It's a CSN Stores Giveaway!

After my last CSN Stores review, you didn't think I'd go and leave you, my loyal readers out of the fun did you? I sure hope not. I mean, it's Christmas season, and I intend to spread the joy. And for the online shoppers, CSN Stores definitely spreads the joy. With over 200+ stores, they pretty much offer anything you'd ever want to give your loved ones (or gift yourself!). On top of all of the great things that they offer, their customer service is outstanding, and their shipping is SUPER fast, so you really don't have a reason NOT to shop with CSN Stores! Right now, they're running some awesome deals for the Christmas season. Deals like:

Corner TV Stands for $375 (with FREE shipping!!!)

(this would be perfect for those of you who are getting a new TV for Christmas!) 

Do you have a little girl who loves to "cook"? What about this cute little play kitchen...

Are you obsessed with kids shoes? I am, and I have literally spent HOURS browsing the shoe selection at CSN Stores. I think these loafers would be SUPER cute on my little Connor:

So, I guess you want to know how I am going to spread the joy. Well, I have some CSN Stores joy to spread your way. That's right, this post is a CSN Stores giveaway! Up for grabs is a $65 promotional code to use on any of the 200+ CSN Stores. I know you're dying to know how you can enter in this awesome giveaway, so here's the low down:

There are several ways to gain entries (you MUST leave a comment for EACH entry that you are eligible for):
 1. MANDATORY ENTRY (this entry must be met before you are eligible for any other entry): BE/BECOME A FOLLOWER OF MY BLOG. (1 ENTRY)
2. Visit CSN Stores and tell me what you would use the gift code for (1 additional entry)
3. Add my blog button to your blog (1 additional entry)
4. Add me to your blog roll on your blog (1 additional entry)
5. "Like" A Dollop of My Life on Facebook (1 additional entry)
6. Blog about this giveaway (1 additional entry. Please be sure to leave the permalink to your blog post-- I WILL check the links!).

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only.

The giveaway will run from Wednesday, December 8, 2010, until Wednesday, December 15, 2010 at 7:30am CST.

The winner will be chosen using random.org and announced on this blog.

The winner will also be notified via email, so please leave an email on EVERY entry if you do not have your email attached to your blogger profile.

The winner will have 48 hours from the time of notification to respond with their information. Should the winner not respond within the given 48 hours, a new winner will be picked.

Disclosure: In exchange for this post, CSN Stores has provided the promotional code for me to giveaway to one of my readers. No other compensation was received, and all opinions in this review are my own. For my full disclosure policy, please click HERE.

CSN Stores Review: Little Tikes & Baby Jogger

If my life wasn't such a whirlwind of events and holidays, I might have gotten this review up earlier. But better late than never, and I suppose with a review it's good to have a good amount of time under our belt to test out the awesome new products that we received from CSN Stores.

When CSN Stores contacted me to do another review, I was beyond thrilled. I LOVE CSN Stores, and I love being able to shop with them. They have such a great selection of products, and for people who love to shop online, they're the best place to go for one stop shopping. For this particular review, I decided to pick out two different items... one for B-man and one for myself!

For B, I decided to get the Little Tikes Tot Sport Easy Score Basketball Goal.

Brayden had been showing great interest in basketball (well, really anything that has to do with a ball, but basketball is definitely one of them!), and we were wanting to get a basketball goal set for him. We were hesitant to purchase something that was too big, considering (at the time) I couldn't really lift him to score every time. This set really is the best of both worlds for us. It allows Brayden to score on his own, but also gives us a bit of flexibility by growing with him. The set adjusts from 2.5 feet up to 4 feet. It comes with a soft basketball, and a real net, so it looks and feels like a real goal. Brayden absolutely LOVES it. We keep the set in the house right now, and it really doesn't take up much room. I think once it gets pretty outside again in the spring we'll move it out there for him to play with. I accidentally deleted the pictures of him with his goal before Connor was born, but I do have this cute video of him when the goal was delivered to our house. He was SO excited about it!






Of course, CSN Stores came through again with the basketball set, as I actually had looked for this set at other retailers online but they were always out of stock. Not CSN Stores! They even upgraded my shipping for me, so from the time we ordered it to the time it came to the door was only a span of a few days! If you have a toddler that loves sports, this set would make the perfect Christmas gift. And CSN Stores is offering guaranteed shipment by December 24th on this set, so you really don't have an excuse not to get it!!!

