Peace Love Mom Review and Giveaway

***GIVEAWAY CLOSED***



I was recently asked to do a review for a wonderful company PeaceLoveMom. I heard about the company via Twitter (where I find most of my information.) They asked me to check out the website and tell them what I liked. Oh Wow- how could I choose? Their products looked to cute and comfortable. I narrowed it down and chose-


This is the Lucky Mom Cozy Pumpkin Thermal. I thought this would be perfect for the Fall season. PeaceLoveMom is a wonderful company. They state:

PeaceLoveMom is made up of a team of Moms with one common goal – to create “a celebration of motherhood” for all types of mothers. PeaceLoveMom, a lifestyle brand company was designed to share life’s many moments of motherhood. Established in 2006, the PeaceLoveMom team of ladies brings variant backgrounds, perspectives, and creativity to the table. Although the day-to-day business tasks are split, every PeaceLoveMom in our company possesses the same passion for motherhood and their new found careers. Creating designs that will both inspire and empower mothers everywhere, PeaceLoveMom represents a collaboration and true celebration of motherhood.

When I received my thermal, I washed it that day so that I could wear it right away. When I put it on I loved it. The liked the fit of the shirt very much. It was true to size- I bought the X-large and thought that it may be kinda tight due to my hmm.. large chest. The shirt did not hug me in the wrong places. The length of the shirt was also super- you can raise your arms to reach something and the shirt will not show your muffin top..lol. The shirt is made of high quality fabric that is soft and moves very well. I have worn the thermal a bunch of times and have received many compliments. I love being a proud mom of my son and do feel so lucky. The designs from PeaceLoveMom are very hip and not over powering. I would definitely recommend this company for anyone that is looking for a unique shirt for all the wonderful moms out there.

PeaceLoveMom also have a wonderful selection of onesies for babies and also adorable jewelry and tote bags! Make sure you stop by PeaceLoveMom and pick up an extra special gift for the mom in your life :) For my readers you can receive free shipping by using the code: KERRY09.

Do you want to WIN a Happy Mom Cranberry Comfy Thermal?

Here is how to enter to win:

Visit PeaceLoveMom and tell me which item they sell is your favorite (exact name).

*Remember to include your email address in your comment if it is not visible on your profile or you will be disqualified.
After you have completed the above mandatory entry you are eligible for additional entries.

Remember to leave a separate comment for each additional entry and include your email address in at least one entry.

1.Follow my blog publicly-Current followers count too!
2. Blog about my giveaway and link back to my site-Leave the URL where you blogged
3. Follow me on Twitter

4. Tweet about this giveaway-You may Tweet daily and gain an extra entry each day that you tweet-limit 1 per day. Leave the URL where you Tweeted.
5. Follow PeaceLoveMom on Twitter
6.Become a Fan of PeaceLoveMom on Facebook

Open to US Only. Giveaway ends Tuesday, December 8, 2009. Winner will be drawn by random.org and announced on this blog as well as emailed. Products reviewed were provided to me free of charge, however my opinion is my own and is an honest view of my experience with the product. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn. Good Luck!

*** due to low entry I am extending this giveaway till Tuesday, December 15th :)

BEYOND A PEANUT FOOD ALLERGY AWARENESS CARDS REVIEW

I am sure most of you that have read my blog before know that the Munchkin' Man has a severe allergy to peanuts. Since the awful day of finding this out, our lives have changed drastically. I have read many books. Searched the web and read tons of blogs. I also have been looking for products to help educate family members on this life threatening allergy. I came across the website Beyond A Peanut one day while doing a search. The first thing that caught my eye was the statement on the top of the website that was the description of what I have been looking for:

Resources to empower children with food allergies and teach those caring for them how to provide a safe environment

I contacted them and asked if they would like to sponsor a review for my blog. Dina sent over the Food Allergy Awareness Cards and Diggins Munchtime Placemats.

The Food Allergy Awareness Cards are FANTASTIC. They are a wonderful reference for anyone that has a child with a peanut allergy. The pack comes with 36 cards that provide tips and information on staying safe. Since the MM is not in school yet, I have used them to help educate family members on what is safe for him and what is not. The pictures and quick reference make the cards the most useful tool I have found so far. The cards are color coded letting you know which situations would be considered safe, pose the greatest risk, and what may be a potential risk. The cards are great for all ages. Even my 2 year old can look at the pictures and tell me if it is something that is safe or not safe.

When the MM goes to school, I will be sending the cards with him so that his teacher can help the other students understand allergies. If you have a child with a peanut allergy, I would HIGHLY recommend getting the Food Allergy Awareness Cards.

