Win cash by putting your baby to sleep!

Really? Really! Just a reminder - if you are using the Miracle Blanket to soothe your little one to sleep, get out the video camera - your video could win you $500, $100 or $50! There is still time to enter as the contest doesn't close until May 15th.I'll have more giveaways to list soon, just a busy weekend over here! The dog is sick (UGH) and we've been running around getting supplies and starting to build our raised vegetable gardens.

The pregnant friend tally is up to six, SIX, good grief, what was going on in December/January?!

Happy Weekend (almost)!

Quick!!! head here to claim a free Deep Steep bubble Bath from VIV Says and Holistic Beauty. There were only 10 available, and I just claimed one :) free shipping, too!

Yay, Friday! And where I am the weekend looks like it will be a nice one. Hope it's so where you are, too.
Some giveaways for today...

For baby:

• Win a $50 gift certificate to Happy Green Bee organic baby & kids' clothing from Wishing Penny. Ends May 2nd.
• Win a $50 gift certificate to Swami Baby yoga wear at Prissy Green! Ends May 9th.
• Win a pair of See Kai Run shoes at Simply Stacie! Super cute! Ends May 7th.
• Win a jingle bell anklet for baby from Baby Emi at My Organized Chaos. Ends May 2nd.
  

For mum:

• Win a GlamourMom nursing top (your choice!) at A Kindred Spirit's Thoughts! Ends May 13th.
• Win a good-looking Swanki Hat at Grosgrain! Ends May 6th.
• Win a set of Body Shop products from Barefoot Mommy! Take the quiz to find out what kind of mother yours is. Ends May 4th.
• Win a Hip-T at ShimmerMeBlue! Ends May 7th.
• Win some fun Ozone Socks (see pic!) at The Mommy Diaries. I like the Stripy ones :) Ends April 29th.
• This is a really amazing giveaway! Win a basket of chocolate goodness (really, so much chocolate goodness) and a $50 VISA gift card! WOW! It's all up for grabs over at Barking Mad. Ends May 1st!

Just a reminder, you can grab my fancy-schmancy button over there at the left! It's cute! It's rabbity! It links directly here! :)

Thursday... all is full of love

If you were/are a Björk fan, hi! I used to be an obsessive fan (back in my youth, when obsession over music was de rigeur). The first time I heard Debut I was enraptured. I still love some of her older songs. And the Marcel Gondry videos are really amazing!

Blog love

Annette, aka the Fairy Blog Mother, has given me a Sisterhood Award! How sweet. Time to pass it on to some of my favourite blogs.


1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate up to 10 blogs which show great attitude and/or gratitude!
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Remember to link to the person from whom you received your award.

Here are my nominees... some of my favourite blogs!

1. Momma in Flip Flops2
2. MommyKnows
3. {Natural} Mommie
4. Life Starring Ellie and Eve
5. My Moms View
6. Annie's Home
7. My Organized Chaos
8. Simply Stacie
9. Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House
10. Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls

Only ten? I easily could have gone on. Thank you and hugs to the bloggers who make my morning :)

Happy Earth Day!

Today, if you bring a travel mug to Starbucks, you can get a free Pike Roast coffee (yes, it comes in decaf too for those of us off caffeine!).
Also, if you go to the LaCoupe website today, they will plant a tree for you. Look for the pop-up window!
Some more giveaways for today (not as freely given as the Starbucks one but hey, someone's got to win!):

For baby:

• Win a bamboo hooded towel from Bamboosa at My Moms View! If you haven't tried bamboo yet, it's fantastic. Super soft, anti-microbial and sustainable! Ends April 30th.
• Win a bottle of ErbaOrganics Baby Body Wash at Prissy Green. Ends May 9th.
• Win a fair-trade Bubble Wrap baby carrier (Bubble Wrap is a Canadian company!) at {Natural} Mommie! I'm excited about this one. Her review is really positive. Ends April 29th.
• Win a BabyHawk Mei Tai baby carrier at Metropolitan Mama! Ends April 30th.
• Win a set of three FuzziBunz cloth diapers at Monkey Toes! ends April 27th.
  

For the 3+ set:

• Win a toy recycling truck from Green Toys Inc. at Bookroom Reviews! Ends May 1st.
  

For women:

• Win a $30 gift certificate to Payless towards a pair of eco-friendly zoe&zac shoes from Prissy Green! Ends May 6th.
• For expecting women or new moms - win a Belly Bandit and Diaper Bag at Simple Finds! Ends April 27th.
  

