Halloween 2009

Today Mama made Ethan a special Halloween breakfast of leaves, pumpkin & apple shaped mini pancakes.

He then stuffed his face with them.

Then Ethan got to touch pumpkin guts for the first time.

He had a snack while supervising watching Daddy carve his pumpkin for him.

He had to inspect it to make sure Daddy did it right.

After it was dark we lit the pumpkin & turned on the Halloween lights on the mantle.

Ethan had to check out the pumpkin up close.

Then he was off to his grandparents house to show everyone what a brave little lion he was... and pick up some goodies ;-)

Happy Halloween!

I hope everyone has a wonderful time today! Here are a couple of pictures. I'll be sharing some later tonight or tomorrow of Ethan in his costume!

Where I'm going in January!

While you will be freezing in January.......I'll be taking a trip where it's nice and warm on this....

photo from Carnival website

This is our first cruise ever so we're pretty excited. Ethan is going with us and will be 17 months old at the time. Any suggestions or advice??

Kolcraft stroller Extra Entry Opportunity

Happy Halloween!!

My treat for you is an extra entry opportunity for my 2nd big giveaway going on starting November 1st! A Kolcraft Jeep Unlimited g-edition stroller! This awesome stroller is valued at $139.


Blog about this giveaway AND add the following button to your blog by November 7th and you get 10 extra entries for the giveaway! You must comment on this post for your extra entries to count and leave your blog url.

Don't forget about my other big giveaway for November! Go read about it here.






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My Halloween Costumes Growing Up

My mom was awesome to scan a few pictures of me in my Halloween costumes growing up to share with you.


I'm posting a MckLinky here in case you would like to join in on the fun. You can add pictures of when you were younger or pictures of your kids in their costumes! Happy Halloween!

Me as a Cabbage Patch Doll. I'm wondering why I didn't match my brother in a Smurfette costume!

Finally we got our act together that year. My brother is Charlie Brown & I'm Lucy! We are with a couple of our cousins. I'm trying to figure out who they are supposed to be...anyone know??

Getting ready to carve our pumpkins. Notice that my brother's pumpkin is twice as large as mine. Hmm, not fair lol

Me and my little sister.

Me, my sister and two cousins as Pilgrims.

HappyBaby Food Review & Giveaway

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Do you feed your baby organic food?
When I started Ethan on solid foods I was very selective on what and when he ate certain foods. I pretty much followed Dr. Sears recommendations until about 13 months old. Most of the food Ethan ate was organic and I even made a lot of our baby food. I think organic food is especially important as you start your baby on solids. One of the very first snacks I purchased for Ethan were HappyPuffs and he loved them! You can  read my review here about HappyPuffs! Happybaby makes several types of organic foods for babies and toddlers. 

Who is HappyBaby?
A few short years ago, HAPPYBABY was the first premium baby brand to enter the market in 5 small stores in New York City—at a time when there were no homestyle options for parents to feed their children. Processed foods or homemade baby food—which can be time consuming for busy families—were the only options. A lot has changed, and we are now the leading premium brand of baby and toddler meals in the U.S.—sold in over 5,000 stores with 5 different lines of optimally delicious organic foods for your growing family.

We attribute our success to our dedication to only creating the very best products, our commitment to always doing what is right as a business, our amazing team of brilliant colleagues and advisors—and to you. You are the parents that demand that your children get foods that truly nourish their bodies and support their growth as healthy happy individuals for the years to come.

What are the HappyBaby Products?
There are four different lines of HappyBaby Products.

• HappyBaby: Frozen Food
• HappyBellies: Cereals
• HappyMelts: Yogurt Snacks
• HappyPuffs: Whole Grain Finger Food
  

Ethan's HappyBaby Experience!

As I mentioned earlier, Ethan had tried the HappyPuffs first then HappyMelts.

• HappyPuffs Experience: Read my previous post.
• HappyMelts Experience: A couple of months ago our local Target started carrying the HappyMelts & HappyPuffs. I picked up a package of HappyMelts to try. These are cool because they are actually freeze dried drops of yogurt. What an easy way to feed your baby yogurt. I admit I actually ate one before I gave it to Ethan, I was curious. I didn't like it at all (it's not sweet and I'm used to sweetened yogurt) so I really didn't think Ethan would like it. I was wrong, HE LOVED THEM! We've bought a couple more bags since then. 

