Breakfast Essentials for Your Kitchen Review- Courtesy of Hayneedle and $50 Gift Certificate Giveaway!

With the holidays upon us and so much shopping to be done, wouldn't it be simple to find everything for everyone on your shopping list all in one place? This can be done!

Hayneedle.com includes over 220 stores for you to shop from! Each one of their stores is devoted to a single product category, ensuring you will find what you are looking for. Whether you want toys for the kids, tools for your husband, quilting rack for Grandma, or a whole new living room set...you can purchase it all from the same shopping cart! The people at Hayneedle work hard to offer you the finest selection, best value, and most convenient shopping experience you've ever had.

I personally was in need of a new toaster and had fun searching over all the small appliances in Hayneedles online store. My old toaster finally decided to die after 8 long years. It served us well, but with our expanding family I was on the look out for a 4 slot toaster. Another feature that was important to me was size. My kitchen is small and counter space is limited.
I found just what I was looking for, the Cuisinart 4-slice compact toaster! This toaster has all the cool features but is only slightly larger than a standard toaster. I love it! It has extra-wide slots for toasting bagels, 9-setting browning controls with LED backlight, extra-lift carriage lever (so nice to easily reach toast when ready), dual slide-out crumb trays and reheat, defrost, and bagel buttons. For under $50 this toaster is awesome! Great deal.

Next on my list was a "want" not a need, but my children have been begging me for homemade waffles. I was thrilled to receive the KRUPS brand 4-Slice Waffle Chef Waffle Maker! This waffle maker is so easy to use...simply plug in, lightly coat with butter or oil, pour waffle mix onto waffle plates, shut lid and within a minute or so you have 4 large, fluffy, yummy Belgian waffles! I made mine with 100% fresh whole wheat flour (I'll post recipe ) and they turned out fabulous!

Another nice feature of the KRUPS waffle maker is it's easy to clean interior. I have been making a lot of waffles lately and the waffle iron looks as good as new. I have not dealt with caked on batter as everything lifts off nicely. I haven't necessarily had to "clean" it. I have lightly brushed with a wet wash cloth to remove crumbs and that's it!

When I am finished using the Waffle Maker, the cord tucks away inside and the whole appliance is stored upright in my cupboard without taking up space. Very nice!

I have been extremely impressed by my experience with Hayneedle. I received friendly customer service, fast shipping and quality products. You should definitely check them out!


Want to do some last minute holiday shopping? Here is your chance to win a $50 gift certificate!


WIN IT- Hayneedle is giving one Happily Domestic reader a $50 gift certificate!

BUY IT- Shop Hayneedle online here . Be sure to check out their Clearance Outlet to save up to 60% off!

Here is how to enter:

First Mandatory entry:
Visit Hayneedle.com and tell me your favorite store and what you want from it!

*Remember to leave your email address in your comment! YOU MUST DO THIS TO WIN*

After you have completed your first entry you are eligible for additional entries. *See my giveaway instructions here for more information. * *Remember to leave a separate comment for each additional entry and include your e-mail address.*

• Follow my blog publicly through Google friend connect (can be found at my right sidebar.) - current follows count too! Counts for 3 entries. Please leave separate comments per entry!
  
• Subscribe to my blog emails via Feedburner. Sign up box on my right sidebar. Counts for 2 entries. Please leave separate comments per entry!
• Blog about THIS giveaway between and December 1st and December 8th and gain TWO entries!!! link back to my site- leave the URL where you blogged. Please leave separate comments for each entry. Example "I blogged about your Hayneedle giveaway@ #1" then "I blogged about your Hayneedle giveaway@ #2".
  
• Grab my Happily Domestic button! (found at right sidebar)- Leave the URL where it is posted.
• Follow HappilyDomestic on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway (counts as 1 entry)- after this you may "tweet" daily and gain an extra entry each day that you tweet-limit one per day. Leave your tweet status.
• Like Happily Domestic on Facebook. Click here. Leave a comment saying that you did this.
• Enter any of my current giveaways, leave a comment and tell me which giveaway you entered. Counts as 1 entry per giveaway entered. Please leave separate comments per giveaway you entered.
• Sign up for Hayneedle's emails for savings and updates. Click here (sign up box is at bottom of page). Leave a comment saying that you did this.
• Like Hayneedle on Facebook. Click here. Be sure to tell them Happily Domestic sent you! Leave a comment saying that you did this.
• Follow Hayneedle on Twitter. Click here. Leave a comment saying that you did this.
• Subscribe to Hayneedle's Blog. Click here. Leave a comment saying that you did this.

