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May
29
Six weeks ago we received the Venus Fly Trap from The Discovery Store for review. Basically it is a plastic motion activated toy that is supposed to mimic the real thing. Unfortunately we have yet to catch anything but pollen and dust.The premise is very cool. You set the trap, and it catches the bugs. There is a motion activated sensor that detects when a bug has entered the chamber, and snaps the mouth shut. Seems easy enough but it fails to mention that you need a plethora of flying insects in order to catch something.
Unfortunately we’ve had enough rain this spring to keep the bugs at bay. Usually we have quite a few bumble bees buzzing around our house which is what my kids were hoping to catch. How cool it would be to see a bumble bee up close!
Obviously the bees are smarter than we think and are not falling for our seductive trap. We have tried several different types of fruit, honey, and even a cookie (my two year old’s idea) as bait but we are not giving up. Before long the rain will be replaced with our typical hot, muggy days and lots of flying insects. Normally I dread the bugs but the Venus Fly Trap has me looking forward to it in hopes of finally catching something.
My son checks on our Fly Trap everyday and has become so discouraged that today my husband placed an unidentifiable flying insect that is not much bigger than a gnat inside the trap. My son was so excited about that little bug which has me more determined than ever to catch something. I’m hoping it will be something big, ugly and normally would send me running!
*This review was brought to you courtesy of Parent Bloggers Network*
May
28
Fancy Nancy Doll- Just the hit shelves and is ADORABLE!
Filed Under contest/giveaway, toys | 342 Comments
The fantastically fabulous Fancy Nancy product line to arrive exclusively at Target May 2008 and we got our hands on one! Or I should say my daughters got their hands on one.I was so excited to get a Fancy Nancy doll for my youngest who has red curly hair and a love for not matching and anything sparkly just like Fancy Nancy. What I didn’t expect was for my eight year old daughter to fall in love with the doll. She has coveted her from the baby and hasn’t let her out of her arms since. She even changes her into her fancy pajamas and fuzzy slippers every night for bed!
The Fancy Nancy doll is based on the bestselling book Fancy Nancyand has been followed up with Fancy Nancy and the posh puppy
Fancy Nancy, a brand/character known for its humor and warmth, encourages little girls to freely channel their own personal exuberance! Each Fancy Nancy title finds Nancy embarking on a new adventure where she always discovers that real fanciness does not depend simply on appearance, but more on a genuine joie de vivre, which is a fancy phrase for having lots of fun!
We have definitely had fun with our Fancy Nancy. What I love most about this doll is her uniqueness and her message that being fancy is really about being yourself. She does not look like your typical blonde blue-eyed doll dressed in an old fashioned dress. Fancy Nancy has vibrant red curly hair with purple streaks, stunning yellow/green eyes and her clothes are mismatched just how most preschoolers like to dress .Fancy Nancy can be found at Target along with a line of accessories and outfits. The doll is $39.99 and the outfits/accessories run between $9.99 and $24.99. Fancy Nancy is going to be THE doll to have this holiday season so get your hands on one as soon as you can! In fact one lucky reader will win one just by leaving a comment on this post.
Giveaway details:
Leave a comment about how adorable and fabulously fancy Fancy Nancy is.
Deadline to enter giveaway is Tuesday, June 3 at 11:59 pm central time. Be sure to include a valid email address. Winner will be randomly chosen via random.org.
Winner will be notified via email and announced on this post. We’ll also be posting the winner’s name to PRIZEYWinners, so if you don’t want to leave your email address, just check there for the winner announcement after this giveaway closes.
If the winner does not claim prize by June 6, 2008 they will forfeit their prize to alternate winner who will be drawn at random.
Check out our big prize birthday blog bash giveaway!
Comments closed. Naomi of Superdumb Supervillian is our winner!
