Prego Planner Review - and a Giveaway!

***This giveaway is CLOSED***
The winner is: *Mirage* (confirmed)

As you may know if you have been reading along, DH and I have been trying to start a family for a while now. The first time I was pregnant, I was using a pregnancy planner that I picked up at a major chain of bookstores. There were about three options, all ugly, none with the kind of customizable format I was looking for. I used it, but I wasn’t happy with it. (You might remember my complaints about it here.) It was downright embarrassing to pull that ugly beast out at my midwife appointments. The second time, of course, didn’t get far enough to use a planner.

Next time – hopefully in the near future – I will be using the Prego Planner. I was lucky enough to win one over at Jo-Jo’s Place, and as soon as I saw it I knew this was what I’d been looking for.

The Prego Planner is not only stylish (I picked the zebra design – love it!), but functional as well. It has lots of room to write, tabs keep you organized, and I really love that because it’s a binder format, I can add my own pages. If I run out of room to write, no problem. If I want to add anything random – like an extra sleeve for ultrasound pictures or documents (it comes with one sleeve already), or, as we get ready for pregnancy #3, charting pages – no problem.

The planner already contains a lot of useful pages. There is a 12-month calendar that you can write your own dates in. Pages for your important contact information (from your health care practitioner to the people you want to call once the baby is born!), as well as a place to write your questions for your next appointment. Lots of checklists and even a gift list so you don’t forget to send your thank-you notes. The tabs make it easy to flip to the section you need.

What I really like is how customizable it is (and did I mention, not ugly?!). At 7.5x9”, it will fit in my handbag. It’s not irritatingly cutesy – it is designed for women, not children. It has lovely quotations from mothers at the beginning of each section. I can’t wait to use it!

The Prego Planner is available online, of course, as well as in a ton of stores in the US. Lucky for us Canadians, they have just begun distribution in Canada! You can now buy the Prego Planner at these stores:

Springy's, at 1048 Barton Street East in Hamilton, Ontario
Bloom Maternity at 4937B Sherbrooke Street west in Westmount, Quebec
Rolz and Sassy at 791 Queen Street East in Kincardine, Ontario
Bug and Blossom at West Market Square at 509-1851 Sirocco Drive S.W. in Calgary, Alberta
Blossom Maternity at 112 Wyndham Street North in Guelph, Ontario
My Bump at 944 Kingston Road in Toronto, Ontario

For the most up to date info on the Prego Planner (including events, reviews and giveaways of this great planner from around the web), become a fan on Facebook (search "Prego Planner").

Heather – the mother behind it all – has been generous enough to offer one of my readers a Prego Planner of her own! Whether you are planning for a baby, pregnant, or know someone who is expecting, this would make a welcome gift for those mothers-to-be.

(No, that's not Heather in the photo - it's yours truly - excuse the still wet hair and poor quality! I wanted to give a better sense of the size and how it looks in real life!)

The giveaway: A Prego Planner of the winner’s choice.

How to enter:
Visit Braelyn Bounty Bug, and tell me which planner you would choose, OR something you learned from the website. Please be sure to include your email if it’s not public in your blogger profile!

Extra entries (leave an extra comment for each):

• Follow Braelyn Bounty Bug on Twitter (@BountyBug)
• Follow my blog (publicly) – 2 entries, leave 2 comments
• Add my blog button to your blog - leave the URL
• Blog about this giveaway, linking back to this post and to the Prego Planner website – 2 entries, leave 2 comments
• Let me know - would this be something you'll use yourself, or will you give it to someone lucky that you know who's expecting!
  

Eligibility: Open to US and Canadian residents.
Ends: January 19th at 11:59 PM EST. Winner will be emailed and announced on this post and a separate post on my blog. If I don't hear back within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen.

This review was based on a product that I received as a prize from another blog. No payment was made for this review. Prize will be shipped directly from the sponsor.

Hmmm

I'm thinking about spoiling myself a little with this...

a watercolour sky pointed me to this set of videos that feature a super talented and extra pretty make up tutor....

*love* the colour palette she uses - but being 33, mostly home all day alone, not having lovely eyelids, not to mention not having makeup skills - I think all those bright colours are too crazy for me.

I used to be that kind of crazy. I used to use eyelash glue to stick rhinestones under my eyes like the lovely photo of Björk on her Debut album.

Now, I'm just... well, old, I guess. Phooey.

Anyway I've been looking at tired old me in the mirror and thinking something has to be done about this. And besides a few other people raving about makeup brushes lately (I seem to recall a few ravey posts when ecoTools brushes were making the blog rounds and, more recently, the Lancome blog), especially as opposed to the old finger painting method, I think it's high time at my ripe old age to get myself some brushes.

For goodness' sake - I'm a painter. I'm actually fairly skilled with brushes. Why on earth don't I have a set for makeup?

Anyway... Having never delved into the whole makeup brush thing, does it seem like a good deal? That set is $39.95 (US, I believe). I'm not sure how relevant this is, but I saw a Quo set the other day - it was a holiday set and the 50% off price was $52. I also like that this has a case, since I tend to just toss things in my drawer (disaster for brushes), and I don't want to add to counter clutter with a holder.

I averted the Stila Crush Crisis (barely). This time what I'm craving is (cough) double the price.

Crazy? Too impulsive? Have a better suggestion?

It's been a hard day's night...

Yesterday's event-laden schedule for Cadbury: He got up early with DH and had his breakfast, then headed back to bed. After sleeping in, we went out to shovel the driveway. That is, he played frisbee while I shoveled half the driveway - he got too cold and went inside to lie down while I finished off the shoveling. Then he had another snooze by the fire for a while. I went to work and he wandered off to bed.

Hours later, DH came home and we all hopped in the car to go to the vet, where Cadbury was poked and prodded, diagnosed with a staph infection (a pretty common skin problem with dogs), given some pills for that, and had a veterinary assistant rudely poke him in the leg with a needle to draw blood. Then another car ride home, where he got peanut butter treats (his new pills enrobed in peanut butter - shh, don't tell him) and his dinner. The rest of the evening was spent snoozing, until bedtime (his self-determined bedtime is about 7:30 pm).

He's a lab. He sleeps a lot. He has skin troubles. He's about 5 lbs overweight at 85 lbs.

Today we got his test result back. He has canine hypo-thyroidism. Who knew dogs could get thyroid problems?! Apparently, it's pretty common. So now he'll be on two pills a day for the rest of his life. And hopefully it will improve his immune system, give him more energy, and help him lose those extra few pounds. Luckily, the pills aren't too pricey - about $27 for three months' worth.

But think of the cost in peanut butter!

A few giveaways for today...

For baby:

• Win a Tiny Tush Elite diaper (3 winners!) at Dirty Diaper Laundry. Ends January 18th.
• Win a Bumkins diaper bag at Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous. Ends January 13th.
• Win a Fleurville Re-Run Hana diaper bag in Ogo Print from Toads & Tulips at My Silly Monkeys. Ends January 18th.
• Win a Mrs. Smith's diaper bag at Simply Stacie. Ends January 16th.
• Win a Squishy Fish onesie or tee at Canadian Natural Mama. Ends January 18th.
• Win a Sherpa sleeper from Snug Organics at BabyLuxe {daily}. Ends ?
  

