Minnesota Mama's Must Haves

2 Giveaways Ending Tonight! Diono Car Seat & No Name Steaks + Bonus Entries!!

2012-02-01T11:17:00.004-06:00

The Diono Car Seat and No Name Steaksgiveaways are ending tonight! Enter before midnight for your chance to win!! Youmay have two extra entries into any of these giveaways if you leave (or havealready left) a relevant comment on the following posts (2 extra entries perrelevant comment left!): In Time DVD, Boob Design Ready Flex Fleece Review, Internet options for rural areas, QuickSmart Easy Fold Stroller.

Good Luck!! I've got sick kiddos today so we will be snuggling on the couch and things will probably be pretty quite around here today :)

In time on DVD Today!

2012-01-31T12:00:00.000-06:00

Looking for a thrilling movie to watch this week? Pick up In time with Amanda Seyfried and Justin Timberlake out on DVD today! This is the perfect flick to pick up for weekend date night in! My favorite thing to do with my hubby when we don't have a sitter (which is often!).

In the future, time has become the ultimate currency and genetic alteration has allowed people to stop aging at 25 years old. Upon reaching 25, the countdown begins and in order to stay alive everyone must work to buy themselves more time or die within a year. The rich can buy their way out of the situation, while the rest are left to negotiate for immortality. When a struggling young man, Will Salas (Timberlake), comes in contact with a “millionaire,” he is gifted more time than he can imagine. Falseley accused of murder, Will is a fugitive on the run and becomes determined to bring down the entire system by any means possible.

Showcasing stunning visual effects and gravity defying stunts, the IN TIME Blu-ray is loaded with bonus materials including an exclusive featurette “THE MINUTES” to discover the origins of the film’s time based society, deleted and extended scenes, and access to the enhanced IN TIME THE GAME APP. DVD special features include deleted and extended scenes.

This is a great film that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It definitely makes you think!

Buy It! IN TIME will be available on Blu-ray for an average retail price of $24.99 and on DVD for $19.99 starting today!

Boob Design Ready Flex Fleece Nursing Top Review AND Big News - Available in the US!

2012-01-31T10:00:00.000-06:00

Every nursing mama should know about the fabulous nursing tops from Boob Design. I did a review of their B Warmer Nursing Hoodie (pictured above) back in 2010 when I was nursing Aiden. I instantly fell in love with it and knew that I needed more pieces from their collection.

After owning the hoodie now since 2010 I can attest to it's quality and how well it has held up to multiple washings, getting spit up on and frequently worn. It has held up great and I continue to wear it now that I am nursing Carson. It's so comfy and it's one of my favorite nursing tops.

After delivering Carson I knew the first place I wanted to shop for nursing tops was Boob Design. After experiencing firsthand the quality and great fit of their clothes they are a definite favorite of mine. I found this fantastic Ready Flex Fleece and instantly fell in love. It is absolutely perfect for our chilly Winters and I couldn't be more happy with how comfortable and warm it is.

This hoodie can be worn while pregnant and nursing. Thanks to the deep, lined slits with zips to adjust the fit even during pregnancy. It also features built in cuffs with thumb holes to keep your hands warm and a practical sleeve pocket for mobile phone, etc.

With Boob Designs practical nursing function built in all you have to do is lift the front panel and pull down the inner fabric in order to nurse your baby. No more lifting your shirt and exposing your belly and back to nurse. This top makes nursing in public a breeze. I absolutely love it!

One of my favorite features is the extra length in the back which keeps you warm even when sitting outdoors. Soft and warm fleece in 100% polyester, made from recycled PET bottles. How cool is that? I always have to laugh because Boob Design has done such a great job creating stylish nursing clothes that no one realizes they are nursing tops. I've had more people ask me where this top is from than any other shirt I've worn lately and when I tell them it's a nursing top they are surprised. It's been very popular!

Buy It! I have some very exciting news as up until recently it has been difficult to find Boob Designs products that were available in the US. They just launched their site to include shipping to the US now! I am over the moon about this and I've had fun shopping for more tops :) You can head over to their site and check out the B Warmer Nursing Hoodie and Ready Flex Fleece which are 2 of my most comfortable, well fitting nursing tops I own. I highly recommend them!

*I was provided product for review purposes onlyand was not compensated for this review.

1 Giveaway Ends Tonight + Bonus Entries!

2012-01-30T13:54:00.002-06:00

The Entenmann's Big Book of Baking Cookbook Giveaway ends tonight at midnight. Enter now for your chance to win! You may have 2 extra entries for any relevant comment you leave (or have already left) on the following posts: Garlic Cream Cheese Chicken Pockets Recipe or QuickSmart Easy Fold Stroller Review.

Good Luck!

Tips for Saving Money & Cutting Household Costs!

2012-01-30T12:15:00.000-06:00

Following up on my post on makingthe decision to become a stay at home mom I wanted to show you some ways thatyou can save money on everyday things. As I mentioned in my previous post,where there is a will there is a way and if you really want to stay home withyour kids you can find a way to cut costs and make it happen.

If you are contemplating becoming astay at home mom then there are certainly things that you should take care ofbefore taking the leap. If you have credit card debts then you need to think about coming up with a plan to pay off credit card bills before they accumulate more and more interest. When I wasstill working my husband and I made it a priority to pay off all of our loansand debts and we reached our goal before I stayed home with the kids. In orderto pay off debtin the most timely manner you need to make the minimum payments on all of yourdebts/loans and then choose the one with the highest interest and make an extrapayment on that one each month. Once you have paid that one off then you willstill be paying out the same amount each month but applying it to the nexthighest interest rate debt you have. So now the next loan you have will stillbe getting the minimum payment, plus an extra payment, plus the same amount youwere paying monthly on your last loan (the one you just paid off). You keepthis going until all of your loans are paid off. It is the best way to pay offyour loans in a timely manner.

Once you have your debt undercontrol then you can look at cutting costs around the house. The one thing westarted doing was looking at our monthly expenses and where our money wasgoing. If you don't know where your money is going then you don't know where tomake cuts. We kept track of our spending in a spreadsheet and got some eyeopening numbers.

We saw that we needed to reduce thenumber of times we ate out every week. By meal planning I was able to cut downon those last minute "oh no, what's for dinner?" moments andeliminate the need to eat out or get take out.

I was hooked on hair salon, brandname hair products. I have thin, lifeless hair and I was convinced that if Ididn't spend the big bucks then it just wouldn't look nice. I've since foundsome great products at a fraction of the price. Rather than buying my favoriteKenra hair spray at $20 a can I switched to Tresemme for $3.50 a can. It worksjust as well and I can get almost 6 cans for the price of one can of Kenra.I've also learned to watch for buy one get one free sales on those hairproducts that I find I can't live without and I stock up on them when they arecheap.

I also started couponing. I foundthe site Hip2Save.com and learned SO much about couponing. Now don't tell meyou live in a small town and can't coupon. I live in a rural area with a Targetand Walgreens and that's pretty much it! I have learned how to coupon and save.My grocery store doesn't double coupons but I can still match up store couponsand sales with my manufacturer coupons and typically save 50% on our grocerybill WITHOUT double coupons.

You can save money on everydayhousehold items by substituting favorite brand name products with make your ownalternatives. You can make everything from cleaning supplies to laundry soapand diaper paste at a fraction of the cost of buying it.

These are just a few ways to cutyour costs and save money! What are your favorite ways to save on everydayitems?

Sunday Sweeps! 1/29/12 Edition!

2012-01-28T22:09:00.000-06:00

It is Sunday again! Link up all of your family friendly giveaways below. Please leave them in the following format:

Blog Name-Prize-End Date

The link MUST go to your giveaway page and not your home page. No spamming or affiliate links! Don’t forget to check out my giveaways while you are here and grab my blog button!

Once you’ve linked up here head on over to Sugar Pop Ribbons to link your giveaways there too!

Internet Options for Rural Areas, My Struggle!

2012-01-27T17:10:00.000-06:00

When we moved to the country I couldn't wait to have privacy and solitude. This is my yard! We have 10 acres and it's absolutely awesome. To be able to go out in my yard and play with the kids and not have my neighbor come over to see what we were doing is heaven for me. Now don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't like people. I just like my privacy. I want to be able to run around the yard with my kids and not have to talk with my four neighbors that each come over to chat meanwhile my kids are hollering for me to come play with them instead of talking. I was raised in the country and that is where my hear is. Hey, I gave living in town a good try. We lived in town for 6 years and it just wasn't my cup of tea.

One convenience of town that I definitely miss was affordable, reliable high speed Internet. I didn't really realize how hard it would be to find a high speed Internet provider in the country. It's not like I was looking for dedicated internet, all I wanted was high speed Internet for my personal use! After giving Hughes Net satellite Internet a try and banging my head against the wall at the slow speeds and horrible customer service, I gave up on them. After researching my options it seemed the only way I was going to get decent Internet at a bearable speed was to get a wireless MyFi device. We ended up getting one and the Internet is great. I love that I have high speed Internet again. My two complaints about this option are that it's pricey ($80/month) and the data is limited (10 GB/month). With how much time I spend online blogging, uploading pics, videos, etc you'd be surprised at how quickly 10 GB goes in a month. That means no catching up on missed TV shows by watching them on the Internet because it takes up too much data. It's frustrating to have to watch my data use each month and faithfully connect and disconnect each time I leave the computer.

I'm ~~anxiously~~ patiently waiting on the day they run fiber optic cable past my house so I can get DSL or some form of affordable, unlimited high speed Internet. Hey Quest, are you reading this?? Hurry up please :)

Luckily thanks to our Wilson DT Cell Booster I don't have to worry about my cell phones not working so I don't need xo voip services or anything crazy like that to make a phone call but please someone send some high speed Internet my way :)

Are you living in a rural area? What do you do for Internet?

Bosch Wiper Blades Giveaway!

2012-01-27T11:39:00.000-06:00

With the crazy Winter weather you are always looking for ways to keep your family safe on the road. Bosch is proud to introduce the new ICON wiper blades which do just that! These bracketless wipers are designed without metal or plastic brackets, joints or hinges, which means they’re an improvement over conventional wiper blades.

To celebrate their release, Bosch is holding a contest where one lucky Facebook fan and a guest will win an experience of a lifetime: an all-expenses-paid, five-night VIP Storm Chasing trip for you and a guest, with Reed Timmer of Discovery Channel’s STORMCHASERS.

Reed is documenting his experience with the Bosch ICON wiper blades in a series of webisodes, the first two are available to view right now at the FB contest app: http://on.fb.me/yLyBBX

• “Why I Chase”
• “The Dominator”
• “In The Lab vs. In The Field”

You can learn more about the ICON wiper blades over at http://www.boschcleartheway.com

Win! One reader will win a Bosch Prize Pack valued at $195!!

The prize pack includes:
• A set of Bosch ICON wiper blades ($50 value)
• “Storm Chasers - Season 4” DVD ($55 value)
• A signed copy of Reed Timmer’s book “Into The Storm” ($20 value)
• A Bosch C3 6V/12V Fully Automatic 4-Mode Battery Charger ($70 value)

Here is how to enter to win:

Tell me about your closest call with a storm or storm chasing.
*Remember to include your email address in your comment if it is not visible on your profile or you will be disqualified.

After you have completed the above mandatory entry you are eligible for additional entries. If you are unfamiliar with how to do this please see my post here. Remember to leave a separate comment for each additional entry and include your email address in at least one entry. Each bullet is one entry unless otherwise stated.

Subscribe to Minnesota Mama's Must Haves by Email (not feed)-remember to activate your subscription! Current subscribers count too. (1 entry)
Follow my blog publicly-Current followers count too! (1 entry)
Follow me on Pinterest (if you need an invite to join then email me sarah (at) minnesotamamasmusthaves (dot) com and I'll send you one!)
Enter any of my other giveaways- Leave a comment saying which giveaway you entered-you may leave a separate comment for each extra giveaway you enter. (1 entry for each giveaway entered)
Blog about my giveaway and link back to my site-must link to this specific giveaway and include a picture of the prize-Leave the URL where you blogged-(3 extra entries)
Grab my button-leave the URL where it is posted (1 entry)
Follow Me AND Bosch Auto Parts on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway-You may Tweet daily and gain an extra entry each day that you tweet-limit 1 per day. Leave the URL where you Tweeted. Copy/Paste this tweet:

Win $195 Bosch Prize Pack! #giveaway #mnmamamusthave Enter here: http://tinyurl.com/7ro6all ends 2/15 @BoschAutoParts
Like Minnesota Mama's Must Haves on Facebook-leave your facebook name with your comment.
Like Bosch on Facebook
Update your facebook status with a link to this giveaway. You may update it daily for an extra entry per day that you do it. Leave me the link to your update and make sure it links to both me and the sponsor (you can do this by following both and selecting us from the list when you type in @) You can copy and paste the following into your status:

Win $195 Bosch Prize Pack from @Bosch Auto Parts and @Minnesota Mama's Must Haves! Ends 2/15 http://tinyurl.com/7ro6all
Leave a relevant comment on any non-giveaway post (review only posts are great). One entry per comment left.

Open to US only. Giveaway ends February 15th at 11:59pm. Winner will be drawn by random.org and announced on this blog as well as emailed. Products reviewed were provided to me free of charge. No compensation was given in exchange for this review. My opinion is my own and is an honest view of my experience with the product. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn. Email address must be in at least one comment or visible on your profile to win. Good Luck!

Great Bebe Pod Exchange Ends on 1/31!

2012-01-27T10:44:00.002-06:00

Do you have a Bumbo baby seat? Would you like to exchange it for a FREE bebePOD?? Well, you've got until January 31st to get in on this great promo that Prince Lionheart is running! Get all the details on their Facebook page!

Aloha Friday! Bed Bugs

2012-01-27T09:32:00.003-06:00

Time for Aloha Friday again! Have you heard of it? It's a fun little thing called Aloha Friday and it started over at An Island Life. Here's how it works. I'll ask a question and give you my answer and then YOU answer the question too!

Sound fun? Okay here is the question:

Have you or someone you know ever had an experience with bed bugs?

My Answer: Thankfully, no! My husband was talking about bed bugs last night because a guy he works with was going to bring his grandkids to stay at a waterpark this weekend but after looking on the Internet he saw they had a bed bug outbreak there! We will be staying at a hotel in a couple of months and now thanks to my husband my skin is crawling already!

Garlic Cream Cheese Chicken Pockets Recipe!

2012-01-26T16:09:00.001-06:00

This is a really yummy recipe and pretty easy to prepare. My whole family liked it including my 2 and 3 year old! It's always great to get a recipe that everyone loves :) First you'll need to crisp some bacon. I microwaved mine. It doesn't need to be super crispy because it will also be going into the oven.

Then chop up some parsley and onion.

Mix your cream cheese with garlic powder, black pepper, parsley, onion and shredded cheddar cheese.

Cut your puff pastry in half, roll them out a little and brush the edges with a beaten egg.

Cut a deep slit down the center of the chicken breast and stuff with cream cheese mixture. Top with cooked bacon.

Place bacon side down on puff pastry and wrap. The egg will act as a binding agent to hold the pasty together.

Brush the tops with egg. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 400 for 30 minutes.

And Voila! You get these beautiful pockets out of the oven.

Here is the full recipe:

Garlic Cream Cheese Chicken Pockets

Ingredients:

Puff Pastry
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 strips of bacon
1 egg
2 Tbsp chopped onion
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
8 oz cream cheese

Directions:

Crisp your bacon and set aside. Mix together cream cheese, onion, parsley, black pepper, garlic powder, and shredded cheese in a bowl. Cut a deep slit down the center of your chicken breast. Stuff with cream cheese mixture. Repeat for each chicken breast. Top with bacon cut to length of chicken breast.

Cut each puff pastry sheet in half and roll out with a rolling pin. Not to thin though. Brush each edge of the pastry with a beaten egg. Place chicken, bacon side down, on puff pastry and wrap. Seal edges with your fingers.

Place on a greased pan. Brush the tops with the beaten egg. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. I used a meat thermometer to check mine.

