Gift Cards = My Favorite Gift

When I give someone a gift I want it to be something that the recipient will love. There is nothing worse than being the giver (and in some cases the receiver) of a gift and seeing a fake sort of happiness spread across someone's face.

It is one thing to know someone so well that you will know exactly what said person would love to receive. But it is another to have an office gift exchange, a house warming party, sibling gift exchange, or a birthday party where you may know the recipient, but you don't know them so well that you feel comfortable giving them a gift.

This is why I adore giving gift cards as gifts. Gift cards are an easy way to ensure that the person on the receiving end will get just what they wanted--or they could use it towards an even larger purchase that was out of the price range for asking someone to give them.

Another thing that I love about gift cards? You can do so much more than just mailing them in an envelope. Here are my top five ways to give (and hey, even receive for myself!) a gift card.

• Buy something small that you can tuck the gift card into. You could get a cute change purse, a cozy pair of socks, or a cute coffee mug and then give the remaining balance of gift money in a gift card. So if your gift amount is $20 and said coffee mug is $5, buy them a $15 gift card. It's a cute and fun way to give a gift card.

• Stick them in a stocking as a fun way to stuff your stocking during the holidays.

• Hang them from your tree. This is especially fun if you're doing a Secret Santa type gift exchange and you are the host. Ask your guests if they plan on participating to bring "x" amount on a gift card and then wrap the gift. When they arrive you can punch a hole in the paper, tie a string and have them hang it up on the gift tree. Then draw numbers to see who gets to pick the first card on the tree and so on. Doing a White Elephant exchange? This would be a fun way to try and get the much coveted gift card on the tree.

• A lot of gift cards can be purchased electronically. This can be a little tricky to email to the recipient. You could always buy the amount, e-mail it to yourself and then once the big day arrives e-mail it to your recipient.

• If you are giving a baby gift, you could roll up a diaper cake and then attach a gift card to the cake. If the parents-to-be only have one item left to buy for their new little one, try to plan with the other guests and family members to donate a gift card to the same store and attach them all to the diaper cake. Now they can have a starter on that crib or nice carseat that they have had their eyes on.

With almost all stores offering some sort of gift card program these days you can really be creative on how to give the gift of a gift card. Have fun and remember when in doubt, buy a gift card!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Gift Cards Rock blogging program, for 6,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Because Everyone Shops with Poop on Their Shirt...Right?

Friday was supposed to be a fun day. Key word there is "supposed".

We woke up and decided that we would finish up some last minute shopping, give in to Isabella's pleading for a visit with Santa, mail some packages, and finish up with dinner at our favorite restaurant.

Once we arrived for our shopping Leo decided that it would be the best thing to just carry Brynlie rather than lug around our double stroller. I happily agreed to this and off we went.

As we arrive at our destination Leo informed me that he smelled something--and that it wasn't a good smell. He did the butt sniff test on Brynlie and the look on his face said it all.

We had a pooper.

He was walking ahead and yelled back at the girls and me that he would just take her into the family bathroom. I stayed with Isabella and Madelyn so we did some walking around. Isabella begged for a guitar. Madelyn was running around. Isabella licked some shop windows. Madelyn did some screaming.

It was great.

I was wondering where the hell Leo and Brynlie were and what the hell happened to the two of them when out walked Leo.

He was drenched with sweat. Brynlie is wrapped in a blanket. He looks, well, unhappy.

I looked at him wondering what in the...?!


He must have read my mind. He then told me that Brynlie had the most massive poop that he had ever seen.

Said massive poop was all over her back. Her shirt. Her pants.

There were no spare clothes in my massive bag. Not even a onesie.

When he reached into my bag to get out the wipes? We had two measly wipes.

Two.

There was no air circulation in the family bathroom. He said it reeked of shit from the diaper and that he couldn't breathe.

As he's pouring sweat off of his body he looks down to see what he had feared.

Shit all over his shirt.

We learned a few valuable lessons during this. One, we always double check the wipes container. Two, keep an extra outfit in said bag at all times--and make sure someone *ahem, me* has not removed outfits to wash them.

Final lesson? Make sure that Leo wears an undershirt that isn't so see through that his nipples are showing.

Book of the Week: Recession Proof

I love being introduced to a new author whose novels make me fall in love with the entire book. From the characters, the story, the obstacles that the characters may face; if the book is impossible for me to set down, I know that I have a winner.

The latest book to suck up every spare minute of my time to include being sleepy and sneaking in reading time at every possible chance is Recession Proof by Kimberly S. Lin.

Recession Proof is about a woman named Helen who is successful yet not fulfilled with her life and career in the finance department. She has been with Mark, her boyfriend, for six years and their relationship is at a standstill. As she is pondering if the finance world is ultimately for her and if Mark is actually "The One", the recession hits. She is suddenly left unemployed and begins to wonder what would truly make her happy in life?

Helen was so likable--as was her best friend, Sophie. I could relate to her in the way that she felt as if there was something out there that she was meant to be doing and she wanted to follow her dreams to reach her goal. I found myself rooting for Helen for her dream job and in the love department.

All in all, I loved this book. It was a great read and I honestly could not read it quick enough. It was so easy to love Helen and all of her little mishaps and to cheer her on while she decided that she could follow her heart and her dreams.

My only critique of the book would be the typos and lack of commas. I noticed that for the majority of times a character would be spoken to that there wouldn't be commas before/after their name. There were other typos and for me it took away from how great of a book Recession Proof is.






Introducing "Recession Proof" from Kimberly Lin on Vimeo.

About the author: Kimberly S. Lin is a California native, graduated from UC Irvine with a degree in economics. After college she moved to Los Angeles and worked as a financial writer and hedge fund analyst, but always dreamed of becoming a women's literature writer. Utilizing her experiences she writes stories that are witty, heartwarming and relatable to the modern woman. 

