Dree's Things

How to get baby to sleep through the night! (STTN)

2012-03-02T00:27:00.000-05:00

When my daughter was first born the thought of ever getting a good night's rest again seemed so far away. We were up every two hours nursing, diapering, playing, etc. I was exhausted! I started doing some research on when and how I could get baby to sleep through the night.

One of the things I read consistently was to put baby on a schedule. To be honest, I felt that she was too little to be on a schedule. Plus I personally don't do well with schedules so this strategy wasn't really going to work for us. What I did instead was to establish a routine.

Establishing a routine worked wonders. Our routine is: Bath, Diaper/Pajamas, Story, Nurse, Bed. It took about two weeks for my daughter to get the hang of it. Now it's like she knows what to expect next. The best part of all is mommy gets to sleep all night long - at least 8 hours.

What is the difference between a schedule and a routine? For one, I don't watch the clock. We do our bedtime routine when she is tired. She also feeds on demand. It works for us. If you are trying to get your baby to sleep through the night, try to set up a routine that you do every single night.

How did you get your baby to sleep through the night?

SpringBoard Android Tablet Giveaway

2012-02-25T23:37:00.000-05:00

Kristen over at OurOrdinaryLife is giving away a T-Mobile SpringBoard Android Tablet.

Click here to enter before 3/6/12.

Pardon Our Dust

2012-02-19T23:06:00.001-05:00

Over the next few days we will be doing some housekeeping. We are cleaning up our mess, putting things away, and organizing a bit. Please bear with us. We will be back with a nice new look soon.

Pampered Pooch Giveaway Hop 4/15 - 5/1

2012-02-19T15:40:00.001-05:00

Love your pets? Join us April 15-May 1, 2012 for the Pampered Pooch Giveaway Hop hosted by Green Mam-a Jam-a, My UN-Entitled Life, & Whirlwind of Surprises.

Sign ups are now open!

Tots and Me Baby Shower Celebration

2012-02-16T02:15:00.000-05:00

Tots and Me is having a Baby Shower Celebration to celebrate the birth of her son. She will be showering her readers with reviews and giveaways of products for babies and mommies. The event will be from 3/1 to 3/31 but head on over to her blog now for extra entries in the giveaways and to check out the sponsors.

I love baby showers and am very excited about this event.

Who Signed Me Up?

2012-02-15T17:53:00.001-05:00

I am very particular in choosing what I will sign up for and which companies I will share my email address with. Somebody signed me up for Vindale Research, Eversave, and JC Penney. There may be more but I haven't finished going through my inbox.

I will be contacting the companies to determine who it was that signed me up. I'm pretty sure there must have been a referral link or why else would someone bother to sign me up.

Has this happened to you? Please share.

The LINKY FOLLOWER PARTY HOP

2012-02-10T15:42:00.004-05:00

I will follow you back.

Follow Me and leave me a comment below so I can follow you back!

Add your blog below!

Cook'n Recipe Organizer Winner

2012-02-07T04:24:00.001-05:00

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Our first winner didn't claim their prize so we picked another name.
Congratulations Stacey!

Fall in Love With Fluff Cloth Diaper Giveaway! {Rafflecopter}

2012-02-01T00:00:00.001-05:00

Are you ready to fall in love with fluff
and win $500 of cloth diapers and accessories?!

Welcome to the Fall In Love With Fluff Giveaway Event presented by Daily Mothering and Eco-Crazy Mom! Over 100 blogs are coming together to celebrate our love for fluff with this awesome Valentine’s Day giveaway! We are giving away a Cloth Diaper Prize Pack valued at $500 to one lucky winner!!

Fall In Love With Fluff is sponsored by Sandbox Lane and Kissed By The Moon!

Sandbox Lane is your one stop shop for affordable & stylish eco-friendly baby products! This family-owned business is known and loved for their great selection of affordable cloth diapers and cloth diaper accessories in a wide variety of styles and brands. They also carry a variety of stylish baby clothing and accessories, breastfeeding supplies, mama cloth, eco-friendly laundry products, swaddle blankets, toys and other earth friendly products to help get your little one off to a great start. Be sure to check out the Sandbox Lane Blog, and follow them via Facebook, Twitter, and Newsletter for information on sales, events, new products & more! Free shipping is offered on all purchases over $30, and all orders under $30 ship for just $3. *Shipping is only offered within the US and Canada at this time.

Sandbox Lane is offering a special 10% off coupon code for giveaway participants during this event! Use code Fluffylove10off at checkout to receive your discount! Excludes Bumgenius, Grovia, Flip, and Econobum.