For the ladies:

• Win BearPaw boots at Newly Wed, Newly Bred. Ends January 17th.
• Win a pretty jujie handbag at (oh, hello friend.) Ends January 10th.
  

For anyone:

• Win a $100 to shop at CSN Stores at Running Just as Fast as I Can. Ends January 8th at noon.

OH! And some exciting news - I'll be posting a review and giveaway right here tomorrow! This is for a product that will be great for those planning a pregnancy, expecting a baby, or if you know someone who is! Curious? Come back tomorrow to see and enter for your chance to win!

I got nothin'

Nothin' much to write about, that is.

I'm feeling a little mopey today. A little sorry for myself. Which is not fun to be or to hear about.

As an aside, here's a little call to arms for Canadians from the WSPA. I just wrote a letter to the Hon. Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. If you feel like writing a letter, I urge you to do so. The WSPA has some suggestions to help write your letter, but if you feel like simply cutting and pasting, I would be happy to forward the letter I just wrote to you to adapt to your own needs.

Now let's skip directly to giveaways :)

For baby:

• Win a Dear Baby keepsake box at Minnesota Mama's Must Haves. Ends January 12th.
• Win an Evenflo Symphony 65 Convertible car seat at Mommy Goggles. Ends January 22nd.
• Win a clothing item of your choice from Kuki Kids at My Wee View. Cute stuff! Ends January 15th.
• Win an organic quilted ErgoPouch at My Wee View. Ends January 15th.
• Win a set of Bummas cloth wipes at New Age Mama. Ends January 13th.
  

For the ladies:

• Win a Lamaze Mom-to-Be gift set at Baby Makin{g} Machine. Ends January 9th.
• Win some Sothys bath products at Parent Reviewers. Ends January 9th.

For anyone:

• Win an audiobook of Jeffrey Deaver's Watchlist at Sweeps4Bloggers. Ends January 9th. Have I not mentioned a million times that I love audiobooks? I listen to them all the time as I paint.
  

Going eggless

I'm doing it. I'm cutting out eggs. Well, if they're in products (like pasta, for instance), I'll still eat that. But I'm going to try not eating eggs, quiche, baking with eggs, that sort of thing. I think baking is the biggest place where I eat eggs anyway - I don't really like them straight. I'll miss quiche. But I'm going to give it a go.

Here's why... (in a convoluted post)

So today I baked for the first time without eggs in a recipe that called for them. The result? Judge for yourself:Don't they look delicious? Oh, they are! And they're just as puffy and rich tasting as any time I've baked this recipe before. The only difference is that for each egg, I substituted 1 Tbsp of ground flax mixed with 3 Tbsp of water. Easy. Plus, I didn't get slimy egg white on my hands. I didn't have to crunch up the shells for the compost. And the flax adds lovely omega-3 fatty acids.

Works for me.

Just one quick giveaway for today -

For baby:

• Win a gDiaper gPant and inserts at Chelsea Said So. It's a 24 hour giveaway and ends tomorrow so hurry on over!
  

2009 recap part 2: 'No Mail' Days

(This will make more sense if you you read Part 1!)

Of course, life doesn’t always run smoothly and sometimes prizes don’t get shipped or get lost in the post.. I do follow up, if that happens, by email, but sometimes things just don’t show. If this happens to you – you’ve waited the 4-6 weeks or so, and no happy package in the mail, here’s what I do to follow up. (If it wasn't a blog contest, skip to step 3!)

1. I first email the blogger who ran the giveaway, including the ‘you’re a winner’ email, and explain that you have been waiting for the prize but it hasn’t come. Be polite. Be patient. Be understanding. The blogger, after all, usually isn’t the one who sends the prize out –it’s usually the sponsor who is responsible for shipping. So she has to get in touch with the sponsor, wait to hear back, get back to you… and she’s got other stuff going on in her life.
2. If you don’t hear back within a week or so, drop her another quick note. Say you’re just following up. Be nice.
3. If you still don’t hear back, try contacting the company that sponsored the giveaway (if there is one). Look for the email address of Customer Care, or PR on their website. Include your previous emails with the blogger. Explain the situation. If you have a blog, you might want to mention that you’d be happy to review the product (if it comes!) on your blog (only if you’re actually going to). Again, be nice.
   

If you still don’t hear or receive anything… well, you’re probably out of luck. I have had one situation where my email was bounced around within a company and they finally got back to me months later. Five months later I received the prize. I’d given up at that point. It was so worth emailing the company, though – this was the great Decleor skin care products I mentioned earlier. But mostly… by the time you have followed up 3 times, if you haven’t gotten your prize, you can forget about it.

Here are some of my disappointments from 2009 – things I won that never came:

• I won some Japanese fabrics from Lovely Little Handmades back in February that didn’t come. I was pretty excited about the fabric because I do love sewing. I am pretty sure Kerri was shipping them herself, and if they got lost in the mail I can totally understand not wanting to get more fabric and pay again for shipping.
• I won a Bazzle Big Bib from Mommy’s Quiet Time in April. Stefanie (the blogger) was so nice and kept re-contacting the company, who promised to send it out asap, but… it never came. Eventually I felt like it wasn’t worth bothering Stefanie any more – it wasn’t her fault – and just gave up.
• I won a Kleen Kanteen from Dexter’s Super Savvy Mommy in April, but when I sent my address in response to the ‘you won!’ email, I got the message that the company wasn’t shipping to Canada. The giveaway rules didn’t exclude Canada (or I wouldn’t have entered, obviously). That was a little disappointing.
• I won an audio book at A Novel Bookworm in June, from Hachette audio, which never came. I did follow up but with no result. I was looking forward to that because I listen to audio books at work all the time.
• Also in June, I won three items from Womb to Bloom (one through the forums, two in a live giveaway event): a Sweet Pea baby hat, PSI band, and a hospital maternity gown. None of which ever came. I did try following up with the forum moderators, who at first assured me they would look into it and also said they’d send them out personally, but I still didn’t receive anything and they stopped responding to my (very polite and patient) messages. A triple disappointment!
• In June again, I won Posh Pads (nursing pads) from A Kindred Spirit’s Thoughts. I got to the point of contacting one of the company owners, who told me that they have trouble shipping to Canada as “things get lost” (in my experience, mainly, they don’t… international shipping, as a business owner who ships frequently, and as a recipient, has been incredibly reliable). She said they were sent the first time, she said she’d send another set, but… nothing came.
• A Clene changing mat from Bellaziza’s Favourite Things. Again not the fault of the blogger, this just never came from the sponsor. I wasn't even sure who the sponsor was so it was hard to follow up (the product links led to the Amazon page).
  