For anyone:

• Win an Earthlust stainless steel bottle from Fabulous Fun Finds. I love the designs on these. Ends April 28th.
• Win a Lunchbots stainless steel container from Go Graham Go! These remind me a little of bento boxes. We've recycled all our old plastic containers and replaced them with glass and steel ones. They last way longer and there is no BPA, of course! Ends May 6th.
• Win a reuseable sandwich wrap from Lavish & Lime (another Canadian company!) at True Cuddles! Must be a subscriber to win (but it's a great site so why not!). Ends April 26th.
• Then if you go to Lavish & Lime you can enter to win a huge eco-friendly basket! (The entry will also subscribe you to their site). Ends May 1st.
  

Sites to visit for Tuesday

Thanks for the podcast suggestions, keep 'em coming! I will look into them all!

Here are some giveaways for today....

For baby:

• Win a cloth diaper with insert and diaper cover from Snugs Boutique (a Canadian company!) at My Mom's View. If you are looking at purchasing cloth diapers, check the Snugs site out here - the prices are very good plus Canadian buyers won't have to pay duty like you would ordering some of the big-name diapers from the US! Giveaway ends April 30th.
• Win a set of sushi wipes by Cloth Couture at Mommy Goggles. Cute! Ends May 4th.
• Win a Diaper Dekor Disposal System at The Next Kid Thing! A necessary evil :) Ends on the 24th, I think. Unless 'next Friday' means May 1st.
  

For the ladies:

• Win an absolutely gorgeous pleated silk tank top from Grosgrain. I really mean gorgeous. Also stunning. And lovely. Ends April 26th.
  

For anyone:

• Win a set of personalized recipe cards or note cards from Paperluxe Studio! These are so gorgeous. What a lot of gorgeousness today! Ends April 27th.
• Continuing with the stationery theme, win a Zebra Airfit Jell pen from The Pen Addict! Ends April 24th.
  

Podcasts?

So I've had this iPod sitting on my desk for about three months, unused. I decided today, since I'm out of audiobooks at the library (I've listened to all the ones I'm interested in that they have - it's a small town library), that I'd try podcasts. The trouble is that my two favourite programs on CBC - WireTap and Age of Persuasion - are NOT available on podcast. So disappointing!

I need something to listen to while I work. I prefer intelligent comedy (I like WireTap because it's sarcastically hilarious - vulgar or 'shock' comedy just doesn't really turn my crank) , fiction or mysteries (is there such a thing as a podcast where they just read a chapter of a book to you at a time?), or something culture-related (I like Age of Persuasion because it talks about the history of advertising, how it has developed, and how it has effected consumer culture). I need something that keeps me interested and is talking as opposed to music (unless it's an interesting program that combines talk and music, like Alan Cross' History of New Music which also is not available on Podcast!!! ARGH!).

So I am wondering if anyone who reads this has a suggestion for a podcast to subscribe to. I'd really appreciate it.

Sweet Monday

It was a crazy weekend here and I'm relieved it's Monday, despite the rain. Here are some giveaways for today...

For baby:

• Win a BambooDreams Baby Gift Set (in the color Lilypad With Chocolate Trim), complete with blanket, hat and socks from My Organized Chaos. What a nice gift or lovely treat for your own child. Ends April 26th.
• Win a baby tee or onesie from BonnBonn baby at Pajama Mommy. Ends April 25th.
  

For the ladies:

• Win your choice of shoes from the Spring/Summer line from Neuaura at Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous! These are animal-friendly, I'm happy to say! Ends May 1st.

For anyone:

• Win an Otter Bottle at ecochick! You can read my review of the Otter Bottle here. I like mine - why don't you try your luck! Ends April 27th.
• Win a great prize pack of unusual foodie treats including a jar of Black Lava Salt, Das Caramelinis in Cafe Cortado and Chai Latte, and 4 Das lolli's from Das Foods at Love, Life, Family... And Then Some! Ends April 27th.
  

Aaagh, Friday!

Seriously, is it Friday already?! We are having two dinner parties this weekend (crazy, no?) and I have a zillion things to do, not to mention clean the house top to bottom as we've been embarrassingly lazy about that busy lately. Plus the DH decided it would be a gourmet meal for the Saturday at least, with 5 all new recipes... now we both enjoy cooking but FIVE new recipes with guests as guinea pigs? This is craziness.

But before the craziness begins, I do enjoy my morning coffee and blog reading, and entering giveaways, so I'm procrastinating a little!

The Miracle Blanket - Review

So, I have received a Miracle Blanket and I wanted to tell you about it. Bear in mind, I don't (yet) have a baby so I really can't comment on how well it works. However, I've seen some amazing videos of babies literally going from screaming to sleeping in a matter of minutes with the use of the Miracle Industries Miracle Blanket!

In fact, they are having a video contest right now called Crying to Calm. You can see an image of the contest details here. Basically, if you post a video of your baby going from crying to calm using the Miracle Blanket (continuous footage) on YouTube and follow all the instructions, you could win up to $500! Wow.

