still used in U.S products.

Arbonne's Motto is Pure, Safe and Beneficial. Now why would I use a product if it wasn't Pure, Safe and Beneficial? I'm not sure but I have been using them for years because I didn't know any better! I didn't know that mineral oil (which is found in 90% of U.S products) was the number TWO leading cause for aging, second to only the sun! So all these products I have been buying to take care of my skin have really been making them worse. Arbonne products contain NO mineral oil. Mineral Oil creates a barrier on your skin (like wrapping it with saran wrap) which will not let good things in or bad things out, that doesn't make much sense.

Arbonne products do not contain any dyes or fragrances which are the top 2 skin irritants; instead we use essentials oils.

I joined Arbonne because of what it can do for my family. I can have a full time income by doing 8 parties a month. I am not required to do a certain number of parties but I am setting a goal for myself to do 8 parties a month, it's only abotu 10 hours a week. That way, I can help save for vacations, pay off debt and start a college savings for Natalie.

I am just extremely excited about sharing Arbonne with everyone! Watch my blog for upcoming sales and specials! Who doesn't love a good sale?
I hope to be around more, I just need to learn to make time for myself!

You can find the products and company website here http://arbonne.com/. I will be setting up my own website in the near future.

Kinderglo Winners!

2010-06-03T20:27:00.000-04:00

Here are the winners for my Kinderglo giveaway! I hope you all enjoy these as much as Natalie and I have!

Here are your random numbers:

57 60 135

Timestamp: 2010-06-04 00:23:41 UTC

edmontonjb said... 57

My favortie is the quarter moon and I'd give it to my son

dftrew(at)gmail(dot)com
May 23, 2010 4:47 PM

Chany said... 135

Tweet!
http://twitter.com/chany10/status/15063301936
May 30, 2010 4:41 PM

and I'm going to redraw for 1 of them because it was edmontonjb again,
True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 157 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

fancygrlnancy said... 157

tweet
http://twitter.com/fancygrlnancy/status/15191801243
bwneyes100 AT hotmail DOT com

I will contact you and you have 48 hours to respond or I will have to draw a new winner.

Thanks for entering!

I love this part!

2010-05-26T13:43:00.000-04:00

I love getting to pick winner's and hopefully make someone's day better! =)

So a little late but better late than never right?
My winners are....

Winner of the Reisenthel giveaway is
True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 13 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

shanjol23 said... 13

I love the carrybag in rasterdots mocha. Not sure if Charlie would carry it around but I don't mind doing the shopping with a cute basket like that!
shanjol23 at hotmail dot com
May 11, 2010 4:02 PM
Congratulations Shannon!!!

And the winner of the Seventh Generation Giveaway is....

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 11 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

DeniseSanborn said... 11

ok signed up for the seventh generation nation.. got my math problem right..lol
May 11, 2010 3:16 PM
Congrats Denise!!

I will contact both of you and you have 48 hours to respond to my email before I have to choose another winner.

Craftyear641 on Etsy Review and Giveaway- closed

2010-05-25T12:15:00.004-04:00

I love shopping on Etsy. I love hand made gifts and products. I feel like they have so much more meaning because someone lovingly crafted it. I came across Connie’s Shop on Etsy and the books she makes are so cute! Natalie loves books. She will sit and read by herself all the time. The one thing I don’t like about books is that they wear and tear pretty fast with a toddler. When Natalie was an infant she would always chew on the board books, I’m not sure why but now they all have teeth marks in them.

I also think that books make great toys for in the car, but I was always too scared to give her a traditional book because I was nervous that she would poke her eye out. Connie makes soft books that are all fabric. They don’t have any sharp edges and if Natalie chews on them they won’t get teeth marks in them. These books are such a great idea!

We were sent a Pooh book to review; this was perfect because Natalie loves Pooh. Right away she opened up the book and was pointing at the different characters. She could easily turn the pages where with traditional books she has to ask for help a lot. Connie’s books are very well made and can stand up to a toddler.

Connie also makesbibs for toddlers. I have talked before about how I hate messes and toddlers make them all the time! Connie’s bibs are big enough to fit and actually cover a toddler. The rest of the bibs I have are too small and her clothes end up getting dirty anyways. I really like that they are soft fabric and not vinyl. Honestly my husband doesn’t like using the ones that feel like plastic.

Wouldn’t you love to get one of these cute books for your child?

You can visit Connie’s Shop
on Etsy, she also has free shipping if you buy 2 books! That’s a great deal!

Or

Connie has kindly offered one of my readers and bib and book for their child.

Mandatory Entry: Visit Connie’s Shop and pick the item you would like to have the most.

Extras:
Follow my blog via GFC. (1 entry)
Follow me on Twitter. (1 entry)
Tweet about this giveaway, include @Kaylynbuckner, #giveaway and link back here. (1 entry per hour).
Heart Connie’s Shop on Esty. (2 entries)
Add any item from Connie’s Shop to your favorite items on Etsy. (1 entry per item)
Enter any of my other giveaways. (1 entry per giveaway)

*I was provided a book and bib to review by Connie, however all opinions expressed here are my own. Giveaway will end on 6/9/10 at 9 PM EST.

Zak! Designs Review and Giveaway- Closed

2010-05-25T12:09:00.002-04:00

Natalie is getting to that picky toddler stage. She will not eat any veggies, not one. The only way I can get her to eat veggies is sneaking it in purees. Yes my 18 month old still eats purees, yes everyone stares at me when we are out and she is eating them. Spoon-feeding her the purees worked for a while until she became Miss Independent. She wanted to feed herself everything. I hated messes but soon learned it’s unavoidable. The only utensils I had in the house for her were the ones I was using to feed her. They aren’t exactly baby err toddler friendly. I came across Zak! Designs and loved them! The designs are enticing for little eaters and the utensils are shaped perfectly to fit in their little hands.

When we received our products I washed them right away so Natalie could use them for lunch. She had so much fun feeding herself. She got it everywhere but she ate more than she would let me feed her if I were trying! I love how the spoon and fork have little faces on them; Natalie loved that too. They are shaped to fit a toddler hand; they have little indents on the back for where their fingers should go.

One of my favorite products is the nibble tray Nibble Tray. Natalie eats all day long so this is perfect for her. I just cut up fruits or if we are attempting veggies and fill the tray. She loves this because she feels like she is deciding what she eats. She also loves dipping her food and it has it’s own dip tray that you can chill!

Here is a little bit more about the company in their words:
Since 1976, Zak Designs has been committed to making mealtime fun for people around the world. Whether it's through dinnerware and on-the-go products that feature children's favorite characters or tableware and kitchen prep products that represent the latest global fashion statements, Zak gives people the mealtime products that fit their appetites.

They also have a new interactive feature on their site that I really like called Meal Time Fun. You can exchange recipes that you use to get your toddler to eat healthier.

Zak! Products definitely made my must have list. They have made mealtime so much easier with Natalie.

You can try some of your own by going to Zak! Designs Website and finding a location to purchase.
Or
You can win a Nibble Tray and Smoothie Sipper right here for your child!

Mandatory Entry:
Visit Zak! Designs
and pick your favorite product.

Extra Entries:
Follow my blog via GFC. (1 entry)
Follow me on twitter (@Kaylynbuckner). (1 entry)
Follow Zak! Designs on twitter. (1 entry)
Tweet about this giveaway, include @Kaylynbuckner, @Zak_Designs, and link back here. (1 tweet per hour)

Like Zak! Designs on Facebook. (1 entry)
Enter any of my other giveaways. (1 entry per giveaway)

*I was provided products to review by Zak! Designs but I was not compensated for my review, all opinions expressed here are my own. Giveaway will end on 6/8/10 at 9 PM EST.

Random Acts of Kindness

2010-05-24T13:33:00.002-04:00

Ever since Natalie was born we have been very lucky to have someone in the family pass things down to us. It has mostly been the same person. I have appreciated it so much! She had both boys but she has still found things that Natalie and I can use and passed them along. We have still had to buy some things for her but we have been pretty spoiled. Natalie has more toys than most kids her age, and she even has boxes of toys that she isn’t ready for yet! Everyone says she is spoiled, and she is in that she has a lot of stuff but we don’t buy her every single thing she wants.

Well this family member had a ton of outdoor toys that she wanted to pass along. So I took Hubby’s truck to her house (an hour away) and picked up all the stuff. I was expecting a few things but we ended up with the pick up bed full! Natalie loves to be outside so this is such a blessing. This was my first act of kindness for the day. She did not ask me to pay her a dime for all of the toys that she gave us. She saved us so much money by just passing these along!

Natalie and I headed on our happy way home. It was getting late and we were going to be late for Natalie’s bedtime, which I hate. Oh well, one night won’t hurt. So I’m driving along on the highway, I hit a bump and one of the little plastic cars (kind of like a Little Tykes Coup) flies out of the back of the truck!!!! I freaked out, slammed on the brakes and pulled over. This little car landed in the middle of the highway. People are swerving so they don’t hit it and I’m standing here wondering what I should do. Finally there is a break in the traffic and I run out and grab it. I thought to myself “Oh crap, this is heavy!” There was no way I was going to carry it back to the truck and then try to figure out how to get it back into the truck. Just as I was figuring this out a car stopped on the side of the road. Out hops a teenage boy asking if I need help. I was super nervous at first, I was alone with Natalie. I said sure and we started the walk back to the truck with him carrying the car. I was trying to make small talk but I was so scared that he was going to hurt Natalie or me. I really didn’t know what to do. I just kept walking and talking and he was really nice. He helped me put the car in the truck and I thanked him over and over. I was shocked that he just stopped to help me with no reason behind it. Did I mention it was 90 degrees with like 85% humidity? I was sweating just from walking.

The whole way home I was thinking about this boy and how he stopped to help me just to be kind. It got me thinking about what I do or have done and I realized that I don’t do enough. We aren’t rich by any means but I feel like I should do something more to help others. I haven’t figured out yet what I need to do but I need to do something. There just aren’t enough nice people in this world anymore.

Winners!

2010-05-19T08:29:00.001-04:00

Announcing winners is one of my favorite things about hosting giveaways on my blog. I have a Mac so when I try to copy & paste RAndom.org into my blog it only goes up to 100. I'm not sure how to change that but if anyone knows, please let me know!

