It's Time to Dance Your Booty Off!

You may have heard about this oh-so-fab Wii game called Just Dance. What?! You haven't?

I'll give you a moment. Go ahead, click on the link in a new window and come back.

I'll go on now. This game is awesome. I was thinking about buying it a few months ago and Shell? Totally sealed the deal. She loved it. Talked about how much she loved. I was sold--and bought it on Amazon right then and there.





So now? Supah Mommy and Shell are hosting a bloggy dance off. I'm not even kidding. You tape yourself and post it by Friday. That's it--highest score is the winner.

Click the button above and find out the details--I cannot wait to see everyone dancing their booty off!

The View: What's On This Week

Did you watch The View   last week? They had some great guests--ranging from Octomom, Jersey Shore and Regis. As always I was entertained, laughing and in awe of what some of the guests had to talk about.

Here is what you can catch on The View this week:

Monday: Day of Hot Topics--one of my personal faves. I love the debates and the topics that they discuss...never a disappointment there!

Tuesday: Robert Pattinson! He'll be making his debut on The View and will be discussing his new film Remember Me which {from what I hear} got great reviews.

Wednesday: Lisa Kudrow will be talking to the hosts about her new series Who Do You Think You Are. I love Lisa Kudrow and cannot wait to see this show.

Thursday: Valerie Bertinelli will be the celebrity co-host. They'll be talking about Alice in Wonderland--which looks like an excellent movie.

Friday: Both Wesley Snipes and Don Cheadle will be appearing--which sounds good to me. I love them both!

There you have it! And if you're on Twitter you can tweet along with us while The View is on. Just search for the hashtag #theviewmoms and tweet away. You will find us there tweeting about the show, what we think of the topics and personal experiences if we can relate to the guests.

I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other The View branded items to facilitate my review.

Prima Princessa Swan Lake {A Winey Mommy Review}

Isabella {as many of you know by now} loves to sing and dance. I cannot wait to let her start dance and gymnastics once she turns 3--I have a feeling she'll just love it. Until she is old enough to register in classes she enjoys dancing to different DVD's. I can always count on a dancing show to uplift her spirits or to cure boredom on those rainy days.

I recently received the Prima Princessa Swan Lake DVD for Isabella to watch. It couldn't have arrived on a more perfect day. It was too cold to play outside and I was running out of ideas of what we could do. When I showed her the DVD she immediately wanted her tutu. I obliged and got it out for her. I popped in the DVD and sat down with her to watch and capture some pictures.

The Prima Princessa DVD's were started by two stay at home moms, Mary Kate and Stephanie. I love supporting mompreneurs and their creativity. Their Prima Princessa DVD is adorable and does not disappoint. It starts with explaining that they are at the ballet and shows the original ballet which takes place at a professional theater. The narrator which is a cartoon voice explains who wrote Swan Lake, when it was composed and what Swan Lake is about.

Isabella dancing away to Prima Princessa Swan Lake

After a few minutes from the theater ballet the DVD shows actual students performing different ballet techniques. The music is very peaceful and fun--not the loud type that many kids' shows have--it is actual classical ballet music! There are also little girls in tutus dancing and twirling around together laughing. Isabella loves those parts! It shows them all swinging together, falling down and laughing--which Isabella does at the same time. I love that she is learning so much about ballet and having fun at the same time.

The DVD will then go back to the next act and pick up where it left off telling the story of Swan Lake. I love the ballet parts. I haven't seen Swan Lake in years--we saw it in school when I was young and I don't remember it at all. It was beautiful to watch. How their gracefulness and the music goes perfectly together. The narrator does a great job to make it interesting for Isabella. She stopped and was just watching it. If the music picked up she was moving backwards to peek around the couch as if she knew what was coming. When it slowed down and was serious she stopped dancing and just watched--it captured her 2 year old attention which is amazing!

I would recommend this DVD to anyone with little ones who love to dance, move and are in the need of a different type of DVD to watch. I love how it incorporates the arts and is fun for toddlers and children at the same time. You can buy Swan Lake by clicking on the link and seeing the different retailers that sell it--the retailers include Amazon.com and Target. It is sold out but will be available for purchase on March 2nd. Check out the link to see what the DVD includes--it shows you scenes from the actual DVD.

We loved reviewing this DVD. I cannot wait to own more Prima Princessa shows for my girls. They would be a great DVD to show at a birthday party, playdate or even for your own family to enjoy.

Thank you to the Product Review Place for making this review possible. I received a copy of the DVD to view in order to write and complete this review. No other compensation was given.

Holy Adorableness

Okay, don't feel like you have to watch the full video. Just watch a few seconds if you can--and seriously, how cute is Isabella singing?!

I love it. Annie is her favorite movie. Of all time.

Please do not ask me to disclose how many times she has watched it...

Updated Disclosure.

This policy is valid from 26 February 2010:

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. For questions about this blog, please contact  leoandchelle{at}yahoo{dot}com. This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation. The compensation received will never influence the content, topics or posts made in this blog. All advertising is in the form of advertisements generated by a third party ad network. Those advertisements will be identified as paid advertisements.The owner(s) of this blog may be compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question. This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest. To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org

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** Any questions should be sent to leoandchelle at yahoo dot com

Watch Out World...

 

Because this little princess? 

Is now crawling. Moving. Getting to things. Dragging herself on her stomach until she gets what she wants. 

My life as I knew it has officially changed. In a big, big way...

Loves

As I was reading Shell's blog, Stuttering Shell, I loved her idea. So much so that I decided that I would follow and do the same--some of my loves at the moment. Grab your wine {or other drink} and enjoy.

