Sunday, July 31, 2011

Infantino Test Drive Mom!

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I am honored to tell you that I have been chosen by Mom Central as an Infantino Test Drive Mom! As a lover of Infantino products I am more than honored to have been chosen for this campaign.

Having three little ones at home with one being just over two months old, I am always searching for great toys and original products. These products aren't just for my girls, but it also helps when a friend or family member finds out that they are expecting. One brand that I have grown to love is Infantino. Their products are well loved by me, a mom, and children alike. Soft, colorful, original--all of these points have helped me fall in love with their variety of products time and time again.

Infantino has launched their Comforting Play Collection and it is very different--in a great way--than other Infantino products that I have purchased in the past. Their Comforting Play line incorporates both fun and quiet alertness, an important part of infant development. Brynlie (as well as my other girls) can get overstimulated very quickly. I am sure other moms out there can agree that there are times when nothing in particular can cause their child to go into complete meltdown mode which is where Comforting Play comes into terms.

Included in this collection are teethers, wrist and ankle buddies, crib toys, soothing hand squeezies, crib toys, tag along chimes and much more. I highly recommend this entire line if you are expecting or know someone who is expecting or adopting an infant. The Comforting Play Collection is definitely soothing and has a very calm effect. Brynlie and I love the entire collection!

It's hard to pick a top favorite, but I'm really loving the Soothing Hand Squeezies. Leo called them Brynlie's little boxing gloves, ha! These are a brilliant idea. You place them on the baby's hands and in our case it was within a minute or so that Brynlie calmed down as you can see in the picture below.




If you are looking for a great gift for your baby or for a friend's little one, be sure to check out Infantino. You can "Like" Infantino on Facebook, follow Infantino on Twitter and/or subscribe to Infantino on YouTube to keep up to date with all of their fabulous products!

A huge thank you to Infantino and Mom Central--I'm really looking forward to sharing my next favorite product with you!


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

Friday, July 29, 2011

Happy Birthday, Sweet Madelyn


The Big "2"

Where has time gone?

You've captured my heart with your smile

your endless giggles

your heart melting 'mooches


your love of the outdoors

everything mermaid

especially Ariel.


You have the prettiest curls

The brightest eyes

The cutest of chubby cheeks.

Your heart is amazingly big for someone so small.

There are days that I think that you are wise beyond your years.


I love you, my little princess.

My number two

who is turning two.

I cannot wait for more years to come.

And I cannot imagine my life without you in it.

I love you, Madelyn.

For now.

For then.

For always and always.

Forever,
Mommy

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Style? Isabella's Got It...

I believe in letting my girls show their sense of individuality. Whether it be through art, choice of shoes, choice of clothes, to how they wear their hair, I will let them shine in their unique way. Lately Isabella has proven that point to me--that she is indeed her own individual. If we have somewhere to go that day I will assist her in picking out an outfit--usually by picking out some outfits or cute summer dresses and letting her choose from the selections that I have set out.

But if we aren't going anywhere, which to be honest we don't do a lot of since Brynlie was born, I let her pick out her outfit for the day. This will usually end up with the result of a bright striped skirt that she will wear as long as it is folded and put away in her dresser, a bright Hannah Montana shirt that was given to her from a certain someone (thanks, Mom!) and her silvery glittery Mary Jane shoes that we bought last fall--sans socks of course.

I love it when I tell her that it's time to get dressed and she runs into her bedroom so fast to pick out the outfit of the day. I love seeing her experiment with different clothing options, learning what matches and what doesn't (although to be honest, we haven't hit that mark yet), and just watching her individuality shine through. She is her own person, her own little being.

I think that there are a lot of people out there that pressure their children to look and dress a certain way at all times. I agree that there is a time and place for my three daughters to look put together, but if we're at home why not let them choose their unique look? Eventually they will each have their own sense of style and I love having them experiment when they are little. While I would never pick out Isabella's concoction of clothing pieces, I would never tell her to change her clothing choices either. It  makes her who she is and not a little cookie cutter of a child.

What about your child? Do they like to pick out their own outfits? Is there something that they add to their look that will show off their true personality? I cannot wait to read your submissions! Children and their individuality is what sets them apart from their friends and siblings, don't you think?


I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and jcpenney blogging program, for a gift card worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Box Tops for Education & Winn-Dixie Partner Up {A Giveaway!}

 Congrats to #12 Tamara B! She has been contacted.