Enjoy!

QuickSmart Easy Fold Stroller Review! Smallest Stroller I've Ever Seen When Folded!

2012-01-26T14:37:00.000-06:00

Being both a mom and a reviewer, I've seen and tested my fair share of strollers over the years. I can say that without a doubt the QuickSmart Easy Fold Stroller is the smallest stroller when folded that I've ever seen. And that's saying a lot. Here it is in it's included carry bag. It weighs just 15.4 lbs and definitely won't take up more trunk space than a duffel bag would. I am loving it!

The Easy Fold Stroller is recommended for babies age 6 months+ up to 45lbs. That means that my youngest child and my oldest child (3 years old) can both use it! Although Carson is a month shy of 6 months I have found that the 5 point harness and reclining seat work well to hold him securely in place and the seat reclines enough that his head doesn't bobble at all.

Despite it's compact folding size they didn't scrimp on essentials. It has a retractable hood for shade and a peek through window you can open and close to check on your baby.

The stroller frame is made of aluminum which is to thank for it's lightweight, rust free properties. It also has an extra tall parent push bar so even taller parents won't feel like they are bending over to push it. There is nothing I hate more than feeling like I'm pushing a stroller made for a child's height instead of my own. Want to know my favorite part? I loved that right out of the box it was already assembled and ready to go. I didn't have to do a thing! Just take it out and you are all set to go! It's the first time ever that I haven't needed my hubby to help me assemble a stroller.

It also includes a storage net below for essentials like diapers/wipes, etc. Although it's not huge it is more than you'd get from an umbrella stroller. This stroller is a million times better than an umbrella stroller and folds up just as compactly if not more so since it isn't long and awkward shaped.

It also includes a weathershield which snaps and velcros onto the stroller to protect your little one from rain or snow. It was easy to put on quickly and works great. Since it is clear Carson didn't mind having it over him at all either.

Of course the main feature that I love about the Easy Fold Stroller is the ability to easily fold it into a compact size :) Hence the name Easy Fold right? I've showed above how easy it is to fold. You simply lift up on each side of the bars of the stroller to release it and fold down the top. Then, you pull the handle to finish folding and hook the closure to keep it closed. It folds up really small with no wheels sticking out. It easily goes into the carry bag and you're ready to go! If you have a small vehicle or travel a lot this is the perfect stroller for you. I love that I can keep it in the vehicle and it takes up very little space.

When it comes to the quality of QuickSmart products I have to say I am very impressed. I've been putting this stroller through the ringer for the past 2 months and it continues to hold up well and work just as good as the day I got it. We also have the QuickSmart Scramble Bug which is a favorite toy in our house and gets used every. single. day. It's awesome and I recommend that every little kiddo have one. My kids adore it. I've also found QuickSmart's 3 in 1 Bassinet to be extremely useful while traveling. It gives my baby the perfect, safe place to sleep while away from home. Check out their full line of products including our favorites, on their site!

Buy It! You can buy the Quicksmart Easy Fold Stroller on Amazon.com for $219.99!

Follow QuickSmart on Facebook & Twitter to keep up with their newest products, discounts and news!

*I was provided product for review purposes onlyand was not compensated for this review.

Boppy Travel Pillow Review! Don't Leave Home Without It! AND Boppy Travel Pillow Giveaway!!

2012-01-25T15:24:00.000-06:00

I love my Boppy pillow. It's one staple that I think every new mom should have. It's a household name when it comes to baby products. Until now the Boppy pillow was generally something you only used while at home. Thanks to the all new Boppy Travel pillow you can have the ease of nursing that Boppy offers while on the go too!

The new Boppy® Travel Pillow is a compact version of the award-winning original Boppy Pillow and is designed so mom can feed baby comfortably anytime, anywhere. The unique design zips open and closed in a snap so it goes from a Boppy Pillow ready for mom to use for feeding to an easy-to-carry bag in seconds.

I expected it to be a smaller pillow being that it is travel size but I loved that it was small and compact when zipped up but unfolded to a nice size pillow. It functions just as my regular Boppy pillow but in a much more portable package. I love how easy it is to zip and unzip the pillow for use.

The prints are modern and stylish. I also love that you can use the strap to sling the folded pillow over your shoulder along with your other bags. The travel Boppy is very user friendly and perfect for moms on the go. I also loved the zippered pocket, perfect for storing extra nursing pads, pacifiers, burp cloths or even a diaper and wipes. Overall I'm really impressed with the Travel Boppy!

Buy It! You can buy the Boppy Travel pillow online at Babies R Us and I have also spotted them in stores at Target! They retail for $44.99 and on Babies R Us they are currently selling for $38.24!

Win! One reader will win a Boppy Travel Pillow!

Here is how to enter to win:

Visit Boppy and tell me another product of theirs other than their pillows that you love.
*Remember to include your email address in your comment if it is not visible on your profile or you will be disqualified.

Subscribe to Minnesota Mama's Must Haves by Email (not feed)-remember to activate your subscription! Current subscribers count too. (1 entry)
Follow my blog publicly-Current followers count too! (1 entry)
Follow me on Pinterest (if you need an invite to join then email me sarah (at) minnesotamamasmusthaves (dot) com and I'll send you one!)
Enter any of my other giveaways- Leave a comment saying which giveaway you entered-you may leave a separate comment for each extra giveaway you enter. (1 entry for each giveaway entered)
Blog about my giveaway and link back to my site-must link to this specific giveaway and include a picture of the prize-Leave the URL where you blogged-(3 extra entries)
Grab my button-leave the URL where it is posted (1 entry)
Follow Me AND Boppy on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway-You may Tweet daily and gain an extra entry each day that you tweet-limit 1 per day. Leave the URL where you Tweeted. Copy/Paste this tweet:

Win Boppy Travel Pillow! #giveaway #mnmamamusthave Enter here: http://tinyurl.com/7ek6zjx ends 2/15 @BoppyCompany
Like Minnesota Mama's Must Haves on Facebook-leave your facebook name with your comment.
Like Boppy on Facebook
Update your facebook status with a link to this giveaway. You may update it daily for an extra entry per day that you do it. Leave me the link to your update and make sure it links to both me and the sponsor (you can do this by following both and selecting us from the list when you type in @) You can copy and paste the following into your status:

Win Boppy Travel Pillow from @The Boppy Company and @Minnesota Mama's Must Haves! Ends 2/15 http://tinyurl.com/7ek6zjx
Leave a relevant comment on any non-giveaway post (review only posts are great). One entry per comment left.

Car Seat Safety and the Latest Recommendations You Need To Know!

2012-01-25T10:53:00.002-06:00

This month I've been bringing you safety products and tips to keep you and your family safe. Even if you don't usually make New Year's resolutions, one thing you should evaluate for the start of the New Year is how safe your family is and what changes you can make to improve their safety.

With car seat recommendations constantly changing it can be hard to keep up with the latest recommendations. Here is what you need to know to make sure your kids are safe in the event of a car accident.

Recommendations For All Ages

Select a car seat based on your child's age, height, and weight.
Keep your child in the car seat for as long as possible, as long as your child fits the seat's height and weight requirements.
All children under 13 should ride in the back seat.

The latest car seat guidelines from the AAP recommend that infants and toddlers should ride in a rear-facing car seat (infant-only rear facing car seat or rear-facing convertible car seat like the Britax Advocate 70 CS pictured above which can face forward or rear) until they are two years old or until they have reached the weight and height limits of their car seat.

Once your child has reached age 2 or outgrown the weight/height limits of their rear facing car seat then they should face forward in a forward facing car seat. Whether you have a convertible car seat like the Britax pictured above which faces rear or forward, or you have a forward facing only seat, they should remain in the seat until they reach the height and weight limits of the seat.

Once your child has reached the height and weight limits of their forward facing car seat they are ready to move to a belt positioning booster seat like the Britax Frontier 85 which is pictured above or their next step up model the Britax Frontier 85 SICT. Both offer exceptional safety features and will keep your child at the right height and position to safely ride in the vehicle. Kids graduating from their forward facing car seats are not yet ready to use a seat belt alone and the booster gives them the added support and safety features that they need to be safe in the event of an accident.

Once your child has reached 4 feet 9 inches tall (57 inches) and is between 8 and 12 years old they are ready to move to using a seat belt alone. The seat belt must fit them properly having the lap belt rest on their upper thighs (not their stomach) and the shoulder belt going over their chest and not their head or neck. Don't allow them to put the shoulder strap behind their back! They should be able to sit with their back against the back of the seat and their knees bent at the edge of the seat.

All kids under age 13 should always sit in the back seat as it is the safest place for them.

Quick Tips to Remember:

-Register your child's car seat so you will be notified of any recalls
-Don't overdress your child in the Winter. When riding in their seat they shouldn't be wearing bulky jackets as this prevents the harness from being tight enough and could result in them being ejected from the seat.
-Don't buy a used car seat as you don't know it's history and if it has ever been in a crash the structural components of the seat could be compromised
-Car seats have an expiration date - check it and be sure yours hasn't expired
-Be sure the shoulder straps are always at the recommended height for your child. It differs whether they are forward or rear facing. Check your manual for proper placement.

I hope these tips and recommendations will help you to keep your kids safe while riding in the car. It's so important to stay up to date on current safety recommendations.

Wordless Wednesday! Dress Up!

2012-01-25T10:04:00.002-06:00

My little princess plays dress up every. single. day!

Being A Stay At Home Mom

2012-01-24T22:37:00.002-06:00

When I first decided to become a stay at home Mom it was a choice that I honestly never even thought I would consider. The combination of my crazy shiftwork schedule working as a Registered Nurse and the hour commute I had to work along with my husband's equally crazy shiftwork schedule caused us to evaluate our options when I was pregnant with Danika. We knew that most of the time we didn't know if we were coming or going and we couldn't imagine putting a baby on our crazy schedule. I'd go days at a time without seeing my husband. We'd be sleeping in bed at opposite times of the day and it was just not an ideal situation for a baby. That caused us to start thinking about me becoming a stay at home mom. At the time I couldn't imagine leaving my job that I loved. I worked in OB doing Labor and Delivery at a large hospital. I loved it. Well once Danika came along the deal was sealed and I knew I needed to stay at home with her and give her a stable schedule and an always present parent.

I haven't ever regretted my decision to stay home. I love that I get to see all of my kids "firsts". I dont' have to pick them up from daycare and hear that they rolled over for the first time or took their first steps while I was at work. It's a wonderful thing.

Of course as you all know I started this blog after staying home with Danika for a year and looking for something fulfilling to occupy my time. It has become larger than I ever imagined and is like having a job that I can do from home. I love the connection to the outside world that it presents me with along with getting to try new things that I never would have been able to before.

I've been asked by other moms in the past if I ever get bored staying at home and the answer is unequivocally no. Sure, if you don't have any motivation or ambition you could sit on the couch all day and watch TV and get bored in a hurry but I always feel like there are not enough hours in the day! Between keeping the house clean, taking care of kids, grocery shopping, running errands, laundry, school and outings with the kids, hobbies and blogging there is definitely always something to do. In fact there is too much to do! I'd love a day off :)

I realize that many moms would love to stay home and can't swing it financially. If this is you and you really want to stay home then I suggest taking a good, hard look at your finances. When I decided to stay home we knew we would have to cut things. I was willing to sacrifice my addiction to buying new clothes in order to stay home with my kids. There are always places you can cut. I started couponing after becoming a stay at home mom and it has saved us thousands of dollars. With so many coupon sites out there it really makes it easy to find the good deals and makes couponing something that anyone can do if they try.

Also evaluate the costs of working. Yes, it costs you money to work. How much would you be paying in daycare, gas to get to and from work, meals at work, clothes for the office, etc. If it is costing you close to what you are making then it doesn't make sense to work. If we had to pay daycare fees for all 3 of our kids right now then there wouldn't be much of a paycheck left if I worked.

You can also look into things like working from home or the best franchise opportunities. Perhaps you can't quit working completely but if you are able to work from home you get the best of both worlds.

Where there is a will there is a way and if it's in your heart to stay home with your kids then do it. I've never heard anyone say they regretted staying home with their kids but I have heard people say they wish they would have. These moments with our kids go by so fast and I'd hate to miss out on any of it!

Would you stay home with your kids if you were able to? If you are also a stay at home mom what are your thoughts on the advantages and disadvantages of staying home?

Fire Safety Is Your Home Safe? Kidde Fire Extinguisher Review AND Giveaway!!

2012-01-24T12:08:00.000-06:00

This month I've been covering safety tips for your home and your family. One thing that was drilled into me from the time I was a child was fire safety. Growing up with a Dad who was a volunteer fireman he was always talking to us about fire safety and how important it is. He saw on a regular basis just how easily fires got started and how damaging they could be. That's why I'm bringing you these great products from Kidde this month in an effort to get you to evaluate how safe your home is.

Something every home should have is a carbon monoxide detector. It's a silent killer and could wipe out your entire family before you even knew something was amiss. My husband lost a friend to carbon monoxide and it is something that is so devastating and completely avoidable with a detector in your home. You should have one on every level of your home and near bedrooms.

The Kidde KN-COSM-B Battery-Operated Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Alarm combines two important safety devices into a single unit. This alarm includes a voice warning system that announces "Fire, Carbon Monoxide, Low Battery, or Smart Hush Activation." The voice alarm eliminates any confusion and clearly warns you and your family of a smoke or carbon monoxide danger, or if your battery is in need of replacement. This unit uses three AA batteries, protecting you and your family even during a power outage.

Cooking is the leading cause of house fires in the U.S. In addition to your primary home protection, fire experts recommend adding UL-rated fire extinguishers for supplementary protection in the kitchen. The Kidde FX10K Kitchen Fire Extinguisher is designed to provide supplementary fire protection for your home, as it is UL- rated for specific hazards, such as common kitchen cooking fires and energized electronic equipment. You can place a kitchen fire extinguisher near your countertop or in a drawer or cabinets, but make sure it is close at hand for emergency use.

Many kitchen fire products use a mix of chemicals that are not food safe. Cleaning up the sticky residue left after even a small grease fire can be quite a chore. This Kidde fire extinguisher uses a non-toxic sodium bicarbonate powder that's easy to clean up and is electrically non conductive, an important feature for kitchen fires.

This Kidde Fire Extinguisher is durable and easy to use. The fire extinguisher is warranted for 10 years, and its metal pressure gauge helps ensure that the fire extinguisher is charged and ready for use. This extinguisher is durable and corrosion resistant, featuring a rust- and impact-resistant nylon handle and a light-but-durable aluminum cylinder. The sure-grip handle and operating lever make it less likely for the extinguisher to slip from wet or oily hands and easier to operate for people with arthritis or weakness of the fingers.

When I was little I remember having a fire escape ladder under my bed and it wasn't anything like this Kidde escape ladder, it was huge! It was probably as big as I was at 8 years old. It barely fit under my bed. I remember my Dad making us practice escaping the house out the window with the ladder. At the time I thought it was a little crazy but now I realize that he was smart to prepare us for the event of an emergency. We knew exactly what we needed to do if our house should catch fire. Well, I'm happy to find this great COMPACT ladder from Kidde.

Kidde Escape Ladders offer a quick and easy escape from two- or three-story homes. These life-saving ladders store compactly, deploy quickly, and keep you prepared for the possibility of fire and other emergencies. Kidde Escape Ladders attach quickly to most windows, and they are tangle free, stretching out to form a flame resistant, durable, and sturdy ladder that can support up to 1,000 pounds.

You should have one in every occupied room of your home that is above the main level. You certainly don't want to be jumping out 2 or 3 story windows in the event of an emergency and you want a safe way to get your kids out should you have a fire.

How safe is your home? Are you ready in the event of an emergency? Visit Kidde to take their home safety audit to see how safe your home is! Don't be caught in an emergency wondering what to do. Prepare yourself and your family so everyone can be safe and know the plan!

Win! One reader will win a Kidde Kitchen Fire Extinguisher!

