The Maxwell's Madness!

WINNER! ChicoBag™ Blossom Collection Vita™

2011-05-01T14:12:00.000-06:00

WINNER!

ChicoBag™ Blossom Collection Vita™ Bag

I LOVE my whole collection of ChicoBag™ reusable bags - and the Blossom Collection Vita™ is an awesome addition to my stash. Whether this is your first or one of many in your reusable bag stash, I know you will really dig this bag!

From 83 Valid entries, the winning entry is:

Entry #58

And that lucky person is: Amanda Alvarado! Congrats Amanda! I will be mailing your bag out first thing tomorrow.

And a great big THANK YOU to ChicoBag™ for sponsoring this review and giveaway! I love your products and you are always a joy to work with!

ChicoBag™ Blossom Collection - Vita! Review and Giveaway

2011-04-24T23:46:00.005-06:00

CHICOBAG™ REUSABLE BAGS

The Blossom Collection

Review and Giveaway

Just about a year ago, I was fortunate to be able to work with ChicoBag™ and I wrote an extensive review of their reusable bags. Well, I'm back for a mini review of the New Blossom Collection!

The Blossom Collection bags are the Vita™ shoulder style bag and each of the four gorgeous designs celebrate spring, featuring blossoms in full bloom. I received The Blossom Collection bag in Chai. It's a beautiful, rich brown bag with vibrant pink flowers climbing up the side. This bag is fantastic. Not only is it pretty, but it's totally functional. At a roomy 19" x 15.5", it will hold a TON of stuff - and it's durable woven polyester material makes this bag a workhorse, able to haul up to 40 pounds of loot! That's the equivalent of about 5 gallons of milk. What other reusable bag would you trust with that kind of load?

As with all of the bags in the ChicoBag™ line, The Blossom Collection Vita™ easily stuffs down into it's own integrated stuff sack, shrinking down to a handy and lightweight 3.5" x 5" package. It's a great bag to have in your purse, clipped on your book bag, or stashed in your glovebox so you always have a reusable sack on hand.

I decided to use mine to stash all of my current fiber craft projects. I have a wonderful habit of starting a ton of projects all at once, so I needed a roomy bag to fit it all in there!

The Blossom Collection in Chai - jammed full of my knitting!

If you look closely, you will see a second Blossom Collection bag in Green Tea! ChicoBag™ was kind enough to send me this second bag, valued at $12.99, to give away to one of my readers!

WIN THIS BAG! The Blossom Collection in Green Tea

WIN A CHICOBAG™

One of my lucky readers is going to win a Blossom Collection ChicoBag™ in Green Tea.

TO ENTER: Fill out this form and leave a comment telling me that you did so.

LINKS YOU MAY NEED:

ChicoBag™

ChicoBag™ on Facebook

ChicoBag™ on Twitter

The Maxwell's Madness! on Facebook

The Maxwell's Madness! on Twitter

YOU MAY USE THIS TWEET:

Win a @ChicoBag Blossom Collection Bag at The Maxwell's Madness! @TheMaxwellsMad #giveaway http://bit.ly/gPwZj

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ENTERED!

This giveaway is open to all US and Canadian residents 18 years of age and over.

Giveaway ends at 12pm MST on Sunday, 5/1/2011

Winner will be drawn using random.org and will be notified via email.

Disclaimer: This review and giveaway is sponsored by ChicoBag™. I received the product being reviewed, free of charge. The review is my honest opinion based on my experience using the product and has not been reviewed or edited by ChicoBag™.

Our Address Has Changed!

2011-02-09T11:56:00.001-07:00

NEW WEB ADDRESS!

Please Update Your Bookmarks!

I took the plunge this week and spent the $10 to buy a domain name for this blog. YAY! Now, instead of it being named after my daughter, it will be named after, well - my blog! The old address will automatically redirect you to this new address, but for ease of use and integrity of links, you'd be best to update your bookmarks and HTML code!

http://www.themaxwellsmadness.com

WINNERS! CSN Stores and Kushies Gift Basket

2011-01-30T15:38:00.000-07:00

WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT

CSN Stores $50 Gift Certificate

Post #27

Congratulations Dee!

Kushies Gift Basket!

Post #31

Congratulations tvpg!

I have emailed the winners. If, by chance, they do not claim their prize within 48 hours, I will redraw. Congratulations and thank you for reading and posting at The Maxwell's Madness!

And a great big THANK YOU to CSN Stores and Heirloom Babies for sponsoring these giveaways!

Giveaway: Kushies Newborn Gift Basket

2011-01-23T12:21:00.003-07:00

GIVEAWAY

Gift Basket of Newborn Goodies

The Gift Basket

As many of you may already know, I love to participate in The Great Cloth Diaper Hunt at Diaper Decisions. The last one was in November and I was lucky enough to win a prize! YAY! This wonderful gift basket was donated as a prize for The Great Cloth Diaper Hunt by Heirloom Babies. It contains 3 Kushies Cotton Washcloths, 2 Kushies Flannel Burp Pads, 2 Kushies Flannel Tie-on Bibs, 2 Kushies Newborn Wraps (diaper covers), and 2 Newborn Chinese Prefold Diapers. And the beautiful basket! It's the perfect gift for someone who is expecting a newborn. Unfortunately for me, I am NOT expecting a newborn. And both of my girls are well past the newborn stage.

Fortunately for YOU, my readers, I am not expecting a newborn. So I am going to give this away! It is valued at $45!

WIN THIS GIFT BASKET!

TO ENTER: Visit Heirloom Babies and have a look around her site. Then come back here and tell me what you would put your own custom gift basket!

Please leave your email address in this first comment so I can easily contact you if you win. If I cannot contact you, I will have to pick another winner.

EXTRA ENTRIES: Leave a separate comment for each entry.
Visit the sister site Heirloom Weddings and comment about something you like

Visit the Kushies Baby website and comment about a product you love or would like to try

Like Kushies Baby on Facebook

Follow [@KushiesBaby] Kushies Baby on Twitter

EVEN MORE ENTRIES: Again, leave a separate comment for each entry.
Follow The Maxwell's Madness! publicly [with Google Friend Connect]

Subscribe to The Maxwell's Madness! via RSS reader

Subscribe to The Maxwell's Madness! with Feedburner

Add The Maxwell's Madness! to your public blog roll on your blog

Blog about this giveaway with a link back to The Maxwell's Madness!

