Game Stop's “Sharpen the Mind, Shape the Body.”

I am so ready to start off this new year with the motivation to get healthier and losing my extra body insulation! The holidays tend to be magnets for pound acceleration, and now is the perfect time to accelerate in the weight loss!

Going to the gym is not in my budget, nor something I am able to do with 3, almost 4, kids. I do know that exercise is a crucial element to getting healthy, losing weight, and feeling more energized, though. I love the creative ways that video games have come up with ways to entice us to get motivated to exercise. I love playing on the Wii Fit and my Dance pad, because I don't really feel like I am "exercising." I enjoy fun gaming, but burn calories while doing it. Plus, I can enjoy a great work-out with family and friends.

Playing popular video games like My Fitness Coach or Dance, Dance Revolution make exercise fun, while games like Brain Age or Crosswords DS give your brain a workout. GameStop stores offer these titles and more and have associates on hand to help you find a good fit for you and your likes. GameStop stores offer some many fun games that your whole family can enjoy. This January, they are offering a "Sharpen the Mind, Shape the Body" initiative for the whole month that includes a special incentive to discover active gaming.

As a special incentive, all shoppers who spend $35 or more on designated products will receive a free 12-month trial subscription to their choice of Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Redbook, Good Housekeeping or Esquire. So you can stop by a local store and demo a range of titles that match your interests and skill level, then you can get out of the "poundage slump" and get into shape. GameStop sells new and used games, gaming gear and movies. You can trade in your used/new games, gear and movies and exchange for other titles. I have had good buys there, and found titles that I couldn't in other local retailer stores.

Thanks MomCentral for letting me know about the "Sharpen the Mind, Shape the Body" initiative from Game Stop!

Excitebooks.com Giveaway!

Books are great for kids, and reading is so beneficial to their learning! Our family enjoys books, and really enjoy finding new books to explore. I was really excited about the new program offered from Excitebooks.com! It is very similar to netflix, but instead of movies, you can order books for your kids. Your children can get a wide variety of books that fits their age category (infant, toddler, 1-5 grade, teen books, cook books, and puzzles) and the books are all “teacher approved” books based on age/grade level. There are three different membership plans customized to fit what works for your family's desires. You can order one book ($4.99), two books ($9.99)or three books~which includes an educational activity ($14.99) a month and you can enjoy a gift your child will enjoy completely. What a fun surprise for them to see what the next book will be each month, plus, they are learning and growing!

A great faucet that Excitebooks.com has implemented into their great children's reading program is, after 12 books sent to your home, they send a pre-addressed/pre-paid envelope that you can use to send some of the books to a local library or your school library. This is a great way for you to share the gift of reading with others, and your children can participate in the giving. A receipt is also included for a tax deductible donation to your libraries.

“Excite Books is not your average book company,” explains Austin George, a commercial airline pilot, motivational speaker and founder of the online site. “We are members of the community who strive to add excitement and energy into your child’s reading activities. Through Excite Books, kids are an active participant in all phases of learning and development through responsibility, motivation and giving back to the community.”
Excite Books knows that kids who read also love to watch TV and has tapped Blake

Michael, the 11- year-old host of Cartoon Network’s Fried Dynamite as its celebrity spokes kid. Blake appears on Excitebooks.com wearing a large red exclamation point as an advocate for the excitement of reading books. He’s a passionate reader off camera who exudes the enthusiasm and excitement of reading and giving by kids to kids.
With its 100% “excitement guarantee,” this month-to-month service requires no commitments or contracts. The company is so confident your Excite Kid will love the action-packed books that it offers a money-back guarantee.

If you would like to start a monthly subscription, you can get a bonus fourth book by entering in the Personalized Message field when you submit your order the words “4th Book Free” and then you can type your personalized note that will be included with your order for your child.

