..Meet the Moms Giveaway..

Welcome to the Growing Up and Doing it Yourself Blog Event sponsored by Mompact.com! There are several blogs around the web taking place, reviewing different items invented by moms! The even runs from today, May 28 - June 10.

 I was excited to receive the Baby Dipper Bowl! This is one of those inventions that have you saying, "Why in the world didn't I think of that?" It was invented by a mom named Barbara Schantz who has TWO sets of twins! She knows what it's like at mealtime when you can't use both hands to feed one baby or toddler. When you have more than one kid crying at once, you can't simply tell them to wait, lol. She, like me, needed something that would let her feed with only one hand. That's when she designed the Baby Dipper. It is definitely a product invented by a mom for moms. This bowl is unique in several ways:

First, it has a non-slip bottom. That was the big, "Why didn't I think of that?" point for me. This is so helpful when I'm feeding one of the girls, or when they're feeding themselves. They are becoming very independent and like to do things on their own. The non-slip bottom keeps them from chasing it around the table or highchair tray.

Second, the interior is sloped. Let me tell you why that matters.. It makes the food gravitate towards the lowest point of the bowl. It collects it there for you people! Like a little food slide!

Third, the lowest point of the bowl is the same shape as the spoon. Genius! It makes getting the food in the spoon so much easier, both for me and the girls.

So if mealtime is somewhat of a chore for you or your child, or if you see your child is becoming frustrated trying to self-feed, you might want to give this bowl a try. I could also see it being great for children with special needs, making it easier to feed.

Buy It:
You can purchase your own Baby Dipper (in either pink or blue!) from their website!
Cost: $9.99

Win It:
As part of the blog event, MomPact is giving away a prize package that has one of every item that is being reviewed! Here's how to enter:

*Follow the Baby Dipper Fan Page here (must be done for any other entries to count)

* For an extra entry, follow my blog publicly.

Entries will be open until June 10, 2012. Good luck!

..big girls..

I feel like I have 3 yr. olds instead of 18-month olds. We took down the cribs! No more cribs, that sounds so sad! I mean, I know it's an exciting time, and just another milestone. But they're really not babies anymore. And it seems like they didn't spend enough time in them, lol. That's only because they slept next to my bed until they were almost 7 months old, due to them being so little, and also due a little bit to me being kinda attached to them :D

At the moment they are just sleeping on mattresses on their floor. Their cribs do convert to a daybed, but my kids are SQUIRMERS! They flip and flop all over the place at night (they get that from their daddy) and no daybed, even with a little rail would hold them. They would find a way to fall off. So, I guess we'll stick to mattresses, unless maybe we go with those little plastic beds that just sit on the floor. They'll still fall out, but at least it won't be far. Who knows.. The only bad thing about no cribs is that it takes them longer to actually go to sleep. They can get up and play at will, so we're trying to get used to that. I laid them down about an hour ago and I can hear them on the monitor, walking around and roaring like a lion. Ahh, toddlerhood :)

..easter pictures..

Hope you all had a fantastic Easter! We did! I didn't know if the girls would "get" egg hunting or not only being 18 months old, but we tried it. We just laid eggs around the yard in the grass, and once we showed them what to do they actually had a lot of fun! Layla kept throwing eggs at everyone, and Piper kept jumping on them, popping them open, lol. In the pictures below, Piper is in the green dress and Layla in the pink (These were their eating outfits. Couldn't get mac & cheese on the frilly dresses, lol). In the last picture, J is holding Layla and I'm holding Piper.

..happy spring!..

LOVE this time of year! The weather has been great, even a little unseasonable warm (it has hit 81 degrees several times in the last couple of weeks). My first little tulip bloomed, and it was so pretty to see.

Onto to something that needs just a LITTLE bit of attention... I turned the big 3-0. I was really dreading it before it happened. I didn't think I was going to be ok with it, but now that it has come and gone, I really am good with it. There are some changes I want to make, and some I'm in the process of making (goodbye baby weight) and so I'm really looking forward to this year.

Another big change that has happened recently involves the hubs. He got a new job.. or should I say a new career. I never in my life thought I would see the day when he didn't fly for a living, but it's here. He decided to leave the airlines. Unfortunately flying for the airlines isn't nearly what it used to be. The pay and the benefits have gotten to be, well honestly, a little pathetic. Airlines have gotten to where they are trying to find any way possible to take from their pilots instead of giving. In the last year he has had one pay cut and another larger one was looming. He has been trying for the last 2 years to get on at TVA and luckily he was accepted into their latest class. This is going to help us out so much, both in a monetary sense and also just as being a family. Instead of being gone for days at a time he will be home every single day. We're very excited! :) It will also mean that I can scale back my time at the bakery too. I love my shop, but even on an easy week I am there at least 50 hours a week. On a tough week it is upwards of 60 hours. I am seriously considering having the shop open only on Thursdays and Fridays. I know that will upset some of my customers, and I may even lose some, but my family comes first. I get to spend very little time with my girls, and I can't stand that. I also miss my blog and my crafting time. My sewing machine has just about forgotten my name, lol. Although I did get to spend some time yesterday making the girls a bandanna dress each.

