Rainy Day Activities

Are you and your little one(s) going stir crazy too? I know we are! We are ready for spring and play time at the park again! But since it's still too cold...here are some fun (and educational) ideas to shake things up a bit and help pass the time while stuck indoors!

________________________________________________________________

My good friend Nicole at life's little moments kept her kids entertained for a good hour with this...

Kitchen Hopscotch! A little tape and you're good to go! This is a great way to practice counting, number recognition, and those balancing skills!

Aren't her kids so cute? And her pictures are amazing! She is a great photographer.

_______________________________________________________________

My wonderful friend Marie (elementary teacher turned mommy of 1 - almost 2) is genius when it comes to keeping her little girl busy. She has so many good ideas. This one is on my list of must-do's!

Colored Noodles - you can sort these by shape or color. Works great if you're little one wants to help cook - these can be used over and over again without making too much mess!

"Making colored noodles is easy and cheap! Just buy a variety of noodles (I used mini penne, elbow macaroni, wagon wheels, and shells), food coloring and rubbing alcohol. Place noodles in a Ziploc baggie, and pour alcohol (a few teaspoons--just enough to coat the noodles) over them. Close the baggie and smoosh around to coat. Add 5-10 drops of food coloring; seal and smoosh around to coat. Let sit for an hour or so to let color absorb. Then spread noodles out on a paper towel to dry. Allow several hours to dry. Voila! Use them for stirring, sorting by color or shape, art projects and more." - Marie

Thanks Marie!

______________________________________________________________

Besides the usual cooking, dollies, coloring, playdough, reading, and pretend we play. Here are some of the things I do with Little Miss... (too bad I don't have pictures for any of them!)

• Laundry basket next to her crib, her in the crib with a doll, toy, ball - and we shoot baskets!


• We are constantly building forts around the house with a bed sheet - the kitchen table, the couches, anything that will work. She loves to hide.


• I take her on magic carpet rides - she sits on the end of a long beach towel and I drag her all over the house. Fun for her, a great workout for me!


• We use paper towel tubes to roll small balls down and race them.


• Bowling with empty 2-liter pop bottles as the pins. She loves this! When we start this activity it's usually a good week before I can finally take the bottles out to recycling.
  


• Flashlight Fun: in a dark room start by demonstrating - name things you're pointing the flashlight at, "This is the ceiling", "This is the clock" - then let your little one have a turn and prompt her. This is a great way to expand your child's verbal skills - works great with a toddler. You can tweak it for older children too.


• Finger painting with pudding...pretty self-explanatory - super fun, messy, and tasty!


• She loves to pretend to be animals - sometimes we're both kitties crawling around, other times doggies. Pretending to be animals gives me a chance to teach her about different animals - what they eat, what they like to do, etc.


• Crank the music and dance!! This helps get rid of some of that energy.


• A paper bag and some crayons to make a puppet.
  

The possibilities are endless!! Do you have any great indoor activities to help pass the time?! Please share by leaving a comment!

Infertility: The Research

Just an FYI: this post is G-rated. But if you know me personally and think me talking frankly about infertility and solutions to it might inhibit our relationship, or your ability to look me in the eye...maybe you should skip this one. =)

Really though, it won't be all that bad. Just informative.

So. First, let's talk numbers... (following info is from the National Women's Health Information Center)

• 10% of couples struggle with infertility.
  
• A third of those cases lead back to the woman, a third to the man, and a third to either both or no known cause.
  
• If you are in your 30's and have been trying unsuccessfully for 6 months - go see a doctor.
• If you're in your 20's most doctors want you to at least try for a year before seeking treatment.

So...a year? That is a very long time to wait if you really want that baby!

Don't just wait around for things to magically happen. Take charge! There are some things you can be doing to increase your chances of becoming pregnant during those 12 months.

Then, if you do need to go see a fertility specialist, you can tell him what you've been doing and it will speed the process up for you.

The following are things I learned in my undergrad research and from my OB when my husband and I were having infertility problems.

(I actually have been surprised at the number of friends I've talked to that are struggling with infertility, are seeing a doctor, and have not been told about these first two...)

First - track your basal body temperature (bbt). This will help you determine when you are ovulating without buying those expensive over the counter ovulation tests. This should be done first thing when you wake up - before you even get out of bed.

Keep a thermometer on your nightstand and when you open your eyes roll over and get it. Don't talk, don't move too much. Too much movement will raise your temperature and you won't get an accurate reading. Do this everyday around the same time and chart it. When your temperature dips slightly and then "spikes" - meaning, 0.7 degrees or so, you are ovulating.

