Snips Snails and Pigtails

The winner of my Boogie Wipe giveaway is....








#3.... Kym

Congratulations!! I'll be contacting you soon.

Okay you know the drill, cold and flu season is officially here and the little noses start a'flowin! Even weeks after the virus passes, the ugly boogies seem to linger. If you've ever had to pin down a toddler or preschooler to wipe their nose you know it's no easy task and no wonder- after the 100th wipe of the day, it hurts!

Well sore, crusty, chapped noses are now a thing of the past. Why? I ran across an awesome new product out on the market. They're called Boogie Wipes. What ingenious idea. It's one of those "Why didn't I think of that?" type of products. Hello!


Boogie Wipes are simply extra soft moist wipes made with saline. They come in great scents including Great Grape, Fresh Scent or Magic Menthol (for extra stuffy noses).

Boogie Wipes:

• Recommended by Pediatricians.
• Made with Natural Saline to Dissolve Mucus
  
• Hypoallergenic
• Alcohol Free
• Moisturize with Vitamin E, Aloe and Chamomile
• Fun Scents Kids Love
• Gentle Enough for All Ages
• Phthalate & Paraben Free

Boogie Wipes come in several packaging options too.

There's the Large 30 count pack for your home or car.






Boxes of Boogies on the Run (10 Individually Wrapped Wipes) perfect for Diaper Bags, Backpacks, Lunchboxes or Purses!



For gifts you can even purchase a Boogie Wipes Diaper Cake which includes:
3-30 count packs
20 Individually Wrapped Wipes
50 Diapers
1 Plus Toy

**Think baby showers!**




Guess what? I'm giving away a a Boogie Wipe Gift Pack to one of my readers! (Pack includes a Large 30 count pack, Boogies on the Run and some fantastic coupons)

All you need to do to win is:
1. Visit Boogie Wipes and take a look around. Come back and comment on which type of wipe you'd buy if this was your first time trying out the product. (Don't forget to leave a way for me to contact you if you win.)

For 2 extra entries: (Leave separate comments for each entry and be sure to link back so I can verify)
*Tweet about this giveaway
*Blog about this giveaway

Contest ends October 15th at 10am (CST) so hurry and enter today!

Thanks to Random.org, we have our ecostore USA WINNER!

WINNER of a $25 Gift Certificate!

There were only 15 entries and the Random Number Generator choose #4.

#4 Steph said...

I'd get the oxygen whitener and the sandalwood hair products, even though I don't have dandruff...I just love sandalwood. Ha!

Congratulations to Steph!

Join ecostoreusa on:
Twitter or
Facebook
Plus, if you're interested in more info. please sign up for their No Nasty Chemicals newsletter


I have several more exciting contests coming up in the next few weeks so keep your eyes out!

I recently had the pleasure of testing out product for ecostore USA


All of their products are made from plant- and mineral-based ingredients. They are completely free of toxic chemicals. Everything they carry is environmentally safe which helps to reduce our carbon footprint! They have something for everyone including Baby Care, Bath and Body, Household...even Specialty Pet Care products.

My favorite product so far is the Baby Aromatherapy Body Wash. One look at the back of the bottle and I felt proud to be bathing Princess with it. There are NO dyes, NO perfumes, NO parabens, NO toxic petrochemicals, NO sulfates etc etc. I admit I was a bit anxious opening the package thinking with all that healthy stuff, it must not smell very good. Ohhhh my goodness was I wrong. The smell of this stuff is heavenly!!! It's got a crisp, clean spa-like smell. Even Princess commented on how yummy the scent was.

Another favorite is the Naturally Antibacterial Spray Cleaner. Many cleaners have synthetic chemicals that are known to be harmful to health and can cause skin irritation or eczema. Not this stuff though. There are NO nasty chemicals in this cleaner. In fact, check out some of the ingredients... zest of citrus peel, palm and coconut based surfactants. I feel safe spraying down my kitchen table and counter tops with it.

www.facebook.dj/ecostoreusa

*All entries will be verified.
Contest will run through Aug 17th* at 10pm (Central time)

Finally, if you're interested in more info, please sign up for ecostore's No Nasty Chemicals newsletter

**Notice.. due to an error in the links, this contest has been extended!**

...a thing of the past?

