10 Things You Didn’t Know About Halloween!

10 Things you Didn’t Know About Halloween!

1. The traditional colors of Halloween are Orange and Black. Orange represents the fall harvest and Black is the color or darkness and death!
2. More than 93% of children, under the age of 12 will go Trick-or-Treating!
3. Halloween is the 2nd most commercialized Holiday, Christmas is the most commercialized.
4. In the US candy sales average about $2 Billion dollars on Halloween…that’s a lot of Snickers (Snickers is the most popular chocolate Halloween candy).
5. 90% of parents admit to sneaking a treak (or five) from their children’s Halloween bags.
6. Samhainophobia is the fear of Halloween. Ailurophobia is the fear of cats. Wiccaphobia is the fear of witches. Phasmophobia is the fear of ghosts (I definitely have this one…lol). Arachnophobia is of course the fear of spiders, remember the movie of the same name…I was terrified. And last but not least coimetrophobia is the fear of cemeteries.
7. Many of today’s Halloween traditions come from the Celtic pagan festival Samhain.
8. In 1921, Anoka, Minn., held the first official, citywide observance of Halloween in the U.S.
9. Jack-o-lanterns are an Irish tradition. In Ireland, oversized rutabagas, turnips and potatoes were hollowed-out, carved into faces and illuminated with candles to be used as lanterns during Halloween celebrations.
10. You won’t see a full moon on Halloween until October 31, 2020.

New Vlog and A Chance for Lots of Extra Entries!

I told you guys last week about Blastoff…I decided to give you a virtual tour of sorts so you could see what all of the buzz is about! If you have any questions feel free to ask.

And as a special surprise…anyone who joins Blastoff (by clicking the link on my sidebar) before it goes public on Thursday (November 5th) will get 5 extra entries into ALL of the giveaways on Misadventures in Baby Raising between now and the end of November!

Little Music Lovers Review and Giveaway!

All of my children love music, remember this post? When my oldest daughter was a baby I had a hard time getting her to sleep at night. I either had to rock her or walk around with her for hours…and neither one is something I remember fondly. One day on a trip home from her grandmothers she was being fussy so I decided to pop in a Lullaby CD and within five minutes she was sleeping. From that point on we played music whenever she went to sleep and it never failed. (FYI this method worked with all but one of my four kids).

When I had the chance to try out the Little Music Lovers Sampler CD (part of the Smart Music Series) I was very excited. Little Music Lovers sampler CD includes tracks by Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, and several beloved lullabies. The Little Music Lovers Smart Music Series for kids includes four CD’s; Smart Music for Story Time (Beethoven), Smart Music for Activity Time (Bach), Smart Music for Play Time (Mozart), and Smart Music for Bedtime (traditional lullabies).

I have to be honest and tell you that my children are used to pop and rock music. When I first put the sampler CD in they looked at me like, “Uh mom that is not Britney Spears!” (Yes I know how bad that sounds). While the kids didn’t seem to care too much for the music at first they soon began to sway and spin as it played in the background! I noticed that both of my youngest children really seemed to enjoy the sampler cd music as background noise (a welcome change from Nick Jr I might add) and I loved the fact that they were listening to Bach and Beethoven!

Buy it! You can purchase The Little Music Lovers Series at BarnesandNoble.com!

One of my wonderful readers is going to win their pick of one CD from the Little Music Lovers Smart Music series!

Win it! To be entered into this giveaway please tell me which of the four CD’s you would like to receive if you won…easy peasy! This is mandatory and must be completed before any extra entries are counted!

Extra Entries: Please leave separate comments for each extra entry!

• Follow Misadventures in Baby Raising via Email, RSS Feed, or on Blogger…2 extra entries each!
• Follow me on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway…1 Tweet Per Day = 1 Extra Entry Per Day!
• Save money on your Holiday shopping…join me on Blastoff http://ppl.blastoffnetwork.com/allisonproffitt …5 extra entries!
• Become a Fan of Misadventures in Baby Raising on Facebook…2 extra entries!
• Follow Misadventures in Baby Raising via Networked Blogs…2 extra entries!
• Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post…5 extra entries!
• Enter any other giveaway on Misadventures in Baby Raising…1 additional entry per entry into another giveaway!
• Comment on any non-giveaway post…1 extra entry per comment!

This giveaway ends on Friday November 13, 2009 at 11:59 PM EDT. One winner will be chosen via Random.org and posted in this post! Winner will have 48 hours to contact me and claim their prize. Failure to do so will result in winner forfeiting prize and me choosing a new winner.

US Residents Only!

Good Luck!

Ice Red review {So Cute}

Do you travel a lot for work? Do you find yourself being forced to leave your laptop at home because you don’t have a laptop bag? Do you have a laptop bag but it’s about as far from stylish as Princess' Lea’s buns?

