Review! - Little Texas Babes on Etsy!

Recently I had the joy of winning an Etsy giveaway from a wonderful little shop called Little Texas Babes. 

Click Here To See The Shop!

 

 Specializing in embroidered gifts, all of the designs you see in her shop can be made on: bibs, burp cloths, bodysuits and even blankets / quilts. They are ADORABLE and fun :)

 

Here is the bib we chose for Miss Piper:

As you can see in the photo above, she absolutely loves it. Despite the fact she has no real opinion voiced. ;)

The design is printed onto a great quality Babies R Us brand white bib. It is extremely professional quality-wise. The design is embroidered to perfection. Not to mention it gets a ton of laughs everytime she wears it. The shop owner was extremely friendly and the item was shipped quickly. I will definitely be using them in the future for baby shower gifts as my friends start to get pregnant one by one!

Thank you very much to Paula at Little Texas Babes!

Please visit her shop and show her some love, and maybe do a little shopping while you're at it!

Review: Bravado Designs Essential Nursing Tank

During my pregnancy I did  a lot of research on feeding, both formula and breastfeeding, to try and choose what was right for me. I decided to go with breastfeeding, as I wanted to pass all the antibodies that I could to my sweet little girl. And hey! It's free! Once it was decided, I started looking around at nursing clothing, and came across Bravado Designs website. They had a bunch of bras and tanks to choose from, which was refreshing, as all I could find in the stores was maybe one or two options. 

I decided to order myself The Essential Nursing Tank in Black.

Below pictures come from the Bravado Designs Website:

 

The Essential Nursing Tank comes in a variety of colors, and comfortably fits and supports up to a G cup size! Not only that, but I find it to be the most flattering article of nursing wear I found. 

What Makes It So Special?

1.) It's got a built in bra, but not one of those crazy scrawny shelf bras that generally come in tanks.

2.) It's LONG! I don't know about you, but after my c-section, aside from feeling like death for a few days, I felt FAT. The length on this was perfect to cover everything without exposing any inch of my poor abused skin.

3.) The fabric is able to retain it's shape time and time again.

Mine was a double whammy, as I was able to wear it while I was pregnant as well, and it never got all funky shaped and useless!

Right now at Bravado Designs you can score this tank for $49.00 in the basic original colors (white, black, and chocolate) and the seasonal colors are on sale for $39.00 each. Occasionally it will show up on Baby Steals. I believe I paid $24.99 when it was their daily deal, but they go FAST!

A little on the pricey side? Yes, but it's so worth it. I had to quit breastfeeding about 1 month in, but I still wear this tank if I want to feel slender!

Wubba-WHAT?!

They literally make everything for babies now. I have purchased and received gifts of things I had no idea even existed. And I love them. One such example? The Wubbanub. When I received this as a gift I kind of scoffed at it thinking it was just a silly gimmick to sell a pacifier for more money. But it's absolutely amazing, and a lifesaver at times. Especially in the car when I can't reach her to pop that paci back in!

 

Wubbanub

 Now what the heck is a Wubbanub you ask? The Wubbanub is an Avent soothie pacifier sewn into the mouth/head/front of a small stuffed animal. It comes in a variety of different animals and critters, and is meant to make it easier for baby to hold their pacifier in. It is super easy to clean, and it's hard to lose or forget baby's paci anywhere you go.

Grandma was nice enough to purchase the red dog Wubbanub for Piper from Babies R Us. 

As you can see, Piper approves!

Piper seemed so enamored with her "Wubby" as we've affectionately shortened it to, that I decided to get her a second one, so one could go in the diaper bag and one could stay at home. I wound up ordering this one from www.amazon.com.

Cute and definitely helpful! A toy and a soother all in one. These retail for anywhere from $9.99 to $14.99 from what I have seen, and can be purchased in stores at Babies R Us, and there is a very large selection of them on amazon.com. Piper seems to love them, and as silly as they may sound, they have definitely been worth the splurge!

Linking Up To :

Baby Product Rave! Crane Cool Mist Humidifier!

When I first found out that I was pregnant, after the initial shock and doctors appointments and ultrasounds started tapering off and I became REALLY pregnant I began researching baby products. This became like a sick addiction to me, and I would spend hours at a time doing it, all while eating Freeze Pops by the truckload.

I had no idea that a humidifier was a recommended item for a new baby! After doing my research I came across the Crane Cool Mist Humidifiers. Not only are they affordable they are ridiculously cute. They have a variety of shapes and colors and animals. Sticking with our nursery theme we wound up purchasing this one on amazon.com

Mr Owl here provides moisture for nasal congestion, dry skin and cough, and sinus irritation. It is also super easy to fill, assemble, and start using, and is able to run on plain old tap water, although me being the nutcase that I am we use distilled water. This unit is quiet enough where it won't disturb sleep or make really freaky loud gurgling noises, and provides a minimum of 11 hours of moisture. The mist output can be controlled with the knob on the front of the unit, and when the water runs out, it has it's own safety shut-off feature!

