Just writing a quick note to let you know my computer & internet aren't up right now. So I will be logging in whenever I can (once a day) and hopefully everything will be working by the weekend!

I just posted a GREAT Kiss My Face Giveaway so go over & enter :)

Kiss My Face Potent & Pure Review & HUGE Giveaway!

GIVEAWAY CLOSED***



I am so excited to be able to work with Kiss My Face again on this next review and giveaway!

Kiss My Face brings you the most natural, organic, chemical free products that you can truly feel good about using on yourself and your children. From Hair Care to Beauty, Cleansing to Sun care, Kiss My Face will help you find a way to more friendly on your own body and the environment.

At Kiss My Face you will find:

• no artificial colors
• no animal testing
• no animal ingredients
• no unnecessary chemicals

All of their products (with the exception of only toothpaste & olive oil soap) are made in the United States! I love supporting companies that keep things local!

This is the second time I have had the opportunity to work with Kiss My Face. The first time was a few months back, when I hosted a giveaway for the entire Kids Line & the entire Sheer & Shimmer Line. I am actually still using products from both of those lines, and I am STILL loving them! The soaps are so gentle on my daughter's skin, and it makes me so happy to know that I we are using natural products on her delicate skin. The Lip Line is great as well, and I passed a couple along to my mom & sister who are very much enjoying them!

The latest products I have had the pleasure of reviewing are the Potent & Pure Facial Line. I have always sensitive skin, it's always been a constant struggle to find products that actually work for me. Even now as an adult, I struggle with things like dry skin, clogged pores, & acne. That's why I was so excited to try this particular line of products. I know how natural & soothing Kiss My Face can be, and I really had never gone that route before. It seems I was always trying something that had who knows WHAT in the ingredients list. I was ready for something new - something organic and clean.

Out of the line, I chose a few products to use in my everyday regimen. I like to use the So Refined Jojoba & Mint Facial Scrub, C the Change Ester C® Serum, the Pore Shrink Deep Cleansing Mask, and the Intensive Repair Night Crème. The very first night, my skin felt different. It was a clean, fresh, revitalized feeling without any after effects like of residue, dryness, or greasiness. I have been using these products for about 2 weeks now, and I really feel that my skin has a healthier appearance and feel to it. It just feels so soft and smooth!! The scrub got rid of any dead skin cells, and left it smooth and fresh. My next favorite item was the C The Change Ester Serum! That was the icing on the cake, so to speak! So good for your skin! I am very happy with the results of the Potent and Pure facial line. They really have something to offer every type of skin type...like deep moisturizers, Botanical Acne Gel, and Eye Repair Cream.

The Potent & Pure Facial Care Line consists of:

1. clean for a daycreamy face cleanser
2. start up exfoliating face wash
3. shea soy facial cleansing bar
4. balancing antioxidant toner
5. c the change ester c® serum
6. under age ultra hydrating moisturizer
7. cell mate facial crème & spf 10 sunscreen
8. brightening day crème with spf 4
9. intensive repair night crème
10. eyewitness eye repair crème
11. breakout botanical acne gel
12. so refined jojoba & mint facial scrub
13. pore shrink deep cleansing mask

That is a HUGE assortment of wonderful products for your skin, everyone can find something that would be PERFECT for their skin type!

GIVEAWAY:Kiss My Face is giving one VERY lucky reader the entire Potent & Pure Facial Line!!! Yes, that is ALL 13 PRODUCTS LISTED ABOVE!!! This is over a $200 Value!!

TO ENTER: Please visit Kiss My Face and look around! Then leave a comment here with a product you liked from their site!

EXTRA ENTRIES: Please leave me an additional comment for every extra entry you complete.

1. Follow My Blog
2. Subscribe
3. Follow me on Twitter & Tweet this giveaway (leave the link!)
4. Blog about this giveaway (leave a link!)
5. Tell me which Potent & Pure Facial Product you are most excited to try!
6. Add my Button to your site

Contest is open to US Residents only. Contest will end on May 15th at 10pm CST. Winner will be chosen using random.org and will be emailed as well as announced here on Ladybug Soup. Winner has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Remember to leave an email address in your comment or have it in your Profile. If you win, I need a way to contact you :) Thanks for entering & thanks to Kiss My Face for another amazing review!

Birthday Girl

My Baby Is Two!!

