Menu Plan Monday: Screamin' for Scallops

During last week's grocery trip (yup, I only went once - such is the glory of MPMs!) I picked up some nice 'n' plump frozen scallops on special. I looove scallops and will often order them at (good) restaurants, however have yet to prepare them myself. Ever! But I'm about to remedy this, as the mighty scallop will be served on Thursday night as part of this week's menu. Minted. With last year's mint that's running amock in our garden this year. w00t!

I was also inspired recently by the delicious apple & butternut squash soup I enjoyed at EJ's in Baden. My guess is that theirs isn't prepared fresh as BNS isn't in season, but it was still YUM! So I'm going to make its first cousin - apple, carrot and ginger soup! Pork tenderloin is also on special this week at Sobey's so I'm going to continue the apple theme and rock some tenderloin w/ applesauce. With steamed "small trees" on the side. And we're thinking of letting S have one of these to gum around at, in the spirit of dabbling around at baby-led weaning!

Monday:

"Leftovers" pasta (I've got a few whole wheat lasagna sheets left from last week's Mexican Lasagna, so I'm going to slice these up into an approximation of fettucini with tomato, garlic and mushrooms. And maybe a zucchini. *nods*)

Tuesday:

Pork Tenderloin with Applesauce
Steamed broccoli
Garlic mashed potatoes

Wednesday:

Gingered Carrot-Apple Soup

Salad of sorts (I'll probably just get one of the boxed salads - we'll see what's in stock at the store.)

Thursday:

Risotto with Scallops and Minted Peas (I'm going to follow the delicious-looking recipe in my "Bowl Foods" book which is similar to this.)

Friday:

Chris is in Washington. I'll nuke something or grab a panzerotti :)

Family-Friendly Giveaway Roundup open to Canadians - 05/30

Here's an up-to-date list!

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05/30: Tetro Fitted Diaper (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Dirty Diaper Laundry
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries:376

05/30: Mudpuppy block puzzle (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Freckleberry Finds
Mandatory entry: GFC follow
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 4; current entries: 280

05/30: Blissful Booty AIO diaper + wipe water concentrate (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Happenings of the Harper Household
Mandatory entry: GFC follow
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 6; current entries:1179

05/30: $250 Home Depot prize pack (CAN ONLY)
Hosted by: My Organized Chaos
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries:975

05/31: Itzy Ritzy snack bag (CAN ONLY)
Hosted by: One Smiley Monkey
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; Facebook like
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 11; current entries:147

05/31: Orionbaby kitchen wetbag (CAN/US)
Hosted by: What Mama Wants
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 12; current entries:308

05/31: Rockin' Green Funk Rock (CAN/US)
Hosted by: The Tree Huggin' Mama
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 0; current entries:N/A

06/01: Hiney Lineys cover and 2 lineys (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Sweet T Makes Three
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 2; current entries:470

(NEW) 06/01: Eco Sprout Laundry Soap (CAN ONLY)
Hosted by: Little Monkey Store
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries:107

06/02: Hemp shower curtain (CAN ONLY)
Hosted by: Glimpse Reviews
Mandatory entry: Website visit; Facebook like
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 3; current entries:203

06/02: Wool dryer balls from The Willow Store (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Your World: Healthy and Natural
Mandatory entry: GFC follow
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 0; current entries:120

06/02: Swaddlebees Simplex AIO diaper (WORLDWIDE)
Hosted by: One Smiley Monkey
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; Facebook like
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 11; current entries:479

06/04: Thirsties Duo Wrap + hemp prefold (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Mommy and Me Giveaways
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries:529

06/04: Nasty Free Naturals baby products (CAN/US)
Hosted by: One Smiley Monkey
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; Facebook like
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 11; current entries:168

(NEW) 06/04: HipKiddo OS pocket diaper (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Cloth Diaper Contests & Giveaways
Mandatory entry: None
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 2; current entries:389

06/05: Planet Wise snack bags (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Giveaways for Mom
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; Facebook like
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries:109

(NEW) 06/05: Itti Bitti diaper, wet bag and cloth wipes (CAN/US)
Hosted by: The Mommy Goods
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 0; current entries:N/A

(NEW) 06/05: Knickernappies Custom Fit Diaper (CAN/US)
Hosted by: The Luvaboos Blog
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 6; current entries:275

(NEW) 06/08: Sweet Pea OS pocket diaper (CAN/US)
Hosted by: A Mommy's Blessings
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; Facebook like
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 0; current entries:32

(NEW) 06/08: Charlie Banana diaper - size small (0 to 6 months) (WORLDWIDE)
Hosted by: Freckleberry Finds
Mandatory entry: GFC follow
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 4; current entries: 390

06/09: SoftBums Omni diaper (WORLDWIDE)
Hosted by: The Crafty Nest
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 2; current entries:594

(NEW) 06/09: BestBottom diaper + 3 inserts (WORLDWIDE)
Hosted by: Obsessions of the Trophy Wife
Mandatory entry: GFC follow
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 0; current entries:150

(NEW) 06/09: Whistling Doe Creations custom made bib (WORLDWIDE)
Hosted by: One Smiley Monkey
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; Facebook like
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 11; current entries:47

(NEW) 06/09: Cottonkind diaper + cover (CAN/US)
Hosted by: One Smiley Monkey
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; Facebook like
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 11; current entries:113

(NEW) 06/09: Melissa & Doug sand toys (CAN/US)
Hosted by: The Knit Wit By Shair
Mandatory entry: None
# winners: 1+; daily entries pp: 4+; current entries:52

(NEW) 06/09: PlanetWise hanging wet/dry bag (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Mom's Focus on Cyber World
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries:210

06/10: Thirsties Duo Wrap + help prefold (CAN/US)
Hosted by: The Crafty Nest
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 2; current entries:600

06/10: Mother-ease AIO diaper + liner (CAN/US)
Hosted by: The Crafty Nest
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 2; current entries:444

(NEW) 06/10: Charlie Banana limited edition diaper (WORLDWIDE)
Hosted by: One Smiley Monkey
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; Facebook like
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 11; current entries:199

(NEW) 06/10: Gro-egg Color Changing Digital Room Thermometer (CAN/US)
Hosted by: My Organized Chaos
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries:185

06/11: BestBottom diaper + 3 inserts (CAN/US)
Hosted by: The Crafty Nest
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 2; current entries:572

06/12: Customized Nykibaby diaper (WORLDWIDE)
Hosted by: The Crafty Nest
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 2; current entries:410

(NEW) 06/12: Levana Safe 'N See Digital Video Baby Monitor (WORLDWIDE)
Hosted by: Mommy and Me Giveaways
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries:141

(NEW) 06/13: Lovely Pocket Diaper (WORLDWIDE)
Hosted by: Six in the Nest
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; Facebook like
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 2; current entries:68

06/15: Lovely Pocket Diaper (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Mommy Kat and Kids
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries:337

(NEW) 06/16: 4 pairs of Crawler Covers (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Mama's Passions
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; Facebook like
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 2; current entries:133

(NEW) 06/16: First Food Organics starter pack (ONTARIO ONLY)
Hosted by: Little Miss Kate
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 0; current entries:33

(NEW) 06/26: 3 AppleCheeks cloth diapers (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Baby Dickey's Giveaways
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 0; current entries:N/A

(NEW) ??? (1000 GFC followers): $50 Surprise coth diaper package (CAN/US)
Hosted by: The Tree Huggin' Mama
Mandatory entry: GFC follow
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 0; current entries:N/A

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Notes:

• Giveaways are listed in chronological order by closing date
  
• Most of the giveaways I'm currently scouting out are for cloth diapers and related products, so there is a heavy lean toward these
• All giveaways I post will be open to Canadians; some exclusively. I'll indicate whether a particular contest is CAN/US, CAN ONLY or WORLDWIDE beside each listing.
• To help you decide which giveaways to enter, I will list the mandatory entry, the number of winners (# winners), the number of daily entries per person (daily entries pp) and the current number of total entries at the time of this writing (current entries).
• Giveaways which have just been added to the list this week have a NEW tag.
• If you know of a great family-friendly product giveaway open to Canadians which is missing from my list, feel free to leave a comment and let me know. Thanks!

