Pregnancy Update {22 weeks}

I am in the phase of this pregnancy where I feel great! Really! I don't have the nausea or heartburn anymore, the migraines have subsided, I'm sleeping fine, I have nothing to complain about really!

I had an appointment with the midwife today. Everything seems good. Baby's heart rate was 155, it was 161 at the ultrasound appointment last week. She seems to be staying in the 150/160 range. We went over the ultrasound information. Everything seems to check out great. Baby looks good, the location of my placenta is good, nothing that peaks any concern. Which is a relief to me. With Bug they had scared me with all sorts of things. I had multiple ultrasounds with him, but strictly for monitoring purposes, there was nothing they could have done in the womb anyway. So that was frustrating. But I am glad we are in the clear with this little one. The ultrasound measured my due date at July 7th, which is 4 days later than calculated. It will be interesting to see when this little one makes her appearance. I already have a holiday baby, I wonder if I'll have another? 

We took another blood draw for my hormone levels. Please pray they come back high so I can stop taking the progesterone shots! 

Cravings? Well, nothing specific, just food in general! Oh my gosh, my appetite is enormous! I have kind of slipped on the healthy eating since we went to Las Vegas a few weeks ago. I need to get back on the healthy food train, but the food that is looking and tasting the best is of course the stuff that isn't really all that good for me, or lets face it, it isn't good for me at all! But, I'm going to try really hard this week to go back to a healthier diet!

Trying to pick out a girls name has been way more difficult than it was to pick out either of the boys' names! Still trying to wrap our heads around the idea of having a girl. It will be so different for us, but we are excited! 

I didn't get many stretch marks with the boys, mainly just around my belly button, but they weren't very noticeable... until now! My old stretch marks are getting darker, yet there aren't any new ones showing up. I would like it if I didn't get anymore, but it is what it is! 

Another thing that is a bit more strange about this pregnancy is that my belly button never "popped" with my prior two pregnancies. It just basically went flat, hardly noticeable that I had one! In this pregnancy my belly button is sticking out, which is just strange, it has been for over a month now too. It'll be interesting to see what happens as I get closer to my due date.

Was/is there a time in your pregnancy that you just feel great? The second trimester is really my favorite! But I also like the third trimester when I can play "what's that body part" as the baby moves from one side of my belly to the other! 

Tacky Box Review - Teaching Children Kindness

Thank you Tacky Box for the complimentary kit!

There are so many things that we, as parents, have to worry about when it comes to teaching our children and molding them into positive, respectful, kind human beings. We always wonder if what we have taught them will be something they practice when we are not around. Starting early with kindness is of great importance. The earlier our children are taught about kind words vs. tacky, or hurtful, negative words and phrases, the more likely these concepts will be practiced out of habit when we are not around.

One option that parents now have as an interactive, hands on way to teach their children about being kind to others is through the Tacky Box and it’s accompanying book Max’s Magnificent Choice (or Margo's Magnificent choice if you have girls). Tacky Box is tool for parents to help teach their children what is and is not appropriate to say to others and help them demonstrate what would be kind and uplifting. Through the Tacky Box we hope that our children will learn to make the right choices whether or not we are around.

Tacky Box creator Chris Phelps designed this box and wrote the accompanying book with Cindy Kent after her kindergartner made the choice to use a tacky four-letter word. Aside from just talking to her daughter she came up with a creative way to show her daughter what was kind and what was tacky, to help her facilitate the ability to make a good choice in the words she uses in the future.

As you read the book with your child you will go through the story of a monkey named Max who just wants to fit in and be part of the jungle fun. He didn’t intend to be mean to his jungle friends when he had repeated words that he had heard some other people saying. Not really knowing that what he was saying to his jungle friends was tacky and hurtful, he was turned away by them. Then the wise owl has a talk with Max and explains to him that what he was saying to his jungle friends was tacky, hurtful and mean. The owl then gives him a Tacky Box and gives him examples of nice, uplifting things to say to his jungle friends.  Max then starts to make better choices and is rewarded by the owl with a high five. When he returns to his jungle friends with kindness they are happy to welcome him into their fun and games! Being kind has never felt so good!

So what exactly is the Tacky Box? The Tacky Box is a simple wooden box with a little notepad inside. Your child is given the tools to decorate his or her tacky box, you can do this with paint, stickers, crayons, markers, stencils, anything! Whatever best suits your child's creativity.

Squirrel enjoyed painting his! He enjoys painting in general. When he was done painting I offered him stickers and such, but he turned them down.

