Tuesday, March 31, 2009

How Old Is Too Old?

Out there in the world, people have babies at all different ages and some people prefer it that they have their children older. Some people would rather have their children younger. This was all sparked by me realizing that Tim Allen has welcomed a new baby into his home at age 55. He already has a 19 year old daughter from a previous marriage. Thinking of it this way, he'll be 80 years old when she is 25.

With having your children later in life, what's the sacrifice? Lessened time with your kids, maybe not being able to catch up.... but on the flip side, people who are older most often have the financial security and find it easier to provide for their families.

When you have your kids at a younger age, whats the sacrifice there? Maybe you're not so financially stable, maybe you need to give up your "party years" but on the other hand, hopefully you'll be able to enjoy your kids well into their older years, maybe it would be easier to keep up with them running at the park?

This post isn't difficult for me to write, because I can see both sides. My husbands parents were older when the had him, his mother in her late thirties, but his father was in his fifties. Now my husband will be 31 years old and his father is in his eighties. There was a plan there. They figured out their lives and decided when it was time. But when my husband hit his crazy, rebellious teen years, they couldn't keep up. They knew he was doing wrong, but the teen years for them were so far gone that they didn't remember how it was to be 15 years old.

My parents on the other hand, along with my grandparents, and myself, we've all had our children earlier in life. My mother was 20 when she had me, I was 22 when I had my daughter, my grandmother was 23 when she had my mother. We've always been able to do more active things together, yet money was always tight for my mother, just as it is for me. Not neccessarily does this mean that its due to having a child at a younger age, but I'm sure its a component. But at 10 years old, my mom and I used to hit the batting cages and race go-karts together, she was only 30 years old and we could keep up with each other, it was almost at times that we had the same interests.

Now at almost 27 years old, with my mother only being 20 years older than me, we're able to have more of a friendship and we are VERY close. I do occassionally wonder what it would have been like to have an "older" parent, like most of my friends growing up, though I wouldn't change anything for the world. I'm enjoying being in my twenties with my children, yes, it did change our financial situation, yes, it did change my schooling situation. Was it worth it? Absolutely.

What do you think? Where does the line get crossed for you? What age would you never want to have children before or after? Do you think you've benefitted from having older or younger parents or do you think your children have benefitted from having you as a younger or older parent?

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I'm A Candy-aholic!

We are big candy eaters around here and one of the staples in our candy bowl are Tootsie Rolls!! With Easter coming up, I know that Boug will have Tootsie Rolls in her basket from the bunny!
Tootsie has been around for so long and I always can remember finding the big thick ones in my moms purse... I wonder if she ever knew that I used to sneak them out of there. Tootsie Rolls were introduced in 1896 and is one of the country's largest candy companies!

But the Tootsie Roll company isn't just about Tootsie Rolls... and I didn't even realize until recently!! They also produce some of my other favorites like Junior Mints, Charleston Chew, Razzles and the ever-so-elusive, hard to find Frooties... my favorites are the grape and I can never find them ANYWHERE!!

I know that I'll be stuffing Boug's Easter basket with Tootsie Rolls, Tootsie Pops and all sorts of other yummies, but what will you be sticking in your loved one's basket??



Want to win an Easter themed gift pack from Tootsie?? Simply visit Tootsie's site and let me know which one of their candies are your favorite!!

Extra Entries?? Subscribe or Follow A Couch With A View. Post my button on your blog. Post about this giveaway on your blog. Follow CaseyDeuce on twitter and tweet this giveaway. Post the Extraordinary Mothers button on your blog. And for each $1 donated to my BlogHer fund, you'll get another entry!!

This giveaway will accept entries until noon on Monday, April 6th and the winner will have 24 hours to reply to the winning email!! Winner will be drawn with random.org and if a reply in not received within 24 hours, a new winner will be drawn. Please make sure that your email addy is accessible, cause if I cant contact you, how can you win??

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Monday, March 30, 2009

Allergaroo Review!

When I came across Allergaroo, it immediately caught my eye. I'm always trying to feed my kids better then I eat, better then I ever ate and there's so much out there nowadays thats not good for you, but is disguised to be healthy.Allergaroo products are formulated to be free of the eight most common food allergens (wheat gluten) milk, soy, egg, fish, shellfish, peanut and tree nuts. With Allergaroo, convenience is key... three varieties, Chili Mac, Spyglass Noodles and Spaghetti in ready pouches, all you need to do is heat and serve!!