Let me introduce you to a company that I recently had the pleasure of working with…Ice Red! Here is some more information about Ice Red from their website:

Ice Red designs is unique, sleek, clean-lined design. Ice Red Design believes that a good design delights customers with a distinctly original mix of style, function, quality and cost - carefully balanced to the finest detail. Above all, Ice Red believes that the best designs come from earnest devotion to customers, this means treating customers as partners, listening well, and continuously innovating with them.

Ice Red offers an array of great bags to fit every style and every occasion; messenger bags, cargo laptop bags, urban laptop totes, and much more! I received the Ice Red Glossy Laptop Bag in Pink to review. I have to say that I was very surprised at how big roomy the laptop bag was. I also loved the color (what woman doesn’t like pink) and the shiny, glossy, patent leather material. One of the best features however was the padded inside pocket for my laptop, it kept it safe, secure, and scratch free which was a great selling point for me! Another feature that I love is the many, many storage spaces in the laptop bag, there truly is a place for everything!

Buy it! You can purchase any of the bags mentioned about at IceRedBags.com!

You can also see Ice Red Designs and many more cool gift ideas in my Holiday Gift Guide 2009!

Trick-or-Treat Safety Tips!

With Halloween only a few days away I thought I would take the time to share with you some of my favorite tips for making Trick-Or-Treat fun, safe, and stress-free!

• When Trick-or-Treating make sure that your child's costume is easily seen in the dark.  If the costume is dark a wonderful way to make sure they are seen by others is to use reflective stickers, flashing Halloween buttons, or my personal favorite glow necklaces and bracelets. 
• I always insist on checking my children’s candy before they eat any, this usually causes meltdowns and temper tantrums as they want to gorge on chocolate as they are Trick-or-Treating.  I found that the best way to deter them from eating the candy and keeping them from throwing a fit is to take along some snacks with me for them to much on as they gather their loot!  Works every time! 
• Taking 6 kids Trick-or-Treating is not always an easy thing to do!  Since the four oldest children like to move at their own speed this sometimes causes a problem with them becoming upset about having to wait for the babies.  The best way I’ve found to make them happy (and keep them safe) is to let them go two houses ahead of me with their buddy.  In the subdivision that we go Trick-or-Treating in this means they are never out of my sight!  They have to stay with their buddy and they can go no more than 2 houses ahead…this gives them the freedom they want and me the piece of mind I need!
• Know in advance where you are going and make sure that your children understand the planned route.
• Make sure your children wear comfortable shoes.  Resist the temptation to let them wear uncomfortable shoes just because they match the costume.  My children always try (and fail) to wear heels, boots, etc but I always insist that they were tennis shoes.
• HAVE FUN!  and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!  

Big Winner!

A HUGE Thank You to all who entered the My Maw Gifts Giveaway.  Y’all helped make it my most successful giveaway to date with nearly 700 entries! 

I have exciting news before I get to the winner!  My Maw Gifts has a special offer for everyone who entered this giveaway!  If you entered the My Maw Gifts giveaway and you order a gift basket from the My Maw Gifts Website between now and November 24 you will receive a Bonus 2 Dozen Homemade Petite Pecan Tarts!  That’s a great deal for all of you who fell in love with My Maw Gifts Candy Baskets!

Now onto the winning number:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

80	

Timestamp: 2009-10-28 04:11:17 UTC

And the winner is:

throuthehaze on October 13, 2009 7:40 PM said... 80

follow via email 2

throuthehaze at gmail dot com

Congrats!  You have 48 hours to contact me with your information!  Again a big thanks to all who entered!

Wordless Wednesday…Silly Face!

He’s a little bit silly! Happy Wordless Wednesday!

Wubbzy Goes Boo CLOSED

Hey y’all! I hope that everyone is having a fabulous Tuesday!

So one of the winners of the Wubbzy Goes Boo DVD didn’t claim her prize, so that means one of y’all are gonna win it!

And since I have three million things to do today I’m going to make it fast, easy, and SIMPLE!

The Rules

First one who comments (please make it a complete sentence) with who they want to win the prize for wins!

Please make sure to leave your email address in your comment!

Daysteps Personal Lifestyle Planner Review and Giveaway!

When it comes to organization I would consider myself to be slightly obsessive compulsive. I firmly believe that there is a place for everything and that everything should be neatly in its place. One of my favorite ways to get and stay organized is by using a planner. I currently have several planners and they all serve a different purpose; home, school, and blog. Why three? Well because no one planner seems to have adequate space to include all of the information I need it to.

I was recently introduced to a great company that makes organizing your home, health, and heart fun and easy. The Daysteps Personal Lifestyle Planner is perfect for women who feel the need to balance the most important areas of their lives. Daysteps was born when four St. Louis women got together and took on the challenge of developing a planner system to help women achieve balance in all aspects of their lives. The creators of the Daysteps Personal Lifestyle planner understood the feeling of being busy in our everyday lives and set out to help people find some balance in all the craziness. Here is some more about Daysteps from the website:

With Daysteps^TM your best day, every day is within reach. You can feel inspired and motivated, filled with anticipation for what the day holds.