Tropical Traditions - my latest conquest :)

For awhile there, I was all about entering giveaways for fluff (i.e. cloth dipes). I won quite a few which was awesome, but I've found that other CDing mamas are so crazy for their fluff as well that these are some of the highest entry giveaways out there (relative to retail value). Soooo I've switched focus a bit and have been scanning for other great products being given away.

Enter Tropical Traditions.

If you're a giveaway fiend yourself, you've probably run across one or more contests for TT products. I first noticed such a contest a couple months back, but didn't pay much attention. As I began to see more and more of them, I looked into the company and its products further. And got really excited! They have a HUUUUGE selection of USDA organic foods, skin care products, supplements, oils and other merchandise. Their #1 product is coconut oil, and they sell different types including Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil. While the research still appears to be conflicted regarding whether or not coconut oil is healthy, TT has some persuasive info on their own page in support of the healthy side of the debate. I'm eager to try it myself so I can test out some of these great recipes and possibly try it on my scalp as well as there is some evidence suggesting it can promote new hair growth. (My hair isn't as thick as it used to be, and it's taking a particular beating lately due to postpartum hormonal fluctuations and DD's grabby hands! :)

So now I'm on a quest to win myself some Tropical Traditions products! The company has made it easy on us giveaway enterers by maintaining an up-to-date Special Deals & Giveaways Blog. Cool, huh? Here are just some of the current giveaways open for their products (all open to CAN & US):

Virgin Coconut Oil from Tales from the Nursery (05/28)
Organic Canadian Raw Honey from Planet of the Apels (05/28)
Organic Canadian Raw Honey from Dianne Estrella (05/30)
Virgin Coconut Oil from Coupon Savings in the South (06/03)
Virgin Coconut Oil from One Frugal Lady (06/05)
Virgin Coconut Oil from Natural Mama (06/08)
Organic Coconut Peanut Butter from Captain Coupon (06/09)

Yum - I'm getting hungry just writing this post!!!

Another note: In addition to sponsoring numerous giveaways, Tropical Traditions also offers some great deals if you buy from their main site. Unfortunately for Canadians, there are huuuge shipping fees if you buy here. They do have a Canadian distributor however aren't able to offer the same discounts for Canadians due to the additional overhead on their end. Poop! Ah well - another reason to win one (or more) of their giveaways instead! ;)

10 Things You Probably Shouldn't Know About Me

I saw this meme over at Tales from the Nursery and What Mama Wants, and I had fun reading both of their Top 10s and learning some dirt on two of my favourite mama bloggers. ;) What is it about secret confessions and weaknesses that is so fascinating? It is kind of like rubbernecking at a traffic accident? Or, does it make us feel better ourselves to know that others who may seem like super-people on the surface are actually quite normal, just like us?

In any case, I decided to participate with my own list! This'll be challenging since I already mentioned that I was the picked on kid and am perfectionistic to a fault, and that I have a fear of parasites and am chronically late for things. But I'm sure I can drum up another ten. Alright, let's hit it!

1. I was fired from my first job at [INSERT FAST FOOD CHAIN HERE] as I got caught doing what most of us did - giving a discount to my friends. My boss literally kicked me out into the back alley, and I literally peed my pants from the acute stress and guilt of the situation! Once I had calmed down (after a few days), I wrote a letter to my (ex) boss apologizing, and paid back the difference as well as my outstanding food bill. Even at 18, it would appear I already had a pretty decent moral fibre!
   
2.  The first time I drank a large quantity of alcohol (back in highschool), I drank *so* much that my parents almost had to take me to the hospital for fear of alcohol poisoning! All I can recall from that night was throwing up on my friend's bathroom floor and my mom attempting to take out my contact lenses. I had a 3-day hangover so definitely learned my lesson! Oh, and I also committed to memory the phrase "liquor before beer, never fear; beer before liquor, never sicker!" *Nods*
   
3. When I was a little kid (probably 3 or 4), I lived in fear for some time that the cops were going to come take me to jail. Why? Well, I'd been playing in the basement and at one point picked up the phone and pretended to have a conversation. After a little while, I heard the automated message "Please hang up and try your call again. Please hang up now. This is a recording!" I thought I'd somehow done something realllly bad!
   
4. In addition to the self esteem issues I've already alluded to, I've also endured episodes of moderate depression. The most recent lasted for a couple months and lifted early on during my pregnancy with S. I was casually seeing a therapist at that point who basically concluded that I'm too hard on myself and I need to respect my own desires and limitations. I was worried I'd experience postpartum but luckily I haven't - so far. *knock on wood* I've never taken drugs for this and hope I never need to, but I will if I ever get to the point where I feel it's the only thing that can significantly improve my quality of life!
   
5. I have a hard time following action movies. I think it's all the characters and the speed at which events take place. I must automatically tune out because I inevitably find myself having no idea what's going on at some point during the movie.
   
6. I once stole a soap dispenser pump from [INSERT BIG BOX STORE NAME HERE]. Yes, a soap dispenser PUMP; not the dispenser itself. Long story. Suffice it to say that I think it was merited.
   
7. For a period of time after university prior to nailing down a job, I Didn't Do Much. There were some days I would literally waste away in their entirety playing Tangleword (online Boggle) or Killer Instinct Gold on the N64. Man, that was a lot of free time. I'm appreciative of a free 45 minutes now! (Which I'm currently enjoying, since Little One actually went down for a substantial, much-needed nap. w00!)
   
8. Related to 7, I've been quite addicted to video games in the past. Diablo II was a big one. Other time-suckers included the Elder Scrolls games (Morrowind and Oblivion, specifically), Nintendo platformers, the Zelda series, etc. More recently, Bejewelled Blitz on Facebook. However, I have managed to steer clear of some of the biggest - no MMORPGs, Farmville or Frontierville for me, thankfully!
   
9. Christmas kinda stresses me out. Don't get me wrong - I love the time spent with family, relaxation, food and cheer. It's the over-the-top giftiness that gets me a little neurotic. Both the process of buying gifts, too late, yet again (along with other harried shoppers) AND acquiring a bunch of new things to find a home for in our house. I hope I don't sound ungrateful saying this, as I do appreciate the thought that goes into gifts, and we've certainly received some very nice and useful things. I just think there's too much of a focus on this aspect of Christmas.
   