Refer a friend to The Maxwell's Madness! Blog

Grab my button and add it to your blog

Post a link to this giveaway on your Facebook page

Like The Maxwell's Madness! on Facebook

Tag The Maxwell's Madness! in a post on Facebook

Refer a friend to The Maxwell's Madness! on Facebook

Follow me [@TheMaxwellsMad] on Twitter

Tweet about this giveaway:

~~You may tweet once per day~~
You may use this tweet:

Win a Gift Basket of Newborn Goodies worth $45 at The Maxwell's Madness! @TheMaxwellsMad #giveaway #clothdiapers http://bit.ly/hWHmi1
_________________

This giveaway is open to all US residents 18 and over, except where prohibited by law.
Giveaway ends at 12pm MST on Sunday, 1/30/2011.
Winners may not substitute another product or seek credit towards another product from Heirloom Babies, Kushies Baby, or The Maxwell's Madness!

Disclaimer: This giveaway is sponsored by The Maxwell's Madness! I received this item as a prize in a contest and I am Re-Giving it of my own free will.

Twitter Update

2011-01-21T12:52:00.001-07:00

TWITTER UPDATE

I changed my Twitter Username

Now that Twitter has updated their interface, I was able to change my username to something that better reflects the blog/business side of things! Woot! It does involve a bit of tweaking on my part, but otherwise it is fairly seamless.

SO: If you have been following me on Twitter at @globalMTgirl, make sure I'm showing up now as @TheMaxwellsMad. Because that's who I am now! And check out my rad new profile pic as well.

AND: If you weren't following me on Twitter before and want to now, you can do so @TheMaxwellsMad

Here are a few direct links:

Twitter
The Maxwell's Madness! on Twitter
TweetDeck - a pretty cool, free interface for using Twitter

That's about it for now.

Happy Tweeting!

Keeping it Simple to Keep Myself Sane

2011-01-19T16:25:00.000-07:00

SIMPLE CHANGES

Can Produce Dramatic Results

As another new year rolls around, we are all making resolutions to hopefully help us to improve our health, well being, and/or lifestyle. While I personally don't make 'official' resolutions - you know the kind that you write down and share with others to keep yourself accountable - I DO try to keep in mind that sometimes a little change can have a great effect on my life.

There are a few changes that I have made in the last month that I have been really pleased with! And sometimes with simple pleasures, comes that moment of sanity that we all need.

REARRANGE AND REORGANIZE:

Toy storage. It's amazing how big of a change a simple set of shelving can make. A set of cube storage shelves and a few fabric bins took us from chaos to cool in no time flat last spring. This holiday season I took it one step further by moving the bed in our guest room to make room for a play area. I put the toy storage shelves in there with another set of storage drawers and, presto chango, instant play room. Not only do the kids have a great space to play, but it helps keep clutter in the main living area much more manageable. "Ahhhh! Cube storage, take me away!"
I just recently took on the task of rearranging our family living space. It did involve a visit from the electrician to install a new cable jack, but otherwise all I really did was move the TV from the end wall in our living room to the side wall. It really helped to define a much cozier space for us to sit and watch TV and the main traffic corridor through this space no longer goes between the couch and the TV - YAY!! It also opened up the old space where the TV was for kid stuff.
After the living space, it was more kid space that got a simple makeover. Now that there was a bit more room with the TV and TV stand out of there, there was a whole corner dedicated to kid play. Kitchen, kid table, easel, and associated toys are now all in one area instead of jammed wherever we could fit them throughout the room.
Cubes for Crafts: my final bit of reorganizing involved all of the craft stuff I have for my girls. It was getting out of hand, stacking up on top of their kid kitchen and cluttering my kitchen counters. It was so unorganized that I hated getting stuff out for them to craft with! I decided to install a simple 2 cube shelf (up and out of reach so they can't self craft me into a new interior design when I'm on the potty) to organize it all. Now we are back to doing some crafts every day - which is fun for both the kids AND me! I also hung a small bulletin board that I had just lying around so we could hang up their works of art without making my fridge look like it needed to start dating a paper shredder.

ENERGY AND NOURISHMENT:

As with most people in January, I am adding some more exercise to my normal routine. My goal is 20 minutes a day. Even if it means the laundry doesn't get folded or the dishes don't get done. I actually started this before Christmas - really spurred on by the fact that an awesome pair of pants fit, but not all that comfortably. It's really amazing what just a tiny bit of actual focused exercise can do for your energy levels! So what have I been doing?

30 Day Shred Workouts: These are 20 minute interval training workouts that are really effective at burning calories and strengthening core muscle groups. And don't be scared of Jillian - you can turn her voice off if you don't like to listen to her!
Wii Fit: I inherited this from my mother in law and I love it! It's really fun and you can blow through an hour of 'games' before you know it. It helps work on strength, balance, flexibility, and aerobic activities in a really fun and simple format.
Yoga: I have talked about yoga before - it is one thing I recommend for everyone to try at least once. I try to get to a formal class about once a week.
Shoveling Snow: I live in Montana. It's a fact of life. ;)

Banning the Bag. The takeout bag, that is. It's really tempting and easy to just run out and grab a takeout meal instead of cooking something at home. Especially when you are low on energy and running ragged from your day. No matter how 'healthy' or 'gourmet' the fast food joints try to make their food seem (come one people - natural cut fries with sea salt sounds good, but they are STILL french fries!!), it will never be as healthful, tasty, or affordable as food cooked in your own kitchen. In order to ban the bag in our house I try to plan for a week of simple, healthy meals that I can stretch into a day or so of leftovers (I mean, who wants to cook EVERY night, right?). This keeps us eating home cooked meals more often and getting fast food a LOT less. And we all know this is not only good for your waistline, but also for your wallet!