Would you like to try Excitebooks "Netflix" books for kids program? You have a chance to win here! What you will win if you are the lucky winner: three books in the age category you choose, accompanied by the eight free gifts. You will be happy to win this for your children, because books are a great gift for children! This contest is open to all readers living in the Continental United States. To get your first entry, comment about a book your child especially enjoys right now. If you do not do the first required entry, you will be disqualified. You may come back each day and enter (again) after you do the first rule, just tweet about this giveaway and leave the url in your comment. Click here to see how you can earn extra credits to win, and click here to see guidelines and the official rules. Contest will end on January 19, 2009 at 11:59PM CST. GOOD LUCK!

Baby Appointment: week 39

My appointment went alright on Tuesday. I am probably dilated to 2, but he said baby is up so high it is hard to tell for sure. All of my baby's are high, and don't "drop" until I am in full blown labor. The Doctor did do some moving around, and it was a bit uncomfortable, but it was hard to get anywhere. I know my body is fully ready for this baby with the contractions I had over the weekend, and the baby is considered full term. So, I am SO ready, and just pray that he/she comes really soon~
We were planning on starting the process Thursday night. The Doctor said that I could check into the hospital on Thursday night, where they would put a pill in (citadel) to help ripen my cervix. Then, come Friday morning, the Doctor would see what my progress is, and start the induction. With my history of low or no amniotic fluid, we don't want something to happen to the baby, or wait until the estimated due date. The hospital didn't have an opening for that procedure for that evening. Then, there was an opening last night, so I took it. I was excited about the fact that I could be holding my baby Tuesday night or Wednesday (today).
However, after talking to Terry, he wasn't happy with that choice. He didn't want to miss as much work, and he said if the baby is fine, we should leave it alone. I agree, but I am just downhearted about it, and I do have the worry over the fluids. I am a fan of letting things be, but I am just anxious about the fluid levels, and really quite honestly, I am tired of being pregnant and having the pains. So, the Dr. and I scheduled an ultrasound for Friday morning, and we will see where everything is at. I hope that the fluids are fine, and that the baby is still fine on Friday. I am really hoping and praying that my body will naturally go into labor before Friday, so I don't have to wait much longer. I felt kind of crampy this morning when I woke up, but that is it. I want to clean the house, but I have no motivation or desire.

Feeling the need to get organized?

If you are like me, organizing is something that doesn't come very naturally, actually it may be a big struggle to be organized! I have been introduced to a great website, from MomCentral that will help keep me and my family more organized. This great site is called Cozi.com, and it is a FREE web service that helps busy families manage crazy schedules, track shopping and to do lists, organize household chores and stay in communication, all in one easy-to-use solution. Cozi not only provides a shared family calendar, but also includes customized shopping lists, quick messaging tools, mobile phone access and a family journal. With Cozi, busy moms can get shopping lists and schedules on any mobile and everyone one in the family has access to the same information. Cozi even syncs with Outlook.
In addition to the ways that moms can get their shopping lists and calendars already on any mobile phone via text message and using our toll free number, Cozi now has a mobile version especially for the iPhone and Windows Mobile phones. Families can now sign-in and access their Cozi account using their mobile web browsers. They can add and edit shopping lists and view and edit their family calendar using the mobile version of Cozi right from their iPhone. This is a new feature! You can learn more about it here: Cozi mobile
I think this new site is very helpful and beneficial to busy homes and helping us moms stay organized in our busy "forgetful" times. We have much to juggle between kid's appointments, schedules, birthdays, and trying to make sure our families have food in the house. Thanks to Cozi.com, we can gain some time by keeping our "things" organized.
You can enter a big contest! From December 31st, 2008 through February 4th, 2009, everyone who signs up and tries Cozi will be entered to win a two-day home organization makeover with professional organizer, and incoming NAPO President (National Association of Professional Organizers), Laura Leist. In Laura's two-day visit, she will makeover either the kitchen or home office in one lucky winners' home; a service with a retail value of $5,000. Now that is what I am calling an excellent contest!