May
27
My Ying bag rocks! GIVEAWAY
Filed Under accessories, contest/giveaway, for mom | 417 Comments
I received this beautiful ying bag from Nankeen for review and I’m so impressed with it’s beauty and durability that I have to give one away!“Nankeen creates chic, fun, durable, and functional accessories for everyday style. Their designs fuse 100% cotton, indigo dye, and exquisite patterns using a traditional Chinese art form dating back to the Song dynasty. In addition Nankeen is committed to fair labor practices, environmentally friendly manufacturing, and the preservation of the art form. This historic Asian process is rapidly becoming endangered. Your support will help rescue and sustain this treasured tradition. Please pass along this treasure and share with your friends and family.”
Nankeenstyle.com offers a large selection of bags, totes, accessories, pillows and really cool accessories for men.
My ying bag is from the tote collection. I’ve always been a big lover of big bags. With four kids having a bag big enough to tote all our stuff is a must.
I took my bag with me over the holiday weekend and it was perfect for our snacks, magazines, and a few toys and my laptop fit perfectly in the padded interior sleeve. It’s the must have bag for us busy moms because the straps are sturdy enough to take a mom’s tendency to overstuff her bag and is machine washable. It’s definitely a bag I can feel good about since I’m supporting an endangered Chinese art form, the hand printed cotton will always be in style, and with it’s durability I can count on having the bag for many years.~Kristie
Giveaway details:
One winner will win their choice of either the Ying tote, Wave bag, or Song bag.
Browse nankeenstyle.com then come back here and leave a comment about your favorite product.
Deadline to enter giveaway is Tuesday, June 3 at 11:59 pm central time. Be sure to include a valid email address. Winner will be randomly chosen via random.org.
Winner will be notified via email and announced on this post. We’ll also be posting the winner’s name to PRIZEYWinners, so if you don’t want to leave your email address, just check there for the winner announcement after this giveaway closes.
If the winner does not claim prize by June 6, 2008 they will forfeit their prize to alternate winner who will be drawn at random.
Check out our big prize birthday blog bash giveaway!
May
25
Guest bloggers needed!
Filed Under guest bloggers | 12 Comments
We need some fresh ideas and are looking for guest bloggers for our Fab Finds Friday, Wacky Wednesday, and Thrifty Tuesday sections. But not just limited to those. We’d love for you to share your expertise with us and our readers. Do you have a great product you want everyone to know about? Is there a cause or charity you would like to share? Or a great place to vacation or the ideal girls getaway? How about sharing a great craft or recipe? We’d love to hear from you! It’s a great way to to introduce yourself to a new group of readers and drive traffic to your blog. You don’t have to have a blog to guest blog. Being a guest blogger is a great way to “test the waters”.
We hope to hear from you soon!
May
24
Lipstick to Crayons has turned one and the Lipstick to Crayons sisters invite you to join in the celebration. We love party crashers so invite everyone you know!
Avannabel Baby is our party sponsor and there is going to be lots of great prizes to win, new blogs to read, and new people to meet.
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It’s easy to participate:- Grab the code (it’s in our left sidebar) for our birthday button and place it in your sidebar. Link it to this post then write a post inviting all your friends.
- Feel free to celebrate at your blog. Tell us about yourself, share your fondest birthday memory, play music, share photos and video, or host your own giveaway. Then come back here and sign our Mr Linky below with a direct link to that post.
- Don’t have a blog? No problem! Just visit five of our party participators below in the Mr. Linky list, leave a comment on their post then come back here and leave a comment on this post with a list of the five blogs you visited and your email addy. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy!
We expect this post to attract a lot of traffic so let us know if your blog or store would like to submit a prize. We will update the prize list as we receive them.
We encourage you to list the three prizes you would most like to win in our comments and we will do our best to accommodate you if your name is drawn.
What’s a birthday party without birthday attire so we have lots of great birthday themed prizes!
The deadline to enter is 11:59 CST on June 3, 2008.
Good luck!
View a video of our prizes:
May
24
The Prize List
- Monogrammed Birthday Outfit from Avannabel Baby
The winner can choose a monogrammed outfit for boy or girl 12-18 months.
