Younique 3D mascara

I’ve always loved going to formals and balls.  It’s so nice getting all dressed up, having my makeup done (because I’m terrible at doing eyeshadow myself), and getting fake eyelashes to make my eyes pop.  As a whole, going to a ball pretty much makes me feel like a princess for the night.

I bought fake eyelashes for my cousin Jennifer’s wedding last year, but every time I tried to put them in, I failed.  Eventually one of her other bridesmaids put them on for me.

I really like how my eyes stand out when accentuated by exaggerated eyelashes.  What if you could get the same effect, without the hassle (or in my case, down right impossibility) of false eyelashes?  According to the new Younique 3D mascara, you can.

Image from the Younique website

Needless to say, I was intrigued and excited to try it out.  They are taking off in the U.S., but have only just landed in Australia.  I was one of the lucky first people to get my hands on some.  And by get my hands on, I mean an independent consultant sent me some.

Without mascara, with normal mascara, and the bottom photo is with Younique 3D fibre lashes.

What exactly is 3D mascara (it’s actually called 3D fiber lashes, but everyone seems to call it 3D mascara, or just mascara.  It’s so much easier.)?  It’s a two part system.  First, you put on some “transplanting gel,” which pretty much looks like mascara but is quite sticky.  Then you use another mascara like wand  from a tube full of 100% green tea fibres to apply tiny little fibres onto your sticky lashes.  The fibre plumps up and extends your lashes making them look pretty awesome.

I really like the way it looks, but only on the top lashes.  I think it’s a bit too much and stands out as un-natural looking if also done on the bottom.   But maybe that’s just me.  It looks kind of like your eyelashes are turning into trees by sprouting branches when you first apply the fibres, but if you use one of those eyebrow/lash comb things (the ones with what looks like a tiny comb on one side, and a tiny brush directly opposite the comb) to make all the fibres go in the right direction, it looks normal. Only longer and fuller.  If you don’t comb them and tame them, you will also find a little pile of stray fibres on your cheeks a while later.  The crucial combing/taming step eliminates that as well.

Personally, I only use the Younique 3D fibre lashes on special occasions, not because it’s hard to do (it’s not), or anything like that, but because I usually wear glasses and the rims of my glasses pretty much hide my eyelashes. When my eyes come out from behind my glasses, my lashes get 3D’d, which is only on special occasions because as a stay at home mom, I can’t be bothered with contacts most of the time.

I used Younique 3D lashes when we had family portraits done a few weeks ago (by Michael Seager)

Click here to peruse and or buy Younique 3D fibre lashes, or any of their other products, such as mineral make up and BB cream.

*I was given Younique 3D fibre lashes free for review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

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Copyright 2014 Sheri Thomson

All those Christmas toys

As usual, the kids got way too many presents from everyone, which means we had to cull lots of their old toys to make room.  And luckily for me, ToyTainer sent me a bunch of their products just before Christmas, which means extra storage places for all those Christmas toys.

For every day use, this hang on a door ToyTainer is our favourite.  As you can see, there is no room IN the closet for toys….

The princess castle (picture above) is a great space saver since it goes over the door.  It also has adjustable height straps, which is super awesome.  I put it on it’s very lowest setting so that Hannah can see in the mirror from the ground (which she loves), and reach even the highest toys with her stool.  Most importantly, Rosie (our new puppy) can’t get any of the toys in it, which makes it a great place to store all of Hannah’s enticing, chewable, puppies-like-to-rip-the-hair-off dolls.  When we travel somewhere that doesn’t have any toys, we can fold up the princess castle, with all the dolls and things in it, and take it with us.  Easy, and perfect for holidays/vacations.  Daniel got the boys version, called games centre, which has a basketball hoop at the top.  Hannah likes using the hoop, but Daniel is a bit too small for it.  He will appreciate his games centre when he is a little older.  And taller. For now though, it’s great for extra toy storage.

The hoop makes cleaning up super fun.