Almost Done, I hope~

I have my 39 week appointment in the morning. I only have one week left, "technically." I had some great contractions going on Saturday and Sunday, but they didn't keep going. My body isn't one to go into what some call early labor, but I can only pray that my body will naturally go into labor on it's own. With the last two pregnancies I have had the amniotic fluid is very low. With Caleb, I had little fluid left, so they scheduled an induction right after his due date. With Madelyn, I had an ultrasound on my due date, and they found that there wasn't any fluid left, which they admitted me into the hospital that night for an induction. So, I am not really sure what the Dr. will recommend for me tomorrow. It does make me a little leery about waiting until next week to check the amniotic fluid, since Maddie's was gone on her due date. Plus, with my history, it seems that the fluid is gone quicker with each pregnancy. I wonder if the Dr. will order an ultrasound tomorrow? I know that my body is preparing for labor, and I know the baby is "technically" full term, so if we did induce, I think that the baby will come fine. However, there is a strong side to me saying that I should just leave the baby alone, and let he/she come when they are going to make their debut. Then I struggle with the thoughts of what if something is wrong, or what if the baby doesn't have adequate fluid. Of coarse, I totally WANT to be done being pregnant, because I have been in terrible pain. I cried everyday for the last 3 days from just pain from walking. I seriously need to just be done. I praise God for this baby, and for the miracle of birth, but I want to have the baby in my arms now and let my body heal. So, what do I do? It really keeps me in the middle. I am just going to pray over it all, pray that God will put me into labor in the next few days (or hours)...and see what the Dr. says tomorrow. I just need to keep calm, and relish in this last week of pregnancy, right? Because, I will miss being pregnant and feeling my baby move and groove inside me, right? Hmmm...I wonder about that some days. :)
I will post an update after tomorrow. I am sorry that I haven't been up to doing much blogging lately, but I really am not in the mood lately. PLUS, I have been so tired!
I will try to keep posted on here when the baby comes, and what we have (boy or girl). This baby has really baffled us on who he or she really is going to be. I have done the drano test with this baby, and the test revealed a boy. Then, just over the last week/week and a half, I have done the ring test, and that revealed I am carrying a girl. (you hold your wedding ring over your belly on a string, and if it moves like a pendulum ~back and forth, you will have a boy, if it moves in a circular motion, you will have a girl). I did this test with Madelyn, and it was accurate~ results and her sex. I know those tests are just for fun, and I really don't hold a lot of stake in them, but they are fun to do nonetheless. Plus, it is just pure fun to guess. Only our Lord knows since He created such a miracle! I will let you know when I have the chance to let you know!

Two great kid movies coming out tomorrow!

Releasing tomorrow, January 6th, two great DVD's from HIT Entertainment and Lionsgate Productions comes the next grand adventures of Bob the Builder's Race To The Finish and Barney's Once Upon a Dino's Tale. These full-length movies have never been seen before and they are educational and entertaining!
Race to the Finish is an action packed DVD starring Bob and his business partner Wendy. They have brought in two new machines, Gripper and Grabber to help them finish construction on a brand new sports stadium. Along with the two new machines, the Can-Do Crew works together to build the sports stadium. The Sunflower Valley Games were recently announced and Bob and his Can-Do Crew need some new help, so they bring in a new crane and a new excavator. The ATV Scrambler is busy training the athletes, but the Crew is busy trying to adjust to new members and finish the stadium. Will they be successful on both fronts? This is an especially good episode as it plays off of some of the excitement that the Olympics created.
This DVD also contains some special features, such as a Ready, Set, Race! read along story about a race car and the diary of Roary the Race Car about the time he crashed and had to overcome his fears and anxieties to race again.
As with all of Bob the Builder episodes, this DVD movie is about the important of teamwork and good friendships. Bob teaches us all important lessons and makes a great addition to the shows for your child's enjoyment. This DVD is available at Amazon.com for $14.98.
Once Upon a Dino Tale is about Barney and all of his friends traveling on a magical adventure through a world of fairy tales. Princess Rosey decides that she is going to have a party and wants her jester, Jingles, to gather up the very best of them from near and far. Barney and his friends want to help too, so they share the stories they love and end up reliving them. The stories included in this DVD are Alice In Wonderland, The Fisherman And His Wife, Cinderella, The Emperor’s Contest, The Lion And The Mouse and Princess Pumpernickel.
As a special feature, this DVD also includes a sing-along jukebox, where you can play the different songs found on this DVD and then sing along with them. This show brings us a very interesting and original take on some of the classic fairy tales we have all grown up knowing. Barney episodes reveal a whole lot of education and positive character building. Barney has always been great about teaching on friendship, self-worth, teamwork, safety and many other issues. This DVD is available at Amazon.com for $14.98.
HIT Entertainment is one of the world’s leading independent children’s entertainment producers and has teamed up with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment to release a whole set of child content and themed DVD boxed sets. HIT is the home of popular children's entertainment properties such as Bob the Builder, Barney, Thomas & Friends, Pingu, Fireman Sam, Angelina Ballerina, and more! HIT delivers engaging and inspiring content on TV, online, on-stage, in DVD's and through books.

