BRIDE WARS DVD & Paper Shouts $25 GC Giveaway! DAY 2

I am moving this up to Mother's Day Giveaway Day TWO because this is the PERFECT gift for you or a mother in your life. This movie is fabulous and moms LOVE custom stationery!!!!

My daughter and I went to the theater to see BRIDE WARS. We both loved this movie and JUST the beautiful dresses are reason enough to watch this movie, in my opinion! I found the pairing of Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson an act of genius! Anne Hathaway plays Emma, the sweet, practical, responsible, conservative teacher and Kate Hudson plays her best friend Liv, a high-powered attorney who is aggressive and goes after what she wants.

They've thought of their perfect wedding day since they were little girls.

When their dream weddings are double-booked, their friendship (and sanity) is tested. The best friends find themselves competing for the wedding venue, guests and the perfect wedding that they've dreamt of since they were children.

This tale of friendship and sabotage is a must-see. It will make you laugh and maybe even shed a little tear. See it with your best friend. Or as in my case, your daughter.

Paper Shouts and 20th Century Fox have teamed up to offer an amazing giveaway package for you! This prize package includes a BRIDE WARS DVD (release date April 28th) and a $25 Paper Shouts Gift Certificate!

Paper Shouts offers fabulous cards for all occasions on recycled paper. Make an impression with their beautiful, unique designs! They have engagement announcements, wedding invitations, birth announcements, party invitations, graduation announcements, thank you cards and anything else you can think to send a card or a note for.





Paper Shouts is also offering a 15% discount for my readers. Just enter MomLikes as your promo code at checkout for this great deal!

TO ENTER,

1. visit the Paper Shouts website and come back and tell us which card from the Bridal Shouts section is your favorite. In the same post, tell us which character's style you relate to more --Emma's traditional, romantic style or Liv's couture "on the best" approach?

2. You get an extra entry if you "Follow Me" on Twitter and post a tweet about the contest. Link me to the tweet in a comment. You can Tweet this contest for an entry ONCE A DAY for more chances!

3. Additional entry if you join my FACEBOOK GROUP

4. Another extra entry if you Grab My Button and put it in the sidebar on your website.

5. And yet ANOTHER entry if you link to me on your blog (please post a link to this).

Be sure to create individual comments for each of the above that you've done.

In addition to winning the BRIDE WARS DVD (release date April 28th) and a $25 Paper Shouts Gift Certificate, the winner will be entered in the Grand Prize drawing.

Grand Prize Drawing prizes include:

• Grand Prize: 6 nights at the CasaMagna Marriott Cancun Resort and airfare for 2 on AirTran airlines.
• 1st prize: Sunglasses Worn by Kate Hudson in BRIDE WARS movie and $100 Paper Shouts Gift Certificate.
• 2nd Prize: BRIDE WARS one-sheet signed by Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway and $50 Paper Shouts gift certificate.

This giveaway is open only to U.S. Residents and will end at 11:59pm on May 8th and the winner will be chosen on May 10th. The Grand Prize winner will be chosen by Paper Shouts and notified by May 31st.

You can check out the Bride Wars website to see previews, downloads, photo gallery and even a Bridal Beatdown Game!

GOOD LUCK!

First installment of Text Conversations with My Teen

My daughter is almost fourteen years old. Despite that I've always been affectionate, available and open to discussions of all kinds, she doesn't talk to me that much anymore. She rolls her eyes at my very sensible suggestions. She closes her bedroom door when she hears me coming up the stairs. It's enough to give a mom a complex.

I signed up for an unlimited family texting plan because I like to text a lot and she texts with her friends more than she talks with them on the phone. Funny, I remember when I had to get my own phone line as a teenager (pre-cell phone days) because my mom was tired of me tying up the line for days on end.

I text with my friends, I text with my mother, but it hadn't occurred to me until recently to start texting my daughter. From the other room.

My daughter has a wicked sense of humor and a flair for the sarcastic. I have no idea where she got it. Shrug. When she is gracing me with her attention and presence, I feel like I'm dealing with a wild animal. I don't want to look her in the eye because I am afraid that if she realizes that I'm intently paying attention, she'll turn and run. Or attack. LOL

I've noticed that some of our best conversations these days happen via text message. I even SAVE them all so that I can go back and read them again. I'm a mommy-texting-stalker.

Here's a conversation that I KNOW wouldn't have happened face-t0-face, and even though it had to be painful, I was SO thrilled that she was texting this to me.

