Winner!

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway for a custom crocheted beanie made by Take A Mom's Word For It! There were 207 entries and the winner is...










#141

Shawna said... 141

Follow Random Thoughts and Musings from the Island REVIEWS on Facebook. (Shawna Davis-Elkins) mommy2rylie@ymail.com (2)

January 15, 2011 7:19 AM

CONGRATS, Shawna! You will be receiving an e-mail about your prize soon! Enjoy your custom crocheted beanie...Made by our very own Take A Mom's Word herself!!!! A very special thank you goes out to Take A Mom's Word for giving me the opportunity to share her awesome creations with my readers! If  you didn't win, you can head over to her Etsy shop and buy an adorable monkey hat! Little One has an owl hat, but now I'm in luuuuuuuv with the newest additions to the  Take A Mom's Word Etsy shop!

Sharing the Love

We absolutely love spreading the word when we find products we adore! Don't forget to enter for your chance to win one of our favourite baby/toddler/kid/mom/ family products!








Our adorable beanie contest sponsored by Take A Mom's Word For It ends January 21, 2011. (The beanie is handcrafted and custom-made by Take A Mom's Word!)
The BornFree Twist 'n Pop Straw Cup giveaway ends on January 28, 2011. Little One loves her Twist 'n Pop and thinks all kids should have one too!
Last but definitely not least, the Laundry Tarts All-Natural Laundry Detergent giveaway ends on February 4, 2011.

Stay tuned, as there is something very exciting coming soon!!! I almost can't contain myself! It's that exciting! Think you can guess what it is?

High on Life...and Chocolate

I suffer from a terrible affliction that many moms like me suffer from. The symptoms vary from woman to woman and can present themselves differently and at any given moment. This awful thing I suffer from is called...Mommy guilt.

Yes, Mommy guilt is a terrible, terrible thing to suffer from. I want to be with my toddler all the time. I don't ever like being away from her. I don't want to miss out on any moments of her life. I want to be there to soak up all those precious moments and keep them imprinted in my memory and on my heart.

Having to teach again poses a problem in this "wanting to be with my daughter all the time" thing. It means that I am not with her all the time. I  have to work. I have to prepare for lessons, plan, correct homework, etc. Then I have to come home and divide my time with toddler and household chores. The farm is demanding, the household chores are demanding, the toddler is demanding.

I get burnt out and need a few moments to myself to regroup and recharge my batteries. Like many moms know, this is a challenge. I go to Zumba classes and soon rehearsals for the play will resume. I try to do things for me every now and then. That's when the Mommy guilt hits.

However, the time has come that I now realize just how important time for myself is. One of my best friends told me, "All you need is once a month. Promise me that you will go out, do something for yourself, get your hair styled, get a manicure, go shopping for yourself...just once a month. That's all it takes. Once a month."

Thus came the birth of Girls' Night. My sista friend, Artsy Teacher Mom and I decided to plan a girls' night and invite all the moms we know who could use a break. We work hard, we take care of our families, we're exhausted, and some moms are at home with children all day and never get to leave the house.

We hosted our first Girls' Night at my house last night and it was a huge success! Artsy Teacher Mom also hosted a Silpada party since we had the girls there. We had two blenders going with Margaritas, Pina Coladas, and Strawberry Daiquiris. There was wine and non-alcoholic drinks as well. The spread was pretty impressive, if I do say so myself. Artsy Teacher Mom and I are all about serving our guests scrumptious and delectable food. I think the show stopper was the Ultimately Chocolate cake bombs!

It was a fabulous evening. The energy from the women in attendance was amazing. I haven't laughed so hard in ages! I can say that I felt recharged, rejuvenated, uplifted, and fantastic. The party was such a huge success, that Artsy Teacher Mom and I are planning on hosting a girls' night once a month. Each month will have a different theme. Next up is facials and the month after we'll be making our own bath bombs out of Epsom salt and essential oils!

When I opened my e-mail this morning, my inbox was inundated with an overwhelming number of messages thanking us for the amazing night. All the women said that it was something that they needed and were looking forward to the next get together.

I am so glad we did this! And, I don't feel the least bit guilty.

P.S. Hubby, my ESL student, and Little One were sent over to Artsy Teacher Mom's house for the evening. Along with The Carpenter's Wife's husband and Artsy Teacher Mom's husband, the men had their "men's night"... and took care of the kids!