Now, this may seem like a big list, but in reality - each item in it was a pretty simple task that made or is making a pretty big impact on my life. Rearranging and reorganizing simplified our living space and helped eliminate the chaos. For me: Less Chaos = More Sanity. Exercising just a little every day (and keeping it fun!) really helps boost my energy levels, as does eating simply and well! So, keep it simple and keep it sane!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Simply Orange® blogging program. If I am one of the first 65 blogs received by SocialsMoms, I will receive a $25 Target gift card and a gift pack that includes a Simply Orange® cooler bag and logoed fleece.

CSN Stores Giveaway: Win a $50 Gift Certificate!

2011-01-19T12:37:00.004-07:00

CSN STORES GIVEAWAY

Win a $50 Gift Certificate to Any CSN Store

Last June I was introduced to CSN Stores - a collection of over 200 online stores with everything you can imagine from Housewares to Home Improvement. Looking for something new to spend that upcoming tax return on? Why not some new furniture or something to accent what you already have? CSN has both contemporary and modern furniture and accessories that would look great in any home!

I did a bit of browsing and found a few things that I really love!

iittala - Origo Orange Serving Bowl: $47

Breville - Icon 4-Slice Toaster: $89.99

Gus Modern - Upcycle Ottoman: $425

One of my lucky readers is going to win a $50 Gift Certificate to use any way you wish* at any of the over 200 CSN Stores.

* Gift Certificate is a one time use, and does not cover any shipping charges.

WIN A $50 GIFT CERTIFICATE

TO CSN STORES

TO ENTER: Visit the All Modern CSN Store and come back here and tell me what you love the most and why.

Please leave your email address in your first comment so I can easily contact you if you win. If I cannot contact you, I will have to draw another winner.

EXTRA ENTRIES: **Reminder - these are Extra! You can do as many or as few as you like!** Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

Become a fan of CSN Stores on Facebook
Make a comment on CSN Stores Facebook page with a link to this post at The Maxwell's Madness!
Follow CSN Stores [@csnstores] on Twitter
Make a purchase at any CSN Store between now and the end of the giveaway (2 entries - leave a comment for each entry)
Visit the CSN Stores Blog and tell me one of the featured CSN Stores the have listed in their sidebar
Follow The Maxwell's Madness! publicly [with Google Friend Connect]
Subscribe to The Maxwell's Madness! via RSS reader
Add The Maxwell's Madness! to your public blog roll on your blog
Blog about this giveaway with a link back to The Maxwell's Madness!
Grab my button and add it to your blog
Like The Maxwell's Madness! on Facebook
Tag The Maxwell's Madness! in any post on Facebook
Refer a Friend to The Maxwell's Madness! on Facebook
Refer a Friend to The Maxwell's Madness! blog
Post a link to this giveaway on your Facebook page
Follow me [@TheMaxwellsMad] on Twitter
Tweet about this giveaway:

~~You may tweet once per day~~

You may use this tweet:

Win a $50 CSN Stores Gift Certificate at The Maxwell's Madness! @csnstores @TheMaxwellsMad #giveaway http://bit.ly/ewEOsT

_________________

This giveaway is open to all US and Canadian residents 18 and over, except where prohibited by law.
Giveaway ends at 12pm MST on Sunday, 1/30/2011.
Winners may not substitute another product or seek credit towards another CSN Stores product.

Disclaimer: This giveaway is sponsored by CSN Stores. I have not received any compensation for posting this giveaway.

Long Time, No Write

2011-01-18T14:10:00.001-07:00

DID YOU MISS ME?

It's been forever and a day since I have posted here, but I have every intention of posting regularly again - starting with this post! I'll be honest - life just caught up with me. Busy with the kiddos. Busy getting out and doing stuff - both fun and obligatory. Busy crafting. Just busy. And to top it off, Rowan has decided that I am not allowed to type or surf the net while she is nursing anymore. So all of that down time that I used to have while she nursed and/or napped? Not so much of that anymore. ;)

Anyway, enough excuses. I have a list of things that I am WAY overdue in sharing with you and I plan on posting them up this week. In addition to everything in the box over there in the sidebar, I have a CSN Stores Gift Certificate and a Gift Basket of Kushies Newborn Goodies to give away! And I have a ton of stuff that I have made: from diapers to bags, that I would love to share on my crafting blog too!

Looking forward to blogging again!

Party In My Pants Cloth Pads Gift Certificate Winner!

2010-11-29T21:20:00.001-07:00

PARTY IN MY PANTS

Cloth Pads

GIFT CERTIFICATE WINNER

I have to say that I am totally stoked to have been able to help promote such a great product and a great small business! I can't wait to try these pads when it's my time. And I hope at least a few mamas were turned on to a great new product! Remember, even if you didn't win, all first time customers can receive a free panty liner for the cost of shipping with the PIMP Cloth Pad Curious Giveaway!

The winner of the Party In My Pants $25 Gift Certificate is:

Post #23

Congratulations Mary!!

Congratulations Mary! I emailed you with your gift certificate code!

And a huge THANK YOU to Party In My Pants for hosting this great giveaway!

Party In My Pants: Cloth Pad Review and Giveaway

2010-11-16T22:56:00.002-07:00

PARTY IN MY PANTS

CLOTH PAD

Review and Giveaway

In my ongoing quest to use all things natural and to reduce the number of disposable items in my home and in my life, the one item I have yet to actually try is Mama Cloth: you know, cloth pads for that special time of the month. Now don't get me wrong here. I definitely want to try them. I just haven't had the chance to since I discovered their existence! I first discovered Mama Cloth while I was pregnant with Ophelia and I've either been pregnant or sans flow ever since. Now, I have seen the Party In My Pants pads first hand and they are certainly beautiful and well made. But I have yet to have the chance to try them myself.

Fortunately for my readers, my good friend Gloria has offered to write a guest review! Gloria is a wonderful friend, part of my attachment parenting group, and the most incredible yoga instructor! You can read more about Gloria and her business, Blissful Family Yoga, on her blog.

PARTY IN MY PANTS PADS REVIEW

by Gloria Overcash

I've been using cloth pads for roughly seven years now. I've always liked pads because I am hip to the idea that the menses should flow rather than be plugged up. (Although I do find the menstrual cups to be a great alternative to the tampon) Switching to cloth is a great way to cut down on garbage, and although a larger investment upfront, has saved me lots of money in the long run. In these seven years I have personally used four different brands of cloth pads with varying degrees of satisfaction and now finally, I have found the winner!

