Winner!

Time to draw the Eden Fantasys winner! With 198 entries, random.org picked...which means...
Congratulations! Watch for an email from me.

Didn't win? I think you will find that Eden Fantasys has very affordable and fun options for anyone.

Eden Fantasys Review and Giveaway!

***This giveaway is closed.***
Congratulations to: Huguette E.

A promise is a promise... and I did say I'd post a giveaway today! I have a few things lined up to review, and when I asked you guys the overwhelming response (okay, two people said something) was that a grown-up review and giveaway should come first.

Hey - it's spring. Almost Easter. Insert your own make-like-bunnies joke here.

***adult content below!***

As I won't shut up about you may know, my husband and I have been TTC (that's trying to conceive, for the uninitiated) for a while now. And when you've been 'trying' for 16 months it can get a little... well, trying. So when Eden Fantasys approached me to do another review on my blog, it seemed like a good idea to try something that might break up the routine a bit.

With all the stuff that Eden Fantasys has to offer, from adult toys to lingerie, books and videos, candles, lotions, etcetera - there are a lot of options. We weren't sent anything too exotic; we received the Rainbow Paradice.This is a fun pair of dice that has various locations (in the house!) and positions on the faces. The dice are bigger than I was expecting. I guess that makes sense, as you need to be able to figure out the illustrated positions on there. It definitely brings a little chance and a sense of play into the mix! I think this would be a very cute bachelorette party gift; it's not so racy as to offend anyone but it does have just a touch of naughty to it. Or, fun if you are looking to get some of the spontaneity back into a long-term relationship!

ps, excuse my weird-looking hand
(honestly, it is a normal hand in real life. Apparently not very photogenic, though. Who knew?)
- I just wanted to give an idea of the size of these!

If I have any complaints, it would be that there's a spelling mistake on the dice. I'm one of those people, I know it's not a big deal but bad spelling just really bugs me. So, I have renamed our dining room "The Dinning Room", and thus it is no longer an error on the dice. Phew. Spelling freak-out averted.

They also sent a $25 gift card so that we could shop for something else. And I have started a list (I've just been piling things on a wish list on the site) and am trying to narrow down the options! They have lots of choice for individual or couples play (including more sensual things like bubble bath and massage oils - it's not all 'toys').
I can vouch for their shipping process. Shipping in my experience has been fast (yes, even to Canada), and very discreet. Items arrive in a plain box with a return address that doesn't let your friendly/nosy courier know what's in the package.

Here's the good news:
Eden Fantasys has generously offered one of my readers the same package I got!

The giveaway: A set of Rainbow Paradice of your own, AND a $25 gift card to Eden Fantasys!

How to enter: Head over to Eden Fantasys and let me know one thing that catches your eye, OR one thing that you learned there. Make sure I've got a way to contact you if you're the winner!

Extra entries (please leave an extra comment for each):

• Subscribe via email to an Eden Fantasys newsletter. Each newsletter subscription counts as one entry (they have five!).
• Follow the Eden Cafe blog via RSS (or Facebook)
  
• Follow @edencafe on Twitter (leave your Twitter name!)
• Follow me on Twitter (leave your Twitter name!)
• Tweet about this giveaway for ONE entry, this is not a daily! You can use this if you like:

  Win Rainbow Paradice & a $25 gift card from Eden Fantasys at Emily's Latest @emilyisland http://bit.ly/badU2e US/CAN 4/5

• Follow my blog (publicly) – 2 entries, leave 2 comments
• Add my blog button to your blog– 2 entries, leave 2 comments (please leave a link to your blog)
• Blog about this giveaway, linking back to this post and to Eden Fantasys – 2 entries, leave 2 comments and please include a link to your post
  

I will be verifying comments so please actually do the things you say you do ☺

Please be sure to include your email address if it’s not public in your blogger profile! Anonymous comments without a way to contact you will be rejected. Canadian or US mailing addresses only, please. Giveaway ends April 5th at 11:59 EST. A winner will be drawn the next day, announced here, in a separate post and emailed!

Disclaimer: Eden Fantasys provided me with a free sample of this product to review. These opinions are my own. Prize will be shipped by sponsor.

MyPleasure.com review and GIVEAWAY!

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

What we did last night

Hey! Not what you're thinking! We made Christmas presents! That's not a euphemism!

If you're my friend in real life, (as opposed to this internet life?), and you're reading this, you have to stop right now! Yes I'm talking to you, JUDY! No scrolling down, just close the window and go cuddle your gorgeous little girl. Or go enter my Chocolatey Chai Tea giveaway (it's the last day to enter). Or else you will ruin the surprise. And all Santa will bring you is a lump of coal!

