Sleep talking

I've mentioned before about my husband's habit of sleep talking. It is hilarious. I have learned so much from his sleep talk. Like that he doesn't like aliens - particularly the purple ones. And that fuzzy people are scary; we need to hide the dog in the closet when they come.

Sadly, his new CPAP machine seems to have ended the nighttime audio show. I miss the weird comments.

But, I have found a laugh-until-you-cry substitute at Sleep Talkin' Man. He's more talky than DH, and he does it in a British accent. Do you need a good solid laugh? I honestly nearly narfed my tea. (My mistake to take a big drink and then keep reading.) SO funny. The audio clips are great. Go. Now. Laugh until you pee a little.

Setting the Scene for Romance ~ Giveaway!

*** This giveaway is closed! ***
Winner: silverneon (confirmed)

I know I have mentioned before that February is the month of love. In fact, you're probably tired of hearing me go on about it :) Let's just say that we've been waiting for February for an eternity three months, and we're going to make the most of it.

So when I had the opportunity to review an amazing, romantic Valentine's Day assortment from Glade, you can imagine how fast I jumped on it! Romance? Yes, please!

This is the package I received:Wow! Spoil me! What is all that goodness? Well...

A triple-wick soy candle and a soy votive from the Fragrance Collection - Glade's line of boutique-quality scented candles. The scents, Sheer White Cotton and Currant and Acai, are wonderful. The first is like freshly laundered clothes - light, clean, and perfect for bright sunny winter days or chilly winter evenings when you want some comfort! The Currant and Acai scent is rich and fruity with the scent of berries. Both are pure fragrance, no chemical smell, and I love that they're soy, which is sustainable, clean burning, and natural.

A reed diffuser with a pretty wood top in the Currant and Acai scent, again from the Glade Fragrance Collection. We had a minor disaster with our last reed diffuser - I'd propped a framed watercolour on a shelf in the powder room that also held a reed diffuser. Then when the garage door slammed next time, off toppled the picture, taking the diffuser with it, and everything smashed on our tile floor. Cleaning up oil and glass shards from the walls, floor and toilet was not fun (although our bathroom did smell remarkably nice for quite some time after!). I am thrilled to have a new pretty diffuser from Glade for the bathroom - and I promise not to be so foolhardy in my picture placement in the future!

Some lovely cards and tags from Jonesy, a Canadian stationery company that does some great graphic cards that are environmentally friendly - they use FSC paper and soy-based inks. The set of five cards and tags in this package feature sweet little floaty hearts, great for any occasion but perfect for Valentine's Day! I think the tags might become lunch box love notes (shh, don't tell DH! I want it to be a sweet surprise).

An enormous, intricate cookie mookie from Jinja Ninja (love that name!) - another Canadian company that makes these edible creations from organic ingredients. I'm a lifelong baker and I can't even begin to imagine how Beverly comes up with these. They're amazing and would be great gifts for special occasions or just because.

Last but not least, a bottle of Copper Moon Sauvignon Blanc. I've never tried a Copper Moon wine before and I'm quite eager to test it out (tonight?). We love wine - we have toured vineyards in Niagara, and are those people who actually have a stocked wine rack in our cold cellar. I was interested to read that Copper Moon is made with grapes that are harvested at night. Who would have thought it made a difference when the grapes were harvested? But I have learned that the cool temperatures affect the flavour of the grapes. Neat!

AND - drum roll, please - I am thrilled to tell you that -
Glade has generously offered one of my Canadian readers the very same gift package that I received, in time for Valentine's Day!

Nothing like a little candlelight, wine and a sweet treat to set the scene for romance!

How to enter (do this first!): Tell me your plans for Valentine's Day! Will it be date night on the town, or a romantic evening at home, perhaps? Please be sure to include your email if it’s not public in your blogger profile! Anonymous comments without a way to contact you will be deleted.

Extra entries (leave an extra comment for each):

• Visit Glade, and tell me another product you would be interested in trying - 1 entry
• Visit Jonesy and tell me what other design(s) you like! - 1 entry
• Visit Jinja Ninja and tell me which mookie jumpstarts your cravings! - 1 entry
• Let me know which variety of Copper Moon wine you'd love - the Merlot, Shiraz, Pinot Grigio, or Sauvignon Blanc? (no guarantee that you'll get the one you chose if you win, though)- 1 entry
• Follow my blog (publicly) – 2 entries, leave 2 comments
• Add my blog button to your blog- leave the URL - 1 entry
• Blog about this giveaway, linking back both to this post and to the Glade website – 2 entries, leave 2 comments
• Tweet this giveaway and post a comment with the link to your tweet. You can copy this, if you like: "Win an awesome Glade romance prize pack at Emily's Latest (for Canadians only!) http://tinyurl.com/ydgwmxa". Thanks to my lovely and brilliant bloggy friend Capital Mom for the entry idea! - 1 entry (this isn't a daily!)
  