If you want to see an example of how well this works, check out Keonte's review over at Parenting on Trial - there's even a video.

Back to my review. First of all, I've been researching swaddling online out of my own curiosity. There are several options. One is to use a regular receiving blanket and try to fold it up in a way to swaddle the baby. This works for some people. Let me just say that while I appreciate the art of origami, it's not what I would prefer to do with a screaming, wriggling infant. Another is to use a swaddling blanket and there are a few different designs out there. Some have wings, some have pockets, some are big and some are small. So which do you choose?

The Miracle Blanket has extra long wings that wrap snugly around baby more than once. This helps when you have a little Houdini who wriggles out of a smaller style and wakes him- or herself up. The longer wings use the baby's own weight to keep everything tucked in, comfortably and softly. There is no velcro, no snaps, nothing hard or scratchy on it. Yet despite the long wings, it is not bulky.

The fabric of the Miracle Blanket is super soft cotton! It says right on the package to wash it first (of course), but even pre-washing it is so soft. None of that starchy feeling and it's not stiff or scratchy. It's also a fairly light weight which is great for little ones that overheat and tend to get rashes.

This product is designed for babies from newborn to 14 weeks. It really is meant to take the pressure off both baby and parents while the baby adjusts to having a great big world around them. The swaddle helps keep limbs from sleep-twitches that disturb the baby's sleep. And you know if baby's sleep is disturbed, so is mum and dad's! I know new parents are exhausted. A product like this, that helps everyone get some rest, is a good thing.

They also offer great product support. There are very clear instructions included with the blanket (with lots of drawings that show exactly how to use it). There is also a helpful video on the Miracle Blanket website.

This would make an awesome gift for new parents. The packaging is professional, the pictures on the label are sweet, the gift of sleep will be much appreciated. If you were debating what to get for the next baby shower I can recommend this. You know there will be 10 different diaper cakes there, do something different. It is reasonably priced at $29.95 (USD) - and they are even having a spring sale of 10% off right now.

The one I got is the Natural Beige and it looks just exactly like the pictures on the website. I opened it up and can see how sensible the design is. Overall - granted, without trying it on a baby (yet!) - I am impressed and would not hesitate to give this as a gift or use it for my own child in the future.

Crack day

Hey! Not that kind of crack! I'm going to the chiropractor today. I've never been before - it's not something my family ever did, although my husband's family swears by it. This one uses some piezoelectric thing called the Pro-Adjuster. I have no idea what to expect.

Guess what it's time for?

More giveaways, of course! :) Yesterday I was too busy so there will be lots today.

For baby:

• {Natural} Mommie's Spring Giveaway continues with a great big giveaway from Speesees. There are three (!) gift sets to be won, including a diaper/laptop bag, a blankie and toy combo and a set of jumpers. All in organic, chemical-free, fair-trade fabrics! Ends April 23.
• Win your choice of CozyCare Cape, Mat, Cloth or Cap from Spa Time Baby at Simply Stacie! I have the Cape and Mat and let me tell you, they are really nice! The fabrics are great quality. I can see these being used for many years and even passed on when the next family member has kids.
• Win a pair of See Kai Run shoes at Annie's Home! I keep writing how cute these are. Well, they keep on being cute - what can I do? Ends May 7th.
• There's another pair of See Kai Run shoes to win at Nurse Mommy! This one ends May 4th.
  
• Win a pair of Jack and Lily shoes at Ladybug Soup! Again, cute! Ends April 27th.
• Win a muslin Dream Blanket from Aden & Anais at Hip Mama's Place. Ends April 20th.
• Win a So Easy Baby Food Kit at Mommies with Cents! This kit makes it easy to make your own baby food. It includes a recipe book, freezing tray and DVD. Ends April 20.
• Win an AIO cloth diaper from Peas and Carrots at Our Life Upstate. Ends April 24th.
  

For the new dad:

• Wow, there aren't many giveaways for dads, at least not that I've seen. Momma in Flip Flops2 is giving away a DVD called Being Dad. It's designed to help de-mystify the process of pregnancy and birth for men. Apparently it's funny and informative! What a great gift for the dad-to-be. Ends April 22nd.

For the ladies:

• Win a FIT2BMOM long sleeve tie top at Now What Baby! This top is great for maternity but also looks great if you're not pregnant! Ends May 15th. *You must be willing to write a short review of the top if you win.
• Win a Hip-T at The Mommy Diaries! I hate to admit it, but I have a muffin top. Yikes! How did that happen?! I need one of these to keep it hidden! Ends April 24th.
  