I did this when we were trying and it helped so much. Like most women, my cycle is not the typical 28 days. So figure out what your cycle is!

Second - This sounds crazy, but let gravity do it's job! Don't get right up - lay on your back with your bum elevated on a pillow for at least 30 minutes. Give those swimmers a chance to reach their destination.

Third - Exercise regularly and eat healthy (both you and your guy)! No-brainer right? But there are medical reasons behind this one. Exercise increases endorphins and your sex-drive.

Also, maintaining a healthy weight increases your chances of becoming pregnant because your body will be functioning properly. Being underweight or overweight negatively influences estrogen and testosterone levels.

When you're eating healthy you're getting certain vitamins and nutrients that help your body work how it's supposed to. Just a couple of examples...

• Vitamin C is important in sperm production - keeps the sperm from clumping and keeps them moving.
• Zinc is important for the proper functioning of both male and female reproductive organs.

So, eat healthy! A daily vitamin wouldn't be a bad idea.

And a few random points...

• Relax. Stress inhibits proper hormone production which can lead to infertility.
• Men should avoid hot tubs. Really. Soaking in extremely hot water kills sperm. After 3-6 months of being in a hot tub sperm counts will soar again (about 400%), so it's only a temporary set back.

What if none of this works?

Then go see a doctor!

You can read about my experience with that here.

Other Options:

• Fertility Drugs
• Artificial Insemination
  
• In Vitro Fertilization
• Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer
• Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer
• Frozen Embryo Transfer
• Donor Eggs & Sperm
• Adoption
  

The next post on infertility will be a guest blogger who will be sharing her experience with us - so excited to hear what she has to say!

Do you know of anything else that helps fertility? Please share!

Other posts in this series...

• Infertility: the longest 9+9 months of my life
• Infertility: Climbing Mt. Everest
• Infertility: Polycistic Ovarian Syndrome
  

Want to be a savvy shopper?

Well here's your chance! If you read my review about our Bebe Monitor - you know we got it for less than half the cost from kids.woot.com during a woot-off...today is your lucky day!

Woot.com & kids.woot.com are having tons of deals today! As soon as an item sells out they replace it with something else, so keep checking back! Happy shopping!

Winner!

Now that Little Miss is finally napping I can post the results of the giveaway...Thanks to random.org - the winner is...KIM, who said...

"Pick me! Pick me!! I have your button on my blog, I am a follower on blogger and a fan on facebook. It's very cute! {LOVE your blog, btw.}"

Thanks Kim & everyone else who joined in the fun! We'll have another giveaway soon - so keep checking back!

*Side note - I love making these car seat canopy's! But, when do I not love sewing? I just think they are so darn cute. I even went ahead and made a girly one last night - you can check it out here.

Just a few more hours!

The giveaway for the car seat canopy ends at noon today!

Leave a comment here to enter to win...

Good luck!

Free Pancakes at IHOP!

Today is IHOP's Annual National Pancake Celebration!! Each customer can get a free short stack between 7am and 10pm...yum!

We're headed there right now! Little Miss loves pancakes & it'll be good family fun!

Don't forget to enter in for the giveaway below!

Giveaway: Car Seat Canopy (closed)

Time for another giveaway!! This one I'm way excited for. I love these car seat canopy's and finally got around to making some. Wish I'd had one with Little Miss. Oh, well. Next time! Here's your chance to grab one...
This car seat canopy keeps your little one warm, germ free when out in public, and asleep! No more bulky blankets falling off!
The reinforced Velcro straps will keep this cover in place and the handle free for easy access carrying.
Not only does it protect from germs, it protects from the elements - rain, sun, wind.
Made of 100% cotton flannel - super soft and warm. Not a mommy? This neutral pattern would be a great gift for a mommy-to-be! Or you could just be selfish and keep it for the future (that's what I would do).

So here's what you need to do to enter to win...leave a comment. That's it. But, if you want to increase your chances of winning, for each of the following that you do (let me know in your comment) - your name will be entered again!

1 - Grab the button on the right sidebar and link my site up to yours

2 - Post about this giveaway on your blog

3 - Become a follower (see right sidebar)

4 - Post about this giveaway on your facebook status

5 - Become a fan of The Mom Blog on facebook

DO ALL 5, and let me know in your comment and your name will be automatically entered in 5 more times --> you'll be 5 times more likely to win!!

The giveaway will close Wednesday the 24th at noon - so start spreading the word!