Everyone else is allowed to look :)

Ta da!On the left - Apple Cinnamon Cider Jelly. And on the right - Pinot Grigio & Thyme Jelly. One of each for our closest friends (DH already took some to give to co-workers). I think I will complete the set with some homemade crackers (also super simple and always impressive) and a tin full of an assortment of homemade cookies. Nothing beats homemade gifts, in my book. Hopefully our friends feel the same way :)

Jellies are really easy to make, especially when you're using juice or wine to start with (no pressing or straining the fruit). These two recipes are from one of my favourite preserving cookbooks, The Complete Book of Small Batch Preserving. Each recipe made 8 baby jars for gifts plus one 1-cup jar for our fridge (shh! the cooks have to taste it - quality control, folks!).

If you or someone you know is interested in preserving, I highly recommend this cookbook (Christmas idea?). The recipes are easy and usually fast, and you can work with what's in season or what you have on hand, since it makes small batches - you don't need (or need to chop) a bushel of anything, and you won't end up with a pantry full of 30 jars of that peach-pear-lime jam that only you love.

I topped each jar with a circle of fabric - the apple jelly has 'apple, bee' fabric on it that I found at Lens Mills out in KW, which is like a quilter or seamstress' heaven (how I miss that store!), and the pretty green floral is from a stack of fat quarters that I was lucky enough to win over at Use the Loot. It's perfect - kind of retro, kind of modern.

Which reminds me, I am still trying to figure out what sewing machine to buy. It's an investment, I want to make the right choice. Ever since my sewing machine died, I've had a zillion things I want to sew. Doesn't that figure? I have narrowed it down, in theory, to a couple that have gotten good reviews online and that have the features I want:

• the Janome Sewist 625e (though I think it's about $700?!)
  
• the BabyLock Grace (a renamed CreativePro BL40)... still nearly $500...
• a Kenmore machine, maybe - they're apparently made by Janome so might be a good choice

I need to get out and test some machines! What I really want is a simple machine that also does a one-step buttonhole, which is the dreamiest feature I can imagine. The price tags scare me... but then again the last machine kept going for nearly 50 years; hopefully a new one will be long-lived, too. If you have any further thoughts on sewing machines, I'd love to hear!

OH and I was featured on an Etsy treasury today!

Enough already about me, right?! Time for some giveaways.

For baby:

• Win a SwaddleDesigns Ultimate Receiving Blanket or a zzZip Me Sleep Sack at Organic Girl. Ends December 29th.
• Win a reversible gray and red toile pinafore dress (12m or 4T) by Amelie Jo at My Organized Chaos. Ends December 22nd.
• Win a Tiny Ducky tee or onesie at Mommy Has To Work. Ends December 21st.
• Win a Bean Pod sling at Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous. Ends December 19th.
• Win an instant thermometer and vaporizer from Vicks at Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous. Ends December 20th.
  

For the ladies:

• Win a $150 gift certificate to Pearl Paradise at Design Dazzle. Ends December 19th.
• Win a $50 gift certificate to Amon Maternity at Jabbering Jessi. Ends December 23rd.
• Win a Bravado Sublime Nursing Bra at Minnesota Mama's Must Haves. Ends December 23rd.
• Win a Lamaze Nursing Cami at My Silly Monkeys. Ends December 20th.
  

For grown-ups:

• Win a $25 gift certificate to Eden Fantasys at Mkokopelli. Ends December 28th.
  

For anyone:

• Win a $25 gift certificate to EcoStore USA at Melinda Joy. Ends January 5th.
• Win a $50 gift certificate to Lavish & Lime at My Wee View. Ends December 18th.
• Win a $25 gift certificate to Chapters Indigo at Cool Canucks! Open to Canadians only! Ends January 31st!
  

Back from holiday

...and back to reality! We had a great time in Mexico. I wanted to stay a little longer. The resort was great, the food was good (although, as usual, the vegetarian options were rather limited), the ocean was warm, the company was wonderful. I am missing the big buffet breakfasts already, though the scale tells me it's a good thing to leave those behind.

I have a zillion things to catch up on, hopefully I will get to a few giveaways to share today. I'll start here:

For baby:

• Win a Twilight Turtle from Cloud B at {Natural} Mommie. Open to Canadians only! Ends December 7th.
• Win a $25 gift certificate to Sprout Baby at Me and My Boys. Ends December 7th.
• Win a $35 gift certificate to JamTots at Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous! Ends December 10th.
• Win a $50 gift certificate to Baby Grins at My Wee View. Ends December 11th.
• Win Robeez baby shoes or boots at {Natural} Mommie. Ends December 4th.
• Win a Beco baby carrier from baby SNAZZ at Simple. Ends December 5th.
• Win a SoftBums diaper in the new print at I Love Cloth Diapers. Ends December 6th.
• Win an AppleCheeks MiniTest diaper at Momma in Flip Flops2! Ends December 2nd so hurry up!
• Win a Little Lasso at My Organized Chaos. Ends December 2nd so hurry up!
• Win a Halo SleepSack at Annie's Home. Ends December 6th.
• Win an Organic Sherpa Sleeper from Snug Organics at Mkokopelli. Ends December 4th.
  