They went on a trip to a chorus festival and she got the solo. I was unable to attend because they didn't have enough chaperone spots and you couldn't go if you weren't a chaperone

Me: Do you have your phone with you?
Her: Yeah. And I screwed it up...I wanna cry. I screwed it up terribly.
Me: I bet it wasn't bad.
Her: I'm starving right now. And ashamed!
Me: Ashamed? Honey, everyone gets nervous. I bet you did well. Are you guys close to home?
Her: No, we're still in the parking lot
Her: On a scale of 1-5, 1 being the best, we got a....5. Nah...JK, we got a 2!
Me: LOL See? That's really good!
Her: I'm probably the reason why we didn't get a 1. Can we go out to eat?
Me: Yeah we can. You're not the reason. And 2 is a good score!
Her: xsmkm2swvyen
Me: Are you guys on the road?
Her: Yes

See? She wouldn't have told me that with words. That come out of her mouth.

She is in New York City this week on a school trip and I've been awaiting her text updates with bated breath.

Here are snippets of conversations that we've had over the past couple of days while she's been gone:

Her (on the charter bus): 3G! I have 3G in the middle of seventeen trillion trees, but not in the wide open at home!
Me: Great! What state are you in?
Her: I have no clue. I think near or in New Jersey
Me: LOL Did you sleep?
Her: Yeah. At least five hours. The bus squeaks and shakes. A lot. But at least I got sleep.
Me: Yes, that's good!
Her: I have a peculiar feeling that we're somewhat near the Barrel of Crackers
Me: Barrel of monkeys going to a barrel of crackers. Is everyone still sleeping?
Her: No, only K & D
Me: Make sure when you get dressed to put on deodorant and brush your teef

Next day:

Her: We're in H&M
Me: Oooh jealous! Gonna buy something?
Her: Yep!
Me: Oh what?
Her: Not sure
Me: If you see a LUSH store, call me. I'll call in an order and you can bring it with you! LOL
Her:

later:
Me: Is it hot there?

Her: We went to Juicy Couture, Prada, H&M, Trump Towers and the NBC gift shop. I got an I Love NY shirt. It's grey! And I got an Apple Snapple! I was so excited

Me: Snapple apple is apple snapple. Sounds fun! We saw Trump Towers and NBC when we were there, remember?

Her: We went inside TT. And I got a mushroom pizza for lunch at the museum. I got a few pick for Gorge (her nickname for her brother, Jordan). I forgot to take one of Dum Dum. I got dinos, though.

Me: TT?

Her: Towers de Trump!

Me: Oh cool

Her: At the top of the rock. What if what happened in the Empire State Building happens here?

(info break--her ears hurt so badly when we got up to into the Empire State Building, just in LINE that we couldn't go up...we had to leave)

Me: You'll be fine
few minutes later
Me: Everything ok?

Her: Yeah. My ears hurt, but it wasn't as bad as last time.

Me: Did u see the low flying plane this am?

Her: Yes

Me: Did you guys get scared?

Her: A tad.

Want a bonus entry to ALL of my Giveaways?

I mentioned earlier that I am a finalist to win a fabulous premade blog at Profitable Mommy Blogging and I am EXCITED!

If you were already planning on voting for me, you'll get an extra entry into AN AND ALL of my Giveaways even if you haven't done the initial entry if you vote and link to your vote in the comment in each giveaway.

My way of saying "Thanks for Your Vote"!

Oh...and my name is Erin if you didn't already know that ;-)

GET OUT THE VOTE!

Mother's Day Giveaway a Day -DAY I The Mean Mom's Book: Rule Book for Moms

This is Day One of ThingsMomsLike's Giveaway a Day for Mother's Day countdown!

Maureen LoBue of the Mean Mom's Club has written a funny, realistic book about motherhood called "Mean Mom's Club: The Mom's Rule Book". I didn't know what to expect when I cracked this book, but I have to say that I like what I see. I like that the seven rules cover common parenting ideas and myths that you realize aren't as cut and dried as you had imagined once you become a real, live mother.

I like how she talks about the mommy guilt that we often feel at those moments where we just want them to stop talking and leave us alone (oh, you still have just babies? you'll see). She uses her experience as a Special Education Teacher, Child Life Specialist and Family Services Specialist and MOST IMPORTANTLY, AS A MOTHER to present real-life scenarios and common sense advice and solutions to the average mother.

What I found most useful in this book is that she advocates for following your heart, using common sense, your instincts and operating from the idea and the reality that YOU know your child better than ANYONE else does and every mother's style is very different.

My favorite tips (and it was hard to narrow it down):

• It’s my job… to teach respect even when that doesn’t make me very popular

• Pick your battles… If you go to battle over everything, you will die of exhaustion
  
  and the point of the book (in my eyes)...
  
  
• I’M GOING TO BE THE PERFECT MOM… YEAH RIGHT
  

Maureen is giving away a copy of Mean Mom's Club: The Mom's Rule Book to one lucky ThingsMomsLike reader!

