Tell someone what they need to hear {+ Giveaway!}

If you're not a mother yet, you probably won't understand what I'm about to say, if you are, I hope you know exactly what I mean.

Being a mother is such a blessing. Sure, everyone here on this planet is here because of their mother. It's nothing unique, but that doesn't make it any less special.

It's like I've gotten to hit the "reset" button on my life and start it over in a new perspective. I don't mean I'm living my life vicariously through my daughter, I mean I have an excuse to do everything all over again with her. 

From playing with bubbles, and tossing a balloon around the house, to smelling the bluebonnets in a field of wildflowers, or tickling her until she's helpless with laughter (at least once a day); these are the moments I want to remember. Moments I can remember now that I'm older.

They're times she'll probably forget at her young age, but ones I'll capture, cherish, and share with her someday.

Recently Hallmark came to my town to talk to bloggers about our passion for writing and doing what we do. They fed us breakfast and shared their Moments and Milestones and "Tell them" campaign. When they started I was jumping up and down inside going "YES! I do this!" but the longer I was there the more I realized there are a lot more people aside from my daughter who need to know how much they mean to me.

The idea is that everyone has something to hear. For instance, I would like someone to tell me that it's Ok that my house is messy. That their house is messy too and that we all need a break from cleaning every now and then. Is that so much to ask? If someone told me that every day, I'd feel so awesome.

We watched some videos about this campaign and I like a dork, I went home to watch more because they seriously gave me goosebumps. Watch this one! It's super short but if you're sappy like me, it'll hit home.

Awww! That little girl on the diving board asking for you to tell her she can do it. I imagine that being Lil' J years from now looking for me on the sidelines for reassurance.

I think of things I'd like to tell my daughter every day. Things I hope to remember to tell her again and again when she's older and can understand. Every day I capture a moment with her, and I share something about herself, or wisdom I want her to remember on my 365 Moments blog. I'm hoping to print and bind it all in a coffee book for her someday. I'll have to make two.. One for her and one for me. (By the way, you can also upload your own photos on their mosaic, they're picking some to be featured in their magazine.)


I always think of all of the things I want my husband to tell me: Why he loves me, that I'm beautiful, that even though I'm far from a perfect wife, he loves my imperfections. But the men and father's in this video made me stop and think of all of the things he's probably wishing I'd tell him... 
 
That he's a wonderful father, the man of my dreams, and thank you for working long, crazy hours in a pretty darn demanding job to provide for us, that I'm so proud of him. That I pray for him every night, and that I support him no matter what. Sure, I tell him those things. But not enough.

I'm going to try a little harder to tell the people I love what they mean to me, and what they need to hear. I challenge you to do the same. Of course it's great to tell them face to face but that's not always easy or possible. You can send a text message, and email, a letter or a card. If it's hard for you to say things in your own words there are oodles of things Hallmark offers that can help. We were gifted a bag with examples of things like this, like a little rose that opens and closes with a push of a button. On the inside it says "You are the heart of our family." Lil' J claimed it but I helped her share it with Daddy.

We're about halfway through the year but I'm going to make a new resolution to tell someone close to me something they need to hear. Like my mom. Sure, I talk to her about once a week if I'm lucky (I need to do better at this) and she knows I love her, I tell her every time we are hanging up. But oh how much more it would mean to her if it were the first thing I said when she picked up the phone, and not the last.

My best friend needs to know how much I miss her. Because I really do. And my Heaven-sent new friends here in Texas need to know how much of a lifesaver they've been through all of our transitions. And you! People who actually take the time to visit my blog and see what's going on in my life... Emily, who messaged me the other day about my most recent post, another Emily who tweeted me and told me my 30 days plan (in 7 days) worked on her husband too, and everyone else who's ever emailed me about my blog, or left a comment sharing your thoughts, wisdom, laughter, experiences... THANK YOU. I try to write back and tell each of you how much it really and truly means to me that you take the time to not only read, but respond... But I know I've missed far too many of you. I'm going to get better about telling each of you personally what that means to me.

After the even Hallmark wrote to me and said I could do a giveaway for some of the items they treated us to at the event. My favorites were the Blooming Expressions flower I mentioned earlier, and the Christopher Interactive Story Book and Storybuddy. I rekindled the habit and started reading her a story every night (my husband and I alternate) before bed. She LOVES it. We let her pick out a book to read and this one is one of her favorites. She holds the bear while I read the story and at the end of each page he'll add his little two cents. It's so cute! (He also sleeps in her crib now).