This time I wanted to get something for myself as well, considering the past couple of things I've either won or reviewed have been for the little man. I had actually been waiting for CSN Stores to stock up on the Baby Jogger Belly Bar for my Baby Jogger City Mini Double.

 Luckily, they got it in stock around the same time I was picking out things to review. I had read several reviews on the CSN website that said the belly bar was good for toddlers in the City Mini. It allows them to ride in the stroller and lean forward a bit in the seat. We haven't used the double stroller that much yet since we just had Connor two weeks ago. The belly bar is installed though, and it fits perfectly. One thing I am concerned about is that it's a bit taller than I expected, so I am not sure how much it will help out Connor until he's more in the toddler stage. For Brayden though (who's 19 months), I think it will help him when he wants to have a better look and not be so reclined. I'm hoping to get the tray sometime soon to accompany the belly bar so that Brayden has somewhere to put his cups and snacks when we're out and about. Overall, I think it's a good attachment, and can't wait to use it more!

Of course, CSN Stores did great with both customer service and shipping. I really can't say a bad thing about my experience. It went smoothly, from the time I called customer service to make the order  to the time both pieces arrived on my doorstep. If you're looking for an easy way to Christmas shop this year, I DEFINITELY recommend CSN Stores.



Disclosure: In exchange for this review I received a CSN promotional code to go towards the purchase of both the basketball set and the belly bar from CSN Stores. No other compensation was received, and all opinions expressed in this review are my own. To view my full disclosure policy, please click HERE.

Kix Giveaway Winner, Alternate

Well, this is a first for me... the original winner of the Kix Giveaway didn't respond to my post for the winner. SO, I had to select a new winner. Obviously I've been a bit preoccupied with our new little mister, so I apologize for the slight delay in re-running the numbers. Without further ado, I give you the NEW results.

Random.org selected the winning number:

And the second comment was from Jess from Keep it Together:

Congrats Jess! Please email me at lifesdollop at gmail dot com with your address and phone number so I can get it submitted for redemption! And thanks to all who entered into the Kix Giveaway!

Kix Giveaway Winner

I totally forgot that because today is Wednesday, it was time for me to select a winner of the Kix giveaway... sorry about that guys! I quickly plugged everything into random.org and got the following:

And the 5th comment was Amanda:

Congratulations Amanda! Please email me with your address and phone number and I will submit your info for the prize pack! Thanks to all who entered, and a special thanks to Kix and MyBlogSpark for providing the prize packs to giveaway!

Baby Center Giveaway Winner

Thanks to everyone who entered into my Baby Center Giveaway, and a special thanks to Baby Center and MyBlogSpark for making the giveaway possible! There were 12 comments, and when I plugged everything in, these were the results:

And the first commenter was Cheryl:

Congratulations Cheryl! Be sure to email me (lifesdollop at gmail dot com) within 48 hours with your contact information (address & telephone #).

Kix Cereal: Brayden Tested, Brayden Approved

Recently I had the opportunity to test out Kix cereal. Or should I say, Brayden had the opportunity to test out Kix cereal? haha. It's funny really, since we are a cereal family. I'd say 5 out of the 7 days I eat some type of breakfast cereal for breakfast. It's easy, most of the healthier ones are filling, and it doesn't make me feel blah like some breakfasts' do. What's weird is that I haven't tried to give Kix to Brayden. He normally doesn't eat cereal for breakfast, but cereals make a great snack for babies and toddlers. And Kix is a GREAT snack for him. It's the perfect size for his little fingers to grasp, it tastes great, it's made with whole grain corn and is an excellent source of iron. It also is a good source of calcium, fiber, and Vitamins C and D. Original Kix has no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. So when the little man nods in agreement that Kix is a good snack (enter exhibits A & B):




Exhibit A

Exhibit B

This momma was happy! And I am not ashamed to say that Kix tasted so good right out of the box that I may have eaten some for myself! Sorry B-man, you're going to have to share this stuff!

Because I think good things are meant to share, I'm excited to let you know that I have a prize pack to giveaway! One lucky reader will win a Kix “Kid-Tested, Mother-Approved” prize pack including a 24-piece counting-themed floor puzzle, fun learn-to-count flashcards, a sippy cup, a portable snack container and a box each of Original Kix and Honey Kix cereals... how's that for a prize pack?!?!?! If you'd like to win the prize pack, all you have to do is leave a comment letting me know your kid's favorite breakfast cereal (it can be what they eat for snack too, like we do!).

