Bath Luve Review and Giveaway!!!

I officially have a new favorite bath product for Natalie!

Everyone hates it when small babies get cold in the bathtub. They don't feel warm or comforted or secure, and they usually start screaming! That happened the first couple of times we bathed Natalie. We started draping wet washcloths over her chest and tummy, which did help, but they didn't provide enough coverage and she usually still got cold. Baths only lasted a few minutes, because we wanted to get her washed and out of the tub quickly so she wouldn't start to cry!

The Bath Luve is a totally genius idea! Not only is it totally adorable (which it IS!), it's also the perfect size to drape over a baby's shoulders and cover their neck, chest, tummy, and private areas. Her arms and legs can still move freely, and it's so soft and keeps her SO warm!

Check out Natalie, smiling and happy in the tub!

She really loves being covered in the tub by her new duck Bath Luve. It keeps her relaxed and happy! You just dip the Luve in the warm water and it stays warm for quite awhile. I really wish I had had one of these when Kirsten was a little baby too!

No more chills and no more tears! It's every mom's dream bath product for their new baby!

This would make such an awesome baby shower gift! The Bath Luve comes in three cute designs, and you can buy them at Kohl's, Babies R Us, or Walmart.com.

They also recently added these adorable Bath Luve buddies. They act like a sponge, adding more warm water to the Luve if it starts to cool off, and they make a great bath toy too!

I'm so excited to host a giveaway for this completely adorable Frog Bath Luve!

Here's how to enter:
*Visit the Bath Luve website and leave me a comment on this post telling me which Bath Luve you think is the cutest!

You can get extra entries if you:
1. Follow my blog!
2. Become a follower of the Bath Luve blog!
3. Tell me how often you give your baby a bath.
4. Mention this giveaway on your blog (and leave me the link) for 5 extra entries!
5. Mention this giveaway on Facebook
6. Tweet about this giveaway

*Please leave a separate entry for each comment. This giveaway will close on August 15'th. Good luck!!!

SnorgTees Review and Giveaway!!!

I found the most awesome online T-shirt shop!
SnorgTees specializes in pop-culture inspired, random, and all-around funny designs.
Here's the one they sent me! I loved that line from Elf, and I think the shirt is totally adorable.

They sell shirts in men's and women's sizes, and they also sell hoodies and have a feature that lets you put their designs on baseball caps, mouse pads, even baby bibs!

They make perfect gifts! I will most definitely be giving some of these shirts as Christmas gifts this year. Doesn't everyone know a guy who needs (not just wants, but needs) a shirt like this one? I can think of two guys who need this, one of whom lives in this house.
(Sorry, Stephen, I ruined the surprise. Because this really will be wrapped up for you and under the Christmas tree!)

They have tons of designs, so they really do have something for everyone!

For the arachnaphobe (yep, that's me! I would wear this one!):

Another fun one for the Office fan. . .

For the Anchorman fan. . . (Hilarious! Love that movie!)

For the Stephen Colbert fan. . .

For the Napoleon Dynamite fan. . .

And you know what's even better?
You can WIN one!!!

I get to do a giveaway of one of these fun shirts!
Here's how to enter:
*Go to the SnorgTees website and tell me which design you like the best and who the shirt would be for if you are the winner!

You can get Extra Entries if you:
1. Follow my blog!
2. Mention this giveaway on your blog (and leave me the link) for 5 extra entries!
3. Mention this giveaway on Facebook
4. Tweet about this giveaway
5. Join the Snorgletter newsletter list on their website.

*Please leave an extra comment for each entry. This giveaway will close on August 15'th at midnight. Good luck!!!

We Have a Winner!!!

Random.org picked the very FIRST winner of one of my giveaways. The Pedoodles giveaway now has an official winner!
And it chose number. . . 19:
Chris and Carrie Elmore said...

Okay- I am now an official follower. Wow- that is my new favorite website. I really like the Frank Fish Hat(infant size)- I have a fettish with baby hats. That would be perfect for the summer days.

Congratulations, Carrie! You win a pair of Pedoodles shoes of your choice for your baby!

Thanks so much to everyone who entered!
I have several more great giveaways going on right now. Click on the links at the top of my sidebar to enter them!

Ways to Beat the Heat!!!

In no particular order, here are the things everyone in the Seattle area has been doing for the past 3 days:

-Melting

-DYING!

-Complaining

-Hiding out in ANY place they can find that has air-conditioning!

Yes, the sad truth is. . . Seattle, land of the perfect summers, is in the middle of a MASSIVE, horrible, absolutely miserable heat wave! We are having record-breaking heat, and there have been three days in a row so far of temperatures in the 90's, nights that don't cool off nearly enough, and NO relief!

