Happy New Year!

I just wanted to wish you all a very happy new year! May this new year bring joy, happiness, and prosperity to you and your families! I'm not really a fan of the whole new years resolution thing, since usually I taper off by the spring and forget to think about them! So this year, instead of doing the cliche diet and exercise resolution I think I'll decide on things to do instead of avoid, so here goes:

This year I will make an effort to eat healthier than the year before. I will not worry so much about having a perfectly clean home, instead I'll focus more on quality time with my family. Lastly, I want to write in my journal for Izzy at least once a week, which is something I need to make more time for.

So, whatever your resolutions and wishes may be this year, I wish you much perseverance and success!

I'm Back!

Phew! We're finally back home from our Christmas travels. We had so much fun catching up with family and friends, but it's nice to be home and get some after Christmas organizing done (I'm talking finding an organized way to store all the new Barbies and My Little Ponies and Littlest Pet Shop animals that Izzy got this year!). Izzy had so much fun this year, and she was really looking forward to what Santa Claus would lay under our tree. However, she was slightly disappointed when Santa wasn't still there in the morning! She kept looking up the chimney trying to figure out where he went! She got over this feeling once she started opening her presents though!

I'll post some fun Christmas pictures later this week, because right now, I have A TON of winners to post up!

Lanyapi Designs winner: comment #34!
Bunny B said...
I love the
Large Feather Necklace- 14K gold filled chain
and the bunny necklaces!
bunnybx at gmail . com

SKLZ winner: comment #5!
Shawntele said...

Awesome giveaway! My son still shoots hoops in his room with the little foam ball and mini hoop he got for Christmas when he was three (he is 15 now!) Besides the pro mini hoop I also think the football trainer looks great, the worst thing when practicing by yourself is having to chase the ball after a punt. :)

My email is: savedbygrace7215(at)yahoo(dot)com
Thanks for the entry!

Monster Gift Card winner #1: (iTunes gift card) comment #1!
Traci Fritz said...

I would love to have the best buy GC to buy my husband some of the electronic things he looks at but never buys!

Monster Gift Card winner #2: (Motherhood Maternity gift card) comment #48!
Anne J said...

I have your button, http://lunaj1456.blogspot.com #3
ajolly1456 at gmail dot com

Personalized Parcels winner: comment #57!
pixie13 said...

tweet
http://twitter.com/pixie13sweeps/status/6932836188

gevin13{at}gmail{dot}com

Out of the Box winner: comment #15!
Michele P. said...

Christmas button #2

micaela6955 at msn dot com

Snorg Tees winner: comment #53!
trisha too said...

Christmas buttoned 3

sandtneal at mfire dot com


I have emailed all of the winners, please reply within 48 hours.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to everyone out there! Thank you to everyone who have been entering the Christmas giveaways, I'll be posting all of the recent winners and those to come after Christmas (over the weekend). I'm going to be taking a break from the blog over the next few days to spend some time with family and friends! I just wanted to let you all know that I feel incredibly blessed to have my wonderful readers in my "online family". You guys are great, and I love hearing from you as we all journey through parenthood and beyond. Have a wonderful Christmas, and I wish you all safe travels and happy times with family friends!

Love,
Marina

Tastybaby Review and Giveaway!

I am so excited to have discovered my new go to item when it comes to stocking stuffers (keep reading to hear about the fruit snacks)! If you have been on the lookout for a healthier option when it comes to baby and toddler food, look no further, Tastybaby is here!

Tastybaby was founded by friends and collaborators Liane Weintraub and Shannon Swanson, and both have a remarkable passion for creating healthy food for children. Tastybaby's products include Frozen Organic Purees, Organic Infant Cereals and Gummy Fruit Snacks, all of which can be found at your local supermarket and online, making it convenient for parents to buy. Either find a retailer near you or buy Tastybaby at Amazon.com, where you even get free home delivery! Tastybaby's website not only helps you navigate where and what to buy, but they are also "a place to find interesting, entertaining, helpful & sometimes provocative original features. It’s an online magazine, a blog & a planet-conscious guide. It’s a Tasty approach to food, fashion, family & giving back ... most importantly, Tastybaby.com is always FUN!"

