heartnbutterfly's Laundry List

Hello. It's me again.

2022-05-12T21:03:00.001-05:00

It's been a very long time since I've posted anything at all, & I think it's time to come back. I'm thinking about changing the name of the blog, but haven't decided yet on a new name, so stay tuned... In the meantime I will try to catch you up on everything. Get comfy because this is going to be a long story!

A lot has happened since 2012. My beautiful baby girl is now 11 years old!!!! She had some speech delays & even lost some words between the age of 2 -3 years old. All along her pediatrician & I knew that she was slightly behind her peers, but we weren't overly concerned. We just felt like she was developing at her own pace, so took a laid back approach to things. By the time I brought her for her 3 year check up I was concerned. We received a referral for speech therapy for evaluation, but it was incredibly difficult to get an appointment. The therapist suggested to me by the pediatrician, was private pay only (didn't accept insurance). I reached out to 2 different hospiytals & got on their waiting lists. I got Patty Cakes on a waiting list for Speech Therapy at Children's Hospital, but after 6 months of waiting for that I gave up & started contacting other hospitals & asking questions. I was able to get an appointment for a speech evaluation at Ochsner hospital fairly quickly! Within a month of talking to the receptionist we had an appointment - no waiting list! She was initially diagnosed with severe expressive & receptive language delays. She saw a Speech Language Pathologist for an hour once per week. Her SLP said that she was seeing some unusual things, & felt perhaps she might be Autistic. At the time I firmly believed that she did NOT have Autism. She was friendly, interactive, affectionate, & made some eye contact. Her pediatrician also did not think that she was on the spectrum. The SLP referred us to a neurologist. The neurologist didn't feel that she was on the spectrum, but thought it would be a good idea for her to get checked out by genetics just in case there was an explanation for her speech & developmental delays. We saw a geneticist, who said that she was a beautiful & perfect little girl, with absolutely no markers for a genetic abnormality, & he did not want to test her at that time, but he did want to follow her. She saw him a second time a few months later, & he still didn't want to do any genetic testing. He asked us to come back again in a few months. More on this later....

This is what my baby girl looked like at 3 years old. Olan Mills took these pictures.

I reached out to the Psychology Dept at Children's Hospital for testing. They had a long waiting list, but said they'd add her to the list & I'd hear back from them in 6 - 9 months. 6 months later I still hadn't heard anything, so I gave them a call, & the woman I spoke to said that I should have patience, the list was quite long, & they would get back to me. At 9 months I called again & spoke to somebody different, who repeated the same thing. I asked how much longer I would have to wait. She did not know. I asked if she could please verify that my daughter was actually on the list, & tell me how far down the list she was. She tried, but said the list was massive, & she could not locate her. She suggested putting her name BACK on the list again, which meant another 6 - 9 month wait....

I wanted to get Patricia tested through the Psychology Dept at Ochsner, but was told that the psychology dept didn't accept my insurance. I had Patricia evaluated through Child Search shortly after she started private ST (Speech Therapy), & they placed her in ST at a local public school, twice per week, for an hour & a half each session. She was doing private ST on top of the school based therapy, which amounted to a total of 3 speech therapy sessions per week. They wouldn't allow her into pre-k because she still wasn't potty trained. More on that later.....

We were seeing a certain SLP privately who eventually got married & moved away. My daughter saw her for maybe 3 months total, & honestly I was glad that we were going to change SLP's because there was a personality conflict there. It just wasn't a good mesh with my daughter. Patty Cakes was a happy little girl, but she would scream at the top of her lungs, as the SLP took her down the hall to therapy. I could hear her screaming through closed doors, all the way at the end of the hallway, for the entire duration of the therapy. It sent up red flags for me. I was told that it was separation anxiety due to her age, but she never behaved this way with anyone else or had difficulty separating from me with anyone else. We were reassigned to the Director of the Speech Dept! I love, love, loved this woman! I can't say enough good things about her. After seeing Patricia for 6 months or so, the diagnosis changed slightly. She said that she thought she had a certain amount of childhood apraxia of speech as well, so the coding changed on the bills. She stayed with her until she retired - close to 5 years. Then she was re-assigned to another SLP who had a public school background. All in all, she had close to 8 years of speech therapy! She definitely does have Childhood Apraxia of Speech! She made improvements over the years, but still has speech intelligibility issues. Patty Cakes was released from ST last Summer. I wasn't in favor of this because I still can't understand her at times, & I'm closer to her than anyone! However, it was argued that she was tired of ST, not as cooperative anymore, & she needed a break. It was suggested that we take a break, make an appointment in a year for re-evaluation, & perhaps start again. There was no guarantee that she'd get the same SLP again. We're in a holding pattern now & even though I work with her myself (always have), I'm seeing some regression at 11 years old. More on this later....

At one point on this journey, our insurance company decided that they were no longer going to cover my daughter's ST appointments, but didn't bother to inform us of that! I didn't find out until I had the rude awakening through a hospital bill! I tried to fight the insurance company on it, but was told that the panel of specialists they consulted said that based on my daughter's diagnosis they did not feel that ST would benefit her, & that she would not improve. WHAT?!? If I had known any of this, things could have been handled so much differently. The SLP obviously felt that she would improve! What is the point of going to ST if you don't expect improvement? It's incredibly difficult to fight insurance companies! Believe me, I tried. We ended up switching the kids over to Medicaid (no shame at all in admitting that!). It was a HUGE blessing & if you qualify, & if it improves your children's health care, why have shame about it? Medicaid covered what my private insurance would not!!!

My husband was laid off & we had COBRA for a few months. About a week before we lost insurance through COBRA, we saw the geneticist again. I asked him about the testing & he still did not want to do it. I explained the situation with my husband's job, & that we'd only have insurance another week, our deductibles were met, & that I really wanted to know one way or another. He suggested we apply for Medicaid, but said that Medicaid typically would not cover the extensive testing that he wanted to do. I begged him to please do it, while we still had insurance that would cover it. Thankfully, he agreed! However, he said that he doubted there would be anything of concern because she showed no markers. We went straight to the lab to get her blood drawn.

Just before Christmas 2014, when Patty Cakes was almost 4, we received her results. We went in to meet with her geneticist, & I knew something was wrong as soon as he walked in the door. He said "As you know, I did not believe that she had any genetic variances at all. She is perfect & beautiful, & it's important that you remember that. However, I was stunned when I received her results. She has not one, but two genetic abnormalities." It was a shock! Patty Cakes has XXX Syndrome & 15q11.2 microdeletion. He said that he was less concerned about Triple X because some women go their entire lives without ever knowing they have it, until they are tested for some random reason. It is possible to live a normal life & be unaffected by it. However, it is equally possible to have some known issues. Triple X girls are known for being tall & thin, with long legs, & unusually attractive. They can have clinodactyly (curvature of the pinky), epicanthal folds (folds of skin around the eyes), Speech delays, developmental delays, heart & kidney malformations, learning delays, Autism, & more. The 15q11.2 is her wild card. He had no idea how it would affect her, since it is additive with the Triple X, & she is the only known person in the entire world to have both together. He told me the odds of having both together, but I can't remember anymore. It was unusually rare. 15q11.2 is a relatively new genetic abnormality, & they still don't know a lot about it. In fact, we participated in the Burnside Butler research study to try to better help the understanding of it. It was only discovered around 10 years ago, but they do know that it affects the central nervous system. It also causes speech delays, developmental delays, & learning delays, so she has a double whammy against her for speech delays. We finally had an explanation for her speech difficulties! However, 15q11.2 icrodeletion is also associated with Epilepsy, ADHD, ODD, Autism, Schizophrenia, & more. It is not to say that everybody with 15q11.2 has these issues, but you are more likely to develop them, so they are monitored more closely.

This is my baby girl at 4. Shout out to the ultra talented to Robert Galiano of Gulfport MS for the pictures.

At 4 years old, Patricia was still seeing both Private SLP, as well as going to the school based ST. She was followed by neurology, genetics, had a hearing exam, her eyes examined, & was now exhibiting jerky movements of her arms that came with grunting & kicking, as well as spacing out. She would zone out for up to 15 seconds, & during that time she was unresponsive to clapping, waving your hand in front of her face, saying her name over & over again, or touching her. When she would snap out of it she was unaware of anything that happened. Sometimes she would complain of a headache or being tired, & often wanted to sleep. The school based SLP's observed this & were concerned, so the neurologist ordered a sleep deprived EEG. Nothing was found. The jerky movements happened more & more frequently, & she would become annoyed if you tried to stop her from engaging in the movements. The SLP at school tried weighted blankets, but they didn't really help. The neurologist ordered a brain MRI, and that was normal as well. Her speech was improving, but at 4 years old she was still very delayed. Here is a video of Patricia talking at 4. You may have to copy & paste the link into your browser. I don't think it's clickable - sorry.

https://youtu.be/KEry5kXPjTo

Patricia did not attend pre-k, as mentioned earlier. She was originally accepted for ST through Child Search, but after her genetic abnormalities were found, I submitted that to Child Search as well. The neurologist wrote a letter to them explaining that it affected every cell in her body, including her brain. She explained that it was a neurological condition. Patricia was eventually sen by an OT & found to need therapy. The OT referred to PT, who also said she required therapy. I submitted this to Child Search as well. When Child Search evaluated her, they did have an OT & PT evaluate her, but they didn't feel that she needed services through the school system. When I brought in the private evaluations, that all changed! The evaluation was updated to suggest APE (adapted PE) to address her PT needs & to include OT sessions when she began school. In other words, if I hadn't be proactive & fought for these services, they never would've been offered by the school system! They were nice enough to rush the evaluation's completion in time for me to have an IEP at the school board, prior to her beginning school. I met with the head of the Special Ed Department for my Parish & she said that because of where Patricia's birthdate fell, it was up to me if I wanted to put her in pre-k or kindergarten. I thought pre-k would be best due to her delays & level of maturity. She agreed. She wrote the IEP up and the IEP stated that she was to be in pre-k. I bought school uniforms for pre-k. On the 1st day of school, her special ed teacher informed me that she could not be in pre-k & must attend kindergarten. This was the beginning of a long history of fighting with my daughter's school. I learned the hard way that special ed parents have to fight hard for their children to receive appropriate services & to get the schools to do the right things for their children! I called the woman who wrote up my daughter's IEP & she asked "Is your daughter still 5 years old?" I said yes. She asked when her birthday was, & I told her. She said "Then she can absolutely be in pre-k, & the IEP is a legal & binding document! I was brand new to all of this, & because I was unsure of how to handle this, I allowed the school to convince me to hold a new IEP meting. The Principal said "This is why we don't like for the school board to hold IEP meetings. They often promise things that we can't fulfill. IEP meetings really ned to be held at the school the child will be attending." If I could go back in time, I would've perhaps consulted "Wrightslaw: Special Education Law", talked to Families Helping Families, or consulted a lawyer. All I can say in my defense is that I was green & slightly intimidated by all of this. Frankly, I think public schools rely on special parents feeling this way! It makes it easier for them to manipulate the situation to their advantage. At any rate, they pulled the wool over my eyes, & forced my daughter into kindergarten. They claimed that children don't learn anything in pre-k - that it's just playing & social skills. I asked if they didn't learn the alphabets & counting. The Principal admitted they did, but said my daughter could get this in kindergarten too. I have deep regrets about allowing them to bully me into placing her in a grade that she wasn't ready for!
This is Patty Cakes on her 1st day of school.

To be continued......

Diamond Candles is accepting bloggers for reviews/giveaways!!!

2012-08-02T19:54:00.000-05:00

Diamond candles is a soy based candle that smells heavenly! If you haven't heard of them before, what makes them unique is the fact that they have a ring inside of every candle & the ring can be valued anywhere from $10 - $5000!

They're hosting reviews/giveaways with bloggers again! The first 100 bloggers approved by the Diamond Candles company will be given this opportunity to review and host a giveaway on their site! It is asked that you complete the review/giveaway within 30 days of receiving the product. Please visit the link below for more information & to apply.

Sorry I haven't posted recently

2012-07-22T15:44:00.000-05:00

Life has been crazy - some good & lots bad. This is where I wish I had somebody to ask if they wanted the good news or bad news first.

The good news - we moved at the end of May & beginning of June! We're in a much bigger house, in a much better neighborhood, & since my dad is our landlord now we're not struggling as much.

The bad news is that my Dad fell & broke his hip in 4 different places as we were in the midst of moving & required surgery to place screws in it. He was in the hospital for over a week, but he's recovering nicely from it considering he's 75 years old. He's actually getting around with just a cane in just this past week!

Further bad news - about a week after his release from the hospital he followed up with his GP who was not happy with the fact that he'd lost 18 lbs in a month's time! He wanted to do a CAT scan & blood work because he suspected the big c in his digestive system somewhere. All of the results were negative, so he prescribed appetite enhancers & we figured it was related to pain from his fall.

Worse news - 2 or 3 weeks after the fall he was out eating lunch one day & suddenly felt ill. He couldn't make it to the bathroom in time with his walker, so asked for a bin & vomited bright red blood. He rushed to the ER, where they performed an endoscopy. He was admitted to the oncology dept because they found a burst blood vessel in his lower esophagus & a mass beneath it that was biopsied. They assumed it was cancer, & a few days later it was confirmed. He was released the next day.

In the past week he's had many Dr's appointments - with oncologists, thoracic surgeon's, etc. A couple of days ago he had an ultrasound done of his esophagus & to determine what stage he's at. They also placed a chemo port just in case he'd need it. We went into the surgery hoping it was stage 1 or 2 based on his lack of symptoms, but at the moment it loos like it's stage 3. It was heartbreaking to get the news, but then I had to be the one to break the news to him which was even worse. The Dr talked to him as he was coming out of surgery, but he had no memory of the conversation because he was still groggy from the anesthesia. When I went to see him in recovery he looked at me with hope in his eyes & voice & asked if I'd heard the results. That was the most difficult news I've ever had to deliver!