A huge thank you to Chick Lit Plus and Kimberly S. Lin for this book review opportunity. No other compensation was given.

Shoppers in a Panic--JCPenney to the Rescue!

By a raise of hands who still has at least one gift left to buy? Maybe it is for that impossible to buy for person, the one who has everything, the one who is too picky or the one that you honestly have no clue what to buy him or her.

This is where one of my favorite stores, JCPenney, comes to our rescue! They have an amazing gift guide out there for all of us shoppers who need help and are finding ourselves in a panic with only days to go until the holidays officially arrive.

Here are a few of my favorite gifts that you can find from jcpenney--no need to panic when you have such amazing finds right at your fingertips:

Do you know a coffee lover? This Keurig coffee maker is sure to be a hit!

This Makeup Studio Blockbuster by Sephora is the mecca of makeup for beauty lovers. So fun!

The Liz Claiborne Clear and Rose Gold Resin Watch is perfect to tuck away in the woman of your life's stocking. Loving the rose gold trend!

These Stafford flannel pants are so cozy and warm--perfect for the cold winter nights ahead.

If you need more gift ideas check out the JCPenney gift guide--there is something for everyone on it! There is no need to panic this year when you can find a special gift for everyone at JCPenney. Make sure that you order by December 20th for standard delivery to arrive by Christmas Eve!

JCPenney Don't Panic Last Minute Shopping Guide



I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of jcpenney and received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

Life Glances

* I went out last night. No children. No husband. I met up with two moms at a coffee shop. We laughed. We talked. We closed the place down. Which, by the way, I haven't closed anything down for years. Mission accomplished.

* This will probably sound weird--but it is weird. Around a month ago I noticed one of Madelyn's ears smelled...and not in a good way. She goes to the doctor today--and I may or may not have giggled when explaining what the problem was when I booked said appointment.

* Making Christmas cookies and cinnamon rolls this weekend. I love this time of year. My weight, though? Yeah...not so much.

* I did the 30 Day Shred yesterday. My body is in some pain today. Yikes.

* Reading another awesome book--I'll be writing about it next week. I can't put it down.

* I have really went overboard this year on presents. Every year Leo and I are all no going overboard this year, Chelle!  And then it's always an excuse to why the overboardness has happened. I love buying presents for people. It's too much fun!

* Brynlie is a real life crawler. She crawls around the entire house. No more worm crawling, either. This is full on I'm super baby crawling like a pro, Momma! This is going by WAY too fast.

* I turned my air conditioner back on. It's in the 70's. I hate this. I want cool weather, please.

And...I *think* I got it...

Merry Christmas!

Super Cute Grandparent Gift Idea {I Made This!}

While browsing the most addicting site known to man, aka Pinterest, I ran across a cute idea--but then I made my own spin and did my own thing with it.

What I loved about this craft was that my girls could be a part of it and actually help create an adorable gift idea for their grandparents. So much of Christmas can be purchased at the store and I wanted something special and unique from the girls to their grandparents.

Here are their fingerprint snowman ornaments:

Cute, right? Here are the supplies that you'll need:

*Wood shape of choice. These can be found at any craft store (Hobby Lobby, Michael's, etc)

*Child safe paint. We used washable paints because my girls are a little paint happy.

*Paint pen

*Ribbon (I used scrapbook ribbon)

*Sharpie

*Mod Podge

*Hot glue gun

After you have all of your supplies, give your child(ren) a paint brush and a little of the paint. Have them paint the wood shape in color of choice.

Once the ornament shape is dry you then pour out some white paint onto a plate. Spread it out some and place child's finger into paint.

Press the finger down firmly enough onto the ornament to make the snowman's body.

Repeat for however many little ones that you have. Since I have three girls we have three snowmen.

Once the snowmen are dry, write the year on top of the ornament. I chose a silver paint pen but any color will do.

Using the sharpie draw on your snowman eyes, mouth and arms.

Once you have the snowmen complete, Mod Podge the ornament. I did this just as a sealant for the ornament.

After Mod Podge is dry cut your ribbon to the desired length. Fold into a loop and hot glue onto back.

And...that's it! Super easy, super cute and my girls are so proud that they helped make their grandparents' gift.

Infantino Sync Carrier

I have been searching for a baby carrier for quite some time and I am starting to think that my list of requirements is what is making it so difficult for me to pick a carrier.

First and foremost on my list is safety. I realize that is a given for all of us as parents, but you would be surprised at how many carriers are not worn safely.

My second requirement is comfort. Not just for me, but for Brynlie as well. Carriers that pull on my back and shoulders won't do me any good. I have a 4 year old, a 2 year old and a 6 month old--I must have all of my muscles working properly in order to keep up with these three while out and about.

And my final (personal) requirement? Cute. It must be something cute.

When I pulled my Infantino Sync Carrier out of the package I was both excited and confused. Excited because this was the type of carrier that I had just been looking at. Confused because of the straps and where to put what.

After reading the instructions over for quite some time I recruited my husband to assist me. I honestly wasn't comfortable doing this alone for the first few times--and even now that I have had it and used it for a few weeks I am not comfortable using it alone quite yet. You need to be able to pull the straps tight and I still don't think I am at the level in order to do that while holding onto her at the same time.

I loved this carrier for a variety of reasons. The Infantino Sync Carrier met all of my above requirements. Once Brynlie was snug and secured inside I LOVED it. The carrier was extremely comfortable. I have used carriers in the past that killed my back and shoulders. Not true with this one. It is so comfortable and Brynlie was also comfortable.

It's really cute! I love the red and black floral combination. A lot of my clothes are black so it compliments them perfectly.