*A close parking spot

*Stepping on the scale and seeing that I am 1 pound away from my weight when I got pregnant with Madelyn

*Thunderstorms

*Sleeping and listening to the rain

*A perfectly made cup of coffee

*Finding a new Etsy shop that I love

*That perfect pair of shoes

*A new wine that is a-maz-ing

*Capturing a perfect moment with my camera

*Reading so many fabulous blogs

*Getting lost in a good book

*Good hair days

*Laughing until I cry

*Fried ice cream

*Sephora and Ulta

*Cute coffee mugs

*Spring flowers

What are some of your loves?

Cranky Cat Studio: $30 GC {A Winey Mommy Review & Giveaway} *GIVEAWAY CLOSED*

I love it when I get introduced to a mompreneur that I absolutely adore and love. When I got introduced to Cranky Cat Studios I immediately loved her store. She has so many different items available--whether you want an adorable item to give at a baby shower or are in the market to buy something for your own little one--you are likely to find something that you know that you must have. She has products ranging from hooded towels to squeaky shoes to handmade bibs and burp cloths to much, much more.

Deborah, owner and creator at Cranky Cat Studios, is a Midwestern girl who resides in Texas along with her 2 year old son Bayden {I love that name!} and his Dad Matt.  She is a full time employee for an airline company and works as a luggage handler. She's been sewing for 36 years--her grandmother had her sewing as she grew up and at the time she hated it. She now tries to sew and craft when she gets a spare minute for her shop and for her craft shows.

I have no idea how she manages to do so much in such little time! One look at her eBay store and you'll be impressed with everything that she has made with such amazing quality and how cute it all is.

When my box arrived in the mail I was in love. Everything was wrapped in tissue and placed perfectly in the box. You can tell a lot about a shop when the package arrives and how the items arrive to you--Deborah totally impressed me.

Madelyn wearing the adorable bib in the new Pink Cheetah print {small bib--perfect for my little drooler!}

OnTray shopping cart snack/coupon tray--snaps directly to cart handle--awesome! Behind the tray is one of her beautiful boutique receiving blankets in the "100% Trouble" print. Loves. It's large enough to swaddle your baby and they are double hemmed all around the edge to prevent fraying.

Here's Isabella modeling one of her Pink Girly Skull large bibs. Isabella loved it! Perfect for her when she eats so her clothes won't get stained.

The adorable Flexi-Feet pink leather squeaky shoes in "Watch Me Grow" The shoes are sitting on top of a Pink Cheetah burp cloth on its reversible side. Both sides of burp cloth are  made out of a thick quilter's flannel--very absorbent which is fantastic.

I loved reviewing everything from Cranky Cat Studios. She is talented, her products are made incredibly well and I would definitely purchase something from her store. I recommend Cranky Cat Studios to anyone wanting a great gift for a new mom, newborn, infant or toddler.

***The Giveaway***

Deborah has generously offered a $30 gift certificate to ONE lucky reader! You'll be able to get plenty of adorableness with the gift certificate. So fun!

***How to Win***

Make sure that you leave one comment per entry. If there are two possible entries for completing something leave two separate comments.

{mandatory entry} Visit the Cranky Cat Studios eBay store or the Cranky Cat Studios Etsy shop and tell me what you would use the $30 gift certificate on if you are the lucky winner. Must be something other than pictured above. This must be done for any bonus entries to count.

{3 entries} Become a fan of Cranky Cat Studios on Facebook 

{3 entries} Become a fan of The Winey Mommy on Facebook

{2 entries} Follow Cranky Cat Studios on Twitter. Leave your Twitter name in comment.

{1 entry per each} Follow via Google Friend Connect, subscribe via email and/or in a Reader

{1 entry} Follow Winey Mommy on Twitter & tweet about this giveaway. You can tweet up to 5 times per day. Feel free to copy and paste the following:  "Win a $30 gc to @CrankyCatStudio! Visit http://bit.ly/9vhc3i to enter--Ends 3/11 #giveaway @winey_mommy" Leave the link to your tweet in each comment.

{1 entry} Grab my button and post on your blog.

{5 entries} Blog about this giveaway. Link to Cranky Cat Studios and The Winey Mommy--please leave a link to your post with your entries. 

{10 entries} Purchase something from Cranky Cat Studios. Leave your order number with your entries. 

***Rules***

This giveaway will end on March 11th @ NOON CST. Open to all US residents 18+. To to be eligible to win you must do mandatory entry. If you do not follow that rule all entries will be void. Leave a valid email address in comment or available on profile. Winner will be drawn via Random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to notification email. If winner does not contact back w/full name/address a new winner will be picked. All winners will be posted on blog when picked. I am not responsible for prizes not received. If for some reason your prize does not get to you, please let me know and I will try my hardest to work it out with the sponsor.

In order to provide an honest review I was provided with the products above. No other compensation was given.

Sharing the Looove....

I've been thinking lately that I have a lot of new readers--some whose blogs I probably don't frequent enough. I try really hard, but then life just happens--I'm sure you all can relate {I hope? It's not just me is it?!}

I kind of came up with this. Like right now. I don't have the skills to make a cute button, but you can always use my blog button over there on the left <---- until I can figure out how to make one.

I want to get to know you. My readers. Young. Old. New. Forever followers. I heart you all--without you I wouldn't smile each time I receive a comment.

So link up. I want to visit ALL of your blogs and become followers of yours as well. And maybe you could browse around--find a new treasure of a blog and decide, hey--I like them. See? Imagine all of the comment looove you'll get--that's one of my favorite parts--reading your thoughts, your advice and your funny comments.

Have fun--and let me know if you like this or not! I think it could be fun...maybe? I hope?

Lil' Miss Crafty Pants Winner!

Drumroll....the winner of the gorgeous star is:

A huge congrats to Anne--she entered her heart out and it definitely paid off for her. In the chance that there is no response to my email within 48 hours a new winner will be drawn.

Thanks to everyone who entered!

Ugh. The Man Cold...

Due to someone *cough Leo* passing the man cold onto me...this post? Short and sweet.

Enjoy!