I try to stay positive when I'm around him & have asked other family members to do the same, but I'm scared for him. They're going to do a PET scan next to determine if it's spread. As long as it's isolated to his esophagus they will do a combination of chemo & radiation. The thoracic Dr said that he stands a chance of being cured - though not as great with stage 3 as it would've been if it was stage 1 or 2. However, even if he isn't cured he'll be able to extend his life by years vs months if he does nothing. I'm clinging to that, but I'm so so so scared of what the chemo & radiation will do to him. Surgery is out of the question because he's lost so much weight. The Dr said he wouldn't do surgery on anyone with stage 3 anyway.

I remind myself daily that my Dad is one tough old fart with the most positive outlook of anyone that I know. I just wish I knew how he maintains such a positive outlook on life! It's a skill I continue to work on. He says that he just places his troubles in God's hands & trusts that he will find a solution. I do that too, but I still worry.

I apologize to I See Me & Niapads. I promise that I will do the reviews!!! Please be patient with me. I also promise that I will do more reviews & giveaways as my life settles down into a more normal pace.

Here is a picture of my family with my Dad on Father's Day, outside the house that we rent from my Dad.

Sharing a special giveaway by Howler Monkey Bums!

2012-04-09T20:39:00.003-05:00

In celebration of hitting 500 fans on Facebook, Callie is doing a giveaway! I just had to share this with you since I love her diapers! Think I'm kidding? Look how many of them I own!!!

This was my very 1st order.

And my 2nd order.

And my entire stash (minus the one my baby was wearing when I took this pic) of diapers from Howler Monkey Bums!

Enter Howler Monkey Bum's giveaway now!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FREE 5x7" Picture with the Easter Bunny at Walmart!!!

2012-03-30T12:24:00.000-05:00

This Saturday & Sunday at any Walmart with a one hour photo center you can get your child's picture taken with the Easter Bunny from 10 am - 2 pm. Click here for more details.

I'm back!

2012-03-22T20:06:00.001-05:00

I'm so sorry for the lengthy absence. We've had a lot of family drama lately. About a month & a half ago my 14 year old daughter came down with a nasty cough & other symptoms that were very flu-like. I brought her to the pediatrician & they tested her for the flu, but it was negative. I was told that it was a virus. I was holding my not quite one year old daughter in my lap at the time of the Dr visit.

About 2 weeks later my baby became sick. I spoke to the nurse on the phone, who said that the symptoms sounded like RSV & suggested that I bring her in to be seen. I quickly rushed her to her pediatrician & low & behold she had a nasty case of RSV. They taught me how to do breathing treatments & sent me home with a nebulizer. Let me just say that I love my baby's pediatrician, but can't really say the same for my oldest daughter's Dr. My baby's pediatrician felt that they should've tested her for RSV since they knew a baby was in the house & RSV was going around at the time. Oh well... It didn't really matter anyway because it went through the house knocking us all down one by one.

My baby stopped eating solids during the 2 weeks she was sick. Thankfully I'm still nursing her because that's ALL that she wanted to do! I believe that she lost about 2 lbs as a result of being so sick. It was a scary & heart breaking 2 weeks, but she recovered just in time for her 1st birthday, which fell on Mardi Gras day!

We celebrated by going to a parade together & counting down to her actual time of birth. When we hit the time of her birth I sung Happy Birthday to her through teary eyes & gave her a huge hug & kiss.

Happy & awake for a bit.

This is how she spent most of the parade - sleeping.

Me singing Happy Birthday to my little miracle baby.

Trying to get the attention of the people on the floats - it worked. They bombed us!!!

Her 1st taste of cake - a King Cake! She won't pick things up & put them in her mouth yet, so we still have to feed her.

We had a small party (mostly family) for her the following weekend. I baked cupcakes & stuck with the Mardi Gras theme since her birthday will only fall on Mardi Gras day a handful of times in her lifetime.

The cupcakes I baked.

Patricia's special cupcake.

The birthday girl at her party.

Anyway, we're back. :o) I hope you're all doing well. I'll be posting a review of Niapads shortly.

Win a 3 color custom baby/child's TuTu Skirt by new WAHM Business Monkey Sew, Monkey Do

2012-02-05T17:35:00.007-06:00

This giveaway is open to residents of the US who are 18 & older. Monkey Sew, Monkey Do is offering a TuTu skirt for a size 6 month to 4T in 3 colors of the winners choice! The giveaway will end on Feb 19, 2012 at 12:01 am EST. As usual, this is a Rafflecopter giveaway. The giveaway will be at the very bottom of the review. Please look for the box & follow the instructions. You'll need Javascript enabled to view the Rafflecopter entry form.

About Monkey Sew, Monkey Do:

I'm happy to introduce you to Georgia Goeken - another talented Mom from my due date group! Georgia is a stay at home mom of 6 trying to earn extra income with something that she "LOVES doing". She has 4 girls and 2 boys, so she lives a pretty full & busy life. She taught herself to do all of the beautiful & creative things she sells. She said she was motivated to learn to make Tutu's because her 5 year old daughter thinks she's a princess, so has to have everything. :o)

Georgia founded Monkey Sew, Monkey Do in January 2012 with Amy Graham, & they can be contacted at monkeysewmonkeydo@yahoo.com with any questions or requests. There are 2 different ways to view & purchase their products - Monkey Sew, Monkey Do on etsy & Monkey Sew, Monkey Do's Hyena Cart. You can also visit them on Facebook.

She makes TuTu skirts & dresses for your daughter & also dolls! She does custom gemming of T-shirts & other garments, blankets, capes, Princess Wand & Crown sets, Dinosaur Tails & Hoodies, Bags, Personalized Easter Baskets with your choice of theme, Baby Milestone Sets, Custom T-shirts & onesies, Custom Onesie Dresses, Custom Burp Cloths, & I'm sure that more will be coming! Georgia & her partner Amy add new things to Monkey Sew, Monkey Do all of the time!

My Experience With Monkey Sew, Monkey Do:

About a month ago Georgia & I started talking about doing a review/giveaway. She offered me a 2 toned TuTu skirt for my baby girl & a 3 color TuTu skirt for the winner of the Giveaway. My baby's 1st birthday falls on Mardi Gras day this year! I thought it would be fun to use Mardi Gras as the theme for her little birthday party, & of course she'll wear her birthday TuTu to the parades Mardi Gras day as well!

I eagerly awaited the TuTu skirt. I stalked the Monkey Sew, Monkey Do Facebook page and was so excited when I saw a picture that matched the color description I gave Georgia!

This is the pic that was posted after Georgia finished making it!

I had a nice little surprise when I opened the package from Monkey Sew, Monkey Do & saw that it came with a matching purple daisy for her hair!

This is how it was shipped:

This is how it was packed:

And this was my very 1st glimpse of it in person!

We'll probably do her party the weekend before Mardi Gras, but I dressed her in the TuTu skirt about a week ago to take pictures for you all to see. Georgia did a GREAT job! This TuTu is so cute! I requested the colors purple & green & added a onesie I had special made elsewhere. At the time I didn't know that Monkey Sew, Monkey Do could make custom onesies or else I would've ordered one from them! I'm sure it would've come out much nicer if they'd done it - especially if they added some gemming to it.

I nearly squealed when I saw how cute she looked! I had fun taking pictures of her in this - so, so, so cute! Even more than that, the tulle was super soft! The crocheted waistband has a lot of give in it, so I think it will grow with her & fit for years to come.

This was a photo flop because she was starting to fall backwards, but I think it shows how full the skirt is.

This shows the flower clip nicely & how pretty the colors of the Tu Tu skirt blend together.

It was so soft, that she couldn't resist touching it & playing with it.

The wind made it blow around nicely in the breeze. This will give you a good idea of how soft the tulle is - not that stiff scratchy stuff at all!

The wind blowing the tulle skirt around.

Isn't it so cute?!?

Because the waist is a made of a soft crochet, she was able to move around easily.

I can't wait for her birthday pictures!

I got her to stand for about 10 seconds by herself to take this picture for you, so you could see what it looks like standing.

The Bottom line:

You won't regret working with Monkey Sew, Monkey Do. The prices are fantastic!!! The things offered are very creative & different, & Georgia & Amy are constantly adding new & even more original items. I highly recommend them.

The Giveaway:

The giveaway is open to residents of the US who are 18+. It ends on Feb 19, 2012 at 12:01 am. The winner will have their choice of a 3 toned TuTu skirt in a size 6 month to 4T.

You may also be interested in entering to win a $40 gift certificate from my Forever Child, toward the purchase of a customized piece of remembrance jewelry. Click here to enter. The giveaway ends on Feb 10.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Remembrance Jewelry by My Forever Child - Review/Giveaway

2012-01-26T20:03:00.013-06:00

This giveaway is a very special one, meant to bring a sense of peace & comfort to those who have suffered the loss of a child. My Forever Child is offering a $40 gift certificate to one of my readers, so that a personalized piece of jewelry can be purchased in remembrance of your child. It's open to anyone over 18 WORLDWIDE & will end at midnight on Feb 10, 2012.

Sue is offering a SPECIAL GIFT for my readers! Get a FREE "Always In My Heart" Pin with a $25 purchase from My Forever Child. This is an $8 value. Use the code HEARTNBUTTERFLY at checkout to receive the free gift. It will be valid through Feb 10, 2012.

Warning: Some might find this gruesome or uncomfortable to read. This review is bittersweet for me, & has been very difficult to write. I should warn you that I'm including my miscarriage story at the bottom of the review. My story will be long & about a very painful time in my life, so if this subject is too touchy or personal for you, you might want to scroll past it to the giveaway. I can't explain to you why my experience with My Forever Child is so important & soothing to me without going into details that might be unpleasant for some to read.

What Led Me To My Forever Child:

Sometime in the days that followed my miscarriage I started searching online for remembrance jewelry - not even sure that such a thing existed. My ex husband gave me a Mother's ring when I was pregnant with my oldest daughter & I wanted something similar for this baby. Even though I never got to hold it in my arms or kiss it's cheek, I did hold it inside of me for almost 12 weeks. Those 12 weeks were precious to me & I wanted something tangible that I could lay my hands on & caress in place of my lost baby.

I came across a few websites, but the one that really touched my heart was My Forever Child. I decided to make my purchase there because the jewelry was beautiful, I liked the fact that I could customize my piece of jewelry so it held special meaning for me, & because Susan Mosquera had a very painful & personal reason for making loss keepsakes. She understood the importance because her third child, Matthew Kristopher, was stillborn two weeks before his due date in 2002, nearly killing Sue as well. It was this painful loss that led her to begin making loss keepsakes. I emailed Sue a couple of times before placing an order & she was wonderfully kind. She even pointed me in the direction of some grief support for miscarriage online. I felt that My Forever Child had special jewelry with extra special meaning because it was made with love & compassion by a Mom who understood first hand what it's like to lose a baby.

My Forever Child believes that jewelry should tell a story and be meaningful for the wearer. Susan handcrafts your jewelry upon order and customizes it to your specifications. She has a large selection of keepsake items: for miscarriage, pregnancy loss, & infant loss. She also has remembrance jewelry & other keepsakes for men!

Sue also offers pregnancy jewelry and fertility jewelry, so when you're ready to try again you can wear a piece of jewelry to help you stay positive.

I also love the fact that Susan donates a portion of every sale to charitable organizations committed to child advocacy and the prevention of future losses. My Forever Child strives to promote awareness, research, education, and activism. Her original lapel pins are donated to hospitals and memory box programs for newly bereaved parents.

About My Forever Child:

Sue's current jewelry line started in 2004 & her website launched in 2005. Most of the pieces are handcrafted by Susan Mosquera, GIA Graduate Gemologist and jewelry artisan since 1999. She's a Mother of 4 young children and 1 stillborn baby boy. Her journey of grief, healing, and hope was the inspiration for My Forever Child. Susan’s passion is to be able to help other’s through their life’s journeys with jewelry pieces meaningful for them.

You can follow My Forever Child in the following additional ways:

Twitter

Blog

pinterest

Product Lines:

~Custom engraved handprint jewelry and footprint jewelry from your child’s actual prints. This is a special and unique way to celebrate your child’s life, and to carry with you a treasured keepsake made from their creation!

~Personalized Remembrance and Memorial Jewelry to honor your lost loved ones and keep their memories close to your heart.

~Memorial Jewelry for Miscarriage, Stillbirth, Pregnancy and Infant Loss to honor the tiny souls that touch and change your life, but gone too soon.

~Pregnancy and Fertility Jewelry with genuine gemstones and symbolic charms.

~Hand Stamped and professionally engraved unique Mother’s Jewelry, Family Jewelry, and Men’s pieces to honor ALL your children, both on earth and in Heaven.

Here is a picture of her specialty handprint & footprint jewelry.

Visit this product line here.

Here is a direct quote from the website:

About the Child Loss Keepsakes:

The My Forever Child™ Collection was born out of a desire to create unique keepsakes for those touched by the loss of a child. No matter what age the child died at, it is very important for the grieving parent to have their child remembered and acknowledged. Even though the child is not with them physically, the parental feelings of love do not disappear. Parenthood is not measured by the length of time spent raising a child. The child is always in the parent's heart, hence the phrase "My Forever Child™".

My Forever Child creates personalized jewelry from the heart, rich with symbolism and meaning. Specializing in tangible reminders to honor and acknowledge our loved ones, while celebrating their life and the love they have bestowed to us. We believe that jewelry should tell a story and be meaningful for the wearer. Our personalized keepsakes are handcrafted upon order in our studio and customized to your specifications. Treasured memories will always be in your heart forever.

Susan wrote a beautiful poem after her loss, & this poem is available for purchase with every piece of personalized keepsake jewelry you order.

You are a Precious Child

Created out of love,
a blessing from above.
I've adored you from the start,
and your little footprints
touched my heart.
A single teardrop represents the
millions I have cried
My life never the same since you died.
I wish you could have stayed
longer with me,
I'd watch you grow into
all you could be.
Although we are apart,
You are Always in My Heart.
I dream of a joyful time when
we will be reunited once again.
Thoughts of you make me smile.
You will always be My Forever Child™

~© Susan Mosquera~

My Experience with My Forever Child:

As mentioned earlier, I emailed Susan a couple of times before making my purchase. Her help & support meant a great deal to me. I'm sure she doesn't remember it, but I will never forget her kindness & sensitivity.

