Cute Stuff

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T21:29:00.001-05:00

Hope you have a Great Halloween!

Hexbug Halloween Party

2011-10-29T14:01:00.000-05:00

Have you heard of Hexbugs? Thanks to MomSelect I was able to host a Hexbug Halloween Party! We were able to try out the newest and coolest Hexbug toys. Included in our party set were the limited edition Hexbug Nano Hallween Bugs. They retail for 9.99 and can be found at Radio Shack. They come with a exoskeleton that can be removed and glows in the dark. The kids loved them!

We had a costume Hexbug Halloween party so all the kids came dressed up. They had lots of fun putting together the Habitat sets and can you believe...the Habitats light up too! It was nice to see so many kids working together to set up the sets. Setting them up is half the play. It's unique because the sets can go together in multiple ways so the kids never got bored.

The craziness really began when the kids all put their Hexbug Nanos in the Habitat at the same time. They really enjoyed watching their individual Nanos make their way though the Habitat. The kids especially loved seeing the Nanos go by each other and even turn themselves right side up after being upside down. They even decided to have races with their Nanos!

We were also able to try out the Hexbug Larva. Take a look at this guy!

It actually creeped me out a little...in a good Halloween way! I told the kids to make sure to turn the Larva off because if I saw that guy in the middle of the night I know I would think it was a real bug. Eeek!

I have no doubt that Hexbugs will be a popular toy this holiday season. They are available at many retailers including Toys R Us, Circut City and Target. The Habitats are easy for kids to put together and were durable with multiple kids playing with them. Hexbugs come in lots of different colors and varieties like ants, inchworms, crabs and even spiders. Check out the Hexbug website for lots more information. You can also connect with Hexbugs on Facebook and Twitter.

Thanks so much to Hexbugs and MommyParties for the samples to review. I was not required to provide a positive review and all the above opinions are mine.

Custom Blog Designs

2011-08-06T15:52:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone! I have been out of the blogging loop for quite a while because I was so busy at work. I was recently laid off from my job. Although that is not good for my pocketbook, it is great for giving me more time to blog. Summaiyah Hyder contacted me about reviewing her awesome designs at Custom Blog Designs. She offers custom blog designing, pre-made templates and also blogger tutorials. She also has many links to digital scrapbook kits.

The design I chose for Cute Stuff is called Aurora Florialis. Isn't it adorable? Aurora Florialis is a Custom Blog Designs pre-made template. It was super easy to do from my side because Summaiyah helped me through the steps I needed to take. Custom Blog Designs has fun designs and templates for blogger blogs. The prices are very reasonable compared to some other designs I have seen. If your blog is in need of a facelift or you need some help designing your blog I highly recommend Custom Blog Designs. You can also follow them on twitter at @customsbdesigns. Custom Blog Designs provides free quotes so go ahead and see how they can help you today!

Sunday Sweeps 11/7

2010-11-07T11:20:00.001-06:00

It is officially holiday season which means lots of sweeps out there. List yours and enter others. Good luck to everyone!

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Be Smart About Your Health

2010-10-26T20:39:00.002-05:00

I have been thinking a lot about health insurance lately. Health insurance is a huge benefit of my employment yet I have really failed to take advantage of using it the way I should. Aetna has an article about making the most of your health benefits here and I want to share the most important tips I learned with you.

1. Make sure you know what benefits you need. Consider what is important to you. Is having full prescription coverage your priority? If so then make sure that is they coverage you have if you are able to choose. Think about what your family needs each year. It is a priority for me to have well baby check ups covered because I know that is something I have to take my son in for each year.

2. Try to predict what health needs you will have. I know that I am getting near the age to have a yearly mammogram. How I got that old I don't know...:). But seriously it is important to think ahead to future medical needs and I know this is one I will have in the future.

3. If you have a choice in healthcare, make the most informed choice. If saving money is your priority then of course go with the plan that saves the most money. To some people keeping the same doctors they have gone to for years is the most important thing and they may be willing to pay a bit more to keep the same service providers.

4. Investigate other options. I wish I had more of an option with choosing the insurance my company provides, but unfortunately the only decision we can make is do you want insurance or not. My employer does give a monetary stipend to employees who decline insurance. This leave the option of taking the stipend and using it for private insurance. I have not taken advantage of this option but it is worth considering if you can find a better plan than your company provides and it is within your financial means.

5. Keep track of your health costs. Honestly I am guilty of not following this advice as well as I should. It is best to turn in receipts and statements right away for reimbursement if that is part of your plan. Don't leave it until the last minute or you may risk not being reimbursed if you cannot find what you need. It is also a good idea to keep track of the costs to try to estimate your future health care needs.

Healthcare is tricky business if you ask me. I have spent hours trying to wrap my brain around the best healthcare plans for my family. However I do think that spending that time upfront will save time and money in the end. It may save even more than that if being prepared and organized means you end up with better healthcare in the end.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Aetna blogging program, making me eligible to get a $30 Target gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

KT Tunstall Tiger Suit - New CD Review

2010-10-22T21:46:00.002-05:00

I get so excited when an artist I already enjoy releases a new CD. It is so fun to hear their new music and hopefully find a new favorite song. I have been a KT Tunstall fan since her hit song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree", so I was excited to review her new CD called Tiger Suit. Tiger Suit came out on October 5th and the first single "Fade Like a Shadow" is already a radio hit. The new CD does not disappoint. It is more upbeat than her previous two CDs but the storytelling is still apparent which makes the lyrics very genuine in my opinion.

This is the song list from Tiger Suit. You can listen to track samples on Amazon.

1. Uummannaq Song
2. Glamour Puss
3. Push That Knot Away
4. Difficulty
5. Fade Like A Shadow
6. Lost
7. Golden Frames
8. Come On, Get In
9. (Still A) Weirdo
10. Madame Trudeaux
11. The Entertainer

KT Tunstall has a tour scheduled that begins on Halloween night so check to see if she is coming to your area. I have not seen her live but reviews I have read of her live performances have all been positive.

I was provided a copy of the CD to review from One2One Network but I was under no obligation to write a positive review. As always, all opinions are mine and mine alone.

Free Kids CD Download from The Flannery Brothers!

2010-10-20T21:55:00.003-05:00

To celebrate the release of their new album, The New Explorer's Club, The Flannery Brothers are giving a free download of their album Dance Songs For Silly Kids. I am not sure how long this will last but I just downloaded a copy and it worked well. Thanks to The Flannery Brothers and Congrats on your new album!

Sunday Sweeps - 10/10

2010-10-10T17:18:00.002-05:00

It's Sunday which means it is time to promote your blog giveaways. Make sure to enter some too...good luck!

Capri Sun 100% Fun House Party

2010-10-04T21:17:00.009-05:00

Thanks to HouseParty.com I was able to host a Capri Sun party! My first thought when I found out I was a hostess, was to have the party with my son's soccer team the Hurricanes. Every game a parent is responsible for bringing a healthy snack and drink for the team soccer players. I have always chosen to bring Capri Sun because they are so convenient. My favorite Capri Sun are the Roarin' Waters varieties because they contain no artificial colors or flavors.

The date set for the Capri Sun House Party was coincidentally my son's soccer team's first tournament of the year. The kids played their hearts out and at the end were thrilled to drink the refreshing Capri Sun I brought for them. Capri Sun and kid's soccer teams are a winning combination! The hit of the after game party were definitely the Capri Sun Frisbees and the kids had a lot of fun with them. All the team members and their siblings were also able to take home a Terra cycle pencil bag made from Capri Sun pouches.

If you are not familiar with TerraCycle it is a great program that reuses empty drink pouches and gives them a second life as bags, pencil cases and other fun items. If you are interested in starting your own Drink Pouch Brigade the process is simple:

1. Visit TerraCycle.net to sign up.
2. Collect empty pouches and send them to TerraCycle.
3. The pouches are made into cool school gear and other products, and your school or organization gets money.

I sincerely love this program. It keeps garbage out of the landfills and is a super easy way to raise much needed money for schools.

Thanks again to House Party, Capri Sun and TerraCycle for a great party. Go Hurricanes!

CSN Stores Upcoming Review

2010-10-04T18:17:00.003-05:00

I am so happy to announce that I am now a CSN Stores preferred blogger! This means I will be able to have several upcoming reviews and giveaways for you here at Cute Stuff. I am loving CSN Stores because with over 200 stores there is something for everyone.

Are you in the market for an ottoman coffee table? This Handy Living Microfiber Cube Storage Ottoman is adorable and great for storage.

I will have a review coming shortly from CSN Stores. Do you think I chose the ottoman to review? You will have to stay tuned to see.

Sunday Sweeps - 10/3

2010-10-03T16:29:00.001-05:00

Time to list your giveaways and enter others. Good Luck!

Perplexus Review

2010-09-27T18:06:00.004-05:00

This is the Perplexus Game Maze. Perplexus is made by PlaSmart Inc. and is available at mass market retailers and at Amazon.com. We have been playing with Perplexus for a couple of weeks now and I can honestly say that it is very entertaining toy, but a bit frustrating at the same time.

One of the big advantages to Perplexus is that it is self contained. The ball and entire maze are inside a plastic sphere that does not open. No losing pieces! Perplexus is a one person maze game where you attempt to maneuver a tiny ball throughout a complicated maze. My son Gabe is 6 years old and he really enjoys playing with Perplexus. Gabe is an only child. However he is the kind of only child who never wants to play by himself. This can be challenging for parents who don't want to let kids watch too much tv but at the same time cannot entertain their child constantly. Perplexus to the rescue! This is the first game that Gabe has played with by himself for more than 5 minutes before tossing it aside and asking someone to play with him. In fact, the very first day we had Perplexus Gabe played with it for almost an hour. Believe me when I say that is an eternity for him.

I appreciate that Perplexus is completely player powered as there are no batteries. Players just move the ball around the maze by shifting the ball around. This is more difficult than it sounds but is fun and challenging. It seems to be great for kids to strengthen hand~eye coordination.

Perplexus is recommended for ages 6 to 106 and I agree with this recommendation. Gabe is 6 and although he can move the ball well he has a long way to go before he will be able to complete the maze. My husband and I are a bit older than 6 and we enjoy Perplexus as much as Gabe does. I must admit though that I can get a bit frustrated with Perplexus. After playing Perplexus at least a dozen times I am stuck on a certain number.

I was disappointed with the directions for Perplexus...because essentially there were none. Fortunately the idea is simple, to move the ball around the numbers in order. It took me several attempts before I realized that there are 3 start points so if the ball falls midway you do not have to start from the beginning if you don't want to. One way to make Perplexus more user friendly would be to somehow make the numbers on the maze easier to see. The numbers should stick out better so the player knows which way they should attempt to go.

Overall I would definitely recommend Perplexus. I appreciate that it is self contained and that we will never have to worry about missing pieces. This also makes Perplexus very travel friendly. Perplexus is a maze game that is child friendly but difficult enough to challenge adults as well.

Sunday Sweeps - 9/19

2010-09-19T18:22:00.001-05:00

Please share your blog giveaways and enter some too! Good Luck!!

We Have a Winner!

2010-09-15T23:34:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to MoMoKG064 who was the winner of the Yoplait Back to School Giveaway! Thanks so much to everyone who entered. I hope to have some more great giveaways soon so stay tuned!

