Long Overdue Announcement!

Trefoil Whisper Pink Birth Announcement

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It's Baby Time!

Wow, it has been forever since I've let any of you know what's been going on! We are expecting our baby any day now, and it's been a very difficult few weeks. We had a pre-term labor scare and ended up in the hospital, so things have been a bit hectic around here. I pretty much had to take a break from everything and just de-stress a bit. Anyway, I have a winner to announce for the Think Geek giveaway, and after that, I will probably be away for a few days while we have the baby, but then I will be back to tell you all about it!

Comment#133 was the winner chosen through random.org

trixx said...
I subscribe via email

I will be emailing you right now, so please reply within 48 hours to claim your awesome prize!

Zazzle Review!

*Note to readers: my blogger account seems to be acting up, I will try to figure out why and post pics of everything asap!*

I'm a huge fan of creative and personalized shirts, bags, magnets, and pretty much everything else you could think of. That's one of the reasons I LOVE Zazzle. This is the perfect place to find a gift for anyone on your list, not only during the holidays, but all year round. You can choose to create your own one-of-a-kind item or choose from thousands of already designed products. If you try your hand at creating and find you really like it, you can even sell your creations! Click here to learn more about selling through Zazzle.

I had the fun chance to review more items again this year from Zazzle, and I was just as impressed as always. I had been on the lookout for a long time for big and little sister shirts for Izzy and the baby to wear, but hadn't had any luck in finding them. Good thing I checked Zazzle because they had exactly what I was looking for! When we celebrate the arrival of our newest addition, the girls will get to wear adorable matching shirts. If you are on the lookout for similar shirts, click here to check them out!

No matter what you are looking for, Zazzle is sure to have some great possibilities. Two of their newest products are the iPhone and iPad cases, which are so completely amazing that it makes me so jealous of people who have them! I want an iPhone or iPad just so I can use the cases, haha! Another product that I really like is their personalized calendar, it would make a great gift for grandparents, with all the pictures of their adorable grandkids! And when all else fails, gift certificates to Zazzle do just the trick! No matter what the occasion, Zazzle is the perfect place to find whatever it is that you need!

Think Geek Review and Giveaway!

Many of you may remember the Think Geek review and giveaway I did last fall, and guess what, we're doing another one this year! For those of you who may not have ever heard of Think Geek, you have seriously been missing out! This company has seriously become one of my hubby's favorite places to get gifts from, and whenever anyone asks him for gift ideas, he directs them to their website. They feature products that are sure to be a hit for anyone on your list who is passionate about technology, and this site isn't just for computer programmers or video game lovers! The fun, creative products range from clothing, home and office items, books, electronics, childrens toys, and much more!

My hubby had the pleasure of helping me review a bunch of great new products from Think Geek, and boy did we have fun! The first item we reviewed was the Electronic Rock Guitar Shirt ($29.99), which has got to be one of the most fun products you could ever give this holiday season! You can literally play the electric guitar on the shirt, and it plays all the major chords. It is battery powered and can even be washed in the washing machine. This shirt is a MUST for the person on your list who plays guitar, or is a fan of Guitar Hero or Rockband video games. It even comes in child sizes!

We also got to review the Coffee Cup Power Inverter ($29.99), which is something everyone should own! Not only does this product offer you the chance to charge your phone or other gadgets without a car charger, it also would come in handy in case of any emergency situation. You can plug in 2 things to the AC plugs, and there is also a USB port! My favorite way to use this handy device that fits into any standard cup holder is my heating pad during long car rides! This is a great gift for the person who you have no idea what to get, but also the perfect item for yourself.

Another item we were able to review was the Portable Photo Studio ($49.99). I think this was our favorite product, because my husband has his bachelor's degree in studio art, so of course he loves photography. The studio comes with a photo lightbox, 2 table-top photo lights, a mini tripod, and a zippered carrying case. This product is a great gift idea for anyone who sells things on eBay, etsy, or any other website. The portability is also a great feature, and would also be a great gift for any photography student in your life.