Prizes Sponsored by Sandbox Lane:

BumGenius Freetime One-Size AIO Diaper
(Snap closure, winner's choice of Print/Color)

BumGenius 4.0 One-Size Pocket Diaper
(Snap closure, Winner's choice of Print/Color)

Flip One-Size Cover & Stay-Dry Insert
(Snap closure, Winner's choice of Color)

Econobum Trial Pack: 1 One-Size Cover and 3 Prefolds
(Winner's choice of Color)

Fuzzibunz Elite One-Size Pocket Diaper
(Winner's choice of Color)

Charlie Banana One-Size Pocket Print Diaper
(Winner's choice of Print)

GroVia One-Size AIO Diaper
(Vanilla)

Sweet Pea One-Size Pocket Diaper
(Winner's choice of Color)

ones & twos One-Size AIO Diaper
(Winner's choice of Color)

Incredibum Bamboo One-Size Pocket Diaper
(Winner's choice of Color)

Incredibum Small Wetbag
(Winner's choice of Color)

Rockin' Green Hard Rock 2.0 Detergent
(45/90 Loads)

Rockin' Green Funk Rock
(9 oz.)

Incredibum Bamboo Wipes
(2 packs - 8 wipes total)

Sweet Pea Cotton Velour Wipes
(2 packs - 10 wipes total)

BabyLegs Leg Warmers
(Rainbow)

Kissed By The Moon was created out of a passion for cloth diapering and eco-friendly living. This mama-owned shop is a favorite of many, well known for their cloth diaper rental packages, kissed cash rewards program, user-friendly gift registry and awesome weekly specials. They offer a wide variety of new and pre-loved cloth diapers, cloth diaper accessories, laundry solutions and everything needed to make your cloth diapering experience a success! Be sure to sign up for the Kissed By The Moon Newsletter and follow on Facebook and Twitter to be the first to know about sales, promotions, giveaways, and upcoming events. Shipping is always free for orders over $25 (US Only), and international shipping is available!

Kissed By The Moon is offering a special 10% off coupon code for giveaway participants during this event! Use code LOVEFLUFF at checkout to receive your discount on orders over $25! Excludes sale items, GroVia, Flip, and Bumgenius.

Prizes Sponsored by Kissed By The Moon:

Oh Katy One-Size Pocket Diaper
(Winner's choice of Color)

Rumparooz One-Size Pocket Print Diaper
(Winner's choice of Print and Closure)

Bummis Tot Bot Easy Fit One-Size AIO Diaper
(Winner's choice of Color/Print)

Green Line One-Size Cover
(Winner's choice of Print)

Green Line Soaker
(Bamboo/Cotton)

SoftBums Omni One-Size AI2/Pocket Diaper
(Aplix, Winner's choice of Color/Print)

SoftBums Snap-In Pod
(DryTouch)

itti bitti tutto One-Size AI2 Diaper
(Winner's choice of Color/Print)

Swaddlebees Simplex One-Size AIO Diaper
(Winner's choice of Color/Print)

Planet Wise Flannel Wipes
(Set of 10, winner's choice of Color)

Leslie's Boutique Pail Liner
(Winner's choice of Color/Print)

Rumparooz Print Wet Bag
(Winner's choice of Print)

Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom's Guide to Modern Cloth Diapering
(by Kelly Wels)

THiRSTiES Booty Luster
(4 oz.)

2 CJ’s BUTTer Samples
(1/2 oz. each)

And now for the giveaway!

ONE WINNER will receive this ENTIRE prize pack:
(most colors/prints will be winner's choice as listed above)

This giveaway ends at 11:59 EST on February 7th, 2011.

Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter.

If you have not yet signed in to the new Rafflecopter forms, use either your Facebook account OR your name and email address to sign in. Click "Do It" for instructions on how to complete each entry. There is no mandatory entry.

The more entries you submit, the better odds you have of winning!

This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada* contestants only.

*If a Canada winner is drawn, some prizes will be substituted with other products
or store credit of retailer's choice due to shipping restrictions on certain brands.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

---

Blogger Spotlight: Ebook Apothecary

2012-01-31T20:45:00.000-05:00

The Ebook Apothecary is a book blog that focuses primarily on Fantasy Novels with the occasional dabble in Romance and Science Fiction. Updated at least three times a week, you will always find new book reviews, giveaways and more at the Apothecary.

Cure your boredom, increase your mental capacity and discover the wisdom of the cosmos. Just a sip is all it takes.

Proud supporter of indie authors.

Visit Ebook Apothecary today.