Side note!: Speaking of their books, we got a Mommy and Me recordable story book, so she can still hear me read to her while I'm away, and I definitely plan to get one more for my husband to read to her while he's away at work. My heart breaks a little when I'm getting her ready for bed alone after several nights of him being home and she reaches for the door, and says "Daddy?" This way when she makes that request while he's working, she can still have him read her a story. In case you haven't heard of those recordable storybooks you can check them out there! I'll probably make one a part of his Father's Day gift.

Ok, back to the giveaway! Thank you for reading my blog! I'd love to gift one of you with both the Blooming Expressions flower and the Christopher Interactive Story Book and Storybuddy courtesy of Hallmark. I promise you your kiddo would get a kick out of them, and all you have to do is leave a comment letting me know what you want to tell someone (or tell me) or what you'd like someone to tell you!

Make sure you use the rafflecopter widget below(you can't see it from my homepage, you need to click on the title of this post to see it) to mark your entry. Check out the widget to see how you can get extra entries. Good luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway

St. Patrick's Day Mini Mod #17 and Shabby Apple Giveaway

I made Lil' J a couple of St. Patrick's Day outfits this week. A ruffle mini skirt which I need to take some photos of this weekend, and a t-shirt dress.

I added some green ruffles and buttons to the dress and decided instead of adding the clover fabric as the hem ruffle, to add it as a belt, so after the holiday we can take it off, and she can still wear the dress all spring.

I took a bunch of photos of her wearing it on our bus ride but sadly, those were lost, along with a few hundred others thanks to a crappy card reader. Anyway, she spilled water on her dress before these pictures so forgive the wrinkles.

Her bows are from Little Trends Boutique.

What were your kids sporting this week? Link up your mini mod post below and show them off!

Also, in an effort to bring my sexy back, I'm trying to stock up on modestly-hot women's dresses. Shabby Apple is one of my favorite places to get them.

One of my readers will win a Spanish Steps Shabby Apple dress. Use the raffle copter widget in this post to enter. If you can't see it, click on the title of this post so your page will refresh and you'll see it. Good luck!



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<a href="http://babymakingmachine.blogspot.com/search/label/mini%20mod" target="_blank"><img alt="Mini Mod" src="http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww115/jborget/mini-mod-grab-button.png"/></a>

(Highlight and Ctl+C to copy)

Her First Teddy Bear

I grabbed the first bear I got her from her display shelf in her room. I took it down and pushed his hand and the sound of a heartbeat filled the room. Her heart beat. I remember the day I recorded it when I was very pregnant and eager to meet my little princess.

I picked this bear because it reminded me of the one I had when I was a little girl. I named him Teddy Jr. After my Teddy.

I left him naked thinking someday my little girl can pick out clothes for him--If she chooses. I sorta like the look of naked bears.

Though she has a growing slew of stuffed animals and baby dolls, it appears she has a sweet spot for Teddy Jr. I secretly hope she'll keep a special place in her heart for him a very long time, just as I did for mine.

And every time she pushes his hand to hear the thumping of it's heart, I'll smile and remember what that sound meant to me.

***

I was not compensated in any way for writing about Build a Bear, CouponCabin offered a giveaway for my readers and I thought I'd write about the cute one we already had. CouponCabin is helping to give the gift of Build a Bear with their online coupons. Here's one for $10 off $40. They've also graciously offered a $100 electronic gift card to one of you fabulous Baby Making Machine readers. Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter. Good luck!


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Toddler Valentines Fashion and Treats

This will be Lil' J's second Valentines Day but her first one at a school. So because this is also a significant "first" I want to make it special and do the whole Valentines shebang for her class.

Good news is I have Mondays and Tuesdays off, which Valentines Eve and Valentines Day fall on this year. So it'll give me a chance to pretend like I'm an awesome Suzie Homemaker and make treats with her, for her class.

Here are a few ideas I've been scoping off Pinterest:

Valentines Whoopie Pies

Happy Valentines Day for "Crayon" out loud. Vday Crayons

Kisses and Hugs Cupcakes

 

Lovely butterfly suckers

There's more where that came from, and cute outfits I want to try to make on my Mini Love board. The suckers seem like they involve more drawing/writing than cooking, which is good, and it has traditional candy, but I don't know what all of the parents will think about the candy. Cupcakes on the other hand... that's not so bad right? And whoopie pie (is that seriously what those things are called?)! Yum! I can just picture the messy hands and smiling faces chowing down on those things. But I have a feeling it wouldn't be the easiest to make, or shape as cute as the ones pictured.
The crayons are just perfect, and I think I'll do that for the cute factor, and have Lil' J help me put them in heart-shaped pans. Maybe I'll do those and the whoopies since we'll have a pan to make those shapes and she loves "cookin" (she says this now when we're in the kitchen and she wants to put something in the oven. I can't believe she's my child).

