Integrity Schmegrity.

So, Carson is entered into the Apple Cheeks Spring Booty Call contest. I am a sucky Mom, and didn't enter him until about 9pm last night, and today is the last day for voting, and we'd really LOVE to win. We are trailing behind by about 60 votes though.

So? I'd love to have you vote for him. If you go to Carson's Picture and click the "add to faves" icon above his pick to the left, and come back and leave me a comment saying you did, and what your flickr log in name is (because I can see who voted) you can have TEN extra entries into any giveaway you want. Or you can split them up between a few. Seriously. Ten extra entries for two clicks!

As a bonus, if you get somebody else to vote for him (and give me their flickr ID, so I can verify) you can have another TEN entries for whatever you want. So, get to emailing, tweeting, Facebooking or whatever you can to vote!!

Oh, and I find it funny that this in my 300th post. And I'm totally pimping out my kid! Ha!

Am I Your Favorite Blogger?

I'll make this short and sweet! Because I just KNOW you think I rock, I decided to enter the Little Remedies Mom Blogger Contest. Little Remedies (most Moms probably know them well. We are HUUUGE fans of Little Noses Aerosol spray!) is hosting a contest where you can be entered to be voted Favorite Mom Blogger.

The Grand Prize(s) are $1,000 cash, as well as a Flowerbud.com bouquet and a brownie sampler from Dancing Deer Baking Co. There are TWENTY Grand Prize Winners, and I'd really like to be one of them. One of my awesome readers sent me the contest info, and frankly, our family could really use $1,000! Each winner will also receive a kit containing:

• One (1) Little Remedies® Baby Travel Kit
• One (1) package of Little Allergies™ Allergen Block
• Three (3) books from Workman Publishing Company
• One (1) Brainy Baby® DVD
• Two (2) tubes of Baby Aquaphor® Healing Ointment
• A three (3) month subscription to LoobaLee™
• A coupon (value up to $17.29) for a free container of Seventh Generation® laundry detergent
• A 10% discount from Dancing Deer Baking Co.
• A 10% discount from BlueAvocado™

What do YOU have to do? Nothing but click my Little Remedies button (both in this post AND at the top of my blog) once a day, to vote! If you are extra awesome, you could ask others for me to vote, too. I would really like to win, so what do you think? To make it even better, each time you vote for me (once per day) YOU are entered in the sweepstakes to win the EXACT same prize! Do YOU want a grand?? Can I do it? Will you help?

Why I'm an Ineffective Parent

Let me paint a picture for you. It's Saturday night, and we are over at my parents house for dinner. Chunky Monkey of course has conned his way OUT of his high chair and in to Grandma's arms. Nothing new there. My soon-to-be sister (in law) stopped by to pick something up.

The salmon (or in my case, pork chop) has been eaten, and we are all sitting around chatting with Amanda. Chunky Monkey is perched on Grandma's lap, leaning over and babbling away to Amanda. He chatters non stop these days. While he can say LOTS of words (dog, Mom, Dad, duck, ball, kitty, quack, clock, shoes, baby) he mostly just babbles in Carson-ese.

So, he's leaning over, all excited like, and then.... he said it. Clear as day. "Fuck!" You could have heard a pin drop, it was so quiet. And then what happens? Everyone, including Mommy (and Daddy) start laughing hysterically! There was no "No no, C. That's a naughty word." Oh no. We may have even encouraged him to say it again, I don't remember, because we were laughing so hard!!

I'm the parent. Shouldn't I be teaching him that such words are not appropriate? Um, yes. Probably. But... what IS it about a toddler saying something he shouldn't? I mean, it's just FUNNY! Those sweet cherubic cheeks saying an off limits word? I have to say, I'm slightly disappointed that "asshat" wasn't his first profane word. See? HORRIBLE parenting!!

I will say, I don't think he had any idea what he was saying was a word. He said it again in the tub, but it was followed by "buck, huck". Buck was said over and over the next few days. I'm both happy and slightly sad to say that I think it was just babbling gone awry. But either way? My parenting skills are definitely lacking.

Spring Fling Fun Featuring Elizabeth David Designs!

Today seems like the PERFECT day to kick off a Spring Fling! Why today, and what is a Spring Fling? Well, a Spring Fling is my desperate attempt to fool myself into thinking that sunshine, warm air, capri pants, park play dates and flip flops are around the corner. You know, the time of year when fun and bright accessories are to be carried and worn. And why today? Um, because I woke up to MORE snow. So, I need to really tell myself that Spring will be here SOON!

As I was browsing through Etsy (I am an Etsy ADDICT), and I came across the awesomeness that is Elizabeth David Designs. I was immediately sucked in by the gorgeous fabrics she uses. It's no secret that I love bold patterns and bright colors, so these designs were right up my alley. I was super stoked to find her mini portfolio/organizer!