And finally, most importantly, I could feel and see that Brynlie was secure. She was strapped so tight, but not tight enough to make her fuss and be uncomfortable. I did some squatting, leaning over and walking around with her. She loved it all! Remember to ALWAYS read your instructions first and utilize any videos that the baby carrier may come with. Your baby's safety is the most important thing always.

You can view and purchase the Infantino Sync Carrier from Amazon. There you can find reviews and read what other moms thought of the carrier in addition to my review. Want to see the Infantino Sync Carrier in action? Check out their YouTube video here.

What to be kept in the know with Infantino? Find Infantino on Facebook, follow Infantino on Twitter and/or subscribe to the Infantino YouTube channel.


I am a participant in a Mom Central Consulting campaign for Infantino and have received various Infantino products as part of my participation. 

I think a redo is in order...

I am not sure if I want this photo to be the photo that all of my family will receive for our Christmas card.

However, it's almost too funny for it not to be, right?

Book Pick of the Week: Chosen by Chandra Hoffman

I love finding a book so invigorating that I cannot put it down. It is while reading these types of books that the exhaustion the next day is well worth it.

Chosen by Chandra Hoffman was one of the above. This book was so intense and had me wanting, no, needing, to find out what was going to happen next. My heart would pound and I would read every chance that I got. I found myself staying up until midnight to squeeze in those next pages and chapters.

Here is a brief description as told on the book jacket:

It all begins as a fantasy...


A caseworker in her "paperwork-signing" suit alongside beaming parents cradling their adopted newborn: this is the blissful picture that keeps Chloe Pinter, director of Portland's Chosen Child domestic adoption program, happy as she juggles the demands of her boss and the incessant needs of adoptive and biological parents. 


But the dream job that offers Chloe refuge from her turbulent personal life soon becomes a nightmare involving three very different couples" the college sweethearts who, after suffering fertility problems, are now expecting their own baby' the wealthy husband and desperate wife for whom adoption is a last chance; and the couple who has nothing--except the baby everyone wants. But when a child goes missing, perceptions of family and future are challenged, posing the questions: What happens when you get what you thought you wanted? How far would you go if it wasn't what you wanted after all?


Right when I read the book jacket I knew in my heart that I had to read this book. As a mother who has struggled with unexplained infertility, as a sister to four adopted siblings, I knew that this book would be a great read.

The characters were so believable--it was as if I actually knew them. Once I started to get deeper into this book I saw that some of the characters were not who they seemed to be on the outside. I could relate to a few of the characters, but I think that the characters whom I could not relate to are what kept me captivated the most.

I could not imagine having to make a sacrifice so large such as putting my child up for adoption. Chandra Hoffman made me feel as if I were the mom who was placing my child with their forever family. The ache in their hearts--you truly get to see a point of view that many of us do not get to witness every day.

When I got to the portion of the book where the child goes missing, I felt sick to my stomach. Once the parent of the missing child realized that the child has disappeared, I once again felt like I was this character. The panic. The heart racing. The collapsing onto the ground--it was written in such a believable manner and had me feeling as if I had to hug my daughters that much closer.

All in all? I loved this book. Chandra Hoffman's writing skills are phenomenal. The characters did not seem to be stereotyped as they sometimes do in books that have well defined characters who play a certain role. It was as if I knew all of the characters in my own life.

I highly recommend this book to all of my blog readers and friends. I cannot tell you how many times that I told my Mom that she must read this book. I raved about it so much and she is now going to read it. I loved Chosen and hope that once you read it, you will understand when I say that I could not put this gripping read down.

Chick Lit Plus is hosting an Amazon gift card giveaway! Simply visit the Chosen blog tour page and leave a comment. Super easy!


Want to learn more about Chandra Hoffman and keep up with her social networks? You can "like" her on Facebook and/or follow her on Twitter.

A huge thank you to Chick Lit Plus for this amazing reading and review opportunity! I received the book to read and no other compensation was given. All opinions expressed above are my own.

Time.

I think that there comes a time in our lives when we stop and realize that time flies by. As I sit here in my recliner, staring at my Christmas tree and the stockings all hung in order from oldest to youngest, I am smiling.

Happy.

Full of life.

It was this time last year that I was not in the mood to blog.

I was not in the mood for decorating for Christmas.

I was only in the mood to somehow make it through each day until my husband came home from Afghanistan.

It was hard. It was tough. On some days it was unbearable to get through.

This year?

I am soaking it all in.

I have three daughters. Three.


My husband is home.

Said husband is constantly tormenting me--and even though I may act annoyed or roll my eyes at his constant teasing?

I love it. I love him. I love my family.

To say that I am blessed this year is an understatement. I am more than blessed--and for that I am grateful.

It's okay...

To have a few Chips Ahoy for breakfast and a bowl of Special K for a snack...

To consider wine a part of the fruit group...

To lock yourself in the bathroom for a few moments of peace and quiet...

To slightly panic if you forget your cell phone at home...

To get extra butter on your movie theater popcorn but order a Diet Coke to drink...

To blame the wrinkles under your eyes are simply from not drinking enough water/getting enough sleep...

To create a Pinterest account in order to mark hints for your husband...

To be more excited about homemade stuffing than you are about turkey...

To rather be decorating for Christmas than fighting the masses on Black Friday...

Heavy Whipping Cream vs Cool Whip

This all begins with Leo and I staying home this year for all of the holidays. We're doing a huge Thanksgiving dinner for our family of five. 

As each day passes I add more food dishes for us to cook. I have come to the conclusion that I over estimated serving sizes in the stuffing department. So much so that we currently have two 9x18 pans and one 8x8 pan of bread and seasonings drying out on my counter top.

I hadn't really planned to do a cranberry side dish. Until I talked to my Mom--she asked if I was making her (to die for) cranberry salad. I told her no, I didn't think so. She agreed and we laughed that it wasn't like I had the ingredients (whole cranberries, lemon jello, heavy whipping cream and more) on hand.