Winner of the CSN Giveaway is

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 156 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Owen's Mom said... 156

Tweet! http://twitter.com/notimeMom/status/13214772005 andrea.kruse at gmail dot com

May 1, 2010 7:50 PM

Congrats Andrea!! She is a very loyal giveaway enter(er).

Winner of the Greenzy's Giveaway is

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 64 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

zookeeperjess said... 64

tweet http://twitter.com/zookeeperjess/status/14240594979

May 18, 2010 1:38 PM

Congrats Jess!!

Here are my 3 winners for the Zestra Rush Giveaway:

Here are your random numbers:

38 22 2

Timestamp: 2010-05-19 12:25:51 UTC

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 32 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

I have to redraw 1 number because Nikki is number 38 as well..

zookeeperjess said... 22: I have your button on my blog entry #1 www.zookeeperjess.blogspot.com; May 8, 2010 5:36 PM
Nikki said... 2: I follow your blog via GFC!; May 4, 2010 12:40 PM
Sarah said... 32: tweeted http://twitter.com/luvnlifeOO/status/13672339444; May 9, 2010 11:16 AM; Congrats to all of my winners! I will be contacting you shortly and you have 48 hours to respond to my email. Thank you all for entering!

Kindeglo Review and Giveaway

2010-05-18T16:14:00.002-04:00

Ever since Natalie was born I have used a nightlight. When she was in our room I had a night light on. It was just a lot more convenient for me so I could see what I was doing. It has now turned into a comfort for Natalie to have a nightlight, she cannot sleep without one. We have tried to sleep without one when we went away and I forgot the nightlight, we end up sleeping with a lamp on and it’s no fun. She has gotten to the age though where she wants to play with her nightlight, turn it on and off or play with the actual bulb. One reason this is bad is because she could burn herself on the bulb, but also because she could break it.

I was browsing blogs one day and came across a Kinderglo review. I was thinking what in the world is this and why do I need it? Well, I will tell you what it is. Kinderglo lights are LED nightlights that are never hot to the touch. The LED bulbs won’t break or burn out as fast as the traditional bulbs. I love that I can have one on in Natalie’s room and not have to worry about her burning herself. The nightlights glow in soothing hues, they even change colors! Here is a little bit more from their site on the details:

Never hot to touch, Kinderglo LED nightlights bathe a room in soft light, easing even the most fretful kids into a good night’s sleep and guarding them through the dark.

Our small soothing pals are perfect to be built into the daily bedtime routine and provide extra comfort for your children, who can safely keep their little friends in their bed all night.

That’s right, the kids can hold them! They even make a half moon design that is shaped so it has a handle for them to hold. I was so excited when we received our package; I opened it up right away. Natalie just loved them. She loves watching them change colors and she thought it was pretty neat I let her carry them around. I let her play with them for a bit but then put them up. I want them to be associated with bedtime and not playtime.

One of the features that I love about them is they are so easy to pack up and take with you. With our old nightlight I had to worry about breaking the bulb in travel, these are so durable that I don’t have to worry. I also love that if we are going to be in the car at night, I can let Natalie hold one so she won’t be scared of the dark.

All around these are just great nightlights, the battery lasts 8-10 hours and they can be recharged up to 500 times! No more buying light bulbs for the nightlight!

Would you like to have a Kinderglo Nightlight for your child?

You can purchase one on Kinderglo’s website or on Amazon. Kinderglo has provided a discount code for my readers! You can use it to save $3 per nightlight! Enter this code at the Amazon checkout: AJLDJCIA

Or
Three of my lucky readers will each get a nightlight of their own thanks to the wonderful people at Kinderglo!

Mandatory Entry:
Head on over to Kinderglo and choose you favorite nightlight, tell me who you would give one to and which one?

Extras:
Follow my blog via GFC. (1 entry)
Follow me on twitter. (1 entry)
Follow @Kinderglo on twitter. (1 entry)
Tweet about this giveaway using @Kaylynbuckner, @Kinderglo and a link back here. Or use this “ Light up your child’s night, win @Kinderglo nightlight from @Kaylynbuckner http://bit.ly/bR5mbw #giveaway “ (1 tweet per hour)

Add my Toddler Tuesday button to your blog. (2 entries)
Enter any of my other giveaways. (1 entry per giveaway- current giveaways only)
Purchase anything from Kinderglo (10 entries)

* I was provided a Kinderglo Nightlight to review and try out, however all opinions expressed here are my own. Open to US and Canada. Giveaway will end on 6/1/10 at 9PM EST.

Thanks for entering!

Backpack, Backpack

2010-05-14T12:39:00.001-04:00

I very recently became interested in baby wearing. I have an 18 month old DD. She loves to be independent and see everything but she isn’t old enough to walk on her own. She is too independent to let me hold her hand so everywhere we go it becomes a struggle of me chasing her around. I take the stroller most everywhere we go but she always wants out after about 15 minutes and then I’m stuck pushing the stroller and chasing Natalie. I really needed a solution to our issue because what we were doing just wasn’t working. I started looking into carriers for toddlers. I asked around on twitter (my go to place). And found that when it comes to baby wearing what works for one doesn’t always work for everyone. There were so many different opinions on which carrier was better that I think it confused me more than anything. There were so many carriers that I wanted to try but the price was pretty high. There was no way I could talk Hubby into letting me get one of these carriers when we are going to get more than a few months use out of it (so I thought).

I waited and kept researching, I checked the swap board but they were still too pricey. One day Ergo Carriers came on babysteals.com. I was so stoked! I waited a few hours to order though, I still wasn’t sure if I had convinced Hubby. He said yes so I went ahead an ordered it. I received it within a week and as soon as we got it I tried it on with Nat. We were home alone but I still wanted to try the back carry. It was a little difficult but we got it ok. Snapped a few pics and it was nap time.

That night when Hubby got home from work we went outside and played basketball with Natalie in the Ergo. She had so much and felt like she was right there with us playing. It was so sturdy that I never worried about her falling out or even being uncomfortable. I have used it many times since to make dinner or do the dishes.

Today I decided to push mow the grass with Natalie in the Ergo! It was kind of spur of the moment but this kid loves being outside and the grass needed to be mowed. So I strapped her on in the back carry which we are getting much better at and off we went! We had so much fun. She kept pointing to the animals in the yard and leaning over my shoulder to see what was going on. I will be doing this more often now!

It’s just starting to get warmer out but I can’t wait to use the Ergo more, I am already thinking of all the places I can take it. One thing I really like about it is that if Natalie wants down, the carrier is light enough that I can still wear it and chase her around, so far she doesn’t want down though.

When I want to put her in the carrier I ask her if she wants to go in Mommy’s Backpack because she is a huge Dora fan. She repeats back to me “backpack backpack”. I love that we have a special name for it and she knows exactly what I’m talking about when I say it.

Now I just wish I had looked into baby wearing when she was younger. I feel like wearing her gives us such a special bond, we are sharing things that she will never share with anyone else. I feel like she learns so much more because she has a great view of the world.

Reisenthel Review & Giveaway- closed

2010-05-11T14:48:00.002-04:00

I have talked before about how I am trying to change my ways and become more “green”. In trying to change I would like to use reusable bags every time I grocery shop or buy anything really. Maybe I should set my goals a little lower… how about 75% of the time? I made this goal oh let’s say a year or so ago. I know it was sometime after Natalie was born. I bought the bags from Meijer and vowed that I would use them when I went grocery shopping. I would bring them in the house to unpack and then forget them. With both hands full of baby or baby gear I would walk into the store and remember my bags were at home! I really couldn’t find a good way to get in the habit. Even when they did make it to my car I would get in the store and to the checkout and realize they were in my car, with a baby and a full cart there is no way I’m running back outside.

In my search to the solution for this problem I came across Reisenthel. I love the look of their bags, but I knew that I wanted to try the Mini Maxi Shopper L. It looks like a great size to carry enough groceries but the feature that I really loved about it is that it comes with it’s own carrying pouch! When you are done using it you just fold it back up and put it in the pouch. It’s small enough to throw it in your diaper bag or purse so you don’t have to worry about forgetting it!

Some of the features of the Mini Maxi Shopper L from their site:
*Can be packed into separate pouch
*2 long carrier handles, can also be used as shoulder straps
* Available in over 15 colours and pattern variations
* Volume 18 liters= 4.75 Gallons
* Capacity Max 15 kg= 33 pounds!

One thing that I was worried about with the carrying pouch is that it wouldn't fit back in there. If you have ever used a sleeping bag or tent, you know that you can never fold them back the way they came out and they don’t go back. Well with these you don’t have to fold them perfect they just slide right back in. I was very impressed with that. I have a toddler I don’t have time to stand there and fiddle with a bag trying to get it to go back.

I really love these bags, I need to order more so that I can keep 1 in the car, 1 in the diaper bag and 1 in Hubby’s truck.

Reisenthel also has many other great bags. I would also love to try the Loopshopper L, it looks like it would hold a ton of groceries!

Want to try a Reinsenthel bag for yourself?

Buy one by visiting Reisenthel.com and locating a store near you.

OR

You can WIN one here! Reisenthel has offered to give 1 of my lovely readers a Mini Maxi Shopper of their very own.

Mandatory Entry:
Visit Reisenthel and pick out another product you would like to try, come back here and leave me a comment letting me know.

Extras:
Follow my blog via GFC. (1 entry)
Follow me on twitter. (1 entry)
Tweet about the giveaway, include a link back here and @Kaylynbuckner. Or use this “Carry your groceries in style. Enter to win a Reisenthel bag from @Kaylynbuckner. http://bit.ly/cQKhrd #giveaway ” (1 entry per hour)

Enter any of my other giveaways (1 entry per giveaway)
Sign up for Swagbucks here. You get 30 free Swagbucks! (10 entries)
Add my Toddler Tuesday button to your blog. (2 entries)

*This is open to U.S and Canada Residents. Giveaway will end on 5/25/10 at 9 PM Est. I was sent a Reisenthel bag to review however all opinions expressed here are purely my own.

