Go Pluck Yourself

When I was working in the salon, one of my very favorite services to do was waxing. I loved it. Most of the time there was such a definite before versus after and it was so cool to be able to shape people's brows to fit their eyes and face. But there were always those little straggler hairs and they were the biggest pain in the rear to get rid of. Mostly because the salon that I worked at didn't give us the best tweezers to use.

When I got the opportunity recently to try out LaVaque tweezers, knowing that they'd be coming to my house... I put away my hot wax. I endured a little while with undone brows... and it wasn't too bad, but I knew that something fabulous was coming my way. I know you're thinking "Whatever Casey, tweezers are tweezers are tweezers, what's so special about tweezers?" But trust me, using dollar store tweezers or old tweezers really do make plucking your eyebrows, or any other hair for that matter, so much more difficult.
LaVaque tweezers finally arrived and though I was tempted to pull out the hot wax, I didn't. So I rushed to the bathroom and started plucking... Boy, are these tweezers sharp!! They grip so well that it was so much quicker and so much less painful to pluck out those unruly hairs.

LaVaque tweezers are HOT too... With options that have birthstone Swarovski crystals and even Diamond adorned ones, in addition to their standard and mini pointed, slanted and waxing styles there is a type of tweezer for everyones preference.

Would you believe their guarantee?? "You Break'em, You Dull'em, We Replace'em ™. No Questions Asked." You just try bringing your nasty old tweezers back to the store and see what they say...

For the beauty lovin' mama's out there, how perfect would a pair of awesome tweezers be for Mothers Day??

Would you like to win a pair of standard slanted LaVaque tweezers? Just leave a comment here with which of the other products at the LaVaque website that you like!!

Extra Entries?? Follow or Subscribe to A Couch With A View. Post my button on your site. Post about this giveaway on your site. Follow CaseyDeuce on twitter AND tweet this giveaway.

This giveaway will accept entries until noon on Thursday, May 14th. Winner will be drawn with random.org and emailed. Winner must reply within 3 days to winning email or a new winner will be drawn. Please make sure that your email is accessible, whether in the comment or a blogger profile, cause if I cant contact you, how can you win??

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Like Mother, Like Daughter: Kitsch'n Glam!!

When my Mom was a kid, my grandmother used to dress her and her brother and sister the same. She sewed their outfits herself so that they'd match. I crack up every time I see the pictures from way back when and they are all dressed up like little sailors in their Sunday best. But I'm sort of doing the same thing....

When I was able to get my hands on a Kitsch'n Glam apron, I freaked out to see that they had sent me a matching mini apron for Boug and a pot holder too!! Was I really about to somewhat dress my daughter like me... oh absolutely... the difference here is that these are damn cute as heck!! I always take pride in the fact that the kids always look better than I do, but this time... we were on a level playing field, even if it was only in our own kitchen. Some of these fab Kitsch'n Glam aprons look like something I'd love to see a dress look like!! Would it be wrong if I wore an apron as a dress??

Anna Michelle Wang really got it right when she came up with these fabulous kitschy aprons, the aprons that are everything from high class, sweet, sophisticated and sexy! And then to add to the line with bibs and bags and even a sofa!! I'm definitely drooling over the sofa....

My darlin' sweet readers, you can get 15% off of your order by entering COUCH as a promo code at checkout at the Kitsch'n Glam site!!

And for Mother's Day there's a "sweet" bargain going on at QVC... (like my pun?) You can get the Cupcakes, Ladybug or Leopard apron with a matching oven mitt for only $29.97!

I truly love my Kitsch'n Glam apron and so does Boug. It definitely keeps you from getting messy and looks adorable at the same time. Boug wore hers throughout dinner and afterwards, not to sound gross, but she puked. She's been sick and thank goodness she still had on her Kitsch'n Glam apron cause she got sick on that and the thickness of the apron kept it from getting on her clothes!!

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Swine Flu??

I can't tell you that I'm taking this whole Swine Flu pandemic easily. Though I have no children in school and that decreases the risk, its still makes me extremely nervous.

At first glance, I could have sworn that the Swine Flu was transmitted by eating pork and I damn near went through the roof!! Hubby's a butcher, one would think that would be a huge increase in a chance of contracting it! Thank God that I re-read and read and re-read a million articles cause that's not the case.