When your child hears, sees, or says something tacky, hurtful or mean, you can have a talk with them about why that situation or word is tacky and what they can say to replace tacky words. You then have them write the word on a piece of the notepad paper. This paper is then placed in the box. Writing the tacky words and phrases then placing them in the box gives your child the ability to learn through print and action that these types of actions are not acceptable. Locking these words and phrases in the box symbolizes your child’s ability to make the choice in the future to leave those words in the box and chose a more appropriate and friendly course of action, rather than a tacky one.

When Chris first created the Tacky Box for her daughter she had no idea it would work so well for her. Not only did she start noticing her daughter making better choices for herself, but Chris also noticed these better choices displayed in her younger son. The positive choices her daughter was making were rubbing off on her little brother! How great it must have been for them to see this great effect of kindness spreading from one child to another first hand!  

Through their Campaign For Kindness Chris, her family, and their partners are hoping to make this ripple effect spread throughout the nation. Hopefully teaching children to be positive role models for everyone they come in contact with at school, church or on the playground.

Turning children into positive role models while they are at school, church, the park, or anywhere is what helps make the Tacky Box so successful. Happiness and kindness spread through example! We can help spread these things by teaching our children how to treat others with kindness, and by locking away the tacky words and phrases that are best left unsaid.

This project may also help me keep my words in check! I caught myself calling our dog an idiot today, definitely tacky. I immediately thought "well, that should go in the tacky box!".

I'm excited to see how well this helps Squirrel learn what is tacky and what is kind. Hopefully he will be part of the ripple effect and be a great influence on his friends!

Buy It: You can purchase the Tacky Box Kit on their website for either boys or girls for $29.95.

Each kit includes:

• Hard cover copy of Max's Magnificent Choice (boys) or Margo's Magnificent choice (girls)
• Authentic Tacky Box, dimensions 5x8 with an image of both Max and Margo
• Instructions for use
• Tacky Box notepad with an image of Max and Margo

Connect: Like Tacky Box on Facebook and follow on Twitter.

Disclosure: I received the Tacky Box pictured above to help facilitate my review. All opinions are my own. No other compensation was received. 

My Toddlers Favorite Books

There are times when your children are silent and you wonder what they are up to. Well, today I got a little worried that bug was coloring on the walls again! He always manages to find a marker or pencil, even where there isn't one around. He's an artist, as long as you don't ask him to color on paper!

To my surprise, when I went into Squirrels room to check on them, they were sitting on the bed reading books! Books have always been part of the boys' lives, from day one. Squirrel has always enjoyed books. In fact, when he was 5/6 months old the only thing that would calm him down when he got upset was a book, 8 Silly Monkeys.

I remember my mom came over to watch him one day. I said "if he gets upset, just sit in the rocking chair with that book, he'll calm right down!". She didn't believe me until she had to calm him down, and it really did work.

Bug's love of books started much differently. He wanted nothing to do with books when he was a baby. He has always been a terror with his books. He has ripped so many pages out of books that if I had to pull a piece of hair from my head for every page he ripped, I'd be bald! He also loved to eat them, that right, eat them. For some reason the corners and bindings of books were always in his mouth. He ruined many a book this way.

Somewhere around 18 months that started to change. He is now a huge book lover, he still tends to tear out pages, but at least he is reading when he does, rather than just tearing out a page for fun.

So I thought I would share with you five of his favorite books, I prefer the board books, but two of these are paper back. So far he hasn't destroyed them.

Goodnight Moon By Margaret Wise Brown
It's a classic! He loves pointing out the items I read off. He also loves looking for the mouse. If you didn't know, the mouse is on every colored page! Like most of the books I'll mention, it is also a great one to show them that words on pages have links to items on the page. Show them the word, then have them point to the picture. Great way to start a love of reading at an early age.

Old Hat, New Hat By Stan and Jan Berenstain
This was one of my favorites as a kid. As a matter of fact, the copy we have was mine as a kid! Full of simple words, rhyming and colors this book is fun for toddlers. It is also a great for introducing describing words. He may not understand this aspect now, but when he gets into preschool this will be helpful.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear By Bill Martin Jr.
Again, another classic. Bug didn't get this book until a couple months ago. For Christmas I decided to do something a little more simple "Something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read". His something to read was a three pack of books. This one, Polar Bear, Polar Bear and Panda Bear, Panda Bear. He likes them all, but of the three this is his favorite, mine as well. I like that it is animals he can relate to or he sees in many other books. Its also great for learning colors.

Hop On Pop By Dr. Seuss
This was one that I was not familiar with. But I love Dr. Seuss and all the Beginner books. I like the rhyming and the drawings. There are a few pages in here where I get to show emotion, Bug really enjoys that. He gets into it and plays along when he can.