Today I was in Bellevue, a half hour from my house, and it was
106 degrees!!!
That is just WRONG!
Stephen put it this way: "Whenever I go outside today, I feel like there should be some casinos, cacti, and all you can eat buffets as far as the eye can see."
Some of you reading this from Vegas or Phoenix are probably thinking I'm a wimp because you get this kind of weather all the time! But tell me. . . do you have air-conditioning in your houses?
Yes I think you do!!!
In Seattle, almost nobody has air-conditioning. Why? Because 99% of the time, we don't need it. Which is fine. Except for when you DO need it, and then you're in a constant state of misery.

I've gone swimming every night this week. Helps for awhile, but then it wears off.

We keep all the fans going and sleep right under the ceiling fan. Helps a little bit, but mostly just blows the hot air around.

I haven't turned on my oven, stove, hair straightener, or any heat-producing appliances since Sunday.

I keep thinking about going on a long drive to nowhere, just to spend time in the car with the AC blasting in my face!

So, from Seattle of all places, here are my favorite ways to. . .
beat the heat!

1. Wear as few clothes as possible. (Yes, Natalie is still smiling, despite these temperatures. She's still sleeping too, even though her room feels like an oven. I don't know how she does it!)

2. Jump through fountains gushing with ice-cold water.

3. Hide out inside large pieces of fruit. (Wait. . . how is that supposed to make us cooler? I guess anything's worth a shot!)

4. Temporarily move into the refrigerator. (Now that dog's got the right idea! I wish I fit into ours!)

5. Hit the beach! And dive right in!

6. Zip down some waterslides!

7. Of course. . . go swimming! All day if possible!

8. Hug your air-conditioner, if you are lucky enough to own one.

That's all for now from the week of never-ending torment and misery.
Please, PLEASE cool off soon!!!

Adorable Etsy Shop. . . Flying Frog Apparel Giveaway!

From time to time, there will be a new feature on my blog. . .
the Adorable Etsy Shop Alert!!!

Etsy is hugely popular these days, and I totally see why! You can find the world's CUTEST things on there, and the prices are usually so great as well! My first featured Etsy shop is. . .

Flying Frog Apparel!

She creates fun children's clothes and accessories using images from her imagination and the world around us. Each piece of unique wearable art is created using everything from recycled home fabrics to contemporary prints.

I love all of these scrap fabric barrettes!

Each pair of barrettes are hand-cut and hand-sewn, and she uses scraps of fabric from various sewing projects. So no two pieces are ever the same, and it's also earth-friendly!

My favorite shirt in her shop right now is this organic pink ostrich T-shirt. It's such a cute and unique design, I've definitely never seen anything like this one before!

And how cute is this fuzzy baby polar bear shirt?
I'm such a sucker for cute animal designs!

Flying Frog Apparel is giving away one set of those cute barrettes!
I wish I was eligible to win!
Here's how to enter:
*Visit her shop and leave me a comment on this post telling me your favorite pair!

Extra entries:
1. Follow my blog!
2. Mention this giveaway on your blog for 3 extra entries!
3. Mention this giveaway on Facebook
4. Tweet about this giveaway

*Please leave a separate comment for each entry, and make sure I have a way to contact you if you are the winner. This giveaway will close on August 14'th.
Good luck!!!

Experiences In My Life!

I saw this on my friend’s blog and I thought it would be fun. Let me know if you do this too! Then we can learn some more things about each other. All you do is bold the things you have done!