The Daysteps^TM planner is different because it encompasses many key aspect of your life and is designed to motivate you to become the person you want to be; to feel calm and capable about carrying out your daily activities and reaching your intentions. Its unique features - monthly priorities; nutrition, water, sleep, and fitness trackers; 'Clear Your Head' pages; and 'Fill Your Heart' sections - help bring inspiration and balance into your life.

The planner helps you identify life priorities most important to you and remain focused on the journey toward fulfillment: one step at a time, one day at a time.

The choice of where to put your time and energy is truly yours. You have the power to create your best, most satisfying life and there are no limits to what you can do.

I received the January-June 2010 planner to review. It may sound crazy but as soon as I opened my planner it was like an old friend. I love everything about it (and I haven’t even used it yet)! Not only is there ample space for your appointments, practices, and important dates, but there is also a place for you to put your priorities and intentions for reaching your life goals. My favorite feature of the planner though would have to be the Fill Your Heart Pages; a place where you can list what you want for your life, your family, and others.

Buy it! You can purchase the Daysteps Personal Lifestyle Planner online at Daysteps.com!

Thanks to the awesome ladies at Daysteps are giving one of my readers a chance to win a Personal Lifestyle Planner of their own!

Win it! To be entered into this giveaway please go visit Daysteps.com and look around, come back here and leave me a comment on this post telling me what your favorite feature of the Daysteps Personal Lifestyle Planner is. This is mandatory and must be completed before any extra entries are counted!

Extra Entries! Please leave separate comments for each extra entry. If your email is not visible on your blog please make sure to include your email address. Non-bloggers are welcome to enter as well!

• Follow Misadventures in Baby Raising via email, my RSS feed, or on Blogger…2 extra entries each!
• Join me on the Blastoff network (the latest in social media networking, read all about it here) by clicking on the following link and choosing Join Today…http://ppl.blastoffnetwork.com/allisonproffitt … 5 extra entries!
• Follow Misadventures in Baby Raising on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway…1 Tweet Per Day = 1 Extra Entry Per Day!
• Follow Daysteps on Twitter…2 extra entries!
• Comment on any non-giveaway post…1 extra entry per comment!
• Enter any other giveaway on Misadventures in Baby Raising…1 extra entry per additional giveaway entry!
• Become a Fan of Misadventures in Baby Raising on Facebook…2 extra entries!
• Blog about this giveaway with links to Daysteps and this post..5 extra entries!

This giveaway ends on Tuesday November 9, 2009 at 11:59 PM EDT. One winner will be chosen via Random.org and announced on this post! Winner will have 48 hours to contact me and claim their prize after the drawing, failure to do so will result in winner forfeiting their prize!

Be sure to check out this and lots of other great gift ideas in Misadventures in Baby Raising’s Holiday Gift Guide!

Good Luck!

Vaseline Sheer Infusion With Stratys-3 {Review and Giveaway}

*Updated at bottom with winner*

Thanks to everyone who entered!

Every year around this time I notice a huge difference in my skin, it can go from soft and moisturized one minute to dry and itchy the next. I have always had moderately dry skin, but when the weather changes it wreaks havoc on my already problematic dry skin.

I’ve been an avid user of Vaseline’s line of skin care products for most of my adult life (Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion is, and has been, my go-to hand lotion for years) so when I was given the chance to try out a new body lotion from Vaseline I was very excited! New Vaseline Sheer Infusion with Stratys-3 is a breakthrough in moisturizing technology delivering superior moisture through all layers of the skin! So what makes Vaseline Sheer Infusion with Stratys-3 different from other body lotions? The ingredient used in most body lotions on the market to attract and hold moisture is glycerin, and while glycerin is effective at penetrating the skins core it sinks into the skin and leaves the outermost layer of skin virtually unprotected. The recent discovery of Stratys-3 ( a breakthrough in moisturizing technology) in late September Vaseline has launched a breakthrough in body lotion…Vaseline Sheer Infusion With Stratys-3 “the most powerful moisturizing complex on the market”. Three ingredients work together to make Vaseline Sheer Infusion a powerful tool in the fight against dry, itchy skin; glycerol quat, glycerin, and Hydroxy Ethyl Urea all work together to give Vaseline Sheer Infusion the power to moisturize through all layers of the skin. Vaseline Sheer Infusion with Stratys-3 is available in in three variants;

• Botanical Blend: which contains botanical cypress extract and eucalyptus extract known for soothing skin benefits. It also features sap boost scent with hints of Fiji apple and Chinese mandarin, water lily and stephanotis flowers and Baltic amber and musk. And it smells amazing!
• Mineral Renewal: containing enriching minerals found in healthy skin for when your skin feels tired and depleted. Scent features a blend of crisp pear, fresh bergamot, and the floralcy of apple blossom and white peony with a hint of ginger essence.
• Vitamin Burst: contains vitamins B5 and E to help give your skin a vitamin boost. Ferngully scent includes blend of sparkling citrus and red currant berries, pear and rhubarb, and enlivening flowers and spices.