We also got a shoe box for each kid.  Hannah decided immediately upon opening hers that it is called a “Caravan Bag” and likes to take it in the car filled with my little ponies and other girly things.  Daniel likes to drive his cars and trains around on his and then put them away through the little opening at the bottom.  I like how they are portable storage, but also a toy in themselves.  We had to go on an unscheduled trip over 4 hours away to attend Aaron’s Nanna’s funeral and the kids piled their caravan bags with chosen toys.  Daniel’s fit heaps of Thomas engines, train tracks, cars, dinosaurs, and the mat I talk about below.  Hannah’s fit ponies, books, play jewellery, and her play mat.  I was surprised at how much stuff can actually fit in them, and they were perfect for taking away with us.

aka “Caravan Bags”

Another easy clean up and travel item is the EZ-mat.  There is a pink one with dirt roads/trails, and a blue one with roads.  The kids can play on them and then use the cord to turn them into a bag with all the toys and cars inside.  Brilliant for travel.

The blue version

There is also the pink ice cream truck which Hannah absolutely loves because it’s fun to push around and unlike most cars and trucks that size, is not made with boys in mind. She loves that it’s pink.  Open the top of the truck and it’s completely hollow, designed for storage. Hannah stores all of her little toys that Daniel is not allowed to play with due to their choking hazard.  They are now all in the one place, and easy to store away from Daniel’s prying hands when Hannah isn’t playing with them.

Finally, a pink truck for girly girls

GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!

If you would like to win over $150 worth of ToyTainer products, leave a comment below and I will pick a winner using a random number generator from random.org.  For an extra entry, like the Mommy Adventures Facebook page (click here to go there).  I will assign each new like a number (in order of the like, starting with the number that immediately follows the number of comments), which will then be included in the random number generator.

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

The winner is Hazel.  Thanks everyone for entering 🙂

*Entries open to U.S. residents only

*Competition closes 11:59pm 12 January 2014

*I received ToyTainer items in exchange for my honest opinion about them, I did not receive any money for writing this post.

If you enjoyed reading this, please vote for my blog. All you have to do is click the link below. That’s it… Clicking the link brings you to the Top Mommy Blogs home page. You don’t have to do anything else. Any clicks from my site to theirs is a vote.  THANKS!

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Copyright 2013 Sheri Thomson

How to make your jeans last longer

Four years ago, Aaron took me shopping for my birthday. I bought a nice watch (which I still wear), instead of a dodgy cheap one like I usually did. I also needed a pair of jeans. It’s so hard to find pants that fit me right. At 5’2″, I’m short, but I’m also thin and pear-shaped. Needless to say, finding pants is very, very hard.

I tried on a pair in a shop that I’d never been to before. They fit me perfectly. But they cost $100. Sigh. It was my birthday, so I got them anyway. Never in my life had I spent that much on a pair of pants. Or any article of clothing apart from my wedding dress.

That pair of jeans lasted for years. I wore them and wore them and they just kept going. (this is the same brand, but I couldn’t find the exact style. Probably because it was four years ago: Mavi Women’s Cora Indigo Nolita Low Rise Jean).

I’m always crawling around the floor with the kids. It started with Hannah. We didn’t allow her to watch TV until she was two, so I was constantly playing with her, sitting with her, reading to her, etc. Always on the floor.

My beloved pair of pants started to get worn out in the knees. They lasted up until a few months ago when the knees became so threadbare they pretty much fell apart. When I wore them, my poor knees were visible to the world, exposed and cold.

Time for some new pants. Sure, I had other pants, but I recently lost a lot of weight after having the kids, and none of my other pants fit anymore. I again went in search of the perfect pair of jeans. Again I stumbled upon that same brand. Only this time, they were $160. Sigh. I bought them anyway. Next time I should buy them from Amazon. They are only $68 there (Mavi Women’s Serena Rinse Brushed Nolita Low Rise Jean) They fit me well, and I know they’re well made and strong.

But I don’t want them to get ruined by crawling around the floor after the kids all day. So when I’m home, I wear house pants. Or pyjama pants. Whatever is clean and not my good pants. They are not the most flattering. Fine, they are not even remotely flattering. Or good looking, cute, etc.

One pair I wear is a horrid shade of grey, with a pink and a yellow stripe down the side. The cord that you tie in front has long since fallen out, and the butt area is all saggy. Another pair is pink with white stars. Only they are so old that the stars are pretty much half stars now, if they haven’t fallen off all together. They are all too big.