1. Started your own blog- Of course!
2. Slept under the stars- I need to do that again! It's been way too long!
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii- LOVE it there! Must go back soon!
5. Watched a meteor shower- That was super cool! (Ruth, if you're reading this, remember you were with me? We talked for hours and watched it!)
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland -Tons of times! Best place ever!
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis- I've seen one before, in Utah. I was too scared to touch it.
10. Sang a Solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris- Officially my favorite city in the entire world!
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea- No, but I saw an amazing lightning storm from my cousin's front porch in Kansas!
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch-Playing the piano, cross-stitching
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty- I saw it from a boat, but didn't walk to the top.
18. Grown your own vegetables- Too many of those, when I was a kid.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train- LOTS of times, in Europe and Thailand!
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb- I've petted one, but I don't think I actually held it.
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice- With about 8 other girls. Romantic it was not, but it was really awesome!
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person- I really WANT to!
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors- Some of them, anyway, in Germany.
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language- I learned French in college, but didn't teach myself.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied -From time to time
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person- I saw most of the big sites in Italy, but somehow missed this one!
39. Gone rock climbing- Hurt my leg doing it too! I'm not such a fan of it anymore.
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt- It was in the winter, right before they shut down the park, and there were only two other people there! It was very cool!
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa- Want to someday!
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight -I adore the beach!
46. Been transported in an ambulance- thank goodness I haven't!
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing- I've done plenty of lake fishing though.
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person- Incredible!!!
50. Been on television- Yep, singing with the BYU choirs. I'm a star. . . at least, on the BYU channel. :)
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling- I love scuba diving! It's the best!
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater -Believe it or not, I have never done this!!! I want to!
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China- It's very HIGH on my list of places I want to see!
57. Started a business- well I have a business card, for playing my harp at weddings and events. I don't think it counts as an actual business though.
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia- I'd love to see St. Petersburg especially!
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies- I've bought lots of boxes of Thin Mints, never sold them
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason -Love this!!
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma- I really, really hate getting my blood drawn
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check -Not recently, but I've done it before.
68. Flown in a helicopter- In Hawaii! It was very cool!
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy -I'm sure I have boxes of them somewhere.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt -I really want to learn how to do this.
73. Stood in Times Square -Just a few months ago for the first time ever!
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone- My pinky finger, when I was in 7'th grade softball
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle -LOVE it, it's so thrilling!!!
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person -I got to go camping there. I miss camping!
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating- I could never do this!
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury -Never been called for jury duty before.
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby- Twice!
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake- I lived close to it for awhile, but never actually went there.
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone- Who hasn't?
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Totally copied a post from someone’s blog to your own -Yep, just now, except I changed my answers and comments.

Another Final Rose!

Just finished watching the Bachelorette finale, and of course I had to jump on here and write my thoughts on it before I forget them all!

So, for starters. . . I totally knew she'd pick Ed.
KNEW it.
He wasn't one of my favorites, but I can see why she chose him. He's handsome, big and manly, and definitely smart. And you could really see the strength of their connection on their dates together. I thought he was SO sweet on their date tonight, and you could tell his emotions were real. The way he was looking at her, touching her face, and the things he said to her. . . he was melting ME, and I wasn't even there! So I can just imagine how melted into a puddled mess she must have been on that date!
Who else thought it was hilarious that at the end of their date the lights went off in the window and then they showed that shot of the volcano exploding? Now that is just good TV!
It might almost make up for the fact that the entire world now knows that he couldn't, um, perform on their last date before that.
Seriously, though. . . I think she made the right choice for her.

My other thoughts included:

*It was such a dead giveaway that Jillian was going to cut Kiptyn first. Even on their date, when he started talking about his feelings for her, her face looked really sad and you could see in her eyes that she knew she wasn't going to choose him. She wasn't very good at hiding that emotion! I saw no happiness or excitement in her at all, just sadness that she'd have to hurt him.

*Kiptyn really was a sweetheart, especially with the things he said to her after she rejected him. He was a total gentleman and showed a lot of class. He was my favorite from the beginning, and I think he'd make a great Bachelor for the next show!

*Ed's fashion choices? Mostly strange. I really wasn't digging the unbuttoned pink-checkered shirt over the weird green tank top. Especially with the chest hair sticking out the top, it was a total turn-off. Good thing he has a handsome face!

*Poor Reid. The show really did a great job of making that a dramatic moment, that's for sure. And it was a pretty mean trick to pull on Jillian, making him come out right before she was about to choose Ed. I thought for sure he'd come propose earlier in the show, not right before the end! I liked him too, he was a cutie, but his emotions definitely came too late!

*Jillian's white dress was gorgeous, and I really liked the ring Ed gave her.
I hope this relationship lasts! The show needs more success stories and I hope Jillian is happy with Ed.

What did YOU think? I watched the show by myself, so I'd love to hear the thoughts of all of you who watched it!

My Little Natalie!

I'm finally posting these gorgeous pictures of Natalie that were taken when she was almost 2 months old. I wish I had gotten professional photos done of Kirsten when she was that young, because I love how these turned out!

Which one is your favorite?
I think I like #2 the very best, it's just such a pure photo and captures the innocence of a newborn so well! I also love the first one, and the one with the flower headband.

Pleasant Dreamz Pillowcase Review and Giveaway!

I really love the idea behind this company! Keeping It Positive believes that developing a positive mindset and self-image is one of the most powerful life strategies there is, and I couldn't agree more! One of the main things I want to teach my kids as they get older is how to have a positive outlook on life and confidence in themselves. I never would have thought a pillowcase could help instill that in them, but this one really does!

Here's what the pillowcase says:

Isn't that so cool? I love it!
It'll be awesome to put that on Kirsten's pillow as she gets older, especially when she's learning how to read. Until then, I'm putting it on MY pillow. As all moms know, we could definitely use a little positive affirmation in our lives as well!
These pillowcases would make awesome gifts, and you wouldn't even have to wrap them because they come in super cute packages already:

I got the purple pillowcase. The website has a great idea of saying each of your positive affirmations from your pillowcase every night before going to bed. I am going to say mine every morning, to give myself an energizing start to each day. I just love the idea behind these products and think everyone could benefit from having a pillowcase like this, either for yourself or your children or grandchildren.