Seventh Generation Review & Giveaway- closed

2010-05-11T14:38:00.004-04:00

I love cleaning my house, well not love but somebody has to do it right? I normally use cleaners that have chemicals in them and never think twice about it. I hate the smells but I usually open the windows or turn on the bathroom fan and keep my DD away from where I am cleaning. I have been looking into more natural cleaners and recently switched mostly to vinegar and water. It works ok but my Hubby can’t stand the smell. I didn’t feel like I was getting a good clean. I then came across
Seventh Generation cleaners. I just knew I had to try them!

I started researching more into the company because I was curious how they came up with these “green” cleaning products. Here is a little bit from their mission statement on their site that says a lot about the company.

Inspire Conscious Consumption
Our focus is to inspire thoughtful consideration of each purchase—from the immediate impact of the products you buy (Is it safe? Is it gentle on the earth? Does it work?), to the broader impact throughout their lifecycle.

Toxic Chemical Policy Reform:
Americans assume that chemicals used to make ordinary products are tested for safety — but often they are not. Seventh Generation has partnered with the Safer Chemicals, Health Families Coalition to create the Million Baby Crawl campaign. The Million Baby Crawl allows consumers to join tens of thousands of Americans calling on Congress to strengthen federal laws regulating toxic chemicals used in products ranging from household cleaners to baby bottles.

I feel like their focus totally fits with the lifestyle that I want for my family and myself.
I received a Free & Clear Starter Kit to try out. Which includes; Disinfecting Multi- Surface, Disinfecting Bathroom, Disinfecting Wipes, Laundry Detergent, Liquids Fabric Softener, Dish liquid, All- Purpose Cleaner, Auto- Dish Pacs, Glass Cleaner, Nautral Paper Towel, Seventh Gen Recycled Bag.

As soon as I opened the box I found something to clean! My sliders are always dirty. Natalie just loves to look out them and has to put her hands on them. I have learned that it’s ok if they aren’t clean all the time, but this gave me the perfect opportunity to try out the Natural Glass Cleaner. I sprayed a small amount and cleaned as usual. At first it was a little streaky but I let it dry and it came out just fine!

Next I moved to the bathroom that seems like it always needs to be cleaned. The very first thing I noticed when I used the Disinfecting Bathroom Cleaner
was that there was no harsh chemical smell! I didn’t have to turn on the bathroom fan to use it. It did have a slight smell but it wasn’t a bad smell just clean. It worked really well in cleaning my whole bathroom.

When I received the kit everyone in the house was sick. We have been passing it back and forth for a few weeks but I didn’t want to disinfect the house with something that was going to be worse for us. I got the Disinfecting Wipes out right away. I wiped all the doorknobs, bathroom surfaces and also Nat’s crib. The smell wasn’t the best, it smells like lemongrass and thyme but it went away quickly. I felt so much better after wiping all the surfaces knowing that it was 99.9 % effective at killing germs.

I have since tried out almost all of the products and I love them all equally. I feel really safe using them around my DD knowing that there are no chemical vapors that are going to harm her, or even better yet, leach in to my skin and harm me. I have been looking forward to cleaning more lately! For me this product is more about peace of mind.

Want to try Seventh Generation cleaners on your house?

Buy them: You can go to their website and find a store near you that carries Seventh Generation products.

OR

You can WIN them here! Seventh Generation has been kind enough to offer the Free & Clear Starter Kit to one of my readers! The starter kit includes Disinfecting Multi- Surface, Disinfecting Bathroom, Disinfecting Wipes, Laundry Detergent, Liquids Fabric Softener, Dish liquid, All- Purpose Cleaner, Auto- Dish Pacs, Glass Cleaner, Nautral Paper Towel, Seventh Gen Recycled Bag.

Mandatory Entry:
Sign up for the Seventh Generation Nation and get email updates and coupons. Post a comment back here stating that you did.

Extras:
Follow my blog via GFC. (1 entry)
Follow me on twitter. (1 entry)
Follow Seventh Gen on twitter. (1 entry)
Tweet about this giveaway, include @Kaylynbuckner #giveaway and a link back here or use this “Want your house to be clean? Enter to win a Seventh Generation kit from @Kaylynbuckner http://bit.ly/bYeG2N. #giveaway “ (1 entry per hour)

Like Seventh Generation on Facebook. (1 entry)
Add my Toddler Tuesday button to your blog. (2 entries)
Enter any of my other giveaways. (1 entry per giveaway)
Sign up for Swagbucks here. You get 30 free Swagbucks! (10 entries, only for newly signing up)
Let me know what product you would like to try from Seventh Generation (1 entry)

* I was provided products to review by Seventh Generation, however all opinions expressed here are purely my own. This is open to U.S and Canada Residents. Giveaway will end on 5/25/10 at 9 PM EST.

Blogs

2010-05-08T21:08:00.003-04:00

I am the type of person who loves reading blogs. I love going from site to site and seeing what is going on in everyone’s lives. I love that I can relate to some or all that they are going through and it makes me feel more normal as a Stay at Home Mom (SAHM). It’s hard to find normalcy when you don’t know what “normal” SAHM’s are going through. To me, it feels like a little window into their life. It’s so personal yet they are sharing it with me.

That said I also love going from blog to blog and reading the reviews and entering the giveaways. It’s so much fun and the anticipation of whether you will win or not is great! I never realized until I became a review blogger how much work really went into a review. You can just sit down and think it all up. You have to use the product and think about what you will say and how you will say it. You actually have to spend time thinking about what you will say, how you will keep your readers entertained. So I wanted to say thank you to all the review bloggers out there! I really appreciate all of your hard work for bringing up honest reviews so that we may base our decisions to buy off of your posts.

Also while I’m here, I want to give a shout out to some of the blogs that I read (almost) daily. I love them and like I said before, they make me feel normal!

Mandy over at Big City! Baby because she is one cool momma!

Madison from Life Happens During Naptime ( love the name too!)

Amanda from Among The Mess because she is good company on twitter and her kiddos are cute!

Jess over at Welcome to the Zoo because she is such a sweetheart.

And

Mindy from The Inquisitive Mom because her posts are always so honest and heartfelt.

Wordless Wednesday- Hair Do's

2010-05-05T19:41:00.000-04:00

Zestra Rush Review and Giveaway- closed

2010-05-04T12:12:00.004-04:00

I have a toddler. Most of the time by the end of the day I am ready to fall into bed and not think about another thing. Hubby has other “ideas”. And most of the time unfortunately he gets the response “I’m too tired” or “I’m not in the mood”. Poor guy. When I heard about an opportunity to test out Zestra Rush, a product that will help you feel more in the mood, I couldn’t wait to try it out. I want that time with my Hubby I just don’t have the energy.

Here is a little more about the product from the website:

Zestra is a safe, patented blend of botanicals oils and extracts, created to help women feel more — effortlessly. Topically applied Zestra works within minutes by heightening your sensitivity to touch – for deep, pleasurable sensations, sexual satisfaction and fulfillment.

I received Zestra in the mail in a very discreet package. I don’t like to talk about these things or for other people to know so that was relieving for me! My mom got the mail for me that day and had no idea!

We tested out the Zestra, it says to start with a whole packet and from there decide how much you need for future use. I think I need less! But it was really nice. I didn’t have to worry about being in the mood. It really boosted the way I um felt. And Hubby wasn’t complaining!

I feel like with a toddler or any child around, you have to work to have intimacy in your relationship. For me, Zestra took part of the work out of it for me.

Want to try some Zestra Rush for yourself?

You can buy it by visiting their website.

Or

You can WIN some here! 3 of my readers will receive a 2 pack to try out for themselves.

Giveaway is closed.

Mandatory Entry: Head over to Zestra and comment with something you learned there about this product.

Extra Entries:
Follow my blog via GFC. (1 entry)
Follow me on twitter ( 1 entry)
Tweet about this giveaway. Include @Kaylynbuckner and link back to the giveaway. Or use this “Want to spice up your marriage? Enter to win Zestra from @Kaylynbuckner http://bit.ly/cIkEnT #giveaway” (1 entry per hour)

Put my Event button on your blog (counts if you already have it there) (2 entries)
Enter any of my other giveaways. (1 entry per giveaway)
Sign up for swagbucks using the link here. (10 extra entries)

* I was provided a sample of Zestra to review, all opinions expressed here are my own. Giveaway will end on 5/18/10 at 9 pm Est.

Greenzys Review and Giveaway- closed

2010-05-04T10:11:00.005-04:00

When I was growing up my parents didn’t even know what “green” meant, other than a color of course. Now that I’m older and live on my own I make my own life style decisions. We have decided to be more “green” as a family. It’s been a little hard retraining ourselves with some things. Now that we are used to it though, the changes are great, and better for our families in most ways.

I came across a book called Greenzys, it is geared towards children to help teach them early on to be more “green”. I read through the book before I let Natalie see it and it was so cute! The illustrations are great and the story is written in a way for children to understand. Now I think Natalie is a little too young to understand the meaning of the book but I’m happy about letting her read it over and over until she is old enough to get it.

They also offer stuffed plush animals that match the characters in the book, what a neat idea! Here is a little about their plush animals from their site:

The soft cuddly plush toys are made in socially responsible factories from soy fibers and non-toxic dyes with packaging made from recycled paperboard. When you purchase one of these loveable toys, you and your child will have an opportunity to actively help preserve the environment. For every toy purchased, a tree is planted. Your child can personalize a printable, digital certificate documenting the planting of the tree that they will cherish forever. Imagine the excitement children will experience knowing they can personally make a difference!

I also really like the company who makes Greenzys; they are very Eco Friendly. When you make a purchase of one of their stuffed toys or books they make contribution to a green non-profit organization! How awesome is that! First, you are helping your child learn to be more green and you are making a contribution at the same time!

Want a Book and plush of your own? Books can be purchased from Amazon.com, FAO Schwarz New York, Kids Books Section of Green Depot Retailers and Green Depot.com. The Plush animals can be found at FAO.com and FAO Schwarz New York.

Or you can WIN your very own copy of the book here:

Giveaway is closed.

Mandatory Entry:
Check out the Greenzys website! Browse the selection of plush toys, come back here, and leave a comment telling me which one is your favorite.