With July coming to an end--which by the way, is insane--August is drawing near which for many children means that school will be starting within the next few weeks. School supplies are filling up store shelves, families are stocking up on clothing for the upcoming year and lunchboxes are being bought.


Another item that families are preparing for the upcoming school year? Gathering all of their Box Tops for Education. Box Tops for Education can be found on a host of products to include General Mills, Pillsbury, Welch's and many more brands that homes use and love.


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Winn-Dixie wants to help schools by offering FIVE bonus Box Tops with the purchase of any two participating General Mills products! The Winn Dixie promotion begins July 27th and runs through August 2nd. Winn-Dixie is a great store to save money on Big G Cereals, Yoplait Go-Gurt, and many more Box Tops participating brands.


For up to date Box Tops information check out Box Tops for Education on Facebook or follow them on Twitter!


Giveaway:

One lucky winner will receive a $25 Winn-Dixie gift card! To win tell me what's your favorite item that offers Box Tops? This is mandatory to be eligible to win and before any bonus entries will count. Please leave a separate comment for every entry.


Bonus Entries:

{1 entry each} Follow Winey Mommy via GFC, subscribe to Winey Mommy and/or subscribe via email

{1 entry each} Follow Winey Mommy on Twitter and/or "Like" Winey Mommy on Facebook

{1 entry per day} Click the "retweet" button on top of post. This can be done daily for one entry per day. Leave url to each tweet in comment.

{2 entries} Place the Winey Mommy button on your blog


Rules:

This giveaway will end on August 3rd @ 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.


Disclosure: The Winn-Dixie gift card, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

The One Where Madelyn Resembles Hitch...


Poor Madelyn. I swear any bug that likes to bite people migrate to her. Of course she swells up as obvious from the picture above--and this was taken after Benadryl.

We took a quick road trip to Texas this weekend and she had to ride home to Mississippi like this. But she was an angel and such a trooper!

And I still think she is totally adorable. Swollen Hitch eye and all...


Period Talk: Heavy Periods the 411

I don't know about you, but I don't sit around talking about my period with my girlfriends. It's not a topic that I would want to bring up over drinks while trying to escape the daily grind and have a few moments of peace with my girlfriends. When I got the opportunity to read and share with you information about heavy periods from Healthy Women, I was happy to see a site that women with heavy periods could go to for support and information.


Have you ever wondered if you have heavy periods and if this is normal or not? There are a few key points to take into consideration when wondering if you do. Here are some factors to understand heavy monthly bleeding:

  • If your period interferes with daily activities
  • You soak through one or more pads/tampons an hour for several hours
  • Or causes you to use a pad and tampon at the same time
  • Waking up in the night to change your pad and/or tampon
  •  You miss school or work due to your period
  • You find that you schedule your social, leisure and physical activities around your period

If you found yourself nodding to any of the key points mentioned above, please talk to your health care provider about your period and possible treatment that you could seek. When speaking to your provider answer these questions ahead of time and take them in so you won't feel like you're making a sudden decision:

  • Would you consider contraception as a form of reducing your flow?
  • Would you rather take a pill every day or only during the week of your period?
  • Would you prefer hormonal or non-hormonal treatment?
  • Does your provider recommend hormonal therapy? Why or why not?
  • Do you want to preserve your fertility?
  • Are you willing to have a surgical procedure?

There are many factors that can contribute to having a heavy period. Uterine fibroids; conditions in which pieces of the lining of the uterus grow outside the uterus or into the muscle of the uterus; hormonal imbalance; certain birth control methods such as an IUD or pills; uterine, cervical or vaginal cancers; chronic liver, kidney or thyroid conditions; certain medications such as anti-inflammatory, anticoagulants and some hormones.


While at the time you may feel like there isn't anything that you can do to make your self feel a little better, there are things that can be done to help. In fact there are many treatment options for heavy monthly bleeding. Check out the list to get an idea of which ones you would be open to and discuss further with your health care provider. No woman should have to suffer from a heavy monthly period and your provider is there to help and assist you in your treatment.


I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Ferring Pharmaceuticals and received a promotional item to facilitate my review.

    Wednesday, July 20, 2011

    My Little Momma...


    This little girl is an amazing big sister.

    She helps in every way possible...

    By giving hugs and kisses.

    Picking up toys.

    Reading stories.

    Singing made up songs.

    Sharing toys.

    She helps me in more ways than I could ever imagine.

