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Friday, November 30, 2012

MERRY FLUFFY CHRISTMAS!

Welcome to the 3rd annual Merry Fluffy Christmas Giveaway Event, hosted by And Then There Were 5…!

 

I am so excited to be involved this year and give you the opportunity to WIN some seriously rockin' cloth diapering prizes valued at more than $65 USD. Please check out the blogs at the bottom of this post for MORE amazing prize opportunities!

One lucky MM reader will win:

A Rockin' Green bundle in your choice of scent/formula + Funk Rock ammonia bouncer!

AND

6 felted wool dryer balls from Bog Berry Handicraft!

Rules are simple:
This giveaway is open to US residents only.

Please make sure you fill out all the information asked of you in each entry. This will be make things go a lot easier on me when I go back through to check all entries.

The Hop Link code is at the bottom of this post. Make sure you read the instructions carefully on each blog, as each has their own rules.

There’s an easy Rafflecopter entry form so good luck and let me know if you have any questions!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sponsor Spotlight: Bog Berry Dryer Balls

Hey, y'all! I'm back from the dead! Well, sort of. We still have furniture to assemble and boxes to unpack, but I'm finally getting into a routine here and I've upgraded my status from "surviving" to "happy homemaker" (and by that, I mean dishes and laundry are being taken care of and the baby isn't crying at the moment...) Anyway, I absolutely HAVE TO tell you about Bog Berry Dryer Balls!



I have been curious about dryer balls since I started cloth diapering, but I was also a little too skeptical to invest any money in them. What was I so worried about?! Like a lot of things I've grown up with (e.g. household cleaners and medicine), I've been conditioned to believe that the "natural" alternative to dryer sheets wouldn't be effective or efficient. So, for the longest time I used nothing in my dryer with cloth diapers. (Dryer sheets leave a residue on fabric, causing diapers to repel instead of absorb.) I was beyond stoked when Brooke at Bog Berry agreed to sponsor me for the Merry Fluffy Christmas giveaway so I could FINALLY see what all the buzz was about dryer balls.

Before I moved, Brooke sent me 6 wool dryer balls to try out. I immediately noticed a difference in my diaper laundry. The microfiber inserts didn't cling anymore and it actually did reduce the drying time. I usually have to run the dryer twice to get everything completely dry, but to my surprise, they were done after one cycle. Woohoo!

FACT: I don't use liquid fabric softener or dryer sheets at all anymore. I just keep my dryer balls in the dryer and I'm good to go!

Why use Bog Berry wool dryer balls? 
 Bog Berry Dryer Balls are :

* the eco friendly alternative to dryer sheets

* biodegradable

* chemical free

* energy savers

* perfect toys for babies and pets....and adults! ( Do you juggle?!)

* NOT made of yarn

* great for scenting your drawers and closets

* excellent gifts for wedding and baby showers

* also decorative! They look marvelous in a pretty bowl on the table!


Brooke also helps support the local economy by purchasing her wool from a family farm in Lancaster County, PA and a small company in Maine.

What else can I get from Bog Berry?
Handmade Necklaces
Seed Bombs
Herb Blends
Tolkien-inspired Elf Cloaks (How freakin adorable are these?!)

Where can I get these awesome homemade products?
Brooke's website or her Etsy store.

Ooooor... You can win a set of dryer balls from me. Starting at midnight tonight!

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Toy-Buying Guidelines

Happy Black Friday! Some of you have been up since yesterday morning, and are now suffering from a turkey hangover and stalking stores and websites for deals on Christmas gifts. That inspired me to write this post. (OK. That's a lie. This post has been in "draft" form for about a month. But, hey! What a convenient time to publish, right?)

Photo courtesy of markow76.
 
It's no secret that I am not a fan of toys. I've gotten a lot of flack and backhanded comments from family because of this. What I really mean is that I am not a fan of useless toys and I am not a fan of excessive toys. I prefer quality over quantity. There are certain toys that I approve (yes, because I am allowed to do that) for my child. Let me clarify.