Extras:
Follow my blog via GFC. (1 entry)
Follow me on twitter (1 entry)
Follow Greenzys on twitter (1 entry)
Tweet about the giveaway include @Kaylynbuckner, @thegreenzys and link back here. Or us this “ Teach your child to be green, win a copy of @thegreenzys from @Kaylynbuckner http://bit.ly/9H5vom #eco #giveaway “ (2 entries per day)

Enter any of my other giveaways (1 entry per giveaway)
Like Greenzys on facebook (1 entry)
Add my event button to your blog, or if you already have it. (2 entries)
Sign up for swagbucks using the link here, even if you already signed up under me. (10 extra entries)

*I was provided a copy of the Greenzys book to review. Giveaway will end on 5/18/10 at 9 PM est.

Wordless Wednesday- Fluffy Bum

2010-04-28T08:30:00.000-04:00

CSN Stores Giveaway- Closed

2010-04-27T08:14:00.006-04:00

I have been lucky enough to be selected to host a giveaway for all my wonderful readers! CSNStores.com is offering a $40 gift certificate to their store for one of my readers! CSN has over 200 stores! They have such a wide variety of items including baby items, housewares , furniture and TV stands.

Here is a little of what you can find on their site:

Win it!!! One lucky reader will receive a $40 gift certificate to CSNstores.com!!!
Giveaway is closed!

Madatory Entry: Go to CSNStores.com, come back here and leave a comment telling me what you would buy with your gift card.

Extras:
Publically follow my blog (1 entry)
Follow me on twitter. (1 entry)
Tweet about the giveaway, include a link back here and @Kaylynbuckner. Or use this “I want to win a $40 GC to CSNstores from @Kaylynbuckner. http://bit.ly/bVxrU4 #giveaway ” (1 entry per hour)

Add my Toddler Tuesday button to your blog. (top right) (2 entries)
Enter any of my other giveaways (coming soon) (1 entry per giveaway)
Sign up for Swagbucks here. You get 30 free Swagbucks! (10 entries)

If you are entry number 1, 25, 60, 93, 117 you get 5 extra entries!

*This is open to U.S and Canada Residents. Giveaway will end on 5/18/10 at 9 PM Est.

Toddler Tuesday Event!!!

2010-04-21T19:02:00.000-04:00

I wanted to let you all know that in a few weeks I will be starting an event called Toddler Tuesday. The event will focus on products for toddlers, thinks like feeding utensils, toys, snacks and cloth diapers. I will be posting a review and giveaway each week. I am really excited about hosting this event and I hope that you will come back to enter my giveaways!

I can’t wait until it’s all together so I can announce my sponsors!

Toddler Tuesday Event announcement

2010-04-21T15:26:00.001-04:00

Right now, I want to announce that one of my sponsors will be CSNstores.com !!!
I am truly excited for this opportunity! While you are waiting my event to start you should check out their site here. CSN Stores has such a wide selection of items including tv stands, children’s products, furniture, house wares and so much more!

I am really looking forward to bringing you this giveaway!

Wordless Wednesday- Golfing

2010-04-21T09:00:00.000-04:00

Tag You're IT!

2010-04-20T15:34:00.002-04:00

Tag Tuesday! Come join me for a game of Tag! You're it!

Kaylyn

The Best Blueberry Muffins

2010-04-20T15:10:00.002-04:00

I love these muffins! I even made a double batch for Hubby to take to work for his employees for breakfast. The pancake mix makes them really fluffy.

The Ingredients

                         And of course the blue berries, I used frozen ones

The Best Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:

    * 3/4 cup milk
    * 1/2 cup vegetable oil- I substitute unsweetened apple sauce
    * 1 egg
    * 1 cup flour
    * 1 cup of your favorite pancake mix
    * 1/3- 1/2 cup white sugar
    * 3 teaspoons baking powder
    * 1 cup of blueberries
    * muffin pan for 12 muffins
    * small sized muffin papers

1. Turn on the oven and preheat to 400 degrees so it will be ready when you are done preparing the muffins. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the milk, oil, and egg. Whisk these together with a fork until it is evenly mixed.

2. Add the flour, pancake mix, 1/3- 1/2 cup sugar, (depending on how sweet you would like the muffins) and baking powder. Stir with fork until evenly mixed. Don't stir too much, this will cause the muffins to be tough.

3. If the blueberries you are using are larger than normal, get out a cutting board and knife and chop them in half. Add the one cup of blueberries to the batter and mix gently so as not to break the blueberries.

4. Place one muffin paper in each indentation in the muffin pan. Spoon the batter into the papers so that each muffin is about the same size and has approximately the same amount of blueberries. Put the muffins in the oven and bake for 17-20 minutes until the tops are golden brown.

5. Turn off the oven. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Remove muffins from pan. Once cool, store

And somehow I forgot to take a picture after they were done! They are all gone now but man were they good!

3 Sicknesses and a Bathroom Remodel

2010-04-15T11:22:00.000-04:00

That’s what has been going on at our house lately. Monday morning the guys came to tear apart our bathroom to put in the new fixtures since we wanted to update our bathroom. Hubby came home from work early on Monday with a fever and body ache. He hibernated in our room so that he wouldn’t get anyone else sick. Well, it didn’t work. He was up vomiting in the night (with a torn apart bathroom). I woke up at 3 A.M sick to my stomach and Natalie cried out in her sleep all night, I’m guessing she had a fever.

This is what our bathroom looked like Monday night!

Tuesday came and the guys came back over to work on the bathroom, I was vomiting and a fever, Natalie was just whiny and achy and Hubby attempted to go to work. I got a call from Hubby at 11 saying he was coming back home and to bed. We were all miserable. The bathroom was supposed to be done Tuesday evening but they ran into a lot of issues because of the previous owner being a “do- it- yourselfer”.

Wednesday morning the guys arrive to work on the bathroom again. Hubby is a little better and at least made it to the recliner to sleep most of the day. Natalie seemed happier and I had a ton of energy. I was really hopeful that they would get the bathroom done, since it’s been 2 days since I had a shower! I washed my hair in the sink and sponge bathed but it didn’t help. I just wanted a shower. We gave Nat a bath in the sink that night since the bathroom still isn’t done!

Now it’s Thursday, the guys aren’t here yet but will be soon. Nat was up at 6:30 so she is down for a nap already and I’m hoping to get her to take 2 naps today but who knows. I feel like my allergies are acting up and Hubby has to work today. I’m really crossing my fingers that they get the bathroom done. If not, I might have to go rent a hotel just to take a shower. And here I sit thinking, typing and sneezing! I can’t wait for this week to be over. Oh wait; Hubby works the next 6 days so really our week is just beginning!

Monkey Snuggles

2010-04-14T18:56:00.001-04:00

We just tried out Monkey Snuggles. I was hesitant because I have a brand that I really like but they had such cute prints and I was dying to try the tye dyed one! I finally ordered a "Pink Lemonade" fitted and I am so glad that I did. It's so soft and so cute on Nat's bum!
Here are a few pics of her in the Pink Lemonade one.

Top To Bottom Baby Boutique carries Monkey Snuggles but I would love to see them feature them as their weekly product. Everyone should try at least one Monkey Snuggles! Here is the link to their site TTBBB

Wordless Wednesday- Bubbles!

2010-04-14T14:05:00.000-04:00

And the winner is....

2010-04-11T19:43:00.001-04:00

Misfit Momma aka Missy said... 40: tweet http://twitter.com/Missy_wpg/status/11178434379 rue Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 40 Congrats Missy!! You have 24 hours after I email you to respond, otherwise I will have to choose another winner. Kaylyn

Alvin and The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

2010-04-08T09:22:00.000-04:00

When I was a child we always watch Alvin and the Chipmunks. I loved the movie and I really like the show. You could say I grew up watching it. I had an older brother and sister so I always watched shows that were above my age. But Alvin and the Chipmunks were always good for various age groups.

When the updated versions of the movies came out I had to watch them. They were still so cute even as an adult. Natalie has not yet seen them but she will someday and I’m sure she will love them as much as I do. I still wanted her to be a part of them even at her age. Natalie loves music so I decided to get the soundtrack to so that we could listen to it together. What a great idea! Natalie loved it! I wish I could tell what she really thought, but she was just jamming away. She was bobbing her head and it was just the cutest thing I have ever seen! I brought it to the car for road trips now and it worked really well. The music kept her entertained and she didn’t get fussy at all.

You really should try out this CD with your child. It has great upbeat music and they are all modern songs that you would know.

Here are the tracks that are on the CD:
1. You Really Got Me - The Chipmunks (feat. Honor Society)

2. Hot N Cold - The Chipettes

3. So What - The Chipettes

4. You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) - The Chipmunks

5. Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) - The Chipettes

6. Bring It On - The Chipmunks

7. Stayin' Alive - The Chipmunks

8. Song - The Chipettes (feat. Queensberry)

9. It's OK - The Chipmunks

10. Shake Your Groove Thing - The Chipmunks

11. Put Your Records on - The Chipettes

12. I Want To Know What Love Is - The Chipmunks

13. We Are Family - The Chipettes & The Chipmunks

14. No One - The Chipettes (feat. Charice)

15. I Gotta Feeling - The Chipettes & The Chipmunks

You can purchase this CD through Amazon or Itunes .

Check it out!!!

This Baby is a Toddler

2010-04-06T13:27:00.000-04:00

When Natalie turned 12 months old I started receiving the emails that said “Your Toddler This Week” rather than the ones that I was getting before that said “Your Baby This Week”. In all honesty I thought it was a mistake. She was only 12 months old there was no way she could be a toddler already! I started calling her my “baby toddler” that way it didn’t seem so bad. Slowly we lost the baby part of that. In the last few weeks she has shown me that she is no longer a baby. Where oh where did my little baby go?

A few months ago we started the transition from two naps to one. That is where is the real baby to toddler transition started. One morning I got her out of bed at a normal time, put her down for her morning nap and she did fine. She had a normal 1 hour nap. We had lunch as usual and played. I attempted to put her down for her second nap and this is where the protest began. We tried and tried but she didn’t nap. I thought something was wrong. The next day happened exactly the same. It then dawned on me that she must be ready for one nap. But how do I do this? She is so crabby if she is awake for more than 3 hours.