10. I don't always brush my teeth at night. Sometimes I'm just too tired. BUT. I floss and brush really well EVERY morning! I feel gross if a day goes by when I haven't flossed.

There. For better or for worse, that was surprisingly easy. :)

Allllright - so how about the rest of you out there? Care to let a few skeletons out and share your own 10 Things?

Wordless Wednesday: Lilacs and Llamas!

Following a week straight of drizzly gray weather, we got to enjoy a couple beautiful, sunny days this past Victoria Day weekend! S and I took advantage by hitting up Waterloo Park with two good friends and my one friend's daughter. At the risk of making a complete mockery of the intended wordlessness of this post, can I just add that I *loooove* my new ERGO carrier? Soooo comfy, sooo convenient and S gets to be right up in the action! LOOOOOOVE! <3

S and Mommy

Lilacs in Bloom!



"What is that strange creature, Mommy?"



My Girls <3

"Cloth diapers are the gateway drug of green parenting"

Best line of the week goes to 29 Diapers for the above gem. Love it!

But even awesomer is the fact that it is coupled with an AMAZING giveaway: not 1, not 2, but *3* winners will receive an AppleCheeks Little Bundle (1 envelope cover and 1 bamboo prefold insert)!  AppleCheeks are made right here in Canada - woot!

Ends tomorrow so get your entries in stat! Open to Canada and US.

Enter here!

Menu Plan Monday

It's been three weeks since my first MPM post and I haven't planned a weekly menu since, however I have some good excuses! Two weeks ago we were all sick and last week Chris was in Toronto two days in a row so it didn't really make sense to drum up a full menu (though I did make a spicy vegetable stew with dhal one night, which turned out delicious despite the fact that my stepfather mistakenly poured the split pea mixture into the stew pot BEFORE they were pureed - oops!)

This week I'm back in the saddle and looking forward to trying out some new recipes!

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Monday:

Chicken fingers w/ buffalo sauce, spicy fries & peas
(Since today is Victoria Day, stores weren't open so our weekly shopping was delayed. Sooooo we raided the freezer and pub grubbed it up!)

Tuesday:

Chicken Parmesan over pasta
Spinach salad with almonds and strawberries
(Yes, these two dishes also made an appearance in my last MPM. Admittedly, we didn't get around to the chicken parm that week so it got shuffled forward, whereas we *did* make the spinach salad and it came out so yummy that we're busting it out again!)

Wednesday:

Mexican lasagna
Avocado salsa w/ tortilla chips
How good do THESE sound?!??!?!?!?!? Very much looking forward to this particular meal!

Thursday:

Spinach, mushroom and ham quiche
I've never made quiche before, so this'll be a bit of an adventure! Though I'm going to cut out the hard part and buy a pre-made shell for my first attempt. (Baby steps. Plus, y'know, actually owning a quiche/pie pan is kind of important if you want to make this sorta thing from scratch.)

Friday:

Dinner/movie date night with Chris, IF he's feeling better (he has a minor day surgery on Thursday) AND we can find someone to stay w/ S.

If not, leftovers! (there should be lots)

On a related note...

Which movie should we go see?

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Family-Friendly Giveaway Roundup open to Canadians - 05/22

It's been a couple weeks since I posted an up-to-date roundup. Sorry about that! To make up for this, I spent a few solid hours last night scouring my favourite giveaway blogs, recent tweets, linkies and other roundups for the latest & greatest in order to compile a nice, plump list! Moving forward, I'll try to be more consistent posting these on a weekly basis. And I suspect it'll probably happen on weekends after all, as that's when I appear to have the most free time. *nods*.

Happy entering!!

(NEW) 05/23: Best Bottom diaper + 3 inserts (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Freckleberry Finds
Mandatory entry: GFC follow
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 4; current entries: 996

(NEW) 05/23: 2 Comfy Rumps pocket diapers (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Cloth Diaper Contests & Giveaways
Mandatory entry: None
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 2; current entries: 672

(NEW) 05/23: $100 gift certificate to Baby Box (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Mommy and Me Giveaways
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries: 510

(NEW) 05/23: Best Bottom diaper + 3 inserts (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Mommy's Peanut Gallery
Mandatory entry: GFC follow
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 0; current entries: N/A

(NEW) 05/23: Palm Tree OS diaper cover (CAN/US)
Hosted by: I Love Cloth Diapers
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 12; current entries:303

(NEW) 05/23: Boba carrier (CAN/US)
Hosted by: So Easy Being Green
Mandatory entry: GFC follow
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 0; current entries:N/A

(NEW) 05/23: $40 to Kidlandia personalized maps & gifts (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Oh So Savvy Mom
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries:183

(NEW) 05/24: Blissful Booty cloth diaper + wipes (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Marni's Organized Mess
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 25; current entries:904

(NEW) 05/24: Sprout Change diaper (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Giveaways for Mom
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries:105

(NEW) 05/24: BumGenius Artist Series diaper (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Mama B
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 4; current entries:1088

(NEW) 05/25: Hipkiddo OS cloth diaper (WORLDWIDE)
Hosted by: One Smiley Monkey
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; Facebook like
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 11; current entries:636

(NEW) 05/25: Planet Wise hanging wet/dry bag and designer change pad (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Minnesota Mama's Must Haves
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries:533

(NEW) 05/26: Organic honey from Tropical Traditions (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Six in the Nest
Mandatory entry: Newsletter sign-up
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 2; current entries:176

(NEW) 05/27: Personalized book from Mooo (WORLDWIDE)
Hosted by: Mommy and Me Giveaways
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries: 142
NOTE: Winner pays shipping

(NEW) 05/27: 2 Itti Bitti diapers (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Sweet T Makes Three
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 2; current entries: 510

(NEW) 05/27: $40 to Ecomom (CAN/US)
Hosted by: My Wee View
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries:310

(NEW) 05/28: Thirsties Duo Diaper (CAN/US)
Hosted by: What Mama Wants
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 12; current entries:1144

(NEW) 05/28: Wool dryer balls from The Willow Store (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Oh So Savvy Mom
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries:238

(NEW) 05/29: Tots Bots Easy Fit AIO diaper (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Squishy Tushy
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 6; current entries:252

(NEW) 05/30: Tetro Fitted Diaper (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Dirty Diaper Laundry
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries:204

(NEW) 05/30: Mudpuppy block puzzle (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Freckleberry Finds
Mandatory entry: GFC follow
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 4; current entries: 153

(NEW) 05/30: Blissful Booty AIO diaper + wipe water concentrate (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Happenings of the Harper Household
Mandatory entry: GFC follow
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 6; current entries:776

(NEW) 05/30: $250 Home Depot prize pack (CAN ONLY)
Hosted by: My Organized Chaos
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries: 639

(NEW) 05/31: Itzy Ritzy snack bag (CAN ONLY)
Hosted by: One Smiley Monkey
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; Facebook like
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 11; current entries:99

(NEW) 05/31: Orionbaby kitchen wetbag (CAN/US)
Hosted by: What Mama Wants
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 12; current entries:182