This next item is seriously cool. The Universal Gadget Wrist Charger ($34.99) is the perfect gift idea for any busy person on the go. I love this item because if you are anything like me, sometimes you get so busy you forget to charge the important gadgets you use regularly. It seems like everytime I want to use my iPod, it's never charged enough. Well, with this battery-powered gadget, the problem is solved! It even comes with any necessary adaptors to charge whatever item you need to. If you have a little or not so little guy who loves his Nintendo DS, this would be the perfect thing to help him extend the life of his game system.

I am completely in love with the next item I get to tell you about. The Staple Free Stapler ($5.99) is a great product, and it uses no staples whatsoever, which means you don't have to worry about little hands getting hurt if they accidentally get a hold of it! My daughter and I had a lot of fun making paper chains with it, and she loved getting to use the "stapler". I loved that I didn't have to worry about her getting hurt with it. If you have this product, you also never have to worry about running out of staples!

The last item we got to try out was the Tiny USB Car Power Adaptor ($7.99). This handy gadget plugs right in to your cigarette lighter and is super handy for those days when you run out the door but forget to charge your other gadgets before leaving. This makes the perfect stocking stuffer for pretty much anyone, and while you're at it, get one for yourself as well!

So, have you fallen in love with Think Geek yet? One of you lucky readers is going to be extra in love because the team at Think Geek has generously offered one of you a $100 gift certificate!

Mandatory Entry (please leave me your email address in this entry): Leave me a comment telling me which Think Geek item you want the most!

Additional Entries (please leave a separate comment with each entry):
2 Entries- Become a Follower of The Mommy Homemaker
1 Entry- Become an email subscriber of The Mommy Homemaker
2 Entries- Grab my new button and let me know where to find it
1 Entry per day for following me on twitter
1 Entry for every person you tell about this giveaway
1 Entry per day for linking your facebook status to this giveaway

This giveaway will end on January 3, 2011 at 11:59 pm. At that time I will choose a winner using random.org and let them know through email. The lucky winner will have 48 hrs to respond before a new winner will be chosen.

What Doesn't Kill You...

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger... well, at least I really hope so! The past few weeks have been nuts! There I was thinking I would get a bit of break once my finals were over, but boy was I wrong! On top of the pre-term labor issues we've been having, we had to rush IzzyBug to the children's hospital last week. The normally 2-hour drive ended up taking over 4!

The morning started out fine, we left at 5:30 am, were making good time, and decided to stop for breakfast. When we got back on the road, not only had the weather decided to go nuts out of no where, we had a flat tire. My dad went with us since my husband couldn't leave work that day, so thank God I wasn't alone! My dad changed the tire and we got back on the road. Traffic was moving extremely slow, and cars were off the road everywhere we looked. By the time we got near the hospital we were already extremely late, and the directions we had been given were completely wrong. But, after arriving over 2 hours late, they decided to still see us (I think the huge prego belly helped our case!). We saw a dermatologist, who thinks that Izzy is most likely having an extreme reaction to the ingredients in anti-bacterial soaps, lotions, etc. So, we have to try new ointments, new medications, and start using all new soaps, and hopefully she will get better. If not, we will have to travel again for her to have patch testing. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE say a prayer if you don't mind, that she gets better and doesn't have to go through that. We will just have to play things by ear, hope I don't go into labor early, and wait to see if the course of treatment helps her. The poor thing has been through it all in terms of health issues, so I hope she gets better soon!

Now, onto bloggy type things. Stay tuned tonight, because I will finally be getting caught up on all of the last minute holiday gift ideas that I have for you!

Wow...