For the ladies:

• Win a $50 gift certificate to Amon Maternity at Melinda Joy. Ends December 15th.
• Win a Bravado Designs Sublime nursing bra at Just for Me...and You. Ends December 7th.
  

For grown-ups:

• Win a $50 gift certificate to Eden Fantasys at J. Leigh Designz. Ends December 11th.
• Win a $75 gift certificate to Eden Fantasys at Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House. Ends December 11th.
  

For anyone:

• Win a $20 gift certificate to Ecorations (reuseable gift bags!) at Mkokopelli. Ends December 10th.
• Win a $50 gift certificate to Stylefly.ca at CoolCanucks. Ends December 18th.
• Win a ReliOn Temple Touch Thermometer at My Wee View. Ends December 4th.
• Win hourly prizes from Dell in their Holiday Gift Hunt! Open to Canadians only! Ends December 11th.
• Win a Head to Toe Kit from J.R. Watkins at Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous. Ends December 5th.

For the home:

• Win a $40 Right on the Walls gift certificate at My Organized Chaos. Ends December 9th.
  
• Win a fabric storage bin by Nestings at BabyLuxe {daily}. Ends December 8th.

Soaking up the sun

I hope it's a great day where you are. Here it's eight degrees and sunny - lovely! Not exactly warm, but I console myself with the knowledge that by this time next week I'll be on the beach in Mexico!! We totally need a vacation after this difficult year, and it's also our first anniversary (the marriage hasn't been the difficult part!). I can't wait. And I am VERY excited to come home and start decorating the house for Christmas. I wrapped my first Christmas present yesterday :)

I think my website for my artwork is all fixed now. I'd love to know if you see any problems with it. One of these days I will have to redo the whole site as I used a mix of programs to design it and they all leave a little garbage in the code. But hopefully that day is not today!

Now I've got a few giveaways to share with you! Loving the Christmas rush on giveaways.

For baby:

• Win a $25 gift certificate to Maukilo Toys at Momma in Flip Flops2! Ends November 22nd.
• Win a set of art cards by Wee Gallery at Cute Like Me. Ends November 23rd.
• Win a Mrs. Smith's Diaper Bag (2 winners!) at A Mom's Balancing Act. Ends November 30th.
• Win a pair of Beibi shoes of your choice from Wee Squeak at Katydid and Kid. Ends November 26th.

For the ladies:

• Win a Prego Planner at Jo-Jo's Place! I've been looking for a good one and this might be the one. Ends November 24th.
• Win a Blush topless tee at Jo-Jo's Place. Ends November 30th.
• Win a 7.0-8.0mm White Freshwater Pearl Necklace from Pearl Paradise at Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous. Ends November 19th.
• Win a 6.5-7.0 mm AA+ Black Akoya Pearl Necklace from Pearl Paradise at Minnesota Mama's Must Haves. Ends November 27th.
• Another chance to win a 7.0-8.0 mm White Freshwater Pearl Necklace from Pearl Paradise at A Mom's Balancing Act. Ends November 20th.
• Win a 18” 7.0 – 8.0mm Lavender Freshwater Pearl Necklace from Pearl Paradise at A Wrestling Addicted Mommy. Ends December 1st.
• Win a 6.0-7.0 mm freshwater Pearl Necklace in black from Pearl Paradise at Jolly Mom. Ends November 23rd.
• Win Cream perfume at Mommies Angels. Ends November 30th.
• Win Fit in Clouds Ballet Flats at Sweeps4Bloggers. Ends November 24th.
• Win a L'Occitane Shea Vanilla Caress set at Wishing Penny. Ends November 28th.
  

For anyone:

• Win a $40 gift certificate to Every Little Bit at Canadian Natural Mama. They have loads of great eco-friendly gift ideas. Ends December 9th.
• Win a holiday art tote by Stubby Pencil Studio at Katydid and Kid. This would be great for kids but also kind of sweet for grown-ups who like artsy stuff or interesting office supplies. Ends November 28th.
• Win an Aromatherapy Gift Set by Natural Sundae at {Natural} Mommie. You know men are secretly into nice scents, too. Ends November 21st.
• Win a L Letterpress kit at iDiY! Ends tomorrow, so hurry.
• Win a set of 10 pretty letterpress note cards by Sweet Harvey at Boutique Stitches. Ends November 30th.
• Win a Golden Moon tea set at Sweeps4Bloggers. Ends November 21st.
• Win the watch of your choice from Inexpensive Watches at The Mom Buzz. Ends November 27th.
  

For grown-ups:

• Win a $50 gift certificate to Eden Fantasys at Robyn's Online World. Ends November 30th.
• Win a $25 gift certificate to Eden Fantasys at Boutique Stitches. Ends November 30th.
  

more to come...

