My sister-in-law just had her second baby who is proving to be very difficult.  Her older child is 3 and a half but still potty training so she still needs hands free.  Mom has tried a series of baby slings and wraps.  She did find one baby wrap (the Moby wrap) that worked for one day but never again after that.

I also tried the Moby baby wrap with my son shortly after he was born.  I felt that it pulled on my back too much to use often.  However, there was one day where he was so fussy so I decided to give it another try.  I guess it was just what he needed because he calmed down immediately and was good for the rest of the night.

Baby slings and wraps are a great way to keep your child close to you for both comfort and practical reasons.  They’re becoming more and more popular with all sorts of parents.  If you’re expecting soon, be sure to look into slings and wraps for your little one.

I was compensated for this post.  However, this did not influence my opinion in any way.  All thoughts are 100% my own.

The winner of the Slobproof! Paint Pen is Laurie M.

The winner of The Obamas is Melissa S.

The winner of the NurturMe prize pack is Laurel O.

The winner of the $25 Visa gift card from Diversity on Demand is Black A.

The winners of Chicken Soup for the Soul:  Food and Love in the Random Acts of Kindness Giveaway Hop are beautytolove, Dayle B., and Stella C.

You’ve all been emailed so check your inboxes and spam folders.

Also, I will not be doing separate posts for winners anymore.  Instead, I will have a static page in the top menu bar labeled “Winners” that you can click on to see the winners.  As always, all winners will be contacted via email as well so be sure to leave me an email address that you check on a regular basis!

Wall decals are a relatively new way of decorating  but are really becoming popular.  There’s so many different designs to fit any theme.

For example, these sea life stickers could easily be for either gender:

See how easily those liven up a boring, drab wall?  And I think it would be really cool to create a border around the top of the wall with the various designs.

Have a baby on the way?  Here’s a fun way to decorate in a jungle theme:

I’m sure your little one will spend a lot of time looking at those brightly colored animals.

If you run a daycare or preschool, Bright Star Kids also has some larger designs for you.  Of course, this wall art could also easily be used in a playroom.  I also think this next design would be fun in any classroom:

And then there’s this beautiful tree design:

Want to keep track of how much your little one has grown?  Bright Star Kids also offers height charts like this one:

And for those of us who need a bit more organizational help, there’s these awesome chalkboard stickers:

Your kids can also use these put up little drawings “on the wall”!

Bright Star Kids also has some gorgeous designs for adults.  Check out these birds on a wire:

Bright Star Kids also sells bright and colorful canvas art.  Check out this farm scene:

I love how the scene continues through all three panels, giving it more of a 3D effect.

I know I was a bit wary when I saw the “au” in the site name, wondering if I’d have to mortgage my house again for shipping costs.  Well, don’t worry at all, as there is only a $9.95 flat rate shipping charge for wall art in the US.  That’s a fantastic bargain and makes it easy to decorate any blank wall in your entire home.

If you’re looking for some quick and easy but fun wall art solutions for your home, look no further than Bright Star Kids!

I was compensated for this post.  However, this did not influence my opinion in any way.  All thoughts are 100% my own.

PrintRunner started with one press and “a dream” in California to grow to become a provider of high quality printing services reaching far beyond the state.  If you’re in the market for custom sticker printing services or any other online printing needs, then be sure to check out PrintRunner for a great value.

To enter here, just use the form below to enter.  If it doesn’t appear after a few minutes, refresh your browser window.  If there is an action that you already do (like following me on Google Plus), you’re still eligible – just fill out the space with the requested info. If you are new to Rafflecopter and are unsure of what to do, check out this video to learn how to enter.  Good luck!

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Thank you to PrintRunner for providing the prize for the giveaway as well as a set of stickers for myself.

I know I say this about once every 4 months but I’m doing it again.  In order to get back to my roots of just loving reading, I’m taking part in the weekly meme of It’s Monday, What Are You Reading?, hosted by Book Journey.  It’s easy – just post about what you’re reading and link up on Book Journey.  Try to visit others and see what they’re reading too!

I’m actually in the middle of a few different books.

I’m reading Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children to my son on the alternate nights I read to him.  I am enjoying it and find myself having to refrain from reading ahead.