So I hope you all are having a beautiful Spring day so far. And here's to new and exciting changes.

Peace, love and koala fuzz y'all!

..carhartt review..

If you or someone in your household is a hunter, fisherman, or love to be outdoors, then chances are you own clothing by Carhartt. The Carhartt brand, founded in 1889, is synonymous with outdoor- and work-wear. They make lots of great and durable pants, coveralls and coats and shirts.

Carhartt recently sent me and the hubs some items to try out and review. They sent me the following items:

Women's Thermal-Lined Zip-Front Hooded Sweatshirt

Women’s Sandstone Mock-Neck Vest/Sherpa-Lined

 

And the Women's Sherpa Sweat Jacket

The first thing I noticed about the clothing is the weight. "Lightweight" is not how I would describe the items I received. They definitely feel like quality garments. Also, we had a very wet winter this year. In Alabama the high humidity makes it bitterly cold, so I was able to really put these items to the test. I have one major thing to say about all of them: WARM! When the wind blows the cold can feel like it just eats right through you. But I can honestly say that these are the warmest garments I have ever worn. Even with the wind, my legs and face would get cold, but my torso and hands (in the pockets!) stayed really warm. Carhartt absolutely knows how to make clothing. Also, the Sweat Jacket is very pretty. It can be dressed up or down, and still give you the warmth you might need. Overall, I am very, very impressed with the clothing, and I would definitely recommend the brand.

Here's what the hubs had to say about the items Carhartt sent to him:

Men's Sandstone Mock-Neck Vest

Wow. Carhartt nailed it! I love this vest.  I had to admit, I'm not much of a vest wearer, but I thought I'd give it a shot.  This vest is made from the quality durable outerwear we’ve come to demand from Carhartt, combined with a soft warm lining. Great number and placement of pockets and possibly the best feature is the extend tail to keep wind and cold off you're back. Great product!

Men’s Heavyweight Solid Flannel Shirt

I have been very pleased with the quality of this shirt, both in terms of material and craftsmanship. The flannel is nice and heavy,  and the cut is good-looking. I anticipate it will hold up well over the years and not fall apart like the thinner, flimsier flannel shirts which are the norm in retail shops. The color is a deep navy that goes well with light or dark pants. Because of the thick material, it goes better with loose or large-sleeved sweaters and would probably be difficult to layer under tighter clothes. On warmer days it can stand in for a jacket. I now see why people gravitate to the Carhartt brand.

Buy It: You can find these products and many more, including jeans, on the Carhartt website
Follow:
Carhartt on Twitter
Carhartt on Facebook

..the long day's journey..

Into weight loss, ugh. The girls are 17 months old, I'm about to turn the big 3-oh my gosh, and I decided the rest of this baby weight HAS to come off. After the girls were born I dropped 30lbs pretty quickly. But lack of exercise and a horrible diet made me get stuck there. So there I was, hovering around 176 and miserable. So it's time, for real. The weather is pretty which means I can push the girls in the stroller. In the past two weeks since I started walking again I've lost 5 pounds. And that's just a great motivator to keep going, wanting really badly to NOT put those 5lbs back on.

I'm trying to improve the diet too. It also helps that now my girls are little piggies so they eat half of whatever's on my plate. They're a very effective method of portion control, lol.

I don't care about being a size 0, which I don't even think would be physically possible for me. I just want to feel good. I want to be healthy. And I know I can do it. I set the realistic goal that by the end of summer (actual last day of summer by the calendar) that I will be under 140. To put that into perspective, I was 154 when I got pregnant (2 years ago), and I was 132 when I got married (almost 6 years ago). So according to the almanac, the last day of summer is September 21, and I have 30lbs to lose. 6 months, 5 pounds a month. Doesn't sound nearly as scary and daunting when you break it down that way. Wish me luck! :D

..winners..

Julep Maven Winner: Comment #14

Angie like Julep on facebook and left an update on their page that koala fuzz sent me (Angie B.)

 

EGRObaby Winner: Comment #60

Becca I follow Ergo on Twitter.

 

Congrats to my winner. I will be contacting you by email. Please respond within 72 hours to claim your prize!