For the dog:

• Yes, even the dog gets a giveaway today. Mommy Mandy has a set of Pet Head shampoo, conditioner and spray for dogs up for grabs! Ends April 28. I know our dog could use it! This is Cadbury having a happy peanut butter jar moment on our back deck. Let me tell you, peanut butter breath is better than his regular breath! :)
  

Busy Tuesday

I have errands to run! But there is always time for just a few giveaways :)

For baby:

• Win a Dogs and Cats Sleeveless Coverall Bib from Chic Tots at Parents Gear! Looks pretty cute! This would also make a great baby shower gift! Add a cute stuffed dog or cat and a puppy or kitty themed onesie and you're set. Ends April 27th.
• Win a DaBib from Simply Stacie! I have won a DaBib 'DaHugs' bib and I can personally vouch for the quality of fabric and design on this product! I'd love to add a 'DaGiggles' bib to my collection. This one ends April 27th as well.
  

For the ladies:

• Win ecoTOOLS makeup brushes at {Natural} Mommie's blog! Be sure to read her informative review. It sounds like this is a really responsible company making every effort to provide a high-quality product while maintaining sustainability! My kind of company. Giveaway ends April 23rd.

more to come tomorrow...! Meanwhile, I want to do a little 'Heads Up' about an upcoming event I'm excited about. Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House is hosting a Mother's Day Extravaganza! It starts on the 27th of April and lasts for a full two weeks with over 20 giveaways! Wow. This should be good. So mark your calendars!

You can also take a look at the left sidebar here on my blog for upcoming and ongoing giveaway events! I try to keep it up to date. I know sometimes the sidebars just all blur together so I wanted to mention it. The right side is some of my favourite blogs, the left is constantly updated with giveaway events. :)

Today's finds

I'm down with a tension headache and grieving the anniversary of my father's death today. Easter is my least favourite time of the year.

Some quick giveaways I've found recently...

For baby:

• Win a Diaper Cake by Becca from Parents Gear! Valued at $75, this would make an awesome baby shower gift!! Ends April 25th.
• Win a Moby Wrap and a Gro Baby One Size Diaper System at The Cloth Diaper Whisperer in their Fluff Friday giveaway. Ends April 16th. Please note the condition that Canadian winners are responsible for shipping costs!
• Win a onesie or tee from Tomat at Go Graham Go as part of the Spring Bash! Ends April 26th.
• Also at Go Graham Go, win a pair of See Kai Run shoes! This one ends April 22nd.
• More See Kai Run shoes to win at Life Starring Ellie & Eve! Ends on April 22nd as well.
• Win an Angel Rox onesie in size 6-12 months at Now What Baby! The little wings printed on the back of their onesies and other clothes are adorable. Not sure when this one ends.
• Two winners at Give Away Today - one winner gets a bib, burp cloth, and changing pad set from My Three Sons Designs. A second winner will receive an adorable onesie of his or her choice. As you'd imagine from the name, the giveaway starts and ends today, April 13th!
• Win a Woobie bib at Baby Loving Mama! These come in some great designs. Ends April 14th, so hurry!
  

Something useful:

• Win a stylish and functional grocery tote by Glamorous Groceries at The Nifty Thrifty Homemaker! All the stores around here are starting to charge for plastic bags (Finally!). I've been bringing my own cloth bags since the early nineties, but they're not as nice as the hot pink tote up for grabs here! Ends April 20th.
  

Mental break day

I'm going on mental shutdown... too much to think about. It's been a rollercoaster of a weekend so far and I want off.

If you, like me, are ready for some distraction, or just a fun way to spend some time today, here are some giveaways to enter:

For baby:

• Win a magnetic 4-in-1 bib from Bebe au Lait at Monkey Mayhem. I've never seen anything like this. Fantastic design! The only thing I would worry about is that the small magnets could be a choking hazard or cause serious (even fatal) internal problems if swallowed. However, they are sewn right into the bib so it would have to be pretty damaged for them to become accessible. I think a parent with any common sense would keep an eye on that. Ends April 19th.
• {Natural} Mommie has a couple of new giveaways as part of her Spring Giveaway event. You could win a diapering accessories pack from New & Green Baby Co. (a Canadian company!) that includes Bum Bum balm, sherpa wipes and wipe solution cubes. The balm is safe for cloth diapers :) Enter that one here - ends April 19th. Please note, this one is for Canadians only!

For mum:

• Again at {Natural} Mommie, win a set of Moonpads (reuseable cloth feminine pads) of your choice. This one ends April 19 as well.
  

Good and bad Friday

Good Friday is a cause for celebration for a lot of people, whether it's just because they have a holiday off work or are celebrating the religious date. For me it's the day my father died. Worse, since Good Friday doesn't fall on the same date every year, it always feels like there are two days of extra sadness - Good Friday and the actual date he died. So it's a sad day today for me and my family.

Happy Thursday!

