Thanks, Mail Carrier

GIVEAWAY: How to Treat Curly Hair? DevaCurl is a Curly Girl's Dream (2 winners)!

xpsundell@gmail.com (Xenia) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:54:00 +0000

Looking back at my birthdays over the years, I've done a variety of things to celebrate. When I was young, there were parties with all of my friends - of course. Roller skating or swimming or slumber parties, it didn't matter as long as cake and presents were involved. As I got older, I realized that as long as I had time with friends or family, it counted as a birthday well-spent.

So what did I do to celebrate this year? I went to the salon with my 3-year-old so we could both enjoy a much-needed haircut. Big Sister E's straight, smooth locks had grown much further down her back than I should have let them and my mop of thick curls had turned into even more of a mess than usual.

Plus, since I have now discovered THE ANSWER to having amazing curly hair, I was eager to get it cut and extremely excited to show it off.

I had heard of Curly Girl by Lorraine Massey years ago and, if I remember correctly, I read through it a time or two. However, let's face it. I never really had faith that there was a way for me to stop my hair from just being a combination of frizzy and dry and, unless I was willing to spend upwards of an hour trying to style it, going into a ponytail.

What I didn't realize until recently, however, is that Lorraine Massey took all of her knowledge and expertise about wavy, curly and chemically processed hair and developed a line of products called DevaCurl. Blending botanically infused moisturizers and cleansers, DevaCurl is able to rejuvenate and restore without using any harsh chemicals. Instead of producing a large, unnecessary lather, these products enhance the actual quality of your hair by cleansing, conditioning and re-hydrating.

Why is that so important for hair, particularly all types of curly hair? Simple. Curly hair is more dry and delicate and must therefore be treated as such. The DevaCurl line of items consists of a range of gentle cleansers, hydrating conditioners and high quality styling products that don't contain any harsh dehydrating detergents or chemicals. All you need to do is find the right combination of these interchangeable products for your hair and you will have the answer to your healthy, beautiful hair.

I loved being able to personalize the DevaCurl hair products that were right for me in their three steps to perfect curls. Step 1: Cleanse. The smell of the DevaCurl No-Poo Cleanser is just the right level of aroma to make me think I am at the spa having someone pamper me. It took a time or two of using it to get used to not having the big, soapy lather that I, like so many others, thought meant clean. However, the No-Poo left my hair feeling cleansed and smooth and not at all dried out.

Step 2: Hydrate. DevaCurl One Condition is gentle enough to use daily and also doubles as a leave-in conditioner. I fully understand why One Condition is DevaCurl's top-selling product, as it is thick and creamy and my hair felt much less brittle and lifeless after adding it to my routine. Running my fingers through my locks and NOT having them get caught and tangled? Suddenly it's possible.

Step 3: Style. I have tried every variety of hair styling product in the past - gel, mousse, cream, all of them. Without fail, each one left my hair in some stage of sticky, crunchy, frizzy mess. The first time I squeezed DevaCurl AnGEL into my hand, I thought I was in for more of the same because it looks and feels just like any other gel. It completely proved me wrong though, because the AnGEL weightlessly dissolved right into my hair and left it feeling lightweight with no hint of stiffness (and it smells delicious).

To completely eliminate my frizz, I was also able to try DevaCurl Set It Free, a 24-28 hour moisture lock spray for added shine and definition. Used on either dry or wet hair, after a few uses of Set It Free I was ready to throw out any bottles of hairspray or curl reviving spray I had left sitting around. Instead of feeling hard and having that frozen look, my hair stayed in place but was still soft and manageable to the touch.

If hair products don't interest you, well, I think you might be crazy, but fine. However, if you have any amount of curl in your hair (75% of us do!) and you want to revolutionize the way that you dry it, you have to try the DevaFuser. Yes, it is green and looks like a robot hand at the end of your hairdryer (my husband shakes his head and laughs every time he walks into the bathroom while I'm using it), but it truly is amazing.

The air flows out of the DevaFuser from all directions and the unique shape can be placed right along your roots to dry your hair from the inside. I have never been able to use a hairdryer or traditional diffuser because they leave the top layers of my hair extra-dry and flat while all of the hair underneath is damp and heavy. Leaving the house with wet hair seemed to be a permanent occurrence in my life.

Now, the DevaFuser is gentle on my hair, quick-drying (saving energy) and actually enhances my curls. I especially love being able to use it on the top and crown of my head to add extra volume to areas that may normally be pulled down by the weight of my thick hair. I have never been so excited to pick up a hairdryer before!

Whether you have tight ringlets or a soft wave, DevaCurl products will help give you a healthy, frizz-free, easy-to-manage curly hair lifestyle. The interchangeable selection allows for individuality to address your hair's specific needs and because they are always 100% sulfate-free, your locks will love the nourishment. Want to join the Deva revolution? Thanks to their generosity, two people will have that chance, because...

Two lucky people will win DevaCurl products to cleanse, hydrate and style: No-Poo, One Condition and AnGEL! ARV $54!

To enter to win DevaCurl No-Poo, One Condition and AnGEL: Check out the great selection of DevaCurl products and tell me one that I didn't mention that you would like to try. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted. For example, if you subscribe, leave one comment saying "I subscribe #1" and a separate comment saying "I subscribe #2")

1 Extra Entry (per method) if you follow DevaCurl on Twitter and/or tell me the closest retailer to you that sells amazing DevaCurl products (see the lower left corner of their homepage).
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway. See the list on the top of my right sidebar - there are some really great ones going on right now and coming up!
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

Let DevaCurl give you beautiful, healthy, frizz-free hair! *2 winners* (ARV $54) @thxmailcarrier http://bit.ly/9ikHcI #win #giveaway

2 Extra Entries per follow method (leave 2 separate comments for each type) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect (see sidebar), subscribe to my RSS feed or subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you blog about this giveaway linking back to Thanks, Mail Carrier and DevaCurl. Please leave an address where it can be found.

Giveaway will end on March 4th at 11:59pm CST. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway open to U.S. residents only.

A huge thank you to Deva for providing DevaCurl products and a DevaFuser for me to review as well as 3 products for two lucky giveaway winners. It's time to rejoice in having curly hair! The opinions shared are my own and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

GIVEAWAY: Nuddle, The New Way To Nap + Cuddle

xpsundell@gmail.com (Xenia) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 06:06:00 +0000

It's cold. Cold, cold, cold. With many more weeks of winter still left looming ahead (groan) I'm feeling like it's a good time to wrap up in a blanket and hibernate until spring. Or at least spend the afternoon on the couch alternating between a good book, some reality television, my laptop and napping.

But, wait. I'm picky.

I don't just want to cuddle up in any old blanket, I want a blanket that gives me options while still looking great and being soft and comfortable. I want to have use of my arms, a place to keep my hands warm and a roomy pocket for my feet so that they stay toasty, too. And, while we're at it, let's make this blanket out of gorgeous Coral Fleece that is luxuriously silky and plush.

Think I'm dreaming? Meet the Nuddle.

The Nuddle Blanket (nap + cuddle = nuddle) was created to fulfill the wishes of those of us who want options in a blanket but don't want to settle when it comes to quality. Usually when you try to keep your shoulders covered, your feet stick out. Or, if your blanket has sleeves, it was made to be one-size and they hang down past your hands so it makes it difficult to eat or type.

Hands-free access through the arm holes in the Nuddle allow you to have your arms out if you would like but, if you don't, it still makes a beautiful throw (and there aren't awkward sleeves in your way). Need a place to put your hands when you're relaxing? The outer pouch is conveniently located to stick them in to stay warm while being enveloped in softness.

The draping of the fabric along the top of the Nuddle is just right to keep your shoulders covered while the enclosed foot pocket is a genius way to make sure your feet don't get left out. With plenty of room for both feet, I love the way that my toes are no longer forgotten about and have an area of their own that is just as snug as the rest of me.

Did I mention the complete and utter softness of the Nuddle already? Previously I had thought that any blanket that feels this amazing to the touch must be a baby blanket, those incredibly cozy ones that pamper a little one's delicate skin. A Nuddle really is that soft - so much so that I have a hard time not continually running my hands over it to enjoy the feeling. It is no wonder a blanket this inviting comes in colors such as Merlot (seen at left), Chocolate and Latte. Mmmmmmm.

The Nuddle Blanket is 55" wide by 71" long, so it works for anyone, no matter if you are short like me or tall like my husband. In fact, recently when I went to see what he was doing while our daughters were napping, I found him in the lounge chair in our bedroom with the television on while wearing the Nuddle...

Doing what he does best.

Aside from having a significant other who takes your Nuddle Blanket, I can foresee one other problem with having one. Your KIDS taking it. It will be far softer than any other blanket in the house, so it's hard to blame them, but Nuddle has already come up with the solution and created a kid-sized option just for them. Just 47" by 54," a Nuddle Kids Blanket is the perfect thing to keep kids cozy and happy year-round. Theirs even come in fun colors like Blueberry, Cherry and Fudge.

Who does that leave out? The family wouldn't be complete without Nuddle Baby, of course! This 24" by 32" blanket comes with the great foot pouch but instead of arm holes or a front pocket, a Nuddle Baby Blanket has openings for a 5-point harness so that it can be the most plush stroller blanket in town. In Bubblegum Pink, Cloud Blue or Oatmeal, a Nuddle Baby is a gift for both moms and babies - no more struggling to keep a blanket on in the stroller and no worrying about cold feet!

The Nuddle line of blankets retail for $68 for adults, $48 for kids and $38 for babies or, if you want to help a great cause while buying one of these lavish blankets, there also is the Joyful Nuddle (an adult Nuddle in Latte with an embroidered heart) for $88. Half of the net proceeds from the purchase of a Joyful Nuddle go to the Joyful Heart Foundation, an organization that works to heal, educate and empower survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse. So, you are not only caring for yourself, you are helping others on their way to healing their own lives.

Quickly becoming the blanket of choice for celebrities, in my opinion the Nuddle far surpasses any blanket even remotely similar. Due to the generosity of Nuddle, one person will get to wrap their child in the ultimate sumptuous softness because...

One lucky person will win their choice of Nuddle Kids or Nuddle Baby Blanket of their own!

To enter to win a Nuddle Kids or Nuddle Baby Blanket: Check out the great selection that Nuddle offers and tell me if you would like a Nuddle Kids or Nuddle Baby Blanket, as well as the color. Choose wisely! This will be the item you receive if you win.

Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted. For example, if you subscribe, leave one comment saying "I subscribe #1" and a separate comment saying "I subscribe #2")

1 Extra Entry if you name one of the celebrities that love their Nuddle (the Kardashians and Jessica Alba certainly do)!
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway. See the list on the top of my right sidebar - there are some really great ones going on right now and coming up!
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

Nap+Cuddle=The Nuddle Blanket! AMAZINGLY SOFT and MUCH BETTER than any "wearable" one! @thxmailcarrier http://bit.ly/9xl8Yy #win #giveaway

2 Extra Entries per follow method (leave 2 separate comments for each type) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect (see sidebar), subscribe to my RSS feed or subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you blog about this giveaway linking back to Thanks, Mail Carrier and Nuddle. Please leave an address where it can be found.

Giveaway will end on March 4th at 11:59pm CST. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway open to U.S. residents only.

A huge thank you to Nuddle for providing a Nuddle Blanket for me to review as well as a Nuddle Kids or Nuddle Baby Blanket for one lucky giveaway winner. I'm never coming out from under here! The opinions shared are my own and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

GIVEAWAY: RandomLine Games Encourage Creativity And Imagination

xpsundell@gmail.com (Xenia) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 21:59:00 +0000

Big Sister E is a big fan of games. She'll point to one on the shelf and excitedly ask to play... only to lose interest after a little while (she is only 3 after all, so most of the ones that she wants to play are too difficult or confusing for her) and that game is then relegated to the bottom of a pile to wait for another chance down the road. The mark of a "good" game then? When she asks to play it over and over and is just as eager to get the top off as the first time we opened the box.