Giveaways and a little help

So, I've been having some trouble with my other website lately - the site for my artwork. Sometimes the images aren't showing, and sometimes there's weird random text instead of my pages. The company that is hosting my site had a server crash, and since then my website's been booched. They've moved it to another server, I've re-uploaded the entire site, and it's looking okay on my end - but my husband tried it at work and said it's still messed up when he looks at it. Can I ask you a big favour - could you take a quick peek at my site and let me know if it looks right to you, or if you're seeing strange text and places where it looks like there should be images, but there aren't? And, what browser you're using? I'd really appreciate the feedback. I'm trying to get this sorted out before we go on vacation... it looks so unprofessional to have my site down!

Okay, on to the fun stuff: giveaways! Yay.

For baby:

• Win a $25 gift certificate to Maukilo toys at A Giveaway Addicted Mommy. Ends December 2nd.
• Win a $75 gift certificate to Zutano's Itzy Bitzy Boutique (newborn clothing) at Monkey Toes Reviews and Giveaways. Ends December 1st.
  
• Another chance to win a $75 gift certificate to Zutano's Itzy Bitzy Boutique at My Organized Chaos. Ends November 24th.
• Win a Bumkins Superbib 2-pack in the Grinch pattern at Monkey Toes Reviews and Giveaways. Ends November 25th.
• Win two cute bibs from The Bees Knees Kids at My Organized Chaos. Ends November 21st.
• Win an Urban Bundleme from JJ Cole at Minnesota Mama's Must Haves! Ends November 27th.
• Win a Babybjorn Organic Active baby carrier at Mom Fuse (5 winners!). Ends November 23rd.
• Win a Belle baby carrier at Simple! Ends November 22nd.
• Win a Rockabye baby digital download at Peg City Momma. This would make a fun gift for new parents! Ends November 20th.
• Win a Shoo-Foo bamboo crib sheet at Northern Mama. Ends November 26th.
• Win a tee or onesie from Lil' LJ at A Few of My Favorite Things. Ends November 20th.
• Win four items of your choice from Nosilla Organics (clothing) at My Organized Chaos! Ends November 23rd.
• Win a tee and tote bag from Bored Inc. at Fun and Funky Mommy. Ends December 3rd.
• One more chance to win a tee and tote bag from Bored Inc. at Mommies Angels. Ends November 30th.
• Win Bummas baby wipes at Dev's Favorite Giveaways. Ends November 27th.

For the ladies:

• Win a Blush topless tee at The Suburban Jungle. Ends November 30th.
• Win a prize pack from Pine Point Candles (candle, body mist, body butter) at Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous. Ends November 26th.
• Win a handbag from Handbag Heaven at Minnesota Mama's Must Haves (2 winners!). Ends November 25th.
• Win a Gold Over Sterling Silver and Oval-Cut Ruby Garnet Cubic Zirconia Embellished Wavy Bracelet from Joolwe.com Online Jewelry Store at Simply Stacie. Ends November 24th.

For anyone:

• Win the book Hollywood Moon by Joseph Wambaugh at Sweeps4Bloggers. Ends November 24th.
• Win a 12 oz Bayberry 100% Soy candle from Maddison Avenue at Mommies Angels. Ends November 30th.
• Win a Glade prize pack (wine, candles, reed diffuser, Chapters gift card) at Simply Stacie. Open to Canadians only! Ends November 19th.
  

For grown-ups:

• Win a $25 gift certificate to Eden Fantasys at My Life with Four Kids. Christmas for hubby? ;) Ends November 21st.
• Another chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Eden Fantasys at Tara's View of the World. This one ends November 29th.
• Win a Kama Sutra gift set from Pink Cherry at Canadian Free Stuff. Open to Canadians only! Ends December 10th.
  

Watch it online

I used to work in an office - a law firm - back before I jumped off the big cliff of self-employment. I liked working with people around me (it's pretty lonely now, working at home), but hated office politics, and the stress of my job made me sick and unhappy. I'm definitely glad I have had the experience, though. It makes the show The Office all that much more funny.

We have just caught up on watching the series. We hadn't watched it at all before last month, but our friends had recommended it, and I saw one episode on the plane on our way out west in September. So when we came home we set about watching the entire series on ninjavideo.net. My husband has hooked his computer up to the tv set, which is great. We don't have cable, just an antenna in the attic and the computer. We stream pretty much everything we watch, from tv to movies and documentaries. The video quality is amazing these days and it's really not complicated.

Anyway, I am loving The Office and wanted to say, if you've heard about it and never watched it... give it a chance. You may find some of the characters horrible and offensive (honestly, it's part of the humour, although sometimes it really is too much) but the show is kind of about that and how his co-workers deal with that. There's a reason this show is into its sixth season.