I received all three variants to review. The very first thing I noticed was how smooth and silky the lotion is (not at all sticky or grainy feeling). I tend to shy away from lotions (even if they work well) if they have a sticky or grainy feel to them, but the Vaseline Sheer Infusion did not…major points from me! Of course the scent of all of the lotions were amazing as well, my personal favorite however is the Botanical Blend!

Buy it! Vaseline Sheer Infusion with Stratys-3 is available at food, drug, and mass retailers nationwide!

Now I have something very cool for you guys! One lucky winner is going to receive all 3 variants of the Vaseline Sheer Infusion with Stratys-3!

Win it! To be entered into this giveaway all you need to do is leave me a comment on this post telling me why you want to win this prize…that’s it! This is mandatory and must be completed before any extra entries are counted!

Extra Entries! Please leave separate comments for each extra entry!

• Follow Misadventures in Baby Raising via my RSS feed, email, or on Blogger…2 extra entries each!
• Follow Misadventures in Baby Raising on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway…1 Tweet Per Day = 1 Extra Entry Per Day!
• Join the Blastoff network with me (it’s free, easy, and can save and make you some extra money) just click on the following link and sign up http://ppl.blastoffnetwork.com/allisonproffitt…5 extra entries!
• Become a Fan of Misadventures in Baby Raising on Facebook…3 extra entries!
• Blog about this giveaway with links to Vaseline Sheer Infusion with Stratys-3 and this post…5 extra entries!
• Enter any of the other giveaways on Misadventures in Baby Raising…1 extra entry per additional entry!
• Comment on any non-giveaway post…1 extra entry each!

This giveaway ends on Friday November 6, 2009 at 11:59 PM EDT. One winner will be chosen via Random.org and posted on this post! Winner will then have 48 hours to claim their prize, failure to do so will result in winner forfeiting prize and me choosing another winner!

US and Canadian residents only please!

The winning number is:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

236 

Timestamp: 2009-11-07 15:58:56 UTC

And our winner is:

js22 on November 6, 2009 3:21 PM said... 36

#3
I'm a fan on facebook-Joanne Schultz. http://www.facebook.com/js2222
email in blogger profile.

Congrats! You have 48 hours to contact me and claim your prize!

Pearl Paradise {Review and Giveaway} CLOSED

**Updated at bottom with winner*

Thanks so much to all who entered!

I have always loved jewelry. When I was a little girl I remember sneaking into my mother’s jewelry box and admiring her pearls. Of all of the jewelry in that box her pearls were (and still are) my favorite! I have to admit I’ve always secretly longed for that strand of pearls, they were my grandmothers and I hope that one day I can place them in my jewelry box for my girls to admire!

Until that day comes I’ve found a perfect stand-in. I was recently introduced to a wonderful company called Pearl Paradise, a company whose mission is “making the beauty of pearls available and affordable to everyone.” I was very surprised by the large assortment of Freshwater Pearls, different sizes, different colors, there are so many to choose from! Here is a little more about Pearl Paradise from the website:

Founded in 1996 and brought online in 2000, Pearl Paradise has grown into the world's largest online pearl company, with 2006 sales topping $20 million. With a custom-built, 1,400-cubic-foot vault filled with pearls, we offer a selection of pearls unlike any other pearl seller, online or off. Our commitment to offering prices 80 percent below retail has accelerated our growth.

With more than 100,000 satisfied customers to date, we have benefited greatly by word-of-mouth advertising. Our commitment to quality, customer service, and unbeatable pricing and selection has helped us become the Internet’s premier source of pearl jewelry.

I received the 7.0-8.0 Black Freshwater Pearl Stud Earrings to review. As my only experience with Pearl Earrings, prior to the pair I received from Pearl Paradise, was lusting after everyone else’s, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. When I opened the box containing the pearls I was in awe! Not only where the pearls absolutely beautiful but they were honestly spectacular in every way. As soon as I put them on I knew that taking them off would be a rare occasion.

Buy it! You can purchase all of the items mentioned above and much more at PearlParadise.com!

Now the cool part! One of my lovely readers is going to win the same pair of pearl earrings that I received to review!

Win it! To be entered into this giveaway please go to Pearl Paradise and look around, come back here and leave a comment telling me which item from the site you would love to have (besides the earrings I received). This is mandatory and must be completed before any additional entries are counted!

