It's Voting Time!

Well we didn't get the turn out we had hope for on this photo contest.  But the pictures we did get are quite messy.

Here's what we need from you guys now.  Look at the pictures.  Decide which one you think is THE MESSIEST.

#1 GOOPY FACE

I don't have too many messy pictures... probably because I'm a neat freak and try to keep her as clean as possible when eating... haha!! This picture is from when she first started eating babyfood.... you can't tell too much... but it was all over her hands and in her hair :) She loves to grab the spoon and fling goop at me.

#2 MARKER GIRL

This is one of our bigger messes. We have had many food type messes and even muddy messes but this one takes the cake! We had just moved in to and painted our new home. Our little artist must have been unhappy with her décor! She is hanging her head in shame. I am so glad I grabbed the camera but she certainly was not! We repainted the wall and spent lots of time scrubbing the marker off of her, even her back and face!

#3 SPAGHETTI HEAD

This is a pic of my son Ty when he was not quite two years old and had fed himself some spaghetti or ravioli type dinner.  LOL!  *Everything* was tomato slimy!

#4 CEREAL SLINGER

This is what happened after big sister Maggie (age6) fed Baby Kate cereal. She left the bowl sitting on the high chair tray and 8 month old Katherine took advantage of the situation. And such the mess began! Oh the joys of motherhood!

Mommy Tackle-Box Monday

This week Mommy Tackle-Box Monday is coming to you from Amy over at Life as it has been Given Me.

When asked about my “must have baby item” I had a few thoughts. Hmm…. what does my baby love the most. Easy, my breasts, wait I can’t say that! Uhh… I mean my baby loves to be close to me and to give me kisses and cuddle. Well that is not exactly something one can market, is it? Actually it is!

See with my favorite baby item of all time, cuddling and nursing and being close to baby is the key! The Moby Wrap makes holding and snuggling with baby so easy. There are a hundred things I could say about the Moby Wrap but I will just list 10 for your sake. These ten should be enough to send you right over to www.MobyWrap.com to get one for you or your pregnant friend (That’s how I got mine, best gift ever)! Here are my top ten reasons to buy a Moby: 

1. Hands free -That’s what people are looking for when searching for a carrier right? This carrier has got it. For the first 8 months of my fourth child’s life I never went shopping without the Moby. No more lugging around that heavy baby carseat or letting it take up precious cart room. It is great for keeping baby close and secure while watching a toddler and two preschoolers. Also while taking a 3 yo to the bathroom asap in the middle of a church service or at the grocery store. Many moms use the Hike Hold or back carry position when doing dishes or making dinner.
2. Comfortable for Baby – When she was an infant my Leah would sleep so cozy in her wrap within minutes of her being placed in it. She is close and warm and cozy. The Moby has no snaps or buckles, just super soft jersey material.
3. Comfortable for You – My daughter was 4 days old the first time I put the Moby on. I was astonished at the back support that it offered. I was expecting to feel a pull on the back or shoulders but instead I felt support. It wasn’t until very recently (my daughter weights 23 lbs. now) that I began to feel the stress on my back after wearing her in the Hug Hold or front carry position on a shopping trip. I will start wearing her on my back to relieve that stress. 
4. Breastfeeding – I haven’t mastered it but have seen moms who have. They nurse hands free while their babies are in the Moby! I only tried a few times and my baby was too old to start something new I think. I will certainly be trying it if we are blessed with another newborn. It is a safe private experience for baby and a pretty modest one for a momma who is nursing in public or even on the go.
5. Versatile – This wrap can be worn many different ways including front, hip or back. YouTube has a wealth of videos of how it can be worn and put on. It even comes with a manual that illustrates the different holds. The manual also shows mommy and baby exercises! I can wear my newborn or my preschooler in the Moby! 5-35 lbs. They even have a few different holds for twins!
6. Selection – The Moby comes in several different colors, prints and styles. It comes in Batik, UV protection and even a Camo print! There are great accessories to match too, like Moby Baby Legs which I love love love. Baby leg warmers to match your Moby!
7. Organic – They have four gorgeous colored organic wraps to choose from.
8. Washable – It’s super easy to clean, just toss it in with your regular laundry and I toss mine right in the dryer.
9. Portable – The Moby rolls up and comes with a jersey bag to keep it in. I toss mine in the van under the seat or right into my diaper bag.
10. Affordable – Retails at about $40. That’s much less expensive than most carriers out there and it is soooo worth the money. I could count on one hand the amount of times I have used my stroller since getting the Moby Wrap. I think its safe to say that the Moby is a great replacement.