The lucky game that has that distinction right now is none other than Alphabet SQUIGGLE by RandomLine. "Let's play the LETTER GAME!" Big Sister E will enthusiastically exclaim and, considering it is both fun and educational, how can I say no?

The premise of Alphabet SQUIGGLE is fairly simple, which is a big plus when explaining directions to a 3-year-old. After rolling the die and moving your piece (a little extra counting practice), find the letter that you landed on along the outer edge of the board and write or trace it on a small piece of paper. Big Sister E loves to scour the alphabet looking for her particular letter and jumping to put her paper on it to do the tracing. "There it is! THERE'S MY K!"

There are more options, ones that are a little too advanced for us right now, that include turning the letter into a picture, writing a word or creating a drawing that begins with that letter. What a great way to integrate letter recognition and handwriting with vocabulary, all the while building confidence and self-esteem. And all kids think is that they're having a good time! No wonder RandomLine has won so many awards for their unique games and activity pads.

Being that Big Sister E is just a little too young, in the way that we play we work together to come up with a word that begins with that letter and reinforce the connection between the letter and the sound that it makes. The fact that Alphabet SQUIGGLE is so easily adaptable for a variety of ages and abilities is, in my opinion, one of its best qualities.

Recommended for ages 4 - 7, this game encourages creativity and imagination while still being so simple and engaging. Whether still learning how to write their letters or a seasoned pro, the children who play Alphabet SQUIGGLE are all able to participate and have fun. All the while practicing counting, numbers and letters, Big Sister E is happily scribbling on her piece of paper and anxiously awaiting her next turn.

RandomLine has a large selection of games, educational pads and drawing pads for ages 4 - 108 and all of them follow their motto of "No noise. No batteries. Simply imagination." Whether you are looking for a game to play at home or in the car, RandomLine will inspire originality and inventiveness with any of their products. Even better, every time you play will be a different experience!

Thanks to the generosity of RandomLine, one person will get to appreciate the value of these fun and unique products, because...

One lucky person will win their choice of game from RandomLine!

To enter to win your choice of game from RandomLine: Check out all of the great games and activity pads at RandomLine and tell me which one is your favorite. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted. For example, if you subscribe, leave one comment saying "I subscribe #1" and a separate comment saying "I subscribe #2")

1 Extra Entry (per method) if you follow RandomLine on Twitter and/or become a fan of RandomLine on Facebook.
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway. See the list on the top of my right sidebar - there are some really great ones going on right now and coming up!
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

RandomLine games are fun & educational! Win your choice of great game @thxmailcarrier from @RandomLine! http://bit.ly/bTuleN #win #giveaway

2 Extra Entries per follow method (leave 2 separate comments for each type) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect (see sidebar), subscribe to my RSS feed or subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you blog about this giveaway linking back to Thanks, Mail Carrier and RandomLine. Please leave an address where it can be found.
Giveaway will end on February 25th at 11:59pm CST. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway open to U.S. residents only.

A big thank you to RandomLine for providing an Alphabet SQUIGGLE game for me to review as well as a game of choice for one lucky giveaway winner. We love how fun this game is! The opinions shared are my own and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

GIVEAWAY: Walking Wings Help Baby Learn To Walk And Save Parents' Backs (2 winners!)

xpsundell@gmail.com (Xenia) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:51:00 +0000

I think those lists of milestones stating what babies "should" be able to do at certain ages were created just to give new moms more added stress. As if it isn't enough to be overwhelmed with the monstrosity of taking care of a completely dependent little person, now you have to worry every minute if they are developmentally matching up to their peers and what it might mean if they don't sit up on their own or call you Mama exactly on time.

Needless to say, when all of the other kids that were Big Sister E's age were walking and she was still content to crawl, I began to get nervous. My pediatrician reassured me that she was just fine and would do it on her own time, but I figured that a little extra practice couldn't hurt anything and besides, Big Sister E seemed to like the idea of walking even if she couldn't do it. Therefore, day after day, I hunched over and let her hold onto my hands so that we could slowly walk around the house. And around. And around.

What came of all of our extra work? For Big Sister E, she enjoyed being helped here and there and eventually those long-awaited first steps happened just fine. For me, I had a continual backache for months from bending over to be down at the right height and would end each day sore. But... that's just what you do when your child is learning to walk, right?

Walking Wings from Upspring Baby is the unique solution that was designed specifically to help babies and parents during the learning to walk phase... and boy, is it a great idea! The fully padded vest adjusts to custom-fit your baby and the straps are easily lengthened or shortened as well, meaning anyone can take a turn giving your little one a stroll around and not have to bend over.

Now 13 months old, Little Sister B is following in her older sister's footsteps by still crawling around while her little friends walk right past. She likes to walk along furniture, has decent balance and has plenty of motivation, but just seems to need a little more practice before branching out and trying the real thing on her own. Fortunately, Walking Wings is the perfect thing to make everyone in our house happy.

Here are Daddy and Little Sister B showing the traditional way that parents have been helping a baby practice walking:

Neither of them were very excited about doing this.

As I held the Walking Wings in front of her, Little Sister B seemed to already know to put her arms in the holes so that I could securely strap her in. In a total of around a minute from taking it out of the box, the Walking Wings and Little Sister B were up and ready for a test-run:

After pausing for a few moments to realize that yes, she was indeed standing without holding onto anyone or anything, Little Sister B was more than excited to go for a walk. Laughing the whole time, she wobbled, took little steps, took big steps and explored her newly-discovered freedom with extreme enjoyment.

I love that Little Sister B is safe in her Walking Wings and falls far fewer times than if she was attempting to try her unsteady walking on her own. In the short time we've been using it, I think her balance has improved quite a bit since she has her hands free to walk more naturally and now I don't have to worry about her arms being accidentally tugged on when she's holding someone's hands.

Recommended for babies six months or older, the straps on Walking Wings can actually hold up to 155 pounds and the buckle up to 200 pounds, so this would be a great product for an older child that may have delays with learning to walk. Top it all off by Walking Wings being 100% cotton, machine washable and dryer safe and it's no wonder that it is recommended by pediatricians and an iParenting Media Award winner. In case you can't tell by her face in the pictures, Walking Wings are also highly recommended and approved by Little Sister B.

Walking Wings come in two color options, one with bright, solid pink on the outside and a coordinating flower interior and one that is blue on the outside with cute stripes on the interior. Retailing for $24.99, Walking Wings are available on the UpSpring Baby website or at a wide selection of retailers nationwide (and even internationally). However, thanks to the generosity of UpSpring Baby, two people will get to try out Walking Wings for themselves or will have a really great gift for someone with a baby, because...

Two lucky people will win Walking Wings of their own! One winner will receive the blue and one winner will receive the pink Walking Wings!

To enter to win Walking Wings from Upspring Baby: Check out all of the wonderful products that Upspring Baby offers and tell me which one is your favorite AND tell me if you would like the pink or the blue Walking Wings. You MUST leave your color selection because I will be drawing a winner for each color.

Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winners.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted. For example, if you subscribe, leave one comment saying "I subscribe #1" and a separate comment saying "I subscribe #2")

1 Extra Entry (per method) if you follow UpSpring Baby on Twitter, subscribe to the RSS feed for the UpSpring Baby blog and/or tell me the closest store location to you that carries UpSpring Baby's great products.
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway. See the list on the top of my right sidebar - there are some really great ones going on right now and coming up!
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

Walking Wings help babies walk and save parents' back! *2 winners* @thxmailcarrier from @UpSpring_Baby http://bit.ly/90kmby #win #giveaway

2 Extra Entries per follow method (leave 2 separate comments for each type) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect (see sidebar), subscribe to my RSS feed or subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you blog about this giveaway linking back to Thanks, Mail Carrier and UpSpring Baby. Please leave an address where it can be found.
Giveaway will end on February 25th at 11:59pm CST. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway open to U.S. residents only.

A big thank you to UpSpring Baby for providing Walking Wings for me to review as well as two for two lucky giveaway winners. My daughter and my back thank you, too! The opinions shared are my own and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

Winners We've Been Waiting For...

xpsundell@gmail.com (Xenia) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:31:00 +0000

I knew my bedroom was dry but I had no idea that there were so many people out there that were plagued with the same problem. Whether you would love the AIR-O-SWISS Digital Warm & Cool Mist Ultrasonic Humidifier for your living room, child's room (a common comment) or your own room, you are just as eager to not feel as though you're in the desert either!

I'll skip my usual gushing about how much I appreciate all 1756 of your entries because hopefully you know by now that having everyone take the time to stop by and enter makes me feel so incredibly supported (you know I love you too, right?)... plus, your eyes have probably already skipped down to see if it's your name posted anyway. I don't blame you. This humidifier rocks.

Without further ado, the very lucky person who will receive this amazing prize is...

Congratulations, Sarah C! I hope this helps with the dry air in your daughter's room!

Let's not forget about the fashionable and trendy scarves from Affordable Scarves! This is a great time of year to throw on a scarf with any outfit to instantly give it a new look and Affordable Scarves has a style and color that will work great for everyone and won't come close to breaking your budget.

The two lucky people that get to add a gorgeous new accessory to their wardrobe are...

Congratulations, fancygrlnancy and s kipthelaundry! You're going to be stylish!

Thank you so much to everyone who entered both of these giveaways, whether you tweeted each day or just completely the mandatory entry, I really appreciate it! You're the best!

Mail Delivery: Oh Plah! Teething Bracelet Review

xpsundell@gmail.com (Xenia) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:47:00 +0000

It's a bad habit, but I compare my kids to each other. Not good, right? It isn't as if I'm pointing out that one is smarter or the other is more athletic though, but I can't help but catch myself saying "Big Sister E was never like that as a baby..." when Little Sister B does something that I'm not expecting or "How about you play like your sister?" when she pulls a pile of books down off of the shelf. They have similarities too, of course, but sometimes the contrasts are pretty noticeable.

One aspect that has been completely different with my girls is teething. Big Sister E never had a problem getting any of her teeth in, they just seemed to appear in her gummy smile. Little Sister B, however, cries and grabs at her mouth and has just had a hard time with teething since the beginning. Every time I turn around she's sticking something else into her mouth just to chew to get a little relief... and then crying more when it's something that I have to pull out or take away.

Imagine her surprise when I not only allow her to take a bracelet off of my wrist but actually encourage her to bite down on it.

Roundhouse Design Collaborative's Oh Plah! Teething Bracelets can function as a cool bracelet or as a teething toy for babies. French for "Here you go!" it is the solution to providing entertainment and an item to chew on while still being fashionable, stylish and fun for mom.

Constructed of medical grade thermoplastic, non-toxic, free of additives like phthalates, BPA, latex, lead and other heavy metals, Oh Plah! Bracelets have undergone a great deal of testing to make sure they are safe for babies and children of all ages. It's no wonder that they have received a long list of awards and a great deal of recognition for their ease of use, functionality, durability and innovation.

In fact, as well as being immensely popular with babies, Oh Plah! Bracelets are now creating buzz as providing a unique tactile experience for children with special needs who may have difficulty handling sensory input. The variety of shapes and textures make an Oh Plah! a development tool that can soothe or occupy the hands of so many children. What versatility!

Besides looking hip when I'm wearing it, my daughter seems to be magnetically attracted to the bright, shiny color and raised designs stamped on our Oh Plah! Bracelet. Little Sister B loves to examine the cuff, turning it this way and that, giving it a twist and a pull while running her fingers over the different surfaces before it goes into her mouth to soothe her poor gums.

As for me, I like that our Oh Plah! can come with us anywhere without me having to think about it. I simply pop it on my wrist and, until Little Sister B reaches for it, I look fashionable and modern. If we're out shopping, I would much rather have her little hands holding onto this bracelet than any number of other dirty, non-edible items that she would otherwise be reaching out to grab. If you have a child that is more likely to toss things down, there is a convenient hole in the back of the Oh Plah! that allows it to effortlessly be attached to a clip or loop so it won't get lost.

