Oopsy Daisy! Cutie Pie Curlz: A review and GIVEAWAY!

Contest is now over! Congratulations to kristilb19! Thanks to all who entered, and thanks the Oopsy Daisy! for sponsoring the review and giveaway!

I remember when I was little, my hair was long, and I winced every time my mom combed my hair after bath time. She didn't use conditioner, so my hair had less tangles, so she used the phrase, "It's painful to be beautiful," a lot when she did my hair. I am happy to report that I won't have to use that phrase on my daughter (at least not after bath time) with the use of Oopsy Daisy! Cutie Pie Curlz leave in conditioner & detangler. This is a super product that will ease the pain of combing after bath time. This is an ALL NATURAL leave in conditioner and detangler. It has a natural essential oil-based scent: sweet pea, grapefruit and lavender. I think it smells so good, and I love it, too! It is recommended for birth and up...so, I can say I can use it, too! I really like that it contains NO parabens, SLS, DEA, formaldehyde, propylene glycol, artificial colors, synthetic fragrances, petrochemicals or harsh preservatives! I can use this on wet or dry hair, which is convenient, too! Oopsy Daisy! also carries other products to help manage hair in a natural and painless way that I would love to try out! I would love to try their High Chair Hair Care! Maddie does wonders with her hair and the mouse made from her food. I would love to see how this product could take that food out, just with some squirts of the shampoo, rub through the hair, and dry. Looks amazing!
Debby DeOliveira, mom of two girls, is the very smart mom who is the creator of Oopsy Daisy! Products! I think she deserves high praise for her efforts and success with Oopsy Daisy products!
Would you like to win your own bottle of Oopsy Daisy! Cutie Pie Curlz (valued at $18.00)? Debby is offering a bottle for a lucky Sassyfrazz reader! This contest is open to all living in the US. Please go to the Oopsy Daisy site, and take a look around. Come back and comment which product looks great to try out. Click here to see how you can earn extra credits to win. Contest will end on August 11th, at 7:00 PM CST.
If you place and order, use the code "tryme" at purchase and get a 15% discount on your order!

An Award for smiles~

Thank you Frazels, for making me smile, 'cuz you said I make you smile! Thanks for the award, I tote it with glee!! I would love to nominate a few of you ladies who make me smile~

Jennifer, Sniz, and Jeannie! You ladies are a hoot!

Healing Choice: A Book Review and Giveaway

Contest is now closed. Two winners will receive their book in the mail by the end of August. Thanks to all w ho entered the giveaway! I hope this book will inspire you and help in your needs.
In the wake of betrayed intimacy, you may feel nauseated, angry, humiliated, desperate. Why am I not enough for him? Can our marriage be saved—and do I even want to try? Will this unbearable ache ever go away?
Amid the devastation that follows a spouse’s sexual disloyalty, you need to know that you are not alone. God walks alongside you, offering comfort and a promise to transform the pain of the present into hope for the future. In addition, there is a community of women who know firsthand the agony caused by a husband’s sexual compromises and who offer the compassion, strength, and biblical wisdom you need to make healthy decisions for yourself and your family.
The Healing Choice reveals the hope-filled stories of two such women, authors Brenda Stoeker and Susan Allen, who draw on their own experiences and those of many others to offer step-by-step advice for rediscovering intimacy with God and finding the support you need to move toward genuine spiritual and emotional restoration.
Their down-to-earth insights light the path toward help and healing for every woman who longs to move beyond the pain of broken trust and experience God’s promise of hope.
This book also has a guidebook that you can use to help you in your journey on the road to healing and restoration of your marriage and heart.
About the Authors:
Brenda Stoeker is a registered nurse, mother of four, and seasoned marriage teacher with life experience in rebuilding a broken marriage. Together she and her husband, Fred, have counseled hundreds of couples struggling with issues related to sexual brokenness.
Susan Allen is a counselor who specializes in helping women create and maintain effective healing groups in churches and communities across the country. With husband Clay, she is the co founder of Avenue, a ministry centered on healing and restoration from sexual brokenness.

Would you like to win a copy of Healing Choices? This contest is different than all my other contests. This is an e-mail entry only, and please type HEALING CHOICES in the memo. If you are struggling with betrayal of intimacy, or know someone that is, I know this book will help you. I want this book to go to someone who really wants to seek hope, and could use a good guide. This contest is open to all that have a United States mailing address, and I will close the entries August 8th, at 7:00 PM. I have 2 copies to giveaway.

Hasbro promotions

I wanted to let you all know of a great new promotion that Hasbro is running. For two weeks, you can get a jump start on holiday shopping from the comfort of your own home while simultaneously saving money on shipping and giving to charity. By going to www.Hasbrotoyevent.com you can buy select Hasbro Hot ’08 toys or games without the shipping fee and Amazon.com, target.com, toysrus.com, and walmart.com are also linking arms with Hasbro on the event.

As part of the promotion, for each toy or game purchased during that time, Hasbro will match up to $400,000 in toy and game donations to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, an organization that Hasbro has supported for the past ten years. Isn't that amazing!! What a generous gift from Hasbro!

Plus Hasbro has created a humorous viral video that supports the promotion. You can check it out by clicking here.

Uniquely U boutique

Uniquely U boutique is a great place to find super adorable baby products! Go check it out! Here is my review of their products!

Celebrating in "kidnap" style

My dear friends, Lisa, Pauline, Jody and Jeannie kidnapped me last Wednesday night to celebrate my birthday. I had such a great time! I had no idea where we were going. The tradition has been to go out for dinner, but they changed the norm this time. We went to see Mama Mia! I laughed so hard in that movie! I loved it so much! I think it was a superb chick flick, and I was happy to be sitting with my dear friends. You have got to see this movie! I think my favorite parts are when all the women are singing, and all the men are singing. Trust me, you just have to see it. I will not give it away! I think this is a movie I want to own in my collection. Here is a couple of pictures from the evening...

Left to Right: Lisa, me, Jody, Jeannie and Pauline.

After the movie, we went to one of our favorite restaurants, Applebee's, and had some treats. I didn't have supper, so I was feeling the need for food. We did have the yummy popcorn at the theater, so I wasn't starving. Looking at our table after we ordered, though, you would think we were all starving!


We ordered the sampler (which is huge), the chicken quesadillas, spinach artichoke dip with chips, onion rings, and loaded nachos. CRAZY~ we didn't eat all that food, though. It was very good and tasty. Then I got to end the celebration with a strawberry sundae with a serenade from the wait staff.

Thank you ladies for a very memorable birthday celebration! I look forward to "kidnapping" the next victim! :)

Winners of past contests

Here are the winners of some past contests. Thanks for all the participation with entering for contests, and especially a big thanks to the companies for sponsoring the giveaways! Keep coming and visiting my blog for updates about our family adventures, product reviews and giveaways!