When did the whole news on the Swine Flu break? Friday? Saturday? All I know is that Boug came home from Gramma's on Sunday night with a fever, by Monday night there was a hacking cough, congestion, teary eyes... no one wants to see their kid like that. By Tuesday afternoon she was lethargic and miserable. This is the kid who NEVER gets sick. In her almost 5 years of age, the child hasn't even been on an antibiotic once. So of course, the very first thing I do is call the doc... they got us in today at 1:10...

I love love love our pediatrician, but today was one of those days, one of the days that I wasn't too sure of him. He tells me that NY State can only send in 3 samples a day to be tested for Swine Flu. There's only ONE facility in the U.S. that runs the tests. With 50 states and over 300,000,000 in the U.S. how can there only be 1 facility that will do these tests for the entire country?? Shouldn't we be running the tests on the people who are most at risk if they are showing symptoms? The very young and the very old?? He did remind me that the regular flu takes thousands of lives each year and though it will most likely happen with the Swine Flu, there is no way of knowing yet its severity and not to forget to put things into perspective. Being currently in a phase 5 outbreak, the 2nd highest on the scale, does mean that a pandemic is iminant. There will be deaths. Lets not turn our backs or become overly confident in ourselves and our medical system, you never know what can happen. Now wouldn't be the best time to have the "it wont happen to me" attitude.

I fear for the country and the world for the people who are dealing with this and I respect the scientists and doctors that are doing all that they can to remedy this as quickly as possible.

What are your feelings about this pandemic that is affecting our world??

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Spending Quality "Down Time"

One of the ways that Boug, Lil' Buddy, the Hub and I spend some quality down time is by reading. Lil' Buddy is less than interested and Boug has decided that Daddy is the bedtime book man. Mom, I guess, just doesn't measure up to Daddy's reading... or maybe its that she's stuck with me all day long and can't bear to see my face or hear my voice anymore.

Cheerios, one of our all time favorite cereals, for the past 7 years has given out over 35 million books through Spoonful of Stories, packaged in cereal boxes and has donated almost $3 million to the fabulous charity, First Book.

Reading is one of the most rewarding things that we do in our house and I'm sure it ranks pretty high in yours too, and I've had my ideas for a kids book from time to time... but Boug always says, "Ummm Mom, that doesn't even make sense!!" But if you wanted to see your short story for kids (aged 3-8) as one of Cheerios Spoonful of Stories books, you can enter into their contest through July 15th! Head on over to the Spoonful of Stories contest site for more details and to enter.

We've grown to love "The Great Dog Wash" by last years winner of the story contest. I want you to love it too and it will be included in the 4 book prize that you can win here at A Couch With A View!! Boug has completely memorized "Monkey and Me" too... I hear her muttering it throughout the day!!

Would you like to win a collection of 4 short story books from Cheerios Spoonful of Stories?? Post a comment letting me know what your favorite book was as a child or what your child's favorite book is!! Mine was "Where The Sidewalk Ends" by the amazing Shel Silverstein.

Extra Entries?? Follow or Subscribe to A Couch With A View. Post my button on your site. Post about this giveaway on your site. Follow CaseyDeuce on twitter AND tweet this giveaway.

This giveaway will accept entries until noon on Thursday, May 14th. Winner will be drawn with random.org and emailed. Winner must reply within 3 days to winning email or a new winner will be drawn. Please make sure that your email is accessible, whether in the comment or a blogger profile, cause if I cant contact you, how can you win??

Big thanks to My Blog Spark for making this opportunity possible!!

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Purging Time!!

We've got junk. We've got our own junk and the husband likes to bring home other peoples junk. He likes to think if someone is getting rid of something and its still a quality item, that he has an obligation to give the crap a loving home. My garage has become filled with crap.

This weekend will be the very first yard sale that I've ever held. I can't say that I'm not looking forward to it, cause I am, but there's just so much stuff to finish going through and so much to do!! I'm at an overwhelming point... especially since we aren't having it here at home, I'm dragging all my crap to my grandparent's house cause they have PRIME yard sale location.

How do you stay organized for a yard sale? How do you know what you aren't going to need again? And prices?? OHMIGOSH... prices are making me crazy!! I don't know how much to charge for so many of the things that I'd really love to get rid of!!!