Dr. Robin's Sunscreen "House" Party

2010-08-31T00:44:00.012-05:00

I was super excited when I was offered the chance to host a Dr. Robin's House Party. Dr. Robin's Sunscreen a SPF 30+ sunscreen is specially formulated to protect babies and children from UVA and UVB rays. In honor of protecting the kid's from the summer rays I found it appropriate to have our "house" party at the beach.

I invited some of my son's friends and my niece and nephew to hang out at the beach. There were no worries about sunburn because we were all protected by Dr. Robin's sunscreen samples. Dr. Robin’s sunscreen is water resistant, gluten-free, and cruelty free. It is also free of irritating chemicals like phthalates, parabens and fragrance, which is great for kid's like my niece and nephew who have super sensitive skin. My son usually complains about sunscreen stinging his eyes but he had no complaints about Dr. Robin's sunscreen.

It is refreshing to use a product that is safe for kid's because the last thing you want to worry about when protecting children from the sun, is damage from the very product you use for protection.

Dr. Robin's sunscreen definitely protected the kids at our party. We all had a lot of fun. I think the hit of the party (aside from the surfboard) were the fun silly shaped bands provided in the party kit. The kids loved figuring out what each band was and seeing them go back to their original shape when they took them off. I must admit those bands are pretty fun!

After the beach we all headed over to my sister's house for some fun music. Our party kit included "A Family Album" by The Verve Pipe, and "The Disney Reggae Club" both of which the kids really enjoyed. To top off the night my brother in law treated everyone to a mini fireworks display!

Thanks so much to Dr. Robin's for allowing me to host a house party. The kids obviously had a blast and the adults got a chance to check out Kiwi Magazine which has a lot of great back to school ideas. I was also able to share coupons for both Beautyhabit and Glamour Junkie two fabulous companies that carry Dr. Robin's products.

Thanks to Dr. Robin's sunscreen we were all protected from the sun and able to enjoy one of the best days of the entire summer!

Back to School with Yoplait Go-Gurt (Review and Giveaway)

2010-08-30T18:32:00.010-05:00

We love Yoplait Go-Gurt around here! They make such a convenient snack because they are individually packaged...so they are great for a treat on the go. Earlier this summer my son saw a commercial for Go-Gurt that encouraged trying them frozen. Since then frozen Go-Gurts have been my son's favorite snack!

I plan to throw Go-Gurts in my son's school lunches frozen and they will be ready to eat at lunch time. I especially appreciate that my 6 year old can open them himself and they are mess free because they are self contained.

I was lucky to receive a fun Back to School gift package from Yoplait Go-Gurt and My Blog Spark. Little man was super excited by the calculator and fan pen. You know he is going to be a big first grader this year so he was super thrilled for fun school supplies. One reader will be the lucky winner of the same package I received. The package is pictured below (a coupon for Go-Gurt will be included rather than the product itself).

Mandatory Entry
Share your back to school lunch tip.
Extra Entries
Follow Cute Stuff
Subscribe to Cute Stuff
Follow Cute Stuff on Twitter and tweet this giveaway - daily tweets available. Please leave tweet link in your entry.

Leave a separate comment for each entry. Giveaway will end on 9/13/10 at 11:59pm CST. Open to US mailing addresses only. *This coupon offer for free Go-Gurt is not valid in some states, including California, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nevada, North Dakota and Tennessee.

Yoplait and My Blog Spark furnished this gift pack to facilitate this review and they are fulfilling the prize for the giveaway. I was not under any obligation to give a positive review and no financial compensation was provided. All opinions listed are mine and mine alone.

Sunday Sweeps 8/29

2010-08-29T15:09:00.003-05:00

It is Sunday Sweeps time again. List your bloggy giveaways and enter some too. Good luck everyone!

Planning a Unique Baby Shower

2010-08-27T15:00:00.005-05:00

I love baby showers. It is so fun to see the mom to be getting excited to welcome her little bundle of joy. I was lucky enough to throw my sister a shower this summer. Now she and my brother in law are the proud parents of an adorable baby girl! I was proud to be a small part in helping her get ready for baby by hosting a shower. Here are my top ten tips to planning a fun and unique baby shower.

1. Decide if you are going to have a theme. Themes are a cute idea, especially when it comes to invitations, decorations and food items. The theme can be an obvious one like 'It's a Girl' or more subtle like a specific color combination. For adoroable invitation ideas check out Tiny Prints.

2. Involve the mom to be in the planning process (if she wants to be involved). Some people prefer to be hand's off and just let the host make all the decisions. Other moms to be have had an idea in their mind about what their shower would be like for a long time. Work with her to see if there is anything in particular that she always hoped would be included in her shower. It is her day and you want to make it as special as possible.

3. Plan ahead. Of course it is necessary to buy things such as invitations in advance of the party but it is a good idea to plan and purchase other items in advance as well. Watch for sales on things like diapers which can double as a gift and a decoration. I placed several packages of diapers around the party with ribbons on them as decorations for my sister's shower. One thing every new parent will need is diapers!

4. Have a schedule for the party in mind. The schedule can be flexible of course but it is a good idea to have at least a loose plan in mind for how the day will go. Do you want to do games first or food? When will the presents be opened? The host should be the guide as to what comes next so the day flows well.

5. Play fun games. I have heard that some people don't like baby shower games. To me they are one of my favorite parts of the entire party. If you need ideas for games there are plenty on the Internet. Some of my favorites are the diaper game and the baby music game. For the diaper game the host prepares melted candy bars in diapers and they are passed around to the guests to decide what type of candy bar it is. You tend to get a lot of funny reactions to how the candy bars look in the diapers! The baby music game is fun as well. Prepare a CD with several songs on it that include the name 'baby' in the title. Then play a snip it of the song and guests guess the name of the song. Another easy game is to print out a list of baby names and celebrities and have the guests match the name of the baby to the celebrity parent.

6. Serve easy food. The focus of the baby shower should remain on the parent to be and not necessary on the food. That being said the food should be simple enough that guests can eat and socialize at the same time. Have a variety of options so there is something for everyone. I prefer a shower where everyone can sit to eat. I don't like parties where you have to stand and balance your plate because I am always worried I am going to drop my plate.

7. Keep track of the gifts for the mom to be. The guest of honor will surely want to send thank you notes to her guests after the party. The host should write a list of all the gifts received and who they were from. Then the guest of honor will be able to easily remember who gave them what and can use the list as a tool to write her thank you notes.

8. Do not serve alcohol. I have been to some baby showers where alcohol was served. It is my opinion that alcohol should not be a part of a baby shower. If the guest of honor cannot enjoy the drinks you are serving than why serve them? That would be like serving all meat dishes for a guest of honor who is a vegetarian. Save the liquor toast for after the baby is born.

9. Make the guest of honor a keepsake for her shower. At my sister's shower I made a simple keepsake that she was able to take home at the end of the party. I cut chipboard into circles and each had a hole cut in the corner. I covered each of them with paper. At the shower I asked everyone to sign the pages and write a personal note to the guest of honor. Then when you collect all the pages, simply connect them together with a ribbon and viola! you have a nice keepsake for the mom to be.

10. Have fun! The most difficult thing I find when hosting a baby shower (or any party for that matter) is to just have fun. You have certainly spent a lot of time, money and energy planning the shower. During the shower enjoy yourself and be happy that you were able to provide mom to be with a special day that hopefully she will never forget!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Tiny Prints blogging program, making me eligible to get a Tiny Prints gift code worth $50, plus 25 FREE Tiny Prints greeting cards—a total gift value of $149.75! For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Sunday Sweeps 8/15

2010-08-15T21:29:00.001-05:00

Promote your blog giveaways below! Remember to leave the ending date so people can enter them in time. Good Luck everyone!

No Go BlogHer Blog Hop

2010-08-06T16:59:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite blogs to read is called To Be Thode ~ Musings from a Mom of 5 and is authored by the wonderful Stefany. Stefany is not going to BlogHer this year and thought it would be fun for those of us staying home to blog hop a bit. I am excited to join in and meet some new bloggers at the same time!

1. When did you start blogging?
I started blogging about six months ago. I am still getting the hang of things and learning as I go along. I wish I had more time to write but I have a crazy high stress fulltime job.

2. Why did you start blogging?
I started blogging because it looked like a lot of fun. I was hanging out on twitter a lot and started entering blog giveaways. When I went to the blogs to enter giveaways I started reading the other posts and it seemed like a great way to connect with people so I thought I would give it a try.

3. What is one thing you are going to do this week that is WAY cooler than going to BlogHer?
Tomorrow we are heading up to my parent's cabin for vacation and everyone knows that Door County, WI is WAY cooler than New York City!

4. Share a post that you think says a lot about you or is your favorite. (share the link in YOUR post so we all can see)
I would love to share my recent post on Tips for Getting Reading to Go Back to School

If you are not going to BlogHer this year feel free to join the No Go BlogHer Blog Hop!

Tips for Getting Ready to Go Back to School

2010-08-05T19:36:00.005-05:00

I love the end of summer and back to school season. It is such a great time of year. Weather wise it is my favorite time of year as well. In the Midwest it cools down a bit so it is fun to play outside but snow is still far in the distance. I also enjoy this time of year because of the anticipation of a new school year. It is so fun to go shopping with my son and pick out new school supplies. It is hard to believe that my little guy is going to be a first grader this year! Here are some tips for getting reading to go back to school.

Have fun with the last part of summer break! Ask your kids what they still want to do while school is still on break. I know Cutie wants to go miniature golfing and would be bummed if we don't fit it in before school starts.

Make sure you get all the kid's school supplies together. We got the school supply list with report cards at the end of last year but some schools don't sent theirs out until now. Watch the back to school sales because you can definitely find bargains on most of the required supplies. I like to buy extras this time of year to keep around the house. I also send extras with my son's supplies to help out kids at my son's school that may need it.

Get on the school schedule a few weeks before school starts. If you are like us we let our son stay up a lot later in the summer than during the school year. The transition back to the school schedule will be much easier if you start it a bit before school begins. You don't want a sleepy kid for the first few weeks of school.

Have a plan for school day meals. We always shop for the week ahead and plan out our meals. It is so important for kids (and adults for that matter) to have a healthy breakfast for a good start to the day. Our son's hot lunches at school are not always the healthiest options so we usually allow him to pick one day per week to have hot lunch. The remaining days we pack his lunch so we know exactly what he is eating. Whatever you choose best to have a plan and that way kids will know what to expect and you won't be scrambling at the last minute.

Talk to your kids about what to expect. We have spent a lot of time talking to Cutie about how first grade is going to be a lot different than what he is used to in kindergarten. Kids do better when they know what to expect and hopefully that will ease some anxiety they may be feeling. There are some great books out there that may help kids feel more comfortable going back to school. The one I listed at the top of this post is called Rules For School by Alec Greven and is published by HarperCollins.

Hopefully you and your kids will have a smooth transition back to school this year. In the meantime enjoy the end of summer...it is the best time of the year!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms blogging program to be eligible to get a HarperCollins book set. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

A Guy's Guide To Life (Review)

2010-08-03T23:07:00.006-05:00

I recently read A Guy's Guide To Life by author Jason Boyett. The premise of the book is how to become a man in 224 pages or less. Although the premise is supposed to be funny (Boyett acknowledges that a book cannot teach how to be a man), I found that the book does offer some very important lessons to guide young men. Even though I am a woman I was intrigued by this book because I am always looking for tips and insights into raising my son.