For your initial entry, visit the Mean Mom's Club to find out more about Maureen and come back and comment on how YOU are the Meanest Mom Ever. Funny stories welcome!

2. You get an extra entry if you "Follow Me" on Twitter

3. Additional entry if you TWEET about this giveaway. Post a link to the Tweet here. You can Tweet this contest for an entry ONCE A DAY for more chances!

4. Additional entry if you join my FACEBOOK GROUP

5. Additional entry if you subscribe to my blog (on the right)

6. Additional entry if you "Follow Me" on Google (on the right)

7. Another extra entry if you "Grab My Button" in the right sidebar and put it on your website.

8. If you're a blogger, yet ANOTHER entry if you BLOG this Giveaway and post a link to the post here.

**Be sure to create individual comments for each of the above that you've done or you won't get the extra entries.**

Giveaway ends on MOTHER'S DAY

Wow, I'm honored! Now go vote for me!

I entered an exciting contest to win a loaded affiliate blog to follow in the footsteps of Carrie Lauth! I was so excited to enter this that I entered right away and really didn't think I'd end up a finalist, but I did! And you can GO VOTE FOR ME NOW.

--Erin

Hey, I'm the Review Blogger of the Week at An Island Review

An Island Review is a really cool review site! Go check it out!!

The Double-Daring Book For Girls Giveaway!

Has your daughter ever said "I'm bo-oored"? Do you know a girl who likes adventure, games, trivia and other fun stuff?
The Double-Daring Book For Girls is an all-new double-the-fun, double-the-adventure guidebook of stories, activities, facts, and games for daring girls everywhere.

The Double-Daring Book For Girls is the sequel to the insanely popular, bestelling book, The Daring Book For Girls by Andrea J. Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz.

Harper Collins is giving away copies of The Double-Daring Book For Girls to TEN (10) lucky ThingsMomsLike readers!


Here's how you can win:



For your initial entry, visit The Daring Book For Girls' website and comment on why a girl in your life would love this book!

For FIVE EXTRA ENTRIES: watch this short promotional video and comment back here about which two activities in the video your daughter or a girl that you would give this book to would like to do with you.

1. You get an extra entry if you Follow The Daring Book For Girls on Twitter

2. You get an extra entry if you "Follow Me" on Twitter

3. Additional entry if you TWEET about this giveaway. Post a link to the Tweet here. You can Tweet this contest for an entry ONCE A DAY for more chances!

4. Additional entry if you join my FACEBOOK GROUP

5. Another extra entry if you "Grab My Button" in the right sidebar and put it on your website.

6. If you're a blogger, yet ANOTHER entry if you BLOG this Giveaway and post a link to the post here.

**Be sure to create individual comments for each of the above that you've done or you won't get the extra entries.**

Giveaway ends 5/15/09

WINNERS:
Jeni Smith
Sarah N
Logan
Clane
The Mom Jen
Mrs. Messiness
Jinxy and Me
Paige
CanCan (Mom Most Traveled)
Noreen

Do you have a product that you want moms to see?

Starting tomorrow, Wednesday, April 29th, I will be hosting "A Mother's Day Giveaway A Day" every day through Mother's Day. If you have a product that you think mothers would love to have for Mother's Day, email me at thingsmomslike at gmail dot com and let me know that you want to participate. You can also use the PR form on the right column to submit info about your item.

I obviously only have 11 spots, so let me know right away and I'll check it out. IN THE MIDST of the regular giveaways, I will also host a few impromptu "LIVE" giveaways where a winner is chosen within a span of a couple of hours and is able to enter as many times as they'd like.

Join in the fun!

And if you are a mom (or someone else) who wants to win some COOL stuff, please make sure that you subscribe to my blog (on the right), join my Facebook Group, add me on Twitter, etc. Just keep track because it's gonna be a wild ride!

OPI "Breathe Life" Limited Edition Polish Giveaway

This particular giveaway is near and dear to my heart. OPI has partnered with the Lung Cancer Foundation of America to "Nail the Message" and raise awareness and promote early detection of lung cancer. As someone who had a loved suffer with lung cancer, this matters to me. This isn't a "free sample" that I received from OPI. I purchased more than one of these because OPI has contributed a sizeable donation to LCFA and hopes to use this campaign to spread the word and get salons to do "Salon Days" where they give a percentage of the price for their services back to LCFA. Some are already doing this, which is fabulous!

According to the LCFA, “Lung cancer is the #1 cancer killer of women. It kills more than the 6 next largest cancer killers combined."

With figures like that, it IS time to raise awareness and protect our health!


So...to show my support for OPI & LCFA's Awareness Campaign, I am giving away a brand new bottle of this fabulous Limited Edition spring color "Breathe Life" to one lucky winner!