(NEW) 05/31: Rockin' Green Funk Rock (CAN/US)
Hosted by: The Tree Huggin' Mama
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 0; current entries:N/A

(NEW) 06/01: Hiney Lineys cover and 2 lineys (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Sweet T Makes Three
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 2; current entries:211

(NEW) 06/02: Hemp shower curtain (CAN ONLY)
Hosted by: Glimpse Reviews
Mandatory entry: Website visit; Facebook like
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 3; current entries:106

(NEW) 06/02: Wool dryer balls from The Willow Store (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Your World: Healthy and Natural
Mandatory entry: GFC follow
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 0; current entries:61

(NEW) 06/02: Swaddlebees Simplex AIO diaper (WORLDWIDE)
Hosted by: One Smiley Monkey
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; Facebook like
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 11; current entries:273

(NEW) 06/04: Thirsties Duo Wrap + hemp prefold (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Mommy and Me Giveaways
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries: 249

(NEW) 06/04: Nasty Free Naturals baby products (CAN/US)
Hosted by: One Smiley Monkey
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; Facebook like
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 11; current entries:71

(NEW) 06/05: Planet Wise snack bags (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Giveaways for Mom
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; Facebook like
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries:66

(NEW) 06/09: SoftBums Omni diaper (WORLDWIDE)
Hosted by: The Crafty Nest
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 2; current entries:294

(NEW) 06/10: Thirsties Duo Wrap + help prefold (CAN/US)
Hosted by: The Crafty Nest
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 2; current entries:301

(NEW) 06/10: Mother-ease AIO diaper + liner (CAN/US)
Hosted by: The Crafty Nest
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 2; current entries:196

(NEW) 06/11: BestBottom diaper + 3 inserts (CAN/US)
Hosted by: The Crafty Nest
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 2; current entries:188

(NEW) 06/12: Customized Nykibaby diaper (WORLDWIDE)
Hosted by: The Crafty Nest
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 2; current entries:117

(NEW) 06/15: Lovely Pocket Diaper (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Mommy Kat and Kids
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries:206

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Notes:

• Giveaways are listed in chronological order by closing date
  
• Most of the giveaways I'm currently scouting out are for cloth diapers and related products, so there is a heavy lean toward these
• All giveaways I post will be open to Canadians; some exclusively. I'll indicate whether a particular contest is CAN/US, CAN ONLY or WORLDWIDE beside each listing.
• To help you decide which giveaways to enter, I will list the mandatory entry, the number of winners (# winners), the number of daily entries per person (daily entries pp) and the current number of total entries at the time of this writing (current entries).
• Giveaways which have just been added to the list this week have a NEW tag.
• If you know of a great family-friendly product giveaway open to Canadians which is missing from my list, feel free to leave a comment and let me know. Thanks! (Note - I may add a linky to this post in an upcoming week.)

Too much of a good thing - losing MORE than baby weight!

I've always been thin with a high metabolism (5'7" and just under 125 pounds prior to conceiving), so it wasn't a surprise when I was able to shed the 30ish pounds of pregnancy weight very quickly once  S was born, due mainly to exclusive breastfeeding and increased daily activity. I received compliments galore on my figure during the first couple months postpartum, which was certainly appreciated given our early struggles with nursing and my li'l stint back in the hospital, among other challenges!

I was happy and felt great when I'd returned to my pre-pregnancy weight, but then the pounds continued to melt away. This concerned me, so I commented to Chris that I was losing too much weight. His response - keep this on the down low unless I was out to make some enemies! And indeed, the first couple people I mentioned this to told me I was crazy, that I looked great. But then when a few MORE pounds had dropped off, the compliments turned to questions and concerned observations - had I lost a little too much weight? YES, yes I had! Did I mean to lose this much? Absolutely not. I began cringing each time I weighed myself on Wii Fit for fear of the BMI bar undercutting its predecessor (which it usually did).

Things really hit home when I decided to weigh myself holding S the other day at the doctor's office.

The scale registered 125 pounds.

This is what I weighed ALONE prior to conceiving. Not only have I lost my excess baby pound-age, but on top of that I have shed my almost-six-month-old's equivalent in additional weight. That's pretty mindboggling, and scary.

So, I did what any mama in her right mind would do in that situation; I made a beeline to McDonalds and promptly scarfed down fries and a third pound angus burger with swiss cheese and mushrooms. And it was delicious, in all its glorious wrongness. My body is obviously craving calories!

But then I came home and consulted Google for a more sensible, long-term strategy to up my caloric intake and slowly put those pounds back on. One of the first things I found was a La Leche League forum post reassuring me that I'm not alone among breastfeeding mamas. So that was nice to read. Common advice I came across suggested incorporating more dense, nutrient-rich foods into my diet such as avocado, eggs, nuts, coconut and meat. Yum - I can do that! I'm going to get back into a routine making big breakfasts (which I was doing for a little while a couple months back) and also plan to work the above foods more prominently into my menu plans.

Another good thing - now that S's starting on solids, she won't be getting ALL her calories from me which will help as well.

Here's some motivation. Me before preggy:

 

Me now:

Wish me luck in my quest to look like the before pic again! (Minus the long hair. Way too much for Little One to grab! ;)

MiniMaestro wetbag review

So remember how I asked you to pretty please help me win some pink fluff in a recent "Name the Diaper" contest? Well, unfortunately I didn't win. You guys were awesome and helped me get 13 votes which looked like a shoe-in for the win... but then another crafty competitor snagged some clutch last-minute votes and stole the victory. So this served to reiterate the fact that I do *not* heart popularity contests!!!!

But, I *do* still heart MiniMaestro, the company who sponsored the giveaway! Why? Well, they are a Canadian company through-and-through (the manufacturer is located in Montreal, Quebec), they take pride in product quality and ethical working conditions, the owner and operator (Sophie Gratton) is warm, friendly and passionate about her company, and, last but not least, I was lucky enough to win one of their wetbags in a flash giveaway!

I first discovered MiniMaestro and won this bag way back in February. This was a very practical win, as I only had one small wetbag at the time which proved to be quite inconvenient if I wanted to get out with S while it was hang drying.

When the bag arrived in the mail, the first thing that struck me was how compact and lightweight it was! It has a similar capacity to the other bag I own (about 6-8 diapers) but less than one quarter the bulk! Seriously, check this out:

As we CDing parents know, free diaper bag space is at a premium, so the trimness of their wetbag is certainly appreciated in this regard!

The next thing I noticed was the quality of the bag's construction. It is made of PUL with a strong zipper and a nylon handle for carrying or hanging. Simple, yet very durable and sturdy - especially impressive given its trimness!

So the big question - how did it hold up in practice? Very well, I must say! I've used it on at least a dozen outings so far, and true to its description, have not noted any leaks or smells - even when it has contained a full day's worth of wet diapers! (And, lemme tell ya, S's dipes are due for a strip. They're definitely becoming ammonia-licious!) And another nice thing about the trimness - it makes for VERY short drying times!