When it comes to clothing, we're getting there. I was hoping she'd wear Valentines outfits to school from mid-January through Valentines Day but that hasn't quite happened. I've only had time to make her one dress so far so I've called on reinforcements.

Lil' J's first tutu was from Cutie Pa Tutu, and now dozens of tutus later, I still haven't seen any made like hers. We got these this week and the first thing she said when she saw them was "BALL" (in her thick country accent it sounds more like "bawl") cause of the the little puff balls enclosed inside the tulle.

When she walked into school wearing this her teachers squealed and said they were wondering when she was going to start showing up in all of her Valentines gear.

All she wanted to do was blow bubbles when we were outside and I couldn't get her to set the dang thing down. She did take a break from blowing bubbles to blow me a kiss though.

SWAK Sealed With a Kiss Tutu and Lovely Lipstick Top

And of course you need to have just as much pink as you have red:

 

I had to take photos of her pink outfit before she wears it to school cause I'm sure she'll come home in a mess.--Which is ok because it means she's having fun.

Cutie Pa Tutu is having a Sweetheart Sale, so everything she's wearing and holding (aside from the bubbles) are on sale there.

In case you're wondering where to find it all here are links:

Sweet Pinks Pa Tutu

SWAK Sealed with a Kiss Pa Tutu

Pink Hearts Ying Yang Top

Pixy Tail Pony

Pink and Hot Pink Bow

Poofy Pom Pom Magic Wand

Pa Tutu Tights

Lipstick Love Top

Now between this and a few other things I'm working on, she should have something pink and LOVEly to wear until the 14th.

Are you loving these outfits? What are you plans for Valentines Day? Going to make something yummy or cute for school or work treats? Share the love in a comment and you'll be entered to win a Valentine Pa Tutu Outfit w/matching wand and Pixie Tail or Bow.

Since Vday is around the corner we have to make this quick so this giveaway ends midnight Tuesday February 7th. Enter using the Rafflecopter widget (below). Good luck!

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Is your child a car seat talker or sleeper? - Radian RXT Car Seat Review and Giveaway

My Mom tells me stories of when I was a little girl. Apparently I talked her--and anyone else who came near's--ears off.

It's not too hard to believe. To this day I'll strike up conversations with complete strangers, and my poor husband constantly hears my most frequent question: "Are you listening to me?"

Of course this answer is always yes, and I always proceed to have him prove it by reciting the last thing I said. Most of the time is close enough.

My daughter is no different. Even in her near 19 months of age, she's always babbling and telling us what she thinks. She's not much of a loner. At all. She likes being around other people, and us, and getting out of the house.

When we walk into stores she'll wave to passerbys and give a resounding "HI!" People smile and say hi back.

A lesson of "stranger danger" will have to come much earlier than normal with my friendly child.

In some ways I wonder if she is going to love talking even more than I do.

My mom tells me when I was young, and wouldn't go to sleep, she'd put me in my car seat and drive around town until I did. To this day, I can still barely stay awake in a car. If Lil' J is quiet in the back (and I'm not driving) I'm out.

My daughter on the other hand, is not this way. She rarely falls asleep in the car unless it's really late, or she is just extra pooped from a really long day. Otherwise, she's up talking my ear off and begging for entertainment.

I don't know if this is normal for kids her age, but she can't just sit and ride in silence. I mean, she did have a few months in there somewhere where she seemed to, but now she either needs to have a snack, a toy, or me singing her favorite songs.

Depending how far our trip is, the snacks usually run out, the toys fall, and I'm belting "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" as we are pulling into our neighborhood while I watch her do the hand motions from my rear-view mirror.

The funny thing is, no matter how much she seems to be ticked at me for making her ride strapped down in coach, she never wants to get out right away when we get home.

"Come on baby, let's go inside"
"No," This is her new favorite word. Though I don't totally hate it yet because the way she says it with her country twang accent and drawn out "O" it sounds more like a question. "No?"

I unsnap her buckle and try again.

"Don't you want to go see Daddy and Snoop? They are inside." She shakes her head and tells (or asks?) me again...
"No?!" And she buckles herself back into her seat. Yes... She knows how to do this, but thankfully can't undo it.

She has a love/ hate relationship when riding in the car.
The throne she sits in while we cruise around has varied since the day she was born. Being as tall as she is, she outgrew her infant seat fairly quickly, and the next seat up we had, didn't face backwards, so we got another. And finally, we have one more convertible seat for our second car. While a second seat isn't crucial, it's been a huge help to save us from days where one of us forgets to leave the seat for the other. And let me tell you, that's happened and it's not fun.