I have recently begun to attempt couponing. Now, I'm not great at it yet. In fact, I'm usually the asshat at the grocery store, fumbling through my little ziploc baggie of coupons, blocking the aisle. I know, I hate me too. So, I really wanted a better way to organize things. I also wanted a place to keep my grocery list handy with the coupons. Elizabeth's mini portfolio is PERFECT! Check it out!

Totally adorable, right?? It's great, on the left, there is a pocket, where I keep my coupons. It keeps them safe and sound, and I never end up with a sea of coupons spilled in my purse. There is an opening for a pen or pencil, and Elizabeth even sends along a pencil for you! Super cute! On the right, you see the notebook. This is a standard mini notebook, and you can get them anywhere. Easy to replace, nothing special to order, which I love. Don't you hate when you find a great day planner, and when the year is up, you have to search all over to (maybe, if you are lucky) find replacement pages? You don't have to worry about anything like that with this planner!

It's perfect for your purse or diaper bag. It's small, trim and doesn't take up much room at all. And when you pull it out, it looks a zillion times better than the usual raggedy piece of paper you use. The fabrics are goooooorgeous! Oh, and you'll love this: it's totally washable! I had this beauty in my possession for all of 2 or 3 days, when some mango flavored drink I tossed in my purse leaked, and everything was soaked. I wanted to cry, thinking I had ruined it, but Elizabeth assured me it could be washed, and gently ironed! Washable is key in my world!

The mini portfolio is not the only thing Elizabeth makes. I'm pretty sure her creativity and talent knows no bounds, because she pretty much makes it all! A full size portfolio, purses, wallets, headbands, make up bags, key fobs... and the coolest? Kindle Covers!! She was actual featured in the Barnes & Noble online magazine because of her awesome Kindle Covers, so if you have a Kindle (or Nook, or eReader, etc), you should definitely check her out! 

Because I love my mini portfolio so much, and know you will too, Elizabeth has generously offered up a custom mini portfolio to one of my readers! For your first mandatory entry, go check out either her website or Etsy shop, and come back and tell me your favorite item and/or fabric. This is a MANDATORY entry, and must be done first.

Extra Entries

1. For TEN extra entries, make a purchase from Elizabeth David Designs.
2. Follow my blog through GFC
3. Subscribe by email. Must be verified to count
4. Grab my button. Leave a link where I can find it.
5. Blog about this giveaway. Leave a link to the post.
6. Follow me on Twitter
7. Tweet up to 2x daily, must be 4 hours apart. Leave a permalink
8. Become a FB Fan of NWNB

Fine print: Giveaway runs until 3/28/10. Winning entries will be verified, so please be honest. If your email is not connected to your blogger account, please leave me a way to contact you! Leave a separate comment for each entry you complete.

CSN Stores Review Sneak Peek!

Have you ever heard of CSN stores? It's a collection of over 200 online stores, each being specific to one type of item. For example, we are considering moving Chunky Monkey to a bed. If we do so, we'll need new bedding, so I would head over to check out their kids bedding.

They really have a site for about ANYTHING you could need. Need new kitchen supplies? Check out Cookware.com. Coffee Tables, Clocks, Mirrors... the list goes on and on. It's a VERY easy and time saving way to shop for a specific item. I mean, if you need new bar stools, wouldn't you rather check out an online store that ONLY carries bar stools, then to surf and search the web and different sites trying to find what you want? Seems like a no brainer to me!

When I shop online, it's typically for a specific item, so I really like that I can check out CSN stores to quickly find what I'm looking for. CSN has offered to sponsor a review here at Newly Wed, Newly Bred, so keep an eye out for that post! Until then.... I think the 200+ stores should keep you entertained!

Wordy Wednesday: Mom's Night In

The table set, and ready for everybody to arrive.

The bubbly. Sarah and I had a pre-MNI celebration in honor of her new clients, and subsequently, my new day care job!

MNI was a pajama night, and Jess ROCKED her footy jammies. They were awesome. Here she is, organizing the gifts, we did a Favorite Things exchange.

Jess and Shanyn, being goofy.

Shannon and Lyndsey!

Jess and Rebecca, showing of their new razors. Jess is illustrating how badly she needs them!

Shanyn, angling for a Maybelline contract!

We paused to cram our faces have a small bite to eat. Lori was positive that this cupcake Jess made said "bung".

It said bling!

Sarah REALLY wanted some wings, so we ordered them. The driver was really late, and we almost had to throw down!

She was happy once she had her wings. 

Here is your hostess with the mostest. Jess made me a cupcake that said "klassy", cause everything is klassier with a k, as we remind each other quite often!!

Back to opening presents! Everybody bought 3 identical gifts, containing their favorite beauty product(s) that were $7 or less. Then we drew numbers, and exchanged. I really REALLY wanted to get my own gift, but I did not. And none of these stingy bastards would switch with me! That's ok, I still love them. 

Jess brought cranberry splash lipgloss from Bath & Body. I of course had to break 'er in right away.

This would be when I realized you should never drink and gloss, because it might come out REALLY fast, and leave ten pounds of gloss on your lips.

