I've Been Nominated for a Dottie Award!

The Mom Blog Momdot is having their Dottie awards right now, and I was nominated for the Most Outstanding Performance! Yay! I'm competing against some pretty awesome girls, like Kim from Accidental Mommies, or Sarah from Ohana Mama, or Tena from Punky Monkey's, so I need your votes! Please go vote for me!
Why you might ask? Well, here's one reason:

Yup, that's me! I'm that redhead. I've got lots more awesome performances so be sure to stay tuned to see them!

Claudias Bowtique Babycakes Giveaway

Do you know a soon to be momma who love glitz and glam? Are you looking for the perfect gift for them? If so, I have found the perfect site for you! Claudias Bowtique makes adorable baby gifts including diaper cakes, layette cakes, baby milkshakes, layette cupcakes, baby bouquets, and much more!

Here's a little more about them from the owner of Claudias Bowtique:

Claudias Bowtique Babycakes......the best eye candy for any baby shower!!!!!!

Next time you need to shop for a unique baby gift......check out Claudias Bowtique Babycakes. A spectacular floral display filled with lots of baby essentials. These luxurious babycake centerpieces make fabulous gifts for a baby shower OR display it inside a posh nursery as charming decor.

Each babycake is custom created and truly is a one-of-a kind work of art. Delicious ingredients include a variety of baby layette garments: receiving blankets, onesies, bibs, cuddle blankets, mittens, washcloths, baby cap, sleepers, socks, and even a secret treasured heirloom piece tucked inside. whether a silver spoon, ceramic keepsake box, ceramic picture frame, or even a silver "Mom to be charm bracelet". There are nine charms total...1 for every month of pregnancy leading up to the birth. Each charm carries a special significance in the new arrival's life.

The outside icing is then lavishly decorated with high end silk floral, artistic ribbons, pearls, glittery birds or butterflies, baby booties, and a soft plush toy.

Once baked, every babycake is then served on a elegant silvery cake platter and wrapped in gorgeous white tulle. Each babycake is lightly misted in a secret eau de toilette french fragrance of your choice. Scents include: Vanilla Bliss, Pear Glace, Lavender, or Rose Pedal.

Customers may order a 1, 2, or 3 tier cake depending on their budget. The 1 tier cakes are smaller in budget BUT we still think highly of them in elegance and style. For example, featured in this month's giveaway. Enter to win a 1-tier babycake (neutral color theme). Valued at $170.00

The 1 tier babycake contains:
6 receiving blankets
6 100% cotton onesies
1 cuddle blanket
6 wash cloths
2 bibs
1 baby cap
1 pair of baby booties
1 soft plush toy
& 1 secret baby heirloom piece

Doesn't that sound amazing? I think anyone would LOVE to receive this as a gift. If you know someone who would love to have this, or if you want it for yourself, I have great news for you! Claudia is giving away a one-tiered babycake in a gender neutral scheme to one lucky reader. (Pictured below)

To enter:

• Visit Claudias Bowtique and tell me your favorite item, outside of this babycake.

For extra entries:

• Blog about this giveaway on your site including a link to Claudias Bowtique and to this contest (10 extra entries!)
• Add my button to your site, or add me to your blogroll (1 extra entry)
• Twitter about this contest once per day (1 entry per tweet)
• Favorite this blog on technorati (Button is in the right sidebar- 1 extra entry)
• Stumble, digg or kitsy this post (That's what the share/save button below is for! 1 entry per item)
• Vote for me (Trish) in the Dottie Awards for Best Supporting Blogger and Most Outstanding Performance (1 entry for each vote)
  

Make sure to leave each entry in a seperate comment. If you blog about it, just say something like "I've blogged about it here Entry #1" Then leave me 10 comments.

Winner will have 48 hours to contact me, or I will draw a new winner. Contest is open to US residents only. Ends February 6th at 11:59 pm MT.

For more fun contests, be sure to visit the Bloggy Giveaway Carnival

Sasha and Malia Dolls- Are They Modeled After Pesident Obama's Daughters?

Ty Girlz, the makers of Beanie Babies, has recently come out with two new dolls- Sweet Sasha and Marvelous Malia.Ty says that these are not based on the Obama girls, and are not meant to be exact replicas of them. I don't know. I think there are enough possible similarities. I think the coincidence of Ty making these dolls right as President Obama takes office is pretty slim. My opinion is that they are based after the two girls, and Ty just doesn't want to get in trouble for it.

Michelle Obama has criticized the makers of the dolls for modeling them after her girls. Obama's press secretary Katie McCormick Lelyveld said, "We feel it is inappropriate to use young, private citizens for marketing purposes," in a statement on Saturday.

What do you think? Is it OK for people to be using famous kids for marketing, especially without their parent's permission? Do you think these dolls are even based off of the Obama girls?