Happy, because in my town today Lindt is giving away free chocolate! I'm not sure it gets much better than that. They may come to your town - check here to see (this is a Canadian promotion).

Meanwhile there are loads of online giveaways going on, here are some for today:

For baby:

• Win the item of your choice from Bamboo Hugs at Now What Baby! I love the Panda Hug bath blanket, how cute is that?! Ends May 8th.
• Win a Big Bib from Bazzle Baby at Mommy's Quiet Time. Ends April 23rd.
  
• Win a onesie from DreamKids at My Organized Chaos. I like the "Anything But Ordinary" onesie. The "Here to Change the World" is pretty cute, too (and reminds me of Baby Matt Parkman on Heroes)! Ends April 20th.
• Win a set of Tee-Knees - knee pads for little crawlers! How cute. Enter at Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous - this one's only open to Canadians! There's a change. Ends April 19th.
• Win a chenille baby blanket from Layla Grace at Mommie's Angels! So pretty. Ends April 10th so hurry up!

For mum:

• Win a strawberry (grown-up bath toy) at Grab Bag Reviews! It's the Toy of the Month! If I mention it's from Eden Fantasys you should know the kind of thing I mean. Just go check it out ;) Ends April 22nd.
• Simply Stacie's Cream Perfume giveaways are still going on! Day 6 ends tonight April 9th, and Day 7 ends tomorrow, the 10th. Two more chances to win this cool perfume!
  

Rock muffins and giveaways

This morning I made a new (to me) recipe for "Health Food Muffins". It combines granola cereal with molasses in a delicious muffin. However... I forgot to add the baking powder! They're yummy, but very, very dense. Oops.

On to some giveaways that I've found for today!

For the home:

• Win a $200 Home Depot gift card! Wouldn't that be nice? From tools and tool rental to gardening, rugs, lighting, paint, anything you could want for upgrading and maintaining your home. Enter at One Project Closer by the 30th of April to win!
• Win a set of 3 organic washcloths from Sage Creek Organics at Dexter's Super Savvy Mommy! These would be a real treat for anyone to use. Ends May 10th.
  

For baby:

• Win a 3-pack of SuperBibs from Bumkins at My Organized Chaos. This pack is waterproof and gender neutral, perfect for 'surprises'! Ends April 17th.
• Win a Pikkolo baby carrier from Parenting By Nature (a Canadian company) at Go Graham Go! Ends April 21st. I keep trying for a baby carrier since I think they make a lot of sense! They keep baby close for comfort, but leave the parent's hands free.
• Win your choice of baby tee from BonnBonn Baby at Barefoot Mommy! Ends April 21st. BonnBonn Baby's products are made with moisture-wicking, anti-microbial fabrics.
• Win a Kuster Bath Toy Store at Bookroom Reviews. Ends April 15th!

For mum:

• Win a Blush topless undershirt at My Mom's View! These aren't quite shirts; they cover the gap without the bulk. Ends April 13th.
  

Great finds for Tuesday

Today feels like a happy day - I woke up from a chocolate cake dream and any day that starts with chocolate is okay with me! Here are some new giveaways going on out there...

For baby:

• Win a pair of BabyLegs from the Pink Olive Boutique at My Organized Chaos! Ends April 17th.
  
• Win a Miracle Industries Miracle Blanket at The Verdict: Parenting on Trial. While you're there, watch Keonte's video to see how quickly baby Iyana calms with the Miracle Blanket! I'm going to have a chance to review the Miracle Blanket in a little while, I'll let you know my thoughts! Ends April 13th.
• Win a baby prize pack from Similac and Bobbie's Blog! The basket includes a 8oz can of Similac, a container of baby wipes and assorted other baby items! Ends April 9th.
• Win a pair of See Kai Run shoes (!!) at The Laughs Will Go On! I just love these. I cannot choose a favourite. I love the Addisons, but the Peters are ones my DH and I both adore... the Charlie's are awfully cute, too... Oh, baby shoes. Why are you so cute!
• A free sample diaper from Huggies Pure & Natural is available here! They use organic cotton, and contain aloe and Vitamin E. Great! Both US and Canadian addresses may request one. Not a contest at all! Just go get yours!
• Win a diaper clutch from Small Potatoes (a Canadian company!) at My Mom's View! This looks handy for diapers as well as, as suggested, any little things you need to keep organized - in or out of the diaper bag! Ends April 13th.
• Win a Safe Sippy from LadyBug Soup! Ends April 17th. I love the design of these - everything just makes sense and makes you wonder why someone didn't come up with these features sooner!
  
• Win a pair of Jack and Lily shoes (made in Canada!) at J. Leigh Designz! Ends April 20th.
  

For Toddler:

• Win Mookimoo Sleepwear at Parent Reviewers! Ends April 13th.

