Time Buddy Review and Giveaway

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WINNER #35 Donna CONGRATULATIONS!

I believe one of the biggest reasons Penelope is such a well behaved child and we rarely if ever see any tantrums from her is because of structure. From the time she was born I have had a daily schedule that I stuck by with her when it comes to feeding, naps and bedtime. Don't get me wrong I am not some strict military momma but I believe if a child knows what to expect and when to expect it, it can eliminate a lot of fussiness.

TimeBuddy is a product designed to teach children about daily routines and time management skills. It's basically a 24 hour clock for kids. When you tell a child that bedtime is in 15 minutes well that is really not going to mean anything to them. With TimeBuddy you can show them what 15 minutes looks like and even set an alarm to go off once the 15 minutes is up. I love that you can customize your TimeBuddy to fit your needs and your daily routine. It comes with 150+ stickers that represent daily activities so you create your child's very own visual schedule.

We customized ours with wake up, breakfast, lunch, nap, dinner, and then bedtime for everyday use but there are so many ways you can personalize it. The digital clock allows you to create 3 audio prompts at different times to remind your child when it's time for a specific activity. This is one of my favorite features, I love that you can record any message for your child. My husband Chris works on a 2 week on 2 week of rotation so he is gone a lot. He recorded a message telling Penelope that he loves her and it plays every night at bedtime. She can also listen to it anytime she wants by pressing on the playback button. She loves this!

You really need to check out the story of how TimeBuddy was conceived. This product means a lot to its creator. You can also check TimeBuddy out on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. TimeBuddy can be purchased online for $34.99 and if you use the code GGG137blog you will receive free shipping if purchased before October 31, 2010.

Not only was I given this wonderful product but the people at GoLearn Toys would like to offer one of our readers a chance to win a TimeBuddy of their own.

To Enter: Leave me a comment letting me know that you would like to win. You can get extra entries for following us through GFC or Subscribing via email.

Deadline: This giveaway will end on October 22, 2010. I will choose the winner using Random.org. US entries only.

***Monica***

Sorry!

My computer decided to crash several days ago. I'm currently at my husband's office letting everyone know why I'm not responding to messages and that there'll be a delay until I get my computer up and running again. I'm HOPING it will be fixed this week but we know how those things go. Thank you for your patience as I try to get this fixed and get back in the groove of things!

I'm totally bummed... what's a blogging momma supposed to do without her computer?! We're enjoying the quiet side of life without a computer but I'm eager to get some giveaways up.

Also, if you replied to me in the last week or two as a winner submitting their information PLEASE know that I will be trying to get your information to the companies today. If not today then first thing when I get my computer back. Sorry for the delay!

♥
Joy


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Joy is a stay-at-home-mom to three daughters. She is the wife of a worship leader & youth pastor. She runs her own Etsy shop selling handmade, hand-stamped sterling jewelry. Joy has taken courses in journalism, play writing, poetry, was in Honors English throughout school and has had small publications made of her work (mostly poetry).

Firefly Toothbrush Review and Giveaway

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WINNER #17 Valerie CONGRATULATIONS!

I try very hard to instill good habits in my little girl Penelope when it comes to caring for her teeth. I know how important it is to your general health and I believe that teaching her at a young age will help her to continue to be conscious of this as she gets older. She is at that stage right now where she is wanting to do everything herself so I encourage her to brush on her own first and then I take over and make sure she didn't miss any spots. This has been working for us right now but I know that as she gets older she will want less of my help. So how do I make sure that she is brushing thoroughly? That's where FireFly toothbrushes come in. Invented by a father and daughter FireFly toothbrushes encourage children to brush longer. Dentists recommend that you brush your teeth for a total of two minutes but that can be hard for a kid to do on their own. As a parent I know that when I want my child to do something the best way is to make the activity fun. With just a tap on the bottom of the brush FireFly toothbrushes light up and flash for a total of 60 seconds. What a great way to get your child to brush for the recommended amount of time. One push for the top row and another for the bottom row of teeth. Your child will love watching her toothbrush light up while she is cleaning those pearly whites.

I was given the opportunity to review the Firefly Flashing Toothbrush for ages 2 to 4 years. When I first showed Penelope her new toothbrush and how it lit up it immediately caught her attention. Lately she has been really fascinated with flashlights and laser pointers so this was very cool. I showed her how to activate the blinking and she did have a little trouble at first until we found just the right spot to tap it. She had so much fun watching the light while she brushed and to tell her she could push it again once the minute was up, well that just made it even better. The last couple of days it seems all she can talk about is her new toothbrush. Don't you just live how excited children can get over the littlest things?

Each FireFly toothbrush is designed for 200 uses which reminds kids and parents to replace toothbrushes every 3 months as recommended by dentists. In addition to the style I was sent for review FireFly makes a few other styles to fit your child's age. They come in an assortment of translucent colors and FireFly has also aligned with top Licenses such as Spiderman, Barbie, Hot Wheels, Peanuts, Strawberry Shortcake, Tweetie Bird, Scooby Doo and Bratz. FireFly toothbrushes can be purchased at several stores nationwide including Target, Wal-Mart, Walgreens and Big Lots or online.