After thinking it over I text Leo who was battling the masses at the grocery store. I shot him a quick text on a few key ingredients to buy. 

When it came time for me to text heavy whipping cream I even added in parentheses to NOT buy whipped cream in a can. I even laughed thinking he probably already knew that and I will probably get a smartass response back. 

Fast forward to him getting home. He's putting some stuff away while I am trying to get dinner to the girls. 

Leo: Hey, babe! Want me to put this whipping cream in the freezer?

Me: Um...why would you put it in the freezer?

I look up to see him holding the biggest container of Cool Whip that I've ever seen! Freaking hilarious--I died laughing!

I want to add how glad I am that he is not in Afghanistan this Thanksgiving. I am so blessed that he is home this year!

Six. Months.

So it's official. You are now a 6 month old. I honestly cannot believe that you are now half a year old.

Did I really just say half a year?

You rocked at your 6 month checkup today. 15 pounds, 26 1/2 inches long. Growing perfectly, reaching all of your milestones.

This in no way surprises me. You're an amazing baby--and I know that people always say that they have amazing children, but you really are.

You are starting to move around SO much. Your latest way of getting around? The pushup crawl:

You get up in pushup position and then drop forward--like a dance move or something? It's hilarious. It's cute. And it gets you from here to there. *As typing this you JUST crawled a couple of REAL crawl moves. Insanity!

You also dance, dance, dance. Any music you hear, if mommy is attempting to sing singing her heart out, you get on your hands and knees and shake it out. You're my rockstar!

As for foods, you love fruit. Veggies aren't a hit unless they're orange. And you're still my breastfeeding marathoner--as in you'd rather be with momma than eat anything else which is still awesome.

I love you SO much. The past six months have been a whirlwind of fun. I don't want the next six months to fly by as quickly. You've stolen my heart, sweetheart. I am so blessed to have you in my life.

We had a date. The best date ever.

Dear Isabella,

You and I went out for a little Sunday date. We weren't sure of what to do--your only "must do" was visit a toy store for Santa ideas.

We decided to hit up the outlet mall near our home. This place has it all--we were in girl heaven! Shopping, walking, eating some Dippin' Dots.

SO stinkin' cute!

After wandering around and not finding a lot to buy (we were just at the outlets on Friday) we thought we'd go to our first ever 3D movie--Puss in Boots.


We BOTH loved it! It was hilarious--we giggled, I would giggle, you would ask me what was funny (you know, it was one of those cartoon mommy/daddy humor bits that were snuck in), you kept leaning over and giving me kisses while whispering "I love you".

Pretty much it was a day for Mommy's heart to melt into a big sappy puddle. Go figure, I know.

We had so much fun. It's so rare that I get much one on one time with you, my first born. You were grinning and beaming ear to ear, your smile never wavered off of your face. For once you were the object--the only object--of my attention. You acted so much older and it made me realize how important it is for you and I to sneak off occasionally alone together.

When you're older and reading this, I want to thank you for being my date. I loved wearing silly 3D glasses with you, holding hands and giggling like we were sisters. I promise to try and sneak off with you for more dates in the future. I'm still trying to figure out this whole Mommy jig.

So for now we'll eat crazy ice cream, popcorn with butter and wash it all down with Diet Cokes. Because sometimes we I need to walk on the wild side of mommy life.

Love,
Your dorky Mom

It's Official: We Love Dove Men+Care

Leo does a lot of working out in order to be in the Air Force. He runs almost every day, does weight lifting and a variety of other strength training exercises. It's important to have a soap that will make him smell nice after his midday workouts and he needs a deodorant that will work during the work day as well as during his workout sessions.

With winter rapidly approaching we have to consider dry skin, too. Leo doesn't want to use a product that contains so much fragrance that it will dry out and irritate his skin in the cold months ahead--and let's face it. If your husband is anything like mine he doesn't pay a lot of attention to keeping his skin moisturized.

These are a few of the reasons why my husband prefers the Dove Men+Care line of skincare products. It is formulated and scented for men: our husbands, boyfriends, fathers. It allows a man to be protected against sweat and embarrassing sweat stains. It also is a one stop shop for keeping men clean and moisturized at the same time--no need to use a handful of products!

Leo loves the Dove Men+Care Clean Comfort Body & Face Wash. It's formulated using a micromoisture technology to guard a man's skin against discomfort while moisturizing at the same time. Another bonus? It rinses off of his skin and does not leave a residue buildup like other soap brands on the market. Dove Men+Care is hypoallergenic and is made with zero fragrances and dyes for sensitive skin.

After Leo used the body wash and deodorant he asked me to tell my readers that he loves the deodorant. He's been using the body wash for quite some time now, but he was hesitant to try out their antiperspirant and deodorant. His underarms are sensitive and he hates to use a new deodorant for it to break his skin out in a rash after applying it. The Dove Men+Care deodorant did not break him out! He was so excited and wanted me to share that little piece of info with you.

Bottom line is this: we will continue to be a Dove product household. Dove Men+Care is here to stay in my home which makes all of us happy. I love the way my husband smells and he's very satisfied and happy with how his skin feels, how well it's moisturized and that his sensitive skin didn't break out in a rash.

If you love to be in the know with Dove Men+Care, you can follow them on their social media platforms: the Dove Men+Care Facebook page and the Dove Men+Care Twitter page.


We received one set of Dove Men+Care products in order to facilitate an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions expressed above are our own.

A Catch Up

* Time is really getting away from me right now. Can I blame it on the holidays? I have been making lists of gifts, searching online for gifts, planning holiday meals, trying to get decorations organized--you name it, I am doing it.

* This year's Thanksgiving is already a much, much happier time for me in my life. Last year Leo was deployed. I was pregnant. My girls were wondering where their Daddy went. I am positive that this year will be amazing--just to have my husband next to me and my baby girl here is such a blessing. I am blessed for sure.