There are a bunch more things from November and December that I am still waiting on. Hopefully they come !

I just want to mention that although I was disappointed in not receiving these prizes, I don't hold the bloggers responsible. No hard feelings! The sponsors are generally the ones who didn't come through for me, and whether things really did get lost in the post, or just didn't get sent, I would have hoped that they would have responded positively to my messages and followed through. I know prizes aren't a company's first priority. But if you're going to sponsor a contest (and get the word of mouth promotion from that), you should be prepared to hold up your end. A happy winner spreads the word - I know I do on my blog!

And if any of these sponsors should end up reading this - get in touch! I'd love to take you off the 'naughty' list and let my readers know that you did come through!

Meanwhile I do have one more long-term prize that finally showed up - I won an Expectees shirt at Things Moms Like in July, and it finally came in December, after several emails. It's cute. (And I am certainly hoping that 'practice makes pregnant' so that I can wear it with pride!)

Ultimately, out of 113 contests won, I didn’t receive 8 prizes. It’s not so bad.

Have you ever been left hanging by a prize not received?

2009 recap Part 1: Happy Mail Days

My name is Emily, and I am a giveawayaholic.

I’ve been entering giveaways for over 10 years and with all that entering, I do actually win some here and there. Some of my favourite wins from years gone by include a $5,000 gift card to HBC (from a local radio station’s online contest – that was awesome!), a KitchenAid stand mixer, a Sony digital camera, a bunch of clothing, skin care products from Decleor and Peter Thomas Roth (both really luxe and pricey, which I would never have treated myself to!) a big box of chocolate from Lindt… The random reward keeps me entering! (Pavlov’s dog, anyone?!)

I do keep track of my wins, and in 2009 the approximate retail value of everything I won was $6,265. (The year before, $7,512!). Crazy, right? It’s just a hobby. I don’t watch much tv, I don’t spend much time talking on the phone, or shopping, and since I don’t have kids (yet?!), I have the time. And while it’s partly about winning, it’s also mostly about learning about new products out there, and thinking about how they would fit into my life. Most of the time I spend entering giveaways is really time spent dreaming.

I only enter giveaways that I actually want to win! And I was the lucky winner 113 times last year. (To put that in perspective, I am entered in about 450 contests right now – that’s kind of low for me as a lot of contests ended December 31st. Not all of those are blog contests, by the way!). They say you can’t win if you don’t enter. From my perspective – if you enter, and enter, and enter some more, you are bound to win at some point.

So here are some of my favourite wins from 2009:

• In March, the $500 worth of Icebreaker clothing. I won this directly from Icebreaker in a contest on their website. They make lovely merino wool clothing that is super warm (yet breathable), thin and soft. I was worried that the wool would be itchy, but it’s not at all. For $500 worth, I chose the Courtenay jacket (they were out of stock of the jacket I initially wanted), Amazon Scoop shirt, Lily Pants, and two Bikinis. I wear my Icebreaker clothes all the time.
• Clothing from Boob. I won a top at Sweet Sticky Reviews (a blog I can no longer find), and then another top at Lipstick to Crayons. Let me just say their customer service is amazing, and the clothing I received is great quality and also very flattering. Obviously with the two lost pregnancies I haven’t had a chance to fully enjoy the maternity & nursing wear (although I confess I wear one of the nursing tops often because I like it!), but I can’t wait to wear them to their full potential!
• Lovely swaddling blankets from Miracle Blanket (directly), Beba Bean (won at Simply Stacie), and aden+anais (won at Celebrity Baby Clothes). Again, all great quality. I tested the Miracle Blanket out on my best friend’s daughter at two months; it was easy to use and she was a happy baby.
• See Kai Run shoes. I won three pairs (at Seeryus Mama, Minnesota Mama’s Must Haves, and Daily Essentials and Deals), and our future baby will be well-shod. The shoes are so cute, well-constructed, and have great packaging too.
• The Booby Trapper nursing cover from Oh My Baby. This is Canadian-made and has the great feature of two (not one) ribs that make it the best cover I’ve seen. My best friend has this on a lengthy borrow and is using it to nurse her little one.
• Baby carriers: An Evenflo Snugi Sway carrier (for newborns) from Mommy Goggles. I just love it. Can’t wait to use it. The Sleepy Wrap from The Bragging Mommy (for newborn to one year) and the Boba Carrier from Dirty Diaper Laundry (for 1-4 years). I am set for carriers.
• Cake lingerie (nursing/maternity lingerie) that I won at Now What Baby. (Most of their contests seem to be now US only so I was very lucky to get in on this.) Cake is an Australian company, and the bra, briefs, two nighties and sleep shorts that I received are the nicest lingerie I have EVER owned. The nursing bra is simply amazing – soft, so pretty and functional. I can’t say enough good things. I love this lingerie.
  

These are my most favourite things from the last year. Of course there are more - too many to go into detail (and some of which I have reviewed already), but nothing I have received has disappointed. And the majority (in quantity, not necessarily in value) of what I have won has been baby-related – with the stash I have ready for baby, he or she had better come soon!

Have you won some wonderful things? I'd love to hear about it!

This better be a happy new year

...because I can't take another crap year like the last one.

So here's to 2010 being productive, exciting and full of new beginnings!

_________

Yesterday the mail brought a lip and cheek stain from Balmshell that I won over on Sparkled Beauty (thanks!). So my crush on the Stila crush has abated somewhat as I play with my new product. The Balmshell one has cool packaging - a little swab in a clear jar on one end, and an anti-bacterial sponge on the other end for smearing on the cheeks, so you don't get blushing fingers. The colour I received was Scandalous Scarlet, which is a deep alizarin crimson in the jar and lighter (more sheer, anyway) on the lips.

I had some on last night and hubby didn't notice. But this morning I put some on and in the light of day today, the comment was, "What have you got on your face?!" Yes, I married a man full of compliments and admiration. He next told me he didn't think the colour was right for me. Then he said maybe he's just not used to it (I do have pretty pale lips and rarely wear colour so that is probably true).

I like it. It's maybe a little more towards fuchsia than I would pick but because it's sheer I can keep it light. The weird thing is, I got some on my finger and it did stain my finger a lot more than it looks like it's staining my lips. :) new makeup toy.

________

I was thinking I might do a recap on the year in terms of giveaways - I do enter an awful lot of them, and I do win some as well. I was thinking to share my favourite things I've won in the last year, and maybe sharing a little disappointment with things that I won that simply never showed up. Any interest? Or shall I just go on with things?

________

And a bit of catching up on giveaways that are on now:

For baby:

• Win a Boon Flair high chair at {Natural} Mommie. Ends January 13th.
• Win a JellyBean Baby premium AIO cloth diaper at Organic Girl. Ends January 12th.
• Win a Kalencom Ozz diaper bag at Fun and Funky Mommy. Ends January 10th.
• Win a Mrs. Smiths diaper bag at Organic Girl. Ends January 14th.
• Win a Bummis Infant or Baby Organic Cotton Prefold kit at Dirty Diaper Laundry. Ends January 11th.
• Win a 3-pack of Snappis at Organic Girl. Ends January 12th.
• Win a package of Aleva Bamboo wipes at Canadian Natural Mama. Ends January 10th.

