The Happiest Baby Guide to Great Sleep- Review

On June 27, 2008 I gave birth to an amazing, not so little, baby boy and I had myself convinced that I knew what was ahead of me. Before starting a family of my own I had been a nanny to several other children and also worked in a few different child care centers so I felt that I truly had a handle on the ins and outs of raising a baby. I don't think it is possible for me to have been any more wrong than what I was. My beautiful boy slept like a champ those first few nights in the hospital and even at home. He slept enough nights for me to start bragging to others about how perfect he was and how easy the whole parenting thing had been for me. Did I know better? Deep down of course I did and I should have seen the inevitable. Suddenly the little snoozer would scream whenever I put him down and minutes would pass before his stomach decided demanded that it wanted more. The next five months were spent on the couch ( thank God I have a comfy couch) watching Gilmore Girls and nursing my starved yet adorable beast. He would eat and then sleep just long enough for me to think that I could catch some much needed zzzz's and then he would stir and scream for food. Finally after five months of pure exhaustion I broke down and purchased a sleep training book. The next few nights it was me that cried instead of him. I felt as though I was failing him and that I should just suck it up and sacrifice my sleep for him. Almost five years have passed and I can finally say that my big boy is a great sleeper. I am so glad that I was given the opportunity to read this book and use it when God blesses us with a third child. I am convinced that we will have a good sleep from the start if we use the tips given by Harvey Karp, M.D

Before reading this book I had only read one other book on sleep for babies and children and it was a great help to us, but at the same time it could have been better. The Happiest Baby Guide to Great Sleep is not just an instruction book it truly is a guide. Each tip that he gives he presents in a manner that is truly easy to grasp even for those who have not slept in months. Dr Karp does not just say, " Hey since I am a doctor and a New York Times Bestselling author you had better do as I say." Instead he guides you through a process that clearly lets you know why he wants you to do it and also what results you will get. His tips are easy and yet they are things that I myself would have never thought of. He is not out to just put a bandaid over the problem and hope that it heals itself instead he shows you how to get to the root of the problems and also shows you what to do so the problem never arises.

I highly recommend this book and am slightly jealous of any mother who gets to read it before her bundle ever arrives. And if any of my soon to be mommy friends are reading this you can surely expect a copy of this book will be included in your shower gift!

 “I am participating in a book review campaign with One2One Network. I received this book from Harper Collins for the purposes of reviewing it. I have not received compensation. My participation in the campaign enters me into a drawing for a gift card. All opinions stated are my own.”

How to make money while staying at home- Stork Brokers

I want to start a few weekly posts that will fall under categories that are important to mothers and my the first category is making money while staying at home.

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I don't know about you, but for me most of my extra money somehow always ends up being spent on things for my kids and I never get anything in return. Well, I found a great way to get something in return for all the money spent...easily reselling the items for a great profit. My kiddos hardly ever play with a toy until is worn out and rarely do the stay small enough to wear out clothing so instead of letting these items take up space I plan to sell them. In comes Stork Brokers, a website with an easy setup for selling used belongings. You sign up for an account and then list the items you want to sell. Even mothers who are not computer savvy will be able to easily post items and track interest in the item and know when the item sells. Also, if you do not have anything you want to sell yet, but are in need of some items they have some great things and they are at great prices. Be sure to sign up today and your first three sales will be commission free!

I heard about Stork Brokers through BzzAgent, but was not paid or bribed for my blogpost:)

Beezag.com

I joined Beezag for something to do while the boys play and to maybe earn some spending money to go towards my Etsy addiction, but instead I earned money and won a great sweepstakes! Last week I cashed out $12 and even though that may sound like a small amount once you see how easy it is to earn it will seem like more. Beezag is an advertising site that rewards you with points and sweepstakes entries for watching short commercials, music videos, and movie trailers. It takes very little time and sometimes you even find out about a movie or a product that interests you.

Honestly I was starting to think that nobody ever won the sweepstakes, but sure enough they do and I was one of the winners. I won a pair of Beats by Dr Dre headphones and even though I am not sure the exact model I am  certain that these are top quality headphones.

Join me in earning some "fun money" and maybe even a big prize- Beezag

"Winner, winner....chicken dinner!"