My Niece singing~

This is my beautiful and very talented niece! She is 13 years old, and is singing Silent Night at her church. I am so proud of her, and I hope she continues to use her voice that God has blessed her with. All Praise to God!

Skin MD lotion with sunscreen: PLUS A GIVEAWAY!

My hands are so sensitive and only certain lotions work with my hands. I have used Skin MD before, and my hands greatly appreciate the lotion! Skin MD Natural lotion shields my hands from the cold and harshness of the dry winters. Skin MD is made with the finest natural ingredients~ dermatology tested, fragrance & colorant free, paraben free, and it is hypoallergenic! It is just what my hands crave. I suffer with eczema and cracked hands, and Skin MD instantly soothes them with natural hydration and miniaturization.

The all new Natural Skin MD with sunscreen SPF 15 combines the most beneficial features of shielding and sunscreen lotions. This product helps prevent loss of natural oils and moisture, doesn't allow irritating substances to penetrate the skin and absorbs the part of UV spectrum that contributes to premature skin ageing and development of skin cancer. This lotion doesn't leave an oily feeling either, but goes on nice and smooth.

With it being winter time, many people think that they are safe from the sun's harmful UV rays. Even though the temperatures are colder, the sun's rays are just as dangerous as in the summer months. I am thankful that Skin MD has this new shielding lotion with added sunscreen protection.

I am so thankful that I can use this lotion on my hands, feet, and it is even safe to use on my face. Skin MD makes a great facial moisturizer. Skin MD Natural utilizes the latest developments in skin care technology as well as the most effective natural ingredients to restore your outer layer of skin's natural ability to protect against dangerous toxins and irritants as well as to reduce the loss of natural oils and moisture. A shielding lotion replaces the barrier that's stripped away with the daily use of most soaps and cleansers.

You can have this great protection for your hands and feel the hydration back in your hands by getting Skin MD. You can purchase their lotion online for $18 (Natural Skin MD) and $25 for Skin MD with sunscreen.

Would you like to win a bottle of Skin MD natural with sunscreen SPF 15? This contest is open to all readers living in the Continental United States. To get your first entry, go to the Skin MD's website, and comment about something you liked about their company or products. If you do not do the first required entry, you will be disqualified. You may come back each day and enter (again) after you do the first rule, just tweet about this giveaway and leave the url in your comment. Click here to see how you can earn extra credits to win, and click here to see guidelines and the official rules. Contest will end on January 12, 2009 at 11:59PM CST. GOOD LUCK!

Happy New Year to all of you!!