That’s 11 potential entries!

Eligibility: Open to Canadian residents only!

Ends: February 4th at 11:59 PM EST. Winner will be emailed, announced on this post and on a separate post on my blog. If I don't hear back within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen.

Exciting!

Just a quick note to you, my faithful and sweet bloggy friends!

I have some exciting news... a very nice giveaway is coming up super soon (tomorrow?!) right here! One of my Canadian readers is going to be very happy when they win this extra awesome prize.

Keep your eyes peeled and fingers ready!

Happy

1. I got a good night's sleep last night. Sounds small, but with my husband's new CPAP machine that we are both still getting used to, and my unfortunate light sleeping (any little thing wakes me), it's been a long time since I had a really restful sleep. It helped that I went to bed at 9pm. I was really exhausted!

2. It's February. Well, okay, it's not, quite, but we're calling it. YAY! Life can begin again. Hopefully.

3. I'm getting a haircut today. I hate getting it done, but love when I've had one. Sometimes I wonder, though, why my hairdresser earns more than I do per hour. Especially as she's so much younger. Maybe I chose the wrong profession!

4. Things are good with work. Super busy, lots of stuff to do, but that's good. And some of the galleries have been selling stuff already this month - after Christmas is usually slow for sales, so it's been a nice start to the year. Did I mention I made a Facebook page for my artwork? It seems like a good idea (my husband talked me into it), but I still have only a few fans (and they're mostly family). Hm. Slightly embarrassing! I think it's kind of funny :)

I know, I know - I haven't done this in a while. But I have some giveaways saved up to share with you today. And don't forget to enter my giveaway for a bottle of SkinMD natural shielding lotion. It's really nice - why not enter, you'll get to try it for free if you win!

For baby:

• Win a $100 gift certificate to Polka Dot Peacock at Design Dazzle. Ends January 23rd.
• Win a $25 gift certificate to Growing Green Bums at My Silly Monkeys. Ends January 30th.
• Win some awesome Canadian flag Stonz baby booties at CoolCanucks. Ends January 30th.
• Win a Nuby pack (featuring six Nuby products!) at Hip Little One. Ends February 11th.
• Win a Mrs. Smith's diaper bag at My Silly Monkeys. Ends January 28th.
• Win the clothing item of your choice from Barley & Birch at In The Know Mom. Ends January 24th.
• Win a Hotsling from Baby Snazz at Jabbering Jessi. Ends January 27th.
• Win a Cloud B Polar Cuddle Cub from Dogree Online at Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous. Open to Canadians only! Ends January 31st.
• Win a set of Bummas cloth wipes at Life More Simply (must be a subscriber of her blog). Ends January 29th at noon.
• Another chance to win Bummas cloth wipes at My Silly Monkeys. Ends January 26th.
• Win Gerber cloth wipes and Organic Lavender and Tea Tree Essential Oil from Baby Blessings at Suburban Saving Mama. Ends January 25th.
• Win a $50 gift certificate to Zutano (newborn clothes) at Natural Baby Goods. Ends February 12th.
  

For the ladies:

• Win three Orglamix eyeshadow colours at Toddler Mama. Ends January 31st.
• Win Weleda Pomegranate Regenerating Hand Cream at Mommy 2 Two Girls. Ends tonight at 7pm EST!
• Win a pair of Silver Jeans at Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous. Ends January 30th.
• Win Priya Pajamas from Bamboosa at Penny Pinching Mama. Ends February 2nd.
  

For anyone:

• Win a Burt's Bees prize pack at Mommy Brain (the ladies might appreciate this more than the guys, but I don't want to discriminate!). Open to Canadians only! Ends January 25th.
• Another chance to win a Burt's Bees prize pack at Organic Girl. Open to Canadians only! Ends January 22nd.
• Win a Nature's Path organics prize pack at CoolCanucks. Ends January 28th.
• Win the scarf of your choice from Affordable Scarves at Penny Pinching Mama. Ends January 31st.
• Win Depth body wash, hand & body lotion & hand soap at My Wee View. Ends January 29th.
• Win a tea prize pack from Golden Moon Tea at CoolCanucks. Ends January 22nd (tomorrow!).
  