When we're home, the Oh Plah! is easily washed with soap and water (the dishwasher is too hot for it) and can even go in the freezer for when a chilled teether is needed - and I don't have to worry about any liquid chemicals being inside it like I do with some of our traditional teething rings. When Little Sister B isn't using it, even Big Sister E likes to play with the Oh Plah! and put it on and off or roll it around.

Available in six different colors with great names like Energy, Harmony and Serenity, Oh Plah! Bracelets are made in the USA and retail for $19.99. To top it off, years down the road when you no longer need or use it, simply send your Oh Plah! back to have it recycled - they'll even pay for shipping!

Thanks, Roundhouse Design Collaborative, for creating an eco-friendly, stylish accessory that moms want to wear and babies and children love as a toy or a teether. And, for always looking fashionable in your uniform when you brighten my day, thanks, Mail Carrier.

(Other than the Oh Plah! Bracelet I was sent from Roundhouse Design Collaborative, I was not provided with anything or enticed to do this review in any way. This review is solely my opinion of this company and this great product and its benefits.)

GIVEAWAY: My Reward Chart by Little Billies, a Positive Parenting Tool ($25 Gift Certificate)

xpsundell@gmail.com (Xenia) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:46:00 +0000

A year or so ago, I came upon multiple accounts from moms talking about how three was a much "harder" age than two. I scoffed a little bit but, at the same time, my mind started to panic. Big Sister E wasn't completely a Terrible Two's child, but honestly, she wasn't that far from it. How could three be worse? I couldn't fathom it possible.

Now that we are partway through three, I understand.

All of the same issues that we had when Big Sister E was two are still here, except it seems that more have surfaced. Add to that the fact that she is twice as stubborn and has to test each and every limit and... well, there are days that motherhood isn't so much fun. I'm completely baffled when "No, I do it MYSELF," as she snatches the pajamas from my hands is followed immediately by "I need HELP! I no know HOW to do it!" and wonder what in the world I could have done to prevent the inevitable oncoming storm.

I don't want to spend my time focusing on what she should NOT be doing and how she should NOT be acting, but it's just harder to point out the positives sometimes. Now, thanks to Little Billies, encouraging the behaviors that I want to see is just so much easier.

Mother of two, Sarah Dawson, created Little Billies in 2006 when she was looking for a tool to not only positively reinforce her son's behavior, but one that would actually engage him and make him want to behave better. From there, her innovative Reward Charts were invented and later followed by Routine Charts, Visible Schedules and more to help children and parents learn and grow together.

As all of the parts to Big Sister E's My Reward Chart are magnetic (the chart itself as well as the reward sticker-magnets), she was eager to find a place for it on our refrigerator. She and I sat down and looked at the brightly-colored magnets and talked about what was shown in each picture and what it meant in terms of her behavior.

I appreciated having the Parents Tips for Use sheet with us because the suggestions for each magnet were really helpful and yet, the images and words displayed on the magnets can easily be adapted to whatever works best for us. Combining generic terms with simple visual cues, the magnets can have alternative meanings as life changes and children develop.

For instance, the Good Sleep magnet doesn't need to mean just taking a nap or going to sleep on her own because Big Sister E does a great job at those already. Instead, we talked about not complaining when it is nap time and doing a great job of staying in her room in the morning if she is awake before everyone else. In the future, when she no longer takes a nap, maybe it will mean playing quietly while Little Sister B is taking one or, when it is time, having a good transition from a toddler bed to a bigger bed.

Big Sister E easily understood the concept of her good behavior leading to putting the magnets on the chart and working towards her prize. Asking her what she would like that prize to be, I wasn't surprised when "COOKIES!" was the answer. After a trip to the grocery store where she could pick out her own mix, the next morning a batch of oatmeal raisin prizes were baked (and the spoon was sufficiently licked).

Still needing work on her delayed gratification skills, Big Sister E was immediately eager to fill up her chart. "I put these away?" She asked me, pointing at the random plastic cups and containers that Little Sister B had pulled out of a kitchen drawer. I nodded and she quickly stuck them back in, rushing back to the chart afterward and pointing at the Packing Up magnet. My husband could only laugh.

Since that day, using a My Reward Chart with Big Sister E has not only helped her work on her good behavior, it has made her WANT to act better - something so much more important. Whether your child is younger or a little older, there are two different stages of My Reward Chart to choose from (stage 1 is for 2+ and stage 2 is for 4+), multiple sizes and styles to choose from and magnets for all aspects of growing up.

In an effort to make parenting a positive experience, Little Billies has created products that are affirming for both children and adults. At the end of the day, I'm much happier having rewarded my daughter for waiting patiently, sharing nicely and using good manners instead of having had to take away her toys or continually put her in a time-out. It's a much better situation for all of us and I get to enjoy my sweet, loving girl so much more!

Thanks to the generosity of Little Billies, one person will get to select the parenting tool(s) that will work best for their child because...

One lucky person will win a $25 gift certificate to Little Billies!

To enter to win a $25 gift certificate to Little Billies: Check out all of the wonderful products at Little Billies and tell me which one you would love to own. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted. For example, if you subscribe, leave one comment saying "I subscribe #1" and a separate comment saying "I subscribe #2")

1 Extra Entry (per method) if you follow Little Billies on Twitter, follow the Little Billies blog with Google Friend Connect and/or send an email to subscribe to the Little Billies newsletter.
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway. See the list on the top of my right sidebar - there are some really great ones going on right now and coming up!
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

$25 gift card to Little Billies - positive parenting tools reinforce good behavior! @thxmailcarrier http://bit.ly/a5ubT2 #win #giveaway

2 Extra Entries per follow method (leave 2 separate comments for each type) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect (see sidebar), subscribe to my RSS feed or subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you blog about this giveaway linking back to Thanks, Mail Carrier and Little Billies. Please leave an address where it can be found.

Giveaway will end on February 25th at 11:59pm CST. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway open worldwide - if you're reading this, you can enter!

A big thank you to Sarah at Little Billies for providing a My Reward Chart for me to review as well as a $25 gift card for one lucky giveaway winner. Positive reinforcement is so important - and now easy to do! The opinions shared are my own and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

GIVEAWAY: Get Fit With The EIROfit Weight Management System (ARV $98)

xpsundell@gmail.com (Xenia) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:17:00 +0000

Lose weight.

"I need to lose weight." "How can I lose weight?" "I'm unhappy with my weight."

I know for a fact that I'm not the only woman who hears those words go through her head multiple times a day, every day, every week. However, with resolutions running rampant this time of year, the little voice in my head has been talking a little louder than it normally has. LOSE WEIGHT.

I'll be honest though, there are two main things that are always in the way of me managing to shed the extra pounds. One is my complete lack of willpower. I know everyone is faced with temptations but I really do think I'm missing the part in my genetics that would allow me to walk past a brownie and not eat it. Even if I'm telling myself that I don't need it, my hands find a way to get it to my mouth.

Second is my sheer and utter laziness. Exer-what? When it's warm out at least I can walk to the park with my kids. In the winter? Nope, nothing. It's like that same willpower that forces the junk food into my mouth manages to turn up again, this time as feelings of exhaustion that overcome any ideas about going to a gym or even turning on one of the many workout DVDs that are sitting around here.

Needless to say, I need help. I need someone to tell me exactly what to do and what to eat and possibly find a way to send a message to my body to start burning some extra calories. That's not too much to ask, right?

EIROfit (pronounced air-o) is more than a typical diet program, it is a complete weight management system designed to help you reach and maintain your ideal weight with ease. Combining general exercise and dietary guidelines with their two main supplements, EIRO Burn and EIRO Lean, you are able to begin taking steps towards a healthier lifestyle from the moment the products arrive. They even offer an online system to track your progress, so you can receive support while seeing the results.

So what are these innovative products? EIRO Burn is easy. Just pop one of these metabolism-boosting capsules into your mouth and it helps enhance your energy level while controlling hunger between meals - two things that I know I sure can use extra help with.

EIRO Lean helps with the all-important calorie reduction, as it is a meal replacement shake that is low in fat, high in protein and contains multiple vitamins and minerals for ideal nutrition. It is also high in fiber and contains resistant starches that are not digested by the small intestine and keep you feeling full longer. Extremely easy to make, simply use the provided scoop and mix EIRO Lean with milk (or try one of their other yummy recipes) and you have a tasty, nutritious shake.

As I mentioned, I'm someone who needs explicit instructions to follow when it comes to weight loss. Fortunately, the EIROfit program breaks things down into two phases that are clear enough for even a slacker like me to follow.

First, the Induction Phase, which can last anywhere from two to four months depending on the amount of weight you need to lose, is designed to quickly help you lose the extra pounds and get your body to the ideal weight that you are working to achieve. When you've reached that goal, the second phase, the Maintenance Phase, begins and works to aid in keeping your new, healthy lifestyle.

Throughout the Induction Phase and the first week of the Maintenance Phase, EIRO Burn and EIRO Lean play a large part in getting you on track with losing weight and reducing the amount of calories that you take in, therefore encouraging you to move in the right direction with your body.

However, with the recommendations that EIROfit gives for exercise and diet (including meals from The Wellness Prescription by Dr. David Rahm), by the second week in the Maintenance Phase, you are able to go back to eating three meals a day (healthy ones, of course!) and continue upholding your new weight. I appreciate the fact that EIROfit actually wants to teach you how to live and eat on your own so that you don't have to worry about what will happen when you complete their program.

I wasn't able to try the EIROfit system out for an extended enough period of time to gauge how much weight I truly could have lost or how easy it is to maintain it, but I was able to review both the EIRO Burn and the EIRO Lean enough to get a feel for how it works and how using the full program would show true benefits for anyone.

Along with those, I did sample the other two EIROfit products, EIRO and EIRO Energy. EIRO is an amazing superantioxidant blend of five fruit purees that is wonderful for your body as a whole and tastes like a strong drink of juice (in a good way). EIRO Energy is also great for you and is formulated with natural sources of energy to give both your body and mind a boost. From tasting these, I could definitely see how they would work well within the entire EIROfit system.

So, for two weeks I did my best to follow the program and found that it did indeed meet up to my initial impressions. Taking EIRO Burn was extremely easy, simply wash a capsule down with breakfast and with dinner, no problems there. When it came to EIRO Lean, I was pleasantly surprised with the vanilla taste and how it really did curb my hunger. One shake kept me from snacking and didn't result in that feeling of not having eaten anything as I had found in the past with other meal replacement drinks.

The aspect that I had the most difficulty with was, of course, sticking with the program. Only days after starting EIROfit, my husband and I were treated to a weekend away for the two of us (thanks to his parents watching the girls) and... well, I managed to take my EIRO Burn twice daily, but when it came to our meals my old habits returned and I went back to my usual unhealthy overeating.

At the completion of two weeks, I ended up having lost three pounds. Not a huge amount, but not too bad either, particularly because one weekend included vacation eating and one weekend included a family birthday party (and cheesecake. Lots of cheesecake). Imagine what could be accomplished in eight weeks or more and with even a small amount of willpower? If you're looking for a way to jump start your weight loss, EIROfit is a great place to start!

As a retail customer, EIRO Burn sells for $49 for 60 capsules and EIRO Lean costs $49 for 15 servings. It pays to sign up as a preferred customer, however, because using the convenient EIROfit autoship program will save 25% off of the retail price of their products. For more information or to order any EIROfit products, be sure to visit their website.

Now is the time to lose weight and feel better about yourself! Thanks to the generosity of EIROfit, one person will get to experience the program for themselves because...

One lucky person will win a canister of EIRO Lean and a bottle of EIRO Burn for themselves! ARV $98!