I will definitely be holding on to this book to share with my son when he is old enough to need it. Boyett shares big and small tips throughout the book that I found to be interesting. The writing style is light and includes 'Big Tips' throughout along with 'Pop Quizzes' to keep things fun.

If you are in the mood to read about fun things like boxers vs. brief or bigger lessons like how to be a gentleman and rules for dating, this is a perfect read for you. I also recommend it for parents raising sons because it can definitely be used as a conversation starter for some very important topics for young men.

I received a copy of this book to review from the Booksneeze.com program. The opinions stated are mine and mine alone. I was not under any obligation to provide a positive review.

Sunday Sweeps 8/1

2010-08-01T11:42:00.001-05:00

I love entering giveaways. It is my favorite hobby!!! Feel free to link up your giveaways below and enter away!

Sunday Sweeps 7/25

2010-07-25T11:54:00.002-05:00

Sunday Sweeps! Feel free to link up your giveaways below including the ending date. And don't forget to enter other people's giveaways if you see something that catches your eye. Good luck!

Chance to Win Kung Zhu!

2010-07-25T10:48:00.003-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I posted how Cute saw the new Kung Zhus at Summerfest. Well now he (and everyone else) has a chance to win some. The Kim Pace Photography Blog is hosting a giveaway for Kung Zhus right now. If you are interested in participating hurry over because the giveaway ends today. Good luck!

Ten Tips For Ensuring a Safe, Healthy and Successful School Year

2010-07-20T19:26:00.004-05:00

It is hard to believe that summer is more than half over and it is almost time to start preparing for the next school year. Airwear and my fellow TwitterMom, Beth Aldrich, are sponsoring an essay contest for consumers, encouraging parents and care-givers to share how they plan to help their kids live a healthy, safe and successful school year. Families can submit their thoughts by visiting LighterSaferGreener.com. One grand prize winner will be awarded $1,000, while 10 first prize winners will receive vouchers for Airwear lenses valued up to $400.

Here are my top ten tips to ensuring a safe, healthy and successful school year:

1. Make sure your child's school has all your contact information and your child's medical information. Double check to verify that it is up to date.

2. Take the time to get to know your child's teacher or teachers. They will be more open with you if they feel comfortable with you and know that you are invested in your child's education.

3. Talk to you child about bullies. Remind them that they should treat other kids how they want to be treated. Also make a plan with them for what to do if another child is bullying them.

4. If you child takes the school bus make sure that they get on and off the bus safely.

5. Start your child's school sleep schedule at least a week before school begins. They may be used to sleeping in during the summer but they will need to be well rested when school rolls around

6. Make sure your child eats a healthy breakfast for a good start to the day. Eating a balanced, nutritional lunch is helpful as well.

7. Get to know your child's friends and their friend's parents. Communicate with them to make sure you are aware where your child is and what they are doing with their friends.

8. Talk to you child everyday about what happened at school that day. Try to ask open ended questions so they can't just answer yes/no or good/bad etc.

9. Help your child with their homework and check with the teacher on a regular basis to make sure your child is turning in all their homework.

10. Give you child age appropriate limits on television and video games. Use them as rewards for school achievement.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Airwear blogging program, making me eligible to get a $25 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, visit http://airwear.twittermoms.com/about

Tips To Help Kids Embrace Summer Reading

2010-07-15T16:58:00.003-05:00

I love summer and almost everything about it! Here in the midwest we wait a LONG time for nice weather and we take advantage of it when it comes. Our family spends a lot of our free time outside in the summer. This summer two of our goals for our son are to teach him to ride a two wheel bike and to continue to teach him how to swim. I also have to remember that it is important to continue teaching him to read. Summer is a crucial learning time because we want to discourage "brain drain" or loss of learned knowledge.

Here are my tips to encourage summer reading!

1. Go to the local library. Often libraries have free summer reading programs for kids. I still remember going to "brown bag lunch" library programs where we would listen to stories and eat our bag lunches. It is one of my favorite summer memories. Take advantage of the library programs in your area and of course borrow lots of books to read.

2. Lead by example. When my son sees me playing around on the computer all he wants to do is play video games. When he sees me reading a book he is always curious about what I am reading and asks me a bunch of questions about the book. I believe that kids learn a lot by watching their parents so set a good example and read more yourself.

3. Join a book reading club. Many places including Barnes and Noble and Half Price Books have children's reading clubs. The child reads a certain amount of book and is rewarded with a book or gift card.

4. Host or attend a book swap. This is one of my favorite things to do. Kid's donate books they no longer want or use and in exchange can take the same number of books home. The books they receive are not new, but they are new to them! Make sure to establish that books should be in good condition so it is fair for all participants. My son's school has a book swap every year and it is always a huge success.

5. Make it fun! Find ways to make reading fun for your child. This may vary from some kind of reward system to a fancy new book reader. I have seen on several blogs I read that VTech has a new book reader for kids that looks really neat.
I Can Read! Books Become an I Can Read! Member

The TwitterMoms Reading Channelgreat free widgetsWidgetboxMore info

Summer is a time for lot of fun but also a chance to encourage kids to continue to read and learn. Hope you are having a great summer so far!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms blogging program to be eligible to get an "I Can Read!" book. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Sunday Sweeps 7/11

2010-07-11T14:25:00.002-05:00

Time to link up your blog giveaways! Leave your giveaway information below including the ending date. Good luck everyone!!!

Get Touch'd! Review

2010-07-11T12:25:00.000-05:00

Every busy mommy needs some "me" time. My favorite "me" time is to take a long shower or bath and use yummy smelling products. Using nice bath and body products is one of the ways I indulge myself. And the bonus is that it is calorie free...unlike the chocolate I also occasionally indulge in. :)

I was given the opportunity to review Touch'd Bath Butter. Touch'd describes their bath butter as 'A creamy, cleansing product with the consistency of butter, making it luxurious. Sweet Almond Oil and Grapeseed Oil make this versatile, which can be used as a moisturizing boy cleanser or as a shave cream.' Touch'd bath butter worked well for me as both an overall cleanser and as a shave cream. I appreciate products that can fulfill more than one function and this bath butter certainly does that. The smell was very fresh and relaxing. The consistency of Touch'd bath butter is dense enough not to spill out of the container. This is an advantage for me because I tend to be clumsy and spill products.

So if you are in the market for yummy smelling bath products condsider Touch'd.

I was given a complimentary sample of Touch'd Bath Butter to facilitate my review. All opinions are mine and mine alone.

Friendly Friday 7/2

2010-07-02T00:47:00.002-05:00

Many thanks to the ladies at Thanks, Mail Carrier, Frugal Novice and Healthy Home Blog for sponsoring Friendly Follow. A fun and friendly way to get to know other bloggers. There are several other blog hops on Fridays including The Social Parade from Smart and Trendy Moms. I have really enjoyed getting to know so many bloggers over the past several months. I would love for you to follow Cute Stuff and let me know where I can find you as well. While you are here please check out my Balloonatiks DVD Review and Giveaway. It is a cute DVD and there are low entries right now so you have a great chance to win. Have a Happy Friday!

Party with the Zhu Zhu Pets at Summerfest!

2010-07-01T23:32:00.020-05:00

Thanks to MomSelect, myself and my extended family were able to attend the Zhuniverse Tour at Summerfest. Summerfest is the world's largest music festival and I am lucky enough to have it right in my own city of Milwaukee, WI. This year Summerfest was the host of one of the stops on the Zhuniverse Tour.

When Zhu Zhu pets emerged last year my son Cutie wanted one for Christmas, so dutiful parent I am, I waited in line at Toys R Us one morning and got him one. He loved it!!! Honestly I think what won him over initially was the Zhu Zhu pet commercial...he loved the little jingle on it. So when the Zhu Zhu pets came out with their own song and dance (the Zhu Zhu Flo) Cutie and all his cousins were excited to dance along. The Zhuniverse experience at Summerfest included a dance stage but unfortunately the kids did not get a chance to show off their skills because the rain had made the stage too slick for their awesome dance moves. Thankfully there were a lot of other fun activities that the Midwest rain could not put a damper on.

The kids were able to power a life size hamster wheel!

Here is my niece finding out what Zhu Zhu pet she is most like. After the child takes the quiz and gets a photo taken, they are given an access code to find their picture online. Below is Cutie's final product...he is most like Azer. How adorable is this?

The newest line of Zhu Zhu Pets are called Kung Zhu. The Zhuniverse tour had the entire collection set up for kids to try out. There was a really neat looking life size inflatable hamster habitat but that was closed due to the rain as well. There were so many other fun activities that the kids didn't even notice. The King Zhu obstacle course was a hit with all the kids.

And of course the Zhu Zhu Pet DS game was loved by children and adults alike! Check out my sister's gaming skills.

The Zhuniverse Tour continues on this summer so check to see if it will make a stop near you. My family had so much fun with all the family friendly activities. The Zhuniverse event was definitely a highlight of our summer!

Disclosure: I was provided with admission tickets to the Zhuniverse Tour at Summerfest in order to facilitate my review. I was not financially compensated nor was I under any obligation to post a positive review. The opinions stated are mine and mine alone. Thanks so much to MomSelect and Melanie Yerman for this opportunity.

"Thank You Mom Reunion Contest" - Vote For You Favorite!

2010-06-29T20:45:00.005-05:00

I am so grateful that my mom lives less than two miles away from me. She is always there to help out, especially with babysitting. I think it is important for my son to grow up having a close relationship with his grandmother. Unfortunately not everyone lives as close to their mom as I do to mine. Visiting may be difficult due to financial constraints when families are separated by great distances.

Proctor & Gamble have a great way to celebrate moms called the "Thank You Moms Reunion" contest. It is a contest to reunite moms and children for special events such as birthdays and graduations that they may have otherwise missed.

“Thank You Mom Reunions” will bring together 105 moms with their children, who are unable to do so on their own. (15 per month for a 10 month campaign). Since Mother's Day, participants have been submitting their stories online to be considered for a reunion with their mom or mother figure for the June contest. Thirty finalists have been selected and consumers will choose the 15 winners. Winners will receive a $1000 travel voucher and portable digital video camera to capture their reunion and are encouraged to share the video on ThankYouMom.com.

So if you have a touching story and would like to submit an entry, go ahead and submit one for the July voting round. In the meantime visit the Thank You Mom homepage and vote for a story that touches your heart. You can vote once per day. Help make someones dream come true!

Disclaimer: By posting about the Thank You Mom contest, my post is eligible for a gift card via random drawing by One2One Network. I was not paid for this post and all opinions stated are my own.

Balloonatiks (Review and Giveaway)

2010-06-23T17:47:00.004-05:00

I love finding new children's entertainment that is appropriate for my son. I like it even more if it does not send me screaming out of the room in annoyance. The Balloonatiks to the rescue! The Balloonatiks are five ordinary teens mysteriously transformed into rubbery, shape-stretching super heroes sworn to protect Hot Air City against any evil-doer. Sound like fun? They definitely are!

I was give the opportunity to review Balloonatiks Collector's Set DVD. The DVD contains two episodes: Meet Deflator and Pop Goes the Balloonatiks. My 6 year old son was laughing practically from the beginning to the end of the episodes. He told me that he likes it when the characters say "Hubba, Hubba We Are Made of Rubba" and the deflating jokes. It was refreshing to see him so fully entertained by a story with a good moral base instead of sillyness from under the sea.