Well if that isn’t enough to make you go out and get a Moby then maybe this picture will be, how precious! They even sell Moby Wraps for little ones to wear!

Thank you so much Amy! I hope everyone else enjoyed her post as much as I did.  And you can't argue with that adorable little boy wearing his baby.
Would you like to be featured on Mommy Tackle-Box Monday?  If so just email us at inthemommybusiness@hotmail.com and let us know what you would do your post on and your blog address.

Follow-Up Friday

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen, if we have any of them following,  it is Friday night and I am currently baby sitting my nieces and nephews.  Little Miss M is here too.  They're all asleep.  So I'm gonna give you a run down of this week.

Nicole will be with us off and on for a week or so.  Mostly off because she is having some personal problems that need dealin with more than blogging.  So you will mostly be hearing from me with a few pre-written posts by Nicole thrown in here and there.

Miss M had to go to the emergency room this week.  Well, it wasn't a HAD to.  It was a Mommy is terrified of the bleeding cut on your head had to.  But she is alright.  She ran up behind me on Tuesday while I was vacuuming and bounced off of the vacuum into the wall.  Her head was bleeding and I was scared.  My husband looked at it and said he didn't think she needed to go but I took her anyway just to be safe.  Turns out he was right.  She didn't NEED to go but it was nice knowing from a Dr. that she was ok and what to look for if she wasn't.

Now for the good stuff, our winners, giveaways, and your giveaway link-ups.

Our Winner

The winner of the Paper Blessings giveaway was Deb from It's Always Something and the owner of Springvale Soaps.  Which you should all know by now we really enjoy over here at In the Mommy Business.

Our Review

I love MommyLoves
done by Nicole

Our Giveaway

Cookies and Clippies Giveaway
done by Eliza

OUR FIRST EVER PHOTO CONTEST
that saddly enough only 1 person has entered.

Messy Baby/Kid Photo Contest
done by Eliza

You all should really get on it with those messy baby/kid pictures.  The deadline is 9am Monday.  I'm not joking.  I only have ONE picture.

Now if you could all kindly link-up your giveaways.  We would love to help our fellow bloggers out.  And come back next week for more giveaways.  I have some more to post that I didn't get to this week cause things were just to hecktic.  So keep an eye out for them!

Cookies and Clippies Giveaway

Well we've had a bit of a dry spell as far as giveaways go lately.  So I've decided to do a Hand made/assembled giveaway week.

We're going to start out our week with some yummy cookies and cute clippies from LePastiche Uniquities & Bake Shoppe. The owner of the shop is a stay-at-home mother of 4.  She enjoys making things with orphaned pictures and trinkets. And she has her own bakery that makes the most amazing cookies.

I was allowed to sample 2 different flavors of cookies.  They were Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake cookies and GoodyGoody Froo-Froo cookies. Both sets of cookies were very moist for having to travel.  The Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake cookies were to lemony for me.  The dried blueberries in them however were scrumptious. If you like lemon anything you will LOVE these cookies.  The GoodyGoody Froo-Froo cookies were my favorite.  They were little Miss M's favorite too.  I swear when I'd give her one it was gone in 3 bites.  They were soft chewy oatmeal cookies with dried fruit and chocolate chips.  They were just delicious.  One of those comfort food type of goods.  And they don't seem to be to bad for you.

I was also given the opportunity to try out some Yo Yo Posies Hair Clippies on Miss M.  When I was told that we were going to get to review hair clippies along with the cookies I didn't know which ones I would get.  When I opened the box I was SO excited.  They are just beautiful along with simple and totally my style.  I love how colorful they are but not in your face colorful.  And I absolutely adore the polka dots on them.  The button in the middle wraps it all up perfectly.  Miss M liked them too.  She took them from me and tried to put one in her hair as soon as I took it out of the box.  So we promptly fixed her hair and added these in and she was pleased. 

LePastiche Uniquities & Bake Shoppe is giving one of you the opportunity to try out a batch of her cookies and a set of Yo Yo Posie Hair Clippies of your choice.

TO ENTER

Visit LaPastiche Uniquities & Bake Shoppe and tell us which cookies and hair clippies you would pick if you won. For your entry to be valid you must follow In the Mommy Business through GFC or email subscription.

This giveaway will end June 1st.

.

Our First PHOTO CONTEST!

Get your cameras ready ladies! Or get ready to look through some old photos.  We're having a photo contest!

If you have a child you know what a mess is.  And you know they can happen anytime anywhere.  Well, we'd like you to share those messes.  And I'm not talking about the, "Hey my kid ripped up a piece of paper" kind of mess.  I'm talking, my kid has peas from head to toe kind of mess.