And if you're interested in watching tv online, missed an episode, are so done with commercials, want to see a program that just isn't on the stations you get, want to watch a series from the start, etc... try watching online. We have a DSL connection and it's just fine for streaming. With the streaming, too, you don't have to wait for shows to download like in the past. Just click and the show starts. It really is amazing and I can't imagine paying for cable anymore. We like ninjavideo, project free tv, and there's a site called ovguide that is like a search engine for videos if you want something a little harder to find. I find the best is ninjavideo.

Okay, that was just something I was thinking about. Random, right? Here are some giveaways for today...

For baby:

• Win a $75 Zutano gift certificate (newborn clothes) at My Four Monkeys. Ends November 10th.
• Win a Double Reversible Bib from Bebe Au Lait at Mommy PR! Ends November 15th.
• Win a BambooBaby Knit Blanket by Bamboosa at Mkokopelli. Ends November 12th.
• Win a set of infant socks (0-12 months) in a cute tin by Hank & JoJo at BabyLuxe Daily. Ends November 11th.
• Win a 4-pack of BPA-free bottles or training cups from Born Free at Jabbering Jessi. Ends November 17th.
• Win an Organic Sleepy Wrap at The Bragging Mommy! Ends November 10th.
• Win a Bummis prize pack (wet bag, diaper, diaper cover and liners) at Canadian Natural Mama! Ends November 14th.
• Win a BumGenius 3.0 and a pair of Baby Legs at Mama Momo. Ends November 9th.
• Win a Baby Kaed diaper bag at Baby Loving Mama. Love that Shyla bag! Ends November 17th.
• Win a pair of cute Classic Giraffe shoes by Foxpaws at Just for Me And You. Ends November 13th.
• Win a Halo SleepSack at Organic Girl. Ends November 13th.
• Win an Organic Lil Striper Blanket from Sweet Kyla at Canadian Natural Mama. Ends November 20th.
• Win a set of 4 aden+anais muslin blankets at Organic Girl (three winners!). Ends November 25th.
• Win a Bottombumpers AIO at Monkey Toes Reviews and Giveaways. Ends November 15th.
• Win a Thirsties Fab-Fitted Cloth Diaper and Cover at Organic Girl. Ends November 30th.
• Win a Green as Wee Grow onesie or tee at Suburban Saving Mama. Ends November 17th.
• Win a pair of pants, a bodysuit, a kimono style bodysuit and a hat from Organic Beginings at Me and My Boys! Ends November 14th.
• Win an Organic Cotton Quilt ErgoPouch at A Giveaway Addicted Mommy. Ends November 14th.
  

For grown-ups:

• Win a $25 gift certificate to Eden Fantasys at Leslie Loves Veggies. Ends November 15th.
  

What you've been waiting for...

So nobody found the perfect pregnancy journal? There must be one out there that is good. I guess I will keep looking. Not that we have good news at the moment. I've got time.

Don't forget, tomorrow is the last day to enter my CycleBeads giveaway!
The odds are pretty good right now for this prize...

Okay, on to the good stuff... giveaways from out there in the world of blog.

For baby:

• Win a $50 shopping spree at Eco Bebe Boutique (a Canadian company) at Moms on the Go. Ends September 16th.
• Win a Silly Billyz pocket bib (in girl or boy design) at Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous. Ends August 28th.
• Win an Organic Dragonfly baby blanket from Sage Creek Organics (a Canadian company) at Canadian Natural Mama. Ends Spetember 21st.
• Win a $25 gift certificate to Maternitique (three winners) at {Natural} Mommie. Ends August 27th.
• Win a Wahloo baby carrier at Organic Girl. Ends Sept 18th.
• Win a Happy Heinys diaper (Peace Bear or solid colour) from the WeeCare Diaper Company at Organic Girl. Ends September 22nd.
• Win an esFitted diaper and esWrapping cover (in the size and fabric of your choice) by esBaby at Your Mama Reviews. Ends August 25th.
• Win a Hook'n'stroll and a BearView mirror at My Wee View! (Remember My Mom's View? She's just moved over to a new name and new site address!) Ends August 28th.
• Win a Little Lasso at A Mom's Balancing Act. Ends September 1st.
• Win two onesies/tees of your choice by Snugfits at My Organized Chaos! I love the future artist one... perfect. Ends August 28th.
• Win a kids area rug from CSN Rugs at A Kindred Spirit's Thoughts. Ends September 9th.
• Win a muslin aden&anais sleeping bag at Minnesota Mama's Must Haves (formerly Thrifty Minnesota Mama). Ends August 28th.
• Win an organic tee of your choice from iKookie at Sticky Feet Reviews. Ends August 29th. Yay, organic!
  
