Winner winner {chicken dinner}

Thanks so much to everyone who entered the itti bitti giveaway last week. I consider them an incredible company so it was nice to see all the love (and tweets!). The winner of this wonderful minkee blankee is: #6 Sarah

Today I’ve been walking around in a daze trying to figure out how to get myself together. Add present wrapping and cookie parties to my list of already long Monday To Do’s and you’ve got yourself one confused woman. Oh, not to mention Moses’ birthday party is only a couple weeks away and the only thing I’ve thought of is a theme! Looks like I’ll have my hands full of wonderful projects these next few weeks.

Could not be happier to be home 5 of the 7 days next week so expect a lot of picture posts or not a dang thing from me!

Happy Monday and congrats again, Sarah!

Winner Winner {chicken dinner}

Thanks for everyone who entered the Green Eats giveaway by The Green Nursery.

The winner was selected at random and it goes to:

aerobebe1421 who was number 18!

Congrats; I will be emailing you to ask details about shipping.

There is still time to enter the itti bitti Blankee giveaway

It’s Monday, my weekend was fabulous, and I’m head over heels into the Christmas season.

A boy and his blankee {giveaway}

I want to tell you a story about a boy and his blankee. It started a couple months ago when his eyes lit up as I pulled it out of the package. Bright blues, greens, oranges, purples, reds, and yellows; his “color blankee” as he likes to call it. That night I tucked him into bed with his blankee wrapped around his body; it was minkee soft and he liked telling me over and over again all the beautiful colors he saw.

The next night after picking out stories for us to read in the rocking chair he quickly ran over to his bed and grabbed the blankee to join us for story time. I draped it over his body to keep him warm but was thankful it was big enough to fall around my chilled legs as well. Over the next few weeks it traveled to the couch for days he wasn’t feeling well or to Mom’s bed for early morning snuggles. Some days he pulled it over his shoulders turning it into a colorful cape but every night it ended up back in the little white toddler bed to keep him warm. The boy fell in love with his blankee.

The cape in action

Want to fall in love with your own minkee blankee? Know someone who is expecting and want to shower them with something special? My friends at itti bitti want to make that happen by offering one of the readings their own blankee in one of the brand new limited edition prints. This 39 by 29.5 inch “cot size” minkee blankee is double layered with print on top and solid white on the back with a white trim at the top; it is incredibly soft and retails for $39.95.

To enter: head over to itti bitti’s site and tell me one other thing you like in their new limited edition print. Please leave your email address in the comments otherwise I have no way of contacting you!

Extra: follow @busylandb and @ittibittiUS on Twitter then tweet about the giveaway
 Giveaway closes on December 16th and is open to US and Canadian residents over 18.

 This sponsored post is part of itti bitti’s “Fall in Love with itti bitti” campaign and I was given the Carnival print minkee blankee to cuddle with my little one. The whole toddler falling in love part was completely on his own. I first met itti bitti through Eco- Distribution USA over the summer when we fell in love with their cloth diapers; ever since then I’ve had nothing but impeccable customer service and great things to say! Thanks itti bitti and Eco- Distribution!
http://www.eco-distributionusa.com
http://www.ittibitti.us/
http://www.facebook.com/ittibitti 
http://twitter.com/ittibittius 
http://www.youtube.com/use/ittibittinappyco

Peter Rabbit Organics {winner}

It's Monday, I'm busy, so I will keep this short and sweet! 

The winner of the Peter Rabbit Organics giveaway is

Amber at Mom Stuff Blog! 

She was random #12, congrats! 

Shoot me an email at enilorac802 at gmail dot com so I can get your information!

If you didn't win today, DON'T WORRY, I have 3 more giveaways up my sleeve for the coming weeks!

Squeezable goodness {Peter Rabbit Organics giveaway}

I want to introduce you to one of Moses’ favorite snacks; the squeezable puree pouch. We teamed up with Peter Rabbit Organics who offers 100% pure fruit or fruit & vegetable purees in a convenient grab and go pouch for this review and giveaway. Moses has loved these pouches long before this review so he was thrilled to receive his very own package in the mail filled with all 6 pouch varieties. I’m not kidding… want to make your toddler the happiest guy on the planet…put something special for him in the mailbox!  Moses loves the BPA-free resealable, individual packaging and feels like a big boy because he can have this snack without any help; I love them because I know they’re healthy and filled with nothing but pure fruits and vegetables.