* So, I am really hooked on a book--as in I am up late every. single. night. reading it. It's SO good--I promise I am not just saying that. It is called Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes by Denise Grover Swank. It starts with the main character, Rose, who has a vision of herself dead on her living room sofa. When in actuality it is her mom who is the one who gets murdered. I'm not giving anything away (this info is all on the book jacket). I have probably 20 pages or so and I am determined to finish it. I love it!

* Did I tell you that I finally got my hair done and LOVE it? I found my hair girl! Finally after living here for FOUR years I have found an amazing hair stylist. I already have my next appointment scheduled--that is how I know I love her to pieces.

* I have been a selling machine. Let me explain that. I've been selling a ton of my movies on eBay and the base that we are stationed at has a Facebook group to sell items--like a yard sale. I have been decluttering and finding new homes for so many awesome things that we don't use any more. I love it--plus the extra money doesn't hurt either!

* Brynlie turns 6 months old on Monday. Seriously--6 months. I am in awe with how quickly time has flown by with baby number three. I remember with Isabella I felt like she would be a baby for so long. Not true--time will fly by and I am definitely soaking it all in.

* Speaking of 6 months, as of Monday I will mark my 6 month breastfeeding anniversary. I am SO happy with the success of breastfeeding Brynlie. It does make me sad that I didn't try harder with my other two girls, but they both turned out wonderful, so I know that it's fine. I just love the bonding experience that I get with Brynlie. Being the little one and the youngest of three I think it allows her to have extra mommy time which we both adore.

* Have you heard of Lalaloopsy dolls? Holy cow. These things are definitely an "it" factor toy this year. They are sold out everywhere--and of course both Isabella and Madelyn want one. They're pretty cute and I found a few available online. I am going to be buying them now before I can't find them anywhere.


* I hate it when I have dreams that are so real that I get real life mixed up with them. Or when they just feel so real that I keep thinking about them all of the time. The other night I dreamed of knitting a scarf. Mind you I have no freaking clue how to knit. Anyway, I woke up and now for 48 hours I have an urge to knit a scarf. Weird, right?

Carmex Skin Care

With cooler temps comes drier skin. I have eczema and my skin does not do well with cold winds and frigid temperatures. It drives me insane when my skin is dry! I find myself constantly having lotion in my diaper bag for when I am out and about with the kids. I am always washing my hands or using a hand sanitizer, so having a small thing of lotion in my bag makes me smile.

I had a chance to try out the all new Carmex Skin Care line. You know the smell of their lip balms? I love that smell--it's a comfort thing for me and reminds me of school when I was a kid. Anyway, the Carmex Skin Care products smell just like the lip balm. They smell really, really good.

I tried out the Healing Lotion and the Healing Cream. The lotion kept my hands, arms and legs moisturized and smooth. I didn't have any dry looking skin and my skin was so moisturized which is a huge plus! It's a non-greasy formula (and it actually is non-greasy!) and has aloe plus Vitamin E.

The cream was fabulous. I hate it when my feet are dry. My poor feet are often neglected and they get the brunt of the abuse from being walked on constantly, I rarely wear socks, and I am a huge fan of flip flops. None of these things make for soft feet. I have been using the Carmex Healing Cream nightly and I can already tell a difference. The cream is thick and also contains 9 healing ingredients to really help your skin absorb and repair itself. I recommend using the cream on your elbows, feet, knees and hands. Love, love, love the cream!

Giveaway:

I have ONE set like the picture above to give to a lucky reader. Just leave me a comment telling me why you want to win this Carmex Skin Care set. Is it to relieve really dry skin? Do you live in a cold climate? Or maybe you want to give this to someone as a stocking stuffer? It can be anything!

Bonus Entries:

(1 entry each) Subscribe via RSS, subscribe via e-mail, and/or follow via GFC

(1 entry) "Like" Winey Mommy on Facebook (click the "f" button on top right)

(2 entries) Follow Winey Mommy on Twitter (click the "t" button on top right)

(1 entry daily) Tweet this giveaway! Click: Tweet. Leave your tweet URL in comment

(1 entry daily) Visit Carmex and tell me something you liked, learned, wish they had. This can be done one time daily.

Rules:

This giveaway will end on November 22nd @ noon CST. Open to all US residents 18+. 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. This blog is not responsible for prizes not being delivered, getting lost, etc.Facebook and Twitter have no bearing on giveaway or outcome of giveaway. I will try my hardest to work with company if something should go wrong. This blog is not responsible for anything regarding to your use of product. 

I was provided with the product pictured above in order to facilitate this review and giveaway. No other compensation was given and all opinions expressed above are my own. 

I Love My Husband

This morning I woke up totally disoriented.

My husband was nowhere to be found. My bedroom door was closed, so where was he?

I got up, placed Brynlie into her crib and darted out of my bedroom.

And there I found him. He was trying to change Madelyn who had soaked through her entire diaper. *note to self: no beverages for Madelyn at bedtime.

I knew he had to be tired. When I was awake feeding Brynlie at midnight he was playing an Xbox 360 video game. Something with guns, loud noises and one of those where I can't distract him at all. I'm pretty sure a lot of you can sympathize with me on this one.

Okay. Back to my point--after all this post is about how much I love him, not about how much I despise Xbox and video games.

So, he then made the girls breakfast. He asked me to feed Brynlie and then get the girls dressed.

Get this: he was taking all three of them to the park so I could sleep.

This is amazing for two reasons. The first being I haven't been brave enough to all three of the girls to the park by myself yet. The second is because I have been so tired and for him to do this? It was the sweetest thing that anyone has done for me in a long time.

And for anyone wondering what to do for a mom with a baby? Give her the gift of sleep--best gift ever.