Here is how to enter to win:

Tell me if you have these 3 things in your home or if you are lacking in the fire safety department.
*Remember to include your email address in your comment if it is not visible on your profile or you will be disqualified.

Subscribe to Minnesota Mama's Must Haves by Email (not feed)-remember to activate your subscription! Current subscribers count too. (1 entry)
Follow my blog publicly-Current followers count too! (1 entry)
Follow me on Pinterest (if you need an invite to join then email me sarah (at) minnesotamamasmusthaves (dot) com and I'll send you one!)
Enter any of my other giveaways- Leave a comment saying which giveaway you entered-you may leave a separate comment for each extra giveaway you enter. (1 entry for each giveaway entered)
Blog about my giveaway and link back to my site-must link to this specific giveaway and include a picture of the prize-Leave the URL where you blogged-(3 extra entries)
Grab my button-leave the URL where it is posted (1 entry)
Follow Me AND Kidde on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway-You may Tweet daily and gain an extra entry each day that you tweet-limit 1 per day. Leave the URL where you Tweeted. Copy/Paste this tweet:

Win Kidde Kitchen Fire Extinguisher! #giveaway #mnmamamusthave Enter here: http://tinyurl.com/6uanzl8 ends 2/13 @KiddeSafety
Like Minnesota Mama's Must Haves on Facebook-leave your facebook name with your comment.
Like Kidde on Facebook
Update your facebook status with a link to this giveaway. You may update it daily for an extra entry per day that you do it. Leave me the link to your update and make sure it links to both me and the sponsor (you can do this by following both and selecting us from the list when you type in @) You can copy and paste the following into your status:

Win Kidde Kitchen Fire Extinguisher from @Kidde and @Minnesota Mama's Must Haves! Ends 2/13 http://tinyurl.com/6uanzl8
Leave a relevant comment on any non-giveaway post (review only posts are great). One entry per comment left.

Open to US only. Giveaway ends February 13th at 11:59pm. Winner will be drawn by random.org and announced on this blog as well as emailed. Products reviewed were provided to me free of charge. No compensation was given in exchange for this review. My opinion is my own and is an honest view of my experience with the product. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn. Email address must be in at least one comment or visible on your profile to win. Good Luck!

Milk Nursingwear Review AND Giveaway!!

2012-01-24T10:55:00.000-06:00

I'm a big fan of nursing wear. It's something that I actually use for a lot longer than I use maternity clothes. Since I nurse my babies until they are a year old and can switch to cow's milk that means I can use the clothes for a whole year as opposed to my maternity clothes which only get 4 or 5 months of use. I nurse wherever I am and use a nursing cover to do it discreetly in public. Wearing nursing tops makes it SO much easier to access my milk to nurse my baby. I don't have to lift up my shirt and risk exposing my belly or my back to the rest of the world. I loved this keyhole nursing top from Milk Nursingwear. You can't even tell that it is a nursing top.

I loved that the sleeves were plenty long and so was the top. It fit great! To nurse you simply pull aside the front fabric to access openings on either side. Fabric is incredibly soft 95% rayon / 5% lycra blend. I think this is a really fashionable, well fitting nursing top. I hate getting nursing tops that are frumpy and don't fit well or look fashionable. This is a great, up to date, trendy top!

Buy It! You can buy the Keyhole nursing top and MANY other cute nursing wear pieces like their nursing dress or their selection of tops at Milk Nursingwear. The Keyhole top is on sale right now for $39.99! I've also got my eye on the cowl neck top which is on sale for just $22.99 right now!

Win! One reader will win a $40 Gift Card to Milk Nursingwear!

Here is how to enter to win:

Like Milk Nursingwear on Facebook OR visit Milk Nursingwear and leave me a link to the product you like best. You can do both for 2 entries but must do at least one of these.
*Remember to include your email address in your comment if it is not visible on your profile or you will be disqualified.

Subscribe to Minnesota Mama's Must Haves by Email (not feed)-remember to activate your subscription! Current subscribers count too. (1 entry)
Follow my blog publicly-Current followers count too! (1 entry)
Follow me on Pinterest (if you need an invite to join then email me sarah (at) minnesotamamasmusthaves (dot) com and I'll send you one!)
Enter any of my other giveaways- Leave a comment saying which giveaway you entered-you may leave a separate comment for each extra giveaway you enter. (1 entry for each giveaway entered)
Blog about my giveaway and link back to my site-must link to this specific giveaway and include a picture of the prize-Leave the URL where you blogged-(3 extra entries)
Grab my button-leave the URL where it is posted (1 entry)
Follow Me AND Milk Nursingwear on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway-You may Tweet daily and gain an extra entry each day that you tweet-limit 1 per day. Leave the URL where you Tweeted. Copy/Paste this tweet:

Win $40 Gift Card to @MilkNursingwear! #giveaway #mnmamamusthave Enter here: http://tinyurl.com/7633reo ends 2/13
Like Minnesota Mama's Must Haves on Facebook-leave your facebook name with your comment.
Update your facebook status with a link to this giveaway. You may update it daily for an extra entry per day that you do it. Leave me the link to your update and make sure it links to both me and the sponsor (you can do this by following both and selecting us from the list when you type in @) You can copy and paste the following into your status:

Win $40 Gift Card from @Milk Nursingwear and @Minnesota Mama's Must Haves! Ends 2/13 http://tinyurl.com/7633reo
Leave a relevant comment on any non-giveaway post (review only posts are great). One entry per comment left.

Wilson Electronics Desktop Cell Phone Booster Review! Can You Hear Me Now?

2012-01-23T17:14:00.001-06:00

It was our dream to move to the country and we are loving our new house. With moving to the country have come some challenges in rural technology. Our first encounter was the difficulty in finding quality, high speed internet and then came the cell phone reception. We got rid of our land line a few years ago and have loved being able to eliminate that monthly bill and just use our cell phones as primary communication. I needed to find a way to boost our cell phone signals so that we would be able to use them where we didn't get reception in our home.

My husband heard about the Wilson Electronics Desktop (DT) Cell Phone Signal Booster from a guy he worked with and we decided that we should give it a try. We received the Cell Phone Signal Booster and my hubby installed it. Installation was easy and they give you everything you need to boost the cellular signal in your home or office. Included with your DT Signal Booster System is the DT signal booster itself, 301141 outside antenna, 301144 inside desktop antenna, 2 lengths of coaxial cable and all the mounting hardware you will need.

This is the outside antenna and as you can see it is covered with ice. Living in Northern Minnesota our Winters can be harsh and despite these sometimes severe conditions the DT cell phone booster worked great!

It is designed to give the best results when used in a small area, such as desk and workspace, however we found that it worked well throughout the house. The Wilson Electronics Desktop (DT) Cell Phone Signal Booster significantly improves your cell phone's overall performance by minimizing dropped calls, increasing signal strength and data rates, and letting you enjoy clearer reception. The DT supports multiple cell phones and data cards simultaneously, and works with all major North American cell phone carriers, which include both Cellular (824-894 MHz) and PCS (1850-1990 MHz) carrier frequency bands. You'll experience fewer dropped calls, faster data rates, and clearer reception. This is exactly what we needed to optimize our service while living in a rural area.

We are beyond impressed with the cell phone booster. It does what it says it does and continues to perform well after months of use now. It has drastically improved our cell signals and we can now use our phones without worry of sketchy reception or dropped calls.

Here is a screenshot of our cell phone before the Wilson signal booster was installed. There is absolutely NO service.

This is a screen shot of our cell phone (positioned in the same place as the before shot) after the Wilson signal booster was installed. We have almost full bars and clear reception when talking on the phone!

Pictures are worth a thousand words and as you can see from my before and after screenshots the Wilson signal booster is well worth it's price tag. It saved us from having to pay for a monthly land line and we can now rely on our cell phones! It's amazing. In a sea of products that don't do what they claim to do and have no customer service or backing, Wilson rises above the rest. I highly recommend them!

Buy It! If you are living in an area with poor cell signal then you could definitely benefit from the Wilson Electronics Desktop Cell Phone Booster. Check out their site to see their full line of products designed to boost your cell signal and make your life easier! You can find a retailer near you on their site!

*I was provided product for review purposes onlyand was not compensated for this review.

Sunday Sweeps! 1/22/12 Edition!

2012-01-21T20:00:00.000-06:00

Aloha Friday! What's Your Temp?

2012-01-20T10:12:00.002-06:00

What is the temperature outside right now?

My Answer: It seems our cold Winter has finally hit. Right now it is 13 degrees BELOW zero and that's without the wind chill factored in! It's very cold here!

Your turn!

It's Almost Tax Time!

2012-01-19T10:43:00.001-06:00

Tax Time is my husband's favorite time of year. Isn't that funny? Most people dread doing their taxes but my husband can't wait to do them. I suppose it's because we always pay in too much and get a nice refund at the end of the year. It's like a little windfall for him and he can't wait to see what we are getting back.

Most people would say why don't you adjust what you claim so you aren't giving the government an interest free loan right? Well, I get that we are essentially giving the government an interest free loan but it's also an automatic way to set aside a little money and get it back in a lump sum at the end of the year.

We always end up paying off bills or buying something we've been needing with the money. It's just fun to see what we will end up getting back.

I know not everyone looks forward to this time of year. Plenty of people are probably googling U.S. IRS Tax Attorney to help them get out of trouble with their taxes. I'd much rather get some money back at the end of the year, than to end up paying in.

Do you do your taxes yourself or do you have them prepared for you? We have been using Turbo Tax every year and have found it to be really helpful. Plus you are allowed more than one return on a single Turbo Tax so you can even go in on it with someone else to save money on it. They even have a deluxe version with lots of features.

So what group are you in? Do you look forward to tax time or dread it? Do you usually get a return or pay in? What do you do with your refund?

Mr. Chewy Delivers Your Dog's Food Right To Your Door!

2012-01-19T10:27:00.002-06:00

Don't you hate lugging that huge bag of dog food home from the store? I know I prefer to only buy the food when my husband is actually with me and can lug the bag around for me. The times that he is with me when I'm shopping are few and far between though. It was especially difficult for me when I was pregnant and trying to get the bag into the cart, then into the car and then out of the car. It was too heavy for me to safely lift it without risking hurting myself. Well, now I've got Mr. Chewy who delivers our dog Max's food right to my doorstep! How nice is that?

Mr. Chewy is an online pet shop with TONS of different brands to choose from. They've got the more well known brands like Pedigree which Max eats as well as natural brands like Taste of the Wild and tons of others. We got Max a huge 30lb bag of Pedigree dog food for $29.99! The best part is that you can score free shipping on orders over $49.

We also picked up a giant 25 oz bag of Max's favorite treats, Beggin Strips, for $14.99. Max was VERY happy about this :) I was happy that the bag was so big and had a sliding zipper to reseal it.

Max loves dog bones too and can't handle the rawhide bones as they hurt his tummy so I was excited to find the Merrick General Panton Natural Bone for him for just $4.99. What I didn't realize was how big it was! He'll have to gnaw on this forever before it disappears.

I got all of this for just under $50 so I also scored free shipping! I think that is a great deal considering it is shipped right to your door and you don't have to lug that big 'ol bag around. Plus you can get 15% off your order if you sign up for subscribe delivery. That means they will send you your order however often you'd like and you don't even have to worry about it!

Buy It! You can buy all of your pet's essentials like dog food, treats and bones at Mr. Chewy! Check out the huge selection of brands that they carry! You can also call 1-800-MR-CHEWY to place your order.

*I was provided product for review purposes onlyand was not compensated for this review.

Build A Bear Workshop Giveaway Ends Tonight! + Bonus Entries!

2012-01-18T14:55:00.002-06:00

The Build A Bear Workshop Giveaway ends tonight! Enter before midnight for your chance to win! You can have 2 extra entries into the Build A Bear Giveaway for each relevant comment you leave (or have already left) on the following posts: Milk Paint Activity, What's Your Number DVD, What you want for Valentine's Day, 2011 baby name trends, Grape Juice Stomach Flu.

Good Luck!

Posh Little Tutus Review AND Giveaway!!

2012-01-18T14:39:00.002-06:00

Danika is my tutu loving, dancing princess so when I found Posh Little Tutus I knew she would flip over one of their stunning tutus and of course I had to get the matching hair bow because she's got gorgeous hair down to her behind! Check out this adorable Christmas tutu that we got for her last month. The thing I love about this tutu is that it isn't a one occasion tutu. You can remove the pretty green Gerbera daisy clip and have just a white and red tutu perfect for Valentine's Day too!

I love the tutu but I love the hair bow even more. The quality and attention to detail is awesome! It's just beautiful and they have SO many gorgeous hair bows that I'm drooling over. After seeing the great quality of this one I'll definitely be ordering more. Danika has the most beautiful hair and a serious lack of cute hair accessories so I'm making it a priority to change that!

The tutu is so full and beautiful. It really poofs out nicely and looks great.

This is the same tutu minus the flower clip on. Cute right? We love it :) How about you? Want a chance to win a gift card and pick out your own?? Of course you do!

Win! One reader will win a $25 Gift Card to Posh Little Tutus!

Here is how to enter to win:

Visit Posh Little Tutus and tell me what you'd pick if you won.
*Remember to include your email address in your comment if it is not visible on your profile or you will be disqualified.

Subscribe to Minnesota Mama's Must Haves by Email (not feed)-remember to activate your subscription! Current subscribers count too. (1 entry)
Follow my blog publicly-Current followers count too! (1 entry)
Follow me on Pinterest (if you need an invite to join then email me sarah (at) minnesotamamasmusthaves (dot) com and I'll send you one!)
Enter any of my other giveaways- Leave a comment saying which giveaway you entered-you may leave a separate comment for each extra giveaway you enter. (1 entry for each giveaway entered)
Blog about my giveaway and link back to my site-must link to this specific giveaway and include a picture of the prize-Leave the URL where you blogged-(3 extra entries)
Grab my button-leave the URL where it is posted (1 entry)
Follow Me AND Posh Little Tutus on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway-You may Tweet daily and gain an extra entry each day that you tweet-limit 1 per day. Leave the URL where you Tweeted. Copy/Paste this tweet:

Win $25 Gift Card to Posh Little Tutus! #giveaway #mnmamamusthave Enter here: http://tinyurl.com/7bfx4rk ends 2/6 @PoshLittleTutus
Like Minnesota Mama's Must Haves on Facebook-leave your facebook name with your comment.
Like Posh Little Tutus on Facebook
Update your facebook status with a link to this giveaway. You may update it daily for an extra entry per day that you do it. Leave me the link to your update and make sure it links to both me and the sponsor (you can do this by following both and selecting us from the list when you type in @) You can copy and paste the following into your status:

Win $25 Gift Card from @Posh Little Tutus and @Minnesota Mama's Must Haves! Ends 2/6 http://tinyurl.com/7bfx4rk
Leave a relevant comment on any non-giveaway post (review only posts are great). One entry per comment left.

Open to US only. Giveaway ends February 6th at 11:59pm. Winner will be drawn by random.org and announced on this blog as well as emailed. Products reviewed were provided to me free of charge. No compensation was given in exchange for this review. My opinion is my own and is an honest view of my experience with the product. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn. Email address must be in at least one comment or visible on your profile to win. Good Luck!

Milk Paint Activity!

2012-01-18T13:57:00.000-06:00

Here is a really fun little activity to do with your kids that requires things that you probably already have on hand at home. We had some milk that was past it's expiration date and I thought there had to be something I could do with it that didn't involve consuming it lol. And here it is! Milk paint! Here's what you'll need:

Milk (any kind will do however whole works best)
Dish soap
toothpicks
food coloring
plate or dish with a lip on it

Pour the milk in the dish and then add drops of food coloring to it.

Then dip the toothpick in the dish soap and give it to your kids to dip in the colors. When it comes in contact with the colors the dish soap on the tip of the toothpick causes the food colors to repel creating fun swirls and designs!

We got some really cool designs using different colors.

We did this four times and each time used different color combos. The kids (ages 2 and 3) absolutely loved it and thought it was the coolest thing. I have to admit that I thought it was pretty cool too!