We had a little fun day just the three of us on Saturday. We opened presents in the morning, and she loved them ALL! Her favorites were her easel (from Grandma) T Ball (it's hilarious watching her hit the ball!), and her bowling set. She also loved caillou - she immediatly gave him a nap after she opened him. She told him "sweet dreams, Caillou!" It was precious!

Last minute we decided to get her a slightly different bike, one that had a handle that we could use to push her until she got better at peddling, then it could be removed. But the thing is too big for her reach the peddles! I feel so bad for her, she wants to ride it & wants to peddle, but it just isn't working :( I feel like we should have stuck with the original bike. And I don't think it can be returned because we assembled it (?)

Her big party will be this Sunday, with our family coming over to celebrate & spoil her :) I still have some things to get together, like ordering the cake & picking what food to serve. I am looking forward to it though, she LOVES them all so much - she is going to enjoy herself!

Also she loved us singing happy Birthday to her. After we were done, she would say "More? More Birthday?" And we'd sing it again! So fun!

Jillie Willie Review And Giveaway!

GIVEAWAY CLOSED***

I am SO excited to introduce you to my latest review! It comes from Jillie Willie, a company that makes THE most fabulous and fun products I have ever seen! At Jillie Willie you can find a colorful assortment of aprons, toddler aprons, bags, slippers & shoes, gloves, house dresses, and an awesome assortment of extra accessories like Do's, towels, and much more!

Jillie Willie was created by Jill Grover, who started sewing when she was just 10 years old. Like many children, a lot of Jill's clothes were hand me downs. She would spend time recreating the pieces and making an entirely new piece, like a shirt from a dress, or a scarf from a bag. She appreciates those times, and truly loved her childhood. She has said that it helped shape her work ethic, teaching her that she had to work hard for the things that she wanted.

The styles that you see on Jillie Willie are are completely unique and are designed by the Jillie Willie team. The brightness and cheeriness of everything they sell is what first drew me in. Everything has a light hearted feel, and just makes you smile when you see them! This is a beautiful, bright Market Tote that would be so great to carry around this Spring!

And these Do's are completely hip and fashionable!! This would be the perfect way to easily look put together & ready for an outing! I love that there are so many great ways to wear them!

I know I am not the only one who squeals with delight at the site of a flirty apron!! Aprons from Jillie Willie are so great, they actually make me want to cook something!! Yup, they are that awesome!
There is one thing I like more than an apron for me, however, and that is an apron for my little girl! It is seriously THE cutest thing I have ever seen. When I put her Jillie Willie Apron on her, she just looked like such a little sweetheart! And like a little lady! Now that really made me squeal!!! We got to try the Ada - Faces Toddler Apron, and it is just the coolest thing! The black & white colors are so classic, and the little flair in the skirt is perfect! The material is also very sturdy and holds up to her play - whether it's cooking or crafts. There is a tie in the back to adjust to her waist size, and buttons sewn on the top strap to adjust around her shoulders/neck. This is the perfect way to make an apron for a child, because they grow so fast and this apron will grow right along with her!


Jillie Willie makes such bright and original products, I just know you will find something that you adore! There are also a lot of great items that would make the perfect gift for someone you know! The aprons can be made for adults, children, and toddlers! I love that there are so many sizes available...you can get a little mommy & daughter apron that would make cooking so much fun!

GIVEAWAY: Jillie Willie has generously offered one reader their choice of any Toddler Apron!

TO ENTER: Please visit Jillie Willie and take a look around! Then come back and leave a comment telling me an item you loved!

EXTRA ENTRIES: Please leave an additional comment for every extra entry you complete!

1. Follow my Blog
2. Subscribe
3. Blog about this giveaway
4. Tweet this giveaway - leave the link
5. Add my button
6. Enter another giveaway I have running, just leave a comment telling me you did so!

Contest will end on May 6th at 10pm CST. Winner will be chosen from Random.org and will be emailed and announced here on Ladybug Soup. Winner will have 72 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Contest is open to US Residents only.

Christi's Cupcake Cuties~Review & Giveaway~Birthday Special!!

GIVEAWAY CLOSED***

My next giveaway & review comes from an adorable Etsy Shop called Christi's Cupcake Cuties!! It is the PERFECT shop to feature right now because of the huge event coming up this Saturday...my daughter's birthday!!