Jishaku: The Game of Magnetic Action Review

I recently had the opportunity to try out a new game called Jishaku. Since we love to play games, I was very excited to try this out! This is a strategy game that uses magnets. And very strong magnets, might I add!

Here's a little about the game:
Jishaku (jee-shah-koo) is a patent-pending portable strategy game like chess or checkers that can be played anywhere – in the kitchen or at the beach. But unlike chess, the element of surprise is when the magnet jumps out of position, without warning. Surprise, then laughs, follow as two or more players try to beat the force fields with strategic thinking plus careful and precise handling of the game’s magnetic stones. The unpredictability of the game turns any get-together into a party.

“In Jishaku it matters not only where you place your stones but also how you place each one,” explains Steve Velte“All magnets have north and south poles and a magnetic field. Study the effect your magnet has on the stones around it. It will attract some and repel others. How you manage that interaction determines. your fate.”

The obvious goal of Jishaku, the Japanese word for magnet, is to control your magnets and not have them control you. The game is designed for two or more players and complete instructions are included. Players can also jump to the website, www.playjishaku.com, for strategy tips and some very funny video clips of people of all ages experiencing the game for the first time.
We pulled it out one Sunday night and played all three of the games that you can play with this set. (Directions are included!) There were plenty of jumps, and screams, and laughs as the magnets suddenly did something unexpected. They tend to connect when you are least expecting them too, and it's usually not just two that connect.

In two of the games, you are trying to not attract other magnets. The goal for these is to place your magnets without having any others attach to it. The third game is the opposite, however. In that one, you want to try to attract as many as possible. I think my husband and I enjoyed playing that one the best. We thought it was fun when they all joined together, or when they formed a chain reaction.


This game is for 2 or more players, but I don't recommend it with more than three people, unless you play teams. Also, it is recommended for players 8 and older, because of the small pieces that could be swallowed.

Make sure to visit their tips and tricks to increase your skill. Just don't tell your partner about it! :) hee-hee.

Jishaku is a Playdate Pick!

Monday's Free Redbox Code Jan 26th

It's that time again. Check out what's at your local redbox and use this promo code for a free rental:

57VH9L

Remember that it expires tonight at midnight.

Blush Topless Undershirt Giveaway and Review

I was first introduced to Blush topless undershirts a few years ago at a local baby fair. My mother-in-law bought one for me and one for her daughter. I LOVE mine.

For those of you who haven't heard of them, here is a little about Blush:

"We are just two girls, both looking for the same product until we decided one day to design it. With one of us having a long torso and the other being pregnant, we both had the same problem of our shirts not fitting.

Blush Accessories welcomes you to a product that helps adjust the clothes you already have to fit you perfectly. This is a shirt that is to be worn like a tube top, but around the waist. Our product is made of a poly/rayon/spandex blend, allowing a huge amount of stretch and great support."

They are perfect for those pants that are a little too low rise, or that shirt that is just a little too short. I am a huge fan of the fact that they don't have any straps. I had long tanks that I would wear underneath my shirts, but when I raised my arms, they would come up, like my shirts did. These, however, do not! They stay in place, so I don't have to worry about constantly tugging my shirts down.

I had told my little sister about these and she seemed very excited to try them, so I gave her one for Christmas. My brothers though the oxymoron of a topless shirt was hilarious. That became the joke the rest of Christmas break- "At least it's not a topless shirt!" My sister was quite pleased with her topless undershirt however and now wears it all the time.

These are also great to wear when you are pregnant and your shirts don't cover your belly anymore. These help your wardrobe stretch a little further. One thing I wanted to point out is that although there is a section on the website that says Maternity, and one that says For Everyone, they are the exact same thing! Blush just recommends going a size bigger than your normal wear if you are planning on using it for maternity.

I absolutely love how long these things are. I have tried another kind of undershirt, but it was shorter and kept riding up. This one I wear right underneath my bra, and it is still plenty long enough. I have not had any issue with it riding up or falling down. Another thing I have done is if I have a shirt that is just a little too low cut, I hike it up over the girls and wear it there! It works great!



Now that you are sold on these, I wanted to tell you the best part! You can enter to win one! If I get over 200 entries on this contest, they will giveaway an extra shirt. That means there's a possibility of having 2 winners! So go tell all your friends so we can reach that 200 mark. Also, they are also offering a Blush Discount of 20% off two or more when you use the code "welovebloggers"

To enter:

• Visit Blush and tell me your favorite color or pattern
  

For an extra entry:

• Add my button to your site, or add me to your blogroll
• Vote for me(Trish) in the Dottie Awards under Best Supporting Blogger and Most Outstanding Performance
  

Contest will end Friday 30th at 11:59pm. Open to US and Canada residents. Winners will have 48 hours to contact me.