When I first set out to write the review, I thought I wouldn't have anything negative to say about the bag. However, when I stumbled upon the product description for another (much pricier) bag online which claimed you could fill it with water, squeeze and nothing would come out, the sleuth in me decided to try the same experiment with my MiniMaestro. Unfortunately, it appears that the bag isn't *technically* leak-proof:

Rats! That said, a couple things are worth mentioning on this point:

1. From my research, it sounds like this would happen with the majority of wetbags due to a very common (but evidently imperfect) method used to stitch the seams, and
2. I doubt this would be a problem in practice since wet diapers are not soaked to the point of liquid readily squeezing out (or at least they SHOULDN'T be!!) and poop (even the EBF variety) would presumably be too thick to leak out through the micro-holes. And, as I mentioned earlier, I've never noticed a leak myself. That said, I probably won't expand the use of this bag to extremely wet items like bathing suits due to this discovery.

What else can I say about these wetbags? Well, they come in a small but snazzy array of solid colours. Those of you who are all about the funky and stylish patterns may be a bit disappointed, however I'm a simple gal and liked my orange bag just fine, TYVM!

 

And finally, one of the best things about these bags - they're just $9.99! Many comparable bags sell for $15+, so you're getting a great deal with this one!

All in all, I really like my MiniMaestro wetbag. Here is a pros/cons summary for those of you in a hurry:

Pros:

+ Extremely lightweight & trim

+ High-quality construction

+ No leaking or smell issues in practice (12+ outings)

+ Very quick drying time

+ Affordable price - just $9.99 each!

Cons:

- Not technically 100% leak-proof

- Available in a small set of solid colours only - no patterns

Buy It:

MiniMaestro sells their products, including their wetbags, directly from their website. Head on over and go shopping! :)

** UPDATE ** I received an email from Sophie at MiniMaestro this morning in response to my review. She learned recently that ammonia develops faster in wet diapers when there is no oxygen (due to an anaerobic reaction). She now keeps the lid of her daughter's diaper pail slightly open to help ward off this problem. It's possible, then, that it's actually *better* for a wetbag to be slightly breathable (and not 100% leak-proof). This is inconclusive, of course, but some interesting food for thought so I wanted to point this out here!

Disclosure:  I was not compensated in any manner for writing my review.  This is my completely honest opinion above and may be different from yours.

BMO Eco Smart Mortgage Blog Tour

If you're a Canadian blogger and/or giveaway enterer, you've probably come across one or more blogs participating in the BMO Eco Smart Mortgage program and offering $50 gift certificates to RONA. I think this is a great way for BMO to get the word out about their new mortgage, which offers a super-low five-year fixed interest rate of 3.89 per cent to homeowners who meet their energy efficiency criteria (based on a 7-point checklist).

For those of you who would like to learn more about this new mortgage offering, read some great energy efficiency tips and/or nab shots at the $50 gift certificates, I've compiled a list below of participating blogs I was able to find. This list may not be exhaustive, so if I've missed any please feel free to comment below. Hope this is helpful!

Glimpse Reviews (Ends TODAY so get your entries in ASAP!)
My Real Review (Ends May 15th)
The Knit Wit (Ends May 15th)
Littles Rule the Roost (Ends May 15th)
Toronto Teacher Mom (Ends May 15th)
Natural Mama (Ends May 15th)
Mommy is Just Sayin' (Ends May 15th)
Two Children and a Migraine (Ends May 15th)
Nugglemama's Handful (Ends May 15th)
Feisty Frugal & Fabulous (Ends May 15th)
Simply Stacie (Ends May 15th)
Mommy Kat and Kids (Ends May 15th)

Shoppers Optimum: how to "optimize" your savings!

I'm a big fan of points programs. Why not get back money or free stuff on purchases you were going to make anyway? That said, some points programs offer such paltry rewards that there's almost no point in being a member. But at the opposite end of the spectrum, other programs offer you the opportunity to REALLY work some serious rewards. Shoppers Optimum is one of them.

For my non-Canadian readers, Shoppers Optimum is the loyalty program offered by Shoppers Drug Mart, the number one provider of pharmacy products & services in Canada. So this post won't be directly applicable to you, though you may generalize some of my tips below to programs available to you.

The day-to-day earnings offered in the program are nothing to write home about. You get 10 points for every dollar spent and redeem them at a rate of between $1 and $2 for every $100 spent. However, if you work the frequent special event days, you can redeem points at $30-40+ for every $100 spent. That's pretty win. I first signed up to the Optimum program about 6 years ago, and I've redeemed at least $600 worth of free products since then by shopping on point event days.

Since I started workin' this program, I've come up with the following guidelines to optimize savings - in other words, not just rack up and redeem a plethora of points, but do so in a sensible fashion and acquire only those items that I truly want or need:

• First and foremost, shop only on major point event days, assuming it makes practical sense to do so. There are two main types of point events: earning events and redemption (or "Spent Your Points") events.
  
  
• Earning events either offer you a multiplier (e.g., 20x the points) or a set amount (e.g., earn 10,000 points) and always have a minimum purchase amount (e.g., $50). The best earning events are 20x the points on almost everything in the store, or a set amount of points which works out to 20x the points or better if you spend exactly the minimum purchase amount. For example, a recent event allowed you to earn 18,500 points for spending $75 or more. Spending exactly $75 worked out to almost 25x the points, which is the best earning event I've seen! (So yup, I worked that bad boy.) Shoppers will offer other earning events, but don't fall for them. Shop the 20x (or more) earning events ONLY!

• Redemption events allow you to redeem points for more than the standard saving level amounts For example, another recent event offered the option to redeem 50,000 points for $100, which is $15 more than the standard savings of $85 at this level. These events usually require you to spend a large number of points at once. All redemption events are good, however occasionally Shoppers will offer an extra $10 or $15; keep your eye out for these!

• Sign up for the Shoppers Optimum mailing list. This will keep you posted on when major point and redemption events are coming and also notify you of secret events (i.e. earning or redemption events which are not publicized.)
  
  
• Keep a running list of products you need (or would be good to stock up on). You want to ensure that each time you go on a Shoppers' spree, you're purchasing items you really want or need. If you routinely end up grabbing miscellaneous items to meet a required threshold, you're essentially cancelling out your savings. This is an important point and requires organization and self-restraint!! It's easy to convince yourself in the moment that you'll use that peppermint foot scrub that's also 50% off, but in practice it'll probably sit in your cupboard until it goes bad. If you need to buy something else to meet a level, stock up on an item you regularly use.
  
  
• If you're not brand picky, get the things you need on special. Specials stack with point events, and Shoppers always has great deals (often 40-50% off or more).
  
  
• If you're shopping during an event which involves earning or redeeming for a set number of points, keep a mental calculation of how much you're spending as you shop. You want to just *barely* exceed the level, as additional money spent above the level does not earn or redeem additional points.
  
  
• Higher redemption levels offer better bang for the buck. However, only redeem at a higher level if you can readily spend that amount on items you need or want.
  
  
• Finally, if an event comes up and you don't need anything (or much of anything), IGNORE IT! Otherwise you end up with stuff you don't need or want, or you end up hoarding an excessive amount of products taking up space waiting to be used.
  
  

I hope this was helpful! If you have any other tips (for Shoppers Optimum in particular, or points programs in general) feel free to comment!