To enter to win EIRO Lean and EIRO Burn from EIROfit: Visit Become Whole with EIRO and tell me something that you learned there. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted. For example, if you subscribe, leave one comment saying "I subscribe #1" and a separate comment saying "I subscribe #2")

3 Extra Entries if you sign up to receive information about EIROfit on SkinnyGenes. Your information is kept extremely private, so you don't have to worry about receiving any junk.
1 Extra Entry if you tell me what you found to be the most interesting aspect of one of the EIROfit products.
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway. See the list on the top of my right sidebar - there are some really great ones going on right now and coming up!
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

You can start losing weight now with EIROfit products (ARV $98)! @thxmailcarrier @kristinajschulz http://bit.ly/9AHmrg #win #giveaway

2 Extra Entries per follow method (leave 2 separate comments for each type) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect (see sidebar), subscribe to my RSS feed or subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you blog about this giveaway linking back to Thanks, Mail Carrier and EIROfit. Please leave an address where it can be found.

Giveaway will end on February 25th at 11:59pm CST. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway open to U.S. residents only.

A huge thank you to Kristina for providing me with EIROfit products to review as well as one canister of EIRO Lean and one bottle of EIRO Burn for one lucky giveaway winner. A healthy weight management system, what a wonderful program! The opinions shared are my own and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

GIVEAWAY: GlassesUSA Affordable and Stylish Eyeglasses (and Coupon Code)

xpsundell@gmail.com (Xenia) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:14:00 +0000

Recently I had the opportunity to write a post on my thoughts about eyeglasses. It was great to sit back and think about what it was like to wear glasses when I was young and the way that society's perception of them has changed over the years and how glasses are now a cool accessory.

In fact, when I was younger I never would have thought about owning more than one pair of prescription glasses - why would I? As well as not really wanting to be seen in them, that would have cost a fortune! Even now when I go into eyeglass stores and browse the selection, when you add in the cost of the lenses a pair of glasses is definitely not cheap.

I know that getting the correct prescription lenses into the eyeglass frames isn't something just anyone can do, but hundreds of dollars? Really? Isn't there a way for me to get a stylish, hip pair of glasses without breaking the bank?

I fell in love with the First Lady frames the moment I saw them online and was amazed that they retail for $125 but cost only $54.95 (including lenses!) on GlassesUSA. The sharp rectangular shape combined with the wide arms and the slightly retro look are exactly the type of style that I always find myself admiring on other people. But how would I know if they would look good on me, as I was ordering them online?

Along with the three angles shown (and the ability to zoom in close) for each pair of glasses on GlassesUSA, a feature I really appreciated was the list of dimensions and a link to a diagram (shown at right) demonstrating where each one was located. I was easily able to look at the numbers printed on the frames that I was currently wearing to see how the First Lady was going to compare and know that they were going to fit me just fine.

In fact, they do fit. And, better than that, they look fantastic.

Having needed glasses since childhood, I've gone through a variety of different styles over the years but the First Lady are by far my favorite pair. Even though I've liked some that I've worn in the past, I still found myself putting in my contact lenses before leaving the house just from force of habit. With these, I don't hesitate to leave them on and show them off - and I receive compliments all the time.

As well as the huge savings off of the retail price of these glasses, ordering from GlassesUSA is both easy and risk-free. By owning their own optic laboratories, they are not only able to keep the costs extremely low, they have complete control of the quality of the frames that they send out. If they don't meet the high standards of GlassesUSA, the glasses just aren't shipped. And if by chance you aren't completely satisfied when your frames arrive, send them back for a full refund or a replacement.

A testament to how much GlassesUSA actually cares about society and believes that all people should have access to vision care, if glasses do get returned they are donated to various organizations around the country. From there, the glasses are sanitized and redistributed to people all over the world who would otherwise not be able to afford them - a much more honorable thing to do than just restocking the frames.

Whether you're shopping for eyeglasses for men or women, full frames or rimless, classic or artsy, GlassesUSA has a pair for everyone. Starting at just $18, you receive the frames, lenses (with polished edges that I've otherwise paid extra for), a solid black case and a cleaning cloth. And don't forget a complete 100% satisfaction guarantee!

Is it time for a new style of glasses for you? Enter the coupon code Mommy5 at checkout and you will receive 5% off of your final order at GlassesUSA. Or, thanks to their generosity, one person will get a way to update their look while helping them see clearly, because...

One lucky person will win their choice of single vision glasses from GlassesUSA! ARV $95!

To enter to win your choice of single vision* glasses from GlassesUSA:Visit GlassesUSA and tell me which frames you would choose if you win. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted. For example, if you subscribe, leave one comment saying "I subscribe #1" and a separate comment saying "I subscribe #2")

1 Extra Entry if you tell me about the current pair of glasses you are wearing and why you would love a new pair from GlassesUSA.
1 Extra Entry if you subscribe to one (or more) of the RSS feeds for GlassesUSA.
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway. See the list on the top of my right sidebar - there are some really great ones going on right now and coming up!
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

Win your choice of glasses from GlassesUSA! Hip, stylish and high quality at low prices! @thxmailcarrier http://bit.ly/8YciIj #win #giveaway

2 Extra Entries per follow method (leave 2 separate comments for each type) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect (see sidebar), subscribe to my RSS feed or subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you blog about this giveaway linking back to Thanks, Mail Carrier and GlassesUSA. Please leave an address where it can be found.

*Single vision glasses are for either distance or reading correction, but not both (for example, bifocals or progressive lenses).

Giveaway will end on February 18th at 11:59pm CST. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway open to residents of Canada and the U.S. only.

A huge thank you to GlassesUSA for providing me a pair of glasses to review as well as a pair of choice for one lucky giveaway winner. I was given this review and giveaway opportunity due to my membership at The Product Review Place and the opinions shared are my own, but if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

GIVEAWAY: Franklin Goose Amazing Eco-Friendly Items for Babies and Children ($25 Gift Certificate)

xpsundell@gmail.com (Xenia) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:03:00 +0000

A few nights ago, my husband took Big Sister E and went to the store to buy some birthday presents for his sister and her husband. When they got home, my husband was laughing and telling me about a couple that they saw who were aimlessly wandering around trying to select items for their baby registry. Who can't relate to that?

Can you really blame parents and soon-to-be parents for being a little bewildered these days when it comes to making decisions about what to choose to have around their children? Not only are store shelves stocked with a huge variety of a single item, I feel like every other day there is a new major recall alert and all of a sudden everyone has to check their strollers or cribs or toys or sippy cups to make sure they aren't risking their child's health or safety.

Wouldn't it be so much easier to find a place to shop from that has done all of the research for you already? Somewhere that sells natural, organic, eco-conscious products that are not only gorgeous and amazing but good for the planet and your family as well?

Franklin Goose takes their commitment to not exposing your family to unnecessary chemicals or ingredients seriously, while still managing to carry a huge variety of incredible products for children, adults and the home. Diapers, high chairs, adorable clothing, potty seats, luxury strollers and toys galore? That's just the tiniest tip of the iceberg.

Each time I clicked to a new category or the next page, I found even more items that I loved at Franklin Goose. With their $5 flat rate shipping (for items under 25 pounds) I could see myself filling up my cart with so many things...

A true testament to how much Franklin Goose cares about the environment, right now they are spotlighting the furniture designed by an amazing company, Way Basics. More than a typical furniture company, Way Basics provides recycled and recyclable products out of something so simple - paper. Sustainably made, water resistant and just plain cool to look at, they have found a way to make it easy and fun to build furniture while improving the planet at the same time.

And when Way Basics cares about people and the planet, they really care. They donate 5% of their profits, work with furniture banks to provide help for families in need, promote environmentally friendly practices and offset their company carbon emissions by planting trees at the Red River National Wildlife Refuge. Is it any wonder that Franklin Goose is proud of carrying their line?

Building off of one simple Cube, Way Basics offers a variety of shelving options (and one really cute Modular Table) that come in your choice of a multitude of great colors. Even though their products are half the weight of particle board, pressed wood or plywood furniture this unique line is still be just as strong. Go ahead, use a cube as a footstool, it'll hold!

I wasn't sure what to expect when the box containing our Way Basics Spin Cube - Three Cube (in pink!) arrived because, after all, how sturdy could a shelf made out of recycled paper really be? What I found as I pulled the pieces out was that I couldn't stop examining each one, as I was amazed that they weren't pressed wood because they definitely felt just as durable and heavy-duty.

I've constructed furniture in the past that claimed to be fast and easy, only to find that keeping track of which size screw went where and whether or not I was supposed to use a screwdriver or that tiny L-shaped thing seemed to mean that their idea of fast was an hour or two. But with Way Basics, when they say "Peel, Stick, Done!" they aren't kidding! Simply peel and stick the cubes together and your furniture is instantly complete.

In minutes, we had turned a small pile of pieces into something REALLY fantastic.

Way Basics didn't just stack three of their cubes to make a standard shelving unit, they include two revolving plates so that the top cubes smoothly glide around in a full circle. Just over three feet tall, this shelf can be used for so many things and will easily be moved around in our house for years to come. For now, it seems to be alternating between being a spinning grocery store or pantry for Big Sister E's endless fascination with her play food. Who knows what it will be next?

As well as being a wonderful site to browse and shop, Franklin Goose also makes it incredibly easy to sign up for a baby registry or wishlist (standard or birthday) so that you can rest assured that gifts for your child will be natural, organic or eco-friendly. Why not start now in supporting Franklin Goose's mission to help us all raise our children with better toys, clothing and gear?

After having made a purchase, be sure to upload pictures of your little one enjoying their new products to Franklin Goose's Flickr accounts (People and Photos) and who knows, you may even end up on their website! You'll also want to become a fan of Franklin Goose on Facebook because they really have a wonderful community going on there filled with information, tips and special events.

Ready to do some shopping? I hope you don't have somewhere to be, because I guarantee you're going to want to stay and browse all of the products available at Franklin Goose for quite a while. Thanks to their generosity, one person will get to do a little shopping courtesy of the folks at Franklin Goose because...

One lucky person will win a $25 gift certificate to Franklin Goose!

To enter to win a $25 gift certificate to Franklin Goose: Head over to Franklin Goose and browse their amazing selection of items. It's going to be hard to narrow down your favorites, but tell me one which one(s) you love most. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted. For example, if you subscribe, leave one comment saying "I subscribe #1" and a separate comment saying "I subscribe #2")

1 Extra Entry (per method) if you follow Franklin Goose on Twitter and/or subscribe to the RSS feed for the Franklin Goose blog.
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway. See the list on the top of my right sidebar - there are some really great ones going on right now and coming up!
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

Win a $25 gift certificate to Franklin Goose! SO MANY amazing items @franklingoose! @thxmailcarrier http://bit.ly/b4jDsw #win #giveaway

2 Extra Entries per follow method (leave 2 separate comments for each type) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect (see sidebar), subscribe to my RSS feed or subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you blog about this giveaway linking back to Thanks, Mail Carrier and Franklin Goose. Please leave an address where it can be found.
5 Extra Entries (leave 5 separate comments) if you make a purchase from Franklin Goose before this giveaway ends. Let me know which adorable item(s) you chose!
Giveaway will end on February 18th at 11:59pm CST. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway open to U.S. residents only.

A huge thank you to Franklin Goose for providing a Way Basics Spin Cube - Three Cube for me to review as well as a $25 gift certificate for one lucky giveaway winner. Natural, organic and eco-friendly - Franklin Goose is amazing! The opinions shared are my own and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

GIVEAWAY: This Little Piggy's House Amazing Cardboard Playhouses

xpsundell@gmail.com (Xenia) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:56:00 +0000

If there is an age that children reach when they stop being overly amazed by cardboard boxes, my girls haven't gotten there yet. Every time that a new box appears in our house, they have to fully examine it, push it around, climb inside and attempt to come up with new ways to play with it.

However, the excitement is always fairly short-lived. After a little while of playing, the cardboard has gotten bent or torn, someone complains that someone else is taking up all the room (it's not like we're getting refrigerators delivered here or anything, the boxes aren't that big) and, with the creativity disappearing, the box goes back to being just a box.

