AWESOME cd!

Addison got this cd at her "Happy Birth-day" party in Rhode Island:

My friend said she purchased it so that she would have something alittle different then the average baby music. Can I just tell you--I just popped it in the cd player and I LOVE IT! It is soooooo soothing! I think Addison is going to have to let Mom add it to her collection.
You can buy it HERE

Powerful, uplifting, positive, and soothing--all wrapped into one.

Stove Top

In July Stove Top was kind enough to invite me to their $10 meal challenge. For the entire month I made up meals using Stove Top for under $10! The people at Stove Top not only paid for my five meals, they gave my blog free Stove Top giveaways! Five meals in one month sure was alot of Stove Top, but man I came up with some AWESOME meals! Check them out:

My Favorite: Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

A great lunch: Turkey Wrap

A YUMMO dinner: Stuffed Pork Chops

A great comfort meal: Thanksgiving Casserole 

A creative way to use Stove Top: Chicken Cordon Bleu

I loved them all. I love Stove Top.

I also LOVE LOVE LOVE Kraft's free family food magazine Food&Family, check it out!

HATED IT!

I am usually a huge Boppy fan. But I purchased this newborn baby lounger...
HATED IT! This is why: Although Addison didn't seem to mind being on top of it, it reminded me of dog bed. She is still only about 8lbs in this picture and as you can see she is dangling off the end already. For the $36.99 it was, it is so not worth growing out of in less then a month! The main thing I hated about this product is it not having a harness to strap her in. I even thought about possibly sewing one on, but then decided it wasn't worth my time and took it back to the store. I realize they don't want parents leaving babies sleeping on such a contraption, but put a dang harness on it! Even newborns move around, and as I left Addison sitting on it I noticed her moving lower and lower from kicking her legs. I didn't feel she was safe in it, not even on the floor!

So parents...if you are reading, please don't waste your money. The regular Boppy pillow which I CAN NOT LIVE WITHOUT, is pretty much the same thing! You can lounge your baby in it while being next to them, and not spend the extra $36.99 to do it.

Things I LOVE This Month: August 2009

I am hoping to feature some items every month that I have stumbled upon and LOVE! So here we go with a first installment:

~Early this month I stumbled across Peaches and berries Special K bars ...

They are not only super tasty but also only 90 calories! Plus my three year old son could not get enough of them, and he is one picky eater. I can not remember a time I ever got anything remotely close to being healthy in him. I ran to the store hoping he would take to all granola bars. I bought his Fiber One and Kashi, he turned his nose up to BOTH. He will ONLY eat Special K. The new chocolatey pretzel one is also AWESOME.

~In hopes 0f finding a way to help my 2 month old sleep in her crib without the need for her Mom's warm body, I purchased this Sassy baby positioner...
The thing is we already owned a positioner that was cute as pie with a little lamb that wrapped around the baby. Rylan loved it when he was a baby, but Addison....not so much. I needed something that made her feel like she was being held by someone, and that had some sort of pillow feature. And whalah...Sassy baby rocked our world! She loves taking naps in her crib in it!

~I used to use crazy expensive face wash you could only purchase at Sephora. I ran out this month after having the same bottle for about a year now (I used it VERY sparingly). When I got to Sephora they told me they no longer carry the line. I almost cried. Lucky for my husband I found something for a quarter of the price and that I love- Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash pink grapefruit...

With hormones galore settling in after having a baby a few months back, I needed something a bit strong to fight the breakouts. I also MUST have a face wash that smells good and MAKES me want to go wash my face. This my friends is IT!

~Diets stink. Usually the frozen food diet section has some great sounding meals that taste much more like dog food then human. This week I came across Lean Cuisine Lemon Chicken...

HOLY MOLY--YUM. I seriously wanted to lick the container clean when I got to the bottom. Fantastic. Perfect. Love it. Especially if it will help make my Mommy muffin topper go away!

Baby Stuff

I posted this post over at Momma's June Bugs this past month. Nobody paid me or gave me freebies for reviewing these items, but felt the need to share them with folks:

FYI: apparently the links are not working on this post --I tried to re-post them but it isn't working. For links go to: Momma's June Bugs

Bottles: I am so not clear on why Dr Brown bottles are the hit thing. Granted, I loved them when I had Rylan, and totally believed they helped his reflux, but I have officially fallen in love with something else. Born Free. How did I ever live without you? Sure I am using half Dr. Brown bottles too. Don't get me wrong they are ok too, but the benefits of the the Born Free bottle out rule the contest. My two biggest pet peeve differences in the neck of the bottles, and the parts. Dr Brown has a skinny neck that makes my scoops of formula and oatmeal (for reflux needs) make a mess all over my counter. Dr. Brown's parts are also hard to wash, and a pain to assemble when you are only half awake in the night. Born Free has a perfect wide mouth neck that avoids counter spills, and the parts are easy to clean and assemble. I thank Babies R Us for giving me a free Born Free bottle when signing up for my registry, because if they hadn't I wouldn't have ever known there was anything better then Dr. Browns.

Bouncy Seat: At one point I had four bouncy seats sitting in my house. My theory was maybe this baby would not like the one Rylan loved. Since having Rylan I collected others hand me downs, and thought "I shouldn't turn it down, maybe this would be the one Addison will love". Silly me. There is only ONE. Seriously, my Mom only owned this one at her at home daycare, my sister used only this one with her colic baby, and STILL I registered for something different. The one I registered for is now sitting in the basement, while my Mom's old one, and my sister's old one , is in my possession. I keep one at my house and one at my Mother in laws house. The Aquarium music, and fluttering of water, makes even an adult want to snooze. I Love it. I also love that it sits more upright then others.

Swaddle Blanket: Thank God I have good, thoughtful friends. A friend sent me THIS. At first I thought it was just another blanket to add to the pile. Then one night, in the early days of needing to be swaddled extra tight, we gave it a whirl. It is a fantastic blanket. Large enough to make the tucking, turning, and tightness of an ideal swaddle. I am hoping to purchase another since one just isn't enough in this house.

Two things I hope to review SOON on Potty training: I purchased this after a friend told me it was a savior for pottying on the go. I have heard wonderful things about it, and hope that it helps in our potty journey.

Today I just purchased THIS :

It is a "My First Poop Kit" that includes a handy book about bathroom talk, a parents guide, toilet targets, reward stickers, and fun toddler size magazines with funky names like: "Vanity Fairy" and "Rolling Stroller". You can purchase one of your own here

I'll let you know how both suit us, as we slowly are going down the potty path.

Newbie Reviewer

I have been asked a few times to review a few things. I have also been asked my opinion on certain items I have purchased countless of times. I figured why not join the review crew and put my honesty to the test--no matter what it costs me. 

So here I am, reviewing things. 

You are here wondering what I am reviewing, and what is in it for you.

Hopefully this blog will save time and money on crap products, or makes you run out and purchase immediately something I review highly. 

And maybe, just maybe, you will be able to win a little something something too.

Check in. Read. Review my review. Comment. Enter contests. Enjoy!