YOUR INITIAL ENTRY:
Visit the Lung Cancer Foundation of America website and come back and tell us a surprising fact about lung cancer, if your life has been touched by lung cancer, and what you are doing to stay healthy.

EXTRA ENTRIES:
1. You get an extra entry if you "Follow Me" on Twitter

2. Additional entry if you TWEET about this giveaway. Post a link to the Tweet here. You can Tweet this contest for an entry ONCE A DAY for more chances!

3. Additional entry if you join my FACEBOOK GROUP

4. Another extra entry if you Grab My Button and put it in the sidebar on your website.

5. And yet ANOTHER entry if you link to me on your blog (please post a link to this). section is your favorite.

6. You get TEN (10) extra entries if you DONATE any amount to the LCFA.

Be sure to create individual comments for each of the above that you've done or you won't get the extra entries.

Giveaway ends 5/17/09

Sinupret for Kids Prize Pack Giveaway! (ENDED)

My kids and I suffer from seasonal allergies and for some reason seem to get every respiratory bug that goes around. I am also a Dr. Sears junkie and own every book that's come out of the Sears Library and have even owned several because I loan them out to people who don't return them.

Anyway, when I heard that Sinupret for Kids, which is a natural remedy for healthy sinus, respiratory and immune function, was recommended by Dr. Bob, I started looking into it. Sinupret sent me a sample to try and review and I am happy to say that both of my very, very picky (and medication denying) children liked the cherry flavor of Sinupret for Kids! I like it, too! We've started using it regularly to stay healthy for the rest of the spring and will continue to use it throughout the year.

So that you can keep your kids (and yourself) healthy the natural way, Sinupret for Kids/Sinuate is giving away Sinuate for Kids Prize Packs containing the following items to FIVE (5) lucky ThingsMoms Like readers!

A copy of Dr. Bob Sears bestselling book The Healthiest Kids in the Neighborhood

A good-sized sample of Sinupret for Kids

Yellow children's binoculars

Sinupret for Kids Activity Books

A couple of other interesting things about Sinupret:

They have a Podcast, which has episodes covering a variety topics such as breastfeeding, childhood weight gain, infant acne, sleeping arrangements and more with Dr. Bob Sears.

Dr. Bob also recommended Sinupret for Kids in a recent article in Health Digest News.

Here's what Sinuate says about Sinupret for Kids:

Sinupret for Kids, developed by Bionorica, is a safe, natural remedy that supports healthy sinus, respiratory and immune function. No other clinically tested natural remedies are available today in the US that support all three functions.

Sinupret for Kids syrup promotes healthy drainage in the upper respiratory tract, improves airflow in the nose and supports healthy mucous clearance from the nose and sinuses. In addition to supporting sinus and respiratory functions, it also supports the immune system.

Sinupret and Sinupret for Kids are one of the worlds leading herbal remedies for upper respiratory health for children and adults ages 2 and up. Sinupret for Kids is available in a cherry-flavored syrup.

You may be asking yourself "How can I win this awesome prize pack?"

To enter this giveaway:

1. For your initial entry and to qualify for any of the extra entries, you must visit Sinupret For Kids' website and comment here to tell us why you want to win this pack AND the dosage your child would take based on their age.

2. Extra entry: You get an extra entry if you "Follow Me" on Twitter and post a tweet about the contest. Post a link below to the tweet in a comment. You can Tweet this contest for an entry ONCE A DAY for more chances!

3. Extra entry if you join my FACEBOOK GROUP

4. Another extra entry if you Grab My Button and put it in the sidebar on your website.

5. And yet ANOTHER entry if you blog about this giveaway (please post a link to this).

Be sure to create individual comments for each of the above that you've done. If you don't your "extra entries" will not count.

This giveaway will close at 11:59 p.m. on May 5th.

Check out these "Between Me & You" Journals! Perfect for Mother's Day AND Coupon for you!

Between Me & You: A Few Things I've Been Meaning to Ask You

Give one to the people you care about most. Each hardcover, spiral-bound book measures 6 ½" x 7 ¼ " and contains 35 - 45 fun-to-ask and fun-to-answer questions. You get your journal back with handwritten responses you'll cherish forever. These journals by Sand Dune Publishing are the perfect gift for your mother, daughter, best friend, daughter, son, husband or wife or ANYONE in your family. Categories available: Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Honey, Girl(friend), Daughter, Son, Sister, Brother and Reunion!

Sand Dune Publishing is offering a sweet Mother's Day deal for you! Here's a great coupon for you! Code “TML” for 10% off any 2 or more journals thru May 2, 2009.

Who would YOU give one to?

The hamster and the cat

So I come home from dropping DS off at school and I sit down at the table and when I glanced over at the stairs that go up to bedrooms, I see my cat and my daughter's hamster. On the stairs. I think I had a heart attack. I think that I did.