Extra Entries! Please leave separate comments for each extra entry!

• Follow Misadventures in Baby Raising via my RSS Feed, Email, or on Blogger…2 extra entries each!
• Follow me on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway…1 Tweet Per Day = 1 Extra Entry Per Day!
• Follow Pearl Paradise on Twitter…2 extra entries!
• Become a Fan of Misadventures in Baby Raising on Facebook…2 extra entries!

• Sign up for Blastoff (a new social networking site that allows you to save and make money when shopping online…you can ready all about it here) click on the follwing link: http://ppl.blastoffnetwork.com/allisonproffitt….5 extra entries!

• Blog about this giveaway with links to Pearl Paradise as well as this post…5 extra entries!

The Fine Print:

This giveaway ends on Friday November 6, 2009 at 11:59 PM EDT. One winner will be chosen via Random.org and announced on this post. Winner will have 24 hours to contact me and claim their prize; failure to do so will result in the winner forfeiting his prize and me choosing a new winner.

Winning number is:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

294 

Timestamp: 2009-11-07 15:38:45 UTC

And our lucky winner is:

flowerchild on November 6, 2009 6:18 AM said... 94

i follow pearl paradise on twitter #2

Congrats! You have 48 hours to contact me and claim your prize!

Let’s Blastoff…A Very Cool Opportunity for Everyone!

Wouldn’t it be nice to have all of the social media outlets (Twitter, Facebook) we all use daily accessible in the same place? How would you like to make money simply by shopping online (something most of us do daily)? Now how would you like to pass that same opportunity on to all of your friends and family? What if I told you that you can…today? Like to know more…keep reading!

As many of you know I often use my blog to share with you products that I love, but this is not that…it’s bigger and much better than that. So please give me a few minutes of your time and I promise you’ll like what I have to say!

I don’t usually post about things like this, but when a good friend of mine came to me a few weeks ago with a very exciting opportunity I knew that all of you would be just as interested in and excited about it as I am so I had to share! Today a new social media network called Blastoff launched (think Twitter, Facebook, and all of the best places to shop online all rolled into one…and on steroids). So what’s so different and awesome about Blastoff?

• It’s FREE to join and for the next two weeks it’s open by Invite Only so signing up now ensures that you beat the massive crowds that will come when it opens to the public!
• Not only can you save money when you shop at hundreds of online retailers (Target, Old Navy, ITunes and many, many more) but you can also make money just from shopping through your Blastoff Mall. How cool is the prospect of saving and making money from something that we already do!
• You can pass the savings and money making on to your friends by encouraging them to sign up under you..this not only benefits your friends and family but you too as you receive a commission whenever they shop in the Blastoff Mall!

It is very rare for me to put myself out there like this for something new but I do believe Blastoff will be huge and I just wanted to ensure that all of you to have the chance to get in on it as well!

You can click on my personal link below to sign up now…and once you sign up you can start inviting all of your friends and start reaping the benefits of Blastoff!

http://ppl.blastoffnetwork.com/allisonproffitt

NOTE: Blastoff just launched this afternoon so right now there are many people trying to sign up under their friends who have been given this exclusive opportunity…if you try my link and it takes a while to load or you get an error message please be patient and keep trying…I told you this is going to be HUGE!

Homemade Halloween Costumes!

With Halloween right around the corner and everyone clamoring to find the perfect costume I thought it might be fun (and a nice change from all of the reviews) to share with you guys some of my favorite websites for Halloween costume inspiration. Now I will have to admit that I’ve NEVER bought my children a Halloween costume from the store, I prefer to make them myself or put something fun and funky together from stuff we have around the house. Doing a homemade Halloween costume is actually so much easier than most people think!

Family Fun

The Family Fun website is one of my favorite places online to find almost everything you ever wanted to know about doing things with your family, from fun craft and recipe ideas to great tips for every holiday, they are my go-to website when I need to find something crafty and family friendly!

They also have a great assortment of Homemade Halloween costumes from classic costumes to funny and even viewer submitted ideas. Some of my favorites from the Family Fun website are the Pick of the Litter,Mouse in the Cheese…super cute for babies, and the Ham and Cheese Sandwich! And they also have a ton of Halloween recipes, crafts, and printable for you to enjoy!

Everything Halloween

Everything Halloween is one of the best websites to find just about anything Halloween related! Party ideas, Haunted House Finder (both IRL and virtual HH), and costume ideas (both homemade and ideas for costumes that can be purchased), if you need it and it’s Halloween related…they have it!

Coolest-Homemade-Costumes

This website has TONS of pictures and very detailed instructions! In my opinion it’s one of the best websites to find unique, fun, and amazing Halloween Costumes!

I know there a lots of other great websites to find homemade Halloween costumes, but these are my favorite (and in my opinion THE BEST). I hope you find something you like! If you know of any great websites for Halloween please leave the URL in your comment as I would love to check them out!