Ethan was sent several packages of the HappyBaby and HappyBites frozen foods since he had yet to try them.

• HappyBaby Experience: These are purees frozen into a cube tray. They slide out of the tray very easily and warm up in the microwave in 90 seconds. This was a great way to get him to eat veggies and they all tasted good since they are mixed with fruit as well.
• HappyBites Experience: I fell in love with the Chicken Bites and Salmon Stix. They also warm up in the microwave in 90 seconds. I really like the fact that they are so simple to cut up after you warm them. They fall apart easy so you don't spend a lot of time cutting them into tiny pieces. Ethan really liked these at lunch. He was also sent a breakfast pocket that had 1/2 serving of veggies. Here's a picture of him enjoying his breakfast pocket.
  

 Overall I am very impressed with the quality and also the flavor of the HappyBaby and HappyBites frozen foods. Having these in the freezer was very convenient for a fast lunch or supper.


BUY IT! You can purchase HappyBaby products directly from their website or you can find a local retailer by searching the store locator.

WIN IT! HappyBaby is giving away one gift pack of HappyBaby products to a Take Time to Smell the Rose reader! Just fill out the entry form below.


 The gift pack includes:

• 2 trial coupons for each of the HappyBaby product lines & 2 trial coupons for YoBaby Meals (10 total coupons, valued $40 worth of product)
• Nutrition Guide co-authored by Dr. Sears
  
• FAQ on Probiotics & DHA
• HappyBaby Recipes
  

Everyone can get the Nutrition Guide co-authored by Dr. Sears free when you signup for the HappyBaby newsletter.

Additional links for extra entries:

• HappyBaby on Facebook 
• HappyBaby on Twitter
  

                              

Giveaway ends Thursday, November 12, 2009 at 9:00 p.m.(CST) Winner will be drawn by the random number generator at Random.org and will be notified by email. Winner will also be announced on this blog. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn.

This giveaway is open to USA residents ONLY . Must be 18 years old or older to win.

Please read my Disclosure Statement.

Thank you to HappyBaby for providing us with products and coupons to do this review. All opinions are my own and no other compensation was received to conduct this review & giveaway.

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North Star Toys Review & Giveaway

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Are your wooden toys green?

I have always loved wooden toys for babies and toddlers. Now with all the other toxins you can find in our children's toys today you must really know about who makes the toys before you purchase them. I recently came across North Star Toys, a truly green toy maker!

Who is North Star Toys?
North Star Toys is a family ran company since 1979 making quality, non-toxic wooden toys at affordable prices for families like yours. Walnut, oak, alder and other fine woods are handcrafted into smooth, durable designs and rubbed with a non-toxic oil to allow the natural beauty to shine. Recycled materials are used whenever possible and top priority is given to environmental sustainability.

Green Facts About North Star Toys!

• We are a family owned and operated business
• Environmental sustainability is top priority for us
• Toys are for kids, not just of this generations, but for generations to come. We want to protect our planet for these future generations.
• We recycle our paper
• We use recycled packaging whenever possible
• We print on recycled paper and use vegetable-based inks for large printing jobs
• Our saw dust is used to supplement compost and for chickens
• Wood-scraps are donated to schools for art projects and used for kindling
• We use only sustainably managed American hard woods
• We use food grade mineral oil to finish our toys
• 100 percent of electricity that runs our shop comes from wind and/or solar energy


Ethan's North Star Toy Experience!

Ethan received the Farm Tractor Trailer. First of all I am very impressed with the quality and construction of this toy. The wood is completely smooth and no blemishes or snags are on the toy whatsoever. The wheels on the tractor and trailer ride smoothly.  The trailer easily slips off the tractor and can be played at as "two piece" if you wish. The "Farmer" can sit in the tractor or can be taken out (to chew on as Ethan did!).