Doggies By Sandra Boynton
Ok, not sure if you are familiar with these ones. But she has a whole line of books. This one is a counting book, from one to ten. Each dog has a different style bark. I actually don't care much for this one. But Bug really likes the dogs and their barks (the part I don't like). He plays along with this one as well. With a few of the dogs I just point to it and he makes that dogs sounds, then I don't have to. His favorite page is the dogs on a moonlight night. My favorite page is the quite dogs!


Instilling a love of reading when your child is young will set a foundation of education that will help your child blossom in all other academic categories. Language, speech, reading, it is all so important. I am glad I have been blessed with the ability to share so many books with my kids. We have somewhere around 500 children's books. But, they do have their favorites that always go back to! We may have a lot of books, but most are not new. We get most of our books at garage sales and thrift stores. I'm always looking for more!

What are your child's favorite books? Do they tend to stick to a few favorites? Do they like something new?

Penny Auctions Canada - Leather Charm Bracelet Review

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial. Penny Auctions Canada is a site that offers daily deals auctions as well as penny auctions. They auction off products such as gift cards, jewelry, home decor and much more.

One of the items they currently have up for bid in the penny auction is this faux wrap leather charm bracelet. These bracelets are really popular right now. Great fashion statement. With this one you don't have to actually do any wrapping, so it is easy to put on and take off.

It is a 5 strand bracelet made with genuine leather, wax linen cord and suede, with alloy charms.

The charms on this bracelet feature an infinity symbol, a love charm and two owls. I have a pair of owl earrings that match perfectly with this bracelet! 

The bracelet is 7 1/2 inches long with a 2 1/2 inch extender. Giving it generous sizing ability to fit up to 10 inches. 

The leather strands are attached by a light weight metal clamp. I wasn't so sure how well it would hold up. I had a fear of it getting caught on something and coming un-clamped. But I wore it on a day we were out and about and I was picking up and putting down a toddler who was also really curious and loves my bracelets. If it held up through that, I'm guessing it will continue to hold up just fine. 

Here you can see just a couple of the other items they have available for auction.

Penny Auctions Canada (PAC) is a Canadian business but open to US market.

Not sure how the whole auction thing works? Check out their How It Works section to get started! If you don't want to take the time to bid because you just want a particular product NOW, there is a "buy now" option as well. 

PAC is offering  my readers bonus bid package. With code TOMOSON25 at checkout you will get 25 free bids with a 25 bid pack purchase.

Also, all new sign-ups will get 5 FREE bids (no purchase necessary). All you have to do is create your free account then e-mail them at at affilitaes@pennyacutionscanada.com with your user name.

Start bidding now at Penny Auctions Canada, or visit them on Facebook!

Do you like to shop auction style to get great deals on stuff? Have you ever tried it? Share your experience in the comments. 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Baby #3 is a... (and my feelings about finding out)

Girl!

I wasn't going to find out the gender. I didn't want to.

Then at about 14 weeks I suddenly really felt like I had to know. I wanted to be prepared, more so, if I found I was having a girl, I wanted to start getting rid of all the containers of boys clothes that I have been hanging on to.

But then when I was 19 weeks, a friend posted the gender reveal of her baby. I suddenly realized that it didn't matter. I didn't have to know. She was having a boy, I was so thrilled for her, but I would have been just as thrilled if she were having a girl. This is her second pregnancy and I pray that the lord lets her bring this little one home with her. But I am just so excited for her, gender doesn't matter. 

So I was then in a comfortable place of not know, just waiting until this little one made his/her appearance was something that I was at peace with. 

I also felt a lot of pressure to find out... from friends and family! Because we have two boys, everyone wanted to know if we were going to have another one or if it would be a girl this time around. 

But, most importantly, my husband really wanted to know. So I toyed with the idea of him finding out and not me. But I knew that wasn't going to work. While most of our baby stuff is gender neutral, the clothes aren't. So if I were having a girl, he'd probably buy a few things, if I were having a boy, he'd do nothing. So I felt like I'd find out anyway. 

I guess now they don't send the gender info to your OB/midwife. The u/s tech waited until the end of the screening then asked us if we wanted to find out. I looked at my husband who then said "YES!". 

Well, she didn't find any boy bits. 

I know that there is still a possibility this baby could be a boy, a shy boy. But the tech was pretty confident it is a girl. 

So, am I getting rid of all those boy clothes?! Nope, not yet. I still feel there is too strong a possibility this baby could come out a boy. So we are hanging onto the boy clothes for now, just in case. But we will be adding some girl clothes to the mix! 

As the saying goes "Pictures are worth a thousand words!". So to announce this baby's gender, I showed the picture above. I don't think me saying "were'r having a girl" could express the emotion quite like this photo could. 

We couldn't be more excited to add another little one to our family. But we have no clue what to do with a girl! 

Did you and your significant other find out the gender of your baby before it was born, did you wait? Did you have differing opinions? Please share your story in the comments! 