Have fun! :)

Winner announced!

I have drawn the winner of the Prego Planner! Some lucky expecting mama out there is going to be organized and stylish with this great product. I want to extend a big congratulations to the entrants who are themselves expecting (you are already winners in my book!).

So, without further ado, the winner is...



*Mirage*, who said...
How wonderful!! I've been looking for something like this! I've been hoping for another little one and finally got some good news from a little white stick YESTERDAY!
I would like the Brown one if I win! Thanks for the chance!

That's a double congratulations to you, Mirage! Wishing you a healthy, happy pregnancy! (Confirmed)

Thank you all for entering. To my new followers - Hi! I hope you stick around. I've got more giveaways in the works :)
___

By the way, we had a date night last night - we went to see Avatar in 3D. This was one of the best movies I have ever seen! Seriously, make a date and go see it!

A quick hello!

It's the last day to enter the Prego Planner giveaway!

The SkinMD Natural Shielding Lotion giveaway is still on until the 28th.

I've been AWOL for a bit, I know - busy with work and house guests. Also, I started playing the Sims 3 and if you have ever played a Sims game, you will know how time just disappears. I'm not sure why it's so fun, but it is.

I have a huge headache today. We're planning on going to see Avatar tonight, so I hope it goes away!

I'm off to work... I have some things I want to share but no time! I'll be back when I have a bit of time.

It's here! SkinMD Natural Review and Giveaway!

***This giveaway is closed!***
The winner: Ninel! (confirmed)

Obviously, as I’m trying my best to lead a healthy life, I’m pretty concerned about what goes on my skin. Loads of chemicals can be absorbed through the skin, and if you check out the ingredients of a lot of popular skin care products, you’ll find some nasty stuff in there.

So I make sure to read the ingredients on the products I use, especially since we started trying to conceive. Recently, I had the opportunity to try out SkinMD Natural shielding lotion. Here’s what I loved on my first visit to the SkinMD website. They have an ingredients list right there on the site AND they tell you exactly what each of the ingredients is, and why it’s in there. There’s so much transparency for this natural skin care product, which as a concerned consumer, I really appreciate!

Instead of replacing the skin’s natural oils like moisturizers do, a shielding lotion protects the skin by forming a natural barrier – which keeps environmental toxins out and encourages your skin to regulate moisture naturally. (When I was in school, all of us art students became very familiar with barrier creams for protecting our skin from the chemicals we were using, whether that was in printmaking shop, painting studio or even the woodworking studio. SkinMD kind of reminds me of a gentler version of those barrier creams.)

Let me just get a little personal here and explain that I have had skin issues for years. I have recurring seborrheic dermatitis on my face as well as acne. The dermatitis leaves me with red, flaky, itchy, dry skin (not lovely) and the acne ranges from sebaceous filaments to those big, sore cysts that swell up like mosquito bites and hurt like heck. Not fun!

Believe me, I’ve tried everything - from the pharmacy acne creams to natural remedies, both over the counter and prescription. My dermatologist even prescribed long-term, low-dose antibiotics to help with my skin problems (which I have stopped taking!). I’ve tried retin-A creams, ProActiv (which is pretty much just benzoyl peroxide), salicylic acid, AHA’s, tea tree oil… you name it, over the years, I’ve tried it.

And now I’ve finally found a regimen that is keeping my skin clear - for the first time in about twenty years!!! I haven’t had a major breakout in weeks. For me this is huge.

I’m not certain exactly what has solved the problem as I’ve changed a few things in the last few weeks. I’ve stopped eating eggs, I’ve started using an organic oatmeal soap on my face once a day, and I’ve started using this SkinMD lotion on my face as well. I have also completely stopped the prescription acne cream and antibiotics that my dermatologist had me on. I had those two random hormonal rollercoasters lately, plus I am getting older and who knows, maybe I’ve just hit that threshold where my skin has balanced out. So I don’t want to claim this as a miracle cream or anything (SkinMD doesn’t make any claims about acne, as far I as I could see), but it is part of a new skincare regimen that has been working wonders for me.