Ethan's little face just lit up when I gave him his new toy when he woke up from his nap one day. He played with his new Farm Tractor Trailer all day and he took it all over the house. Even dropping it a couple of times on our hardwood floors, but it held up completely fine to his toddler abuse! Ethan took the tractor and trailer apart several times and even liked chewing on the "Farmer". Knowing that this is a green toy I knew I had nothing to worry about letting him chew on it! The wood is very firm and you can't tell where his little teeth had been. We love this toy and I'm sure it will be one of the very few toys that I will save for Ethan's children to play with someday.


BUY IT! You can purchase North Star Toys directly from their website.

WIN IT! North Star Toys is giving away ONE Happy Hybrid to a Take Time to Smell the Rose reader! Just fill out the entry form below.

                              

Giveaway ends Saturday, November 14, 2009 at 9:00 p.m.(CST) Winner will be drawn by the random number generator at Random.org and will be notified by email. Winner will also be announced on this blog. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn.

This giveaway is open to USA residents ONLY . Must be 18 years old or older to win.

Please read my Disclosure Statement.

Thank you to North Star Toys for providing us with a Farm Tractor Trailer. All opinions are my own and no other compensation was received to conduct this review & giveaway.

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Wordless Wednesday-Halloween 2008

I can't believe he was so little just one year ago!

Happy Green Bee Review & Giveaway

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Are you Going Green with Organic Clothing?

With all the concerns of toxins that surround our children with household cleaners, toys, and foods we should also add clothing to that list! Conventionally grown cotton occupies only three percent of the world's farmland, but uses 25 percent of the world's chemical insecticides, including Parathion, which is at least 30 times more toxic than DDT! Cotton clothing retains harmful toxic residues, often causing rashes and eczema on sensitive skin. Makes you want to go to all organic clothing doesn't it?? Be happy to know Happy Green Bee makes a beautiful selection of organic clothing for your children!

Who is Happy Green Bee?
Happy Green Bee was founded by Roxanne Quimby after selling her multimillion dollar company, Burt's Bees, which I'm sure everyone is familiar with. With the proceeds of the sale Roxanne funded two foundations. The first awards grants to nonprofit organizations in support of the environment and the arts and the second, an operating foundation, owns and maintains 70,000 acres of wilderness in the North woods of Maine. Roxanne is also the cofounder of Maine Woods Forever, a heritage conservation organization dedicated to preserving the spirit and landscape of Maine Woods. Roxanne began Happy Green Bee after seeing the need of bringing about awareness to the importance of organic clothing for children. I love the Happy Green Bee philosophy: 

"We created Happy Green Bee so that a child can be a child, first and foremost," Quimby explains. "By using organic cotton, a comfortable and practical fabric, and simple bee-striped patterns, children feel as comfortable as they look while their parents take a small step in making a big difference in the environment their children live in."

Ethan's Happy Green Bee Experience!
Ethan received the Raddish & Bean Cardigan. First off, I love the bright red and green color! I always think of organic clothing as being very subdued coloring and Happy Green Bee has forever changed my thinking about organic clothing. The cardigan is super soft and stretchy. The cardigan is very well made and will hold up to an active toddler. Ethan appeared to be very "Happy" in his new Happy Green Bee Cardigan! Check out all  the other cute pieces on their website. I'm wishing I had a little girl because the petal dress is SO adorable! I look forward to adding more Happy Green Bee pieces to Ethan's wardrobe.




BUY IT! You can purchase Happy Green Bee products from their website. Happy Green Bee is offering 50% off their entire stock (excluding Factory Store Items) for all purchases until November 15, 2009 when you use code BIGSALE. They are clearing out their current stock for the new 2010 line.
 

WIN IT! Happy Green Bee is giving away ONE Radish & Bean Cardigan to a Take Time to Smell the Rose reader! Just fill out the entry form below.


Links to extra entries: Happy Green Bee Facebook Page
                                      Happy Green Bee Newsletter
                                      

Giveaway ends Sunday, November 15, 2009 at 9:00 p.m.(CST) Winner will be drawn by the random number generator at Random.org and will be notified by email. Winner will also be announced on this blog. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn.

This giveaway is open to USA & Canadian residents ONLY . Must be 18 years old or older to win.

Please read my Disclosure Statement.

Thank you to Happy Green Bee for providing me with a Radish & Bean Cardigan. All opinions are my own and no other compensation was received to conduct this review & giveaway.

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