Del Monte Fruit and WalMart Gift Card Giveaway

Welcome to the Del Monte Give Away

Sponsored by Del Monte

Hosted By Mommy Lesson Plans

In general I stay away from processed, prepackaged foods for my family- I make my own pancakes every morning, grow most of my own veggies, and I read labels like a hawk!  I usually have reservations about almost anything that I didn’t cook, grow or make myself. However, the folks at Del Monte have created some fruit snack items that I can feel good about giving to my kids!  When I got the package I eyed the ingredients list expecting to see Corn Syrup, added starches, artificial flavors, or some chem-lab  fruit “product”- but no!  All the ingredients were purees of actual  FRUIT, or things naturally found in fruit.  Each pouch contains  1 ½ serving of fruit or fruit and veggies. The Fruit and veggie variety that we got was peach-mango, and wow- it contained 5 fruits and veggies! They have other varieties too (blueberry and veggies, and the “Simply Fruit” varieties strawberry , apple cinnamon and mixed berry) Plus the packaging is convenient, not messy in my diaper bag, and is BPA free! In short I loved Del Monte’s : Fruit burst Squeezers in mixed Berry and Fruit and Veggie and even my picky 19 month old was reaching  for more! The folks at DelMonte sent us four products to review: Fruit burst Squeezers in mixed Berry and Fruit and Veggie, and fruit cups with mango and Pineapple and  Diced Mangos. The fruit cups were also surprisingly healthful!  The fruit was NOT soggy and old tasting, but firm and delicious! And the liquid surrounding them was not thick and syrupy, but light and actually tasted just as good as the fruit.  The best part is that the fruit is cut small enough that I fed it to my friend’s 8 month old, her three year old, and my 19 month old without having to cut up anything! They loved the little cups (perfect for little fingers) and I loved that serving and clean up was about as effortless as you can get! You can read more about these products below.

Get your Del Monte fruit fix at Walmart! Fresh, tasty fruit products that aren't filled with artificial chemicals. Don't you want to give your family the best?!

Del Monte and Walmart have teamed together to offer a great prize pack to one lucky reader. Enter below.

One lucky winner will receive the following:

• A Del Monte Gift Package with 2 VIP Coupons
• A $25 Gift Card to Walmart

Entry-Form

 

The Del Monte products, information, gift pack, and gift card have been provided by Del Monte. Visit Del Monte at their website here or visit them on Facebook and Twitter. About Fruit Burst™ Squeezers Made in the U.S.A., Del Monte® Fruit Burst®Squeezers contain 1 ½ servings of fruit or fruit and veggies and are an excellent source of vitamins A and C. In addition, Del Monte® Fruit Burst®Squeezers contain no artificial flavors or high fructose corn syrup.                 

  Fruit Burst® Fruit + Veggie Squeezers: -          
  Peach-Mango: Pear puree concentrate, water, pumpkin juice concentrate, peach puree concentrate, pear juice concentrate, carrot juice concentrate, carrot puree, mango puree concentrate, natural flavors, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), citric acid. -          
  Blueberry: Pear puree concentrate, water, pumpkin juice concentrate, pear juice concentrate, natural flavors, carrot puree, blueberry puree concentrate, fruit and vegetable extracts for color, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), citric acid.

  Fruit Burst® Simply Fruit Squeezers: -          
  Apple Cinnamon: Pear puree concentrate, water, apple puree concentrate, pear juice concentrate, natural flavors, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), cinnamon, malic acid. -          
  Mixed Berry: Pear puree concentrate, water, pear juice concentrate, natural flavors, strawberry puree, red raspberry puree concentrate, blueberry puree concentrate, fruit and vegetable extracts for color, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), malic acid. -          
  Strawberry: Pear puree concentrate, water, pear juice concentrate, strawberry puree concentrate, natural flavors, carmine, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), malic acid.

  Mango Fruit Cup® Snacks -           These rich and luscious mangos are a healthy way to add a little sweetness to your day - fat-free, cholesterol free, and high in Vitamin C - that you can enjoy anywhere.

  Mango Pineapple Fruit Cup® Snacks: -           Del Monte® Mango Pineapple Fruit Cup® Snacks combine two of the world’s most popular fruits: mango and pineapple. Made with rich and luscious mangoes and pineapple, they contain no high fructose corn syrup and are a rich source of vitamin C.    

 Available at your local Walmart, be sure to add these squeezable snacks and fun fruit cups to your cart while picking up essentials for your family! Disclosure: Disclosure: Mommy Lesson Plans and participating bloggers are not responsible for prize shipment. Mommy Lesson Plans received the above mentioned item, in exchange for an honest review. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and any other social media are not affiliated with this giveaway. If you have any questions please contact the host of this giveaway at

Hyland's Baby Natural Oral Care Giveaway

It’s National Tooth Fairy Day next Friday, February 28th, and Hylee, the Hyland’s Tooth Fairy, has a couple tricks up her sleeve.