Giveaway ends Friday, December 10th, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.(MST). 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.*

Thank you to Hayneedle.com who provided me with the products for review.
All opinions are my own and no other compensation
was received to conduct this review and giveaway.

Cuisinart 16 Piece Knife Block Set Review and Giveaway! Compliments of Lifetime Brands

*THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED*

Lifetime Brands is North America’s leading resource for nationally branded kitchenware, tabletop and home décor products. Their products make it easier for you to prepare food, serve meals, entertain guests, and decorate your home. They offer brands you trust such as Cuisinart, Kitchen Aid, Pedrini, Pfaltzgraff, and more! They believe to be successful, they must focus on Service and Value. They are committed to their customers and doing their best to meet their needs.

I recently had the opportunity to try out the Cuisinart 16 Piece Knife Block Set from Lifetime Brands. This set is superior in quality to any knife sets I have ever tried. With high carbon stainless steel blades these knives will cut through anything! This set includes 8" chef, 8" slicer, 8" bread knife, 5" santoku, 5 1/2" serrated utility, 3 1/2" parer, 3 1/2" santoku/parer, shears, six stamped steak knives, sharpening steel, and wood block (gray finish).

As a homemaker I cook 3 meals a day for my family and this adds up to a lot of time in the kitchen. Without the proper tools, cooking can be a frustrating task. Having a set of good sharp knives is a MUST! The Cuisinart 16 Piece Knife Block Set has every style of knife you will need and everything is nicely organized in a sturdy wood block. Having your knives close by is always convenient when preparing meals.

I love that this set comes with it's own sharpening tool. Never a dull knife again!

Enough steak knives for the whole family!

The kitchen shears have been very handy to have around the kitchen.
They are great for opening fruit and vegetable bags.

I have been thoroughly enjoying this set. All the knives slice so easily through food. My old knife set failed in comparison! Below is a picture showing how thin I was able to cut a potato slice. This would be great for homemade potato chips! Yum!

Would you like to own one of these awesome Cuisinart knife sets for your kitchen?


BUY IT- You can purchase the Cuisinart 16-Piece Knife Block Set at Bed Bath and Beyond! Click here to shop their online store.

WIN IT- Lifetime Brands is giving one Happily Domestic reader a Cuisinart 16-Piece Knife Block Set of their very own! $100 value.

Here is how to enter:

First Mandatory entry:
Visit Lifetime Brands and tell me something interesting about the company or the products they offer.

*Remember to leave your email address in your comment! YOU MUST DO THIS TO WIN*

After you have completed your first entry you are eligible for additional entries. *See my giveaway instructions here for more information. * *Remember to leave a separate comment for each additional entry and include your e-mail address.*

• Follow my blog publicly through Google friend connect (can be found at my right sidebar.) - current follows count too! Counts for 3 entries. Please leave separate comments per entry!
  
• Subscribe to my blog emails via Feedburner. Sign up box on my right sidebar. Counts for 2 entries. Please leave separate comments per entry!
• Blog about THIS giveaway between and November 30th and December 12th and gain TWO entries!!! link back to my site- leave the URL where you blogged. Please leave separate comments for each entry. Example "I blogged about your Cuisinart Knife giveaway@ #1" then "I blogged about your Cuisinart Knife giveaway@ #2".
  
• Grab my Happily Domestic button! (found at right sidebar)- Leave the URL where it is posted.
• Follow HappilyDomestic on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway (counts as 1 entry)- after this you may "tweet" daily and gain an extra entry each day that you tweet-limit one per day. Leave your tweet status.
• Like Happily Domestic on Facebook. Click here. Leave a comment saying that you did this.
• Enter any of my current giveaways, leave a comment and tell me which giveaway you entered. Counts as 1 entry per giveaway entered. Please leave separate comments per giveaway you entered.
• Like Lifetime Brands on Facebook. Click here. Leave a comment saying that you did this.
  
• Post a Photo of your current knife set on Lifetime Brands Facebook wall with a caption that says "Happily Domestic sent me. I need new knives because......" (and finish the sentence). Leave a comment saying that you did this.
• Follow Lifetime Brands on Twitter. Click here. Leave a comment saying that you did this.
  

Giveaway ends Tuesday, December 14th, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.(MST). 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.*

Thank you to Lifetime Brands who provided me with the product for review free of charge, no other compensation was received to conduct this review and giveaway.
All opinions are my own and do not reflect the opinions of Lifetime Brands.

*THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED*

Nutrimill Grain Mill Review and Giveaway! Compliments of Kitchen Specialties and Granary

*THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED*

Back in July, I had the wonderful opportunity to work with Kitchen Specialties and Granary on a review of their Bosch Universal Plus Mixer with blender. The Bosch mixer is in my opinion the only mixer a homemaker should own. I love mine and feel blessed to have had the opportunity to review one.