Cook'n Recipe Organizer Review & Giveaway {Rafflecopter} - CLOSED

2012-01-23T03:01:00.003-05:00

I love to try out new recipes and often find myself searching the internet for that recipe that I wanted to try. I tried printing them out and adding them to my recipe box but that has become a huge mess. My recipe box has handwritten family recipes, pdf printouts of my mother-in-laws recipes that I scanned, clippings from magazines, and pages of recipes that I've found on the internet. Sometimes it was easier just to order take-out. Obviously I had a problem. The solution was the Cook'n Recipe Organizer.

About the Cook'n Recipe Organizer:

Cook'n is more than just a place to store recipes. It does everything. I used it to find, capture, and save internet recipes. Gone are the days of me printing out tons of recipes that I can never seem to find when I need them. Now all of my recipes are stored in one place. I created a family cookbook and added a few of my favorite recipes including my Grandma's Moist Carrot Cake recipe. The organizer can also be used to analyze nutritional values, make menus, and shopping lists.

Watch this brief, fun video to see Cook'n in action.

My favorite feature was the scaling of my recipes. I often have extended family over for dinner and have to cook larger portions. All I need to do is change the serving size of my recipe and the software automatically fixes the quantities. This is such an amazing feature. I'm excited about cooking again and love that I will save money from eating less take-out.

You can buy the Cook'n Recipe Organizer at http://www.dvo.com.

Cook'n Online:
Cook'n Website
Cook'n Facebook

Win It:
Cook'n is giving away a copy of their Recipe Organizer to one of my readers. To enter, complete the rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Mom Blog Society. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. (http://momblogsociety.com)

Songs That Makes Us Sing - {voiceBoks} Donna Summer "Bad Girls"

2012-01-21T01:14:00.002-05:00

It's Saturday and time to sing. I love Donna Summer. She has so many amazing hits. Turn your music up loud, grab your mic, and get ready to sing. You will be dancing too ... toot, toot, beep, beep.

You can link up your Songs That Makes Us Sing post over at Because I'm the Mommy.

Ads to You Giveaway - Ends 1/28

2012-01-18T03:01:00.000-05:00

Karma Media Presents:

Ads to You Giveaway hosted by Beauty Brite, Random Deals, Ever After PR, and Random Endeavors! We have teamed up with a group of bloggers to offer one lucky reader free advertising!!

Win a featured blog post and premiere Sidebar button ad space for one month from each of the participating blogs!

This giveaway is open WW and will run Wednesday, 1/18 at 12:01 am and ends on Saturday, 1/28 at 12:01 am.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ads to You Giveaway

2012-01-12T15:56:00.000-05:00

The Ads to You Giveaway is hosted by Beauty Brite and Ever After PR! Sign up is free and includes 2 links. To participate for free, you must post a blog about this giveaway sign up!

The Ads to You Giveaway is open to all family friendly bloggers who want to participate. As a prize, we are offering publicity to the winner! Anyone and everyone can enter, even participants!

Prize: The winner will receive a featured blog post and premiere Sidebar button ad space for one month from each of the participating blogs!

Ads to You Giveaway is a monthly event that is limited to 25 blogs. Additional entry links may be purchased by the following options: $4 for an additional link (limit 2 links), $6 for a daily picket fence vote.

By participating, you agree to post both the giveaway and the winner's featured post. You also agree to place the winner's button in a prominent place on your sidebar for one month. If you can agree to these guidelines, please click to complete the Ads to You Giveaway form and send your payment as a GIFT via PayPal to contact@beautybrite.com.

Our first event will start on Wednesday, 1/18 at 12:01 am and end on Saturday, 1/28 at 12:01 am.

For more information and to sign up, visit ♥ Beauty Brite ♥ Sign up for Ads to You Giveaway: .

The above was taken from Beauty Brite.

'via Blog this'

MyOnlinePortraits.com - Walmart PictureMe Portrait Studios Stackable Coupons Deal

2012-01-12T00:39:00.004-05:00

PictureMe Portrait Studios is having a winter sale on portraits. The sale includes 31 photos for $4.99. You get (1) 8x10, (2) 5x7, (4) 3 1/2x5, 8 wallets, and 16 keepsakes.

Schedule your appointment or walk-in to a PictureMe Portrait Studios and have your child's picture taken. Choose the best pose and pay $4.99 plus tax. At my local studio they are having a special for a free 10x13 so I chose a second pose.

How to get the deal:

Once your pictures are available online go to My Online Portraits and choose (2) 10x13's and 8 sheets from your favorite poses. I chose 8 different poses in 5x7's but you can choose whichever size you prefer. Don't forget to take advantage of the free online enhancements. I added borders and my daughter's name to a few of the sheets. When you're ready to checkout click on view cart. Enter the following coupon codes.