The Balloonatik's DVD is for sale at Amazon.com but if you are super lucky you could win one right here at Cute Stuff.

Mandatory Entry: Simply check out the Balloonatiks website and let me know who you would give the DVD to if you are the lucky winner.

Extra Entries: (leave a separate entry for each):
- Follow Cute Stuff on Google Friend Connect
- Be or become a feed or email subscriber to Cute Stuff
- Follow Cute Stuff on twitter
- Tweet this giveaway and leave the link to your tweet. This can be done once per day.
- Like Balloonatiks on Facebook

The giveaway will end at 11:59 CST on July 9th. Please leave a way to contact you in at least one entry.

Thanks so much to Balloonatiks for giving me this review opportunity and the chance for a Cute Stuff reader to win as well. I was given a DVD to facilitate this review but I was not under any obligation to give Balloonatiks a positive review. All opinions are mine and mine alone.

Rayovac Powers Your Summer

2010-06-22T11:43:00.003-05:00

Rayovac is sponsoring a Rayovac Powers Your Summer Promotion. Just in time to fill all your fun toys with fresh Rayovac batteries! Rayovac is asking participants to share how you plan to power your fun this summer. In exchange you will have a chance to win great prizes like camping supplies, a camera and of course Rayovac batteries.

In conjunction with Rayovac Powers Your Summer Promotion,Rayovac and 5MinutesForMom will sponsor a Twitter Event. The Twitter Event will feature more than 20 fun giveaways from Rayovac ranging from a summer supply of Rayovac Batteries to $50 Target Gift Cards. Here is the Twitter Event information:

Rayovac Powers Your Vacation Summer Promotion Twitter Event
Date: Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Time: 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. CST
Location: #rayovac
Follow: @Rayovac_Battery, @5minutesformom, @CirclePRMary

If you have never gone to a Twitter Event I highly recommend them. It is fun to chat with people and of course I love the chance to win great prizes. I hope to see you there!

The first 99 bloggers to promote the Rayovac Powers Your Summer Promotion won a prize package from Rayovac.

FREE 8x10 Collage Print at Walgreens

2010-06-17T22:29:00.002-05:00

Walgreens is offering a FREE 8x10 collage print through Saturdary June 19th. I love when Walgreens has such fabulous freebies!

Sunday Sweeps

2010-06-13T00:59:00.003-05:00

Do you have a blog giveaway going on right now? I would love to help you promote it! Leave your giveaway information below including the end date. Good luck everyone!

Friendly Friday 6/11

2010-06-11T00:50:00.005-05:00

Cute Stuff Disappeared on Me

2010-06-09T18:04:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone! I had quite a scare the last couple of days because my blog up and disappeared!!! I contacted blogger and got no response from them. I found out on Twitter that the same thing happened to many other blogs without any reason or explanation. Then just as mysteriously the blogs have reappeared.

I use blogger because I know what I am doing on it (for the most part anyway). This recent scare has me thinking about switching to another host. Anyone have any advice on this subject? I must admit I am still figuring these things out as I go along. I am just glad Cute Stuff came back because I have some fun reviews and giveaways in the works for you all!

CSN Stores Giveaway Winner!

2010-06-04T17:06:00.003-05:00

Thanks everyone for entering my CSN Stores Giveaway. It was my most popular giveaway yet!!! Random.org picked Susan1215 as the lucky winner.

susan1215 said...
http://twitter.com/susan1215/status/15150631409

Congratulations Susan...have fun on your CSN Stores shopping spree! I am jealous!!!

Friendly Friday (6/4)

2010-06-04T17:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to another edition of Friendly Friday! Since Friday Follow has ended the lovely ladies at Thanks, Mail Carrier, Frugal Novice and Healthy Home Blog have started Friendly Follow. A fun and friendly way to get to know other bloggers. Please let me know if you are a new follower because I would love to follow you back. Have a great weekend!!!

Follow Me Back Tuesday (6/1)

2010-06-01T13:05:00.002-05:00

Review Retreat, Survey Junkie, Little Yaya's and Boobies, Babies and a Blog sponsor Follow Me Back Tuesday. I almost forgot it was Tuesday! It seems like a Monday due to the holiday yesterday but I am oh so glad it is Tuesday!!! New visitor or seasoned regular...welcome to Cute Stuff! Happy June everyone. :)

Chocbite Review

2010-05-30T16:57:00.010-05:00

I was given the opportunity to try the service that Chocbite provides. Chocbite is a website where you have the chance to build your own chocolate bar...practically anyway your want it! Doesn't that sound like fun?!?! I thought it was a blast. The most difficult part was choosing between all the delicious toppings that they offer. I chose butterscotch pieces, caramel bits, heath pieces, peanut butter chips and macadamia nuts. Can you say yummy?!?!?

Chocbite also offers specialty Chocbars taking the guesswork out of yummy combinations. One of the specialty bars that sounds interesting to me is the Mexican Chocbar. The Mexican has piquin pepper, spicy mango, jalapeno salt and cayenne on it. I am not big on spicy but I know a lot of people who would love this unique combination.

Chocbite Chocbars make a great personalized gift. A fantastic idea for father's day! They also have gift certificates available if you are not quite sure what combination to make that special someone.

The generous folks at Chocbite have offered Cute Stuff readers a discount on their yummy chocolate! Use the code CHOCBITE20 for 20% off any order. And even better this code is good through the end of this year.

I was given a Chocbite Chocbar to facilitate this review. All opinions in this post are mine and mine alone. Thanks so much to Chocbite for the chance to sample their yummy product.

Sunday Sweeps!

2010-05-30T16:31:00.002-05:00

I love entering giveaways so I thought I would have a place every week where you can list your ongoing giveaways. Please leave a link directly the the giveaway post and a description and ending date. Link yours up and find fun ones to enter yourself!

Friendly Friday May 28th

2010-05-28T09:22:00.001-05:00

Walk Like You Have Somewhere to Go (Review)

2010-05-27T17:26:00.004-05:00

I recently discovered a book review program called Book Sneeze. The program is run by Thomas Nelson publishing. Book Sneeze sends out books to read and then you post a honest review. I was excited to receive my first book to review called "Walk Like You Have Somewhere To Go" written by Lucille O'Neal. Ms. O'Neal is the mother of NBA superstar Shaquille O'Neal. Ms. O'Neal recounts parts of her life from childhood to the present and talks about lessons she learned along the way. Ms. O'Neal talks in detail about how her faith and family impacted her life and decisions.

I enjoyed reading "Walk Like You Have Someplace To Go" mostly because of the positive tone Ms. O'Neil used. However, I could not help but wonder how many women have gone through the same or similar circumstances but have not had the fortune to end up with a son in the NBA, or the opportunity for a book deal.

I do recommend this book but not because it is about Shaquille O'Neal's mom but rather because it is a poignant story of a woman overcoming challenges in her life and staying positive along the way.

I received this book to review courtesy of Thomas Nelson as a part of their Booksneeze.com program. The opinions in the post are mine and mine alone. I was under no obligation to give the book a positive review.

Ocean Nasal Products Review

2010-05-25T17:14:00.004-05:00

I suffer from seasonal allergies. Living in the Midwest we actually have distinct seasons and allergies are a common problem. I have used saline sprays in the past with little positive results, so when I received an offer to try OCEAN Products I jumped at the chance to see if their products could help me more. I am glad I decided to give them a try because I have definitely seen positive results so far. I have been using the Ocean Complete Sinus Irrigation system for over a week and I feel less nasal pressure. The best thing is that I have had to blow my nose less often, and when I do have to blow my nose it feels easier and looser to get rid of the yuckies in there. Hope I didn't gross you out with the image of me blowing my nose, but hey, we all have to do it right?

Here is a some more information about OCEAN from the company:
OCEAN Complete Sinus Irrigation provides natural, positive pressure sinus irrigation and/or soothing nasal moisturizing in a non-medicated nasal spray with no drug side effects. Its sterile, pre-mixed saline is ready to use for sufferers of sinus and nasal congestion, dry nose, colds and allergies. OCEAN Complete is non-medicated, preservative free and can be used as often as needed without the concern of drug side effects. OCEAN complete sinus irrigation is a two-in-one product for help in relieving and soothing nasal and/or sinus congestion and dryness with one easy-to-use complete product. A special nasal saline streaming nozzle (orange tip) is utilized for nasal irrigation, and a nasal mist applicator (white tip) provides nasal moisturizing.

If you are in the market for a product like this I say give OCEAN products a try.

I received complementary products from Ocean to facilitate this review. No monetary compensation was received. Follow all manufacturer's directions for use. All opinions in this post are mine and mine alone.

Follow Me Back Tuesday!

2010-05-25T06:33:00.002-05:00

A fun way to meet fellow bloggers! Review Retreat, Survey Junkie, Little Yaya's and Boobies, Babies and a Blog sponsor Follow Me Back Tuesday. Leave your blog information below and I will definitely follow you back. And while you are here visiting Cute Stuff feel free to enter my CSN Stores giveaway for the chance to win a $40 gift certificate!

Friendly Friday

2010-05-21T00:06:00.003-05:00

Welcome to the very first edition of Friendly Friday! Since Friday Follow has ended the lovely ladies at Thanks, Mail Carrier, Frugal Novice and Healthy Home Blog have started Friendly Follow. A fun and friendly way to get to know other bloggers. Please let me know if you are a new follower because I would love to follow you back. And while you are visiting Cute Stuff feel free to check out my CSN Stores $40 gift certificate giveaway. Have a great weekend!!!

Follow Me Back Tuesday

2010-05-17T23:12:00.005-05:00

Review Retreat, Survey Junkie, Little Yaya's and Boobies, Babies and a Blog sponsor Follow Me Back Tuesday. Another fun way to meet fellow bloggers. Leave your blog information below and I will definitely follow you back. And while you are here visiting Cute Stuff feel free to enter my CSN Stores giveaway for the chance to win a $40 gift certificate!

Tuesday Tag~Along

2010-05-17T22:24:00.003-05:00

Welcome to Tuesday Tag~Along sponsored by Twee Poppets Review and Giveaway. It is a fun way to meet fellow bloggers! Let me know who you are in the comments and I will definitely follow you back. :) Also check out my CSN Stores Giveaway for a chance to win a $40 gift certificate!

CSN Stores Giveaway!

2010-05-16T16:38:00.007-05:00

A few days ago I introduced you to CSN Stores. I am so thrilled that CSN Stores has offered Cute Stuff readers the chance at a $40 gift certificate to use any way they want at one of their over 200 stores!!!

Are you looking for Wall Sconces?

This Maxim Lighting Sconce is only $19.19! How cute is this? And if you are the lucky winner you could get two them for under $40.

Are you looking for an adorable baby gift? Love the Fisher Price Comfy Time Bouncer for only $34.99!

So I am sure everyone wants to know how to win this fabulous prize right?

Mandatory Entry:
Visit CSN Stores and let me know what you favorite item is. It can be any item at all. This must be done in order for any extra entries to count.

Extra Entries:
~ Follow Cute Stuff ~ just click follow on the right hand side and leave a comment with the name you used to follow. Current followers count as well.
~ Subscribe to Cute Stuff by email - let me know your email
~ Subscribe to Cute Stuff by feed - let me know your username
~ Follow Cute Stuff on twitter @justicecw AND tweet this giveaway with a link to this post. Leave the link to your tweet in the comments. This may be done once per day.