Sungrubbies: Paint a hat~ Winner is Jennifer



Nana Star (soft plush and book)~ Winner is Sonya



Wishful Daisy (2 winners)~ MaryBeth and Michele



Oopsie Dazie clips~ masonsgranny59



CONGRATULATIONS!!

Busy Body Book: A review and a GIVEAWAY!

Congratulations to Kananee for being the winner of the BusyBodyBook!! Please contact me with your mailing address! Thanks for entering the giveaway, and thanks to BusyBodyBook for sponsoring the giveaway!
Is your life so busy that you can't remember what you need to do next month, week, or even tomorrow? Hey, I know I can't usually remember what I did last week! I was so relieved when I cam across the Busy Body Book! Now I have a way to keep my schedules more organized, and I won't overbook events/projects. I have the Busy Body Book for the Academic year, because it is nice to follow my schedule with the school year (as the summer is usually more relaxed). Busy Body Book also has a planner for the January-December (2009) Personal and Family Organizer.
Inside the Busy Body Book planner, there are 2 Monthly Planners ~ One planner to record birthdays & anniversaries, and another to note next year's appointments/future events. There is a Months-at-a-glance section which is an overview to help plan ahead for the holidays, vacations, or special events. There are 2 Pages for your emergency contact information, doctors, coaches, babysitters...and something I really like, removable shopping lists with perforated pages for creating handy grocery or gift lists. You can use these for a quick note to someone, too. There are 2 pockets inside the front & back covers to provide a deep pocket to hold important papers, receipts, coupons. I really like the bookmark that the Busy Body Book comes with. With the bookmark you can easily flip to the current week, because this bookmark has perforated edges that grabs the spiral. There is also a full page each week for notes, to do's, lists, or alerts. Plenty of notes pages in back of BBB too to record and keep important information. I like the plastic covering over the outside of the Busy Body book....it really helps protect the notebook from getting torn or frayed. The price of this super life saver is only: $17.95.
Busy Body book also carries a 7--column BBB Fridge Grid Pad, and a 2009 Busy BodyBook Wall Calendar. All of these items can really help keep your families activities known and not-forgotten. This way everyone knows what is going on, too.
Would you like to win your own Busy Body Book? You will be happy to be a lucky winner! Just go to the Busy Body Book website, and pick out which book you would like to win. Would you like the Academic Year book, or the Busy Body Book family planner? Come back and tell me which book you would like to win, and which design you like best. Please note that there are 2 designs for the two books. Click here to see how you can earn extra credits to win. This contest is open to bloggers and non-bloggers residing in the United States until August 4th at 7:00 PM CST.
If you can't wait to see if you won, or want to purchase books and/or grids now, you can use the special Discount Code BBBJuly until July 31 for 10% off the entire order!!

Snacktivate: A Review

Kids need healthier snacks, don't you agree? Kid's need better options with their snack selections, and I am so happy that the Kellogg's company is gearing toward the better nutrition with snacks with Snacktivate. I really like this new incentive program, because it is a way to encourage moms to request their kids to participate in meal planning and preparations. The Kellogg Company has teamed up with family life expert, Deb Geigis Berry and registered dietitian Rachel Brandeis, to give moms a way to create healthier snacks for their kids while spending quality time with their kids. The Snacktivate offers many recipes to use healthy cereals to make fun treats and nutritious, too! The Kellogg company sent me 2 boxes of Frosted Mini Wheats and a reusable snack cup to make a recipe and to help spread the word of this great new program. We love the reusable snack cup. I can freeze the bottom cup and keep milk cold in there. In the top cup I can put nutritious Kellogg's cereal, and tucked inside the cover is a spoon that opens up. I got a recipe to make Sassy Sun pops by using the Frosted mini wheats, and a few other baking ingredients to make crunchy peanut butter cookies. By pressing flax seeds and raw almonds into the cookie dough, the kids and I can make the cookie look like a sunflower. Then we just insert the cookie sticks, bake and enjoy a sunny snack time centerpiece. Each finished Sassy Sunpop provides a sweet snack with about 130 calories and 6 grams of sugar. I like that we end up with a fun craft, a tasty snack and necessary nutrition all from one. What a memory builder, and the kids can say that they helped make it. Everything always tastes better when you make it, right?

Maddie is really learning lots!

I have sung a little tune with Caleb when he was about 18-24 months old. Here is how it goes,"Caleb, Caleb, what are you doing now?" As he got a little older, I would sing it to him like this, "Caleb, Caleb, what are you doing___?" I left out "now," and he would sing the now word. So, on Wednesday, Caleb was taking a nap, and Maddie and I were in the kitchen. She was playing in her highchair, and I was putting the dishes away. I love talking and singing to her...and I do it almost all the time. So, this time, I sang, "Maddie, Maddie, what are you doing___?" KNOW WHAT SHE SANG? Yep, that is right, she sang, "NOW!" I couldn't believe it! So, I just had to sing it again without the last word, and she filled it in just like that!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Caleb has been singing a lot of different songs lately. One of his favorites is, "The ants go marching one by one, horrah, horrah!" So, today Maddie was singing (jumble mumbling) something, then she was singing, "Horrah, Horrah!" She was singing the ants go marching, but she couldn't pronounce the rest of the words, just Horrah, Horrah! How cute is that??

Birthday fun

I had a great Birthday on Tuesday. My dear friends, Naomi and Nicole came to spend the day with me. Nicole has two little girls, O. and A., and they are adorable. We had such a nice visit. They brough lunch with them, too...so that was a special treat. Nicole made a very delicious hotdish with meat, lo mein noodles, and waterchestnuts. Naomi brought the dessert, a cookie bottom pie of pudding...yum!
We enjoyed being outdoors, and even having some down time. It was great to connect and talk about any and everything.
That evening, Terry came home with flowers, and we went to the Mexican Restaurant. It was very good. I ordered the Cancun, which is a seafood enchalada with a cream sauce. I am not a fan of refried beans and spanish rice, so I substituted for french fries. I ordered a non-alcoholic Mixed Berry margarita, too.

L-R: Randi, me, Naomi, (A.) and Nicole.
The guys with the kids, L-R: Nicole's daughter O., hubby Pat, daughter A.

Caleb, Terry, and Madelyn.
Me, Nicole and Naomi.
Naomi and Caleb
me and Randi
Nicole and daughter A.
The "kid-free" couple, Troy and Naomi.

It was a lot of fun, and great for laughs and conversations. I really like that this is a yearly tradition. Thank you friends for a great day, and good times!

Keen Distribution: A Review and a giveaway!

Congratulations to Rockin'Mama for her lucky win of the grobag sleeping bag! Thank you to all who entered! Thank you Keen Distribution for the prize!