So boy oh boy was I excited when a e-mail from Alexander Del Rossa Sleepwear showed up in my inbox. They wanted to know if I’d review an article of my choice for my blog. I found this adorable pair of pink and purple plaid pyjama pants that I oh so wanted to traipse around the house in instead of my hideous gray sweats. And instead of ruining my new expensive pair of jeans.

Cute, right?

I asked for a small pair. I’m used to needing something a little bigger than an extra small to allow room for my hips. Pear shaped, remember? Ample but and hips, tiny waist. In hind sight, I probably should have used the nice sizing guide that is available on their website. Sigh.

I tried them on as soon as they came. I expected the legs to be too long. They always are. Pants aren’t generally made for small people. You can always take them up, but you can’t add to the bottom if they are too short….

I was swimming in them. Running has made me lose some centimetres off my hips and thighs. I don’t think they’ve been this small since I was about 15. The pants looked ridiculous on me. Which is a shame because they are so soft and warm.  Yes, I should have gotten the extra-small. Sigh.

Swimming in my pyjama pants. Yes, that’s the kids’ room, but it’s the only place with a full length mirror in which to take my own photo…. And yes, it’s messy. Daniel loves pulling all of the books off the shelf. Sigh.

I left them folded up on my floor for a week, trying to think of someone I could give them to who might fit in them.

Then one day it was really cold. I saw those pants sitting on my floor, looking all warm and cosy. I really wanted to wear them. I put them on.

Nope, still too big.

Hannah has a tiny waist too. Her pants are pretty much always too big around the waist. Often to keep them from falling down, I fold the top over. They stay up, and fit her better that way. Maybe I could do the same thing with the jammy pants?

Nope, still too big.

I folded them again.

Still too big.

I folded them a third time.

Viola! Now they are the right length, and don’t fall off. They are so warm/cosy/soft/comfortable! And  a whole lot better looking then my other hideous house pants. Even when folded over three times. I’ll definitely be keeping them to myself….

See, perfect fit!

PROS:
-Soft
-Comfortable
-Cute
-Inexpensive, only $9.99 a pair!
-Sizing chart on website (if you’re smart enough to use it. Not like me…)
-Ships internationally

CONS:
-Not made for short people

 

*I received a free pair of Alexander Del Rossa  pyjama pants for review. Opinion expressed is my own and not influenced by the fact that the pants were free.

If you enjoyed reading this, please vote for my blog. All you have to do is click the link below. That’s it… Clicking the link brings you to the Top Mommy Blogs home page. You don’t have to do anything else. Any clicks from my site to theirs is a vote.  THANKS! Like my blog? ‘Like’ it on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mommy-Adventures/203964682967827?ref=tn_tnmn Pin It You officially have my permission to pin this (as long as it links back to my site).  Just don’t act like you wrote it. Because you didn’t…. Copyright 2012 Sheri Thomson

Go hungry

Poor Aaron. For the last 3 weekends, I’ve left him with the kids, and gone out by myself. First I took photos of a wedding. The next weekend, I did some volunteering stuff, and this weekend, I went to the Good Food and Wine Show in Sydney. I’ll be honest, I’d never actually heard of the Good Food and Wine show before this year. Yes, I live under a rock. Whatever.

Now I watch Masterchef Australia all the time (It’s slightly addictive. I’m actually watching it right now, as I write this. If a sentence suddenly stops making sense, it’s probably because my eyes are watching the tv and my mind is busy hoping that Amina won’t get eliminated) and happened to see an ad for the Good Food and Wine Show.

Shortly after, I was offered a free ticket from the good folks at Chobani (the top selling yogurt in the U.S., which has now come to Australia). I was sent some of their yogurt to review a few weeks ago, along with the Good Food and Wine show ticket. Score! The yogurt is DELICIOUS! And it has no added crap, lots of protein, and is thick and yummy. You can read my review of it here .

I wrangled my foodie exchange sister Lauren (whom you may remember from our Amazing Race Australia audition video) to go with me so I didn’t have to look like a loser walking around all by myself.

I didn’t really know what to expect.

As soon as we walked in the door, we spotted the Chobani Yogurt booth. They were giving away full servings of yogurt. None of this tiny-little-sample-cup stuff like all the other booths. Yuuuummmmmm…..