Someone sneaked {before I go on I typed in "snuck". Apparently that is not a word. I've said that word my entire life. Wow.} into my makeup bag...got out my mascara...and ended up with a moustache.

The mascara? Brand new. I guess I know what I'll be doing tomorrow if I'm not bedridden by the man cold.

Who am I kidding. Us women are never allowed to be sick. I'll be buying a new tube tomorrow. Do they sell it in childproof containers?

Mommy and Me: Week 1

I did it! I managed to get a picture--with ME in it. I know, it's amazing--a miracle of sorts. So, without further ado, I present to you....the Winey Mommy's Mommy and Me Week 1:

Leo snapped this pic of Miss Maddie and me after we got home from the grocery store. She's sick and was such a trooper for the whole picture taking fun. Leo got into it and we just had fun with it.

I can't wait to see all of the other awesome pictures of everyone! Remember to head on over to see Krystyn at Really, Are You Serious? to add you picture to the linky and to see all of the other fabulous pictures.



Hosted by Krystyn

Celtic Woman: Songs from the Heart {A Winey Mommy Review}

I've always loved music--live bands, concerts, cd's--you name it and I'll give it a chance. Most of the time I listen to whatever suits my mood. Is it a Friday? You'll see me listening to fun music. Is it Sunday? I usually listen to something more low-key.

Today I'm listening to the new CD Celtic Woman Songs from the Heart. I have seen their commercials recently and thought that their music sounded very soothing, relaxing and something to just be able to listen to to relax. After listening to the CD my initial thoughts were correct. It's an awesome CD to listen to on a Sunday.

Their are many songs on the CD that I recognize, to include Amazing Grace, Fields of Gold and my personal favorite--Billy Joel's Goonight My Angel. I think I listened to Goodnight My Angel five times--Leo finally asked me to stop playing it.

Their voices are soft and very comforting to listen to. I know the girls would love to have this CD playing while they are falling asleep--Isabella and Madelyn each have their own musical toys to help them fall asleep and I know that this CD would be a hit with them.

Interested in watching them live? A list of their tour dates through April can be found here. And if you're interested in seeing portions of their live show you can click here.

Thank you to EMI Music and Music Moms for the opportunity to listen and review the CD. No other compensation was given. 

EcoSMART Winner!

Congrats to #44 {Janette}! She's the winner of the EcoSMART organic pest control spray.

She has been emailed and has 48 hours to respond before a new winner will be drawn. Thank you to everyone who entered and be sure to check out my other giveaway that is going on now--it ends on Tuesday!

Our Day.

Saturday? Was amazing.

Leo let me sleep until almost 11.

Yes, almost 11. I had practically 12 hours of sleep.

I'm speechless.

And this is while he was sick. {edited to add that I had no clue he wasn't feeling well. He let me sleep in while he took care of the girls. Have I told y'all how much I adore my husband? I love him. A lot.}.

After Isabella took an early nap I took her to the park. We got fresh air. We laughed. We chased one another. We got some amazing sunshine.

After being there for nearly two hours we came home. Freshened up a little and she and I went to our favorite Mexican restaurant. Yum.

Although I didn't get to partake in any margaritas due to my dd being out of commission we did enjoy chips, tacos and salsa--oh--Bella had beans. Her favorite food es frijoles. She asks for them daily. She is truly part Hispanic and takes after her Daddy. I don't really care for frijoles....

Anyway. So after that we went to Target. Where I probably spent way too much money for a total of four shopping bags. I nearly choked. I did buy two new pictures for our master bath and a Yankee candle {squeal! in my book there are some positives shopping sans husband. which translates to I get to buy whatever I want. although he is always the angel on my shoulder dammit}.

Guess where I went after Target? That's right. The best wine store on the Gulf Coast. Meet Drinx. The owner is amazing. He helped me discover my new favorite vino {best wine ever. King Estate Pinot Gris} last week. And guess what I bought tonite? King Estate Pinot Gris. Yum.

I am now drinking wine. Chillin'. Loving the peace and quiet. And watching LMN. Loves.

To my Isabella? I loved our day today. It was our day. Alone. And I couldn't have wished for a more perfect date.

Mommy and Me

Okay, be honest with me. How many pictures do you have of yourself with your children, furbabies, etc. Think about all of the big events throughout the years--birthdays, holidays, baptisms, reunions, graduations. How many of those 100's of pictures have you in them?

I'm pretty embarrassed to say my answer. I could probably count on ONE hand, y'all. One.

Sad right? I hate thinking about when one day I'm gone. And the girls will want to see pictures of their Momma or Daddy with them--smiling and actually in a picture rather than a blob in the background or the one doing the actual picture taking.



Well, starting this Monday, this is all going to change. The ever fabulous and wonderful Krystyn from Really, Are You Serious? is having a fun weekly carnival called "Mommy and Me Monday".

Throughout the week you get a photo of yourself with your child{children}, create your post for Monday and then when Monday arrives hop on over to her amazing blog and link up. Easy. You can then go and visit the other linkups and comment. And remember, you do not have to be a parent. This could be with your furbaby, your significant other, etc. Just get a picture with your lovely face in it.

I know I'm going to love seeing these pictures! I rarely get to see the gorgeous faces of my readers {yes, I'm talking to you}. I see your darling children--or children on their way {whether through adoption or pregnancy}, your shoes, your food, your belly buttons {okay, the belly button bit was totally made up} and I never get to see you! I'm the worst at this--I hate how I look in pictures. I don't want to be all pose-like and fake. I want mine to actually be real {yet cute and model'ish...hahaha!}.

So remember. Mondays. Really, Are You Serious?. Photos of you.

Be there. I know I will be!

The Story of Birth Control Glasses....