Real Moms Love to Eat

When I first heard about Beth Aldrich's newest book, Real Moms Love to Eat, I nodded my head up and down just hearing the title of the book. It's true. I love to eat, but somewhere down this road of being a mom it has become a huge struggle to me.

I often wonder why I make sure that my daughters all get healthy and balanced meals, yet I don't take that same precaution when it comes to what I eat. A majority of my daughters' snacks are healthy snacks--fruits, all natural yogurt, baby carrots. They do get to enjoy a fresh cookie or unhealthy snack on occasion, but I try my hardest to really limit the unhealthy products that go into their bodies.Why can I not do this for myself?

Sometimes I think that it is due to what is readily and easily available for myself. With all of my girls being home it is rare that I get to sit down during an actual meal with the family to eat. I find myself serving others, filling up sippy cups with milk, wiping up spills, breastfeeding Brynlie--basically doing everything but enjoying a meal. And to be honest? It's sometimes easier to grab a few cookies and a Diet Coke while nursing Brynlie.

Real Moms Love to Eat is written for all of us moms. Whether you are already a healthy eater or you are struggling in taking care of you like I am currently doing, this book is for you. Beth Aldrich has included delicious healthy recipes that the entire family will enjoy, whole food meals for you to prepare as well as food facts that will help keep you educated in healthy eating so you will not only feel better about yourself, but you will start to look better, too.

If you are interested in reviewing Real Moms Love to Eat, check out the Food Affairiate program! You will get the opportunity to review an e-copy of Beth Aldrich's book! Once you sign up to be a Food Affairiate, you will review the book (again via e-book), and get the chance to be the winner of randomly drawn prizes. A great way to jump start living a healthy life for your entire family!


I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Beth Aldrich - Real Moms Love to Eat blogging program, for a chance to get 3,000 My SocialMoms Rewards points. For more information on how you can participate ,click here.

Remember When "Fall Back" Was a Glorious Event?

I remember many many MANY a few years ago when this whole "fall back" business was an awesome event in my life.

Extra hour to go out at night?

Check.

Extra hour to sleep in before waking up for work?

Check.

Extra hour to sleep in the following day?

Awesome.

Now? Not so awesome.

I thought I would kick off the whole fall back event with a trip to Target for a little time out. I shopped my little heart out and followed it with a little stop at my favorite local wine store to pick up a bottle of vino for later this week.

I got back home, popped a DVD in, popped a little popcorn and relaxed.

I stayed up until well after midnight thinking smugly to myself that it was so much FUN to stay up late. And as a bonus? I got to subtract an hour. It was no longer 12:16 in the morning, it was now 11:16 at night. 

I should have known right then and there that I was tempting fate. My daughters woke up Sunday morning at 6 something. I was so tired I couldn't even read the remaining numbers on the clock.

All that I knew was that I was no longer a single twenty-something.

I am now a mom to three girls four years and younger.

I love sleep. I need sleep. This whole "fall back" business backfired in my face.

I no longer love "fall back".

I am...

Today I am linking up with Chrissy over at Life as CEO for her new weekly post of "I am..." It's her Sunday edition of writing out her thinking/feeling/doing/wishing positives for the week ahead. I think it's the perfect way for me to get into the mindset that tomorrow is Monday and that means that our week will be starting up once again.

Ready?

I am...going to do some more reading. This includes blogs and books. I am so far behind--and I usually feel better once I get a little bit of quiet time to myself daily.

I am...going to continue to try and eat healthier. If I fail for a day I will not beat myself up mentally. I will simply pick up and continue down the right track.

I am...going to smile every day and be happy. I will not let anything or anyone get me down--I control my happiness and that is the key to me being happy.

I am...going to try and get one mommy time out this week. Last week I got my hair done AND I went to Target. Alone. Talk about an awesome night!

I am...going to drink MORE water and LESS Diet Coke. 

These are my hopes for the week--I need to read these every morning to remind myself of what I have set out to do!

Remember to go and check out Chrissy's and if you're feeling extra inspired write out your own list. Have fun thinking of some things that you want to do for yourself this week!

Best Friends Forever...

Madelyn has become quite the little character--from her wild dance moves, to the things that she says, I am constantly laughing with her. 

Some of my favorite things about my girl include:

Her love for her family. She loves with all of her might and the love she has amazes me every day.

Her love of pumpkins. Now that Halloween is over it breaks my heart a little--especially when her Ariel carved pumpkin will be in the trash can and no longer on our front porch...wish me luck with that one...

Her dance moves. I have no way to describe these. She does a gallop, toe, hop move that has me laughing hysterically--seriously, it's beyond hilarious!

When she toots she says "I poot!" OhmyGod. SO hilarious.

The way she snuggles. When Madelyn was little it was very rare for her to actually want to be snuggled. She's always been independent, so for her to want to come climb on my lap? Heart melting.

Her love of Ariel, Snow White--basically any Disney princess. But her top fave? Ariel, hands down. She walks around singing the song that Ariel sings as Ursula is stealing her voice. YouTube it--and then imagine a two year old walking around singing it. 

I could probably go on and on and on...girlfriend is such a sweetheart and my own live in comedian. I adore the little person she has become--and can't wait to see who she becomes in the future.

Sweet Girl {Full of Words Wednesday}

Isabella.

She loves with all of her might. 

Her compassion for others is on another level.

She loves to text her Aunt Kristi.

She is always my assistant baker.

She has a love for nail polish.

She is a 4 year old fashionista.

She's an amazing big sister to Brynlie.

She's an amazing big sister to Madelyn when they aren't fighting.

Love my little girl...hard to believe she's grown so much since this cute post...

The True Story of Puss'N Boots

If there is one thing that my daughters love, it would be a great movie to watch in the car while we are out and about. I try to keep their movies rotating and I love to find a new movie that they will both love, will be kid friendly and that keeps their attention span for the duration of the movie.