YES:
-puzzles (Like this magnetic picture puzzle or this zoo animals block puzzle.)
-games (Like Letter Dice and Splodge Domino.)
-musical instruments (Real instruments, not plastic toys that are shaped like instruments and make a pre-programmed noise when you push a button; see BOTs)
-pretend play (This pirate ship is awesome! And I've always loved puppet theaters and play foods.)
-dress up (Super heroes, chefs, cowboys/cowgirls, knights and princesses.)
-blocks (Haba has a great selection of wooden blocks.)
-books (Especially Caldecott and Newberry Award winners and honorees along with the classics.)
-arts and crafts (modeling clay, stamps, crayons and paper, craft sets, etc.)

NO:
-characters/brands (Disney Princesses, Dora the Explorer, Baby Einstein, etc. I've seen over and over again, kids begging for things because they have their favorite character on them regardless of whether it's a doll, a pack of markers, or a roll of toilet paper.)
-gender limitations (Damn right I'm going to let my daughter play with cars. The same way I will let my son play with dolls.)
- plastic (Plastic, Made-in-China toys are generally not of the best quality, they're bulky, and they break easily.)
-BOTs [battery-operated toys] (These are toys with buttons, lights, and obnoxious sounds that are amusing for five minutes and then one of two things happens: the kid gets bored and the thing never sees the light of day, or the parent prays for the moment the batteries die and then lies to the kid that there is a worldwide shortage of AAs until the kid stops asking.)
-SCLANs (See this blog for an explanation of what SCLANs are and why you don't need them.)

Happy Six Months, my little Butterball!



Hey Silly Girl!
    
     This update is a little bit late, but for good reason. I promise. On your half-birthday, the three of us set out on our journey to Texas. Your daddy had orders to Ft. Hood, and we had to be there by November 14. You were such a good girl the whole trip, even though we spent almost two whole days in the car. You split your time between my car and Daddy's, and I think you liked his car better because it made more noise. :)
     In the past month, you have become much more mobile. You roll all over the place now, and you're even starting to scoot a little bit. You make all kinds of noises these days, including the newest one--clicking your tongue. It's so funny when you hear me do it and you do it back. You also scream a lot, but usually happy screams!I know you will be talking in no time, and I can't wait for our conversations to become more substantial. Goodness gracious, girl! I cannot believe we are more than halfway to a YEAR together!
     You are enjoying pureed foods now as well, like pears, green beans, prunes, and peas, but I am SO proud to say that we have made it six whole months of breastfeeding with no supplementing! We both know it hasn't been easy, and we are still having our challenges, but here's to another successful six months, Baby Doll!
     You are still waking up in the middle of the night to nurse, but I've gotten pretty used to it. During the day you are generally a very happy baby. Your smile is so infectious! You have really loved meeting all the nice new people out here in Texas. And they have all loved meeting you! Wherever we go, people fawn over your chubby cheeks and beautiful blue eyes.
     As of yesterday, you are 20lb 9oz. One strong and solid little chunkamunk, and I couldn't be happier! This Thanksgiving Day, I am so incredibly thankful for you. Every single ounce. Every single day. Every smile, every tear, every poopy diaper (even if it's in the middle of the pediatrician's lobby when I'm filling out paperwork). You amaze me, and I could not imagine my life without you! 

I love you!
Mama

Checking in!

Wow! I've been gone so long that Blogger made me sign back into my account. We are finished with our move, but not entirely unpacked yet. I just got my wi-fi hooked up yesterday, so I will be up and running again soon. Until then, Happy Thanksgiving from Central Texas!

Friday, November 2, 2012

*Stepping out for a bit.*

Just wanted to let you guys know that I will be taking a break for the next couple weeks. My husband just finished AIT and we are in the process of our first PCS to Ft. Hood.

Be back soon! With a few reviews and meaty new posts, of course!