And because I have to, here are the rules:
- the giveaway is open to all US residents. 
- comments will be open until Wednesday, November 17, 2010.
- 1 comment per person. Duplicate comments will be deleted.
- You are not required to have a blog to enter; however, please be sure to leave a way for me to contact you.
-The winner will be announced on this blog and also contacted by me. They will have 48 hours to respond with their information, otherwise a new winner will be chosen.


Disclosure: In exchange for this review, I received a Kix Prize Pack from Kix through MyBlogSpark. The information and additional prize pack to give away were also given to me by Kix through MyBlogSpark. All opinions shared in this review are my own, and I was in no other way compensated. To view my full disclosure policy, please click HERE.

Coming Soon: CSN Stores Review

By now most of my loyal readers know of my obsession with CSN Stores. With Christmas just around the corner, it seems only natural that I'd spend a good deal of time perusing through all of the awesome stuff they offer. And a good deal of time it requires! CSN has over 200+ stores that offer everything from upholstered headboards, to some of the cutest handbags that you could find! Don't believe me? Well, check out a few of the things I found that I think are adorable:

Cute stuff right?! I'm so excited to let you all know that in a few short weeks I will have an opportunity to review one of the many products that CSN Stores offers. I can't wait to reveal to you what I have picked out... and as you probably have already figured out, I've had a hard time making up my mind :)

Thanks to all who entered in my Pillsbury Flaky Cinnamon Rolls giveaway, and a special thanks to Pillsbury and MyBlogSpark for the opportunity! I had 8 total comments on the post, so I plugged everything in to random.org and got this:

And the 5th comment was Jana from Happiness is Homemade!

Congrats Jana! Be sure to email me within the next 48 hours to claim your prize pack! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Baby Center Giveaway & Review

For those of you who have COMPLETELY missed the newsflash for the past 9 months... I'm pregnant. AND I have an 18 month old. Translation? I am a woman who is tired, cranky, easily irritable and who doesn't have a lot of time to read and browse through every single pregnancy and toddler book out there. So when I found out I had the opportunity to review a few Baby Center products, I was pretty excited.

You see, I've been a member over at Baby Center since I was pregnant with Brayden. I love getting personalized emails about new milestones, complete with question and answers about some of the key issues that I may face with his new phases. And they have pregnancy down pat too, with weekly email updates letting me know about my baby, things I can expect, and answers to common questions. What I didn't know about Baby Center is that they offer books that basically compile all this information in an easy to read, well organized/layed out book. I'm not one of those people who read and read and read about birthing and the early baby info. But I do like to have something handy so that if I have a question, I can look it up and find the answer. The Baby Center Pregnancy and Baby Center Baby books basically do just that. The pregnancy book is laid out with a week by week guide to your pregnancy, plus some post partum info too. The layout of the book makes it an easy read, and easy to find things without having to read an entire chapter. I've only flipped through the Baby Center baby book, but have found that the layout is the same way, and so I intend to make it my 'go-to' book on those things that I might have forgotten about for the early weeks and months with Connor.

Another thing that Baby Center now offers is online birthing classes! Since this is my second go round at this thing, and my birthing experience wasn't really that long ago, I have yet to sign in and actually take the class. However, I almost feel that an online format would have benefited me when I was pregnant with Brayden. You can learn at your own pace, still ask questions to the birth educators, and enjoy it all from the comfort of your own home. I don't know about you, but I absolutely hate it when a class gets stalled by someone asking WAY too many questions, or having to deal with being uncomfortable in a class room setting. This class sounds very appealing to me. And it's a lot cheaper than we paid for our birthing class at our hospital. For the entire access to the online class, it's $39.99. If you're interested in finding out more information or signing up for the class, you can go to: www.babycenter.com/childbirth-class

And now for the fun part; Baby Center, through My Blog Spark, has provided me with a Baby Center prize pack to give away to one of my readers! The prize pack includes two new BabyCenter parenting books (BabyCenter® Pregnancy and BabyCenter® Baby), a package of Seventh Generation diapers, a gift card from BabyCenter partner, Shutterfly, and a BabyCenter bib. Pretty awesome, right?!?!

To enter to win this awesome package, all you have to do is leave me a comment with either your due date, or the due date of someone you know that you would give this pack to. 

That's it! Just a simple comment. And just because I have to, here are some of the rules:

•  The contest is open to US residents only.
• Comments will be open until 7:00am, Wednesday, November 10th. 
•  1 comment per person. Duplicate comments will be deleted.
• You are not required to have a blog to enter; however, please be sure to leave a way for me to contact you.
• The winner will be announced on this blog and also contacted by me. They will have 48 hours to respond with their information, otherwise a new winner will be chosen.