• Win a Zoobie Pet at Lipstick to Crayons. Ends September 3rd. These are so cute!
• Win a Thirsties Fab Fitted with a V2 Cover at Mama Kenz Studio. Must sign up for email newsletter from Earth Angels Diaper Co. site! ends August 21st so hurry.
• Win a Rocky Mountain Lime and Lemon OS diaper at Mama Kenz Studio. Ends August 21st so hurry! I have heard good things about these!
  

For the ladies:

• Win a Sole Delight Foot Therapy Kit by All Things Jill (a Canadian company) at {Natural} Mommie. Ends August 27th.
• Win a Shabby Apple dress at Baby Makin(g) Machine... and you've got to watch Jennifer's video! She's lovely and the dress is too. Ends August 29th.
• Win Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross and some HR fabric (nice!) at Sew-Fantastic. Ends September 1st. Okay, I'm sure guys can enter this one too. Any guys out there who like sewing, go for it.
• Win Spice Up Your Life, a flexitarian cookbook by Bindu Grandhi, at Wishing Penny! Ends August 23rd.
• Win a bar of Godiva Solid Shampoo by LUSH at Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous! Ends August 26th.
  

For grown-ups:

• Win a Bedside Lovers Tool Kit from Eden Fantasys at Leslie Loves Veggies. Ends September 2nd. Hey, when you're TTC (or when you're not) it helps to have a little fun with it!

Wow. Did you get in on all of these? That's a lot of giveaways for good stuff! Good luck, folks!

Just this

...giveaways list for today :)

For baby:

• Win a $25 gift certificate to The Baby's Bundle at Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House. Ends August 5th.
• Win a $40 gift certificate to Chick Pea Boutique (a Canadian store) at Organic Girl. Ends August 31st.
• Win a $75 gift certificate to Zutano's Itzy Bitzy (newborn) shop at Mommy Reviewed. Ends August 20th. But you won't really want to enter this one, right? Because I totally want to win it! Oh, who am I kidding! Of course you will want this awesome prize if you know someone expecting or are yourself.
• Win a Soothing Blanket (swaddle blanket) from Luna Lullaby at Barefoot Mommies. Ends August 5th.
• Win a BumGenius One Size Pocket Diaper from Eco Baby's Hut at Dirty Diaper Laundry. Ends August 5th.
• Win a Sweet Pea One Size diaper at Dirty Diaper Laundry, too! Ends August 5th as well.
• Win a Cuddlebunz diaper at Organic Girl! You even get to choose from 4 styles. Ends August 27th.
• Win the Anka high chair from Scandinavian Child at Simple! Ends August 10th.
• Remember Affordable Baby Organics? Dirty Diaper Laundry's hosting a giveaway for the Karma Pouch sling and a pair of BabyLegs from ABO! Ends August 5th!
• Win your choice of Baby Blend tees at While They Nap! Ends August 1st.
• Get your last minute entries in for the notNeutral blocks from All Modern at Le Petit Elefant! Ends tonight at midnight, MST.
• Win a Wubbanub (the cutest, cuddliest pacifier!) at Monkey Mayhem. Ends ??
  

For grown-ups:

• x-rated! Win a We-Vibe from Pink Cherry at Bargain Moose. Open to Canadians only and you must subscribe to their email list. Ends August 21st.
  

For anyone:

• Win a $30 gift certificate to Skin Free at Thrifty Minnesota Mama. Ends August 12th.
  
• Win a $35 gift certificate to Skin Free at Jamerican Spice. Ends August 17th.
• Win a $50 gift certificate to Gorgeous and Green at Prissy Green! Ends August 9th.
• Win a Stork Craft glider and ottoman at Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House. It's sort of for nursing but I can't think of anyone who doesn't enjoy a comfy glider. I would so love one of these for my office that hopefully will one day be a nursery. Ends August 31st.
  

And holy cow, I just had a guy in to quote on painting our house - he wanted $6825. Um, what? Do I look like I'm made of money? Just to put things in perspective, the house is only 1945 square feet. And we don't need the trim, ceiling or closets done - just walls. Yikes. I have two more guys lined up for quotes, I hope they're a little more reasonable!!!

Eden Fantasys Review – Part 2

***adult content below!***

Be aware, this is meant for adult eyes and it’s a little, er… racy! I’m just going to go ahead and give an honest and open review of an adult toy so if you aren’t interested in that, time to move on. (My giveaways post will happen today as well, just check back for it.)

As you may recall, recently my husband and I had the opportunity to review a product from Eden Fantasys! After some deliberation, we picked the Tantus C-ring. (You can read more about our first impressions of Eden Fantasys and the product in my Eden Fantasys Review – Part 1). . The Tantus C-ring is a silicone ring with a little pocket for an included battery-operated vibe. The ring itself is fairly thick and has a 2” diameter. The vibe is a small cordless silver bullet with an on/off button on one side.