Tastybaby sent us their amazing Tasty Brand™ Organic Fruit Snacks and after tasting just one bite, we were hooked! They make a great snack for anyone over age 2, including busy moms and dads on the go! They are vegan, gluten-free, fat-free, cholesterol-free, certified USDA Organic, and contain absolutely no high-fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, or flavors. We've pretty much cut out all corn syrup in our family, and it's been very hard to find fruit snacks without it in them, until now! Izzy had so much fun sharing her Tastybaby fruit snacks with her friend one day, and I even caught them practicing their colors with them! What I was most impressed with is that these fruit snacks actually taste like fruit, they are even juicy! Most fruit snacks are dry and chewy, lacking any sort of natural fruit flavor. Not so with Tastybaby! I am so glad to have found a healthier alternative to the traditional fruit snacks that are currently on the market, and I know that I can rest assured in giving them to Izzy!

Want to win some Tastybaby fruit snacks to try for yourselves? Then enter this "tasty" giveaway! One winner will receive 1 case of Tastybaby fruit snacks (a $28.75 value), I know you will just love them!

Here are the entry rules (this giveaway is open in the US only, unless noted otherwise later):
1. (This is the mandatory entry) Receive one entry for visiting Tastybaby and telling me product you most want to try! Make sure you leave your EMAIL address in this entry.
2. Receive two entries for publicly following my blog and telling me that you do in two separate comments.
3. Receive one entry for being an email subscriber and telling me that you are in a comment.
4. Receive three entries for grabbing my new button and putting it on your blog. Leave three separate comments.
5. Receive three extra entries for posting my Christmas button on your blog. Leave three separate comments.
6. Receive one entry per day for following both me and Tastybaby on Twitter and tweeting about the giveaway! Leave me a comment each day to let me know that you did.
7. Receive one entry per day for updating your Facebook status and including the link to this giveaway. Leave a comment with a status link.
8. Receive five entries for blogging about this giveaway on your blog and leave me the link in a comment.

This giveaway will end on December 30, 2009 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.

Surf Sweets Review

My husband is addicted to sugary snacks, and sometimes I worry that Izzy will inherit his sugar tooth. We are pretty strict on limiting Izzy's candy intake (she's only 2, so a little goes a long way), but when we do allow her to eat something sweet, I try to give her something that is as healthy as something sugary can be. If this sounds anything like your family, then listen up, because Surf Sweets is a company you need to hear about!

Surf Sweets is a brand inspired by healthy life choices, sunny weather, and of course, surfing! Their goal as a company (they're a part of TruSweets, LLC.) is to manufacture candy that serves as a better choice for both families and the environment. Surf Sweets uses all natural, organic ingredients in crafting candy that is not all bad for your child! Each serving of candy has 100% of your daily vitamin C recommendation, and their candy contains absolutely no trans fats, GMOs, corn syrup, gluten, artificial colors, or artificial flavors! Their production facilities are also free of the common allergens of peanuts, wheat, dairy, soy, eggs, tree nuts, shell fish, and fish. That was a BIG deal in my book, because Izzy has egg and dairy allergies, so it's nice to know there's a company that takes food allergies that seriously!

Surf Sweets sent us a variety of candy confections to review and boy was my husband happy to help out on this one! We got to try the Gummy Worms, Gummy Bears, Sour Berry Bears, and the ever popular Jelly Beans! We were very satisfied with all of the products, and I was amazed at how fresh they tasted, especially because it was candy! Another thing I liked was that most of their products are vegetarian and vegan, which makes it a great treat to have on hand for your friends who are vegetarian or vegan! Overall, the thing that most impressed me about Surf Sweets has been how open they are with their customers about what ingredients are used in making their candy, because we all know that most companies out there simply wouldn't be bothered! So kuddos to Surf Sweet, you've made a life long fan out of me!

Surf Sweets is the new solution to all of our sugary cravings, and I know I can be confident in choosing the healthier alternative offered by Surf Sweets products to give to Izzy on the occasions that she gets a special treat. You will love the Surf Sweets experience, and has they always say, "Being responsible never tasted so good"!

***Click here for some great recipe ideas with their candy, and here to visit their blog!***

Mayfair Lane Review

When it comes to organizational products, I can never have too many. I just LOVE all the different ways I can organize everything about our daily lives, and it's great when you can do so in style! Mayfair Lane is one of my new favorite companies and if you read on, you'll definitely understand why!