The acne has gone away. I still have the sebaceous filaments, but that’s not uncommon and as long as they don’t get infected I’m okay with that. The dermatitis has really disappeared, and to say that in the middle of a dry Canadian winter is really something! Is it the protective silicones, or maybe the natural anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory ingredients (like aloe, comfrey, arnica, yarrow & chamomile) in the SkinMD? Did I have an egg allergy that just showed up as skin problems? Who knows.

My husband and I tried the SkinMD Natural shielding lotion, and samples of the SPF version as well. The lotion itself has a light, neutral scent – it just smells ‘like lotion’, but it’s not overpowering. It’s got a light consistency that smooths on easily, but absorbs very quickly. I hate when creams leave my skin feeling greasy; with the SkinMD a few seconds after application it’s no longer wet to the touch, but my skin doesn’t feel dried out. After I do my face I rub any excess on the backs of my hands. I also found that because it doesn’t feel greasy I am not tempted to wash it off my hands. So my hands are looking and feeling better, too.

I found I needed to use two applications of the SkinMD on my face at first. I do my under-eye cream, wait a little for that to absorb, then apply the SkinMD all over. A few seconds later a second round of SkinMD to finish off. It sounds like a lot, but it really is seconds between coats. The reason was that the dermatitis makes my skin super tight so it tended to flake, especially on my forehead (yuck).

After the first couple weeks I am down to only one light application, and this is something that I’ll admit I was skeptical about. Their website describes that you can taper off your use. I thought, Really? What company would tell you to use less and less of their product? But honestly, that has been my experience. I am using less than when I started and my skin is looking GREAT.

My husband suffers from eczema on his legs. I showed him the before and after shots on their website of eczema sufferers (the photos really are amazing). He was still skeptical. (My husband is one seriously stubborn guy.) So, he has used it a few times on his problem areas, but not enough to notice a big difference. I think if he really gave it a shot he would see results, just based on what it’s done for my dermatitis, but I have found that my man does his own thing no matter what my good advice is!

The facility that manufactures SkinMD has recently installed solar panels and utilizes solar power to produce Skin MD Natural. Not only that, but they don’t test on animals. Way to go!

SO what is the point of all this?

Well, for one to brag for the first time EVER that I actually have nice skin. Yay, me!

Secondly, to say that I’m loving the SkinMD and while I do find it a little gaspy at $18 USD a bottle (with another $9.95 shipping fee to Canada)… but very comparable to your typical Olay creams, for example, at $30 CDN a pop (which are smaller tubs, and are full of who knows what); I would pick this any day.

To make that just a little sweeter, SkinMD is offering my readers a 20% discount code!!! Woo hoo! :) To receive this discount, simply enter the special code FFSR at checkout!

And THIRDLY, what you have all been waiting for, to offer you, my lucky readers, the chance to test this out yourself when one of you wins a bottle of the SkinMD Shielding Lotion.

The giveaway: A bottle of Skin MD Shielding Lotion.

How to enter: Visit SkinMD, and tell me another product you would be interested in trying, AND something you learned from the website. Please be sure to include your email if it’s not public in your blogger profile! Anonymous comments without a way to contact you will be deleted.

Extra entries (leave an extra comment for each):

• Sign up for the Skin Free RSS feed and let me know you did
• Use the store locator to find the nearest store to you where you can buy SkinMD products, and let me know where it is
• 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 both to this post and to the SkinMD website – 2 entries, leave 2 comments

That’s 9 potential entries!

Eligibility: Open to US and Canadian residents.

Ends: January 28th at 11:59 PM EST. Winner will be emailed and announced on this post and on a separate post on my blog. If I don't hear back within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen.

*************************

Lastly - now that you know how great this product is - take a moment to enter their Valentine's Day contest as well! With a big prize pack up for grabs, this is going to make one more winner very happy!

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

Hang in there -

My newest giveaway will be up later today! I'm just waiting on a little bit of extra info.

I made veggie burgers last night, inspired by Dairy Free Betty, in turn inspired by OhSheGlows. I followed the original recipe, except that I didn't have pepitas on hand so left those out. I used a tin of mixed beans because for some reason we were out of chick peas (how did that happen?!). And I made six burger-sized patties instead of eight small ones. They were pretty yummy and easy! I liked that they were baked - no oil at all. We had them on cheese buns with guacamole, cucumber, tomato and cheddar, with a side of steamed asparagus with toasted sesame seeds. The leftover cooked patties are in the freezer, ready to toss into wraps or buns when we need a quick dinner.