The ultimate test was Boug, she loves to eat, but she can almost always pick out anything that's different. Since Allergaroo is made with rice noodles, I was skeptical for a minute. I even tasted it before she did and we both LOVED it!! I let her pick which one she was going to try out first and she opted for the Spaghetti, and she DEVOURED it!!

I truly wish that there were more foods out there like Allergaroo, that pairs up real, good foods with convenience. Want to find Allergaroo around you? You can check their store locator at the website or even order online! With prices in the same range as most other kids convenience foods, why not try something smarter?

For a practical and tasty solution for people with food allergies, if you want to branch out and try something new or even if you don't have allergies, I really suggest Allergaroo! Its convenient, its good and its good for you!!

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Subjective Beauty Blog Design!

My Kids Might Be Martians is hosting a Subjective Beauty blog design giveaway!!
Head on over, check it out and enter enter enter!!

I know I'm lessening my chances, but I heart Subjective Beauty's designs and I'm broke and hoping to win one!!

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Sunday, March 29, 2009

Dr. Bloom's Chewable Jewels!


Lil' Buddy is 7 months old and hasn't busted out ONE tooth yet. He's completely toothless and miserable. I'm waiting waiting waiting for them to at least break the surface and put him out of his misery. So when I find something that can help my lil' man deal with his pain, its definitely worth a shot!!

I heard about teething jewelry and didn't think much of it at first, then I was in the grocery store, left the diaper bag in the car and had NOTHING on hand to give him. I wasn't even in the baby aisle, I was standing right in front of the cat litter!!

When I got Dr. Bloom's Chewable Jewels about a week later, I couldn't have been happier. He immediately stopped biting the remote and his eyes fixated on my new bracelets, then moved up to my new necklace. Dr. Bloom's definitely grabbed his attention. He's such a mama's boy, he needs to be THISCLOSE to me at all times, and I couldn't believe it when he just sat nicely next to me, gnawing on my bracelets and actually allowed me to flip through a magazine! He wasn't mashing his gums on my fingers or sitting and whining!

I'm loving Dr. Bloom's Chewable Jewels because not only are they classy and stylish, they are BPA-free, PVC-free and phthalate free, latex and lead free!! The fact that Dr. Bloom's Chewable Jewels is really dentist created is huge! I wouldn't want to do anything to jack up Lil' Buddy's teeth before they even come in!!

I love the different colors, shapes and styles that the Chewable Jewels come in and I received the plum circle and the smoky quartz and plum bracelets. Put together with a nice pair of jeans and a black sweater, they looked great, even for being for teething, you'd never know!!

I'm thrilled to have added Dr. Bloom's Chewable Jewels to my accessory collection, though now a days it isn't much of a collection... just silver and gold, strewn in a box... Chewable Jewels is all I've been wearing!

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Bake-Off Time!!

One of the things that I wish that I could do, is have the ability or creativity to come up with some awesome, original recipes. Just like the people who participate in the Pillsbury Bake Off!

Do you have an idea for the 44th Pillsbury Bake-Off? That's all it takes!! You could win and walk away with a $1 Million Dollar grand prize!!

With 4 categories to enter into, using items from 2 lists, the possibilities for submissions are endless! Some of the past Bake-Off recipes are delicious things, like Cowboy Tacos, Caramel Chai bars, Mini Picadillo Empanadas, and so much more!

What do you think you would enter? Want a shot at a million dollars? Go check out the 44th Pillsbury Bake-Off contest!!

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Quotable Sunday

Welcome to "Quotable Sunday" hosted by Toni over at A Daily Dose of Toni!
Want to participate? Head on over there and link up!!

This weeks quotes are coming from the "Life's Little Instruction Calendar- Vol. XIV" since I look at it every single day. We'll use important days in my life for this week's quotes!

Today- "Never tell a child she can't sing or dance"

7/11- "Never speak negatively about yourself, your enemies will do that for you."

7/16- "What good is it to go fast if you're headed in the wrong direction?"

7/23- "Should you ever be called a genius, don't dispute it."

8/19- "When you're using the bathroom, lock the door."

I wish I still had the pages from earlier this year, but unfortunately I don't.

That's all folks! Check out more "Quotable Sunday" participants over at A Daily Dose of Toni!

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Saturday, March 28, 2009

Cottonseed Clothing Review

How much do I wish that I could wear baby clothes sometimes?