The third day I kept her up about an hour longer than normal and she went down for a nap and still napped an hour. She ended up being up from 12 until bedtime at 7:30. It was a very long day for us. The next few weeks went pretty much the same; only some days she would want two naps and some days only one. I never knew when to schedule anything because I wasn’t sure if she would take one nap or two. It was really difficult, I was cranky and so was she! Finally we are down to 1 nap around 12 or 12:30 and she will nap for 2 hours.

With the nap transition came the “toddler” behavior. My mom actually told me that she thought Natalie was getting her “terrible two’s” early. Great.

Last week she bit me for the first time. I was completely heartbroken. She was into something she wasn’t supposed to be (cat food) so I picked her up and carried her away, this is when she proceeded to bit my neck. It scared me and of course I yelped and told her not to bite. She hasn’t done it again (yet).

Yesterday she hit me and scratched me in the face for the first time. I picked her up to change her diaper and apparently she was mad because she just started hitting me in the face! That quickly turned to scratching. I was trying really hard to think about my reaction and not overreact. I calmly said “Natalie, please stop hitting mommy, you are hurting me.” Luckily we got to her bedroom so I could put her down. She hasn’t done it again (yet).

My point is that I’m not really sure when EXACTLY the transition happened, there was no screams, or physical changes. Natalie’s attitude just completely changed. She now tells me no all the time even when she really does want something.

She is so much fun at this stage but yet so challenging. I am reminding myself to cherish each moment even if it is a bite or a scratch. I am just lucky to have her.

Friday Follow

2010-04-02T08:33:00.001-04:00

Today is Friday Follow that I love to do so I would like to welcome to you all my Friday Followers, please come join the fun and I do follow back It does take me threw out the week sometimes to get back to everyone but I will follow you back.

Here's how YOU can join:

* Link up your blog name and URL using the MckLinky below. Only need to add on one blog to be seen on all the blog hops.

* Follow the Friday Follow hostesses listed in the first 3 slots.

* Follow as many other blogs on the linky as you'd like

* Take a moment to comment on the blogs telling them you're from Friday Follow

* Follow back when you get a new follower through Friday Follow

Wordless Wednesday- collecting acorns!

2010-03-31T13:18:00.000-04:00

Earth Hour

2010-03-29T12:16:00.003-04:00

Hubby and I observed Earth Hour on Saturday March 27th, 2010. When I heard about Earth Hour it was actually that day and I was on the computer and Hubby was playing his video games. Whenever we want time to ourselves that’s what we do. He plays video games and I have computer time. It’s not a great way to spend time together but sometimes you just need alone time.

Back to Earth Hour. I’m not sure if it changed the world but I am pretty sure it changed our marriage. I text Hubby to see if he wanted to observe Earth Hour with me and he said sure. He wasn’t too optimistic but we thought it would be fun. That was at 8:29 P.M, we started Earth Hour at 8:30.

We met in the kitchen and it was completely dark. We had no plans of what to do, just to spend time together without using power. So I scrounged up all the candles I could find. Hubby opened a beer and poured me a giant glass of wine. We don’t drink often so this was a nice indulgence. We decided to play cards but we don’t know any 2-player games. We then used Hubby’s phone (shh) to look up the rules for Gin. We started playing and actually ended up sitting there for 2 hours playing cards by candlelight. We just chatted and enjoyed each other.

The next night we took our usual posts at the TV and computer. A few minutes later Hubby text me to ask if I wanted to play cards again, so we did. It was so much fun. I think we might try to make card playing a weekly thing. It was nice to pretty much do “nothing”. It was so relaxing and we really enjoyed the company.

I hope Earth Hour made in impact but if not I know it made an impact on our marriage.

Yoreganics Review & Giveaway- Closed

2010-03-22T19:46:00.006-04:00

I am a cloth diaper mama. With that comes some challenges that you may have to overcome. My diapers were stinky. I had tried everything and in my quest to find a solution I found Yoreganics Soap Nuts. Boy am I glad I did! Haven’t ever heard of Soap Nuts? Here is a little description from their site:

LAUNDRY BY MOTHER NATURE
SOAP NUTS fall from the Soapberry tree (Sapindus mukorossi) found in Northern India and Nepal. The outer shells of these dried fruit berries contain saponin, which creates soap when agitated in water. They effectively clean, soften and remove odors from your laundry!

Intrigued? I was too! The Soap Nuts are natural! Don’t most cloth diaper users want to be more eco friendly? Soaps Nuts are sustainable and biodegradable; they are also USDA certified organic so there aren’t any chemicals in them. You can read more about how to get the stink out on a review I did on Soap Nuts.
Soap Nuts are very economical running about .13 cents per load of laundry! The price is $12.99 for an 85-load bag.

I was sent the Trio Sampler to review; it includes a trial size Soap Nuts, a 2 oz Stain Remover and a 3 oz sample of Brightens & Whitens. I was also sent one of their Organic Lip Balms to try out.

I am already a user of the Soap Nuts so I know I love those, but I was really excited to try the Lip Balm because I am an avid chapstick user. I use it multiple times a day and always know where a tube is. I am brand loyal so I wasn’t sure if I would like this new stuff. I put it on as soon as the package arrived. At first it has a minty smell and feeling that is really refreshing. It lasted for so long I don’t even think I reapplied it for a few hours. It has made my lips so much softer I don’t need to use it every hour like I used to. I was even out once and didn’t have any gum, I was talking to people and nervous that my breath was bad so I used a little Lip Balm and my lips were all minty again and I felt confident! If you are a chapstick user, I definitely recommend you give this a try!

As most of you know I have a toddler, with that toddler comes many messes. In all honesty I keep a stain remover on my bathroom counter at all times. That way at night when she has any spots on her clothes I can spray it, let it sit overnight and then rinse. I was really excited to get this purse size Stain Remover from Yoreganics. Many times I can’t get the stain out because we are out when it happens and by the time we get home it’s dried and too late. I kept waiting for the perfect chance to give the Stain Remover the real test. Finally one morning I was sorting out Nat’s laundry and I found a shirt with a stain on it. Dh had undressed her the night before for bed and never said a word. I gasped; we had lasagna the night before. There is NO way this is going to come out. I ran to the bathroom and sprayed the Stain Remover right on the stain. The bottle says to leave for a few minutes so I mentally told myself to go back after 5 min. Well I lost track of time and 5 min turned into 10. As soon as I remembered I went in the bathroom, scrubbed at the stain a little bit and rinsed it per directions. The stain came right out! An overnight lasagna stain and I assumed the shirt was ruined forever. Thanks to Yoreganics Stain Remover it was saved!
Spot Before

Spot After

Giveaway:
Kim from Yoreganics is giving away a Sampler Trio & Organic Lip Balm to one of my readers!

To enter: Visit Yoreganics and pick one of their products you would like to try. Come back here and leave a comment.

Extras:
Publically follow my blog via GFC. (1 entry)
Follow me @Kaylynbuckner on Twitter. (1 entry)
Follow @Yoreganics on Twitter. (1 entry)
Refer someone and have them mention your name. ( 5 entries)
Tweet about this contest, include @Kaylynbuckner, @Yoreganics and link back to this site or use this:" @Kaylynbuckner is giving away a Laundry Trio Sampler including Soap Nuts from @Yoreganics! http://bit.ly/az6i2K #clothdiapers #giveaway #eco " (2x per day)

Become a fan of Yoreganics on Facebook. (2 entries)
Blog about this giveaway (3 entries)
Make a purchase from Yoreganics, come back and let me know what you purchased. (10 entries)
Watch Yoreganics Youtube Video and either favorite it or leave a comment. (2 entries)

This giveaway will close at 9 PM Est on April 10th, 2010. One reader will be selected using random.org. They will have 48 hours to reply to an email sent to them before another winner is chosen at random.

*This was not a paid post and my honest opinion was given about the product.*

Winner!!!

2010-03-21T21:24:00.000-04:00

The winner of My First Giveaway is Madison by following me on twitter! Comment #8

Result: 8 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

You have 24 hours to respond after I contact you!

Life

2010-03-19T13:15:00.004-04:00

Times have been hard lately. Well, not THAT hard but harder for me. I know there are people out there that have it much worse. In the heat of the moment though, I don’t always think of that. I try to remind myself that I don’t have it THAT bad. Natalie was sick with a cold for 2 weeks and from that cold she got a double ear infection. ¾ of the way through her cold I got the same cold. We were both sick and whiny and miserable. Then because of the ear infections she started not sleeping. If you have ever had a baby with an ear infection, you know exactly what I mean. They are miserable but there isn’t a whole lot you can do to help them. It’s a very helpless feeling and one of the worst ones that comes with being a parent. I will admit there were many days in the last 2 weeks that I wished I was somewhere else, I wished someone could come take my child so I could just lay on the couch, I wished that Hubby could take the day off so that I could relax and get well. Those wishes didn’t come true. Instead, Natalie and I endured the 2 weeks together, we fought through it and now we are so much better! After it all she has become very whiny and clingy to me though. I leave the house and she is fine with daddy but the minute I come home she is whining at my feet. I think it’s just a phase, I am crossing my fingers it’s just a phase. In lieu of all that I wanted to share a few things I remind myself to be grateful for when bedtime seems so far away.

I have an amazing Hubby and father for Natalie. I’m not a single mother, even though it feels like it some days. He still comes home at the end of the day and tells me he loves me no matter what kind of day he has had.

My daughter is healthy (for the most part) and living and loving. She’s amazing. She makes me smile so many times a day and we laugh out loud like we have our own inside jokes but she can’t talk.

I get to stay home all day long doing the things I love. It’s not always easy but it’s where I WANT to be.

We don’t have to worry about money or bills being paid. We have a house to live in and never have to worry where our next meal will come from.

My Hubby spoils me. He really does, I don’t like admitting it but he is wonderful to me.

I have great family and friends that are always there to support me even if I’m upset over something small.

These are just a few things I like to remind myself when it seems like our bad day will never end. I tell myself tomorrow is a new day and I’m the only one who can wipe the slate clean and try to make tomorrow better than today!!