My husband is still deeply in love with the cashew burgers I make from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, though. (The recipe is online, here!) They are just as easy and the cashews really add a wonderful texture and flavour to the patties. The trouble is, the recipe contains an egg. I'm still deciding how to get around that. I guess I should just try it with 1 Tbsp ground flax to 3 Tbsp water as a substitute and see how it goes. What I'm worried about is that the egg really acts as a sticky binder in this recipe, and I'm not sure how well the flax mix will bind things together. By the way, I know I've mentioned it before, but this is such a great cookbook if you are looking to increase your meatless meals or otherwise find some new vegetarian recipes. It's HUGE and is kind of like a Joy of Cooking for vegetarians - that thorough. There hasn't been one recipe that we've tried that we haven't liked, and some are now among our favourites. Plus it's really reasonably priced. I got my copy for Christmas three years ago and it's on regular rotation. I was shocked to find out it was under $30 (not on Bittman's site - try Amazon or Chapters for the good prices!).

Meanwhile, here are some other blogs' giveaways to keep you going. Wouldn't want to deprive anyone of their giveaway fix!

For baby:

• Win a $25 gift certificate to Cotton Tails at Momma in Flip Flops2! Ends January 25th.
• Win aden+anais Burpy Bibs at Minnesota Mama's Must Haves. Ends January 21st.
• Win a Good Mama cloth diaper at My Silly Monkeys (love the California Roll diaper! How cute is that?!). Ends January 26th.
• Win an AppleCheeks diaper at Nine More Months. Ends January 26th.
• Win a Serena & Lily Peacock Market Sling at My Silly Monkeys. Ends January 24th.
• Win a pair of shoes from See Kai Run at This Mama Rocks. Ends January 26th.
• Win an outfit from Nosilla Organics at Glimpse Reviews. Ends January 18th.
  

For the ladies:

• Win a $20 gift certificate to Mineral Basics at Cool Canucks. Ends March 20th (long giveaway, eh?!).
• Win a $40 gift certificate to Bra Allure at Today's Diva. Ends February 4th.
• Win a Glamourmom nursing tank at Getting Kinda Crunchy. Ends January 30th.
• Win a colour collection from Orglamix at Coo Coo Courtney. Ends January 17th.
• Win your pick of three colours from Orglamix at Networking Witches. Ends January 21st.
• Win a Hip-T at Second Time Around. Ends January 21st.
• Win a prize pack from The Body Shop at Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous. Open to Canadians only! Ends January 20th.
  

For anyone:

• Win a $100 gift certificate to Threadless Tees at Bargain Moose. Open to Canadians only! Ends January 22nd.
• Win a $25 gift certificate to EcoStore USA at The Ahoteiloa Family blog. Ends January 22nd.
• Another chance to win a $25 gift certificate to EcoStore USA at Eco-Cheap Mom. Ends January 25th. (I recently won this prize at My Silly Monkeys, so I'm not entering these ones - I'll let you know what I think of the products once I get them!)
• Win an item of your choice from Bored, Inc. (kawaii!) at Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls. Ends January 22nd.
• Today is Giveaway Day at Save Money in Winnipeg. A giveaway each hour! Open to Canadians only!

______

Would anyone like an invitation to join Beyond the Rack? It's a members-only online designer outlet. Great deals on designer stuff from handbags & other accessories to clothing (men and women). Click on the link, or comment with your email address (just mention it if you don't want your comment with email addy published), and I'll send you an invitation!

______

... It just sank in that today is my due date from the first lost pregnancy.

Guess what?

I've got another review and giveaway coming up tomorrow!

How exciting. It's a product anyone can use, I love it, and I think you will, too.

Ready? Set... Wait for it...

Random stuff

So I keep entering to win a Flip camcorder... they look so neat and I think it would be great for when we finally get going on this having a family business. So far, no luck, but this time I'm asking for your help - if you wouldn't mind. If you go here, and then in the search panel at left select "ALL", type Emily and hit search (it looks like this image) - you should see a few photos I've submitted for a chance to win. Please cast a vote for me!

(And if you're Canadian, you can also enter to win (and let me know - I'll vote for you!). The contest is run by Scotiabank - here's the main page.)
___

Next topic! Did anyone else get a reassessment letter from Revenue Canada?! I got one yesterday - they want another $400 from me for last year's taxes. Ouch! Called my tax preparer first thing this morning and she told me RC's been busy as she's getting lots of calls! I'm sure it's a mistake, though, as the income they're debating was already claimed. Still, what a pain.
___

Oh, last night I got a blog award from Hyla over at Green Earth Journey (thanks, Hyla!). How fun! The idea behind the Honest Scrap award is to reveal 10 secrets and then tag someone else.

