L'Oreal Paris One Sweep Eye Shadow and Double Extend Eye Illuminator Mascara

Anyone that knows me, knows that I am running down to the last second getting me and my two boys up and running in the morning. I tend to go in streaks on taking the time to put makeup on in the morning. So the time saving is what peaked my interest for the L'Oreal One Sweep Eye Shadow. I love how it puts three colors on your eyes in one sweep. There is a specially designed applicator that is shaped to fit the shape of your eye so it really is really as simple as one sweep!! No matter what color your eyes are, there is a One Sweep Eye Shadow meant just to enhance your eye color. I didn't really see much difference in Double Extend Eye Illuminator Mascara if I used the little sparkles or not, but otherwise the mascara did its job also! I'm no makeup expert, but I am going to recommend the One Sweep Eye Shadow to all of my friends!

*Please note, I am a BzzAgent and received these products for free in order to provide my feedback.

Jump Start Get Moving Family Fitness Review and Giveaway

Anyone who knows my family knows that my son loves video games. He would play them every waking hour of every day if we let him. As a just barley 5 year old, it is hard to find games for the Wii that he can play. One that he always wants to play is Wii Fit, but if we let him play it, he quickly gets frustrated because he is too light and the game does not always recognize his actions on the balance board, and many of the other activities are far too advanced for him. So, imagine my excitement when I found out that JumpStart was going to be coming out with a Wii Fit for Kids, so to speak. It is called Get Moving Family Fitness and it was designed with the help of fitness expert, Brook Burke.

What better way to make sure your kid is getting exercise while playing video games? This will be especially beneficial during the upcoming, long and cold Iowa winter!

There are many activities that kids can choose from, including games like Volleyball, Basketball and even things like Dodge ball and Pinball. And of course, since this a JumpStart game, your child will be able to design their person, or the "Jumpee", choosing hair, eyes, clothing and more!

The only issue we have ran into is that sometimes Caiden had a hard time getting his Jumpee on the game recognize his movements, but I have a feeling he just may not be doing the movements exact enough. It might also help if we had the Wii Motion Plus.

All in all, I think this is an excellent game for your children to keep them moving, especially when they aren't able to get outside! Get Moving can be found in stores for the low price of $29.99, which is a great price for a brand spankin' new Wii game! And if that isn't a good enough deal for you, how would you like to win one for free? Yep, FREE!!!

All you need to do is head over to JumpStart's website and then come back and tell me one fact about Get Moving that I did not mention in my review. You must do this step to be entered into the contest.

For additional entries you can:

1. Add my button to your side bar and leave me a link to your blog in your comment;

2. Follow me on blogger or twitter;

3. Subscribe to my blog;

4. Send an email to at least 5 of your non-blogging friends to tell them about the giveaway, and copy me;

6. Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link to your tweet in the comment (you can do this once a day); and

7. Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with a link to your post

*Please leave a separate comment for each of the items you do

This giveaway is open to bloggers and non-bloggers. If your blog profile is private, or you’re a non-blogger, please leave an email address in your comment or your entry will be disqualified.This contest will end at 10:00 p.m. Central Time on Monday, September 13th. Good luck everyone!

Disclosure: I was provided a free copy of this game for the purpose of this review. I am not expected to return the game.

Change is good

I posted earlier about some upcoming changes. As you know we moved last month. So far, the changes have gone well. Caiden and Bennett both adjusted well to their new rooms and their new beds. We have a much longer drive to daycare everyday, which has been ok for the boys too. Bennett talks for while and then goes to sleep, and Caiden watches a movie. In August when Caiden starts school, we will have a much shorter commute, not having to drive all the way across town anymore. School is less than a mile from our house, and Bennett's daycare is in between our house and school! I'm not sure what I will do with all that extra time!

Of course, as soon as we move to the new house, they are going to start road construction on our main road we use to get anywhere. There will be no access to that road starting next week, or so the sign says. Not sure how far the road will be closed, but I'm hoping not too far, so I'm not driving way out of my way. An hour long commute, twice a day, with two kids is long enough for me, thank you.