Hyland’s will be partnering with Tooth Tissues, Jack nʼ Jill and Teething Bling to bring you a week filled with exciting events! The promotion starts right here, as I partner with all my favorite blogs to give you the chance to win 1 of 20 Complete Natural Oral Care Kits including the following products:

Hyland’s Baby Teething Tablets Hyland’s Baby Teething Tablets, the #1 selling infant oral pain reliever, provide natural relief of pain and irritability from teething. Teething Tablets are backed by 85 years of proven success and raving fans, who believe in the efficacy and the quality of this product. Specially formulated for infants, the formula does not contain benzocaine, artificial colors, dyes or parabens. And easy to administer dosage form, the quick dissolving tablets, melt instantly in mouth so there is no fuss!

Jack N' Jill Biodegradable Toothbrushes Jack N' Jill Biodegradable Toothbrushes come in two ergonomic designs (Hippo and Bunny) and are made of Cornstarch.They are comfy for young hands to hold and the bristles are just the right softness to be gentle on young gums, yet help clean effectively. The toothbrushes have a Cornstarch handle and recyclable nylon bristles. Simply snap off the head and place it in recycling and compost the handle—it will break down in a home compost within 2 years!! If you don't have a compost you can simply push it into the soil in your garden and use it as a plant stake or herb sign!

Jack N' Jill Natural Toothpaste Jack N' Jill Natural Toothpaste with Organic Strawberry Flavor and Organic Calendula is suitable from six months of age and safe to swallow. It’s rich in Xylitol and is flouride, sugar, color, SLS, preservative and mint free. Organic Calendula helps to soothe young gums and Organic Strawberry flavor makes it taste YUMMY- a great way to introduce "tooth brushing", develop good habits and make it fun! Jack N' Jill Natural Toothpaste is made in Australia.

My Dentist’s Choice Tooth Tissues Tooth Tissues™ are certified all natural, unflavored dental wipes for baby and toddler smiles. They contain xylitol and are paraben free and unflavored, because babies do not need to be exposed to artificial flavors. As practicing dentists, Drs. Grace Lo and Jonathan Korn know the importance of cleaning babies teeth and gums after feedings and before bedtime. As parents they found that it was not always so simple. Tooth Tissues™ are the results of their efforts to find a simple pleasant way to begin good oral hygiene. You will find that they are a convenient yet effective way to comply with your pediatrician or dentist's recommendation for wiping your baby and toddlers' gums and teeth.

Teething Bling Teething Bangle Teething Bling is the original teething jewelry. Made from the same FDA-approved silicone as most teething toys, Teething Bling looks great on the adult wearer but is completely safe for baby to handle and chew. It's soft and flexible, chemical-free, non-toxic (no lead, latex, phthalates, BPAs, PVCs) and every necklace comes with a breakaway clasp as an added safety feature. It's a very simple, clever design that moms absolutely adore.

Twenty (20) Grand Prizes to be awarded!

This is a great prize pack that any mom or dad and baby will love! Start the love of oral care early with the amazing products you could win in this prize pack. Early oral health leads to life long oral care. 

The Grand Prizes consist of a Complete Natural Oral Care Kit, which includes the following:

Hyland’s Baby Teething Tablets, 135 ct.; Approximate Retail Value (ARV) - $9.19 Hyland’s Baby Teething Gel, 0.5oz.; ARV - $7.59 My Dentist’s Choice Tooth Tissues, 30 ct.; ARV - $7.50 One (1) Jack n Jill Toothpaste, 1.76 oz., and one (1) Toothbrush; ARV - $6.99 and $4.99 One (1) Teething Bling Bangle (Brown, Coral, CC Blue, Hot Pink, Sugarplum, Tanzanite, or Tan color); ARV - $12.99!

Total ARV of each Grand Prize: $49.25

Enter using the Giveaway Tools form below. Open to the US only, ages 18 and up. Giveaway ends 2/25/14 at 1 PM EST.