I'm not sure I have 10 secrets.

Ha! Who am I kidding! Of course I do.

1. I ate Tostitos Hint of Lime chips for breakfast. There's vegetable (corn) and fruit (lime) in there, right?
2. I have two family-size chocolate bars in a drawer in my studio for emergency use. Shh! That's my private stash!
3. I'm actually really ticked that one of the women who'd signed up for my eight-week painting class sent me an email two hours before the first class saying she wasn't going to join the class after all. And that I should let her know next time I run a class. This is why I usually get payment in advance. So I'm really more ticked at myself for being 'nice' and not insisting on her paying me when she said she was committing to the class. And also at her, for holding a spot in the class when someone else could have joined (I only have room for 6 people, after all!).
   
4. I'm mad that I'm not still in my twenties. Grow old gracefully, my butt!
5. I fake being bright and cheery a LOT. My mum used to tell me that if my face smiled, my brain would get the message and my mood would improve. After many years of in-depth research, testing and experimentation, my expert opinion is that that's a lot of bunk. Up side? I'm not bad at faking it after all those years of practice.
6. There's only one cutest baby I know and I lied to the rest of the mums.
7. I hate when my husband gets angry at other drivers and tells me how stupid they are. Yep. people are stupid. Let's move on.
   
8. I talk to myself. Like, all day long. Is that weird?
9. I actually don't enjoy camping all that much. I used to. But now it seems like a lot of discomfort, tiresome chores and dirt. Given the choice, I'll pick hotel over tent any day.
10. I'm becoming my mother. Only snarkier.
    

Yikes! Don't tell anyone.

Anyone else want to play? I nominate Brie at Capital Mom, Jenn at Baby Makin{g} Machine, and Jessica at Dairy Free Betty who I think might have fun with this.
____

Okay... you know I have a bunch of giveaways that I want to share with you. I'm working on that so check back right here for more.

For baby:

• Win a Gebbie cloth at BabyLuxe {daily}. It's a new burp cloth design! Ends January 18th.
• Win an Urban Fluff iCandy diapering system at Happily Domestic. Ends January 21st.
• Win a t-shirt of your choice from Tyler Trends at Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous. Ends January 16th.
• Win a Halo SleepSack at Natural Baby Goods. Ends January 22nd.
  

For the ladies:

• Win a $20 gift certificate to Affordable Scarves at The B Keeps Us Honest. I think this is open to Canadian residents - there's no eligibility note in the rules. I know the sponsor ships to Canada so it should be okay. Ends January 15th.
• Win an 88 palette, an 88 shimmer palette and a 13-piece brush set from Coastal Scents at Cool Canucks. Ooh, just the sort of thing I need. Ends January 21st.
• Win a blush, eyeshadow and lipstick by Pur Minerals at Simply Stacie. Ends January 18th.
• Win the New York Gift Set by Monave (powder blush, foundation, eye shadows and corresponding brushes) at The Five Fish. Ends January 20th.
• Win a lavender pearl necklace from Pearl Distributors at Park-Avenue Princess. Ends January 17th.
• Win Cream Perfume at Dev's Favorite Giveaways. Ends January 18th.
• Another chance to win Cream Perfume at New Age Mama. Ends January 19th.
• Win a Scrunchy Cashmere Scarf from Nepali by TDM Design at Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous. Ends January 20th.
• Win some luxe skin care products from Spa Boutique at Cool Canucks. Ends January 27th.
  

For those who sew:

• Win 20 lovely vintage print, cotton fat-quarters from rikrak studio. Um, I actually don't want you to go enter because I adore fabric and my stash is like a hungry, hungry hippo. Ends January 13th. You really probably don't have time to enter. Too bad. ;)
  

My weekend

Food, glorious food!

On Saturday, we had a family get-together to go to. It was the last (thank goodness) of the Christmas celebrations. The extended family of my husband on his father's side gets together for this once a year. Usually it's kind of... interminable. But this year was actually pretty nice.