Isabella and Madelyn were so excited to get to review The True Story of Puss'N Boots. I put it in the DVD player and they were both captivated with the animation as well as the story line. Anyone that has small children can testify that if they don't like a movie they will definitely let you know!

The True Story of Puss'N Boots is based on the well known Puss'N Boots character from Charles Perrault. The movie is a tale of a farmer's son who inherits a cat--that talks. The cat's boots are magical boots and Puss helps the son win the heart of the Princess at the same time as battling many suitors who are after the throne. William Shatner is the voice of Puss which I immediately recognized his name as do most of my readers I am sure.

I do have to say that there were a few parts that made me rethink showing it to my two young daughters. I may have to wait until they're a little older to watch it again--in particular it was a dancing scene where a woman is dancing pretty provocatively for a children's movie if you catch my drift.

The Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack is available for $24.99 and the DVD alone without the Blu-Ray addition is $19.99.



A big thank you to Child's Play Communications and Phase 4 Films for this review opportunity. All opinions expressed above are my own and no other compensation was given.

Notice Anything Different?

I had wanted a new blog look for quite sometime now. I wanted something crisp. Clean. Fun. And bright.

After scouring the web universe for days weeks months, I knew exactly what I wanted and who I wanted to do it for me.

A majority of my readers know her simply as Krystyn from Really, Are You Serious?. But...

Did you know she's a full time blog designer, twitter page designer, card/announcement designer and more over at Krizzy Designs?

She is! And? She is fabulous.

I let her know how nervous I was about my blog. I am one of those people who likes to have their hands in everything--much to the annoyance of my family I am sure.

She held my hand through the entire process, sent me samples and really let her creativity come through. She listened to everything that I had to say--and now?

I am in LOVE with my end result! I'm happy to blog again!

Thank you SO much, Krystyn!

Our Pumpkin "Patch"

Down here in the deep south, we have a lack of pumpkin patches.

Don't get me wrong. We have pumpkins for sale, but no real pumpkin patches like I grew up with in Missouri.

Anyway, we decided to go to a local nursery, Courtney Farms, and pick out our pumpkins. I love Courtney Farms and we hadn't been back since Isabella was a newborn 4 years ago. Now we went with THREE little girls. Crazy!

Here are a few of my favorite photos from that day. It was a gorgeous day and just perfect for pumpkin picking!

Isabella wanting Madelyn to take it down a notch. And she rescued Madelyn's Ariel toy who was promptly dropped and forgotten about once she saw PUMPKINS!

What do you mean I can't pick this up?

My handsome husband and my sweet Brynlie

Brynlie and Mommy

Madelyn hugging the pumpkin. She is in LOVE with pumpkins!

Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Muffins...YUM.

Melt in your mouth, to die for delicious...

I have found a new love.

Cream cheese frosting meets inside of pumpkin muffin.

All topped with a streusel topping.

Holy yumminess. These things? Are insanely delish. 

And because I heart you all I am sharing that recipe with you today.

I originally got the recipe from Annie's Eats, but made some changes to make them my own little version.

Enjoy!

*****

Cream Cheese Filling


8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1 c powdered sugar

Combine both. Stick bowl of cream cheese filling in freezer to chill while you do the other portions of the recipe.


Streusel Topping


5 tbsp flour
4tbsp butter, cold, cut into pieces
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c brown sugar

Combine all ingredients in a bowl until crumbly. Place bowl in refrigerator as you make the muffin mixture.


Pumpkin Muffin


Add together the following dry ingredients. 


3 c flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

Combine the following (I stirred by hand, but you can use your mixer, too!)


1 can pumpkin puree (not the big can)
4 large eggs
2 c sugar
1 1/4 c oil


Add your flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture. Stir/mix until blended thoroughly.


*****

Preheat oven to 350

Line your muffin pans with 24 wrappers. (Or if you only have one pan use 12 now and 12 later)

*****

Spoon a small spoonful of muffin mixture so it covers the bottom of your liner.

Take your cream cheese mixture out of the freezer.

Spoon a small spoonful of cream cheese yumminess and place on top of the mixture in your liner.

Top the cream cheese with muffin mixture--be sure to cover the cream cheese all of the way.

Sprinkle streusel topping onto muffins. Push streusel down gently.

*****

Cook for 20 minutes at 350.

Remove from oven.

Serve muffins warm--they will seriously melt in your mouth.

*****


And that's it! They really aren't very time consuming. I omitted a few of her steps to save time.

My girls both LOVED them--and I even took some to my neighbors...

Enjoy--and seriously make these. Today.

And Now She is 5 Months...

Halloween costume rehearsal...

Holy cow.

Baby girl is 5 months old now.

To be official it was on the 21st--but it takes me a few days for reality to truly sink in.

Not a lot has changed since she turned 4 months, but here are a few of the things that are adorable:

~She rolls everywhere. As in I place her on her activity mat and within minutes she has rolled across the room.


~Still no laughs. We've gotten a hint or two of a giggle--maybe we just aren't that funny? Kidding--I happen to think we're pretty funny and soon she'll realize it...right?

~I finally took out the newborn pouch from her baby bath. Remember how I said I have a hard time with her growing up and the whole reality of it all? Case in point.

~She's eaten baby food. I swore I would wait until 6 months. She had other ideas. She loves it all so far--and she loves Mum-Mums. I swear by these--they help with her teething and with her learning how to eat. These are perfect for when we're out to eat, I've breastfed her and she's trying to grab my food. Mum Mums = amazingness.

~She thinks the world of her two older sisters. If she and I are awake in the morning she watches for her sisters to come out to the living room. And when they do? Her entire face lightens up and she gives them both her biggest and brightest toothless smile. Adorable.

Woozie--They're Fun for Your Wine Glass!

