Tuesday, November 30, 2010

12 Days of Giveaways...Day 3: The Nest on Etsy.

Need I say more?  This pillow just screams winter and cozy.  It will look perfect in ANY room, and Samantha, at The Nest on Etsy, handmakes all of her items way over in Wales. She loves custom orders and has so many cute items for the holidays.  These are a few of my favs:



Be sure to place your orders soon, these items are being sent from the UK!
Samantha is giving one of my lucky readers their very own Moose Burlap Pillow!

How to win (mandatory):
Visit The  Nest on Etsy, and comment about your favorite item

Additional Entries:
1. follow Samantha's blog and comment that you did 
2.  Follow my blog (comment if you do!)

Contest ends Sunday December 5th at 11:59 pm.  Winner will be choosen via random.org and posted on my blog.  Winner will have 24 hours to email me.
Good Luck!

12 Days of Giveways Day 2: My Duck Duck Goose


This giveaway adds such a personalized touch to all the gift giving you do!  My Duck Duck Goose has the cutest tshirts, stickers, invitations, thank you notes, and other paper goodies around!  I ordered Jack's 1st birthday shirt from this shop, and everyone loved it!   

My Duck Duck Goose is offering 36 personalized holiday gift stickers!  You can choose from so many cute designs, this is my favorite:


 My Duck Duck Goose loves custom orders, just be sure to place those holiday orders by December 11th !

How to win (mandatory):
Visit My Duck Duck Goose's shop and comment on your favorite item (leave your emial with comment)
Additional Entries:
1. "Like" My Duck Duck Goose on Facebook
2. Blog about the 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway and leave the link

Contest ends Sunday December 5th at 11:59 pm.  Winner will be choosen via random.org and posted on my blog.  Winner will have 24 hours to email me.
Good Luck!






Monday, November 29, 2010

12 Days of Giveaways...Day 2: Fancy Prints

I LOVE this giveaway.  Veronika at Fancy Prints has such cute items that make the perfect gifts for anytime of the year! 
Fancy Prints has personalized prints in a variety of sizes for newlyweds, babies and families of all sizes!

These are just two of my favorite prints:



All of her prints are professionally printed with archival inks on the highest quality archival paper. It guarantees not to fade for up to 100-200 years. All prints are signed and dated on the back.  Fancy Prints has generously offered a giveaway to one reader for a 8" x 10" or 11" x 14" print of their choice!  This would make the perfect holiday gift for someone on your list, or for yourself! 

How To Enter: (Mandatory)
1. Visit Fancy Prints on Etsy.  Come back and leave a comment about your favorite print. **be sure to leave your email with comment.
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Additional Entries:
1.  Visit Fancy Prints on Facebook and "Like" them.
.2.  Follow my blog (if you do let me know!)
Contest will end Saturday December 4th at 11:59pm.  Winner will be choosen via random.org and will be posted on this blog.  Winner will have 24 hours to respond.  Good Luck!

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway: Puppylicious

I hhave pretty much only done giveaways for the humans that read my blog, but this time we have a little gift for the doggy (or kitty!) in your life.  I know my little guy Lenny sure loves to cuddle on the cold winter nights and loves to be covered by a cuddly blanket.   Lenny would SO love this:


(How cute is Porter!)
Gabrielle, at PuppyLicious, sells custom crate covers and puppy blankets which are perfect for the furbaby in your life!  She is graciously giving one of my readers the blanket pictured above!  It's just the right size for wrapping a puppy or small dog with lots left over, but it could be used for a medium or large sized dog if you won't be using it to wrap around them.

To Win: (Mandatory) 
Visit PuppyLicious and comment on your favorite item.

Extra Entries:
1. Heart PuppyLicious on Etsy.com.
2. Become a fan of PuppyLicious on Facebook
3. Follow the PuppyLicious Blog
3.  Blog about the 12 days of giveaways..(2 additional entries!)