Entry-Form

You can enter until 1pm EST on February 25th. Once the giveaway closes, the fun will continue on the Hyland’s Teething Tablets Fan Page where we will be warming up for a big sampling event. Join Hyland’s on their Teething Facebook page between Tuesday, February 25th and Friday, February 28th to answer their daily question and enter for 2 extra chances to win each day! On National Tooth Fairy Day, February 28th, Hyland's will be partnering with Sampler to give you the chance to claim one of 2,000 free 40-count boxes of Hyland’s Baby Teething Tablets. Head to the Hyland’s Teething Tablet Fan Page at 1pm EST for your chance to claim one. They will go fast! That’s not it… After the Sampler event, Hyland’s will be giving away more Complete Natural Oral Care Kits to 50 consumers who enter to win on the Hyland’s Tooth Fairy page on the Hyland’s Baby Website between 2/28/14 – 3/10/14. And while you’re there, you will be able to download fun teething milestone goodies including First Tooth Certificates, Badges and Tooth Charts featuring Hyland’s own tooth fairy, Hylee. These resources are available to consumers so that Hyland’s can make the teething years a bit more enjoyable and less painful for both mom and baby. Enjoy!

Thank you Hylee & Hyland’s for all of the great chances to win!

Disclosures: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. I am not responsible for prize fulfillment and have not been compensated for this post. If you have any questions about this giveaway, please email Janessa of Thrifty Nifty Mommy at thriftyniftymommy {at}yahoo.com. Thanks!

Majestical Jewelry Review

Thank you Majestical for providing me with earrings to review.

Being a mom can be tough. Feeling beautiful the day after waking multiple times a night because of crying, feeding, spitting up and nightmares can be a bit stressful.

As a mom we always want to look our best, but we don't always have the time. Jewelry is one of those things that is easy and quick to put on and can transform your look from blah to beautiful in just 15 seconds!

I am big into fashion jewelry and accessorizing all of my outfits. What's great is that a necklace and earrings go a long way, sometimes I don't even put make-up on before leaving the house because the jewelry will suffice!

Majestical jewelry sent me this pair of earrings for review. The box was inside a cute little satin pouch. In the packaging you can already tell these earrings are simply stunning.

I did not choose the jewelry they were going to send me, which was fine because I love surprises! Little did they know, I had been looking for a pair of earrings just like these! I have a similar pair that are silver, but they don't look nearly as nice. I have been on the hunt for a gold pair for a month, these ones are perfect!

I love to wear chunky statement necklaces. Because I like my necklaces to speak up, I tend to keep my earrings a bit more simple. I go for the larger post earrings rather than chunky or fish hook style earrings.

It is really easy to take an every day casual outfit and make it really pop with some jewelry. Pictured below I am just wearing a pear of jeans and a simple striped maternity shirt, rocking that 19 week baby bump! 

You'll notice my chunky necklace and how these earrings perfectly compliment it. Add a couple bracelets and you're ready to rock that baby class. You'll look put together, even if you don't feel like it!

While my ears aren't too sensitive I do occasionally have issues with earrings. I was pleased that my ears were happy with my Majestical earrings. They will definitely be in my regular rotation!

Some of my other favorites of theirs include the Blue Flower Power necklace, Geometric Beauty necklace, Crooked Flower bracelet, Matted Silver Wrap cuff and the Curved Almond earrings.

You can shop Majestical Jewelry on their website.

Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest to see all of their fabulous designs and keep up with their newest looks!

You can't go wrong with great jewelry, and that is what you'll get with Majestical Jewelry!

How do you give yourself that "put-together" look even if you don't feel it? Visit Majestical on Pinterest and share in the comments your favorite piece(s)! 

Disclosure: I was provided the earrings pictured above complimentary from Majestical to help facilitate my review. All comments are my own and honest. I was not compensated in any other way.

Snow Ice Cream {Tasty Tuesday}

It has been a really long winter here in Minnesota. With snow falls doubling averages and extreme cold with weeks of ongoing sub zero temperatures. It has been a really long and depressing, cold winter.

My hopes of spring are crushed when I look out the front door and see this.

My husband and I went on a mini vacation to Las Vegas a few weeks ago. When we came back I was actually depressed with the cold and snow, it was rough getting back to our indoor routines.

A month or so ago I saw a post on the Veggie Tales Facebook page that had a recipe for snow ice cream.  Not so sure that was something I would actually do, knowing what I know about what could be in snow kind of turned me off of the idea. But I remember eating snow as a kid, not even snow that was fresh, but I was ok. I know, while some may be ok, others may get sick.

Yesterday we got another 4-5 inches of snow, the kids were wild (imagine that after being cooped in the house for months), and I needed something to distract them.

Then I said, "Hey boys, want to make snow ice cream!" Of course they were excited, so I got over my idea that snow is icky and set out for some white frozen fluffy flakes for our snow ice cream.

This recipe is really easy and only include 3 ingredients for vanilla or 4 for chocolate, one more ingredient if you include the FRESH fallen snow.

Milk - 1/4 cup

Sugar - 1/2 cup

Vanilla - 2 tsp

cocoa - 4-5 tsp

snow* - 8 cups or so

* Snow must be freshly fallen, you could even collect by putting container or cookie sheet outside before it starts snowing to collect the fresh fallen snow *

Start by mixing milk, sugar, vanilla and chocolate (if desired) with a wisk. 