So here's to the hopes that I get organized in time, that I get things priced right and hoping that there's nothing left over at the end of the day Sunday!! Any pointers please leave them in the comments for me!! You know I can use them!!

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Making Diaper Changes Tolerable and Easier!!

Things that make life easier are so important to me!! Lil' Buddy is needy and hardly gives me a chance to use both hands when I'm doing anything... throw Boug into the mix and getting anything done is so much more difficult. When I received a Baggino diaper bag I was excited cause anything that makes things a bit easier is good in my book.

The Baggino diaper bag is a super cool bag that changes from a messenger bag into a "changing belt." It opens up and wraps around your waist so that things that are needed are easily accessible. I always hate putting the diaper bag on the floor or having it take up space when we are out and about and I've gotta change Lil' Buddy's diaper. Some of the places are just grimy!! And to have a regular messenger diaper bag on my shoulder while changing him is just hard, so when the Baggino wraps around my waist, it takes the weight off of my shoulder and I can wressle Lil' Buddy's diaper change so much easier. It even comes with a changing pad that snaps into place and a ton of extra features, like a carabiner clip, an easy key finder, an elastic compartment and built in rings on the side for attaching extra items!! Loving the organizational aspect of it all!!

We also received the learner's bib and that is a life saver!! A soft terry cloth bib with sleeves, in a long length, how can you beat that?? Somehow with bibs, Lil' Buddy is at the point where he can find the only spot that a regular bib isn't covering and completely trash his clothes with whatever it is that he's eating... It kills me cause I always dress the kids better than I dress myself and next thing you know, they're a mess!!

Would you like to win a learner's bib and a Baggino junior?? I have a set to giveaway to a lucky winner!! Leave a comment here with your favorite feature of the Baggino line!!

Extra Entries?? Follow or Subscribe to A Couch With A View. Post my button on your site. Post about this giveaway on your site. Follow CaseyDeuce on twitter AND tweet this giveaway.

This giveaway will accept entries until noon on Thursday, May 14th . Winner will be drawn with random.org and emailed. Winner must reply within 3 days to winning email or a new winner will be drawn. Please make sure that your email is accessible, whether in the comment or a blogger profile, cause if I cant contact you, how can you win??

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Loving Cute Baby Shoes!!

Lil' Buddy hit a milestone recently. He's a big boy and it seems to have really rang true within the past 2-3 weeks. He's only 8 months and he's in a size 12-24 months clothing comfortably!! Shoes are another story, his feet are not just big in length, they're some of the fattest feet EVER! When I came across Cute Baby Shoes, of course I was intrigued... they say that their shoes fit more true to size. Not only that Cute Baby Shoes has an adorable selection, its hard to narrow down which ones that I wanted for Lil' Buddy.

I wound up choosing the blue sport baby shoes and I couldn't have been happier when they arrived. These shoes truly do fit more to size so of course, being the skeptic that I am, wound up getting them a teeny bit big, I'm totally fine with that because he'll be have these ready and waiting for him. I cant wait!

Not only do Cute Baby Shoes carry more true to size shoes, but the soles are padded unlike some other soft sole baby shoe companies. It makes me feel a bit better knowing there's a little more protection for Lil' Buddy's feet. And again, unlike some other soft sole shoes, Cute Baby Shoes weren't as hard to get onto his fat fat fat little feet. I could actually get them on him easily without him being able to pull them off as well. HUGE perk! With adorable cream monkeys for either a boy or a girl, the girly bouquet or the kickin' black flames among some of their adorable styles, there really is something for every kids personality.

How cute are the watermelon shoes for summertime?? Remember, right now you can enter code B2G1 at checkout when you buy 2 pairs you can get 1 free!! They also do fabulous custom orders where you can pick your own colors for the front, border and heel colors to your likings!!


Would you like a pair of Cute Baby Shoes for a little one in your life? Head on over to the Cute Baby Shoes site and browse around, what do you think that you'd pick if you were the lucky winner? Let me know!!

Extra Entries?? Follow or Subscribe to A Couch With A View. Post my button on your site. Post about this giveaway on your site. Follow CaseyDeuce on twitter AND tweet this giveaway.