Well, can you believe it is 2009? I think it is amazing how time flies! I can't believe we zoomed through yet another year! It has been a great year!
Terry's mom (God bless her richly) offered to take our little darlings (Caleb and Madelyn) for New Year's Eve). She has actually had them from New Year's Eve until Sunday afternoon! She is just an amazing Mother-in-Law and Grandma! I am so thankful for her! (Thanks Cheryl)!! Hope the kids are doing super! Nathaniel was with his Dad from Christmas Eve night until last night (Thursday), and it is great to have him home with us, and get some one-on-one time with him before baby comes. We rarely get the one on one time with the kids, and we so appreciate it when we can do that!
New Year's Eve night, Terry and I went to our friend's house, Jody, to bring in the New Year. It was a great night of fun, loads of laughter, game, food, and Rock Band for Wii. Lisa , Jeannie and our friend, Padma were there as well and it was great to have a "ladies night out." I have a feeling my baby will come around the time when we have our monthly LNO (Madelyn was born the early morning hours of LNO almost 2 years ago). I think we beat a record for staying up and out late...Terry and I got home about 4:40 AM. I really am impressed with Terry for staying awake that long! I never would have guessed that he would be able to handle the late night. He had worked New Year's Eve and was up at 5:10 AM, so he made it almost 24 hours of being awake. If you know Terry, this is a grand achievement. I think he has some kind of sleep issue, because he is the type that can fall asleep anytime/anywhere. Seriously, he fell asleep (in the driver's seat) at the mailbox between the time it took me to roll down the window, grab the mail, and put the window back up! It is a scary thing! Anyway, thank you Jody for having us all over, and the memories are super! It was a great night, lots of fun, and so good to be with the girl friends!
I am excited to see what this new year will bring to our household. So far, we have a baby due (in less than 2 weeks), a daughter who will be 2 in the beginning of March, a son who will be 4 the end of May, my brother is getting married in June, and my oldest will be 11 in the fall! Starting back the beginning of February, I will again join Weight Watchers! I can't tell you how excited I am to lose the weight again. Last year I hit the 41 pounds gone mark, and then I was blessed with pregnancy. Since you can't be on Weight Watchers while being pregnant, I lost all discipline (not Weight Watchers fault, just my own lack of self control). I have gained way too much weight with this pregnancy, and I can say I am rather disappointed with myself for not being more careful. I know weight gain is normal in pregnancy, but seriously~ 50 pounds is NOT what I would say is normal weight gain for pregnancy, especially since I was over weight to start with. Yes, I do get a depressed feeling about it, but I put the food into my hand and popped it into my own mouth. I just have to work extra hard at getting it off. Since I won a Wii last year (woo hoo) I bought the Wii Fit, and I am anxious to get on there and help that weight fall off. I am confident that being back on the WW program and using my Wii Fit on a regular basis will help me get to where I need to be (weight wise) the end of this year. Terry, my hubby, is also wanting to get back into shape and lose a few pounds. I know 80# may seem like an awful amount, but that is my goal to get to, and if I lose more than that, super! I am not going to say I will lose that by a certain time, but I would like to see #50 gone by winter time late this fall.
What are your goals or achievements you would like to see for this New Year?

Life's Building Blocks (Plus a BIG giveaway)