Good luck!


Disclosure: In exchange for this review, I received a Baby Center prize pack from Baby Center through My Blog Spark. The information and additional prize pack to give away were also given to me by Baby Center through MyBlogSpark. All opinions shared in this review are my own, and I was in no other way compensated. To view my full disclosure policy, please click HERE.

Pillsbury Flaky Cinnamon Rolls: Review and Giveaway

If you read my weekend in review post for this past weekend, you probably already know that we enjoyed a rare breakfast together as a family. Brayden slept in until 7:30, so we all got up at the same time. I wanted to make breakfast a family affair, so I had Drew and Brayden help me put the cinnamon rolls on the cookie sheet.

getting instructions from daddy on what to do

such a BIG helper!

icing them down... the best part :)

We rarely eat together as a family, so these Pillsbury Flaky Cinnamon Rolls were a great way to get us all excited about breakfast, and they were super easy and fast, which is a necessity when you're trying to get breakfast to a hungry 18 month old! I got the ones with buttercream icing... if you know me, you know I LOVE icing, and buttercream is my favorite kind. These cinnamon rolls were melt in your mouth good, and the icing was excellent! Pretty sure it hit the mark with the biggest critic in the house:

looks like someone liked his cinnamon rolls!

We had a great time as a family, and I am hoping to make it more of a tradition that we continue, especially since we rarely see Drew before he leaves for work during the week.

I'd love for you to share some good family breakfast ideas with me. In fact, every person that leaves a good family breakfast moment idea in the comments of this post will be entered to win a Pillsbury prize pack (please, only one comment per participant). The prize pack includes:
a scrapbooking kit, scrapbooking supplies like scrapbook scissors and glue as well as a coupon for a free package of the new Pillsbury® Flaky Cinnamon Rolls. And if you don't want to wait to see who wins the prize pack, you can always go to your local supermarket and get some for yourself. Pillsbury's even given me this awesome link to share a coupon with you: http://www.myblogspark.com/uc/main/42b1/

some of the minor details:

The prize pack giveaway is open for US residents only. The winner will be announced on my blog and contacted by me. Please be sure to leave a way for me to contact you-- either through your blog or your email. The winner will have 48 hours to provide me with their information, otherwise a new winner will be chosen. Comments will stay open until Friday, November 5th at 8:00am. A winner will be announced later in the day on Friday.Good luck!

Disclaimer: I was given a Pillsbury prize pack from Pillsbury through My Blog Spark in exchange for this review, and was also provided with a prize pack to give to one of my readers. All opinions in this review are my own, and I was in no other way compensated for this review.

Yoplait Giveaway Winner

Ahhh, I am so far behind on blogging it's not even funny. I apologize for getting this up so late... normally I am on my A game when it comes to giveaways! We only had 3 comments on the Saving Lids to Save Lives giveaway... and random.org picked comment #1:

Comment #1 was:
Angela, at A Day in the Life of the Robinsons! Congratulations Angela! Be sure to email me with your information so that I can send you your prize pack!

And to all my readers, remember to save the pink lids off of your Yoplait yogurt!

*A special thanks to Yoplait and My Blog Spark for making this giveaway possible*

Baby Jogger City Mini Double: A CSN Stores Review

It's been so long, you've probably already forgotten about this post, where I told you I was going to get the opportunity to review one of the many items that CSN Stores offers. The item I desperately wanted, the Baby Jogger City Mini Double, was on back order due to the manufacturer and product demand. So I waited. And waited. And called. And waited. And FINALLY. It came today! Hooray! Drew and I put it together tonight and I am already in love.

I currently own the Baby Jogger City Mini Single, and LOVE it. So when we found out I was pregnant with Connor, I knew I wanted the double. The problem was, we just weren't sure we wanted to spend the money on the double. But after purchasing a popular branded tandem double stroller, I knew I couldn't go back. The City Mini is SO light compared to the standard double strollers you see out there. Most doubles average between 40-50 pounds. That's A LOT, especially considering you have to swing that puppy up into your trunk! The City Mini Double weighs in at about 25 pounds, and it holds up to 100 pounds, which is about 30 pounds more than what the traditional double stroller that we had bought held. It's a side by side stroller, which I find maneuvers more easily than tandem strollers, and it's still slim enough to fit through most standard doorways! It has ALL kinds of accessories you can get, and even will hold one infant car seat if you have a toddler and infant like I will have. I plan on purchasing the belly bar for the double (I don't have it for the single), as well as the parent console to hang on the handle bar. Both seats independently recline,

 (The first picture shows the seat reclined with the mesh showing; the second one has the all weather protection covering it).

and both have independent canopies (which actually work to shield your child from the sun instead of just look nice!) The canopy on the left is pulled out 1 click, and the canopy on the right is pulled out fully at 2 clicks..