I very carefully selected my necklace. I chose a silver heart with a separate silver butterfly to lay on top of the heart. The back of the heart was engraved with a personal message. I wanted it on the back so that I could wear this meaningful necklace without having to answer a lot of personal questions. This way I could remember my angel when I wanted to, but to the rest of the world it appeared to be just a beautiful piece of jewelry. I chose 3 stones commemorating the month of conception, the due date month, & the month of loss.

My necklace arrived quickly & was packaged in a little black velvet bag. I also purchased a silver polishing cloth from My Forever Child & Sue's poem on a business sized card. I was pleased to see that the chain was a nice sturdy box chain! I couldn't wait to put the necklace on! Once I put it on I never took it off! I wore it constantly, even through the pregnancy that followed my miscarriage. It gave me such a sense of comfort in the early days. It made me feel closer to the baby I lost - almost like I was still carrying the baby with me wherever I went. I would find myself reaching up to touch the necklace whenever I was sad & missing the baby. Just touching the necklace made me feel like I was filling the empty hole in my heart, something tangible to symbolize my lost baby in a very personal way.

I received so many compliments on the necklace! Everyone said that it was beautiful & not a single person knew that it was remembrance jewelry unless I told them so.

The front of my remembrance necklace.

The back of my remembrance necklace.

My experience with My Forever Child doesn't end there. I was extremely pessimistic about the possibility that I would ever conceive again. Much to my surprise & delight, about 2 months after my miscarriage I conceived my baby girl! On June 5, 2010 I had another positive pregnancy test! I was still charting, so I know that my girl was conceived around May 24, 2010.The due date was Valentine's Day 2011.

I was extremely happy, shocked, thankful, & scared. I was consumed by the fear that I might lose this baby too. The fear of loss led me to purchase a pregnancy charm bracelet from My Forever Child. I'm a large woman & Susan was even able to put an extension on the bracelet!

A quote taken from the website:

Our Fertility Jewelry and Pregnancy Jewelry is created from natural genuine gemstones with special metaphysical properties and sterling silver charms with symbolic meaning which have been traditionally used to enhance fertility, conception and healthy pregnancies in cultures around the world. The genuine gemstones we use have mineral properties and energies which are thought to decrease negativity, stress and fear; while promoting positive energy, relaxation, tranquility, confidence, love, luck, hope, reproductive health, emotional and hormonal balance. Our Fertility and Pregnancy Bracelets, Pendants, Necklaces, and Charms are soothing to the touch and aesthetically pleasing to the eye. All of our Fertility and Pregnancy jewellery is created with .925 Sterling Silver, and is Lead-Free. A jewelry pouch and card explaining the gemstones and symbolism is included with each purchase, perfect for sending as a gift of encouragement!

Once again, I chose charms that appealed to me. I chose a rose quartz heart because it's thought to reduce the risk of miscarriage, be soothing, heal broken hearts, & enhance relationships. I chose the turtle charm because turtles are fertility symbols & they're known for patience, endurance, vitality, tenacity, and longevity. Momma turtles protect their eggs by burying them until they hatch. The baby bunny charm was chosen because not only do rabbits symbolize fertility, but the rabbit is the luckiest sign in the Chinese Zodiac!

Here is my pregnancy bracelet.

Still wearing my remembrance necklace at the hospital after my daughter's birth.

The necklace continues to give me comfort & makes me feel close to the baby I lost. It doesn't make me sad to wear it - it brings a sense of peace. I would highly recommend keepsake jewelry to any Mom who has suffered a loss!

My Very Long Miscarriage Story

Ignorance Is Bliss

My husband & I were married when I was 38. He didn't have any children of his own & I had a daughter from a previous marriage. We both wanted a child desperately, but felt that the odds were stacked against us. Without going into our personal lives too much, we had very good reason to believe that we would never have a baby together.

My husband & I had been trying to conceive for over 5 years, & due to our history we'd reluctantly come to terms with the fact that we'd never have a baby, & so for a long time we weren't trying, but we weren't preventing either. We decided to genuinely start trying again before our time was up, since we were both in our early 40's. I had a positive pregnancy test on January 15, 2010! My husband was in total shock & refused to believe that I was pregnant - even when I did a digital test 2 days later that clearly spelled out "pregnant". He came with me to my first OB appointment a few days later to have it confirmed. He was genuinely stunned! We were both so happy that we wanted to shout it from the rooftops! It never occurred to either of us that there could be a problem with the pregnancy. We'd waited for a baby for so long that we believed that our prayers had finally been answered. We proudly & happily told everyone that we knew that I was pregnant.

The Problems Begin

On January 23 (a Saturday; why do bad things always happen over the weekend?), I started spotting. The Dr ordered blood work & we discovered that my progesterone was a little low, so he started me on oral prometrium. We did an early ultrasound which showed a nicely formed amniotic sac, but there was no fetal pole or heartbeat yet. The ultrasound tech told me not to panic because it was still a little early to expect to see that. There were many more ultrasounds to follow & each time I was told that while there was development, the baby was developing slower than they'd like.

During this time I spent a lot of time online doing research & getting support from some wonderful ladies at misdiagnosedmiscarriage, the miscarriage message boards at Fertility Friend, & the miscarriage boards on Daily Strength.

Finally the Dr told me to pray hard for a heartbeat during the time waiting for my next ultrasound. It was heart breaking to me - incredibly stressful. I wanted to be positive, but I just couldn't. I instinctively knew that something was very wrong. My husband was in complete denial. He said that he couldn't believe that God would be that cruel to us. He genuinely believed that everything would be fine at the ultrasound. It wasn't...everything was deteriorating at that point. The tech couldn't tell me at what point the baby died - only that it had never been developing at a normal rate & finally just stopped developing at all.

I was given the choice between having a D&C or miscarrying naturally. The Dr said that it wouldn't be pleasant, but I should be fine with it since I was still in the 1st trimester. I decided to miscarry naturally. He wasn't a wealth of information as far as what to expect, but I had the ladies online at misdiagnosedmiscarriage to rely on for brutal honesty. My Dr simply said to call his nurse once the bleeding started & she'd tell me what to expect & the warning signs to look out for. I asked about pain relief on 2 separate occasions, & I was told that it shouldn't be necessary, that I should be able to handle it. He said that it could take anywhere from 2-4 weeks to miscarry. He suggested that I come back in to see him in a week & that he'd even do another ultrasound at that point if it would make me feel better. I said that I didn't see the point in that & asked if I could see him in 2 weeks if I didn't start bleeding by then. He agreed. I remember going home, curling up in bed with my husband, crying, & telling him that I didn't know how to let go.

2 weeks passed & I had some light spotting, but no actual bleeding. I went in to see him & he was pressing for a D&C because he was worried about my emotional well being. He said he'd only give me another week. I told him I wasn't the kind of person to go into things blindly & would like to know what to expect with the miscarriage rather than waiting until it started to find out from the nurse. I was also concerned that the miscarriage might begin over the weekend when I wouldn't be able to reach his nurse! He told me that it would be like a very bad period, with a lot of heavy bleeding, some clots, some tissue, & some cramping.

I cried a lot during those 2+ weeks waiting! I was beyond depressed - couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, & more than anything I couldn't understand why this was happening. It was so unfair & such a horrible place to be! Mentally I knew the pregnancy was over, but my body didn't seem to understand that & was playing tricks on me - making me feel as though I were still very much pregnant. My 2 best friends had suffered miscarriages also, & they both gave me support & advice during that time. They gave me a better idea of what to expect both physically & emotionally. The support & love that I received from them was much appreciated & there's no possible way that I could ever repay them.

During this time I became a hermit, pulling away from all family & friends - except for my husband & my 13 year old daughter, & the 2 friends who understood the hell that I was going through. Nobody else seemed to understand & always seemed to say the wrong things to me. They meant to be supportive, but the things that came out of their mouths were at times insensitive, selfish, invasive, cold, & cruel.

Some examples of things said to me:

But it wasn't a real baby. (Really? Tell my body & my heart that! This was our long awaited & much wanted baby & it was very real to me.)

Why are you this upset? You weren't that far along after all. You were barely pregnant! (With every day that passed, every symptom that grew stronger, every twinge of nausea, round ligament pain, cravings, seeing my growing belly, breast tenderness, etc, I grew more & more attached to the baby.)

It's just hormonal - you'll get over it. (No; actually I haven't. I still miss & love it. I still wish it was here & it's been a year & 10 months since my loss. I still wonder what that baby would've been like. I also wonder if it knew that I loved it with all of my heart.)

It's just a small tadpole - not even human yet! (I can't believe that anyone would be so ignorant & cruel to say something so completely insensitive to a grieving Mom, but it happened!)

It's for the best because something must've been wrong with it. (That's probably true, but that statement doesn't take my pain away. There's no room for logic when your heart is breaking.)

You can always have another. (Really? It took us 5 years to successfully conceive, so pardon me for being skeptical. Besides, you can't replace the one you lost.)

Maybe it wasn't in God's plans. (This was such a touchy one for me. On the one hand I prayed constantly, but on the other I wondered why God was doing this to us? I was angry & questioned my faith, so this statement rubbed me raw. I was angry & confused, & needed to go through the ugly side of grief & experience what I was feeling to get to the healing side of the grief. Sometimes in my darkest depths I felt that God was cruel. I don't feel that way anymore, but when you're hurting it's hard to think past your pain.)

Why are you putting yourself through a natural miscarriage? Don't you just want to get it over with so you can move on with your life? (Invasive! It's a very personal choice that only a woman can make for herself. Besides, as much as I was hurting emotionally, I knew I'd have to deal with my grief regardless of how the pregnancy ended. For me personally, a natural miscarriage was best for me - end of debate.)

Aren't you scared of the pain? (Well yes, actually I was. But what a way to calm an upset woman down! Jeez; Talk about insensitive!)

Not acknowledging the loss- (This was perhaps the cruelest/coldest way that anyone reacted to my miscarriage. I didn't expect lengthy speeches, but a simple & heart felt "I'm very sorry" goes a long way. Ignoring my pain felt like you were ignoring my baby's short existence, & it DID exist - even though you couldn't see it or touch it. It was very real.)

Criticizing the way I grieved - (Everybody is different in their reactions to grief & what they need in the aftermath. I was told that I needed to stay busy, so I wouldn't have time to think about "it". I was also told that I shouldn't isolate myself, & should force myself to socialize & get out. Saying those things to me only succeeded in making me pull even further away.)

Kindness in the midst of hell

One of my best friends said that she wanted to offer some advice that might seem morbid, but she wanted me to be prepared for how I might react during the miscarriage. She said that I should prepare for the fact that I might not feel emotionally able to flush the baby down the toilet, & gave me some tips, & a "just in case" shopping list. I thanked her & followed her advice. That was the most depressing shopping trip I've ever made, but I will be ETERNALLY grateful to her for having the courage to broach that delicate subject with me! I won't post the details here because some might find it gruesome, but if anyone wants to know please don't hesitate to ask.

Ready for the beginning of the end

I was angry that my body didn't seem to understand that it was over. Why was I still feeling very pregnant? I was still nauseated, my belly was growing, my boobs felt like they were going to explode, & there was no outward sign that anything was wrong inside. The anger & endless crying for weeks led to me finally accepting the fact that it was over & our baby was gone. I was ready for the pregnancy to end, but still wanted it to end naturally & in the comfort of my own home. I didn't see the sense in continuing to carry a dead baby inside of me.

I prayed a lot, & as strange as it sounds I talked to the baby. I told him (I believed that it was a boy) that it was ok to leave me now. I also gave some holistic labor inducing methods a shot. I figured that if they helped pregnant women progress to labor in healthy pregnancies that they might work for unhealthy pregnancies awaiting a miscarriage as well - I gave acupressure points a shot, I walked a lot, & did other things that I know you've all heard about, as well as something you might not be familiar with. I tried massaging my abdomen & lower back with Clary sage oil mixed with a little lavender to help me stay calm through this extremely upsetting time. A few drops of Clary sage in bath water has been known to bring on labor safely & effectively, so the day my miscarriage began I decided to give it a shot as well. It worked...

My 13 year old daughter went to spend the night at a friend's house across the street earlier in the day. I'm so thankful for that! She missed seeing me in pain, scared, & so upset. Unfortunately, that meant that I was all alone in the house for a few hours & that was a little scary. Looking back on it, I wish that I would've demanded that my husband leave work to be with me, but he was here for the worst of it & was wonderfully supportive as I was going through it.

The miscarriage

Late in the afternoon on March 11, 2010, at 11 weeks & 5 days gestation I started to lightly bleed. It wasn't bad at first, but by early evening it was horrible - far worse than my Dr led me to believe! I was so glad that my friends had been honest with me about what to expect (both in real life & online). I would've been terrified if they hadn't been so honest with me. It was an incredibly painful ordeal that seemed like it was never going to stop & it was far worse that just "a heavy period, with lots of bleeding, clots, tissue, & some cramping". Fortunately, one of my best friends offered me a few leftover Percocets from a dental procedure, & I needed them! I was passing clots the size of my fist & at 4 am on Friday March 12, 2010 it ended with the passing of a softball sized "piece of tissue".

I was so thankful for my friend's warning that I might not feel emotionally able to flush the toilet, & for her special supply list. Something inside of me broke that night & I just couldn't flush. It was my baby, & even if it was gone I still loved it. I placed it in a plastic container with a lid with the intention of burying it in the back yard later.

My husband was wonderful during the ordeal. He helped me to & from the bed to the bathroom a few times, brought me clean panties as needed, kept me hydrated, & held me.

The emotional aftermath

Men & women grieve differently after miscarriage. I think that women take it harder because we carry the baby inside of us, so to us the baby is more real than to the Dad. To him pregnancy is like a dream like state, where he is just an observer. It's not real until there's an actual baby to hold in his arms. Many women interpret that to mean that he didn't love the baby. He is grieving in his own way, but he's also probably trying to remain calm & "strong" so that you can crumble in his arms.