If you can't tell I love the humidifier.

But as with anything, even the best products have a dud now and again. My first unit worked for about a week before it stopped producing mist. I was sad and disappointed in it's life span, so I decided to e-mail Crane's customer service department in my post partum wacky hormonal stage. Within a day they were back to me, and shipping a brand new unit my way, as we were still under warranty. 2 days after that initial e-mail, my new unit arrived via UPS. It's been going strong for 2 months now without a hitch! Their customer service team was amazing and helpful, and it's definitely nice to see a company that strives to keep their customers satisfied.

You can purchase these humidifiers at Babies R Us, Target, Home Depot, etc, however your best variety will be purchasing online!  One unit will run you about $40, but it's $40 well worth it!

Progresso Lemon Pepper Panko and Chef Chiarello CookBook Review & Giveaway!

Another giveaway?! Really?!?!

The chef’s secret is out – panko is in! A longtime secret of Japanese cuisine, panko is now a pantry staple for creating perfect crispiness in any dish. This October, Lemon Pepper will join the ranks of Progresso’s line of panko bread crumbs, which includes Original and Italian flavors. 

Whether frying, baking or broiling, this culinary superstar adds a flavorful crunch to create simple, savory recipes. Made from the soft, tender centers of the bread, Progresso Lemon Pepper Panko combines the perfect crunch with effortless flavor to give any dish that extra punch. The large, flaky crumb has a coarser texture than traditional bread crumbs, delivering a lighter, crunchier coating or topping. I have been using panko in place of breadcrumbs in my recipes, and you can most definitely tell the difference, taste and appearance wise!

A chef known for creating delicious dishes with fresh, premium ingredients, Chef Michael Chiarello uses panko as his go-to bread crumb for a crunch that won’t quit. An Emmy-award winning TV chef and cookbook author, Chef Chiarello is the tastemaker behind Bottega Napa Valley Restaurant, NapaStyle and Chiarello Family Vineyards, and appears on The Cooking Channel and Top Chef Masters only on Bravo.

Chef Chiarello is helping cooks everywhere use Progresso’s panko to make flavorful, flawless recipes including Crispy Seafood Salad, Mama Chiarello's Stuffed Eggplant and Turkey Scallopini and Squash Ravioli with Cranberry Brown Butter.  His cookbook Bottega features some drool-worthy recipes that I cannot WAIT to make, such as Potato Gnocchi Ravioli with Egg Yolk and Sage Brown Butter and Roasted Branch of Brussels Sprouts with Fennel Spice. YUM! Don't those sound delicious?!

Visit the Progresso website for additional recipes, tips for cooking with panko, video and a coupon for $1 off any panko flavor.  

Be sure to check out the Progresso's Wine & Dine with Chef Michael Chiarello Sweepstakes. Now through December 31st, participants can enter for the chance to win a trip for two to Napa Valley to attend the Spring Bud Break Party, an annual dinner and wine tasting event taking place on May 7, 2011. In addition to two tickets to the party, the grand prize also includes roundtrip airfare and hotel accommodations. Visit www.progressobroth.com for the sweepstakes rules and entry form.  

The book is not only beautiful, but FULL of delicious gourmet recipes. The Lemon Pepper Panko is delicious, and a welcome addition to Progresso's line of panko! Who doesn't love nice crunchy food?!

The kind people at General Mills and MyBlogSpark provided me with a prize pack containing a package of lemon pepper panko, and an autographed copy of Chef Chiarello's cookbook Bottega to facilitate my review. 

Not only that, but they are also providing another prize pack to one of my lucky readers!

How To Enter:

(mandatory entry, +1) - Become a public follower of my blog (if you're already a follower, just state that in a comment as well)

(2 entries) - Tell me what kind of dish you would create with lemon pepper panko?

(2 entries) - Post my button on your blog, then come back and leave the link where it is posted!

That's 5 chances per person to win this amazing prize pack!

Contest will end on Sunday, November 21st, at 9 PM CST, and is open only to US residents!

Good luck!

DISCLOSURE: The information and giveaway were given to me from General Mills through MyBlogSpark. I was provided with a gift pack for my participation.

KT Tunstall - Tiger Suit

Do you remember the songs "Suddenly I See" and "Black Horse & The Cherry Tree" from 2004 and 2005? I used to love these songs! I find it hard to believe that it has been so long since they were released and played regulary on the radio! 

KT recently released a new album called "Tiger Suit" The first single off the album is called "Fade Like A Shadow" and it is ALREADY a top 20 radio hit.