 But my favorite part of the stroller? The fold. It's amazingly simple, and it folds down SO compact. That's what made us realize we just couldn't go with a different stroller; Baby Jogger has the size and fold down to a complete science! Drew demonstrated for me how easy the double folds and unfolds:

And that's the stroller! It's amazing, and if you're in the market for a double stroller (or even a single since I own the single too!) I HIGHLY recommend this stroller. You won't be disappointed, and while you'll spend a little more for it, it's TOTALLY worth it!

And CSN Stores? Well, they pretty much knocked my socks off! Once I found out the stroller was on backorder, I contacted their customer service department and was connected with Hannah. She was WONDERFUL. She sent me emails updating me on the status of when the stroller was coming in stock (it changed a few times between July and now), even taking my number and email so that she could PERSONALLY call and email me to let me know of any changes. She even made a quote for me so that if the price had changed once it came back in stock, I could get the price I had originally found. I was VERY impressed with their service department. And to me, customer service is a make or break situation for me. A lot of times I'll go out of my way to use a company that has better customer service. I just want to know that I am going to be taken care of, and that's how I felt with CSN Stores. I ordered the stroller last Thursday, and it was shipped the same day. I was issued a tracking number and was able to see where the stroller is during the transit process, and it was shiftly delivered this morning... FAST shipping! Overall, my entire experience was great, despite having to wait a few months to get the stroller. Thanks so much to CSN Stores for making this review possible!




I was given a CSN Stores promo code to go towards the cost of the stroller in exchange for this review. I paid the remainder balance of the stroller cost on my own, and was in no other way compensated. All opinions in this review are my own. To view my full disclosure policy, please click HERE.

Saving Lids to Save Lives: A Giveaway

I have the incredible opportunity to introduce to you guys a great campaign going on right now to help raise funding for the fight against breast cancer. Let's face it: most of us either have someone we know or know of who has fought against this terrible disease. What's unfortunate is that 10 million people could die of breast cancer in the next 25 years (according to Komen.org)... 10 million people! That's A LOT of people. So, when I heard about what Yoplait was doing to help fight this disease, I had to share.

For every pink lid saved and sent in by December 31, 2010, Yoplait will donate 10 cents to Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, with a total donation of up to $1.6 million and a guaranteed minimum donation of $500,000. To date, Yoplait has raised more than $25 million for the breast cancer cause. I don't know about your family, but our family eats a lot of yogurt-- especially B-man. And Drew and I have been trying to cut back on our ice cream consumption and freezing the Yoplait Whips is a great alternative for those nights when you need something sweet! What a great way to enjoy a yummy treat AND help fight breast cancer! And because I'm helping spread the word, Yoplait has also made a $25 donation to the Susan G. Komen for the cure on my behalf to kickstart my contribution. Thanks Yoplait!

So what do you say? Can you join me in helping beat this nasty beast? I'd love it if you would! Spread the word, tell your friends, save your lids, and let's help beat breast cancer! All you have to do is to save the lids from your favorite participating Yoplait products including all single serve yogurt cups – Original, Light, Thick & Creamy, Light Thick & Creamy, Whips!, Yoplait Delights, Yoplait Greek and select specially-marked packages of large size Yoplait yogurts and Yoplait Frozen Smoothies. Remember, there are no specialty codes, so be sure to save and send in your pink Yoplait lids by December 31, 2010. To find out more about the program, simply visit:

http://www.yoplait.com/slsl/#/default

Oh, and as an added bonus, whoever comments on this post will be entered to win a special prize pack that includes:  2 VIP coupons for Yoplait Greek, a pink leather journal and pen and an awareness charm bracelet. If you know of someone who has or is fighting the disease, or has lost their battle to breast cancer, I'd especially like it if your comment in some way honored them.

Open to US residents only. The winner will be selected using random.org Tuesday, October 5, 2010. Duplicate entries are not allowed and will be deleted by the moderator. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me with their information, otherwise a new winner will be chosen.

A special thank you to Yoplait, who provided me with coupons for free yogurt, a prize pack for myself and to give to one of my readers, and information, which was all given to me through MyBlogSpark.com. For my full disclosure policy, please click HERE.