Gloria's Collection of PIMPs! Beautiful!

Party In My Pants (PIMPS for short) are cute, thin, and leak proof! I just finished my moon cycle using exclusively PIMPS and I have to tell you that it has been my most enjoyable moon cycle yet. They are by far the best cloth pads I have ever used for these reasons.

1. They are so comfortable! Part of this is because they are so incredibly thin. At first, I couldn't believe that they could possibly work as even the Super (heaviest absorbency) is super-thin, but they do! They really do feel like part of your underwear, and they do not bunch or feel bulky. And you can choose cozy flannel or cool cotton.

2. They really are LEAK-PROOF! The entire back of the pad is made of nylon, and the pads provide enough coverage and stay in place.

3. They are so discreet! When you are done with a pad, you simply fold it up (with the cotton side on the inside) and snap the wings together to make a little pouch. Toss it in your purse (or in one of the special carrying cases) and wash it later!

Pads fold up, cotton side in, to form a discreet little pouch!

4. They are super cute! With all the choices in patterns and prints, it is fun to choose your collection and fun to change your pad!

Pretty Pads all in a row...

5. Laundering is easy! Simply wash in cold or warm, and line dry or tumble dry low. No soaking necessary! A simple lingerie bag makes this task a breeze.

6. The one-piece design makes it all so simple. There are no inserts or liners to lose!

7. There are so many styles to choose from. By taking a simple quiz on the website, you can find the right pads for you based on your flow and the style of underwear you wear.

From left to right: Postpartum/Queen Size, Overnight, Super

(same size as Large but thicker), Large, Medium, Small

If you are an expecting mama, check out the postpartum pads! They even offer Honeysuckles, some very cute nursing pads!

For new mamas- You don't have to wear those disposable

diaper-like pads after you give birth! PIMP's lovely postpartum pad

and Honeysuckles nursing pads, too (for moms who like dry shirts!)

Another reason I love these pads is because they are made by women, for women, in the USA! No sweatshop labor needed as the clever design team stitches up pads in a renovated schoolhouse in Ashland, Wisconsin.

Buying PIMPS will change the way you view your menstrual cycle, help keep garbage out of the landfill, and support small business. I hope you'll make the switch to cloth, too!

TRY IT FOR FREE!

Are you cloth pad curious? Party In My Pants is offering all new customers a free liner! (All you need to do is pay your own shipping). Check out all the details on the Cloth Pad Curious Giveaway at Party In My Pants!

WIN A PARTY IN YOUR PANTS!
(I so could not resist that one!)

Party In My Pants has generously offered a $25 Gift Certificate* to one of my lucky readers! This will allow you to choose the products that will work best for you!

* Gift Certificate will not cover any shipping charges.

TO ENTER: Visit Party In My Pants and have a look around her site. Then come back here and tell me how you would spend your $25 Gift Certificate!

Please leave your email address in this first comment so I can easily contact you if you win. If I cannot contact you, I will have to pick another winner.

EXTRA ENTRIES: Leave a separate comment for each entry.
Like Party In My Pants on Facebook

Follow Party In My Pants on Twitter

Sign up for the Party In My Pants eNewsletter

Try PIMPs for the first time: Cloth Pad Curious Giveaway. 3 entries if you order your own free liner! (leave a separate comment for each entry)

Purchase your own PIMPs or PIMPs accessories. 2 entries for each item you purchase. (leave a separate comment for each entry)

EVEN MORE ENTRIES: Again, leave a separate comment for each entry.
Follow The Maxwell's Madness! publicly [with Google Friend Connect]

Subscribe to The Maxwell's Madness! via RSS reader

Subscribe to The Maxwell's Madness! with Feedburner

Add The Maxwell's Madness! to your public blog roll on your blog

Blog about this giveaway with a link back to The Maxwell's Madness!

Refer a friend to The Maxwell's Madness! Blog

Grab my button and add it to your blog

Post a link to this giveaway on your Facebook page

Like The Maxwell's Madness! on Facebook

Tag The Maxwell's Madness! in a post on Facebook

Refer a friend to The Maxwell's Madness! on Facebook

Follow me [@globalMTgirl] on Twitter

Tweet about this giveaway:

~~You may tweet once per day~~
You may use this tweet:

Win a Party In My Pants Gift Certificate at The Maxwell's Madness! @partypantspads @globalMTgirl #giveaway http://bit.ly/9rGjUW
_________________

This giveaway is open to all US and International residents 18 and over, except where prohibited by law. International shipping rates will apply.
Giveaway ends at 12pm MST on Sunday, 11/28/2010.
Winners may not substitute another product or seek credit towards another Party In My Pants product.

Disclaimer: This review and giveaway is sponsored by Party In My Pants. Gloria purchased her own pads in order to write this review. The review is Gloria's honest opinion based on her experience using the product and has not been reviewed or edited by Party In My Pants.

Zestra® Sample Winners!

2010-10-03T13:42:00.000-06:00

ZESTRA®

Essential Arousal Oils

SAMPLE WINNERS

Now perhaps some of you were too shy to admit that you took a survey about your sex life or perhaps you just didn't want to admit you'd like to try this stuff. Whatever the reason, the entries for this giveaway were insanely low. I hope the winners really enjoy their samples. This is a fantastic product and I think every woman out there should be able to at least give it a try!

The FIVE lucky winners are:

Post #8: Alexis!

Post #2: Fam.VanGurp ~ bajafam

Post #4: AnnCrabs!

Post #7: Michele!

Post #10: Bonita12

Congratulations to all of the winners! And a great big THANK YOU to Zestra® for sponsoring this giveaway.

The Maxwell's Madness! has 100 Followers! YAY!

2010-09-14T15:25:00.000-06:00

100 FOLLOWER GIVEAWAY WINNER!

Today I reached 100 Followers (via Google Friend Connect) on this blog! So, yes, I screen capped it! It seems like it has taken ages, but I am proud of this milestone nonetheless. In celebration of that feat, I am giving one lucky blog reader a custom wetbag, made by me!

