Boogie Wipes GIVEAWAY WINNER

Thanks to the random number generator, we have a winner!

Congratulations to... Andrea!!!

AndreaLeigh said...
I'm constantly after my son with the nasal aspirator, so I think he would appreciate this. I'd like to try the menthol scent.

Girl I hope you enjoy them as much as we do. Congratulations!

And thanks to Boogie Wipes for helping host this giveaway. Now everyone run out and get your sweet babes some Boogie Wipes...

VLOG is the new BLOG

Run, do not walk, over to

Amy at Chapters

blog to see our

"Curl Down Vlog."

It promises to be entertaining if nothing else!
My only regret in the video is NOT getting up and doing the 2-step or Soulja Boy!
DANG!


And don't forget today is the last day (you have til 5 pm)
to get in on my Boogie Wipes
GIVEAWAY!

Why do we connect: PART 2

I wasn't planning on doing a "Part 2" to this post but I got some GREAT responses as to why you all think we connect so well over Blogger and Twitter. So I had to share some of your comments. Thank you all for your input, it was great to read that I am not alone here and you feel the same way! HUGS! You can go back to this post to read all the wonderful comments... here are some that really hit home for me!

The Shabby Princess said...

I think that it can be easier to find a group of people online who share
similar interests, circumstances, etc as you than it might be to find that "in
real life". One of my dearest friends is, like me, a redhead runner and she
lives in Florida. We "met" via our blogs. Sadly, I live in a huge city, and have
yet to find a friend who shares that common bond as much as she and I do. I know that blogging has introduced me to some amazing people and I'm so grateful for
it!

I couldn't agree more. We all find people that we connect with due to similarities we share. I first bonding with two wonderful women over weight loss, then I bonded with some amazing ladies that were pregnant at the same time as me. Then I began bonding with people over exercise, motherhood, SAHMisms, love for our Lord, Jesus Christ, shopping, you name it!

Lauren Kelly said...

I have seriously met some of the greatest people through blogging and what
blows my mind is that without this outlet our paths never would have crossed.
Crazy! You just can’t get it unless you are a part of it!!

Well said. If you aren't "in it" you don't get it!

Susannah said...

Great topic! Let me tell you my thoughts: we are all OURSELVES online and on
twitter-cause we are hidden behind our computers/phones. It makes it easier to
forge relationships. And, since you are likely to never meet these people and
they won't judge you, you can be real! I swear, I have met one of my BEST
friends through blogging-we met once and have a date to meet again this summer.
SHe and I talk about everything, and she has become closer to me than my real
life friends. And if people don't blog, they definitely DON'T get it! I love my
bloggy friends!

My thoughts exactly Susannah.

Karah said...

Love your post today. I also met one of my very best friends through blogging. I think you know her too. "Mrs. Stilettos" hehe. We actually bonded
over baby clothes before she was ever pregnant. We are seriously twins. It is interesting how you bond with people over the Internet but I truly call you and
others my dear friends. I definitely don't try to explain it to my friends at home because they don't understand. I also find it interesting how random people want to follow me on twitter, then we end up being friends. For instance one girl started following me and come to find out we went to the same college. Blogging makes the world so much smaller. Love you girlfriend. xoxo :)

True dat! It's amazing. The bonding and the relationships you build. Truly a blessing.

Melissa said...

You are saying what everyone else feels I think. I know that I have a great
group of girlfriends here in Texas that have been friends for years, but we are
on such different journeys in life at this time. So the blogging community helps
me stay in touch with ladies who are interested in the same things as me and who
are experiencing the same things I am now in my life. I love reading your
blog!!!

AMEN AMEN AMEN!

Blue-Eyed Bride said...

I think it's because we can really choose who we want to be friends
with and there is SO much disclosure in Twitter and Blogland. We know so much
about each other from our posts and then the communication via Twitter, email,
gchat, whatever, also breaks down more walls.I can honestly say that my blog
friends and Twitter friends are my best friends! And you're in that small group,
my dear! Love you so!

I agree Erin! You ladies are my best friends.

Sara said...

I agree with Susannah and Erin - it's because we are more our 'true' selves
online. I too moved to a city where I knew no one and I worked from home on top
of that. VERY hard to make friends. And who has time to have all those shallow
first time 'getting to know you' conversations over and over again, only to find
out you really have nothing in common and have to start over again online?
That's the beauty of blogs and Twitter. You can read & follow someone
quietly for awhile and 'get to know them' through their writing. THEN you speak
up and start to actually be friends. My online friends know more about my
struggle with infertility than most of my IRL friends do. My husband calls my
online friends 'imaginary' friends too!

I am with you on the "weird getting to know you convos."

**REMINDER about my BOOGIE WIPES giveaway... make sure you enter before Friday at 5:00 pm.**

Giveaway: BOOGIE WIPES

Ok all you moms out there, you know about the runny noses, crusty boogies and dried/cracked/rad noses right??? Well, I have a solution for you.

