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.