Here’s where it gets a little graphic (only indirectly!). As you may recall from my previous article, we were surprised to discover the Tantus c-ring is not exactly, exclusively, a c-ring. It’s more a c-&-b-ring; the whole package is meant to go through the ring, one bit at a time. There are illustrated instructions on the back of the packaging, they’re very clear which is great. You use a bit of water-based lube around the inside and (theoretically) just insert one bit at a time, in a certain order. Where we got hung up is that the ring is only 2” in diameter. Yes, the silicone is stretchy – somewhat – and I guess that size and amount of stretch could work for some guys. But my guy, I’m not going to waffle here, is just not going to fit all his bits, no matter what order they’re in, through that size of ring. To his credit, he did make a valiant (and, I understand, somewhat painful - eeks!) effort to make it work.

Eventually we simply gave up on making that happen. We did try out the little cordless vibe on its own, it is definitely powerful, but it was quite loud! I would not use this vibe in any instance where we didn’t have complete privacy!

I think the novelty of it was fun but for us this sex toy simply didn’t work out. It did give us some ideas of what we maybe should have chosen instead so that is definitely a positive aspect. I’m going to reiterate here, we are about as normal, everyday people as you can get. We are pretty straightforward and down-to-earth!

This experience was a fun one for us that took us out of our routine. I would not hesitate to recommend that any couple make the effort to change things up a little and try something new! And for lots of variety, easy, woman-friendly (that’s important!) shopping for adult needs I would certainly recommend Eden Fantasys. They have way more than sex toys – videos and books, lingerie, even candles and massage oils, games - check it out!

Overall:
the pros:

• Eden Fantasys was really great to work with. The shipping was discreet, the order process on the website is easy, and there are loads of pictures, reviews and customer ratings to help you make your choices. I wouldn’t hesitate to order from them in the future!
• The Tantus C-ring is a good-quality silicone toy – meaning sanitary, durable and retains warmth. It’s not scary, creepy or cute looking (the dolphins/bunnies/Hello Kitty(?!) toys just don’t seem like they have their target age group right, if you ask me); it just looks like a straightforward adult toy.
• The packaging for the toy itself is fairly plain looking – this is a pro to me because it doesn’t have any of the skanky-looking adult ‘stars’ or models on it.
• The watch battery can be changed out and there is no cord
  

The cons:

• The Tantus c-ring is a little pricey at $39.99 USD, but in my experience you get what you pay for in most things.
• Batteries seem so yesterday – I wish the vibe were rechargeable instead.
• The vibe is quite loud.
  

Our main issue was that you really need to think carefully about the sizing. It didn’t work for us but who knows, it may be just the perfect thing for you.
We also tried the Kama Sutra Pleasure Potion, also in quite classy packaging. This is a silicone-based product, so not for use with toys (though it’s ok with condoms). Again it’s more of a high-end product and priced as such at $18.99. However a little of this liquid goes a long way, and it maintains the ‘slippery’ feel for quite a while. We liked the flip-top and the consistency. It’s unscented and truly has no smell to it at all. I definitely recommend this if you don’t mind the price – you are paying for quality.

Please know, this was not a paid review. Eden Fantasys did send me the product to review but I assure you, my comments and opinions are my own and honest! ☺

I would love to hear anyone else’s experiences with trying new things in the bedroom, or if you found my review interesting, funny, too much information or whatever, let me know!

Why so early?!

Okay, today's wake-up time was 5am. 5am?! What the... I'm the girl who can happily sleep until 8:30, 9:00. Now I'm waking up wide eyed and unable to fall back asleep at 5:00? Huh?
Yesterday I needed a mid-morning nap and I'm sure I will today, too. I don't get it. Well actually I am stressing a little over work, maybe that's why. But getting 5 hours of sleep is not going to help me be productive! Grr.

Anyway... some giveaways from your insomniac friend for today...

For baby:

• Win a Miracle Blanket over at Annie's Home. If you haven't heard of the Miracle Blanket you can check out my review here! I've got one waiting for my little one already. Ends May 25th.
• Win a Twilight Sea Turtle from Cloud B at The Mud Bug! I don't think I've posted this one yet but please check your records (or look at the entries for your name), for some reason it seems familiar. Anyway it ends on June 8th.
• Win a Cuddle-Up blanket at A Couch With A View! Ends May 31st.
• Win a Natura Kindersoft 3-piece crib bedding set at Baby Gear. Ends June 1st.
• This one's really more for mums: win a Simply Breastfeeding DVD at Momma in Flip Flops2! Ends June 1st.
• Win Aunt LaLa's Log - a baby log book by Rosie Bear - at Go Graham Go! Ends June 9th.
• Win a pair of Shoo Shoos at A Kindred Spirit's Thoughts! Ends June 14th, lots of time to enter.
• Win a Hug of Joy baby sling at My Mom's View! Ends June 1st.
• Win a My Monkey Moo stroller pad and blanket at Just for Me... And You! Ends June 3rd.
• Win a stainless steel sippy cup at Green Mom Reviews. Ends June 2nd.
• Win a $50 gift certificate to Green Baby Bargains! Ends May 30th.
• Win a baby star nursing blanket at What She Really Wants! Ends June 2nd.
• Win a pair of Smaller shoes (by See Kai Run) at Mom Most Traveled. Ends June 1st.
  