We, which means Lil' Buddy, were able to review Cottonseed Clothing's fabulous long sleeved onesie. Cottonseed clothing offers some of the most premium, soft baby clothes that I've ever felt.
In colors with names like blueberry, shitake, cloudy, and raven, among others, its hard to decide which outfits you want to pair these with. Solid cotton classics make for so many outfit combinations. Of course, on this day we just paired it with some baby leg warmers and Lil' Buddy was happy as a clam and so comfortable! But Cottonseed Clothing just doesn't offer long sleeved onesies. There's more to choose from, like crew necks, girly tees, lap tees, and their ultra soft cotton baby pants!

Their gift wrap option is adorable- each item is folded and tied with a bow in its own peat pot!

Right now you can receive free shipping with a $75 purchase and 1% of Cottonseed Clothing's yearly revenue is donated to K.I.D.S. (kids in distressed situations).

Hands down, we are loving Cottonseed Clothing!! Now if I could only get it in my size.....

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Eleven Shoes Rock!!

I can't even begin to tell you AGAIN how much I love Eleven shoes for Boug and I'm looking forward to the day that Lil' Buddy gets big enough for them. Finding shoes that are durable, comfortable and look great are a pretty big task. And with me being as picky as I am, the choices are narrowed greatly. Thats where Eleven comes in, I know that each pair of their shoes fits my strict criteria for turning Boug into the next Imelda Marcos.


We got the new spring style, Emma, from Eleven and I'm so happy with how well that its going to match all of Boug's summer outfits. Of course, Boug doesn't want to give up her Josie sneakers from Eleven at all, but she's happy to have another pair of these awesomely comfortable shoes!

Eleven is the sister company to See Kai Run, (one of my shoes-of-choice for Lil' Buddy) and are based out of Portland, OR. The Eleven line is for the bigger kids and runs sizes 9 through 3, or about ages 3 through 8.

I love that I dont have to wrassle Boug to get any of her Eleven shoes on. They make getting out of the house so much easier, since she can just toss them on and fasten the velcro herself.

The new spring and summer line is adorable, not only for the girls, but the boys shoes are just as nice! I especially love the Kasota sneaker and the Laura shoe, which made it so hard for us to choose which Boug was going to get! And for the boys, I'm loving the Caper signature trainer!

Comfortable shoes, that aren't easy to kill are much sought after around here and with their rubber sole, cushioned insoles with padded collars, these shoes are the ones that Boug finds herself wearing the most.

Right now Eleven has a free shipping offer when you buy 2 pairs or more! Certain styles are even on sale!

Would you like a pair of Eleven shoes for whoever the little traveler is in your life? Head on over to the Eleven site and let me know what pair you'd pick!

Extra Entries? Follow or Subscribe to A Couch With A View. Join the Eleven Mailing list. Post my button on your blog. Post about this giveaway on your blog. Follow CaseyDeuce on Twitter and tweet this giveaway. And for every $1 donated to my BlogHer fund will get you an extra entry!

This giveaway will accept entries until noon, Saturday April 11th. Winner will be drawn with random.org and emailed. Winner will have 3 days to reply to the winning email or else a new winner will be drawn. Please make sure that your email is accessible!! Remember, if I cant contact you, how can you win??

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I'm a snacker

We're a big snacking family here. I snack, and it shows... My husband snacks, and is still thin as a rail... My daughter snacks and remains thin. Its just not fair!!

I try my best to keep some other snacks in the house besides chips and cookies, cause if I ate them all day, like I'd love to, I'd be HUGE! I've most recently become a huge fan of SuperPretzels!! They are made by the J & J Snack Foods Corp. and are delicious and much better for you than cookies and other crap like that. And my favorite part, SuperPretzels have NO trans fat!

And of course, we have to have some yummy summertime snacks, and I adore the Minute Maid juice bars! I love that the juice bars provide a full days value of vitamin C and are fat-free and cholesteral-free! They're so refreshing too!! We also cant forget Luigi's Italian Ices... I've been eating these since I was a kid, since they were a favorite of my moms also! I love that they are gluten-free and are fat-free and cholesteral-free too!! Luigi's Italian Ices are probably one of my favorite ways too keep cool in the hot summer months! We keep everyone in the family happy with the variety pack in our freezer all summer!

Did you know that no two SuperPretzel's are exactly alike? They all differ! Just like snowflakes! If you stacked all the Luigi's cups made in a year, end to end, it would stack from NY to Paris!!

Want to stock your freezer with a few snacks? I've got 3 coupons to give to 1 winner! One for any frozen minute maid product, one for any Luigi's product and one for any SuperPretzel product! These have NO expiration date!!