For Mum or Dad:

• Win a Crazy Dog t-shirt of your choice at Grab Bag Reviews! Ends April 21st.
• Win a Loyal Army t-shirt of your choice (one reader gets an adult tee, one gets one from the children's line) at Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous! I just got a Loyal Army tote in the mail yesterday (thank you Parent Reviewers!) and I have to say how awesomely cute it is. It has little spaceships and clouds on it. Love. This giveaway ends April 17th.
• Win a $25 Gift certificate to Botanical Soap Shop (a Canadian company!) over at {Natural} Mommie, part of the ongoing Spring Giveaway event. Ends April 14th.
• This one's sort of just for Mum, but Dad will appreciate how great she looks... Win any clothing item from Ellembee at The Giveaway! Ends April 17th. Check out Ellembee's Etsy shop for her great printed tees, hoodies and more!
• Same again, in practice it's for Mum but Dad will enjoy it! Win a Cream Perfume at Simply Stacie in Day 5 of her Cream Perfume giveaways! Ends April 8th.
  

Snow Day!

I'm calling a Snow Day! For those of you who do not live in the northern climate, a snow day gets you out of school, off work, you get to stay at home and enjoy being cozy!

Sadly, while we are getting maybe 10-25 cm today, it's not enough to actually be a snow day. We have had a nice few weeks where temperatures hit around 10 degrees Celsius. My herbs in the box on my deck started sprouting. I thought spring was really here. No such luck!
And even sadder, since I work at home even a snow day is not an off work day.

On a happier note, here are some giveaways that I found today. I'll probably update with more as the day goes on. As always, these are open to Canadians:

For the ladies:

• Win a $50 gift certificate to Layers Clothing! Design {for} Baby is hosting this giveaway. Ends April 18th.
• It's day four of the Cream Perfume giveaways at Simply Stacie! Ends April 7th.
  

For baby:

• Win a pair of eco-friendly soft soled Bobux shoes at Dexter's Super Savvy Mommy, as part of the Earth Day Extravaganza! Ends May 10th.
• Win the Ultimate Baby Shower gift at I Never Grew Up from Bitty Basics! It includes a nursing cover, bib, baby bracelet, binky clips and burp cloth all in a blue damask print. Ends April 10th.
• Win a pair of See Kai Run shoes from True Cuddles! True Cuddles is a great site every day with deals and steals for mom and baby. Ends April 12th.
• Here's another See Kai Run giveaway at Punky Monkeys! These shoes are just so cute. Ends April 13th.
  
• Win three (!) FuzziBunz diapers at A Kindred Spirit's Thoughts. Enter by the 11th of April!
• Win a cute pair of Jack and Lily shoes at Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House! I adore their shoes, so many designs to choose from! Ends April 20th.
• Win a Changing Pod (great circular design!) from Small Potatoes at Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous! Ends April 16th.
• Win a Kate Quinn Organics Baby or Kids' Longsleeve tee from dkMommySpot! Ends April 13th, with a daily entry option.
  

For child:

• Win a Happy to be Me shirt in size 6T for your boy or girl at Glimpse Reviews! Ends April 13th.
• Win a pair of Plueys rain boots for your child at My Organized Chaos! Ends April 17th.

For the home:

• This one could be for baby, child, teen or it's pretty enough to be for mama as well... Win a Lulu & Peep laundry bag at Feisty, Frugal & Fabulous. This ends April 8th, so hurry up!
• Win a woven bamboo throw by Dreamsacks from Prissy Green! I love bamboo for its softness and sustainability. Ends April 20th.
  

Beautiful Sunday

It's lovely outside here today - not exactly spring but the sun is shining. Before I head out to inspect our slumbering garden, some giveaways:

For baby:

• Win a 100% Merino Wool undershirt & a Bamboo Leaf hoodie from MahaDevi's baby collection at {Natural} Mommie. These clothes look like they were made by elves with a wicked fashion sense. I love the little pointed hood of the hoodie. Ends April 12th.
• Monkey Mayhem is kicking off the Virtual Baby Shower and Birthday Party today with a sling giveaway from Rockin' Baby Slings! Ends April 12th.
  
• Win a onesie from Dylbug at Parents Gear! They're cute and trendy too. Ends April 18th.
• Win an outfit for your baby from kumquat at Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous! These are super cute! Ends April 13th.
  

For baby, child AND mom:

• Win a $75 gift certificate for The Children's Place and a tote from Life Starring Ellie & Eve! I *love* The Children's Place. I get to shop there for my nieces and nephew, and it's sooo fun. Their prices are good, and sale prices are just amazing. Ends April 14th.
  

The new canisters from Clorox - Review

I knew you wanted to see a picture of my bathroom! Right? lol.