The cards are recommended for all individuals caring for your child with a nut allergy in:
your home
your extended family members
your neighbor's house
your day care provider
your school
your church or synagogue

I was also able to review the Diggins Munchtime Placemats. When ever we go out I have to make sure that the food the MM is going to eat is safe. We also have to make sure that we have something to entertain him while waiting for the food to come. The Diggins Placemats are super. They have wonderful pictures to color, counting games, and letter finds. We have used them at restaurants and I have also used them at home when we need a little "quiet time." I have also shared them with some friends and they love the activities that are on the placemats also!! I just fold a few and always keep them in our bag!

The website Beyond A Peanut is a great resource for peanut allergy facts as well as up to date information that has been in the news regarding allergies. Take a minute to check out their great products as well as the extremely useful information they have!!

Have you used the Food Allergy Awareness Cards? Please leave a comment to tell me how you used them :)

Thank you again for Beyond A Peanut for sponsoring this wonderful review.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY- I LOVE FALL (pic overload)

We love taking hikes during this time of year :)

BOOKS BY TARA WINNERS

Thank you to Tara of Books by Tara for sponsoring this wonderful giveaway! I love the illustrations and the poems in all the books. I hope the winners enjoy their books as much as we do.

Now onto the winners......drum roll please :)

#16 Brie H said...
16
3rd tweethttp://twitter.com/bdelaughter/status/4915095372bdelaughter@hotmail.com
October 16, 2009 9:05 AM

#29 Julie said...
29
I like all of her books-but either the snowman or car washaunteegem@yahoo.com
October 23, 2009 11:04 PM

#32 Bethie said...
32
Please count me in. I would like to read Water to my son.lizzi0915 at aol dot com
October 24, 2009 11:25 PM

Congratulations to all the winners. Please contact me within 24 hours with your shipping information. If a winner does not contact me within that time frame, another winner will be chosen.

MUFFIN TIN MONDAY- ORANGE/PUMPKIN THEME

Wow! We have not done a Muffin Tin Monday in awhile. Over the weekend I bought the Wilton Jack-O-Lantern Silicone Mold. I found it on sale and could not resist.

Here is what the Munchkin' Man had for lunch:

* Soy Butter and Pumpkin Butter sandwich cut into a pumpkin shape with raisin eyes

* Tangerine slices (I "carved" a face in the one side with pretzel stem)

* Applesauce with Halloween sprinkles

*Carrot sticks

*Pumpkin milkshake (soy milk, canned pumpkin, agave nectar, and pumpkin spice)

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY-KNITTING FOR THE HOLIDAYS

I figured that I would show one of the MANY projects I am working on for the holidays :) (they are dishcloths!)

BOOKS BY TARA- REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY **CLOSED**

I am completely addicted to books. The Munchkin' Man has followed in my footsteps. Every time I go out shopping, I seem to come home with another book. A few months ago, I won a wonderful book SNOWMAN from Books By Tara. We thought this book was fantastic!! The book has large pictures of the process of making a snowman. The process is explained with a super cute poem-

"Time to make the snowman's head

Put it on the tippy top

Now his body's complete…but BARE!

There's more to do, not time to stop "

Tara, the author, wrote her books with her youngest child in mind, who was showed signs of Autism at the age of two. She worked with her son using one on one therapy. About her books she states:

I have found simple books and pictures to be one of the best interaction tools available. They help establish a mutual focus for making social connections. I have also found that there are a limited amount of simple books that aren’t too babyish. I created Tara Books to help fill that void.

Tara's books are such a wonderful learning tool for all children! I contacted Tara about her books and she sent The Munchkin' Man Jake-O-Lantern. This was such a great book to introduce the Fall season. I love the sequencing of the book. The book is so easy to follow, even for a 2 1/2 year old. The pictures are so colorful and true to life. The Munchkin' Man was able to look at the pictures and tell me step by step instructions on how to make a Jake-O-Lantern. This story is also told with a fantastic poem:

"Pick out a pumpkin

Just the right size

How the face turns out Will be a surprise! "

I would recommend Books By Tara to any parent that is looking for books that have:

* fantastic real life pictures

* playful themes

*story lines that are open ended for further discussion with your child(ren)

*wonderful poems with language that is easy for children to repeat

*ways to support a MOM :) that is working hard at helping a community that is growing in great numbers!

Another thing I thinking is totally fantastic about Books By Tara, is that with each book she has Extension Activities. They are a super way to take her books one step further.

Here are a few pics of the Munchkin' Man and his Jack-O-Lantern book and also activity:

We followed the pictures in the book to make our oh so wonderful Jack-O-Lantern. Most of the time the MM was asking if he could eat it!!

Did you like what you saw in this review? Do you want to win your choice of book from Books By Tara? Here is your chance. Tara is going to giveaway one book of your choice to THREE lucky winners!