PLEASE let me a way to get in touch with you if you are the winner. This giveaway will end on May 31st, 2010 at 11:59pm. Giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only. Prize fulfillment will be completed by CSN Stores. I was not compensated for this giveaway...just given the chance to share a great company and giveaway with Cute Stuff readers!

One eskimO Review

2010-05-15T21:32:00.005-05:00

Have you heard of the band One eskimO? I had not heard of them, but I was given the chance to review their self-titled debut album and I am loving it! Sometimes I feel like I am stuck in a music rut. Listening to the same thing or versions of the same thing over and over again. One eskimO has a unique sound to their songs ~ not what I tend to hear on the radio. This is a GOOD thing though. I appreciate that there is meaning behind their lyrics and you can actually understand the words to the songs. My favorite song on the album is definitely 'Kandi' so I am not at all surprised that 'Kandi' has been the most played song on adult rock radio this month.

One eskimO recently kicked off their tour so if you are in or near the tour sites you can check them out.

Tour Dates

May 14 Miami, FL Fillmore
May 15 Jacksonville, FL Free Bird Live
May 18 Orlando, FL House of Blues
May 19 Tampa, FL The Ritz Ybor
May 22 Raleigh, NC Lincoln Theatre
May 24 Asheville, NC The Orange Peel
May 25 Charleston, SC The Music Farm
Jun 01 Toronto, ON The Guvernment
Jun 03 New York, NY The Beach at Governor’s Island
Jun 04 Boston, MA House of Blues
Jun 05 Essex Junction, VT Camplain Valley Expo
Jun 06 Hunter, NY Mountain Jam Festival
Jun 08 Royal Oak, MI Royal Oak Music Thtr
Jun 09 Grand Rapids, MI Orbit Room
Jun 12 Memphis, TN Minglewood Hall
Jun 13 Kansas City, MO Crossroads
Aug 14 Denver, CO Mile High Festival

If you are interested in hearing more check out the video for 'Kandi' here. One eskimO's self-titled debut album is available now at Target, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble and Borders.

Thanks to One2One Network for the chance to review this unique CD. I enjoy finding new music and spreading the word. I was given the One eskimO CD to review. The opinions stated above are not influenced in any way and are solely mine. I would love to hear what you think about One eskimO. Give them a listen and share what you think in the comments below.

No Slippy Hair Clippy Winner

2010-05-12T00:23:00.002-05:00

Thanks to No Slippy Hair Clippy for sponsoring such a wonderful giveaway! The lucky winner was chosen using Random.org and is...
Jessica!!! Her extra entry said
'I follow No Slippy through twitter (@jjak2003)'

I have sent a winner's email. Please respond within 48 hours. Thanks to everyone for entering!

Upcoming Giveaway from CSN Stores!

2010-05-11T17:47:00.003-05:00

Have you heard of CSN Stores.com? If you have not heard of them yet, it is time to check them out. They are truly one stop shopping. They have over 200 stores. Yes, I said that right ... 200 stores! It is every shopper's dream come true. Are you in the market for Baby or Kid's items? CSN Stores has you covered. How about Wall Sconces? Yup, you can find them here as well. CSN Stores are so fun to shop at and the prices are right. The fabulous people at CSN Stores have offered to sponsor a giveaway for Cute Stuff readers. Be on the lookout for the CSN giveaway soon! In the meantime, browse around and let me know what you think is Cute Stuff at CSN Stores!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T11:18:00.001-05:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's out there! I hope you have a great day!!!

Stamp Out Hunger

2010-05-08T00:26:00.002-05:00

The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is Saturday, May 8th....which is TODAY! All you have to do is leave non perishable food outside in bags. Your mail carrier will collect the items and the post office will donate them to local food banks to help the community. This is an easy way to help out especially if you have extra things around the house. I have several boxes of cereal to donate. I always seem to buy too much cereal when there are good deals and coupons and hopefully they can help out a family in need. Please consider donating if you are in a position to do so.

There is also another way you can help that everyone can do for free. Campbell's Soup is donating one can of soup for every person who joins the Stamp Out Hunger Facebook Page. I am a fan!!! A great way that everyone can help our neighbors in need.

First Friday Follow of May

2010-05-07T09:13:00.003-05:00

It is the first Friday Follow of May! Click here to link up and join in! Remember I still have a giveaway for No Slippy Hair Clippy going on here. Hurry and enter because it ends tomorrow! Have a great weekend everyone!!!

Last Friday Follow of April

2010-04-30T00:09:00.002-05:00

This is the last Friday Follow of April. Where has the time gone??? Time seems to fly by since I have become a mom. I think it has to do with seeing him grow and remembering when he was just a baby. Is time flying for you?

If you want to participate in Friday Follow you can link up here. Also I have a great giveaway going on now for No Slippy Hair Clippy ~ check it out and enter! Have a great weekend everyone. :)

Thankful Thursday!

2010-04-29T22:35:00.002-05:00

Time for another Thankful Thursday! This Thursday I am thankful that the Kohl's Department Store near me sells really cool samples that they receive. From what I can gather companies send Kohl's items to review. The buyers then decide whether they want to order them for sale in the stores. When the buyers are done reviewing these items Kohl's sells them, and you can usually find some pretty good deals if you have time to search. Today I found some fun storage boxes in bright colors and I am excited to use them to get more organized!

What are you thankful for this week?

No Slippy Hair Clippy (Review and Giveaway)

2010-04-27T17:44:00.009-05:00

I am so excited to introduce you to No Slippy Hair Clippys! No Slippy Clips are unique because they are lined with a soft velvet. The velvet allows the clips to be gentle and remain secure in the hair. Thanks to my model/niece I can show you how adorable the clips are.

My sister has complained in the past that my niece can't seem to keep hair clips in her hair. When I was given the chance to review the No Slippy Hair Clippy I hoped that they would be the solution to my sister's problem. Happily I can report that the No Slippy hair clips did stay very well in my niece's hair.

She may look calm in the pictures but I can promise that she was running around and playing with other kids and the clips stayed put. My niece did not rip them out of her hair which she has done in the past with uncomfortable clips.

No Slippy Hair Clippy makes clips for all ages from preemie to women's. Their products are hand-made in America and use only safe, non-toxic materials. These clips would make a wonderful gift for any little girl. They would be especially sweet to give to a mom to be expecting a baby girl, or a new mom this Mother's Day!

No Slippy Hair Clippy is offering one Cute Stuff reader $25 Gift Certificate to use on their site!

Mandatory Entry: Become a Google Friend Connect follower of the No Slippy Hair Clippy blog and leave me a comment here stating you're following them.

Extra Entries:
~ Become a follower of Cute Stuff and leave a separate comment telling me you follow (current followers count too)
~ Sign up for the Clip of the Month
~ Follow No Slippy on Twitter
~ Tweet this giveaway with a link to this post and include @justicecw. Please leave your tweet link in a comment. (Tweets may be done once per day)

The giveaway will end at 11:59 PM on May 8, 2010. You must include your email address so that I can contact you if you win. US residents only. The winner will be chosen using random.org from all eligible entries. Please reply to my notification email within 48 hours or another winner will be chosen. I was provided samples to facilitate this review however my opinions are solely my own. Thank you so much to No Slippy Hair Clippy for sponsoring this review and giveaway.

No Slippy Hair Clippy definitely qualifies as Cute Stuff!!!

Tuesday Tag Along

2010-04-27T17:36:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite blogs Twee Poppets Review and Giveaway has started a fun new blog hop called Tuesday Tag Along. Feel free to join in at Twee Poppets Review and Giveaway to discover new blogs. If you are new to Cute Stuff thanks for stopping by!

Friday Fun

2010-04-23T00:52:00.002-05:00

Yay! It is Friday again!! I am so excited that I have today off of work and we are heading to the water park for some fun. Do you have any fun plans for the weekend?!?!? If you would like to join Friday Follow link up here. Have a great weekend!

Happy Earth Day!

2010-04-22T21:13:00.003-05:00

Forty years after the first Earth Day, the world is in greater peril than ever. While climate change is the greatest challenge of our time, it also presents the greatest opportunity – an unprecedented opportunity to build a healthy, prosperous, clean energy economy now and for the future.

Earth Day 2010 can be a turning point to advance climate policy, energy efficiency, renewable energy and green jobs. Earth Day 2010 is a pivotal opportunity for individuals, corporations and governments to join together and create a global green economy. Join the more than one billion people in 190 countries that are taking action for Earth Day!

Thankful Thursday

2010-04-22T00:20:00.002-05:00

I have had a pretty rough week. There is so much to complain and worry about in my life right now ~ especially mean people. But I promised myself that Cute Stuff would be a positive place for me and my readers. With that thought in mind I found Thankful Thursday. Just a quick note to remind myself that there is so much to be thankful for.

I am thankful that I have a job that supports my family. The economy has made it so that some people that are willing and able to work are still unemployed. I am grateful I am not without a job and I sincerely hope that those struggling financially are able to find employment.

I am thankful for my home. Although we do not own our house I am still proud to call it our home. Our family has a safe place to go to and I enjoy making memories here.

I am eternally thankful for my guy and my son. They mean the world to me and I am lucky to have them in my life.

It is easy to get caught up in the day to day problems in life. When that happens I try my best to stay positive and remember how much I have to be grateful for. What are you thankful for today? I would love for you to share.

~ Friday Follow ~

2010-04-15T23:35:00.001-05:00

WOW! This has been a fast week for me. I must repeat to myself 1000 times that I will not leave the taxes until April 15th next year. Waiting until the last second is very stressful for me but I seem to do it every year. I don't have a clue why I wait because I get a refund!!!

I hope you all got your taxes done and I wish you a Happy Follow Friday! If you would like to join you can link up here.

How do YOU do it?

2010-04-15T23:28:00.003-05:00

I am still new to the blogging world and I am looking for a bit of advice. I would love to know the answer to one little question: How do YOU do it? Specifically how do you make time to write and read blogs??? My initial goal was to have at least one post per day on Cute Stuff but I have not been able to keep up. This week I have had no posts at all! I am swamped at work and this week was Cutie's birthday and taxes so I have fallen behind. I would love to know if there are any secrets to staying on the bloggy track. Do you have a set time to blog or do you just fit it in when you can?

Friday Follow AKA Follow Friday

2010-04-08T23:43:00.003-05:00

Sponsored by:

I keep wanting to call Friday Follow ~ Follow Friday instead. Either way Friday Follow is a way to get to know each other and a fun way to start the weekend. Link up here if you want to join! Leave your blog address because I would love to follow you back.

2010 Ultimate Blog Party

2010-04-08T22:48:00.003-05:00

5 Minutes for Mom is sponsoring the 2010 Ultimate Blog Party. Since I am a "newbie" blogger this is my first time participating in the party. I hope to find some fun new blogs to follow and of course I would love to introduce my little corner of the blogging world to others.

So welcome fellow party goers! I am Christine and I started Cute Stuff about 2 months ago. I enjoy featuring new and fun products here...essentially anything that I consider to be cute. I have a high stress job during the day in child welfare and I intend to keep Cute Stuff light, happy and fun! I post personal content as well but I try to keep it upbeat. Welcome to my stress free haven!

What party would be complete without favors?!? There are terrific prizes for the 2010 Ultimate Blog Party. If I am a lucky winner I would love intl #8, #10, #11 or #2 all blog designs! #19 - preschool toys from Hasbro, #68 Scentsy from Mrs. Marine, USC #15 $50 Gift Card to Target from princesshaley, #46 Scentsy from eamundson. Ok who am I kidding? All the prizes are fabulous so I would be thrilled to win anything!