CSN Stores Giveaway!

Perhaps it's because I am in the nesting mode, but I have a serious shopping bug right now. And since I am notorious for window browsing, you probably can nod in agreement that one of the best sites to "window" browse on the web is CSN stores.

In case you aren't familiar with CSN stores, let me introduce you. Basically, they are offer pretty much anything you'd ever want to buy. Need new end tables? They've got 'em.

Need something for a baby or your kiddo? They've got that too!

Are you addicted to shoes? Don't worry, they've got you covered!

Seriously people, these guys have it ALL! And to top it off, they've got just about the best customer service you can ask for in an online retailer. I've been dealing with them for a few months now on an item I have yet to review, and they have been AMAZING. Customer service is VERY important to me, and I have been 100% pleased with the way I've been treated by the CSN representatives!

And just to make your day, CSN has generously offered for me to giveaway a $65 promotional giftcode to be used at any of their 200+ sites. You can use it FOR something, and have it cover the entire cost, or you can use it TOWARDS something bigger. The choice is yours. I wish I could give one to ALL of you, but alas, it will have to be a drawing. I am sure you are wanting to enter, because let's face it, who doesn't like an opportunity to shop for FREE! So here's what you need to know:

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only. 

The giveaway will run from Wednesday, September 22, 2010, until Wednesday September 29th, 2010 at 7:30am CST. 

The winner will be chosen using random.org and announced on this blog.

The winner will also be notified via email, so please leave an email on every entry if you do not have your email attached to your profile. 

The winner will have 48 hours from the time of notification to respond with their information. Should the winner not respond within the given 48 hours, a new winner will be picked.

There are several ways to gain entries (you MUST leave a comment for EACH entry that you are eligible for):

1. MANDATORY ENTRY (this entry must be met before you are eligible for any other entry): BE/BECOME A FOLLOWER OF MY BLOG. (1 ENTRY)
2. "Like" A Dollop of My Life on Facebook (1 additional entry)
3. Add my blog button to your blog (1 additional entry)
4. Add me to your blog roll on your blog (1 additional entry)
5. Visit CSN Stores and tell me what you would use the gift code for (1 additional entry)

Good Luck!


Disclaimer: CSN Stores has provided the promotional gift code in order for me to do this giveaway. I received no other compensation for this post. To view my full disclosure policy, please click HERE.

As Brayden has gotten older, I have become more and more frustrated with having to label EVERY single piece of everything he owns when we go to any type of childcare. As the laws for childcare facilities get stricter, it seems there are more and more requirements for everything that your kids bring with them. I guess in a way it's good, since I don't really want B to be sucking on someone else's sippy cup or paci, but it's also annoying because permanent markers are, surprise, not permanent when the markings are washed in the dishwasher. And I know this sounds petty, but I hate it when I forget to rewrite his name on his cups/paci, and then someone at church will do it and their handwriting is nasty looking. I know, like I said, petty. Due to all of my frustration I had been looking at getting some waterproof labels for some of Brayden's things to take the labeling burden off of my pregnant mind. Enter Label Your Stuff.

When Label Your Stuff contacted me about doing a review, I was beyond excited. They offered EXACTLY what I wanted, plus MORE. All I really needed was a few little stickers for B's sippy cups, and I had to control myself from trying to get everything they offered. Who knew you could get waterproof labels for your kids shoes? What a genius idea! I ended up picking out some blue labels with Brayden's name and a car icon. They turned out SO cute... check it out:

Label Your Stuff has a great selection of icons to add to your labels to add that cute touch that your kids will love. I chose a car icon since Brayden is all about cars, trucks and construction vehicles right now. The minute they went on his cups, he pointed them out, and still points them out whenever I hand him his cup. I think it makes him proud, because he'll say "dis" and then smile really big and walk off. Silly boy!

I received both the standard labels and the mini labels. I will say that the standard labels are the same size as the standard address labels you can get at an office store, so they are a bit big for a sippy. If you're looking for something for sippy cups or the like, I'd recommend the mini labels, that way you can put them on the lids as well. The quality of the labels seems really durable; they have a linen/plastic type feel, and stick really well. The instructions told me not to wash anything for 24 hours after application, so we are waiting to run the dishwasher. We did just that. The label stuck like a charm to the cup; however, I have the lids that have the rubber on top (it's the soft spouted gerber kind), and the label came off of the lid since I applied it to the rubber top. That probably has more to do with the surface I tried to attach it to and not the label itself, since the label is securely attached to the cup and doesn't budge even a millimeter. The next cup I do, I'll put the mini label on the side of the lid where it's hard plastic.