No photos of the party, since I was too busy hosting! :)

This blog entry is cross-posted over here.

BornFree Twist 'n Pop Straw Cup Review and Giveaway!

 Little One has discriminating taste for a toddler. From a very early age, the girl knew what she liked and didn't like. Finding the perfect sippy cup was by complete trial and error. Oh, and there were many errors! We tried almost all the brands available, but she didn't like them.

One day, I was researching BPA-free and environmentally friendly feeding products and came across BornFree. Some of my friends used BornFree products and recommended them.

Little One took to the BornFree training cup immediately. Decision made.

She has since graduated to the BornFree drinking cup, and is currently using the BornFree Twist 'n Pop Straw Cup.

Little One loves BornFree so much, that she had to share the Twist 'n Pop straw cups with all her friends at her birthday party! Thanks, BornFree! 

I have to say that Little One loves her straw cup. It's easy to hold and easy to drink from. When it accidentally gets knocked over, it doesn't leak!!! It does leak a bit if your toddler holds it upside down and starts shaking it like crazy, trying desperately to get the water, juice, or milk to spill out! Where do toddlers learn these things??? Early science experiments gone awry, I suppose! Never too young to learn about the laws of physics.

The cup and cover/lid do not leak, but if held upside down, liquid can escape through the straw. Of course, that's a given. Hello, gravity?


What I love the best about the Twist 'n Pop straw cup (apart from being BPA-free!) is that all the pieces are removable for easy washing AND the lid slides to close over the straw for when your child is not drinking from the cup.

I have a little secret. I never leave drinks unattended without covering them. It's one of my many little quirks. I'm afraid of things falling into or flying/crawling into my drink! Ha! I'm totally not kidding. I'm even afraid of dust falling into my drink!

At least Little One won't have to worry about this. Not that I'd ever transfer any of my neurotic tendencies over to my toddler. ;)

I know what you're thinking. YOU'D like a BornFree Twist 'n Pop straw cup of your own for your little one, right? Well, you're in luck! The wonderful people at BornFree are giving one of my readers a BornFree Twist 'n Pop cup!

WIN IT!
To enter, simply tell me what colour Twist 'n Pop straw cup you'd like to win! Make sure you leave an e-mail address for me to contact  you.

Additional entries:
Please make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry.

1. "Like" BornFree Canada on Facebook! Don't forget to tell them I sent you! (2 entries)
2. "Follow" BornFree on Twitter. Tell them I told you to say helloooooo! (2 entries)
3. Grab my button and leave a link so I know where you've posted it. (1 entry)
4. Follow Random Thoughts and Musings from the Island REVIEWS via Google Friend Connect. (2 entries)
5. Follow Random Thoughts and Musings from the Island REVIEWS on Facebook. (2 entries)
6. Follow me on Twitter @chancesmommy and tweet this contest. (2 entries)

You can use the following or similar for  your tweet:
Win a @BornFreeCanada Twist 'n Pop Straw Cup on @chancesmommy's blog! 
http://t.co/sY8p0U4

**Contest ends at midnight EST on January 28, 2011** 

Only one lucky winner will be chosen for this Twist 'n Pop Straw Cup giveaway. You can also BUY IT online here  or at one of the many retailers (Babies R Us, Target, Whole Foods, CVS, etc) near you.

Hoot! Hoot! HOOOOOT! Great Giveaway too!

Or is it "Who! Who! Whooooo!"?  I can't remember what sound an owl makes, but these three cuties have something to show you.

I think I mentioned on the blog before that I intended on keeping My Dandelion Wishes a secret since I didn't want to share these super cute owl hats! I'm telling you...EVERYWHERE I go, people always ask me where I got Little One's owl hat from! The hats are so unique, warm, and downright CUTE! Little One sports her owl hat whenever we leave the house. Now everyone wants one!

So much for Little One being the only kid on the block with an owl hat! I wanted Little One to be different from all the rest of the kids. Just kidding. We live in a place where she *is* the only kid on the block! Anyway, I just had to get some owl hats for my twin nieces as part of their Christmas present.

Since I love My Dandelion Wishes so much, I figured I couldn't possibly keep this secret any longer.  Each hat is handcrafted by Kady herself. All the details are superb and each hat is original! Yes, even the button eyes are different on each hat! Too cute! Wow. How many times can a person use the word "cute" in a blog post?