Wordless Wednesday…Partners in Crime!

I know my template still looks petty crazy, blame that on the fact that my babies have been feeling less than great this week, but I promise to have everything back to normal soon!

And now on to the photo…my babies are rotten, a regular Bonnie and Clyde! (Oh and ignore the fact that there’s no food whatsoever in my fridge…it was grocery day..lol!) Happy Wordless Wednesday!

Isabella Oliver {Review}

I’ll be the first to admit that I was a hot mess through all four of my pregnancies. It wasn’t the morning sickness, or the horrible back aches, nope it was my wardrobe. If I found something I could fit into (relatively easily) then I went with it and most of the time that meant me waddling around in sweat pants and t-shirts.

I was recently introduced to Isabella Oliver, a clothing company that I would have killed to know about when I was pregnant. Not pregnant? That’s alright too, they have plenty of amazing non-maternity clothing as well! Both the Isabella Oliver 365 and Maternity collections are incredibly classic, fabulous, and ultra chic! From the classic LBD (little black dress) to their amazing outwear Isabella Oliver has something that is sure to make every woman ooh and aah! And since I’m sure you want to know all about Isabella Oliver here is a little more information from their website!

Our new Isabella Oliver 365 women’s wear collection has been created for the modern multitasking woman in fabrics that flatter. Iconic ready-to-wear clothing for easy chic that works from am to pm. The collection includes fabulous women’s dresses, timeless women’s outerwear, and effortlessly stylish separates from tops and trousers to chic skirts. Whatever the occasion, Isabella Oliver 365 offers versatile ladies wear that mixes classic design with contemporary details; perfect for selecting a must-have LBD (little black dress) or updating essential work wear. Style for wherever life may take you.

The Isabella Oliver Maternity line offers their take on maternity essentials like The Wrap Dress, classic tees, and their must-have maternity denim. The Maternity line features clothing designed to be worn from day into evening in pregnancy friendly fabrics that compliment your silhouette into the fourth trimester! It’s not hard to see why stars like Angelina Jolie and Gwen Stefani love Isabella Oliver!

I received one of the dresses from the Isabella Oliver 365 Collection to review and let me just say I was beyond impressed!

Buy it! You can purchase the items above and many more at IsabellaOliver.com! You also receive free Standard Shipping on all orders over $89!

Be sure to look for this and many more amazing gift ideas in Misadventures in Baby Raising’s Holiday Gift Guide!

Please excuse the mess!

Just wanted to give everyone a heads up...I'm changing a few things around here! Everything may be a bit funky for a bit, but I promise to have things back up and looking fabulous (maybe...let's hope) very soon!

Let’s Rock!

I just realized today that I very rarely post anything on the weekends, hmmm well I guess I should fix that huh? So I decided that I would dedicate every Saturday (and or Sunday) to the one thing I love as much (maybe more) than writing…music!

Every weekend I am going to explore a new genre, post videos, my thoughts on the videos (yes I DO assume you care), and elicit your thoughts and feelings about them as well. Sound like fun? Well it does to me so, you ready? Good let’s rock!

I thought this weekend we would explore the vast world of rock music. Now I have to admit that I am not a huge rock fan; death metal, dudes with make-up (unless it’s pre-Rock of Love Bret Michaels), and screaming is not my cup of tea, but there are plenty of rock songs that I love and I decided to share some of the with you!

The first and my favorite song (rock or otherwise) of ALL TIME…Hotel California by the Eagles!

The second song is MY rock song…love it! Enough said!

And this song, well I just love Nickelback!

And of coure I have to rep for the ladies!

Last but not least…Joan Jett…need I say more?

So I want to know what are you favorite rock songs?

High IntenCity Review {So cute}

As my children get older, I find myself struggling to come up with gift ideas for them. Whether it’s Christmas or Birthday's the older my kids get, the harder finding the perfect gift becomes.

Both of my older girls love jewelry; rings, earrings, bracelets they love it all. I recently had the chance to do a review for High IntenCity, a company dedicated to making sure that fashion is always fun! This year High IntenCity is celebrating their 16th year as one of the leaders in the girls’ accessory industry. Here’s a little more about High IntenCity from their website:

This year we embark on sixteen years in business and invite you to share in our year long Super Sweet Sixteen celebration! We are delighted to have you visit our site.

At High IntenCity, we are driven by super-fun fashion styling, incredible quality, superior customer service, and - above all - the highest product safety.

We were sent the CHARM IT! Rockstar Charm Bracelet Gift Set to review. The first thing I noticed was the bracelet and how well made the chain was, followed shortly by me noticing how adorable the charms were. Each of the charms chosen for the Rockstar charm bracelet are perfectly matched for any girl who loves music, an ipod, music note, guitar, microphone, and Girl’s Rock adorn the bracelet. I have to say that when my oldet daughter Taylor, who loves music, saw the bracelet she fell instantly in love with it! In my opinion the charm bracelets from High IntenCity offer tween and younger girls the chance to wear beautiful age appropriate jewelry…and what parent doesn't love that!