And since we can't leave out the baby on the way, Label Your Stuff sent a bag tag for Connor for his diaper bag. It's made out of a sturdy plastic, with our address on the back, and a cute design on the front. A perfect addition to the hand me down bag I'd say, don't you think?

Overall, I was very impressed with the service and products of Label Your Stuff and would definitely do business with them again. In fact, the shoe labels might be on my list of things to get for B if he ever starts going to Mothers Day Out or Preschool regularly. If you're looking for a place to get items to personalize your kid stuff, I'd definitely encourage you to head on over to Label Your Stuff. And let me know if you get anything-- I'd love to see what you pick out!

Disclosure: I received the label sets and bag tag free of charge from Label Your Stuff in order to do this review. I was not compensated in any other way, and all opinions in this review are my own. For my full disclosure policy, please click HERE.

CSN Stores Review: Get Ready!

When CSN Stores contacted me about doing a review of one of the MANY products they sell, I jumped on the opportunity. I mean, who wouldn't right? With over 200+ online stores, it's basically a shoppers paradise. I literally could spend HOURS browsing the many products they sell.  

For instance, I was thinking of my sister getting married in October, and how we haven't purchased a wedding gift yet, so I browsed through their dinnerware selection. While browsing, I came across some super cute kids dinnerware, which we'll be in need of soon since B is becoming a big boy and will need to learn to eat with a spoon, fork and bowl instead of scooping with his hands. I saw this set and thought it was so cute:

After spending way too much time looking at dishes, I thought about browsing some of their super cute kids toys. Brayden's really into tractors right now, and thought this would make a cute Christmas gift:

Then I went back to my nature... my practical side. I realized that I needed to get something to review that would work for BOTH boys... something that we all needed, and something that I desperately wanted. I can't wait to reveal to you what I've been given the opportunity to review (feel free to leave a guess in the comments about what I will be reviewing!). Until then though, you should definitely go and browse through CSN Stores yourself... trust me, if you wanted (or were able), you could spend a week perusing their sites. It's that awesome!

Sassy Storage Giveaway Winner!

Well, you guys were obviously impressed with my very talented friend Christy over at Sassy Storage-- the participation in this giveaway was awesome! We had 47 comments/entries for the giveaway, so I plugged that into random.org and here's our results:

And the 44th commenter was: Crystal @ Clearly Crystal. Congratulations Crystal! Please email me at lifesdollop at gmail dot com within 48 hours! Thanks to all who entered, and a special thanks to Christy for allowing me to review her awesome cases at Sassy Storage!

Sassy Storage: Review & Giveaway!

As a busy mom on the go, I'm always needing a handy dandy wipes container for Brayden. Thankfully I have a cutesie one that someone gifted me back when I was pregnant with Brayden, so that's what we use. I love it because it's small, compact and fits in his mini back pack, but it's also cute and stylish. Shortly after I found out I was pregnant with Connor, a dear friend of mine, Christy, started making storage containers, and appropriately named her business Sassy Storage. And they're not just for wipes...she uses them for so much more! Think first aid kit, crayon container... I mean, really, the uses are endless! When we found out that we were having a boy, I knew that I wanted another wipes case for Connor, and one just as cute as I have for Brayden. Can I just tell you, Christy KNOCKED MY SOCKS OFF. You guys, this container is so much better than the one I have for B, I am tempted to order one for him too! A lot of the cute wipes containers I see that are customized with cuteness only have the fabric and edging on one side. Not at Sassy Storage. They wrap BOTH sides of the case with your choice of fabric and edging, and can even add a cute monogram, name or emblem on the case. I mean, how freakin' cute are these?!?!

This is Connor's case. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! It has black edging and a black mongram.

This is one of my favorite girly ones that she's done. Isn't it precious???

This would make a perfect case for your first aid kit gear for your car!

Needing to ship you case to someone special? Sassy Storage offers cute gift wrapping and shipping for a small additional fee. Such a cute way to send someone a baby gift!