The funny thing is that DD left for NYC last night and her bedroom door was open all night. It's usually closed at night, but often open all day. The cat has never messed with the hamster, whose cage is up in a spot that would be very difficult for the cat to get to.


This morning while I was getting DS ready for school, it sounded like something was going on with the cage, like just sounded like the hamster was really working the wheel or climbing around.

I really think that my cat must have somehow climbed out and pushed the side of the cage in so the hamster could get out. It probably didn't help that DD cleaned the cage yesterday and probably didn't latch it properly. The water bottle and the thing that wires it to the cage was on the floor.

My cat doesn't have claws because she was self-maiming for months and months and nothing helped. I think that must be what saved the hamster. I have no idea how the hamster survived the fall from the cage to the floor, and I can only imagine that my cat must have batted her down the stairs or she ran down the stairs. I thought these little things were so fragile, but she doesn't appear to be harmed. When I put her back in the cage, she ran the wheel, then stuffed her cheeks full, then back on the wheel.

Man, I hope she doesn't die. But OMG, that was NOT what I was expecting to deal with this morning.

Tween book giveaway!! I'd Tell You I Love You (ENDED)

My daughter LOVES this author. Ally Carter has written a fabulous series of books and this is #1 in the Gallagher Girls series. This book is "considered" a "Young Adult" or "Tween/Teen" fiction book, but I've read the series myself and I couldn't put it down. Yes, I love Young Adult fiction and I am not ashamed! This book was a fun read!

The product description at Amazon reads:

Cammie Morgan is a student at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, a fairly typical all-girls school-that is, if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE and the latest in chemical warfare in science, and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes in computer class. The Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses but it's really a school for spies.

Even though Cammie is fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways, she has no idea what to do when she meets an ordinary boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, or track him through town with the skill of a real "pavement artist"-but can she maneuver a relationship with someone who can never know the truth about her?

Cammie Morgan may be an elite spy-in-training, but in her sophomore year, she's on her most dangerous mission-falling in love.

I am giving away a brand-spanking-new copy of this paperback with a cover price of $8.99 USD.

To enter this giveaway,

1. To enter, you MUST comment below and tell me why you want to win this book.

2. Extra entry: You get an extra entry if you "Follow Me" on Twitter and post a tweet about the contest. Post a link below to the tweet in a comment. You can Tweet this contest for an entry ONCE A DAY for more chances!

3. Extra entry if you join my FACEBOOK GROUP

4. Another extra entry if you Grab My Button and put it in the sidebar on your website.

5. And yet ANOTHER entry if you blog about this giveaway (please post a link to this).

Be sure to create individual comments for each of the above that you've done. If you don't your "extra entries" will not count.

Contest ends at 11:59pm on May 5th

Twitter Quickie Burts Bees Giveaway Watermelon Lip Shimmer

This is a GORGEOUS shade, pretty much universal from Burts Bees and I'm giving it to the 10th person to comment below and tell me what their favorite Burts Bees product is and THEN retweet my original Tweet. You must do both and give your Twitter name in your comment below.

My baby is going away

My first born, my 13 1/2 year-old is leaving tomorrow on a school trip to New York City. No, I'm not going. I can't leave my son with anyone and my husband doesn't have time off right now, so she's going, in good company, with classmates and other mothers who were able to swing it.

We are in the final six weeks or so of middle school and then she'll be a high-schooler. Yep, a freshman in high school. Is it strange that I feel like I am still a freshman in high school? When did I become the mom with the teen-aged daughter?

The days of milestones being exciting and wanting her to do the next thing developmentally stopped when she was about ten. Now I feel like time is going fast...like spinning out of control fast!

Nowadays, she's all teenager, all the time. It's the eyerolling, the huffy sighs, the closed bedroom door and loud music. It's a trip to NYC without her mommy. It's all of those things that remind me of how fast life goes by...and how beautiful it is.

Things Moms WANT!

My husband has asked me to put together a list of things that I might want for Mother's Day. He's not going to get me everything on the list, so don't get all envious and stuff. He just doesn't want to buy me something that I *really* don't want. He also isn't good at surprises because I somehow, unwittingly, end up finding out what it is before I get it, so he just prefers the straightforward approach. I'm okay with that, too, actually.

Some of the things I want are:

Keurig Coffee Maker -MudBug is giving one of these away and I want it SO bad I can TASTE the Gloria Jean's Southern Pecan coffee RIGHT NOW! I tend to waste coffee because I have a decent enough Delonghi maker, but I don't know how to make less than four cups since the first fill line is 4 cups. I try to limit to two cups these days...or three...but never four!!! Never. So it would be really nice to be able to make them one cup at a time. I'd say that you should go enter that giveaway, but I really want to win!

