Friday Follow, Mommy Tips & a GIVEAWAY!!

Happy (Early) Friday Follow! It is going to be a CRAZY weekend here - so I needed to post early... now or never they say!! All 3 of my girls' birthdays are in April and this Saturday we are throwing a 3 in 1 Birthday Party Extravaganza - complete with bouncy castle, ball pit, pizza and 3 cakes!! ... please, wish me luck! We also have my hubby's family (mom, brother and fam, and sister and fam) coming later Friday night to spend the *entire* weekend! ... yes, wish me luck here too!

In the meantime, I am hosting my very own giveaway!! YAY!

My hubby and I were standing around with a couple of friends the other day - they had just entered the world of true suburbia and bought a minivan! Yes, you know you're old and practical when... Anyway, I was joking and said that the van wasn't a true mommy-mobile until someone threw up in it. When my twins were younger they both (though one a little more than the other) suffered from motion sickness! There's nothing like having to stop at a less than clean rest stop along the highway with 2 screaming children and a odor far worse than any rotten egg!

After about the 5th time (I'm a fast study - haha!), we had the ingenious idea to line their car seats with the blanket-like diaper changing pad. Presto! It's super easy and makes for a fast clean on those long drives! Our friends thought we were brilliant (ok, so they never actually said that, but I could see it in their eyes!).

And now for the GIVEAWAY!! I will be offering up one of my very own, hand-crocheted beanies (you can specify infant or toddler/school age) and a boutique large flower hair clip!

Entry is super simple!

Mandatory Entry

Comment below with one teeny tiny gem of a tip for other parents. Something that may not really seem obvious at first, but may just save someone time, energy or money! Be sure to leave me a way to contact you!

Bonus Entries!

Please leave a separate entry for EACH one. If it says "(3 entries)" please post 3 separate comments.

Become a public follower of Take A Mom's Word For It (1 entry).

Become a fan of my Facebook page HERE (1 entry).

Post my button on your blog and leave me the link in your comment (3 entries).

Update your Facebook page with this giveaway link and leave me the link (2 entries).

Follow me on Twitter HERE (1 entry).

Become a public follower of my SIL's blog HERE (1 entry). She has a cute blog all about crafty things!! And, she just so happens to be making one of the 3 cakes for this weekend!

That's 10 possible entries!!

Good luck to everyone! Giveaway ends on April 30th and is open to Canada & US only.

Toddler Slippers

Toddler Slippers

I have been crocheting for a number of years now. But until recently I have ONLY made baby blankets because I never knew how to read a pattern... well, the internet is a fabulous place! ;) I am pleased to say that my pattern reading skills are coming along and I've even had a few interested parties ask about purchasing my goodies!! Sure would be great to make a little mulah on the side! Here is a pair of toddler slippers I made earlier this week - super easy and even "a little" fun! ;)

Wordless Wednesday

**Proud Mommy!**

Green Living

For those of you living under a rock in the far corner of the earth, Earth Day is coming up on April 22nd! The importance of making environmentally wise choices has become more and more prevalent and really should be on everyone's minds.

I am by no means an expert on going green! I recycle, compost, use 'earth friendly' laundry detergent and clean without chemicals... and there's still so much more to be done! I recently happened upon a Facebook page I thought to be amazing... really!

Christi of Fat Bottom Bags is making a difference in this crazy, wasteful world one plastic bag at a time! What are Fat Bottom Bags?! They are re-usable bags made from plastic shopping bags - those same bags that contribute to the "plastic problem". What's more, these bags of hers are beautiful! She hand crochets each and every bag herself. She is a true pioneer in the green movement and although she does sell her bags online for a reasonable price, she also offers a "how to" video so you can make your own!

If that's not enough (do I sound like a used car salesman yet?!) she is also hosting an exchange. If you send her 60 coloured plastic bags, she will crochet you a mini-bag and send it to you! Please, stop by and check her out. Be sure to tell her Kady at Take A Mom's Word For It sent you!

"Going Green" may be a catch phrase, but we all need to do our part to make this a great place for our children. I find Christi's story to be inspiring and I urge you all to go and check out hersite and also become a Facebook fan - help spread the word!

Ultimate Blog Party 2010!

I'm still green in the world of blogging - started just last month(!), but happened upon The Ultimate Blog Party today, hosted by 5 Minutes For Mom... what a fantastic idea! I love to find new and interesting blogs and of course gain a few readers to mine... not to mention the flitterific (yes, I have little girls!) list of prizes!!