It's also the perfect way to put that old milk to use!

Went shopping this weekend...

2012-01-17T14:25:00.001-06:00

Me and the whole family (hubby and our 3 kids) went to the Twin Cities this weekend for Sesame Street Live at the Target Center which was awesome! The kids had an absolute blast at the show and we really enjoyed watching their eyes light up as they watched the show. Of course since we were in the cities I wanted to go shopping. Have you ever had one of those days though where you go shopping and you know you want to get x, y and z but you just aren't in the mood? Well, I really wasn't in the mood to shop and while my hubby was being extra patient and telling me to go look at stuff I really didn't feel like keeping him waiting while I browsed the racks.

I went into Crazy 8 which I've been wanting to check out for some time now. They were having an awesome sale where everything in the whole store was $11.99 or less! Normally I'd be all over it but after browsing a bit and not finding the sizes I wanted I left the store. Later that night I went on their site and ordered what I wanted from the comfort of a bed haha. Much better!

One thing I found in the process of my online shopping was a patio furniture site which I used to dream about Summer which is still oh so far away! I've ALWAYS wanted to create an awesome outdoor oasis and now that we've moved to the country I plan on doing it. After browsing through all the rattan garden furniture, luxury garden furniture and Wickerline garden furniture I found this set that I LOVE. Tell me, how awesome would it be to have an outdoor sofa like this? Oh I would LOVE it. I could lounge and read my books while the kids played and it would be absolute heaven. I just may need to start and outdoor furniture fund so that by the time Summer arrives I can afford to start creating my dream outdoor oasis!

Do you have an outdoor oasis? What would be your dream outdoor oasis?

What's Your Number? on DVD Now!

2012-01-17T13:57:00.003-06:00

I've been absent from blogging for the past couple of days because I was sick in bed. Not sure if I had a stomach bug or food poisoning but I am recovering now and hopefully will be eating normal food again soon! I'm rather sick of crackers and chicken soup :) While in bed recovering I needed some good movies to watch and lucky for me I had the new flick What's Your Number? on hand to check out. I had seen the previews and wanted to check it out when it was in theaters but I missed it!

Here's the scoop: After reading a magazine article that insists if a woman has slept with at least 20 people that they have already missed Mr. Right, marketing executive Ally Darling (Anna Faris) begins to panic, thinking that she will be alone forever. With the help of her hunky new neighbor (Chris Evans), Ally starts tracking down all her ex-boyfriends, hoping to find her real true love while she helps him escape his latest fling. Hilarious hijinks and adventure ensues as Ally goes on her wild search for the best “ex” of her life, only to find what she is looking has been right in front of her all along.

Featuring hysterical supporting performances from Chris Pratt (Moneyball, “Parks and Recreation”), Joel McHale (“The Soup,” “Community”) and Andy Samberg (“Saturday Night Live,” Hot Rod), WHAT’S YOUR NUMBER? is based on the book “20 times a Lady” by Karen Bosnak and will be available as a Blu-ray combo pack and single disc DVD. Flaunting an unrated extended cut of the film and loaded with laugh-out-loud bonus material including new expanded flashback dates and gag reel, the Blu-ray combo pack and single disc DVD will be available for an average retail price of $29.99 and $19.99 respectively.

This is a great flick to watch while sick in bed or for my all time favorite, date night in :) You can pick it up wherever DVDs are sold! It's available now!

*I was provided product for review purposes onlyand was not compensated for this review.

Sunday Sweeps! 1/15/12 Edition!

2012-01-14T20:00:00.000-06:00

What Do You Want For Valentine's Day?

2012-01-14T10:00:00.000-06:00

Valentine's Day is just a month away now and I'm hoping that I'll get to spend some romantic time with my hubby. With three kids it seems that we don't get too much of that and we squeeze it in when we can. With Valentine's Day just a month away that means it is time to start ~~dropping hints~~ browsing the Valentine's Day gift selections. I used to tell my husband not to spend his money on flowers and that I didn't need them but as time goes on I really love a nice boquet on my table. I love the smell of fresh flowers and with Winter in full swing flowers really bring a little sunshine to my table. Now he doesn't need to go all out and buy this gorgeous bouquet pictured above (although I LOVE it!).

But a nice, simple boquet like this would do. One with my favorite flowers in it, the gerbera daisy. Those were our wedding flowers :) LOVE them! It would be even better if a surprise flowers delivery showed up at my door. I love a nice surprise and the last time I got flowers delivered to my door was when I had a baby and my church sent them. Flowers by post, what a great idea! Every woman loves a nice surprise at her doorstep like that ;)

My husband's sister is going to school right now to become a florist so with his access to talented florists there should be no reason not to get me flowers for Valentine's Day right?

Although if my hubby knows me well he will also get me my favorite chocolate treats too :) He always does great at surprising me with them just when I least expect it. I love it! My perfect pampering night includes a long hot bath, great reading material and chocolate! I haven't had a nigth like that in a long time and that would be a great gift. Hint hint honey :)

So what do you want for Valentine's Day this year?

No Name Steaks, Seafood & Chicken Review AND Giveaway!!

2012-01-13T15:25:00.000-06:00

Living in Minnesota it is no wonder I've been hearing people brag about No Name Steaks for quite some time now. No Name is a Minnesota based company and they are know for quality dinners for all sorts of tastes. No matter what you're in the mood for, you know it will be delicious, they guarantee it. While I've heard people singing their praises for quite awhile now I had never tasted them myself.

As a busy mom of 3 kids it is always a challenge to get dinner on the table and when No Name contacted me to let me know about their reputation for bringing delicious meals from freezer to plate in less than 30 minutes I couldn't pass up the opportunity to try them out.

I picked up their Tilapia Fillets, Parmesan crusted chicken breasts and hand cut steaks to try out.

The tilapia fillets came individually packaged (one fillet per package) and pre-seasoned and marinated which meant all I had to do was cook them.

Preparation was quick and easy. My family generally goes for breaded fish when given the choice but the absence of breading meant it was a healthier option for our dinner.

The Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breasts were a big winner at dinner and everyone loved them including the kids. I should have paid a little more attention to the box though because one box contains 2 chicken breasts and I assumed it had more in it. Good thing I cooked up the chicken and fish on the same night :) We had more than enough food with the two boxes combined. I was really surprised at how much fish was in the Tilapia box. Once again the chicken breasts were individually packaged and frozen. Preparation was also quick and easy. All I had to do was put them in the oven and bake them!

I was most excited to try out the No Name Butcher Quality Steaks. I had high expectations for them after all the good things I had heard about them. I picked up a box which contained 4 steaks also individually wrapped and frozen.

The steaks were great! We were really impressed with how tender they were. You could cut them with a butter knife! The kids loved them too and since they were so tender and not at all tough or chewy they were easy for the kids to chew up and eat.

All in all I really loved the convenience that No Name products have to offer. You are still getting a great meal but without all the prep work. I love that they come pre-seasoned and marinated and ready to cook. The individual packaging means you can cook as much or as little as you like without having to waste any. These are a great product to have on hand in your freezer for those nights that you don't know what to make for dinner.

Buy It! No Name Steaks, Seafood, Chicken & Meats are available in your grocer's freezer. They have a wide variety of products to choose from!

Win! One reader will win a No Name Steaks Giveaway Package that includes No Name Steaks & Chicken and a coupon for $5 off any product! A $40 Value!

Here is how to enter to win:

Tell me if you've ever tried No Name products before and which you'd like to try.
*Remember to include your email address in your comment if it is not visible on your profile or you will be disqualified.

Subscribe to Minnesota Mama's Must Haves by Email (not feed)-remember to activate your subscription! Current subscribers count too. (1 entry)
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Open to US only. Giveaway ends February 1st at 11:59pm. Winner will be drawn by random.org and announced on this blog as well as emailed. Products reviewed were provided to me free of charge. No compensation was given in exchange for this review. My opinion is my own and is an honest view of my experience with the product. Prize will be awarded in the form of free product coupons. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn. Email address must be in at least one comment or visible on your profile to win. Good Luck!

Baby Name Trends

2012-01-13T10:30:00.000-06:00

Naming a baby is hard work. It is not an easy task that's for sure. It's something your child will have for the rest of their life. It could potentially lead to teasing if you aren't careful and it is who they will be forever! With our first two kids we had a fairly easy time choosing names. Danika was a name we both loved and instantly agreed on. Aiden was a name we had loved for a boy long before it became so popular. When we found out we were having a boy we debated and looked for another name to choose instead because Aiden was SO popular but at the end of the day we still really loved it and couldn't come up with a name that we liked more than Aiden so we stuck with it. Our third child was a challenge. I feel like boys names are so much harder than girls names. We already had a girls name picked out and then we found out it was a boy! My husband actually read the name Carson in the newspaper and I wasn't sure about it at first but after much name browsing it grew on me and of course now I really like it and our baby is totally fitting his name.

I thought I'd take a look back at the baby names 2011 gave us and which were the most popular. It turns out Aiden was #53 on the list and Danika and Carson didn't make the top 100 (yay!). We like names that are not so popular so yay for that :) Sorry Aiden we just loved your name :) Sarah made the list at #95 which I was a little surprised about. It seems that it is an older name that was more popular in my generation. There were many Sarah's and Sara's growing up in my day. My husband's name, David, was #61 which I was also surprised about. Maybe traditional, biblical names are making a comeback?

If you are struggling to find the perfect name for your little bundle then I can sympathize with your efforts. Carson was a struggle for us :) Remember to try out the name with your last name. Make sure it isn't too much of a mouthful and for heaven's sake make sure it doesn't ryhme. My whole name before I got married and got to change it rhymed and that is ridiculous! Also remember to check what the first, middle and last initials are. You don't want it to be spelling some silly word or have your kids friends calling them B.O., HOE, or any other combination.

What are your favorite baby names or aren't you willling to divulge them to us?? What do you think the trends will be in 2012?

Aloha Friday! Favorite Hot Beverage?

2012-01-13T08:14:00.001-06:00

What is your favorite hot beverage?

My Answer.) I love a great cup of hot cocoa with whip cream on top. It's my favorite. I make some really good homemade hot cocoa. Maybe I'll share it with you sometime :)

Your turn!

If I Could Do It All Over Again...

2012-01-12T23:44:00.003-06:00

Have you ever thought of what you would do differently if you could do your wedding day all over again? I've been married for six years now to the man of my dreams and I look back to our wedding day and how young I was! We got engaged when I was 20 and married when I was 21. We were only engaged for 5 months and had only been dating a total of 11 months by the time we got married. That meant that I had 5 short months to plan my wedding. I loved my wedding and it was truly a very happy and wonderful day. Of course I wouldn't change a thing about choosing to marry my husband but I might change a few things about my wedding day if I could go back and do it all over again.

I never thought I would have a Fall wedding, I had always pictured a Summer wedding but since we got engaged in May and didn't want to wait a whole year to get married we ended up choosing October. I wouldn't change a thing about the timing of our wedding. I loved our Fall wedding. The guys weren't sweating it out in their tuxes and the Fall colors were rich and gorgeous! Our colors were brown and a beautiful salmon/pink color, perfect for Fall. I honestly don't remember what our invitations looked like and I'll have to go back through my things and see if I can find one. I'm hoping I saved one! If I did it all over again I'd do these beautiful modern wedding invitations. They are simple yet beautiful and I love the rich brown color.

One thing I would change about my wedding if given the chance is the bridesmaid dresses! I would choose more elegant, simple, modern dresses. Not to say mine were awful but they weren't the best lol. I like this bridesmaid dress that I'm wearing above from when I was in a friend's wedding. She did a great job choosing dresses! The shoes were a different story lol. They looked great but killed all of our feet! Look at my horrible posture though! Ugh. I would change that too as many of my own wedding photos include my bad posture. Ummm why didn't the photographer tell me to stand up straight?? Isn't that kind of his job when doing photos on that very important day?

Well the photographer is a whole other story. Get this. I was so mad about this one. When we took the cutting the cake photos my hubby and I posed holding the knife waiting for him to do the photos. He took the photos and then walked over to us and grabbed the knife and cut our cake! We didn't even get to cut it. Boy was I mad about that one. Still am a little bit...

The main thing that I would love to do over if given the chance is just to stop and take it all in. The day flew by SO fast and after all of my planning it was over in the blink of an eye. That is my advice to all brides to be. Just stop and enjoy your day. It is one day and it's over before you know it. Take it all in and remember all the little moments that add up to one very special day.

What would you change about your wedding day if given the chance?

Stomp out the Stomach Flu With Grape Juice!

2012-01-12T10:10:00.000-06:00

Okay this is going to sound a little "out there" but I've tried it and believe me this works! On Monday my hubby came down with the stomach flu. He was puking and felt awful. I think he had norovirus which is a highly contagious stomach flu. Norovirus has been going around and sure enough a guy he works with had it right before him. Well of course he had eaten off my plate that day and I was so worried that me and the kids would all get it too. A friend of mine told me to start drinking grape juice to prevent me from getting sick. Me and the kids all started drinking grape juice and here we are 3 days later healthy and well!

It turns out there is some science behind this grape juice thing and I did a little research. In order to prevent yourself from getting the stomach flu after you know you have been exposed (taking care of a sick person, being around someone that was sick, etc) you need to start drinking 100% grape juice, no sugar added, right away BEFORE any symptoms appear. If you are having symptoms then it is too late and DO NOT drink the grape juice or you will be puking purple and it won't be pretty!

Drink the grape juice three times a day for a few days after being exposed. I have been drinking a water glass full three times a day and filling the kids sippy cups full three times a day. Yes, this is a lot of sugar but I'd rather consume/give my kids sugar than have them get the stomach flu. The grape juice works by changing the pH in your intestinal tract to one that doesn't let the virus multiply. It also harbors various strong anti-viral chemicals in it. Along with the Vitamin C and anti-oxidants in the juice, it's supposed to flush and kill the virus and/or severely lesson the symptoms. When you get a stomach virus, it actually isn't in your stomach, it's all in your large and small intestines. The effects of what it's doing to those makes you sick to your stomach (changing the acidity in your stomach). Keeping the pH of the intestines slightly more alkaline is supposed to stop the virus from taking hold.

So there is the science behind it and I'm the living experiment :) Me and my three kids are all healthy and have survived having the stomach flu go through our house! I love that grape juice tastes great and is something my kids will willingly drink. So next time you are around someone with the stomach flu start drinking grape juice!

Has anyone else heard of this or tried it?

Diono RadianRXT Car Seat Review AND Giveaway!!

2012-01-11T15:04:00.000-06:00

We all want our children to be safe. One great New Year's resolution to have this year is to make your entire environment safer which is why throughout the month of January I will be focusing on specific products to make you and your family safer throughout the year.

One of my picks in travel safety this year is the new Diono RadianRXT Car Seat. Touted as one of the safest car seats on the market the RadianRXT is quite impressive. Not only is it impressively safe, but with their new colors and fabrics it is also uniquely stylish.

With 3 kids age 3 and under we require 3 car seats in each of our vehicles. With Carson's infant seat in the middle that doesn't leave a whole lot of room on each side for Danika and Aiden, especially in my husband's truck. The Diono RadianRXT fits like a dream. Not sold on how compact it is? Check out this next photo!

That's pretty amazing if I do say so myself! Check out how nicely you can fit 3 car seats wide in a minivan! That my friends is awesome :)

Aiden was a big fan of his new car seat and I was a big fan of the new Cobalt blue color! Isn't that a beautiful, stunning blue? I love it! I love that the seat sits low to the seat so it is easy to get your child in and out of it. The chest buckle is thick and easy to operate even for big hands like Dads.