The Chobani stand. I only brought my crappy little point and shoot and there were people everywhere, so it was hard to get a photo. Hence why this one sucks.

Basically, the Good Food and Wine show is full of booths selling all things food and wine, giving out brochures of their stuff, and giving away delicious free samples. And some not so delicious. Like coconut water. I’d never tried it before, but my goodness, it tasted pretty much like sweaty socks. Not that I’ve ever eaten sweaty socks (in case you were wondering).

I ate a burrito before riding the train (and bus, there was track work that day) to Sydney for the show. Had I known there would be so many samples, I probably would have had a lighter lunch. Or not. I can always eat (not that you’d know that by looking at me).

Me drinking a smoothie sample. YUM!

It was great to hang out with Lauren, eat lots of free food, have some time away from the kids, and actually have time to do some reading (on the bus and train).

If you enjoyed reading this, please vote for my blog. All you have to do is click the link below. That’s it… Clicking the link brings you to the Top Mommy Blogs home page. You don’t have to do anything else. Any clicks from my site to theirs is a vote.  THANKS!

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Hannah made a sticker

A while back, I was contacted by MyBinding.com  to see if I wanted to review a laminator. Hannah makes so many artworks that I thought it would be awesome to laminate them and turn them into placemats. Or playdoh mats. Or flash cards. Or something.

But then Tarragon from MyBinding brought up the great point about electricity. They are a family owned company in Oregon (U.S.A.), so the plug of the laminator wouldn’t exactly fit into my outlets. And if I used an adapter, there is still a wattage issue, and it could quite possibly blow up.

No seriously. I’m not even joking. I brought my guitar amp over here, plugged it into an adapter, hooked up my guitar, and BANG! No more guitar amp.

Sigh. No laminator.

But then she had another product for me. A Xyron Create a Sticker.

WHAT??!!!!!!!!!! I CAN MAKE MY OWN STICKERS????!!!!!!!!!

Let me just tell you a little something about kids. They love stickers. If it were up to Hannah, she’d cover the entire house, floor to ceiling, including floor and ceiling, in stickers.

Daniel loves stickers too. A little too much. Remember when he tried to eat one, choked on it, and I had to call the ambulance?

Now we play with stickers when he’s asleep. And I make sure they are not too small, and stuck on anything that he will be playing with.

To say I was excited about the sticker maker is a huge understatement. When the package arrived and I told Hannah about it, she nearly wet herself with excitement. She does this eyes bulging, neck stuck out, mouth in a 5 year old boy’s pretend smile position, half laugh/half nanny goat noise when she gets really excited about something. She was doing the the whole time I opened the box.

I let Hannah draw on some construction paper, and then tear it however she wanted.

Hannah drawing to make stickers

Then we stuck it in the sticker maker and turned the crank. And out popped Hannah’s art on the other side. On a backing, as a sticker. It was that easy.

If I let her, she’d make stickers all day.

I decided to use the sticker maker for a very different reason: Potty training. We have a sticker chart that Hannah gets to put stickers on if she poops in the potty or toilet. Not that she does, but the though is nice. I made her a very special sticker in the sticker maker.

My sticker coming out with one of Hannah’s

“Hannah, look at this!” I told her excitedly, “If you do a poop in the toilet, you can put this sticker we made on your potty chart!”

Stickers!

“YEAH!” She told me. But she still won’t poop in the toilet. Sigh.

PROS:

-Inexpensive

-Non-toxic

-No heat, electricity, or batteries needed

-Easy to use

-Would be perfect for scrap booking

-Kids love it!

-Ships internationally

-Can get backing that lets you stick and re-stick your stickers (repositionable)

-Can get backing that lets your stickers stay stuck

CONS:

-Your child will harass you to make stickers all the time

*I was sent a free sticker maker and backing for the purpose of this review. Opinions expressed are my own and were not swayed in any manner.

You can buy your own sticker maker, or a variety of other products (laminators, binders, binding supplies, shredders, etc.) here

If you enjoyed reading this, please vote for my blog. All you have to do is click the link below. That’s it… And if you are an email subscriber, clicks from your email don’t count.  If you would like to vote, please go to my blog and vote from there. THANKS!