When I joined the Air Force I was a little worried. Besides the fact that we would have to wake up at 4 a.m., would get yelled at 24/7--I was worried about the fact that I would have to wear BCG's. What are BCG's? They are birth control glasses. In other words, these eyeglasses are so ugly that if you wore them you wouldn't have to worry about getting pregnant or if you were a guy you wouldn't have to worry about getting a girl pregnant. Go ahead and laugh that they can't be that bad--but they are--oh, they really are. Go ahead and Google BCG's and you'll see why they are actually called that by anyone in the Air Force.

I have no idea why we would have to worry about that during Basic Training--I believe that the saying is geared to those who decide to keep wearing them after Basic. Most girls {and guys} that I know bought their own prescription glasses so they wouldn't be wearing the hideous thick rimmed as well as enormous pair of BCG's. I still laugh when I think about the BCG's--and especially when I see them at the on base optometrist office! I happen to think the retirees look nicer in them than the young Airmen do who are still walking around wearing them. They just seem like a pair of glasses that would have been worn back then, not now when there are affordable--and extremely cute--glasses everywhere!

I told Leo to mention to his co-workers about GlassesUSA. They are entirely affordable for almost everyone who has a job and is in need of a stylish new pair of eyeglass frames. They're such high quality and have made it through my 2 year old and 6 month old. That's a huge plus for me--if they don't last through the wear and tear of this house I would never recommend them. But here I stand--still with my chic glasses, in tact and with Leo telling me I can buy more anytime...which honestly? He probably shouldn't have said that....I love picking out new frames and this could get me in trouble...

All opinions above are based on my thoughts and opinions. I was compensated for writing this post.

Giving it Up...

So as many of you know it's Lent. The time of year when us Catholics give something up for a few weeks.

Here is a list that I made trying to decide what in heck to give up. This is never easy for me, I have to add. I like what I like. I don't like giving up something that I love. Know what I mean?

*Swearing-I know, totally unladylike, but I swear. I've gotten MUCH better since having the girls. But still. What if one flew out of my mouth on accident? Too much thinking on this one for me. Plus, what if I say a bad word in my head? See--this one totally confused me. Moving on.

*Caffeine-This one was Leo's idea. Surely he wasn't serious?! 

*Wine-Pfft. Who was I kidding. This is the one thing that helps me unwind after a long week. And this week? Longest week eva.

*Food-Again, not so much. I tried to think of eliminating eating out, McDonald's drive thrus. But the thought of cooking every.single.nite? No thank you.

*Tv-Hahaha. Enough said.

*Internet-I then realized that I have too much going on with my blog. Plus I'd miss my bff's {bloggy friends for-e-ver way too much}

*Sweets-This is what I ultimately decided on. But not every single thing with sugar. I did decide to cut out cakes {no cupcakes? *sob}, cookies {*sniff*} and candy {*waahh!*}

So what can I eat that's sweet? Ice cream or pastries. Don't worry, it's not like I went and stocked up on all of this. I just allowed those just because. I think the candy will be the hardest...but I'm pretty sure my butt and thighs will be loving this--who knows. Maybe I'll drop another couple of pounds?!

Did you give anything up for Lent? Do you make it the whole time? I need ideas for next year because every year it's the same list that I have...I need some ideas!

Have a fabulous weekend friends! And have a cupcake or Reese's for me....

Friday Follow!

It's another week for Friday Follow! Come join us in the fun and find some new blogs to fall in love with.

Dove Men + Care {A Winey Mommy Review}

Leo always has the hardest times picking out body soaps that he likes. He usually just ends up using whatever I have in the shower--and usually? Those are girlie scents {my poor husband!}. I've tried different brands for him--but usually they're too strong and aimed at a younger crowd. Being a man in his 30's he knows what he wants but at the same time he can't seem to find the right product.

Then enters the new Dove line made especially for men--Dove Men + Care. The Dove Men + Care is especially made for men who are comfortable with themselves, but not yet in their own skin.

So what exactly does this mean? This means that now Dove has a product that is formulated especially for men and their skin needs--no more using my skin products {way to go, babe!}. It also provides the cleansing and refreshing that men want for their skin combined with Dove moisturizers to provide total skin comfort--another bonus for Leo who rarely puts on lotion. It's clinically proven to fight skin dryness with no irritation or dryness & is dermatologist recommended.

After receiving our two samples--the Clean Comfort Body & Face wash  and the Extra Fresh Body & Face bar--I noticed right away the great "man" smell. I love how Leo smells when he wears a little cologne or right after he shaves! Both of the products smelled so manly and good...I loved it! Leo got home and went running last nite after work. He told me he would try out the products and tell me how he liked them.

I have to admit I was nervous...I knew I loved how they smelled, but would Leo? Remember, he always has a hard time picking out a body wash that he likes. He gets out of the shower, gets dressed and comes out to the living room. I asked him how he liked them--his reply was that he really liked them--a lot. He tried both out for the review and said he loved them both. His favorite was the body wash {he can take that to work for when he goes to the gym on workout days} but that is why he favored the liquid soap. I asked him if he would want me to start buying Dove's Men + Care line--he told me yes! I'm so excited that there is a brand and product out there for Leo now. No more floral or fruity scented soaps for him, haha!

Right now you--my readers can submit YOUR man's unsung moments {whether it's a story, photo or video} and when a backyard makeover for that special man in your life--perfect timing, too! With spring approaching I know that Leo would be thrilled with this! To enter your man's unsung moment click here!

And for those of you who didn't catch it, here's the Superbowl commercial--hilarious!



I received the products mentioned above in order to write an honest review. No other compensation was given.

Cougar Club Winner!

Congrats to Janette for winning the signed copy of The Cougar Club!

She has been contacted and contacted me back--thank you so much, Janette.

Remember When...

 {photo credit: Google images}

Remember when we were able to go and tp someone's house? Ha! Those were the days. Getting together with all of your girlfriends, dressing in black or as dark of colors as possible, getting backpacks full of toilet paper and a flashlight or two to make your way over to the victim's home.