Set the mixture aside while you bring your snow in.

This is what I looked like after gathering our snow. The snow was up to my knee on the one side!

Do another quick whisk of your liquid mixture.

You are now ready to add your snow! I just grabbed a 1 cup measuring cup and started adding snow. I did about 8 scoops, some full, some not. Stir and check for desired taste, add more snow if necessary.

Serve immediately. 

We added sprinkles to ours, but you could add caramel, chocolate, nuts, peanut butter... whatever your mouth is craving!

It was actually a very tasty, satisfying snack! I'd do it again! 

Squirrel really liked it, in fact, he is the one that finished off what was left.

Bug enjoyed it too, he took a few bites anyway. But then he decided he would pick out the sprinkles and play with the rest of it. A nice, sticky, safe to eat sensory project for him! 

What do you think? Have you ever made snow ice cream, would you? Do you have a different recipe or some favorite add ins?

Mother's Day Blogger Opp

Free Sign up! 
 With 
Announcement 

 
Prize:

One
KitchenAid KSM75SL 4.5 Qt. Classic Plus Stand Mixer, Color silver

Info:
-1 FREE Links with announcements (Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest)
Get your announcement here (or pay $5.00)

-Giveaway date:   May 9 - May 23, 2014

-Co-host $20.00

10 Links (no google links)

2 Co-host pages 

-Extra links $2.00 (no google links) up to 4 links

Send payment to melisurveys1978@gmail.com

If you have any question, please email me at nysavingspecials@gmail.com

Sign up here

Green Mountain Diapers $50 GC Giveaway

Welcome to the Green Mountain Cloth Diapers $50 Gift Card Giveaway! 

Sponsored By: Green Mountain Diapers

Hosted By: Mami's 3 Little Monkeys

Green Mountain Diapers was born in 1998 and 10 years later was moved out of Karen's home, to the nearby Cotton Mill (in 2009). Green Mountain Diapers is a small husband and wife run business with the addition of 4 employees to help out, making them a wonderful team of people helping to serve every families cloth diapering needs. They are dedicated to quality service (which I can attest for) as well as providing natural fiber diapering. Their mission is to inform others about cloth diapers and help provide the very best for today's modern diapering products focusing on those natural fibers.

Read Mami's 3 Little Monkeys full review of the Blueberry Simplex OS AIO HERE!

Cloth diapering saves money, fuel, water and space in the landfill. If you've never tried cloth diapers before this will be a great way to get your feet wet! If you already cloth diaper, this will give you a great addition to your stash! If you have any cloth questions, feel free to post them in the comments!

Enter for your chance to win this awesome giveaway of a $50 Gift Certificate to Green Mountain Diapers!
Complete entries through the Giveaway Tools entry form below, winner will be chosen at random and entry will be verified. Winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours in which to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Good Luck! 
Open to US residents whom are at least 18 years of age.
Giveaway will end on March 5th at 11:59pm CST.

Entry-Form

 Disclosure: Just Me and the Boys and all other promoting bloggers have not been compensated in any form for this publication, nor are they responsible for the fulfillment of the prize. Please contact Sarh at mamis3littlemonkeys@yahoo.com if you have any questions, comments or concerns. Thank you.

Hyland's Sleep Challenge Giveaway

Hyland’s is ramping up for their second annual 5-Day Sleep Challenge, set to start Monday, March 10 and run throughFriday, March 14. The Hyland’s 5-Day Sleep Challenge is aimed at sharing information, strategies and tips that will help you find your way to Zzzz, naturally. In true Hyland’s fashion, the event will include many different chances to win some amazing prizes, and I’ve teamed up with Thrifty Nifty Mommy and Viva Veltoro to give you your first chance to win. You will have until February 18th at 1 PM EST to enter for your chance to win one of 3 Hyland’s prize packages featuring:

• Hyland’s Calms Forte, 100 ct.
• Hyland’s Nerve Tonic, 32 ct.
• Arnica 30X, 50 ct.
• Muscle Therapy Gel, 3 oz.
• Bioplasma, 500 ct
• Bioplasma Sport, 12 pack
• Leg Cramps, 50 ct
• Leg Cramps PM, 50 ct.
• Restful Legs, 50 ct.

Getting sleep at night is just as important as a healthy diet! Sometimes we need a little extra help to get us there, especially if we are parents or have jobs that make it hard for our body or mind to shut down at night. Hyland's has the product to help you get that much needed beauty sleep!