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Copyright 2012 Sheri Thomson

Beef Casserole and Dumplings: for baby to adult

This is the second instalment of  how to make every bite count , in which I review a few recipes for The Main Meal, and of course, attempt to get Hannah to eat meat, and teach Daniel to like, well, everything. As I said in the last post, Hannah pretty much eats like I ate when I was little, and that pretty much drives me nuts. Sigh. At least I eat better now. Apart from the red meat. I still don’t like that. Ick. Except kangaroo. Yeah, I don’t mind a bit of the Aussie icon. All of my fellow Americans are probably cringing at that about now.  All the Aussies are probably muttering something like “good on ya mate.”

This week, I cooked Beef casserole and Dumplings. And by cooked, I mean cut up some stuff and threw it in the slow cooker. How I love the slower cooker. Especially since I have kids. I like that I can throw some stuff in there in the morning when the kids are fresh and will entertain themselves, instead of trying to cook something at 6pm when they are tired and whingey and trying to hang off my legs and poke out each other’s eyes.

As you can see, I opted to go with the ‘to cook in a slow cooker’ method. I was going to use sweet potatoes instead of potatoes since neither of my kids like potatoes, but Coles was out of them.  At 2pm on a Sunday. Random. So I stuck with the recipe and got normal white potatoes.

I wouldn’t say that the prep time is actually 15 minutes. Maybe I’m just a slow chopper, but by the time you add up all the meat and veg chopping and peeling,  plus the zucchini grating and squeezing (which, mind you, is a very messy job) and dumpling making, it was more like 30 minutes of prep time. Luckily it was in the morning, and the kids were cooperative.

Last week, Daniel was in the lumpy/mushy category. Oh wait, I did the last recipe review the week before last. Then we were at Tresillian and I didn’t get one out that week. Sigh. Anyway, last time he was lumpy/mushy. Now, he’s all into the finger foods. I took him and Hannah to the shopping centre the other day at dinner time and bought Hannah a McNugget happy meal (yeah, she’ll sometimes eat chicken if it’s in the form of a nugget. Just like her mommy…). Daniel ate half of her nuggets! He loved them. Just FYI, I don’t always feed my children greasy food. For lunch that day, he had mild green chicken curry with a side of peas, corn and carrots. So there.

This recipe suggests putting the finger food portion into a nice little ramekin/bowl.

HA! Maybe all children aren’t as wild as mine, but if I did that, the ramekin would end up broken on the floor, and the food would be either a) all over me, b) all over Daniel, c) all over the floor with the dish, d) all over the walls, or e) all of the above. No dishes are ever used with my cheeky little monkey, so I just plopped it all on his high chair tray for him to finger.

This is how he eats his food….

He grabbed a carrot and clumsily put it in his mouth. And then spit it straight back out. Sigh. I put a little piece of beef on a spoon and gave that to him. And that went straight back out too. He started making annoyed noises and vigorously rubbing his hands back and forth on his tray, flinging food off it as he did. Daniel didn’t like it. At all. Sigh.

For toddlers, the recipe suggests the little bowl again.

Hannah is fine with little bowls, but prefers one of those melamine plates with the different sections. Since they had steamed vegetables at lunch, I gave them a side of kiwi instead. And cheese. I know Hannah likes cheese. At least there was something on her plate that I knew she would eat.

She took one look at that plate and declared she didn’t want it. She wouldn’t even sit down. She came over and stole the cheese but refused to try anything else for 10 minutes. I finally got her to try a tiny bit of carrot in exchange for giving her something else to eat if she didn’t like it. After all, I just wanted her to try it! She put it in her mouth. And then spit it out onto the floor. Sigh.

When Aaron got home from work, I dished him up a big bowl of the casserole. He likes beef. He was thrilled to be having beef again. I never make him beef. Except for the last time I reviewed one of these recipes. He took a bite.

“Um…I think I want something else for dinner.” he told me. Sigh.

“What’s wrong with it?” I asked.

“It has no flavour.”

This one was a complete miss. Sigh.

If you do want to make it (maybe add a bit of something for flavour…), here are the instructions to make it into smooth puree, and lumpy/mushy:

You can find all of the Make Every Bite Count baby to adult recipes in the e-brochure here.