Christi's Cupcake Cuties is the place to go when you have a birthday party for you child. Christi offers a wonderful selection of personalized tee shirts, bibs, aprons, and even matching tutu's all for your little one's big day! Everything you see on her shop can be made in any color she has available, so that it matches your party theme perfectly!

Having the perfect outfit really completes the party package, and your child will really shine and be the star in a shirt from Christi's Cupcake Cuties!

Christi is a stay at home mom of 4 children, which I think is amazing! This is inspiring to me, because I stay at home with one and can barely get my housework done :) Christi started out by making clothes and accessories for her daughters. After receiving many compliments on her designs, she started two Etsy shops - this one being her most recent. She uses her work as an outlet from her busy life in a family of six! Christi tells me that she gets so much enjoyment out of making these special birthday outfits for children, and that her mind is always racing with new ideas! You can check out Christi's other etsy shop - Christi Creations Boutique - to see her huge assortment of other products like diaper bags, tee shirts, and SUPER sweet baby gift sets! Christi also just started a blog at http://wwwchristicreations.blogspot.com so you can check that out for her latest creations!

Christi created a special birthday shirt just for my little girl. It arrived perfectly packaged in pretty tissue paper & ribbon. The shirt is bright, colorful, and is so well made! There is a big, tasty looking cupcake right in the center, and she even added her name underneath it for the ultimate personalization. I was so happy with our shirt, and I know everyone will just love it at her party. My daughter was so thrilled at the cupcake design :) She kept talking about it, and told me over & over that there was a cupcake on her shirt!! Of course she loves cupcakes (most kids do!) so that was an excellent choice for her!


Christi can create your shirt any way you want. She can add a name, a number (age), candles, any combination you'd like! I absolutely adore her tee & tutu combos too...look at how sweet this outfit is! The bow really completes it, don't you think? You can get these tutu's to match your cupcake shirt, or they can be purchased separately.

And don't worry...those little boys aren't being left out! Christi has some shirts that are perfect for little birthday boys too!

I am so thrilled that Christi's handmade creation is going to be a part of our big day! I can really tell that the shirt was made with care & skill, and it will really become a keepsake for us to always have & cherish. I would highly recommend Christi to all of you mom's who want something extra special for your child on their extra special day!

GIVEAWAY:Christi has very generously offered one lucky reader their choice of any personalized tee shirt from Christi's Cupcake Cuties!

TO ENTER: Please visit Christi's Cupcake Cuties and take a look around! Then leave a comment telling me one item from her shop you liked!

EXTRA ENTRIES: Please leave a comment for each additional entry you complete

1. Follow My Blog
2. Subscribe
3. Add my Button
4. Follow me on twitter & Tweet this giveaway
5. Blog about this giveaway
6. Visit Christi's other shop Christi Creations Boutique and tell me a specific item you loved!

Giveaway will end on May 6th at 10pm CST. Winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be contacted by email & announced here on Ladybug Soup. Winner has 72 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Contest is open to US Residents only. Please remember to have an email address either in your comment or in your profile so that I will have a way to contact you if you are the lucky winner!

Thanks for entering & thank you SO much to Christi for sharing your beautiful work with me & my daughter for her big day!!

Almost Two

Later this week, my precious little girl will turn two!!

I cannot even believe how fast those two years flew by....it's exciting, and a little sad :( In some ways she is still my little baby, and in others she is branching out and becoming a little girl. A kid. How did that happen?

Her moods have gotten a little...whats the word.....up & down? Dramatic? Other words that come to mind are crabby, sensitive, bossy...LOL! PLEASE tell me it's not just me getting snapped at by a two year old? That way I won't take it personally. Because it seems like I am not doing ANYTHING right according to her. It's been a rough few days with her moods, even when playing with her it seems I mess it up or something, and she gets upset with me! I think she is just expressing her little toddler emotions, and maybe doesn't know how to handle all of her new feelings. I will tell myself that's what it is, the only other thought is that she doesn't want her mommy around her, and that CANNOT be possible ;) She has even developed a pouty little lip she sticks out when she is upset with soemthing. THAT is definitely new!

So the birthday party will be pushed back to next weekend, a week after her actual birthday. I did this for my mom, who works this weekend. i don't want her staying for an hour then rushing to work. We are close, and she is super close with my daughter, and i want her there to enjoy it all. It works out well actually because I am COMPLETELY unprepared for the party. So I get some extra time to plan!