Growing up I lived out in the country for a long time. Pretty quiet road, not too many people driving down it and a favorite house to go and get. He was a friend of us all, he just happened to be the only other person our age that lived as far out as us!

We would sneak over, giggling, stumbling--I usually fell down or tripped multiple times...yes, I am that clumsy. We would then begin shushing each other, telling everyone to be quiet and diving into the bushes or high grass on the side of the road as a rare vehicle would drive by.

Then came the actual art of doing the tp'ing. Seriously, that was so much fun! Throwing it up in the air, wrapping it around bushes, cars and tree trunks. Throwing until our arms were on fire and we were only down to the cardboard rolls. The rush we got while doing it, running back home and laughing until we cried and the best part? Waking up early enough in the morning to see our masterpiece.

{photo credit: Google images}

Oh my gosh, y'all--I sometimes wish I wasn't older...I mean, could I really go tp'ing now?! I think it would be awesome! I love to laugh, love a good prank--and I definitely could think of some people I would hit up first. I saw the housewives on RHOC {please don't judge. I'm a reality junkie, remember?} and they did it...but it was so boring. They didn't go home and laugh so hard until they cried--they didn't even all follow through with their sleepover to see their work the next day. B-O-R-I-N-G!

So I want you to tell me...who would you love to tp--with it being a given that they would never, ever, ever catch you? And why?

I'll go first. They're both girls--not telling you where they live, because, well honestly? If they actually read this then they would know it was them. And I like to stay fairly drama free around here...

Anyway. You probably know the type--generally not that great of a person and usually lacking in many areas to make them an appealing person. They don't understand why you're not closer as friends...well, maybe if they took a step back and could watch themselves interact with actual people they could see why they don't have a lot of friends. They treat people like crap. They're rude. And they take advantage of people who are nice to them. Real gems aren't they?

There you have it friends. My tp victims....and now? I can't wait to hear who your victims would be...

Banquet Thanks a Million Blog Tour {A Winey Mommy Review}

Banquet is a brand of food that I remember eating as I was growing up. Quick, easy and tasty it was a good go to meal in case we were in a hurry or just wanted something with very little mess to clean up. Now that I am a wife and a mom myself I find these types of dinners the easiest and most pleasing for my family. Isabella loves their food--which is a good thing because that little girl? Can be extremely picky--as many parents of little ones can understand. They have such a huge variety of meals to pick from. Macaroni & cheese {Isabella's personal favorite}, chicken fingers, sweet & sour chicken and many, many more.

Being a frozen meal that takes minutes to heat up is another plus--because living in my small town it can be somewhat of a pain to find an affordable and well balanced takeout meal in a hurry. That usually involves Leo picking up something after work which puts him behind another 1/2 hour in getting home. Which to many moms that 1/2 hour or so is not worth it. I know I am ready for Leo to be home and give me a few minutes for a quiet break to myself.

Banquet is currently having a 'Thanks a Million' program--which is a way for Banquet to thank their loyal customers that have bought their foods for over the past 50 years. What is 'Thanks a Million'? Banquet is giving away more than $1 million in cash prizes from February through April. Beginning on February 8th you can look for specially marked packages that say 'Thanks a Million'. Each package that is marked with that logo will contain a game piece. There will be over 16,000 redeemable cash prizes valuing from $10 to $100,000 or a chance to win a Banquet coupon!

Next time you are at your supermarket check out the Banquet meals and pick one out for a great and easy meal for yourself or your family. Enjoy and good luck to you all who purchase a meal--I hope you win a great prize!


I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Banquet and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

The Things I Ponder 2nd Edition

I have so much fun pondering things in my head, that I figured--hey--why not let my fab readers ponder along with me? Here we go for another addition. Get your beverage of choice, a chocolate snack and get cozy...

*When did people start sending out invites for parties months in advance? I'm not talking weddings here, people...actual parties...I just don't understand--or am I just behind on the times? Am I supposed to invite everyone months in advance now?

*When you give someone your number and they don't call you {not any of you--a mom I met here in town awhile ago...} and then you see them later on, what do you say? I pretended I didn't see her....

*Am I the only one who buys running shoes with every intention of running, but then never have time to run? Once it warms up to a decent temp and it isn't dark when Leo gets home I want to start again...I pinky swear.

*Why do I love the ID channel so much?

*Why do I love LMN so much?

*Why does my hair seem like it takes forever to grow but that one white/gray hair grows like a weed? It's like the dandelion variety of hair...

*Why do my cheeks and thighs feel swollen during PMS? Bloating? Fatness?

*How do I have time to ponder such nonsense?

So there you have it. A day inside of my brain. Amazing right?

What questions do you ask yourself? I would love to hear some of your random questions right now--leave them in a comment if you want or write up your own post and let me know!

I'm an Ambassador for The View!

I recently got selected to be an ambassador for The View! I'm really excited for this opportunity--and I just want to give Mom Central a huge thank you for selecting me!

I love The View. I think one of the reasons why I love it so much is that it's all women and the topics they talk about during the week are never fluffy. They talk about topics that actually matter to me--politics, current affairs, headlines, you name it--it gets discussed and debated. When we lived in Turkey I couldn't dvr it, so the days that we got off during the week I was so excited to actually watch it! Granted, they showed it a day late, but they still showed it and that still allowed me to watch it.

Right now The View and Mom Central are sponsoring a trip for one lucky person to go to NYC and watch a live taping of The View! Could you imagine? I would be SO excited! Click here to be taken to the survey and be entered for the trip. If you win, let me know! I would be ecstatic to see one of my loyal readers win.

How many of you are loyal fans to The View? How long have you watched it? I can't wait to share many exciting things with you all in the next weeks. Stay tuned!

“I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other The View branded items to facilitate my review.”

Crazy? Maybe. A Dreamer? Always.