If you enjoyed reading this, please vote for my blog. All you have to do is click the link below. That’s it… And if you are an email subscriber, clicks from your email don’t count.  If you would like to vote, please go to my blog and vote from there. THANKS!

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Copyright 2012 Sheri Thomson

How to keep your hair away from pulling baby fingers

I can’t wear my hair down around Daniel anymore. He thinks it’s an awesome fun toy made just for him. Any hint of loose hair and his lightning quick reflexes are all over it, pulling at will and attempting to ingest.

Yeah, I’ve used this image before. Whatever, it takes a long time to draw stuff!

Considering I lost half my hair after giving birth to Daniel, I don’t really want him to pull out what little is left. I’m glad it’s growing back, but now I look like this:

So I wear my hair up every day. I’m a bit time poor. Well, it’s more like if I attempt to make a bit of an effort, and take my time doing my hair, a cheeky baby crawls up to me and tries to climb up my leg whilst making irritated mommy-pick-me-up-now noises. Not to mention Hannah will also be there asking me to play with her. So yeah, I just throw my hair in a low pony tail as quickly as I can and I’m done.

Until I was sent some lovely new Flexi Clips from Lilla Rose consultant,Linda Menke. They came with step by step instructions on how to put your hair up in various styles with the different sized clips. The first day, I decided to do a french twist. Since I didn’t have to loop a pony tail holder ’round and ’round my hair, it took the same amount of time as just throwing my hair in a boring low pony tail.

I thought it would fall out since it was just the one little clip holding the style in place, but it didn’t. It stayed firm all day long. Even after chasing Hannah around Grandma’s back yard. I also like to put my hair half up with the clip.

Hannah wearing a flexi clip

I tried the smallest flexi clip in Hannah’s hair. She looked beyond adorable, and it didn’t fall out. Her hair is stick straight and super slippery, everything else falls out. She went to creche at church with the flexi clip in her hair, played on the slides, ran around, etc. and came out with her hair looking exactly the same as it did going in. She does have a habit of pulling out her hair clips though, so I’m kind of scared of using one on her very often. I don’t want to lose them. I like them too much!

I also tried the crystal bead headband.

I wore it the first time when Aaron and I went out to dinner for Aaron and Sheri Day because it’s so pretty. I have the worst time with headbands. I love them, but they hate me. When I wear the hard plastic kind, it feels like it is trying to slowly burrow it’s way into my skull just above my ears. I always end up taking them off because they hurt. The fabric and/or elastic kind I have to bobby pin to stay in place. Otherwise I stick them on and then they move to the back of my head and then fall off. In record time.

I was expecting to have to bobby pin my lovely pink Lilla Rose head band in place. But I didn’t. I put it on, adjusted the elastic strap at the bottom, so that it was just the right size for my head, and then decided to gamble. I went bobby pin free. We went out to dinner and my head band didn’t budge.

Me wearing the headband before going out to dinner

Lastly, I tried the You pins. I love all things stars, so they were right up my alley. I watched a video on youtube of how to put my hair into a bun using only them. It’s supposed to work for all hair types, thin, thick, coarse, sleek, slippery. But it didn’t work on mine. That or I did it wrong…. That doesn’t mean I won’t use them. I will still put them in my hair when I can be bothered putting my hair in a messy bun. Sure they won’t actually be holding my hair up, but they will still look awesome.

To purchase your own Lilla Rose products, click here. Check out Linda’s facebook page here, and follow her tweets here. Those of you outside the U.S. and Canada, you can’t buy products through the website, but you can email Linda at mrsmenk@menk.us tell her what you want, and she’ll send you a paypal invoice.

GIVEAWAY!  Want to win a FREE Lilla Rose product (giveaway provided by Independent Consultant Linda Menke)?  All you have to do is like Linda’s Lilla Rose Facebook Page and comment on this blog post with which Lilla Rose item you’d like to win.

Terms and Conditions:

-Giveaway open to people world wide, however, if winner is not residing in the U.S. or Canada, winner is responsible for postage costs

-Winner will be drawn at random for entrants

-Contest open from 15 May until 11:59pm 22 May Sydney time (Eastern Standard Time). All entries submitted after said time will not be counted

-Winner will be announced 23 May . Please leave your email address in comment (or email it to me) if you want me to contact you if you win, otherwise you are responsible for contacting me after winner is announced.