"Hey honey, how did picking her up from school go?"
"Well, I got there and realized I forget the car seat."

GAH!

What seat are we using now? Which is our favorite? Well, we have three Gracos, one that isn't convertible so she hasn't tried it yet, and a RadianRXT Shadow. That last one sounds like a car right? Compared to the rest of them, it weighs about as much as one. And since we're on the topic of cars, I'm going to use this analogy to compare them.

I got one from Diono to review and was totally excited to get it in the car and see what she thinks of a fancy seat. If all of our car seats were cars, our Gracos would be like Toyotas. Not very expensive, but reliable. And our new RadianRXT Shadow would be like a Lexus or a Mercedes. It has the reliability plus all the bells and whistles, but it's going to cost you quite a bit more.

As I assembled it (which didn't take very long at all, but there were a few belts I had to move around and adjust) I geeked out and used the QR reader codes with my phone to watch video demonstrations to make sure I was doing it right. And they have helpful people manning their twitter and facebook pages too.

There's extra padding, a steel alloy frame, it's the highest rear facing car seat, NCAP tested, and they can ride in it starting at 5 pounds. It seems humongous to me and hard to picture my tiny infant in it, but there is an additional infant support attachment that came with it, that we can add. Kids can ride backwards in it up to 45 pounds, and it's narrow enough to fit three across. Based on reviews I've read with parents who have three kids and a sedan, this is a huge deal.

I'm pretty sure her favorite feature is the cup holder she can fit even her really wide sippy cups into. You can attach up to four(not sure why we'd need four but maybe one day I'll learn and buy more). That thing has come in handy when I've forgotten her cup and we go through a drive through to get an ice water. She kicks her feet with excitement and puts her drink in that thing. It's just a cup. Seriously. But it helps!

Now how much will this luxury car seat cost ya? About $339.99. Now some of you may be thinking "Oh that's nothing," and other like me are probably spitting out their morning energy drinks. But before you waste any more of that drink, I'll tell you that I just looked it up and they're only $289 at Walmart.

Still a bit more than the average car seat price, but so is a Mercedes compared to other cars. You can keep them rear-facing longer, which ultimately is declared safer. I'll let you decide if it's worth it and give you a chance to win one (below).

I suppose in a few years I'll be glad I have all of these car seats (which luckily don't expire for 5-10 years). I'll have enough thrones, for all my little talkative (and hopefully some sleepy) rug rats.

How do your kids roll in the car? Talk your ear off? Sleep? Comment and you'll be entered to win. Read the rest of the rules below for more entries.



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Quality vs quantity time with my daughter

What matters more: The amount of time you spend with your child, or the quality of time you spend together?

I think I've learned the answer to that question this week.

It's been slightly insane the past few days. My husband is now halfway through his training and we're beginning to get a taste of what his schedule will be like once he graduates.

He's in to work at 5pm and not home until after 2am. This week I was beat and in bed before he got home then back at work before he and Lil' J woke up. It's just been one of those weeks where I wonder what it would be like if I stayed at home with her and didn't have any place I had to be.

I tried my best to hurry to work early so I could get home earlier, and catch my husband before he left for work. But he had to leave extra early for his shift and by the time I picked up Lil' J from school and made it home, I'd just miss him. I was frustrated and felt like I was seeing both of them... Well, never.

I have some time off coming up around the holidays, which normally is a good thing for most people, but for me this means I have to put in a little more work now. I'm writing and editing stories in advance, and doing extra interviews.  Everything combined means a little more overtime and a little less time at home with my family.

I know I get a mix of sentiments from other moms. Some know exactly how I feel and others don't wish they were in my shoes. I suppose some could wish they were, but I doubt it.

That full-time daycare that we pay for, but use part-time finally earned its keep this week.We took her all five days versus her usual three.

It's not like she doesn't like it. In fact, my husband told me this morning she kept grabbing his shoes, demanding he put them on, and shaking her car seat, while saying "skoo" "skoo" which means "school" in Lil' J talk. I just feel bad when she's spending more time playing with her teachers and friends than she is playing with me.

There's hardly anything in this world that makes me feel worse than picking my daughter up from school and only having time to feed, bathe and dress her for bed before it's time for us to crash and do it all over again in the morning.

I had had enough. It was time to reconnect.

I went in a couple of hours earlier than I normally do and told myself I was skipping a lunch and leaving exactly eight hours later. Then I picked my daughter up for some good old fashioned fun.

Normally when I want to have a blast, I take her somewhere.--A park with slides, a museum, a water playscape, or petting zoo. But tonight we'd bring the fun to us.

