Mommyhood Monday!!!

"Happy Mommy"?

Luke has asked me this a couple times in the last week or so.

"Yes, I'm happy"......"Are you happy Lukie?" I ask him the same thing.

"Yes" My heart swelled with pride. He is starting to recognize emotions, he will ask me what's wrong with a character on t.v. or if he see's someone smile, he will tell me they are happy. It makes a mommy proud to hear him say that he is happy. Lets me know that I'm doing something right. Although I know I'm not perfect, no one is, this just made this mommy smile!

Luke's movie of the week has been UP, and after watching this movie 5468765168 times now, there is a part in it that really sticks with me every time I see it. Russel says "I know that may sound boring but I think it's the boring things that I remember most" That part always sticks with me, I believe that. In our quest to do...do...do, and always be on the run....the most memorable moments are the ones that aren't planned, aren't scheduled, the moments that just happen. The boring ones. Makes me think, how about you?

Friday Favorites!!!

Boy do I have some great new today! Today....I purchased my own domain! Yay!! So, if you look at the top it should say lilbitofus.com...not .blogspot.com anymore! I am now officially a dot com! You should see no changes at all, if you subscribe to my emails, you should continue to receive them and everything should go on as normal! If you should have any problems or notice that something is out of wack, let me know! I am really proud of this though:)

Now, onto what everyone is here for! This week I have a few great projects to share with you all!

First, check out THESE Photo Luminaries from Thread and Feather!

I'm loving how simple these sound! There's nothing better than a simple craft with big results! She used them as centerpieces so if your planning a party this would look great!

Next up is THIS Changeable Picture Frame from Create the Life You'll Love!

Love this idea, and her blog name! I'm currently collecting ideas for a photo wall, kind of like a collage type wall in my dining room and I think this would be great!

And last but not least, check out THIS Paper Roll Easter Bunny from Childmade!

This is yet another simple, inexpensive craft that is too cute! I have already saved the toilet paper roll to make this! And, make sure you check out the other crafts on this site, this is a must see! There are enough tutorials on this site to keep you busy forever!

Do you think it's too early to decorate for Easter? I'm ready for that. Oh yeah, and spring should be just around the corner because I officially changed my bathroom extra toilet paper holder from snowman to tulips and butterflies.......spring...you can come at any minute!

I hope everyone has a great weekend. We are throwing a Welcome Baby party for Londyn tomorrow and who knows what else the weekend will hold!

Losing It Thursday!!!

Well, it's that time again. I'm not going to whine as much as I did last week. I promise!

Last Weeks Weigh In: 186

This Weeks Weigh In: 188.4

SIGH. Yep, almost two and half pound gain this week. I knew I would be up because I have been checking my weight throughout the week, but when I stepped on the scale this morning, I really didn't think it would be that much. BUT, that's ok because I started exercising this week!!! I got out the kettleworx and have done it for the last two days! I'm really proud of myself and of course the motivation to work out is coming back the more I make myself do it. My muscles are sore and I'm loving it! I'm really lucky too, Luke loves to exercise with me. I got out my smallest weights that barely weigh anything, and gave them to him (these are now his lol) and he tries to do everything I'm doing. That actually makes it a little bit more fun too!

Last night while we were exercising he pooped out on me and went and sat in the chair. I asked him "are you done exercising Luke?" he said "do it Mommy" How's that for motivation!!!

I want to set a goal for myself. My goal is: 179 by the end of March. I think I can do that. I would love to lose more than that, but that's a start and it shouldn't be too hard for me to reach that.

I'm linking this up with My Little Apricot!

Wordless Wednesday!!!

So sorry I haven't been around this week. We have been super busy getting ready to have a welcome baby party for Londyn!

Here are just some random pictures of Luke being his cute self!

Here he is helping me paint the blocks for the Poppy Seed Project review/giveaway!

And here he is helping me sweep! He loves that vacuum and when he sees me get out my vacuum, he says "Oh Oh My do it, My do it" and he runs to get his too!

Here he is blowing out the candles on his Uncle Johns birthday cake because Uncle John was sick, so Luke figured he would help him out with that :)

Friday Favorites!!!

It is such a beautiful day out today! We are in the 50's and the sun is shining! Yay for that! I was even able to open both my front door and back door yesterday and let the breeze blow through the house, it smelled so good! My sister in law was like "our air doesn't smell that good here"....we only live like two minutes apart :) Maybe it was just me but it smelled good!