Wow... has it been a crazy week or two. Sorry to just drop off the face of the earth last week! As it turns out, I have been having some pre-term labor symptoms, including contractions, so it was bit crazy last week. I'm only 29 weeks, so it is WAY too soon for baby to arrive! On top of that, this week is finals week at school, and I'm pretty sure the stress of that is what egged on the contractions. As of last night at midnight, my papers have been submitted and all I have left is a final exam. I've been going on about 3 or 4 hours of sleep per night (I know, really not good with the contractions and baby stuff!), and not able to drink the coffee that I'm used to at this time of the school year. Please rest assured I will be back up and running by the weekend, because I will be a free woman! And if you are the praying type, I would be SO appreciative of any prayers you could send my way, as we're hoping we can keep baby in the oven cooking for a little longer before she tries to enter the world! Have a great week guys!

We're home!

Hey everybody, I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! We were out of town for almost a week and I didn't quite have the internet access I thought I would have. I'm going to get some unpacking done and then will be back tomorrow for the fun Mary Kay giveaway post!

And now a guest post!

Hi! I'm Marina's younger sister Andrea. I'm a college student and one my biggest passions is fashion and the whole beauty world. Since college life doesn't exactly give me the freedom to spend unlimited amounts of money, I try to find simple, easy, and cheaper way to still look fantastic. Marina wanted me to share some tips with you on how to not break the bank when it comes to looking your best.

One of the greatest tools I've found for saving money is online shopping. That might be a bit unexpected with shipping and everything but you can find some great deals on awesome stuff. First off, NEVER buy anything online without searching for coupon codes. You know those annoying little emails that every store seems to send out about 50 times a week? Well people post the codes online so with a little use of Google, you can generally find 10-20% off codes or even free shipping! It's a great tool that not everyone knows about, so before you make that order, make sure you look for some codes. Also make sure you browse online stores frequently, especially the sale section. Most of the time, the good deals go fast.

One of my favorite ways to be fashionable on a smaller budget is with the website Hautelook.com. They have 48 hour sales on all types of clothing for the whole family, beauty products, things for the home and more. Most of the items are anywhere from 20-75% off! The trick is to check it daily because the best sales go fast. Here's a link where you can sign up for the site if you'd like to check it out.

Another great tool that I've discovered is the beauty and fashion community on YouTube. There are tons of beauty gurus that frequently post videos on all kinds of beauty and fashion topics. You can learn a lot too from them, like a certain way to curl your hair or apply makeup. It's great because it's free and there's a lot of knowledge to be learned. I've even stopped buying fashion and beauty magazines because it's so much easier to learn from a video instead of reading an article. My favorite makeup artist to watch is Lisa Eldridge. She does the covers of Vogue, Glamour, etc. and has some really great tips on doing your makeup. Here's a link to her YouTube channel.
Overall, you don't have to spend money on looking great. You just have to be wise about how you spend it. There's a lot of great information and savings out there, you just have to know where to find it. I try to share these tricks I discover with everyone on my blog, so come check me out!

www.prettyandpenniless.blogspot.com


Have a fantastic Thanksgiving and Holiday season!
Andrea :)

You're making me blush!

Today's "Fall into Beauty" post is again brought to you by Mary Kay! I had the chance to review one of the Mary Kay Mineral Cheek Colors (basically the same idea as the mineral eye colors, but as a cheek color) and like the other mineral products, I really love the cheek colors. They also snap into place in the Mary Kay Compact. One thing I've grown to love about the mineral cheek colors is that you can make them as subtle or as bold as you'd like. I personally prefer a more subtle look when it comes to blushes and bronzers, so it's nice that I can easily control my look by using more or less of the mineral color.

The mineral cheek colors retail for $10 and there are many different shades to choose from, making it easy to find something that compliments your skin tone. I also want to point out that if you go to the Mary Kay website there is a fun section called "Beauty on a Budget" where you can browse through 90 different products that retail for $10 or less! Especially in our rough economy, and as penny-pinching mommies, that is something that is very important to us. You will also find some great gift and stocking stuffer ideas for the Holidays as well! See you for tomorrow's "Fall into Beauty" post!

Eeek!

Tonight's "Fall into Beauty" post has been postponed until tomorrow due to the fact that we had a bit of a pregnancy-related scare today! Everything checked out okay and it was a false alarm, but unfortunately I did not quite have the time to finish up today's post amidst the craziness of the day. It will come tomorrow, I promise!