I'd read & been warned that it's common for a Mom to have a severe emotional crash within 24 hrs or so after a miscarriage & to lash out at those closest to you - especially your husband. I knew to expect this, but I had no idea just how intense it would be!

Saturday the hormonal crash of no longer being pregnant hit me! It was a slow & steady build up. I don't remember everything about that night, but I believe that I had an emotional breakdown. I'd been warned that I'd likely lash out at my husband. I did everything that I was warned that I would do & more. All sorts of horrible things flew out of my mouth like venom. I accused him of not caring about me or the baby, of not really wanting the baby, & many other things I don't remember. I even grabbed my keys & tried to leave the house. I don't know where I was going, but I wanted to escape. He held me & refused to let me go. I ended up struggling with him, trying to break free, & begging him to let me go. Somewhere in the middle of all of this I started crying again, & then I became aware of the fact that he was resting his head on top of mine & crying too. I felt his tears wetting my hair. I was still struggling to get free when the pain hit me & I doubled over. We went to bed & he held me. It was a horrible night, but in a way it was good that I exploded like that. I got it all of my system instead of burying it deep & trying to "be strong".

My husband & daughter were wonderful. I tried not to lean on my daughter, but she kept coming to me wanting to "snuggle" & telling me how much she loved me. My husband let me say whatever was on my mind without judging me, & the oddest things flew out of my mouth. It brought us closer together. It was a terribly painful time in both of our lives, but we went through it together, & we're much stronger as a couple for it!

I wanted to be held & hated to be alone during that time. Yet the only people I wanted near me were my husband & daughter. At night when he'd hold me I often felt like the only thing holding me together was his arms.

Remembering my Angel

That Sunday we went to Home Depot to pick out a rose bush. My husband dug a deep hole in the back yard & gently placed the plastic box in it, my daughter dropped wild flowers on top of the box, & the rose bush was planted on top of it. A small baby angel statue was placed next to the rose bush. Some might think this a very strange thing to do, but for me it gave me a sense of peace knowing that I could visit my baby whenever I wanted to.

My baby's rose & special garden.

If you are reading this because you are going through this I want you to know that my heart goes out to you. As you're hurting & feeling alone in your pain, please know that you have an angel baby looking out for you from above. You aren't alone! Please don't feel like you have to be brave, like you have to carry on as though nothing happened, & above all else don't bottle your feelings up. There are some wonderful support groups online & if you'd like you can always shoot me an email. Sometimes it helps to talk to others who understand & have been there. I'm sending cyber hugs & prayers your way! Also, My Forever Child's jewelry really does help!

If you're reading this because you have a loved one who is suffering with a broken heart from the loss of a child, God Bless you for caring!

Some Tips For Dealing With This Delicate Situation:

Encourage your friend to wait until at least 11 weeks before making any decisions - Current research shows that early ultrasounds can't always predict miscarriage. Many women have been diagnosed as having an early miscarriage, but by 11-14 weeks a healthy baby was found. Click here to read current data.

Acknowledge the loss - Please tell your loved one how sorry you are for their loss! Yes; it will make them sad but they're already hurting. You really won't make the situation worse. You don't have to say anything face to face - even a simple sympathy card will do. Flowers or a plant are a nice touch too.

Don't mention it at work - It's extremely difficult to stay focused & composed after such a loss. You might mean well by wanting to express your sympathy, but it's best to do this in a more private setting. If you give them a sympathy card at work, please tell them to wait until they get home to open it otherwise they might break down publicly & that would just embarrass them.

Don't criticize the way they're grieving - Everyone is different. If they need space, give it to them. Just let them know that you care & you're there for them when they're ready.

Don't force them to be social - If they want to be alone, you need to respect that. Just send emails, text messages, & leave voice mails telling them you care & will be there for them when they're ready.

Offer a shoulder to cry on - Believe it or not they might not think that you want to talk about the loss since it's a touchy subject. People tend to back away from delicate subjects & they might not have anyone to offer support. If you feel comfortable talking to them & seeing them extremely emotional, then please let them know that they can talk to you!

Understand that the medical community offers very little support - & your loved one may be confused or angry. They have every right to feel let down. Dr's need to seriously work on this!

Understand that anger is a part of the grief process - It's totally normal. Please don't take it personally.

Encourage them to name the baby (With a miscarriage or stillbirth) - If they feel comfortable with the idea, & especially if they know the gender of their baby it can help in the grief process.

Encourage them to do something to remember the baby - If they have the remains & want to bury their baby, please encourage them. Just like it gives some people a sense of comfort to visit lost loved ones graves, it might also give comfort to visit a lost baby - even a miscarriage or stillbirth! With a full term baby you will have the ability to bury at a cemetary, but did you know that with a miscarriage you can bury on your property (depending on state laws)? If you miscarry at a hospital you can ask to have your baby's remains returned to you rather than disposed of by the hospital. This right is actually protected in some states! You can check your rights by the state that you reside in at Adam's Song.

I found a very touching video on youtube about the loss of a child. It's called "Gone Too Soon" by the band Daughtry. I'd love to share it with you. Please click here to watch it.

Though this has been incredibly difficult to type out (I'm actually crying at the moment), if it can help somebody, I feel like I've done a good deed. May anyone who has suffered the loss of a child find peace & blessings.

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Harmony aromatherapy's BRAND NEW Lavender/Peppermint Foot Care Set - Review/Giveaway

2012-01-02T14:08:00.005-06:00

I'm so pleased & happy to be the very first one to review this! Thanks Amy! One lucky reader will win a sample size of the brand new Lavender/Peppermint Foot Care Set - sea salt soak, pumice scrub, & renewing cream. The giveaway will end at midnight on January 16, 2012. This is open to residents of the US & Canada.

Before we begin, Amy wanted me to let you know about her New Year Special! For the month of January she will be offering a FREE 1/2 hour phone consultation with the purchase of any oil!

Plus; she's shared some exciting news with me! Amy will be offering foot care parties!!! If you've ever attended a Pampered Chef or Scentsy party, you'll understand how this will work. She'll send the host a full size set of the Foot Care Set for the guests to use during the party. The host will collect orders & has the opportunity to earn an incentive. Contact Amy for more details - amy@harmonyaromatherapy.net

She also wants me to let you know that she's selling some of her products on eBay at a discounted price. It's a great way to get a bargain! Click here to visit Harmony Aromatherapy on eBay.

About Harmony aromatherapy:

This isn't my first time reviewing a product by Harmony aromatherapy. (See my review/giveaway for essential oil protection.) Amy Lapierre is the owner & licensed aromatherapist behind the business. She uses only pure therapeutic grade essential oils in all of her products. She offers several different essential oils & can even do custom orders! Amy gets her oils from all over the globe, & they're tested through gc/ms for purity. Her oils are classed as therapeutic grade. Harmony aromatherapy is a family owned business that operates out of Utah, & it's growing by the day!

About the Foot Care Set:

The Soak - is formulated with therapeutic grade peppermint & lavender essential oils that are blended into sea salts. "It not only refreshes, but also invigorates your tired feet."

The Scrub - The scrub is made with fine pumice & is designed to help slough off dry skin to help start the renewing process to help you obtain the softest of feet.

The Renewing Cream - The renewing cream puts nutrients back into your feet. It's Paraben free, & enriched with Sweet Almond & Jojoba Oils, along with therapeutic grade peppermint and lavender essential oils. The essential oils help to heal and soothe tired feet. "Our luxurious renewing foot cream is deep, long-lasting moisture protection that softens even the driest skin."

My Experience With The Product Line:

The box from Harmony aromatherapy arrived just before Christmas break. It was a cute Christmas-sy design, with snow falling in the lid whenever the box was moved. The mail came just before I had to leave to pick my 13 year old up from school. I brought the box with me, so I could examine the contents while waiting for her. My entire car smelled yummy! As soon as my daughter opened the door to climb in she said "What smells so good?!?" She thought I had peppermint candy in the car.

Look at the cute box!

And the contents packaged with sparkly tissue

I will be the first to admit that I have horribly dry & ugly feet. That's probably due to the fact that I wear flip flops 90% of the time - year round! (I live in a suburb of New Orleans). My problem areas are my heals & my big toe. I'm almost ashamed to show you my before shot, but this wouldn't be much of a review without one.

*Note* Don't worry; both my daughter & I were wearing shorts for the following pics. LOL

What the Foot Care Set Looks Like. You use the salt soak first (in the middle), the scrub 2nd (on the left), & the renewing cream last (on the right).

My ugly feet before.

And the dry heal & big toe

My 13 year old daughter & I decided to do a girl's night last night. We have a jacuzzi tub, so I filled the tub with warm water & let the salts dissolve. As soon as the sea salt was put in the warm water a yummy combination of peppermint & lavender filled the bathroom. Not only did it smell good, but it also did wonderful things for our sinuses! We sat on the side of the tub & soaked for a while. It felt so good - a contrast of warm water mixed with the cooling sensation of the peppermint. By the way, if you don't have a jacuzzi or foot bath, don't worry. You can still do this at home! Just use a plastic dish washing container. It works just as well.

Here's a before shot of my daughter's feet

Me soaking in the sea salts

My daughter soaking her tootsies

After soaking for about 5 minutes, we moved on to the pumice scrub. It wasn't like any other scrub I've ever used before. It was gentle & had moisturizers in it. Many scrubs I've tried in the past have left me feeling like I've been scrubbed raw with sand paper. This was super smooth & gentle. It also had that yummy peppermint & lavender scent! In fact, I liked it so much that after doing my feet I massaged it into my hands.

My daughter massaging the pumice scrub on her foot

After massaging our feet thoroughly, we rinsed in the water again. We used the same water we originally soaked in - the water with the sea salts in it.

Me rinsing the scrub off my feet

Look at the dead skin floating in the tub near my daughter!

After rinsing our feet, we simply dried off with a towel & then massaged the renewal cream on. This cream was just as surprising as the scrub! It's very dense, so I was afraid that it would be super greasy & overpowering, but it wasn't! You only need to use a little bit to get the job done, but it goes on SUPER smooth! I just put dabs on & added as I needed more. I also rubbed it into my hands after doing my feet. It left both my feet & hands super soft, but not greasy! I tend to walk around the house bare foot & I was concerned that I would slip, but I didn't. :o)

My daughter massaging the renewal cream on

My after shot

And an attempt to show you my heal & big toe (it was cramped in the bathroom with both of us in there!)

My daughter's after pic

My impression of Harmony aromatherapy's Foot Care set:

Pros:

1) The scent! I LOVE it! It smells heavenly, it's super gentle yet effective, & it makes you feel like you're getting pampered in a spa - only you're doing it for yourself at home!

2) For someone with good feet like my daughter, no extra treatments are necessary. She noticed an immediate improvement! Even someone with challenging feet will notice an immediate improvement - you just might need to do the steps a few more times to see a dramatic improvement of your trouble spots.

3) Both of our feet smelled so good & felt cool after using the set.

4) And it's gentle & healing for those with sensitive skin! My daughter & I tried another brand a couple of years ago. I don't want to name names, but it came from a very well known chain store that used to do sales parties as well. My daughter complained that her feet felt like they were on fire after using that other brand. After using Harmony aromatherapy's set, she felt nothing other than a pleasant cooling sensation.

Cons:

None, but I want to point out that if you have feet like mine you might need to use the scrub a few times to see a major improvement in the trouble spots. If you're impatient, you might be tempted to use a pumice stone on your rough areas. However, this stuff rocks! I like the fact that it's gentle & moisturizing because I believe it's better for my skin than scraping it raw.

The Giveaway:

One lucky reader will win a sample size of the brand new Lavender/Peppermint Foot Care Set - sea salt soak, pumice scrub, & renewing cream. The giveaway will end at midnight on January 16, 2012. This is open to residents of the US & Canada.

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I Caught Santa & you can too!!!! 5 lucky winners

2011-12-21T18:34:00.003-06:00

I'm so excited about this Giveaway!!! I just found out about it today, but I'm such a kid at heart that I can't resist putting this last minute Christmas Giveaway up! It's open worldwide to anyone over 18, & will end Dec 24 at midnight (so technically the day before Christmas Eve). The 5 lucky winners can upload a picture of the inside of their house & choose which Santa pose they want to place where. The winners will be supplied with a code that will allow them to download the digital image of Santa being "caught" at their house for FREE. That's not all!!! They'll also get 5 different videos of Santa in their house to share with their excited children for FREE!!!

My Experience:

I literally just completed my picture at the I Caught Santa website. It was super easy to do. The hardest part about the process was deciding on which Santa pose I wanted & which border! It's very self explanatory, but if by chance you do get easily confused by technology, there are 2 different tutorials - 1 in video format & another with pictures & text.

The first step is to take a picture of the inside of your house - either your tree or maybe even your fireplace (if you have one).

Here is my tree picture.

And here is what the I Caught Santa website did!

I've just got to share the 5 videos with you! These are the cutest things ever!!!!

1) The "ssshhh" video

2) The "milk & cookies" video

3) Santa digging the Christmas music!

4) Checking out the "Naughty or Nice List"

5) Thank Goodness this is my last stop!

I literally squealed with delight when I saw these. I called my 13 year old daughter in the room to watch them with me & she was grinning ear to ear. We both wondered where this was when she was still a Santa believer!

Plus, you can get a 25% discount on orders! Simply use this code: SAVE25

Come on Moms; you know you want to enter! :o) Just imagine the huge smile on your child's face!

The Giveaway:

Ends at midnight on Christmas Eve (so technically the night before Christmas Eve), so that you'll have your "proof" before Christmas morning. 5 lucky winners will get coupon codes from me via email upon winning, so make certain you check your email!

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Win a Leather Pouch with Branded Design by LovejoyCreations

2011-12-20T16:08:00.003-06:00

One lucky winner will win the beautiful, hand crafted, leather pouch with a floral design pictured above. LovejoyCreations hand cuts & brands or burns their design onto the leather. There's a beautiful floral design on both the front & the back & the pouch measures 6" wide x 4" tall. This giveaway is open worldwide to anyone over the age of 18.