A great new product line that just came out that is super for babies and toddlers is called Keen Distribution! The Company represents different brands and products from both U.S. and international companies. They are currently importing a line of safe sleep products from U.K.-based Gro-group. This line includes a collection of premium baby sleeping bags called the grobag. This is the number one selling baby sleeping bag in Europe. It comes in a variety of thicknesses, sizes, and patterns, perfect for all climates and seasons. I think think the grobag is a super solution to help keep your baby warm, without worry of a blanket covering your babies face. Also, your baby will stay warm inside the grobag...with a blanket, they can kick it off. The grobag swaddling wrap, is a great product for newborns. The unique fitted wrap makes it easy to swaddle your baby.

I am really enjoying having the grobag egg color-changing digital room thermometer. The egg gives off a soft glow that changes color according to the temperature in baby’s room. I can tell if the room is too hot or too cold by the color the egg is, and then adjust either the room temperature or my baby’s clothing or bedding accordingly. These grobag safe sleep products are all available for purchase now from the Keen Distribution website.

Another product from the U.K. is the Time Out Pad. This clever device is a pressure-sensitive pad for children to sit on during a time out. The built-in timer can be set for one to five minutes. If the child leaves the pad during the time out, an alarm sounds! The child must sit back down in order for the countdown to continue. This is a terrific tool for helping parents make the most of the time out technique. It even comes with a booklet of parenting tips. The Time Out Pad will be available for sale on the Keen website this fall. I know I want this product for sure! Time outs work great for Caleb!
They also have the ultimate mommy accessory—The Mommy Hook. Every mom needs one of these over sized, sturdy stroller hangers. The Mommy Hook is made of durable heavy-duty aluminum, not plastic like other stroller hangers. Perfect to use on your stroller or on a shopping cart, this hanger holds everything from shopping bags, to diaper bags, to purses, and more. The rubber guide keeps it from slipping or sliding and makes it comfortable to use for carrying bags from your car to your house. The Mommy Hook is available for purchase on the Keen website now, or you can visit the Where to Buy page to find retailers near you.
Keen was started by the management team behind Boon, (Which is another AWESOME Company superb in baby/toddler products), however it is a completely separate venture. Boon only manufacturers and sells products designed by company co-founder Rebecca Finell, all of which have the typical Boon style. Keen was started to bring other great products to parents—things that they are sure parents will be sure to love.
Would you like to win a grobag from Keen Distribution? They have offered to sponsor a giveaway for Sassyfrazz readers! Go to the Keen Distribution site, and pick out which grobag you would like to win! Be sure to tell me in the comments which design, size, and tog you would chose if you are the lucky winner. Click here to see how you can earn extra credits to win.
This contest is open to bloggers and non-bloggers until August 4th at 7:00 PM CST.

Just a woman thing....

Ever since I became pregnant with my first child, or was it after I went through his delivery, I have had a harder time with control. You know the feeling (if you have had a few vaginal deliveries...or even one delivery)...maybe you are pregnant for the first time and you are starting to experience it.
You start laughing...then you are laughing even harder, and pretty soon you have to walk cross-legged to the bathroom trying desperately to hold it in until you can relieve yourself. Or on another occasion, you feel a sudden sneeze coming on, then you quickly cross your legs together before the sneeze comes, just so you don't "spill" any fluid out. This can also happen with coughing, lifting, or even exercising. ANYONE RELATE? Did you know that most women (1 in 4 women) suffer with this very common issue called bladder leakage? 8 out of 10 women are embarrassed to talk about this, and it is amazing that so many go through this. Why do we go through this alone?
There is a special kind of pad that can protect you from this leakage issue. Poise pads are made especially for light leakage. Poise has pads for the "time of the month" bleeding, and pads for light leakage. They are different pads and hold fluids differently. The Poise pads for leakage keep odors in, and the fluids contained. There are solutions for bladder leakage that you can try, too.

Here is a great story of a lady named Linda Michael, who was the recipient of the Poise brand Passion Award. You should read her story. She is in the picture on this post (she is the one in the middle). The other two ladies are Missy Lavender of the Women's Health Foundation (on the left), and Amy Attenberger Poise brand manager (on the right).
Just know that you are not alone with this (sometimes embarrassing) subject, and there is a solution that can help: Poise pads. I am glad I found out about this product....now to work on those Kegals!

Please help me out...

Thank you to all my loyal readers of my feeds. I greatly appreciate you!! If you are currently subscribed to my feeds, please re-subscribe. I would greatly appreciate the extra help. If you could delete what you currently have for my feed, and then just re-subscribe, it would help me track things better. Thank you for reading and enjoying Sassyfrazz!

Here is the link to my new feed burner:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/sassy


Thanks so much, and have a super day!

Older yet

Ok, I am officially a day older. Yippee, horrah.

I really think I feel older because I am pregnant with my fourth baby. Kids can make you feel and act younger or they can cause you to feel old and tired. Just depends on the day, ...or time of day for that matter.

Today, my dear friends (from High School)...long time ago....are coming to spend the day with me. Then, tonight we are heading to one of our favorite restaurants for our (traditional) birthday celebrations. I am really looking forward to spending good, quality time with my friends! I treasure my friendships, and I am so glad we are getting another chance to get together! I can't wait to see you ladies!

bummer...I won't be getting to enjoy a Margarita tonight, but maybe next year...
oh well, got a baby blessing going on.

I may not blog much today, but no worries...I will be back.

basq Energizing lotion: A review

Do you ever have those moments that you need to relax your feet from the stress of being on them all the time, or your muscles could use a massage, or you want to cool the sunburn? If you answered yes to these questions, or even one of them, then you need to get some Energizing Lotion from basq! I love the Energizing lotion from basq for these reasons, and just to smell the great aromas of the Green tea, Lavender and Eucalyptus in the lotion. Caleb and Madelyn love the smells, too...it just rejuvenates. The Energizing body lotion from basq is 100% safe for use during pregnancy and free of harmful chemicals. It has been clinically tested for NO Skin Irritant or allergy, too...which I like with my sensitive skin.
I was highly impressed with the Energizing Body lotion! I love how it feels going on...very smooth, the scents wake me up (which is very helpful these days), and I love the cool and refreshing feeling once it is on my skin. There is Aloe Vera in the ingredients, too, which is a natural healing agent.
Kelli Kenny and Lauren Parisier are the Co-founders of basq skin care products. Here is their philosophy:
When it comes to concerns over stretch marks, itchy belly, break outs and blemishes, swollen legs, sleeplessness and sensitive skin, we believe pregnant and new mothers deserve the best in quality and beauty without compromising safety. What does the best in maternity skin care mean? To find out, we spent a year talking to hundreds of pregnant women and new mothers to hear their pregnancy skin care concerns. While every woman experiences pregnancy differently, we found most women shared very similar physical and emotional concerns. Out of these discussions - and our personal experiences - came the four guiding principles of Basq:
Offer pregnancy skin care products pregnant women truly need.
Create high-quality, results-oriented pregnancy skin care.
Deliver an experience that women will really enjoy — both during and after pregnancy.
Take a serious stance on safety. You can read more details of their philosophy here.
basq offers a great selection of skin care products:
Body Oil, Facial Cleanser, Aromatherapy, Body Polish, a Spa Kit, Eye Gel, Spa socks, Spa gloves, and a Mom2B Spa Kit (I want that one!).
One fact from basq I would like to leave with you is this:
What does the name basq mean?
Quite simply: Basq in this moment … it's yours to enjoy. basq is a playful spin on the notion of basking in this special time. However one feels about the experience of pregnancy, everyone can agree it is an extraordinary time. We chose "basq" as it summarized the experience our products brings to women.