Have you heard of them??? If not, allow me to introduce you to them.

BOOGIE WIPES

When I tell you we couldn't have survived the past 7 months without them. I MEAN IT! Remember this post, I have already bragged on them once! Addison hasn't been sick a lot but she has just had some allergy issues, etc. And these wipes are so gentle on her little sensitive nose. She has had NO cracking, peeling or dried areas around her nose and I am convinced that it's because of the Boogie Wipes. They aren't too wet or too dry they are PERFECT!

So what exactly is a "Boogie Wipe??"

Boogie Wipes are made with saline to dissolve boogies (mucus) caused by the common cold, allergies or otherwise booger-filled kid moments. Extra soft, alcohol, phthalate and paraben free, Boogie Wipes are available in Great Grape, Fresh Scent, Magic Menthol and Simply Unscented. Recommended by pediatricians as a gentle, effective alternative to a dry tissue.

We have tried (and loved) the "Fresh" and "Great Grape." I haven't seen the "Magic Mynthol" or we would have tried those too. My personal favorite it the Great Grape. Addison's face smells edible after we clean her boogies with one of those.

I have been buying these for baby shower gifts since I started using them. I can't get enough of them and once you try them you don't want to use anything else to get rid of the good ol' boogies that grace our children's nose.

Click here to see how Boogie Wipes got started. It's a cool story of how two mom's got tired of using rough tissue to wipe their kid's nose, and TADA, Boogie Wipes got started.

You can join the "Boogie Bunch" and get a $1 coupon for Boogie Wipes. You can also follow them on Twitter and Facebook. You never know what great information they will give you from those two sites. SIGN UP, FOLLOW... it's worth it!

The gracious people at Boogie Wipes have offered to partner with me for a giveaway. YAY! They have agreed to give ONE of you:

2 packs of Boogie Wipes in the scent of your choice!!

To enter, simply leave me a comment and tell me what fragrance you think you would like the best. On Friday at 5 pm, I will pick a winner by using the random number generator. I will post the winner that afternoon.

Why do we connect?

Do you ever wonder why you connect so well with other bloggers or Twitter friends? Sometimes I sit back and wonder why I do?

I think people that don't understand blogging or Twitter think I might be weird or a freak for meeting up with people I have met online. But what they don't understand is that I have REAL relationships with these people I call friends. They are, no question, REAL friends.

Adam jokes with me sometimes that I have "imaginary friends." But the truth is... the girls that I talk with regularly through email, text, Twitter, Blogger, etc. are REAL friends. I don't try to explain it to my IRL friends because they don't blog.

Erin, Amy and I were discussing this during out meet up and one thing we have in common is we are all displaced. None of us are from the towns we currently live in. I moved to GA after graduating from Auburn in 2005. I knew NO ONE. Not one single person. That made it difficult to make friends. I am a VERY outgoing, talkative person but moving to a small town where everyone already knew each other and had their groups of friends, made it tough for me.

Don't get me wrong, I have several good girlfriends here who I love dearly. But each of them are from here and already have large groups of friends. I guess I just really feel like I have never "fit" in here anywhere. My roommate, before I got married, wasn't from here and she and I clung to each other. Then she moved to Nashville for 2 years and I got married. But she's back now, living only 30 minutes away.

Adam and I had a large group of friends here before we got married, most of them single. Then we got married and some fell off the radar. Then we had a baby and almost all of them did. I understand WHY it happened and am actually ok with it, but it doesn't make it any easier.

I have some best friends that live at "home" and I miss them so! I don't want you to think I am saying I don't have any friends... I do... Great ones. My point is that I have developed WONDERFUL friendships through blogging and Twitter and they are now some of my best friends.

I guess my question to you is... why do you think you bond so well with other bloggers/Twitter friends? Is it because you are like me? Or is it just easy to find people that share common interests with you online? I am just interested to hear why each of you bond with your friends you met through blogging, etc.

Sorry this post is all over the place...

Playdate for Me & Addison

This past Thursday, we had 2 guests come to stay the night with us! We were beyond excited and couldn't wait to HUG both of them. Who was it????

It was Erin and Hudson.

They arrived at about 5:30 pm and the playing began! We let the little ones play and Erin and I chatted like we were long lost friends! Quickly, our sweet chunks dinner & bed times arrived and we fed them and laid them down! I will have to brag on our babies for a second. We fed them and then we put them to bed, never to hear a PEEP until about 7:30 the next morning! We are two blessed mommies, with GREAT eaters and sleepers!

After the little ones were in bed, Amy, came over and we had HOURS of girl talk and ate some seriously yummy pizza (I out ate them both-ha)! It turns out I have more in common with these two girls that I thought! It was amazing to sit and really feel connected with two girls that are in the same walk of life that I'm in. No question I share a special bond with both of them and only wished we all lived in the same town and could see each other more often. Fortunately, Amy only lives 45 minutes away and we have already planned our next two "dates."