FREE10 - 10 x 13
free13 - 10 x 13
3free2w - 3 free sheets
2free6 - 2 free sheets
SANTA20 - $20 off your order

In all I received the 31 session photos, (3) 10x13's, and (16) 5x7's for less than $10. My online total was $1.95 plus tax. They are currently offering free shipping on orders over $49 before the discounts but it won't show up until you put your credit card in.

Hurry because I don't know when these codes will expire. If you already have an album set up you should be able to order portraits from your previous portrait session.

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post nor are there any affiliate links in this post. At the time of this post these coupon codes were stackable, YMMV.

'via Blog this'

Rafflecopter Launch Party - Apple iPad 2 Giveaway

2012-01-10T19:45:00.000-05:00

To celebrate the launch of Rafflecopter - Easily Create Blog Giveaways & Sweepstakes For Free :):, they are having an amazing giveaway. Rafflecopter is an app that makes creating, running, and entering giveaways easy peazy. Do you want to win an iPad 2? You can enter to win one using Rafflecopter's new entry form below.

To enter to win, click the login in with facebook or your name/email. Then click on the "Tell Us Who Referred You" +1 Green Button. Type in "Dree Getz" in the space provided, that's me! If you win the iPad 2, I will win an Amazon Kindle Fire for referring you. You can earn additional entries by suggesting a mascot name, following Rafflecopter on twitter, tweeting the link to the giveaway, blogging about the giveaway, and providing feedback.

What are you waiting for? Enter the giveaway below and then leave me a comment telling me you entered.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Songs That Makes Us Sing - voiceBoks

2012-01-08T02:28:00.001-05:00

My family has always loved singing but to be honest, I should only sing in the shower. I can't carry a tune and well let's just say that I wasn't blessed with a singing voice. Regardless, I love to sing. I sing in the car, to the baby, with my son, and yes in the shower.

My son on the other hand is a good singer. He is a vocalist in a band. I wouldn't necessarily call what he does singing though, more like screaming and sometimes even squealing. We will have to save that topic for another post.

My favorite music genre is Disco. I love, love, love it. I'm choosing my all-time favorite song for this post. My mom (before she passed), my sister and her girls, and my son and I would sing and dance to this song. We even did the cheesy make your own microphone out of whatever household item you could find part. This song has so many good memories for me. I hope you enjoy it.

Sister Sledge "We are Family"

What song makes you want to sing?

HealthyChildren.org - Pacifiers: Satisfying Your Baby's Needs

2012-01-07T00:26:00.001-05:00

Did you know that the American Academy of Pediatrics state that offering your baby a pacifier when they are going to sleep might help reduce the risk of SIDS?

HealthyChildren.org : "Still, offering a pacifier when your baby is going to sleep may help reduce the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), although doctors do not know the reason for this."

Even before my daughter was born I was obsessed with finding information about newborn care. It has been 20 years since I was a new mommy and to be honest, I felt like a first time mom. This article on pacifiers was one that surprised me.

The AAP recommends that nursing moms wait until the baby is at least a month old before introducing a pacifier. They also recommend:

Only offer a pacifier after or between feedings. Do not offer a pacifier to a hungry baby.
If the baby doesn't want the pacifier or it falls out, do not force it on the baby.
Buy a one-piece, dishwasher safe pacifier.
Buy some extras as pacifiers have a tendency to disappear.
Do not fasten the pacifier to the baby as it can be a choking hazard.

My daughter started using a pacifier once in awhile when she was about a month old. However, when she began refusing a bottle (mommy's expressed milk) she also refused her pacifiers. After trying three different models we just decided she didn't want one. My son didn't use one either. My daughter recently found her hands and is using them to soothe herself.

Visit HealthyChildren.org for more information about pacifier recommendations.

Did your babies use pacifiers? Was it hard to get them to "quit the paci"?

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Newborn Rock n Play Sleeper - Fisher Price Babygear Review

2012-01-01T01:37:00.002-05:00

Choosing where the baby is going to sleep is a major decision that expectant parents face. They need to decide if they are going to bed share, have the baby sleep in their room with them, or have the baby sleep in their own room. Generally, expectant parents choose to start with a crib, a pack n' play, or a co-sleeper.

Many babies come home from the hospital and decide they don't agree with their parents choice. They refuse their cribs, bassinets, etc. At this point some parents start trying less conventional and often unsafe places for the baby to sleep like the car seat, stroller, swing, etc. There are, however, other products available that are safe and can help the baby get some sleep.

About the Newborn Rock n Play Sleeper - Fisher-Price Babygear:

The Fisher-Price Newborn Rock n Play Sleeper can be used to soothe, nap, or play.