Wordless Wednesday- Hair

2010-03-17T09:32:00.000-04:00

Tasty Tuesday

2010-03-16T08:36:00.002-04:00

Hubby’s Grandparents came home from Florida last week! What does this have to do with Tasty Tuesday? I’m glad you asked! Grandma is one of those grandmas’s that makes everything taste so good. No matter what she has made us in the past I have loved it! She has that touch. She always finds the good recipes and seasons it just right. Ever since Hubby and I got married almost 3 years ago I have been soaking up every single recipe she will give me. I didn’t have this with my grandma and I want things like this to pass on to my kids. We went to Grandma and Grandpa’s house for dinner last week and I wanted to share the recipe that she made. I made it last night again and it turned out great!

No Fuss Chicken

2/3 cup flour

1 tsp Rubbed Sage

1 tsp Dried Basil

1 tsp Seasoned Salt

1 broiler chicken (2 to 3 pounds, cut up) we both used legs & thighs just fine

¼ cup butter

2 cups chicken broth

1.In a shallow bowl, combine flour, sage, basil and seasoned salt; coat chicken.

Reserve remaining flour mixture.

2. In a large skillet, melt butter; brown chicken on all sides. Transfer to a slow cooker.

3. Add ¼ cup flour mixture to skillet; discard rest. Stir until smooth.

4. When mixture begins to bubble, stir in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over chicken.

5. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 2 ¼ hours or low for 6-8 hours.

Serve with mashed potatoes and veggie.

(At the end when the chicken was done cooking I had to remove the gravy and bring to a boil on the stove and add a little flour to thicken and use as gravy).

Enjoy!!

Do you have any of your grandmother’s recipes to share? Thanks!

Little Remedies

2010-03-15T19:27:00.000-04:00

I LOVE Little Remedies products. I haven't tried them all but I'm sure we will by the time Natalie is grown. We have used the little noses and couldn't live without it. And the Little Tummy's Gripe Wster has gotten us through many nights!

I entered into a giveaway for my blog. All you have to do is click the box and vote for my blog! Simple!!!

Taxes

2010-03-11T16:03:00.002-05:00

I am always really good about doing our taxes right away. Hubby can usually print his W-2 off at his work on January 1st. We don’t have a ton of other stuff to claim, usually. Before this year we didn’t have a mortgage to claim. In all honesty we usually have our taxes BACK by the beginning of February. We always have a plan of debts that we want to pay off, money we want to spend and money we want to save.

This past year we bought a house that means that we qualify for the New Homebuyer tax credit, exciting right? Well, it is exciting but when I went to file our taxes on January 15th, the form for the credit wasn’t ready. It said it would be ready by January 18th. On January 21st I finally got an email saying it was ready. I hurried over to Turbo Tax to finish our taxes so that we could get them back ASAP and get the money where it needed to go. I get over to Turbo Tax and find out that because of the form we have to submit our taxes my mail… I knew it would be a while if we did that but it would be worth the wait. Well I asked Hubby to bring me home a stamp, 4 days later and our taxes finally went out.

Now the waiting starts, I keep checking the site about every other day. I know it says to wait a week to check again but I can’t help it, surely they could get it and update the status in a day or two. So I check and check and check. Finally on March 6th, they receive our taxes. And here comes the fun part, the website says that we should receive our taxes on APRIL 6th as long as there are no errrors. APRIL 6th?!?! I filed two and a half months prior to that. I have never had a return tax this long. Now we are all bummed because it feels like our lives are on hold. Ok it’s not that huge of a deal but still we have a really good plan for becoming debt free and we want to get the ball rolling now! Not on April 6th, now!!!

There’s my rant, I’m happy for the tax credit but it really stinks that it’s going to take so long!

My First Giveaway- CLOSED

2010-03-07T11:59:00.007-05:00

From reading my prior posts you probably have found that I love trying new diapers. You could say I’m addicted but we won’t admit that just yet. I like to see what works and what doesn’t for Nat. Sometimes there are diapers that everyone loves that just won’t work for whatever reason for your baby, but how do you know without trying them? That’s my stance anyway!

I have been working really hard to get my blog up and going. It’s been a pretty big priority of mine lately. I have decided to do my own giveaway!

I thought I would let the winner pick a diaper of their choice up to a $25 dollar value! I will cover shipping and everything else, just contact me with your address if you are the winner.

To enter: Tell me what your favorite cloth diaper is and why. This entry is mandatory.

Extras: (will only count if you do the mandatory entry first! please leave a separate comment for each if you want them to count.)

Follow my blog publically via GFC. (1 entry)

Follow me on Twitter. (1 entry)

Tweet this post using @Kaylynbuckner and link to this post. Or you can tweet this " Enter to win your choice of #clothdiapers from @kaylynbuckner http://bit.ly/btCEAE " (once daily)

Comment on any other post on my blog. (1 entry per day)

Leave me a comment here telling me what kind of diaper you would want to try. (1 entry)

Easy Entries!!! Giveaway will end on 3/21/10 at 9 P.M EST. U.S only. Thanks!!!

PR Policy

2010-03-07T11:51:00.004-05:00

Mommy Mischief is a personal blog written solely by me & anyone I give strict permission to. Posts & review are honest & true to my thoughts & feelings. At this time, I do not accept paid advertising or sponsorship, however, I'd like to keep that door open, so my policy may change.

Mommy Mischief enjoys learning about new products & I am willing to do reviews and/or giveaways for my readers & friends. I will accept & keep free samples from organizations & companies who agree to work with me as a sponsor, however, I will maintain an honest & truthful review of my experience with each product.

If I am working with a sponsor on a giveaway, I ask that the sponsor provide a sample for both myself (to review) & for my giveaway winner, as well as the shipping costs to the winner, within 48 hours of notification from me. If the sponsor would prefer to have a discount code, rather than a sample, given to my readers, that is something we can discuss as well.

If you would like to work with me, please do not hesitate to contact me at Kaylyn.buckner@gmail.com. I look forward to working with you & providing my readers with information about great products that are available.

About Those Nifty Nappy's

2010-03-05T07:51:00.007-05:00

When it comes to cloth diapering I love trying new diapers, but only when recommended by someone. I don’t like going out on a limb but if someone I know loves a diaper than I’m more likely to try it. Well about 4 months ago a really good friend of mine couldn’t stop talking about Nifty Nappys. I had to see what the fuss was about. I wasn’t a fitted user; we only used pockets because fitteds were too bulky or complicated for Dh.

I got my first Nifty Nappy in a diaper swap, so it was free! As soon as the package came I ripped it open (carefully). Out comes this cute pink diaper, it was seriously the softest thing I have ever felt. Then I got to the insert and oh my! I wanted to wear it, ok not really but if I had to wear cloth diapers, I would want this one. I washed it and prepped it and got it on Nat’s little bum as fast as I possibly could (did I mention our washer was broke when I got it?)

Here is a little bit more from her blog about the mama behind the diaper…

We are a homegrown company. Vilate is the mother of 6 kiddos and is dedicated to cloth diapering. She spent years coming up with the perfect pattern and fabrics. Now we have the perfect diaper to show for all those years!

You can follow her blog Nifty Nappy.

I didn’t have her wool cover yet so I just used a PUL cover, it lasted 3 hours and the outside wasn’t even damp. I’ve never been able to let her go that long without being completely soaked! I was very happy with the diaper.

Here is a little bit more from Vilate about her Nifty Nappy’s:

    Having a diaper that fits and is trim but also breathes and is cute is asking a lot, right?
I didn’t think so! I knew it could be done if I had the right materials and knowledge. I have spent many hours on line researching cloth diapers, along with years of testing different patterns and fabrics out on my own 6 kids. I finally found the right fabrics and with all the knowledge I had acquired, I started on a diaper. The pattern of the diaper isn’t too difficult right? Well, shape does matter, how soon you curve around the leg can make or break a diaper. Then there is making it fit from newborn to potty training. I succeeded in that too! I made the perfect diaper…at least I think it is.
Qualities of the Nifty Nappy:

    * Front snapping for a longer fit
    * Trim fit – looks natural under clothes
    * Organic Hemp and Bamboo for absorbency
    * Cute fabrics for your baby’s bum

There are a few other items that are good enough to join the Nifty Nappy in this shop:

    * Wool Covers- Upcyled from wool sweaters handpicked from thrift stores, these are practically bullet proof.
    * PeachyKeen Pocket diapers – These are made with the PUL qualities in mind so there is no leaking on the edges.
    * Snappy SwimzEaze – Keeps your babies tush comfy while keeping your mind at ease, knowing that everything will stay in the diaper and not in the pool.

I now have the Wool Covers and I’m not sure how I lived without them. They are so soft and they actually work. I can put a Nifty Nappy fitted on Nat with her wool cover and she stays dry about 4 hours! I really like that they are a snap on cover because Nat isn’t so great about pull up diaper covers. So they are very easy to use. I found too that the “wings” on the cover stretch pretty far to get a really good fit. Even better, they are a one size cover! I love that, there is nothing better than one size. When you order the wool cover you tell her whether you want Girl, Boy or Gender Neutral. She doesn’t have prints listed that you can pick from. At first I was really nervous about that, I like to know what I’m getting. When I got my first wool cover it was spot on. I love the style and somehow I feel like it “fit” with Nat’s personality! Now I love ordering them and waiting not so patiently to get them in the mail to see what Vilate has come up with!

Here is my stash right now

All around Nifty Nappy is a great company with great products. Vilate has awesome customer service! I also feel like I can ask her any questions that I have or just say Hi if I see her around Twitter.

Now I hope you will take the leap too and give her a try!

Wordless Wednesday- Cheetos

2010-03-03T13:48:00.003-05:00

First time eating Cheetos!

Tasty Tuesday

2010-03-02T14:22:00.002-05:00

This week I was trying to use up leftover produce and meat in the house. I sometimes buy meat with the best of intentions and then forget to use it. The other day I stumbled apon beef stew meat that I purchased a few months ago and forgot about. This was great because I carrots and potatoes that needed to be used too. After a few recipe searches I finally found one that Hubby would try. It turned out awesome! It was so good that it might become a regular around here in the winter months.

So here it is!
Slow Cooker Hearty Beef Stew

* I also added parsnips chopped instead of part of the potatoes.

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 10 hours 15 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds beef for stew, cut into 1-inch pieces
Ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pounds medium potatoes, cut into cubes (about 3 cups)
4 medium carrots, sliced (about 2 cups)
2 medium onions, cut into wedges
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 1/4 cups Swanson® Beef Stock
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 cup thawed frozen peas

Directions:

Season the beef with black pepper. Coat the beef with 2 tablespoons of the flour. Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef in 2 batches and cook until it's well browned, stirring often.