It's about time for an update on the thumb sucking issue.

For a little while, the Thumb*Guard worked like magic. Princess let it be and as long as the guard was on, she wouldn't suck on her thumb.

After about 2 weeks she decided she didn't care about the Guard and we'd catch her holding onto her blanket tag with her thumb placed loosely in her mouth. The guard prevents the child from forming a suction around the thumb, but that didn't keep her from mouthing the sucking motion. We decided at that time the beloved blanket was standing in the way of breaking this habit and it was time to:

A. Get rid of the blankies!

~or~

B. Cut the tags off!

It wasn't a hard decision because I was traumatized as a child when my mom got rid of my blanket before I was ready. So.... off to the kitchen I went one morning and snipped the tags off when she wasn't looking. Of course, she was horrified when she discovered the tags on her blankies were gone!! I played dumb and she quickly recovered (within minutes) and I haven't heard a peep since.

It's been about 2 weeks since I cut off the tags and I'm almost ready to declare the thumb sucking habit a thing of the past!!

I'm sure you're wondering... ALMOST? So I'll explain, every once and awhile we'll go in the middle of the night and find that she has her thumb in her mouth (again, there's no suction, it's just kind of sitting in there and her tongue will be moving as if she were sucking on it) which tells us subconsciously she still has a bit of the habit left. We will press on and continue to use the Guard at night, if we need to. As far as daytime is concerned, she's been without the Thumb*Guard for 4 days now and hasn't even tried to suck on her thumb. Not even once.

Whooohoo! I highly recommend the little plastic apparatus for thumb and finger suckers (did I mention they have a Finger*Guard too didn't I?) everywhere!

I give it 4 Stars (...and NO I'm not being paid to say that. This is an independent product review and I am in no way being compensated. Just sayin'. )

The only reason it doesn't get 5 stars is because the clear plastic has stained from regular everyday use over the last 5 weeks. I haven't found anything to get it to clear again. It's kind of a turn off because it appears dirty no matter how clean it actually is. I guess that may be kind of a silly reason to take away a star, but I'm kind of snob like that though. ;-)

I know, I know you're shocked because I've posted twice in one day right?

Well, I wanted to share that beautiful picture I got of Princess this weekend but I also want to tell you about something else going on...

We're trying to raise money to be able to attend Discover Camp, a camp for Neurosurgery patients at the University of Chicago. Our son Nicholas is a patient there. If you'd like to read more about Nicholas, please visit his Caringbridge page.

For a limited time I have slashed prices on my website:

All Bracelet's are now $5 (or less*)

*Cat's Eye Special- 3 for $10 (Not good on Swarovski Crystal Bracelets)

Please share this special with your friends and family. These make great gifts!

My Bracelets are excellent quality and last WAY longer than any store bought child jewelry. I started making them when Princess was just a baby. I had become frustrated when the cheap bracelet I purchased for her at Clai*res broke apart within hours. I knew there was a better solution and so I set off to make high quality, yet affordable bracelets for kids. You gotta trust me, these are TOUGH! As a toddler, she couldn't get them off no matter how much tugging she did. She gets so many compliments by people whenever she wears her Bella Bracelets.

So, take advantage of this fabulous sale now. Also, don't forget about upcoming Birthday or Christmas.

Thank you!!!!

I was contacted and asked to review a brand new book by Ninni Holmqvist. Unfortunately, I just didn't have time to read it and passed it off to a friend of mine. I have posted her wonderful review below...