Debbie, the owner of the company, wants to give a pillowcase to one of my readers!
Here's how to enter:
*Visit her website and then leave me a comment and tell me which color you'll choose if you're the winner, and who the pillowcase will be for!

Extra Entries:
1. Follow my blog!
2. Mention this giveaway on your blog for 5 extra entries!
3. Mention this giveaway on Facebook.
4. Tweet about this giveaway.

*Please leave a separate comment for each entry. This giveaway will close on August 11'th. Good luck!!!

*Debbie also provided a coupon code for a 10% discount! Just type "Think Positive" in the comments section of the order form to receive the discount!

Trendy Tadpole Review!

Have I ever mentioned that I loooooove cute baby clothes?
As far as onesies go, this is one of the cutest I've ever seen:

This one came from the Trendy Tadpole, where they sell "hip tops for trendy tots."
I'm definitely a Beatles fan, so I love how this pays homage to such a great song. I'm also a fan of baby girl clothes not always being pink and ruffly. The fabric is really soft, as well as having such an original and cute design!

The Trendy Tadpole website has tons of other fun designs as well!
Julie Pruitt, the owner of the shop, brings pop culture, a hint of nostalgia, and a pinch of fun to every shirt. If I had a boy, I'd really want this one for him:

And I love this one too, whether your kid has Irish heritage or not:

Right now they are offering a seriously amazing deal. . . 50% off! That makes each shirt only $11, whether you want an infant snapsuit or a T-shirt in any size, including women's shirts! I'm considering buying an "All We Need Is Love" shirt for myself! Would it be cute if me and Natalie were matching, or a little weird??? Or I could get one for Kirsten! Matching sisters definitely ARE cute!

To get the discount, just visit their website and use the coupon code: "wholesale".

What's Making Me Happy This Week!

There are tons of things making me happy lately! Here's just a partial list:

1. I got tickets to go see. . . .

YAY!!! I've never been to the tour before, even though I've faithfully watched this show since season one. And this year I'm GOING to see my favorite top 10 ever! I bought the tickets at the Pre-sale and they were already almost gone. So the seats aren't good, but at least they're seats, right? Their Everett, WA show is the very last stop on their tour.
SOOOOOO excited!

2. Listening to the following songs, in my car at a loud volume:
*Halo by Beyonce
*Smile by Uncle Kracker
*Battlefield by Jordin Sparks
*Mad by Neyo
*My Life Would Suck Without You by Kelly Clarkson
*Let It Rock by Kevin Rudolf
*Closer to Love by Matt Kearney
*Hot 'n Cold by Katy Perry

3. Going to see Harry Potter 6 last weekend with Stephen. We are both BIG Harry Potter fans, and we both really liked the new movie. I thought it was so much funnier than all the other ones, despite its creepy/scary/sad moments.

4. Eating a really nice and yummy dinner at El Gaucho steakhouse before the movie. The service was impeccable, the steaks were amazing, and they had a side dish of Coastal Cheddar Mac 'n Cheese that was seriously to die for! We got buy one get one free entrees with the Microsoft Prime card too! Can't beat that!!!

5. Looking forward to the Bachelorette finale. Who do you think she's going to choose? Kiptyn was my favorite from the beginning, but I'm guessing she's going to pick Ed. And I really can't blame her. . . he definitely is handsome! Chris Harrison said it was the most emotional finale he's ever seen out of all the seasons, so I'm anxious to see it!

6. Having friends over to play fun games. My favorite lately is the Settlers of Catan: Cities and Knights expansion. And no, it's not one of those nerdy games like Dungeons and Dragons or anything like that. If you love the original Settlers game, you've got to try the Cities and Knights version! It's more complicted, more challenging, more fun!

7. Getting lots of comments on my blog posts! I know that's just a shameless ploy for more comments, but they really do make me happy!

Unpredictable

I love you Natalie! I'm not complaining about your sweetness or your smiles or your happiness one bit! But can you tell me why. . .

Two nights ago you slept for almost 12 hours straight, from 11 pm to 10:30 am! I thought you were a little miracle baby!!!
And then last night. . .

You were awake almost constantly through the whole night. You just wouldn't settle down! I held you, rocked you, fed you, changed you, did everything I could think of, and you just kept fussing and wiggling. I just don't know what happened!
Why???

And I will never know why.
Little babies are so unpredictable.
Every day and every night brings something new.

It's a good thing I love excitement and variety, isn't it?
I asked for it. . . and I GOT IT.