For the ladies:

• Win Sothys home spa products at Parent Reviewers. Ends January 9th.
• Another chance to win some nice Sothys products at The Give-Away Diva. Ends January 8th.
• Win a pair of Muk Luks at My Wee View. Ends January 8th.
• Win a handbag of your choice from Handbag Heaven at Leslie Loves Veggies. Ends January 11th.
• Win two random shades of Benefit's Love Your Lips lip gloss (three winners!) at Today's Diva. Ends January 26th.
• Win your choice of product from the Cream Perfume company at Emmy's Boos and Rawrs. Ends January 6th.

For anyone:

• Win a $110 pre-paid Visa card from Kodak at Jabbering Jessi. Ends January 10th.
• Win a $25 gift certificate to Ecostore USA at My Silly Monkeys. Ends January 13th.
• Win a pair of Ozone socks at Joyful Reviews and Giveaways. Ends January 7th.
• Another chance for a pair of Ozone socks at Simply Stacie. Ends January 12th.
  
• Win a tin of popcorn from The Popcorn Factory at A Simple Kinda Life. Ends tomorrow, January 2nd.
• Win a tin of Golden Moon Tea at New Age Mama. Ends January 6th.
• Win a Snorg Tee at Organic Girl. Ends January 12th.
  

I want!

I'm SO crushing on Stila's Cherry Crush Lip and Cheek Stain.

Let me just say how odd this is for me. I wear makeup every day (having bad skin for 20 years, I'm accustomed to putting in the time each morning by now). Despite this I'm pretty low-key on the makeup front. Foundation, concealer, and a smudgy brown eyeliner are pretty much the most I'll do. Maybe a bit of blush or eyeshadow if we're going out at night - which is rarely!

I'm not exactly up on the makeup scene. I feel completely intimidated by the beauty counter girls, and going into a store like Sephora is so overwhelming that I'm on my way out the door within seconds. I feel like I don't belong. I buy my makeup at Shoppers.

For the last month we've had a few things to go to where we dressed up a bit, and I wanted to raise the bar. I had a bunch of lipsticks kicking around in my cosmetics drawer - apparently very old as I can't remember buying any of them - yeah, I know that's not good.

In fact, I think they may be from the 90's. (Who knew lipstick colours became dated? ...I guess a lot of women do know that.)
In related fact, most of them are probably gift-with-purchases passed on from my grandma. Who passed away 5 years ago.

I tried on a few of them prior to one recent night out and had both my husband and myself gasping for air laughing at how they looked. Yikes.

With my pale lips, tendency to bite my lips, chapping issues (it's Canada, it's winter), a lip balm habit... a lipstick isn't really going to cut it.

All this in mind, I saw this deal at the Sephora website - $10 (US) for two full-size Stila crushes, and thought - hey, why not. Then I saw the shipping cost - an additional $9.95 to Canada. Ouch. Suddenly it didn't seem like such a great deal. I didn't buy.

But the other day we were at the mall, I braved the Sephora store and tested out the Cherry crush on my finger. It's sheer, the colour stays, it's super pretty, not outdated, I like the brush applicator... and ONE tube there is $32 CDN (plus 13% tax, of course).

So. Is it worth spending $20 US on lipstick? Totally not something I normally do. Would it sit in my drawer or purse, unused as the years go by? Would it, being a stain, make my lips more chapped? Or would it give me a fresh look and a rosy glow (it's a cheek stain too)? Will it look pretty on my actual face as it did on my finger?

Ugh. Do other women debate for hours over spending $20 (probably $25-30 after conversion, charges, taxes) on lipstick? Am I being ridiculously cheap, or is even this seeming 'deal' crazy expensive?

I know. Life is not that rough if this is the biggest question I have in life (it's not). Just debating whether I should go on and order already, or go lower-end and pick up some cheap thing at the drugstore.

Meanwhile, DH just bought a whole bunch of electronics online (he got great deals, it's stuff I can't deny will be good, if not exactly a need, it can be written off as a business expense, but still... you know what I'm getting at here).

I've been featured!

Stacie has been doing a feature lately on Canadian bloggers - and today the spotlight is on me! Check it out at Simply Stacie.

And if you're not that interested in me, you should still go check it out - her blog is one of my daily reads. Stacie does reviews, hosts lots of giveaways, and is one of my favourite bloggers. She's based in beautiful Nova Scotia!


Today I have a family dinner to go to - seeing some relatives I haven't seen in years. In fact, some cousins will be there who I have never met in person. Should be fun!

The sales are still on, if you're bargain shopping. I just checked out the Spring website and they have a big selection of handbags on sale (love this one, for $20.99!) as well as lots of shoes, boots and sandals at reduced prices (and in Canadian dollars too). Free shipping if your order tops $49. Today's the last day for this sale. Have you found any great deals online shopping? I'm looking for a new handbag, maybe some boots... I didn't find the perfect ones for me at Spring, so if you have noticed any other great sales, please let me know!

I have a big list of giveaways yet to post, I haven't forgotten - I'll make sure to get them up before the time runs out. Here's a couple to start out with.

For baby:

• Win a SayWrap baby sling in green at The Judson Family. Ends January 4th.
• Win a Crickett's cloth diaper at Suburban Saving Mama. Ends January 4th.
• Win a Summer Infant video monitor at babybix. Ends January 6th.
• Win a Little Lasso at Organic Girl. Ends January 4th.
• Win a New Jammies fruit and veggies organic onesie at Hip Little One. Ends January 4th.
• Win a Simply Chickie tee or onesie (winner's choice) at Organic Girl. Ends January 4th.
• Win a Bumbleride Flyer at A Mom's Balancing Act. Ends January 8th.
• Win a PlanetWise wetbag at CoolCanucks. Ends January 8th.
• Win a Generation Baby wet sack at Happily Domestic. Ends January 4th.
• Win a set of Bummas cloth wipes at Simply Living on a Budget. Ends January 7th.
• Another chance to win a set of Bummas cloth wipes at This Mama Rocks. Ends January 6th.
  

For the ladies:

• Win a $40 gift certificate to Better Mommy Fashions at My Wee View. Ends January 8th.
• Win a Hotslings MilkDaze nursing cami at Dirty Diaper Laundry. Ends January 6th.
• Win a black organic nursing tank top by Momzelle at Happily Domestic. Ends January 6th.

For anyone:

• Win a Burt's Bees Radiance Healthy Glow Gift Set from TipTopHealthShop.ca at Organic Girl. Ends January 8th.
  

Boxing Day shopping

We hit the electronic stores (yawn) today, and the mall. Nothing. Well, I did pick up one last-minute gift for my mum. But the sales were pretty pathetic. Lots of people, lots of chaos, but deals... not so much.