To enter, run over to the J & J snack foods site and let me know which of their snacks are your fave!

Extra Entries- Follow or Subscribe to A Couch With A View. Post my button on your blog. Post about this giveaway on your blog. Follow CaseyDeuce on twitter and tweet this giveaway. And ever $1 donated to my BlogHer fund gets you another extra entry!!

This giveaway will accept entries until noon, Friday April 10th. Winner will be drawn with random.org and emailed. Winner will have 3 days to reply to the winning email or else a new winner will be drawn. Please make sure your email address is accessible!! If I can't contact you, how can you win???

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Friday, March 27, 2009

Big Thanks!!

I need to leave a note to say THANK YOU to my Extraordinary Mothers girls. The other day I posted a thread that I needed everyone's spare "good vibes." We've been searching and searching for a new rental in a different school district. Everything we've looked at has been out of our price range or hasn't had what we've needed in a home. We finally found something damn near perfect, and we were waiting for a call back to say yes or no to us. The girls from the forum sent so many well wishes, good vibes and prayers, and the very next day, I received the call telling me that we got the place!! I'm so thankful to have awesome online friends!! So thank you, thank you, thank you ladies!! You are appreciated and I adore each and every one of you!!

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Exergen Temporal Scanner Review & Giveaway!

Ughh.. have you ever had to try and use a rectal thermometer on your infant? If not, I don't suggest trying it, its really not fun, not easy and not convenient in any way. What about those ear thermometers? I thought they would be awesome, but how much does a small child squirm when you put it in their ear?

When I was able to review the Exergen Temporal Scanner thermometer, I was thrilled! With a 7 month old and a 4 year old, and me being neurotic as I am, I do a lot of temperature taking. Its just so difficult to get anyone to sit still even for the time it takes to use the ear one. The Exergen Temporal Scanner is different, its an infared thermometer that takes the temperature from a temporal artery scan. Can you imagine, this thing takes over 1,000 readings per second and is super accurate!

With perks like being able to get away from yucky rectal temperature taking, and keeping the kid from squirming when attempting an ear thermometer, the Exergen Temporal Scanner has high marks in my book. Its so easy, its just a stroke of the scanner across the forehead and its done. Just to prove to myself how easy it was, I let Boug take my temperature, she's 4 guys! A 4 year old can use this!! Its accurate, easy and convenient!! I'm a convenience queen so that is a huge plus!!!

I'm not one to attempt to wake a sleeping baby, but I figured I try to use this while Lil' Buddy was asleep, to see JUST how gentle it really is to a little baby... The boy didn't even flinch, didn't bat an eye, didn't stir and most definitely didn't wake! I'm loving that I can use the Exergen Temporal Scanner to check up on his temperature even after he's fallen asleep!!

Want to know where you can purchase your Exergen Temporal Scanner? Its available at Toys R Us, Babies R Us, Walgreens, Costco, Wal-Mart and more!! You can even order online!!

Want to WIN an Exergen Temporal Scanner thermometer? Post a comment here with what the biggest perk of the Exergen Temporal Scanner is to you!

Extra Entries? Follow or Subscribe to A Couch With A View. Post my button on your blog. Post about this giveaway on your blog. Follow CaseyDeuce on twitter and tweet this giveaway. For every $1 donated to my BlogHer fund, you'll get an extra entry into any of my giveaways too!

This giveaway will accept entries until noon on Thursday, April 9th. Winner will be drawn with random.org and emailed. Winner will have 48 hours to reply to the winning email or else a new winner will be drawn. Please make sure your email address is accessible, remember, if I cant contact you, how can you win???

Big thanks to the Family Review Network for this opportunity!!

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Need a new blog design?

Mama Makes Money has a Subjective Beauty blog design giveaway going on! This giveaway is a COMPLETE redesign, valued at $60!
Head on over to Mama Makes Money and check out the Subjective Beauty design giveaway!

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Thursday, March 26, 2009

BlogHer Hotel Stay!!

Okay everyone... I wanna know WHO is going to BlogHer '09!??
When do you fly in? Where are you staying??

I'm flying in early early early Friday morning and leaving Sunday afternoon... I'm going to miss my kids incredibly, but it will be so much fun....

Did you know that you can win a 3 night, executive perk stay at the Sheraton for your trip to BlogHer? I'm soooooo hoping to snag this one up!! It would be wonderful to win it!!