Thanks, Alicia!

My dear (bloggy) friend, Alicia, is expecting her first baby...and I am just tickled pink for her and her hubby! (psst...I knew awhile ago, but now the fantastic news is out so I can scream it from the blog roof!) She is such a sweetheart, and she gave me a gift...
Thanks, Alicia! Know that I am praying for you, too, and that little, amazing miracle baby God is forming in you! God bless you!!

Pictures from the Beth Moore Weekend

My friend, Jeannie took these pictures from the conference, and she was gracious enough to share them with me, so I can show you glimpses of my weekend. She has some of the same on her blog, so go see her, too. Thanks for sharing Jeannie! It was great to spend time with you this weekend, too!
This is a picture of Beth on Friday night. She is so wonderful. Her stories are captivating, her soul and heart is on fire for God. She is ready to spread the word of God, and that is her mission. She told her husband (before they were wed) that he would have to know that she was going to be totally working for the Lord. She had to explain herself, because usually that meant she would become a nun. ~lol, she didn't know what the Lord had planned for her, but she just knew she would be a servant for HIM.
Beth is a very personable lady. She said it scares her to death to come in front of all these people at the conferences. So, by helping her face that fear head on, she goes out and looks people in the face, and "gets in their face," as they call in down south. (She is in Tennessee). She was kind of picking on this guy, because guys were big time minority for the conference. So, she wanted to know what brought him to the conference.
Here Beth put on her "cheese head" to let WI know that she would be there soon for a conference. Of coarse she got some squeels and applause from a select few in the audience.
This is the worship team. They were wonderful! I loved hearing their voices and seeing them honor God with their talents. They really were wonderful to help lead us to worship God.
This is Travis Cotterell, and he was the worship leader. He has an amazing talent from God. He writes a lot of his own music, and even shared a new one that he wrote with us for the conference. WOW~ he is great, and God shines through him!

Here is some of the ladies that were from our church that went to the conference. We stayed at the hotel. Friday night, we went walking and ate at 8th Street Grill. It was a good time, and we laughed a bunch. Too bad Jeannie didn't get in on this picture...she is behind the camera.

Getting ready for school with Box Tops!

Last year, Nathaniel's school loved getting box tops from kids, because it helps raise money for them. The classrooms had competitions to see who could bring in the most box tops. Kimberly-Clark has partnered with Box Tops for Education, a program dedicated to helping schools raise money to develop programs, purchase books, and buy school supplies. To celebrate, they've launched a nationwide contest offering parents a chance to win 100,000 Bonus Box Tops, plus an exclusive concert featuring Radio Disney star Jordan Pruitt for their child's school. Bonus Box Tops go a long way. Here is what 100,000 - equivalent to $10,000 - of them could mean for your child's school: Technology Upgrades: A mobile cart complete with 20 wireless-ready laptops, allowing travel from classroom to classroom. The Necessities: Enough No. 2 pencils so that, when laid pencil to eraser, they would stretch across the length of more than 145 football fields. Hands-on Learning Outside the Classroom: An educational class trip for 20 students including airfare, hotel accommodations and museum admission.
Parents or legal guardians of students in grades K through 8 can enter the sweepstakes daily June 28 through Sept. 15 online by clicking HERE! Winners will be selected at random from all eligible entries on or around Sept. 22. Look for Box Tops on specially marked packages of participating Kimberly-Clark brands like Huggies, Cottonelle and Kleenex.

I saw Beth Moore! Living Proof~

I was very excited to get to see Beth Moore this weekend at the Target Center in Minneapolis. She is a wonderfully God-gifted speaker! She is such a great teacher, encourager, and godly woman! She is a great Bible study leader, too! The conference started Friday night at 7:00 PM and went through Saturday at noon. I went with my friend, Jeannie, and other ladies from church. Jeannie rode down with me. We left on Friday at about 4:00 PM. I wanted to make sure we had enough time. BOY, am I glad we left when we did! On the way down, I had to use the restroom, and we took an exit. We thought about grabbing some supper then, and we should have because of the time factor, but we felt a bit awkward at that location. Let's just say we were definitely in the minority. I am not prejudice, we just felt like we didn't really belong...if you catch my drift. After using the restrooms,we went to the Target Center. I missed my exit somehow, and we had to back track. Then, we had a grand time trying to get into downtown. After driving around the blocks awhile, we found the hotel we THOUGHT was where we needed to go. I parked in the ramp to that hotel. Yep, it was the wrong hotel, so we had to walk a bit further to the hotel we were suppose to be in. Luckily, it was just over a block. We got up to the desk to get our keys, and the room number wasn't posted on the envelope. (I think Satan was trying to keep us from going...but his plan failed). We got it all figured out, and got our things up to our room ~ the 28th floor! Yes, it was an amazing view of Minneapolis! It was such a great site! There is something about the big cities. At this point, I am so hungry. So, we ate a fast supper at the hotel's restaurant. Then, we sped walked to the Target Center (a wee bit late). I am so thankful that our church friends had a few seats next to them~ third row from the floor. It was a great spot to see everything. I felt really blessed. I will have to get some pictures from Jean, because I didn't have my camera. Travis Cottrell lead worship, and he was great! He sang a few special music selections, and he has a great voice. His music is really powerful! After the conference Friday night, a group of us went walking to find a restaurant. We ended up going to 8th Street grill. It was a fun place, and we sat outside under an umbrella. It was a great night, and the weather was beautiful!
Friday night, I started getting cold symptoms with the running nose, stuffy head, and just feeling a bit crummy. I slept bad that night, too. I heard all the sirens, and everything just kept me up. Being pregnant, it was a rough day on Saturday with lack of sleep. We had a rush breakfast, cinnamon pretzel with a smoothie, on the way to the conference. I wish I felt better and slept better to get more out of the conference on Saturday. I did think it was an amazing, and uplifting conference. Beth was a breath of fresh air. I really want to do one of her Bible studies sometime. I will try to get pictures from Jean, and post them on here for you all this week.

Saturday, when I got home, I was a bit out of it. I took a late nap, ate a late supper, and watched a bit of Fun with Dick & Jane...a weird movie.

Ever Hear of Game Stop?