We are looking for the messiest child(ages newborn-8yrs.) pictures.  For the next week we are asking you to email your messy kid pictures, along with a small description, to inthemommybusiness@hotmail.com.  On Monday morning Nicole and I will look through all of the pictures, and depending on how many we get we will pick out our top ones could be top 5 could be top 20 if we get enough of them.  Then we are going to ask you our readers to vote for the messiest.

The Mommy with the messiest baby will win a CleanWell Prize package of 1 Lavender All Natural Anti bacterial foaming hand soap, 1 Ginger Bergamot All Natural Antibacterial Foaming Hand Soap, 1 original scent(smells like lemons) travel spray hand sanitizer, 1 original scent regular sized hand sanitizer, and 1 eco friendly bag(not form CleanWell I just wanted to throw that in there for fun).  That's $25 worth of kid safe, eco-friendly, personal cleaning products.

A little Bit about CleanWell:
"CleanWell travel friendly hand sanitizing sprays, soaps, wipes and foams are made with ingredients from renewable plants, primarily thyme.  With a first-of-its-kind natural chemistry, CleanWell proudly introduces a unique formulation of plant essential oils proven to meet FDA standars for 99.99% germ killing efficacy, and a safe and effective natural alternative to the toxic ingredients found in most antibacterial and sanitizing products.  CleanWell products also do not include the controversial ingredient, Triclosan, widely used as an antibacterial in household hand steriliation products.  Triclosan is a known endocrine disruptor, a synthetic chemical that when absorbed into the body either mimics or blocks hormones and disrupts the body's normal functions."

That's what CleanWell had to say in the letter they sent me.  What I have to say is;
It's an all natural kid safe hand sanitizer!  I'm on board!  It smells good.  It doesn't leave your hands sticky like some sanitizers do.  It's not going to kill your child if they happen to ingest some.  There are NO CHEMICALS!  What more could you want?!

So send us your messiest pictures of your children and you could win some of the safest soaps to help clean them up.  We'll leave you with our own messy children to give you an idea of what we're looking for.

Mr. A eatin his birthday cupcake

Miss M eatin peas

Paper Blessings Winner

Our Paper Blessings Giveaway winner is comment #2.

Deb E. said...

2

I like the letters, and I like that 'D' is available. :)

I'm also a follower.

~Deb

dke @ centurytel . net

MAY 16, 2010 10:17 PM 

Congratulations Deb.  We will be contacting you within 24 hours to get your information.

Thank you all for entering.  We have some great giveaways coming up this next week. There will be a new one every day so stay tuned!

Follow-Up Friday.

Guess what! I'm remembering Follow-Up Friday this week.  We started off our week with wishing all of the Mommies out there a Happy Mother's Day.  Then there was a Mommy Tackle-Box Monday post featuring Vicki from Vicki's Blog.  The rest of the week was full of great reviews, giveaways, and winners.

This week's winners.

Springvale Soap Giveaway Winners:

Amy Matthews at Life as it has been Given Me

&

Nichole Cross(I don't know that she has a blog. I can't find it at least.)

Superior Soap Nuts Giveaway Winner:

Dani' over at In the Rock

Congratulations ladies!

Our Wonderful Reviews from the week:

2Kute Hot Pink Flower Hat

Judy A. Goddard Growth Charts

This week's Giveaways!

Bummas Cloth Wipes Review and Giveaway

Paper Blessings Review and Giveaway

That's all from us.  We hope you guys enjoyed your week.  Please share your reviews and giveaways with us.  And have a GREAT weekend!

Paper Blessings Review and Giveaway

Paper Blessings is an Etsy shop that sells handmade paper crafts.  Her items are scrapbook style that is inspired by God and nature.  Paper Blessings has many beautiful items.  Every item is delicately put together with love and care.

I do not have just one favorite item from her shop.  There are so many amazing and inspirational things.  

Let's first start with her Inspirational Alphabet Letters.  They are 6"x4" wooden letters with black decoration stamped on a while background.  She adds little embellishments to each one to make them beautifully unique.

Then there's her Love Notes from God chipboard book.  Each page is just as much of a blessing as the last.  She says it wonderfully in her description of the book when she says, "This book is filled with God's Word. Therefore, it is filled with His "LOVE NOTES" to us. What peace it brings our hearts to know our Father God's love for us, His children. "  You can go HERE to see all of the intricate detail she put into this book.  I think it would be the perfect item for a baptism gift or a gift for a friend that you know is feeling alittle discouraged with hardships right now.