We had just received our finger puppets in the mail courtesy of Her Threaded Needle. One set for of Old Mc. Donald's farm, and another of 5 little monkeys.

Before we even got inside I pulled them out and showed them to her. She had never seen finger puppets like this before but I knew she's love them because she loves puppets and she loves singing. Sure enough, I couldn't even get them all on my fingers before she pulled them off to try for herself.

We changed into our PJs long before it was time for bed so we could eat cheese and crackers, talk, and play. She shows me her toys and babbled to me, and I replied. It made me stop and think how often I give her my undivided attention on a regular basis, and how often is my mind someplace else. In this very moment, I was all hers.

In her room I took out the monkey finger puppets and sang the "Five Little Monkeys" song, and tried my best to make it as hilarious as possible. BOINKing my head when the monkey's fell and hit their head, and jumping when they jumped. I think it worked. She of course wanted to sing it too. Then, just before lights out time, I taught her one of the coolest things she's ever learned--How to jump.

I pretty sure in this moment, and right after I kissed her goodnight she was thinking something like:
"COOLEST. MOM. EVER!"

I may not get to spend all the time I would like with her. I may not be home with her every day. But I make the most of the time we do have together. Because I think it's quality that matters more than quantity.

***

Rachel, owner of Her Threaded Needle has graciously offered to giveaway a set of Christmas finger puppets to one of my readers.

Just enter using the tool below (if you don't want to use your facebook account, click the small print that says you want to use your name and email address). It's a quick one so you can get it by Christmas. Ends 12:01am on Monday. Good luck!

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On the Go with Lil' J at Walmart Baby Days Sales {$50 Giveaway}

If I'm not at work, I'm usually out with Lil' J trying to find something fun to do. Monday we're going on a bike ride downtown, and Tuesday we may go swimming, or to a yoga class together. We are two girls always on the go.

I've learned how to pack her diaper bag quickly but that doesn't mean I don't usually forget something. I try to keep an extra pair of clothes, of course diapers, and some snacks on hand to keep her happy and entertained while we're out.

Watch the video below to see what we take with us on the go (and to see Lil' J's walking debut).

I love Earth's Best Yogurt Fruit Smoothies. They are tasty, don't need to be refrigerated, and easy to give to Lil' J when we're out and about. She loves them too, and if you're one of those moms who goes nuts over organic stuff, you'll be happy to know they're stamped organic by the USDA. I buy these things close to by the case full and give them to her as a breakfast snack on her way to school.

I also now have the Johnson's Take Along Pack in her diaper bag for emergencies in case I'm out and forgot to pack baby lotion, shampoo, powder, or diaper cream. Or in case a friend is in a bind and needs one of those things. It's all of those things in a travel size pack for under $3.

Growing up my family always joked that we were going to my dad's "favorite store" when wed head out to Walmart. He's a bargain shopper, and I've turned out to be the same way. I love that store. Don't hate.

Right now online Walmart.com is having their Baby Days sale and it continues until September 16th. So you can take advantage of even lower prices than they already offer, and get deals on things for your little ones. I took advantage and got Lil' J a new car seat. She has an infant seat and a kid seat but she needed a convertible for in-between so she can still face backwards. After reading this years car seat ratings from Consumer Reports I decided to get the Graco Comfort Sport seat. I'm not going to go into my confusion over paying $300 for seats that are rated the same or lower, but I will say that I'm stoked that I got a top rated car seat that has exactly what I was looking for for only $80. More expensive doesn't always mean better.

To make her ride more comfortable I also got her a portable DVD player ($55), and a Yo Gabba Gabba DVD ($9.96) to drive me crazy watch while we're getting where we're going.

Last but not least, I'm obsessed with As Seen on TV items, and I've been dying to try the Gyro Bowl ($12.88) and the Pillow Pet ($34.99), so I ordered Lil' J both to test out for me.

I got all but the pillow pet sent to my local store where I could pick it up without any shipping cost.

The estimated delivery date was something like two weeks away but I got them items just three days after placing my order! The pillow pet also arrived the same day to my house.

From now until September 16th you can participate in Walmart's Baby Days sales online. Also, many of the baby items (96 to be exact) qualify for free photo prints too (I personally love uploading pics to their website and picking them up at the store while I'm shopping. It's a genius idea).

I hope you enjoyed Lil' J's and my video as much as we enjoyed making it. Poor thing, I think she's going to be a talker like her mama. Future news anchor maybe? We'll see.

As stated in the video, there's a giveaway. Three winners. 
One will win a $50 Walmart Gift Card.
Another will win an Aveeno Gift Basket.
And another will win a Johnson's Baby Gift Basket. 