Caiden's 5th birthday is coming up as well. Excited to have all the family over to the new house...just hope it is ready by then! We are getting there. The kitchen, boys' room, our room, bathrooms, playroom are all done. The living room is close...we even got some pictures hung on the wall today!

I'm also letting Caiden take 4 friends to Chucky Cheese for his birthday. This will be the first time he has been there (me too)...but he is just dying to go. This will also be his first birthday party with friends...wish me luck!! It's only for 2 hours, how bad could it be? We shall see...stay tuned.

Finally, I know I have been promising a review, and it is still coming. Hoping to post it this weekend. I'll give you a hint...it is a kid's Wii game...and there is a giveaway with the review. You don't want to miss it!

Until next time...have a good weekend :)

Move complete

We officially moved into our new house last weekend. I just have to ask, how the heck did we fit all of this crap into our tiny 800 sq ft house? It is amazing! But, we are here. Unpacking is going much slower than I ever remember in the past (I used to be a frequent mover, just ask my aunt how many pages are dedicated to me in her address book). Unpacking with an infant in the house is a much different experience.

Almost a week after the move, I finally have my kitchen mostly done. The rest of my house leaves something to be desired. Poor Caiden is going to be living in a room of boxes for quite some time I'm afraid.

On another note, keep your eyes peeled for a new exciting review and giveaway for my readers in the coming weeks. I'm super excited!!

Sleepy Wrap Baby Carrier Review

I know that baby carriers have some bad press right now because of the baby sling recall, but not all slings and wraps are bad. In fact, I think most of them are safe as long as you follow the directions of the carrier and wear your baby the way the carrier was intended.

That being said, I wanted to share my experience with the newest baby carrier I have purchased. When I was pregnant, I asked around in my mommy online community to get some recommendations for a baby carrier. I had tried one style with my first son, and it worked ok, but it was difficult for me to use because you had to put the child into the carrier and then finish tying it. I was always afraid I was going to drop my son. Also, my personal preference has always been a wrap type carrier over a sling because I feel that an infant is much safer in a wrap. (This is just my personal feeling, and I felt like this with my first son as well; long before the recall came out.) So after looking into the different types that were recommended to me, I decided to go with the Sleepy Wrap. There were two major reasons I chose this wrap over all of the others:

1. You tie the wrap completely before you put the child in; and
2. it is reasonably priced;

It took some practice to tie the Sleepy Wrap correctly. Using the directions provided on Sleepy Wrap's website, along with a couple of videos I found on YouTube, I finally felt comfortable enough to try putting something in my wrap...but before I put my 2 week old child in it, I started with the Curious George doll that my dog is cuddling with in this post.

Finally, I was ready to actually put Bennett in the wrap. The first time he didn't like it too much. But about 2 days ago I really had some house work to be done and Bennett was having trouble getting to sleep. So, I got out my Sleepy Wrap, got Bennett all nestled in and started clearing the dishwasher. He was asleep in a matter of minutes and I got all my dishes done!

I absolutely love this wrap. Like I said it takes a little practice to get it tied right, but after you do, it works wonderfully from newborn infant, all the way up to a toddler.

Please note, I was not compensated in any way to write this review. I just wanted let my readers know about this wonderful wrap.

Jump Start Pet Rescue Review

If you have been a reader of my blog for a while, you may remember my review of the Jump Start computer and online games. If not, you can find it here.

I'm here to tell you about the newest Jump Start games I have had the opportunity to review. It is Pet Rescue for the Wii! Yes, you read it right, Jump Start now has a Wii game! And I my son, was lucky enough to be able to get a copy of the game before you could even find it in stores to test it out.

This game has all of the wonderful qualities as the Computer games, plus you get to play it on the TV. Jump Start's Pet Rescue game lets the children design their characters, which they can change at any time. My son absolutely LOVES to make silly characters. You also can have pets in this game which follow you everywhere. You can play fetch, feed your pet, and with different movements of the Wii remote, you can also make your pet do tricks!