"Odds & Ends" Soup - Peameal Bacon, Potato & Bean {Recipe}

Due to the sickies in our household this week, I didn't get around to meal planning or much cooking in general. We did have a LOT of leftovers from last Sunday's brunch, so we enjoyed some good breakfasts as well as a "breakfast for dinner" meal. (Nothing wrong with eggs past 6 PM, folks!) By Thursday I felt almost back to my normal self so I wanted to cook, however rather than making a quick sprint to the grocery store I decided to get a li'l creative and pretend I was on Chopped. So tell me - what would YOU do with leftover peameal bacon, lima beans, parmesan cheese and a couple potatoes? Well, I ended up making this:

I wasn't sure how it would work out as I prepared it, but it ended up tasting amazing! Rich & hearty, with a meaty taste from the peameal and aromatic flavour from the herbs & spices. As he gulped down his second bowl, Chris said it was the perfect dish to help him recover. ("Apparently not," he just said from beside me on the couch. Poor guy is still sick. :( So no, unfortunately it's not the miracle cure, but it IS tasty!)

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 potatoes, cut into small cubes
• 1 large can (28 fl oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (19 oz) white beans
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup frozen lima beans
• 1/2 cup macaroni noodles(more if you like "noodley" soups)
• 3 slices of leftover peameal bacon, diced
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• "Some" thyme, oregano, paprika, pepper (I don't really measure - maybe 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp of each?)
• Salt to taste

Steps:

1. Boil potatoes until almost cooked
2. In a large saucepan on medium heat, sauté onions for 3-4 minutes in olive oil
3. Add bacon and garlic and a little of chicken broth. Saute for another 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Add canned tomatoes, potatoes (drained), remaining chicken broth, lima beans, herbs & spices. Simmer on low for 10-15 minutes, stirring regularly.
5. Add macaroni. Simmer for another 8-10 minutes (or until al dente).
6. Add white beans and most of the parmesan cheese. Stir and simmer for a couple more minutes.
7. Serve with a sprinkle of the remaining parmesan on top. So easy and so yum!!

The next time I make this, I might forego the lima beans and possibly the macaroni noodles and add another potato. I would guess it would also work quite well with other types of meat - "regular" bacon, or perhaps diced corned beef, cottage roll or some smoked sausage. The key is to dice whatever it is quite fine so it basically becomes part of the broth.

Wow. I'm impressed that DD actually napped long enough to let me write this post! Perhaps I even have time for some giveaways now. :D

The Versatile Blogger Award

Waaay back on April 30th, I received my very first blog award - "The Versatile Blogger" - from Selina at Urban Granola. Thanks Selina!!! I was so happy to hear that you dig my blog enough to give it an award!

I've finally set aside a chunk of time tonight to follow the rules of the award and pay it forward. Yay!! (I'm only two weeks late - that's not too bad, right? ;)

Here are the official rules:

•     Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post.
•     Tell your readers seven (7) things about yourself.
•     Give this award to fifteen (15) recently discovered bloggers.
•     Contact those bloggers and let them in on the exciting news.

First point's done, so let's move on to the others!

7 things about myself:

1. I was an avid poker player for several years, starting in university. Semi-professional, one might say. Poker helped pay for my last year of school (though, to be fair, it also put a couple of my credits at risk). As one who is eminently logical, enjoys problem solving and has solid intuition, it was pretty much the perfect hobby for me. My degree (major in computer science / minor in psychology) provided great training as well! Ironically (or not so ironically) I basically stopped playing around the time poker became mainstream. Perhaps I enjoyed having more of a "niche" hobby, or perhaps I just grew tired of it. *shrug* Now, however, I do find myself missing it from time to time. It's a great game.
   
2. The idea of parasites (especially large, internal ones) makes me EXTREMELY squeamish. It just seems so wrong and ghastly that *worms* can live inside a human body. I first developed a fear of parasites when I was young (8 or 9?) on a trip to the Science Center in Toronto. There was an exhibit on parasites including graphic images of different types of worms as well as a man with maggots living in exposed scalp tissue. :O Man, there should have been some sort of warning or minimum age requirement to view that bad boy, as it definitely scarred me. And apologies if I've caused you to lose your appetite!
   
3. Stealing one from Selina here. :) I'm a procrastinator as well, and notoriously late for things. The lateness really only applies to *events* however - not projects and deadlines. So there's an odd disparity there. In any case, I hate it and I'm really trying to work things here, especially now that we have a daughter. The last thing I want is to make HER late for things as well. Weird that something which seems so simple (just be on time) is so challenging!
   
4. I have a penchant for long sweaters and/or dresses paired with knee-high boots. HEART this combo!
   
5. The first time I travelled via airplane was in 2003, when I was 24 years old. (Yes, there were quite a few road trips when I was young!) Since then, I've flown 25-30 times for business and/or pleasure.
   
6. I collected frog statues when I was little. My old collection has long been boxed up, however my dad still likes to buy me frogs which is super sweet! :) Maybe one day I'll put a li'l shelf together combining my favourite older ones and new ones from Dad.
   
7. I'm awesome at the drums on Rock Band. I do really well at singing too even though I'm a bad singer. Go figure.
   

Now, before I pay it forward to my Fabulous 15, I'd like to say that this was HARD! To be sure, I read and enjoy MANY more than 15 blogs. However, continuing to focus on the theme of this award (versatile blogging) was helpful. The blogs I have chosen really exemplify this with high-quality content under a variety of different topics, themes or activities/projects. I definitely recommend checking these folks out! To help you decide which may be of interest to you, I've added a short blurb and/or keywords beside each one to capture what I appreciate about that particular blog's versatility. Without further ado...

And the Versatile Blogger Award goes to.... [opens envelope]:

1. Obsessions of the Trophy Wife - cloth diapering, pregnancy, nursing, reviews/giveaways, de-mystifying difficult to understand or commonly misunderstood concepts
2. Simply Rebekah - eco-friendly living, recipes, freezer cooking, a day in the life spotlights, an approachable and warm writing style
3. Gingham Skies - crafts, menu planning, parenting, photography, blog challenges
4. A Mommy's Blessings - family values, efficiency tips, recipes, eco-friendly review/giveaways
5. The Mrs. - frugal living, recipes, photography, incredibly sharp humour & wit
6. Shasher's Life - social media, theme days (e.g. Feature Fridays), giveaways, Canada-centric content
7. Marni's Organized Mess - cloth diapering, reviews/giveaways, photography, blog hopping, self-reflective content
8. Hybrid Rasta Mama - natural parenting, mindfulness, efficient living
9. Formula Mom - cloth diapering, reviews/giveaways, blog hopping, slick writing style
10. Tales from the Nursery - parenting stories, lots of reviews/giveaways, blog hopping & growth
11. Beautiful Calling - natural birth and parenting, simple living tips, high-quality and comprehensive content, reviews/giveaways
12. Cheap Wine and Cookies - frank & gritty content, original & fresh topics, parenting, theme days
13. According to Jenny - natural parenting, cloth diapering, photography, friendly & accessible writing style
14. A Home for the Hendersons - parenting, gorgeous photography, cloth diapering
15. Mama on a Green Mission - green living tips, reviews/giveaways, blog hopping

 Congrats to all of the above bloggers! I heart reading you all. :D

Pears, Poo and "To Bed With You!!!"