Leave a comment below letting me know about your on the go ritual to enter. GFC blog followers or email subscribers get an extra entry. Just leave a comment letting me know you're one. Also make sure you leave an email address so I can contact you if you win.

Giveaway ends next Saturday the 17th at 11:59pm. Good luck!


*This post is sponsored by BabyCenter in conjunction with the BabyCenter Blog Network. All prizes and compensation are provided by BabyCenter, Walmart and Johnson and Johnson. All opinions expresses, as always are my own.

Too Many Accessories?: He Says/ She Says- (and $50 to Amazon Happy Crawlers Contest Announcement!)

She Says: "Have you seen her bow that--"

He Says: "HA HA."

Then she says: "What?"

Then he says: "She has a billion bows. How can I tell them apart?"

Then she says: "Well, I wasn't done!"

Then he says: "Ok..."

Then she says: "Have you seen her bow that looks like this but is pink?"

Then he says: "Oh, in that case... No."

A girl can never have too many accessories. 

What say you?
Guess how many bows and headbands she has! I'll send one to the commenter who guesses the closest! *hint* those pictured at the top are only a fraction!

****

Caption Contest Giveaway Greatness!

A lot of you are really good at captioning photos, and Happy Crawlers, Lil' J and I are teaming up for you to use that hidden talent to win some moolah and accessories yourself.

Many opportunities to win multiple prizes when you enter this Caption Contest with Baby Makin(g) Machine and HappyCrawlers! You can win a $50 Amazon gift card and/or HappyCrawlers prize packs!

Here's how to enter:

Mandatory Entry 1 (worth 5 entries): Like (if you don’t already) the HappyCrawlers’ Facebook page and then write a cute caption for 1 of the photos I took in the album Lil J for HappyCrawlers on the HappyCrawlers’ Facebook page.

Mandatory Entry 2 (worth 5 entries): Like (if you don’t already) Baby Makin(g)Machine on Facebook

Optional Entry 3 (worth 5 entries): Tell your friends to “like” your caption. Friends can also create captions of their own at this time.

Optional Entry 4 (worth 1 entry): Follow HappyCrawlers on Twitter.

Optional Entry 5 (worth 1 entry): Follow Baby Makin(g) Mama on Twitter.

Optional Entry 6 (worth 1 entry daily): Tweet daily about the giveaway with the hashtags: #HappyCrawlers #BabyMakingMama #giveaway #contest #win

Goodies!
Prize 1: 3 pack of HappyCrawlers’ leg warmers of your choice to winner who is selected to have the cutest caption. I will choose this winner. (Sorry, no bribes taken).
Prize 2: 3 pack of HappyCrawlers’ leg warmers of your choice to person selected in random drawing based on all the additional chances for entry into contest.
Prize 3: $50 Amazon gift card to 1 winner. The 10 captions with the most “likes” will be entered for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card. It will be a random drawing of the 10 people whose comments have the most “likes”.

Contest Dates: Aug. 10th at midnight- Sept. 12th at midnight (Eastern standard time)

Note: The winners will be notified by email and have 48 hours to respond via email to hello@HappyCrawlers.com. Must be 18 years old by contest dates to enter. Contest open to all residents of the United States and Canada. Mandatory entries must be completed in order to qualify for any additional entries. This promotion isn’t being sponsored by, or associated, with Facebook. Good luck and have fun with it! BIG thanks to Happy Crawlers for sponsoring this contest!

13 months and I keep loving you more

Dear Daughter,

You are 13 months old today but I prefer to call you one. You're just one year old. I imagine it will be hard to keep up with the number of months you are when people ask. Can't I just say one and one-and-a-half until you're two? I never know what number people want to know though when they question your age.

Gnomeville Dress from Dapple Gray Designs

Anyway, this last month you've  sorta started getting the hang of communicating. You know that your whiny growl will get you whatever you want so you usually do that first, then I try to get you to use sign language to tell me if you want milk, to be picked up, to go outside, or whatnot. You know how to sign new words like "book" and "picture" now. It's so cute to watch you do it.

You can totally take steps on your own but you still prefer to crawl. I'm not rushing the walking. I will probably miss this cute crawling stage some day so I'm just enjoying it. You'll probably be running from me when I'm taking picture of you too, which may or may not be so fun.

MudPie dress from BNB Boutique

We went to a candy store yesterday and I let you have a taste of my float. You loved it. You also got to taste a little big of a sucker and some cotton candy. After a little while you were yelling and laughing so loud throughout the store. I think you were on a sugar high.