It's all about the eyes!

Ok ladies, today's post is like the title suggests, all about the eyes! My favorite makeup products have always been those for the eyes, so I was very excited when I got to review more of the Mary Kay Mineral Eye Colors!

I have personally been a fan of the mineral eye colors ever since I reviewed them for the first time last fall. For one thing, I can't believe how long the eye color stays put on my eyelids after it's applied. I have tried many eye shadows on the market (that cost more than the Mary Kay ones) that simply do not have the staying power that these do. They also last for a very long time once you start using them, making them a bit more cost effective than other brands that seem to get worn down after only a few applications.

Another aspect that I LOVE LOVE LOVE (did I mention I love them?) is that the color choices are amazing! There are so many colors to choose from, and it really has made me a bit more adventurous in trying new looks. It's really fun to experiment with different color combinations, and there are endless possibilities.

Lastly, my favorite feature of the mineral eye colors is how they work with the Mary Kay Compacts. The mineral eye colors snap right into place and are held in place magnetically, so you don't have to worry about them falling out and breaking. The compact has worked wonders in scaling back the size of my makeup bag, especially when traveling. It's really simple to just pop the colors into place, add some of my other products into it, and throw it in my bag.

Retailing at just $6.50 per eye shadow, these mineral eye colors won't break the bank, and you can add a new one every once in a while to help change up your look. Stay tuned for tomorrow's post to hear about another fun Mary Kay product, and then on Saturday you can look forward to the finale post which will feature the unveiling of the awesome prize package you can win if you enter the giveaway!

The Blessing of Dirty Dishes!

For the last few weeks, our dishwasher has been acting up. Nothing comes out clean, and it's been a bit frustrating. Our new dishwasher is going to take 2-3 weeks to arrive. My first thought was to grumble about hand washing dishes in our tiny sink, but then I realized that it is a blessing to have dirty dishes. Dirty dishes means we have plenty of food to eat, and running water to wash them with, things that many people around the world do not have. I am not disappointed about the dishwasher now. Thank you God for dirty dishes. Having to wash our dishes by hand will give me ample time to thank God for all of the blessings that we have, especially during this time of year. Dirty dishes really are a blessing. What are you thankful for?

CSN stores!

One of my favorite new stores online is CSN. They have anything and everything you could ever desire! Lately, I've especially been interested in their suitcase and luggage selections. We travel a lot, and with the holidays coming up we could definitely use some new luggage to cart all of our gear around in.

My daughter has been begging for her own set of luggage (God only knows what she would try to pack in it... probably her entire room!). This Disney Princess suitcase would be perfect for her, since she loves anything with princesses!

As for my hubby, I know he would LOVE this Samsonite hard shell luggage, because it's extra sturdy, perfect for him to lug around and not have to worry about damaging!

And last but not least, my favorite pick for new luggage for myself would definitely be this luggage set from International Traveller! The bright pink color would make the suitcases super easy to spot in baggage claim at the airport!


No matter what luggage choices you make from CSN in gearing up for the Holiday travel rush, you are sure to find so much of a selection that everyone in your family will be happy!

Hey Mommy, this is what you look like!

So in honor of this week's beauty theme, I thought I'd take a moment to remind all of you (and myself) that we need to be extra mindful about how we talk about beauty and makeup in front of our children, especially our daughters. My daughter is only 3 and she is already obsessed with everything hair and makeup! You'd think that I spend all day in front of the mirror, but truth be told, I'm lucky if I get 5 minutes in front of the mirror in the morning!