Now that you're totally in love and chomping at the bit to get one of these adorable cases, I guess I should fill you in on how you can get one right? Right. So, you can always head on over to the Sassy Storage site. Christy accepts paypal and is SUPER fast at getting your case completed and shipped out right away. But I also have super, duper good news for YOU my blog readers. Christy has offered to giveaway a custom case (includes your choice of fabric, trim and name or monogram) to one of my readers!!! You read that right: you have a chance to win your very own case! Don't have kids? Then you should still enter to win so you can give it to someone you know who does.... trust me, every mom I have ever met LOVES custom wipes cases. So, here's the low down on how you can win a case:

MANDATORY ENTRY: Leave a comment letting me know who you would use the case for, or if you are getting it to give as a gift.

ADDITIONAL ENTRY: Be/become a public follower of my blog. Leave a comment letting me know.

ADDITIONAL ENTRY: Be/become a public follower of Sassy Storage. Leave a comment letting me know.

ADDITIONAL ENTRY:  Follow Sassy Storage on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know.

ADDITIONAL ENTRY: Blog about this giveaway, and leave the permalink to the post in a comment.

Some of the little details:

Due to shipping, you must be a US resident to win
Comments will be open until  Wednesday, July 28, 2010.

The winner will be chosen using random.org and will be announced on this blog. Upon announcement he or she will have 48 hours to get in touch with me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

Disclosure: In exchange for this review, Sassy Storage compensated me with a free wipes case to review. I was not compensated in any other way.  All opinions are my own and are my honest review of the product, site and/or business To view my full disclosure policy, please click HERE.

Summer Giveaway Winner

I plugged into to random.org the number 18, and got the following results:

And the 12th comment was from Rachel from This Hearts Desire:

Congratulations Rachel! Contact me with your information within the next 48 hours (I'll need your full name, address and phone #) and I'll get your prize pack out to you soon! Thanks to everyone else who entered. I've got more great giveaways planned for this summer, so be on the lookout!

A Summer Giveaway

I don't know about you, but when you're a mom on the go, you're always looking for a good alternative to fast food snacks. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love me some fried food and soda, but if I ate it every day, I'd secure my spot in Biggest Loser. That's why I was excited when I was given the chance to review the Nature Valley Chewy Trail Mix Bars. Let me just tell you, they did not disappoint.

I received my package yesterday and was so excited because it was just before snack time. B and I had another date out by the kiddie pool in the backyard, so I grabbed a trail mix bar to munch on while I sat outside with him. Normally I have to find a slew of things to munch on to fill me up, but honestly, the trail mix bar hit the spot and left me feeling delightfully content until dinner. These will definitely be making trips with us in my purse for those pregnancy moments where I need that little something to get me by until the next meal. What's great about these bars is that they come in a HUGE pack from Sam's, so if you have a large family (or consume a large amount of food like our family of 3 does), you don't have to run to the store every other day, or fill your pantry with 6 boxes of bars. 

Think this is something that your family could use as summer approaches as trips to the pool are eminent? Well good, because I have a special treat for you. I'm giving one lucky reader a chance to win their very own  box of Nature Valley Chewy Trail Mix Bars, along with a $25 giftcard to Sam's Club so they can purchase more if they so desire! Sounds awesome right?! Here's how to enter:

• LEAVE A COMMENT ON THIS POST, TELLING ME WHAT YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT SUMMER IS (Make sure I have a way to contact you, either through your blog or email address). Only one comment per participant will be accepted; duplicate comments or more than one comment by the same participant will be deleted.
• Must be a US resident to be eligible for the prize pack.
• The winner will be selected using random.org next Friday, June 4th. The winner will be announced on my blog, and will have 48 hours to respond, otherwise a new winner will be chosen. 
• GOOD LUCK!

 The prizepack, information and giftcard were provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated in any other way for this review or giveaway.

Camera Strap Giveaway Winner

OK, I picked a winner for my camera strap giveaway with random.org and got this:

And the 3rd commenter was Christa who said:

Congratulations Christa! Email me with your contact info and I will get your strap in the mail to you! Thanks so much to all who entered, and a special thanks to Pam for giving me the opportunity to give away such a cute strap! If you didn't win, you can still head over to Pam's craft site to check out all of her cute straps!

Camera Strap Giveaway

Recently, I won a giveaway over at Troop Petrie's blog. Pam makes some super cute camera strap covers; if you own a digital SLR camera, I highly recommend getting a camera strap cover. They are SO cute, functional, and give your camera just a little bit of flare. Pam was kind enough to include an extra strap cover for me to giveaway to one of my readers. It's one that looks like this:

Isn't it cute? 

If you'd like to own this piece of camera flare, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post! I'll pick a winner using random.org next Friday, May 14th. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me with their info, or I will choose a new winner. Good luck!