I have a couple things for her I need to buy still. But we have the tricycle & CAILLOU! He got here today, I am SOOOO excited! I also found one Caillou book at Barnes & Noble, the only one they had. It came in on a return - maybe from an internet order. I have no clue why nobody sells them around here. Oh, and I was so eager to buy it, I didn't even look at the title until today. It's called something like "It's Mine" Craaaaappp. That's all she needs! The whole book he's whiny & won't share. Then on the very last page he decides to share. They should spend a little more time on the sharing part LOL! I wonder if the toddler will remember all of the many pictures & pages about bratty Caillou...or the ONE page where he quickly decided it was okay to share. Smart, huh? LOL!!

Winner of The Safe Sippy!

Here is the winner of The Safe Sippy giveaway! This lucky winner will get a set of three sippy cups!

From Random.org...

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:149
Timestamp: 2009-04-21 02:52:02 UTC

Congrats to #149....Amanda! I will be emailing you shortly, please respond ASAP! Thanks!

Thanks to everyone that entered this giveaway!

The Trendy Tadpole ~~ Review & Discount Code~~

The Trendy Tadpole is a company that sells the hippest, coolest clothes for you and your tots!

The Trendy Tadpole was created back in 2004 by Julie, who decided she it was time to work for herself! She was inspired by the students she was teaching and the kids she was babysitting. Julie works hard to constantly come up with new ideas for designs, and has such a cool collection that everyone is sure to love!

Any of these shirts would be the hit of any baby shower or birthday party! If you show up with one of these onesies as a gift, I assure you that you will be the coolest person there! These shirts mix in current pop culture, Japanese inspired designs, and laugh out loud funny designs that parents & kids will love! The sizes range from 3-6 months all the way up to women's sizes!! I love that there is such a great range is sizes, so everyone can wear these tops!

Here are some of my favorite designs from their site! This is the AB/CD which is great for all of those music loving parents & babies out there! So funny!

This next one (These aren't The Parents) definitely made me laugh out loud! I am sure my daughter has had this exact thought ;) I am also loving the Koi design, it is so bright & fun!!

We had the chance to try the Giraffes Tee for my daughter, and we LOVE it! The material is very soft and has completely held up to the washing machine. I love the soft pink design, and my daughter likes the sweet giraffe design. It is a great find for Spring, and I would definitely recommend visiting The Trendy Tadpole for tees that are a step above your everyday designs!

All shirts can be purchased online and in select stores around the nation.

UPDATE****DISCOUNT CODE ADDED***

Julie has offered a wonderful discount code to all of my readers! Just enter the code wholesale to recieve 50% off your purchase!!!! This is a huge discount, thank you so much to The Trendy Tadpole!

Caillou is on his way!

Last night I ordered a birthday gift for my daughter. It is a plush Caillou doll...and she is going to completely FLIP OUT when she sees it!
I got it from Amazon. I have never seen him in stores anywhere, so she has no idea that Caillou toys even exist. And she is obsessed with him. That is her favorite show to watch, and she when she gets upset or cries, she'll cry for "haillou" and wants to watch him on tv. It's a little strange LOL!

They have some books too, but I am going to check out Barnes & Noble and see if they have some in stores that I can buy without paying shipping. Paying shipping is a pain to me :)

I can't wait for her to be able to drag her little Caillou around the house with her and play with him in person :) Maybe that will cut back on her whining for the TV :)

So Caillou should be on his way today! I am going to hide that little guy so well, so she has no idea she is getting him. I can't wait!

Random thought...

This is completely random...but I am killing time before we go get my hubby from work to get our car. So here ya go!

I use WAYYYYYYY too many exclamation points. Like a ridiculous amount. When I write emails or posts, I actually have to go back and delete some, and put periods there instead. It's so weird.

I think it's because when you write an email, it's just words. The person doesn't get any clues from your tone of voice, or the expression you use when you talk. So things can be read many different ways. I know I am overly sensitive to what people write to me in emails. I think it sounds kinda mean, or short. But then my husband informs me that I am crazy, and that it doesn't sound rude to him at all :)

So I think I use exclamation points to let people know that I am being friendly, and not trying to offend anyone. Make sense? Yeah...not really.

Hey, I just wrote an entire post without any exclamation points! Oops, there it was...

Busy, Busy,Busy

This past weekend was SOOOO busy!

We had an Easter egg hunt Saturday morning, car shopping, then an ER run Saturday night, two Easter parties on Sunday, and car shopping ever since.