This giveaway will accept entries until noon on Monday, May 11th. Winner will be drawn with random.org and emailed. Winner must reply within 3 days to winning email or a new winner will be drawn. Please make sure that your email is accessible, whether in the comment or a blogger profile, cause if I cant contact you, how can you win??

Thanks to CuteBabyShoes.com for making this review and giveaway possible!! A Couch With A View loves ya!!

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As If You Didn't Already Know I Was Awesome...

I've received another award and I'm stoked! The fabulous "Leland's Mama" over at Mama Makes Money passed this one my way... its the Awe-Summm award!!



List 7 things that make you Awe-Summm and then pass the award on to 7 bloggers you love.
Make sure to tag your recipients and let them know they have won!
Also link back to the Queen that tagged you.

Hmmm...7 Things that make ME awesome? Let me think...

1. I am who I am and I refuse to be anyone else.

2. I have a messy house and I've come to terms with that.

3. I have a "friendly face" because people everywhere I go seem to want to talk to me.

4. I make stupid jokes and I'm not afraid to be a dork.

5. I'll do anything for my friends, I've got some of the best.

6. I've come to terms with the fact that I'm a "mini-van mom." Thats pretty awesome.

7. I wear yellow sneakers. Bright. Yellow. Sneakers. They rock. Hardcore.

On to the 7 lucky bloggers that get to tell me WHY they are so AWE-SUMMM!

1. Cadance at Our Life In Perfect Cadence

2. Kristin at An Ordinary Life

3. Speedy at Eighty MPH Mom

4. Queen Mommy at All Hail Queen Mommy

5. Fancy Erin at Mrs. Cox's Slice o' Heaven

6. Sissy at My Kids Might Be Martians

7. Ryann at A Working Blogging Mommy

Your turn bitchezzzzz..... MWAHHH!!! Love yas!!

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Menu Plan Monday

I'm finally getting organized enough to start sharing my menu plans, so I'm going to start participating in Menu Plan Monday over at I'm An Organizing Junkie!!
Here's this weeks dinners:

Monday: Ham and Broccoli Pasta

Tuesday: Slow Cooker Turkey Sloppy Joes

Wednesday: Red Beans and Rice with Chicken Sausage

Thursday: Cheeseburger Pasta (found from my first time touring the MPM Mr. Linky!)

Friday: Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs

Saturday: Tator Tot Casserole

Sunday: Pulled Pork (no recipe online, just my own- boston butt in a crock pot with BBQ and a little water!!)

Sides are usually veggies and either rice or potatoes. I'm planning on trying my hand at Hoe Cakes for the first time ever this week!!

Breakfasts usually are Boug's choice, usually cold cereal, oatmeal, or toast and fruit.

Lunches are generally leftovers from the night before or PB & J sandwiches with yogurt or fruit.

My menu's for the week are usually a little "meat heavy" since my husband is a butcher and we get a ton of meat for either free or next to nothing.

Thanks for letting me participate in Menu Plan Monday!!

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Who Am I To You?

Does it matter?

Do you agree with me every second of the time?

Probably not.

Sure, lump me in with the other "mommybloggers."
I don't mind. I'm proud to associate myself with so many fabulous women.

I love my readers, I love being able to tell you about things that are awesome in my eyes. I love being able to make new friends. I love seeing peoples personalities shine through in so many of the comments and the posts that they write.

I like to think that my readers like me, I mean, I have a lot of the same people coming back and I have lots of new people who visit and say hey. So I must be doing something right.

If my, or anyone elses, site isn't relevant to you, or doesn't catch your attention, do you keep frequenting it? Is that being a "glutton for punishment?" My guess is that the majority of people don't keep going back to sites that just don't measure up, and let me tell you, some awesome women have really set that bar pretty damn high. Do the millions of blogs out there that DON'T measure up affect you personally? Probably not. The vast majority of people probably just click that little red x in the upper right hand corner. You wont catch me crying over my dinner telling my family about the blogs that are junk.

So if something isn't relevant to you, you don't visit that site, you don't agree with the blogger, do you complain? Do you lump all people into one big category? Cast off all "mommybloggers?" No, probably not.