And the winner is:

Reader #20

And counting up from the bottom of the list, Reader #20 is:

ColleenM

Congratulations Colleen! You have 48 hours to contact me - either on my Facebook page or via email - to collect your prize!

You have the choice of a small (6" x 7") or medium (12" x 14") wetbag in the fabric of your choice! Here is a slideshow of the available fabrics to choose from. If you click the slideshow, it will take you to the photo album where you can view the swatches larger and at your own pace.

I want to send a big THANK YOU to all of my readers! Our next milestone is at 250 Followers! Now that this blog is starting to grow a bit, I hope to reach that number much faster than we got to 100. So, if you enjoy reading, spread the word. And perhaps check out my other blogs (Look in the sidebar under "More Maxwell Blogs") - you never know when something cool might pop up!

Happy 100!

Easy Lunch Box System WINNER!

2010-09-14T14:50:00.001-06:00

EASY LUNCH BOX SYSTEM WINNER

I truly love my Easy Lunch Box System and I hope you love yours too! Not only is this a great product, but it's also a great company. So if you weren't the winner of this giveaway, head over to the Easy Lunch Box website and consider purchasing a set for yourself!

And our winner is:

Post #98

Congratulations Kara!

I have emailed the winner for her contact informations. Congratulations Kara - all of those daily Tweets paid off!

I would like to extend a great big THANK YOU to Easy Lunch Boxes for hosting this giveaway!

If you use the affiliate link in the banner above or in my sidebar to make your purchase from Easy Lunch Boxes, I will receive a small commission. Thank you!

Happy Lunching! (or dining, or snacking, or organizing...)

Check out my Craft Room!

2010-09-06T19:29:00.001-06:00

THE MAXWELL'S CRAFT ROOM

Montana Mei Tai©

I'm promoting my own blog - The Maxwell's Craft Room. I haven't been very active on my craft blog, but my most recent post is pertinent to both blogs, so I'm posting about it here too!

You may have noticed that there are several babywearing links in my sidebar. I am actually an avid babywearer, even though I don't actually post about it very often. In my quest to have a wider variety of carriers, I ventured into making my own Mei Tai baby carrier: The Montana Mei Tai© - a Scandi Style Baby Carrier.

I started the project back in January: drafting the pattern, ordering fabrics, and getting everything pieced out and ready to sew. It got put on the back burner for a while, but I finished the majority of the sewing in April and was able to wear the carrier while the weather was still cool. (This is definitely a cool weather carrier - it is heavy weight with 2 inner pieces of heavy weight twill and it is lined with a thick minky material). All it really needed was snaps on the hood straps and some tabs on the shoulder straps to attach the hood straps to. Well, I finished it today and I'm totally chuffed about it!

So, if you are interested in the process and other crafty junk, head over to The Maxwell's Craft Room and have a look around. Or if you'd rather just see the finished product:

The Montana Mei Tai©

Rowan is 20 pounds and 14 months old.

She is in a Ruck style back carry with a Tibetan Tie

For more information about babywearing, check out some of the links in my sidebar. For more photos and info about this carrier, head over to The Maxwell's Craft Room and check it out!

Happy Babywearing!

Win $1000! Zestra® Contest and Giveaway

2010-09-05T15:53:00.001-06:00

ZESTRA®

Essential Arousal Oils

CONTEST AND GIVEAWAY

Zestra® is giving my readers a chance to win $1000! They are looking for a bit of feedback on what women feel about their sex lives. It's a simple one question survey, and you can take it by clicking HERE. There is a link in their blog post to take the survey and be entered to win $1000, which is enough to buy a fancy pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes. Or for us less fashionable, more practical mamas - a new refrigerator!

Now, if you are wondering just what Zestra® is, read my detailed review HERE. Back in April of this year I was fortunate to be given the chance to review this fantastic product. And now my readers are going to get the chance to win a trial pack of their own!

ZESTRA® GIVEAWAY

FIVE of my lucky readers are going to win a 2-pack of Zestra® so they can try this great product!

TO ENTER: Head on over to the Zestra® Blog and take the one question survey. Then come back here and leave a comment telling me that you did so.

Please leave your email address in your comment so I can contact you if you win.

___________________________

This giveaway is open to all US residents 18 and over, except where prohibited by law.
Giveaway ends at 12pm MST on Sunday, 9/19/2010.
Winners may not substitute another product or seek credit towards another product.

I EXTENDED THIS GIVEAWAY BECAUSE THERE WERE SO FEW ENTRIES. I'M NOT SURE IF YOU ALL WERE JUST BEING SHY, BUT YOU ARE TOTALLY MISSING OUT!

Disclaimer: This giveaway is sponsored by Zestra®. I was offered a sample of Zestra® as compensation for posting about this contest and giveaway.

Blog Updates and a Giveaway!

2010-09-03T16:23:00.002-06:00

BLOG UPDATES

I haven't made any real major updates, but there are a few minor changes I thought I'd point out.

First and foremost, I have posted a page link to my official Giveaway Rules. If you ever enter a giveaway on this blog, I suggest you check them out. As well as the Disclosure Policy that's up there as well!
I have been slowly adding affiliates to places and products that I really like. This helps to A) Promote these businesses and B) earn me a bit of commission if you click through my affiliate links and also make a purchase. No pressure, but if you shop at Amazon, think of me please!
I have updated my blog roll. There are now two! The main one has blogs that I read: everything from cloth diapering to parenting to mombloggers. Anything that interests me, really. There are more than just the 10 that are showing too - so if you are really that interested, just click 'show all' and you will be stuck in front of your computer reading blogs until the end of time. The other blog roll has blogs that are primarily giveaway blogs - or blogs where I have entered giveaways myself. This will make it easy to see who's giving away what and also keep the other blog roll a bit cleaner. Say, if you don't really care about reviews and giveaways.
I have added milestone giveaways to my repertoire. The first milestone is 100 followers. The giveaway is as follows:

GIVEAWAY

100 Follower Giveaway

I've posted this on my Facebook Fan Page, but I thought I should officially post it here as well.

When I reach 100 Followers on this blog, I will be giving away a custom wetbag, sewn by me. Everyone who is a Follower is eligible. You don't even need to leave a comment to enter. You WILL however need to be paying attention to my blog - as the winner will be posted here and it will be their responsibility to contact me to claim their prize. (Seeing as most people keep their profile private!)