The lack of excitement radiates from this picture.
Look at us. In a box. Whoop-de-doo.

But what happens when architects, digital artists and graphic designers look at kids playing in a cardboard box? They take their skills and ingenuity and make the most original, detailed and cutest cardboard playhouses that have ever been created and form This Little Piggy's House. And then, fortunately, they decide to share their handiwork with the rest of the world so that all children can have the chance to enjoy an environmentally-friendly place of their own that will delight and entertain them for years to come.

Available in kraft, white or beautifully hand-painted, This Little Piggy's House Cardboard Playhouses combine all the features that form a perfect toy. Made from recycled 275 pound corrugated cardboard, the playhouses themselves are also 100% recyclable, meaning that after your child has outgrown all possible uses (playing in the house themselves, using it as a stuffed animal house or as storage, etc) this house will never end up in a landfill.

As well as being incredibly eco-friendly, a playhouse from This Little Piggy's House isn't just a cardboard box with a few holes cut in it. Cute, stylish, contemporary - these are houses that not only delight children, but amaze adults with their intricate details and unique design. How many cardboard playhouses have you seen that have mailboxes, chimneys or RAFTERS? I sure can't list a single one.

Any attempt I previously had at converting anything cardboard into something interesting was significantly shown-up when this house arrived for my girls. It was only minutes from the time I opened the long, flat box to when it was clear that this house was going to be special.

I appreciated the illustrated step-by-step directions (there is also an assembly video available online) but I found that it was fairly intuitive as to which pieces went where as Big Sister E and I watched a house come together before our eyes without using a single tool. It's not often that a 3-year-old gets to be an architect, so she was pretty excited to be able to help.

As I can't escape my need to pretend that I'm a creative and/or artistic person, I took our playhouse one step further during Little Sister B's nap time and (with Big Sister E's explicit instructions that it must look "like a house! Like a HOUSE!" and her help with some painting) decorated it a little...

Plus they can still color all they want on the inside as well. Bonus!

Both girls love their special house. They play in it together (having a door at each end is a definite lifesaver) and they play in it separately, maybe bringing in a small stack of books to read in peace. Little Sister B is slightly too rough on the doors and often has to be reminded to not bend them while she is going in and out, but that hasn't affected the use at all. And, even though glue isn't really necessary, between the climbing in and out and the all the playing, I could see how a few drops here and there would help hold things together.

This Little Piggy's House playhouses really are an ongoing arts-and-crafts project for children (and adults like me) of all ages. What a great way to engage in an activity together that will stimulate a child's imagination and creativity... and result in something that provides hours of fun, both loud and boisterous or quiet and calm at the same time.

As well as their amazing playhouses, This Little Piggy's House also carries beautifully constructed paper goods and gorgeous little dresses. Everything on the site is fully designed and made in America and, to top it off, This Little Piggy's House believes that no child should go hungry and donates 5% of all of their profits to organizations that feed hungry children around the world. What a great sign of commitment and caring from an original company that strives to help us encourage our children and be environmentally-friendly at the same time.

What else is left to ask for? An amazing Little Playhouse of your own? Well, thanks to the generosity of This Little Piggy's House...

One lucky person will win their own Little Playhouse from This Little Piggy's House (in kraft or white)! ARV $59.99!

To enter to win a Little Playhouse from This Little Piggy's House: Visit This Little Piggy's House and tell me something that you learned or another item there that you like. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted. For example, if you subscribe, leave one comment saying "I subscribe #1" and a separate comment saying "I subscribe #2")

1 Extra Entry if you tell me about a playhouse you had or your child has now. (Did you love to make forts out of furniture and sheets? Does your child dream of having their own space to imagine and play in?)
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway. See the list on the top of my right sidebar - there are some really great ones going on right now and coming up!
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

This Little Piggy's House amazing eco-friendly playhouse (ARV $60)! SO FUN! @thxmailcarrier http://bit.ly/7hY60p #win #giveaway

2 Extra Entries per follow method (leave 2 separate comments for each type) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect (see sidebar), subscribe to my RSS feed or subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you blog about this giveaway linking back to Thanks, Mail Carrier and This Little Piggy's House. Please leave an address where it can be found.
5 Extra Entries (leave 5 separate comments) if you make a purchase from This Little Piggy's House before this giveaway ends. Let me know which amazing item(s) you chose!
Giveaway will end on February 18th at 11:59pm CST. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway open to continental U.S. residents only.

A huge thank you to Waibun at This Little Piggy's House for providing an amazing little playhouse for me to review as well as a kraft or white playhouse for one lucky giveaway winner. Endless creative fun that won't ever go in a landfill - we love it! The opinions shared are my own and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

Party Planning Winners!

xpsundell@gmail.com (Xenia) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:31:00 +0000

With Big Sister E's birthday in October and Little Sister B's birthday in December, I'm usually fairly partied-out by the time January rolls around. The idea of having someone do a large portion of the planning work for me sounds pretty nice!

Random.org drew #16 as the winner of this giveaway, but that is an anonymous comment with no email address, so I'm sorry to the person that has a 50th Anniversary Party coming up and would like help with it! You had to leave some sort of identifying information!

Therefore, the lucky person who will get to select a Choose 3 Party Package from Jessica at Atlanta Mom's Guide to Party Planning is...

Congratulations, Barbara! I hope your granddaughter has a fantastic birthday party!

Jessica was also generous enough to offer a Complete Party Planning Package (worth $400!) as a grand prize for all of the entrants to this giveaway, as it was held on various blogs last week. She compiled all of the comments and the extremely lucky big winner came from their single entry right here on Thanks, Mail Carrier! Congratulations to purango! Your entire next party is going to be planned for you!

Thanks to everyone who entered!

Winners!

xpsundell@gmail.com (Xenia) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:09:00 +0000

My girls continue to get compliments wherever we go on their adorable custom shirts from My Emmy Baby. And why wouldn't they? The shirts are not only cute but they're personalized to show off their status as sisters - how could they go wrong?

The first number that random.org chose as the winner of this fun giveaway belongs to a comment saying that person subscribes to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email. Unfortunately, Feedburner and I have gone over the list of email subscribers twice and that address is nowhere to be found. Sorry, no dice.

Therefore, the lucky person who gets to customize their own great shirt (and left a legitimate comment) is...

Congratulations, crystalf! I hope you enjoy selecting a wonderful shirt for your daughter!

My husband made a comment again the other day about my teeth looking white and all I could do was think how nice it was to use something as simple as EvoraPlus to have garnered such unprompted reactions. Who doesn't want fresh breath, whiter teeth and a healthier mouth just by letting a tasty mint dissolve on their tongue?

The two lucky people who get to try these out are...

Congratulations, Annie1 and remarker/fcffollower! Enjoy!

Thanks to everyone who entered these giveaways, as well as the other great ones that are up and running right now!

GIVEAWAY: Flowerz In Her Hair $25 Gift Certificate (and Coupon Code)

xpsundell@gmail.com (Xenia) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:14:00 +0000

When Big Sister E was 19 months old, I finally gave in to the pestering from family and friends (namely my husband) and allowed her to get a haircut. Her bangs were far too long and always in her face and, enticed by the fact that my brother claimed to be a good hairdresser, I allowed him to give her what was supposed to be a trim.

Years later and I still can't help but cringe looking at the before and after pictures.

From that day on, Big Sister E has only had one haircut and it was pretty much just a trim. She desperately needs another one and now Little Sister B's hair is also partway down her face and covering her eyes. However, instead of sending either of them under the scissors, I always keep a lookout for alternatives and places to get great hair clips and accessories at affordable prices. My newest favorite? None other than Flowerz In Her Hair.

From Simply Clippies, a collection of 34 colorful stripes, dots and other cute patterns to every size, shape and color of Bow, at FlowerzInHerHair.com you can find a huge array of gorgeous accessories for girls of all ages. Whether your little one loves Beanies or Flower Clips or needs a beautiful Flower Girl Halo for an upcoming wedding, this site has it all.

Not only is there a vast and impressive selection at Flowerz In Her Hair, but owner and creator, Amy Jackson, ensures that each item is of the highest quality and still manages to keep them inexpensively priced. I've come across sites that sell far fewer (and not as pretty) clips for at least twice the price of those here. In the end, all that matters is how they look though, right? In this case, you will not be disappointed!

Big Sister E, Little Sister B and I weren't sure where to begin in trying out the amazing variety of items that came professionally packaged from Flowerz In Her Hair. As soon as we began admiring one beautiful clip, our eyes were pulled to the colors of a different flower or the workmanship on something as simple as a ponytail holder. Even though the pictures on the website look cute, seeing the quality, details and charm in person is entirely something different.

Due to being older (and less likely to eat the accessories), Big Sister E had first choice at what she wanted to wear. Not surprisingly, she selected the Ribbon Flower I had picked in fuchsia in the medium size, one that I knew would be perfect both for her and her sister.

Everything about this hair clip is adorable. The alligator clip is well lined, the ribbon is perfectly sewn so that each petal curves upward, the flower is securely attached so that if it can withstand being tugged on and the non-slip grip holds it tight in place in my daughters' fine hair. The first time Big Sister E wore it out, she immediately received compliments.

As well as being worn directly in the hair, this Ribbon Flower looks great clipped right on one of the two Super Stretch Headbands that Amy included for us. For both of my girls, these nylon headbands slipped right on and stayed in place, an easy and effective way to keep their hair from falling into their eyes.

Being able to switch the clip attached to the headband really is handy, as now depending on the outfit or occasion, these will always be an option for style and function. Not one to be left out, Little Sister B was extremely pleased to try on the second headband with the incredible pink Funky Flower that she was happily admiring.

Is there anything cuter than a happy little girl with an adorable flower? If so, I haven't found it.

Featuring the same high quality features as the Ribbon Flower, I counted eight layers of petals that make up the Funky Flower clip we received. Eight! The top has a great iridescent shine that catches the light and the hint of polka dots (we're huge polka dot fans around here) is just the right finishing touch. If you're not looking for more pink, don't worry, there are 30 different Funky Flowers available to choose from in almost any color combination!

Although it was hard to top what we had already seen, Big Sister E and Little Sister B were willing to part with their flowers to see what else was waiting for them. What we found were great examples of the Cute as a Button collection from Flowerz In Her Hair.

Instead of using the cheap, plastic ponytail holders that we're used to for Big Sister E, we now have two great Cute as a Button Ponytail Holders with buttons that are covered beautifully with fabric and strong holders that match. The Cute as a Button Flower Clip (in medium) is just as high quality, from the sturdy, lined clip to the perfect combination of colors that I was able to pick from for both the petals and the button. I love that each item is personalized and different depending on what you choose!

For some reason if you can't find just the right item that you're looking for in all that Flowerz In Her Hair offers, remember that Amy will also create a custom piece just for you - and send you a picture proof before shipment to make sure it's exactly how you would like! What service!

An added bonus that I think is a wonderful feature for shopping at Flowerz In Her Hair is Amy's addition of a FREE Clip Holder with every purchase. Even though these are such a simple solution, I'm really excited to now have a way to hang clips for both of my girls instead of the previous throw-them-haphazardly-int0-a-box method that we were using.

Not only that, Amy would like to offer a discount to get you started shopping at Flowerz In Her Hair. Simply enter the coupon code mailcarrier to receive 10% off of any order over $10... and since all orders of $10 or more receive free shipping from Flowerz In Her Hair, you'll get that, too! Amy's generosity doesn't stop there, however, because...

One lucky person will win a $25 gift certificate to Flowerz In Her Hair!