Here is how you enter:

Mandatory:

1. Visit Books By Tara and tell me what book you would love to read to your child

Additional

2. Sign up for Books by Tara Newsletter
3. Follow Books By Tara on Twitter

4. Follow me on Twitter

5. Subscribe to my feeds

6. Tweet this giveaway for extra entries (3 entries per day)

** You must leave a comment when you do any of the additional entries!!!!***

**Make sure you put an email for contact if you are the winner ***
*** This giveaway will end on Monday, October 26,2009***

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY- PUMPKINS, PUMPKINS, PUMPKINS

PEANUT ALLERGY AND THE PLAYGROUND

Once the weather becomes cooler is when I come out of the house. I enjoy the summer, but I hate going to the playground when my son can not even go down the slide because it is too hot. Well, the first nice cool day, we went to a local park to get some fresh air and exercise. We first took a hike through the woods to look for some of the signs of Fall. I am in love with the colors all around during this season. After our hike, we headed off the the playground. The playground has two sides- one for toddlers and then one for older children. The MM loves those sit on giant spring things on the toddler side. He then went over to the large equipment. We were having a great time. There were a few little girls playing and they were also eating a snack. Of course like any other 2 yr old, the MM went up to one of the little girls and asked for a cracker. I told him he could have snack when we got home. Then..... I realized the girls were eating peanut butter crackers!!! AHHHH!! I told the MM to go and play as in my head I am completely panicking!!! I have been teaching him not take snacks from anyone without asking me, but you never know. I was a mess. Do I take him to the other side of the playground? Do we leave? Were is the Epi pen? If something happened do I run to the car and get the Epi pen or do I carry him with me? Doesn't that mother know that there are kids with severe peanut allergies? I was also trying to calm myself down. It will be ok!! Well after about 10 more minutes, it was time for us to leave. Luckily we had been there for awhile and the MM did not protest, it was time to go home and a peanut free lunch :)

When we got home I reflected on the situation and my reaction. What I really learned is that not everyone is aware of allergies. It is not realistic to think that everywhere we go people are going to think "is this snack safe for all children?" I think that this is just still very new to me and in time I will be able to handle these type of situations with a little more sanity.

I am very luck with the support I have from friends. When I go to birthday parties, I call them before we go and ask what they are having. It makes life easier to know if there will be something for the MM to eat. Friends have read ingredients for me and even have gone out of their way to make sure there is safe food.

If you have a child with a peanut allergy, please leave a comment about a situation you were faced with and how you got through it!! I would love to know also what other parents would have done and how they would have felt with this situation!!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY- A BIKE BUILT FOR A GIANT

WINNERS OF THE SKOY CLOTH GIVEAWAY

I am sorry for the delay on picking the winners for the Skoy Cloth giveaway. It was a busy weekend and I am not even sure I turned on my computer!! The winners were picked using Random.org...and the winners are....

#35 Nancy said...
35
Tweet #4 http://twitter.com/njhhb/status/4123810243
September 20, 2009 10:04 AM

#29Mommy is Green said...
29
I subscribed to your feed!
September 19, 2009 9:31 PM

Congratulations to the two winners. I am in love with using the Skoy cloths throughout the house, I hope you enjoy yours as much as I do.

**Winners must contact me within 48 hrs with contact information or another winner will be chosen :)

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY- A WALK ON THE BEACH

MEATLESS MONDAY- VEGETARIAN CHILI

Today we did not end up doing a Muffin Tin Monday (I actually forgot it was Monday.)

For dinner I was searching for a good meatless recipe. I figured that I already had some organic kidney beans so, vegetarian chili sounded great. I came across a recipe for Vegetarian Chili with butternut squash. I had bought the butternut squash to make another recipe, but this one kind of intrigued me.

I did change a few things in the recipe. I added water instead of using vegetable stock. I added carrots and tomatoes from my garden. I also used kidney beans instead of the black beans. We it was all cooked, I served it over some whole wheat organic pasta. It actually was better than I thought it would be. My husband even liked it, but said that next time a little less butternut squash.I would definitely try this recipe again. It was a great meal to start off the Fall season!!!

SPOONING FOOD ACTIVITY

The Munchkin' Man has been working on his fine muscle control. Although he is able to use and spoon and feed himself, he still needs to work on his hand eye coordination. I set up a spooning activity tray for him and he loved it.

I set up the tray with two bowls and a tablespoon. As you can see in the above picture, one bowl is empty and the other one is full of beans ( I mixed three different types of beans that will be sorted another day.) He then used the spoon to transfer the beans from one bowl to the other.

This activity is suited for many different age and skill levels. For children that are just leaning how to use a spoon, you can use large Lima beans. For the MM, the next time we work on spooning, we will move onto something smaller, like rice, and use a smaller spoon also.

He was so proud of himself and had to show everyone when they came over his new activity. Although we do not follow the Montessori approach everyday, I am still trying to work in activities such as this one!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY- SELF PORTRAIT

This picture is from a house garden tour we went on in the beginning of the summer!