So, what IS a wetbag? It is simply a bag that you can stick wet stuff in to get it home without it getting all your other junk wet and icky too. It is most commonly used to carry soiled cloth diapers in, but it works great for for wet swimwear, stinky gym clothes, mama cloth, or any number of other things. Smaller ones make great cosmetic bags. I have a small one that I keep prepackaged snacks in for the girls.

The winner will be able to choose their size: The small one is about 5" x 7"and the larger one is 12" x 14". Each will have a zip closure and a snapping tab, so you can hang it on stuff if you need to.

The winner will also get to choose their own fabric. Here is a slideshow of the available fabrics. You can click through to the actual album to see the swatches in a larger format, if you'd like to.

We are very close. As of this posting, I only need 16 more followers before I pick a winner! So, if you read, but don't follow - now is the time to click on "Follow" with Google Friend Connect. It's right in the sidebar over there. And if you know someone who might enjoy this blog, or even just this giveaway, send them on over!

Free Your Mind Fridays: Indian Summer

2010-09-03T13:15:00.000-06:00

FREE YOUR MIND FRIDAY

Indian Summer

Our weather has officially stated that summer is over and Indian Summer has begun. It's been rainy and cool for a few days and now sunny and cool. This is my favorite time of the year. Big blue skies, sunshine, and 66ºF. Perfect! (See - FYMF is not always about complaining!)
Alexis at The Well Read Mom usually hosts this, but she is on vacation! So if you want to link up, leave a comment here and I'll add your link to my post this week!
I am SO jealous that Alexis is going on vacation! I hope she gets to sleep 14 hours a day and do tons of great fun kid free activities.
Baby Sleep: I think it's a myth. LOL. Really, Rowan has only been taking one good nap a day for about a week. Yesterday she just would NOT go down for a nap in the afternoon. But then she went to sleep right at 7pm after her bath and slept until 8am this morning. Well, not straight through. But at least she wasn't up playing and ransacking the place until 10pm like usual.
Toddler Sleep: When you unplug their reading light, they sleep better. Because it's dark in their room. And they aren't up until 4am trying to sleep with the light on.
Wordless Wednesday was supposed to be the big reveal of my super secret sewing project. I finished the project, but didn't take photos in time to post. So, check the end of THIS post to see what I made. And if you want one, leave a comment and I'll see what I can do to get that process started. I'm thinking $8 each.
I just took a hiatus from writing this post to feed my kids lunch. During which time I got one of those odd urges: I took down the drapes in front of the sliding doors and tossed them in the wash. There was more dust up there than I am partial to, so I got the Swiffer out and dusted the rod. Which led to dusting the ceiling, all of the corners, door sills, cupboard doors, and then the ceiling fan. Then I needed to sweep. And now I can see all the dog slime on the glass door - and we can't have that, now, can we! Ugh! Freaking drapes.
I think all of that was a subconscious effort to avoid the massive pile of dishes in my sink.
Happy thoughts! Happy thoughts!
Perhaps while the kids are napping (yeah, right!) I can get around to finishing a sewing project. All of the torturous cutting out is done and I have 2 fleece soakers and 4 diapers just waiting to be sewed.
Now, where's my cape?

If you need to free your mind, feel free to join us! Just leave a comment with a link to your post and I'll add you to the list! And hopefully next week, Lexi will be back from vacation and hosting this on her own blog!

Insulated Water Bottle Holders for our Klean Kanteens

Free Your Mind Fridays: The Smoke Monster

2010-08-27T15:12:00.001-06:00

FREE YOUR MIND FRIDAY

The Smoke Monster

We are finally, FINALLY!, down to the last few episodes of LOST. Yes, I realize that the final season ended months ago. Our DVR has been dutifully storing them all this time. Even after such a long hiatus, I am loving every minute of it. Especially Sawyer (you can say 'yum' - I know you can!) and the evil Locke Smoke Monster.
A literal Smoke Monster has invaded our lovely high mountain valley. Forest fires are burning in Montana and the Jet Stream and inversions and such push and trap the smoke in our valley so that it smells like a giant campfire and it looks like we live in downtown LA with all the smoggity smog and such. I cannot even make out the giant white M that is on the mountainside. We are not venturing out at all today, as the air quality is horrid.
Napping is a wonderful thing. Both girls are asleep right now, although Rowan is on the nursing pillow on my lap. I SHOULD be joining them, seeing as I only got about 4.5 hours in my own bed last night, but I'm on a roll with the blogging. How do I get Ophelia to sleep you ask? It's still hit or miss, but we are getting more naps than not these days since I started using Badger Balm Night Night for both naps and bed time.
Dishes are piling up in the sink threatening me to call off dinner tonight. I don't know about you, but I just can NOT cook a meal when the kitchen is all amok. Maybe Jim can do it. Hehe.
Laundry needs folding and I have no desire. But I am out of baskets and I need clean underpants, so that is next on the list once Rowan wakes up.
I would rather be sewing than folding or washing dishes. I've been making diapers and a few top secret items that have turned out pretty good. I will reveal them as soon as the recipients receive said items. And then offer a few up to anyone who feels they need one too and can't manage to make one for themselves. I followed Lexi's lead from a few weeks ago and scored myself a few 3 pound remnant bags, so I have some great fabrics (and surprisingly some that coordinate even!) to choose from.
Our garden is growing. I give it a B- this year. Some good stuff, but not fantastic like my dream garden. But considering the past two seasons have been a solid F, it gets the prize for most improved. If our tomatoes ever turn red, I will give it at least a solid B.
Poop. I haven't blogged about poop in ages and I'll keep this one short. Ophelia has still not done the deed on the potty yet. But she has gone from "NO! I don't WANT to poop on the potty! Just pees!" to "I'll do it next time, mom. Next time I will poop on the potty." One can only hope.
Segue to Diapers. I have sold or traded almost all of my old pocket diapers and have mostly fitted diapers and covers now. Keep an eye out on my craft blog in the next week or so for some updates on a few diapers I have made as well as wool covers and pants. The wool, which I had shied away from for so long, is my new obsession. Not only do I love the way it looks, but it works like a dream. It has even inspired me to bust out my knitting needles. ::shock and awe here::
The peaches are finally really in season and they are divine. I am just over half way through a box of Organic White Peaches from COSTCO. I hope I can restrain myself from eating too many in one day.
I hear thunder. I hope it rains like the dickens and washes some of the smoke out of the air.
We are now locking our car doors again. I know, I know - in this day and age, who doesn't, right? Well, we haven't for about 2 years now because we live in a nice, mellow neighborhood with cool, chill neighbors. Until 2 nights ago when some asshat went though both my car and Jim's car. They stole my coffee money but left the gas card and all the CDs. We notified the neighbors and the Bozeman Police (who simply said "Lock your cars up." Um, OK!) and now we are all on high alert.
If you haven't noticed, I'm blogging again. Stay tuned for more blogging and more reviews and a few more giveaways.