Let's just say it's a little stressful over here!

My hubby had to go to the hospital Saturday, and he still isn't 100%. So everything we have to do is being done carefully because his pain can come on quick. And if he takes a pain pill, he gets a little loopy :) And sleepy. He really needs his rest so it's hard to have running around to do.

We SHOULD be closing our car deal tonight. Neither of us have ever really shopped for a car before. It really is a lot of work. I hoped to get more off the asking price, but I guess I understand why they didn't go too low. It was the best deal we could find so I think the price was good to start. I am crossing my fingers that everything goes well tonight and that we leave with a new car! ONLY THEN will I relax & allow myself to get excited. I know how things can go wrong & change. But I will let out a little scream in excitement when I drive out of their lot with that car. I won't even look back!

I hope everyone had a really good Easter! Hope everyone is enjoying the nice Spring weather too! It's gorgeous outside which does lift my mood!

I have some great giveaways coming up soon. One is from Kiss My Face, my favorite natural & organic company ever! It's a big one too :) Hopefully I will be done reviewing everything this week so watch for that soon!

Winner of Hair Sprinkles!

Here is the winner of the Hair Sprinkles Giveaway! This winner will get 3 adorable clips from Hair Sprinkles that are PERFECT for Spring!!

From Random.org...

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:103
Timestamp: 2009-04-14 16:51:59 UTC

#103...Congrats to Heather!! Heather I have emailed you, please respond within 72 hours to claim your prize!

Thanks to everyone that entered & to Hair Sprinkles for such a sweet review opportunity! These have quickly become my favorite style of hair clips for my daughter, so check out this Etsy shop and take a look!

Jack And Lily Shoes ~Review & Giveaway~

GIVEAWAY CLOSED***

With Spring here, and warmer weather getting closer everyday, my daughter and I are just itching to get OUT of the house. One way we are getting ready for this is getting new shoes to play in! My daughter is almost two, and loves to run, jump, climb, and pretty much everything in between. She needed shoes that were flexible to make it comfortable to do all of the her exciting outdoor activities, and also one that was comfortable and wouldn't hurt her little feet at the end of the afternoon.

One company that understands babies and toddlers special requirements is Jack And Lily. Their shoes are made from the finest 'lamb touch' leather, and are specially made for their our little one's growing and developing feet. These shoes are naturally durable and are slip resistant, which is SO important for early walkers! If you have ever seen your baby or toddler walk across a kitchen floor & have their feet slip right out from under them, then you will understand the importance of non slip!!

Jack and Lily has one of the largest selections of shoes I have seen! They have their Original Collection which offers soft soled shoes in tons of great styles. You are bound to find one of your child's favorite images on a Jack And Lily My Collection Shoe. From sailboats and sports cars, to lady bugs and flowers, the choices are endless!

You can also find another Collection available is the My Shoes. These shoes are Non-Toxic, breathable, and made of 100% Premium Cowhide Leather. They also have a velcro closure that makes them easy to get on and off your child, which is a huge plus. It's also a great tool to help a child learn how to put their own shoes on. To complete the package, these shoes have cushioned soles and cushioned ankle protection. Perfect for outdoors!

We received the Jack and Lily Bubbly Baby Whale shoes for my daughter to try out. I picked this style because she loves sea creatures and her Daddy's fish tank! I was especially drawn to the fresh minty spring color and the whale is so adorable! The very first thing I noticed when I received the shoes in the mail was the cute carrying case they arrived in. This would make it perfect for gift giving, and the little bag can be reused! I then noticed how SOFT the shoes are! They have a great suede bottom, and the patch design was also velvety soft. I was able to easily slip the shoes on my daughter, and once they were on, they stayed on. They appear to be very comfortable to her, she loves to wear them even around the house. She was super excited to see that cute little whale, and likes to point out her shoes to whoever will look at them!! I also noticed that they are machine washable, which is GREAT for us!

Jack And Lily shoes can be purchased at select locations across the US, Canada, and many other countries! They are also available online and start at just $26.00!

GIVEAWAY: Jack And Lily are generously offering one lucky reader their choice of ANY pair of shoes from their site!

TO ENTER: Please visit Jack And Lily and take a look around at their wonderful selection! Then come back and leave a comment with a pair of shoes that you adore!

EXTRA ENTRIES: Please leave a comment for every extra entry you complete. Thanks!