***Please leave your email with one of your comments!

Contest will end Friday December 3rd at 11:59pm. Winner will be choosen via random.org.  Winner will be announced on this blog, and have 24 hours to respond.





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Sunday, November 28, 2010

12 Days of Giveaways, Day 1: Kute Design

CLOSED.....congrats Jess!!!


I thought I would kick things off with a bit of bling.  Kute, on Etsy, has unique, handmade jewelry.  I love her pieces, and they would make perfect gifts for my sister, friends, or girls on my secret santa list!

This is just one of my favorite items:

The winner of this giveaway will win an item of their choice!


To Win: (Mandatory) 
Visit Kute's Etsy shop and comment on your favorite item.

Extra Entries:
1. Make Kute one of your favorite shops on Etsy.com.
2. Become a fan of Kute on Facebook
3.  Blog about the 12 days of giveaways..(2 additional entries!)

***Please leave your email with one of your comments!

Because this prize is being shipped from Asia, I will be choosing this winner Wednesday at 11:59pm via random.org.  Winner will be announced on this blog, and have 24 hours to respond.


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If you don't like giveaways, skip this post

Tonight starts my 12 days of Christmas Giveaway! 
Starting tonight at 9pm, and everyday, until December 10, I will be featuring Etsy.com shops with amazing giveaways!


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So please tell everyone you know, and I hope you enjoy!  


Saturday, November 27, 2010

Low Entry Giveaway..ending tonight!

Be sure to check out my giveaway for $30 gift certificate to Pear Tree Greetings! This is perfect for your holiday cards or to buy someone a gift with!


Thursday, November 25, 2010

Give Thanks.

I love Thanksgiving. The cranberries and stuffing,(and wine!), the stories from way back when, the chaos, the Black Friday game plan, the football, the heat in the kitchen, and the stopping to really remember what this is all about.

It's about family.  It's about being grateful for what and WHO you have in your life.  
I am so SO  thankful.  I hope you are as well. 

Have a great Thanksgiving, and a great weekend. 


 



Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Check out my Man guest!

In the world of mom blogs, it makes me so happy to find a blog written by a man.  Better yet a dad.   So when I came across Philip's blog, which is cleverly titled Philipchiappani's Blog, I immediately became a follower.  It is so refreshing to read about parenting from a father's point of view.  I don't know about your husbands, but mine is not the best at telling me his feelings about being a dad. 

Phil however, is great at it.  If you have time, please stop by his blog and become a follower....you will be so glad you did.  And seriously, aren't they just the cutest family?
It is just a touch intimidating for a man to step into the realm of mommy blogs, but I am glad for the opportunity. Posting here gives me the chance to step away from the focus of my personal blog and concentrate on my thoughts as a parent. I hope that I can represent fathers well.
Not counting the 9-month calm before the storm, I am just 10 months into fatherhood.  I am still amazed at just how quickly life changed when my wife and I had our son, Bennett. Since that day, life has been in a constant state of transformation. Of course I understand that “the only thing you can count on in life is change,” but when you have a child it seems like everything takes off exponentially.
The change that I think about most often is that of my relationship with my wife. Before having a child our lives were filled with work and play; Kind of selfish really. Now, striking any kind of balance is increasingly difficult. Sadly it often feels like we are competing against each other in a zero-sum game for a few moments of free time. I think that part of it comes from the fact that even though you know pretty much what you are getting into by having a child, your expectations are never quite realistic. That seems to apply to both your expectations of yourself and your spouse.
What it means to be a good father seems to change on a near daily basis as both Bennett grows and I mature. Most of the time it feels like Bennett is growing much faster than I am maturing. It is very surreal to think that my son will be a teenager someday. What a thought! I will have a teenage son. Thinking that far into the future can be overwhelming so I try not to. The current state of things keeps our family busy enough.
One thing I do know is that no matter how hard I think I work, my wife works even harder. Sometimes I get caught up thinking that she has the easier role in our relationship. Then, I realize that the grass isn’t all that much greener on the other side. It is full of diapers, tantrums, runny noses and exhaustion. Actually, now that I think about it, it is pretty green. She gets the smiles, laughs, hugs and kisses 40 more hours a week than I do. But I get the satisfaction that I am working my hardest to provide those moments for both of them. Parenting isn’t actually a zero-sum game. It’s a win-win situation where we get to work together for something that truly matters.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Happy Birthday to me...a giveaway for you!