If you’re looking for something special for the little girl in your life High IntenCity has a great selection of charm bracelets, fashion jewelry, hair accessories, and even lots of awesome bracelets and necklaces for boys (I love the boys stuff…so cute).

Buy it! You can purchase the charm bracelets (and so much more) online at High IntenCity.com

Make sure you check out the awesome contest High IntenCity has going on right now by clicking on the image below!

Be sure to check out this a lots more great gift ideas in Misadventures in Baby Raising’s Holiday Gift Guide 2009!

Man Experiences Simulated Childbirth To Settle Age Old Question {With Video}

I was on YouTube today when I came across a video that I had to share with all of you moms out there! Make sure you pull your husband/boyfriend/significant other into the room to watch it with you…it may just give him a new found respect for what we went through delivering our bundles of joy!

Australian TV Host Dr. Andrew Rochford set out to see who has the higher threshold for pain; men or women. So how did he do this? Dr. Rochford had himself (willingly I might add) hooked up to a machine that causes muscle spasms much like the ones women experience during child birth, so essentially he went through (to a certain point anyway) simulated childbirth! The result? Well I’ll let you see for yourself!

So what do you think? Do you think that by experiencing simulated childbirth (up to the point where we could get an epidural) that he knows what its like to be in labor? Do you think all men should have to this when their significant other becomes pregnant? Come on y’all I want to know!

Pediped Review {Love this}!

I’ve always been bad about not making my children wear shoes when they were babies. I guess I figured if they weren’t walking there was no need for them. With my two youngest children I quickly regretted that decision when they started walking and refused to wear shoes.

My youngest child started walking about a month ago and I knew the time was coming where I would have to make her wear shoes. I tried several pairs of shoes, different brands, different types, but to no avail…she refused to wear them. It was becoming clear to me that this child had her own agenda and I was to follow it to the letter…like it or not.

I have always heard good things about pediped shoes from my friends and family members, but sadly I had never tried them for my kiddos…until recently. A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to try out a pair of shoes from pediped and let me just say that I was beyond impressed! Pediped says they are “the next best thing to bare feet” and based on my experience with their shoes I have to agree that they are right on with that statement! Pediped shoes are designed for developing feet; from their soft cushioned leather soles to their Velcro fasteners, and flexible material, pedipeds are perfect for your child’s first, second, third (you get the idea) pair of shoes. The Original pediped shoes for boys and girls come in sizes 0 to 6 (for ages 0 to 24 months) and their new Flex line is available in sizes 5 to 12.5 (for children 1 to 6+).

I received the Abigail shoes (in Chocolate Brown/ Blue Velour) to review and my youngest daughter (and new walker) Kinley had the pleasure of trying them out! At first glance I thought that the shoes looked (in my opinion) far superior to anything I’ve seen in retail stores. When I took them out of the box and placed them on my daughter’s feet I realized that my thoughts were right on! As I stated above, Kinley had never worn a pair of shoes for more than a couple of minutes, but these shoes were different. I was amazed at how easy they were to get on her (always before she struggled, kicked, and tried to pull shoes off) and how well she managed to walk in them on the first try! I have to admit that I really do like the pediped shoes that I received to review, they are ultra adorable, extremely well-made, and in my opinion very affordable!

Also be sure to check out the awesome partnership between pediped and Make A Wish! An online auction of celebrity autographed pediped shoes with 100% of the funds raised benefitting the Make A Wish Foundation! The online auction featured shoes signed by stars including; Brooks&Dunn, Courtney Cox-Arquette, Kenny Chesney, Tiger Woods, Marcia Cross and many, many more!

Buy it!!! You can purchase pediped shoes online at pediped.com and at select retail locations!

You can check out this and many other great holiday gift ideas in Misadventures in Baby Raising’s Holiday Gift Guide!

Wubbzy Goes Boo Review and Giveaway! CLOSED

**Updated With Winners at the Bottom**

Thanks to all who entered!

Both of my youngest children are big fans of Nick Jr. If they’re not watching Dora or The Fresh Beat Band then Nick Jr. is providing the background music for our hectic days! Of all of the shows my children enjoy (and there are several) their favorite is Wow Wow Wubbzy! If you’ve seen the show it’s not hard to know why its such a hit at my house, it’s fun, funny, and so cute!

We were recently given the opportunity to review a new Wow Wow Wubbzy DVD, Wubbzy Goes Boo! My son and youngest daughter were playing in the living room when I put the DVD in and as soon as they heard to familiar theme song they stopped what they were doing and started dancing and singing along (yes the baby tries to sing along with her brother). Both of the babies sat down in front of the television and watched the entire DVD, the whole time laughing and singing along!