For more Free Minds, or to join us Friday Fraus, head on over to Lexi's blog:

Giveaway Scout!

2010-08-27T14:25:00.000-06:00

GIVEAWAY SCOUT

A Giveaway Search Engine

If you love entering giveaways or if you publish your own blog giveaways and need more exposure, this site is a great resource. Blogs that are subscribed have their giveaways posted on the Giveaway Scout web page, their newsletter, on their Facebook and Twitter pages, and in their custom blog widgets. Like this one:

If you are a personal subscriber, you can receive updates when new giveaways are posted to the network. Or you can put a widget on your blog or on your own iGoogle page to keep up with all of the newest giveaways. As a blog subscriber, your giveaways are given the exposure of the entire Giveaway Scout Network - without having to jump all over the net to enter them in individual linky posts on other blogs.

I just joined the network today. If you are interested too, click HERE!

Eco-Friendly Lunch Box: Easy Lunch Box System Review and Giveaway

2010-08-26T22:54:00.007-06:00

EASY LUNCH BOX

Green, Eco-Frienldly, Waste Free Lunch Box System

Review and Giveaway

As a busy mama of two, I often find myself looking for a way to pack a lunch and/or healthy snacks for a day out of the house with my girls. And it's always a hassle - with a bajillion little containers that I have to find the lids for and plastic baggies that inevitably come open, leak, spill, and ultimately create more waste. So I started looking for something to make this part of my life simpler. I really wanted to try a Bento Box system, but they were all so expensive! Then, back in May, I stumbled upon Easy Lunch Boxes and my search was over! I contacted Kelly Lester, the mom and CEO behind this brand new company, and she graciously supplied me with an Easy Lunch Box system to review.

What is it? Easy Lunch Boxes has 2 products: A compartmentalized food container and a soft sided cooler bag. When you use them together, you have the Easy Lunch Box system.

The Easy Lunch Box System from www.easylunchboxes.com

The Lunch Box: The bento-style container has 3 compartments to keep your lunch components separate and a single lid. They come in a 4 pack with 4 bottoms and 4 vibrantly colored lids that are all interchangeable. Not only do they stack nicely, as shown above, but they also nest for easy and convenient storage when not in use.

They are made of durable, food-safe, non-toxic polypropylene (#5) and they are BPA and Phthalate free. They are safe to use in your freezer, refrigerator, microwave, and dishwasher.

The Cooler: The soft sided 6-pack sized cooler is the perfect accompaniment to the Easy Lunch Box.

It's the perfect size: you can fit 3 lunch boxes in a single cooler. Or 2 lunch boxes, an ice pack, and a snack bag. Or a single lunch box, a thermos, an ice pack, and a water bottle.

It comes in a variety of colors: Black, Dark Red, Olive, Purple, and Aqua

It's safe and durable: The outside is a durable and safe 300D polyester. The lining is FDA approved PEVA. It is vinyl-free, PVC-free, and lead-free. It has a sturdy zipper and it's machine washable. Or you can easily wipe it clean with a damp cloth - inside OR out.

Why? The primary reason I love this lunch box system is because it's EASY! My Easy Lunch Box makes packing food to go really easy. It's one container with one lid. I don't need a bag for sandwiches, a bin for fruit, and another bag/bin for nuts or crackers or whatever. It can all go in one container.

It's Frugal: Everyone is looking for a way to save a buck here and there these days. Using a reusable lunch system is one way to do that. Now that it's easy to do, we pack our lunch way more often - so we aren't eating take out (which we all know is a huge suck on your wallet) nearly as much. And no more baggies. YAY!

It's Healthy: Because it's so easy to pack, it's easier to bring a healthy lunch along - once again bypassing that drive through. I find myself packing good things to eat in healthy portion sizes. Being limited by the size of the container helps me keep from super sizing our lunches.

It's Green: Take a look at the waste bin at the park, in your kids school cafeteria, in the break room at work. It's probably overflowing with wrappers, baggies, cups, and other food waste generated by disposable lunches. This lunch box system allows you to pack a waste free lunch! And we all know, the less you can put in the landfill every day, the better.

We've been using our Easy Lunch Box System for 3 months now and I have to say that I really love this product. If you are looking for a lunch container to send your kids to school with that is affordable, eco-friendly, and durable, I highly recommend it. They are easy to pack and easy for kids to use. I love how the lids fit snugly, but are simple enough for my 3 year old to remove herself. They are also perfect for adults to take lunches to work. I can easily pack a healthy lunch with healthy proportions for myself or my husband. They also make taking the leftovers super easy. Just put them in an Easy Lunch Box when you are clearing off dinner, and your lunch for the next day is ready to go!

A lunch I packed for Ophelia and I to share. Apples, mangos, roast beef, cheese, crackers.

The remains of a snack box I packed for the girls for a trip to the playground. Freeze dried bananas and strawberries, raisins, bunny crackers (cheesy and chocolate varieties).

When we traveled to New York earlier this summer, I took these on the plane with us, loaded up with snacks for both girls. They came on our road trip to Wyoming a few weeks ago and were indispensable both on the car ride and while visiting with grandma and grandpa. I can even toss one in my purse if I need to - which is just what I do when we go out to eat with the girls to ensure that we have some healthy, kid friendly fare on hand in case the menu doesn't have what the girls want to eat. I just wrap a rubber band around it to make sure the lid doesn't pop off in my bag!