Building character in our children is so important! Kids need to have good guidance and knowledge to learn the importance of kindness, perseverance, fairness, courage, honesty and self-control. Kids are bombarded with negative pressures and influences daily, and parents (myself included) are thankful to know of possible ways to help our children.
I am happy to introduce to you a great product line to help get kids excited about and learn character values in a fun way~ Life's Building Blocks.
"Life's Building Blocks, Inc., is a privately held company that designs, creates, markets and sells an extensive line of unique products and programs dedicated to helping parents develop morals and character in children in a fun and interactive environment. The smartly packaged products include books, board games, toys and DVD's that are distributed through proven direct marketing techniques that build upon historical data while taking advantage of the current trends in the market place. Founder, Chairman, and CEO, Vikash Sanyal, and his wife Juli, started the company in the summer of 2003 after he spent over 15 years in the golf industry during which he had a major role in launching and managing two successful putter companies. At Life's Building Blocks, Inc., he has assembled an impressive team of experts in the fields of moral and character development as well as individuals who helped create some of the most successful toys and books in the history of the toy industry."
Zaki the Chameleon is an adorable plush that is about 2 feet tall and he tells 6 fables written into short stories and rhymes starring the Spruce Street Six. Zaki includes a cartridge slot that allows the consumer to get new stories, thereby keeping Zaki fresh and extending the product’s life cycle. Zaki (story telling) Chameleon has a colorful, spiky back. The colors change from red, to yellow, to green to help kids understand when it is good to stop, slow down, or go for it! Zaki sings a song to help kids know the difference about what to do in different situations. My kids adore Zaki and really enjoy listening to his stories. It is fun to hear Caleb (my 3 1/2 year old) talk about and ask questions about the stories Zaki shares. (Retail value $30)
Life's Building Blocks offers great chapter books and activity books for older kids (ages 6-11) that engage the readers of the moral dilemmas of the Spruce Street Six kids. The books encourage the readers to think about how the kids make their choices. Each book in the series covers a different virtue and character trait. The activity books are filled with lessons that surround the virtue of the month and give parents and kids opportunities to talk. But to the kids they are just fun puzzles, stories, word searches, and coded messages. I think that the chapter books and the activity books are great for kids to read and work in, too. (Retail value $5.99/each book)I like that Life's Building Blocks offers products for ages 3-11. The company offers great guides for adults to use with their kids to cover the virtues and guides for discussions on the chapter books. The site also has lesson plans that parents and teachers can use. I think this is a great program for homeschoolers to use with their curriculum as well!
Life's Building Blocks has given me a code to share with my readers for a special discount of 20% off a minimum of $15 order! Just use sassy20 and you can use that code until 1/31.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO WIN?? Life's Building Blocks has offered to sponsor a giveaway for a plush Zaki the Chameleon, all 6 chapter books, and all 6 activity books!! What a great gift to give your children, or other children you may know! This contest is open to all readers living in the Continental United States. To get your first entry, go to Life's Building Blocks, and comment about something you liked about their company or products. If you do not do the first required entry, you will be disqualified. You may come back each day and enter (again) after you do the first rule, just tweet about this giveaway and leave the url in your comment. Click here to see how you can earn extra credits to win, and click here to see guidelines and the official rules. Contest will end on January 12, 2009 at 11:59PM CST. GOOD LUCK!

Winners of the contests~

Congratulations to the winners of these contests! Please e-mail me your name and mailing address if you don't hear from me first.

Norton PC Tune-Up giveaway (3 winners): topaztook, Stephen, and Jennielee
THE AGE OF BELIEVING: THE DISNEY LIVE-ACTION CLASSICS DVD: Review and Giveaway! : cmgnbox01
Nature's Baby Organic Products: NateAndJakesMom
Two Nintendo DS games~ Zensus: Tanya Wilson
I'm Turning Green Book: Misty

Congratulations again! Thanks for visiting Sassyfrazz, and entering the contests! Thank you to all the sponsors of the giveaways! We all love you!

Don't forget to check out my current giveaways (ending January 6th):
Balance for children: ENTER to win!
Candlewick Press Books~ PLUS a GIVEAWAY!
My Fruit Roll Ups Giveaway!

Bug Pod from Boon

With having kids, and taking baths, it is hard to find a great product to keep the bath products organized, and mold-free. I am so thankful that Boon has created products to help with this!
They have the Frog Pod, which is a great product, and now they have added a new member to the amazing Boon Products called the Bug Pod !
What makes this product so great? It is a great holder of those numerous bath toys and it also has drainholes to release the dripping water so your toys don't grow mold. The container is made as a scoop with a handle, so you can run the bug through the water to scoop up the toys. The Bug Pod can be easily mounted to the tub for easy storing with the use of the super strong adhesive strips or screws. The top of the Bug Pod is made to hold your shampoo and body wash, and the antennas are made to hold the bath poofs.
Another great feature of the Bug Pod is that it is made BpA-free, PVC-free, and phthalate-free, making this a very safe product that you can feel confident using with your family.
We love our Bug Pod, and think it is well worth the value price of $34.99. You can purchase your Bug Pod at many different locations (see here).