{ Have a great business you'd like to promote through a giveaway on our site? Please contact me - barb.themomblog(at)gmail(dot)com }

A Reason To Celebrate

I totally dropped the ball on this one. Sorry! Today (according to Border's) is Elmo's birthday - he is turning 3, again. And if you have an Elmo lover like I do...you might want to celebrate! Read some books, make a party hat, sing him happy birthday, color some Elmo pages, play some games, anything.

If I had been on top of things I would have remembered to post about this last night and let ya'll know that Borders was doing an Elmo Birthday Party at 11am today. Oops...It was super fun.

Little Miss and I went. She was driving me nuts this morning & we needed to get out of the house. It was the perfect distraction. There were other kids to interact with - story time, games, coloring, prizes...and against all odds, Little Miss won the big prize! It was a miracle.

She wore the party hat long enough for me to take the above picture while she said "I win!" (didn't know she knew that phrase...) and then it was off.

And what mother doesn't enjoy giving her little one some birthday cake just before lunch...hmm. Oh, well. Elmo only turns 3 once...wait, I think he's been 3 for the last 30+ years. Oh, well. We got cake!

Happy Birthday Elmo! (apparently his real birthday is on Feb 3rd - silly Border's. I guess we can celebrate twice!)

*Borders has story time at 11am every Saturday - they don't have cake every Saturday - but still a great way to help your kids learn social skills, sharing, patience, manners...check with your local Borders to find out more about upcoming activities.

Baked Potato Soup

Everyone in my house is sick (except me - knock on wood), so I decided for dinner last night we needed a good hearty warm soup. (Thanks sis for the recipe!)

I love my crockpot! It saves me time & money. This recipe has a little bit of extra prep - but it's so worth it. You'll have tons of delicious soup - really good leftovers! Nice and hearty.

• 4 large baking potatoes
• 2/3 cup butter or margarine
• 2/3 cup flour
• 6 cups milk
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 4 chopped green onions
• 12 slices cooked and crumbled bacon
• 1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 8 oz light sour cream
• 1 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon granules

Wash potatoes and prick several times with a fork. Bake in foil at 350 degrees for 45 min to 1 hr. Let cool. Cut potatoes into cubes.

Melt butter in heavy sauce pan over low heat. Add flour, stir until smooth. Cook 1 min, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is bubbly.

Pour into crockpot and then add salt, pepper, green onions, crumbled bacon, cheddar cheese, chicken granules. Mix through. Then fold in potatoes.

Cook on high for 4 hrs. Stir in sour cream right before serving. If soup is too thick, add a little milk at a time until desired thickness is achieved.

Garnish with additional sour cream and crumbled bacon.

*My changes: 1/2 tsp salt instead, no chicken bouillon granules and it tasted just great! I also only cooked for 2 hours and it was already overdone. Since everything is pre-cooked I think I'd even do it on low for 2 hours and it would probably be good and done. Also delicious when served in bread bowls!

Do It Yourself: Matching Nursery Curtains

Ever wonder why the crib bedding you bought came with a valance, but no curtains? Me too! It drives me nuts.

So I set out to make my own matching curtains. My trick: the extra, unseen material on the backside of the bed skirt. It doesn't need to be there! No one will know if it's gone. And just like that...
...you have matching curtains. I took the valance to a fabric store with me to match colors. Then I made simple curtains. But they didn't look quite right, they needed trim. So off came the extra material on the back of the bed skirt.
A little eye-balling (I'm lazy when it comes to measuring for projects like this).
A few hems & voila! A finished look.
Another trick to tie the room together - homemade art. I bought four square canvases on sale. Used the comforter to sketch out some ideas on paper.
Bought some matching craft paint - thanks to carrying that small valance around in my purse again. And...
...a cheap, simple way to finish a room.
This project really is for anyone! I am not artistic at all as far as painting goes. I used a pencil to sketch things on to the canvas, that way I could erase when needed. For those circles - I traced glasses, tupperware, whatever was the right size.

Do you have a DIY (do it yourself) trick for decorating on a small budget?

Infertility: the longest 9+9 months of my life

I know some of you are not moms yet - so why not start at the beginning with the research - becoming a mom and some of the problems one can encounter.

So I'll start by sharing my experience with infertility, as personal as it may be.

Shortly after getting married I was diagnosed with epilepsy - this led to medicine - which led to the doctors telling us we had to wait to get pregnant, if we could at all on the medicine, since they weren't sure what the side effects would be on the fetus.