Good Luck!

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Copyright 2012 Sheri Thomson

What happens when YOU jump rope?

“Here’s the personal massager you ordered.” the dirty old delivery man said.

Oh my gosh, WHAT!?!?!?!  “I did NOT order a personal massager!” I practically yelled at him.

Sorry about the messy writing...still have to do everything with my left hand

“You’re Sheri ____?”

“Yeah, but I didn’t order any personal massager!”

“And feminine moisturiser.” He read off the customs declaration on the package.

I gave him a weird look.

Of course it probably didn’t help that I was dripping wet with only a pink towel around myself.  It was 6 days before Christmas and we were waiting on a big package full of all our Christmas presents that we ordered from the states.  I wasn’t about to miss the arrival of that package.

I was in the middle of my morning shower when I heard the knock on the door. Sure I could have let him leave a note and then picked it up at the post office.  But I have 2 kids.  And 2 hands. That leaves no hands for carrying the package from the post office to the car.  Did I mention that the post office is on the busiest street in my town?

So I jumped out of that shower like a drowned rat on the scent of cheese and excitedly ran for my front door, glad that the Christmas package was actually arriving before Christmas.

“Well, enjoy your surprise package then.”  Yeah thanks old man.

I looked at the package in my hands wondering who the heck would send me a “personal massager.”

“Kegel exerciser. Feminine Moisturiser.” The customs declaration said. Oh…It was just some products to review on my blog. So why was the dirty old delivery man telling me it was a personal massager?  And even if it was, no one would ever, EVER want the delivery man to say it out loud.

I jumped at the chance to review a pelvic floor exerciser for Intimina.  We all know how child birth weakens the pelvic floor.  I couldn’t even jump rope without a little pee coming out.  I wrote a blog post about it. So embarrassing!  Add another birth and I was in serious need of some pelvic floor help.

Kegel exercisers

I have to say I was a little intimidated by the fact that I had to actually put something…er...in there.  I still have memories of my over zealous use of the epi-no when I was pregnant with Hannah.  Long story short, I over inflated it (it’s supposed to stretch you out a bit so you don’t tear giving birth), and it made me bleed. Ick.

When I finally tried out the little pink kegel exerciser, it was fine.  It didn’t hurt, and once in place, I didn’t even notice it.

The Laselle Kegel Exercisers work by “providing a solid object for you to flex around for more effective strengthening.” The weighted ball inside causes vibrations that prompt your pelvic floor to contract and relax.  I couldn’t find anywhere on their website or the packaging how long you’re supposed to use them each day, so I just went about my chores with it for about 20 minutes, with some flex and holding.

An email from Intima let me know that it’s like any other exercise; you start with a few reps and a small amount of time and then increase to suit your needs.

All I know is: I can jump up and down (I can’t really jump rope, my arm is still in a cast…), and no pee comes out.  Kegel Exercisers: $15.95AUD. Jumping without soiling my underpants: priceless.

To buy in the U.S. click here

To buy in Australia click here

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The No-Cry Picky Eater Solution

I was the pickiest eater when I was little.  I pretty much survived on milk, cheese pizza (yes, only cheese pizza, if there was anything else on it, I would not touch it), macaroni and cheese, turkey hot dogs, and of course, any child’s favorite: junk food.  Cake.  Cookies.  Candy.  Chocolate.  Brownies.  Mmmm…brownies.  I’m not even joking, that was my diet.

Needless to say, I did not want Hannah to be like me.  Sure, I eat healthy now (The first time I told my parents I ate a stir fry with about 10 different vegetables in it, they probably almost died of shock), but that didn’t start to happen until I was 18 years old.  Hannah wasn’t allowed to eat anything even remotely resembling junk food until she was about 2.  You can’t really keep a 2 year old from birthday cake.  They just know too much by then.  And they have a nose for chocolate.  Even if they see a random box, one they’ve never seen before in their life, if it’s filled with chocolate, they’ll know.  And they’ll want some.  I laboriously made all of her baby food.  I started her on all the vegetables before any fruit so she wouldn’t get a sweet tooth.