I had a plethora of ideas for awesomesauce blog posts this week, however sickies, lack of proper sleep and Blogger's little stunt threw a wrench into that. But now it's the weekend and perhaps (with hubby's assistance) I can do some catch up here. We'll start with a rather sleep-deprived "miscellaneous happenings" update; excuse any improper grammar or questionable sentence structure and flow. THERE, I said it. Now I can write with impunity! ;)

First of all, an update on solids. On Wednesday we found ourselves once more into a double digits number of days since S last had a doo-doo, and her "composter" farts were getting seriously wretched! So we went for the double poo-ty frooty combo - more prune juice, and some mashed up pear! This was the third or fourth time she'd had prune juice so she has gotten used to it and doesn't mind it. So how'd she do on the pear, you ask? Well:

Lots of strange faces and definitely more slopped onto her tray or mushed into her bib than actually ingested, but it was a pretty good start! Unfortunately when we tried again the next day with the other half of the pear, she decided she was having none of it. Gaah. Well, we'll try again later.

In any case, it appears she got enough in to hit pay dirt! Or would that be poo dirt? Or pay squirt? :) Anyhoo. Let’s just say that an insta-bath was in order following Wednesday night's inshident. Oh! And despite the magnitude, her baby blue Charis Designs cover held everything in. w00t!

A few people have commented that S's recent bowel habits must sure make diaper changes easier. This got me thinking. In terms of the clean-up process, would I rather contend with one or two "regular" poops per day, or a GINORMOUS, sticky, peanut-buttery, "baby wipes ain't cutting it" affair once every 10 days or so? And y'know what - I'm not sure! What would YOU rather contend with?

Next on the solids radar: oats and peas. We're also excited about introducing quinoa which is SUPER healthy, however it seems the recommendation is 8+ months for this one, so we won't go there just yet.

In other news, I'm starting to question the whole asthma thing. S's been a LOT better over the last few days; very little coughing overnight and generally nice, regular breathing. Granted we *have* been using her inhalers (at least the long term twice/day one) but we've also been battling the sickies. Maybe she just had whatever we did and is getting over it now? Do we really want to continue making her breathe in those chemicals if this is the case? Though on the flip side, if it's the inhalers that are making her better, do we want to stop them now? Gah, so many questions and so few clear answers! That said, Chris and I have agreed to continue with the inhalers until her follow-up appointment next week, and then re-evaluate from there.

Finally, we're now on night 3 of Really Craptacular Sleep. S has been a) very difficult to settle and b) waking MULTIPLE times overnight to fuss 'n' feed. Like, we're talking every hour and a half. It's been reminiscent of her first couple weeks except even more challenging because Chris hasn't been off work to fully share the pain (though he *has* taken her for an hour or so in the mornings before work to help me out) and because she barely naps during the day, preventing me from "sleeping when baby sleeps" and catching up. BUT! I think she's teething and/or going through a big growth spurt, both of which are good things! (Not that teething's fun, but it's something every baby needs to go through!) Oh-so-fittingly, the amber teething necklace I won over at Obsessions of The Trophy Wife just came in the mail the other day (all the way from Lithuania!), so we'll give that a try this weekend and see if it helps her out!

Chris showed me something he found the other day which is also oh-so-fitting:

 

The product description:

Go the F*!k to Sleep is a bedtime book for parents who live in the real world, where a few snoozing kitties and cutesy rhymes don't always send a toddler sailing blissfully off to dreamland. Profane, affectionate, and radically honest, California Book Award-winning author Adam Mansbach's verses perfectly capture the familiar--and unspoken--tribulations of putting your little angel down for the night. In the process, they open up a conversation about parenting, granting us permission to admit our frustrations, and laugh at their absurdity.

With illustrations by Ricardo Cortes, Go the Fuck to Sleep is beautiful, subversive, and pants-wettingly funny--a book for parents new, old, and expectant. You probably should not read it to your children.

And a sample verse:

The cats nestle close to their kittens now.
The lambs have laid down with the sheep.
You're cozy and warm in your bed, my dear
Please go the f*!k to sleep.

Awesomeness.

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday: Mother's Day Brunch!

My husband and I have been hosting Mother's Day Brunch with his side of the family for the past three years. This year, our number of guests increased by 2 as his grandparents are now living in town and were happily able to join us! I think we overcompensated food-wise, however, as we've been eating the leftovers ever day and *still* have a bunch of stuff left in the fridge!

Fruit & cheese platters (plus a crumpled napkin - I think one of the kids nabbed a chocolate covered strawberry before I managed to take this shot!)



Mmmmmeat - breakfast sausages, bacon, and peameal (or "Canadian") bacon!

Don (Chris' Dad) cooking eggs, onions and hashbrowns

Anne Marie's ridiculously delicious cinnamon rolls

Group shot - all the mothers and daughters!

Take a deep breath...

I'd planned to do some blog updates yesterday following a wonderful Mother's Day weekend. (Hope all you mamas had one as well!) However, I woke up in the morning feeling like someone had beaten the crap out of me and pushed razor blades down my throat, so this was an initial deterrent. (Side note - I almost never got sick before giving birth, but since then I've come down with a bug three times. Boo to that!)

And then the biggie. S had begun having some coughing spells about a week back, and they worsened over the weekend (mostly at night) so I called the doctor and got her an appointment for yesterday afternoon. Chris took her in so I could crawl back into bed for another hour (yay to working from home), and he came back with some sobering news. According to the doctor, it's very likely that S has asthma. :( Along with this hypothesis came a prescription for two inhalers: a blue one which clears out her bronchial tubes (for short term relief) and a brown one which reduces the inflammation in her tubes (which should reduce and HOPEFULLY eliminate the condition into the longer term.) He said he wants to rule out asthma; if the inhalers don't work, then she is dealing with something else like a respiratory infection. But if they *do* work, it's virtually guaranteed to be asthma. He also prescribed an AeroChamber, a device which attaches to the inhaler enabling it to be used for a baby.

Apparently the pharmacist saw the look on Chris' face when he began to fill the prescription, as he reassured him that this is a common and very treatable condition. However, our research has indicated that it's not common in infants and toddlers (usually it shows up when a child is 4 or 5 years old). And no one ever wants to receive the news that their baby is suffering from a significant health condition - no matter how common or uncommon it is.

We began her on the inhalers last night and we did notice a reduction in her coughing spells overnight. Poor girl hates the process of giving her the inhaler, though Chris pointed out that the bigger of a "production" is made out of it, the more she fusses. (He gave her a shot of the blue inhaler first thing this morning and it wasn't too bad, however when we tag-teamed a bit later on the brown one she really squirmed and cried out.)

So aside from the inhalers, we also need to be really diligent about keeping things clean and allergin-free around here. This means frequently cleaning/vaccuming the floors and laundering all bedding and soft toys in hot water to get rid of dust mites (a notorious culrpit) and, unfortunately, finding a new home for Lucy. :( We discussed doing this earlier when we suspected S was developing an allergy, but now that she's been virtually diagnosed with a serious breathing condition, this is a step we have to take. Wish us luck here; it's not easy to find devoted caretakers for an older cat, even one as loving and awesome as Lucy.