Of course, this is a Jump Start game, so there is plenty education packed into the game as well. When my son asks if he can play this game, it is much easier to say yes when I know he is learning while he is playing.

As you can see, there are many different "worlds" that the kids can explore while playing this game. My son really enjoys hunting out the slides in each place.

My son absolutely loves playing his Jump Start Pet Rescue game. I and love that he is learning while he is playing it. Jump Start has again created a wonderful game that will keep my son entertained for a long time to come!

Jump Start Review and Giveaway

I confess...my son is a computer game and video game addict. Yes, at 3 years old. He loves playing Mario Kart Wii, he has a V-smile, a mini laptop of his own, a digital camera that also plays games, an old game boy from the sitter, and he also plays games on my laptop on a few websites that are for his age.

So, when I was contacted by the JumpStart company to test out and review their website and computer games....I wondered how the heck they knew!! I feel much better about my son playing all of these games when he is actually getting something out of it. JumpStart is an award-winning adventure-based 3D virtual world that is super-personalized, wildly imaginative and really fun, but don't let that fool you - it also teaches math, reading, and critical thinking skills so kids get a real jump start in life.

We started by logging onto JumpStart's web page. After you log in for the first time, you will need to install JumpStart's active X control. After this was downloaded, my son took over.

First he got to design his person on the game. He absolutely loved this. He got to pick the clothes, the hair...everything. Caiden got the biggest kick out of seeing what happened when he picked something new. After he finally decided what he wanted to look like on JumpStart, he was ready to play some educational games.

Along with our membership to JumpStart, we also received the JumpStart 3-D Virtual World - The Legend of Grizzley McGuffin game to try, which is a computer game you install on your computer. You can play it as a stand alone game, or you can use your membership at JumpStart to expand the game online. This has all of the great benefits that the online version does. They work together hand in hand.

Since Caiden is only 3 years old, some of the learning games are a little too advanced for him, but some of them are just great. Right now he loves playing a game that teaches rhyming. I have been trying to explain to him how to know if two words rhyme for I don't know how long and he just wasn't getting it. After playing this game for the last week or so, I think he is finally getting it!

JumpStart also has a section on their website just for us parents. There is a discussion board as well as a blog that is full of wonderful information for Parents. Also, there an added bonus to this site for parents. JumpStart sends out periodic progress reports by email, with information on what Caiden has been working on. It will tell me what type of games he has played, like math, reading, etc. and how well he did with the games he played. Proof that he is learning while playing :)

About the only drawback to JumpStart's online game is that is can be a little slow at times, so you may have to wait for some things to load.

WIN IT!!! - this contest has ended

Now that you've heard about this wonderful product, I bet you want to find out what you can win and how!

All I need you to do is head over to JumpStart, and then come back here and leave me a comment with a fact from the website that I did not post here. The winner will receive a free 3 month membership to JumpStart.com. It's that simple!

For additional entries you can:

1-Add my button to your side bar and leave me a link to your blog in your comment;

2-follow me on blogger or twitter;

3-subscribe to my blog;

4-send an email to all of your friends (at least 5) and copy me;

5- Tweat about this giveaway; and

6-blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the link to your post.

*Please leave me a separate comment for each item you do on this list*

This giveaway is open to bloggers and non-bloggers. If your blog profile is private, or you’re a non-blogger, please leave an email address in your comment or your entry will be disqualified.The winner will be chosen randomly on May 19th at 10:00 pm CST.

Sorry, this contest is open to US residents only.

Good luck!

This contest has ended

HomeStudio Scrabble Pendant Review & Giveaway!