Cute Stuff at Baghaus.com!

2010-04-08T20:33:00.019-05:00

My favorite part of a season change are the new styles, colors and trends that come with it. It is fun to see bright colors of spring after a long (and this year it was VERY long) winter.

Baghaus.com sent me the Nicole Lee Gemma Rosette Satchel to review. Opening the box gave me a big smile. There is nothing that says springtime like flowers and this bag is covered in them. The Rosette Satchel is nothing short of adorable. It makes me hopeful that the winter is on it's way out (even though it is snowing outside my window right now...no joke) and that spring will bloom soon.

The Gemma Rosette Satchel is generous in size which I appreciate. It would be large enough to use as an overnight bag for sure. I dare say that a fashionable gal could even use it as the world's most stylish diaper bag!!! Love that it has an inside pocket for a cell phone and an interior zipped pocket for valuables. Those are especially useful with a larger bag so important things don't fall to the bottom.

Look at the detail in this bag~

Baghaus.com is a bag lover's dream website. They truly have something for every style and budget - you can find selections from under $10 to $400. Their site has a convenient search options to narrow down by price, style, brand and color so it is very user friendly.

Do you know a Hello Kitty lover? Baghaus carries a variety of Hello Kitty items. How cute is this?

As for me I will be bookmarking the Big Buddha Mia Bag and dropping hints to my guy about what my next gift should be. No surprise that the Big Buddha Mia Bag was featured in January 2010 issue of O Magazine. Talk about cute stuff!

Baghaus offers free shipping with purchases over $50 and 110% price protection. They even have a weekly handbag makeover giveaway! Click here to enter and you may be a stylish winner.

As I stated above I was sent the Gemma Rossette Satchel to facilitate this review. The descriptions and opinions in this post are mine and mine alone. :) Head on over to Baghaus and form your personal opinions. I would love to hear what you think!

Happy Random Tuesday!

2010-04-06T19:20:00.002-05:00

Happy Random Tuesday sponsored by the Un Mom. Feel free to link up your randomness at the Un Mom's linky here. How are these for random thoughts today?

The most money ever paid for a cow in an auction was $1.3 million. That is a good thing for me to know living in WI. We have A LOT of cows! Not sure if they are quite the $1.3 million dollar kind though.

The numbers '172' can be found on the back of the U.S. $5 dollar bill in the bushes at the base of the Lincoln Memorial. Also there is a website where you can enter your $1 bill numbers and it will track the dollar if someone else enters it again. I did it once and my dollar had traveled across several states. Sort of fun if you have nothing better to do sometime.

The elephant is the only animal with 4 knees. Guess they still only count my saggy knees as one each. :)

See you next Tuesday...on the random!

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T19:21:00.000-05:00

Wishing you all a Happy Easter!

First Friday Follow in April

2010-04-01T23:14:00.003-05:00

Friday Follow Blog Hop is hosted by Rita @ One 2 Try, Tami @ Hearts Make Families and Lynn @ Midday Escapades. If you would like to participate link up here and join the following fun! Can you believe that it is already April?!?!? I am so ready for no more snow and the end to another long Wisconsin winter. Happy Friday Follow everyone!!!

How To Train Your Dragon Movie Review

2010-04-01T22:47:00.003-05:00

Set in the mythical world of burly Vikings and wild dragons, and based on the book by Cressida Cowell, “How to Train Your Dragon” tells the story of Hiccup, a Viking teenager who doesn't exactly fit in with his tribe’s long-standing tradition of heroic dragon slayers. Hiccup’s world is turned upside down when he encounters a dragon that challenges him and his fellow Vikings to see the world from an entirely different point of view.

My sister gave us "sneak preview" tickets to see this movie (thanks Karen!). It was the most adorable movie I have seen in a long time. Cutie really loved it as well. I especially enjoyed that although there were a couple scenes that may be a bit frightening (they are dragons after all) it was not a violent movie. In fact the movie has a great message about changing long standing views and not always following the crowd. And the 3D....WOW has that improved since the paper glasses days of Jaws! You have to see it to believe it. I highly recommend How To Train Your Dragon as a fun film that kids and adults will both enjoy.

Monday Mayhem - The Annoying Meme

2010-03-29T16:53:00.003-05:00

Monday Mayhem is sponsored by Sited and Blogged. Check them out to participate in the (annoying) fun!

What annoys you about people that you spend time with outside your home (coworkers etc)? When they act like they have a perfect life...it makes me think they are hiding something. I have learned that the grass is not always greener on the other side.

What annoys you about people in your home? That no one cleans except for me. They may pick up or even organize but no one actually cleans but me.

What annoys you about talking on the phone? Pretty much everything.

What annoys you about the over-used terms that people use? I don't really mind over-used terms but poor grammar gets on my nerves.

What annoys you about restaurant foods? The ridiculous prices they charge!

What annoys you about restaurant servers? That they are entitled to a tip even for bad service. I heard on the radio that if a server is bad you should still tip them but then report them to the manager. Umm...so it's ok to get them in trouble rather than stiff the tip? That makes no sense to me.

What annoys you about reading other blogs? Nothing....I honestly love reading other people's blogs and I wish I had more time to do so.

What annoys you about memes? That there is always one or more questions that I don't really want to answer. For example this question...LOL!

What annoys you about commenting on blogs? When you have to go through several different verification screens and codes.

What annoys you about people who chew gum? I cannot stand when people smack gum or blow bubbles in public. I find that to be one of the rudest things around.

What annoys you about driving on the highway? That's easy - people who don't know how or are too scared to merge correctly!!!

What annoys you about shopping at Walmart? Pretty much everything which is why I don't shop there.

What annoys you about kids? When they ask the same question over and over.

What annoys you about your gender? It disappoints me that so many women are preoccupied with material possessions.

What annoys you about the opposite sex? Yikes....where do I start. No just kidding. But men annoy me when they act like they are so busy when they are not. Or they fake not knowing how to do something to get out of it. Or maybe that's just my guy. :)

What annoys you about shoes? The cute ones always hurt my feet.

What annoys you about shopping for clothes? That I wear different sizes in different brands. They should all be uniform sizes!!!

What annoys you about music? When I cannot for the life of me understand the words of a song.

What annoys you about drinking alcohol? The headache I inevitably get.

What annoys you about pizza? Sometimes I have a hard time finding vegetarian frozen pizzas but in general I find most pizza to be yummy!

Friday is the BEST day of the week!

2010-03-25T23:27:00.001-05:00

Is there even a question that Friday is the BEST day of the week? We get to look forward to the weekend and find some new fun friends at the same time. Friday Follow Blog Hop is hosted by Rita @ One 2 Try, Tami @ Hearts Make Families and Lynn @ Midday Escapades. I have found many new bloggy sites and friends through Friday Follow, so I am excited to do it again this week. If you are interested in joining the follow go here and link up your site. Please let me know your blog address in a comment so I can properly introduce myself and follow you back. Thanks and Happy Follow Friday!!!

Another Winner!

2010-03-25T00:14:00.002-05:00

I used Random.org to pick the winner of the Putumayo World Music Rhythm & Blues CD. The lucky winner is #2 Tami! I am off to send you a winning email...how fun! Please respond within 48 hours with your information. Congratulations!

More Tuesday Randomness!

2010-03-23T23:42:00.004-05:00

Welcome to this week's Random Tuesdays hosted by The Un Mom. Here are some random thoughts on my mind at the moment.

Ok random thoughts. Random thoughts...Apparently all I have in my head right now is nothingness because I cannot even think about random things to talk about. I am going to go search the internet for some interesting random things for you. That way we can all learn a little something and I don't have to sit here wondering what to write about. It's a win win situation.

I googled random and Random.org came up first. If you have not heard of Random.org it is actually a pretty cool website. You just put two numbers in and they kick back a completely random number from between the two you entered. It is sort of fun in an I don't have anything better to do right now kind of way. Many bloggers, including myself, use Random.org to pick giveaway winners.

What could be more random than the meaning of the word random? According to Wikipedia: Randomness is a concept with somewhat disparate meanings in several fields. It also has common meanings which may have loose connections with some of those more definite meanings. The Oxford English Dictionary defines "random" thus:
Having no definite aim or purpose; not sent or guided in a particular direction; made, done, occurring, etc., without method or conscious choice; haphazard.

Alright on to some actual random facts:

Odontophobia is the fear of teeth. I have two sisters (and both of their husbands who are dentists). Hopefully none of them come down with a sudden case of Odontophobia!

Diet Coke was only invented in 1982. However, I cannot remember life before Diet Coke. I love Diet Coke. Diet Coke has been my friend through many tough days at work. When I was pregnant I missed Diet Coke everyday (well everyday except the times when I secretly drank one).

A car that shifts manually gets 2 miles more per gallon of gas than a car with automatic shift. Every car I have ever owned has been a manual transmission. I drove to another state to buy my last car because I wanted a manual transmission and could not find one in my area.

If you have 3 quarters, 4 dimes, and 4 pennies, you have $1.19. You also have the largest amount of money in coins without being able to make change for a dollar.

After browsing the internet for randomness I think that may be a good way to study for trivia games and game shows. Jeopardy here I come!!!

See you next week...on the random!

Sunday Stealing - The Eight Tens Meme

2010-03-21T01:07:00.004-05:00

Warning....it is a long one this week!!!

Since I am new to blogging I thought it would be nice to do some "get to know me" posts. That is why I am participating in Sunday Stealing again this week. Sunday Stealing is produced by Judd Corizan and he steals a blog's meme and asks people to answer and link up their own posts. Here goes nothing!

TEN TO START.

1. Are you single? No
2. Are you happy? Yes
3. Are you bored? Yes
4. Are you naked? No
5. Are you a blonde? No
6. Are you moody? Definitely
7. Are you a lover/hater? Lover
8. Are you hot/cold? Cold
9. Are you Irish? No
10. Are you Asian? No

TEN FACTS.

1. Name: Christine
2. Nicknames: Chrissy and Justice
3. Birth mark: Nope
4. Hair color: Brown
5. Natural hair color: Brown
6. Eye color: Green
7. Height: 5'5"....well really 5'5"and a half (and believe me the half counts!)
8. Facebook Mood: Whatever
9. Favorite color: Green
10. One Place to Visit: Paris

TEN THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE.

1. Do you believe in love at first sight? Yes
2. Do you believe in soul mates? Yes
3. There was no 3 listed...LOL
4. Have you ever been hurt emotionally? Yes
5. Have you ever broken someone’s heart? Yes
6. Have you ever been cheated on? Not that I know of
7. Have you ever liked someone and not told them? Yes
8. Are you afraid of commitment? No
9. Who was the last person you hugged? My son
10. Who was the last person you kissed? My son

TEN THIS OR THAT.

1. Love or lust? Love
2. There was no number 2...
3. Cats or dogs? Dogs
4. A few best friends or many regular friends? A few best friends
5. Television or internet? Internet
6. Chinese Or Indian? Indian
7. Wild night out or romantic night in? Romantic night in
8. Money or Happiness? Happiness
9. Night or day? Night
10. MSN or phone? MSN

TEN HAVE YOU EVER.