I love finding great wine glass accessories--who doesn't like to pretty up their glass of wine? You can match your glass to your mood, your personality or to match your favorite sports team. I like to think that life is too short to have a boring wine glass. Why not pretty it up a little bit and make yours stand out from the crowd?


Meet Woozie. Woozie is a wine glass insulator that both insulates your wine glass as well as feels great. What is a Woozie? It's a wine glass insulator! How many times have you picked up your wine glass to find that it's already warm? This has happened to me on many occasions and I never would have thought of having an insulator for my glass. Both genius and cute.

The Woozie is a drawstring wine glass sleeve that is made from top quality neoprene. This not only keeps your wine cool, but makes it soft as well. You can order your Woozie either on a card cutout or have it arrive on an actual wine glass.


With holiday season rapidly approaching--and not to forget the many birthdays during the year--giving someone a Woozie will definitely make me smile. Gifting a Woozie is great for Secret Santas, stocking stuffers or to give a hostess to thank them for the fabulous holiday party that they threw.

Woozie offers so many different styles that you can surely find one that will make the perfect gift. Not only do they offer the Original Woozie, but they also offer Bottle Stoppers, Bottle Bags, Coasters--and many, many more options that are all equally cute.


Be sure and keep up with them on their Woozie Facebook page to keep in the know with all things Woozie!


I was provided with 2 Woozies. All opinions above are my own and no other compensation was given. A huge thank you to Woozie for this awesome review opportunity!

Godiva Coffee {A Yummy Review & Giveaway!}

Congrats #57! You have been emailed--thank you to everyone who entered!

This review is sponsored by Friends you Love and Godiva Coffee

There's no question that I love coffee, especially once the weather begins to turn cooler and I can sit, drink a hot mug and watch my morning news. As a sleep deprived mom I sometimes think of coffee as my lifeline--if I don't have my coffee first thing in the morning? Forget it. I am basically a lost cause if that happens.

With that said, Godiva Coffee is amazing. I look forward to the morning when my home smells like Godiva Pumpkin Spice or their Caramel Pecan Bark. It's to die for delicious--I'm not even kidding.

Sometimes I get a flavored coffee and can't tell what the brand was trying to sell or market it as--not true with Godiva. The flavor is smooth, delicious and the coffee is an excellent way to wake me up in the morning. I've noticed since I've been drinking it that I love to wake up to the rich, fall reminder smell. And if you remember, I adore fall. Godiva Coffee is a total win-win for me.

Godiva Coffee is introducing a variety of everyday favorite coffees as well as my personal favorite the seasonal blends. Their flavors include Chocolate Truffle, Hazelnut Creme, Peppermint Mocha and the two flavors that I talked about above. Godiva Coffee is medium roasted and made with 100% Arabica beans.

Godiva Coffee is priced at less than $10 per 12 oz bag and will be sold nationwide at grocery stores. Their coffee will make an excellent gift for the holidays coming up! Target and Wal-Mart will be selling gift packs starting in November. Easy, yet affordable and it will make for a very happy recipient.

Interested in saving money with Godiva? Check out their coffee coupons to save $2 on your purchase!

Giveaway

Godiva has graciously offered a double pack of their delicious coffee for one of my readers! To be eligible tell me where you enjoy drinking your coffee. This must be done before any/all bonus entries will count.

Bonus Entries

{1 entry per each} Subscribe via email, become a follower and/or subscribe via RSS to Winey Mommy

{1 entry per each} Follow Godiva on Twitter and/or follow Winey Mommy on Twitter.

{1 entry daily} Tweet this giveaway! Copy and paste the following: Win 2 bags of #GodivaCoffee! http://bit.ly/r6fluz Thank you to @GodivaChoc and @FriendsYouLove! 

{1 entry daily} Visit Godiva Coffee and tell me something that you like/learned that wasn't mentioned in my review!

Rules

This giveaway will end on October 27th @ noon CST. Open to all US residents 18+. Leave a valid email in your entry so I have a way to contact you if you win. Winner drawn by Random.org and will have 48 hours to respond. If winner does not respond within 48 hrs a new winner will be drawn/notified. Winey Mommy is not responsible for prizes not being delivered, getting lost, etc. Winey Mommy is not responsible for anything that may result in using product(s) won. 

Godiva and Friends You Love have partnered in order to facilitate this review and giveaway. All opinions expressed above are my own. I received the above product and no other compensation was given. 

Post #377 on Fall Love...

Just when you thought that I couldn't talk about fall any more than I already do, I bust out another fall post.

I can't help it--I just arrived back to Mississippi from my home state of Missouri.

It was a gorgeous trip (pictures to come once I'm done editing) filled with changing leaves, meeting my new 2 year old brother adopted from China, and celebrating my mom's birthday by her side which has not happened in years. We collected fall leaves, ate homemade pies, watched scary movies and just had a great time all around. Missouri? I heart you and everything that you have.

So with so much fall, I want to share a couple of things that I'm currently crushing on:

1) This candle from Bath and Body Works. It? Is amazingness with three wicks. I love it and promise you will, too.


2) My yummy banana bread recipe. Try it. Love it. Try it some more.


3) Scary movies. Halloween, The Strangers, Gothika. So fall, so fun.


4) LMN's scary movie weekend coming up. My DVR will probably be full come Monday, but that's okay with me!


5) Mums of all colors. I want to overflow my porch with fall loveliness. Hoping to slip away this weekend to go and buy some fall pretties for my front porch.


6) Warm recipes. I've been cooking, baking, you name it. Leo's in heaven, the girls are so happy. Fall is definitely a good time over here to eat.


7) And last, but not least, pumpkin spice coffee creamer. It's back and I bought some today--I almost did a happy dance right there--I was ecstatic.


What's making fall amazing for you this week? Share below and I'll have to check it out.