For grown-ups:

• Win a $40 gift certificate to Eden Fantasys at A Simple Kinda Life! Ends June 9th. (And watch my blog for the upcoming part two to my Eden Fantasys review!)
• Win one of five bamboo t-shirts from Sprout Clothing at Jamie's Precious Peas! Ends June 7th.
  

Don't forget to enter my Snugs Boutique giveaway if you haven't already!

Eden Fantasys Review - Part 1

***adult content below!***

I haven’t done a lot of reviews, though I’m interested in the review process and definitely always happy to share my opinion! I was offered a review opportunity recently that I couldn’t pass up. Be aware, this is meant for adult eyes and it’s a little, er… racy!

As some of you may know, my husband and I have been TTC for a while now. And while the trying part is fun, certainly, it can feel a little like work sometimes when you know there is a goal loftier than just having a good time. So with the spirit of keeping things fun in mind, we were thrilled when Eden Fantasys approached me to do a review on my blog.

We spent some time together browsing on the Eden Fantasys site for adult toys (they also sell lingerie, videos, lubes and other things like candles, games, bath products and massage oils, really there is a lot of selection and not all of it as racy as what we picked!!). I’m going to get personal here and say, girl to girl, that I - like many other women - have had some experience with toys. The trusty vibe in the nightstand is not an uncommon thing. At least among the women I’ve talked to who are confident enough to admit it! But we were looking for something that would be for both of us as a couples thing.

So what did we choose? We ended up picking the Tantus vibrating c-ring which is not *quite* what you might think (at least it’s not *quite* what we thought it was! Yes, I will explain that!).

This toy is 100% silicone, so it is non-porous, hypo-allergenic, you can sterilize it (apparently even in the top rack of the dishwasher?! We won’t be trying that one). The bullet it comes with has a battery so there is no cord to get in the way. He picked the black one (it also comes in red and purple), which I think has a nuance of BDSM about it. I didn’t mention that to the DH ;)

The shipping packaging from Eden Fantasys was very discreet. The return address is ‘web merchant’ so it’s not screaming out that it's a sex toy to your UPS guy.

First off let me say on opening it up – being a novice to the whole ‘ring’ scenario – it was not what we expected. Let’s just say we were expecting a c-ring and it’s really more of a c-&-b-ring if you know what I mean! To be fair the website has an ‘actual size’ photo on it and does give the diameter so it was because of us not looking that closely. My first thought was, oh but it’s huge! I mean a 2” diameter, really, you hear people talk but I’ve never seen one that, well, girthy, lol. Then we looked at the back and when we saw the instructions, the light dawned – the whole package goes through the ring! Whoa. DH and I weren’t quite expecting the whole package to be involved here!

Now my DH is willing to try new things for sure, but this had him a little worried. I could see the ‘yikes’ in his face! He is brand new to the whole toy issue (I don’t think he’d even seen any in real life before he met me) and, shall we say, not exactly comfortable with the whole idea. He’s a down-to-earth kind of straightforward guy. This is all very new to him.

So that is our first impressions… I’m going to follow up in a few days with part two of this review and let you know what we thought! You might be surprised! And I promise I won’t get too explicit with the details but I will be honest.

What would you have picked to try if you had the opportunity?

Weekend guest!

We have a weekend guest coming later today and staying over! It's an old friend of my DH's from out west. So of course the morning was spent cleaning :) and I still have groceries to buy, so this will be quick. Tomorrow we're taking him to Canada's Wonderland - I'm so excited about the new giant rollercoaster, the Behemoth (the biggest, tallest and fastest in Canada!), but also a little worried that I'm getting too old to enjoy rides like that.

My mum (garden guru) says it's too early to plant radishes and carrots.. (carrost if you are an NFB fan). The last frost date here is May 9th so I guess I have to wait!

I'll see how far I get on the giveaways today, might not be too far, but that just means more for Monday right?!

For baby:

• Win a $50 gift certificate to Parenting By Nature at My Mom's View! Ends May 11th.
  

For the ladies:

• Win a peppermint foot lotion and citrus toner from Aromatic Health (a Canadian company!) at Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous. Ends May 10th!
• Win a $25 gift certificate to Layers clothing at The Write Gal! Ends May 18th.
  

For anyone:

• Win a $50 gift certificate to Madi Couture at Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous! This can go towards womens clothes, kids clothes, handbags, jewellery, games, and more! Ends May 10th.
• This one's for the grown-ups. Win two fun Durex products at My Mommy Said! No, they're not condoms. Ends May 16th.