So, after not trying, but wanting to for about nine months. We strongly felt it was time to start our family and we'd just have to pray that things would be okay. The doctors put me on a prenatal vitamin and five times the normal dose of folic acid to help prevent defects.

Nine months later we were finally pregnant. So, even though we weren't trying for a full year we did qualify as having infertility problems. (infertility: not being able to get pregnant after one year of trying. Or, six months, if a woman is 35 or older. Women who can get pregnant but are unable to stay pregnant may also be infertile. - womenshealth.gov)

After 7 months of trying the testing began. First they checked to make sure my husband's swimmers were good - then they put me on clomid. Clomid is meant to regulate ovulation cycles, not produce multiple eggs and is usually the first step used in treating infertility.

This drug made me a crazy lady!! My hormones were on one wild roller coaster ride. Luckily just over a month later we were pregnant, so it didn't last too long.

There were a few things we did the entire nine months to increase our chances of becoming pregnant - but I'll mention those in the next post: the research.

I'll just end by saying - not being able to get pregnant leaves a woman with a variety of intense emotions.

I felt broken.
I felt inadequate as a woman.
I was sad.
I hated going to church or the grocery store and seeing moms with their cute babies - all happy.
I felt I was letting my husband down.
I felt like no one knew how I felt, no one understood the longing or the pain.

Without trying to sound preachy: if you're currently experiencing infertility problems - know that you are not alone! 10% of woman go through this & know exactly how you feel.

Now that I'm on the other side, I'm glad we had problems and had to struggle to get our Little Miss. I appreciate her so much more and know just what a blessing she is in my life.

Did you have/are having infertility problems? What are some things that you've heard of to help with this common problem?

Other posts in this series:

• Infertility: The Research
• Infertility: Climbing Mt. Everest
• Infertility: Polycistic Ovarian Syndrome
  

Croup: Our Weekend

You know you're a parent when your Valentine's festivities include a trip to Instacare, sleeping on the floor next to your little one, changing the humidifier filter, and administering steroid treatments through a nebulizer. Some weekend!

Little Miss started with a normal sounding cough Friday morning, by Friday night it was a barky cough (like a seal), and wheezing when she inhaled while crying. Plus a mild fever. We figured it was a mild case of croup.

So I slept on her floor just in case. Well, just in case turned into a long night of her waking up frequently, coughing uncontrollably, the breathing getting more labored, Ry taking her out into the cold night air all bundled to help open up her air passages, and lots of cuddles.

The next day things continued to get worse. Her voice disappeared completely (very cute, but sad), and she became very lethargic. Her breathing was labored even at resting. So we took her to Instacare. Good thing we did! We didn't know just how bad it was.

After checking her oxygen level and listening to her breathing, the diagnosis was confirmed - croup. They quickly administered a breathing treatment, which she hated, despite the cute elephant mask. It helped almost immediately.

Then some traumatic chest x-rays to check for pneumonia. I wish I had a picture of this. Little Miss was strapped into a clear plastic tube with her arms straight above her head and her legs dangling.

She didn't cry at all. She just wanted to hold hands. Such a trooper. Luckily her chest looked good.

So we were sent home with a prescription and a nebulizer. Oh, and a puppy they gave her.

After a few more treatments of the nebulizer - she is leaps and bounds better! Not totally out of the woods, but at least it's not super scary anymore.

Has anyone else dealt with croup before? What was your experience?

Bebe Spy-Cam

Also known as, the Bebe Sounds Portable Color Video and Sound Monitor - but we like to call it our spy-cam. This was probably one of the best purchases we ever made.

If you've read the Sleep Chronicles, then you know how difficult sleep training was for us & this little wonder made all the difference!

While sleep training we could see what Little Miss was doing and if she needed us or if she was calming down on her own. This way we didn't go in to her room and spoil things too early.

I love that we can see her and make sure she's safe at any moment, and when we just want the sound - we can flip the video off to save the (rechargeable) battery.

The camera can be mounted on the wall. Love the infrared night vision, so we can see our little darling in the dark - although the glowing eyes when she's awake are a little freaky. =)

And to top off the awesomeness - you can have two cameras plugged in to the same receiver! And your video will switch every five seconds between kids. Can't wait to use this feature when we have our next little bug!

There is the usual interference with cell phones and such, but nothing bad. You just have to reposition. The only thing I don't like is the range it has - you really can't live in a huge house and have this thing work. But for us - it's been great!

For less than half price we bought ours on kids.woot.com.

You can find one here.