The dinner is potluck, buffet style. We took a couscous salad. DH was worried his family (full of picky eaters) wouldn't touch it. But lo and behold, the salad was almost gone after dinner. People definitely knew it was us who brought the couscous, just because it's different, I guess, from the standard meat and potatoes fare (I'm not kidding - there were three different potato dishes and two different meats. Plus that creepy marshmallow salad - ew!). So I was thrilled that the couscous salad went over well. The recipe was from my Vegetarian Times cookbook, and you can find it online here. We're not even generally huge fans of couscous, but it really was flavourful and yummy, as well as simple and quick to make. Recommended if you have a potluck to go to, or for a family meal that has it all: grains, veggies and protein!

___

Testing, testing, 1-2-3

The low point of this weekend came on Sunday. This part's kinda personal. I've been waiting... and waiting... and waiting for a visit from Aunt Flo. I'm on day 37 today of my cycle (it's never been this long before, without me being pregnant). With the ectopic pregnancy and subsequent methotrexate shot at the end of October, my OB/gyn told us to wait three months to try to conceive again. So we have been pretty careful in the meantime. We are waiting for February to roll around. But this extra-long cycle had me worried. So on Sunday morning I took a pregnancy test. Just to be sure. And the result was...

Negative. Just one little pink line, not two.

My response has me really upside-down.

I'm relieved - I would probably have worried a little about the MTX not being completely out of my system. However, I've been doing a lot of reading and have read from many sources that often doctors only recommend waiting one full cycle after the shot. So I wasn't super worried about that. Relief is maybe 5% of the emotional stew.
I'm disappointed - the slight possibility of being pregnant had me feeling absolutely elated. I was seeing signs every day that were potential signs of pregnancy. I guess that was just wishful thinking or I was reading too much into things.
I'm bitter - I wish I weren't, but there it is.
I'm frustrated - with DH, who is completely logical and not at all emotional about things like this. He doesn't understand my disappointment at all, when we both know that I'm not supposed to be pregnant now, it wasn't likely considering how careful we have been, and we would have been worried about complications. To him that makes it a complete relief. To me, my brain knows all that, but my heart still longs for a little one, and despite my best efforts not to hope for a positive, I couldn't extinguish that spark of hope. I wish he could understand that the logic of the brain and the illogic of the heart can co-exist.
I'm annoyed - with my dumb random cycle. What the heck?!
I'm tired - of the rollercoaster, and of waiting in general.

So... I'm still in waiting mode. Waiting for the next Day 1. Waiting for February - the month of love! Waiting to feel like I'm moving forward and not just in stasis.

___

Nerves of spaghetti!

Meanwhile, I'm also full of anxiety because tonight I'm starting a new class in my studio (I teach oil painting classes for beginners). I have three new people coming tonight (and some returning students), and it's the first class of an eight-week session. I have a little stage fright! I've been teaching for, oh, maybe 12 years or so, but every new class feels like I've never done this before. I couldn't sleep last night. I know that once I get into it, it will be fine. But oh! I'm anxious.

___

That's a lot of me, me, me. How was your weekend?

Dreams

We were at a house, but we were packing up, because we were leaving soon. Sylar was there, but he was hurt and couldn't move. So my husband kindly burned an audiobook onto cd for him to listen to so that he wouldn't get bored. Wasn't that nice of my husband?

The other night, I was lost on some urban island, and Jim from The Office was a policeman trying to get me back to the middle of New York to catch a plane. For some reason, we had to stop at his apartment, which was full of toys and robots (toys and robots? where did that come from?).

This is what my mind comes up with while I'm sleeping? I swear I don't watch very much tv. (Though if random men from tv must show up in my dreams, I will admit that Zachary Quinto and John Krasinski would probably be the most welcome. Next time, guys, you don't have to be so PG-13!).

At least the cast of Glee hasn't shown up (yet? eek. cringe).

Now that you are all thoroughly bored - after all, what's more boring than other people's dreams?! - at least there is eye candy! - here are some giveaways for you to go enter.

For baby:

• Win a Little Giraffe blanket and hooded towel in pink or blue at Project Nursery. Ends January 15th.
• Win a Thirsties Duo diaper at Organic Girl. Ends January 25th.
• Win an AppleCheeks MiniTest diaper at Simply Stacie. Ends January 20th.
• Win a Mother-Ease OS diaper, liner & cover (size 10-20 lbs) at Suburban Saving Mama. Ends January 25th.
• Win one item of clothing from Barley and Birch - your choice (love their designs!) at Getting Kinda Crunchy. Ends January 23rd.
• Win an organic Speesees one piece (size 3-6 months) at Hip Little One. Ends January 20th.
• Win a BambiniBags ring sling in taupe at Organic Girl. Ends January 20th.
• Win a Bumbleride Indie stroller (!) at Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous. Ends January 31st.
• Win an Exergen Temporal Scanner at My Silly Monkeys. Ends January 22nd. Also known as the 22th.
  