1. Been caught sneaking out? Yes
2. Been skinny dipping? Yes
3. Stolen? Yes
4. Bungee jumped? No
5. Lied to someone you liked? Yes
6. Finished an entire jaw breaker? No
7. No number 7
8. Wanted an ex bf/gf back? Yes
9. Cried because you lost a pet? Yes
10. Wanted to disappear? Yes

TEN PREFERENCES IN A PARTNER.

1. Smile or eyes? Eyes
2. Light or dark hair? Dark
3. Hugs or kisses? Hugs
4. Shorter or taller? Taller
5. Intelligence or attraction? Intelligence
6. Romantic or spontaneous? Romantic
7. Funny or serious? Funny
8. Older or Younger? Younger
9. Outgoing or quiet? Outgoing
10. Sweet or Bad Ass? Sweet

TEN HAVE YOU’S.

1. Ever performed in front of a large crowd? Yes
2. Ever done drugs? Yes
3. Ever been pregnant? Yes
4. No 4 listed...
5. Ever been on a cheer leading team? No
6. Ever Been on a dance team? No
7. Ever been on a sports team? Yes
8. Ever been in a drama play/production? Yes
9. Ever owned a BMW, Mercedes Benz, Escalade, Hummer or Bentley? No
10. Ever been in a rap video? Yes I was in a rap video. Ok not really I just wanted to see if anyone was still paying attention!!! This is way long...

TEN LASTS.

1. Last phone call you made: Must have been at work yesterday because I did not call a soul today
2. Last person you hung out with: My boyfriend and son
3. No #3....is this a trend?
4. Last time you worked: Yesterday
5. Last person you tackled: No one
6. Last person you IM’d: No one
7. No 7....who wrote this again? Wonder why they don't know how to number questions. :)
8. Last person(s) you went to the movies with: My boyfriend and son
9. Last thing you missed: A party tonight
10. Last thing you ate: Cadbury Creme Egg

And that was a LONG Sunday Stealing folks. Have a great week!!!

We Have a Winner!

2010-03-19T13:34:00.001-05:00

We have a winner! Random.org picked #4 to receive the Martina McBride concert tickets and prize package. Lucky #4 is Maureen. Time to dust off your cowgirl hat and boots. Congratulations!!!

Oreo Cakesters

2010-03-19T12:43:00.001-05:00

Have you seen the new Oreo cookies? When I started this blog I never thought I would dedicate a post exclusively to Oreos but the new Oreo Cakester cookies are really YUMMY. I found a free box coupon for them and then proceeded to lose my coupon book (that is another post in and of itself). Anyway I still wanted some so I bought the chocolate Oreo Cakesters. I was not sure I would be a fan because honestly could take or leave regular Oreos. WOW! I was blown away by how good they are. They are soft and very chocolaty. It actually feels a bit like you are eating a little piece of cake.

Since the chocolate ones were so good I decided to try the Golden Oreo Cakesters. I thought I would love these even more because the golden cookies are actually the ones I like better in the regular Oreos. The golden box I bought was a big disappointment. I don't know how they would taste if they were fresh like the chocolate box I had but it was obvious they were not fresh from the first bite. They were almost rubbery and tasted old. I checked the box for an expiration date and it is 10/13/09. What? Come on Walgreens now I know I should check dates but why is your store selling food that is 5 MONTHS past its freshness date. That is not right. Get it together Walgreens!

What I especially like about Oreo Cakesters is that they come in individual packs of 2 cookies each. That way I will be far less tempted to eat a bunch at once. It also makes them nice for an on the go snack or to pack in a lunch.

Have you had Oreo Cakesters? I would love to hear your thoughts. Or maybe your thoughts on whether I should tell Walgreens that they are selling expired food. LOL!

It Must Be Friday!

2010-03-18T23:10:00.002-05:00

Another week and another Friday Follow! Friday Follow Blog Hop is hosted by Rita @ One 2 Try, Tami @ Hearts Make Families and Lynn @ Midday Escapades. I have found many new bloggy sites and friends through Friday Follow, so I am excited to do it again this week. If you are interested in joining the follow go here and link up your site. Please let me know your blog address in a comment so I can properly introduce myself and follow you back. Thanks and Happy Follow Friday!!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-17T18:09:00.011-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!! Here are some St. Patrick's Day quotes and Irish sayings that I thought were cute. Have a great day!

1. If you’re enough lucky to be Irish, you’re lucky enough! –Irish saying

2. Many an opportunity is lost because a man is out looking for four-leaf clovers. –Unknown
3. Here’s to a long life and a merry one. A quick death and an easy one. A pretty girl and an honest one. A cold beer – and another one!– St. Patrick’s Day Toast

4. It is better to spend money like there’s no tomorrow than to spend tonight like there’s no money! –Irish toast

5. An Irishman is never drunk as long as he can hold onto one blade of grass to keep from falling off the earth. –Irish saying

6. There are only two kinds of people in the world, The Irish and those who wish they were. –Irish saying

7. Irish diplomacy is the ability to tell a man to go to hell so that he looks forward to making the trip. –Irish saying

8. An Irishman has an abiding sense of tragedy which sustains him through temporary periods of joy. –Irish saying

9. May your blessings outnumber The shamrocks that grow, And may trouble avoid you Wherever you go.–Irish blessing
10. St. Patrick… one of the few saints whose feast day presents the opportunity to get determinedly whacked and make a fool of oneself all under the guise of acting Irish. –Charles M. Madigan

Win Martina McBride Tickets for Green Bay, WI show!!!

2010-03-17T13:00:00.002-05:00

Whoo Hooo!!! I am so excited to be able to offer my readers the chance to win 2 tickets to the Martina McBride concert in Green Bay, WI. This is part of Martina's Shine All Night Tour! The giveaway is only for the Green Bay, WI show on Saturday, March 27th at the Resch Center. And wait it gets even better! The winner will also receive a Martina McBride Prize Pack that includes 1 CD, 1 T-shirt, 1 autographed 8x10 along with a variety of items from Martina and the tour. Exact contents of the prize pack may vary but the concert is definitely going to be fun! Thanks so much to MomSelect Bloggers for the opportunity to go to the show and share the fun with one of my readers.

To enter the giveaway simply leave a comment below. For an extra entry please become a follower of my blog (just click follow on the right side - current followers count as well) and let me know you are a follower in a separate comment. This is a quick giveaway that will end THIS FRIDAY 3/19/10 at noon CST so check your calendars to see if you can make it and ENTER NOW!!! Please leave your email in the comment or have it visible on your profile so I can contact the lucky winner.

Random Tuesday Thoughts 4th Edition

2010-03-16T20:32:00.004-05:00

Welcome to this week's Random Tuesdays hosted by The Un Mom. Here are some random thoughts on my mind at the moment.

I love Forever Stamps. Ok, I admit I am one of those people who doesn't know exactly how much a first class stamp costs. At work my secretary sends out my mail for me. At home I honestly cannot remember the last time I used a stamp for anything. Between direct bill pay and online bill pay I do not pay any bills through the regular mail. So every once in a while I buy a book of forever stamps and I use them for birthday cards (when I actually remember to buy and send them that is). It is nice to buy stamps and not have to worry that they are not enough postage. I guess the Post Office had to do something to help us because they raise the rates so often that no one can keep track!

I am nervous about my son's birthday party next month. We are throwing the party at Pump It Up this year. If you are not familiar with it Pump It Up is a place where you can rent a room full of inflatables and people get to jump around on them until time's up (or they puke whichever comes first I guess). We paid a flat fee for 14 children to attend and now that it is time to send out the invitations I am nervous. I don't know how many to invite to get the magic number to attend. I am worried that if not enough kids come that Cutie will be sad at his party and if too many kids come I will be charged A LOT extra which will make mommy sad at his party. Any advice on what to do? I already intend on asking for RSVP's but last year we had several kids that RSVP'd that they would attend and then didn't show. We also had one who did not RSVP but did attend. I am thinking that it all works itself out in the end. It is just one of those parental moments that stresses me out because I want everything to be perfect for his party.

Seriously...what is with my office chair?!?!?! I should preface this with letting you know that I work at a non profit organization (in other words my company has no extra money). That being said I should still be able to have a decent office chair right? The one I have now was given to me by my office neighbor when she got a new one. She only got a new one because she fell on company property and injured herself. She had gotten my chair from someone else before her. The chair I have is the worst. It simply will not stay up. It has not stayed up since the day it was graciously given to me. Sometimes I will be in a meeting and I will just start going lower and lower until I am practically on the ground! I really don't want to spend my own money on a new chair but it is getting pretty old. People must secretly wonder why I am shrinking when I talk to them.

See you next week...on the random!

Sunday Stealing 2nd Edition

2010-03-13T23:55:00.007-06:00

Since I am new to blogging I thought it would be nice to do some "get to know me" posts. That is why I am participating in Sunday Stealing again this week. Sunday Stealing is produced by Judd Corizan and he steals a blog's meme and asks people to answer and link up their own posts. Here goes nothing!

1. What were doing 10 years ago? I was a social worker in child welfare and I lived alone.

2. Five snacks that you enjoy in a perfect, non weight-gaining world Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream from 31 Flavors, Cheetos and Cheesecake.

3. Five things you would do if you were a billionaire: Buy a house, buy a new car, pay off my student loans, go on a trip to Europe, donate to worthwhile charities.

4. Three of your habits: I am going to plead the 5th on this one.

5. Five jobs that you've have had: Cashier, secretary, retail sales, social worker and attorney.

6. Five places that you've lived: Georgia, Germany, Minnesota and Wisconsin. I know that is only four but that is it for now.

7. Five things that you did yesterday: Went to work, went grocery shopping, paid bills, surfed the Internet and fell asleep watching Castle. So don't ruin the end of Castle for me because I still need to watch the end. Now that is some quality television. :)

8. Five people you would want to get to know more about: President Obama, The Dalai Lama, Brett Favre, Hillary Clinton and Oprah Winfrey.

9. Do you think the world would fail with a female president? Obviously that would depend on what particular woman was the president.

10. Do you believe in the death penalty? No.

11. Are you for or against premarital sex? Since I have never been married and I have a 5 year old son I think that's pretty clear. :)

In the interest of full disclosure there were several more questions in this meme that I did not answer because I felt they were too controversial for Cute Stuff. I deal with conflict every day in my profession as a child welfare attorney. The last thing I want is controversy here. Essentially it's my blog and I'll delete if I want to. (Sung to the tune of "It's my Party and I'll Cry if I Want to")

I Have Never Been Devoured by Bears

2010-03-13T23:12:00.004-06:00

I have never been devoured by bears. At least I've got that going for me. So what do you think of me now? Impressed I'm sure. What made you smile on this wonderful Saturday? Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Daylight Savings Time

2010-03-13T22:35:00.003-06:00

Daylight Savings Time begins tomorrow morning (Sunday 3/14 at 2:00am to be exact). Don't forget to turn your clocks AHEAD one hour. I like to switch them before I go to bed the night before so I can trick myself into thinking I slept longer than I actually did!

Pampers Giveaway Ends Tonight

2010-03-12T19:32:00.001-06:00

Pampers introduces new Cruisers with Dry Max! Angie at 5 Vinez Monkeys is hosting a giveaway on her blog, and is giving one of her readers a gorgeous Liz Lange designer diaper clutch AND a redeemable coupon for a free week’s supply of diapers of the all-new Pampers Cruisers with Dry Max! Be sure to stop by before 11:59pm ET on March 12th, get all the details, and enter to win!