    She allows me to see the world as an entirely different place.

    Isn't it amazing how much a child can teach us?

    And here I thought I was the only one doing the teaching...

    Bright Starts Put & Take Purse {Review}

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     It's no secret that I have three daughters and that I adore all of the girly toys that come along with having a daughter or two or three. For me the hard part of toy buying is finding a brand that their quality lives up to my expectations while at the same time having that company offer a variety of fun toys for my girls.

    A favorite brand in our house is Bright Starts. I've been a huge fan of their products since having Isabella almost four years ago. Their toys are colorful, fun, and are designed to help your infant or child learn while at the same time have fun. 


    One of my favorite toy collections that Bright Starts offers is the Pretty in Pink collection where the items are--you guessed it--pink! I adore pink and so far my girls do, too. We love the Pretty in Pink Put & Take Purse. It's adorable and is so much more than the basic toy purse.

    Crinkle money!

    With the Put & Take Purse it's large enough for your little one to put lots of little treasures inside. The musical bow on the front of the purse plays different sounds when you push it in. Madelyn was having a ball with it!  

    The purse comes with five different accessories--two crinkle money pieces which has always been a big hit in this house. The girls loved crinkly things when they were babies and I am sure Brynlie will be no different. The other items include a heart shaped mirror, a cell phone rattle and a teether toy which will be handy for Brynlie once she starts to teethe in a few months. 

    All in all my girls loved the purse--even Isabella was getting into the action. I can imagine once Brynlie is a little older that they will love playing with it along side of her. The recommended age is 3 months and up which is a great age--and this is a great gift to give an expecting mom at her baby shower!

    Sister play time! Even Brynlie got in the action!

    If you decide to purchase a Bright Starts Put & Take Purse, a portion of the proceeds will be given for breast cancer research and awareness. Not only will you be helping those who have been fighting breast cancer, but you'll have an adorable toy for a little girl in your life!

    Where can you buy Bright Starts toys? They can be found at Wal-Mart, Target, Toys R Us, Babies R Us and many more retailers nation wide and internationally. Click on the where can you buy link to see a complete list of retailers.

     Be sure to check out the entire Pretty in Pink collection to see lots of cute toys for any little girl in your life.



    A big thank you to Bright Starts for sending the Put & Take Purse for review. All opinions are my own and no other compensation or products were given.

    Monday, July 18, 2011

    Getting My Body Back After Baby

    When I got pregnant with Isabella I weighed 135 lbs ( I'm 5'6"). With Madelyn I was 167 lbs when I found out that I was pregnant and when I got pregnant with Brynlie I was finally down to 155 lbs and had planned on shedding the last 20 lbs while Leo was in Afghanistan. Ha! Instead of losing weight during his deployment I gained it--39 whole pounds of it.

    For some of you that may still sound like a lot of weight when I got pregnant with Brynlie, but when I saw the scales tip at over 200 during a couple of other pregnancies? Holy cow, 155 was a dream weight.

    Now that I've had Miss Brynlie I am determined more than ever to get my body back one week at a time. There are a few things that I want to point out before I lay out my plan and invite you, my readers, to join this journey with me.

    *I'm currently breastfeeding Brynlie. She will get the rare bottle of formula maybe one time a week, but that's it. Otherwise it's 99% of my body's milk that goes into her body and I LOVE it. Breastfeeding is great, but I'm not seeing the pounds simply melt away like so many people hyped it up to be like.

    *I realize that to get down to my pre Isabella weight I need to lose 40 pounds. Exactly. I'm looking at my weight loss goals in 5 lb increments. To me telling myself  "5 lbs, Chelle, that's your goal right now" is a lot easier than saying 40 pounds. Ya know?

    *I love sweets, but am determined to NOT buy them. If they're not in my home they won't be finished. Easy.


    So that is a little background on what I'm up against. I'm breastfeeding, love sweets and have 40 lbs to lose to get to my happy weight. How am I planning on doing this? Here's my battle plan--today was day one and I succeeded in my goals with the exception of me not increasing my water amount and cutting out most of the Diet Coke that I consume.

    *For 8 weeks I'll be doing Lindsay Brin's Post Natal Bootcamp 2. It is broken up into 2 week increments which is awesome because Day 1? Kicked my ass.

    *Do NOT buy the sweets! I have allowed myself one pack of 100 calorie snacks if I must have something to snack on, but that is one pack at the most a day. I'm trying to increase my water intake and snack on nutrient/vitamin rich fruits and veggies.