Another concerning thing is that it is possible that swimming in indoor, chlorinated pools can trigger or worsen asthma due to trichloramine, which can be released when chlorinated water reacts with urine and other organic material. This concern was raised in Germany this past January and we've found it in other sources as well. Due to this, we'll need to make a decision regarding her swimming lessons as well.

So this was some unfortunate news, but we're of course going to do whatever we can to promote our daughter's health and wellbeing. We started last night with about 4 loads of bedding & toy laundry, and we plan to steam clean the carpets very soon as a next step. (With her out of the house, of course. Perhaps a Grandma and Grandpa day is in order!)

Finally, as if all of the above weren't enough for one day, I experienced a first last night: an inability to nurse S at bedtime. My milk just WOULDN'T let down! Luckily we had some pumped milk in the freezer, which she gulped down with gusto. And thankfully I was able to nurse her effectively again during our two overnight feedings. A bit disconcerting, though I think we can chock this one up to my illness, stress over the day's events or a combination of the two.

So that's that. We have a follow-up doctor's appointment for S in 10 days to check in. Crossing fingers and toes that with some super diligent cleaning, help from the inhalers and lots of fresh air, she'll be in tip-top shape in no time!

Family-Friendly Giveaway Roundup open to Canadians - 05/06

Here is an up-to-date roundup!

(NEW) 05/06: Create Your Own Floor Puzzle (CAN/US)
Hosted by: My Little Review Corner
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 2; current entries:320

(NEW) 05/06: Crawler Covers (4 pairs!) (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Little Boys are Made of Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails
Mandatory entry: Facebook like / comment
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 6; current entries:473

(NEW) 05/06: 3 wool dryer balls from The Willow Store (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Tales from the Nursery
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 0; current entries:389

05/08: Flip, BumGenius and Thirsties Duo from Ten Tiny Piggies (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Mama B
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 2; daily entries pp: 4; current entries:1296

(NEW) 05/08: bumGenius Elemental Organic OS diaper
Hosted by: Organic-Mama.ca
Mandatory entry:
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries: 36

05/09: Best Bottom system (shell + 3 inserts) (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Oh So Savvy Mom
Mandatory entry: Website visit; GFC follow
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries:502

(NEW) 05/09: $25 credit to for Your Bug-a-Boo (CAN/US)
Hosted by: The Cloth Diaper Fairy
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries:53

05/9: Blissful Booty AIO diaper and booster (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Dirty Diaper Laundry
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries:512

05/10: Wash & diaper cream OR wetbag & Flip from Baby Bottoms Boutique (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Mama B
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 3; daily entries pp: 4; current entries:888

05/10: Zookies cover (WORLDWIDE)
Hosted by: Mama's Passions
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries:183

05/10: Zookies cover (WORLDWIDE)
Hosted by: A Mommy's Blessings
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 0; current entries:76

05/10: Spark Story Starters (CAN/US)
Hosted by: West Coast Mama
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries:24

05/10: Envibum diaper (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Happenings of the Harper Household
Mandatory entry: GFC follow
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 6; current entries:906

05/10: $75 to Zutano Organic (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Natural Mommie
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries:N/A

(NEW) 05/10: Mother-ease AIO diaper (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Life in the Lost World
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries:170

05/11: Sleepy Wrap (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Not Just Baby Brain
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries:192

(NEW) 05/11: Blissful Booty diaper + booster (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Chubby Cheeks Thinks
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 6; current entries:568

(NEW) 05/11: Meeno (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Everything Mom and Baby
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; product comment
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 3; current entries:84

(NEW) 05/11: $25 to Enfant Style Diapers (CAN ONLY)
Hosted by: One Smiley Monkey
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; Facebook like
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 11; current entries:214

(NEW) 05/11: ERGObaby carrier (CAN/US)
Hosted by: So Easy Being Green
Mandatory entry: GFC follow
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 0; current entries:N/A

(NEW) 05/12: Juniper Cottage fleece soaker (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Dibs!
Mandatory entry: website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 0; current entries:N/A

(NEW) 05/12: Belle Baby Carrier (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Natural Mama
Mandatory entry: Email subscribe; website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries:193

(NEW) 05/13: Britax Frontier 85 (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Shining 2 Save
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 2; current entries:2150

(NEW) 05/13: 2 Itti Bitti diapers (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Mommy's Peanut Gallery
Mandatory entry: GFC follow
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 0; current entries:N/A

(NEW) 05/13: JoliMini diaper (Worldwide)
Hosted by: Crum's This N That
Mandatory entry: None
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 0; current entries:41
 
05/15: AppleCheeks prize pack from Snuggle Bugz (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Mama B
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 4; current entries:1159

(NEW) 05/15: Cloth pad from Mommy's Cloth Treasures (CAN/US)
Hosted by: A Mommy's Blessings
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 0; current entries:25

(NEW) 05/15: The Night Night Book (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Because It's Fun to Win!
Mandatory entry: Favourite book comment
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 0; current entries:N/A

(NEW) 05/16: The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Not Just Baby Brain
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries:63

(NEW) 05/16: 3 books from Scholastic Canada (CAN ONLY)
Hosted by: Glimpse Reviews
Mandatory entry: Comment about Mother's Day
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 3; current entries:99

(NEW) 05/16: 2 ComfyRumps diapers (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Freckleberry Finds
Mandatory entry: GFC follow
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 4; current entries:245

05/17: Bye Bye 'Sposies - 2 grand prize packages! (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Double Duty Mommy
Mandatory entry: GFC follow
# winners: 2; daily entries pp: 24; current entries:N/A

(NEW) 05/17: HipKiddo OS diaper (WORLDWIDE)
Hosted by: One Smiley Monkey
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; Facebook like
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 11; current entries:237

(NEW) 05/18: SoftBums Omni solo pack (shell + inserts) (CAN ONLY)
Hosted by: What Mama Wants
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 12; current entries:604

(NEW) 05/18: Tiny Heiney pocket diaper OR cover (CAN/US)
Hosted by: One More Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; Facebook like + comment
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 2; current entries:107

(NEW) 05/19: Zookies cover (WORLDWIDE)
Hosted by: Formula Mom
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 6; current entries:80

(NEW) 05/20: Thirsties Duo Wrap + help prefold (CAN/US)
Hosted by: Mama Days
Mandatory entry: GFC follow; website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 3; current entries:177

(NEW) 05/27: 2 Bububibi diapers + wet bag (CAN/US)
Hosted by: The Nurse Mommy
Mandatory entry: Website visit
# winners: 1; daily entries pp: 1; current entries:82

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Notes:

• Giveaways are listed in chronological order by closing date
  
• Most of the giveaways I'm currently scouting out are for cloth diapers and related products, so there is a heavy lean toward these
• All giveaways I post will be open to Canadians; some exclusively. I'll indicate whether a particular contest is CAN/US, CAN ONLY or WORLDWIDE beside each listing.
• To help you decide which giveaways to enter, I will list the mandatory entry, the number of winners (# winners), the number of daily entries per person (daily entries pp) and the current number of total entries at the time of this writing (current entries).
• Giveaways which have just been added to the list this week have a NEW tag.
• If you know of a great family-friendly product giveaway open to Canadians which is missing from my list, feel free to leave a comment and let me know. Thanks! (Note - I may add a linky to this post in an upcoming week.)