For the ladies:

• Win a Bella Band from Ella Bella at Simply Stacie. Open to Canadians only! Ends January 22nd.
• Win a Belly Bandit at the Best Baby Organics blog. Ends January 30th.
• Win a maternity dress or tunic from Moody Mamas at Simply Stacie. Ends January 21st.
• Win a Hana Pro flat iron from Missikko at Your Mama Reviews. Ends January 14th at noon.
• Win a dress from Know Boutique at Today's Diva. Ends January 25th.
• Win a very pretty (and also zebra print, which I love) handbag by Made By Lissa at The Fancy Fritter. Ends January 13th.
  

For grown-ups:

• Win a $25 gift card to Eden Fantasys at Coo Coo Courtney. Ends January 20th.
• Another chance to win a $25 gift card to Eden Fantasys at Health, Beauty and Family. Ends January 25th.
• One more time for a $25 gift card to Eden Fantasys at Today's Diva. Ends January 18th.

For anyone:

• Win a $30 Starbucks gift card at Make Money With Your Brain. Ah, Starbucks. The other love of my life. Ends January 14th.
• Win the audiobook version of James Patterson's I, Alex Cross at A Sea of Books. I know I've mentioned that I love audiobooks before! So nice to be read to, and it makes the work day fly by. Ends January 10th.
  

(more to come...)

And don't forget to enter my giveaway here for a Prego Planner! Great for those planning a pregnancy or for expecting moms-to-be!

Yowza!

I don't usually do more than one post a day but... I can't give up on my giveaway lists. And there are a few that I bookmarked to share with you that I'm not entering so I wanted to make sure I shared those before I forget.

SO, a little list happiness...

For baby:

• Win a Sleepy Wrap carrier at The Cloth Diaper Report - I already have one so I'm out of this one, but you could be the lucky one this time! Ends January 15th.
• Win an ErgoBaby carrier at My Wee View. Ends January 15th. Again I'm set for carriers, I think, but you might want to get in on this one!
• Win a Mother-Ease OS cloth diaper and pink diaper cover (size medium) at Coupon Mommy of 2...Now 3. Ends January 10th - maybe? Or perhaps the 17th? It just says the '1th' so those are my guesses!
• Win a Mommy's Touch Easy Clean Diaper at Take Time to Smell the Rose. Ends January 17th.
• Win a Fuzzibunz OS diaper from Thanks Mama at the Thanks Mama blog, Cloth Diaper Talk. Ends January 17th.
• Win a Dropper Stopper at Creative Madness. Ends January 18th.
• Win a PlanetWise wet bag at Minnesota Mama's Must Haves. ends January 14th.
• Win a set of Bummas cloth wipes at Ladybugs and Tonka Trucks (isn't that a cute name for a blog?!). Ends January 15th.
  

For the ladies:

• Win a Hot Mama gown (for hospital and breastfeeding) at My Silly Monkeys. Ends January 20th.
  
• Win a Bravado lingerie set (Sublime Nursing Bra & Matching Panty) at {Natural} Mommie. Ends January 15th.
• Win a jar of Fresh Organics Bubble Bath Petals at Simply Stacie. These look so pretty! Ends January 17th.
• Win a Timono at Fabulous Fun Finds. What's a Timono? Go find out! Ends January 10th.
• Win 15 samples of Mineral Basics makeup at Emmy's Boos and Rawrs. Ends January 19th.
• Win a handbag from Handbag Heaven at Wishing Penny! Ends January 13th at noonish.
• Win a set of 3 eye shadows (a collection, or your choice) from Orglamix at Today's Diva. Ends January 15th.
  

For anyone:

• Win yummy tea and a Starbucks card to celebrate Dairy Free Betty's 100th post! Ends January 11th in the morning.
• Win a jar of Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Peanut Butter at Sweeps4Bloggers! That sounds delish! Ends January 12th.
• Win a No-VOC Memory Foam Pillow from Relief-Mart at dkMommy Spot. Ends January 13th.
• Win a tin of Golden Moon Tippy Earl Grey Tea at Mommy 2 Two Girls. Ends January 14th.
  

and don't pass by the opportunity to win a Prego Planner right here on my blog!

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?