To enter to win a $25 gift certificate to FlowerzInHerHair.com: $25 will buy so many gorgeous items at Flowerz In Her Hair! Head over and check them out and tell me one which one(s) are your favorite. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted. For example, if you subscribe, leave one comment saying "I subscribe #1" and a separate comment saying "I subscribe #2")

1 Extra Entry (per method) if you follow Flowerz In Her Hair on Twitter and/or follow the Flowerz In Her Hair blog with Google Friend Connect.
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway. See the list on the top of my right sidebar - there are some really great ones going on right now and coming up!
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

Win a Flowerz In Her Hair $25 gift certificate! SO MANY gorgeous choices @amysflowerz! @thxmailcarrier http://bit.ly/6iDZrB #win #giveaway

2 Extra Entries per follow method (leave 2 separate comments for each type) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect (see sidebar), subscribe to my RSS feed or subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you blog about this giveaway linking back to Thanks, Mail Carrier and Flowerz In Her Hair. Please leave an address where it can be found.
5 Extra Entries (leave 5 separate comments) if you make a purchase from Flowerz In Her Hair before this giveaway ends. Let me know which adorable item(s) you chose!

Giveaway will end on February 11th at 11:59pm CST. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway open to residents of U.S. and Canada only.

A huge thank you to Amy at FlowerzInHerHair for providing a beautiful selection of items for me to review as well as a $25 gift certificate for one lucky giveaway winner. No need to ever look elsewhere for hair accessories again! I was given the opportunity to review these items due to my membership at The Product Review Place but the opinions shared are my own and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

GIVEAWAY: Handbag Heaven Choice of Gorgeous Bag (ARV $75)

xpsundell@gmail.com (Xenia) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:51:00 +0000

When you go out, what is the first item that you notice on other women that you encounter? Is it their shoes? I love seeing cute shoes, but I'm usually happy with the comfort I'm getting in my tennis shoes over the stylishness they are showing in their heels. How about hairstyles? I like seeing those as well, but they just remind me that I would have to do something more than pull my hair directly into a ponytail - something that requires too much time and effort on most days.

Then there's the purses.

Is it possible to NOT take an extra-long glance at a really great bag? In that short moment, your eyes have to check out the size, the color, the design, as many features as possible... and, from all that, you're left wondering the most important thing:

How much?

I'll be the first to admit that sometimes I just don't understand why a purse can cost hundreds of dollars (if not more). Is it made out of the last piece of leather on the planet? Hand-stitched with unicorn hairs? Whatever causes it to be that expensive, I'm not someone who can justify spending a small fortune on a bag when there are so many other things that the money could go towards for my family.

Does that mean that I'm destined to spend my days watching beautiful purses go by but never owning one? The answer is no. Definitely not with Handbag Heaven around.

Did you see that logo? "Handbags starting at $15. All under $75." If you're thinking that it must mean there is a tiny selection of poorly-made, out-of-date, ugly purses there, I can't stress how COMPLETELY MISTAKEN you really are.

Handbag Heaven is stocked full of the trendiest purses and hottest handbags, all at extremely affordable prices (they even come with a money back guarantee if you are not 100% satisfied with your purchase). You can now achieve the fashionable look of a celebrity without breaking your budget, no matter what style of bag you are dreaming about.

Looking for a handbag that combines the right combination of delicate features with a touch of rock star appeal? The Janelle Zipper Hobo (at right) shows off a soft flower to contrast its flat studs and exposed zippers for an accent to your wardrobe that will definitely turn heads.

How about adding a little kick to your next evening out with the amazingly bright Caitlin Clutch (at left)? I love the polished silver hardware, magnetic snaps and that it comes with two lengths of silver chain straps that can be attached for alternate carrying possibilities. If electric blue isn't your color, take a look at the lime green option for a colorful splash that won't be forgotten!

Overwhelmed with all of the beautiful choices, I wasn't sure where to start browsing at Handbag Heaven. Fortunately, for those of us who aren't completely handbag-savvy (what's the difference between a tote and a hobo bag anyway? And don't even ask me to try to tell you what a demi or a bowler are) Handbag Heaven has a great Handbag Glossary to help you become well-versed on all of the definitions and terminology of bags.

To work for me, I knew I wanted a shoulder bag large enough to hold items for both of my girls as well as myself and it needed to zip closed so that if it was tipped it wouldn't spill everything out all over. On top of that, I wanted it to be... unique.

Immediately, the Andi Ruffled Satchel (available in grey or mustard yellow) caught my eye because it met my criteria and managed to be beautiful and just a little different at the same time. When it arrived, my team of fashion specialists went right to work checking it out.

Big Sister E is in charge of style while Little Sister B is all about function. Soft lining? Check. Two open top pockets and one zippered pocket for storage? Absolutely. Plus, wide opening for me to fully get inside to empty it!

This bag really is just the right size that I can fill it with our necessities and have it look trendy without being too bulky. The handles are just the right length that it fits comfortably over my shoulder (leaving both hands free for child-wrangling) and the softness of both the inside and outside of this satchel make it a pleasure to touch. Just because I'm a mom doesn't mean I have to always carry a traditional diaper bag and, thanks to Handbag Heaven, there are affordable, stylish options out there for everyone!

On top of already selling over 500 high-quality, fashionable handbags in all colors, shapes, sizes and styles at really low prices, Handbag Heaven is continually adding great new designs and offering sales to lower their prices even further. Keep up with them on Facebook, Twitter, their blog and their newsletter so that you won't miss an exclusive discount or hot new addition! Thanks to the generosity of Handbag Heaven, one person's purse will be the envy of the neighborhood because...

One lucky person will win their choice of bag from Handbag Heaven!

To enter to win your choice of bag from Handbag Heaven: There are so many gorgeous bags at Handbag Heaven! Head over and check them out and tell me which one(s) you would love to own. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted. For example, if you subscribe, leave one comment saying "I subscribe #1" and a separate comment saying "I subscribe #2")

1 Extra Entry (per method) if you follow Handbag Heaven on Twitter, subscribe to the Handbag Heaven blog and/or sign up to receive exclusive sales and new arrivals with the Handbag Heaven e-newsletter (sign up box found on the center top or bottom of their homepage).
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway. See the list on the top of my right sidebar - there are some really great ones going on right now and coming up!
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

Handbag Heaven bag of choice! Hot, hot, hot fashion & style @thxmailcarrier from @handbagheaven! http://bit.ly/8eat72 #win #giveaway

2 Extra Entries per follow method (leave 2 separate comments for each type) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect (see sidebar), subscribe to my RSS feed or subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you blog about this giveaway linking back to Thanks, Mail Carrier and Handbag Heaven. Please leave an address where it can be found.
Giveaway will end on February 11th at 11:59pm CST. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway open to residents of U.S. and Canada only.

A huge thank you to Handbag Heaven for providing an Andi Ruffled Satchel for me to review as well as the bag of choice for one lucky giveaway winner. This is THE place for great style at affordable prices! The opinions shared are my own and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

A Squeaky Winner!

xpsundell@gmail.com (Xenia) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 13:56:00 +0000

Big Sister E's squeaky shoes from Wee Squeak are win-win for all of us! She loves the comfort, fun colors and the unique squeak, of course. I love that they go with everything, are high quality and that the squeaker can be removed if needed. There are just some places that shoes need to be quiet, right? The lucky person who will get to choose their favorite pair of fun shoes from Wee Squeak is...

Congratulations, MommaWad09! I hope your little girl loves her shoes as well!

Thanks to everyone who entered! Have you gotten your comments in for the great giveaways that are running right now? There are more fun ones on their way, as well!

GIVEAWAY: Personal Party Planning Services from Atlanta Mom's Guide to Party Planning (ARV $50)

xpsundell@gmail.com (Xenia) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 20:31:00 +0000

{This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to those who entered!}

For Big Sister E's first birthday party, we had to celebrate. In fact, her cousin (my brother's son) was born five days after Big Sister E, so the whole family was really ready to party to commemorate the birthdays of everyone's favorite babies-turned-toddlers.

Invitations were sent, the house was scrubbed clean, decorations were hung, multiple cakes were made... and good times were had by all. Big Sister E and her cousin had fun in all the attention, received thoughtful gifts and made a mess out of their individual cakes (of course).

When it came time for her second birthday, Big Sister E was in the middle of being a huge fan of monkeys, so the theme for the party was easy. Again, I spent forever on the invitations, food, decorations and more so that my vision of a fun monkey party could be realized. Being that I was seven months pregnant at the time, I was a little extra-tired when this one was over.

At the big third birthday last fall, Big Sister E was a pretty cute rock star. We sent out themed invitations, she wore a gorgeous tutu and even the cupcakes were outfitted for the occasion. The guests even took home inflatable guitars of their own so that they could continue being a rock star long after the party had ended.

The common thread between all three of the parties? Fun, of course. But, along with the good times during the actual celebrations, each birthday required a ton of work in preparation. The amount of time and effort put in to the planning far exceeded the amount of time spent enjoying the event itself. But if I wasn't going to do it... then who was?

Atlanta mom, Jessica Jones, is here to save you from the stresses of planning your next party and let you relax and enjoy yourself. Whether you hire her to take care of a small or large portion of preparing your next birthday party, bridal or baby shower, anniversary party, graduation party, etc, she'll do the legwork while you still set the budget and make the final decisions.

There are nine aspects of party planning that Atlanta Mom's Guide to Party Planning covers: invitations, location, food, entertainment, decorations, crafts, games, pictures and goodie bags. You can choose the number of aspects you would like planned as well as which particular ones, which is great. From there, tell her the theme of the party (and any other important information, for example the birthday boy's age or the expectant mother's favorite colors) and Jessica will get down to business.

Instead of me having spent far too long trying to find the right monkey birthday invitations last year, Jessica would have scoured the stores and the internet to find an array of designs at the best prices for me to choose from. I also spent many afternoons searching various stores for just the right items to go in monkey goodie bags for Big Sister E's friends to take home - and I would have loved to have a professional do that for me!

Due to Jessica's generosity, for your next special occasion you can sit back, put your feet up and let the creative ideas come right to your inbox because...

One lucky person will win a Choose 3 Party Planning Package of their own! ARV $50!

But wait, there's more! This giveaway is being held at multiple different blogs (listed below) and, at the completion of this short giveaway, Jessica will compile the entries from all of the participating blogs and draw one grand prize winner (announced on January 25). That person will win a Complete Party Planning Package worth $400!

To enter to win your Choose 3 Party Planning Package: Follow Jessica's blog, Atlanta Mother's Guide, with Google Friend Connect. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted. For example, if you subscribe, leave one comment saying "I subscribe #1" and a separate comment saying "I subscribe #2")

1 Extra Entry if you tell me for which upcoming event you would love to have the help of a party planner.
1 Extra Entry (per method) if you follow Jessica's party planning blog, Atlanta Party Planning, with Google Friend Connect and/or follow Jessica on Twitter.
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway. See the list on the top of my right sidebar - there are some really great ones going on right now and coming up!
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

Throwing a party? Have a party planner do the work for you! ARV $50! @thxmailcarrier from @atlmomguide http://bit.ly/7SB9Pl #win #giveaway

2 Extra Entries per follow method (leave 2 separate comments for each type) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect (see sidebar), subscribe to my RSS feed or subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you blog about this giveaway linking back to Thanks, Mail Carrier and Atlanta Mom's Guide to Party Planning. Please leave an address where it can be found.

Giveaway will end on January 22nd at 11:59pm CST. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway open to U.S. residents only.

The blogs participating in this great giveaway (and yes, you can enter at any or all of them!) are:
3 P's in a Pod
Elle Squared
Fairytales and Puppy Dog Tails
Musings from Me
Mommy's Online Garage Sale
The Ahotaeiloa Family
Let's Just Give It Away
Chaotic Mommy Reviews
MNMSpecial Giveaways
Thanks, Mail Carrier (I highly recommend this one)

I was given the opportunity to host this giveaway due to my membership at The Product Review Place. I was not provided anything for this review but the opinions shared are my own and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

Winning Endless Creativity!

xpsundell@gmail.com (Xenia) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:56:00 +0000

There have been a few days that the Bilibo from Kid O that we received from Oompa Toys is left alone. However, by far the majority of the times that my girls head into the play room, it gets sat in or stood on or worn or filled to the brim with smaller items. Just yesterday Big Sister E was sitting in the Bilibo while Little Sister B tried to peek in through the holes at her - it was a pretty humorous sight.