I was a lucky winner of a try-me-free coupon for one of the new Clorox canisters of wipes. Have you seen them yet? They come in a bunch of different styles that actually look good enough to leave out on the counter (where hopefully they might get used by someone besides me to clean once in a while!). I had a little trouble tracking these down, but finally found them at A&P where they retail for about $5.69. Later I spotted them at WalMart (by the cashier, nowhere near the cleaning aisle).

If you look closely you can see the one I picked out in the corner there. It has green leaves on it which go with my bathroom colour scheme of green and purple. (It sounds gaudy but I swear it's subtle). The walls are still builder beige, one of these days I will get around to painting.

I've been using Clorox wipes for years and usually pick the Lavender scent which I really like. So I was pleased that these have a very fresh, not overpowering or chemical scent to them.

The container is recyclable (where possible, it says - it's not marked with a plastic type though so I have a sneaking suspicion that it will be refused by our recycling service).

This is a disinfecting/anti-bacterial wipe so it does contain toxic chemicals and is not a particularly green product. The container is not recommended for reuse, and the wipes are garbage, not flushable or compostable. Like most wipes this is the kind of product I will use for messes that really require a disinfectant and not as a general purpose cleaner (I prefer to go with a washable cleaning cloth and a natural, biodegradable spray like Method or Attitude for that). But some things just need that extra cleaning power.

Thank you to Momma In Flip Flops2 for the opportunity to try these out!

Saturday's late post

I stayed out too late last night. I hate getting older! 1 A.M. is WAY past my bedtime if I want to be functional the next day. Also I do NOT recommend the movie Blindness... I wish I could erase that movie from my memory.

Some things to check out today:

For baby:

• Guess what? It's another See Kai Run giveaway! Yay! Check out Manic Mother for your chance to win a pair of these cute baby/toddler shoes. Enter by the 15th of April.
• Oh! One more See Kai Run giveaway to tell you about. Head over to Northwest Mom Finds by April 11th to enter to win a pair!
• Win a rockin' onesie or tee from Rowdy Sprout at One Bored Mommy! When your baby has been listening to Aerosmith through the belly for 9 months, they're already a fan. Ends April 11.

For the ladies:

• Win Cream perfume from Simply Stacie! This is day 3 of the Cream Perfume giveaways. Ends April 5th!
  

For mum or dad:

• This could be for baby too if you are looking for crib sheets, or for your pup if you want a little outfit for the beast! But I like Pure Blanks' organic clothing for men and women. Simple, smart cuts in comfortable styles. I could see myself happily wearing these clothes every day. Enter to win a $25 gift certificate to the Canadian store Pure Blanks from {Natural} Mommie! Ends April 11th.
  

A note about US contests and Canada

Recently I won a contest where the sponsor was an American company. They shipped the prize (quite quickly) through UPS. The prize had a value of $62.95. When it arrived at my door yesterday, UPS wanted me to pay $40 in brokerage, duty and taxes!

I asked the delivery guy to hang on to the package and give me a phone number and tracking number so I could try to sort things out with UPS. For anyone who doesn't know, contest wins are not taxable in Canada, unlike in the States. When I called UPS they suggested I follow up with the sponsor to see if that company would pay the fees. A quick email later, the host of the contest got back to me quickly saying she would follow up with the sponsor.

This morning the sponsor emailed me to say they could not pay the fee. I called back to UPS and while they said they could reduce the preparation fees as an act of goodwill, the fees would still be $20.

What it came down to was that I can't afford to pay, the company refused to do so, UPS would not waive the fees and I ended up refusing the package.

Here is what I have learned, that might come in useful to any of us Canadians and any US sponsors for the future.

• Canada is the ONLY country that allows a small exemption on items sent as gifts but all 3 of the following criteria must be met - AT THE TIME THAT THE ITEM IS SENT - for that exemption to apply:
  1) The item MUST ship from a personal address to a personal address ( anything that you buy or win and have sent directly from a company to your recipient will not qualify)
  2) The waybill AND commercial invoice must BOTH be marked stating that the item is a gift.
  3) The value of the items must be under $60 Canadian - anything over that $60 will be assessed all duties and taxes. (This explanation is from Momoforever on Smartcanucks.ca, I have edited it a little but essentially it is her information, credit where credit is due!)
• The difference between a courier company and the postal service (USPS linking with CP at the border) is that courier services are obligated to report every shipment while CP can pick and choose at will, thus often CP will let packages through that would get dinged with a hefty charge if sent UPS. UPS is apparently the WORST for brokerage/duty fees. when I look at the invoice for the package I refused, the brokerage fee was $29.55; about 75% of the fees they wanted to charge me.
• With Canada Post, you also have the option to appeal any fees. Recently I got a package through CP with a $10 fee on it. $10 happened to be affordable at the time so I just paid it, knowing that I could fill out the form on the back of the customer copy of the shipping invoice, send in copies of the emails I received from the contest sponsor and in all likelihood get my money back. UPS - no option to appeal, or, if there is (which would be through Canada Customs directly), they sure don't make it easy. You can't appeal the brokerage fees, that's for sure. The duties I imagine you could try to deal with Canada Customs but looking on their website, it is not easy to find out how. You'd have to call and work your way through the automated system.
  