The RadianRXT's list of features is both lengthy and impressive but don't take my word for it. Check them out yourself:

Rear-facing: 5 - 45 lbs

Forward-facing: 20 - 80 lbs (and up to 57") in a 5-point harness

Booster to 120 lbs

Steel alloy frame and aluminum reinforced sides

Safestop® energy-absorbing harness system

Adjustable head support, reinforced for complete side impact safety

Energy-absorbing EPS foam panels on all sides

Rear-facing tether capability

LATCH installation up to 80 lb child

Infant body support cushions

Memory foam padding for superior comfort

5 shoulder and 3 buckle positions for custom fit

Expandable sides and longer seat bottom for leg support and comfort

12 height positions for adjustable head support

2 recline positions in forward-facing mode

Sits low on vehicle seat for easy child boarding

Fits 3 across in a mid-size vehicle and offers more shoulder space

Add up to 4 cup holders (1 included)

Folds flat for travel and storage

Rubber bottom grips for no-slip installation

10 year life

With the AAP's new guidelines recommending children remain rear facing to the age of 2 the RadianRXT offers the highest rear-facing capacity in the industry: 45 lbs! With a range of rear-facing children from 5-45 lbs, forward-facing children from 20-80 lbs (in 5-point harness), it then converts to a booster for children up to 120 lbs, this could be the only seat your child ever needs!

The SuperLATCH system makes installation easy and it's the only car seat rated for LATCH use with a child up to 80 lbs. Expandable sides and a longer seat bottom provide extra room and comfort for your growing child. One cup holder is included, with the option to add up to 4 cup holders! That means your child can have their drink, snack, toys, crayons and more right at their fingertips. In addition to all this versatility, it folds flat for travel and storage, has a 10 year life and offers amazing safety, comfort and convenience your child won’t outgrow.

Why we love it: With the range of safety features, grow with me versatility and ease of use the RadianRXT gets 2 thumbs up from us! I love the addition of bold colors and fabrics too. The Cobalt fabric is wipeable and totally easy to clean. The SuperLATCH system makes installation a breeze too. And how could we forget that you can fit these 3 across in your vehicle? Simply amazing!

Suggestions for improvement: With the ability to add up to 4 cup holders to this seat I'd love to see it come with more than 1! I'd also love to see the RadianRXT more readily available at major retailers in store, however I should note that it is widely available online.

Buy It! You can buy the RadianRXT online at major retailers such as Amazon and Sears. It retails for $339 but you can find it discounted at many online retailers!

Win! One reader will win a Diono RadianRXT Car Seat valued at $339 in your choice color!!!

Here is how to enter to win:

Tell me your favorite feature of this seat AND which color you would pick if you won.
*Remember to include your email address in your comment if it is not visible on your profile or you will be disqualified.

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Leave a relevant comment on any non-giveaway post (review only posts are great). One entry per comment left.

Open to US only. Giveaway ends February 1st at 11:59pm. Winner will be drawn by random.org and announced on this blog as well as emailed. Products reviewed were provided to me free of charge. No compensation was given in exchange for this review. My opinion is my own and is an honest view of my experience with the product. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn. Choice color depends on available stock. Email address must be in at least one comment or visible on your profile to win. Good Luck!

Entenmann's Big Baking Party! Entenmann's Big Book of Baking Review AND Cookbook Giveaway!

2012-01-11T11:20:00.000-06:00

Have you ever tried any of Entenmann's awesome products? We love their donuts! They are so soft and moist and delicious. Best of all they are peanut free so my little Aiden with his peanut allergy can have them too! Entenmann's just came out with their new Big Book of Baking cookbook and to celebrate I threw a Big Baking Party using recipes from the new cookbook.

The first 89 pages of the book cover "Almost Homemade" recipes using actual Entenmann's products. I decided to focus on making these recipes and let me tell you they were easy AND delicious!

The first recipe we made at the party was the Cookie Brownies. They were really easy and quick to make and they went like hot cakes. You make them using a package of Entenmann's Chocolate Chip cookies and a brownie mix (among other ingredients). They were gone by the end of the day. I made them in the Entenmann's bakeware 9 x 13 pan and they turned out perfectly. Then you just slice, frost and serve!

To make the next two recipes, Cookie Truffles and S'more Party Cups you need Entenmann's Little Bites Brownies and one package of Entenmann's Chocolate Chip Cookies. The Cookie Truffles pictured above were really easy to make and are made using Entenmann's Chocolate Chip cookies. They were also a quick recipe although a little more putsy because you need to roll the balls and dip them in chocolate. This cold weather has been great for sticking things outside to harden up quick! The Cookie Truffles were also a big hit and everyone loved them.

The S'more Party Cups were my favorite. They were awesome! Sooo delicious! If you choose just one recipe this is it :) Impressive and fairly easy to do. To form the chocolate cups you need foil cupcake liners. You spread the chocolate in the cupcake liners and freeze until solid. I made the mistake of not spreading my chocolate all the way up the sides but they still turned out fine. Once hard you remove the foil and have a pretty chocolate cup! Then you fill it using Entenmann's Little Bites Brownies, marshmallow creme, and chocolate covered graham crackers. Of course they taste juts like a S'more, no fire needed :) These rock!

All of the Almost Homemade recipes that we made were really good. There weren't any that we didn't like! They were quick and easy too. The cookbook includes more difficult recipes as well like donuts. I've never made homemade donuts but one day I will try with this recipe! I really liked the Entenmann's bakeware too. It cooked evenly and I liked the silicone handles.

Buy It! You can buy the Entenmann's Big Book of Baking at retailers near you and online at sites such as Amazon. It sells for just $14.99 ($10.19 on Amazon) and includes 320 pages of recipes, each with their own photo. Having a photo of the recipe is huge for me as I usually won't make a new recipe if I can't see a picture of it. It's hardcover and full color too!

Win! One reader will win the Entenmann's Big Book of Baking!

Here is how to enter to win:

Tell me your favorite Entenmann's product or if you haven't tried them then tell me your favorite recipe I mentioned here.
*Remember to include your email address in your comment if it is not visible on your profile or you will be disqualified.

Subscribe to Minnesota Mama's Must Haves by Email (not feed)-remember to activate your subscription! Current subscribers count too. (1 entry)
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Win Entenmann's Big Book of Baking Cookbook from @Entenmann's and @Minnesota Mama's Must Haves! Ends 1/30 http://tinyurl.com/7qgenqk
Leave a relevant comment on any non-giveaway post (review only posts are great). One entry per comment left.

Open to US only. Giveaway ends January 30th at 11:59pm. Winner will be drawn by random.org and announced on this blog as well as emailed. Products reviewed were provided to me free of charge. No compensation was given in exchange for this review. My opinion is my own and is an honest view of my experience with the product. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn. Email address must be in at least one comment or visible on your profile to win. Good Luck!

Wordless Wednesday! The Girls

2012-01-11T09:35:00.002-06:00

Me and my sisters and Mom! From left to right: my younger sister, my older sister, my Mom and Me!

Johnson & Johnson Healthy Essentials savings pack & FEEDING AMERICA Partnership!

2012-01-10T18:44:00.000-06:00

The Johnson & Johnson name is one that most of us know and trust. They have a wide variety of products in their family of brand names and many that we use often around our house. We were sent a variety of products to try out in anticipation for the Johnson & Johnson savings pack released in this past Sunday's paper. If you were not lucky enough to receive one of these coupon savings packs with over $190 in savings then you can head over to www.healthyessentials.com to get your money saving coupons. I am big on coupons here and we use them just about every time we go to the store. I'm amazed at how much you can save simply by using coupons!

With many of us still reeling in our spending after the holidays it's a great idea to save on your everyday essentials and keep some money in your pocketbook! Plus each “Healthy Essentials” coupon redeemed between January 8th and January 15th will result in one meal donated by Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies to FEEDING AMERICA™ (up to 1 million meals)! As if saving money wasn't reason enough to use coupons this week now you have one more reason!

Check out these awesome Band-Aids! A glamorous way tocover up and protect cuts and scrapes for better, more fashionable healing!With 7 different designs to choose from, you won’t have to fear clashing withthat perfect outfit. ($2.75/20 assorted bandages, available at Target storesnationwide) These are absolutely the coolest Band-Aids for mom that I've ever seen! No more boring flesh colored Band-Aids or stealing your kids' character Band-Aids!

Winter time is SO hard on my hands so I was thrilled to get the Neutrogena hand cream. This glycerin rich formula heals seriously dryand chapped hands for effective relief that lasts up to 17 hours ($3.99/2 oz.tube, available at national food, drug and mass merchandisers). This was just what my dry, cracked hands needed!

I'm a big fan of Aveeno products too and the daily moisturizing lotion is no exception. It's just what the Doctor ordered for my dry skin! It moisturizes for 24 hours so I only have to apply it once a day after my shower (because I certainly don't have time to do it more often than that!).

So get your coupons out this week and save some money while supporting Feeding America!

While you are at Target redeeming your coupons be sure to check out the clearance deals they have going on right now. I got TONS of clothes for the kids at 70% off! There are lots of great deals to be had! If you aren't headed to your local store soon then checkout their online clearance. You can also get Target coupon codes to help you save online!

What is your favorite money saving tip?

*I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies and received products to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Clean for Keeps! How to Get Your House Clean and Keep it That Way!

2012-01-09T14:55:00.000-06:00

Okay so we might not all be so lucky to live in an amazing house like this one, but we can all be lucky enough to live in an amazingly clean one. It's January and with the New Year come new resolutions that we all make. One of my resolutions this year is to KEEP my house clean. With three kids age 3 and under it can definitely be a challenge to keep a clean house, but I know that when my house is clean my head is organized and at peace too. I don't function well in a messy environment. I think most of us can agree that with an orderly house comes a certain peace of mind. With that in mind I am starting a new series called Clean for Keeps! I'll walk you through getting your house clean and give you solutions to keep it that way, even with little ones running around. Real advice from a real mom living in a sometimes messy house :)

The first step to achieving a house that can stay clean is getting it clean in the first place. The first sweep through your house will be the most time consuming and challenging. Get through it and it will get easier! There are two basic methods to clean your house that I find work well. Which one you choose will depend on your own personality and style.

Method One:

Start at one end and work your way to the other. I find that often times when cleaning the house I get a little attention deficit disorder. I start in one room and pretty soon I find myself in another room doing something totally different and starting a whole new project. If you are like me in that way then I suggest starting at one end of your house and working your way to the other until you are done. This will require a good chunk of time and if you have little kids I suggest recruiting a friend or family member to watch the kids while you clean. Then start in one room and work your way through the house doing all of the cleaning. This includes going through those dreaded stacks of paper and tossing what you don't need and filing what you do need. In a world that is becoming increasingly digital you don't need to hang on to nearly as many paper documents as you used to. If you can find your bank statements, cell phone bills, immunization records, etc online then consider shredding your paper copies and saving yourself the chore of filing something you will probably never look at again.

Clean as you go. Get a caddy and fill it with the necessities; paper towels, rags, cleaning solutions, garbage bags, etc. Anything that will help you to stay in the room you are cleaning without having to run and get something every few minutes will save you a ton of time.

If you haven't used it in a year then donate or trash it. Trust me, if you haven't used an item in the past 365 days then you probably never will. Donate it to charity or toss it! The less clutter you have the easier it is to keep your house clean.

Save the closets for later. Tidy up your closets but save going through them for another day. This is a whole day's project in itself and you don't want to burn out before you are done cleaning.

I find that for my first "big clean", method one works best for me. I spent a good six hours cleaning our house but when I was done it was awesome!

Method Two:

If you find that you can focus on one activity and go room to room without being distracted then method two is for you. Pick a task and do that one task in every room of your house. Start out with putting things back where they belong. Grab a few laundry baskets and go through the house tossing items that don't belong in each room you enter into the sorted laundry baskets to be returned to the rooms they belong in. Have on basket for bedrooms, laundry room, office, kitchen, etc. Once you've returned all items to their rightful places then move on to cleaning. Clean the glass in every room, then dust every room, then change all sheets, vacuum, etc. You get the idea. By doing one task at a time you eliminate the need to rotate through each task in every room and thus speed up the cleaning process.

Motivate yourself to get the first big clean done and you will thank yourself for it later! Stay tuned for my next post in the series Clean for Keeps which will detail tips for keeping your house clean after you've done the big clean!

75% Off Photo Uploads At Gallery Direct Ends Tonight!

2012-01-09T14:24:00.002-06:00

Gallery Direct, my favorite online art site, is having an amazing sale through midnight tonight (1/9/12). They are offering up 75% off photo uploads, 33% off everything else AND free shipping!

I uploaded this adorable picture of Carson that was taken at Christmas and ordered an 18" x 12" gallery wrap canvas portrait for just $39! That is 75% off the regular price of $154! I have been nothing but impressed with the artwork I've received from Gallery Direct in the past and I just had to try out their custom photo canvas. Head over to their site and read what others have to say about it. They rave about the great quality in the reviews. I'll let you know when mine arrives!

To take advantage of this awesome offer just head over to Gallery Direct, upload your favorite photo and choose your options. You can choose different mediums, frame or gallery wrap and several different sizes. This is an amazing deal especially when you consider it also includes free shipping! Hurry though as this offer ends at midnight tonight!

*Although I am a Gallery Direct ambassador I was not paid for this post, nor was I asked to post this. I paid for the product myself and was not compensated in any way for this post. I just really like them :)

Sunday Sweeps! 1/8/11 Edition!

2012-01-07T20:00:00.000-06:00

Best and Worst of 2011! My favorite products and the ones that got tossed aside!

2012-01-06T14:03:00.000-06:00

Last year I ended the year with an entire list of my "must have" products. This year I thought I would mix it up a little and pick out some of the best and worst products that we've reviewed. It's one thing to own a product for a couple weeks or a month and then report on it but to really put it to the test day in and day out and see who soars and who flops is a whole other thing. What stood the test of time this year and what would I toss aside given the choice? Here it is! The good, the bad and the best :)

We LOVE the Safety 1st Complete Air Car Seats. Both Danika and Aiden use the convertible seats and Carson has the infant seat with the travel system stroller. They work great and are highly rated when it comes to safety. Very user friendly and they've stood up to all we've put them through!

If Carson (who is 4 mos old) could pick his favorite product right now I'm pretty sure he would pick his Boppy Flying Circus Gym which he spends time playing with every day! It makes floor time easy even with a 2 and 3 year old running around because he is under the gym so they don't trip over him.

We love our Calphalon XL Digital Deep Fryer. My husband can make his famous wings recipe and fit an entire bag of chicken wings in it! It works great and we've gotten so many comments on how big it is! Everyone we know wants one now.

We use cloth diapers and although I've probably tested out a hundred different kinds by now, our favorites are by far Softbums! They are husband approved (they are the only ones my hubby will use) and easy to use. Best of all they are trim fitting and fit NB and up (one size diapers).

aden + anais is my baby brand of choice. I have a bit of an addiction to their cotton muslin material which gets softer and softer every time you wash it. We have a TON of aden + anais products and I've never met one I didn't like!

The Quicksmart Scramble Bug is a much loved (and fought over) toy around here. I love that despite the fact that it is Winter my kids can still have an indoor ride on toy to play with. It's awesome and we love it. It even folds flat so you can store it easily!

I'm loving my artwork from Gallery Direct. After moving to a new house in July with bare walls, it has really made our house a home. We get compliments on it ALL the time! Plus they have amazing sales! hint-sign up for their email list and get some great coupon codes!

And the worst....

I was really excited to be getting a garage heater for my husband but I have to say that the only thing this one is really going to heat is maybe a one stall garage or shed. It's tiny! I was expecting so much more. My hubby was disappointed with how little it was. Granted I will say our garage was bigger than the 400 sq foot recommendation. If we flood a skating rink in our yard next year we can put up a little shack and heat it with this ;)

I had very high hopes for my Oreck Edge and while it works great on the carpet it fails on the hard floors. It spits all the dirt and sand out the back when vacuuming hard floors. I never had an issue with it until we moved in July to our new home which has way more hard flooring than our old house did. Then my hubby was using it to vacuum after I had my c-section and stepped on the head to lower it. Apparently he stepped a little too hard and it totally broke! He was able to repair the motor (thankfully he is handy like that) but it has never run the same since and I can't even gently push on the head to lower it now. My husband said the design of the motor and placement of it was poor which makes this product not last too long. Sorry Oreck, I really wanted to love this one but for $600 I expect so much more!