I did do a little online shopping, though - Forever 21 has free shipping, no minimum purchase, until the 28th with code BOXINGDAY09. So I scooped a cute little tank and skirt from the sale section:

I love the shape and the random zipper detail on the skirt. I'm just hoping it's long enough that I'll feel comfortable wearing it. I figure I could always add in a strip of fabric at the bottom (with the new sewing machine!! :) ).

The top was only $3.99, and the skirt's $19.99 (Boxing Day sale prices).

Did you brave the malls, or stay at home and shop online? Did you get any good deals today?

Slacker!

It's me. I'm the slacker. I've totally been slacking off on the giveaway lists. But not to worry, I have a whole pile of them saved up and I will tell you about them!

Plus, I have four (!) giveaways lined up here, coming soon. I'm hoping all the companies come through. Right now I'm waiting on a few products to review - and of course they're taking forever with the Christmas rush in the postal system. I'm really looking forward to this! It should be fun.

Today I think I need to get to the grocery store (ugh! it's going to be a zoo! Why am I putting it off! It will only get worse!), and maybe I'll drop by HomeSense while I'm out... I know it makes no sense to go shopping two days before Boxing Day, and all my Christmas shopping is done. And it's crazy to go shopping anywhere on Christmas Eve. I guess I'm crazy like that!

I'm still not feeling Christmas. Despite the awesome early Christmas present, the baking (nearly 300 cookies), the wrapping, the tree, the get-togethers with friends and family, the Christmas cards sent and received... I don't feel it. One day soon I hope that I will get rid of the other feeling that I've got instead. The feeling of loss, frustration, grief, and, to my shame, jealousy, that I've been carrying around. I don't want to be that person. I was expecting a January baby, before the miscarriage. Then a June baby, when I was told I had an ectopic pregnancy - didn't have one - did have one (way to get my hopes up). Now I'm hoping, fearfully, tentatively, with all my heart - for a November baby. Maybe we will be lucky. More likely, it won't happen right away.

All I want for Christmas is for next Christmas to be a totally different experience.

Hmmm, enough about that already.

Thanks for your comments yesterday on my post (rant?) about food. I'm still reading the book I mentioned and it's really making me question my own diet. As you know, I'm vegetarian, but not vegan. I've been buying free-range eggs (and there's a difference between free-run and free-range - check out the wording and question what 'access' means, exactly), but after the kind of articles I've been reading, I am not convinced that makes any difference. I wonder if I can find any farmers around here who sell eggs from un-genetically engineered chickens that enjoy the privilege of an actual outdoor space, natural light, nesting and roosting areas, the use of their beaks, fresh water, food that's appropriate and not filled with supplements or 'preventative' antibiotics, with more than 8/10 of a square foot of indoor caged & stacked space per bird. We're in the country, so, maybe. Or - maybe I need to just stop with the egg eating. They're kind of gross, anyway.

When Meghan mentioned about cutting chicken making her gag, it reminded me of how the smell of ground beef used to make me gag, back in the day when I ate meat. At the time I thought to myself, why eat something that makes you gag? Isn't that one of our most basic reactions to things that aren't good to eat? Like, you know, things that have spoiled or are inappropriate, or carry disease?

And reading this book has led to some internet research, and honestly, I am learning a lot more about livestock farming than I ever wanted to know - and that's kind of the point. I didn't want to know because I already know it's horrible and wrong. Kind of like you don't want to know the details of child abuse. But the difference in your moral response is that your actions don't condone child abuse... yet by eating meat (or eggs, or dairy), how can you say you're not complicit in the abuse of animals? When the evidence is there, if you would only look? Anyway. I don't want to get all accusatory or preachy, at ALL, it's just something I've been thinking about a lot. To inform my own decisions. (And I'm not comparing child abuse to livestock farming, it's just a very clear example of a moral situation that's not a quandary at all.)

My point was (and I got really sidetracked there!) that eggs make me gag. So why the heck have I been eating them? Ugh. I think I'm done with that. I need to do some kitchen experiments with egg substitutes.

Ok, if you read this far... way to bear with me in my philosophical struggles! It's funny how writing things out makes the inevitable conclusion jump into focus.

That's hardly all. But I've got to get out and do that shopping, stat!

Reinforcement, and a challenge

This New Year's Day marks my 9-year anniversary of becoming vegetarian.

I don't talk about it that much. I don't mind that my husband isn't - although he now eats a vegetarian diet at home. I don't want to be one of those preachy people who tells people what to do. But I do think that if you're making choices about what you eat, you are responsible for knowing what those choices mean, beyond what's for supper.

I changed my diet on a whim, really. I have a deep empathy for other creatures, and a deep concern about the environment. I didn't like the idea of eating hormone- and antibiotic-laden, genetically engineered meat. And in January of 2001, I just decided that my feelings about those things made it impossible to continue eating meat.

Don't get me wrong. I really enjoyed eating meat. I can look at someone else's dinner and remember exactly how good it tastes. I ate fish, beef, crab, shrimp, scallops, chicken, pork, even goat one time. I've had my share of calamari and escargot.

I didn't really research it. It feels like common sense that killing animals hurts them - and I don't want to hurt them. It seems wasteful that the input (grain and water) is so high compared to the output (meat) - especially in light of the diminishing supply of global freshwater and the fact that global hunger numbers are rising. For me it was primarily an ethical decision, both for people (hello, global warming) and for animals.

I think what took me so long to make the change (nearly 25 years!) was that I didn't want to think about it. I looked at my chicken dinner, roast beef, salmon steak or bacon and thought - yum. And pushed out of my mind where it came from. We've all seen the images of factory farms, chickens in cages smaller than the area of my two hands spread out, cows in terror being led to the slaughterhouse, etcetera... but it's easier to push those images away, to click to the next website, to willfully forget that that's where your dinner comes from.

It's easier to pretend that pigs, for example - that we know are social and intelligent - have not been genetically engineered to grow at a rate 400% higher than is natural, are not kept in filthy, confined, indoor, high-temperature (to increase body weight) intensive farm stalls, to not think about how their teeth are clipped, tails chopped, and ears notched without pain killers.

It's easier to just ignore that for every pound of shrimp, there's up to 20 pounds of by-catch. What's by-catch? All the other species that are caught and killed in the trawling nets used to scoop along the ocean floor to collect the shrimp. These fine nets, as you can imagine, leave a swath of destruction in the coral reefs where shrimp live. Recent sampling in the South Atlantic rock shrimp fishery found 166 species of finfish, 37 crustacean species, and 29 other species of invertebrate among the bycatch in the trawls, according to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. All so that people can eat their shrimp rings.

For every animal or fish that is eaten, many more die. "Downers" in the livestock industry - those that simply collapse from lack of water, overheating, exhaustion - are dumped and left to die. Animals that become infected with diseases transmitted in the crowded, unnatural living conditions of today's farms are put down (often in a most inhumane manner - the farming industry is exempt from cruelty laws). By-catch includes 'cute' species like dolphins, sea birds, turtles and whales, as well as sharks, other fish, and other sea creatures - that form an important part of the ocean's ecosystem.