The other day my daughter had to get 2 shots in her leg, and she was a bit sore and cranky from them, so when she asked if I would FINALLY let her play with my makeup, I gave in and let her experiment with some of my old makeup products. When she was done applying her makeup, she looked at me and said, "Hey Mommy, this is what you look like"! Judging by the picture, hopefully none of you will believe that I ever leave the house looking like my makeup was applied in the dark, but what she said really struck me. Even though I rarely have time to put a "whole face" on of makeup, she thinks I put tons and tons on, and already at such a young age, my daughter sees the "value" in makeup. It really reminded me that I need to be very careful about how I talk about myself and makeup in front of my daughter, because I would hate to think that she ever got the idea that she is anything but the beautiful makeup-less little girl that she is. I want her to understand to that beauty comes from within, and though makeup is a very fun thing to put on, at the end of the day, it's not what makes us beautiful.

The Sweet Smell of Mommy!

Let's face it, as moms we deal with messes all day long. With the diaper changes, sippy cup spills, spagetti sauce splatters, and laundry disasters, we don't exactly deal with the most delightful things everyday. Sometimes we're lucky if we even get to shower before noon! Moms deserve a special little something to cheer up their days, not that we don't love what we do everyday, but sometimes we forget that we need to take the time to pamper or take care of ourselves along with everyone else.

One easy way that we can perk ourselves up each day is by adding something special to our beauty routine (let's face it, we don't always have the time, so quick and easy things are best). Spritzing yourself with a sweet smelling fragrance is one fast way to cheer yourself up each day, giving you a little bit of added confidence and flair, especially amidst the messes of mommyhood. I had the fun experience of reviewing one of the new fragrances from Mary Kay, and let me tell you, I wish this blog had smell-o-vision or something so you could smell how amazing the new Thinking of You fragrance is! Mary Kay describes the scent by saying, "The message in this bottle is all about relationships and celebrating them with a gift that turns a moment into a memory. This feel-good fruity floriental fragrance also features a keepsake heart charm that can be removed and added to jewelry and unique packaging that allows you to handwrite a note inside."

When the fragrance first arrived, I was very impressed with the chic packaging. It comes sealed up in a pretty little box, all tied up with a bow. The fold out box features a special place where you can write a personalized message to the person receiving it as a gift. I really like the colors of the packaging, the blue and brown design is a nice choice compared to some perfumes that are on the girlier side. The light, breezy scent is so easy to wear, and it isn't overpowering like many other perfumes I've tried. I'm a bit sensitive to some perfumes, I think I'm a little allergic to them sometimes, but this one was perfect everytime I tried it.

The new Thinking of You fragrance is sure to be a hit not only as a gift for yourself, but also a gift for a special friend, mother, grandmother, or anyone else on your holiday shopping list this year. It also works great as a "just because" gift! No matter who you give this gift to this year, they are going to LOVE it.

Check back later in the week to try your hand at winning your own bottle of Thinking of You ! It will be featured in a great prize package with some other amazing products from Mary Kay!

It's "Fall into Beauty" Week!

Special Announcement... It's "Fall into Beauty" week here at TMH! I am so excited to be bringing you all tips, tricks, and some fun reviews and giveaways from Mary Kay! As busy moms, I know it can be difficult to find time to take care of ourselves, especially when it comes to make-up and pampering. That's why I hope you stop by everyday this week to learn all about some new Mary Kay products, some tips and tricks, and a special guest post by my very own sister (and fellow blogger)! She blogs about anything and everything beauty related, and you should definitely check her blog out, it's called Pretty and Penniless! She's a college student, so funds for beauty products and services are limited, which I know that as moms who usually like to pinch pennies, we can appreciate her advice! Check back each day for the next week to see what each new day brings!

Holiday Cards from Shutterfly

I have a confession to make. It snowed about 3 flakes of snow last week, and when I saw those tiny little flakes, out came the Christmas music! I know it's super early to start listening to Christmas music, but it's never too early to start planning your family's Christmas cards!

I am super excited to be ordering our Christmas cards from Shutterfly this year. I've ordered photo prints from them before, and I've always been extremely satisfied, not only with the quality and inexpensive cost, but also with the speedy delivery!

There are so many great choices for you to choose from this year, including Photo cards, Religious cards, and even beautiful Christmas invitation cards!