- Initial Birthstone Necklace from Dolce Sweet Jewels
What a special way to celebrate any sweet little girls birthday or special occasion! This cute little initial charm with the Swarovski crystal birthstone of choice is so sweet and cute on. Comes on a 14? Sterling silver snake chain or ball chain (may vary as stock changes). Perfect for those hardest to shop for!
- Yellow Label Kids Cupcake Assortment Toy from Avannabel Baby
The wrappers on these yummy crocheted cupcakes peel down, making them even more fun for little hands. Set of four cupcakes in a fabric box. Fair trade certified! Handmade by an artisan who is paid living wages in accordance with Fair Trade practices.
- Dolly and Dimples boys socks gift box from Avannabel Baby
Have him ready to cross the finish line, make a touchdown or hit a home run in our sporty athletic booties. The Pee Wee Sports collection includes three pairs of booties resembling athletic shoes in the colors of red, orange and blue. They are packaged in a colorful sports complex gift box. He’ll be an All Star!
- Lollitop from Avannabel Baby
A ready made unique gift! All lollitops come packaged in the most tasteful manner. Each lusciously soft tee is hand-wrapped like a giant lollipop! The 100% combed cotton ring spun t-shirts are currently available in 12, 18 and 24 months sizes and feature such stylish embellishments! The winner may choose which ever Lollitop is in stock.
- Tralala Sweet Tulip A-line dress from Avannabel Baby
A faux “wrap” style tied with a satin bow and buttons in back. 100% cotton. Available in sizes 2T, 3T, and 4T.
- Pink & Chocolate Dots Initial Tee for Girls from Polka Dot Market
An original font appliqué design initial is hand-cut from designer chocolate dots fabric then machine-stitched by hand to the pink cotton tee. The largest initial appliqué we’ve seen – their tees are perfect for birthdays, photo shoots, holidays and more. Handmade in Nashville.
- Handpainted pink & green clock from The Painted Present
The clock is made of a 10?x 10? gallery wrapped canvas with black clock hands.
- Wave bag from Nankeen
Start waves in the world of fashionistas when you dare to venture away from the crowd with this roomy big bag. A year round carry-all solution, the rich plum interior enhances the graceful vibes of wave. - Ribbon Bracelets from Ga Ga Girl Children’s Boutique
Five lucky winners will each receive one adorable, high quality appliques, animals and flower appliques are machine stitched to beautiful yet sturdy ribbon (so they are secure) and then the ribbon is doubled to hide the stitching. The hardware
(split rings) are Sterling Silver and the clasp and 2.5′ extension chain with a teardrop charm are silver-plated. Each bracelet is finished with or without (your choice) a
beautiful Swarovski crytal(s). These bracelets are 3/8′ wide and measure 7.5′ in length and will fit 6 months to adult.
- Infant girl tee or onesie from Delicate Tomboy
Cute, three necklace and heart locket design. - MISO CUTE infant boy tee or onesie from the Delicate Tomboy
Their best seller! - Handmade smock or dress from K Bella Bambino Designs
High quality designer fabrics and exceptional attention to detail are used in every item they make! - Designer hairbow mystery grab bag from Butterflies and Lollipops
Winner can choose a grab bag for infant or child. - Baby on Board pendant from a la mode
Makes a great gift for moms-to-be and a fun way to announce the exciting news! The pendant hangs on an 18″ sterling silver bead ball chain and comes in a decorative gift tin. - Bosom Buddy Nursing Coverup from Pickled Tink Baby Boutique
A stylish nursing cover-up for yourself or to give as a gift to help Moms breastfeed in public while maintaining their modesty. Their unique design allows Moms to keep an eye on their baby and helps to block out busy surroundings for baby during the feeding. Your choice of fabric between Blue Rose and Pink Rose. - $25 gift certificate from Hip Clips For Sassy Chicks
Two winners will receive a gift certificate code to redeem at their online store. - Primo Bottled Water
Ten winners will receive one case of environmentally friendly Primo bottled water. - $25 gift certificate to SweetPeas Bowtique
- 6×12 handpainted wood sign from Doodle Design Shop
Sign is made of 1/2 mdf board (no bowing or cracking). The board is cut, routed and sanded, hand painted and lettered by Doodle Design and finally sealed with a non-yellowing, UV resistant sealer for protection. Ribbons are heat sealed to prevent fraying. Choose a current design or saying of your choice.