If you did that, you'd be missing out. You'd be losing hearing from amazing women, whether it be about their day, their child, their job, a product review or whatever. You'd be losing out on relationships with people that you never knew could be your friend. The blogging community is amazing and I'm proud to be a part of it. I'm proud for my accomplishments and the posts that I have written and I'm proud of the other "mommybloggers" that I have become lifelong friends with and their accomplishments. Though some say that real bloggers are there for the community and not the perks, but how does anyone know which clique which bloggers belong to? There are millions of bloggers, from all different genres, that have become friends, have their little circles and that are some of the most welcoming women on the web, but maybe its just not flaunted everywhere. Sometimes it may look as if some bloggers are there simply for the reviews and giveaways and making a buck, but in all honesty its not always true because not everyone advertises their affiliations.

But at the end of the day, whats it to you? Are you happy and proud to be a part of the blogging community and excited about the friends that you have? Or are you laying in bed, tossing and turning over the $.14 cents that someone has made because you clicked a link? Are you pulling your hair out because someone got a free t-shirt? Or are you happy and thankful that you sat down, toured some fab sites and feel like you know some people just a little bit better? Are you pleased because someone finally told you what you needed to hear about a purchase you've been putting off?

Or are you amazed at all the people who are a part of the "mommyblogging" community, who have taken time away from their reviews, posts and whatever else, to say a prayer for some of the "mommybloggers" babies and families who have just needed that extra prayer from people out there who were willing? Just because it was the very least that they could do. Have you gasped in awe of the "mommybloggers" who have worked with companies to get them to donate to causes, to people in need, and surprised at the ability that they have to do what they have done?

I'm proud to be a "mommyblogger." I'm proud that I have something to say that people what to hear, I'm proud that if I say that something is cool, that people believe me. I'm proud that I can call myself a "mommyblogger" and be in the ranks of some of the greatest women around. From all walks of life, from all areas of the world.

Thank you.
Thank you for reading my site. Thank you for relating to me. Thank you for taking my opinion for what it is worth. And thank you for coming back. My readers are the reason that I'm here, and my readers, and the blogs that I read have become some of the dearest friends to me and I thank you for your friendship as well.

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Frecklebox Review!

I love personalized gifts and my mother in law always tends to try to "make" personalized gifts for the kids, but they have NOTHING on the most fabulous books that I received for the kids from Frecklebox! Shhh... don't tell... its okay, she wont read this. She lives completely off the grid, no electricity, no running water etc...Boug got the "... Saves the Planet" personalized book and when it arrived she was thrilled! I didn't tell her it was coming... She immediately knew it was her name all over the book, she was amazed that someone would write her name on a wall on one of the pages. But my favorite page is the sunflowers with her name spelled out with bees!!

Though I wasn't expecting something for the baby, Lil' Buddy got the "My Name Is..." book!! Right now he'd rather attempt to eat it, but this book will definitely be something that we all treasure as the years progress.

The guys at Frecklebox really got it right when they started making their personalized products, they are absolutely stunning!! The pictures are so clear and clean, the pages aren't light and flimsy and the prices are perfect. With more to offer than just books, they have personalized puzzles, placemats, and so much more.

Frecklebox is going to be added to my list of gift-giving items most definitely!! Check out Frecklebox to please the children in your life!!

Thanks to Extraordinary Mothers for this review opportunity!!

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Dear Kid Saturday

Its Dear Kid Saturday again!! This week just flew by!! If you'd like to participate in Dear Kid Saturday head over to Cutest Kid Ever and grab the button to do your own!!

Dear Kid Saturdays at Cutest Kid Ever

Dear Boug,

I'm so proud of you for being the very best kid at Kindergarten screening yesterday. You were an absolute angel when some others were being not so great. I know that you're getting tired of your brother bothering you more and more each day, but it will get better, and now that the spring is really here, we'll be able to get out more and do more fun things.

I know that I get annoyed with you at times, but its because I know how very smart that you are and when you act silly, its hard to think that you're the same kid! You're brilliant and yes, I expect a lot from you. Sometimes I have to remind myself, you're only 4.

So Boogerbeaner, I'm gonna try my best to ease up on you, I love you to bits!!
Mom



Dear Lil' Buddy,

Leave the cat alone. And can you please start liking your father as much as you like me? Its starting to wear on him and sometimes I really just need to go to the grocery store without you. He doesn't want you screaming the whole time that I'm gone like you do.