    *Eating healthier foods/eat out even less than we do now.


    Those are my week one goals. I'm planning on working out Mondays-Fridays with weekends off. Wish me luck and if you think that you'll be interested in getting your body back let me know! I would LOVE to do a weekly blog hop so I can have people to cheer on and people to cheer me on. Let me know what you think...

    Friday, July 15, 2011

    Because? I Love Her...


    I often wonder what she thinks about.

    What goes through her baby brain.

    I wonder if she truly knows how much I adore and love her...

    Because she melts my heart more and more every day.

    Love.

    Wednesday, July 13, 2011

    Top Ten Ways I Make My Life Easier

    As a mom to three little girls I have learned quite a few ways to make my life both easier and more efficient on the go. I have been a mom for almost four years now and let me tell you--my efficiency skills have improved so much since day one of holding a baby in my arms.

    Here are my top ten ways of making things a lot easier on myself on those days when we have errands to run and for the days that we will be staying at home:


    1) Set clothes out the night before. I cannot tell you how much easier this makes my life! Not only for myself, but for my girls, too.

    2) Get a coffee pot that has a self timer that you can set for the night before. If you don't care for hot coffee or you would rather grab something quick to drink, grab a Seattle's Best canned iced latte--perfect for this summer heat wave we have going on here on the Gulf Coast.

    3) Pack the diaper bag the night before. This is a no brainer for me. Remember extra clothes, diapers, wipes, snacks and activities.

    4) If you have pets feed them the night before for the next day. Our dog sleeps in a crate so I always make sure to feed her the night before.

    5) Get your bowls, spoons, and cups out for the next morning. I also fill up my girls' juice cups for the next morning and have those in the fridge to grab out first thing in the morning.

    6) Shower and do your hair the night before. I love doing this--makes my life way easier the next day. No messing with my hair dryer and straightener in the morning.

    7) Set your alarm a little earlier so you can get yourself ready first. Eat, brush teeth, get dressed, do makeup. Knowing that I'm ready first makes my morning much easier.

    8) Plan your menu for the work week. Not trying to come up with a quick and easy dinner last minute makes my life and my family's life much easier and less stressful.

    9) Have plenty of prepackaged snacks like crackers, fresh fruit, etc on hand. Having a newborn in my house makes life a lot harder, so having easy to grab and healthy snacks for my girls makes all of our lives less stressful.

    10) Don't let the laundry pile up-both clean and dirty. Before you know it you'll have a mountain and from experience that is totally overwhelming. Keep up with it and fold it as soon as possible. That alone makes me feel a lot better overall.


    So there you have my top ten tips that make my life both easier and more efficient. I've learned that being as prepared as I can be ahead of time makes my life easier in the long run. When I'm happy, the house is happy. When I'm not stressed the rest of my house runs a lot smoother!

    Do you have any tips that make your life easier and more efficient? I would love to learn more and snag some great tips.


    I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Seattle’s Best Coffee blogging program for a gift card worth $30. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

    Tuesday, July 12, 2011

    Nivea #skin2skin Challenge

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    Nivea is celebrating 100 years of skincare with a great contest featuring Rihanna. Rihanna has been selected as the voice behind the year long celebration and Nivea is making it possible for fans of Nivea skincare and Rihanna to submit a photo showing others their skin2skin moments with someone they love.

    It's simple to enter! Simply upload your skin2skin moment onto the Nivea skin2skin Facebook page. Once your photo is uploaded you're eligible to win prize packs containing free samples, concert tickets, Nivea products, coupons and gear.

    Contest does have a voting period--one lucky winner will get the chance to meet Rihanna in person and another prize winner will get two tickets to see Rihanna perform live during her European tour! The grand prize winner will be picked based on the amount of votes received.

    If you decide to enter let me know--I would love to cast my vote for you!



    All opinions above are based on my own. I was not compensated in any way to share this contest with my readers.

    Monday, July 11, 2011

    Love.



    Baby smiles

    Musical coos

    Tiny fingers

    Perfect toes

    Soft baby hair

    Relaxing baby sighs

    Grabbing onto a finger

    Sleeping in my arms

    Love.

    No matter the obstacle

    or what may come our way

    just know that I'm here every

    single

    day.

    Love you, Brynlie.