 

There was no favoritism when it came to flavor options; whether it was sweet potato, corn, & apple or mango, banana, & orange he loved them all. I tasted the pea, spinach, & apple and was very surprised how strong the pea flavor was however mixed in with the fruit it simply tasted like a sweet treat to Moses and he loved it. They are perfect for a morning on the run, an afternoon snack, or when we are stuck in the car longer than expected.  You can find them in Starbucks nationwide, in select Whole Foods Markets, Publix and Albertsons, and natural food stores, in all Buy Buy Baby stores, and online at Amazon.com, Diapers.com, BabiesRUs.com and Spud.com.

Peter Rabbit would like to offer someone their own gift pack featuring all 6 flavors two times over; meaning someone will receive 12 pouches of their own! 

To Enter: Leave a comment telling me which flavor you’re most interested in trying! 

Extra entries: Please leave an additional, separate comment for each of the follow you do:

Tweet about the giveaway; make sure to include @BusylandB and the blog link

Share the giveaway with your Facebook followers and including the blog link

Fan on FB OR follow Peter Rabbit Organics on Twitter @PR_Organics

The giveaway will close on Saturday and I’ll announce the winner next week!

Cloth Diaper Week Winners

It’s Wednesday and that means time to announce the winners for the Cloth Diaper Week giveaways. I’m saying this for the 17th time but I’ve had so much fun hosting this week or reviews and giveaways and I hope all of you check out these great companies and consider them for your next diaper purchase.

The winners were chosen by typing in the number of people who entered the giveaways into Random Number Generator. I then went and counted through all the comments to make sure you really were # __ of the legitimate comments. I wanted to make it fair for everyone who entered so I hope no one’s feelings are hurt! If you’re really upset you didn’t win, don’t worry, the companies offer all of these products for purchase!


Day 2 Giveaway: Itti bitti’s bitti tutto diaper
solecrafter@gmail.com
She loved the color Lime

Day 3 Giveaway: Bummis Wet Bag
meldal_05@hotmail.com
I'm already subscribed to you on Reader. Does that count? Or is this how you trick me into getting a Twitter acct? :)

Day 4 Giveaway: Sprout’s All In One diaper/ Trainer
TaraShinkle2009@yahoo.com
Her funny potty story: We are actually trying to get potty training along now! I remember my daughter looked like she needed to go, so I ran her into the bathroom and got her potty ready and helped her take her shorts off and her diaper, right as
I took the diaper off, she pooped right on me and next to the toilet (not in)! It was funny but gross at the same time!


Day 5 Giveaway: Wahmies’ Wet Bag
graceink at yahoo dot com
She tweeted!

Day 6 Giveaway: OsoCozy’s All In One diapers (2)
daylilylanefl (at) gmail (dot) com
I'd name my company, "Cotton Tails" because I think little cloth diapered babies look like they have cute puffy little booties like a rabbits puffy tail. You know, like,"here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping round the bunny trail..."
I just think it's cute.


Congrats to all the winners! I’m sending you all emails today but if you don’t see an email from me by tomorrow morning please send me an email at enilorac802 at gmail dot com in case there was an email server error.


If I cannot get a hold of one of the winners in the next couple days than I have chosen backup winners who I will contact.


My mind is already turning about the next set of fun giveaways

Cloth Diaper Week Day #6 Giveaway

Osocozy all in one diapers mix old school with new school methods.

The inside is completely lined with weave fabric; the same material your old school prefold is made out of. The lining is available in unbleached (birdseye weave) or bleached (gauze weave). Its layered extra thick in the spots that get the wettest but there is also lining in every corner of the inside of the diaper making it super absorbent.