Love,
Mama

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How Much Do Parents Get Away With?!?!?!

There was a video brought to my attention that is out there of a mother... how she can call herself that, I'm not sure.... dragging her child through a Verizon store.

Now, at what point, can you step outside your body and see what it is you are doing, and know that its wrong? How much can one person get away with before a stranger intervenes? When a woman is literally dragging a small child on their back with what looks like one of those baby leashes, why do the people working NOT say a damn thing? Even saying something tactfully, like "Ma'am your child is going to have to walk while in the store."

This is not right, its not parenting and you're in a Verizon store surrounded by hundreds of tech savvy people carrying video phones and camera phones. Wise up. And treat your children well. Discipline is not dragging your kid through a store and even if the child is acting up like a freak, wouldn't you be embarrassed to act like this?

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Florastor Kids!!

From the Florastor site:

"In every child there are billions of microorganisms that keep your gut (intestines) working properly. Some medicines, certain diseases, travel and stress can cause an upset of the balance of microorganisms in your body. Florastor® Kids promotes and maintains intestinal health and is safe to take with other medicines."

My Boug has an uneasy belly balance for some reason... I dont know if its all the fresh fruit and veggies, she doesn't really eat junk at all, but she's a farter. I mean, this kid lets them rip. Day in- day out...

I most recently asked the doctor about it even!! I don't want her heading off to Kindy being the "smelly kid." Here's the next step in the anti-fart quest... Florastor Kids. She's taken it once and we're judging to see how well it works. Maybe just balancing out her intestinal health would really help with her talkative heiney.

Florastor Kids:

• Maintains the balance of good microorganisms in the gut.
• Keeps the gut functioning well.
• Promotes intestinal health.
• Protects good microorganisms in the gut.
• Improves consistency of bowel movements.

Would you like a package of Florastor Kids to try?? Just leave a comment with who you would give it to!!

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 for each $1 donated to my BlogHer fund, you'll get an extra entry!!

This giveaway will accept entries until noon on Friday, May 8th. 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 cant contact you, how can you win??

Thanks MomSelect for making this review and giveaway possible!!

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Convenience and Cleanliness

Lets talk about convenience (one of my faves) and cleanliness for right now.
I'm neurotic about cleanliness outside of my home especially when it comes to the kids. Neat Solutions has eased my mind on so many different levels with some of the most convenient products for cleanliness a mother could ever hope for!!

We took the kids out to dinner with my parents the other night. This was Lil' Buddy's very first trip to a restaurant. We've been putting it off because Boug HATED restaurants more than anything until she was 2. We brought along the most adorable Winnie the Pooh table topper. The Table Topper is a disposable, stick on placemat... why do we sterilize everything for so long in our babies lives to just let them eat right off of a germy table? You really never know just how clean that they are.

Now I'm thinking if I had Table Toppers for Boug when she was little, maybe she wouldn't have despised restaurants so much. They have some of the most adorable characters on them and are a real attention grabber for little ones!!

Its not just the Table Topper that Neat Solutions offers, they have some of the best stuff for the youngins... They offer the All-In-One Mealkit, the Potty Topper, Meal and Play mat and more items than that! There are certain products available on the site to buy and you can check their store locator for a location near you!

Would you like to win a package of Dora the Explorer Table Toppers? Leave a comment here with your favorite Neat Solutions product!!

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 for each $1 donated to my BlogHer fund, you'll get an extra entry!!

This giveaway will accept entries until noon on Friday, May 8th. 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 cant contact you, how can you win??

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Fabulous Flipper!!

I'm not complaining, but Boug has an obsession with bathroom type stuff... lotions, combs, hairsprays, mouthwash, toothpaste, tooth brushes... You name it, if its any of that type of stuff, I cant get it away. I ask her 100 times a day what the hell she's doing in the bathroom. Sometimes she replies with a frantic "Nothing Mom!!" and comes running out, but its usually... "Brushing my teeth again!!!" Like I said, I'm sooooo not complaining.
She got a new surprise in the mail the other day that is keeping her in the bathroom again. Its the most adorable toothbrush holder from Flipper. Flipper makes some of the most innovative bathroom accessories around!! With the cutest lines of awesome toothbrush holders like the animal world line, dino egg, my puppy and more... but my favorite is the ever so classy ozy spring breeze designs!!