Seattle Chocolates Fleurish Hat Box -MyGourmetConnection has a giveaway for one of these and I just love, love, love getting chocolate for any occasion! The hat box is cute and I am sure that I could reuse it for something! Truffles are my absolute favorite chocolate and this box is supposed to have an assortment, so...need to put this on my list. I entered their giveaway because I couldn't resist, but just in case I don't win...you know...

Go Girly or Go Home Tee Shirt! I want ALL of them, seriously, but the "Today Has Been a Total Waste of Lip Gloss" shirt is my favorite! Aaaand...I guess I have to tell you about their giveaway, too, although I wanna wiiiin! Me!

I may add to this list, but this is the "short list". Poor DH!

Wordless Wednesday

Better late than never, I always say.

DeShawn Marie Handmade Soap!! Triple yum!

I love handmade soap. No--I *really* love handmade soap! I love the way it smells and feels. I love that it was not poured into some factory mold and I especially love when it doesn't contain all of the animal fats and strange chemicals that I cannot pronounce.

I used to make soap. I started at first because it sounded fun and because we were Vegan, I wanted to make my own Vegan soap. I gave it away as gifts and people loved it! Seems like a century ago. I had a pretty successful soapmaking business and sold it mostly online. After I had my son, who is 6, I didn't feel like I had the time to keep it up and I sold off all of my supplies, my domain name, my client lists, my recipes, all of it. Because of all of that, I have a deep-rooted affection for handmade soap and for soapmakers. I support handmade as much as possibly, but it's not every day that you come across a true artisan of soap such as DeShawn Marie.

I ordered three bars of soap from DeShawn Marie. Actually, I ordered two bars and a handrolled soap. Before I tell you which one was my favorite, I'll show you some photos.

My first impression when I opened the package was how beautiful and classy the gold boxes that she packages them in (see the top of this post) are. Then I couldn't wait to get those boxes OPEN and smell the soapy goodness inside!

The soap below is the Hippy Chick handrolled soap


Here's the Grapefruit Orange bar


and my favorite, the Perfect Rose is riiiight here:


The Hippy Chick smells just like you'd expect with a very distinctive patchouli and citrus blend. I was just professing my love for oatmeal the other day. I was telling my husband (who thought I was totally nuts) that oatmeal is like a hug for your tummy. Well, this is relevant because the Grapefruit Orange bar has oatmeal sprinkled on top and bits throughout the soap. I know what you're thinking, but I didn't eat it. I just liked the idea that it had oatmeal on/in it. There's something just...comforting about that. It smells very "SPRING" and after this cold winter, I am ready for some SPRING!

Now, I am normally not a huge fan of floral scents, particularly rose and jasmine. Funny because the Perfect Rose soap has essences of BOTH rose and jasmine in it. It has rose petals in it, too. I love soap with the "real deal" in it and the petals put this one over the top for me. SO pretty and SO fragrant (but not obnoxiously so). I noticed that out of the three scents I bought, the Perfect Rose has the most staying power, meaning that I can still smell it on my hands and body throughout the day after I've used it. It's not overpowering, just a sweet reminder of that beautiful bar of soap.

Did I mention that all of DeShawn Marie's handmade soaps are 100% Vegan!? She doesn't use any animal products and doesn't test them on animals.

You will NOT be disappointed with DeShawn Marie's handmade soaps!!!

Morgan's Photo Art Giveaway!

Today I'm hosting a giveaway for MorgansPhotoArt, which is the Etsy store for a teen photographer. Her photos have won awards, including the regional, district and state levels within the last year. She has an eye for the obscure and the obvious as well. She is giving away one of her beautiful 8x10 matted prints.

Several ways to enter. You can do them all!

1. Go to MorgansPhotoArt and come back here and let us know which print would look great in your house and which room you'd hang it in.

2. You get an extra entry if you "Follow Me" on Twitter and post a tweet about the contest. You can Tweet this contest for an entry ONCE A DAY for more chances!

3. Additional entry if you join my FACEBOOK GROUP

4. And yet ANOTHER entry if you link to me on your blog (please post a link to this).

5. If you buy something from MorgansPhotoArt, you'll get 7 extra entries.

Be sure to create individual comments for each of the above that you've done.

Winner will be chosen on May 1st.


This photo won first place in a State Photography Competition.

Sticky Words Giveaway @ A Giveaway Addicted Mommy

This is a cool giveaway! A Giveaway Addicted Mommy is hosting a Sticky Words Giveaway! There are several ways to win, so go check it out! I know that I entered!

The Chocolistas/Atomic Dog Cupcake Necklace Giveaway!

The Chocolistas are hosting a giveaway for this cute chocolate cupcake necklace from AtomicDog! Go enter! It's free!

Free Apple Youth Workshops @ The Apple Store

I DEFINITELY like these!