Another essential kitchen item you will want to own (especially if you are in the business of baking your family's own bread) is a grain mill. Grain mills grind non-greasy grains, rice, popcorn, beans, etc into wholesome flours in a few short minutes! Whether you need 1 cup flour or 20 cups for a large batch of baking, a grain mill allows you the access to the best, highly nutritious flours for your baking and cooking needs!

Today I would like to share with you about one of the best grain mills on the market, the Nutrimill by L'EQUIP. The Nutrimill has many convenient features making it a favorite among home bakers. Some of these features include:

• Large 20 cup bowl included (most grain mills only offer a 12 cup capacity bowl or no bowl at all)
• Variable, high speed mill and texture control (mill super fine flour or coarse easily!)
• Stainless steel microburst milling heads w/pre-cracker
• Multi-Channel airflow. Cool milling extends motor life
• Double wall construction gives quieter operation
• Unique Force Flow sound/air chamber design which results in 50% noise reduction
• 1 to 1 milling ratio for wheat, from hopper to bowl (see photo below)
  
• Easy grip bowl, lid and control knobs
• Compact storage
• Precision grain feed control
• NO gumming, NO overheating, NO jamming, NO hassle
• Limited lifetime warranty against defects

The Nutrimill comes with a hopper extension which snaps to the top of the mill. Having the extension allows you to fill the hopper level full. This will fill the flour canister to it's 20 cup capacity giving you enough flour for 6 loaves of bread! When not in use the hopper extension can easily be stored away in the Nutrimill's flour canister. If you have the space, you may wish to leave the extension on at all times.


Why I love the Nutrimill:

Besides the power and speed of this grain mill, I simply love the design! The Nutrimill and it's attachments fit nicely together in one unit! There is no separate attachments to store and even the cord stores into the machine. The Nutrimill fits nicely on my counter top without taking much space. It mills quickly and efficiently without creating a mess. There has been minimal flour dust each time I have milled.
Another feature I have come to appreciate is the Nutrimills ability to stop while milling without damaging the grain mill. With other grain mills the impact chamber must be empty before starting the machine and emptied before starting. The Nutrimill is designed to be turned off or on with grain stored in the chamber. This is very convenient. You do not want to deal with a plugged grain mill!

Here is a video I filmed to show how well the Nutrimill functions. In this clip you will see how quickly the Nutrimill grinds 4 cups of hard wheat berries into 8 cups fresh wheat flour (enough for 2 loaves of bread):



There are so many reasons why it is important to use fresh milled flour for baking... nutrition being at the top of the list. Did you know grocery stores need flour to have an extended shelf life and in order to do so the flour is stripped of the most nutritious parts? Not only this, but flour in general starts to lose nutritional value within days of being ground. Makes you wonder what nutrition (if any) we are receiving from store bought flours!

When you grind your own fresh flour before baking you are ensuring all nutritional value is intact. You will consume every part of the grain and therefore reap the health benefits that come along with it such as prevent cardiovascular disease, stroke, heart attacks and clogged arteries!

Your fresh milled grains will taste better and you will be saving money as well! Grains and legumes can be purchased in bulk for a great discount and stored away until ready to mill. The freshness will not be lost if stored properly.

At Kitchen Specialties and Granary you will not only find the Nutrimill grain mill for a great price but all the other essentials you will need for home milling, baking, and cooking! They carry a wide selection of kitchen products such as quality kitchen mixers, dehydrators, juicers, bakeware, bulk grains, organic spices, specialty teas, and more! I have been so pleased with my experiences with Kitchen Specialties and Granary...friendly people, fast shipping and great customer service!


BUY IT: You can purchase the Nutrimill Grain Mill at Kitchen Specialties and Granary's online store. Click here. Don't forget to check out all the other great products that they offer!

WIN IT: Kitchen Specialties and Granary is giving one lucky Happily Domestic reader a Nutrimill Grain Mill of their very own!!! $240 Value!!!

*Remember to leave a separate comment for each additional entry and include your email address in your comments!*
YOU MUST DO THIS TO WIN!!

*See my giveaway instructions here for more information. *

• MANDATORY ENTRY: Visit Kitchen Specialties and Granary and tell me another product they sell that you have interest in. Tell me why you need/want it. Counts for 1.

• Follow Happily Domestic Publicly Through Google Friend Connect (located on side bar): Counts for 5 entries!!! Please leave separate comments for each entry.
  

• Subscribe to my blog emails via Feedburner. (and activate your subscription) Sign up box on my right sidebar. Counts for 2 entries! Please leave separate comments for each entry.