Being a family that loves gaming, we like to have options. GameStop gives you options, like other stores do not. You can buy used games from GameStop, and if you don't like them, or if they don't work, you have the option to return the game for an exchange. It doesn't have to be the same game, you can try a different one! How is that for shopping around?
GameStop offers gaming systems (newer styles and older), and games. They cover the Xbox, Xbox 360, Sony PSP, PlayStations 2 & 3, PC games, Gameboy/Gameboy Advance and Nintendo DS games, Nintendo Wii games and equipment, GameCube and more! There are so many options with GameStop. There are stores in many locations. There is one about 15 minutes from my house. I bought a game for my Wii recently with a $30 gift card that I had. I did have to reach into my pocketbook to cover the difference. I was a little disappoint in this purchase, because I did buy a new game, and GameStop sold it to me in a used box. They, just put a new game, in a used box, so I didn't have a "new game" as it is, because it didn't have the plastic wrap around the cover. If you buy a new game from GameStop, you can't return it for a different game, but you can trade it in. You lose some value with trade ins. So, if you shop GameStop, I would recommend buying used, so you have more options to return the game or gaming system if you are not completely happy with your purchase.
I like that GameStop has different Gaming Systems running in their stores, so you can try them out to see if they may be a good fit for you and your family. This is a good way to check your options, too. I am glad I was able to get into their stores with this review to see what is new with GameStop. I have purchased products from their stores in the past, and I was happy to purchase with them again. Thanks to MomCentral for letting me know about this review.

Boys~

Last night, Nathaniel had his friend over for a sleepover. This boy is a good friend of Nathaniel's. They met in school last year, and they were in the same class. They had a good time playing video games, feeding a snapping turtle, chasing each other outside, and talking until late last night. I won't have anymore sleepovers on a week night (even in the summer), because how late they kept talking. Terry has to be up at 4:30 A.M., so he wasn't happy with the late chatter.
This boy is somewhat rude. I have a problem with that. I also have a problem with Nathaniel hanging out with someone that displays rude behavior. Mind you, I know boys will be boys, and some of the actions go with age, but I still don't appreciate it. Caleb really looks up to his older brother, and he wants to do everything he does. He wants to be where he is, and play with him and his friends. Last night at the dinner table, Caleb was saying (Nathaniel's friend's name) over and over. Well, "C" refused to answer him, and he outright ignored him. Over and over he ignored him. Terry finally said, "Hey "C", I have noticed that you ignore Caleb when he is talking to you, please don't do that." Then, "C" said, "OK."
Well, this morning, as I was getting breakfast going, Caleb was trying to get "C's" attention again...over and over he said his name. Finally, I snapped. I said, "C" will you stop ignoring him? It is really rude!" Then, a bit later, I confronted Nathaniel about it. I told him that Caleb really just wants to fit in, and be apart of the group. I said it is rude for his friend to ignore his brother, and he really should say something when he sees him doing that. I said that I will try to keep Caleb occupied, for the most part, because I know they need their time together, too. He agreed.

I am not so sure I look forward to all the "kinds" of friends my children may bring home.

"Love as a Way of Life": A book review and 2 giveaways!

~Congratulations to the winners of the Love as a way of Life, book. They have been contacted. Contest is now closed.~
Dr. Gary Chapman's book Love As A Way of Life, is a great guide book to help us to love others in our relationships. We are relational people, and designed to love our "neighbor." I got so much benefit out of reading this book! I learned how I can change different ways I respond to people in situations.

Dr. Chapman view's love not as a single entity, but as a cluster of traits, which if developed will enhance all of life. These traits are:
Kindness: discovering the joy of helping others
Patience: accepting the imperfections of others
Forgiveness: finding freedom from the grip of anger
Courtesy: treating others as friends
Humility: stepping down so someone else can step up
Generosity: giving your time, money, and abilities to others
Honesty: caring enough to tell the truth

In the book, Love As A Way of Life, Dr. Chapman presents poignant stories of real people who have discovered the joys of living out the seven characteristics of authentic love. There is so much to learn, and I am thankful to have this book to always go back to for good, and helpful tips. I really liked the Habits to Acquire (how we can use what we learn in the book, to make it a good habit), Questionnaires (self tests to challenge our thoughts), and the Competitor (or the enemies that work against developing our character traits) sections in the book. I think that Dr. Chapman is so insightful, and God has given him such wisdom with relationship topics.

About the Author:

Dr. Gary Chapman is the author of twenty-five books, including the New York Times bestseller The Five Love Languages, with more than 4 million copies in print. His daily radio program, A Love Language Minute, is broadcast on more than 100 stations nationwide. He is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute, Wheaton College, Wake-Forest University, and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, serves on the pastoral staff at Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

WOULD you like to WIN YOUR OWN COPY of Love As A Way of Life? This is open to all non-bloggers and bloggers of the United States! There will be 2 winners picked at random. Please leave a comment telling me what your favorite holiday is. If you want, you can tell me why. Click here to see how you can earn extra credits. Good Luck! This contest is open until July 28th at 7:00 PM CST.

Precious Prayers

Yesterday, just before we ate lunch, Caleb, Nathaniel and I prayed. When I said, "Amen," I looked over at Madelyn. She had her eyes covered, and she had her hands slightly clasped. She was also jabbering some. Then, she opened her hands, and said, "A-ma." It was so incredibly adorable! Her first official prayer!

E-Z School supplies: Back to school....

With only a month and a half until school starts up again, we are starting to think about what we need to do to prepare for school items. I know some stores are already filling up the front of the stores with bins and shelves full of school supplies. I am so thankful I was introduced to the great site called EZ School supplies! Talk about making shopping for school supplies E-Z! Why deal with the hustle and bustle of Wal-Mart or Target, when I can have the convenience of at-home shopping with EZ School supplies! The prices are very comparable and competitive with Wal-Mart and Target, just a few items may be slightly higher. I really don't mind paying a little extra for the easiness that EZ School supply offers, plus I save on my gas prices.

EZ School Supplies has a great program that is for all public, private and charter schools along with any group, organization or team. EZ School Supply is web based and anyone can take advantage of the convenience even if they are not connected with a school or organization. I think this would be great with Home schools, too! Every organization that enrolls with EZ School Supplies will receive a ten percent (10%) donation of the total net sales. The donation can come in the form of a cash donation or in the form of additional supplies.

I really think that the EZ School Supplies is the way to go for getting ready for school! I can also customize and request the colors I need for notebooks, back packs, T-shirts, planners, etc. I also like that the supplies come in great, cardboard boxes with a handle. There is a box on there for my child's name, grade, teacher, and school. So, I can use this box to keep memorabilia from the school year, and put it in a safe place to reflect on in later years. I like that kind of organization!