About LovejoyCreations:

LovejoyCreations is a husband & wife team (Brenda & John) who make custom, hand tooled leather goods. Examples include: purses, clutches, wallets, belts, jewelry, portraits, and scrapbook albums. They even do baby booties! They do other items as well, so don't be shy about asking! They're located in Phoenix, Arizona.

Brenda is a native Arizonan, and she's always been creative. She was constantly drawing, with horses being her absolute obsession. Brenda says she had a great High School art teacher who really laid the foundation for her art today. She began doing leatherwork in the early 1980s and didn't do it again for many years. About three years ago Brenda's mother brought her a clutch she had made years ago, and asked if she would relace it. She saw a beginner class at Tandy leather, and that began her on a course with leather again. Brenda loves the feel of "beautifully finished vegetable tanned leather" and never ceases to be amazed at what can be done with it. She's also done children's and animal portraits over the years, as well as illustrated quite a few children's books! To top it all off, Brenda is a survivor! She had a heart transplant in 1990! She says "I am many years later, by God's merciful grace!"

John is a very talented songwriter. He also enjoys drawing old trucks and cartoon characters. He is the organized one in the duo.

LovejoyCreations is a member of Team CaC, Whoa Team and Createability team

You can also check LovejoyCreations out on Facebook.

My Experience With LovejoyCreations:

LovejoyCreations gave me the option of almost any design I wanted on a leather pouch. I chose a howling wolf design because my 13 year old daughter loves wolves. She's the biggest Jacob Black (Twilight Saga) fan you could ever meet! I thought I'd wrap it up & give it to her for one of her Christmas presents, after examining it thoroughly for the blog. My daughter follows this blog, but doesn't normally pay much attention to what I type because she thinks it's boring, so I'm counting on that to remain the case this time! :o) Please don't get me Murphy's Law!

Paw print, complete with claws.

A view of the inside of the snap.

A view of the inside of the pouch

It will easily hold my smart phone!

This will give you a better idea of the size.

Brenda was super nice & helpful all through the process. I was impressed with the quality of the work on the pouch! It was beautifully done. The pouches can be used for almost anything - to hold money, cards, cell phones, cosmetics, keys, cash, or even a secure way to store vehicle papers.They can be used for virtually anything! The pouch measures 6" wide x 4" tall.

The Giveaway:

LovejoyCreations has opened the giveaway to anyone worldwide who is 18 & older. The Giveaway will end on January 3, 2012 at midnight.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pad Review/Giveaway by WAHM Pug Love by persifunctant!

2011-12-14T12:28:00.005-06:00

One lucky reader will win a pad or pantyliner by Pug Love by persifunctant! The winner can choose a pad in any size in the mermaid OR baby sea turtles print. The Giveaway is open to residents of ALL countries who are 18+!

Before I go on with the review, let me tell you about a GREAT sale that Pug Love by persifunctant has going on right now for the holidays! You can get 50% off all of her items by entering the code "GET50" at her etsy shop.

About Pug Love by persifunctant:

Allow me to introduce you to Amanda Lantz. She's a SAHM to a beautiful baby girl, & lives in Canada. Being a SAHM is her "dream come true". She's yet another talented Mom from my Due Date Group! She began her home based business in October of this year, & she specializes in cloth menstrual products, wool dryer balls, & cloth nursing pads. Everything is hand-sewn, eco friendly, & vegan. The cloth menstrual products come in various sizes, & she even has cute little cloth menstrual pad bags!

Amanda always liked sewing and being crafty and creative. Amanda says "Since there is only so much I can make for myself, I thought I could make and sell some of the pads and stuff as a hobby." Amanda's been sewing since junior high, and is self taught.

Amanda is multi-talented! She loves sewing, painting, and all things crafty. She's been drawing since she was 2 years old, painting since 7th grade, & sewing since 7th grade. She think that everybody could use a little dose of glitter in their lives.

My Experience with Pug Love by persifunctant:

Let me begin by saying that I'm a die hard tampon user. I CAN'T STAND traditional pads! Keep that in mind as you read this review.

I'd never tried Mama cloth before & was very curious. I figured if my baby deserved to be pampered with soft cloth on her tushy, than maybe I do too. I received my pad at the beginning of November. I chose the mermaid print, so that I could match my baby girl's diaper that was made by Zippy Doo Diapers (see my review). I received a size large pad. For the first time in my life I was eagerly awaiting my period to start! I couldn't wait to try it out.

I had a lot of questions for Amanda while waiting for AF, & she happily answered them.

1) I wondered if the pads would leak - Nope; because the pad is made up of two layers of printed cotton, one hidden layer of breathable nylon, and then two layers of cotton fleece. So its slightly waterproof, but not quite the same caliber as pul. Amanda said that she's NEVER had a pad leak through ever - not even during her heaviest flow while sleeping.

2) I wondered about blood staining the pad - She said that I could use something like Shout or Spray And Wash for stains, but since the inside was black it shouldn't (in theory) show stains. She said to wash them with regular clothes, such as with my socks and underwear.

3) I worried that washing the pads with my whites (underwear & socks) would stain the whites - Nope; the blood usually dries during the wait to be washed, so its no big deal. She said I could also soak or rinse them prior to washing too.

4) I asked about storing the dirty pads while waiting for them to be washed - Amanda said that's what the bags are for. They're like little wetbags for diapers, complete with a PUL inner. The strap even has a snap, so you can hang it from your towel rack!

As soon as I started spotting I snapped her pad in my panties, & all I can say is OMG was it comfy!!!! I'm so used to those horrible paper pads that I didn't know what to expect. Her pads are super, super, super soft against your lady parts! I only had the opportunity to test the pad twice - once while spotting & again with a normal flow, with one washing in between. It performed beautifully. There were no leaks & most importantly I couldn't even tell that I was wearing a pad. I would say that it felt just like my panties except that my panties aren't this soft! Oh how I wish I'd had these after having my baby, when everything was so sore! (note: I didn't use a tampon either time that I tested these.)

Surprisingly, they actually do stay in place while wearing them! I was afraid that the pad would slide around, but it really doesn't during wear. When you pull your panties down to use the bathroom they do slide out of place, but it's easy to fix - just slide them back into place!

This might not be an attractive picture, but here's the inside of the clean pad snapped to my panties.

And here's a pic of the print side, showing how the pad remains held in place with the snap.

I'm currently in the process of slowly putting together a stash of these. I just took advantage of Amanda's 50% off Christmas sale at her etsy shop to buy a pad bag & a few different size pads to try out. I'll continue to buy a few a month until I have a full supply. Remember that I said I was a die hard tampon user? Pug Love by persifunctant has converted me.

I'm also going to try to get my 13 year old daughter to give them a try. She'd be mortified if she knew that I was discussing her period online, but she's very irregular since it began. She started her period last year around Thanksgiving & has only had it twice since that time. Because she never knows when to expect it, & because her school doesn't allow them to go to the bathroom during class, & she doesn't want to be embarrassed by a leak, she's been wearing paper pads to school every day for the past year. That can't be comfy or healthy - not to mention unkind to our environment. I think once she tries these & sees how comfy the are she'll be hooked. I've discussed this issue with Amanda, & she recommends getting her the pantyliners for times when she isn't menstruating because they don't have the nylon layer, so are breathable.

Pros:

1) Cheaper! The price of one pad may be more at the outset, but because you reuse them it will save you a ton in the long run - just like with cloth dipes!

2) So comfortable! They really are soft & comfy. I highly recommend these for anyone who hates being chafed by paper products. They would be especially ideal post partum! I don't know about you, but I needed pads for roughly 9 week straight with both of my girls! Sorry, but talk about chapped lips!

3) Cute...well as cute as a product like this can be. :o) Just like cloth diapers, you can customize to your own personal taste or mood.

4) Healthier - these are more breathable than traditional paper products (so less likely to encourage the growth of yeast), plus you aren't exposed to all of those chemicals they use to make them. If you're using cloth diapers on your baby because you don't want to expose them to chemicals, than why wouldn't you feel the same way about yourself?

Cons:

None! Except maybe the start up cost, but if you take advantage of Amanda's sales that's not as much of an issue. Plus, this really will save you money in the long run.

The Giveaway:

Amanda has been very generous! She's opening this Giveaway WORLDWIDE to anyone over 18. It will end on Dec 28.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I'm Nuts About Plain Jane Granola from Nuts About Granola! Review/Giveaway

2011-12-09T17:02:00.002-06:00

One lucky winner will a $10 gift certificate to use at their online store!

About Nuts About Granola:

Nuts About Granola was started by a mother & daughter who enjoyed cooking together. Gayle and Sarah’s love for cooking and knowledge about nutrition led to the development of a granola treat to help them refuel during athletic events. Their granola snack was made fresh, using local ingredients from the Pennsylvania farm belt. Sarah decided to package and sell their granola on campus as a team fundraiser. The original flavors (Plain Jane, Lovers Combo, & College Staple) were so popular that Nuts About Granola, llc. was incorporated in the Spring of 2008. Nuts About Granola remains a small mother/daughter owned company dedicated to providing the freshest granola served straight from the oven of their home.

My Experience With Nuts About Granola:

Last week I received a sample of Plain Jane from Nuts About Granola. It was a yummy peanut butter flavor. I LOVE peanut butter, so I literally sat at my desk & inhaled the 2 oz bag. My 13 year old daughter tasted it too & we both agreed that it was the BEST granola that we've ever had! I was so impressed that I had a look at their website, & my mouth has been watering ever since.

I think this granola is great straight out of the bag, but I'd also like to try baking with it, putting it in yogurt, & eating it as cereal. I inhaled it so enthusiastically that I forgot to take pictures! That should give you an idea of just how good it is. If you follow my blog, you know that I always take plenty of pictures!

Here are the flavors they offer:

4 Pack - One 12oz. bag of their four original flavors

Plain Jane - peanut butter

Lover's Combo - Peanut Butter & Chocolate Granola

College Staple - Peanut Butter & Jelly Granola

Off Road Edition -Trail Mix Granola (Vegan)

Warrior Crunch - Nuts About Granola® and Cancer Warrior have teamed up to launch Warrior Crunch™ in an effort to raise money for cancer research.

E-Town Carrot Cake - A portion of the proceeds fund the Nuts About Granola Innovation Scholarship. (Low Fat)

Mexican Hot Chocolate - Mexican Hot Chocolate Granola- dark chocolate infused with cinnamon & a touch of cayenne pepper for a surprise kick at the end. (Vegan)

Johnny Appleseed - Apple Cinnamon Granola (Low Fat & Vegan)

Gluten Free Plain Jane - Gluten Free Original Granola.

Seeing as the holidays are upon us, I feel like I should mention that they have a Gift Section! Please check it out. They have some wonderful things - gift jars & boxes, sampler sets, & gift certificate.

The Giveaway:

It's open to residents of the US who are 18 & older. It will end at midnight on December 23.

Unique & Healthy Snack - Seasnax Review & Giveaway

2011-12-02T12:50:00.000-06:00

One lucky winner will win their choice of any flavor case of SeaSnax Grab & Go's (12/cs) or 4 packs of our full sheet singles in any flavor. They come in the following flavors: Classic Olive, Toasty Onion, Chipotle.

About Seasnax:

It's a 100% all natural snack - no GMO (1st ever Non-GMO Project Verified), roasted seaweed snack which is Vegan and Gluten-Free and made using 100% olive oil and a little sea salt. There are no artificial flavors, no Trans Fat, no artificial colors, no preservatives, no Cholesterol, no MSG, & no sugar. They're made only of Mother Nature's natural ingredients. Seasnax is a socially conscious family business that focuses on making healthy snacks that their own kids eat!

They contribute 10% of their annual net profit to non-profit groups who help make the world a better & gentler place for our children & the earth.

Seasnax are made of seaweed - yes, seaweed. It's incredibly nutritious - loaded with vitamins A & C, & small amounts of calcium & iron. It's also a great snack for diabetics because the carb count is negligible 0.3 g or 0% daily value.

My Experience With This Unusual Snack:

I'm slowly munching on the Chipotle flavor as I type this. Last week I received a care package with a few different flavors to try - Classic Olive, Toasty Onion, & Chipotle. Seasnax sent me both the Grab & Go size, which is a snack size that would be perfect for a lunch box (0.21 oz) & the full sheets (0.54 oz) to try. I started out with the Toasty Onion in the Grab & Go size. I have to be honest & say that at first I wasn't a huge fan. It's not that I disliked it, but that I wasn't in love with it either. However, the strangest thing happened! The next day I found myself wanting to try more. I opened up the Classic Olive flavor & quickly decided that it was my favorite. The very next day I tried the Chipotle. I found the Chipotle to be very hot & intense! I'm a New Orleans lady, & I love spicy food, so for me to say that you know it packs some heat! As in run to the kitchen to get milk to put out the fire on your lips & tongue kind of heat!

In 3 days time I was done with the Snack & Goes. It was the oddest thing; I found myself craving these very unique snacks. I was extremely happy that Seasnax sent me the full sheets to try also. The full sheet packs come with 5 sheets. I went straight to the Classic Olive flavor & even shared a small bite with my 9 month old baby. She seemed to enjoy it!

It's difficult to describe. It has a slightly crunchy texture, but melts in your mouth. It's slightly salty, & you do taste a hint of fishy flavor, but mostly it reminds me of spinach. In fact, I even tricked my extremely finicky husband into tasting it. He truly thought that he was eating some sort of spinach snack.

Each day I've craved Seasnax more & more. I'm not sure if it's the taste that has grown on me or if my body needs something that this incredibly nutritious snack is providing. Whatever the case may be, I genuinely like it now.

I saved the last Chipotle for the very last taste. I still find it mega hot - so hot that I have milk sitting nearby to put out the fire. I sit here sniffling as I type - yet I still keep munching on it. The packaging doesn't lie! It says "Seasnax; Strangely addictive!" It truly is.

The appearance of it surprised me. I wasn't sure what it would look like when I removed it from the wrapper. It was a super thin & crunchy sheet of seaweed.