This week a have a few things to share!

Check out THIS Valentine's Day Ornament from Liberty Original!

I know that Valentine's Day is over but I really think this would be cute hanging up all year round, or as a gift too!

Next up is THIS Custom Fingerprint Art from ManMade!

I really love this idea! I think this is an awesome way to have personalized art! And I'm a sucker for anything with fingerprints, handprints, or photo's!

And last but not least, I had to share THIS Recycled Box House from Pink and Green Mama!

I just thought this was a cute idea! Her girls came up with idea all on their own! This is totally something I would have played with when I was younger!

I hope you guys have a great weekend! I think I'm going to go buy some fabric this weekend to make curtains, while I have a 40% off coupon! I finished my first sewing project and I'm ready to move on to bigger and better things!

Losing It Thursday!!!

I just want to warn you that I'm going to do a little whinning in this post.

Here is last weeks weigh in: 184.6

And this weeks weigh in: 186

Yep, right back up I go. I feel like a big fat blob here lately. I want to lose weight, why can't I get motivated? You have no idea how dissapointed I am in myself that spring is right around the corner and this all the weight that I have gotten off. I don't understand what my problem is. I need to exercise. That is one thing I am sure of. And I don't know why I've been in a big baking mood lately, but I think I want to bake so I have an excuse to eat.  Why can't I just do it??? Arrrggghhh, I know it's my fault and I have no excuses and no one else to blame. Yesterday I was looking at a Victoria Secrets catalog, at all the cute little clothes they have in there....and I'm thinking "none of this is going to fit me" meanwhile I am sitting there eating a flippin Big Mac! Then I feel bad about it because I ate fast food. I need to make the conscious decision to get with it. I don't want to be fat anymore. I want to look good and be fit, and it will be a priority to me. PERIOD. The only plus that I can think of right now is that it is starting to get warmer outside, so walking just might be in my near future!

I'm linking this up with My Little Apricot!

Wordless Wednesday!!!

My Little Sleeping Man!

Reach Helps You Avoid the Flu Season This Year~Review & Giveaway!!!

Winners:
Comment #40: Heather Lyons
Comment #7: Paulasue
Comment #14: Sarah Shult

As the snow begins to fall and flu season is in full-swing we all seek simple ways to keep ourselves our families healthy! A quick and easy solution is to make sure you are frequently changing out your toothbrush. Bacteria and viruses can harbor themselves into the bristles of our toothbrushes and doctor’s recommended that we change our toothbrush every six weeks – especially after tackling a flu-like symptoms.

Here to help is the newest line of REACH® by Design™ brushes. This limited-edition collection brings together style, vibrancy and oral hygiene, providing an innovative brush to accommodate your glamorous and healthy lifestyle.

Curated by interior designers Tom Delavan and Celerie Kemble and celebrity stylist Brad Goreski, the new REACH® by Design™ collection adds a splash of style to your brushing routine while also offering the uncompromising cleaning performance you’ve come to expect from REACH®. After all, why can’t your toothbrush be functional AND fashionable?

Additionally, we are excited to share the new launch of the REACH® Total Care + Whitening product line, the ultimate, multi-benefit oral care portfolio! Formulated with new CaCO3 MICRAWHITENING™ technology, REACH® Total Care + Whitening toothbrushes and floss are purposefully designed for superior plaque removal and whitening. Available November 2010, Total Care + Whitening is the ultimate addition to your whitening and oral care routine.

I'm always on the lookout for a better toothbrush or toothpaste. I currently use an electric toothbrush and regular Colgate toothpaste. When I received the Reach toothbrushes and the Rembrandt toothpaste to try out, I decided I was going to switch out my regular products for these for a couple weeks and see what I thought!

The first product that I tried was the Reach by Design Collection

•A NEW limited-edition series curated by interior designers Tom Delavan, Celerie Kemble and celebrity stylist Brad Goreski

•Dental instrument-inspired design with specially angled neck and multi-level bristles to remove 95% of plaque between teeth

•Clinically proven to remove more plaque than the leading toothbrush*

•Available at grocery and drugstores nationwide, including Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid and http://www.drugstore.com/

My Thoughts: I love that these are made with cute designs. These reach the back teeth with no problems and did a great job getting my teeth clean.