Here’s a little more about the movie:Wubbzy and his friends are back in an all-new DVD collection just in time for the fall season! Watch as Wubbzy, Widget and Walden clean up a crazy mess with Moo Moo’s magic wand, pick the perfect pumpkin and create the spookiest Halloween costume of all. There’s singing, dancing, trick or treating and kickity-kick ball too, plus plenty of positive values like creativity, patience and responsibility. It’s all here in the Emmy winning Nick Jr./Noggin hit that’s so much fun it’s scary!

And just in case you can’t wait for the DVD, here’s a sneak peek for you!

Wubbzy Goes Boo

Looks like lots of silly fun for your little ones doesn’t it? Well if you liked that sneak peek then I have a treat (or 2) for you! Two winners are going to receive a copy of Wubbzy Goes Boo to enjoy with their little ones!

Win it! To be entered into this giveaway just leave a comment on this post telling me who you would like to win this DVD for! This is mandatory and must be completed before any extra entries are counted!

Extra Entries! Please leave separate comments for each extra entry!

• Follow my Misadventures via my RSS feed, email, or on Blogger…2 extra entries each!
• Grab one (or all) of my buttons…2 extra entries each!
• Follow me on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway…1 Tweet Per Day = 1 Extra Entry Per Day!
• Become a Fan of Misadventures in Baby Raising on Facebook…3 extra entries!
• Follow Misadventures in Baby Raising via Networked Blogs…3 extra entries!
• Blog about this giveaway with links to this post and Wubbzy.com…5 extra entries!
• Comment on any non-giveaway post…1 extra entry per comment!
• Enter any other giveaway on Misadventures in Baby Raising…I Extra Entry Per Entry on another giveaway!

This giveaway ends on Friday October 23, 2009 at 11:59 PM EDT. 2 winners will be chosen via Random.org and posted on this post! Winners will have 48 hours to contact me and claim their prize, failure to do so will result in winners forfeiting their prizes and me choosing new winners.

US Residents only please!

GOOD LUCK!

Winning numbers are:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

146 65 

Timestamp: 2009-10-24 04:28:26 UTC

Winners are:

ky2here on October 21, 2009 7:59 AM said... 146

This is for our granddaughters.

and

shopannies on October 16, 2009 10:13 AM said... 65

fan on facebook
shopannies@Yahoo.com

Congrats to both of you! You have 48 hours to claim your prize!

Wordless Wednesday…Birthday Girl!

This past Saturday was my youngest daughter’s 1st Birthday (I do plan on blogging about it so look for that post on Thursday).  Here are some of my favorite pictures from her party!

 

Gotta Catch Santa Claus DVD Review

I have to admit that I’m very much a kid at heart when it comes to the holidays! One of my favorite things about this time of year is spending time with my family watching holiday movies. Our whole family finds this kind of quality time to be rather special and something that we always look back on with fond memories.

Of course there are so many holiday movies that we rank among our favorites, movies that we watch with as much delight and festivity the fifth time as we do the first, and then there are new movies that we find equally appealing. We recently had the chance to review a new DVD (released in stores today: October 13) called Gotta Catch Santa Claus. The all new CGI-animated movie features William Shatner as the voice of Santa Claus and is sure to be a modern-day holiday classic. Gotta Catch Santa Claus is also scheduled to be broadcast nationally on ABC Family’s “25 Days of Christmas” programming block! Here’s a brief overview of the movie:

Hold on to your reindeer because finding Santa is about to become an adventure of a lifetime! Lionsgate releases an all-new CGI animated feature Gotta Catch Santa Claus, starring William Shatner as the voice of Santa. Sure to become a modern-day holiday classic, this funny, contemporary DVD is enjoyable for the entire family and features six jolly jammin’ new holiday songs. When a friend starts to doubt the idea of Santa Claus, 12 year old Trevor sets out on a mission to catch old St. Nick in order to prove his existence and put the skeptics to rest. Gotta Catch Santa Claus, which will be broadcast nationally on ABC Family during their annual "25 Days of Christmas" programming block, features bonus materials on the DVD that include deleted scenes, behind the scenes Santa footage, sing-along songs and more! The DVD is available in a foil embossed O-card on October 13^th for the suggested retail price of $19.98.

And here’s sneak peek for those of you who can’t wait to go buy the movie!

We sat down as a family and watched Gotta Catch Santa Claus and let me just say all four of my kids enjoyed the movie! The animation was superb, the story was touching and full of fun, and my children became very excited and anxious for Christmas to come and Santa to visit them!

Buy it! You can purchase Gotta Catch Santa Claus in stores today or on Amazon.com!

Be sure to check out this and lots of other great gift ideas in Misadventures in Baby Raising’s Holiday Gift Guide 2009!