Health Benefits of Seaweed:

I won't type them all out because your eyes would tire, but I'll list some of the most important health benefits.

It's a natural weight loss and anti-aging agents. Scientists have proved that seaweed has a very positive effect on the human body.
Seaweed contains key minerals not found anywhere else in plant form & the body more easily absorbs the protein found in seaweed than meat protein.
Shiny & healthy hair
Keeps the mind sharp.
Clear/healthy skin.
Good for the eyes & the gums.
Strengthens teeth.
Maintains thyroid function.
Improves immune system.
Reduces cancer risks & stunts tumor growth.

and on & on...

The Giveaway:

The giveaway is open to residents of the US who are 18 & older.

Review/Giveaway for a Christmas Print AI2 Diaper by Howler Monkey Bums - a new WAHM Diaper!

2011-11-28T11:24:00.006-06:00

One lucky reader will win the cute Ooga Booga Christmas print AI2 diaper pictured above by Howler Monkey Bums. You can also find Howler Monkey Bums on Facebook.

Plus I want to give you a heads up on a great sale! Today only (Monday, 11/28/11) there's a cyber sale. Use the code CYBERMONDAY10 for 10% off your total order!!!

About Howler Monkey Bums:

Howler Monkey Bums is a brand new WAHM run business by Callie Eddy Burton, located in Layton, Utah. Callie is another talented lady from my due date group! Callie is also a 1st grade teacher & Mom of 2 beautiful girls. Callie was inspired to try cloth diapers by Sarah West of Wee Bonnie Botts in April 2011. She was confused about where to begin and extremely frightened with the start up cost. Sarah sent her a few different types to try and gave her some time to decide on which she liked the best. She decided to venture into sewing and selling them herself. Callie's absolute favorite diaper is the AI2. She loves that the shell can be reused throughout the day minimizing the amount of laundry. This also allows her to coordinate her baby's clothes with the cute diaper print. She's a licensed La Di Da seamstress. She sells both AIO & AI2 diapers with PUL. She also makes one size & sized La Di Da Diapers. In addition, she can make the One Size Sprout Snap if you like that fit for your baby's bum. All of her diapers meet and exceed all CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act) Regulations.

She offers discounts for starter packages, which will be personalized through her etsy shop.

Callie is super sweet & helpful. She understands feeling confused & overwhelmed since she felt that way herself when first starting out with cloth diapers. She's open to answering any questions that you might have.

What's an AI2?

By now I'm sure all of you are familiar with AIO's & pocket diapers, but do you know what an AI2 is? It's very similar to an AIO because it has an outer shell, complete with waterproof layer, but the absorbent portion usually snaps in or just lays inside the shell. What makes this so nice is that you can remove the absorbent portion & reuse the shell! This works better with some AI2's than others. I've tested other AI2's & ended up using them like AIO's because the shell became wet as well & I didn't like the thought of putting my baby back in a wet shell with a new liner. I think because Callie's liner is so super long & made of ultra absorbent Zorb, you could actually use this one that way! I will be ordering some extra liners from her once we get past the holidays to see how that works out. I feel pretty certain that if I had a spare when I tested my Ooga Booga Christmas print, & if I'd changed her at 2 or 3 hrs instead of closer to 5, I could've gotten away with reusing the shell & just putting a new liner in.

This brings me to...

My Experience with Howler Monkey Bums:

I just received my AI2 from Howler Monkey Bums in the mail a couple of days ago. My 1st impression? CUTE & very well made! I was unfamiliar with the La Di Da diapers, but I have to say that I'm impressed. It's a nice trim diaper that adjusts to various sizes easily. There's a very long snake like, snap in liner/soaker that you can fold to add extra absorption where needed for your baby.

Fresh out of the package, snapped down to it's smallest size.

View of the back

Diaper opened up, exposing the red suedecloth inner.

The very long snap in liner, tri-folded.

This pic shows the super long, snake like, snap in liner. You can fold this in any configuration that works best for your baby.

Callie suggested that I wash the diaper on hot 3 times & dry it in the dryer 3 times to make sure that the holes from her sewing through the PUL were sealed. I don't ever wash my dipes on hot - I always use warm. Plus, I was impatient to try this cute dipe out on my baby, so I kind of cheated in the pre-wash process. I did a warm wash with 2 warm rinses, & dried it twice in the dryer.

As soon as it came out of the dryer I put it on my baby. I nursed her, & she fell asleep in my arms. She slept for a good hour in my arms, & there was absolutely no leakage at all. When she woke up I let her play in her activity center for a while, on the floor for a while, etc. She normally cries when she wets, but she didn't even complain! She wore this diaper from about 4:00 pm to around 8:30 or 9:00 pm before she started to complain. Normally I change her every 2 or 3 hrs, but I was just curious to see if it would leak since I didn't exactly follow Callie's advice about sealing the holes in the PUL. Guess what? Not even a small leak! I was very impressed that she didn't seem to be uncomfortable with a wet diaper until almost 5 hrs went by!

My husband changed her diaper when he came home from work. He's extremely intimidated by cloth diapers for some strange reason, but he managed to get it off easily. I asked him if she was very wet, & he said that he couldn't tell. I know that she was wet based on her behavior before & after the change, but the fact that he couldn't tell means that the Zorb really does absorb liquid well. I've tested diapers with Zorb in the past & they really do perform outstandingly well! Based on this, I haven't even tested the diaper for night use. I know that it will definitely last all night - at least based on my breast fed baby's version of all night, which is anywhere from 5 to 8 hrs of consecutive sleep before waking to nurse.

I also know that there are quite a few Moms out there who would appreciate winning this before Christmas comes & goes, so I want to get the giveaway up! :o) Trust me when I tell you that there was absolutely no leaks at all during the extended time frame that I had her in the diaper!

Look how cute!

Look at the great fit!

She can move easily in it (too easily - she almost rolled off the table!).

A closeup of the rear fit.

Callie surprised me with a little bonus! She sent me an extremely cute miniature version of her diaper for a doll. :o) It has decorative snaps, but closes with Velcro to make it easier for little hands to manipulate. Of course, my baby girl is too little for it yet. She won't be ready for it until she's 3 for safety reasons (snaps), but I'll definitely hang on to it for her! It's absolutely precious! Be sure to check out Howler Monkey Bums on Facebook or the etsy shop to see samples of everything she offers, including these adorable doll diapers.

Look at the cute little doll diaper!

Tips From Callie:

Callie was nice enough to offer some tips! She says that if baby poops you shouldn't reuse the shell, even it appears to be clean because the smell lingers.

There's a trick to cleaning the snake soaker if you are a Mom that sprays poop off into the toilet. Be sure to leave it tri-folded while spraying it off. Callie said "Maybe I'm just slow but the length of them used to really bother me until I realized that you can keep it folded."

Pros:

Fit
Function - super absorbent!
Cute!!!
Ability to customize the shell lining with your choice of suedecloth or velour.

Cons:

I really can't think of any. The snake like liner/soaker might be a little difficult for some to adjust to at first, but I didn't have a problem.

Attention Moms of girls! Please check out this cute, pink, sparkly, flower headband by GiggleBox Boutique! It would make a nice stocking stuffer, & would be super cute in those Santa pictures coming up! The headband giveaway ends on Dec 4 at midnight.

The Giveaway:

This giveaway is slightly different because we're so close to the holidays! Callie wants to make sure that the winner receives their Christmas print AI2 prior to Christmas. Because of that, she's asking the winning bidder to please pay $5.80 for priority mail. She's offering the winner a great bargain too - free shipping if they purchase a diaper in the Howler Monkey Bums Etsy Shop at the same time! You'll just have to contact her for the free shipping code prior to placing an order. The giveaway is open to residents of the US who are 18 & older. It ends Dec 12 at midnight.

Win a pretty pink flower headband by GiggleBox Boutique!

2011-11-19T21:56:00.001-06:00

One lucky winner will win the pink flower headband pictured above, made by GiggleBox Boutique. This is a Rafflecopter giveaway, & will end at midnight on Dec 4, so you should receive your beautiful headband just in time for Christmas!

About GiggleBox Boutique:

Allow me to introduce you to GiggleBox Boutique! It's a Mom owned business by Samantha Fryer, another talented Mom from my due date group. :o) GiggleBox Boutique is a brand new business - only open about 4 months now! She says that she's become slightly obsessed & has way too many supplies now, but that can only be a good thing for customers!

I asked Samantha how she got started making her pretty hair accessories, & this was her reply "It was kind of a culmination of things. I am a photographer and have always loved all of the beautiful newborn headbands. Then I had my daughter who has no hair and cannot wear clips. I was obsessed with finding a matching headband for each outfit, so I decided to start making my own. I have so much fun with it and being creative, that I decided to start selling them."

Samantha makes pretty elastic headbands for babies who are a little shy on hair (like my little girl) or those who just want a delicate look, but she also makes traditional hard headbands, as well as clips. She has every style & color you could possibly imagine - all handmade by her.

My Experience With GiggleBox Boutique:

I was sent the exact same headband that the winner will receive, so I can tell you that pictures just don't do it justice! It's made of pink felt & what appears to be pink organza with little sparkly pink stones & clear glitter all over it. It's done in layers, so it has dimension & isn't just a flat flower. There's a large round piece of felt that covers the elastic & holds the flower to it, but also means that your baby will have a nice soft piece of felt against the forehead area rather than the flower coming in direct contact with delicate skin.

The day that the headband arrived I couldn't wait to put it on my daughter. We had errands to run, & everywhere we went she received compliments.

Just look how cute it is!

My baby girl was born with hair, but very little of it. Much of it fell off in the newborn phase, so I was unable to use cute little hair bows on her. Many flowery headbands that you see are just too overpowering for a baby. However, GiggleBox Boutique is just the right size!Samantha is open to answering any questions that you might have. You can contact her at GiggleBoxBoutique@gmail.com

*Note* This is unrelated, but if you're the Mom of a little girl you might want to enter the Christmas Tutu giveaway that's running through midnight on Nov 23. It really is beautiful! Click here to check it out.

The Giveaway:

This is a Rafflecopter giveaway, open to residents of the US who are 18 or older. It will end at midnight on December 4! The winner will have 48 hrs to respond to my email notification with their details or else I'll have to select another winner.

Win a BEAUTIFUL Christmas TuTu for your little Christmas Angel

2011-11-08T15:33:00.008-06:00

One lucky winner will win the beautiful Christmas tutu pictured above, in a size 3- 9 months, made by Precious Pitter Patter! Giveaway open to residents of the US who are 18 or older. Giveaway ends at midnight Nov 23!

About Precious Pitter Patter

I'm a huge Facebook fan & I was very happy to find out about Precious Pitter Patter on Facebook. Precious Pitter Patter is a home based business run by Amy Grey. She makes the most beautiful tutu's you'll ever see! Amy started making tutus when she saw a picture on the Internet and decided to make one as a gift for a gift exchange she was in. It just sort of snowballed after that. People saw the pictures and wanted one, and one of Amy's friends convinced her to make a Facebook page to start making them for everyone that wanted one! She taught herself how to make all the great things she makes - such as crocheted hats & headbands adorned with flowers, onesies with your baby's age, wreaths, party decorations, & more! She seems to love a challenge, & will try to make dreams come true with her beautiful creations.

My experience with Precious Pitter Patter

I found Amy through a fan page on Facebook called Katie's Fighters. Katie is a sweet little angel born with anencephaly. Katie is truly one of God's miracles. She defied the odds & her Dr's expectations & has survived to three months & is still going strong! Katie's Mom wanted to help other families with babies who have anencephaly, so Katie's Facebook page held a fundraising auction. I bid on & won a sweet little pink crocheted hat with a big daisy on it that was made by Precious Pitter Patter. The sweet little hat arrived very quickly - within days of winning it. (By the way, Katie's Fighters is currently holding another auction. Please check it out!)

Wearing the sweet little crocheted hat

It was so cute on her that I quickly decided that I wanted a tutu to match it for Halloween. As you've probably guessed by the theme of my blog, I LOVE fairies! In fact, my daughter's nursery is decorated in a fairy theme. Therefore, it seemed only natural that I'd dress her as a fairy for her very first Halloween. However, I couldn't make up my mind on the type of tutu to choose - 2 toned petti tutu (the kind with little knots at the ends) or a basic 2 toned tutu with daisies all over it to match her hat. I agonized over my choices & emailed poor Amy over & over again asking a million questions. Amy was ever so patient with me, & offered useful advice on possible color combinations. She told me what she thought would look best & what she wouldn't advise - much appreciated advice since I was having difficulty visualising the end result.

She outgrew her hat before I decided on what I wanted the tutu to look like, so I asked Amy to make her a headband as well. I stalked Amy's Facebook page while she was making them, & was delighted to see these pictures posted! I got a little preview before they arrived! :o)

Stunningly beautiful 2 toned pink & ivory tutu with daisies, & a pink crocheted headband with large daisy that has a rhinestone center.

Amy was about to go on a trip to visit family, so I wasn't expecting the tutu right away. However, it was made & put in the mail within a week & a half of me ordering it! When I opened the box up I was very impressed with how she had it packed. Tulle will wrinkle, but it was packed so carefully that could never happen in transit. The waistband was down, with the skirt of the tutu up.

The wonderful packing job

I couldn't wait to play dress up with my baby! I looked for a pair of small wings, & sat her in our front yard to take a few pics.

My beautiful little fairy

I can't say enough good things about Precious Pitter Patter! Please check her out. She's incredibly creative & does absolutely beautiful work - as you can see. You won't regret giving her your business.

*NOTE* Attention Moms of girls; you might want to enter to win a sweet pink flower headband for your baby. It's super cute! The headband giveaway ends Dec 4.

The Giveaway:

This giveaway is open to residents of the US who are 18 & older. It ends on November 23, so you'll have this in plenty of time for Christmas! This would make a wonderful gift! Please keep your eyes open for my email notifying you that you've won. You'll have 48 hrs to respond to claim your prize or else I'll have to select a new winner.

Girls just want to have fun, which can be messy. Thankfully Clorox came to the rescue!