I could go on and on. And you can read about this, if you have any interest, in all sorts of places, from google to the library.

I feel compelled to know. It breaks my heart - I was weeping as I read Jonathan Safran Foer's new book, Eating Animals. I feel physically sick to think of the practices and destructive nature of industrialized livestock farming - and it's all industrialized these days. There may be a small farm down the road where you see chickens, pigs or cows out in pasture, but that isn't a money-maker. The money's in mass production, and that means the most animals in the smallest area. That's where your packaged meat at the grocery store comes from. Shoppers want the best prices, and the best prices mean mass production.

Terms like organic, free-range, cage-free are not always strictly regulated - and if they are, the regulation may state that 'free-range' animals have 'access' to the outdoors (this could be a window or a door that's rarely or never opened), animals that are packed onto the floor of a barn are 'cage-free', 'organic' animals may be fed 'organic' grains that may or may not have had non-organic fertilizers. Nevermind that rendered carcasses, animal waste (yeah, feces), and other icky stuff like blood, hooves, feathers, even plastics are often fed to the animals in factory farms.

If you've read this far, you're one of the few who cares. It's not easy to admit that the cruelty and abuses of modern farming practices are directly connected to our own habits.

So I'm issuing a challenge. A challenge to my readers to do a little reading on the subject. A challenge to make a change in your own life that will impact many lives - whether it be adding one or two meatless dinners a week, or going the whole hog (!) and trying out a vegetarian diet for a while - or for a lifetime. See how it goes.

I thought I'd try it in 2001. I didn't know how long it would last. I didn't know if I could do it. I am one of the least self-disciplined people I know (I had cookies for breakfast today, if that gives you any indication). Nine years later, I am firmly entrenched and have never regretted my decision.

If you can't think of what to eat (the biggest difficulty for beginner vegetarians), I can recommend a few great cookbooks (like Evelyn Raab's The Clueless Vegetarian, and Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian), share my own recipes, send you over to the Vegetarian Times website, where they have a huge recipe database.

I'd LOVE to help if you decide to take up the challenge. I'd love to hear about it, too.

Rice Cooker "Stir-fried Rice" recipe

We had some leftover Chinese spring rolls that my friend made and sent home with us the other night (yum!), and I wanted stir-fried rice as a side dish to go with them... but I didn't have cooked rice on hand, and didn't really want to do all the stirring and stuff (lazy!).

So I just made this up and it was easy and yummy. And I like to share easy and yummy recipes.

Here's my brand new recipe for -

Chinese-style Stir-Fried Rice in the Rice Cooker!

• 3/4 cup long grain white rice (or use your rice cooker measuring cup, if it came with one)
• 2 cups water
• 2 Tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp oil
  
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 1/4 cup frozen peas

Add all that into the rice cooker bowl, give it a stir, and turn it on. Watch it towards the end of the cooking time - you may need to add a bit more water. After the rice cooker turns to 'warm' give it a fluff with a paddle and you can serve it right away or let it sit for a bit if you're not finished cooking your other dishes. For us as a side for one main dish, it made three servings, but if you had two other dishes as well I would say it would make four servings.

If you want crunchier vegetables, add them about 10 minutes into the cooking time instead of in the beginning.

I am sure you could modify this all sorts of ways, for example by adding steamed vegetables or diced firm tofu or cooked chicken (for the carnivores) at the end.

With less than 5 minutes prep and 20 minutes of no-fuss cooking time, this recipe's a keeper in our house!

The Emperor's New Paintings

It seems like a waiting kind of time. I've got paintings that are just NOT drying, which I'd wanted to send out to one of the galleries before Christmas. They were supposed to go Friday, then today - but this morning I checked, and the paint is still not dry. ARGH! So annoying. One of them is dry, I guess I'll send that off alone and wait on the rest.

By the way, have you seen the latest winners of the RBC Canadian Painting competition? I read through my latest issue of Canadian Art and saw the winning paintings. I have watched this competition for a number of years, and have been consistently disappointed by the winners. This isn't bitterness speaking - I'm ineligible to enter, given that it's for emerging artists. I keep waiting for a really wonderful painting to win. To be inspired and awed. (And I definitely don't have a problem with non-representational work, btw.)

I'm just a painter, not an art critic. Perhaps my background (BA in Fine Art and 12 years professional experience) is not enough to give me a good perspective on what makes great art, worthy of a rather large cash prize... but I just can't see it. The last three years, the grand prize winner ($25,000) paintings have all been very simple imagery on a white ground. Let's take a look:

The 2009 winner, Brenda Draney's painting Aim is Important.

The 2008 winning painting, Jeremy Hof's Layer Painting Red.

2007's winner: Arabella Campbell's Physical Facts Series #6


Hmm, see a trend there?

I am thrilled that there's such a large and career-boosting award for young Canadian painters. But I'm not convinced that, based on the past winners, it is giving young Canadian painters much to strive for.

To me, painting is about technique, beauty, and colour, with 'making a statement' present, but firmly in the last place. And while I am perfectly aware that much of the art world thrives on theory and artspeak, the greasy language of the art world 'elite', I find that aspect of art to be eye-rollingly pretentious. It's as if the talk has superseded the actual art.

*sigh*

Okay, art rant over.
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Some giveaways for today -

For baby:

• Win a baby wrap from Sugar Sweet Baby at {Natural} Mommie. Ends December 30th.
• Win a Dear Baby box at Minnesota Mama's Must Haves. Ends January 1st. This would make such a great shower gift!
• Win an Adelle Orion baby sling from Baby So Smart at Penny Pinching Diva. Ends December 27th.
• Win a PlanetWise wet bag from Bum Covered Diapers at Coupon Mommy of 2. Ends December 27th.

For the ladies:

• Win Strappy's Decorative Bra Straps at Sugar Pop Ribbons. Ends December 26th.
• Win a tunic by Madras 641 at Monsters In My House. Ends December 27th.
• Win a Parazul Classic Bag at Baby Makin{g} Machine. Ends December 26th.
• Win a Hip-T at Luvn Life. Ends December 27th.
• Win a $20 gift certificate to Affordable Scarves at Flying Giggles and Lollipops. Ends December 30th.
• Win a pair of Sanita Clogs at Just for Me... And You. Ends December 29th.
  

For anyone:

• Win a $25 Subway gift card at Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous. Ends December 31st.
• Win a Flip Mino HD at Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous. Open to Canadians only! Ends December 31st.
• Another chance to win a Flip Mino HD at My Organized Chaos. Open to Canadians only! Ends December 31st.
• Win an RCA Small Wonder at Just for Me... And You. Ends December 28th.
• Win a Glade basket at Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous. Ends December 27th.
  

Saturday giveaways

We have yet another Christmas party to go to tonight - this time it's a casual affair, so I don't get to wear my crazy static-y dress again. I actually was kind of looking forward to another chance to wear it, and trying out Jenn's suggestion of hair spray to combat static!