*If you're worried about people driving around your neighborhood with a receiver and being able to see your baby - don't be! Remember the poor reception. There's no way someone could pick up the signal outside your home!

Pink Pancakes

Want to fool your family, specifically small children, into eating more veggies? Try this recipe out for Valentines! Not my favorite pancake - but pretty good! Worth eating again for sure!

I made this for my picky husband, Little Miss, and picky husband's semi-picky brother. The trick was not telling them what was in it until after they had tried it and said they liked it. Ha! Sure fooled them.

Pink Pancakes - a full protein meal

• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup beet puree
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup pancake mix
• 1/4 cup grated apple
• nonstick cooking spray
• 1 Tbsp oil
• maple syrup or fruit, for serving

1. Make the beet puree - I just bought a can of beets in water (not pickled!) and pureed them in the food processor with a little water. You could also buy fresh beets in the produce section - wrap in tinfoil, roast at 400 degrees for 1 hr, then peel, then puree. I figured I'd take the easy route on this one. This puree can be made ahead of time and stored in the freezer in freezer bags in 1/2 cup servings.

2. Combine water, ricotta cheese, beet puree, vanilla, and cinnamon until well blended. Add pancake mix and apple, stir. Do not over mix - batter should be a little lumpy.
3. Coat griddle with cooking spray & set at medium-high heat. When hot, add oil. Use about 1/4 cup batter per pancake. Cook until bubbly on top and flip. Serve warm with syrup or fruit. (I skipped the spray & the oil since I was using a nonstick griddle)
   

They were so good, you could hardly tell the beets were there at all! I loved the color of them and couldn't resist using my metal heart shaped cookie cutters to make a few.

This recipe is from Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld - love this book! I'll be posting more recipes from it in the future.

*Note: If you're thinking, why go to all the trouble for a measly 1/4 cup puree, how much difference could that make to a diet?! Well, I thought the same thing. But, if you do it consistently, it's great. If you only do it once in awhile, then it's at least better than nothing! A little more veggie in take and extra vitamins can only help, right?

All of the purees are very similar to the way I made Little Miss's baby food when she was little - for more info click here.

Paper Flowers

Last year - I got paper flowers...was I disappointed?! Hardly! I told Ry I did not want him to buy me flowers for Valentine's - they are far too expensive and just end up dying anyway.

So he got creative. He got online & learned how to fold paper flowers. He used sturdy paper & a year later they are still beautiful and on my nightstand.

I love that he spent the time making me flowers I could treasure longer. I love that while doing it, he let me have a break from being a mom by taking Little Miss (10 months at the time) into her room to play while he folded paper. Best husband ever award.

A wise man once said...

"Communication is essentially a matter of conversation. They must have communicated when they were courting. Can they not continue to speak together after marriage? Can they not discuss with one another in an open and frank and candid and happy way their interests, their problems, their challenges, their desires?

"It seems to me that communication is essentially a matter of talking with one another. Let that talk be quiet for quiet talk is the language of love."

So on this mom blog I thought it appropriate to talk about marriage since the day of love is coming up. And a happy wife = a happy mom.

So...if you're married, do your husband a favor - TELL HIM WHAT YOU WANT FOR VALENTINE'S. Specifically. Exactly what you want. Then he will be happy (and relieved), you will be happy, and happy parents = happy kids.

When doing my undergrad studies on family relationships - specifically marital relationships - I learned that lack of communication is often a marriage's downfall. Men tend to speak plainly. It's us girls who expect our guys to read our minds, which usually leads to disappointment.

Don't fall into that trap. Just tell him straight up - "I want flowers", "I want chocolate", "I want a backrub". Unless you want a surprise - then plan on being exceptionally happy with whatever he gets you! And enjoy a great Valentine's!

Kid Friendly Valentine Activies & Games

Looking for something fun to do with your little one this weekend? Here are some ideas...

__________________________________________________________________

Simple valentine craft from MADE with Dana - if you've never checked out her blog, do - it is amazing! This craft is great for pre-school aged children and will help develop those motor skills.

__________________________________________________________________

Heart Bingo
For slightly older kids - I found this on crafts.slides.kaboose.com This would be a great way to practice number recognition with your pre-schooler!
___________________________________________________________________

Heart Lacing
Cut a large red heart shape from poster board (or white poster board and let your child have fun coloring). Punch holes around the perimeter using a hole punch. Let children lace yarn through holes.

My Little Miss got frustrated with the lacing part - so mommy had to help.

__________________________________________________________________

Candy Rings
A little pipe cleaner, hot glue, and wrapped candy & you've got some great unique valentine gifts! Age 4 and up.