Did you know that your kids can take Apple Youth Workshops on topics such as creating slideshows, photo albums, movies, composing music, presentations and graphs and other cool Mac tricks? Yes, I DID say FREE!

To find the Apple Workshop nearest you, visit the Apple Youth Workshops page and click "Get Dates and Times" and it will tell you what's coming up. Here's a tip, though, if it says that registration starts in, say, early May, be sure to register as soon as it's up because it fills up VERY fast!

My daughter and I (parents must be present for the workshop) took the Snap/Photo Workshop this morning. Since my daughter is a photographer, she's always uploading and editing photos, and she's excited that we learned some awesome tricks using iPhoto that we didn't know that we could do. In fact, we were so stoked about the new features in iLife '09 that we bought it to upgrade because the new features are really quite amazing. I'll get to those in the next entry.

Finally! The manual that we wish our kids came with!

We know that babies don't come to US with a manual, but wouldn't it be great for your childcare provider, babysitter, grandma and grandpa or nanny to have one? Karmel Publishing and co-authors Melissa Bishop and Karen Berg have made that possible with By The Book: How To Take Care of MY Kids, available as an e-book or by request as a hardbound copy.

By the Book is a refillable (or reprintable if you purchase the e-book) guide to caring for your child in your absence. There are special sections for letting the caregiver know about allergies, medication schedule, feeding schedule/preferences, school and extracurricular activities, what works and what doesn't if they have a meltdown, pet care, what they love and don't love so much, first aid tips, emergency plans, contact information for healthcare providers, child identification information and ready-to-use nanny or mother's helper applications and agreements and forms to create babysitter interviews and profiles.

This book certainly covers all of the bases as far as things that you want someone who is caring for your child to know. If you've ever been in the middle of a date night with the hubby and wished you'd told the babysitter that little Vanessa has a peanut allergy and is scared of the fan, this book is for you! If your child is ever in the care of an adult besides you, this book is for you!

Karmel Publishing is offering 25% off of a hardbound copy to all Things Moms Like readers and one lucky reader will get a FREE E-Book!!

To get 25% off of your very own hardbound copy of of By The Book: How To Take Care of MY Kids, enter code BTBK7757 (case sensitive) at checkout.

Several ways to win!
To get your FREE E-BOOK copy,

1. Comment below and tell us how YOU will use this book, and be sure that you link to your blog or put your email in your comment so that you can be contacted if you win.

2. You get an extra entry if you "Follow Me" on Twitter and post a tweet about the contest.

3. Additional entry if you join my FACEBOOK GROUP

4. Another extra entry if you Grab My Button and put it in the sidebar on your website.

5. And yet ANOTHER entry if you link to me on your blog (please post a link to this).

Be sure to create individual comments for each of the above that you've done.

Winner will be chosen on May 1st.

$20 Trader Joes Giveaway!

We're giving away a $20 Trader Joe's Gift Card! All you have to do is comment and tell us what your favorite Trader Joe's buy is.

1. Comment below and tell us how YOU will use this book, and be sure that you link to your blog or put your email in your comment so that you can be contacted if you win.

2. Follow this blog for another entry.

3. You get an extra entry if you "Follow Me" on Twitter and post a tweet about the contest. You can Tweet this contest for an entry ONCE A DAY for more chances!

4. Additional entry if you join my FACEBOOK GROUP

5. Another extra entry if you Grab My Button and put it in the sidebar on your website.

6. And yet ANOTHER entry if you link to me on your blog (please post a link to this).

Be sure to create individual comments for each of the above that you've done.

Winner will be chosen on May 1st.

Date Wrecks

Date Wrecks is a blog owned by a good friend of mine. She's a single mom back on the dating scene and while some of the entries read like an internet-dating cautionary tale, she is one witty chick and the entertainment is endless. Even if you're not out there dating, you WILL laugh. And maybe cry.

Dinner time is FUN time!!

Dinner Games by FamilyTimeFun has been a great way to spark and carry on conversation over dinner.  Amazingly, the kids don't bicker and I don't notice my daughter's elbows on the table or the food falling out of my son's mouth as he shouts the answer to a question because we are having so. much. fun.

We love the A, B, City card where the first person names a geographic location that starts with A, like Australia, and the next names a location that starts with B, like Boston and it goes around the table that way until you get to Z.  We have also varied that and used people's names, animals, etc.  

As well as being fun, I like that it sometimes brings up talking points, like the Situation Challenge cards, which bring up moral dilemmas (nothing too heavy, I promise) and everyone gets to go around answering what they would do in response to the dilemma.  We always start with the youngest because, of course, the adults can share what they would do and usually we've been there and done that, so the kids get to learn.  The kids' answers are sometimes funny and it's sometimes hard not to laugh, but it beats my daughter wailing that her brother is kicking her under the table.  He forgets to do that when we play this. 