 

As a pearista, I want to keep you up to date on all Pear Tree Greetings has to offer. I love looking at all the adorable holiday greeting cards and gifts they have on their site!  Pear Tree has items to fit every personality and every budget.

Pear Tree Greetings is also doing something awesome called  Operation Gratitude . They are sending their color-in Christmas card to teachers around the nation who sign up to have their students color in the snowman and write a message thanking our men and women serving overseas for their dedication and hard work they provide this country. Pear Tree is also giving back this holiday season by partnering with the American Cancer Society. They have designed six exclusive Christmas cards , and by purchasing one of those cards, 100% of the proceeds go to the American Cancer Society.

One lucky reader will WIN a $30 gift code to use on anything at Pear Tree Greetings! Just in time to get your holiday photo or thank you cards in!


Mandatory entry: Tell me what you are thankful for this year!!

 * Become a FB Fan Pear Tree Greetings
* "Like" Just Another Manic Momday on Facebook

Contest will end Sunday November 28th at 11:59 pm.  Winner will be choosen via random.org and contacted via email.
Good Luck!

30-something years ago....


I was born.

Time sure does fly. 


Saturday, November 20, 2010

The countdown begins....

Only 9 days until my 1st annual 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!

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Please spread the word and put this button on your blog!
In the meantime check out the sponsers of this giveaway on my sidebar!

Hope you're enjoying your weekend!

Friday, November 19, 2010

Help Feed America...and a Giveaway!

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To raise awareness about the national issue of hunger this holiday season, Hamburger Helper® is partnering with GRAMMY® Award-winning singer, songwriter and actor Tim McGraw to help Feeding America deliver millions of meals to local food banks through the Show Your Helping Hand™ campaign. Tim is also doing a public service announcement that will be shown nationwide.

It is super easy to help this holiday season.  Just submit your codes from specially marked boxes of Hamburger Helper at www.showyourhelpinghand.com or by logging on to make a donation. Hamburger Helper has already donated more than half a million dollars and will contribute up to an additional $100,000 to Feeding America through this program. Don’t think one code will make a difference? The 17 cents Hamburger Helper donates per code is enough for Feeding America to deliver one meal to a local food bank.

Hamburger Helper and MyBlogSpark sent me a prize pack that includes a box of Hamburger Helper skillet meals, a Hamburger Helper foam “Helping Hand” and a copy of Tim McGraw’s “Southern Voice” CD. In addition, Hamburger Helper made a $10 donation to the Show Your Helping Hand™ campaign on behalf of my blog!  What's even better is they are providing an additional prize pack to give away to one of my readers!
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For your chance to win: (required)
** Comment on how you can encourage others to submit codes and join the Hamburger Helper/Feeding America fight against hunger

Additional Entries....

**Follow my Blog (if you do, let me know!)



Contest will end Friday November 26th at 11:59pm.  Winner will be choosen via random.org and contacted via email!  Good Luck!

p.s.  You can also have a chance to win an autographed copy of Tim McGraw’s “Southern Voice” CD by visiting www.showyourhelpinghand.com. 

Thursday, November 18, 2010

A post about numbers....