For more fun contests, check out the bloggy giveaway carnival!

FLABuLESS Discount!

I have good news for all of you who entered my FLABuLESS giveaway! I was contacted by the product manager of FLABuLESS who wanted to offer all of you a discount! This is what she said:

FLABuLESS wants to help you start the “New Year” as a New You. On your way to feeling slimmer we are offering a special online offer of 20% off your purchase.
(For a limited time only)

Simply go to www.flabulessu.com, and pick up a
Pleine and De Quart sleeve
or
(1) Long Sleeved Veston(our newest addition),
and get 20% off your total order.

(total before discount must be $55, you are free to do any order combination you like, these are just suggestions)

Simply type "newyou" into the coupon code and you are all set!

FLABuLESS wishes you a wonderful New Year!

How great is that? So everyone who wanted a FLABuLESS arm slimmer, but didn't win- head on over to their site and get the one you like!

The No Cry Nap Solution

I love naps. I think they are the best thing ever. I love my daughter, but I need a break during the day. We recently transitioned from two naps to one, and it's been a little of a hassle, but I knew she was ready. I have friends who are amazed that my daughter goes to bed at about 6pm, sleeps till about 8 the next morning, and takes at least 1 1/2 hour nap. Some of them have kids who are only a year old, and they claim that their kid won't take a nap, so they don't have naps anymore. Then they tell me how crazy their kid is, and how they are constantly throwing tantrums. That sounds like a kid who still needs a nap to me!

If you have kids who won't nap well, then you need to check out "The No-Cry Nap Solution: Guaranteed Gentle Ways to Solve All Your Naptime Problems" by Elizabeth Pantley. She has also written "The No-Cry Sleep Solution, The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers & Preschoolers, The No-Cry Potty Training Solution, and The No-Cry Discipline Solution."

From Amazon.com:

Does your child:

• nap only in your arms, a sling, a swing, or the car?
• require elaborate rituals before sleeping?
• get fussy, act cranky, or have tantrums due to lack of sleep?
• take very short naps--or none at all?

Naps are important to a child's mood, well-being, and development. The No-Cry Nap Solution offers you a proven formula to allow your baby, toddler, or preschooler to get daily restorative rest. You'll learn gentle, loving, tear-free techniques, developed by world-renowned parenting expert Elizabeth Pantley and tested by hundreds of families around the world, guaranteed to help you:

• Convince any child to nap every day.
• Effortlessly settle your child for naptime in his or her own bed.
• Turn short, fitful naps into long, peaceful ones.
• Establish a nap schedule that works for you and your child.
• Easily adapt nap routines to your child's developing needs.
• Confidently deal with sudden changes, nap strikes, and travel

I had the chance to review this book, and it was filled with a lot of good ideas. She talked about why it is so important for kids to nap. She calls this the Volcano Effect. Here is an exert from her book about this:

The Volcano Effect: Why Skipping a Nap Results in Meltdown

By Elizabeth Pantley, Author of The No-Cry Nap Solution

From the moment your child wakes in the morning he is slowly using up the benefits of the previous night’s sleep. He wakes up totally refreshed, but as the hours pass, little by little, the benefits of his sleep time are used up, and an urge to return to sleep begins to build. When we catch a child at in-between stages and provide naps, we build up his reservoir of sleep-related benefits, allowing him a “fresh start” after each sleep period.

As shown on the sleep chart below, as children age, the length of time that they can stay “happily awake” increases. A newborn can only be awake one or two hours before tiredness sets in, whereas a two year old can last five to seven hours before craving some down time for a nap. When children are pushed beyond their biological awake time span without a break that’s when they be com e fatigued, fussy and unhappy.

Age	“Happily Awake” span of time between naps
Newborn	1 – 2 hours
6 month old	2 – 3 hours
12 month old	3 – 4 hours
18 month old	4 – 6 hours
2 year old	5 – 7 hours
3 year old	6 – 8 hours
4 year old	6 – 12 hours

As the day progresses, and the sleep pressure builds, a child be com es fussier, whinier, and less flexible. He has more crying spells, more tantrums, and less patience. He loses concentration and the ability to learn and retain new information. The scientific term for this process is “homeostatic sleep pressure” or “homeostatic sleep drive” . . . I call it The Volcano Effect. We’ve all seen the effects of this on a baby or child, as it is often as clear as watching a volcano erupt; nearly everyone has observed a fussy child and thought or said, “Someone needs a nap!”

As a child progresses through his day, his biology demands a sleep break to regroup, refresh and repair. If a child does not get this break the problem intensifies: the rumblings and tremors be com e an outright explosion. Without a nap break, the homeostatic pressure continues building until the end of the day, growing in intensity – like a volcano – so that a child be com es overtired, wired and unable to stop the explosion. The result is an intense bedtime battle with a cranky, overtired child, or an infant who won’t fall asleep no matter how tired you know he is.