Don't judge me because sometimes I hide it if we have somewhere to be after dinner.

Family Time Fun's Dinner Games comes in two different age ranges.  The Beginner Dinner Games is for ages 3-6 and the Original Dinner Games is geared toward children ages 6-12.  This is a great way to stay connected or reconnect during the hectic day.  You can even play them at breakfast if you want to be rebels.

EarthLust Stainless Steel Bottles

When you read about the health concerns regarding water bottled in plastic, such as this article from the San Francisco Chronicle or this one from Forbes.com that talks about the possibility of Connecticut, California, Oregon, Hawaii and several other states banning the sale of plastic baby bottles, food containers and cups containing BPA, you know why more and more moms (and everyone else) are choosing aluminum or stainless steel bottles.  I personally choose stainless steel over aluminum because aluminum has been linked to Alzheimer's Disease and takes considerably more energy and resources to mine.  

I much prefer using reusable bottles to disposable, but then it becomes an accessory and like any accessory, you want it to stand out; to reflect your personality or say something about you. Right? I cannot be alone there.  

Anyway, I have used many brands of reusable bottles over the years, but my new favorite reusable bottles are by West Coast-based EarthLust. Their bottles are made of food grade stainless steel and their caps are made of BPA-free polypropolene.  

They make the bottles from their own custom mold and they create a lot of the art themselves.  I personally sport the 20 oz. bottle show above, which is the Limited Edition Parsley design

and since my daughter is a huge owl freak, I bought her the one shown below.  We have both received countless compliments and inquiries about our bottles because they are just so cool looking!  Be a trend setter and head on over to EarthLust and choose from well over a dozen different unique designs.  

 

Teavana Apricot Caramel Torte Green Tea

Now THIS is my cup of tea! The Teavana store in the local mall calls to me even from the parking lot.  I cannot resist their piping hot samples and the beautifully intricate tea drinker's paraphernalia.  They keep the tea in giant tins and will open the lids to let you look inside.  They fan the scent toward your nose with the lid of the tin and you're hooked! I've never tried a Teavana tea that I didn't like.  

My current favorite is the Apricot Caramel Torte Green Tea because it is fruity and light and you can even EAT the dried fruit in the tea! This is a perfect craving-buster for that sweet

  tooth and is a happy ending to a full day!

Things Moms Like

This blog is the place to visit if you want to see the products that moms like.  From household items to baby gear to all kinds of swag, you'll see it here first! 

If you have a product that you'd like me to review, please email me and let me know!

Ripped from the pages of my old blog

I know that some of my readers and some of my MD friends will remember this gem. I posted this first in January, but it came to mind again today when a bottle of detergent slipped out of my hands.

From January:
How can I say that it's been a crappy day and it's TEN AM???

How you might ask? I was all geared up for another sick day with the kid and was making him some eggs when I hear a loud noise from the laundry room. Apparently when I started laundry, I didn't realize that DH had put the new HUGE size detergent half on the washer and half on the counter next to the washer. Well, it had fallen during the spin cycle and the cap broke and it splashed all over the place. Our doggie sleeps in there and thankfully it hadn't fallen on her and she ran out after it happened, but it had splashed all over her, all over the laundry room, and was glug glug glugging a river all over her favorite blanket and the rest of everything else on the floor. Well then she comes in after me and, well, bless her heart because she's blind, she steps on and knocks over her water bowl and it runs into the detergent, which is super slippery and I slip and fall into the detergent mess. Meanwhile, my son, NO KIDDING, is talking to me about Star Wars and is trying to give me a LIGHT SABER so we can play. He's SIX! He can't see that I am wallowing in laundry detergent, trying to get up. So I yell at him that I CAN'T PLAY RIGHT NOW and he starts crying and so that adds to the funness of this sitch.

My dog has detergent on her fur, so I get her into the bath and she's trying to climb out and shaking her fur all over at the same time and I am just like thinking "this is hell, there really IS a hell and this is it" and my cat comes into the bathroom sniffing around and then the dog goes really nuts and jumps out of the tub and I'm chasing down slippery, wet dog and finally got her rinsed and somewhat dry.

But you know what? That really sucked

Swag Bucks!!!

I love Swag Bucks because it's FREE to sign up and you earn Swag Bucks just for using their Google-powered search engine to do your online searching! You don't get paid EVERY time, but it happens pretty often. You also get more $$ if you refer your friends to use it.




You can buy things like Gift Cards to Barnes and Noble, Starbucks, Amazon, iTunes and other big stores as well as video games, DVDs, books...anything you can think of! It takes no time to rack up the $$! Check it out today! I wouldn't steer ya wrong!