How would you like to win some FireFly toothbrushes? I have 3 toothbrushes in different colors to give away to one of our readers.

To Enter: Leave a comment letting me know why you would like to win. You can get an extra entry for following us with GFC or Subscribing via Email.

Deadline: This giveaway will end on October 15, 2010. I will choose the winner using Random.org. US and Canada entries only.  

***Monica***

Mondays with Monica...and Cheesecake

What better way to start off your week then with some creamy and delicious cheesecake. Mmmm. Recently I had the opportunity to try some mini cheesecakes from The Confectional. The Confectional is a boutique bakery located in historic Pikes Place Market of Seattle, Washington. They specialize in baked cheesecakes and cheesecake truffles. Oh wow, are their cheesecakes good! They come in a variety of flavors like Coconut Cherry Chocolate and Mochaccino. I tried several of the flavors and I have to say the Lemon White Chocolate was one of the tastiest. All of their mini cheesecakes with the exception of the Sugar-Free Seattle's New York-Style are creamy with a thick and crumbly graham cracker crust. They are about the size of a cupcake, decadent and filling. I know your probably wondering why sugar free...I was curious. The Sugar-Free had a much more grainy texture with a slight after-taste.  I suppose if you are trying to cut back on your sugar but are craving cheesecake this will satisfy that craving. I tried it after already trying their regular cheesecakes and it left much to be desired.

Here is a picture of the Cookies & Mint Chocolate. Is it making your mouth water too? The Confectional cheesecakes can be purchased online and shipped right to your front door. You can purchase them in boxes of 20 for $60.75, 16 for $54.00, and 9 for $32.00 and come shipped with ice packs to keep them cool and fresh. Unfortunately they do not ship their Cheesecake Truffles so if you are ever in Seattle visiting Pikes Place Market you gotta stop by and let me know if they are as good as their cheesecakes. Until next time...

***Monica***

DIY Crazy!

I'm perusing DIY blogs instead of working. Bad Joy, bad! And just had to share some of the most amazing craft projects that I'm bookmarking. I love crafts (well I love adult decor crafts, not to be confused with kid crafts). I love doing things myself, especially if it saves me money. So here are some of my favorite DIY projects I've come across and will HOPEFULLY get to do soon. Most of these projects are less than $5!!!

Click the picture to visit the blogs because you'll find even MORE fabulous projects from these amazing men and women.

Do you feel inspired? Do you just want the leaves to start changing already?! I know I am so ready to break out the sweaters and hot cocoa. I'm off to make a list of supplies I want to get to do some of these fun projects.

Which was your favorite? Do you have a wonderful fall decor craft?! If so share it with me!


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Joy is a stay-at-home-mom to three daughters. She is the wife of a worship leader & youth pastor. She runs her own Etsy shop selling handmade, hand-stamped sterling jewelry. Joy has taken courses in journalism, play writing, poetry, was in Honors English throughout school and has had small publications made of her work (mostly poetry).

Eden's Fantasy (adults 18+ only)

WARNING: 

Please don't read while at work or with young ones in the room. Thank you kindly!

♥

I have had a second opportunity to work with Eden's Fantasy and just wanted to share a little bit about the company and my recent review. First, I want to mention that I am a Christian. I am married to a youth pastor and worship leader. So you're probably thinking WHY am I even talking about this company. I'll let you in on a little secret... pastors have sex and the "missionary style" is not the only trick in the bag.

Without getting into detail about my private life *ahem* as I'm sure none of you care to know details I just want to say in all honesty, from a religious viewpoint, God made sex and He created it as a GOOD thing (in the context of marriage). He said, "Be fruitful and multiply..." And how do you reproduce? Well with sex. And He created the entire beautiful reproductive system and all the parts that fit together for it. It truly blows my mind how our bodies work and how we create life. Sex is GREAT and it should be enjoyed.

While I do not personally agree with bondage or vibrators for personal satisfaction I am free to browse the Eden's Fantasy website for the things I do find appropriate for my tastes and likings. Mainly the lingerie and the wonderful array of lubricants they have (which I have yet to try).

Eden's Fantasy sent me the Heartprint Bustier set and I want to tell you a little bit about it. First of all the fabric is so satiny and sexy. Two things that stuck out at me were that there are hooks at the bottom of the bustier to attach to stockings and yet the set doesn't come with stockings. The second thing is there are a million clasps on this thing which makes it a challenge to get on but fun to take off.

I am a bustier, breastfeeding momma so getting the right size was important. I used their sizing chart to figure out which would be the best fit for me and I would recommend for this piece that the sizing chart is true to your current shirt/bra size.

If you're in the market for something sexy to add to your wardrobe I do hope you'll check out Eden's Fantasy!


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Joy is a stay-at-home-mom to three daughters. She is the wife of a worship leader & youth pastor. She runs her own Etsy shop selling handmade, hand-stamped sterling jewelry. Joy has taken courses in journalism, play writing, poetry, was in Honors English throughout school and has had small publications made of her work (mostly poetry).