It can be placed right next to your bed. The dimensions are 32 x 24.5 x 21 inches. Two features help the baby feel comfortable - the extra deep seat and the incline which allows you to keep the baby's head elevated. The sleeper is lightweight and folds allowing you to easily move it from room to room. The maximum weight is 25 pounds.

My baby loves her rock n play sleeper. The incline helps with her reflux and the rocking motion helps to soothe her.

One improvement Fisher-Price can make in future sleepers is to make the rocking automatic. Currently you have to manually rock the sleeper. There are concerns by some users of this sleeper that the baby can develop a flat head. I limit the amount of time my daughter is lying flat in her sleeper or anywhere else to avoid this condition.

The Fisher-Price Rock n Play Sleeper is one of my top ten must have baby products. It is a perfect baby shower gift.

You can purchase the Fisher-Price Newborn Rock 'n Play Sleeper, Yellow at Amazon. It's on sale for $38.57. It normally retails for $60.

Fisher-Price Online:
Fisher-Price Website
Fisher-Price on Facebook

Disclaimer: This post consists of my opinion only and your experience may differ. I was not compensated for this review and purchased the product myself. This post contains an affiliate link.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-28T18:27:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T17:27:00.000-05:00

Event: Fall In Love With Fluff Giveaway Event

2011-12-24T00:17:00.000-05:00

If you would like to sponsor a giveaway on this blog during the Fall in Love with Fluff giveaway event below, please contact me.

Daily Mothering and Eco-Crazy Mom are excited to present the Fall In Love With Fluff Giveaway Event! This huge event will include 50+ blogs! We will be giving away a $500 Cloth Diaper Prize Pack sponsored by Sandbox Lane and Kissed By The Moon to one very lucky winner. Join us for this fun giveaway event February 1st-7th, 2012!

FREE blogger sign-ups are now open for this event. Participating bloggers get up to 3 social media options for the Rafflecopter form: Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Sign up at Daily Mothering. Sign ups end January 25th.

It just hit me

2011-12-22T10:03:00.000-05:00

We were decorating our Christmas tree the other night. My son hung up his Baby's First Christmas ornament like he does every year. He was born in 1991 so that makes him 20 years old. This year we had another Baby's First Christmas ornament for our daughter. She was born in October of this year. So here I am looking at my sons 1991 ornament and my daughters 2011 ornament and it just hits me. Wow they are 20 years apart. Who does this? Apparently we do. I am so blessed to have both of my kids. It's amazing being the mom to a baby. Sometimes I feel like a first time mom.

Breast vs. Bottle

2011-12-18T15:42:00.005-05:00

When my daughter was born I resisted giving her bottles of my pumped milk. Everything I read told me that she could get nipple confusion and refuse my breasts. I didn't give her a pacifier either.

At four weeks I started pumping one bottle of milk for her daddy to give her early in the morning. It was really nice as I was able to sleep through that early a.m. feeding. I felt almost human again. We also started giving her a pacifier before her afternoon nap. She would lay down awake, suck on her paci for a few minutes, and go to sleep.

Fast forward to eight weeks old. My daughter refuses to drink out of a bottle. She won't let daddy feed her. She won't let brother feed her. She won't let grandma feed her. Oh I know what you're going to tell me. You are going to tell me that I need to leave the room, maybe even leave the house while they give her the bottle. Um no. The only thing I haven't tried is leaving the State!

I started thinking that they need to make a bottle that has a "realistic type" nipple on it. Someone else already thought of it, but it's not in production yet. I'm hoping that she will again take a bottle one day or even running to the store without her will be a challenge.

By the way, she refuses the pacifier as well.

UPDATE:
My daughter is three months old now and still nursing like a champ. I have been getting a lot more sleep and am not suffering from exhaustion anymore. I haven't tried to give her a bottle in a few weeks. I'm not even pumping milk anymore. I figure she is nursing well, we are both doing great, why mess with what works. If for some reason I have to be away from her for an extended period of time, I will try some of these excellent suggestions you left for me on this post.

Google Friend Connect Is Not Showing Blogs I'm Following

2011-12-12T09:04:00.000-05:00

Something is wrong with my GFC. I followed many blogs in the last week or so. Many sites require you to be follower to enter their giveaways. I've just discovered that although I joined and it is showing up on MY list of blogs I'm following, it isn't showing up when my profile is clicked for some of the blogs.

I'm going through my list one by one and will update when I'm done. In the meantime, please don't disqualify my entry until I'm through going through the list of blogs it states I'm following to make sure that I'm actually following it.