The Keekaroo high chair was something I drooled over for awhile. I really tried to love it but as a high chair it flunks. The wooden tray has no lip on the inside edge so your child ends up wearing everything they are eating. After visiting their website I see they now offer an attachable plastic tray to clip on the wood tray which has an edge all the way around. This would definitely seem to solve the problem but I've never tried it so I can't say from personal experience. As a kids chair (minus the high chair tray) we love it but I was never able to use it as a high chair without my baby ending up needing a new outfit afterwards.

The Literati eReader was hard to use and setup, slow to respond and they have now gone out of business because of it's myriad of issues. Need I say more?

There it is folks! The good, the bad and the best! Now I can't wait to see what 2012 has in store!

Did you have a favorite product or one that you hated this year? Share with us!

Aloha Friday! New Year's Resolutions

2012-01-06T10:02:00.001-06:00

Did you make any New Year's resolutions this year? What are they?!

My answer: Yes! I usually don't make them but this year I did. I have a whole post on it here. My resolutions include keeping my house clean despite having 3 kids under 3, I'd like to learn how to sew and crochet, make time for ME, entertain people at our house more often & get better at menu planning our meals each week. Whew!

Your turn!

Pumping and Storing Breastmilk: How to Stockpile A Good Supply!

2012-01-05T14:39:00.000-06:00

There are plenty of great reasons to stockpile your breast milk and perhaps the easiest time to do it is right after your baby is born. This is when your milk is first coming in and your supply is going to be based on demand. Since you are still recovering from delivering your baby you will have the most "down" time on your hands now as well to sit and pump your milk after feeding.

So we all realize why a mother returning to work would want to have a good stockpile of milk on hand but why would a stay at home mom need to have a stockpile of liquid gold in her freezer? Well, I'm so glad you asked :) Being a stay at home mom myself I can give you a run down on the reasons that I make it a priority to have breastmilk stockpiled in my freezer. First of all, when you are finally ready to leave your baby with a sitter to *gasp* run errands or *gasp* have some time to rest, you will want to have milk to leave with them. If you don't have milk stored up in the freezer then you will need to either plan when you are leaving your baby and start pumping ahead of time (which takes a lot of preparation) or give them formula while they are with the sitter. Now formula is not awful but I certainly prefer that my babies drink breastmilk and when Aiden was a baby giving him formula was not even an option as his body couldn't tolerate it. Another great reason to have a stockpile is because you may need milk to mix medications in and bottle feed it to them, to mix with liquid vitamins and feed, to mix with rice cereal once they start solids, to allow Daddy to pick up a feeding by bottling the breastmilk, or if you should loose your milk supply to have some on hand before switching to formula. There are a whole bunch of reasons that it is a good idea to have milk in your freezer.

Now how do you get a wonderful stockpile of breastmilk in your freezer? Great question. If you just had your baby then I suggest you start pumping as soon as your milk has come in. When I delivered Carson I found that when my milk came in I was quite engorged and needed to pump some milk off in order to be comfortable. I started pumping small amounts and then added a morning pumping session to my routine every day. I pumped once each morning AFTER the baby had his am feeding. Be sure you feed your baby first and pump immediately after. By simply adding a single pumping session of 10 minutes to my daily routine I soon had a huge stockpile of milk in my chest freezer. It really doesn't take that much extra time and it is GREAT to have all the milk saved up in the freezer. Once you decide that you have enough milk and no longer wish to pump you can simply decrease your pumping sessions until you quit completely. Your body adjusts to supply and demand. Once your body realizes that you no longer require that much milk, it will decrease the amount made to only what your baby is consuming. You may be uncomfortable for a couple of days and can relieve it by simply pumping off very small amounts until your body has completely adjusted itself.

As you can see it really is quite easy to get a nice stockpile of this liquid gold in your freezer. For the longest life store your milk in a chest freezer as it keeps for up to 12 months. Reference the chart below for all of the different storage recommendations:

Storage Time for Human Milk*	Deep Freeze (0°F/ -18°C)	Refrigerator Freezer (variable 0°F/-18°C)	Refrigerator (39°F/4°C)	Cooler with Ice Packs Frozen (59°F/15°C)	Room Temperature
Storage Time for Human Milk*	Deep Freeze (0°F/ -18°C)	Refrigerator Freezer (variable 0°F/-18°C)	Refrigerator (39°F/4°C)	Cooler with Ice Packs Frozen (59°F/15°C)	(66°F-72°F) (19°C-22°C)	(72°F-79°F) (22°C-26°C)
Fresh	Up to 12 Months	3-4 Months	8 Days	24 Hours	6-10 Hours	4 Hours
Frozen, Thawed in Fridge	Do Not Refreeze	Do Not Refreeze	24 Hours	Do Not Store	4 Hours	4 Hours
Thawed, Warmed, Not Fed	Do Not Refreeze	Do Not Refreeze	4 Hours	Do Not Store	Until Feeding Ends	Until Feeding Ends
Warmed, Fed	Discard	Discard	Discard	Discard	Until Feeding Ends	Until Feeding Ends

If you are looking for the easiest way to pump then you should invest in a double electric breast pump as they provide very effective and quick pumping. Be sure to date your milk and note the volume on each bag before freezing. I've found it most helpful to lay my milk flat in the freezer to freeze so that they stack nicely rather than being awkward sizes.

What has your experience been with pumping? Do you have any questions for me?

About a bazillion winners to announce!

2012-01-04T23:04:00.001-06:00

Okay so I kind of suck lately. With all of the crazy busy holiday stuff going on I put off drawing winners and I AM SORRY! So now without further ado here is the ginormous list of winners!

Sesame Street Live Tickets - Chelsea
$100 Amazon Gift Card - Cat Davis
Teflon Windshield Wiper Blades! - amanda
Crate & Barrel Baking Dish & More! - Jan
$25 Sam's Club Gift Card & Chex Cereal Bundle - Mari
Dance with me Baby RV $40! - Chelsea
Toddler bundle of products worth $100+ from Prince Lionheart - France Irish
Over Under Board Game - Karenmed409
Exederm Baby Intensive Moisturizer - Leonard Family
QuickSmart 3 in 1 Travel Bassinet - bukaeyes
Hallmark Jingle Husky Pup, Book & Ornament - Amateur Mommy
Isotoner smarTouch gloves - wildcat32
$50 Gift Card to Novica - GoldenOrchard
Topsy's Popcorn Tin with 3 Flavors! - Emily Reviews
Choice item (nursing bra, cami, etc) from Leading Lady! - thight
HABA Fire Brigade & Beetle Rattling Toy - Nina H
Green Toys Flatbed Truck & Race Car AND Indoor Gardening Kit! - Janet W
$50 Visa Gift Card - Joanna
Deluxe Party Pack from Birthday Express! - jakiesmom

Congrats to all!!!

Start Off The New Year Feeling Healthy & Well! Centrum Review!

2012-01-04T09:43:00.000-06:00

One New Year's resolution that so many people have is weight loss or a goal centered around wellness. I know that as the Mother of 3 kids age 3 and under I have great goals to always eat healthy but I often fall short as my day gets busy and before I know it meal time has passed and I eat something convenient rather than something healthy. With Centrum's new line of Pro Nutrients you can start out the New Year on the right foot and fill in those gaps when your diet is less than the picture of healthy that you would like it to be.

ProNutrients is a new line of dietary supplements launched by the makers of Centrum multivitamins, and is formulated to naturally work with a multivitamin. The line includes Omega-3, Probiotic, and Fruit & Veggie—three supplements that support health and well-being. Each supplement is backed by the nutritional expertise of Centrum, identifying the right ingredients to take consumers’ nutrition to the next level.

New ProNutrients Omega-3 provides two of the most scientifically studied Omega-3s (according to Eicosapentaenoic Acid/EPA and Docosahexaenoic Acid/DHA standards) in an ultra-concentrated MiniGel. Since the MiniGels are smaller than the sizes of most brands’ softgels, they are easy to swallow. They help support heart health, brain structure and eye structure.* The retail value of the 50-unit package is $12.99, and the 100-unit package is $19.99.

ProNutrients Fruit & Veggie each MiniTab of new harnesses the power equal to a serving of a blend of fruits and vegetables. It is 100 percent naturally sourced from grapes, blueberries, raspberries, plums, carrots and tomatoes. Each MiniTab helps support cell protection and general health.* The retail value for the 50-unit package is $11.99, and the 100-unit package is $19.99.

New ProNutrients Probiotic is a unique blended powder containing two of the most scientifically studied probiotics. The individually wrapped packets are designed to ensure the bacteria arrive active and ready to work in the digestive tract. ProNutrients Probiotic helps support immune health and digestive balance.* The retail value for the 14-unit package is $18.99, and the 28-unit package is $29.99.

Centrum Specialist multivitamins with specific benefits includes Prenatal, Vision, Energy and Heart. I was able to try out the Prenatal vitamins and I really like that they include both a prenatal vitamin and a DHA supplement. They are not stinky as some prenatal vitamins are and I really like them.

Centrum is part of a new website called NutritionPossible.com that offers trusted information from health sources, nutrition experts AND guided information through a unique self-assessment tool – for free!

You can head over to Centrum's Facebook page to score a high value coupon for $5 off!!

Win! One reader will win a ProNutrients product of your choice!

This giveaway has ended.Congrats to the winner:

karenmed409

Open to US only. Giveaway ends January 11th at 11:59pm. Winner will be drawn by random.org and announced on this blog as well as emailed. I am participating in a Centrum ProNutrients campaign hosted by One2One Network. I received nutritional product and compensation. While all opinions stated are my own, I make no claims about Centrum ProNutrients as a product or it's effectiveness. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn. Email address must be in at least one comment or visible on your profile to win. Giveaway rules. Good Luck!

Drooling a little...

2012-01-04T09:22:00.001-06:00

Babies are fun and so is baby gear. What can I say, I really like cool baby products. I just came across this really neat looking Zen stroller from Bloom. It's their first ever stroller and the design looks totally cool. I'd love to cruise Carson around in this stylin' stroller. It looks totally modern and hip. The yoga newborn nest (pictured on the left) looks like the perfect little buggy for new babies. It then turns into an all terrain stroller. Totally cool! And look at how slim it folds up. It has a flashing hazard light on the front that is charged by solar panels! If you've got a small apartment or car then this stroller is for you as it folds up slim with no wheels sticking out. This looks like the latest, greatest stroller to come along! It's available for preorder now and stock is limited!

*I have received no compensation or product for this post.

4 Giveaways Ending Tonight + Bonus Entries!

2012-01-04T09:13:00.001-06:00

Here are thegiveaways ending tonight! There are 2 giveaways that "ended" on 1/2 but since I never offered up extra entries for them or reminded you they were ending I've left them open until tonight. Enter before midnight for your chance to win!! Youmay have two extra entries into any of these giveaways if you leave (or havealready left) a relevant comment on the following posts (2 extra entries perrelevant comment left!): Wordless Wednesday, New Years Resolutions, NewAir Electric Garage Heater, Magic Elves.

Finish Jet Dry

Shutterfly Photo Book and free shipping

$25 Gift Certificate to My Baby Clothes

Little Tikes 3 in 1 Trike valued at $120

Good Luck!

Wordless Wednesday! Xmas Pics

2012-01-04T08:57:00.001-06:00

This was Carson's 1st Christmas! Love his little Santa hat :)

Aiden got this really cool truck that he LOVES!

Danika got a new bike from Santa this year!

Corner Stork $50 Gift Card Giveaway!

2012-01-03T11:40:00.001-06:00

As promised my first giveaway of the New Year is brought to you by The Corner Stork! They have a wonderful shop stocked full of fun gifts for the new baby in your life. You can read my full review of Corner Stork Baby Gifts here. They've got everything from adorable gift baskets to personalized baby gifts and even some really unique and adorable clothes for baby. Head over and check them out! If you need a baby gift then they definitely have a great selection to choose from. Use their handy gift finder to select whether you are shopping for a boy or a girl and what price range you are looking for and get a customized list of gift ideas!

Win! One reader will win a $50 Gift Card to The Corner Stork!

Here is how to enter to win:

Head over to The Corner Stork and tell me what you'd use your gift card on.*Remember to include your email address in your comment if it is not visible on your profile or you will be disqualified.

Subscribe to Minnesota Mama's Must Haves by Email (not feed)-remember to activate your subscription! Current subscribers count too. (1 entry)
Follow my blog publicly-Current followers count too! (1 entry)
If you left a comment on my corner stork review post then take your extra entry
Enter any of my other giveaways- Leave a comment saying which giveaway you entered-you may leave a separate comment for each extra giveaway you enter. (1 entry for each giveaway entered)
Blog about my giveaway and link back to my site-must link to this specific giveaway and include a picture of the prize-Leave the URL where you blogged-(3 extra entries)
Grab my button-leave the URL where it is posted (1 entry)
Follow Me on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway-You may Tweet daily and gain an extra entry each day that you tweet-limit 1 per day. Leave the URL where you Tweeted. Copy/Paste this tweet:
Win $50 Gift Card to The Corner Stork Baby Gifts! #giveaway #mnmamamusthave Enter here: http://tinyurl.com/6p5ml27 ends 1/23
Like Minnesota Mama's Must Haves on Facebook-leave your facebook name with your comment.
Update your facebook status with a link to this giveaway. You may update it daily for an extra entry per day that you do it. Leave me the link to your update and make sure it links to both me and the sponsor (you can do this by following both and selecting us from the list when you type in @) You can copy and paste the following into your status:
Win $50 Gift Card from The Corner Stork baby gifts and @Minnesota Mama's Must Haves! Ends 1/23http://tinyurl.com/6p5ml27
Leave a relevant comment on any non-giveaway post (review only posts are great). One entry per comment left.

Open to US only. Giveaway ends January 23rd at 11:59pm. Winner will be drawn by random.org and announced on this blog as well as emailed. Products reviewed were provided to me free of charge. No compensation was given in exchange for this review. My opinion is my own and is an honest view of my experience with the product. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn. Email address must be in at least one comment or visible on your profile to win. Good Luck!

New Year's Resolutions for 2012 and What Lies Ahead

2012-01-03T11:02:00.001-06:00

What lies ahead for 2012? A lot! I'm not big on making New Year's resolutions as I don't tend to keep them or work toward them but this year I am using the turn of the New Year as a time to focus on things that I really want to accomplish or get better at. I'm using it to set goals and make a true effort to work toward them and accomplish those goals. So here it is. My list of goals for the New Year. If you are a Mom to young children as I am then I bet at least one of them is on your list of things you'd like to get better at too. As I work toward these goals I will be sharing them with you here. I'll share the tips and tricks I find that make them work and help encourage you to get there too!

I've got about 10 pounds of baby weight left to lose (Carson is 4 months old) but weight loss which is probably the most popular New Year's resolution is NOT on my list this year. Here is my list:

Keep our house clean!
With 3 kids age 3 and under our house NEVER stays clean for long. I can go room to room and clean and they follow and mess it up after me. That said I really want to work harder to keep my house clean and not let it get to disaster status. I'll be sharing the tips that work for me in an upcoming post as I work toward this goal.

Take time for ME!
One ingredient to a happy mama is having some quality "me" time. I am terrible at taking time out for myself. Having time away from your kids (especially if you are a stay at home mom) is crucial to being a happy mama. If you never focus on yourself then you will burn yourself out and your kids need a happy mom.

Learn how to sew
I've always wanted to learn how to sew and I even have a sewing machine so this year I am making it a priority to learn more about it. I've signed up for a sewing class so that should help. It will also help me accomplish my previous goal of "ME" time :) 3 hours a week all to myself!

Learn how to crochet
I know how to knit really well and when Danika was a baby I knit up a whole closet full of clothes for her. I haven't been knitting much lately but as Carson is losing his hair by the handfuls lately I've been searching for cute baby hats and they are all crochet patterns so I'm going to learn!