The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist


Holmqvist’s novel which takes place in the near future is beautifully written; sometimes the language is almost painfully descriptive. At times; reading this novel is more like watching a movie, with ever single action described in extensive detail. The main character, Dorrit is a woman who has just turned 50 years old and is now deemed as a “dispensable,” in her society; someone who is no longer needed in the community as a whole being. Women over 50 and men over 60 are required to move into the unit, where they are to participate in experiments of all different sorts, with their lives ending by making their “final donation,” which means donating vital organs to those who are “needed,” out in the community. The majority of needed people are parents, who are wanted to be kept alive to raise their children. The novel spans over two years, and at the beginning, other types of needed (or protected) people worked in professions such as in the government, are teachers or doctors and didn’t necessarily need to have children. Nevertheless at the end of the novel, even those involved in those professions are no longer protected from having to make the ultimate sacrifice. Women and men, who do not produce children in the outside community, are seen as outcasts. Even though this novel takes place in Sweden, there seems to also be a stigma against people who do not have families in our own country. People with children and people without are considered worlds apart.

I find it interesting that the word community is relegated to more of a negative thing, even though everyone in the unit, ends up making the ultimate sacrifice to the community. There are negative and reciprocal feelings that the “dispensable” and the “needed” have for each other. I also found it interesting that people with children are rarely referred to as husband and wife. They are referred to as “partners,” who do not have to necessarily be married or even be of opposite genders. Another issue that disturbed me is that the leap does not seem to be a very large one between our current assisted living centers or nursing homes for the elderly to places like the unit. One issue that bothered me about this book is that Holmqvist never seems to state whether the need for vital organs has increased dramatically due to a rise in cancer or other factors, or if it is just a natural progression. There is a huge movement in the U.S., for people to donate their organs if they die. In this state, you can check a box on your drivers’ license that states you are a donor. My father thinks that everyone should have to donate their organs that die. He sees it as a waste when people do not. So in reality, how far are we away from places like units?

Dorrit is a writer who never has constant work and she was poor. In the unit, she never has to worry about buying food, clothes or any other necessities. She has access to state of the art exercise machines, gyms, classes, a swimming pool, a sauna as well as wonderful dining and entertainment. However, there is this constant underlying feeling of panic. People never know when their friends might disappear; they never know what negative effects they could have from the medical experiments in which they are forced to take part. The generations within the unit are very short. Living over 3 years in the unit is something of an anomaly. Within these walls with no windows but a domed ceiling that lets the “dispensable” look at the night sky, Dorrit finds friends that she never had out in the community and she also falls in love. The twists that happen at the end of the book are interesting but the decisions she makes because of what happens to her are remarkable. I recommend this book to people who enjoy fiction that may be closer to the truth, to those who enjoy friendship, love, but are willing to deal with disturbing issues that are raised within the pages.
--Review by Heather Cory


Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Unit-Ninni-Holmqvist/dp/1590513134/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243206307&sr=8-1

Barnes & Noble

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Unit/Ninni-Holmqvist/e/9781590513132/?itm=1

Everyone knows who Thomas is! Thanks to Mom Select, Princess and I got the chance to go see him live on stage!

"The all-new 90-minute musical adventure Thomas & Friends™ Live! On Stage: A Circus Comes To Town is packed with audience singalongs, high-energy dancing and thrilling adventures.

When Thomas makes a big mistake, all the engines on the Island of Sodor must work together to prepare for the exciting event under the Big Top as Thomas proves he's a really useful engine once again. Along the way, Percy, James, Gordon, and of course Thomas, join with Sir Topham Hatt™ and the townspeople from the Island of Sodor to welcome a colorful cast of circus performers in an engaging story that demonstrates the importance of friendship and cooperation."

I must admit, I was a bit nervous to take Princess to a show like this. She barely sits through movies, and a recent trip to our local Theater to see Beauty and the Beast proved to be disastrous. In the end, I had absolutely NO problems. She loved every minute of it. The show was great and managed to keep the kids attention very well. (It does help that staying quiet is not a prerequisite, and dancing, clapping, singing along are encouraged!) I managed to take some adorable video. Sorry the quality is not real great on my cell phone camera but I digress...

