Receiving Cuddles Review and Special Offer!

I absolutley love unique and personal things. I have a entire box of keepsake items for my daughter and I've made a big scrapbook from her first year. I think it's so important to hold onto the memories. So when I had the opportunity to work with Receiving Cuddles I knew that it was right up my ally and something I would cherish forever.

Here is a little bit about the company:
I make Blankies for Babies! The coolest thing is that I make Loved Blankies.

Loved Blankies are made from baby's receiving blankets that they are not using anymore. Babies tend to grow out of their receiving blankets around 1 year old. At this time babies are developing a need for a comfort item as they are becoming more aware of their surroundings. Why not get them one that they are already use to. Loved blankies are the perfect keepsake gift for baby's first birthday or first Christmas. Loved Blankies are a great way to keep the wonderful memories that are associated with the receiving blankets. It will be for sure a cherished item you will love.

This was such a cool process! First I dug out my daughter's old receiving blankets and sent them off in the mail. Then I filled out a form that Receiving Cuddles e-mailed me that allowed me to pick the color of my satin (the whole back and edges are made from this incredible satin that feels amazing) and type of ribbon decoration I would like on my blanket.

Then my final step came and I got to pick a pattern from a few photos I was sent. This was great, it really made me feel like I was involved in creating my very own custom blanket! Then the hardest part...waiting for it to arrive! It really took no time at all.... Cristalee works fast and creates perfection.

It arrived on a day that my in-laws were here and we were all in awe. It's absolutely gorgeous. It's a great size for my daughter to snuggle with, and it has so much meaning. I just adore it!

Now here is your very special offer:
When you purchase a Loved Blankie from Receiving Cuddles just mention Momma Drama in the comments and you will receive a FREE Travel Blankie! Sweet deal!

Check out Receiving Cuddles on Etsy and on Facebook!

Gorton's Seafood Review and Giveaway

I am a lover of seafood and always look forward to our vacations at the beach so I can enjoy it! I have never really been brave enough to cook my own seafood at home, but I was really starting to miss it. So I decided to try something easy and see how it goes. I ran to the store and grabbed some Gorton's frozen tilapia and gave it a whirl. I was so impressed! It was quick, easy, and delicious.

So when I got the opportunity to review their products on my blog I jumped at the chance. Their products are not expensive but  free coupons are always exciting! I received two free product coupons and couldn't wait to check out what else they had in their selection. Of course I was at the store with my husband so he requested the Beer Battered and Extra Crunchy Tenders. They both looked really good on the box so we gave them a whirl.

Wow, yummy! I love that I now have a brand I can trust that will provide me with quality seafood in no time at all. This couldn't have been any easier. I simply preheated my over, placed them on a cooking sheet and cooked them up.  I then served them with some steam fresh veggies and pleased the whole crowd!

If you are a seafood lover than Gorton's is for you! It's available at most major retailers and makes an incredible meal.

Right now you can enter the Gorton's Seafood Lovers Sweepstakes! You could win an amazing vacation. Vote every day until April 12th. 

Giveaway: 3 Lucky Winners will receive 2 free product coupons and a recipe card from Gorton's!

How to Enter: Leave a comment for each entry and be sure to leave an e-mail address!

Mandatory Entry: Simply tell me you want to win!

Extra Entries:
1.  Go to http://www.gortons.com and sign up for our fun e-newsletter!
2.  Do tell... which recipe is your favorite Gorton's recipe? http://www.gortons.com/recipes.htm
3. "Like" Gorton's on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/gortonsseafood
4.  Tell Gorton's who sent you with a Facebook Wall comment! http://www.facebook.com/gortonsseafood
5.  "Follow" Gorton's on Twitter and tweet about the Seafood Lovers Sweepstakes! http://twitter.com/#gortonsseafood
6. Follow my blog on Google Friend Connect

This giveaway is open to US only.
This giveaway ends on April 20, 2011 at 5:00 pm EST. One winner will be chosen by Random.org and notified by e-mail. Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be selected. Good Luck!

Potty Tots Review

Ahhhh, potty training. I think it's one of those bittersweet moments in a parents life. We are happy to see the expensive diapers go by the wayside, and happy to cut back on the time we spend changing diapers. My daughter had gotten to the point where a typical diaper change could have gotten us into a wrestling competition. She didn't want to hold still for a moment!

I started to think about potty training when my daughter turned one and started to do research and ask questions at about 18 months. Shortly after she started to show some of the signs. It's so hard to know when they are ready! My daughter would go into a corner to poop and then come out and point to her bottom and say "I poo!" But she wasn't telling me before and she wasn't telling me when she was wet. It was a guessing game as to whether or not she was ready.

Finally we decided to give it a go and kind of let it be on her terms with lots of support from us. Boy am I glad we have the Potty Tots Training Kit to help us help her!