Oopsie Daisy: A Review & GIVEAWAY

I think Madelyn looks so cute in hair clips! Her hair has really grown, and it is so fun to dress her up with hair bows and clips! Oopsie Daisy has such a great selection of adorable hair accessories! I got 2 hair clips (2 with buttons attached to the top), a purple bow, and the much needed clip caddie...to keep her clips together when we are out and about. Madelyn loves to have clips in her hair, and she was so excited when I showed her Oopsie Daisy clips.
Oopsie Daisy offers other hair accessories as well. There are really cute headbands, head wraps, ponies, and bobbies. I think the quality of the hair accessories is fantastic! The owner, Cindy, really makes these clips special. She uses many different ribbons, and picks out a coordinating button to match. She has a vast collection to chose from, and she adds new all the time.
Want to see for your self? Cindy has offered to sponsor a giveaway for my readers! LUCKY YOU~ You must live in the United States. This contest is open to bloggers, and non-bloggers. Go check out Oopsie Daisy and look around. Come back and leave a comment about what TWO items you would love to win! The only thing that is excluded from this contest is the Clip Caddies. She is so generous to offer 2 items, and you will have a hard time just picking two! Click here to see how you can earn extra credits. Good Luck! This contest is open until July 28th at 7:00 PM CST.

My kids are back

We had a great time reconnecting with the kids. It was a warm welcome to see them when we picked them up tonight. They just kept hugging us. I think they are really happy to be home. Madelyn just loved running around the house. She kept tackling me and hugging me. I got many kisses, too. Tonight, Caleb kept saying, "Mom/Dad, I missed you." Nathaniel got his good share of hugs and kisses, too. Caleb was mister chatty box on the way home and he was being silly.

They had a great time with Grandma, and I am so thankful that she is so wonderful! She was willing to take the kids from Thursday night-Sunday. That is great for the kids to get some special time with her, Great Grandma, aunts and uncles and their cousins. It was nice to have some down time, get some things done, and just have some time to connect with Terry. We both had separate plans through the weekend, so we are hoping next month to have a get-away for a weekend for our Anniversary. We already have the green light for my amazing Mother-in-law to take care of our kiddos again. Thank you, Mom-in-law, for being so great with your grand kids, and for being the best MIL a gal could have! We love you!

A couple funnies

I forgot to mention these funny incidents...and I thought I would share.

When Nathaniel was about 4 years old, I was with him and some friends of mine at a Mexican Restaurant to celebrate my birthday. This is a tradition with my friends to celebrate our birthdays there. I had a Mega Margarita, and Nathaniel was trying to get at my glass to try some. I pulled the Margarita away from him and told him, "You're not that lucky!" What I was unaware of, was the waiter had just come to check on our table. He just got done asking if there would be anything else...when the response he got was, "You're not that lucky!" He was so embarrassed and turned red. Everyone started laughing, and told me what happened. Needless to say, I was just as embarrassed and wanted to crawl into a hole. Every year on my birthday I am reminded of that statement. Good times!
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Just a few weeks ago, Terry, the kids and I went out to a local Italian Restaurant for pizza. Caleb started reaching and grabbing a piece of pizza. I said, "You put that down right now!" I was a bit stern with my voice. The cashier was at a nearby table, and she had just picked up the booklet with a check and tab for the waitress. She froze, and dropped the booklet back on the table. She was stunned! She thought that my voice was the waitress's voice, and she thought she was in trouble! How funny is that! I was laughing so hard I had tears.

Nana Star: Review and Giveaway

Caleb is a bit afraid of the dark. He really doesn't like to be left alone downstairs, either. I enjoyed giving him the Moonman from the new series of Nana Star! I really like the Moonman, because he is super soft and cuddly. His face lights up (like the moon) and he plays a great little tune. It is a very appealing tune, too. The book that accompanies the Moonman is about Nana Star (the little girl in the blue dress) bringing the star to it's home. The darkness comes, and Nana Star is scared. The Moonman comes out, and helps Nana Star see that he helps light up the night with his light.
There are two plush dolls (Nana Star and Moonman) and a book that coordinates with each one. Each Nana Star book includes an accompanying audio CD with the storybook and a sing-along song. To make the book a little more interactive, the authors have included a spelling mistake in each book and encourage readers to find it and send them a postcard with the correction. Children are then eligible to receive an 8x10 photo of the Nana Star costumed character and become an honorary member of the Nana Star Little Twinkles Club. The Club is expanded on its website, www.NanaStar.com, where language arts activities for emerging readers are offered.
Elizabeth Owens is the creator of Nana Star, and her grandson, Vance originally inspired her. Linda Saker, Owens's daughter, is the series illustrator; her granddaughters, Elizabeth Sills and Elena Patrice, write and publish the Nana Star stories; and her five great-grandchildren have contributed inspiration to this special undertaking.
Would you like to win a Nana Star gift set from Nana Star? Nana Star has offered to sponsor a giveaway for a lucky Sassyfrazz reader. This contest is open to all bloggers and non-bloggers of the United States. Please go to the Nana Star website and look around. Then, come back and comment about which one you would like to win: Nana Star character doll with the Nana Star book, or the Moonman Lovey with the book Nana Star and the Moonman. Click here to see how you can earn extra credits. Good Luck! This contest is open until July 23rd at 7:00 PM CST.
I was also given a coupon code to offer for a 10% off the already discounted combo price if you buy a book and plush together, until 7/31. Please just enter SASSY10

Pictures of my ADORABLE kids!

Nathaniel is growing up so much lately! He is a really funny kid, and has such a big heart! He is very caring towards people, especially his family. He loves to help those in need, and help his neighbors. He really enjoys his toads, frogs, salamanders, fish, and anything in between. He loves to read books, especially ones with some mystery. He is currently reading Hardy Boys.
Caleb is a comical jester. He loves playing rough house, playing with his Thomas trains, reading books, coloring, painting...and being a 3 year old. He loves to make sure everyone is doing OK, and loves to meet people by introducing himself. His favorite books right now are the Richard Scarry books and Dr. Seuss.
Madelyn is loving her new smile! She loves to scrunch up her face, squint her eyes, and give you a heart warming smile that she knows will make you laugh. She is for sure a girly-girl...loving her dollies and strollers. She can handle her older brothers, and will let you know if something isn't right. She is great at signing what she wants! She loves to read books, dance and run.

Sungrubbies: Paint a hat, and a giveaway~

Are you looking for a fun summer project for your kids that will end up being used for sun protection? I love the Paint-a-hat from Sungrubbies! Caleb had so much fun painting his own hat! He was really detailed, and loved using the 6 non-toxic paints and the 4 brushes to complete his master piece.He will have fun telling all who see it that he made it himself! I think it will help him keep his hat on too, knowing he was apart of the design work. The hat is white with a choice of light green, navy or orange brim. The hat is adjustable to fit different sizes. I like that the hat is UPF 50+/ 98%+ UV Blocked. Right now Sungrubbies is having a sale on their Paint-a-hats : regular price is $24.95 **Special $19.95 Order 5+ hats for $15.95 each. Sungrubbies sent me a hat to give away to one of my readers! I have a Navy colored rim hat for a 4-6 year old to giveaway! This contest is open to all bloggers and non-bloggers of the United States. Contest will end July 23 at 7:00 PM CST. I will pick two winners at random. Be sure to leave a way for me to contact you! Click here to see how you can earn extra credits. Good Luck!