Last nite while drinking my new favorite wine ever watching Paranormal Activity I had a genius idea.

But let me just say my genius idea had nothing to do with the wine the movie. For reals.

I was sitting here...trying to daydream around because I was seriously freaked out at this movie. Me, ghosts, a scared husband, and the dark? Don't really go together well.

Anyways.

So there I was, lalala. Thinking happy thoughts. Thinking how much I want to go to a blogging conference, but with the girls it just wasn't possible this year. Leo offered, but I just decided to wait until next year {I hope. Crossing fingers and toes. If you are planning on one or want to go lets plan it together!}.

And then I had my idea. My vision. My Iwantthistohappensobadidea.

I turned to Leo and said, "What would you think if I decided to get a group of blog girlfriends together. Somewhere away from home. A couple of days. To meet. To have fun. To just get away and laugh."

His reply?

Throw it out there. See if anyone would like to plan a little trip.

Seriously. How much fun would it be?!

I have no idea when or where or who.

But I do know that I want to do this. I want to meet my blog friends.

Where the conversations are filled with laughter. Where we can have wine {or whatever it is you like, but I like wine so that's why I'm saying wine}. Where we can wear cute clothes that don't consist of yoga pants and my fave Gap sweats. Where I can wear adorable shoes that will kill my feet but I won't care.

So. My question to you all--what do you think?

Is this something that you would ever consider?

Or am I just being the daydreamer that I always am?

I can't wait to hear your thoughts. The where. The who. The when.

W6AJBWXPSA79

Tonite...

I will be making this...

 

Chicken Parmigiana via The Pioneer Woman {photo credit-Google Images}

With some of this...

  

Herb Country Living Famous Garlic Bread {photo credit-Google Images}

along with this...

 

Delicious Italian salad complete with homemade dressing {photo credit-Google Images}

followed by a glass or two of this...

  

 King Estate Pinot Gris. Delicious. {photo credit-Google Images}

Happy Valentine's Day to my friends--hope you have a relaxing and enjoyable day.

Sing Along with Barbie {A Winey Mommy Review}

I remember as a little girl that I loved anything and everything Barbie. My sister and my cousin would sit down with me and we would play with our Barbies for hours. We had the Barbie Dream House, the Ferrari, the horse and stable, the pool and almost every Barbie imaginable.

Lately Isabella has really loved Barbies. When we go to the store she is asking me for a Barbie. When she looks at them she tells me that they are beautiful--and I feel so happy that my own daughter loves Barbies already. To me they are one of the toys that I won't mind her playing with. I played with them, I know they were great for my imagination and a safe toy.

We watched the new Barbie DVD today--it's called Sing Along with Barbie. It's a DVD with 12 fun songs that Barbie and her friends sing. It's adorable! The words are on the bottom of the screen for some karaoke style fun. As I sang to the songs we danced together laughing and just having fun together. It was the perfect way to spend this cold, wet and rainy day inside.

Of all of the songs she loved "The Cat's Meow" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". They each had her favorite things--cats and Christmas--how can you go wrong with that?

All in all, we loved the dvd. I do wish some of the songs were a little longer, but for Isabella's age it was perfect. I know in the years when she is older--along with Madelyn--they will love having this dvd to sing together and with their friends.

I would recommend this to anyone that has a little girl who loves Barbie. And if she's a little older and can read, this would be an awesome addition for any birthday party or slumber party. I could just see the girls dressing up and doing their hair with play makeup--how fun would that be?!

And at the very low price of $9.99 this would make a wonderful Valentine's Day gift for your little girl. You can find it at a variety of different retail stores as well as online.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Mattel. In addition, I received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Friends. Forever.

Lately I've been thinking of my blog friends. The ones who know me-but not in real life. {Which totally sucks. Because I heart each and every single one of you}.

How I love reading about everyone. What they're doing.

What makes you who you truly are and allowing total strangers into your life. It's completely fascinating. I love it. It's one thing that I can constantly look forward to that won't let me down.

There's something special about this bond of friends that I've created in the {2} wonderful years that I've been blogging.

When I first started this blog journey it was a way for my family to keep up with Isabella. How she's changing. What we're up to.

Then I discovered blogs. Other blogs.

Addictive blogs.

I remember just thinking to myself, wow.

This is amazing. Talking to other people. Interacting with other women.

Because being a brand new mommy in a brand new town? Was hard. I was lonely. I was told that I had PPD and PPAD. Which, if you don't know, means post postpartum depression and a postpartum anxiety disorder.

I was shocked. Ashamed. Embarrassed. I've always been a happy girl. But not during that time. It was the darkest time of my life--in which should have been the happiest time of my life.

So, you see, when I started reading and writing and interacting? It saved me. Saved my sanity. Saved me from going to an even darker place.

And for that, friends? Thank you.

Thank you for being faithful readers. Thank you for your comments. Thank you for the smiles. Thank you for writing your lives out for us to read. It truly is amazing.

I guess what I'm trying to say is when I say I love y'all and I puffy heart y'all...I do. I truly, truly do.

Because we are now friends.

Friends forever.

This & That Thursday...

* Maddie has a tooth through on the bottom row. Her first tooth. I seriously cannot believe it. I saw that the two bottom teeth looked like they were about to come through, but other than that? No teething symptoms whatsoever. She is seriously the happiest, sweetest, bestest baby in the world. Love her!

*She also can say "dada" and "dadada". I may have a literary genius on my hands...and I need to start practicing "mama" asap.

*I'm frozen. Like a Chelle popsicle. Seriously. We have a winter storm watch...what the?!?! For those of you that don't know? We live on the coast. The beach is practically down the street. Oh well--I would love for Bella to see some snow here! She loves the stuff.

*We bought a Blu Ray or is it blu ray? Whatevs. We bought one and I'm sooo excited. My first film? Paranormal Activity. Have you seen it? I still haven't watched it. It's still on the counter. In the wrapper. I may or may not be too nervous/scared to watch it...