If you're interested in taking your child to a show, I highly recommend this one!

Thomas & Friends™ Live! On Stage: A Circus Comes To Town

Check out this AWESOME new website....

Adoption Voices

It's an Adoption Social Network!

Absolutely filled to the brim with support and excellent information.

If Adoption has touched your lives in any way, you'll find something there for you.

Happy Saturday!

I know most of you are checking in to find out our winner of the LTDchix Giveaway. We had a total of 48 entries. (One person accidentally posted her entries under the wrong post. I'm understanding like that so I counted her entries as #47 and #48)

Sooo thanks to Random.org we have our winner!

#40 (Anonymous) said...

I'm all for the shopping mom!
ceimusic@aol.com

6/12/09 10:13 AM

If that's you, please get back to me with your name, address and phone number and we'll get you your awesome LTDchix shirt right away.

Thanks goes to all of you for entering and helping support a fabulous company.


**For all of you that didn't win, LTDchix is have a special promotion this weekend. Enter Promo Code: beach when checking out for 10% off!!**

I'm happy to announce I have a new giveaway for all my favorite moms out there!

It's been a little while since I talked about kajeet. (You can read my previous posts here ) I just had to share how awesome this little piece of equipment was.

For those of you that don't know, kajeet is a unique cell phone service just for kids and teens.

Anyway, I was online in our kajeet account transferring money from my wallet to my son's. While there, I decided to play around with the GPS.

That sucker is SO COOL!!!!!!

Check this out. Here is the "Birdseye" view of my sons phone being located on the kajeet GPS.

Guys, THAT is my HOUSE!!! Look how accurate this thing is. (Click it to make it bigger)




....And we kind of live out in the middle of no where.

Our neighborhood is new and Mapquest doesnt even know we're here- yet the kajeet GPS managed to find it!





Just imagine if your kid left his phone somewhere like a playdate or at the mall etc. You could totally log into your account and find it. I mean seriously.

If you're think about getting your kid a cell phone, i HIGHLY recommend kajeet.

All my readers get 15% off the listed price of the phones.

See the button over there in my sidebar---------->

Or just mention Promo Code: 1115

...he'll want a glass of milk.





If you take a girls thumb away...











she'll still try to suck it.








But she'll quickly find that she has no suction...









and the plastic isn't really all that palatable after all.









So she will nibble at the end,







...and eventually give up on the idea.

(Well that's the goal anyway) So far, so good!

It arrived in the mail.
It's small and very unique looking.
If you found one on the street, you would probably not have a clue as to what it was.
It's the ultimate solution to to our problem.

So...what is it you ask??

This!

It's called a Thumb*Guard or T*Guard. Hopefully it will help us to break the thumb sucking habit that is wreaking havoc on Princess's mouth.

We put it on Princess last night just before bedtime. It was NOT a pretty scene. She was very upset and even though we've discussed what was going to happen for weeks now she declared with all her might... SHE WANTED HER THUMB back!!!!!


Hubby and I pressed on and she eventually quieted down.

The first time I checked on her she had her finger resting over the nose just like it does when she is sucking her thumb. At first I thought she was sucking her thumb, but upon closer inspection I found that it was resting just outside her mouth. Unfortunately, later in the night we found she had managed to pull her thumb out of the device and it was resting comfortably in it's familiar warm spot-back in her mouth.

Today is a new day and we try again, making some adjustments to the fit as the child isn't supposed to be able to get their thumb out like she did.

We'll see how it goes. Watch for updates on our progress. It is suggested they wear the Thumb*guard for at least 30 days to ensure that we break the habit completely. We plan to follow it through to the end.

The boys and I got a chance to attend the preview screening of the movie "Hotel For Dogs" last night!








I must say, I was impressed. Not only was it an adorable movie, but they did a great job bringing awareness to the need of good foster and adoptive families! I didn't know that was the story line before hand, it was a total surprise.