2011-11-07T15:29:00.001-06:00

Spending time with friends and family can lead to fun and memorable moments, but also some very messy ones. The messiest moment I'll always remember is with my Girl Scout Troop. About two years ago we were in the process of moving into our house. While the house was still mostly empty I invited a couple of girls from my Troop of Junior Girl Scouts over to make homemade Twilight New Moon T-shirts because they missed our last meeting. We did the 1st round of the T-shirts at my church's fellowship hall where we held our meetings, but a couple of girls couldn't make that meeting so we finished them at my house. As it turns out, it was a good thing we finished the T-shirts at my house! It was a lot of fun, but verrrrry messy!

I received information about Clorox’s Bleach It Away campaign and am sharing my messy moment for the chance to win prizes from The SITS Girls. To learn more about the messy moment program, check out www.BleachItAway.com. Sharing your story on the Clorox fan page gets you entered for the chance to win $25,000 and daily prizes, and you can grab a coupon for Clorox® Regular Bleach.

As you've probably learned from reading my blog posts, I don't go far without my camera! I always take plenty of pictures, so fortunately I have some to show of the messy fun we had - though not of the mess itself (unfortunately).

Note to self: This is how NOT to make a mess:

My daughter & my T-shirts (done at Church). We were super careful there & put a plastic table cloth down, & placed cardboard in between the 2 sides of the T-shirts. The other shirts were done the same way, so there wasn't a mess.

Note to self: This is a SURE FIRE way to make a mess (& memories):

2 of the girls at my house. Unfortunately, this was very last minute so I forgot the plastic table cloth & cardboard. MAJOR oops!

The paint was already starting to get on the counter. See it to the left?

The paint was going on thicker & thicker. The girls were having lots of fun, & I wasn't thinking about the fact that there wasn't cardboard in the middle of each shirt.

As you can see, LOTS of paint! (Even more was on the counter underneath the shirt!)

Blood, blood, & more blood! (And a big red spot on the counter underneath).

They each had to buy their own T-shirts, & I supplied the fabric paint. They came up with their own designs & used my kitchen counter to paint their T-shirts, which we later used to wear on a field trip to watch the movie together.

It took several days for the T-shirts to dry because our gas hadn't been turned on yet & the house was cold. The T-shirts sat for about 3 days drying. Once they were completely dry, I lifted them up to fold them....... that's when I noticed the paint caked on the counter. I tried scraping it off & for the most part it worked. It was the red paint that was particularly troublesome. Even after the paint was scraped off, a red stain remained. That's when I reached for the Clorox. Success! It vanished before my eyes. I'm only sorry that I didn't take pictures of that. The Twilight New Moon messy fun didn't end there.

I'm a HUGE Twilight Saga fan, as is my daughter, & almost every other tween & teen. The Troop New Moon T-shirts were part of a huge circle of events I had planned around the movie. My daughter's 12th birthday was going to be a New Moon party, complete with Bella's Birthday cake, "blood" in bottles to drink, mushroom ravioli for dinner, & Twilight shown on a big screen with a projector. The girls played pin the kiss on Edward (blood red lipstick was applied, a scarf was tied on their head, they were spun in circles, & then had to kiss a plastic covered Edward poster. The girl who kissed closest to his mouth won the poster. I hadn't counted on the red lipstick kisses on my wall though! LOL. We also had some non messy games - trivia about the movies, a wolf pack race, & more.

More messes came at the party. What was I thinking with all of the "blood" in my theme?!?

All of these pretty bottles of "blood" to drink were spilled & left a sticky, nasty, red mess.

Not a very good picture, but this was the buttered blood popcorn we ate during the movie. Do you want to guess what the girls wiped their greasy red fingers on? I'll give you a hint - it WAS NOT one of the New Moon napkins!

You see the girls pointing to their kisses, but what you don't see are the couple of kisses that missed the poster & hit the wall. :o)

With all of that red, I didn't even bother with other household cleaners. I went straight to the Clorox because I needed bleaching power! It didn't let me down.

I won't even get into the apple fight the girls got into after my husband & I went to bed........... Let's just say that our coffee pot & ceiling lost the fight.

November is National Prematurity Awareness month

2011-11-04T20:01:00.001-05:00

As a Medela Mom Maven, I felt this was very important to pass along!

This November, in recognition of National Prematurity Awareness Month and to help raise awareness of the value of human milk, Medela is hosting a Virtual Milk Collection Campaign. For every person that registers, one milliliter of virtual human milk is collected. When you register you can vote for your NICU to win $5,000 in Medela product to support the use of human milk.

Go to www.MedelaPreemieAwareness.com for more details and to place a vote for your hospital to win! Let's see how much virtual human milk we can collect!

Go Green Champ 2.0 Pocket Diaper Review/Giveaway by Jack Be Natural

2011-11-03T15:27:00.004-05:00

A month & a half ago I received a cute little diaper in the mail from Jack Be Natural. It was a cute little red diaper with white hearts all over it - very fitting since my baby was originally due on Valentine's Day (she didn't get that memo & was evicted on Feb 21 due to Gestational Diabetes)!

One lucky reader will also win a Go Green Champ 2.0 Pocket Diaper from Jack Be Natural! Jack Be Natural will select the color or print based on the gender of your baby. As usual, the giveaway will be at the end of the review. It begins tonight at midnight & will end on November 18, 2011. The winner must respond to my email within 48 hours or I will have to select a new winner.

Included is a nice sized liner for you to snap in.

About Jack Be Natural

Started by middle class parents with two children, who were obsessed with their health & well being. Many parents aren't aware of the numerous hazards in baby & children products. Jack Be Natural strives to use natural & organic products, while remaining grounded & separating facts of what is safe & what isn't. They explored better alternatives for everyday products & combined their passion for natural products with their entrepreneurial spirit, which resulted in Jack Be Natural. Their mantra is to educate other parents on the advantages of natural baby products while providing them at fair & affordable prices.

The Review

Jack Be Natural has a good selection of the Go Green Champ 2.0 Pocket Diapers available. Just click on the link & look at all of the cute prints & colors! I love the different names of the prints too! Bunz' N Roses (pictured at the top), Shiny Hiney, etc. He He.

What makes this diaper different is that it has openings at both the front & back of the pocket that allows the liner to come out in the wash! I have to say that I feel like Go Green has solved a major flaw in pocket diapers with this feature! I can't speak for others, but personally I hate both stuffing & having to unstuff wet/dirty liners! With openings at each end, the stuffing process is MUCH easier & you don't have to bother with unstuffing.

Here is both pocket openings open, exposing the liner. The opening at the back is nice & roomy, making it super easy for you to stuff.

This pic shows where the liner snaps to the shell/cover.

As you can see, there's a nice overlap of lining fabric to cover the openings at each end.

It has the traditional snaps in the front to adjust the rise, as well as snaps at the waist, & hip snaps to adjust the leg openings.

My baby sporting her Go Green Champ 2.0. It fits her VERY well. I had no trouble at all customizing the fit - even with the generously sized liner inside.

I've tried this diaper out several times, & it's very soft, fits well, & functions well. I would recommend using it as a daytime diaper as it comes, but if you get an extra liner/soaker you can use this at night too. You might need an extra soaker if you have a heavy wetter too, but I haven't experienced a problem with leaking at all. In fact, my baby had a pretty major blow out in her 2.0 Champ & the gussets contained it all - no mess to deal with on her clothes or mine!

I have to say that this is one of the best priced cloth diapers on the market too! In these tough economic times that's definitely a major bonus! Jack Be Natural sells the Go Green Champ 2.0 Pocket Diaper for a very reasonable $15.95 with FREE shipping!!!

I should also mention that Jack Be Natural is giving away a FREE item on all orders over $75!!! Click here for more details. They also have a fantastic rewards program called Jack's Cash, where you get $1 in store credit for every $15 you spend!!!!

Features:

They have both fuzzy & silky leak proof exteriors in a nice variety of patterns & colors.
A soft suede cloth lining.
Dual gussets.
Dual pocket openings, so that you don't have to remove wet/dirty insets because they come out by themselves in the wash! (This is my FAVE feature!)
Hip snaps for better sizing (new feature).
Front pocket cover made of PUL to prevent leaking (new feature).
Back pocket opening cover
Includes one snap-in liner made of 3 layers of microfiber.

Pros:

Price - extremely affordable!
Dual pocket openings to make stuffing easier & unstuffing unnecessary!
Dual gussets to catch exploding poop!
Cute, cute, cute!
Super easy to adjust the size.
Snap in liner, & it comes with the liner!!! This is a plus because some pocket diapers require you to purchase the liner separately.

Cons:

I wish it came with an extra liner for night use or heavy wetters, but this isn't a huge issue. They aren't expensive to buy from Jack Be Natural.

The Giveaway:

This is a Rafflecopter giveaway, open to residents of the US & Canada who are 18 & older. It will end on November 18, 2011. The winner must respond to my email within 48 hours or I will have to select a new winner.

Attention Moms of Girls!

I have another giveaway running through midnight of Nov 23 that you might be interested in. You can win a beautiful Christmas Tutu in a size 3-9 months from Precious Pitter Patter. Please click here to enter the giveaway!

itti bitti Limited Edition printed minkee Change Mat Review & Giveaway!

2011-10-24T16:40:00.006-05:00

Thank you itti bitti for sending me this incredible limited edition fall print change mat & allowing me to be one of the 20 bloggers to review it. One lucky reader will also receive a minkee change mat in the color of itti bitti's choice, based on the gender of your baby. The giveaway is open to residents of the US & Canada who are 18 & over. This ends on 11-07-11 at 12:01 am EST.

Before I jump into this, let me tell you about the itti bitti Sweepstakes on Facebook that you can enter through October 31st. You can enter once daily to be entered into a giveaway for 3 prize packages featuring the new itti bitti fall limited edition prints. To enter you can visit this page or select "Sweepstakes" from itti bitti's Facebook page.

They've also started their "Fall In Love with itti bitti" buy 4, get 1 promo. Look for this fabulous deal with participating retailers through the end of Oct!

I've definitely fallen in love with itti bitti! From the moment I tried out the itti bitti d'lish they sent me over the Summer, it's been LOVE.

The Ayannah Print Minkee Change Mat

So pretty & so soft!!! I received this in the mail last week & felt like it was Christmas! My 13 year old daughter went to get the mail, & asked what the package was. As soon as I opened it she snatched it out of my hands! She begged to keep it for herself saying "But it's so P-R-E-T-T-Y!"

"Oooooo S-O-F-T!!!" She purred as she rubbed it against her face. I quickly grabbed my camera to capture it.

"What?"

She continued to beg to keep it. I asked her what she planned to use it for. "I don't know. A hat?"

I finally succeeded in getting it away from my 13 year old, & decided to take my baby to the park. While there
I realized how much bigger the minkee change mat is in comparison to the one in my diaper bag. It's 26.5" x 17.5" big.

Look at the difference!

Normally when we go to the park I bring a blanket to sit on, but I forgot it at home this time. The itti bitti minkee change mat was plenty big enough to lay my baby on! The plus side is that because it's water proof, there was no dampness seeping through. The print minkee is waterproofed & there's a super soft bamboo velour on the opposite side to lay your baby on, but both sides are soft.

She was so comfy!

Then I took her for a stroll around the park. It was an unusually chilly day, & I forgot her blanket, so I threw the change mat over her. I know that's a strange use for a change mat, but this one is so incredibly soft that it's just like a small blanket!

Teething on it.....

Just like big sissy - she loves rubbing it all over her face.

Thanks itti bitti!

Seriously, this change mat is like the Cadillac of change mats! It's very luxurious for a baby. Yes; of course I use it as a an actual change mat too, but who wants to see pictures of that?!? And my pink plastic like mat has been pitched to the curb!!!

For more information in video format, check out itti bitti on youtube.

The Giveaway:

This is a Rafflecopter giveaway. Please follow the instructions. The 1st step is mandatory for entry. Open to residents of the US & Canada who are 18 & older. This ends on 11-07-11 at 12:01 am EST.

Montz Pumpkin Farm & Hayride Review

2011-10-24T12:52:00.002-05:00

I've visited the Montz Pumpkin Farm & Hayride every year (except last year when pg) for the past 10 years. It's a lot of fun, educational, & a good value for the money!

The very first time I visited Montz Pumpkin Farm was when my oldest daughter was 3 years old. I was a newly divorced mom at the time, & for a few years it was a tradition for us to go alone - just the 2 of us. It was our special time. A few years later I met my (now) husband. Yesterday was the start of a new tradition as a family of 4. My 13 year old is at that age where she's starting to think it isn't so cool to hang out with parents, but she enjoys some of the things we do. The Montz Pumpkin Farm is one of the things that she truly looked forward to!

You arrive at the farm & pick a parking spot in their front yard. There's a large covered area that you purchase your tickets at. It's $6 per person for a hayride (minus the hay) & a pumpkin. Kids under 1 are free. You might be thinking "why drive out to the country & pay $6 to get a pumpkin when I can buy a large one for $3.99 at Rouse's?" Well....that's true, but you don't get the experience, the beauty, & the fun of the hayride when you buy from the grocery.

The view from the shaded area where you buy tickets.

In years past they would allow me to ride with my oldest daughter for free as long as we only got one pumpkin. I'm not sure if that's still the case or not, but I'm inclined to say they've changed the policy because they give you actual tickets now that are collected as you board. Even still, it's well worth the money! It was $18 yesterday for the 4 of us to ride the hayride & get 3 pumpkins (since my baby is only 8 months).

There's a large flatbed pulled by a tractor, with screened sides to hold you in, & a handrail in the center to hold onto if you aren't lucky enough to get a spot at the edge. The Farmer allows plenty of time for boarding, then stands up on the rail to make an announcement about what to expect. He explains how difficult it is to grow pumpkin here in LA due to all of the rain, that he grows gourds also, & this year he planted flowers to try to help soak up all of the excess moisture due to Tropical storm Lee. He also had to lay extra pumpkins in the field that he bought from other farmers to make up for the loss in his crop, so that the children wouldn't be disappointed at Halloween.