The last two products that I received was the Reach Total Care + Whitening and the Rembrandt Deeply White + Peroxide Toothpaste

•Purposefully designed to whiten teeth and remove stains

•The only toothbrush delivering whitening power with MICRAWHITENING™ Calcium Carbonate bristles

•Unique touchpoint grip for advanced control

•Slim, precision grip handle

•Available at drug and food retailers nationwide

My Thoughts: I replaced my electric toothbrush with this one for about 2 weeks. I found that I really liked this toothbrush! I definitely noticed how comfortable it was to hold in my hand and it left my teeth feeling clean. I was a little skeptical about the toothpaste as the flavor was Wintergreen and I'm not a great big fan of Wintergreen, but, I found that I really liked the flavor of this! It was just the right amount of flavor and it wasn't overwhelming. It did have a more of a grainy texture and less of a paste texture, but I found that I liked that as well!

As far as the whitening aspect. I replaced my regular toothpaste and toothbrush with these and I found that after just one use, I could see a diference. After a couple weeks, I think my teeth are whiter than they were. I don't use the chemical whiteners on my teeth, and if your like me and don't want to put that on your teeth, this toothbrush and toothpaste would make a great alternative to that. If you go to the Rembrandt website you can score a $3 off coupon too!

My Verdict: I continue to use the Rembrandt toothpaste, as I really do like that. I like it much better than my old toothpaste, and think my teeth continue to get whiter the longer I use it. I have switched back to my electric toothbrush, only because I like the electric "feel" and well to be honest, I didn't spend money on an electric toothbrush to not use it. If I were in the store picking out a toothbrush though, I would definitely select the Reach Total Care + Whitening brush!

Reach wants to give 3 of my readers (yes 3) one of each product that I reviewed!!!

Mandatory Entry:

Tell which product you would most like to try!

Extra Entries:

1 Extra Entry: Follow my blog

1 Extra Entry: Follow me on twitter and tweet about this giveaway. You tweet daily for an extra entry everyday. You can use this sample tweet:

Reach Helps You Avoid the Flu Season This Year~Review & #Giveaway!!! #win @getinonthewins http://goo.gl/fb/mdypY

2 Extra Entries: Sign up for my emails

1 Extra Entry: Enter any of my other giveaways. One extra entry for each of my other giveaways you enter.

1 Extra Entry: Put my button on your blog and leave me a link

5 Extra Entries: Blog about this giveaway and leave me a link

This giveaway will end on 3/1 at 10pm. I will use random.org to draw a winner and that winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email to claim their prize or another winner will be chosen. I received the mentioned products for review purposes only and no other compensation was received. These are my own honest opinions.

Ebeanstalk Review!!!

You've heard me talk about Ebeanstalk before, and I just wanted to take a minute to tell you about it again! I know how hard it can be to find the gift that is age appropriate, that's going to teach them something but be fun at the same time. Well, Ebeanstalk does the work for you!

Sometimes it's hard to pick out the best toys for your children. Ebeanstalk helps you find the perfect one. You can search for baby toys, toys for 1 year old boys, and
 toys for 1 year old girls. You can go to toys by age and sort by the specific age of your child. You can even arrange their toys by gender or category to make sure you find just what you are looking for! They have a team of moms around the country that test out all the toys with their kids, so you will always know you are getting the very best. Check it out for yourself!

I love how they have everything divided up by age and gender! There is no guessing, just click on the age and gender and here comes a huge assortment of toys to choose from! How can you go wrong? I also love that you can see a whole gift series to help you with your gift decisions! You choose the age and they give you a huge variety of gifts to choose from!

After searching around I found a ton of toys that Luke would love to play with!

I know Luke would love to tear into this 15 Piece Chubbies Bucket!

And he would love to get his hands on this Parking Garage too!

I mean, what kid wouldn't want to play with these toys?

If your looking for a great site for awesome toys, that are matched to your child's development, check out Ebeanstalk!

Kidtoons Barbie: A Fairy Secret Prize Pack Giveaway!!!

Winner: Comment #35~karasceviour

This month Kidtoons is featuring Barbie: A Fairy Secret!

If you've never heard of Kidtoons, here is a little bit about it:

Kidtoons brings family friendly animated movies to the big screen every weekend at participating theaters across the country.