Since my sister-in-law always dresses one twin in pink and one in purple, I got the hats made in purple and pink. Of course, I had to get the pink one in a different shade from Little One's. The funny thing is that Little One and her cousin (the pink twin) act more like twins! They share more similar personalities, gestures, and mannerisms than they do with the purple twin. They even speak a language of their own, which none of us can comprehend. 

My Dandelion Wishes has an assortment of other handmade items that will suit your fancy. You'll find everything from handmade baby washcloths, crocheted necklaces, crocheted Mary Jane slippers, hair clips, crocheted beanies, and so much more!

Oh! This just in! My Dandelion Wishes has a NEW monkey hat on her list of shop items! In fact, they are so new that they're not even in her Etsy shop yet! You can view these adorable monkey hats on her Facebook page though! Head on over and show My Dandelion Wishes (aka: Take A Mom's Word For It) some love!

Okay, just so YOU can love My Dandelion Wishes as much as I do, My Dandelion Wishes is sponsoring a fabulous giveaway on my blog! What's up for grabs? A crocheted toddler beanie (with or without a flower) and colour to be determined by the winner!!! How awesome is that?!?! If you've got a special little girlie in your life, or know a mama who is expecting a baby girl, this is a great gift to give!

I love that my first contest/giveaway of the New Year is from one of my favourite Etsy shops!

To Win
All you have to do is go to Take A Mom's Word For It on Facebook, and "like" them. Leave a message saying I sent you. (3 entries)

For additional chances to win, you may also do one or more (or even ALL) of the following! Make sure you leave an e-mail address so I can contact you. For each entry, please post a separate comment.
1. Add My Dandelion Wishes to your Etsy favourites! (2 entries)
2. Follow Random Thoughts and Musings from the Island REVIEWS on Facebook. (2 entries)
3. Follow Random Thoughts and Musings from the Island REVIEWS via Google Friend Connect. (2 entries)
4. Grab my button and leave a link so I know where you've posted it. (1 entry)
5. Follow A Mom's Word on Twitter! (2 entries)
6. Follow me on Twitter @chancesmommy and tweet this contest. (2 entries)

You may use the following or similar to Tweet:

" Win a super cute @AMomsWord crocheted beanie @chancesmommy's blog! http://fb.me/PKC8y4JY "



**Contest open to Canadian AND U.S. residents! Ends Friday, January 21st, 2011 @ 12AM EST!**

Wean Green's Boom Boom Room Swag!

Many of you know how much I loooooooove Wean cubes, yes?  I try to make myself believe that it's my toddler who loves them (she does!), but it's really yours truly that has an obsession with these amazing eco-friendly, BPA-free glass baby food/snack cubes!

I can't even contain myself. They are just the coolest! They fit perfectly in a food bag, lunch bag, diaper bag...and yes, even in a purse! They do not leak, they're tiny enough for little hands to hold onto, yet big enough to store just the right amount of food or snack items!

Not only do we love Wean Green, but we also love the lady behind the cubes! Melissa is fab! Oh, and here's yet another reason to love her...

She's headed down to LA to go to the Pre-Golden Globe's Boom Boom Room and will be meeting up with tons of companies. Melissa, can you please pack me in your suitcase? She may even bump into a celeb or two (or more!). With all the swag she collects, she'll choose a winner (live from Hollywood)!

For your chance to win this awesome Wean Green Boom Boom Room Swag, simply subscribe to the Wean Green newsletter before January 13th (and be automatically entered in the contest). To obtain additional entries, share the contest on Twitter and Facebook, "follow" on Twitter, "like" on Facebook, and leave a comment here on the Wean blog when you're done!

Even if you don't enter the contest, you might be interested in buying some Wean cubes for your own little one! Trust me, you want to get some! We use ours all the time and love them!

To All Da Pregnant Ladies In Da House!!!

 

Every Mom-to-be deserves a baby shower. Being pregnant is an exciting time and what better way to celebrate than with a BornFree online baby shower?

Born Free is giving one lucky pregnant Mommy $300 worth of Born Free products! Just post a photo of your pregnant self on the BornFree Facebook fan page or e-mail it to moms@newbornfree.com !

Not pregnant? Know someone who is? You can still enter by spreading the word! Just tell them that when they enter, mention that you sent them! If you refer someone and they win, you can earn $50 in BornFree products!

Kind of makes me want to be pregnant right now! ;)

Pssssssst! You can mention that I sent you, but I won't be eligible to win anything since I'm on the Mom Panel.