You can enter to win too... Though I dont want to tell you I will, I'll lessen my odds...

Head on over to ZRecommends and check out what you must do!! You'll have to post on your blog and you can even get an extra entry for tweeting!!

This will be my first trip away from the kids, who are 4 (she'll be 5 at BlogHer time) and 7 months, (he'll be 11 months at BlogHer time) and winning executive perks in a fabulous room would just put the icing on the cake of this trip! Of course I'd have to make my right hand girl, Kristin, to stay with me, cause I'd be lost at BlogHer without her!!

Now GO!! Get over to ZRecommends and get in on this fabulous giveaway!! How can you pass up a "bi-level lounge which features not just "breathtaking views" but daily complimentary breakfasts, evening hors d'oeurves, and snacks and beverages throughout the day, plus free high-speed internet access, PC and Mac workstations, office supplies, and massage chairs. (The lefthand photo above was taken in the Club Level lounge.) Club Level guests also have access to an executive health club, free in-room high-speed internet (standard room residents pay a daily fee), 60 minutes of free local calls (did you know hotels charge for that now?), "plush robes," turndown service, free mouthwash, etc. etc."

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Industrial Joe Coffee!!

Mama loves her some coffee... I dont think I could survive a day without it. When I had the chance to review Industrial Joe coffee, I was thrilled! Awesome coffee and me go hand in hand, its my savior, my best friend and the love of my life.... shhhh... don't tell the husband.

Industrial Joe coffee is based out of Oregon, by a husband and wife team. They work with their best coffee friends, the Bellatazza Coffee Roasters.

I tried the Industrial Joe medium roast Kenya, which they describe as having "red wine flavor notes, and freshly roasted to order." With this being said, even being a medium roast coffee, the flavor is bold and smooth and delicious and easy to drink all at the same time. There's just something so much better about drinking freshly roasted whole bean coffee versus something that came off of a grocery store shelf in a can.

With other Industrial Joe coffees available, like the mild roast Costa Rican, bold roast espresso, and the bold roast Ethiopia and more, there's really something for every type of coffee drinker! Not sure what you'd like? Why not grab a sampler pack?

And with Industrial Joe offering more perks, like discounts for referring friends and free shipping on $75+ orders, and plenty of articles about coffee, there are so many plus sides to ordering from Industrial Joe!

Go ahead and check out Industrial Joe, what coffee do you think that you'd like the best?

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Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Da Bib Review and Giveaway!!

Family Review Network gave me a chance to try out Da Bib. My kids are slobs, Boug was a slob as a baby and Lil' Buddy is too, there's no getting around it, so any chance to try out a bib that works great is perfect for me.



Da Bib has an awesome scrunch collar that fastens with adjustable velcro. Its really nice cause it fastens on the side for easier on/off maneuvering. With Lil' Buddy now trying his hand at the little star puff snacks, zweiback toasts and teething biscuits, its really nice because Da Bib has a fold out crumb catcher. It really cut down on how many little star puffs I had to pull from the lining of the high chair!

I love that Da Bib covers up at the shoulders, I can't tell you how many times Lil' Buddy has turned his head and gotten a chinful of food onto the shoulder of his shirt.... another one bites the dust, and my supply of stain treatments get lower and lower.

Right now you can get 20% off of your order from Da Bib by using code MOM2009 at checkout!!

Want to snag up your own Da Bib? Head over to the Da Bib site and check out their options, which print or solid would you like best? Da Hugs or Da Giggles?? Leave me a comment letting me know!

Extra Entries? Follow or Subscribe to A Couch With A View. Follow CaseyDeuce on twitter AND tweet this giveaway. Post my button on your blog. Post about this giveaway on your blog. And for every $1 donated to my BlogHer '09 fund gets you another extra entry!!

This giveaway will accept entries until noon on Thursday, April 2nd. Winner will be drawn with random.org and emailed. Please reply to the winning email within 48 hours or else a new winner will be drawn. Please make sure your email address is accessible, from your blogger profile or left in the comment, or else I'll have to draw a new winner. Remember, if I cant contact you, how can you win??

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Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Wordless Wednesday

Photobucket

Boug with "Underdog the Turtle"

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Oh How Clever!!

I adore childrens clothing, sometimes much more than the clothing that I own for myself! Stuff is so cute these days and just keeps getting cuter and cuter!! And clothing is getting smarter and safer and quality is not being sacrificed!