 My weariness with Aplix fasteners started when only after 6 months the tabs in my Bum Genius diapers started weakening. They started to curl up and lose their stickiness; eventually I had to purchase refresher kits and change them all out. However the Osocozy Aplix is sewn down on all four sides directly on the tabs which keep this error from happening. Both tabs stick to one large piece of Aplix or they can be overlapped for smaller babies. Moses is too big to secure with the tabs overlapping however the tabs touch each other when secured meaning there is still room to grow. They come in two sizes: small (6-18 lbs) and large (18-35lbs).

My cons for this diaper are minimal but worth stating. The drying times on theses diapers is much longer than I’m used to. We hang our diapers in the laundry room before bed and in the morning these are the only ones still wet. I’m sure if you sun dried them they would dry much faster but don’t expect for a fast turnaround between washes. If you needed to they can be placed in the dryer to finish the process. The other con is the color options are minimal; white, light green, and aqua.

Osocozy has graciously offered a Busyland reader not one but TWO all in one diapers!

To enter: leave a comment on this post telling me If you had your own cloth company what would it’s name be – if it needs explaining tell us why!  Make sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you're the winner!

Extra entry: follow the blog on Twitter (@BusylandB) OR subscribe via Reader/ email so you won't miss any of the fun this week. Leave 1 additional comment telling me which of the extras you did.

Extra entry #2: Tweet OR update your Facebook status letting your friends know about Cloth Diaper Week. Make sure you include the website link! Come back and leave a comment telling me which one you did and make sure to include your Facebook or Twitter name. 

Cloth Diaper Week Day #5 Giveaway

If you missed Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday’s Cloth Diaper Week's giveaways then make sure you enter today! I’ll be announcing the winners to all the giveaways next Wednesday.


This morning’s spotlight is on Wahmies Wet Bag. I was quiet surprised when I open the package and saw a camo printed wet bag! All the patterns we have are unisex or somewhat girly so I was instantly thankful that had fabric options that yell “BOY!”


Again, sorry for the terrible pictures...I didn't have the good camera so you'll have to browse their site for a better look!



Favorite feature (again) on this bag is the hanging hook! You really just can’t beat the convenience it brings to hooking it to an overnight or school backpack.

I also like the size of it for a “day” wet bag because it holds 6-8 diapers. To avoid toting around smelly bags I’ll alternate wet bags every other day then wash them both at the end of day 2.

It’s also double layered to insure there will be no ammonia smell floating around outside the bag! My only con is after a few weeks of having the bag it seems like some of the seams are pulling loose. I don’t know if it’s because we use and wash it every other day or if it’s poorly sewn but I’m afraid of what will happen a couple months down the road. Please let me know if any else has seen this seam separation.

To enter: leave a comment on this post telling me what preconceived notion did you (or do you currently) have about using cloth diapers. Make sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you're the winner!

Extra entry: follow the blog on Twitter (@BusylandB) OR subscribe via Reader/ email so you won't miss any of the fun this week. Leave 1 additional comment telling me which of the extras you did.


Extra entry #2: Tweet OR update your Facebook status letting your friends know about Cloth Diaper Week. Make sure you include the website link! Come back and leave a comment telling me which one you did and make sure to include your Facebook or Twitter name.

www.facebook.com/wahmies

Wahmies has been kind enough to offer one of the readers their very own Wet Bag!

Cloth Diaper Week Day #4 Giveaway

Today’s featured diaper is more for the older babies and toddlers out there. Willow Pad's Sprout Change training pants is a duo diaper acting as an All-In-One diaper and pull-down training pants for those transitioning over to using the potty. Per Moses’ favorite color we received the Cherry trainer for review.

They are designed to fit children 20-50 pounds (2T-5T) and that is AMAZING feature in my opinion. Sizing is a huge issue when babies grow past the 30 pound mark and finding something that actually needs to be adjusted tighter than its large setting is wonderful. I also love their elastic adjustment system; unlike Fuzzybunz whose elastic sticks out on the inside of the diaper Sprouts are hidden inside. Pictured below you can see the two parallel snaps which secure the diaper and the snap towards the back which incases the hidden adjustment system. I also like that you can pull both strings of elastic (for legs and waist) in one area making contour fit a breeze!