I've got some time before we leave, and since the house is clean, the laundry's done, the dog's had a play date with his girlfriend, the golden retriever down the street, the husband's headed for a nap... this time's all mine. And I'm going to spend it entering some giveaways, here they are for you, too, if you have some free time on a Saturday before Christmas!

For baby:

• Win a $25 SproutBaby gift certificate at Santa's Picks (hosted by My Four Monkeys, A Simple Kinda Life, and Mission Mommy). Ends December 26th.
• Win an item of your choice (up to $50) from Agoo at Simply Stacie. Ends December 31st.
• Win a Promise Pocket diaper from Dagny's Promise at Diapers and Dimples. Ends December 27th.
• Win a Rebel Ink baby tee or onesie at Suburban Saving Mama. Ends December 30th.
• Win a $40 gift certificate to Nifty Nappy at Suburban Saving Mama. Ends January 4th.
• Win a Cloud B Lavender Lab from Dogree at Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous. Open to Canadians only! Ends December 31st.
  

For grown-ups:

• Win a $25 Eden Fantasys gift card at Love to Shop Mom. Ends December 30th.
  

For anyone:

• Win a $25 Chapters Indigo gift card courtesy of RoxxyRoller at CoolCanucks! Open to Canadians only! Ends January 31st.
• Win a Flip camcorder at The Survival Guide for Rookie Moms. Open to Canadians only! Ends December 31st.
  

New Winner for Chocolatey Chai Tea!

Well, I had to do a redraw for the Chocolatey Chai Tea. I announced and emailed, but didn't hear back from the original winner in the 48 hour window. So (drum roll) - here is the new winner of this deliciousness!

Lucky #23 was Pam (remember one of the comments wasn't an entry, if you're counting) - who loves both hot chocolate and chai, so this should be just her kind of thing.

Pam has gotten back to me - I'll send it out to her asap! :)

Something to be excited about

The background:

Okay, so anyone who's been reading my blog for a while knows about our recent troubles: we've been trying to start a family for 13 months and so far have had a miscarriage in June, and an ectopic pregnancy in October... dealing with the aftermath of these things has been incredibly hard for me, both physically and emotionally. The hardest parts have been - aside from the extreme physical pain of the first, the anxiety and termination of the second, and the accompanying misery of both -

• watching ALL of my friends have babies in the last 6 months. Really, all of them. Perfect, beautiful, happy babies, with exhausted, delighted, frustrated, happy, wondering parents. I love the babies. I love their parents. But it kinda hurts, too. And not only is it a little hard to see the happy families, it's also hard to have our friendships change, as the parents are so busy and tired with babies that we don't see them as much.
  
• knowing the EDD of my first lost pregnancy is approaching and trying so hard not to think about how far along I would have been, if only.
• being the person that is more emotionally affected in our relationship. I know that DH wasn't as affected by either the pregnancies (after all, he couldn't really see anything happening, and certainly didn't experience the symptoms of early pregnancy, the hormones (oh, the hormones), or the physical pain of losing them), and I also know that he doesn't get how, since they're "over", why I'm still so affected. He tries. But I know he gets impatient with me. And that's hard on me, too.
  
• reading blogs detailing the experiences of pregnancy and motherhood... I'm fascinated by and eager to join the ranks of mom bloggers, but at the same time it's a little like I'm rubbing salt in my own wounds by reading these daily.
  
• the waiting, which seems like forever.
  

The waiting is SO. FRICKIN'. HARD.

Not only the waiting during - after we'd found out there was a problem with the pregnancies, and were waiting for test results, the pain to start, the pain to end, the emotional fallout (waiting to stop waking up crying and bursting into tears at the drop of a hat) - but the waiting after, when it feels like time is alternately flying by (in terms of my age) and crawling along at a snail's pace (in terms of wanting to get going already).

While we're waiting for February, I'm trying to keep steady with maintaining my health and learning about the things that I've been going through, fertility in general, and things that may help us in the future. It makes me anxious to learn that I now have a 20% chance of another ectopic pregnancy. Scary. But I've also learned that we are able to get pregnant, which is a big hurdle for a lot of couples, and it doesn't take forever (even if it feels like it does).

Here's the "excited" part:

I am going to have the opportunity to try some new things in the near future that hopefully will help us with the next round, thanks to Fairhaven Health. You may have noticed the button to the right, up there near the top, for Fairhaven Health. It's a site I'd looked at ages ago when we first started trying, and then life happened, I got distracted, I never really followed up. But after reading about what was going on with me, Jamie from Love To Shop Mom got in touch and encouraged me to contact them. Result: over the next few weeks (once the products arrive), I'll be testing out the FertilAid, FertileCM, and a digital basal thermometer. I'll let you know how it goes.

I've been using Fertility Friend as well (which will be more useful, I think, with the basal thermometer). While I've been pretty aware of my cycles over the last year, there are a lot of little things that this helps keep track of that it hadn't occurred to me to track. For instance, I had no idea that I am sleep-deprived about half the time - DH suffers from sleep apnea, and that really has been affecting my sleep; I just hadn't realized how much until I tracked it.

Anyway. That's a lot of me, me, me info.
________

A little on the not-so-serious side...

Phrase I am sick of: "At the end of the day..."

Ugh. I have heard this every day lately from different interviewees on CBC Radio 1. I think it's a dumb thing to say.

Phrase that has me giggling like a little girl: "Stink pickle"

I saw this on Manic Mother (where the context is as funny as the phrase itself). I'd never heard it before. I know I oughta act my age, but really... I know you're laughing, too.

Home style

I got the latest issue of Style at Home in my mailbox the other day and spent a happy few hours devouring it. I ♥ that magazine.

There's a really nice pendant light from Union Lighting and Furnishing featured - I love the contemporary style - and the little crystal nod to the traditional! Price is a little gaspy at $541.60, though.

We are looking for (okay, I am looking for - DH is not as interested) some new pendant lights to replace the builder-installed boring ones in our house. I would love to get pretty lights for the entry, dining room, and kitchen. Not to mention that the bathrooms have those light strips with bare bulbs (Hollywood style, right?) - which are shiny chrome, that part's okay, but I hate the garish giant bare bulbs. They do cast a nice light, though. It's hard to find a bathroom light that looks alright and still gives enough light to do makeup by. Also, it's hard to find something we both like - I've got the kind of husband who has definite, and often contrary, opinions on home decor! (I'm pretty sure he'd hate this light, for instance.)

And that reminded me that I saw some lovely gourd lamps similar to these ones from West Elm - that were featured in the latest Canadian House & Home and cost the rather large sum of $179 US - at Bouclair Home the other day for the much more budget-friendly price of $29 CDN. The Bouclair version is not exactly the same (not as thick glass, don't have the iridescent sheen, and different colours - probably smaller too, although I didn't pay attention to the sizes) - but it's definitely possible to get the look for less.