The lucky person that will get to see the endless ways that a Bilibo can entertain is...

Congratulations, Hobo Mama! I know your son is going to have a great time!

Thanks so much to everyone who came by and entered - Oompa Toys has so many wonderful things that I hope you had as good of a time browsing their website as my daughters and I had visiting their store!

CONTEST: 1 of 10 Cottonelle Gift Baskets

xpsundell@gmail.com (Xenia) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:50:00 +0000

This is a very personal topic... but it's time to tell the truth.

Are you Over or are you Under?

I am definitely an Over. I can't take it when my toilet paper comes from underneath the roll, it's just not right! I'm not to the point where I would change the roll at someone else's house (those people are a little too toilet paper-crazed) but I definitely need it to be Over in my own home.

Want to win 1 of 10 Cottonelle Gift Baskets for your family? Cottonelle will compile the entries from all of the blogs participating and draw 10 winners on January 29, 2010.

How do you enter? This is an easy one - all you have to do is leave a comment! Go ahead and tell me if you're an Over or an Under and how important it is to you and you'll be entered to win!

(By posting this giveaway, I am entering to win a month's worth of Cottonelle toilet paper as a member of the Mom Bloggers Club. Who doesn't need more toilet paper?)

GIVEAWAY: Affordable Scarves' Big Fashion at a Small Price (2 winners!)

xpsundell@gmail.com (Xenia) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:36:00 +0000

{This giveaway is now closed, thanks to those who entered!}

Sometimes when a particular item or accessory gains popularity, I know it's not for me. Whether it's hot pink lipstick, really high heels or Ashton Kutcher wearing those trucker hats that I never thought were remotely attractive, I'm fine with just seeing the pictures and not actually feeling a need to go out and buy something of my own to join in the fad.

Lately though, a trend that has caught my eye both because of the stylishness and the practicality is wearing a great scarf. Everyone from celebrities to fashion models to other moms at the library can be found donning beautiful, intricate scarves in all colors and patterns... and I think they look great.

On the one hand, a scarf can actually help keep your neck warm - something that is pretty important around here when we're excited that the high temperature for today is going to be two digits instead of one. But, on the other hand, a scarf is also such a simple and classy way to change the look and feel of your outfit with ease while showing a little personality.

So, where do you go for a large selection of high-quality, unique scarves that won't cost you a small fortune? Look no further than Affordable Scarves.

The variety of colors, fabrics and weaves found at Affordable Scarves appeal to everyone's fashion sense, while their prices are perfect for any budget (hence the good job they did choosing a name). Whether you choose a silk, cashmere, pashmina or knit scarf for yourself or as a gift, they are all less than $20 (with free standard shipping on all orders over $30). And if you're concerned that when you see your scarf in person it won't meet your expectations, Affordable Scarves offers an easy return policy and 100% money-back guarantee. You can't go wrong!

The feature that I immediately loved when browsing the Affordable Scarves website is the option to see three views for each scarf that they sell. As well as seeing the scarf by itself, you can zoom in close to see the details or see it draped on a mannequin to really get a feel for how the scarf will look when worn.

Really gives you a good idea about the Abigail Crinkle Pashmina in Camel Tan, doesn't it?

When I came across Affordable Scarves' category of Loop Scarves, I was instantly intrigued. One of my previous issues with scarves has always been trying to master the right combination of I-just-tossed-this-around-my-neck with I-spent-15-minutes-adjusting-my-scarf-in-the-mirror and having it come out looking casual and trendy. On top of that, Little Sister B loves to pull at any hat or scarf that she gets near, so a traditional scarf would be easily off by her strong persistence.

A Loop Scarf (also called an Infinity or Circle Scarf) solves these problems by being one continuous piece of fabric that is amazingly easy to wear or style for any season. Affordable Scarves even offers videos on the multiple ways that Loop Scarves can be worn! The most basic is beyond simple to do, though. Simply place it over your head, loop it around and you're instantly a scarf fashionista. In fact, it's so easy, anyone can do it...

My little trend-setter!

I was amazed when the gorgeous Houndstooth Infinity Scarf from Affordable Scarves showed up in only two days and came out of the box looking just as high quality as the scarves found in fancy boutiques. For only $13.69, I love the way the houndstooth pattern adds extra style while the scarf itself is the right mix of breathable softness that feels great on my neck. If you want a little more kick, it comes in fuchsia and black as well!

Whether pairing this scarf with a sweater, pea coat or just a plain long sleeved tee shirt, it looks fashionable and beautiful and is so easy to incorporate and wear with my wardrobe. Little Sister B has tried a few times to get it off, but even her tugs can't affect its positioning. I especially like that I never have to worry about this scarf falling down off of my shoulders when I'm moving or bending down or playing with my kids. What a great design!

Whether shopping for yourself or as a gift, Affordable Scarves is the place to go for the perfect accessory for any style or budget. Where else can you spend less than $20 on a cashmere scarf or pashmina wrap and, within days of placing your order, look instantly fashionable? Make sure you keep up with them on Facebook, Twitter and the Affordable Scarves blog for all of the newest scarves, contest information and much more. Thanks to the generosity of Affordable Scarves, two people will be able to complete their outfits with a great scarf, because...

Two lucky people will win their choice of scarf from Affordable Scarves!

To enter to win your choice of scarf from Affordable Scarves: Check out all of the stylish options at Affordable Scarves and tell me which scarf you would love to own. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winners.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted. For example, if you subscribe, leave one comment saying "I subscribe #1" and a separate comment saying "I subscribe #2")

1 Extra Entry (per method) if you follow Affordable Scarves on Twitter and/or subscribe to the Affordable Scarves blog.
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway. See the list on the top of my right sidebar - there are some really great ones going on right now and coming up!
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

Affordable Scarves *2 winners* brings inexpensive fashion & style @thxmailcarrier from @affordscarves! http://bit.ly/4AT8bp #win #giveaway

2 Extra Entries per follow method (leave 2 separate comments for each type) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect (see sidebar), subscribe to my RSS feed or subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you blog about this giveaway linking back to Thanks, Mail Carrier and Affordable Scarves. Please leave an address where it can be found.

Giveaway will end on February 4th at 11:59pm CST. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway open to residents of U.S. and Canada only.

A big thank you to Affordable Scarves for providing a Houndstooth Infinity Scarf for me to review as well as two scarves of choice for two lucky giveaway winners. What a great combination of style and low prices! The opinions shared are my own and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

GIVEAWAY: AIR-O-SWISS Digital Warm & Cool Mist Ultrasonic Humidifier (ARV $199)

xpsundell@gmail.com (Xenia) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:39:00 +0000

{This giveaway is now closed, thanks to those who entered!}

Having never been to an actual desert, I really can't make any claims or statements about what it's like to be in one or how the air actually feels. However, I'm going to go ahead and ignore that and say that waking up in my bedroom is like waking up in the desert. The air is so impossibly dry that I can barely swallow and when I do, it feels like sandpaper is being scratched along my throat. Pleasant-sounding, right?

We've used various humidifiers in the past that have all been little and inexpensive and inevitably stopped working after not too long. What did we do then? Why, eventually replaced it with another small and cheap one, of course. This cycle has continued for years with my husband and I blissfully unaware of all of the benefits that humidification brings that we were really missing out on.

Fortunately, we now know that there is a better way. It's name is AIR-O-SWISS.

The AIR-O-SWISS 7144 Digital Warm & Cool Mist Ultrasonic Humidifier humidifies the air in rooms up to 650 sq ft, is energy-efficient, ultra quiet, state-of-the-art and... well, just plain pretty. On top of that, it doesn't use any annoying filters and boasts a list of special features that make it incredibly easy to operate and more user-friendly than almost all other electronic items in my life (I'm looking at you, complicated new waffle maker).

The large LCD display on the AOS 7144 makes choosing a setting as easy as pressing a button - you just have to decide which of it's handy settings will work best for you. Set the timer if you'd like the humidifier to run for a certain number of hours, switch from cool mist in the summer to warm mist in the winter, control the output level, or (and this is my favorite) use the hygrostat to set the desired humidity level of your room.

By pressing the hygrostat, when the room reaches your chosen % (between 40 and 60% is recommended), the AOS 7144 will automatically turn off and wait until it senses that the level has decreased to turn itself on again. Now that is a smart machine.

Using high-frequency vibrations to generate a micro-fine mist that immediately evaporates, I was pretty excited to try out this Digital Ultrasonic humidifier. I am somewhat of a light sleeper, so finding out that the AOS 7144 really was whisper-quiet as I went to bed started the night out on a good note.

Even better, I woke up the next morning in a room that was suddenly no longer a desert. I marveled at the way my skin and lips weren't incredibly dry and irritated and when I got up it didn't feel as though the entire place was charged with static electricity.

Another huge plus I immediately discovered is the ease of cleaning involved with the AOS 7144. With the previous humidifier we had been using, the entire base needed to be washed out and cleaned every few days to keep the bacteria away and the mineral residue from building up due to using tap water in the tank. AIR-O-SWISS has eliminated this hassle by including their Demineralization Cartridge (shown at right) and patented Ionic Silver Stick that keeps the water microbe-free... and eliminating any extra washing and scrubbing definitely makes a product rank high in my book.

All of AIR-O-SWISS's air treatment systems (ultrasonic humidifiers, air washers, air purifiers and evaporators) are extremely high quality, environmentally-friendly and remarkably innovative. I love the idea of the AOS 7146 Travel Ultrasonic Humidifier (shown at left) because all it requires is a water bottle and an outlet and you can enjoy clean, moist air at home, at work or while traveling. It even comes with an AC adapter so that it can be used throughout North America and Europe!

AIR-O-SWISS has set out to not only improve the quality of our air, but the quality of our lives. A large section of their website is devoted to Air Education, in hopes that they can pass along important information about the impact the harmful substances in the air have on our bodies and our health. Amazing products from a caring company? What else can we ask for? How about generosity? Of course! Thanks to the incredible kindness of AIR-O-SWISS...

One lucky person will win an AIR-O-SWISS 7144 Digital Warm & Cool Mist Ultrasonic Humidifier of their own! ARV $199!

To enter to win your AOS 7144 Ultrasonic Humidifier: Check out AIR-O-SWISS and all of their amazing products and tell me another one that you would love to own. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted. For example, if you subscribe, leave one comment saying "I subscribe #1" and a separate comment saying "I subscribe #2")

1 Extra Entry if you tell me which room in your house needs this great humidifier the most. Do you or your children sleep in the desert like I did?
1 Extra Entry if you sign up to receive the AIR-O-SWISS newsletter (to do so you must also register as a member).
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway. See the list on the top of my right sidebar - there are some really great ones going on right now and coming up!
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

AIR-O-SWISS Digital Warm & Cool Ultrasonic Humidifier (ARV $199) erases dry winter air! @thxmailcarrier http://bit.ly/8vhayW #win #giveaway

2 Extra Entries per follow method (leave 2 separate comments for each type) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect (see sidebar), subscribe to my RSS feed or subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you blog about this giveaway linking back to Thanks, Mail Carrier and AIR-O-SWISS. Please leave an address where it can be found.
Giveaway will end on February 4th at 11:59pm CST. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway open to continental U.S. residents only.

A big thank you to AIR-O-SWISS for providing a AOS 7144 for me to review as well as for one lucky giveaway winner. I'll never go back to the desert again! The opinions shared are my own and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

GIVEAWAY: My Emmy Baby Custom Personalized Fashions

xpsundell@gmail.com (Xenia) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:54:00 +0000

{This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to those who entered!}

When it came time to tell family and friends that we were expecting our second child, my husband and I decided that it would be fun to let Big Sister E spill the news by wearing a shirt declaring her future status as the older sibling. As my in-laws were coming to visit that weekend, we took a few days and searched the stores for something cute that would grab their attention while getting our point across.