1. Follow My Blog
2. Subscribe
3. Add my Button
4. Blog this Giveaway
5. Follow me on Twitter & Tweet this giveaway

Contest will end on April 27th at 10pm CST. Giveaway is open to US & Canadian Residents. Winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be announced here on Ladybug Soup & emailed. Winner has 72 hours to respond to the email or a new winner will be chosen.

Please remember to have an email address somewhere I can see it (in your comment or profile) so that I have a way to reach you if you win :)

One More Day to Win Hair Sprinkles

Just a quick reminder that the hair Sprinkles giveaway will end tomorrow night at 10pm CST (April 11th)

This shops offers the CUTEST hair clips, and they are honestly my favorite style of clip that I have ever seen! If you have a little girl that you would like to win these for, enter HERE!

My Baby Rode a Bike Today!

Tonight my daughter road a little tricycle for the first time!!!!! It was absolutely adorable seeing her on there, so excited and proud of herself! I couldn't believe how old my baby has gotten, right before my eyes. I mean WHEN did that happen!?!?

So the bike riding...where did she ride the bike you might ask? Well....it was in an aisle at Walmart LOL! Hey, the guy who worked there showed us which one could be taken down & used as a model, so it was okay ;)

We wanted to see if she'd even be interesed in one, because her birthday is in just a couple of weeks and it would be a great present. We are SO getting her one now! She at first didn't know how to peddle, and was perfectly content being pushed along by her Daddy. So cute. Then she started to get it though, but her peddaling needs some work :) I thought she wouldn't want to get on, but as soon as she saw it, she was like "BIKE!!" "DOWN, DOWN!!" She had to get out of the cart & get on that thing!

It was one made by Radio Flyer, and was more expensive than the plastic ones that are made a little chunkier, and have plastic wheels. I thought those looked like good starter bikes, but my husband thought this one would be better quality. I like the little bucket seat too. Here is a pic:

I love the color, and the tassels are adorable. She liked them too :)

On another note, she is such a well behaved kid. She walked through the entire toy section holding my hand, & playing with the things she could reach. But she'd put it down & move onto the next toy, and when we left that section she didn't insist on getting a toy. She was okay just saying "bye bye" to the toys & moving on! Let's hope that lasts...something tells me it won't :)

Frecklebox Winner!

I have a winner of the Frecklebox Giveaway! This lucky winner gets their choice of any item from the frecklebox website!! She is going to have so much fun choosing something! Frecklebox makes the MOST amazing personalized gifts for children, I would highly recommend visitng them the next time you need a creative, fun product for a child!

From random.org...

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:118
Timestamp: 2009-04-10 03:11:22 UTC

Congrats to #118...Janeen (Christian Frugal Mama)!! I have emailed you Janeen, please email me back within 72 hours to claim your prize!

Thanks to everyone that entered and to Frecklebox for an amazing giveaway & review opportunity!

This Is How We Do Crafts :o)

This is how we do crafts in our house....LOL! I will admit I am severely craft challenged, and I am in awe of anyone that can create beautiful art work out of some paper & glue. That is a lot of fun to look at...but for some reason doesn't work so well for me ;)

But this was a blast to do! The round things are Easter Eggs...and my daughter colored on them! The other half round thing is a little fish tank, with a few fish & a coral. She loves her daddy's fish tank so that was fun to make one just for her. She also colored in the blue water :)

I am really excited for this weekend so we can go to an Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday & have her find her basket on Sunday. We may dye eggs tomorrow, I got them all cooked today so they are ready to go! Just need to pick up some mayo so we can have all of those egg salad sandwich for the next week!! Yummy :)

Do you like to do crafts with your kids? Are you doing any fun Easter activites? I would love to hear about it!

Frecklebox Giveaway Ends Tonight!

Make sure to get all of those extra entries in for the Frecklebox Giveaway! It will end tonight at 10pm so you have only a few hours left!

Frecklebox has a wonderful assortment of personalized products for your kids. There will be one very lucky winner who gets anything from their site!

Enter HERE!

The Safe Sippy Review & Giveaway

GIVEAWAY CLOSED***

In my continued efforts to only use BPA Free products for my toddler, I discovered The Safe Sippy. The Safe Sippy is different kind of cup than what you may be used to using. This sippy cup is made of stainless steel and only uses BPA Plastics. The look is sleek, simple, yet fun. And best of all? Free of those chemicals & toxins that can be harmful to our children!