Mayfair Lane has been in existence for just one year, and they have already received lots of buzz! When it comes to innovative gifts, Mayfair Lane is at the center of the market. Their patent-pending Happeez® line is sure to be a favorite, with their elegant, fun, simple, and trendy designs when it comes to the array of gifts they feature. The brains behind Mayfair Lane is founder and CEO Sue Russell, who sought to solve the problem of magnets not working on stainless steel, glass, or wood paneled refrigerators. Here's a description from their website: "Happeez® Notepads, Clippers, Photo Frames, Whiteboards, and List Pads contain a Happeez® material that grips to stainless steel and other slick surfaces such as glass, mirror, aluminum, plastic or vinyl. Unlike a magnet, Happeez® products protect surfaces from scratching and marring, and will not leave a residue. If the product loses its grip due to dust build-up, users can easily revive it by spraying the back with water or a vinegar-based window cleaner."

Mayfair Lane could not be more right in how they described their products. I have been so impressed, not only with the quality of the products they sell, but also in the simple beauty that they add to everyday items. I was given the chance to review a Happeez® clipper and notepad, both in the Cabana Blue/Palm Tree Green Small Damask print. I love both of these products, because I love it when I find things are both functional and beautiful to look at. The clipper works nice on the refrigerator, but my favorite use for it is to post little reminders to myself on my bathroom mirror. I like to leave myself little motivational messages, and they sure do look a lot nice now that I use the clipper instead of plain old tape! I also love the notepad because it livens up my daily to-do lists!


Mayfair Lane is sure to be a hit no matter who you need to give a gift to this year, especially with moms, office managers, and teachers! What a great way to combine functionality with art, helping cheer up an otherwise bland space like one's desk. Check out the Happeez® whiteboards (perfect for a college dorm room!), photo frames, list pads, and you're sure to get some great gift giving ideas! Keep Mayfair Lane in mind for all of your home and office needs and you'll be one happy and organized lady!

Snorg Tees Review and Giveaway!

T-shirts. Everyone loves them, from your husband to your toddler to your teen to yourself. It's one of the easiest articles of clothing to throw on when you're in a hurry or don't know what to wear. Needless to say, t-shirts are very popular, especially for men. My husband has way too men, (think 50+), yet he still thinks he doesn't have enough of them! We recently set off on a closet cleaning adventure and were able to donate a lot of clothing, especially t-shirts, that we don't wear that often. I was proud of our whole family for this, and I was really excited when I received a new t-shirt to give to my husband in return. Want to know where his favorite new t-shirt is from? It's from Snorg Tees, one of the coolest t-shirt companies around!

Snorg Tees has been around since 2004 by a creative group of friends seeking to start their own business. Snorg Tees specialty is in creating pop-culture inspired, random, and funny t-shirts, and most designs are created by their employees! The other designs are created by their customers, which is totally cool! I know I can think of a few budding t-shirt designers that should submit their ideas to them! Snorg Tees is always on the lookout to bring customers exactly what they want, and they are always excited to receive feedback to help them do just that.


Snorg Tees sent us the BRB t-shirt (photo below), and my husband LOVES it! He wears it all the time, which means it has been washed numerous times, and it still looks like new! My husband's favorite thing about Snorg Tees is the wittiness of their apparel, and I can agree! Snorg Tees is definitely the place to shop if you're looking for clothing that is funny, random, or witty!


Snorg Tees has decided to award one of you lucky ladies with a t-shirt of your own! You'll have so much fun deciding which one to choose since they are so many fun ones! Here are some of my other favorites:

We Will Rock You T-Shirt


Rule 76 Play Like A Champion T-Shirt


The Only Thing We Have to Fear T-Shirt


Here are the entry rules (this giveaway is open in the US only, unless noted otherwise later):
1. (This is the mandatory entry) Receive one entry for visiting Snorg Tees and telling me what T-Shirt you'll choose if you win! Make sure you leave your EMAIL address in this entry.
2. Receive two entries for following my blog and telling me that you do in two separate comments.
3. Receive one entry for being an email subscriber and telling me that you are in a comment.
4. Receive three entries for grabbing my new button and putting it on your blog. Leave three separate comments.
5. Receive three extra entries for posting my Christmas button on your blog. Leave three separate comments.
6. Receive one entry per day for following me Twitter and tweeting about the giveaway! Leave me a comment each day to let me know that you did.
7. Receive one entry per day for updating your Facebook status and including the link to this giveaway. Leave a comment with a status link.
8. Receive five entries for blogging about this giveaway on your blog and leave me the link in a comment.

This giveaway will end on December 27, 2009 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.