Place the potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic into a 5-quart slow cooker. Top with the beef. Add 3 cups of the stock, Worcestershire, thyme and bay leaf.

Cover and cook on LOW for 10 to 11 hours* or until the beef is fork-tender. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

Stir the remaining flour and stock in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth. Stir the flour mixture and peas in the cooker. Increase the heat to HIGH. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the mixture boils and thickens.

*Or on HIGH 5 to 6 hours

Do you have a recipe to share this week? Something new you have tried or an old favorite.

Green Mama?

2010-03-02T05:15:00.004-05:00

I lay in bed tonight asking myself, what exactly is being Green? Well a quick google search brought me to a few answers like this one; Green-A supporter of a social and political movement that espouses global environmental protection, bioregionalism, social responsibility, and nonviolence. Really?

Being Green to me means being more aware of my actions and how they affect our planet. Whenever I do something I try to think of how my actions will affect our planet and future generations. I have a 16-month-old daughter and I want her to have all the resources that we have. That being said, being Green isn’t always the easiest or cheapest choice but I still try.

When I was about 7 months pregnant with Natalie I came across cloth diapers. At first, I wrinkled my nose at the idea and thought anyone who could do that was er crazy. I couldn’t imagine why you would want to cloth diaper. I did a ton of research; I was addicted to cloth diaper research. I finally got up enough courage to talk to Hubby about it, thinking he would see how much money it would save us, how great it would be for Natalie and the environment at the same time. You see I found this mind-blowing fact: it takes 500 YEARS for disposable diapers to decompose in landfills! 500 YEARS! I couldn’t get that number out of my head; we were sure leaving something behind for Natalie and her great great grandchildren probably.

I approached Hubby with the cloth diaper idea. As expected he wrinkled his nose too. I didn’t want to press the issue because it was a pretty substantial starting cost and we didn’t even have a baby yet. We had no idea how much diapers or anything else would cost once she was actually here. He vetoed my idea, as much as I wanted to CD I let the issue go. I didn’t actually know anybody in real life or online who CD’d so I didn’t have proof that it was easy and cost effective.

Fast forward about 7 months, Nat is now 5 months old. Many of my online friends have had their babies and a few of them even started CDing. I had many questions for them and they were so helpful. I approached Dh once again and he said since I was a SAHM it was up to me. I was nervous but I took the plunge. I went head first into CDs and never looked back. That was one of the greenest decisions I have made and I don’t regret it!

We also recycle and have for a while; we pay $15 a year to recycle. It amazes me how much we save on what we put in the garbage just by simply recycling. I try to use natural household cleaners but when you are raised thinking clean is that “bleachy” smell it’s hard to get away from that. If it doesn’t smell clean then it must not be clean. When I use natural cleaners it doesn’t stink but it doesn’t have that chemical cleaner smell. We also switched out all the light bulbs in our house. It's a work in progress.

Things I would like to try in the future to become Greener:
Reusable Paper Towels
We are remolding our bathroom this summer and I want to use a low flow showerhead and a water saving toilet
Composting for my garden this summer
Add one meatless meal a week
Buy naturally raised meat
Natural makeup (I’m nervous to make this switch!)

While I was writing this I found this link of 10 Ways to Go Green . I hope you find it helpful!

What ways would you like to become Greener?

Wordless Wednesday: These boots are made for walking

2010-02-24T07:52:00.003-05:00

Hey you, what's that smell???

2010-02-22T16:40:00.003-05:00

I am a cloth diaper lover. I didn’t start out with cloth but switched when DD was almost 6 months. We had a great start in them. Nat could wear just about any kind or brand without an issue. I had a great laundry routine and never had an issue with build up. Then we bought a house. We moved into the country and all of a sudden there was this foul (foul doesn’t really begin to cover it) smell coming from our diapers. When they came out of the dryer they were fine, as soon as she peed it was terrible. I ended up changing her diaper way too often because I couldn’t stand the smell. Now, if you don’t currently use cloth I don’t want to scare you away from it. I still love cloth this is just a hurdle we had to cross.

I tried stripping and stripping, I tried Dawn Dish soap, I tried adding Calgon, I did the Oxy/vinegar soak. Nothing was working and I assumed we were stuck with stinky diapers. I even told Dh that if I couldn’t figure it out I was going to (gasp) quit cloth diapering. I really didn’t want to do this as I have a stash I love. Sometimes I think I buy the diapers more for myself than for Natalie. Shh don’t tell Dh!!!

A few months ago we did a Cloth Diaper Swap on a board I belong to. I was sent a sample of Yoreganics Soap Nuts. I was skeptical at first because the whole idea seemed kind of weird to me, but they were free so of course I was going to try them. I used my regular wash routine only adding the reusable bag of Soap Nuts to the was instead of the detergent I wash using. I didn’t add Calgon either. I wanted to see what would happen with no Calgon because that stuff was getting expensive. My diapers came out so soft and not stinky!! I wanted to order more right away but I had ¾ of a bag of the “old” stuff so I started using that on my regular laundry to use it up. I ended up buying this bag of Yoreganics Soap Nuts at a cloth diaper party I went to. I started using them full time this week. I am happy to report that we will still be cloth diapering. I am so happy that the stink is finally gone!!! Yay!!!

The things I love about Soap Nuts:
      1. They are economical
      2. I don't have to guess at how much to add, just add the little bag
      3. They are eco friendly and biodegradeable
      4. They are USDA certified Organic
      5. They are a natural fabric softener
      6. Unscented so they are great for sensitive skin too!

So if you are having stink issues you should try Yoreganics Soap Nuts!!!

Projects

2010-02-14T21:51:00.007-05:00

I hate to say this but I have always been one of “those” people who start countless projects and never finish them. I get bored long before I can finish and put it down with the intention on finishing it in a week or two. I started crocheting a blanket for myself two and a half years ago, and it's still sitting unfinished point proven! I found out about 3 months after starting that I was pregnant. Then I went full bore on crocheting a blanket for baby. I can proudly say that I finished that one. That doesn’t really prove much because it was small. I think she has already outgrown it if that gives you any idea. Anyhow, Hubby got me a sewing machine for Christmas. I have been wanting and talking about getting one for about 6 months. It was supposed to be my Christmas present but then we decided to wait to buy it until after the holidays. Well Hubby surprised me and bought it for me. I was ecstatic but all the memories of unfinished projects popped up and I was nervous he would be disappointed in me.

I decided to start with something simple. A pair of pants for Natalie. Easy right? Actually it was so easy!! I finished the project in only 2 nights after she went to bed. Cut and pinned the first night and did all the sewing the second night.

Next project was a chair cover for the chair that Natalie’s “big” girl high chair was going to go on. Our chairs have white pads and that does not mix well with a messy toddler. I was so excited and got it all finished and it didn’t fit the chair!! The next night I started all over and it turned out pretty well. I have a pic but I don’t feel it’s really worth showing.

For my third project I have chosen to make a quilt for Natalie. I have been wanting to redecorate her bedroom and this is the perfect excuse. After the quilt I plan to make a bumper, curtains and maybe a sheet. This is the fabric I picked for her quilt and I can’t wait to see how it turns out!

I feel like I struggle weekly or more bi-weekly with what to make for dinner. I like to plan out two weeks at a time and grocery shop then. I have started making a list of meals for 11-12 days (leaving room for leftovers and going out). I just write the list on the whiteboard and in the morning we pick what sounds good and I know I have the stuff in the house to make it. It’s been working out pretty well but I find that I run out of ideas. Sometimes I feel like I am just copying the menu from the previous two weeks. It’s not interesting at all and we start going out to eat more often because we are tired of the same old same old. So for today I wanted to post a new recipe and would love to hear some new recipes to try! We eat a lot of chicken or beef, but will eat most anything. I love crockpot recipes but don’t mind baking or cooking most of the day either. So let me hear it, what’s a recipe you love or even one that you would like to try?

This is one of my new favorite recipes and it’s even Weight Watchers!

Slow cooker enchiladas 7 pts per serving
1 lb ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 can (16oz) pinto or kidney beans, rinsed & drained
1 can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
1 small can tomato sauce
1 pkg enchilada sauce (dry mix) (taco sauce mix works well too)
1/3 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cyo (4oz) shredded low fat cheese
6 flour tortillas (2 points each)

In a skillet, cook beef, onion and green pepper until beef is browned. Drain. In a bowl, add all other ingredients except for the tortillas and stir. In a crockpot, layer about ½ beef mixture, then a tortilla layer. Repeat layers with all 6 tortillas. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hrs or until heated thru. (you can also cut up tortillas and stir into mixture). I also add a little shredded cheese on the top. Serve with sour cream.
servings; 6

Simply Sunday

2010-01-24T18:55:00.000-05:00

Today was a great day! Hubby had the day off work and we had nothing planned. Grandma was supposed to take Natalie for the day but in the end she didn’t feel up to it. I will admit, I was a little bummed at first. I was looking forward to a whole day baby free so I could clean the house (really). I clean the house day to day but don’t get much chance to scrub everything clean. Hubby wanted to watch football all day. Well we ended up having a pretty nice family day. Dh had the football game on in the background and him and Nat played most of the day. I cleaned the entire house and then snuck away by myself to go grocery shopping. I don’t like grocery shopping but it’s much easier without an almost 15 month old in tow. So I wandered around the grocery store like it was my first time there. People looked at me like I was crazy because I was just taking my time enjoying my “alone” time. It’s weird what alone time turns into when you have a baby. Even still I enjoyed my time at the store.
I came home and made dinner and we had a nice dinner at the table, it was not gourmet by any means but we appreciated one another’s company.
Now we have another football game on, I snuck away to blog and tweet but I’m headed back to family time to play with Natalie while Hubby watches the game.

Here we are....

2010-01-13T11:28:00.003-05:00

Well well well.... It's been over 4 months since my last post!! I have told myself I would keep up on here, even promised. But life just gets in the way. After I have had a 12 hour day with the baby and put her to bed, do the dishes, pick up the mess of the day the last thing I want to do is sit down and think! Lately, her nap times have become my nap times. Seriously! I'm not sure what's going on but I've been so tired. At first, I was worried I was pregnant (we are NOT trying!) because I'm as tired as I was when I was pregnant with Natalie. Then faithful old Aunt Flo showed her face, so I know it's not that. I'm going to give it 1 last go and TRY try try to become a better blogger. I feel I need the outlet here so here we go again!!!