The Potty Tots Program is the most FUN children will have when potty training! Our motto is based on the common little toddler phrase, “I can do it, all by myself!” By encouraging this independence, children build confidence and self esteem. The interactive program features the adorable Potty Tots that sing and dance to teach the six steps of potty training. 

Honestly, she's not the only one learning from this kit. They offer a boys kit and a girls kit. We have the girls kit and it has made the process so much more fun and interactive. We can talk about the characters and she has someone to relate to and kind of follow. The illustrated pictures are great for reminding her what comes next.

The kit consists of:

•  A story/guide book
•  Animated DVD -featuring three original Potty Tots songs and 2 bonus music videos
•  One 11"X17" Illustrated potty chart (easily wipes clean with damp cloth)
•  One 11"X17" Toilet Bowl" progress/reward game with clings (easily wipes clean with damp cloth)

This kit has helped to get my husband and I on the same page and have a routine that we both follow with my daughter. It has also helped my daughter to feel more involved. I'm not going to sugar coat this and say that when you use this kit you will have no trouble potty training. That's certainly not the case with us. This is a process that we are working on and will be working on for awhile, but the kit is a great tool and only costs $19.95. You can check out their website for more details and to order!

Big Event Fundraising

As a teacher, I am very familiar with the various forms of school fundraising. Some people love them, some people don't. But the fact of the matter is that for many schools these fundraisers are a crucial part of them being able to provide their students with a lot of the things they offer.

I remember being in school and doing fundraisers like bake sales and fun days at school where we would sell things and have games. These were always fun for the kids, but tough on parents. Lately schools have been going with a much more organized approach and selling goods through a company.

I find this approach beneficial in a couple of different ways. The first being that all parents can be involved. It's not an event that happens at the school during the day that's difficult for many parents to get to. The other is that it's easier to sell to people you know and kind of eliminate the door-to-door stuff that lots of parents would rather their kids not do. You can easily call up your aunts, uncles, grandparents and sell, sell, sell!

I think the most important thing is to offer school fundraiser ideas that people want. I think this is so important! How many times have you felt obligated to purchase from your co-worker, but you really don't want or need anything they are selling? Big Event Fundraising offers great products that people will love! I mean really, I would buy cookie dough from everyone!

Big Event Fundraising also stands out in the crowd as a great place to go for all your fundraising needs because of their prize programs. I was so excited to check out their website and see that they offer activities as prizes, as well the traditional prizes. For example: they offer a magic show and a reptile adventure. These are two very cool programs that your kids will find fun and they will learn a lot. I think this is a fantastic idea, something different, and something motivating!

I would recommend that you check out Big Event Fundraising to see their great products and prize programs for elementary, middle, and high school fundraisers!

Weight Loss Week 13

I'm baaaack! I'm sure you all missed my weekly weigh in tremendously last week... hehe! But I forgot to weigh in on Monday and again on Tuesday and then again on Wednesday and by Thursday I figured I would just wait to post until today. So here we go.....

This week wasn't too bad. We had McDonald's for dinner one night and I kinda kicked myself for it later. But it was soooo good! Exercising hasn't been great because we had bad weather... again! The couple of nice days thrown into the mix I did get out and play with my little one. Spring.. I need you!

So I thought the week was pretty good... and then I weighed in. There is something with this number!!

Starting Weight: 177.2

Week 1: 174.8

Week 2: 175

Week 3: 173.4

Week 4: 175

Week 5: 174.4

Week 6: 174

Week 7: 173.4

Week 8: 175.8

Week 9: 175.8

Week 10: 175.8

Week 11: 174.2

Week 12: OOPS

Week 13: 175.8

Weekly Gain/Loss: +1.6

Total Gain/Loss: -1.6
Goal: 165 by April 30th

I'll keep working at it and not cheating with McDonalds. I just don't know how to get out of this rut. I am in basically the same spot as where I started... sheesh!

How did you do?

IMAX - Born to be Wild 3D Giveaway

Born to be Wild 3D

Opens in IMAX on April 8th

Narrated by Academy-Award® winner Morgan Freeman, Born to be Wild 3D is an inspiring story of love, dedication and the remarkable bond between humans and animals. This film documents orphaned orangutans and elephants and the extraordinary people who rescue and raise them—saving endangered species one life at a time. Stunningly captured in IMAX 3D, Born to be Wild 3D is a heartwarming adventure transporting moviegoers into the lush rainforests of Borneo with world-renowned primatologist Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas, and across the rugged Kenyan savannah with celebrated elephant authority Dame Daphne M. Sheldrick, as they and their teams rescue, rehabilitate and return these incredible animals back to the wild.

Born to be Wild 3D is a presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures and IMAX Filmed Entertainment. Directed by David Lickley and written and produced by Drew Fellman, the behind the scenes team includes supervising line producer Diane Roberts, associate producer Jill Ferguson, director of photography David Douglas and editor Beth Spiegel. Music is composed by Mark Mothersbaugh.