Numbers

Number of hours I slept last night: 7
Number of cups of coffee I've had already: 2
Number of times I've smiled so far: 8
Number of loads of laundry I need to do: 3
Number of emails I need to answer: 27
Number of days I've listened to Christmas music: 0 ( I have to enjoy Thanksgiving first!)
Number of Christmas presents I've already bought: 8
Number of miles I can now run consistently: 5
Number of pounds I would like to lose by New Years: 5
Number of days in a row I've had a headache: 12
Number of pumpkin brownies I ate over the weekend: 5
Number of papers I have to grade: too many
Number of people who will read and comment on this: 5
Number of times I've worn my favorite boots lately: 9 (sadly it's been to warm!)
Number of days until Christmas: 37!!!
Off to get another cup of coffee! My absolute favorite is Peppermint Mocha from Starbucks..what's yours?
Enjoy your Thursday!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Please Welcome My Newest Sponsor!

My newest sponser is an Etsy.com shop that I love.  They have perfect gifts for the upcoming holidays as well.  Please welcome Elm Studios Online
 
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This shop has so many cute things....but I will just show two of my favorites...in fact, I may be ordering one for Jack!

And this was featured in New York Wedding's Winter 2010 Magazine.  I think it would be so cute for my husband and I:

 Be sure to check out Elm Studios Online shop and remember....buy handmade!!!


Wordless Wednesday

Check out other wordless wednesday posts at The Paper Mama, have a great Wednesday!

Monday, November 15, 2010

taking a little time.....

You know those days where you don't want to do anything but relax, lay around and just enjoy what life has to offer?  That's what I have been doing the past few days. 

I have been stressed to the max lately.  Work is stressful, the house is not as clean as I would like it,  and my meals are not as gourmet as I would like them to be. And of course, I have my days where all I want to do is feel sorry for myself that I have to work and that I can't spend every second with Jack.   I have moments like these every once in a while.....they pass, and things get back to normal. 

I am trying to get back into meal planning,and finding more easy weeknight meals so that I can spend my time with Jack and not cooking dinner.  I am learning to be okay with a messy or dusty house for a few days.  I am also back to working out more so that I can relieve my stress and make my headaches less frequent. 

I also needed some a few days of no blogging, or computer, just time for me and my family.  I have learned it's good to take a break like that once in a while. But I'm back and I'm getting more and more excited that the holiday season is here!

Or I can always watch my new favorite Youtube sensation......Enjoy!
                    


Thursday, November 11, 2010

Working Mom Meals: slow cooker edition.

 

 

I never had a slow cooker.  I always heard how easy it made meals but thought it was all just hype.  Well I recently got a slow cooker from my review with CSN and decided to try it out last weekend.  The result was almost perfection.  This was by far the easiest meal I have ever made and it was soooo delicious.  My husband couldn't believe how good it was.  I adapted the original recipe from here.  I think the vegetables make the meal.   Next time I may add potatoes also.  I did not take pictures because it tastes WAY better than it looks.

This recipe serves 8....(or my husband and I for two nights).

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients

  • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
  • 1 can (14.5 ounce) chicken broth
  • 1 bag frozen vegetables (I use peas, carrots and corn
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 1 (10 ounce) package refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces

Directions

  1. Place the chicken, butter, soup,  broth and onion in a slow cooker.  (if needed add water to cover) 
  2. Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High.
  3. About 2 hours before serving add vegetables.
  4. About 1 hour before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.

Monday, November 8, 2010

haircut=fail

So Friday I attempted to get Jack a haircut.  I didn't realize how traumatic it would be for both of us.  Jack screamed like he was being tortured and I am having a hard time dealing with the mess that is his hair.  

I don't know if I ever mentioned this, but I went to beauty school a few years back and have done many haircuts.  I figured I would try to cut his hair since it wasn't happening at the salon.  Well...this also didn't happen.  It was like he had super sensitive radar.  The minute my hand got near his head he flipped out.  This made me freak out also, becuase images of me cutting his ear off or chopping off a huge amount of hair by accident flashed though my head.

I am starting to think a toddler mullet may be in his future. Any advice you may have is appreciated.

So instead, we did what we do whenever it's 65 degrees in November (which is almost NEVER).  We go to the park.





P.S. Dear Gap, If you are reading this...yes, Jack is available for photo shoots.  ; )