For those who are not ready to potty train this diaper is a great quality all-in-one. Additional padding all over the inside keeps overnight leaks from occurring and the thick insert sewn in the center keeps everything in one place.

There is no snaps on the outside for a contour closure which could potentially be an issue for sizing for smaller babies (20 lbs range). However like I mentioned before there in leg and waist elastic inside that can be adjusted pretty small. Overall I would advise this diaper for young toddlers and beginning potty trainers.

Everyone’s baby will eventually be making this transition and Sprout wants to help make them feel independent so their giving away an AIO/Trainer for one of the readers!

To enter: leave a comment on this post telling me a funny potty training/ diaper/ baby bathroom story! Make sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you're the winner!

Extra entry: follow the blog on Twitter (@BusylandB) OR subscribe via Reader/ email so you won't miss any of the fun this week. Leave 1 additional comment telling me which of the extras you did.

Extra entry #2: Tweet OR update your Facebook status letting your friends know about Cloth Diaper Week. Make sure you include the website link! Come back and leave a comment telling me which one you did and make sure to include your Facebook or Twitter name.

Cloth Diaper Week Day #3 Giveaway

If you are just joining us today it's Cloth Diaper Week! It kicked off Sunday and our first giveaway was yesterday!

Bummis was kind enough to send us their medium Fabulous Wet Bag for review. My #1 favorite thing about this bag is its durability. I was a little concerned bag is only 1 layer thick (opposed to our original wetbag that has 1 waterproof lining and 1 fabric lining) but surprisingly it’s holding up very well. I have not conducted a smell test to see if it emits more of an odor than others but from what I can tell they all seem to smell the same.

Another favorite feature of mine in the hanging hook located on the corner of the bag that snaps open. I’ve been hooking it onto the handle of Moses’ backpack making it a extremely convenient wetbag.

(if you notice in the picture you can see the hook it made out of durable material as well)

One reader will get to win their very own Fabulous Wet Bag!

To enter: leave a comment on this post telling me how you store your dirty diapers between washes! Make sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you're the winner!

Extra entry: follow the blog on Twitter (@BusylandB) OR subscribe via Reader/ email so you won't miss any of the fun this week. Leave 1 additional comment telling me which of the extras you did.

Extra entry #2: Tweet OR update your Facebook status letting your friends know about Cloth Diaper Week. Make sure you include the website link! Come back and leave a comment telling me which one you did and make sure to include your Facebook or Twitter name.

Come back over later today so see this afternoon's post! Yes, two post in one day!

Cloth Diaper Week Day 2

When I first spotted itti bitti diapers online they were love at first sight; an Australian based company offering something I’ve never seen in the US diaper market. Versatility is the key to making these diapers so stinkin’ neat! The bitti tutto line is a one size diaper accommodating newborns to potty training (8 to 44lbs); that’s right, 44 pounds! They offer 18 standard colors and seasonal prints for their soft minky outside and each diaper comes with 3 different inserts to make this diaper fit any age.

When I first received the diaper all the inserts were a bit intimidating; colored snaps and different shaped inserts were not something I was used to. After reading the instructions and playing around with the options it all started to make sense. They even go as far as having two different ways to snap in the largest insert for girls or boys to accommodate what areas of the diaper gets the wettest.

For daytime use I snap the mini soaker to the largest soaker and snap into the diaper with the bulk being in the front. For night times I add the extra (medium sized) soaker and he has never leaked out.

When I first examined I diaper I was concerned with its size because everything seemed smaller then I was used to. However their patented “poo fence” has proven to do its job wonderfully holding everything in.

In my opinion there are a few downsides to these diapers. First is the way they “puff” out in the hiney area. Davy jokes saying he looks like J- LO because even though the diaper is fitted perfectly the outer material is sewn on with extra bunching to make a cute fluffy backside. If Moses was a girl this would be understandable but it doesn’t give a sleek like others do. Once he is dressed you do not notice this “puff” but it may make a difference for small babies.