Its so easy to use, you just pop it in and pop it out and the toothbrush is covered up and away from germs! Its not sitting on the bathroom counter and each family member knows which one is theirs! I can't wait to use my ozy holder as a travel case for my toothbrush when I rock it out at BlogHer!! They also offer a razor holder, I'm loving mine since I can suction cup it up high and not be worried about the kids getting it in their bathtub.

When we move our bathroom is going to be much smaller then the gigantor bathroom we have now... I know, its sad... but I'm looking forward to being able to stick the Flipper toothbrush holders on the mirror so I don't lose too much counter space with a regular countertop toothbrush holder!!

Flipper products are available at Target.com and you can even search for a nearby store based on your location on their website!!

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Wikki Stix!!

My daughter is an "I want" type of girl. She sees almost anything and immediately she wants it, usually its crap that I dont want to buy her and I make it up to her by getting her things that she doesn't even know existed but I know that she'll love even more than the original "I want" item.

This kept true with Wikki Stix! I don't even remember what her "I want" thing of the moment was, because when Wikki Stix came in the mail, she instantly forgot about whatever it was she was saying!! Wikki Stix are an awesome way to encourage imaginitive play and for kids to be creative! They are safe and non-toxic, and are made of a wax formula and yarn. Its awesome how kids, boys and girls both, can tap into their creativity and use Wikki Stix by themselves or to stick to things effortlessly!

I love how easily portable they are, definitely a perk for keeping a few in my purse for the lines at the bank or in the car when Boug is bored. Wikki Stix are priced right, with the rainbow pack of 24 only $3.25, the original packages of 48 at $6.25, the tons of fun pack at $15.95 and they have so many more products to browse through!!

Fun stuff for an awesome price, that's convenient and creative??? It doesn't get better than that in my book!! And parents might just sneak some Wikki Stix themself to take care of some household uses!!

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KaBOOM! with 5 Minutes For Mom!!

I've officially joined in on the 5 Minutes for Mom KaBoom! team!!

KaBoom! is an awesome charity event that's goal is to find 100,000 play spaces, meaning playgrounds, skate parks and field complexes, in 100 days.

They want to make sure that there are places to play within walking distance of every child!! Now right now, I would NEVER walk to the closest park around here!! Its down a windy road that people just LOVEEE to speed on!! No thanks!! But we do drive around to some awesome parks in our area and I really cant wait to share them with everyone participating!! And even better, each time a playspace is added, they donate $1 to the charity- the 5M4M charity is First Book!

Join the 5M4M KaBoom! team!! I'm so excited to be a part of it!! I can't wait to add in my first place! I'll be doing it tomorrow, providing all goes well, after Boug's kindergarten registration! There's the most fabulous park right up the road!!

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Great Deal at CleanWell!!

There's a once a year event going on at CleanWell's webstore right now!!

CleanWell is an awesome line of products that are 100% green, 100% poison free, totally biodegradable and so much more!! They are cruelty free, and most importantly to me, they kill 99% of germs on contact!! Its also the first and only product line that uses the revolutionary Ingenium, a safe and natural germ killer!!

Its fabulous and at their webstore you can enter in code ED09 to receive 30% off of your order, this week ONLY!! This code is valid through midnight Sunday, April 26th.

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Wordless Wednesday

View from my back deck... Wishing we didn't have to move... Can't I just put an addition on my apartment and beg them to broaden the school district to include us in the one I want to be in?

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momAgenda ROCKS!!

This year will be a big one for me. We'll be moving, Lil' Buddy will be 1, Boug will be 5 and the biggest event of all for 2009 will be Miss Boug heading off to Kindergarten. In a way I'm so excited, both for her and myself... I mean its good, she'll get to be with other kids, she'll be learning and she needs to get away from her baby brother. But on the flip side, we aren't going to be together 24/7 anymore!! I'll be happy to get a bit of a break from both kids at once, but I'll be missing her from 9:15 am til 3:30 pm Monday through Friday come September.