Summary: Send it as a gift, value it less than $60 CDN, use a home address as a return address. Send it USPS instead of by courier (the extra time is worth it).

I was thinking that maybe the host of the contest would simply draw another name (a US winner this time) and the sponsor would send the prize to them. Or perhaps the unfortunate conclusion would be that the sponsor had tried to fulfill their end, it didn't happen, they were done with the whole thing.

But neither of these things happened. I'm going to end with the good news that the sponsor has very kindly decided to go the extra mile and, once they get the UPS package back, they're going to re-send the package using a different method. I haven't mentioned the sponsor's name or the host but if they are reading they will know who they are. I want to extend a big thank you to them for following up and really going above and beyond my expectations! Both were extra nice to deal with and truly helpful in resolving this!

Friday, I'm in love!

♥ my husband... what a sweetie. I hope you are experiencing a great relationship, too! Give someone a hug today!

Here are the fab finds for Friday!

For baby:

• Win an aqua/green Safe Sippy from The Soothie Ranch sponsored by Calamari Baby. I kind of like the idea of a little squid baby. Takes water babies in a whole new direction! Calamari Baby is also a source for many baby products besides the Safe Sippy! Ends April 14th.
• Enter for a Bamboobino After Bath Hat at {Natural} Mommie! This little tot topper keeps them warm after bathing. Bamboo, my favourite fiber! And from a Canadian company to boot. Ends April 9th.
• Win a Spa Time Baby CozyCare Cape from The Morris Bunch! Ends April 16. I won a CozyCare mat and cape recently and while I am still waiting on the cape, I have received the mat and it is awesome. The quality is really good. The fabrics are soft and thick, the water proof panel does the job, and it's cute as a button. It even comes packaged so nicely you could give it as a gift without even wrapping it. My husband was even impressed and let me tell you he is not as into the baby stuff as I am (funny how baby fever hits us girls!). So while I am not entering this contest, you should!
• Win two outfits and a set of books (a Welcome Little One Baby Gift Set) at Mom in the City! There are even runner-up book prizes. Ends April 30th.
• Classy Mommy has the same prize up for grabs, the Welcome Little One Baby Gift Set! Ends April 24th.
• One more time for the Welcome Little One Baby Gift Set at Now What Baby, ends May 3rd.
  
• Win a Lili's BeBe changing pad from Project Nursery! A non-slip changing pad, for those slippery, wiggly little babes! Ends April 10
• Win a hooded towel from Tess & Tellulah at BabyLuxe! Ends April 10th. These look really cute, plus will keep tots and kids warm as they get out of the bath, pool, sprinkler or lake!
• Win a swaddling blanket from Aden and Anais at Ohana Mama! These are made of a breathable muslin fabric. Ends April 10th.
  

For baby / child:

• Win a $25 gift certificate for Atterdag Kids from Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls! They carry everything from gifts to clothing for babies and children. Ends April 10th.
• Win a set of Sprig Toys (eco-friendly! yay!) from Dexter's Super Savvy Mommy as part of her Earth Day Extravaganza! Ends May 10th.
• Win See Kai Run shoes from Parents Gear!!! I'm a big fan and loving all the opportunities to win these cute baby/toddler shoes lately. Ends April 15th.
  

For Mama:

• Win a set of cloth panty liners from Knickernappies at Life Starring Ellie & Eve. These are different from any I've seen, with a separate liner and shell. Very innovative! End date unknown (probably in a week or so is my guess).
• Win Cream perfume from Simply Stacie - this one ends at 11:59 EST TONIGHT so get over there!
• Simply Stacie has added a second round to her Cream perfume giveaway that ends April 4th, one more chance to win a fragrance!
  
• Win a Hip-T from My Mom's View! These are brilliant to bridge that gap between your t-shirt and your pants. They look like layering but don't add the bulk! Ends April 9th.
• Win a navy organic Lauren top/dress by Toggery at My Organized Chaos! It's a top - it's a dress - depends how you wear it. Ends April 14th.
  

For the Home:

• Win natural laundry soap from Wild Child Naturals! It's their first giveaway! Ends April 15th.
• Win a pretty set of handmade cotton cloths from The Simple Life in spring colours. I use this kind of cloth for dishwashing but they are great for general cleanup or even washcloths! This one ends at 11:59 EST TONIGHT, hurry!