Entertain people at our house more often
We finally have a house that is big enough to entertain in and I want to take the time to invite friends and family over. It's so easy to get too busy to do it and it's so important to have quality time with the people you love. Over the holidays we had all of our friends over and it was SO much fun!

Meal Plan each week
I used to be much better at doing this and then I had 3 kids. It is such a moneysaver to plan meals and I need to make a point of doing this!

What lies ahead for my blog?

I have a lot of exciting things in store for my site in the year ahead. I will of course continue to bring you the reviews and giveaways that you all know me for but I will be bringing you so much more in the new year. I plan to blog about my goals for the year and how you can accomplish them easily too. My goal is to make your life easier and save you time. I'll be bringing you my favorite recipes, ideas to entertain your kids, homemade projects, tips to make your home a happy place and so much more! I hope you will continue to visit my site in the coming year and take part in all of the fun that lies ahead!

What New Years resolutions have you made? What would you like to see more of on my site this year? Any specific requests?

Sunday Sweeps! New Years Edition!

2011-12-31T20:00:00.000-06:00

It is Sunday again! Link up all of your family friendly giveaways below. Please leave them in the following format:Blog Name-Prize-End DateThe link MUST go to your giveaway page and not your home page. No spamming or affiliate links! Don’t forget to check out my giveaways while you are here and grab my blog button!Once you’ve linked up here head on over to Sugar Pop Ribbons to link your giveaways there too!

Aloha Friday! Favorite Gift

2011-12-30T11:01:00.001-06:00

What was your favorite gift you received for Christmas this year?

My Answer: I love the new speakers my hubby got me for playing music on my iPhone and I love the Nikon Coolpix camera that my Father in Law got for me. It's perfect for tossing in your purse to always have on hand to snap pics of the kids!

Your turn!

$100 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway Contest Ends Tonight!

2011-12-30T10:57:00.000-06:00

Just a reminder that the $100 Amazon Gift Card Contest ends tonight at midnight. Be sure to get your entries in for your chance to win!! There are currently only 10 entries so your odds are GREAT! Good Luck!

Make a Winter friend to Snuggle With At Build A Bear Workshop! Aiden's New Friend!

2011-12-30T10:49:00.000-06:00

We love Build A Bear Workshop. If you've never been there then you need to visit and get the whole experience of building your own bear or furry friend. It's so much fun for the kids! Aiden has a new friend courtesy of Build A Bear. His name is Erik and he comes from the movie Happy Feet 2. We don't have a Build A Bear near our home so they sent us this furry friend all decked out in a sweater, scarf and adorable hat. Aiden is in LOVE with Erik and sleeps with him every night. I have to give Erik kisses and tell him goodnight too haha.

After checking out the lineup of Build A Bear friends I've got Aiden longing for a monkey clad in Cars 2 pajamas and Danika wanting a skating bear. In a couple of weeks we will be heading down to the cities for Sesame Street Live on Ice so we will have to make a stop at Build A Bear while we are in the area. They have so many fun, furry friends to choose from! These are the perfect little friends to snuggle with during these cold Winter months. This is a great activity to get the kids out of the house and enjoy too!

Our favorite part is that Erik's bow tie blinks when you squeeze his hand! How cool is that? I love all of the fun add ons that Build A Bear Workshop offers! Want in on the fun?

Win! One reader will win a $10 Build A Bear Workshop Gift Card!

This giveaway has ended.Congrats to the winner:

3 giggly monsters

Open to US only. Giveaway ends January 18th at 11:59pm. Winner will be drawn by random.org and announced on this blog as well as emailed. Products reviewed were provided to me free of charge. No compensation was given in exchange for this review. My opinion is my own and is an honest view of my experience with the product. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn. Email address must be in at least one comment or visible on your profile to win. Good Luck!

NewAir G70 Electric Garage Heater

2011-12-28T22:36:00.002-06:00

If you have a husband that enjoys (or needs to be) working in the garage then you know how cold it gets in the garage in the Winter. This can really be a problem when there is work to be done in the garage. Whether your husband is out there working on vehicles (like mine), woodworking or your laundry is in the garage then you need a heated garage. Check out the affordable NewAir G70 4,000 Watt Electric Garage Heater with Automatic Temperature Control. It Heats Areas Up to 400 Square Feet and Swivels to Direct Warmth Where You Need it Most.

The NewAir G70 garage heater 4,000 watt heater can provide quick primary, supplementary or auxiliary heat and covers large areas up to 400 square feet. Easy to install with the included mounting bracket, the NewAir G70 can be mounted on your ceiling or wall for safe, out-of-the-way placement. The NewAir G70 garage heater's built-in thermostat also consistently maintains your set temperature level.

I was surprised at how small this heater is in comparison with the heater we had at our old house (which we sold). It heats up to 400 square feet so it is important to make sure your garage isn't bigger than that or it won't be sufficient for you. Our garage is a bit bigger and we found it hard to really heat it up but like I said it is beyond it's specifications.

It was really easy to install but it should be noted that you need a special 240V Plug which I didn't read carefully enough when I got it so we had to have one installed. Installing the outlet was easy though as we have a relative that is an electrician. Once we had the outlet installed all we had to do was plug in the heater! I love that it has a built in thermostat to keep a constant temperature too. The unit automatically shuts off in the event of overheating so you don't need to worry about it being a fire risk. I also like that using this heater doesn't require ventilation or stinky gases to be emitted. It's a great way to heat a small garage or workshop!

Buy It! You can check out all of the garage heaters from Air-n-Water! This heater is currently selling for $199 and you get a FREE heater with your purchase! Use the code HEATER40 to save $40 on your purchase or the code save5 to get 5% off your purchase.

*I was provided product for review purposes onlyand was not compensated for this review.

Saying Goodbye to our Elves

2011-12-28T16:03:00.000-06:00

I've been sharing our many fun elfcapades with you over the past month or so and sadly we had to say goodbye to our Elves on Christmas Eve so they could go back to the North Pole and help Santa. The kids were sad to see them go but they are looking forward to next year when Mitchell and Meredith will come visit us again and go on many fun elfcapades! If you had fun following our adventures and think your kids would enjoy having an elf visit them then be sure to have them write a letter to Santa after Thanksgiving next year so an elf can arrive at your house too!

Of course our elves didn't leave without giving us a parting gift, homemade cocoa! Now every time we drink it we can think of them :) The kids were thrilled with the elves and we had a ton of fun with them. We'll see you next year Mitchell and Meredith!

6 Giveaways Ending Tonight + Extra Entries!!

2011-12-28T14:39:00.000-06:00

I have slowly been getting back to blogging after our busy holiday. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your family. I really enjoyed my time with my family and friends and we had a wonderful Christmas with the kids. It was so much fun! I'll be drawing winners for giveaways that have already ended tonight (hopefully!) as I try to get back into the swing of things!

Here are thegiveaways ending tonight! Enter before midnight for your chance to win!! Youmay have two extra entries into any of these giveaways if you leave (or havealready left) a relevant comment on the following posts (2 extra entries perrelevant comment left!): Garage Heater, Saying goodbye to our elves, The Art of Getting By, Dora Loves Boots, Last minute gifts.

Teflon Windshield Wiper Blades!

Crate & Barrel Baking Dish &More!

$25 Sam's Club Gift Card & Chex Cereal Bundle

Dance with me Baby RV $40

Toddler bundle of products worth $100+from Prince Lionheart

4 Tickets to Sesame Street Live Elmo Makes Music @ The Target Center MN

Holiday Break Movie Night Flick!

2011-12-28T11:57:00.000-06:00

With kids out of school and holiday break in full swing you may be looking for a fun flick to watch together. Check out The Art of Getting By out on DVD now!

Fatalistic teenager George Zingavoy (Freddie Highmore) is a master at just barely getting by. In fact, he’s practically turned it into an art form—making it through the entire school year without doing a shred of work. But when George meets a beautiful and complicated girl named Sally (Emma Roberts), he discovers a kindred spirit who turns his slacker world upside down. Their quirky and unexpected romance may just inspire George to do the unthinkable—get off his butt and chase after his dreams.

THE ART OF GETTING BY features stellar performances by an all-star supporting cast, including Michael Angarano (Almost Famous), Rita Wilson (Jingle All the Way), Sam Robards (American Beauty), Alicia Silverstone (Clueless), Elizabeth Reaser (Twilight: Breaking Dawn), and Blair Underwood (“Dirty Sexy Money”).

This movie is well done and my hubby and I enjoyed watching it together. It's a great movie with an interesting story line. It's perfect for watching with your teens or college age kids home from school. Pop some popcorn and make it a movie night!

Buy It! You can get The Art of Getting By on DVD now wherever DVDs are sold!

*I was provided product for review purposes onlyand was not compensated for this review.

Sunday Sweeps! Christmas Edition!

2011-12-24T20:00:00.000-06:00

It is Sunday again! Link up all of your family friendly giveaways below. Please leave them in the following format:Blog Name-Prize-End DateThe link MUST go to your giveaway page and not your home page. No spamming or affiliate links! Don’t forget to check out my giveaways while you are here and grab my blog button!Once you’ve linked up here head on over to Sugar Pop Ribbons to link your giveaways there too!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T14:17:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

We hope you have a blessed and wonderful Christmas with your family!

Aiden has a new favorite movie. Dora Loves Boots on DVD

2011-12-23T11:00:00.001-06:00

We are big Dora the Explorer fans around here and Aiden is a big fan of Boots the monkey so he was thrilled with the new Dora Loves Boots movie coming out on DVD December 27th! He has been asking to watch it every day! I love that it appeals to both Danika, my Dora fan, and Aiden, my Boots fan!

Celebrate Dora and Boots’ playful friendship in Dora the Explorer: Dora Loves Boots. This DVD contains three new-to-DVD episodes that feature the adventures of Dora and her best friend, Boots. The DVD will also offer parents the opportunity to use the Gramify program and send their kids a free personalized phone call from Dora (limited time offer)!

Dora the Explorer: Dora Loves Boots Episode Synopses:

Boots’ First BikeBoots is really excited because soon he’ll be getting his very first big bike. The Delivery Duck flies in with a postcard of a shiny yellow 2-wheeler bike for Boots. His new bike is finally ready to be picked up and he can’t wait! It’s going to be a series of “first” adventures as Baby Blue Bird takes her first flight, Lil’ Piggy sails on her first pirate ship, and Tico’s baby cousins learn how to safely cross the street and make it to the bike shop.

Bouncy BootsBoots’ favorite boots are back from the Shoe Shop, but when he tries them on, he starts to bounce. Dora and Boots set off to find his favorite boots on a bouncy adventure past the Giant Gates, then across the Snail Bridge where their French friend Amélie teaches them how to play Escargot -- a French Hop-Scotch game. They sing all the way to the Shoe Shop, but will Boots’ shoes be there?

¡Vacaciones!Dora and Boots are meeting Diego and Baby Jaguar for a night of camping under the stars. Along the way, they run into other friends who are going on vacation too. At the Nutty Forest, Tico and Benny give them a ride on his nut-powered car. Then they help Isa water her vegetable garden before she heads out to the Snowy Mountain. Before they arrive at the Rainforest Campground, Swiper takes their snacks. Diego and Baby Jaguar come to the rescue in a canoe and together retrieve the snacks and row all the way to the Campground.

The Bed Red Chicken’s Magic Wand
The Big Red Chicken is doing magic tricks and he turns Boots into a chicken! When he tries to turn Boots back into a monkey, his beak starts to twitch and he lets out a big sneeze that sends the wand flying off into Magic Land. Big Red Chicken accidentally lands on his wand and breaks it! On the way to the Wand Shop they play a picture puzzle game to go through the Magic Mirrors, a math game to get the Giant Dice to disappear and then do a scarf trick to enter the Wand Shop.

Buy It! You can buy Dora Loves Boots on DVD at retailers near you when it releases on December 27th! It's suggested retail price is $16.99 but you can preorder it for $13.99 on Amazon!

*I was provided product for review purposes onlyand was not compensated for this review.

Aloha Friday! How will you be celebrating Christmas?

2011-12-23T10:49:00.002-06:00

Do you celebrate Christmas or a different holiday? How will you be celebrating this year?

My Answer:

We celebrate Christmas. Both my husband and I have divorced parents so we spend one day with each parent. Each of our Mother's had Christmas last Saturday and Sunday and tomorrow we will go to my Dad's and Christmas morning we do our Santa gifts and then go to my husband's Dad's. It works out really well to spread it out and give each parent their own day!

Your turn!

Are your dishes coming out of the dishwasher still dirty? Jet Dry Giveaway!! (CLOSED)

2011-12-22T10:39:00.001-06:00

I've had a recurring problem with my dishes lately. They've been coming out of the dishwasher with food dried on them and looking gross. On top of that they were still really wet and needing to be towel dried. At first I blamed my hubby for putting the dishes in the dishwasher without rinsing them off beforehand. Load after load was coming out dirty though and half the dishes were going back in the dishwasher again! I was getting really frustrated with it. Then an email about Finish Jet Dry landed in my inbox and a light bulb went on in my head. Of course that was the problem! I had failed to refill the Jet Dry in our dishwasher and our dishes were retaining food residue and coming out wet because of the lack of Jet Dry.

Long story short, I filled up our rinse aid dispenser with Jet Dry and Voila! Problem solved. My dishes were no longer coming out with dried on food on them or soaking wet. Thank goodness! The last thing I have time to do is re-wash my dishes and dry them all.

After running out of Jet Dry I had tried using vinegar. Vinegar is a great cleaning aid and can be used in so many different ways. Someone had told me to try using it for a cheap rinse aid. Well, my dishes did not achieve the clean, sparkling quality they do with Jet Dry. The vinegar really didn't work well at all. They were still coming out wet and not getting clean enough.

The Finish Jet-Dry advanced rinsing agent works powerfully alongside your regular dishwashing detergent to wash away food and chemical residue. It further kicks in during the drying cycle to get that sparkling clear shine. Moreover, Finish Jet-Dry ensures that no moisture remains on the dishes, so no extra towel drying is needed as you unload (because who has time for that?).

With holiday entertaining coming up this weekend don't forget to use Jet Dry! The last thing you need is double duty on the dishes. Get it done right the first time. Head over HERE to get money saving coupons on finish products!

Win! One reader will win a bottle of Finish Jet Dry so you can see the results yourself!

This giveaway has ended.Congrats to the winner:

karenmed409

Open to US only. Giveaway ends January 4th at 11:59pm. Winner will be drawn by random.org and announced on this blog as well as emailed. Products reviewed were provided to me free of charge. No compensation was given in exchange for this review. My opinion is my own and is an honest view of my experience with the product. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn. Email address must be in at least one comment or visible on your profile to win. Good Luck!

*I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Finish and received a Finish Jet-Dry product sample to facilitate my review, a sample to giveaway, and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

3 Giveaways Ending Tonight + Extra Entries! QuickSmart, Over Under & More!

2011-12-21T13:27:00.001-06:00

Here are thegiveaways ending tonight! Enter before midnight for your chance to win!! Youmay have two extra entries into any of these giveaways if you leave a relevantcomment on the following posts (2 extra entries per relevant comment left!): Giada for Target, Nextbook Premium8 Review, & Dickies clothing.

Over Under Board Game

Exederm Baby Intensive Moisturizer

QuickSmart 3 in 1 Travel Bassinet

Good Luck!

Giada De Laurentiis for Target Review AND Recipe from Giada herself!

2011-12-21T13:16:00.001-06:00

If you've ever watched Food Network then you know the name Giada De Laurentiis. If you don't watch Food Network that's okay because now the Italian cuisine she is famous for has now made it's way to Target so you can get in on the deliciousness! I received some of the Giada De Laurentiis for Target products to try out and I was blown away and fell in love with them.

I have to say that I am absolutely loving the Stainless Steel Balloon Whisk and Silicone Spoonula with Stainless Steel Handle. They are so comfortable to use in your hand. They sit naturally in your hand and feel great. Love them! Her 9” Ceramic Pie Pan is smooth and beautiful. It's perfect for serving the best part of the meal, dessert! We also made a family favorite in it, taco pie! It's not Italian but it's delicious!