The cup is made of non-leaching stainless steel. The lid is made of plastics free of BPA, phthalates and DEHA. They decided to use plastic because it is much more appealing to a toddler than sucking on stainless steel...can you imagine a stainless steel straw? Exactly :) Kid Basix, the manufacturer of The Safe Sippy, arranges for extensive independent laboratory testing to ensure their products meet the very highest standards.

The Safe Sippy is unlike any sippy cup I own. All of the cups my daughter had ever used were made entirely of plastic. I was wondering how she would react to a new kind of cup, and if she would take to it well. When the cup arrived, I threw it in the dishwasher to get it nice and clean before using it for the first time. Yes, it is dishwasher safe!! I don't know about you, but for me that is HUGE. A MUST even! I am far too busy to worry about hand washing dishes. So that was the first perk I noticed when reading the instructions!

She of course loved that it was pink...and it was very easy for her to hold. It comes with a removable fun colored grip that makes it nice and comfortable for your toddlers little hands. The Safe Sippy also has handles that you can use. We go either way actually...if I remember to put the handles on, we use them. Otherwise we don't. It works perfectly for her either way. I know when she was younger though, handles were a must, so it's great to have that option! There is also a spill proof valve that is removable - so it can easily be taken out to be washed. The spill proof part has actually worked very well for us. My daughter likes to purposefully shake the milk out of her cup ( I don't know why!) and this holds up really well to her abuse :)

Chemicals in plastics are a concern for many parents out there, and The Safe Sippy gives you an easy choice in purchasing cups for your kids. It takes the guess work out of buying sippies. Now you don't have to worry about those 'other' cups that may not even mention BPA on their labels!

Purchase it: Find an online location HERE to purchase your own Safe Sippy or find one at a location near you!

GIVEAWAY: The Safe Sippy is giving one reader the chance to win a Set of Three Safe Sippy Cups!!

TO ENTER: Visit The Safe Sippy and tell me one feature you like about these cups!

EXTRA ENTRIES: Please leave an additional comment for every extra entry you complete

1. Subscribe
2. Add my Button
3. Follow My Blog
4. Blog about this giveaway
5. Follow me on Twitter & tweet this contest
6. For an extra entry, enter one of my other giveaways I have going on! (leave an extra comment here!)

Please be sure to leave an email address either in your comment or on your Profile. I need a way to contact you if you are the lucky winner :)

Giveaway is open to US & Canadian Residents. Giveaway will end on April 17th at 10pm CST. Winner will be contacted by email & announced here on Ladybug Soup. Winner has 72 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Winner of Mr. Bobbles' Blankets Giveaway!!

We have the winner of the Mr. Bobbles' Blankets giveaway! The winner gets their choice of a Toddler Pillow & Supersize Blanket OR Two Toddler Pillows! These are so soft & cozy...perfect for those bedtime snuggles!

From Random.org...

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:27
Timestamp: 2009-04-06 19:34:57 UTC

Congrats to #27....Jennifer!!! Jennifer I have emailed you...please respond within 72 hours to claim your prize!!

Thank you so much to everyone that entered this giveaway & did all of your awesome extra entries!

If you didn't win, I have 2 giveaways going on right now FRECKLEBOX & HAIR SPRINKLES So definitely go and enter those! Good luck!

And more giveaways are coming soon!!

SICK.....AGAIN

Oh man, I have another cold! When we moved in I had a horrendous cold that lasted 2 weeks...and now it seems another one has hit me full on.

Watery, burning eyes

Dripping Nose

Stuffy Nose

Sinus Pain

Headache

Body Aches

Sore Throat

All in all, I am miserable. I have some new reviews & giveaways to post, but i can barely keep my sore eyes open so they will have to wait a bit. I am also going to pick a winner for the Mr Bobbles' Blankets Giveaway tomorrow - so watch for that!

I am HOPING that I feel better in the morning. I am PRAYING that my daughter doesn't get this. Fingers crossed!

Here are the 3 Lucky Winners of Visions In Vinyl!!!

This was such a great giveaway!! We had over 300 comments for Visions In Vinyl!

Each of these winners will get their choice of any Vinyl in the shop up to a 20.00 value. If you were not one of the winners, you can still go and purchase Vinyl Art from Visions In Vinyl. It is probably the most affordable place to buy it and it looks flawless on your wall! The perfect addition to any room! I even saw some fun new additions since I wrote the review...so be sure to take a look!