I think they're pretty. DH, of course, is not a fan (the cord showing through the glass base is a problem for him).

Which leads me in a roundabout way to mention the Affordable Style blog by Michael Penney over at Canadian House & Home. As I've mentioned before, I like H&H, but I often find the decor and products not only too pricey, but too stodgy (I wish with heartfelt enthusiasm that "French Country" would just go away). But I have been really enjoying reading his blog - despite his declaration that country is back - and he did a nice little feature on affordable lighting recently that was great.
______

btw, I still haven't heard back from Trish, the winner of the Chocolatey Chai Tea. She's got until noon tomorrow to get back to me; if I don't hear from her, I'll draw another winner!

Chocolatey Chai Tea Winner!

I've chosen (well, really random.org chose) a winner for the Chocolatey Chai Tea. I loved reading about everyone's favourite hot drinks, how fun!

Just so we're straight, one of the entries wasn't an entry, it was a postscript to a previous entry. So if you're counting to find the lucky winner, you have to skip the twentieth comment. Make sense? Good.

And the lucky winner is....

Trish (who did not get back to me - redraw winner here!)

- who said her favourite hot drink is green tea with a little honey. I like that, too! Trish, I hope you enjoy this tea! I'm about to email you - please reply within 48 hours, and I'll send off this little package of goodness.

In case you didn't read my earlier post, do stay tuned for more upcoming giveaways - fertility products, skin care products, and eco-friendly household products are coming up!

Joy!

Christmas came early!

Yesterday afternoon a stranger dropped a large, wrapped present at my house. She came to the door, asked for me, and then handed over a big heavy box, saying it was a Christmas present from someone I knew, and that I was allowed to open it before Christmas. Mysterious! I waited until my husband got home, and when I opened it - what to my wondering eyes should appear, but...

A NEW SEWING MACHINE!!!!!

My mother and stepfather had arranged to purchase and have it wrapped and delivered, since they live rather far away! My sneaky, adorable husband was totally in on it, and had been slowing down my sewing machine research on purpose!

I am SO excited. After all that debating and research, the bewildering choices, the machines so different and so modern, compared to my old one - I am off the hook and living the sweet life with my new Husqvarna Viking Emerald 118.

I woke up with a big grin on my face, thinking about all the fun things I can do now. Hooray :)

AND, as if that weren't enough, I got an email that I won a wall decal of my choice from Wilson Graphics over at Project Nursery! I chose this one, in jade - which will fit perfectly on a wall in the hopefully soon-to-be nursery. It is not too childish, I think, to live with for many years.

I'm going to draw the winner shortly for the Chocolatey Chai Tea - hang in there, I didn't forget! I'll do a separate post, email the winner, and also note it on the original giveaway post.

Just a little heads-up - I have several giveaways lined up for my blog. So, you know, follow or check back - I'm working on with companies who make great things like eco-friendly household products, fertility products and safe skin care products. Sounds exciting, right?! Yeah!

Giveaways from elsewhere:

For baby:

• Win a 3-pack of Koala Kuddles swaddling blankets at Just for Me and You. Ends December 25th.
• Win one of two Patagonia organic tees for baby or tot by Rocky Mountain Kid at Canadian Natural Mama. Ends December 23rd.
• Win a set of Bummas cloth wipes at The Penny-Pinching Mama. Ends December 26th.
  

For the ladies:

• Win a $50 gift certificate to Amon Maternity at Tara's View of the World. Ends December 20th.
• Win a pair of Bamboosa Sukara Yoga Pants at My Organized Chaos. Ends December 20th.
  

For anyone:

• Win a $25 Chapters gift card at This Bird's Day! I love Chapters. Open to Canadians only! Ends December 31st.
• Win a RCA Small Wonders digital camcorder at Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous! Ends December 22nd.
• Win Cuisipro baking gadgets at My Organized Chaos. Open to Canadians only! Ends December 18th.
  

I hope you're having an awesome day, too!

Easy Homemade Cracker Recipe

By request! I hope you make it. I'd love to hear how they turn out or any variations you try!

This is a super easy recipe and can be adapted to make all sorts of different crackers. I have found that our guests are always really impressed when I break out the homemade crackers to go with cheese, dips or spreads. Little do they know how simple they are to make!

Basic Cracker Recipe

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup water, plus more as needed

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place the flour, salt and butter in the bowl of a food processor (fitted with the chopping blade), and pulse until combined.
3. With the food processor running, slowly pour the water in through the feed tube.
4. Process until the mixture forms small balls (about 1/2 cm).

• To test the dough, turn the processor off (!) and push the balls down with your fingers.
  
• If they stick together easily but do not stick to your fingers, perfect!
• If the dough sticks to your fingers: add more flour, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, pulse, and test again.
  
• If the dough crumbles and doesn't stick: add more water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, pulse, and test again.

5. Roll dough out on a flat surface to 1/8" thin or less, as thin as possible.
6. Transfer to ungreased cookie sheet, and prick all over with fork*

• *Important! I always forget to do this. Don't forget or they will puff up. Though if they do puff up, they're kind of like those mini pita puffs you can buy in the store. Still very tasty, just not as convenient for dip/spread/cheese.

7. Score lightly with sharp knife if you wish to break into rectangles later on. Or leave in free-form shape that you can break into shards. Or use the rolling cutter from a pasta machine, if you have one. Or use a pizza cutter. Or cookie cutter if you're fancy like that.
8. Bake 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned.
9. Cool on rack and store in airtight container.

Okay. That's the basic version. NOW is the fun part - variations! You can do pretty much anything you want with these, so experiment. Here are some versions I've come up with that make us happy:

seed crackers: substitute half whole wheat flour, and add any seeds you have on hand - flax, cracked wheat, sesame, caraway, mustard - whatever! This makes a good topping cracker, not overpowering in flavour.

cheese crackers: These taste sort of like 'Cheese Nips' only WAY better. 1/2 cup grated cheddar and about 1/2 tsp chipotle sauce - YUM. Add a dash of paprika if you want them to be even more orange.

'Indian' crackers: These taste a lot like pappadums! Add 1/8 tsp turmeric, about 2 tsp cumin seeds, about 1/4 tsp ground cumin. Add cracked black pepper if you like it.

L-R: Indian crackers, cheese crackers, seed crackers

If you want seeds (or coarse sea salt) on the top, brush with egg whites after pricking them and sprinkle the seeds on. The egg whites will stick the seeds onto the crackers and give a shiny surface as well.

Seriously, you can't go too far wrong with these, so try something new. Changing out some of the water for sour cream and adding dill might be fantastic. Substituting different flours, in whole or part is good, too (rye flour with caraway seeds? yum!). Minced garlic, and olive oil instead of butter - why not! Take a look at the gourmet cracker varieties, or even chips, in the store if you need some more inspiration. Basically as long as you get the consistency of the dough right, you're golden.

I usually make two or three batches at a time, while the food processor's already dirty (I hate washing that thing).
:)