Clever Rabbit Clothing is some of the most adorable shirts, onesies, thermals, hats and more, that I've ever seen. And the name "Clever" is so fitting!! With shirt logos like "Louis Spitton" and "Gucci Coo" that play on some of the biggest designers out there!! I always say that my kids are dressed better than I am, and even in a casual shirt and sweats, they always look better than me!! We got the "Calvin Whine" lap tee for Lil' Buddy and its just so fitting for him, the little whining, fussing mama's boy that he is.
Clever Rabbit Clothing doesn't sell you cheapy clothes that wont hold up, I was so happy when I opened the package- the shirt was so thick and you can tell that they don't scrimp on quality at all! With sizes from 3-6 months all the way up to 18-24 months, there's quite a variety of sizes available to go along with the variety of themes for each item!! Each design for the clothing is screen printed by hand, in a sweatshop free environment- even the labels!!

I'm really happy to have found Clever Rabbit Clothing and the prices are really good!! And don't forget to check out the sale items for even more of a bargain!!

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Monday, March 23, 2009

Didn't Win A Quirky Buddy?

Big congrats to SoulDolphinDream who was the winner of the Quirky Buddies and Funkie Monkey's giveaway here at A Couch With A View!!

To everyone else, I wish I could give all my readers every gift in the world, but alas, I cannot... here's the next best thing... Ashleigh at Asher's Quirky Buddies and Funkie Monkey's is offering A Couch With A View readers a 50% discount on all items in her shop!!

That's a serious discount!! Head over to Ashleigh's shop and take a peek!! Don't forget to check out her blog too!!

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Yoplait Kids Giveaway!!

We eat soooo much yogurt in my house!! Of course, Boug is a yogurt-aholic and wants to eat it with every meal. She's a huge fan of the Yoplait Kids yogurts since the smoothies and yogurts have Dora and Diego on the packages!! I'm so proud of her that she'd rather have yogurt and smoothies rather than chips or cookies!!

Yoplait kids is perfect in our house, especially since my daughter is a SLOB! The Yoplait kids yogurt has a spoon hugging texture that makes it less messing than other yogurts available. Not only that, they have 25% less sugar than other yogurts and Yoplait kids now has DHA and is a fabulous, delicious source of calcium! Less than half the kids ages 2 to 12 get the calcium that they need each day, making sure our kids have a well balanced diet and get the vitamins and minerals that they need is so important.

Think that you know when the right time to introduce certain foods? Head over to the Yoplait kids site and play the food game! Shhhh... first shot I only got 6 out of 12 right!! You can also grab yourself a $1.50 off coupon for Yoplait kids while you're there!

Its springtime again and its time to start getting outside and getting active! I have 3 Yoplait "Get Active" prize packs to giveaway!! Each one includes a travel cooler, a jump rope, a water bottle, an outdoor game set that includes a beach ball, paddle ball, jai-ali and frisbee! All this along with a coupon for any of the Yoplait kids yogurts that means, Go-Gurt, Trix and Yoplait kids!! Your choice!!

How to enter? Leave a comment here letting me know what your favorite family springtime outdoor activity is!

Extra Entries? Follow or Subscribe to A Couch With A View. Post my button on your blog. Follow CaseyDeuce on twitter and tweet this giveaway- "3 Yoplait Get Active Prize Packs up for grabs! @CaseyDeuce http://tinyurl.com/d8btkl" And for every $1 donated to my BlogHer fund will get you another entry!

This giveaway will accept entries until noon on Tuesday, April 7th. Winners will be drawn with random.org and emailed. Winners will have 48 hours to reply to the winning email or else a new winner will be drawn. Please make sure that your email addy is accessible!! If I can't contact you, how can you win?

Coupon for free yoplait is not valid in some states- Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota and Tennessee. But please still enter to win, you can still receive it along with the Get Active pack!

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Sunday, March 22, 2009

Quotable Sunday

Participating in this weeks Quotable Sunday, hosted by A Daily Dose of Toni!!
Head on over and participate!!

This weeks quotes from me are....

Jack Handey Quotes!!

“Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes.”

"I wish I had a dollar for every time I spent a dollar, because then, yahoo!, I'd have all my money back."

"If you're robbing a bank and you're pants fall down, I think it's okay to laugh and to let the hostages laugh too, because, come on, life is funny."

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Ultimate Blog Party 2009!!

I'm joining in on the Ultimate Blog Party '09 being hosted by 5M4M!!