It didn’t work.  Well, it did for a while.  She used to eat everything I gave her with a gusto. But then she reached toddler-hood.  She learned how to say she doesn’t want something, and she doesn’t eat if she darn well doesn’t want to.  She wants treats all the time.  She is constantly asking for chocolate and lollipops.  I can give her a plate filled with nutritious, delicious food and she will look at it, wrinkle her little nose up and declare “I don’t want any. I’m done eating.” Sigh.

So when I was contacted to review “The No-Cry Picky Eater Solution,” I jumped at the chance.  Heck yes I would like to review it, thank you very much!

I have to admit, I was wanting, expecting, and hoping for a quick fix, miracle-ish solution.  Sorry, but that’s just not possible.  We know it’s not, so don’t even get that into your head.  On the contrary, the book equips parents for the long haul.  It gives us long-term solutions to set up our children’s eating habits for life.  It assured me that I’m not alone in my near daily oh-my-gosh-my-child-won’t-eat-is-she-going-to-be-malnourished worries, and my oh-my-gosh-why-won’t-you-just-take-one-darn-little-bite-before-declaring-my-worked-so-hard-on-it-so-you-would-eat-it-meal-unworthy-of-your-existance frustration and crankiness.  It equipped me with the knowledge I need to not turn eating into a battle, a trauma for my child, or for me.  It calmed my constant frustration about her eating habits (or lack there of).  The No-Cry Picky Eater Solution is a book that every parent of a toddler needs.  Unless you are one of those really lucky ones whose child is like a wonderful vacuum and will eat anything that you throw at her.

It is a great book, but it is a bit repetitive.  Have a read, equip yourself with knowledge, and know that you’re in it for the long haul.  in the mean time, why not try some of this.  I mix it in with Hannah’s juice in the morning, so at least I know she is getting some nutrients (note, I was not compensated, given free samples, or anything for this  product, I just like it).

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The little blankie that could

Fill in the Blankie, a personalised baby blanket:

I travelled across the world to get here.  But it didn’t take me very long.  I was so excited to finally get out of my package and meet my owner/best friend – the person who will love me unconditionally for the rest of their life.  Daniel.

I could hear the package around me being torn open.  Light flooded in. “Oh wow, it’s beautiful!” Someone said.

A little girl grabbed me and excitedly ran off giggling.

The little girl trying to steal me

“No, no, you’re not Daniel!!!” I screamed.  “I belong to Daniel, not to you! Daniel’s name, birthdate, time of birth, and weight are written on me.  Not yours!”  But she kept cuddling me and running around, totally ignoring my pleas, acting as if she couldn’t even hear me.

“That’s for Daniel sweetie, you already have a special blanket that you love.”  She put me down and ran off to get her own blanket.

Finally, I got to meet Daniel.  I was wrapped around him, warm and snug.  I knew from that moment that we would be forever bonded.  He would cherish me his whole life, eventually showing me to his own children.  I knew that I would be that one blanket that he always kept.  Everyone has that one blankie.  But I’m special.  I’m personalised.   I am made to last.  I’m adorable.  I’m loveable., cuddly, and soft.

Then he threw up on me.   “Oh no,” his mom said “the blankie!”

I'm very well made!

“That’s ok,” I told her “I’m robust and made of high quality materials, you can wash me!  Just throw me in the washing machine, I’ll be fine!”  But she couldn’t hear me.  Probably because I’m a blanket.  Luckily she threw me in anyway.  Good as new.

Want your own Fill in the Blankie? You can get 20% off by ordering one by 19 October 2011 using the code iwnt20. Click here for some suggestions for  personalizing your baby blanket.

Want to WIN a digital gift certificate for $150 towards any Fill in the Blankie (mine cost less than that including shipping, so depending on the blanket you get, you won’t have to pay a dime!)? All you have to do is comment on this post telling me your most embarrassing mommy story.  Anyone in the world can enter, you don’t have to be in the U.S. or Australia.  Entries will be judged by an impartial third party as I’m sure I will know some of you who enter (to make it fair for those I know and those I don’t) and will be notified via email. Contest ends 13 October.

 

UPDATE: Some people have said the this site won’t let them leave a comment, so you can also post your entry on the Mommy Adventures facebook page wall.

*A free personalised Daniel blanket was given to me by Fill in the Blankie for me to review.