With so many choices, I'm not sure which one I'll decide on, but I do know that I want something super festive, since Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year! Some of my favorites are the Nativity Blessing card, the Top Ten Moments card, and the Hip and Happy Holiday card!

No matter which holiday card you choose this year, if you choose Shutterfly, it's sure to be a hit!
***Bloggers, click here to learn how you can receive 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly!***

Decisions Decisions

Any mom out there can testify to this: balance is KEY when it comes to your family. If the balance between family, work, activities, etc. is out of balance, everything in your family's life becomes chaotic. This is how I've been feeling lately, and I like to have balance, especially because I'm just a little bit of a perfectionist. I realize that there are certain things in life that I can't control, no matter how much I may want to, and sometimes you just have to let certain things go.

This week I made a difficult decision to withdraw from one of my master's degree classes. It was just too much to go to school for my master's full-time, while taking care of my family, and going through a difficult pregnancy. So, I cut back on classes, freeing up a bit of my time to get back to focusing more on my family. And they LOVE it! I do, too. IzzyBug LOVES having a little more mommy time, and my hubby likes that he can actually have some of my attention now!

I learned the hard way (like I sometimes have to do) that sometimes you have to learn when to say no to something that isn't the best for your family. I'm still working towards my master's, but at a bit slower of a pace. Because when the balance of everything got out of whack, everyone was suffering. So, I'm glad to say, I'm feeling a bit less stressed, and looking forward to blogging more, especially with all the fun stuff I have coming up!

Fun Ideas for Christmas Cards!

It's never too early to start thinking about Christmas cards! Heck, when I was a little kid, I can remember there being summertime Christmas card photo shoots, all courtesy of my holiday-obsessed mother. Now that I'm a mom, I totally get into the fun of planning our yearly photo cards. That's why I am so excited to share a few of my ideas for some fun photo card ideas, which can be made into a reality at PurpleTrail, a fabulous online spot where you can design many different personalized holiday cards! You can also make invitations, announcements, and pretty much anything your creative little heart could ever desire!

I just wanted to give you all some ideas for your holiday photo cards this year. I think sometimes we can get stuck doing the same ol' thing for our cards, and this is unfortunate, because lots of times, a lot of the people we send holiday cards to don't always get to see our families often. That's why it's a good idea to do something fun that really showcases what your family has been up to all year. That way it's way more fun for you to plan and for the people receiving your holiday cards, because they get something that's truly you!

My top 5 ideas for fun and creative personalized holiday photo cards are:
1. Just say no to the matching outfit perfectly posed photo. Be who you are, and if that means showing some silly personalities, do it!
2. Don't do the cliche Christmas tree background, unless you find a way to make it fun and creative.
3. Showcase a favorite family activity, something you all enjoy doing together. If your family loves to ski, do a favorite photo from your ski vacation. Loved your summer vacation to the beach? Use a photo where your family is basking in the warm sun, a nice thought especially during the cold winter months that are coming up!
4. Experiment with different photo touches, black and white images are often the best at really showing your family at its best!
5. Just have fun with it! Don't do anything too posed or serious, and personalize your photo cards in any way you can, be it through a personalized message or a fun graphics to your cards! The possibilities really are endless! Check out the design center to really get your creative juices flowing!

Disclaimer: This post was written as part of PurpleTrail's blog giveaway contest, making me eligible to win a giftcode. Contest details can be found by clicking here.

I love baby kicks!

I've been feeling little flutters and tiny movements for a couple weeks now, as of yesterday, I started feeling the big kicks! It totally brought me back to when I was pregnant with Izzy. I love feeling the kicks, it really reminds me of why I'm so sick, and that it's completely worth it!

On a side note, I'm working on getting some reviews and giveaways ready to post. Do you guys want to see more baby stuff, more toddler stuff, or more home stuff? Maybe a mix of all of that, and more? I do my best to bring you all reviews and giveaways that I feel are relevant to your own lives, so if you have ideas of things you want to see more or less of, please let me know! Who knows... I may just have to count suggestions as extra bonus entries for giveaways!