If I had to pick just one thing, okay two that I loved the most it would be the 3-Piece Plastic Bowl Set with Pour and the Silicone Spoonula with Stainless Steel Handle. They are a MUST for every kitchen. They are comfortable to use and make baking and cooking a breeze. They are by far my favorites and I just love the cherry red color too. With all of the Christmas baking I've been doing I have used these a ton! They are dishwasher safe too!

The 2-Quart Ceramic Oval Baker is perfect for serving your sides in style. I love the twisted handles too. It's the perfect size for sides and looks great on your table. The handles make it easy to move it from oven to table.

Giada also has a line of food products at Target and I was really impressed with their flavor and helpful labels. We tried out the following products from her Giada De Laurentiis for Target food line:

-Black Olive Tapenade, $2.99
-Blend Coffee, $6.99
-Marinated Sun Dried Tomatoes, $3.49
-Marinated Roasted Red Peppers, $3.49
-Marinated Mushrooms, $3.49
-Genovese Basil Pesto, $3.49
-Eggplant & Pepper Pesto, $2.99

I have to admit that many of these food items I had no idea how to serve so it was really helpful that the labels all include serving suggestions. That was a HUGE help. Some were a little adventurous for me but my Italian hubby loved it. Many of the jarred products could be served on toasted crostini or tossed with pasta. I loved how easy they were to serve. It made it look like I had slaved away when all I had to do was cook some pasta and toss them together! The sun dried tomatoes and roasted red peppers were our favorites. I also loved the petso!

Here is a great recipe from Giada!

Tomato Basil Tartlets

Recipe Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

· 1 (10-by-9-inch) sheet frozen puff pastry,thawed

· 1/3 cup GiadaDe Laurentiis for Target Black Olive Tapenade

· 1 cup (2 1/2 ounces) shredded fontina cheese

· 8 cherry tomatoes, quartered

· 6 basil leaves, chopped

· Fleur de Sel or other large flake sea salt

*Specialequipment: a 2 1/4-inch round cookie cutter

1. Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place the pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Using the tines ofa fork, prick the pastry all over. Using a 2 1/4-inch round cookie cutter, cutout 16 rounds of pastry. Place the pastry rounds on the prepared baking sheet.Lay a piece of parchment paper on top of the pastry rounds. Place anotherbaking sheet directly on top of the parchment paper to keep the pastry evenwhile baking. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until golden. Remove the top bakingsheet and the top piece of parchment paper.

3. Spread 1 teaspoon of tapenade on each pastry round. Place about 1tablespoon of cheese on top. Arrange 2 pieces of tomato on the cheese. Bake for5 to 7 minutes until the cheese has melted. Sprinkle the chopped basil on top.

4. Transfer the tartlets to a platter and garnish with a pinch of Fleur deSel.

Yield:4 to 6 servings

PrepTime: 16 minutes

CookTime: 15 to 19 minutes

If you are looking for the perfect hostess gift this holiday season Giada's products make wonderful gifts! Grab one of her great bakeware items and bake your pie in it to bring along to the holiday get together! Or make up a basket with her wonderful jarred food items. Don't forget to throw in my favorite Silicone Spoonula with Stainless Steel Handle! Trust me, your hostess will love it :)

Buy It! You can buy all of these awesome products at Target!! They are affordably priced too :) Target's got a whole line of food products to make it your perfect one stop shop for holiday entertaining.

Have you seen Giada's products at your Target yet? Which item do you love most?

*I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Giada De Laurentiis for Target and received product samples to facilitate my review.

Nextbook Premium 8 Tablet Review

2011-12-21T12:39:00.000-06:00

I know many of us have a tablet of some kind on our Christmas wish list this year. I know I did and I also knew Santa wouldn't be bringing me one on his sleigh this year so I was thrilled to get the opportunity to review the new Nextbook Premium8 tablet. For those of you that are in the same boat (or should we say sleigh) as I am and will not be getting a tablet under your Christmas tree this year, read on. This new tablet is praise worthy and totally affordable in comparison to similar tablets at just $299.99.

The Premium8 has been touted as "It's bigger, it's brighter, and it's better". I did a review of the Next6 tablet back in August so I have something to compare the new Premium8 to. I definitely concur that it is bigger, brighter and WAY better! One thing I was missing in the Next6 way a camera and the Premium8 has it! It's equipped with a 2.0MP front facing camera to capture that special moment wherever you are! Although the picture quality isn't superb it is good enough to capture moments on the fly.

I'm also loving the 8'' capacitive touch screen technology. The screen is much bigger than the Next6 and I LOVE it. It's also very responsive to light touch and you don't need to use much pressure to get it to do what you want. I love the touch buttons on the side as well. They also only need very light touch so they are quick and easy to operate.

I wanted to give you an idea of the size of the Premium8. Here it is next to my smartphone. As you can see the screen size is quite impressive.

The Premium8 is preloaded with the Google’s powerful Linux-based Android operating system 2.3 designed specifically for mobile devices. Now, Next8P supports Adobe Flash 10.1. You can play, listen and surf and never miss a beat! I am loving that it supports Adobe Flash as not all tablet devices do this. I can easily surf the web and get the pages I want without having to miss out on anything. The screen quality is great as well. It's got a really clear picture and I was really impressed with how quickly I could surf the web. Pages loaded quick and it was easy to navigate.

The Premium8 comes with built-in WIFI 802.11 b/g/n, you can surf the World Wide Web faster than ever. It easily connected to our WiFi at home and on the go. I love that I can take it with me when we are out running errands and I can surf the web wherever we are (with a WiFi connection). I have used it to pull up recipes at the store to check what ingredients I need for dinner, look up coupons to match with sales I've found and to kill time while my hubby is browsing in the parts store and I'm waiting in the car.

The new Next8 Premium is also equipped with 4GB memory card that can support up to 32GB. I love that the Premium8 has expandable memory as this is not the case with all tablets. You don't have to worry about running out of storage space!

The Premium8 is preloaded with Kobo Ebook Store which gives you the ability to buy eBooks directly online without the need of a computer connection. It comes preloaded with 25 free books too! I love that the Premium8 doubles as both a tablet and an eReader. If you are contemplating whether to invest in a tablet or an eReader I would definitely suggest getting this 2 in 1 product. You really get more bang for your buck than you would with an eReader.

If it’s games that you prefer, there are thousands of free 3rd party apps available for you to download. More Apps includes SlideME, Astro File Manager, Advanced Task Killer and Office Suite Viewer. I was able to find a lot of great apps to download which was one of my complaints with the Next6. This is definitely better.

I am also loving the built-in G sensor which allows the screen to turn depending on which way you are holding the tablet. When I am web browsing I like to have it horizontal so I can type on a bigger keypad and view the page on a larger area.

It comes with a built in rechargeable battery and both my hubby and I have been really impressed with the battery life. We get a lot of use out of it before it needs a charge. I should say that we've had this tablet for a little over a month and one reason it took me so long to get my review posted is because I couldn't pry it out of my husband's hands long enough to review it. Needless to say, he loves it. He even brought it to work and showed it off to his co-workers. He did a little comparison for them with the Next6 and Next8 to show the differences. All the Dads that were in the market for tablets for their kids this Christmas got to check them out and give them a test drive before deciding which to buy their kids. They loved getting the hands on experience with it.

Why we love it: All in all both my husband and I agree that this tablet is a great bang for your buck. Priced at $299.99 you really get a lot for your money. It has features that the competitor doesn't and at a price point that will save you $200 over the competition's tablet. It's definitely bigger, brighter and better than tablets of the past and we love it!

Suggestions for Improvement: I've always got to throw in my two cents worth on how a company can improve their product so here it is. I'd love a better quality camera and one on both the side facing you and away from you. It's hard to take pics of your kids when it is facing you. My second suggestion is just preference but the Next6 came with a really nice case for it and the Next8 includes a pouch for storage. Although you can buy cases I'd love if it came with the same protective type of case that the Next6 included.

Buy It! You can buy the Nextbook Premium8 for $299.99 at retailers near you!

Okay so who has a tablet on their list this year? Have you heard of the Next8 yet?

*I was provided product for review purposes onlyand was not compensated for this review.

Wordless Wednesday! Holiday Pics

2011-12-21T10:18:00.000-06:00

My sister in law's boyfriend took these amazing pics of Carson. I just love them!

And yes, he is totally wearing a tie onesie and argyle baby legs!

Danika thought he should be wearing some antlers at Grandma's house!

We celebrated Christmas at my mom's this past weekend.

Danika was dancing around with the antlers on which was pretty cute.

Shutterfly Photo Book Review!

2011-12-20T10:38:00.001-06:00

When I am trying to think of a meaningful and personal Christmas gift I always go to photo books. We've been giving them to the Grandparents for years now and they always love to receive them. They make such special gifts. What's better than the gift of memories?

I just made a beautiful photo book from Shutterfly with all of Carson's baby pictures. I've done one for each of my kids over the years and I've always been really happy with the results. They are easy to put together and Shutterfly has lots of embellishing options to make your book really special. It was quick and easy to put together and totally customizable. I really enjoyed making it. It arrived super quick and is now a special keepsake for our family.

Today is the last day to get your book by December 24th with next day shipping AND they are offering up to 50% off photo books!

Save 50% on 12x12 photo books.
Save 30% on 8x8 and 8x11 photo books.
Save 15% on 7x9 and 5x7 photo books.

Offer ends December 20, 2011

If you are still looking for the perfect gift for the friend or family member on your list then head over to Shutterfly and make a book! It is such a special gift idea. And I know you are all going to have tons of Christmas photos after the holidays and what better way to remember the special moments than to put them in a Shutterfly photo book? Head over to their Storytelling page for tips on how best to capture your stories and memories through photo books by Shutterfly Chief Storyteller Heather Maddan. Check it out BEFORE the holidays so you can capture the best photos this year!

I know you all want a book to put all of your Christmas memories in right? Who wants to win one?

Win! One reader will win a free 8”x8” photo book and free shipping, valued at $35!

This giveaway has ended.Congrats to the winner:

Vanessa

Look Sharp For Christmas in Dickies for the Whole Family!

2011-12-20T10:14:00.000-06:00

When thinking of looking sharp for the holidays Dickies may not be the first brand of clothing that comes to mind, but look at how nice my family looks outfitted in all Dickies clothing! Carson is the exception as they don't have baby clothes :) Their sizes start around 2T though so Aiden and Danika are sporting Dickies attire. Our holiday photo turned out great in my opinion!

With slight spending increases forecasted this holiday shopping season and consumers curbing costs where possible, a recent National Retail Federation (NRF) survey revealed that:

· Families will spend an average of $403.26 on gifts;

· 50% of adults want to receive clothing or accessories.

I have to say I was really impressed with both the quality and durability of the Dickies clothes while still being comfortable and stylish. I am in love with my Women's Sherpa Fleece Hoodie (purple). It is SO warm and comfortable. I've been wearing it non-stop. I'm always chilled in the Winter and this keeps me much warmer than even a sweatshirt does. I love it! It comes in 4 different colors and prices start at just $34.99! This would be a great gift idea too. Under the Purple hoodie I've layered the Women's Basic Crew Thermal in heather gray. It's also really comfortable and warm. It is available in several colors and is just $14.99! To finish off my look I've got the Women's Relaxed Boot cut jean in dark stone wash which are really stylish. The fit really well and look great. At just $24.99 they are really affordable too.

My hubby is wearing the Relaxed straight fit five pocket jean with the Long sleeve thermal crew layered under the Long sleeve performance waffle knit henley. He was loving how well his clothes fit and how comfortable they were. He was used to associating the Dickies name with work clothes and was really impressed with the quality and style of the clothes he received.

Danika has on the Girls Stretch Flare bottom pant in khaki with the Girls Peter Pan collared long sleeve blouse layered under the Girl's Preschool Crew Neck Cardigan Sweater. She looks so well put together :) Aiden has on the Toddler Pull on pant and Toddler short sleeve polo shirt. We called him our future "Target" employee because of his color combo :) He looked like such a little man. So cute!

Whether you are looking for clothes that will stand up to your family's busy lives or you are still searching for the perfect gift, head over to Dickies and check out their awesome collections! I know my hubby has his eye on some of their great outerwear too. All of their clothes fit great and looked awesome. We were really impressed!

Buy It! You can buy Dickies clothing on their site. They have a lot of great sales right now and FREE shipping on orders over $50! You can also check out their retail locator to find a store near you that carries Dickies clothing!

Have you ever thought of Dickies as a stylish clothing brand? Have I surprised you with their great selection of clothes for the whole family?

*I was provided product for review purposes onlyand was not compensated for this review.

8 Giveaways Ending Tonight + Extra Entries! $50 Visa Gift Card, HABA, Novica & Lots More!

2011-12-19T14:33:00.000-06:00

Here are thegiveaways ending tonight! Enter before midnight for your chance to win!! Youmay have two extra entries into any of these giveaways if you leave (or have already left) a relevantcomment on the following posts (2 extra entries per relevant comment left!): Home Depot Workshop, Gift Ideas, Mod Straps, My Very Real Baby, Pillsbury Potluck, Tonka Racin' Friends, Kidorable Backpack, Marie Callender's, Ice Age Christmas.

20% Off Coupon Code for SanDisk Memory Vault-4Winners!

Isotoner smarTouch gloves

$50 Gift Card to Novica

Topsy's Popcorn Tin with 3 Flavors!

Choice item (nursing bra, cami, etc) fromLeading Lady!

HABA Fire Brigade & Beetle RattlingToy

Green Toys Flatbed Truck & Race CarAND Indoor Gardening Kit!

$50 Visa Gift Card

2011 Holiday Gift Guide: The Home Depot Big Builders Workshop Playset from Step2 Review!

2011-12-19T14:17:00.001-06:00

Looking for a gift that will "Wow" them on Christmas morning? Check out the awesome Home Depot Big Builders Workshop Playset by Step2. If you have a little builder in your house then he or she will love this playset! It comes unassembled so I put my hubby to work putting it together.

It didn't take him long to assemble it and the kids "helped" him put it together (which I think made assembling it take a little longer). :)

Once assembled you have an awesome workshop so they can build things just like Daddy does. My kids couldn't wait to get to work building things. It comes with these really neat foam pieces that look like wood so they can build projects with them. Danika quickly put her cousin to work building a bird house with them. It turned out great. Now the only problem is that she won't let anyone take it apart!

Aiden loves using the overhead light and working drill. It really turns the drill bit! They've had so much fun fixing things all over the house with these toys.

The Home Depot Big Builders Workshop playset includes 50 pieces! Comes with real work light, working vise and handsaw. Wooden pieces are included so you can build four separate projects. There is tons of storage space so you can easily tuck away all your tools and accessories.

Home Depot Big Builders Workshop Playset features:

Authentic "particle board" work surface with working vice, cup/parts holder, hard building surface, drill and screw storage pockets
2 Large storage cabinets and shop "fridge"
Electronic features include drill (requires 2 AA batteries) and overhead light (requires 3 AAA batteries), batteries not included
Silver and gray metallic molded-in finish
Realistic Durafoam™ "wood" foam projects
Authentic decals featuring diamond plate, perforated metal, shop light, and digital clock
50-piece accessory set includes drill bits, screws, nuts, saw, hammer

This set is sure to wow them on Christmas morning! We really love it and haven't had any complaints about it.

Buy It! You can buy the Home Depot Big Builders Workshop playset exclusively at Toys R Us! It retails for $119.99.

*I was provided product for review purposes onlyand was not compensated for this review.

Sunday Sweeps! 12/18/11 Edition!

2011-12-18T08:54:00.002-06:00

It is Sunday again! Link up all of your family friendly giveaways below. Please leave them in the following format:Blog Name-Prize-End DateThe link MUST go to your giveaway page and not your home page. No spamming or affiliate links! Don’t forget to check out my giveaways while you are here and grab my blog button!Once you’ve linked up here head on over to Sugar Pop Ribbons to link your giveaways there too!