One of my favorite things to do in my "spare time" is to search the web for new and unique things. Doesn't really matter if it is for me, my child, friends, family, whoever...as long as it is something not everyone else has. Having said that, anyone that knows me knows that my few vices include, shoes, jewelry and purses (I know that's not just me...I see you nodding in agreement!)
In one of my recent quests for something different, I stumbled across the HomeStudio website. HomeStudio has everything I love and look for. They have a ton of unique Pendants (Jewelry)that are made out of Scrabble pieces. Not only are they unique, HomeStudio is also super affordable. One of my favorite pendants is the I'm expecting pendant. What a fun way to make an announcement to friends and family. Or to quietly say, I'm pregnant, not fat!

HomeStudio offers many different types of pendants for you to choose from. Some have written words, some have pretty bird and others just have fun designs on them. It's the perfect gift for a friend, girlfriend, daughter, wife, co-worker and I even saw one or two that would fit my hubby!

Perfect for Valentine's day is this super cute heart pendant!

WIN IT!!!
Now, for your chance to win one of these awesome and unique pendants for yourself or someone you love!! All I need you to do is head over to HomeStudio, check out their selection and pick your favorite. Then come back here and leave me a comment telling me which one is your fav. The winner will be receive their choice from the pendants below!!!

It's that simple!

For additional entries you can:

1-Add my button to your side bar and leave me a link to your blog in your comment;
2-follow me;
3-subscribe to my blog;
4-send an email to all of your friends (at least 5) and copy me; and
5-blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the link to your post.

*Please leave me a separate comment for each item you do on this list*

This giveaway is open to bloggers and non-bloggers. If your blog profile is private, or you’re a non-blogger, please leave an email address in your comment or your entry will be disqualified. The winner will be chosen randomly on February 26th at 10:00 pm CST.

This contest is open everyone around the world!

Good luck!

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED - WINNER ANNOUNCED!!

Handmade Jewelery by Lynn Krestel Review & Giveaway

Are you looking for an original gift for someone on your holiday gift list this year? Or are you looking for some original jewerly that you can't find in the stores? If so, you need to check out the handmade jewerly by Lynn Krestel. I was lucky enough to stumble upon her site on etsy.com and Lynn has been wonderful enough to send me a beautiful necklace for my first review!

I received Lynn Krestel's marquis charm necklace in the mail this week and I couldn't wait to show it off at work the next day. I work with a lot of jewerly addicts, and I knew they would be jealous. The necklace is a handmade fine silver marquis pendant,with an 8mm vintage crystal bead charm topped with a vintage bead cap and a 4mm crystal. The peral is a 6mm creamy white freshwater pearl charm and the necklace is an 18" aged sterling silver ball chain. These pictures just do no do this necklace justice.

Lynn Krestel has tons of other wondeful jewerly on her site. All of the Lynn Krestel's jewerly is handmade, so each one is original. And the quality is phenonominal! The memento pendant necklace is a one of a kind necklace that Lynn Krestel will make a pendant with any photo you send her. What a great gift for any mother or grandmother on your list!

Now for the best part. You can win a pair of Lynn Krestel's one of a kind marquis earrings. They are made of the same type of handmade silver marquis pendants as the necklace I received.

But wait, that's not all!! From now until November 14th, my readers can get a 20% discount off of their order from Jewerly by Lynn Krestel. Just send Lynn Krestel a comment when you order using the discount code "busymom".

So, to enter to win a free pair of earrings from Lynn Krestel, all you need to do to enter is to go to Lynn Krestel's site, come back here and leave me a comment telling me what your favorite piece of jewerly by Lynn is. It's that simple!! For additional entries you can:

1-Add my button to your side bar and leave me a link in your comment;

2-follow me;

3-subscribe to my blog;

4-send an email to all of your friends (at least 4) and copy me; and

5-blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the link to your post.

*Please leave me a seperate comment for each item you do on this list*

This giveaway is open to bloggers and non-bloggers. If your blog profile is private, or you’re a non-blogger, please leave an email address in your comment or your entry will be disqualified. The winner will be chosen randomly on October 31st at 10:00 pm CST. This contest is open everyone around the world! Good luck!

CONTEST CLOSED - WINNER ANNOUNCED!