Friday night at Ladies Night Out!

I look forward to Ladies Night Out every month! The next day after ladies night, I look forward to the next one! We had so much fun last night! We really had a lot of ladies there last night, despite the amazing storm brewing in. We had our regular attendees (minus one) and one new lady. We had a very nutritious lay-out of food, really! I thought about bringing caramel and apple wedges, then I thought about cheese and crackers...but I ended up bringing celery, carrots, cucumbers and dip. My friend, Paula ended up bringing the apples & caramel and the cheese & crackers. It cracked me up. We were going to work on another ladies flower arrangements with her. Her daughter is getting married next Saturday, but unfortunately we really didn't get to the flowers. (Sorry!!) We played the game Fact or Crap, and that was very comical. Paula was very good about getting her choice down first, so she would either get 2 chips or lose 2 chips. (Whomever had the most chips at the end won).
Then, we played Guesstures! What a hoot that was! You have to act out words with out props, before the card slips through the slot. I loved watching everyone act out words, and what they thought up. What made the teams really great was we were split up from the sides of tables we were on. We didn't even know at the time, but we were color-divided. One side of the table toted women in pink and yellow shirts. So, they called themselves the Pink Lemonades. Then, on the other side of the table ~my side...A.K.A. "the winners," were in patriotic colors of the Red, White and Blue! We were even in the order of 2 red shirts, one white, and 2 blue shirts! The two blue shirts was Lisa and Jeannie! How cool is that! It was so funny. I had to insert my foot into my mouth at one moment...I still feel bad! This one lady was up there arranging her cards in the slots to get ready. She was making sounds of moaning... and I blurted out, a cow in labor! (like I was guessing her word) Isn't that awful! I was totally kidding, and not implying it to her, but...ya know, the foot went in my mouth for that comment!
I was in tears several times for the many super funny things that were discussed and shared! I love Ladies Night Out! I love being with my friends!

Wishful Daisy: A review and 2 giveaways~

"He loves me, he loves me not..." We have all played with flower petals when we were younger trying desperately to see if we were lucky enough to land on the last petal with "HE LOVES ME!" I know I did this as a young girl.
Wishful Daisy is an new handheld electronic game for girls ages 6 and up. You can play 3 different games on it: Mode 1: Fortune (ask a question and pull a petal), Mode 2: Ask or Answer (fun for slumber parties), and Mode 3: Friendship and love (you answer questions from the wishful daisy, and it will let you know the results).
The Wishful Daisy comes with 29 pre-cut flowers (25 plain paper flowers that you can decorate and personalize and 4 colored flowers that are ready to use). Then, once you use all the petals you can print out more petals from the Girltech website. The Wishful Daisy also comes with a template that you can use to make your own petals. You can buy the wishful daisy at these locations available August 1st.
Want to win a Wishful Daisy?
Mattel has offered to sponsor two giveaways for my readers! This contest is open to all bloggers and non-bloggers of the United States. Leave a comment about what you would ask the Wishful Daisy. Also, let me know who you would like to give the Wishful Daisy to. Contest will end July 23 at 7:00 PM CST. I will pick two winners at random. Be sure to leave a way for me to contact you! Click here to see how you can earn extra credits. Good Luck!

Off to Grandma's house

Thursday night the kids went to Grandma's house for the weekend. This will be the longest Madelyn is away from me. She is completely done nursing, so I know she will be fine. It will be nice to have a break, but I miss them, and I look forward to their return.

We met half way to drop the kids off. We met at McDonald's and had some ice cream. Madelyn did her first sentence in signing...More Ice Cream, please. It was great! She is learning signing like you wouldn't believe. I am so happy that I have discovered sign language for the kids, and they are learning it. It is a great second language.

After we dropped the kids off, we went to visit my parents. It was a nice visit, and my Dad recruited Terry to help him bring a few items to the dumpster yard. While they were gone, my Mom and I looked for an old record I wanted to have. It was one that my sister and I listened to all the time. I remember we used to switch the speed of the record player to 45 and hear the singer change from a normal voice to a chipmunk. It was just hilarious!! I miss those days sometimes. I also borrowed a book from my Mom that was my great aunt's. It is a book about the Sunbonnet babies. I adore the book, and it was one that my great aunt used to read to us all the time. It has special meaning to me. I look forward to reading it to the kids. My Mom wasn't excited about loaning it to me, but I told her that it is just collecting dust on her shelf, so she should just let me borrow it. I told her I would protect it with my life.

We headed back home, and decided that we were going to go sing a few songs karaoke, since we were kid-free. Terry had to work early (get up at 4:30) a.m., and I had to work after an early Dr. appt., but we still wanted to go. It was a good time, and we each sang 2 songs. Terry and I love singing karaoke. It was a good night, even though we shorted ourselves on sleep.

Signing Time Deal!

The lazy days of summer are here! Let Signing Time help your family practice signs, read books, write and color together. Once Upon a Time and Box of Crayons include signs, songs, and fun that'll encourage your children to be creative.
The Gift Set includes: * Two New Signing Time DVDs: Once Upon a Time and Box of Crayons * FREE Signing Time Coloring Book! (A $4.20 value) * FREE 10 ColorSplash Twisting Crayons! (A $3.79 value) * Plus gift set pricing of $35.99. That's a 10% savings! Hurry and get your set today!
I am an avid promoter of Signing Time, and I have seen teaching/learning signing so greatly benefit my children and me!

I had the ebee geebees today...

I was babysitting today, and most days we go out on the screened in deck to get fresh air. I love being out there with the kids, because they can get outdoor air, hear the birds, and they are in an area that they can't take off to the road. Well, today we were out there during Caleb's nap. We were waiting for him to be done with his nap so we could go out to the kiddy pool. So, the girls and I were playing along, when I got an itch on my skin. What is that? I thought...a teeny, tiny bug. But, there are more bugs crawling on me...another, and another...WOWEE...they are all over me! My arms were crawling with teeny, tiny bugs, and my legs. Well, then I was itching all over, because I just think they are all over me by now! Where did they come from, and why are they here?
Yesterday, Nathaniel was out there reading his book. He likes to sit out there where it is quiet to read. He came in and told me there were little bugs on his arms...all over. He said he felt gross. So, I told him to jump in the lake when we got home, or to shower. I really didn't think it was a big deal. Well, now I know how he felt! I really didn't believe him, and I am sure that was evident in my response to him yesterday. So, after I picked him up from his friend's house this afternoon, I owed him an apology.