__________________________________________________________________

Matching Hearts
Make several pairs of matching hearts. Have children find the matching pairs.

___________________________________________________________________

Matching Game
Why not have fun while learning? Click here for printable valentine matching card game.

__________________________________________________________________

Same vs. Different
Which one of these things is not like the other - printable heart pdf.

_________________________________________________________________

Flying Hearts
Glue a red and a pink heart together back to back. Put this special heart plus about three dozen plain hearts in the center of an old bed sheet. The children hold onto all sides of the sheet and gently toss the hearts up and down. At the shout of "Hearts high!" the children toss the sheet high into the air, making the hearts fly. The child who picks up the most hearts and the one who finds the special pink and red heart are the winners.

___________________________________________________________________

Heart Puzzle
Cut a large heart from red or pink poster board. Cut into several pieces, making a puzzle.

___________________________________________________________________

Or if, like Little Miss, your child loves to color - click here for free printable Valentine related coloring pages.

Aquadoodle Travel N' Doodle

We got the Aquadoodle Travel N' Doodle for Little Miss for Christmas with one thing in mind...keeping her entertained & fairly quiet during church, long car rides, anytime she needs to sit still and not make a lot of noise.

Let me just say...I love you Aquadoodle!! So far it has worked like a charm. I love that the pen is filled with tap water - that way she can't do any damage if she colors on other things. I like that it's a toy that can grow with her.

Her favorite way to use the Aquadoodle right now - she uses the pen to paint her nails, my nails, sometimes daddy's nails. Such a girl.

The only thing I've heard, but not experienced first hand, is if the mat gets soaked, completely wet, it gets ruined. So make sure you don't let your little one take it in the bathtub and all should be fine!

Oh, and toddlers have a tendency to want to use crayons on it - which doesn't come off. We learned that the hard way.

Only $15 - totally worth it (we found ours at Wal-mart - but for some reason they don't have it online)

And the winners are...

Thanks to random.org & a simple excel spreadsheet we have our winners!

And thanks to everyone for spreading the word about this blog - I'm super excited to get posting!

So...

#1 Bow Set - Heidi

#2 Bow Set - Mikelle

#3 Nursing Cover - Shirley

#4 Nursing Cover - Jana

I'll contact you ladies via email & get those gifts mailed out asap. Thanks again!

Another awesome giveaway will be coming in the next couple weeks!

Last Chance...

Giveaway ends tomorrow at noon - so quick, scroll down & enter to win! Winners will be chosen by random.org and announced tomorrow evening. I'm beginning to think a weekend was a bad time to do a giveaway. Oops. Guess I'll schedule the next one better. =)

Giveaway!! (closed)

Welcome to The Mom Blog!! A blog centered on something I am passionate about - being a mommy, and being an informed mommy. And what better way to celebrate the grand kick-off than to have a giveaway!!

There will be 4 prizes & 4 winners...

Are your little ones tousled tresses driving you insane?
Would you like to see your little beauty's eyes every now and then?
Then enter to win one of two bow-bags. Inside each bag are handmade bow-sets --> 10 bows in all! 5 sets! Plus a white elastic headband if your little one has a shiny bald head to decorate. Why sets? Because then you have two matching bows for pigtails of course!
Also up for grabs - two nursing covers with a peek-a-boo neckline and two sewn in pockets to hold binkies, burp clothes, whatever you don't want to lose while feeding your little one.
These are adjustable, one size fits all. A trendy way to avoid the unwanted peep show. =)
Not a mom? No worries - these make great gifts! So, here's what you need to do to enter to win...

1 - Grab the button on the right sidebar and link my site up to yours - then leave a comment letting me know you did it, a link to your site if it's public (I just might want to link back), and your email address in case you win = 1 entry

2 - Post about this giveaway on your blog - then leave a comment with the info = 1 entry

3 - Become a follower (see right sidebar) - then leave a comment with the info = 1 entry

4 - Post about this giveaway on your facebook status - then leave a comment with the info = 1 entry

5 - Become a fan of The Mom Blog on facebook - then leave a comment with the info = 1 entry

DO ALL 5, and let me know in your comment and your name will be automatically entered in 5 times --> you'll be 5 times more likely to win!!

Let the games begin!! Don't forget your email address in your comment so I can contact you if you win. The giveaway closes Monday the 8th at noon and winners will be announced that day.

{ Have a great business you'd like to promote through a giveaway on our site? Please contact me - barb.themomblog(at)gmail(dot)com }