I normally don't like to let you eat sweets. Unless you count fruit. But your favorite foods aren't too great for you either. You LOVE pizza. Whenever you make it you get excited at the smell and beg for some. You also love french fries. It's horrible that I even let you eat some but I understand your fascination. They are my favorite food too. Coincidentally, your dad's favorite food is pizza. Maybe it's just in your genes to like these things.

Flower headband from Chic N Unique

When you finally had your one year checkup I thought you were going to be of the charts big. Or at least still in the 90th percentile for weight and height as you have been, but you were only 20lbs 1oz but you were 30in long. So you are tall, but strangely only in the 45th percentile for weight. You don't look tall and thin to me.

Your favorite things to do are dance, go outside and play, or take pictures, and your absolute favorite is to play in water. From Snoop's water bowl to the pool you can't stay away. We need to get you in swimming lessons stat!

Shirt from MoRiginal Designs

I love you so much little girl. More than you will ever know. Well, maybe until you have your own child some day. I think that's when you'll really get it. I'm not sure if my mom loved me as much as I love you but if she did, I have a new respect for what she went through.

Thank you for being my little friend, my bragging rights and my new reason for loving life.

I love you baby girl.

Love,

Mommy

*Happy 13 months to Lil' J! Everyone who comments on this post will be entered to win $25 to Dapple Gray Designs (first photo dress from there). If you "like" Dapple Gray Designs on Facebook, and tell them I sent you to get an extra entry, just leave an extra comment letting me know.

Giveaway Ends August 13th*

365 Love Letters Week 28

It's funny how about a year ago I went from "I'm not sure if I'll post many pictures of my baby on my blog" to having possibly the most photographed baby in the world. I think I've mentioned the hilarity before.

Meanwhile, Lil' J now knows how to say "picture" in sign language. Coincidentally, it's also her new favorite sign to use and she misuses it to ask for everything.

I hope some of you made a love letter this week. I've made a button (temporary, I'm trying to get help making a more snazzy one) and a linky so link up!

A bride was having a photo shoot around the park we were taking pictures as and asked if Lil' J could be in some of her photos. She gave her this red flower to hand to her for a couple of her bridal shots. I haven't seen the pictures yet but I bet they're super cute.

Embroidered shirt, capris and bow from Jessica's Little Blessings

Another fun day at a park. The sun was setting and I saw these art bulls. We had to take some pictures on it. I got on too. I'll have to share the ones I had a stranger take for us soon.

Dress from Designed by XOXO Ash; Clippie from Sumos- Use "BLOWOUT50" to get 50% off her listed items.

She's obsessed with water. We had just been swimming a few days earlier and she kept crawling to the pool. When she saw this pond she tried to get in thinking it was also a pool. Silly girl.

Flower Print Romper: Carters

This cat loves to hang out at our door. Even though Snoop is a cool pet, he's like a sofa to her. She hardly notices him these days, but she gets so excited every time she sees a cat.

Tommy Hilfiger Striped One Piece (similar to this): Gifted

At a work pool party. I couldn't pass up a photo op. Just like always, she was ready to strike a pose.

Ruffle Butt Onesie and Bow: Sumos-"BLOWOUT50" to get 50% off her listed items.

Did you make a letter this week? I'd love to see! Link up and visit others who link up. I just ask that you link back to the post so others can play along.



<a border="0" href="http://babymakingmachine.blogspot.com/search/label/love%20letters" target="_blank"><img src=http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww115/jborget/love-letters-from-mom-button.jpg></a>
(highlight and push "CTL and C" to copy the button)

Also, let's do a GIVEAWAY I've been meaning to do for a while. everyone who comments on this post and/or links up will be entered to win this snazzy hair bow from Bella Rose Hair Accessories. Adorable, no? Don't let Lil' J's hair fool you, there are some cute feathers on this thing. Giveaway ends next Monday when the next 365 Love Letters post goes up! Good Luck!

I don't know a ton about "Green" stuff but...

There's a commercial that airs on my news station all the time that goes "we were green before green was cool." It's a slogan by a pest and lawn care company that uses environmentally friendly products for their services.

I must have heard that a thousand times before I stopped to think about it. "Before green was cool."

Aint that the truth. I thought as I mouthed the phrase I knew was coming.

If anything is trendy right now like no other it's green products.

I'm bombarded with mom emails every morning issuing me a new warning about some product I use that's harmful to my baby and has links to cancer.--Air fresheners, glass cleaners, bleach, cell phones. I might as well move to a bubble and eat dirt.

These emails almost always offer up a green alternative which makes me scratch my head and wonder if that green alternative is the one sponsoring this mass email to scare me.