*I also bought these asics running shoes. They are the most comfortable tennis shoes I have ever owned in my life. I'm not kidding. And I've owned a ton of running shoes. I can't wait to start running once it warms up a little bit more...

*Isabella's favorite movie is Annie. The original, classic Annie. She sings the songs. Dances. And has parts memorized. Girlfriend is obsessed--but it's so adorable! We She may be trying out for Broadway in the future...

*Do you watch the Bad Girls Club? I am raising my hand--but in a hidden kind of raise. You know the one where you're not sure if someone is raising their hand or not? Because I don't know why I heart that show. The drama. The insanity. It's the show I watch during naptime. Love it.

*I want my hair dark again. And my appointment isn't until March 20th. *sigh* I used to have to be blond. Now? I want the brunette back. I'm way too indecisive.

*For V-day I'm making my mom's famous strawberry pop cake. With homemade strawberry pop frosting. Yum! And I'm pretty sure we're going to El Bosque--and I'll be loading up with drinking a few margaritas. Buy one get one free!

*Okay, so last week after I wrote that whole puppy post, the people's behind us dog came over to our house. She is the best dog ever. I even updated my facebook status that we now had a dog. And she may/may not be technically ours. There were questions about that. Anyway. So now Isabella is always asking for the dog and puppy.

*Then tonite we were reading the Christmas book about Mistletoe the red and green kitten. The whole time she was saying "Awwww, Mommy, poor poor kitty tat. It's okay kitty. Come my house daddy work."  Which translated for you she was saying, it's okay cat! Just stay at our home, we'll let you inside when daddy is at work. Bwahaha! I died laughing and when I told Leo he shook his head. He better hope no strays come around...

*Isabella used to hate strangers. Until recently. She says hi and bye to them all. At a restaurant? She'll greet and tell them all hi/bye. I need to start having the talk about stranger danger...

*No more poop mishaps this week. Thank God. I was beginning to worry there for a few days...

*I'm pretty sure I'll be buying Photoshop Elements soon. I've been dying to buy it for so long. But then I chicken out. But I looove taking pictures. Capturing moments. Capturing time. It's one passion that I haven't tossed to the side. And if you knew me? You'd be amazed by that...

*So as a sign off...are you Valentine's Day hater or lover? Do you do anything special? For me, I love buying cards for the family and making the pop cake. But we don't go all crazy with gifts. I'd rather be surprised out of the blue without the prompting of such a commercialized holiday. I remember in junior high/high school all of the girls would get tons of stuff from boyfriends or parents. I hated it. I always went home and ate all of my candy feeling sorry for myself, haha! 

*Love y'all. Awww! So mushy of me! {and no, I haven't had any wine tonite...saving that for this weekend, too!}

Everything that I've Always Wanted....{Wordless Wednesday}

Lil' Miss Crafty Pants {A Winey Mommy Giveaway}

Last week I did a post of a few of my favorite Etsy products.

And this week?

I am giving one lucky reader one of them!

*squeal* 

Meet my new favorite blogger/crafty/wahm, Shawna. Her shop is lil' miss crafty pants--and can I just say I am in love with everything she makes?

From these love letters:

 

to these wooden letters made to order:

to these to-die-for stars:

Isn't she amazing? I think I want one of everything in her shop--I truly love it all! And Shawna is a total sweetheart! Every time I talk with her on e-mail she makes me smile. She's honestly the type of person I strive to be everyday. I adore her and her craftiness!

I want to tell you a little about lil' miss crafty pants and then I'll show y'all what she is giving one of my readers!

Is there anything that you would like my readers to know about you/your shop? i'm a wahm. i have my etsy shop and a family photography business in san diego. i've loved to make things since i was a little girl. of my 3 kids, two are very crafty as well.  :) i have a blog and am in the process of moving into a website. right now i'm living at both addresses, so to speak. my blog is www.shawnaparks.typepad.com my new website is www.shawnaparks.com.

What is your inspiration? well, i started making my stars & letters as gifts and for friends for about 8 years ago. i hadn't really done either in  a couple of years. i was going through a rough patch personally in the early fall of '09 and went to my crafts as a way to bring a little peace back into my life. i can make the stars or letters in short amount of time and the repetitiveness is really pretty calming. and you get the satisfaction of making something pretty that makes someone else happy. a friend had encouraged me to "open" an etsy shop, and so lil miss crafty pants was born.

***The Giveaway***

  

One very lucky reader will be winning the above 8" star from lil' miss crafty pants!!

To be eligible to win you need to visit her etsy shop and take a look around. Tell me something that you love or that you would like to see in her shop. Easy right? This is mandatory so make sure you do this for any and all bonus entries to count.

 ***How to Win***

Make sure you leave a separate comment per entry. If it says 2 entries leave 2 comments.

{mandatory entry} Visit lil' miss crafty pants shop and tell me what you love or what you would love to see. This must be done before I count any/all bonus entries

{4 entries per each} Subscribe in a Reader and/or email to her new blog.

{3 entries per comment} Leave her a comment on her blog. Come back and let me know what post.

{3 entries per giveaway entered} Enter any of my other current giveaways. 3 extra entries per giveaway entered. 

{2 entries for each} Follow my blog on Google Friend connect, subscribe via  Reader and/or email

{2 entries} Follow The Winey Mommy on Twitter

{1 entry per tweet} Tweet this giveaway! You can tweet ONE time per hour! Copy and paste the following: Gorgeous handmade 8" star giveaway for your home! Enter @winey_mommy: http://bit.ly/bVfosl Ends @ NOON 2/23

{1 entry} Grab my button and place on your blog. Leave me a link to where I can find it.

{10 entries} Make a purchase from lil' miss crafty pants. Make sure to leave me your order # in your comment.

