If you or your daughter like American Girl dolls and books as much as we do, you'll be interested to know of a giveaway over at....
Click here to go directly to the giveaway.
Good luck!!!
Wow, it's been quite some time since I was here last! I just thought I'd check in with everyone. (Anyone still there?!) I recently got an update from a blogger I used to follow and it was so wonderful to hear how her family was doing. It occurred to me that I once had awesome followers too that might enjoy an update as well so here goes...
As I've posted before, I struggled with a direction to take my blog once the adoption was complete. I think I know what I need to do, but in order for me to do it I will need to post with a bit more security. Less pictures, more anonymity. In order to achieve that, I may need to start a whole new blog! I want to leave this blog as it is so those who are adopting can see our journey. So if I choose to move forward with this and you would like to follow, you will need to send me your email address so I can send you the link. Watch for more details on that soon. In the meantime, those updates...
Princess just turned 6 years old. Can you believe it!? She attends full day kindergarten and absolutely loves it. We try and keep her busy with extracurricular activities as she seems to do much better that way. At this time she attends dance (tap, ballet and jazz) and swim lessons twice a week. The boys are quite busy themselves and our oldest (who is 15 now) is giving us a run for our money. We joke that this is our "practice run" because when Princess is 15, it will be 10x worse! :-D
The winner of my Boogie Wipe giveaway is....
#3.... Kym
Congratulations!! I'll be contacting you soon.
Check out these AMAZING costumes. I'm just breathless they are so cute. You can even win one! Go here to enter:
Queen of Hearts and Alice in Wonderland Costume Set GIVEAWAY!!!!
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
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!
I entered Princess's Adoption video in a contest over at Adoption Voices
...Well guess what??? It's in the top 10!! YAY!!!
So would you do me a favor? Stop by and vote for our video and help us get to the top 5.
In order for your vote to count, you have to leave a comment. I promise it won't take but a second.
Click here to view our Adoption Montage
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE
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
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.
Earn up to 4 extra entries:
*Tweet(1) or blog(1) about this giveaway.
*Follow them on twitter(1) and/or facebook.(1)
(Please leave separate comments for each entry and make sure I have a way to contact you!)
twitter.com/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!**
What I've been up to lately...
Troubleshooting my son's shunt. For those of you that don't read his Caringbridge updates (link found to the right in drop down menu) we've been noticing a lot of symptoms that were worrisome. After a series of xrays was taken, the verdict is: It's probably broken! We've been working out the details with his Neurosurgeon in Chicago. For now, we continue to manage his symptoms and will fly to Chicago soon for them to assess the situation and possibly do a shunt repair.
Attending the ASAP Conference in Wisconsin. Yep that's right. I got away from my 4 children (5 if you could the hubby lol) and spent a few days knee deep in medical information regarding my son's condition. My brain litteraly hurt each and every day. There was just sooooooo much to take in. While I enjoyed getting away, and I learned a lot, it wasn't without drawbacks. By Saturday night I was at a major low. Listening as some of the Country's top Neurosurgeons spoke of the debilitating condition my 11 yr old suffers.
Hearing that only 4-5% of patients come to develop Pseudotumor Cerebri (as my son did...such odds!!) was hard to swallow.I listened as they told us that the long term outlook for these kids is not yet known, but that Spinal Cord Function seems to deteriorate sooner and Spinal Cord Fatigue set's in. These words could someday be my son's reality. Especially as I looked around at many of the Adult Patients attending the conference. Many with fused spinal cords, wheelchairs, walkers and service dogs. That provided WAAAYYY to much reality for me for awhile. At that point, I was ready to come home!! I missed my kids and wanted to be with my family.
I arrived home late Monday night and had to get up bright and early Tuesday as my 9 yr old was having his tonsils and adenoids out. Earlier this summer he had a sleep study done to evaluate his crazy sleep terrors in which he get's up and runs around like a MAD MAN. He had circles under his eyes and would fall asleep frequently throughout the day. He was clearly not getting enough sleep. Results of the sleep study came back to show he was suffering from Sleep Apnea and Hypoxia. While he doesn't snore or have large tonsils, it was decided they must come out! Hopefully that resolves the Apnea. I fear something else is causing the Apnea, but I refuse to go into details until I have to. Anyway, the surgery went well and he's resting quite uncomfortable on the couch at the moment. Keep your fingers crossed that this solves the sleep issue.
*SIGH* So that's why I've been on the quiet side here on the blog.
I promise, I will update again soon...
How would you like to win a trip to Lolapalloza in Chicago?
Or be in New York on New Years Eve?
Maybe even win a trip to the Winter X Games in Aspen!
You could. In fact, you could win one of FIVE Blu prizes. Check is out at BluFrog
I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to win the trip to NY. I've always watched on TV, the clock strike 12 as the ginormous ball begins to drop. 
Plus, included in the trip are the following:
- Round Trip Air Fare for 2 from Major Gateway Airport
- Ground Transport to and from the Hotel
- Luxurious Hotel for 3 nights
- Helicopter Ride for 2 over New York
Mmmmmm, doesn't that all sound awesome?!
Are you on twitter? Tweet to win!
Be sure to include #bluworld and http://bit.ly/UiiJy in your tweet.
...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. ;-)
Get your tissues ready and listen to this beautiful song by One Republic.
I have been deeply touched by this story ever since I first saw debut on Dateline several months ago.
I've tried keeping up to date with the case since then and it seems to just keep getting knocked down by the Brazilian Government. I can't even imagine what this Father must be going through. We need to spread the word. Tell everyone you know. Copy this video and share it with your friends and family.
To read more about the story of David Goldman and the fight for his son visit Bring Sean Home
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
Princess really enjoyed the show (mentioned in previous post) but after a long day her world came crashing down. THIS is what we had the pleasure of listening to on the way home....
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!
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!
I recently found out about a company...
It was started by a couple of moms just like us who are balancing full time jobs (whether at work or home) all while holding down the home front, day-in and day-out. They came up with a line of adorable illustrations that show a mom laughing at the less glamorous aspects of running a household.
You'll find the mom (shown to the left) on all of their apparel. She's cooking, cleaning, doing laundry etc. Completely overwhelmed, and yet smiling her way through daily life. She truly is "Living The Dream" which is the slogan written beneath each illustration.It's a great product, you're sure to get a chuckle from everyone. I absolutely L-O-V-E my "Laundry" LTDchix shirt. These shirts would make excellent gifts for your friends!
If you are interested in winning your very own LTDchix shirt, stop by their website and take a look around. Leave me a comment about which design is your absolute favorite
!***For additional entries you can blog about this giveaway or tweet about it. Be sure and leave a separate comment for each entry. Also, don't forget to provide a link to your blog or twitter entry, all will be verified.***
This contest will end at 10pm (Central time) June 12th. Good luck!
Oh and if you'd like, check out their blog to read some of their funny tales!
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