Several of my friends have teased me for entering so many contests, but it does pay off. Our budget is tight so it is a great thrill to be able to win something instead of having to pay out of pocket for it. So far my wins have been rather small, but today I received a phone call letting me know that I had won a new Samsung T.V.
Go out and win something today and let me know in the comments:)

Sweeties Sweeps
Daily Sweeps by Freebies 4 Mom

"High of 75"

Today I am reminded of one of my favorite songs which is done by one of my favorite bands, "High of 75" by Relient K. Yesterday we had an amazing day spent with family at the zoo while soaking in the sun and the 80 degree weather it provided for us. I had been stressed, but the  minute I was out in the sun with the people I love the most I was giddy and at peace. Today is a whole different story.  As I look outside the window at the snow I am overwhelmed and feeling a tad bit like Eeyore. The weather is a lot like the changing seasons of our life and they both effect us the same. These past few years have been filled with great moments of joy, but also many moments of hardship. Some days have been sunny, but many have been dark and gloomy. I need to remember that as a mother things are not always sunny and perfect, but I am blessed and I am a child of God and He will never ever leave me in the darkness. The sun may not be out, but the Son is truly alive and well!

"High Of 75"

We were talking together

I said, "what's up with this weather?"

Don't know whether or not

How sad I just got

Was of my own volition.

Or if I'm just missing the sun

And tomorrow, I know,

Will be rainy at best.

And the forecast, I know,

Is that I'll be depressed.

But I'll wait outside

Hoping that I'll catch sight of the sun.

[Chorus:]

Because on and off,

The clouds have fought

Their control over the sky

And lately the weather

Has been so Bi-polar

And Consequently so have I

And now I'm sunny with a High

of 75

Since You took my heavy heart

And made it light

And its funny how you find

You enjoy your life

When you're happy to be alive

[Chorus]

And the temperature is freezing

And then, after dark,

There is a cold frost sweeping

In over my heart

And we might break up

If I don't wake up to the sun

[Chorus]

Sunny with a High of 75

Since You took my heavy heart

And made it light (made it light)

And its funny how you find

You enjoy your life

When you're happy to be...

Alive 

Getting Crafty

I absolutely love doing craft projects, but it seems I am known for starting something and never finishing it and I want that to change. The Christmas before last I purchased a sewing machine with gift cards I had received and I love it but so far I have really only finished one item. The sewing machine is currently in our basement which is hard for me to get to with both the boys and it seems my love for cute fabrics is getting pricey. Why  am I telling you all of this? I am sharing all this with you to let you know that I am going to finally finish a project and I want your help! Crocheting seems to be the answer to my unfinished project issue. It is fairly inexpensive to do and it does not require much space which means I can do it will still paying attention to my kiddos. So, this is where you guys come in and help me, if we can get to 50 followers on Google Friend Connect before I finish a project then I will do a giveaway! Depending on how my crocheting adventure goes the giveaway could be for an item hand made my yours truly or my crocheting could be horrible and you may just end up with something I buy or find laying around my house( you will like it though). So the challenge has been set before us all!

Here is a link to the awesome blog that has the instructions for the project I am trying to complete. Feel free to try your hand at crocheting and send me pictures of your completed project for a special crafty mommy post.
And Sew it is

Mommy needs a date night!

I am sitting here surrounded by laundry and various toys dreaming of a night off with my hubby where somebody else will cook for me and then clean up my mess, but my lovely daydream is quickly replaced with thoughts of who would watch the kids, and the typical calculations of the budget. I am sure many of you are also in need of a date night so I thought a post about cheap dates and also dates where kids are without a sitter would be helpful.

First off is cheap dates for those of us who can find a babysitter-
1) Use coupons from a daily deal site to enjoy a meal or activity at a lower price. Groupon, Living Social, and Restaurant.com are good sites to try.
2) Go to Costco or Sam's club for an adventure. Both of these places provide stuff to look at, enough samples of food products to be considered a meal, and also cheap snack bars.
3) Geocaching. My hubby and I just started geocaching a few years ago and it is a great way to build teamwork in a marriage and force yourself to get out and enjoy the great outdoors. For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, geocaching is like high tech hide and seek using a GPS to find a certain location where a box is hidden that may contain prizes or who knows what. For more information click here.
4) Dress up as though you are going to a five star restaurant but instead dine at a fast food joint.
5) Click take a pic( sorry my two year is on a Dora and Diego kick)! Grab a camera and your hubby and go click crazy. Take pictures of everything you see including places, people, things and of course each other. When the roll or the memory card is full print them and then sit down for coffee and enjoy the memories made.
6) Be a kid again. Go to an arcade and play video games with one another or even go to a park and take turn pushing each other on the swings.
7) Movie night. If you have a laptop with a dvd drive or a portable dvd player find a nice secluded area to park your car under the stars and enjoy a modern take on a drive-in movie.


Dates for parents who cannot find a babysitter
1) Buy the ingredients to make your favorite restaurant meal at home.  Cooking together can be fun and you also end up with a great meal to feed yourselves and your kids
2) Purchase popcorn from your local theater and grab a Redbox movie to enjoy at home after the kids have gone to bed
3) Play a board game or a card game with one another ( make it interesting and more adult oriented by making any game a stripping game)
4) Play video games on your computer or gaming console. Make sure you play games that both of you enjoy and can fully participate in