I’m also in the middle of  Triggered: A Memoir of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder for a review.  It doesn’t release until late March but look out here for a review.  It helps me understand those that suffer from the disease a lot more.

I’m also supposed to be reading The Bellwether Revivals for review but for some reason, just had to move away from it for a bit.  I’ll be back and hopefully will be able to get into the story.

And also on the backburner for review: The Book of Lost Fragrances and Beauty for Ashes  (really need to get back to this one – the blog tour starts next week!).

Last week I finished The Other Daughter by Lisa Gardner – always a good author, in my opinion.  I also tried to read The Corn Maiden by Joyce Carol Oates but I just couldn’t get into it.  Shame, because it’s currently overdue.  Oh well, off to the library tomorrow!

Next week, I’ll have up a review as part of a blog tour for Downfall by Terri Blackstock so watch out for that!

I’ll be away later this week so hopefully I’ll be able to catch up on some reading on the plane.  It’s my son’s first plane ride so we shall see.  Maybe you’re on vacation for President’s Day/Week and will get in some reading time too.

Next week I’ll also be taking part in the Leap Into Books Giveaway Hop so be sure to check that out.  Not sure what I’m giving away but it will be book related!

Happy reading all!

Welcome to February Frenzy!

February Frenzy is hosted by ShePromotes along with all of the sponsoring blogs!  Through February 29th the sponsoring blogs will be bringing you a $5 Paypal giveaway a day!  That’s 22 chances to win this month!

Today is your lucky day as I’m hosting the giveaway of the day!  Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter for your chance to win $5 Paypal!  Each giveaway lasts for a week and all February Frenzy giveaways are open to readers Worldwide.  Once winners are drawn, they will have 48 hours to confirm their Paypal email address or a new winner will be drawn.

To see the full schedule of February Frenzy giveaways and enter all of the open giveaways, visit the February Frenzy page at ShePromotes.


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Thank you for entering! Be sure to check out the other giveaways and if you have a little time, check out some of the great blogs sponsoring this fun event!
Formula Mom
Tales From the Nursery
Long Wait for Isabella
Mama Does It All
The WiC Project
Mommies Point of View
Retail Therapy Lounge
Saving More Than Me
Blog Zenith
Everyday Ramblings of My Life
Giveaway Blogdom
Mam Goes BAM
Oh My Heartsie
MamaNYC
How Was Your Day?
Nap Time is My Time
Generations of Savings
Sweeping the USA
Handmade Reviews
Valerie’s Reviews
Going Crazy!!Wanna Go??
My 3 Little Kittens
Way 2 Good Life

Written by my friend Betty Walls

Being a single mom makes you really rely on the rest of your family like I don’t think you would otherwise but it’s been great because it’s really forced me to get closer to my parents which I had a hard time doing for the longest time. They’re great people but they’re just a bit more conservative than me so when it came to talking to them or asking for help it was always a sticky situation. My daughter and I are doing better than ever before and I actually just bought a townhouse for us to live in all alone for the first time! I’ve been looking at purple paints for her bedroom and even looked into Arizona tv deals so I finally feel like I’m an adult like I’ve been meant to be in the long run. I can thank my parents, though, for helping me through all the hard times and I don’t know that I’ll ever find a way to truly show them my gratitude when all is said and done.

Words Spoken True is the newest novel by the author Ann H. Gabhart.  First a bit about the book:

Adriane Darcy was practically raised in her father’s newspaper offices. She can’t imagine life without the clatter of the press and the push to be first to write the news that matters. Their Tribune is the leading paper in Louisville in 1855. Then Blake Garrett, a brash young editor from the North with a controversial new style of reporting, takes over failing competitor the Herald, and the battle for readers gets fierce.

When Adriane and Blake meet at a benefit tea, their surprising mutual attraction is hard to ignore. Still, Blake is the enemy, and Adriane is engaged to the son of a powerful businessman who holds the keys to the Tribune’s future. Blake will stop at almost nothing to get the story–and the girl. Can he do both before it’s too late?

Set against the volatile backdrop of political and civil unrest in 1850s Louisville, this exciting story of love and loyalty will hold readers in its grip until the very last page. Bestselling author Ann H. Gabhart once again delivers an enthralling and enduring tale for her loyal and ever-expanding fan base.