Well I'll show them. Instead of buying the toxic-free air freshener, I'll just let my house stink. And instead of washing my counters with that natural cleaner...Well, I just won't wash my counters.

Yes, ladies and gentle men, my plan is to just live in filth instead of fear.

Organic Cotton Girls Top from My Natural Baby Boutique

When I told my husband of my plan to stop cleaning, of course he had a smart aleck response.

"So, what's new? I do all of the cleaning."

So my plan to rebel against the toxic clean companies, and their expensive alleged "green" counterparts was short lived. But I haven't given up. I do want to be greener. To live greener, and feel like I'm making a difference. But I also don't want to feel ripped off.

Something that comes from the earth should be cheaper than something that's processed--At least in my mind. I know things that are processed are more often mass-produced, and more likely to cost less to make (at least that's what I hear) but there's gotta be other ways to be thrifty AND green right?

For one, I'm thinking of using vinegar to clean with. I dunno, I hear it gets the job done. I'm not sure what I think of my whole house smelling like vinegar but I imagine it'll be better than the smell of not cleaning. It's worth a try. Until we find out vinegar also has a link to cancer.

I'm also of thinking of joining a community garden. My town has dozens of community gardens and there's a couple right around my house. Organic food can be pricey, but if I grow my own it can be way cheap. I'm talking tomato seeds for like 10 cents. Renting a plot is only like $30 a year or less depending which you plant at. And this way I don't have to dig up my own yard... The plots are already there!

Organic Cotton Pants with Skirt from My Natural Baby Boutique

The only downside is well... The work, and the fact that I've never been able to keep my potted plants alive so umm... This could wind up being a disaster, but it could also be a good learning experience. I'll definitely take a free class before trying. And I'll bring the whole family out. It'll be a good lesson for all of us. Plus Lil' J already likes to eat dirt. She's green.

I doubt I'll ever decide to grow cotton (it just don't seem right in my mind). But apparently non-organic cotton uses lots of cancer-linked pesticides (surprise, surprise!). I'd think it's not the end of the world since you wash your clothes, and you're wearing them, not eating them, but don't quote me on that. If you're still worried, stores like My Natural Baby Boutique make clothes with 100% organic cotton. That's where these cute Earthy-looking clothes are from.
And finally, I'm all about recycling. ALL a-bout-it!! I'm not the best about recycling my own trash (YET)--I'm working on that. But I am saving all of Lil' J's clothes. I don't plan to throw any away. It'll all be donated, used for my next child, or sold. I am also good about buying recycled products. Like clothes for Lil 'J. A good portion of them are second hand. Betcha didn't know that! Yea! I get a lot of her stuff off eBay, and a few things from thrift stores. I even have found some cool etsy shops that up-cycle their clothes. Meaning, taking fabric from an old-something, and turning it into a new-something. Like this skirt from Wendy Miracle and this adorable hair bow from Little Smash:

Upcycled Skirt from Wendy Miracle; Upcycled Bow from Little Smash; Bubble top from HEB

Recycled toilet paper is another way to go. No... It's not what you think. We use cloth wipes for Lil' J but not for us. Recycled toilet paper as in White Cloud Green Earth brand. Like up-cycled clothes, this stuff is made of 100% recycled material, which saves millions of trees. Kruger, the company behind White Cloud Green Earth is also using green energy to run it's factories.

So maybe I am jumping on the "green is cool" bandwagon, but really, is it that bad of a club to be in? Even if we do find out that it's all a hoax next year, or that it's already too late, we're gonna die--At least we gave it a try, and it's a well-meaning club to be in.

Thanks for making it to the bottom of my ramblings in this post. If you've survived, congratulations, now it's time for some freebies...
You can buy Green Earth TP or paper towels and get 50% more right now. You can also use this coupon to get another $1.50 off. If you like free money, join their twitter party tomorrow where they'll be giving away Walmart gift cards from 1-2pm CST. Use hashtag #earthday and #green to party.


If you comment and let me know what you like from My Natural Baby Boutique, you'll be entered to win $20 to their cute clothing store. The first 5 people to say the code phrase "yo wassup" in the comments, gets $15 off their order of $50 or more. 

And finally, everyone who comments on this post letting me know an item they like from Planet Gear.com which sells clothes and other goodies for 70% off retail prices, will be entered to win this mother/daughter set of water bottles. You can also find them here on twitter or facebook. I believe you'll also get a free $10 credit by using that link *crossing my fingers that's how that works*.

All comments for prizes should be submitted by the 3rd please!

*I'm a White Cloud blogger and am compensated for my time preparing this post. All of my silly opinions are my own.