Friday Follow

2010-03-12T00:14:00.004-06:00

I am participating in Follow Friday Blog Hop hosted by Rita @ One 2 Try, Tami @ Hearts Make Families and Lynn @ Midday Escapades. I found many new bloggy sites and friends last week, so I am excited to do it again this week. If you are interested in taking party follow go here and link up your site. Please let me know your blog address so I can properly introduce myself and I follow you back. Thanks and Happy Follow Friday!!!

Disney's The Princess and the Frog

2010-03-11T21:21:00.004-06:00

Disney's The Princess and the Frog is set for release on DVD March 16th. I am really excited to see this because we missed it in the theater. Even better I just printed a $10 off coupon for the purchase of the Blu-ray combo pack. You can find the coupon here. And to make things even better there is a $5 rebate here if you buy the movie and a roll of Frogtape. I have never used Frogtape before but the rebate is worth checking to see if my local Target carries it.

Hopefully The Princess and The Frog will become a family movie night regular at our house!

P&G BrandSAVER in Sunday's Paper

2010-03-09T23:11:00.003-06:00

In Sunday's paper (3/7/10) was a Proctor & Gamble (P&G) brandSAVER coupon insert. That in itself is not special but this week's current campaign is. For every coupon redeemed from the current insert, P&G will provide one day of clean water for families in need. Clean water is something that most in the US are happy to take for granted. I know about this first hand from the cryptosporidium outbreak in my city's drinking water about 15 years ago...yuck! Clean water is a basic human decency that everyone - no matter where they had the fortune of being born - should have. Kudos to Proctor & Gamble. I will definitely be redeeming these coupons to support your initiative.

(This is not a sponsored post of any kind - I just think what they are doing is admirable)

Random Tuesday Thoughts 3rd Edition

2010-03-09T20:16:00.003-06:00

I am loving Random Tuesdays hosted by The Un Mom. I am getting used to the idea of just spewing out useless bits of information. This may be something I can actually be very good at. I wish they would have had a Random Tuesdays major when I was in college. I would have had straight A's!

Has anyone noticed the proliferation of free stuff on Facebook lately? The catch is they make you become a fan of whatever it is to get a free coupon. I guess it's ok for snacks and such but I really don't need all my friends seeing that I am a fan of Tampax just to get some free.

I am still getting used to getting comments on this blog. I thought it would be nice to email back when I get a email notification of a comment. Well it took me until today to realize that most of my replies were going to "no reply"@blogger.com. Whoops!

I am the worst at returning things to the store. As much as I enjoy shopping is as much as I dislike returning things. I am not embarrassed or anything, I just find it to be more of a pain than it is worth. I still have a Christmas present sitting on the floor by my door patiently waiting to go back to the store from which it came. Someone should invent a company that comes and takes your things and returns them for a percentage fee. As long as that someone is not me.

See you next week...on the random!

Putumayo Rhythm & Blues (Review and Giveaway)

2010-03-07T18:42:00.003-06:00

I was honored to be given the chance to review Putumayo World Music's newest release called Rhythm & Blues. I am already a fan of Putumayo because of their Kids line of music. We especially love the Sesame Street Playground CD.

Rhythm & Blues is a collection of classic songs performed by both newcomers and established performers. The tracks include:

1 Lavelle White • I've Never Found a Man to Love
2 James Hunter • 'Til Your Fool Comes Home
3 Cracked Ice • Sweet Feeling
4 The Quantic Soul Orchestra featuring Kabir • Who Knows
5 The Emotions • My Honey and Me
6 Sam Moore, Keb' Mo' and Angie Stone • Wang Dang Doodle
7 Catherine Russell • Put Me Down Easy
8 Ruthie Foster • 'Cuz I'm Here
9 Snooks Eaglin • A Mother's Love
10 Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings • 100 Days, 100 Nights
11 Rockie Charles • Before I Find the Right Girl for Me
12 Irma Thomas with Henry Butler • River Is Waiting

My favorite song on the CD is Keb Mo' and Angie Stone collaboration that recreates the Howlin' Wolf song "Wang Dang Doodle" After I listened to the song I looked at the credits and was surprised to find that it was produced by American Idol star Randy Jackson! I recommend this CD for when you want to get yourself moving. It is upbeat in tempo and has fun and meaningful lyrics.

I apprciate a company that is socially aware and Putumayo fits that description. The following is taken from the Putumayo website: "In response to the devastating earthquake in Haiti, Putumayo is re-releasing French Caribbean and our children’s CD Caribbean Playground and will be donating 100% of our proceeds from the sale of each CD to The Red Cross". Good for them.

Putumayo World Music has given me an copy of Rhythm & Blues to giveaway to one lucky reader!

The mandatory entry is to become a follower of Cute Stuff and leave a comment letting me know you are a follower (current followers count as well). Extra entries are allowed for following me on twitter (@justicecw) and tweeting. Tweets can be done up to 3 times per day. Please leave the link to your tweet in a comment. The giveaway ends on 3/21/10 at 11:59pm Central time. The winner will be posted here and emailed if you leave your email in the comment or have it visible in your profile.

I was provided a copy of Rhythm & Blues to review and one to give away. The opinions in this review are mine and were not influenced by anyone.

Sunday Stealing

2010-03-07T01:47:00.001-06:00

Since I am new to blogging I thought it would be nice to do some "get to know me" posts. That is why I am participating in Sunday Stealing this week. Sunday Stealing is produced by Judd Corizan and he steals a blog's meme and asks people to answer and link up their own posts. Here goes nothing!

1. Are you currently in a serious relationship? Yes

2. What was your dream growing up? To be a hot shot attorney. I got the attorney part done. The hot shot part not so much. :)

3. What talent do you wish you had? Dancing

4. If I bought you a drink, what would it be? Diet Coke

5. What was the last book you read? Wicked

6. What zodiac sign are you? Libra

7. Any tattoos and/or piercings? Explain where. Tattoo of an elf on my ankle

8. Worst habit? Overeating

9. What is your favorite sport? Football

10. Do you have a pessimistic or optimistic attitude? Optimistic

11. Worst thing to ever happen to you? Having TMJ

12. Tell me one weird fact about you. I have a permanent retainer on my bottom teeth

13. Do you think clowns are cute or scary? Mostly scary

14. If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be? Have thicker eyelashes

15. Would you be my crime partner or my conscience? Conscience

16. Ever been arrested? No

17. If you won $10,000 today, what would you do with it? Downpayment on a new car

18. What's your favorite place to hang out at? Home

19. Do you believe in ghosts? Yes

20. Favorite thing to do in your spare time? Enter sweepstakes

21. Do you swear a lot? Yes

22. Biggest pet peeve? Improper word usage

23. In one word, how would you describe yourself? Kind

24. Do you believe/appreciate romance? Yes

25. Do you believe in God? Yes

Thanks Sunday Stealing! I hope everyone learned a bit about me from this. Feel free to comment on your answers or better yet link up to Sunday Stealing on your blog as well.

2010-03-05T00:33:00.000-06:00

I am participating in Follow Friday Blog Hop hosted by Rita @ One 2 Try, Tami @ Hearts Make Families and Lynn @ Midday Escapades. This will be a fun way to find more interesting blog to follow and hopefully increase my blog following at the same time. Thanks ladies!

Crocs Deal of the Week

2010-03-04T20:32:00.001-06:00

I love Crocs! When they first came out I thought they were ugly. I heard that they were really comfortable so I tried them anyway. Let's just say I have never looked back. I honestly don't think I could make it through a week of DisneyWorld or anywhere like it without a pair of Crocs. They are comfortable and that is cute enough for me. Besides Crocs have gotten a lot cuter in recent years.

What has fueled my Croc's addiction further is their Deal of the Week. Each week they have a special listed on their website. You can often find shipping deals there as well. This week's deal pictured above is the Gretel on sale from $49.99 to $17.99. The girls sizes are reduced from $34.99 to $12.99

Happy Birthday Dr. Suess

2010-03-02T20:56:00.001-06:00

I love Dr. Seuss. I think I have read every children's book he wrote dozens of times each. I love the illteration of his words but more importantly I love his messages. Theodor ("Ted") Geisel was born on March 2, 1904. At the time of his death in 1991 over 200 million copies of his books had been printed....that is impressive. I started this blog with a Dr. Seuss quote from Oh, The Places You'll Go! and I thought it would be fun to share a few more of my favorite Dr. Suess quotes today.

"You'll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You'll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left." — Dr. Seuss (Oh, the Places You'll Go!)

"Think and wonder, wonder and think." — Dr. Seuss

"If things start happening, don't worry, don't stew, just go right along and you'll start happening too." — Dr. Seuss

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It's not." — Dr. Seuss (The Lorax)

"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." — Dr. Seuss

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." — Dr. Seuss

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go..." — Dr. Seuss (Oh, The Places You'll Go!)

"I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells." — Dr. Seuss

Random Tuesday Thoughts 2nd Edition

2010-03-02T20:26:00.001-06:00

Welcome to my second edition of Random Tuesday Thoughts. I feel pretty bad that I only had one post in between last weeks random and this weeks but I don't really know what I am doing yet so I am slow on the posts. Probably not a big deal since no one is reading yet anyway. :)

I heard on twitter that Kate Gosslin was going to be on Dancing With the Stars. Then the actual list of stars came out and she was not on it. I have never watched Dancing With the Stars but I would probably start if Kate was on it. She gets on my nerves in a lot of ways (like her constant yelling) but I am sure I would get on people's nerves if a camera was following me around too. So I am bummed that she is not going to be on a show I don't watch anyway.
I think I have a crush on Apolo Ohno. And shouldn't his name be spelled Apollo with two l's instead of Apolo with one l?
My son is not a good sport. I am doing my best to teach him to be a good sport but so far it is not working well. We were playing the game Zingo today before dinner and when I started doing well he began to yell and say he was going to quit. I calmly told him that the fun was in playing the game and he settled down. Ironically he ended up winning the game anyway (and no I did not throw the game so he could win :) )

See you next week...on the random!

Boca Surprise House Party

2010-02-24T21:55:00.000-06:00

I was lucky enough to be chosen to have a House Party featuring Boca Meatless Products. I have been a vegetarian for many years and I love preparing healthy family friendly food. The folks at House Party certainly set us up for a great party. House Party includes entire party kits to get your party started.

My Boca House Party package included recipe cards featuring different Boca products. We served Boca Burgers and also made Terrific Taco Salad. I have listed the recipe below. I must admit my Taco Salad did not look as fancy as the picture but it definitely tasted as good as it looks.

If you are interested in House Party you can sign up here. Thanks to House Party and Boca Meatless products for a great party!!!

Random Tuesday Thoughts

2010-02-23T17:19:00.000-06:00

Yay! This is my first weekly post....Random Tuesday Thoughts. Random Tuesday is hosted by The UnMom at http://www.theunmom.com/ Thanks!!! So with that out of the way how is this for random...?

My favorite music CD is music the Broadway Musical "Wicked". I listen to it everyday. I am listening to it right now.
I bought my son "footie" pajamas from Target and the zipper broke the second time he wore them. This annoys me a great deal.
I like to drink out of plastic instead of glass because I always think I am going to drop glass ones and break them.
I honestly cannot remember the last day I did not have a headache at some point of the day.
I am sure I will lay in bed tonight thinking of other clever random things I could have said in this post.

See you next week...on the random!!