The tractor, flatbed, & small trailor that the people & pumpkins ride in.

There's a long & bumpy ride out to the field - about a mile. It's very enjoyable, but makes most adults a little nervous since the screening that holds you in is pretty low down. Only once over the years that I've been there has there ever been any hay on the hayride, but that doesn't take away from the fun factor. Yesterday I claimed a corner & sat on the floor with my 8 month old because hubby & I were afraid we'd drop her. She had LOTS of fun!

Baby girl enjoying the hayride.

They drop you off at the field & give you plenty of time to walk around & find your pumpkin & take pictures. After you're all done, you bring your pumpkin to a small trailor attached to the back of the flatbed, & wipe the sand off your pumpkin with a rag provided by the farmer, & write your name on the bottom of the pumpkin with a marker provided by the farmer. Once evryone is boarded, he drives you the mile or so back to the farm, he throws the pumpkins in a huge vat of water, & you splash through the water to find your pumpkin & scrub it clean. The pumpkins float, & it's usually so hot here that it's pleasant getting your hands wet.

The beautiful view when we arrived at the field.

My oldest daughter trying to find the perfect pumpkin.

There were butterflies everywhere!

Pumpkins & flowers

My little pumpkin sitting on a pumpkin.

"How's this one look?"

Pumpkins folating in the water.

My oldest scrubbing her pumpkin clean.

They have large Igloo containers of iced water scattered about the farm for the guests, but in addition to that they sell refreshments at the ticket area - sodas for $1 a can, chips & candy (various prices), & they even sell T-shirts, beaded bracelets & homemade hairbows.

Montz Pumpkin Farm & Hayride17834 River Road
Montz, Saint Charles County, LA
985-652-3672

All in all I'd say to allow yourself about 2 hours of time for this. It's not a bad drive from the New Orleans area. It takes about 45 minates to get there via Airline Highway depending on traffic. You will cross the Spillway staying in the left lane, & turn left as soon as you're across. You'll see a sign on the side of the road indicating that you need to turn there for Montz, but it's easy to miss. You'll follow the road to River Road, & eventually you'll see a fire department on the right. Montz Pumpkin Farm is right after that. There's a sign for parking, so you can't miss it.

Have FUN!!!

Louisiana Pumpkin Patches & Farms

2011-10-23T11:01:00.004-05:00

Halloween is my favorite holiday. Every year I look for fun things to do with my family. One of our favorite things to do is visit a pumpkin farm & go on a hayride. Almost every year we've visited Montz Pumpkin Farm, but we've also visited The Hickory Maize & Pumpkin Farm, & St Martin's Episcopal Church. Unfortunately, the Hickory Maize isn't open this year. In fact, we're visiting Montz Pumpkin Farm today & I'll post about it later.

I did a little research & discovered that there are others in the area, so thought I'd share my information. I'd strongly suggest calling ahead of time to make sure that they're open & what their hours are.

Precious Memories Christmas Tree Farm , Pumpkins In The Pine
455 Glen Acres Road
Calhoun, Ouachita County Louisiana, LA
318-396-5113, Fax: 318-557-0390

Saint Peter Catholic Church Pumpkin Patch
125 South Jefferson Avenue
Covington, Saint Tammany County Louisiana, LA

Red Bluff Farm
78090 Joe Laird Lane
Folsom, Saint Tammany County Louisiana, LA
985-796-0452

Mrs. Heather's Pumpkin And Strawberry Patch
11215 Lee's Lane
Hammond, Tangipahoa County Louisiana, LA
225-567-3493, Fax: 225-567-2307

Saint Bernard Parish Catholic Church Pumpkin Patch
2805 Bayou Road
Kenilworth, Saint Bernard County Louisiana, LA
504-682-0980

Anderson Farms
400 Slagle Road
Leesville, Vernon County Louisiana, LA
337-208-7107, Fax: 337-239-0066

Montz Pumpkin Farm & Hayride
17834 River Road
Montz, Saint Charles County Louisiana, LA
985-652-3672

First Presbyterian Church Pumpkin Patch
5401 South Claiborne Avenue
New Orleans, Orleans County Louisiana, LA
504-220-6302

St Martin's Episcopal Church Pumpkin Patch
2216 Metairie Road
Metairie, LA 70001

Crooked Pines Farm
Highway 190
Ragley, Beauregard County Louisiana, LA
337-855-9653

Even though they aren't open this year, & have only sporadically been open since Hurricane Katrina, I'm going to supply information about the Hickory Maize as well. This is my favorite! We used to every year & loved it! They have corn cannons, a corn maize (with the option of going through a haunted corn maize at night), a hayride, an area to select a pumpkin & the opportunity for kids to paint the pumpkin. I hope they'll return next year!

Hickory Maize & Pumpkin Patch
36524 Ed Yates Road

Hickory LA 70452

(985) 863-9662

Here's a link to their website, but it hasn't been updated in ages.

Save money on your child's wardrobe with thredUP! Get a $5 credit!

2011-10-17T16:29:00.004-05:00

About 2 months ago I discovered a wonderful website called thredUP. It's the fastest growing kids clothing swap & mom community online! Not only can you swap kids clothes, but you can also swap toys, your clothes, books, etc! You can click on any of the links to receive your $5 credit.

I love this idea! I used to sell old baby & kids clothes on eBay as my girls outgrew them, but I can't even give things away there anymore. With thredUP it's like an even exchange.

Plus, according to AccessHollywood.com, Jennie Garth (Kelly Taylor from 90210) lists her outgrown kids' clothes on thredUP. How cool is that?

How Does It Work?

The premise behind it is simple - save money on clothing & other items!
It works like this: pick a box you like, pay $5 plus shipping, prepare a box of items that no longer fit your child, send it for free when someone picks your box.

My Experience With thredUP

So far I've purchased 3 boxes from thredUP. Over the Summer I found an awesome box of books for my 13 year old daughter. She's an avid reader & hugely into the Twilight Saga (as am I). This box contained the complete series of vampire books aimed at tweens & teens called The House Of Night. This box was completely full of The House Of Night.

I also purchased a box of clothes for both of my daughters.

I don't have pictures of everything, but I will put up pics of the baby clothes I received & my 13 year old's books. Her clothes are scatted all over her bedroom, so it's impossible to figure out which ones came from thredUP.

The box of baby clothes I received

One of the outfits from the box

The rest of the clothes in the box

My 13 year old's books

Here is the step-by-step version:

PICK - Browse the listed boxes in the thredUP community and select one you'd like to receive.
PAY - Once you've picked your box, all you pay is $5 plus shipping to have it delivered.
PREPARE - As part of this process, you are required (this is a swap after all!) to list a box of clothes that your child no longer wears. They'll ask for basic details such as types of clothing, number of items, colors, brands, season and sizes. Don't worry, the USPS will mail you empty boxes for your gently used clothes.
SEND - When someone picks your box, thredUP will alert you and ask you to send the box. It is free to send boxes on thredUP because the recipient pays the shipping. You can print the shipping label on your printer. thredUP will arrange for the mailman to pick it up at your house. If you'd rather drop it off at the Post Office just cancel the pickup and leave a note for your postal carrier. As soon as your box is tracked by the USPS, you will see your box status has been changed to "shipped" in your thredUP closet.

Here is the link to join for FREE & get your $5 credit:
The idea is that for every box you offer you are able to obtain a box of your choosing. It's first come, first serve. To join for free, simply click here.

Essential Protection Oil Review/Giveaway for Harmony Aromatherapy

2011-10-04T14:35:00.013-05:00

Winner: Maggie Keefe.

I'm happy to do this review/giveaway, & not just because the woman who owns & operates Harmony Aromatherapy is a long time good friend of mine. Amy Lapierre has helped me with health issues through the use of Aromatherapy in the past - long before I had this blog. I contacted Amy as soon as I started doing reviews because she made a believer of me! I want to make other people aware of the benefits of Aromatherapy as well.

About the Giveaway:

Today I'll be reviewing Harmony Aromatherapy's Essential Protection synergistic blend. One lucky reader will also win a 15 ML bottle of it! The giveaway will end on Oct 18 at 12:01 am EST & is open to residents of the US & Canada.

I was just approved to use the beta version of Rafflecopter (Yay!), so this is my first time using it. I believe it will make the entire process easier for both of us. However, it's throwing my usual start & end times off a bit. Details will be at the bottom of the review.

Some of the uses of this oil include:

Wound Healing
Pain relief
Fights against airborne germs - cold & flu
Use for household cleaning
Combat mold issues
Repel insects
Eczema treatment
Lung congestion
Air Freshener
Asthma & Brochitis
Arthritis
Cramps
Fatigue
Gout
Hair
Heart
Hypertension
Memory

Are you interested in learning more now????

About Harmony Aromatherapy:

Allow me to introduce you to Amy. Amy Lapierre is a Holistic Aromatherapist, with a certificate in Aroma 101 from the East-West School for Herbal & Aromatic studies. She's currently enrolled and completing the Master program. She wears many hats - Doula, Aromatherapist, & she's currently studying to become a massage therapist as well.

Amy first became interested in Aromatherapy while she worked as a doula (holistic child birthing coach) and childbirth educator. One of her clients was an aromatherapist. This client used her remedies during her pregnancy & post partum. As Amy saw the effects that Aromatherapy had on her client, she was amazed at what a difference Aromatherapy made for prenatal and postnatal care. The client didn't have one single stretch mark, and was eased greatly during her labor. This aroused Amy’s interest in Aromatherapy and its healing benefits.

In 2007 Amy decided to start the education process to be come a certified Aromatherapist. Today she is working as a Holistic Aromatherapist and continues to research and find many new things that Aromatherapy is beneficial for. Amy has worked with migraine suffers all the way to chronic pain clients. She has been very successful in her work and therapies. She facilitates the healing process, & works with you to identify the current problem you are facing. She believes that our bodies have their own natural healing abilities, and she will help you learn to utilize essential oils to aid that process.
Harmony Aromatherapy is family owned & operated. It's been in business since 2008.

Amy offers private consultations with custom designed oil blends to meet your own personal needs.

About Essential Protection synergistic blend:

The very first thing I wanted to know was the definition of synergistic. Amy informed me that it's the blending of oils that work well together.

This is Amy's brand new oil. It's specially formulated to help combat germs & bacteria. It protects your family with an all natural earth friendly formula. It's diluted with water & used in a spray bottle for cleaning around the house. You use it in place of any commercial cleaner, such as 409 or spray bleach. It also has many holistic uses, as listed above.

Germs & bacteria are getting stronger & harder to combat. Amy chose oils that are super charged for germ fighting & supportive of a stronger immune system.. She uses 100% pure essential oils. Sometimes the oils you buy in organic food stores aren't pure.

It can also be mixed with coconut or olive oil for use on the skin.

How To Use Essential Protection Oil:
Here are just a few examples of how to use it.

For household cleaning:
Add 15 drops to 6 ounces of distilled water (or 20 drops to 1 cup of water) in a mister bottle to help against mold issues.

To help repel insects:
Add 10 drops to 6 ounces of distilled water.

To clean and battle germs on just about any hard surface:
Add 20 drops to a ½ gallon of water.

Amy was aware of my eczema issue, so informed me that it could be used on both my eczema as well as my baby's (with my baby's concentration being much weaker than mine obviously)!!! I wish that I could've tested this out, but neither of us have had a flare up recently. However, Amy has 2 clients who use the Essential Protection Oil to treat eczema. One of them says that her eczema has completely gone away. If using the oil for that purpose Amy will start you off at the lowest concentration, confer with you every 3 days to see how it's working, & make adjustments accordingly.

My 1st use - insect repellant

I live in a suburb of New Orleans. Unfortunately, all of the water we have seems to make for a roach problem. Ever since we moved over a year ago we've had issues with small roaches! I noticed the benefits of Essential Protection Oil as I mixed the oil with water in a spray bottle at my bathroom sink. As soon as opened the bottle of oil & began dropping it in the water I watched the few nearby roaches scurry away. YAY! They did not like it one bit!

I've only been doing this for a week, so it's not 100% tried & true yet. However, I do have a good idea of how this works. They can't stand the way it smells! As soon as I mix it up they start to run away. Spraying it at them when I see them is fun! They run. If I manage to hit one of them it seems to stun them. I have been seeing fewer of them during the day.

My 2nd use - household cleaning

I added 20 drops to 1 cup of water in a spray bottle. My first test was in the kitchen. My teenage daughter spilled iced coffee on my counter & left it there. It was dry when I tested Essential Protection Oil , & as soon as the mixture of oil & water hit it I could see it breaking up. All I had to do was wipe it up with a sponge. Very easy! It leaves behind a nice clean smell - not the smell of bleach. I also tested it in my bathroom (sink, counter, toilet seat). It worked well wherever I tested it.

Mixed up in spray bottle:

Before Pic (Coffee Spill):

After Pic (Coffee Spill):

More

There are so many things that I could continue to test this on! My teenage daughter has a bad knee with some knee pain, my husband has asthma, I'd like to test this on mosquitoes, & Amy even mentioned that she applies it to the bottom of her 2 youngest sons feet in the morning to give them protection against cold/flu. If I tested all of this out the review would be so long that you wouldn't read it.

My impression of Essential Protection Oil

I think this stuff is awesome! It has so many uses that it's invaluable to have around the house. Because it's a concentrated oil that requires mixing, it lasts a super long time! How could you go wrong with it? It's the ideal thing for a Mom to have on hand.

My experience with Amy

I mentioned earlier that Amy has helped me with other health issues over the years. She's always been extremely caring & concerned & checks in regularly to see how/if it's working. She's helped me bring on & intensify contractions during labor, helped me stay calm during labor, helped me with insomnia, helped my skin heal from nasty cat scratches & bites, & when suffering with post partum depression! There are other more personal health issues that she's helped me with as well.

The Giveaway

One reader will win one 15 ML bottle of it! The giveaway will end on Oct 18 at 12:01 am EST & is open to residents of the US & Canada.

Simply enter with the Rafflecopter instructions. You may have to hit the "more" button to see it. It should be MUCH easier than my previous giveaways.