Even more, a child who misses naps day after day builds a sleep deprivation that launches her into the volcano stage much easier and quicker. If she is missing naps and also lacking the right quality or quantity of nighttime sleep…watch out!

Newborns and young babies have a much shorter span in which their sleep pressure builds. They rapidly reach the peak of their volcano in one to three hours. This is why newborns sleep throughout the day, and why young babies require two or three or four daily naps. Over time, as a baby’s sleep cycle matures he will be able to go longer periods between sleeps. It is not until age 4 or 5 that a child is able to go happily through the entire day without a nap, and sleep research suggests that even through adulthood a mid-day nap or rest break is extremely beneficial in reducing the pressure in all human beings.

The Volcano Effect is not something reserved only for children! This biological process affects adults as well. Understanding this can help you interpret what is really going on in your home at the end of a long day, when children are fussy and parents are grumpy – resulting in a whole mountain range of volcanoes

Sleep pressure can be exaggerated by environmental issues such as the previous poor night’s sleep, on-going sleep deprivation, or daily stress. What's more, each person’s moodiness feeds off the others, causing contagious crankiness. And then you’ll find yourself losing patience and saying to your child, “I’m sorry, honey. Mommy’s just tired right now.” (This is a very telling explanation we don’t often stop to analyze.)

This Volcano concept brings to light one more important point: Quality naps can make up for lost night sleep – but extra nighttime sleep does not make up for missed naps, due to the homeostatic sleep pressure concept. Therefore, no matter how your child sleeps at night – great sleeper or poor sleeper -- his daily naps are critically important to release the rising sleep pressure.

I have to say that I already did most of what she talks about, and knew why sleep was so important. It was still really nice to have a refresher course however! I can see how this would be great for those people who don't have a good sleeper. So, if you are going crazy because you can't get your kid to nap, I highly recommend this book!

Things That Are Going On

Here are a few things that I have been informed of and asked to share with you readers.

1.) Celebrate Valentine's Day with these ultra cute Valentine's tees from Uncommonly Cute. They have adorable baby clothes! Enter "love09" for 20% off!

2.) It’s a new year and it’s time to make yourself a top priority - Disney Family.com is here to help. Visit http://family.go.com/sweeps/spa-vacation/ for a chance to win an all expense relaxing spa vacation for two at Canyon Ranch Health Resort in Tucson , Arizona .

The trip includes:

• Three gourmet meals daily from the award-winning Canyon Ranch kitchens
• $390 per person allowance toward spa, sports & integrative wellness services
• More than 50 complimentary fitness classes each day
• A Personal Program Advisor to custom design your stay
• A health & fitness assessment

In addition, three runner-ups will either receive a fully-loaded Dell Inspiron laptop, a $500 shopping spree at New York and Company, or $500 to spend on pampering themselves. It’s all part of Disney Family.com’s brand new, mom-focused website, offering tips and advice on how to look better, do better and feel better in 2009.

To enter the sweepstakes, please visit http://family.go.com/sweeps/spa-vacation/http://family.go.com/hot-topics/pkg-makeover-mom/ . . For more information on how to be a new you in this New Year, go to Disney Family.com’s “Makeover Mom” page: http://family.go.com/hot-topics/pkg-makeover-mom/

3.) Fergie gifted her bridesmaids Minnie Rose cashmere shawls (www.MinnieRose.com). For her special day, Fergie wanted her bridesmaids to feel as pampered and luxurious as she did. Minnie Rose® is the ultimate destination for stylish and luxurious cashmere apparel.

4.) Are you a trendy gal who loves to “try before you buy”? If so, then the box from Sweet Delight Divas is definitely for you. You'll be able to sample unique handcrafted items, from a variety of contributing online businesses, before committingto the full sizes. How great is that! You'll receive sample-sized bath and body products, candles, jewelry, fashion accessories, and more. If it's glam, girly, and gorgeous.....it'll be be found in the Sweet Delight Divalicious Sample Box. Take one peek inside and you'll know why they call it “Divalicious”.

Join the Divas for their debut in March '09! There are many companies already lined up to participate in the first-ever Sweet Delight Divalicious Sample Box.....and yes, boxes will be going fast! Promote independent businesses and be a part of the ever-growing “Diva-Movement” by purchasing a box or by being a contributor. Don't forget that when you buy a box, your name will be entered into a draw to win a sample box from the next campaign. Woot!

This grand opening event is going to be huge! So, don't miss out. For more information, please visit.... http://www.sweetdelight.ca/samples.html or http://delightfuldivasinbusiness.blogspot.com/ for news and updates.

5.) Go check out the awesome ladies at MomDot and find plenty of other Mom Blogs to visit!