Finding it to be a much harder task than we realized it would be, we finally picked out a pretty plain white shirt with the words Big Sister written across the front. Not very exciting and, unfortunately, not the cutest thing ever - particularly considering the price that we ended up paying for it. To top it off, when the grandparents arrived, my father-in-law didn't really get it. It took my mother-in-law really reading the words to finally ask, "Why does her shirt say big sister? Does that mean..." before we were able to celebrate with them.

No, the moment wasn't ruined or anything, it just wasn't as exciting as we had pictured. I think had Big Sister E been wearing something that was high quality or personalized or actually CUTE, it would have made a difference. There's no way that my father-in-law could have been confused if he had walked in to see this:

Now THAT is an adorable way to make an announcement.

What do you do when you have artistic skills, imagination and adore crafting fashionable things? Emily's love of creating personalized and creative gifts for children grew into something more when she had her own children (she has four gorgeous ones) and My Emmy Baby was created to share her talent and designs with the world.

The result? A site where you can choose from any one of the amazing existing styles and customize it exactly how you would like (size, name, colors for the shirt or the design, etc) or Emily will work with you to create your own unique, one-of-a-kind fashion. Is there a certain character, image or saying that would be perfect for your little one? You've come to the right place at My Emmy Baby.

I loved browsing through the Sample Designs shown, there were so many that were sweet or smart or funny or just simply really cute. However, it was hard to know where to even begin. There were multiple options for birthdays, newborns, twins, boys, girls, holidays, sports... you get the picture. And they all showcased clean lines, great colors and modern fonts that worked so well together. Plus, I thought it was great that your finished look can be on a onesie, toddler tee, youth tee or even in multiple sizes and colors of a long sleeved shirt.

As our choice of big sister shirt for Big Sister E turned out to be somewhat of a flop, I was immediately drawn to the Big/Little/Middle Sister or Brother designs offered on My Emmy Baby. After sorting through the different shapes and the matching or contrasting colors, I told Emily my favorites and, only a short time later, was rewarded with these:

The 100% combed cotton is soft and comfortable, the images are professionally heat pressed so there is no peeling and the quality has been evident from how well the designs have held up through multiple washings. I loved the way these shirts turned out so much that my daughters wore them on Christmas day to visit with family - and were a big hit!

My Emmy Baby is the site to go to for your next baby shower, birthday, holiday or event where a unique, custom-designed tee or onesie will amaze and delight both the parents and the child (Big Sister E loves pointing out her name and that her shirt declares that she is the big sister). Thanks to Emily's generosity, one of you will soon have a great gift or a very stylish child, because...

One lucky person will win their choice of onesie/tee from My Emmy Baby!

To enter to win your onesie/tee of choice from My Emmy Baby: Visit My Emmy Baby and tell me which design is your favorite or what custom design you would create. Please do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted. For example, if you subscribe, leave one comment saying "I subscribe #1" and a separate comment saying "I subscribe #2")

1 Extra Entry (per method) if you follow My Emmy Baby on Twitter and/or follow the My Emmy Baby blog with Google Friend Connect.
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway. See the list on the top of my right sidebar - there are some really great ones going on right now and coming up!
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

My Emmy Baby custom onesies/tees = adorable, high quality and stylish! @thxmailcarrier from @myemmybaby http://bit.ly/81G7Pw #win #giveaway

2 Extra Entries per follow method (leave 2 separate comments for each type) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect (see sidebar), subscribe to my RSS feed or subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you blog about this giveaway linking back to Thanks, Mail Carrier and My Emmy Baby. Please leave an address where it can be found.
5 Extra Entries (leave 5 separate comments) if you make a purchase from My Emmy Baby before this giveaway ends. Let me know what adorable item(s) you chose!
Giveaway will end on January 21st, 2010 at 11:59pm CST. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway open to U.S. residents only.

A huge thank you to Emily at My Emmy Baby for providing two shirts for review as well as one for one lucky giveaway winner. They're SO great! The opinions shared are my own and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

Cute Winning!

xpsundell@gmail.com (Xenia) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:49:00 +0000

I told you it would be hard to choose just one favorite pair of shoes from ELK Kids, didn't I? There are so many cute styles that each time you think you've narrowed it down, there is another pair that you come across that are equally as adorable. The lucky person who will have to make a difficult decision and decide on their favorite is...

Congratulations, MountainMommy! A little one in your life will have stylish feet very soon!

Did you fall in love with all the great designs at Mitetees as well? Our shirts still look great and we're still getting compliments! The lucky person who will get to choose their favorite is...

Congratulations, Michele P! I can't wait to hear which shirt you'll choose!

Thanks to everyone who entered these two great giveaways... I've been moving pretty slow getting out of vacation mode, but as I get back in the swing of things you'll see more great giveaways posted soon. I hope you'll continue to stop by and enter!

GIVEAWAY: EvoraPlus Probiotics Mints (2 winners!)

xpsundell@gmail.com (Xenia) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 13:42:00 +0000

{This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to those who entered!}

Don't tell my dental hygienist, but I'm not really as great at flossing as she thinks I am. I try to keep up with it, really I do, it just seems like by the time I'm in my pajamas with my face washed and teeth brushed, all I want to do is fall into bed. Even though it only takes an extra few minutes to pull out the floss, sometimes the calling of my soft pillow is too much for me and I just tell myself that I'll do it another day.

Fortunately for me, at the checkup I had a few weeks ago I got a glowing report from both the hygienist and the dentist that my teeth and gums look great. Of course I'll never know for certain, but the only thing that I've changed since my last visit is that I've been using EvoraPlus probiotic mints.

What are these magic mints? Let's start from the beginning. You know that there's harmful bacteria in your mouth, right? Eeew, I know. That bad bacteria turns the sugar and carbohydrates you eat into lactic acid, which is responsible for a decline in dental health... which can lead to all sorts of other things, like poor heart health. Yikes! How do we combat that? By the daily replenishment of good bacteria so that it can reestablish the natural balance in your mouth for healthy gums and teeth, fresher breath and whiter teeth.

Enter EvoraPlus from Oragenics, Inc. No yucky-tasting mouthwash or weird plastic things to stick to your teeth, just a small mint that you pop into your mouth twice a day after brushing your teeth. I'm not usually a big fan of mints, they always seem a little strong and overpowering to me, but I actually enjoyed the light, subtle taste of EvoraPlus as the tablet easily dissolved in my mouth. I kept my packet near my bathroom sink so that it was simple to remember to grab one after I put down my toothbrush.

Each time I put one on my tongue, it made me just that much happier knowing that the freeze-dried probiotics in EvoraPlus were attaching themselves to my teeth and gum tissue and establishing lots of the beneficial good bacteria on the surface of my teeth and beneath the gum line. As well as helping keep my teeth and gums healthy, EvoraPlus was helping freshen my breath and, by releasing a low level form of hydrogen peroxide, naturally whiten my teeth. Who doesn't want that?

In the end, were my teeth whiter? Honestly, yes (although not as perfect as the ones pictured at left). I couldn't tell you exactly how many shades, but there was a definite improvement. At the end of the first week of taking EvoraPlus, my husband actually commented to me that he thought that my teeth looked whiter... and that's not something he would normally even notice.

Considering EvoraPlus is safe and effective for all ages (including children), simple to use, convenient (no special storage or refrigeration necessary), gentle enough for use with crowns, bridges, caps, veneers and braces and is a replacement for all of those expensive mouthwashes, breath fresheners and tooth whitening products, it's really a great product for everyone.

A one-month supply of EvoraPlus probiotic mints retails for $19.95 and can be purchased directly off of their website or many other online locations (listed at the bottom of their homepage). Thanks to their generosity, two people will get to enjoy the benefits of healthier teeth and gums, fresher breath and whiter teeth, because...

Two lucky people will win 30-day supplies of EvoraPlus!

To enter to win your supply of EvoraPlus: Visit EvoraPlus and tell me why you would like to try out this innovative product. Looking for whiter teeth, fresher breath or to decrease the sensitivity of your teeth? Please do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile. I have to have a way to contact the winner.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted. For example, if you subscribe, leave one comment saying "I subscribe #1" and a separate comment saying "I subscribe #2")

1 Extra Entry (each) if you follow EvoraPlus and/or Oragenics on Twitter.
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway. See the list on the top of my right sidebar - there are some really great ones going on right now and coming up!
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

EvoraPlus whitens teeth and keeps gums and mouth healthy *2 winners* @thxmailcarrier from @EvoraPlus http://bit.ly/7CzWGP #giveaway #win

2 Extra Entries per follow method (leave 2 separate comments for each type) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect (see sidebar), subscribe to my RSS feed or subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries (leave 3 separate comments) if you blog about this giveaway linking back to Thanks, Mail Carrier and EvoraPlus. Please leave an address where it can be found.

Giveaway will end on January 21st, 2010 at 11:59pm CST. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway open to U.S. and Canadian residents only.

A big thank you to Oragenics for providing me with a supply of EvoraPlus to review as well as one for two lucky giveaway winners. What a simple, yet tasty, way to stay healthy! I was given the opportunity to review this product because of my membership at The Product Review Place. The opinions shared are my own and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

Exclusive Activeion Discount on the Ionator HOM!

xpsundell@gmail.com (Xenia) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 21:18:00 +0000

So...

You didn't win my giveaway for an Activeion Pro cleaning machine. I mentioned that I'm sorry about that, right?

Fortunately for you, here's the next best thing. Activeion took notice to how many of you thought that their products are amazing (which they are) and wanted to thank you by giving you the opportunity to have a discount on their newest cleaner, the ionator HOM.

It's awfully pretty too, isn't it?

I mentioned this great little machine in my review and talked about how great one of these would be to have around the house. Since Activeion realized you're probably not doing professional-grade cleaning too often in your home, the ionator HOM was created for daily-use household cleaning and sanitizing. Whatever the surface you're looking to clean - glass, stainless steel, carpet, fabric, natural stone like granite or marble - the ionator HOM will get rid of dirt and bacteria (say goodbye to H1N1) using just tap water.

A quick reminder of the science lesson that I tried to give earlier (feel free to let Bill Nye show you in more detail) tells you that by charging and activating regular water, it is able to attract dirt like a magnet and lift it away from the surface. This gives you 30-45 seconds to easily wipe away the suspended grime and sanitize your home all without using any chemicals, so you know that you aren't putting your children, your pets or yourself at risk of anything toxic.

So what are you waiting for? Unless you can claim that you have no soils, stains, dirt, dust or oils on your countertops, carpets, kids' toys, windows, appliances, wood floors, tubs, showers, sinks, laundry... or that you don't mind the thought of spraying something possibly harmful on surfaces where little hands will touch before going in their mouth... the ionator HOM is the solution.

What do you need to know to take advantage of Activeion's discount? Usually the ionator HOM retails for $169 (+shipping and taxes), but, when you get to the Confirm & Pay page of Activeion's online store, just enter the coupon code mailcarrier and you will receive $20 off of your purchase. Whether you buy one ionator HOM or multiple (a fantastic housewarming gift? A future birthday present?) you will receive $20 off of each one, simple as that.

This offer is open to everyone, no matter where you live! US and Canadian residents can easily order online, while any international customers are welcome to call Activeion at 763-428-0081 and reference the promo code mailcarrier to receive their discount.

This is the future of cleaning! Activeion says that "with just the ionator HOM and a faucet, you have a virtually endless supply of safe, sustainable cleaner" and that's completely true. This exclusive discount expires on January 31, 2010, so head over to Activeion today and take the next step in safely protecting your family.

(I didn't receive a thing in exchange for running this promotion with Activeion. Rather, I think their company and products are amazing and thought that if saving a little money would entice someone else to purchase and fall in love with their products, then of course I'll share!)