Participating Kidtoons theatres showcase a fun, affordable family friendly matinee movie and provide a family experience filled with entertaining, kid-friendly characters, as well as cartoon shorts, music videos and sing-alongs before each movie. They even have fun giveaways for the kids, such as stickers, temporary tattoos, activity books or toys after every film.

And don't forget about the Kidtoons Birthday club where you can sign up your kids and they will receive a free movie pass on their special day! That's a great way to celebrate!

This months feature is Barbie: A Fairy Secret

Get ready for Barbie A Fairy Secret, an amazing adventure with Barbie where she discovers there are fairies living secretly all around us! When Ken is suddenly whisked away by a group of fairies, Barbie's two fashion stylist friends reveal they are actually fairies and that Ken has been taken to a magical secret fairy world not far away! Barbie and her rival Raquelle take off with the fairy friends on an action-packed journey to bring him back.Along the way they must stick together and learn that the real magic lies not just in the fairy world itself, but in the power of friendship.

Kidtoons wants to give one of my readers a Barbie: A Fairy Secret Prize Pack!!!

1 poster

1 pony doll (style varies)

1 co-star doll (style varies)

1 book

Mandatory Entry:

Tell me who you would give this to, if you win!

Extra Entries:

5 Extra Entries: Sign up for the Kidtoons Birthday Club, if you already have, you can still take the five extra entries

1 Extra Entry: Like Kidtoons on Facebook

1 Extra Entry: Follow Kidtoons on Twitter

2 Extra Entries: Sign up for the Kidtoons newsletter

1 Extra Entry: Enter any of my other giveaways. One extra entry for each of my other giveaways you enter!

1 Extra Entry: Follow my blog

1 Extra Entry: Follow me on twitter and tweet about this! You can tweet daily for an extra entry everyday! You can use this sample tweet:

Enter to #win Kidtoons Barbie: A Fairy Secret Prize Pack #Giveaway!!! @getinonthewins @KidtoonFilms http://goo.gl/fb/1sjTE

 

2 Extra Entries: Sign up for my emails!

1 Extra Entry: Put my button on your blog! Leave me a link!

5 Extra Entries: Blog about this giveaway and leave me a link to the post!

GOOD LUCK!!!

This giveaway will end on 3/1 at 10pm. The winner will be chosen by ramdom.org and will have 48 hours to respond or I will choose another winner. No compensation was received for this. These are my own honest opinions.

 

Mommyhood Monday!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

Also I wanted to say

Happy Birthday to my brother! He was a Valentine's Baby!

Of course we all know who my Valentine is....

I'm missing him today a little more than usual....I'm at work and he is at daycare.

I would like to do something special with him today....just not sure what. The wind is blowing like mad outside or I would take him outside to play for a bit. Hmmm, I'll think of something.

To My Little Valentine,

I wanted to take a minute to tell you how much I love you! You add sunshine into my day and give me a reason to smile. Mommy is so proud of you. You never cease to amaze me by the things that you can do and what you learn. I know that you can do whatever you put your mind to, and I'm here to make sure that you do! You have the best sence of humor and you always crack me up! I am one lucky mommy to have you as my son, as my baby, and if I never do another thing with my life.....it will be worth living because I have you! 

I love you Luke! Happy Valentine's Day!

I Need Suggestions...What Are Your Favorite Products???

I wanted to take a little bit here and ask you guys for your suggestions. There are a few products that I am always...and I mean always....looking for something that I love....or looking for the best, but I never seem to find it. Well, I'm tired of looking...so I'm asking you for what you use, what you love, what you hate...any input at all!

1. What kind of facial cleanser do you use?

I have combination skin. I have a little dry, a little oily and I have some breakouts. I have red spots, splotches at times. And, I have a couple wrinkles. Yes, wrinkles. (sigh) One on my forehead and one on my upper lip. I also have huge pores. Ok, now that I've disgusted you......what do you use? I have used almost everything it seems like and nothing worked like I wanted. I now just use my body wash on my face, but if there is anything better, a wash, a cream, a anything, I'd like to know.

2. What kind of razors do you use?

I pretty much just buy whatever is cheapest, and I know there is a difference between cheap and expensive razors. But, as I'm looking around at all the different kinds of razors, I can't help but wonder, are the really expensive one's really worth it?

3. What kind of mop do you use?

I have been searching for a great mop forever! I can't stand the sponge mops, I didn't really like the Libman. Right now I have the old fasioned mop, you know the kind with the strings? I don't really like it either. There has to be something out there that can make my floors shiny! I was thinking of trying the Swiffer Wet Jet, but I don't want to sink my money into something that won't work.