Ultimate Blog Party 2009

A bit about me... where to begin?
I'm the stay at home mom of a 4 (going on 14) year old smarty-pants daughter, Boug and a definite mama's boy 7 month old son, Lil' Buddy. My hub is wonderful and works full time as a butcher so that I don't have to work... even though I'm DYING to go back to work and my checking account would greatly thank me for it. I'm a whackjob and I'll openly admit it. I do silly things and I say even sillier things. I do things that people can't believe and that are hard to even think of to make up... seriously. Like, I got married at a tractor store. For real. My husband lived with a piece of a tree in his face for 3 months. No joke. I call people pet names like "punkydoodle" and "poopydoo."

I'm what I call, the "rockstar on the couch." I've got the comfy couch, with the view... the view of the piled up laundry, undone dishes, a sea of toys, dinner needing to be made and children screaming my name. I rock it out daily from the couch, procrastinating always.

I love my site, I do. Its the only "me" time that I get, besides when I go grocery shopping and I'm really looking forward to checking out all the other blogs partyin' it up in the UBP!!

I know there's lots of great prizes to be had for the UBP, and I'm supposed to make a list of the ones that I'd really like, but its just so hard to choose!! So many great people participating its gonna be hard to narrow it down!

So here goes...
Top 3 Picks: (in order)
#58- Kitchenaid stand mixer from Moms Who Think
#21- Target gift card from Agoosa
#22- Target gift card from Beginner Baby Blog

And my honorable mentions that I'd be soooo happy to have:
(no particular order)
#4- Tee from TottieBean
#18- Tees from PMKU
#71- Flip Flops from Top It Off
#91- Target gift card from Mummy Deals
USC #15- Amazon from Want To Know What I Think?
USC #21- Fotomural
USC #26- Hatley gift certificate
USC #47- Amazon from Just Say These Words

Honestly I'd be happy to win anything for the family (the kids) or gift cards to use on clothes for myself, I'm in a weird in-between size right now and I desperately need some clothes!!

Do I sound greedy? I hope not. There's just so much fabulocity out there!!

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Saturday, March 21, 2009

I'm Such A Sap.

I don't sleep much. I probably fall asleep between 2 and 3 am most nights (mornings) and then am up by 9 am with the kids. From about 10 pm through 2 am is the only alone time I get most days, and I spend it cleaning up a bit around the house without having to beg anyone to help me or making a mess behind me. I sit here at the computer and check out the blogosphere. I write here. I snack (shhh...). But its just nice, because I'm ALONE. By 2 or 3 I'm ready to fall asleep, but sometimes I catch something on tv that just isn't able to be passed by. Sometimes its a funny show. Sometimes its a stupid show, but I get wrapped up into it... can anyone say late night VH1? Sometimes there's a movie on that I've never seen before and I get all caught up in watching it. But sometimes, there's a movie on that I've seen probably a million times, yet I stay up and watch it again anyways.

That was me last night. I'm running on empty today because I not only sat up and watched "I Am Sam" but I sat up, and watched "I Am Sam" and cried and cried and cried. Sean Penn is amazing and Dakota Fanning is such a great little actress at the young age that she is in that movie. There are only 2 movies that I will sit and cry, pretty much the whole way through no matter what and its "I Am Sam" and "The Notebook." Which got me thinking, I can't be the only one who has those movies, that no matter how many times they've seen it, they'll watch again and again.

Which movies will you watch over and over and over?? And if you'd like to divulge, which movies make you cry EVERY time??

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Friday, March 20, 2009

Loving Rubbermaid!!


Do you follow Rubbermaid on Twitter? Well why not?
Just for following Rubbermaid I was able to snag up an awesome 18 piece set of Rubbermaid containers with EasyFind lids!! The EasyFind lids snap to the base and the other lids. The bases and the lids nest inside of each other and they are thick and durable!! I'm loving it!! And I got all this all for following Rubbermaid on Twitter!!

Don't you want to be as lucky as me? Follow Rubbermaid and pay attention!!

Can't wait to see what the next thing they offer is? Jealous of my EasyFind set? You can purchase your own if you'd like at Rubbermaid.com!

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Boogery Noses Love Boogie Wipes

So far, my kids haven't been the overly snotty type of kids. Nothing like those kids who CONSTANTLY has snot running out of his nose, grossing everyone out, wiping their face on their sleeve... ewh... but Lil' Buddy does get a bit of nose crunchies after he's been crying crying crying... When I was able to try out Boogie Wipes, I was so happy cause a wipe made specifically for those lil noses would be great, but how was it going to work? Tissues are too rough for for lil' noses, baby wipes are for tushies, but Boogie Wipes are for noses!!
Boogie Wipes are made especially for little noses, with natural saline that dissolves mucus, what can be easier? Boogie Wipes are also hypoallergenic, alcohol-free, moisturize with vitamin E, aloe and chamomile and phthalate and paraben free!