Our usual routine is to pack the cooler with 2 boxes of lunch items like hummus and vege chips, fruit, sandwiches, lunch meat and crackers, nuts, or veges, an ice pack and a few organic fruit pouches.

The most UNusual way I have used my Easy Lunch Boxes was to sort all of the (billions of) screws and hardware for assembling the playhouse grandma bought for the girls for their birthday this summer! Worked like a dream!

Where can you get some? You can click HERE or on any of the links in this review or on the affiliate link at the top of my right sidebar and you will be taken to the Easy Lunch Boxes web page where you can purchase both the Food Containers and the Lunch Bags. As an affiliate, I will receive a small commission from any purchase you make from these links.

Or, you could try your luck at winning one! One of my lucky readers is going to win an Easy Lunch Box System just like the one I was fortunate to review, courtesy of EasyLunchBoxes.com.

WIN AN EASY LUNCH BOX SYSTEM

TO ENTER: Visit the Easy Lunch Boxes web page and then come back here and leave a comment telling me something neat that you found there. AND tell me which color cooler you will pick if you win: Black, Dark Red, Olive, Purple, or Aqua.

Please leave your email address in this first comment so I can easily contact you if you win. If I cannot contact you, I will have to pick another winner.

EXTRA ENTRIES: Leave a separate comment for each entry.

Like Easylunchboxes on Facebook
Follow EasyLunchboxes on Twitter
Sign up for the EasyLunchBoxes email mailing list
Join the Green My Lunchbox Campaign
Visit the Easy Lunch Boxes Blog and comment on one of the posts that interests you. Tell me which one and why!
Purchase your own Easy Lunch Boxes and/or Cooler. 2 entries for each item you purchase. (leave a separate comment for each entry)

EVEN MORE ENTRIES: Again, leave a separate comment for each entry.

Follow The Maxwell's Madness! publicly [with Google Friend Connect]
Subscribe to The Maxwell's Madness! via RSS reader
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Add The Maxwell's Madness! to your public blog roll on your blog
Blog about this giveaway with a link back to The Maxwell's Madness!
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Post a link to this giveaway on your Facebook page
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Follow me [@globalMTgirl] on Twitter
Tweet about this giveaway:

~~You may tweet once per day~~

You may use this tweet:

Win an Eco Friendly Lunch Box system at The Maxwell's Madness! @EasyLunchboxes @globalMTgirl #giveaway http://bit.ly/bcWlSK

______________________

This giveaway is open to all US and Canadian residents 18 and over, except where prohibited by law.
Giveaway ends at 12pm MST on Sunday, 9/12/2010.
Winners may not substitute another product or seek credit towards another Easy Lunch Boxes product.

Disclaimer: This review and giveaway is sponsored by Easy Lunch Boxes, who provided me with the item above in order to write this review. The review is my honest opinion based on my experience using the product and has not been reviewed or edited by Easy Lunch Boxes.

Free Your Mind Fridays: My Feet Hurt

2010-07-30T16:24:00.000-06:00

FREE YOUR MIND FRIDAYS

My Feet Hurt

Whatever the heck hormone is out of balance in my body right now, best figure it out. It happened when Ophelia turned one. Now it's happening again. My hands and feet are experiencing massive dry, red, painful, skin peeling patches. It's worse on my heels - where the skin is officially cracked. And it hurts to walk. Surprisingly, applying straight breast milk to said patches is actually helping. I would rather, however, that whatever imbalance is causing this would balance the heck out.
Rowan is climbing. On everything. I have several heart attacks daily because of this. She also seems to have a new bruise on her face every day because going up is way easier than coming down.
Rowan is kissing. The heart melty factor of this almost balances out the heart attacks from the climbing. Almost.
Cloth Diaper sewing project is well under way. At least half of the old stash is sold or traded off. Materials and patterns for the new diapers are prepped and ready to go. I merely need to cut and sew at this point and my stash will grow to enormous portions again soon.
Before I sew any diapers for myself, I must sew two custom fitted diapers for the winners of the giveaway on my Facebook Fan page. We hit 200 fans earlier this week and the lucky winner chose a custom fitted. The lucky person who referred the most people to the fan page also chose a custom fitted diaper! I am pretty excited to be making these and to be making someone else's day with some new fluff.
It's 95ºF outside right now. Flower sprinkler, here we come. Again.
I haven't blogged in what seems like forever and I feel really crappy about it. I have a load of great giveaways and reviews to post and I feel like I am simply procrastinating. Reality is, I am busier than ever with summer. You would think longer days and having my husband home when he is normally working 16 hours a day would give me more time to blog, but apparently this is not so at all.
The garlic is ready to be harvested. And that's what I am off to do right now.

CSN Stores $60 Gift Certificate Winner!

2010-07-19T22:47:00.000-06:00

CSN STORES WINNER

CSN Stores has just about everything you could ever need for your home and it's easy to shop at any of the over 200 online stores. Need stuff for your kitchen? They have a store for that. Baby? They have a store for that. Lighting? Yep, they have store for that too. I hope you can find something that you love that will make your home just a bit brighter or more comfortable!

And the winner is:

Post #42

Congratulations Debbie!

I have emailed the winner for her contact information. Congrats! And a great big THANK YOU to CSN Stores for hosting this great giveaway.

SKOY Cloth Winners

2010-07-19T22:37:00.001-06:00

SKOY CLOTH WINNERS

I'm honestly surprised that more people didn't enter this giveaway, seeing as how amazing these little cloths are. I guess it gives everyone else a better chance at winning! If you didn't win this time, you can always purchase your own SKOY Cloth through my blog affiliate link right here:

And the WINNERS are:

Post #65

AND

Post #10

Congratulations Gretchen!

AND

Congratulations Halleelujah Mommy!

I have emailed the winners for their contact information. Congratulations to both of you!

And a huge THANK YOU to SKOY Enterprises for sponsoring this review and giveaway.

My First Guest Post!

2010-07-19T15:45:00.000-06:00

Check out my first Guest Post on The Cloth Diaper Whisperer Blog: WIPEOUT!