4. Are there any products you just absolutely love or hate? Anything at all, just simply because I'm curious. I can't stand my Epson. I've been thinking of writing my own review of it, because I know they do blog reviews, and I totally wasted my money on it. I used it once, and it never worked again. I say "Don't buy an Epson printer!!"

So, that's me being nosey, and wanting to know what you use. Let me know, what you love, what you hate, even if it's not something I asked about, chime in! Even if it's something you hate about my blog, or love about my blog, let's hear it!

Gumball Machine Candy Dish!!!

I made the cutest candy dish last weekend! I was so excited to get out and make this. I originally saw it on another blog, which was my inspiration. I loved her color choice so much, that I chose the same one :) I have tried to search and search for her post, but I can not find it anywhere....if you are the one who originally chose these colors for your candy dish, let me know and I'll give credit where credit is due....please!

This was so easy to make and it only cost me $12.08! And, I had to buy everything to make it, except for the hot glue and glue gun! Oh yeah, and the little piece of ribbon wrapped around it.

Like I said, I copy catted (yes, it is a word) color choices! I made the right decision, right!

Basically, this is made from a terra cotta pot, the base to the pot, glass fish bowl, and a wooden ball. I used regular craft paint to paint the pots and then sprayed them off with acrylic sealer (this is one of my favorite craft supplies)

And here is what you get

I absolutely love it! I love the colors and the cuteness! $12.08 well spent!

The Supplies:

1 Terra Cotta Pot and Base

1 Wooden Ball

1 Glass Fish Bowl

Craft Paint in your choice of colors

Glue sticks and glue gun

Acrylic Sealer

The How To:

Paint your terra cotta pot, base and wooden ball. This took me about 4 coats before I was totally happy with it. Once your paint is dry, spray these with acrylic sealer. Not only does this protect your paint, but it also gives it a shine (which is the main reason I do it)

Once that has dried, turn your terra cotta pot upside down and glue the glass fish bowl on top.

Turn the pot base upside down and glue your wooden ball to the top of that. I had to use a good bit of glue to get my ball to stay on top.

Set your lid on top of your bowl, fill with candy and there you have it! Your very own gumball machine candy dish :) If you decide to make one, I'd love to see pictures  of yours!

Friday Favorites!!!

Do you ever just wake up in the morning and feel good, like you have a good outlook on things? That's how I felt this morning. The sun is shining and Luke got to take his Valentine's to daycare today...and it's friday! Yep, I feel pretty good today :)

This week I have a couple crafts to share with you and one great blog I found!

The first crafts are THESE Photo Pillows from The Ivy Cottage!

You all know that I'm a sucker for anything with a photo, and these are no exception! I mean just look how they cute they are to begin with and then add a picture to them.......I love it!! And I love her photo editing too!

Next up are THESE Silver Fingerprint Pendants from Jeanne Winters!

She makes these out of polymer clay! I think this is a great idea for a gift or to just make yourself! Check it out, she gives us step by step on how to do it!

And last but not definitely not least, I wanted to tell you guys about a blog that I recently found..and that I love! It's called IHeart Organizing!

She posts anything and everything about organizing! Last month she did a challenge to organize your paper, and this month the challenge is to oranize your photo's!

You don't want to miss this blog! Especially when you will learn some excellent organization tips!

Not to mention she lets us have a look inside her house!!!!

Who wouldn't want to do laundry in a laundry room like this?

And check out her play room!

I'm honestly loving this blog simply so that I can gather little organization tips here and there, but man, she certainly does give me something to strive for :)

So there you have it! Make sure you check out all my favorites this week! Monday is my brothers birthday so we will be having dinner and cake at my parents this sunday! Luke will enjoy that! I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Losing It Thursday!!!

Here's my weekly weigh in!!!

Last Week: 185.6

This Week: 184.6

So, I'm down a pound. Which I'm happy about! I did have a bad weekend. I made a candy dish, and of course I had to buy candy to put in the candy dish, and then of course I... ate almost the whole bag of reece cups myself... because I can't resist them. But, I did do Pilates and that was a major boost in my outlook on things! As much as I dislike exercising.....it always always always makes me feel better! And, I do have to say that....I'm tired of seeing 18---something. I want to see 179...or lower!