Enter yourself in our giveaway here.
May
23
The Mommy Makeover and the book to explain it to your little ones
Filed Under beauty, books, health | Leave a Comment
*Sigh* Such a sign of the times was my first thought when I saw this book detailed in Newsweek magazine. Browse your local bookstore’s parenting section and you will find books on potty training, how to tame the terrible twos, how to survive the first year and how to get your groove back when you have made it through and now next to Dr. Spock we have My Beautiful Mommy.Aimed at kids ages four to seven this picture book features a plastic surgeon named Dr. Michael and a girl whose mother gets a tummy tuck, a nose job and breast implants. Not surprising is that this book has recently been released. According to the latest numbers from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, breast augmentation was the most popular cosmetic surgery procedure last year, with 348,000 performed (up 6 percent over 2006). Of those, about one-third were for women over 40 who often opt for implants to restore lost volume in their breasts due to aging or pregnancy weight gain. Yep, I can relate. And the ads are everywhere- “mommy makeovers” (tummy tuck and breast implants performed together, usually after a woman has finished childbearing) described as almost a day at the spa. But how do you explain this to a child, after all it is major surgery and curious children will have questions. The author, Salzhauer got the idea for a book after noticing that women were coming into his office with their kids in tow. He says that mysterious doctor’s visits can be frightening for children. “Parents generally tend to go into this denial thing. They just try to ignore the kids’ questions completely.” But, he adds, children “fill in the blanks in their imagination” and then feel worse when they see “mommy with bandages,” he says. “With the tummy tucks, [the mothers] can’t lift anything. They’re in bed. The kids have questions.”
I am torn- I have not (yet) had any plastic surgery and cannot say for certain if I will ever go that route, but I feel if a woman needs that to feel better about herself, then go for it! But, I wish there was a way to tell our kids, especially our daughters, that how we look on the outside is not so important. But then I am lying to myself…. I long for the day when my too tight jeans do not bother me anymore.
What do you think? Should we explain to our kids about our surgery or just tell them some little white lie? Perhaps in this case, ignorance really is bliss.~Jennifer
May
23
Summer memories
Filed Under blog blast, bragging rights, family life | Leave a Comment
PBN and Huggies® Little Swimmers® disposable swim pants have teamed up and are asking bloggers to reminisce about our family summer adventures - especially those in the water!
I have many memorable summer adventures. In fact they are all memorable! My kids love the water as much as I do. We have a backyard pool that has provided many memorable moments for our family as well as the beach vacations we take every summer. Never the same place twice. We try a different beach every year. Last year was Myrtle Beach and this year will be San Diego. But why tell you about our memorable summer adventures when I can show you?
I can’t end this post without mentioning my most bittersweet summer memory. Last summer we put our beloved 10 year old Golden to sleep because he was losing his battle with nasal cancer. He loved swimming in our pool so we treated him to one last swim before his peaceful departure from earth. He didn’t swim with his usual zealous but just sitting in the cool water had such a calm and comforting effect. We will never forget him or his love for the water. ~Kristie
To participate:
Write a post about your family summer adventures. Post anytime this weekend - Friday, May 23 through Monday, May 26. Make sure to link http://www.littleswimmers.com/na and http://blog.parentbloggers.com somewhere in your post. Then email the link to your post at parentbloggers@gmail.com.
The winner will receive a “Summer Fun Essentials Package” - a beach bag filled with summertime must-haves such as beach towels, pool toys, a sand castle building kit, and a cooler. Plus, products from the Huggies® Little Swimmers® line, of course!