Giveaway: One lucky winner will win the 'Safari' Prize Pack from IMAX

Package includes:

·        1 Born to be Wild 3D poster (pictured below)

·        1 Born to be Wild 3D kids t-shirt (pictured below)

·        1 pack of Born to be Wild 3D silicon bands (pictured below)

·        Born to be Wild 3D orangutan plushie (pictured below) 

·        Born to be Wild 3D elephant plushie (pictured below)

·        A family 4-pack of IMAX tickets

How to Enter: Leave a comment below for each entry and be sure to leave your e-mail address!

Mandatory Entry: Tell me what you think humankind can do to help protect the orangutans and the elephants!

Additional Entries:
1. Follow my blog publicly
2. Add my button to your blog and tell me where it is (3 entries)
3. Follow me on Twitter (1 entry) and tweet (1 entry per tweet - 1 tweet per day)
4. Fan me on Facebook

This giveaway is open world wide (please note the IMAX tickets are only valid in the US and Canada).

This giveaway ends on April 15, 2011 at 5:00 pm EST. One winner will be chosen by Random.org and notified by e-mail. Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be selected. Good Luck!

Bottle Snuggler Review

I have to say that bottle time is one of my favorite times with my baby. It's the best time to snuggle up and just enjoy the feeling of having her warm baby body in my arms. It's such a quiet and relaxing time! But every once in awhile we have one of those nights. You know, where it's already bed time and nothing has been done. And you look at your beautiful baby who is taking their time chug-chug-chug-a-lugging and you just wish they could drink faster so you could have your hands back!

Thankfully, we don't have too many nights like that. And the majority of our bottle times are as wonderful as a momma could ever imagine. But my daughter has something funny about her. She refuses to hold her own bottle. Refuses! She has never done it and even when we try and show her how to she immediately drops her arms. I think we have made her just too comfy to bother lifting those arms. So on the occasion that we have a crazy night she is of no help to me and does not allow me to have a single free hand. 

When I saw the Bottle Snugggler I thought, wow, wouldn't that be helpful once in awhile. I can still hold my baby and enjoy my time with her. But I can also free up one hand. One hand! That's all I need on those crazy nights. It allows me to read the mail, respond to an e-mail, eat, take a phone call, or write a shopping list. 

Bottle Snugglers®, formerly named Bottle Tenders, are a bottle support system designed to assist during baby's feeding time. They support the bottle while you hold the baby, leaving a hand free. If you have a baby, you've been there. The baby is hungry, and you need to answer the phone, change the channel, eat a sandwich or help another child. No more propping the bottle under your chin or on unstable surfaces! Just insert the bottle into the Bottle Snuggler, position it properly, and everyone wins.

For me the Bottle Snuggler has come in handy on a couple of occasions already. But the best thing I have found is that it's motivating for my daughter to want to hold onto it. She loves the cuddly puppy attached and wants to hold it.

Sadly my daughter is pretty much past her bottle days. She has been on a sippy cup for quite a while now and only has a bottle before bed. So as we continue to eliminate the bottle altogether, I will be holding on my Bottle Snuggler. I can see it coming in handy even more once I have a second child. Or do we get another of arms when we have a second child? 

You can learn more about Bottle Snugglers and check out the cute critters on their site.

Winner!

Random.org has chosen our winner for the Happy Easter Store Giveaway!!

#126 CarolSue

Congratulations to our winner! An e-mail notification has been sent. The winner will have 48 hours to respond or we will have to choose another winner.

Thank you to everyone who entered!

Pirate v. Pirate - Book Review

Pirate vs. Pirate is an exciting children's book by Mary Quattlebaum and Alexandra Boiger. This book is intended for children ages 4-8 but I feel it appeals to a broader audience, including me!

The first thing I noticed about this book is the amazing illustrations. Many of the pictures are full page, making the story really come to life! Each pirate in the story has a different look with the neatest features. And the two main pirates are gruesome and grizzly while still being incredibly sweet in their own way!

These two pirates meet in the middle of the sea and battle each other to see who is the best! They go through many competitions to come down to a tie breaker. That's when the story takes a funny turn that you will just have to read the book to see!

The entire story is fun! From the pirate language and funny folks, to the funny challenges. This book is sure to appeal to boys and girls!


Giveaway: One lucky reader will win a copy of Pirate vs. Pirate!

HOW TO ENTER: Leave a separate comment for each entry and be sure to leave your e-mail address!

MANDATORY ENTRY: Tell me who you would like to win this for!
EXTRA ENTRIES:
1. Enter another one of my current giveaways (1 entry each)
2. Follow my blog
3. Follow me on Twitter (1 entry) and tweet (1 entry per tweet - 1 tweet per day)
4. Fan me on Facebook
5. Grab my button and tell me where it is (3 entries)

This giveaway is open to US and Canada.
This giveaway ends on April 15, 2011 at 5:00 pm EST. One winner will be chosen by Random.org and notified by e-mail. Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be selected. Good Luck!