So here are the winners!


Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:293
Timestamp: 2009-04-03 22:18:37 UTC

#293 Heather

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:235
Timestamp: 2009-04-03 22:21:57 UTC

#235 Cori

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:30
Timestamp: 2009-04-03 22:26:00 UTC

#30 Betty

Congrats to all 3 of you!! I will be sending an email to each of you in the next few minutes, so please respond within 72 hours to claim your prize!

Blog Spring Cleaning? Needed Badly!

I am feeling way too cluttered lately with my Blog layout...I am desperate to move to a 3 column blog!

I think it will make it look a whole lot more clean & organized.

I also have some ideas for a horizontal navigational bar, sidebar button tab things (do you see how technical I am lol!) and even a new background. I am in love with orange & green right now, so I would love to go that route....And a contact me button would be lovely!

Now just to save up money! It's hard to drop so much money on something that is working...but isn't quite as good as it could be. My blog has grown & changed so I want to add some jazz! LOL

Blog Spring Cleaning....who knew that existed? ;)

Goosie Cards ~Autism Awareness Month Special Donation~

Today (or yesterday now) is World Autism Day and April is Autism Awareness month.

Autism affects a huge number of people all over the world, and numbers just continue to climb. Maybe your child has autism or you know someone who has it. Or maybe you don't. It's still very important to be aware of the illness and support the cause in any way you can.

Children with disabilities is a very important and meaningful issue for me...and I wanted to pass along a company that is doing some good in honor of those that are affected by Autism.

The wonderful people at Goosie Cards have always been apart of helping Autistic children. Their innovative flashcards help give children a new way to communicate their needs and can help ease some frustration for children and their parents. They also serve as tools in learning and developing young minds and language skills.

Check out the wonderful programs coming from Goosie Cards!

Goosie Gives™: Goosie Gives™ will provide donations to our families around the world with autism and special needs. Goosie will donate a portion of proceeds to our families in the Special Discount Program. These funds will go directly to the families that need our educational support.

Special Discount Program: We have increased our discount to 20% for the families in our special discount program. This program is offered to families that have children with autism and special needs and use Goosie Cards as communication tools. Families in this program can receive donations from our Goosie Gives™ program. All you need to do is fill out your information and the discount is activated in your account. It's that simple!

Goosie Curriculum™: Our curriculum incorporates personalized flash cards and lesson plans to help children learn a variety of skills to communicate effectively by the reinforcement of real life, visual aids in the following areas: social, emotional, sequential, memory and communication skills. Goosie offers discounts on bulk orders for school systems, as well as treatment facilities.

And in celebration of Autism Awareness Month, Goosie Cards are offering all of their customers a 20% savings and FREE Shipping! Just enter april09 at checkout now until April 30th, 2009.

Birthday Planning...first step

My little Baby turns 2 this month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My head is full of ideas of what to do for her party...but it's so much harder this year. Last year was easy - she had discovered Elmo and was in love :) So we had a fun Elmo themed party and it was great.

This year is different though. She has many different interests and I am not sure what the theme should be. She loves Ponies, Tutus (princess stuff) Caillou, Sesame Street (still), sea creatures, flowers, animals, and butterflies. Maybe about a million more I am just not thinking of at the moment.

I have no clue what direction I want to go! But I was looking online tonight at different cakes, and found a few that I adore! Here's some from Parenting Magazine - if you have a boy you should take a look - there are a bunch of cute boy cakes!

See this difficult choice? I kinda like the idea of a Spring theme too, and am crossing my fingers the weather will be pleasant by then. Maybe I could do a 'favorite things' theme and have a little of each thing she loves...but that will probably come off as scrambled and unorganized. Hmmmmm...That's going to be my main focus the next couple of weeks. Party planning for a two year old LOL!

Have I mentioned one of my downfalls is that I am incredibly indecisive?

2 Giveaways Ending Soon!

Just a quick reminder that the Visions In Vinyl giveaway will end tonight at 10pm CST so you have a few more hours to get your entries in! Remember there will be 3 WINNERS! So you have better chances of winning :)

Also the cozy giveaway from Mr Bobbles' Blankets will end tomorrow (4/3) night at 10pm so you have only one more day to enter! The winner gets their choice of blanket & toddler pillow combo OR 2 Toddler pillows (great if you have 2 kiddos this age!)