Anyway, after I came inside with the girls (after discovering the bugs), Claudia went to say hi to her mom in her office. I went over to her and told her about the bugs. She asked me if I checked the girls, and I told her I just came in, and that was what I was going to do next. Sure enough, they had them crawling all over them, too! All over their diapers, even...OH NASTY!
So, I gave the girls a bath, and they loved that time in there. I really don't know many kids, actually none, that don't like bath time. They giggled, and splashed. Claudia loves to stand in the tub, I found out. I washed their hair, and made "styles" with their hair in the shampoo. (Did I have a camera? Oh no...) Claudia sure giggled when I had Maddie's hair sticking straight up in a point (like Alfalfa) on the top of her head.

I told Claudia's dad about the bugs, and he went out and sprayed all the cushions on the furniture out there. Then, he went under the porch to see if he could find anything. There was a nest up under there. He thought maybe there was a dead bird in there. I think he took it down. We don't know what the bugs were, and may never know...but let me tell you, I would be perfectly happy to not let another one come near me or the kids again! I hope there aren't any side effects from the commotion today, and I hope they are all gone now!

California Strawberries are bountiful!

One of my favorite snacks to make in the summertime is smoothies! They are super simple to make, so very tasty, and so nutritious! They really make it easy to get in all those fruits we need each day, too! Here is what I do to make my smoothie:
1. Put in 1/3 ice cubes into the blender.
2. Put in skim milk enough to cover 1/2 the ice cubes.
3. Add vanilla or plain yogurt (I prefer the vanilla).
4. Add frozen fruits: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc.
5. BLEND together, and pour into the glass to enjoy a refreshing smoothie!
I also like to put in a half to a whole banana. If fruit is on sale, I will use fresh fruit instead of frozen. This is a much tastier treat (in my opinion).
It sounds like we all will be getting a better price on fresh strawberries soon!
California provides 88% of the nation's strawberries, and the region is experiencing an incredibly bountiful harvest this year. With over 35,000 acres of fields across California, the growers will be picking nearly 6 million crates of delicious, ripe strawberries this week to deliver to grocery stores nationwide. That is truly something to celebrate! There are so many great meals, and snacks to make with strawberries, and they are so good for us to eat! There are some other really great recipes found on the California Strawberry Commission (CSC) website. Go see what interesting, and yummy recipe you can find.
Fun strawberry facts to share with your kids:
If you lined up all of the strawberries grown in California in one straight line, they would wrap around the entire Earth 15 times.
Guessing game! There are about 200 seeds on the outside of each strawberry.
California harvests over a billion pounds of strawberries annually.
One acre of land (about the size of one football field) grows about 50,000 pounds of strawberries - that's the same weight as 4 elephants!
Find more fun facts and games at a great site called Strawberryville, that is really fun to look through with the kids...and learn some new things!
Thanks MomCentral for this review!

Speaking of bathtime...

I wish I would have had my camera in the bathroom tonight. Isn't that usually the case? You have a super cute moment, one that should be in photo, and the camera is nowhere in sight.

Anyway, I was giving Maddie and Caleb a bath. They LOVE bath time!! I had mentioned in a previous post about how Maddie loves to splash at me...well, some of that did happen tonight. What the funny thing is about tonight's bath time, is I was washing their hair, and then I "styled" it for them. Madelyn's stuck up in three different areas and had sweet little curls. Caleb's went into a punk rocker style, with the Mohawk. I don't think I will ever give him that kind of hair cut, but styling the kid's hair with shampoo makes it fun to see the "what-if..."

I will know better next time to keep the camera close at hand.

I'm gonna wash that grime right out of my tub!

Summertime promotes almost daily bath times at our house. Kids play in the mud, in the dirt, in the pool, at the park...bugs, sunscreen, bug repellent, etc. We use the tub so much more in the summer months, and our tub can get so dirty, with a dirt ring, so quickly!
I was so happy to review the Scubbing Bubbles Action Scrubber from SC Johnson! It is such an easy cleaning product! I really like the Scrubbing Bubbles products, because they really work so great! All I had to do with the action scrubber, was take the foam pad and push it down on top of the blue-sided cleaning pad...add water, and I was scrubbing away that dirt ring! Here are some key facts about the Action Scrubber:
*Each pad contains tiny scrubbing fibers and concentrated Scrubbing Bubbles® formula. *As you clean, the concentrated formula creates penetrating foam that loosens, dissolves and lifts away soap scum and grime in your tub and shower. *Remove the pad from the handle to clean tight spaces, like in corners and around shower fixtures. Action Scrubber™ cleans without gritty chemicals, so it rinses away easily, leaving a brilliant shine. *When you're finished cleaning, simply toss the pad in the trash along with the dirt and grime. *You can use the Scrubbing Bubbles Action Scrubber: on tile, tubs, shower, shower curtains, and shower doors.
I really liked how the handle was so easy to maneuver! It really did make the cleaning go smoother. I give this product an A, and I highly recommend it!
Thank you MomCentral for this review!

No Slip Charlie: A review and a giveaway~

Contest is now closed, and the lucky winner is Leigh! Congratulations! Thanks to all who entered, and thank you to NoSlipCharlies! Please e-mail me your mailing address.

I am very excited to be a new mommy again! Every baby is such a blessing...and every baby (NEW) brings a whole bunch of worries.

I am very excited to try out my new No Slip Charlie set when I give my newborn a bath. Those first few bath times can be so nerve-wracking, because your baby is so slippery when they get wet and soapy. I like that these gloves will improve my grip on my little baby.

These bathing gloves have open finger tips, and are made of soft poly/Lycra fabric that gives you the extra grip you need without any discomfort for either you or the baby. I like that the finger tips are open, so I can feel the soap in my baby's hair and feel their soft skin. The gloves have a gripping surface on the palms and between the fingers. Then, what is really great, there is a removable terry cloth wash mitt that attaches to either bathing glove on the back with Velcro for a hands-free washing experience. How many times have you searched around for the wash cloth, while holding on to your baby?

No Slip Charlie was created by Kim Shulman to solve a problem she experienced every time she or her husband bathed their infant son, Charlie. She worried that she would drop him during his bath or while lifting him out of the tub. A book suggested using a sock with a hole cut out for the thumb, Kim knew that there had a to be a better way to get a good grip on the baby. While wearing her tankini top she noticed that his slippery little body stopped on the swimsuit fabric when she held him. This was the creation of Mom Sense, LLC, formed in 2007 to bring No Slip CharlieTM to parents of infants everywhere.

Each package contains a pair of bathing gloves and two wash mitts - $20.00.

Would you like to win a pair of No Slip Charlies? MomSense has offered to sponsor a giveaway for all you Sassyfrazz readers! This contest is open to bloggers and non-bloggers of the United States. You need to go to the No Slip Charlie website, and come back here and comment on what color you would like to win, if you are the lucky winner. Click here to see how you can earn extra credits. This contest will end on July 18th at 7:00 PM CST.

Also, The website is offering a monthly special right now~~Charlie's Birthday Blowout! 20% off on all orders placed in July!