I was fascinated by the plotline centering around the two warring newspapers in Louisville.  And then I was shocked when it was mentioned that there even more, smaller, newspapers in the city.  Since we live in a world where newspaper circulation is declining and those that exist are generally owned by larger conglomerates, it was intriguing to read about how newspapers influenced people in the 19th century.

I found it refreshing that the topic of “marital relations” was addressed.  All too often, this very real part of life is neglected in Christian fiction.  I also appreciate that when it was addressed, Adriane was allowed to enjoy the act as well.  We always hear about how women were repressed in that area  of their lives.  Truthfully, a healthy sex life is crucial to a good marriage and I’m very glad to see that Gabhart realizes that.

I think what I most liked about this book was the plot twist at the end.  Yes, we all knew from the first pages that Blake and Adriane would wind up together.  However, usually that happens closer to the end of the book.  In this one, the realization that they love each other comes much earlier in the story than I thought it would.  Of course, it fits in well with the flow of the plot.  Without giving too much away, I think the point when it occurs signifies Adriane’s realization that everything is changing in her life very quickly and her acceptance of that fact and letting go to God to her guide her foward.

It took me a bit to get into Words Spoken True but I really couldn’t put it down in the last third and was very excited to see what would happen next.  I hope that we are able to read more about what happens to Adriane and Blake in another book so I will be looking out for that.

Don’t forget to enter Ann H. Gabhart’s giveaway to celebrate Words Spoken True!  Ends 2/29/12

Available February 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Thank you to the publisher for providing this book for review.  This did not influence my opinion in any way.  All thoughts are 100% my own.

Tilex gets it.  After all, Tilex has created a huge line of products to keep our bathrooms nice and clean, from daily use to deep-cleaning scrubbing.  They’ve also started a sweepstakes, “Cancel the Mold Show” Sweepstakes, for a chance to win flat-screen TVs and prizes!  You can enter on their Facebook page, and get a head-start by liking the page right here:

So those guests I was talking about earlier?  They actually have names – Sonny Mold and Frankie Mildew.  And they’re the stars of the Mold Show that Tilex wants to help us cancel from our bathrooms.  The Mold Show might sound all cute and fuzzy, but it’s actually pretty gross.  Watch this show that just gets a toehold in and does not let go:

It’s funny until you’re staring those suckers in the eye, cursing their appearances once again.

I find that we fight those bad guys over and over again in our bathroom.  There’s no bathroom in there so we have to rely on an exhaust fan to get the moist air from really hot showers out of the room.  It’s not so bad now, in the winter, when our house is dry from the heat, but when we hit summer, forget it.  I find Frankie and Sonny hanging out not just in the cracks between the tub and tiles, but also trying to climb out of the tub and up the wall above the tiles.  Also, if any of you have one of those spigot covers to help protect the kids during bath time, you know the grossness that lives there.

I use a very high-powered bleach gel spray to zap those suckers out.  I spray it, let it sit for half an hour (while running the fan), and then rinse off.  It works so well to get rid of the nasties, but it’s not so good at preventing them.  I am interested in seeing what Tilex can do to lock down my bathtub from cheesy sitcoms like the Mold Show.  I am definitely going to give their new Tilex Mold Stain & Mildew Stain Remover a try – if it can keep the show from being renewed, then it’ll be a keeper for me!

Don’t let mold and mildew flourish in your house!  There’s nothing funy about those toxic twins so just kill it fast with one of the many Tilex products to keep the icky duo at bay.  And don’t forget to visit Tilex on Facebook to learn more about them and to enter the “Cancel the Mold Show” Sweepstakes!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Tilex blogging program, for 8,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

A few AWESOME Bloggers have teamed up to give you this wonderful $20 Walmart GC! We believe in quick, small, and easy giveaways! Our giveaways only have a FEW entries to fill out and you will know if you WIN in just a couple of hours! WHAT FUN! Good luck on tonight’s giveaway! See you back on Monday for MORE great FLASH giveaways!

Miki’s Hope

Penny Pincher Jenny
Tethered Mommy
Building Carpenters
Deal Doll
Shopaholic Mommy
Documama
Life According to Damaris
Gypsy Mama Logs

 


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