I also love all of her card gift sets and greeting cards.  She has wonderful ones that say things like, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart",  "I will love thee, O LORD, my strength." Ps.18:1 , "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is Good!" Ps. 34:8, and "The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace." Ps. 29:11.

They also carry Paper weights.  What an awesome way to be uplifted when you're having a bad day at work?!

She also carries boxes, purses, & tins, mini books, albums, & journals, and picture frames.

Along with the Paper Blessings Etsy Shop she also has a blog and scrapbook supply shop.  I really don't know where she finds the time for all of this but she is a very talented lady!

And guess what?!  She wants to share some of her blessings with one of you!

Paper Blessings is going to give one of our readers an Inspirational Letter and a Greeting Card(any $3.50 card listed).  The only Inspirational Letters she has right now are:

U-unique, uplifting, unfailing, unselfish

D-diligent, delightful, disciplined, decisive

G-gentle, gratitude, graceful, generous

F-fearless, fair, friendly, forgiven

C-cheer, courage, confidence, calmness

To Enter:

visit Paper Blessings, come back here and tell us what your favorite item is, and follow In the Mommy Business. 

That's it.  Just one way to enter this one.  No one was entering so I figured I'd simplify it to see what response we go then.

This giveaway will end May 22th at noon.

 

Judy A. Goddard Growth Charts

Judy A. Goddard Growth Charts are just beautiful.  Judy allowed me to review her Bugs and Blooms Growth Chart.  It's really pretty.  The art work on it is wonderful.  AND she personalizes them for free.  How cool is that?  

The chart starts at 18 inches and measures up to 5 feet.  I don't know how long that's going to last for Miss Madelynn since she's 16 months old and already almost 3 feet tall. 

What I love most about Growth Charts is their portability.  That way you don't have to worry about loosing that wall you started using as a Growth Chart when your kid was young.  We had one of those walls at my grandma's house and I can remember being devastated when they decided to paint over it.  These Growth Charts are keepsakes for your children for the rest of their lives.

Judy makes all sorts of Growth Charts and she makes Walking Canes.  Her art work on both is fantastic.

Judy has a blog along with her Etsy shop.

Go visit her at:

http://www.JudyAGoddardArtisan.blogspot.com

&

http://www.etsy.com/shop/JudyAGoddard

2Kute Hot Pink Flower Hat.

I was recently given the opportunity to review this beautiful Hot Pink Flower hat by an etsy shop called 2Kute.
The hat is so beautiful and made very well.  It's perfect for going out to play in the sun.  Even though it looks like the crochet holes might not protect very well, they do.  Madelynn loves it to.  She loves putting it on and taking it off.  However every time I would get the camera out she would automatically take it off and refuse to put it back on.
2Kute has many more beautifully crocheted items in her shop.  The cotton cleaning pads are a great alternative to buying those disposable cotton pads at the store.  And they gently exfoliate your face.  If you can't tell I'm thinking about getting myself some.
I am also in love with her Butterfly Kisses Hat and Bootie set.  It is just beautiful.  And since we just gave some soap away I thought I'd tell you about this Soap Saver.  I really need one of these.  My goat's milk soap disappears quickly because I have nothing to put it in to keep the moisture away from it when I'm not using it.
In addition to her crochet Etsy shop 2Kute also has a paper goods Etsy shop.  It is called 2KuteKreations.  She makes Note cards, Birthday Cards, and Thank You tags.

Mommy Tackle-Box Monday

Today on Mommy Tackle-Box Monday we are featuring Vicki from Vicki's Blog.  Her can no live without item is the Boppy.  Here's what Vicki has to say:

Before my first child (Grace) was born I knew I wanted to breastfeed. My sister had done it with all 3 of her kids & I wanted the closeness of those feedings. For my baby shower she bought me the Boppy. I wasn't exactly sure about it. I didn't know why I needed a special pillow for breastfeeding. I took it with me to the hospital & boy was I glad I did. I used it from feeding #1. The Boppy helps keep the baby where she needs to be to find the breast. Plus it is super comfortable for Momma too! Grace had acid reflux for her first 3 or 4 months. She had to be elevated for 45 mins after each feeding. I could lay her down in the Boppy & she could lounge there while still being elevated. It was wonderful. When my second child (Braden) was born I knew that the Boppy was going to be my best friend. I used it for breastfeeding and for letting him lounge around. With both children I would use the Boppy in other ways other than feeding & lounging. I used it when they were learning to sit up, for belly time, play time & it helps siblings hold their newborn baby brother or sister. I think it is the most versatile baby product out there. Even if you don't breastfeed your children you can use it for support as you bottle feed. I am expecting our third child in the fall & I am so glad I kept my Boppy! I know it will be invaluable for this new baby too. I love the Boppy for it's many many uses but I also love the adorable covers you can buy with it. You can make it to fit your life, your style. I recently read on the Boppy website that for the seventh year in a row Boppy has been voted the #1 baby product! I have to agree. If you are looking for a baby shower gift, you must consider the Boppy.