I used the Boogie Wipes on Lil' Buddy's face and nose after he'd had a crying fit... mama cant leave the room without it happening... and they worked so well! I was concerned though, since he has a scratch on his nose, would it sting? But of course not! He had no problems with the Boogie Wipes and didn't pitch a fit when I used them right on his scratch!

Like I've said before, I use everything for many more uses than they are supposed to be for. So I put the Boogie Wipes to the test, just like I do with so many other things. After using them on Lil' Buddy's nose, and seeing how well that they worked, I used one on his hands after he ate a teething biscuit. The Boogie Wipes worked well to removing the sticky crumbs from the "cookie!"

Boug even let me wipe her nose with a Boogie Wipe after she got a little sniffle from running around in the chilly (almost) spring air! Not hearing a 4 year old complain is a wonderful thing!!

Need to know where to get yourself some Boogie Wipes? You can search by state on their site, and they are available at some big name retailers, like Babies R Us, Wal-Mart and Bed, Bath & Beyond!

Big thanks to the Boogie Moms, Mindee and Julie, for coming up with a great safe and innovative product to make lives a bit easier!! They've even won awards- iParenting media award, the baby planners seal of approval, savvy mommy seal of approval and the Mom's Best Award!

Want to win some Boogie Wipes for your little snotball? I've got 3-30 count (fresh, grape & magic menthol) packages of Boogie Wipes up for grabs, along with a Boogie Kid t-shirt! To enter, leave a comment with who in your life needs a lil' Boogie Wipe!

Extra Entries? Follow or subscribe to A Couch With A View. Link to this giveaway on your blog. Follow CaseyDeuce on Twitter and tweet this giveaway. Add my button or the Extraordinary Mothers button to your blog. And for every $1 donated to the BlogHer '09 fund will get you an extra entry too, just leave a comment for each $1 donated!!

This giveaway will accept entries until noon on Saturday, April 4th. Please make sure your email address is accessible from your blogger profile or leave it in the comment. Winners will be drawn with random.org and emailed. Winners will have 3 days to reply to the winning email or else prize will be forfeited and a new winner will be drawn. Please remember, if I can't contact you, how can you win??

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Deuce Loves Dapple!

I hate to clean, but I love things that make cleaning much easier! I recently received a few fabulous items from Dapple that made my life so much easier! I love Dapple because they are natural cleaners that are baby safe and made specifically for babies!First, the toy cleaner wipes? A godsend! When a toy gets grimy, I usually dont have a whole lot of time to pull out all sorts of cleaners and rinsing because there's usually a kid or a baby sitting next to me trying to snatch it out of my hands. "Is it clean yet moooom?" Dapple has the greatest toy cleaner wipes, in a great little pouch, that is perfect for shoving into the diaper bag... ever drop a baby toy on the floor of the mall or a movie theater? Ewhhh....

Next up was the baby safe dish liquid... call me a bad mommy, but I found the gnarly old bottle that had rolled under the couch, who knows when, to test it out on. Did Dapple impress? Oh yes. The baby safe dish liquid worked perfectly and even got the skanky odor of old formula out of Lil' Buddy's bottle, which normally I would have just thrown away!!

I have yet to try the natural dishwasher powder, since I don't own a dishwasher- *gasp!* but I'll be bringing it over to my moms, along with dirty bottles and spoons and toys and anything else, to toss in the dishwasher to see just how great the natural dishwasher powder works. I'm certain that Dapple won't let me down on this one!

The founders of Dapple, Tamar and Dana did such a great job creating this line, that they won the Seeds for Success grant, and won an iParenting media award.

Dont forget to follow Dapple on Twitter @DappleBaby (you can click it to follow!) to get the latest Dapple news, new product announcements, coupons and more!! I love me some coo-pins!!

Need to know where you can get yourself some of these awesome products? The Dapple line is available at Babies R Us and you can search the Dapple site for a retailer near you. You can also find them at Diapers.com, and when you're picking up your Dapple and your Diapers, you can enter code DEUCESWORL as a referral and get $10 off your first order and free shipping on orders over $49.00.

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