Just Life....

2009-09-12T14:09:00.003-04:00

This past month or so has been very hectic for me!
We finally closed on our house after two months of waiting, we were about ready to give up. And to top it all off the mortgage lady called us the day of closing and tells us that we have to bring $1300 to closing when we were expecting to have $0 down! Nick was ready to walk away from the house but I was too emotionally attached. So we went and signed the papers and waited some more! We gave the previous owners two weeks to get out, out of respect for them. These next two weeks drug on, we felt like we just made a huge purchase but our day to day life didn't change at all. In the mean time Natalie has gotten an ear infection and decided that nursing wasn't for her anymore. I tried to nurse as long as possible and even supplemented and tried nursing just twice a day. If she was sleepy enough she would still nurse but finally one day she refused nursing completely. I thought I'd be ok with it and be happy to have my body back but this was really hard! I loved the bonding that we had and the "us" time it gave us. When I give her formula she stares at the ceiling or out the window and not at "me" like she used to. It also made me feel very inadequte as a mother. I know I nursed for 9 months but I wasn't ready to stop! To top this all off we were getting NO sleep. Natalie would go to bed ok but wake up by 1 am and be up until 3 or 4 and then go back to bed until 6 or 7. This gave me 4 to 5 hours of sleep each night.

So I'm emotional, trying to figure out this formula thing, trying to pack and sleep deprived all at the same time!

Moving day finally comes and it takes us from sun up to sun down to get everything moved let alone unpacked.

3 weeks later and we are mostly unpacked but still finding things that are packed here and there. We love the house and I feel it was all worth it, now if we could just get some sleep I might feel like a real person again!

If anything I've learned that things don't always go as planned no matter how well you planned them out, or how you "think" they will go. As a mother I've really had to learn to go with the flow and realize I can't plan everything. That's tough for me because I like to be in control and I can't be.
Still, being a mother is the greatest thing I've ever done and I wouldn't trade it for the world!

Up, Up and Away!!

2009-07-21T15:20:00.002-04:00

That is all Natalie wants to do anymore. She stands at every possible thing she can get her hands on, and even the things she can't. This morning I heard a bang on the wall so I came around the corner to see what it was and Natalie was standing at the wall. I was completely shocked! She had nothing to pull up on and nothing to hold herself up once she got there. I'm so scared that she is going to be walking very soon. I mean I'm glad that she's growing and learning but where is my baby?! I think they go from newborn to toddler way too quickly. Slow down and smell the roses Natalie! There is plenty of time for walking in the future, for now be a baby and stay put! About a month ago Natalie started army crawling and I thought she was never going to crawl now that she knew how to get places without crawling. Well, I was wrong. About two weeks ago she started crawling. The first day she would go a few paces and fall flatly on her face, the next day she was across the room and now she's across the apartment as fast as I can walk. I've decided to enter her in a baby crawling contest at the Gerber Baby Food Festival. We'll see how it goes but I'm pretty sure she is just going to sit and wave or stare at all the other kids. I'm excited still.

Gro Baby

2009-07-08T06:43:00.003-04:00

I am fairly new to CDing. I know how to use most everything, have tried quite a few brands and styles. My favorites for at home are actually just prefolds with a thirsties cover. When we are out and about I like to use pockets, mostly BG 3.0. I also bought the BG 3.0 for my husband and mom to use because they are a little bit easier for them to use. That being said, I would love to try Gro Baby. I love how it's a one size diaper, that's huge to not have to size up with your child!! One diaper from birth to potty learning is great!! The snap in soaker is such a great feature. I love PFs with covers but I think that the Gro Baby has the same idea just a lot less bulk! And no diapers to fold, just snap it in and go. It saves money because you can reuse the shell and just change the soaker so you don't have to have 20 of these diapers to make it to laundry day. All around they seem like a great diaper. I would love to try one!!

Here is a link to them http://www.thenaturalbabyco.com/grobaby%E2%84%A2-ic-11_16.html
Go check them out for yourself!!

Going Dot Com Birthday Bash

2009-06-16T09:03:00.005-04:00

As many of you know I am a huge fan of a website called Tip Junkie. Laurie over at Tip Junkie is offering several Giveaways each day this week to celebrate Tip Junkie’s 2nd Birthday. She is also launching her new dot com. SO head on over to TipJunkie.com and check out all the fun tips and ideas for just about everything in the blogging world. Right now there are some fun ideas for Father’s Day, Birthday Parties, summer, etc. I hope you can enjoy this giveaway too!!

Stress

2009-06-15T21:19:00.002-04:00

Right now we are working on buying a house. For everyone out there who has bought a house, I know that you understand what I'm going through. I'm trying to get quotes for everything, get inspections set up all while hubby is working. Trying to call hubby to make sure he agrees with the decisions I'm making and he's busy so he can't answer the phone!! haha

We have a tenative close date of June 24th and we will move in 14 days after that. So, if all goes as planned we will be living in our new home in less than a month!! Wow, I'm excited and nervous at the same time. It sure gives you butterflies....

Applecheeks giveaway!

2009-05-30T10:30:00.003-04:00

Since I am new to CDing I would love to try every kind of diaper I can get my hands on, however we have a tiny budget. We just decided we are going to buy a new house so we are saving every penny. I still have $50 left of my budget but in the interest of getting a new house I am holding off on that. I just entered to win an Applecheeks diaper and am hoping to try it out!!
WIN an AppleCheek Cloth Diaper @twoofakind http://tinyurl.com/rbkn43
Open to everyone worldwide!

These are the dipes-
http://www.applecheeks.com/site/en/Who_About_AppleCheeks.html

Summer Time

2009-05-29T11:25:00.003-04:00

We are so excited now that the weather is getting warmer. We can't wait to get outside and PLAY! Having picnics at the lake on Sunday is going to be our new family tradition, as soon as it gets warm enough. I feel so bad for Natalie though because she is SO white. She is going to need TONS of sunscreen to be out in the sun. My mom found a really cute sun hat for her though. It's kind of big but she'll grow into it. Natalie is army crawling around now. It won't be long before she is full on crawling. She's already into everything!! I'm sure it will only get worse. It's fun watching her explore everything and find all the things she shouldn't be getting into. She doesn't understand No yet but we've been saying it a lot lately. The house is pretty baby proofed but she still finds things to get into.

Teeth and so much more!!

2009-05-12T14:47:00.002-04:00

Natalie has cut her first two teeth. She cut her bottom two front teeth at the same time. It wasn't fun at all!! I am dreading the rest of her teeth coming in. Can't we just have two? haha She has been eating solids for just over a month now. She's a little piggy. She eats just like her dad!! Although she isn't as picky. Right now she eats Avocado, sweet potatoes, squash, plums, prunes, pears, applesauce, peas, green beans.... I think that's it. oh yeah and bananas!

Great Cloth Diaper Giveaway

2009-05-04T22:04:00.002-04:00

Since I have a new obsession (cloth diapers) I was searching online for the best deals like I spend many hours of my days doing. I found the Great Cloth Diaper Hunt. It is set up so that you can find WAHMs and other small businesses. I have found many great deals by "trying" to do this hunt. It's not easy AT ALL. Well I came upon a site called Cute Caboose. What a cute name! They are having a cloth diaper giveaway and since I want to try all kinds of new diapers I had to get as many entries as I could!

First Blog

2009-03-14T10:38:00.000-04:00

So this is my first blog ever. Ever since Natalie was born I feel like I need a place to keep track of all that she does and to share pictures so that other people can see them as well. I will try to keep up the best I can but I sure am busy!! Natalie is growing way too fast. She's 4 1/2 months old already! Where exactly has the time gone? I feel like just yesterday I was finding out that I was pregnant and excited to see if it would be a boy or a girl. Then we were picking out names and next thing we knew Natalie was here. She is such a great baby. She has her days but don't we all? I love her more than I ever thought I could love another person and it's amazing!! I love watching her grow but I want her to be my little baby forever too.

Mommy Mischief

Tot School- Letter A

Activities- Tot School Week 1

Blog Redo

Swing Set

Baby #2 or not?

MOPS

Changes are happening.....

I'm back (I hope)

Little Ducks Organics Winner!

Little Duck Organics Review and Giveaway

The first big incident

CSN Review

Memories of Grandma

Winner winner!

Business

Kinderglo Winners!

I love this part!

Craftyear641 on Etsy Review and Giveaway- closed

Zak! Designs Review and Giveaway- Closed

Random Acts of Kindness

Winners!

Kindeglo Review and Giveaway

Backpack, Backpack

Reisenthel Review & Giveaway- closed

Seventh Generation Review & Giveaway- closed

Blogs

Wordless Wednesday- Hair Do's

Zestra Rush Review and Giveaway- closed

Greenzys Review and Giveaway- closed

Wordless Wednesday- Fluffy Bum

CSN Stores Giveaway- Closed

Toddler Tuesday Event!!!

Toddler Tuesday Event announcement

Wordless Wednesday- Golfing

Tag You're IT!

The Best Blueberry Muffins

3 Sicknesses and a Bathroom Remodel

Monkey Snuggles

Wordless Wednesday- Bubbles!

And the winner is....

Alvin and The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

This Baby is a Toddler

Friday Follow

Wordless Wednesday- collecting acorns!

Earth Hour

Yoreganics Review & Giveaway- Closed

Winner!!!

Life

Wordless Wednesday- Hair

Tasty Tuesday

Little Remedies

Taxes

My First Giveaway- CLOSED

PR Policy

About Those Nifty Nappy's

Wordless Wednesday- Cheetos

Tasty Tuesday

Green Mama?

Wordless Wednesday: These boots are made for walking

Hey you, what's that smell???

Projects

Menu

Simply Sunday

Here we are....

Just Life....

Up, Up and Away!!

Gro Baby

Going Dot Com Birthday Bash

Stress

Applecheeks giveaway!

Summer Time

Teeth and so much more!!

Great Cloth Diaper Giveaway

First Blog