I hope you come back next week for more Mommy Tackle-Box Monday.

Happy Mother's Day.

      

        

Mommy Tackle-Box Monday

It's time for another Mommy Tackle-Box Monday.  Today we were going to feature Megan from Newly Wed Newly Bred but she has alot going on in her life right now that she could no longer do this.  SO!  You get to hear what item I could not have done without when Madelynn was a baby.  Don't you feel so lucky?

THE SWING


Madelynn's baby swing saved my life.  Well maybe not my life but at least my sanity.  Madelynn was a very happy content baby for the first month, well really mostly the whole first year.  But for some reason at around 5 weeks she started this thing where she would just scream and cry from 8pm to 11pm or midnight.  It was horrible.  The first night I did everything I could think of.  I tried to nurse her, she wouldn't have it.  I tried to rock her, that didn't help.  I tried carrying her around the whole house, that didn't work either.  So I just sat there.  Rocking my screaming baby.  I was worried.  It went on for a week.  Then she had a doctor's appointment.  The doctor told me that it just happens.  Babies have a "crying time" during the day.  Most of the time it's in the evening.  And that it would stop for sure between 4 and 6 months of age.  In my brain I was like, WHAT?! You mean I have to put up with 3-4 hours of screaming EVERY NIGHT before bed for 2-4 more months?!  Oh no. That was not happening.  We were going to figure something out.  My dad had gotten Madelynn a swing when she was 4 weeks old and she cried all 3 times I tried to put her in it.  So I just put it away and decided I'd try it later.  Don't know why I didn't think of it at all that first week she was screaming.  So that night after I talked to the doctor I got out the swing.  At 8, right after I fed her and before she got cranky I put her in the swing and she fell asleep within an hour.  I took her out of her swing and put her in her bed and everyone was happy.  The next night wasn't as pleasant.  She cried for the first 10 minutes she was in the swing.  But then again.  She fell asleep and I put her in her bed and she slept.  It continued like that.  Sometimes she would cry off and on but other times she's just fall asleep right away.  I was so excited.  From then on we used the swing for nap time because I didn't want her to get addicted to being nursed to sleep.  Then I switched and didn't want her to get addicted to going to sleep in the swing because she was growing out of it.  We stopped using the swing at 7 months when she could sit up and try to climb out of it.  That first few days without it weren't very fun.  She ended up being addicted to nursing to sleep at naptime.  But eventually got over that too.  Now she's a big girl in a toddler bed.  I just lay her down with blankie, glow worm, a sippy cup of water, tuck her in and say nighnight and she goes to sleep on her own.

This is one of the times she fell asleep in her swing at about 3 months. I tried to give her a pacifier and she decided thumb sucking was better.  She stopped doing that at about 5 months though.  Now she chews the corner of her blankie(that pink fuzzy one in the picture).

I have no clue what I would have done if I hadn't had the swing.  Maybe I wouldn't have wanted to have anymore children.  Now I can't wait to have a new baby to put in that swing and watch them preciously fall asleep.

Let us know what you think of this weekly feature.  And let us know if you'd like to be featured here.  Email us at inthemommybusiness@hotmail.com.

Organic Mint Sachets

I got the chance to review What'shername's (no I didn't forget, that's really the name of her shop) Organic Mint Sachets.  The mint she puts in her sachets is grown by her.  They smell amazing.  When I opened the package I was so excited to get hit with the minty smell.  I absolutely love mint tea and that's what this reminds me of.  I just sat here and smelled the sachet over and over.  It's very calming.
There are many uses for these sachets.  You can put them in they dryer with your clothes just like you would dryer sheets.  Put them in your pillow for calming effects.  You can hang them in your car as and air freshener(that's what I did with mine).  Put them in your drawer, suitcase, or closet to keep your clothes smelling nice.
The other thing that's super cool about them is they're Eco Friendly.  Who wouldn't love that?  The scent lasts much longer than those disposable dryer sheets and doesn't leave a filmy kinda feeling on your clothes like you would if you soaked a rag in fabric softener and just threw it in your dryer.  Paying $5 for 3 sachets is much better than paying $5 or so for fabric softener that runs out and can hurt our planet.
What'shername also has lavender sachets and so many other beautiful things in her shop. Check it out at http://Whatshername.Etsy.com