I am a Mom (well, duh!) and like other Moms know, when you're facing a hard day, a tough decision, a bragging moment, or a sweet memory who better to understand where you've been and where you're headed than another Mom?! And so, my blog (and FB page) were born!

And since this is a party, I thought I'd share a quick recipe for a fresh Nacho/bread dip that I LOOOVE (courtesy of my Moma)...

Dip (makes 1 7x11 sized dish)

1 pkg. Philly Cream Cheese

1/2 C. Sour Cream

1/4 C. Miracle Whip (Mayo)

1 C. Salsa

2 C. Shredded Cheese

1 lg. Tomato (finely chopped)

1 Green Pepper (finely chopped)

1 Bunch Green Onions (finely chopped)

Mix first 3 ingredients and then spread in bottom of dish. Pour the salsa over this. Then cover the salsa with cheese and then spread the veggies on top.

This is a super easy, super yummy dish! Enjoy...!

Now that we've filled our (virtual) bellies, here are my top 3 prize picks from the US & Canada List... *fingers and toes crossed*

From the US & Canada list:

1. $50 Target Gift Card offered by Peggy Gorman

2. $50 Paypal Money Transfer offered by American Muslim Mom

3. $50 Gift Card to The Recessionista Shop offered by Recessionista

If my top 3 picks have already been chosen, I'd love to win any of the following (in the listed order)... or anything else related to little girls - I have three of them!!

Prize numbers 39, 15, 13, 24, 30

Good luck and happy reading and blogging!! Let's get it started!

Happy Friday Follow!

Welcome Friday Followers!! Thanks for stopping by my small corner of the blogosphere! Take a minute and look around. I only started blogging last month so I'm hitting a bit of a learning curve, but I'm a quick study - haha! I look forward to checking in on you as well!

This week's edition is hosted by Midday Escapes, One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families and Buttons and Blogs. Thanks!

Wordless Wednesday

There is so much learning going on with some of the simplest things!

(I know, I know, it's supposed to be "wordless"!)

Support A Great Cause!

Someone I met through Facebook contacted me and asked if I would write a short piece on her efforts to make a difference in the world of cancer research. Her name is Julie Miller. Julie is walking in the Susan G. Komen 3 Day For The Cure. She is walking for her Mom, her Aunt and her Grandmother.

I don't believe there is a person whose life hasn't either been directly affected or indirectly affected by cancer. My father passed away nearly 8 years ago from cancer. My Grandfather, and my 2 great uncles have also been taken away because of cancer. Cancer has many forms and affects many people. It holds no prejudice for age, skin colour or background.

Please help Julie help cancer research. She is trying to raise as much funds as possible. Browse the items she has up for auction HERE. There are some really cute items from some really great companies and all money raised goes towards her fundraising! Also, please feel free to spread the word, the auction, the site. OR, if you have an item or two you'd like to donate (fantastic PR opportunity) please contact her HERE. A difference CAN be made. Thanks.

Birthday - check! , Easter - check!

We had a VERY busy weekend here! Not only was it Easter weekend, but my youngest daughter - S turned 2! As I stood in the livingroom Monday morning and assessed the 'damage' I knew it had turned out great! Sometimes a true measure of fun is the mess that's left behind! :)

Friday morning our street had organized an egg hunt at the local park. You could look over the hill and see nothing but the glimmer of foil wrappers! After only 10-15 minutes of searching, my little chocolate mongers walked away with a ton of loot! We'll be fighting them for weeks to not have chocolate before breakfast!

Sunday morning we woke up to discover that the Easter Bunny had visited us in the night, and left a pretty good bounty! Mommy was very pleased to find a "Family Sized" bag of Mini-Eggs! "Family" really?! Looked to be just about 'my' size!

Sunday was also my baby's 2nd Birthday! We had a small gathering - family and a couple friends who live nearby. Because my older girls celebrate their birthday in 2 weeks we will be having a giant 3 in 1 Birthday Bonanza! But for Sunday, it was nice to keep things a little more low-key. Here are a few photo highlights...

What a fabulously fun, busy and tiring weekend... check!

Happy Friday Follow!

Yay! Friday Follow again!! Welcome to everyone from FF! This is my 3rd week participating and once again I'm looking forward to reading some new blogs and gaining some new followers!

Going to be a crazy weekend here... neighbourhood egg hunt Friday morning, a visit and photo with the Easter Bunny Saturday, my youngest daughter's 2nd Birthday is Sunday ... and who could forget the baskets and chocolate?! I just may need a weekend after my weekend!

Thanks for following and while you're here why not pop by my FB page HERE :) Chat soon!