I'm so excited that I was able to get my hands on momAgenda's School Years book. We got the rose one, of course perfect for Boug, and when I opened it I was just in awe. I got a little teary at the reminder of her going to school, but I'm excited at the same time for a beautiful, well organized way to chronicle the next 13 or so years.

momAgenda has it also available in sage and aqua, with its pocket pages, its perfect for holding the writing samples, report cards and other school memorabilia that you dont want to just stash in a shoebox under the bed. (Trust me, my mom just gave me all my school papers, 2 big, beat up, cardboard boxes, practically busting out the seams!)

I know that by the time we get to the 12th grade page, I'm going to be looking back at the Kindergarten page wondering where the years have gone.... I don't think I want her to ever grow up!! But with momAgenda's School Years book, at least I'll be able to look back through the years and reflect!

The school years book isn't the only thing that momAgenda offers! They carry an awesome line of planners, home organizers, portfolios, chore pads, tote bags, gift sets and so much more!! Be sure to stop by momAgenda and check out the fabulous items that they have available... and yes... I'll be getting another School Years book in a few years when its time to ship Lil' Buddy off to Kindy. I'll be crying the whole time...

Check out momAgenda's facebook page and dont forget to register to win a $100 gift card!! Hit up their Spring Sale too!!

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Mix It Up Baby!!

My family is so tired of my cooking. They have been for a while now. I tend to get into a rut after a while and I do make some pretty kick-ass meals, I end up cycling them around again and again. I'm confident in what I already know how to do in the kitchen, but new techniques and stuff like that sometimes intimidate me.

When I heard about Betty Crocker's, The Mixer, I was so excited that they were offering a free, online cooking class!! Its not just one!! There are 6 weeks of classes!! Not only can you sit in with the classes, you can go back and revisit them and watch them on demand! Classes are being held 3 times a week, Tuesdays at 7 pm, Wednesdays at 9 pm, and Saturdays at 4 pm. All times eastern.

Head over to The Mixer and learn about kicken' chicken, pastabilities, greens with envy, viva tortilla, wok it out and small bites- big flavors!!
Would you like to win a "The Mixer" gift basket? It includes a mixing spoon, spatula, measuring spoons and measuring cups, a whisk and a Betty Crocker magazine recipe book!

To enter, just leave a comment letting me know what your families favorite recipe is!!

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 for each $1 donated to my BlogHer fund, you'll get an extra entry!!

This giveaway will accept entries until noon on Thursday, May 7th. 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 cant contact you, how can you win??

Big thanks to MyBlogSpark for making this review and giveaway possible!!

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Its Easy To Win Tonight!!

Let us not forget the fabulous LIVE online game show site, ItsEasyToWin.com, and tonight there's a live game with Eric!!State Your Case will have 8 players competing for $4,000 cash! The first member selected tonight will be playing for $1,000 and the 8th person selected will automatically win $50.00! Also, 1 lucky person will be invited to play "Scratch and Win" for a chance at $1,000,000!

And even if you aren't picked to play, make sure you're watching because 5 members names will be called and win $20 each, easy as that!! But you have to watch!!

Tonight's phrase that pays is : "We Miss A.V.I." If you're the first contestant to tell Eric the phrase that pays when you're picked, you'll automatically win $10!!

Because I adore ItsEasyToWin.com and Eric, I want to know who is going to tune in to the LIVE game tonight at 9 pm est.

This giveaway is open to people registered on ItsEasyToWin.com!!
If you're registered, let me know if you're going to attend tonight's game.
If you're not registered, GO REGISTER and then let me know if you'll attend tonight's game!

I have 2 free product coupons from ItsEasyToWin.com's sponsors to giveaway!! Free Jolly Time Popcorn and Free Minute Rice Ready to Serve!!

The only extra bonus entry for this one is to TWEET! Follow CaseyDeuce on Twitter and tweet this phrase!! "Are you attending the ItsEasyToWin.com LIVE game tonight? Let @CaseyDeuce know to win freebies! http://tinyurl.com/codspn"

This giveaway is only open until 8:30 pm est, since the LIVE game is at 9:00 pm est!! And if you're picked, don't worry, I wont make you share your winnings with me.... just make sure you tell Eric that you came from A Couch With A View!!

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