This picture has nothing to do with anything, but I look cute, and I have to redeem myself after the above picture. Cause, DAMN. 

Lyndsey and Sarah being adorable.

Here we are with our miniature martini glasses, toasting to a successful night. No pizza delivery guys were stoned to death, I didn't spill my pink vodka drink on my almost white carpet, and it did NOT take an hour and a half to figure out how to exchange gifts. All in all? A success!!

SodaStream Review and Giveaway!

I had seen the SodaStream machine on a few other blogs, and was intrigued by it. I liked the idea of being able to make our own sodas, for a variety of reasons. No lugging big bottles home from the store, being able to control the concentration of the syrup mix, being able to reuse the bottles.

SodaStream was extremely generous, and sent us the "Pure" SodaStream system to review! This is the sleek stainless steel model and looks great in our kitchen. It came with a Co2 bottle and TONS of flavors! No joke! We were sent:

• Diet Cola
• Grape
• Orange
• Diet Pink Grapefruit
• Energy
• Lemon Lime
• Diet Rootbeer
• Cranberry Raspberry
• Ginger Ale

Along with a sampler pack of the MyWater, which allows you to make sparkling flavored water. The sampler pack included Orange, Berry and Lemon Lime. Holy ton of sodas, batman! My husband's mouth dropped open as I unpacked the box, and just kept pulling out bottle after bottle!

Something we learned about SodaStream flavors are that they are MUCH lower in Calories, Sugar, Carbohydrates, Sodium and caffeine! Even the non-diet flavors are MUCH lower in all the categories. My husband is a much bigger soda drinker than I am, but I like that no matter how much is being ingested, the sugar and calorie contents are much lower! Because I don't drink soda on a daily basis, I like to have a regular/non-diet drink when I do have it. I love that this option is a better choice! Check out the SodaStream Comparison Chart for all of the nutritional info! This alone would be a good enough reason to invest in a SodaStream!

I also like the eco friendly aspects of SodaStream. Because SodaStream uses tap water, if everybody used SodaStream, it would make regular 2 liter bottle production obsolete! Just imagine far less 2 liter bottles being manufactured, less waste being dumped into our environment, less transportation of the bottles... the list goes on and on. With SodaStream, you are able to use the same high quality bottles over and over.

The following information was taken directly from the SodaStream Site: Globally, 206 billion liters of bottled water were consumed in 2008 (Zenith International Global Bottled Water Report, 2008). The energy required to make water bottles in the US only, is equivalent to 17 million barrels of oil (Container Recycling Institute, 2002). According to the US Recycling Institute, more than 80% of bottles in the US do not get recycled and end up in landfills. Also, an estimated 4.7 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions were produced in the process of replacing the 134 billion bottles and cans not recycled in 2005.


This is all compelling enough for me to want to use SodaStream! Recycling is not big in our area. Only within the last year has there been a recycling service that will pick up your recyclables. They don't even include glass. We signed up, and pay monthly for the service because it's important to us, but many in our area do not do it. I say every bit we can do, helps!

This machine is SO easy to use. There are very few steps, and you have a bottle of soda in about a minute! Our machine came with two bottles, so you can make 2 flavors at a time. The bottles are marked with a fill line, and you fill it with tap water to that mark. You then screw the bottle on to the machine, and pull the lever to carbonate the water. When it is done carbonating, the machine buzzes 3 times, and it's done! You unscrew the bottle, and add in your flavoring. If it's for soda, a capful. If it's a sparkling water flavor, about a teaspoon. Put the lid on, slowly tip the bottle back and forth and voila! You are done!

Just to show you how truly simple it is, here is a video:

SodaStream has been SO great to work with, and they want one of my readers to score themselves a SodaStream system! The winner's package will receive a Fountain Jet Soda Lover's Start Up Kit (approximately at $100 retail value), which includes: winner's choice of black/sliver, white or red/silver fountain jet, CO2 to make over 100 liters of soda, 2 reusable carbonating bottles, a sample pack of flavors and 3 full sized flavors of the winner's choice!!!

I know you want it! For your first mandatory entry, head over to SodaStream, and tell me what flavor you would just HAVE to have! This is a mandatory entry, and must be completed first!

Extra Entries

1. Become a Facebook Fan of SodaStream
2. Follow @SodaStreamUSA on Twitter
3. Sign up for the SodaStream Mailing List
4. Follow my blog through GFC
5. Subscribe by email (don't forget to verify it, or it doesn't count!)
6. Grab my button, leave a link to where it's posted!
7. Blog about this giveaway, including a link back to this post
8. Tweet 2x per day. Include mine & SodaStream's twitter names & link to the giveaway. Tweets must be 3 hours apart. Leave a permalink
9. Become a FB fan of NWNB
10. Follow me on Twitter

Fine print: This giveaway is open to the continental US only, sorry! Giveaway ends 4/4/10. Winning entries will be verified, so honesty counts! I was provided with a free SodaStream Machine for this review, but all thoughts are honest and my own.