I found this album different from her other music! The older songs were more pop/rock ish, whereas the release of Tiger Suit brings a new musical journey with it.

"Tiger Suit heralds the beginning of a new musical adventure for KT. Organic instrumentation is blended with dance-friendly Nature Techno” to encapsulate the album’s collision of raw, upfront rootsiness and sleek electronic textures, the results of which she has dubbed “

I was given the chance to review this album. I listened it in the car on the way to work at 6 AM, and I was blown away by it! It's very different from the older stuff, but in a good way. I found myself bobbing my head and drumming on my steering wheel all the way to work. It's definitely more funky. I especially liked the track "Glamour Puss", which had I been standing, I would have been full on dancing, instead of what I refer to as "car-dancing" Though in my case, I'm sure car dancing looks just as silly as my standing up dancing would have....

KT Tunstall is going on tour this fall from 10/31 - 12/01!

The album is available in stores now! 

This review is through the One 2 One Network, however all opinions are my own. I was sent this CD to facilitate my review, and will be entered into a drawing to win a gift card by participating. 

Pillsbury Sweet Moments & My First Giveaway! *CLOSED**

Pillsbury introduces two new ways to enjoy life´s little luxuries with Sweet Moments Bite-Size and Molten Lava Brownies! Pillsbury Sweet Moments, now available in the refrigerated baked goods section of your local grocery store, are perfect for indulging any time of the day. The Bite-Size Brownies, which are layered with either rich caramel or fudge and chocolaty coating, are just the right size to grab and go for a quick pick-me-up. They´re ready to eat, so are ready right when the craving strikes - no preparation necessary! And, at 60 calories per brownie, they´re just enough to satisfy your sweet tooth. 

 Thanks to MyBlogSpark, I was sent an AMAZING "Sweet Moments" prize pack including a VIP coupon for a free Sweet Moments Product, as well as a chocolate themed gift set. The gift set included a loofah, chocolate bath salts, mint chocolate foot scrub, milk chocolate body lotion, and cocoa chocolate shower gel. Not to mention the packaging was seriously adorable! The chocolate lotions and scrubs smelled amazing as well :)

With my VIP coupon I chose the Sweet Moments bite-size Brownies in Chocolate fudge.

I have quite a sweet tooth, but I never have time to bake or anything along those lines. These Sweet Moments bite size brownies were perfect! I could just grab one, pop it in my mouth, and enjoy! It didn't take any time away from my already busy schedule to boot! If you are a chocolate lover, these should be right up your alley! These were delicious, and I loved the ease of them. I could pay bills, do homework, cook dinner etc, and still be able to enjoy chocolaty goodness!

I am happy to tell you that thanks to the people at Pillsbury and MyBlogSpark, one of my readers is going to win the same prize pack I did! A VIP coupon for your choice of Sweet Moments product, as well as a chocolate spa kit.

MANDATORY ENTRY: Leave a comment here telling me what time of the day you could use a quick pick-me-up

EXTRA ENTRIES:

+1 - Follow my blog publicly via Google Friend Connect

+1 - Follow Pillsbury on Twitter (leave your username here please) 

+3 - Add my button to your blog (Leave a link to your blog please)

That's 6 total entries per person!

Contest is open to residents of the US. 

If you already do any of the above, you qualify. Please leave a separate comment for each of the extra entries you complete. However, you must first leave the required comment for the mandatory entry. Giveaway will end on September 16th at 11:59pm (CST).  The winner will be selected using random.org. Winner will be notified via email upon selection, and will have 48 hours to claim their prize. If there is no response within the 48 hours, an alternate winner will be chosen using the same method.

Disclaimer: I am participating in a "spark" through MyBlogSpark on behalf of Pillsbury. I was sent the items above in order to help my honest review of the products. I was in no other way compensated for this review, and all opinions in this review are 100% my own. Winner's prize pack will be fulfilled by the sponsor.

Neutrogena UltraSheer Liquid Daily Sunblock

Great Protection!

 

I recently had the pleasure of trying out Neutrogena UltraSheer Liquid Daily Sunblock. I burn really easily in the sun, but I hate how greasy and sticky most sunblock or lotion makes my skin feel. Neutrogena UltraSheer was great! It has an SPF of 70, which is a must if you are fair skinned like I am. I put it on an hour before a day long trip to the zoo, and was pleasantly surprised that it didn't make my clothing or anything else stick to me! It was very lightweight, and after applying it to my body, I decided it was comfortable enough to put on my face as well. 9 hours and one additional application later, I had a great trip to the zoo with my husband, without crawling into the car burnt to a crisp at the end of the day. I have definitely found my go to sunblock in Neutrogena UltraSheer Liquid Daily Sunblock.