Sure, the movie probably wont win any awards and the movie reviewers with their noses high in the air will probably hate the show as they do must family films. But we enjoyed it! (Okay, the 13 year old didn't, but he was in a "mood" and wouldn't have enjoyed any movie regardless of what it was)

Speaking of moods... when does it end?? I'm soooooo ready for it to be over. I feel like I'm on a rollercoaster and can't get off. Like I'm walking on eggshells around him just waiting for the hammer to drop at any moment. *SIGH* Love on your sweet little children now before it's too late. They'll soon grow up to be moody, hormonal teenagers that you don't even recognize anymore.

GIVEAWAY

Sorry everyone! As I posted previously, I'm away from home having had to take my son to see his Neurosurgeon. It's been hard to find computer time to post the results of this giveaway. So, without further delay:

The WINNER of the Samsung Clam M300 Camera Phone is....




#1 Brooke who answered... Ash St. Park
(Selected by random[.]org)

Congratulations Brooke! Please email me your full name and address so that I can get your phone right out to you.

A big thank you goes to to kajeet for this fantastic giveaway, and of course all of you that entered! Stay tuned because once I get back, I have another giveaway that I am so excited to tell you all about.

For those of you that didn't win, don't forget to take advantage of the fabulous deal...


For a limited time, all my readers can take 15% off their kajeet purchase. (Promo code: 1115)

Plus, get $10 additional airtime when you activate your phone!
(Enter: BONUS10 at activation)

Sorry, this contest has now ended.


You've heard me rave about kajeet before and now's your chance to see for yourself what an awesome product they have to offer!!

You can win one of their Samsung Clam M300 Camera Phones for your son or daughter, just in time for the Holidays!!


Want a chance to win? All you have to do is watch the following 2 minute video and answer the question...

What Park was Kane's phone located near?





But wait!!

Don't leave your answer here on my blog.
Send me an email here


Want extra entries?

1. Subscribe to Snips Snails and Pigtails
2. Share this contest on your blog and link back to me

Contest ends Dec. 4 at 11:59 CST
_________________________________________

Don't want to wait for the contest to end??



For a limited time, all my readers can take 15% off their kajeet purchase. (Promo code: 1115)

Plus, get $10 additional airtime when you activate your phone!
(Enter: BONUS10 at activation)

Finally...
Don't forget to enter the Custom Painted Wall Letters Giveaway... It ends tonight!!

Thanks to Random.org, we have a winner for the Cash and kajeet gift pack giveaway!




And the winner is............ #34!

Coriwestphal







To all of you that entered, don't fret. I am doing another kajeet giveaway. This time, not only will you get a kajeet gift pack, but a FREE PHONE!!!!!!!! I'm so excited that kajeet has agreed to do this. Check back for details. (I'm think on or around Black Friday. *hint, hint* )

In the meantime, my newest contest is exciting as well. Stop by for a chance to win a set of Custom Painted Wall Letters from Ladybug Letters.

Sorry, this contest has now ended.

I have another awesome giveaway!!
Custom Painted Wall Letters

I absolutely loved decorating our daughters room when we knew we'd be Adopting her. One of the very first things I found for her wall was a set of beautiful hanging letters that would display her name. If you're anything like me, the name of your child is not one that you come upon lightly. Many couples spend countless hours pouring over baby name books or the internet searching for the perfect one. Why not display it as such?

Ladybug Letters is giving away a set of her gorgeous custom hand painted wall letters.

The winner of this contest will be able to work with the creator of Ladybug Letters to come up with the perfect design for your child.
(Up to 6 letters, A $50 value!)

1. Visit Ladybug Letters

2. Leave a comment on this post answering the following 2 questions:

~What is your favorite baby name?

~What do you like best over at Ladybug Letters?

3. Want extra chances to win? Link to me for an 5 extra entries!! (RSS, Subscribe by email etc.)

4. The winner will be selected randomly and emailed directly. Be sure to leave your email address in your post or you will be disqualified! If you're afraid of spam, just change the format slightly like this: abc(at)123.com