The other is the cost; at $26.95 a piece it may be hard to buy a dozen or two up from but with all the little details I understand their expense. In my eyes they are the crème de la crème of diapers, the luxury of cloth and everyone should have at least one!

Itti Bitti has been kind enough to offer one of the readers their very own bitti tutto diaper!

To enter: leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite bitti tutto color! Make sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you're the winner!

Extra entry: follow the blog on Twitter (@BusylandB) OR subscribe via Reader/ email so you won't miss any of the fun this week. Leave 1 additional comment telling me which of the extras you did.

Extra entry #2: Tweet OR update your Facebook status letting your friends know about Cloth Diaper Week. Make sure you include the website link! Come back and leave a comment telling me which one you did and make sure to include your Facebook or Twitter name.

Something else I want to mention about the diapers is the company themselves. Through the review process I have had nothing but wonderful interactions with their staff and they really go above and beyond on their customer service. They also just released a series of You Tube videos to help their customers make the best of the itti bitti diapers; with tutorials on snapping inserts, sizing, and answering all those intimidating questions you may have.

http://www.eco-distributionusa.com/ 
Facebook.com/ittibittius
Twitter.com/ittibittius
www.ittibitti.us

Giveaway open to US residents only; you must be at least 18 to enter.

Rashes and Hives, Oh My!

Thanks to everyone who entered the Curly Gurly couture giveaway last week. I really love my rosette set and can’t wait for one of you to enjoy yours too! I pulled in the numbers to Random.org

and the winner is...

Caroline Jones! Congrats! Please email me within 48 hours [enilorac802 at gmail dot com].

I apologize for leaving all of you who read daily and thrive off your Google Reader and feel a daily connection to your stranger bloggy friends (oh wait, that’s just me, nevermind) read daily and thrive off your Google Reader and feel a daily connection to your stranger bloggy friends follow but last week blogging wasn’t my top priority. Quick rundown of my week:

Monday- Yay full day of work and posted the giveaway.
Tuesday- Boo Moses was up all night for no good reason and we all needed to sleep past our alarms to function. Went to work at lunch time.
Wednesday- Blah I feel like crap, I’m going home.
Thursday- Laddy Da going about my day…. “Oh hey daycare. Moses has hives? A rash? Pick him up now? I’ll be right there!” Sat home with a happy but rashy baby all afternoon. Bake and decorate my cupcakes for a work baby shower Friday.
Friday- Work luncheon, fun. Set up for baby shower, even more fun. Get a phone call from school that the rash is back and Mo needs to leave in fear he’ll spread his rash to every baby in the school and mayhem will ensue . Boooooo. This is getting old AND I’m missing the office baby shower.


As you can see I spent about 20 hours at work and zero time thinking about blogging. Thankfully I looked like a complete fool taking my completely healthy child to the doctors complaining about a rash when there was no more rash in sight  Moses was fine and the doctor suspected it was just heat rash. That’s what happens to blond hair, blue eyed, see though skin babies when they play too hard. We are all happy and healthy now and I paid $15 for my doctor to write a note saying so and praying it stays that way for the next 8 days.

Curly Gurly giveaway!

More things I love from Etsy. Curly Gurly couture first caught my eye by the beautiful people and pictures modeling their jewelry. Later I found out the owner is a photographer who has opened this business on the side; makes perfect sense! The main products they make are rosette type flowers that go on necklaces and headbands. They offer many different types of rosettes that target all age groups.

For my review I was sent was this vintage fabric flower appliqué.

If you can’t tell from the pictures it’s a silky white, a knit black, and tweed black and white flowers with silver and tweed buttons. My favorite part of their jewelry is that the set of flowers can be interchanged between headbands and necklaces by Velcro!

You simple pull the flowers off the headband Velcro and stick them on the necklace Velcro! This opens up the possibility of what they could be placed on;

A basic drop down necklace

A necklace swung to the side

Here is it attached to the headband

Place velcrow on any jacket or shirt for a broach!

And lastly, on a purse!