All you have to do is enter through the form below and tell us: “What helps you get a good night’s sleep?’’ by commenting on this blog post. But the fun does not stop here! Registration for The Sleep Challenge will begin February 19th at 1pm EST and Hyland’s will be giving the first 1,000 registrants the chance to win a 32-count bottle of the Hyland’s Calms Forté, the #1 homeopathic sleep aid. All you have to do is be on time and ready to register right here: https://a.pgtb.me/8m5QPH onFebruary 19th at 1pm EST. Can’t make it? Don’t worry, registration will remain open until March 10th. The Hyland’s Sleep Challenge will start on March 10 and the daily challenges will give you many other chances to win some great prizes. You can learn more about The Challenge at Hyland's 5 Day Sleep Challenge by clicking here.

Follow along with us, and by the week’s end, you should be on your way to dreamland. Don’t miss it!

Entry-Form

Disclosures: The participating bloggers are not responsible for prize fulfilment and have not been compensated for this post. If you have any questions about this giveaway, please email Janessa of Thrifty Nifty Mommy at thriftyniftymommy {at}yahoo.com. Thanks!

Starbucks Variety Basket Giveaway

This blog did not receive any product samples in exchange for this post.

Are you looking for the perfect gift for someone? Maybe someone down the road or over seas. Gifts A Go Go Offers so many options to fit anyone's needs. They have amazing gift baskets in all price ranges! They even have gift baskets from baby, birthday, bakery, coffee, kids, holidays, and so much more! Do you want to send a gift basket to say "hello" or let someone know you're thinking of them? They have the perfect options!

Gifts A Go Go has some really adorable kids gift baskets as well. I must say so myself after receiving the above Starbucks gift basket, I was amazed. Sometimes the baskets come not as they look online. I have had my experience with not good gift baskets. Well Gifts A Go Go was delivered right on time and packaged just as I expected if not better. I was already on a coffee/chocolate high ripping through all these goodies. My coffee has also been amazing and fresh! Any coffee or chocolate lover should check out their coffee section for gift baskets.

Gifts A Go Go has offered p the same amazing gift basket featured above to one lucky reader!! How exciting! Who could use some more coffee, I never have enough. Also chocolate as a bonus, Heck yes!

Enter below for your chance to win this great basket of coffee and chocolate! Just looking at this basket has me craving a nice hot cup of Starbucks coffee!

VISIT GIFTS A GO GO

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open to US Residents only. 18 year or older. Giveaway ends Feb 25th. Midnight EST. This blog is not responsible for the giveaway prize or shipping mishaps that may occur. Any questions please email- Itspeachykeen@live.com.

This is sponsored by Gifts A Go Go/ Hosted By It's Peachy Keen/ Co-Hosted By Military Wives Savings - A Coupon Addict - Ivy's Variety - MotherHood Community

a Rafflecopter giveaway

From My Heart to Yours! Giveaway!

Suzanne from My Mama Adventure is so excited to be hosting this giveaway event in honor of Heart Month and Congential Heart Defect (CHD) Awareness! This is a cause that is very close to Suzanne's heart since her son was born with a CHD and underwent open-heart surgery at 6 days old. He's now 2 years old, doing fantastic, and brings Suzanne and her husband more joy than they could have ever imagined!

Blogger Opp

Sponsored By: Green Mountain Diapers

Hosted By: Mami's 3 Little Monkeys

Prize: $50 GC to Green Mountain Diapers!!

Open to US residents

Dates: February 19th through March 5th

This is Green Mountain Diapers first blogger run giveaway and it's a pretty big prize, lets make this a huge FIRST success for Green Mountain Diapers too!!

Please post this announcement post on your blog, you will receive 2 FREE links into the Giveaway Tools entry form for doing so. Paid options also available, see details in Google Form when signing up. 

SIGN UP HERE!

Easy Valentine's Craft

One day last week I wanted to do a Valentine's craft, but it had to be suitable for my almost two-year-old as well as my four-year-old. I also didn't want to have to go purchase craft supplies for a simple project. I wasn't getting much inspiration from Pinterest so I just took out some colored paper, crayons, markers and glue... because it is Valentines themed I stuck to red, pink, white, and purple colors.

I cut out two larger hearts and a bunch of smaller hearts from the colored paper.

I gave each of the boys some markers, crayons and hearts. They simply decorated as they pleased.

While both the boys had a lot of fun decorating their hearts, I was quickly reminded as to why I usually wait until Bug is in bed before I do any sort of messy (or even slightly messy craft)...

By the time we were done, Bug was covered in marker, as well as the table cloth and chair. To him it is more fun to color on the things mommy says not to color on.

The boys have very different personalities. Squirrel has always kind of worked "inside the box". He stays on track pretty well, he colors on designated coloring pages. I never had the need for washable markers with him. He just used the regular crayola ones I already had. Well, Bug is a different story... but he had fun!

What are some fun crafts you do with your toddler that your older children also enjoy?