    Sunday, July 10, 2011

    Best Apple Crisp in the WORLD...{A Recipe}

    Saturday nite I dreamed of baking. I know-for someone trying to lose the baby weight you would think that just dreaming of food would satisfy me.


    Ha! Yeah, right...I woke up and had to make what I made in my dream: my Grandma's recipe for apple crisp. {which has totally made me want fall to arrive asap...}


    Being the sharer of all things amazing, I decided to share this amazing recipe with you. I hope you run out, get the short list of ingredients and make it as quickly as possible...



    a picture of the yumminess...yum.


    Cast of characters:

    The amount of ingredients will make a 9x9 pan.

    Be like me and double it for a 9x13...


    4-6 apples peeled and sliced                                                     1/4 cup butter
    1/2 cup brown sugar                                                                   2 tsp lemon juice
    1/2 cup white sugar                                                                     1/4 cup water
    3/4 cup flour                                                                                 cinnamon

    Blend {I use my hands} brown sugar, white sugar, flour and butter until crumbly. This will be your topping--set aside.

    Spread your peeled and sliced apples in your greased pan. Glass pans seem to work best for me.

    Mix the water and lemon juice together. Pour evenly over apples. Make sure that you have enough water to cover the entire bottom of the pan.

    Sprinkle a generous amount of cinnamon on top of apples.

    Spread the sugar/flour/butter mixture on top.

    Bake uncovered for 50-60 minutes @ 350. It will be done once it's bubbling, light brown and your apples are soft.


    That's it! Super easy and sooo good.


    Friday, July 8, 2011

    Top Five Summer Must Haves...

    With summer in full swing here in the deep south I decided to compile a little list of my must haves. Want to share your top five? Link in below and join the fun!


     



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    1)  f450 One Pass. This stuff? Is amazingness for my hair. It smooths and helps fight the frizz--which is major since living on the coast our humidity is out of control! Love this product and recommend it to everyone who wants a frizz fighting hair product.



     2)  A good book. I'm currently reading Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews--LOVE it! I love all of her work and recommend all of her books for a great summer read. I suggest if you can to sit outdoors with an ice cold drink and get lost in her books. Fabulous and fun!





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    3)  I know I've talked before about fun summer colors on my toes, but I have to tell you again--go out, buy a nail color you've thought about wearing. I'm wearing Essie's Cute as a Button. Loves. It's cute, summery and goes with tons of my clothes--I think you'll heart it as much as I do and it flatters everyone!




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    4)  A go-to summer drink. Lately I've really enjoyed a good beer at nite when the little ones have gone to bed. I'm somewhat of a beer snob, so I choose mine wisely. I also love having my old faithful Diet Coke--total must have for me (as in a daily must have!).



    5)  Flip flops! Every girl needs flip flops--and Old Navy is the mecca of flip flop heaven. I almost always end up leaving their store with at least one pair...okay, it's usually just one pair if my girls are having meltdowns. If they're behaving I treat myself to another pair or two...



    What are your top five summer must haves? Link up below and share with me! I love discovering new must haves and can't wait to see what's on your list!


    Thursday, July 7, 2011

    Fiber One Winner!

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    Congrats to katklaw777! You've been emailed and have 48 hours to get back to me.


    Pool Woes...

    Last week we jumped into our new ride and drove to Missouri to see my family for the 4th of July holiday. I had been looking forward to this trip for so long--the family, friends and lounging at the pool to get some sun.



    I had heard that one of my former high school friends lived in the same neighborhood as my parents. I had mentioned to my Mom that I was cringing at the thought of running into said friend at their neighborhood pool. I managed to fit into my swimsuit from last year, but still....



    I asked my Mom if said friend was ever at the pool. She has never seen said person and that was a huge relief. I couldn't imagine running into someone 6 weeks after having a baby while in my swimsuit!!



    On Monday my Mom watched Brynlie so I could go to the pool with my girls, Dad, and little sisters. As we were walking up to the gate to go in I saw her. In a tiny bikini, perfect body (and turns out she's had two kids...ugh.) and had a bunch of our friends from high school with her...seriously!



    I could have died right then and there. Seeing her, and then my guy friends?! Needless to say I sat in my clothes. At the edge of the baby pool.



    Did I mention I had to jump in the baby pool with my clothes when Maddie went underwater? Yeah...worst day at the pool ever. Am I the only one where madness follows me everywhere?! Have you ever wanted to disappear while at the pool?