I first wore the flowers as a necklace with a grey sweater to work and got lots of complements. It’s playful but not too loud for the office. Then for the weekend I wore it as the headband to a teenage girl’s party. The girls LOVED how fun it was and wanted one of their own! Curly Gurly has some of their products on Etsy as well as IkandiPhotography’s website and for their full line of products check out their Facebook page.
The giveaway: Curyly Gurly has offered to give one of Busyland’s readers the same set she let me review! Valued at $26! All you have to do is check out of their sites mentioned above (I would look at Facebook to see all of them) and tell me which is your most favorite product. I’m really curious to see what everyone’s taste is so look hard and give an honest answer!


The giveaway will end Friday (12/17) and I will announce the winner on Monday (12/20)

Thanks Curly Gurly and good luck! The winner needs to email me within 48 hours of winning or I'll pick someone else!

note: This item was given to me to review and the opinions above are my own. The winner will receive a new product, not the one I have already used!

Fried turkey and flip flops; a Florida Thanksgiving.

Thanks everyone for entering the Owl ornament giveaway by aprilfoss. I put the numbers in Random.org and #5 was selected. Congrats The Hills for your new addition to the Christmas tree; email me and I’ll direct you how to get your prize.

I think giveaways are a fun simple because it takes 1 minuet to enter and you could win something for free! I am in the works for two more giveaways this month and next time don’t be so shy! You can enter each giveaway once but if you have a mom or sister make sure you get them involved too and who knows, it may end up under the tree with your name on it
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The Thanksgiving holiday went lovely for our crew. I baked lots of desserts, we spent a lot of time with family, and really enjoyed our time spend together. Oh yeah, we ate too. In all honestly Davy and I are not huge Thankgiving food lovers so after one and half days of eating we were set for the year.
Thursdays night I slept in my old bedroom at my parents to make waking up at 3am a little easier. The two key words this Black Friday were easy and organized. We got everything we wanted, the lines were short, and we were home by 11am. I am not sure if the stores were more organized or we were more prepared but the rush of Black Friday just wanted there. The only small thrill I got was weaving through the crowds double fisting Blueray players trying to rush back to our cart. Lame, I know. Next year we thought it might be fun to not look at any ads before hand so we could wake up at 3am, make a mad dash to the stores, and go crazy. Just kidding, kind of.

Getting ready to play "sticky ball"

True Florda boy; flip flops on Thanksgiving

He slept through lunch and decided to make the most of his afternoon by eating a turkey leg while playing with toys. Mom of the year right here!



I cannot believe this big boy is my baby!

hoot hoot {giveaway}

Alright enough with all the Twitter teasers, it’s time for a giveaway! Like I mentioned yesterday I was browsing Etsy and finding things I loved so I decided to reach out to the designers and see if they were interested in sharing their goodies. Etsy store aprilfoss contacted me back that day willing to do a giveaway. I find it so interesting to know the back story of the designer and I don’t think I could say it any better than her bio:

I am a busy wife and mother of five children. Our recent home renovations have sparked my love for making and creating. Seeing as how I have 3 daughters, I have a tendency to gravitate towards girlie things. Because their bedrooms can only hold so many of my handmade items, I have decided to broaden my horizons by opening my own Etsy shop and sharing them with you.

I love her reason for starting an Etsy shop and well, I love her shop! Her shop mostly specializes in handmade owls. She mixes beautiful, playful fabrics to create stuffed owl pillows, ornaments, bookends, and much more.

One of the most interesting things I found on the store was “owl garland”; a series of baby owls tied together by string to make just what it says, garland!

Giveaway: aprilfoss has offered to give one of Busyland’s readers an adorable owl Christmas tree ornament! They are so trendy and depending on which fabric you select they go with just about every color theme. My personal favorite is the Red polka dot owl made with Amy Butler fabric.

To enter head on over to aprilfoss’s Etsy store, pick out your favorite product, then come back and tell me what you picked! I’ll leave the giveaway open one week and then announce the winner Monday, November 29th. Make sure you follow the blog or come back ofter because the winner needs to email me (enilorac802@gmail.com) within 2 days of selecting the winning comment. The winner gets to select whichever ornament they choose ($12 value). Even if you’re not into owls, enter anyways; this make a perfect gift for a sister or friend!