After we chatted each others ears off, we finally turned in around 12:30. Poor Amy had to drive home (next time Amy, you slumber) :) The next morning, me, Erin and the babies headed to Fit Lab, Inc. This is Amy's business. Erin was going to be "testing." And I was the babysitter :) If you live in the Atlanta area and want to lose weight... GO SEE AMY! I mean it. You WILL get the weight off. Check out her website to learn more about HOW!

Erin did part 1 of the testing then we hopped on a golf cart to go grab lunch (Amy lives in a golf cart community/city). I failed to get a picture of us all on the "golf cart limo" (as I liked to call it). We decided to eat at this Mexican restaurant. We walked in... it smelled funny... and here is the conversation that took place (get ready to pee your pants):

Me to Erin: "It smells like baby poo in here!"

Erin: "Or big people poo."

We get to the table... and...

Amy: "It smells in here."

Me: "Yeah, like baby poo or as Erin said 'big people poo'"

We are all laughing hysterically at this point... then...

Amy (to the waiter): "Um, we are going to leave, it smells like BATHROOM in here!"

We all walked out in hysterics! I mean I was seriously about to pee my pants... Addison did! :) Ok, maybe you had to be there...but just typing that, I was dying laughing! We finally settled on this Greek place... there we had even more AMAZING conversation! I told them both, my friendship love tank was full after Thursday and Friday! So much laughter and bonding with girlfriends! It was amazing! These girls are so uplifting and precious to me. And I can't wait til we can all get together again! Love you both!

Ok, now let me share some pics of Addison and Hudson's play date! :)

Sweet babies

"HEY!"

"Look Addison... GIRAFFE!"

I think H was teaching ALM to read!

Hudson was a handful. He is a fast little crawler :)

Erin & Amy getting ready for the testing part 2!

I host... now I boast

This past Sunday I hosted a baby shower for one of my lifelong friends. She is due with a little girl, Rylee, in June. I absolutely CAN NOT WAIT for this sweet baby to arrive. I would say this shower was a SUCCESS :) She got sooo many cute things. I don't think I have ever seen so many monogrammed things! Rylee will definitely know her name :)

I wanted to share some pictures with you of the decor and such, but I also wanted to share my first attempt at making "Monogrammed Onesie" cookies.

I have seen these things EVERYWHERE. They didn't look hard to make so I thought I would give it a try. I ordered the cookie cutter online from The Cookie Cutter Shop. Then I searched for the perfect recipe/design.

I have to say that without this post I would have never made it through. I took her advice on the cookie dough recipe. You can find it here. NOTE: You can't use the premade dough. It spreads and the cookies will turn out to look kind of like a... ummm...penis! (I'm just sayin')

So making the dough wasn't hard. It actually mixed pretty well and was easy to roll out... the key was DEFINITELY rolling the dough between two pieces of wax paper and then refrigerating it. When I make the cookies again I will make the cookies a little thicker. I followed the recipe to the T and took advantage of her "hint."

I made the cookies one day before the shower. I would suggest this due to time. It took me probably about 3+ hours to mix, roll, cut, bake, cool, etc.

Next came the most frustrating part. The Royal Icing. I have never used it before, heck, I didn't even know what it was! Well it's EASY breezy to make. However, finding meringue powder about drove me NUTSO! I looked at 4 different grocery stores before finally googling and seeing that Hobby Lobby carries it! WHEW. What is meringue powder you ask??? It's an egg substitute. If you were making royal icing for say a gingerbread house, and you weren't planning to eat it, you could use egg whites. But because of the risk of salmonella you have to use meringue powder for the cookies. The recipe is simple...

Royal Icing:

4 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons meringue powder

6 tablespoons of water (I had to use more)

Note: the recipe doesn't call for flavoring, but I added some almond flavor. If you don't, it will have no taste.

Mix on low for about 7-10 minutes. The icing shouldn't be runny, but it shouldn't be thick either. Should be easy to spread on a cookie with the back of a spoon. This recipe let me ice 50 cookies AND add the monograms.

I let the icing dry for about 2 hours before I monogrammed them. I added two drops of pink dye (regular food coloring) to color the icing. Make sure to mix well. Now, I found that a lot of recipes were telling me I needed: couplers, squeeze bottles, decorating tips, pastry bags. First of all, what the crap is all that. Second, I have NONE of that. So I made do with a good ol' ziplock bag. I used the quart one. I scooped the icing into the bag, sealed it and cut a TINY hole in the corner on the bottom and squeezed all of the icing to that corner and TADA.

I had to let them dry over night. I just covered them with paper towels and the next morning... they were ready to be boxed up, taken to the shower and gobbled up! I have to say, I was pleased for my first time. And they actually tasted pretty good. But I was going for looks not taste. haha!

Here is one of my finished cookies...

Her PRECIOUS cake! Isn't it doll??

The welcome table.

The dessert table.

The beautiful mommy to be!