{10 entries} Blog about this giveaway! Link back to this post and lil' miss crafty pants. Come back and leave me the link to your blog. Don't have a blog? Email 5 of your friends and cc me on your email.

***Rules***

This giveaway will end on Feb23rd @ NOON CST. Open to all US residents 18+. To to be eligible to win you must do mandatory entry. If you do not follow that rule all entries will be void. Leave a valid email address in comment or available on profile. Winner will be drawn via Random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to notification email. If winner does not contact back w/full name/address a new winner will be

picked. All winners will be posted on blog when picked. I am not responsible for prizes not received. If for some reason your prize does not get to you, please let me know and I will try my hardest to work it out with the sponsor. 

I did not receive a product or compensation for this post. I love her shop and I love my readers and that is why I am promoting this product, shop owner and mom.

A Mommy Timeout....

Lately I've been feeling a little blah. I know when this happens and it usually happens for one week--no matter what month it is. I hate it. The laziness. The inability or just lack of motivation. I wish so much for those weeks to not happen, but sometimes I think it's my body's way of telling me to slow it down a little.

Breathe.

Relax.

And breathe some more.

On Sunday afternoon Leo could tell that I was in need of a little just me time. Nobody to talk to. No timeouts to be given. No diapers to change. No dishes to wash. No thinking required.

And he was right on point with that.

I threw on some makeup. Fixed up my hair and kissed the girls and the husband goodbye.

Once my car door was closed I swear it was as if that is all I needed. A little bit of peace and quiet. I sat there for a moment and soaked it all in. And to be honest? I kind of liked it. Just a little...

Don't get me wrong--I love my family to pieces. But I really needed to just be alone for awhile. To remind myself that I am still "me"--and that "me" needs to be out sometimes.

I decided to go to Barnes & Noble. I got there and it was so quiet. I got a nonfat chai tea latte and a piece of pumpkin cheesecake. Grabbed a gossip magazine and just sat. By myself. No interruptions. Nothing.

It? Was truly what I needed. After I bought a few things--to include the best cookbook ever and a book for each of the girls.

Because although they were out of sight? They are never out of mind, that's for sure.

What about y'all? Did you do anything to regroup and to get a little bit of well deserved peace and quiet this weekend?

Winners!

Congratulations to Lydia and Erin M. for being the winners of the Jovan fragrance set and Hillshire Farm package. Both winners have been notified and both have contacted me back. Thank you to everyone who has entered my giveaways--I currently have two more up and running--make sure you enter those as well!

Hillshire Farm winner-Erin M. Congrats!

Jovan fragrance set winner, Lydia. Congrats!

Organic Bug Control {A Winey Mommy Review & Giveaway}

As a mom I am constantly wondering if the products that are used in my home are safe for my children, my cat and my family. With so many recalls, warnings and studies done I try to find products that are safe for everyone--and that they will actually work.

Living in the South we are constantly trying to find solutions to keep pesky insects out of our home. Home pest control seems to be a stressful factor for us in the summertime--mainly with ants. It doesn't matter how often we clean, what we try to do--ants are constantly marching into our lives--and not in a good way.

When I first heard about EcoSMART, I was very interested in testing out a product--especially one that works. Described as an organic bug control it is the world's leader in safe pesticides with their products based on natural ingredients. Their different products have come up with a solution that uses natural defenses that plants and trees have used for self protection from insects and pathogens for millenia--essential oils.

Another bonus in my book is that EcoSMART is safe around children, pets, and the environment. This is so important to so many people--we all want our families, friends, furry friends as well as the environment to be safe from dangerous chemicals that are found in many different pesticides.

We tried out the Organic Home Pest Control spray. Leo tested it around our dining room windows where we typically find the pesky ants entering. They usually love one of our bushes by that window and then somehow come inside. As he started spraying I asked him what he thought. He loved that it smelled minty--and wasn't a repulsive chemical smell. After he was done I could smell the minty scent in our living room--much better than other sprays we have used in the past. The scent wasn't overwhelming and after approximately 5 minutes the scent was gone.

We have yet to see any bugs make their way into our dining room and kitchen. And I'm pretty sure my husband is on board with the EcoSystem products. They offer a large variety of organic bug control products to include:

Ant & Roach Killer {can}

Flying Insect Killer {can}

Wasp and Hornet Killer {can}

Insect Repellent {bottle}

Lawn Insect Killer {hose end}

Garden Insect Killer {bottle}

Garden Fungicide {bottle}

Home Pest Control {bottle}

Their products are very affordable--you can find products ranging from $7/bottle to $31/value packs. 

***Win It***

One lucky reader will be winning a bottle of the Home Pest Control {value of $8}--which is the same awesome product that I used in my home. 

To be eligible to win visit the EcoSMART website {links are above in post} and tell me one thing that you liked/learned. It can be anything--as long as it's different from what I wrote about. This must be completed for your entry to count and before any bonus entries will count.

***Bonus Entries***

Please leave one comment per bonus entry. If it says 2 entries, leave two separate comments.

 

{2 entries for each} Follow my blog on Google Friend connect, subscribe via a Reader and/or email

{2 entries} Follow The Winey Mommy on Twitter

{1 entry per tweet} Tweet this giveaway! Leave your tweet link in your comment. Can tweet 1x per hour.

{2 entries} Grab my button and place on your blog. Leave me a link to where I can find it

{10 entries} Blog about this giveaway linking back to this post. Leave your post link in your comment. 

 ***Rules***

 This giveaway will end on Feb 21st @ NOON CST. Open to all US residents 18+. To to be eligible to win you must do mandatory entry. If you do not follow that rule all entries will be void. Leave a valid email address in comment or available on profile. Winner will be drawn via Random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to notification email. If winner does not contact back w/full name/address a new winner will be 

picked. All winners will be posted on blog when picked.

I was provided the product stated above in order to provide an honest review for my readers. No other compensation was given.