• Blog about THIS giveaway between November 23rd and December 13th and gain 3 entries!!! link back to my site- leave the URL where you blogged. Please leave separate comments for each entry. Example "I blogged about your Nutrimill giveaway@ #1" then "I blogged about your Nutrimill giveaway@ #2" etc.

• Grab my Happily Domestic button! (found at right sidebar)- Leave the URL where it is posted. Counts for 1.

• Follow HappilyDomestic on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway (counts as 1 entry)- after this you may "tweet" daily and gain an extra entry each day that you tweet-limit one per day. Leave your tweet status.

• Enter any of my current giveaways, leave a comment and tell me which giveaway you entered. Counts as 1 entry per giveaway entered. Please leave separate comments per giveaway you entered.

• Request a print catalog from Kitchen Specialties and Granary. Click here to request (please include your mailing address in your email request). Leave a comment here saying you did this.
  

• Make a purchase at Kitchen Specialties and Granary between November 24th and December 15th for 10 Extra Entries! (Purchase will be confirmed) Leave 10 separate comments saying that you did this.

• Subscribe to Kitchen Specialties and Granary's Email Newsletter. Click here. Leave a comment saying you did this.
  

• Put this button on your blog sidebar for 3 EXTRA ENTRIES!!! Leave 3 separate comments saying that you did this.
  

<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.happilydomestic.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/af214/HappilyDomestic/NMbutton.jpg" /></a></center>

This gives you 50+ ways to win if you take every opportunity! Good Luck!

Giveaway ends Thursday, December 16th, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.(MST). 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.*

Thank you to Kitchen Specialties and Granary who provided me with the product for review. All opinions are my own and no other compensation was received to conduct this review and giveaway.
*THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED*

Wordless Wednesday- Bubbles the Fish

E using "Bubbles the Fish" AKA-Nebulizer!!!

We are now down to using the nebulizer on Little E only 3 times a day. Of course 2 of those times are extra long because he has a second medicine to take. But, on a happy note he is no longer wheezing, retracting, and hardly coughing! Thanks for everyone's prayers, they have been felt.

The Children's Place- Dress your kids in style! {{ Review and Gift Card Giveaway}}

*THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED*

I must admit, one of the things I love most about having children is dressing them! I always enjoy picking out cute little outfits. Now that I have 2 little boys close in age, it is so fun to dress them alike. Whenever I'm out shopping, I am always on the look out for great bargains on kid's clothes. With 4 growing children I have a lot to buy for!

I was thrilled when I heard The Children's Place was opening at our local mall! I had been to a couple stores in larger cities in the past and have always admired their clothing. The Children's Place offers sylish children's clothing from newborn all the way up to size 14! This is great, because it means I can shop for all my children at one store! The prices at The Children's Place are affordable for anyone and they offer so many sales and promotions you are sure to get the most for your money!

Have you seen the new fall and winter clothing lines at TCP lately? There is so many adorable styles for boys and girls! I am loving the plaids and fun bright colors!

My kids recently had the opportunity to try some of the fall clothing from The Children's Place.

I love how sophisticated they look! Very sharp.

C is wearing the Plaid Woven Twill Shirt in ink color and Cargo Pants in flax color. The shirt is pre-washed for softness and shrink resistant. It has buttons at collar point, smooth herringbone taping at inner neck for a neat finish and added durability, as well as one chest pocket. The Cargo Pants are microsanded and enzyme treated for added softness. They contain an inner adjustable waist for the perfect fit and plenty of pockets for storage! My son is rather picky about his clothing, but found this outfit to be quite comfortable. I am pleased because it is an outfit he can wear for everyday as well as special occasions.

My daughter is wearing the Ruffle Henley long sleeved shirt in chalk color along with the Five Pocket Knit Demin Skort. The top is made from a soft 100% combed cotton. It has a mixed variety of rhinestone buttons down the front that are simply adorable! Also, the stitching has metallic threading for a touch of shine. The skort is made of combed cotton french terry with spandex, but has a denim look. It has a fashionable stone washed finish and is nice and soft to the touch. This skort is easy to pull on and off and contains attached cotton/spandex shorts underneath for coverage. I love girl's clothing that are comfortable enough for play without losing femininity.

Little E is wearing the Plaid Woven Twill Shirt in cobalt color and the Pull On Cargo Pants.
The woven twill shirt is super soft to the touch and made from 100% cotton twill. It has been pre-washed for softness and to reduce shrinkage. Buttons are cross-and-lock stitched for extra security and shirttail has hem for a neat finish over pants. The pull on cargo pants are also made of cotton twill with a enzyme stonewashed finish for style. They have a covered elasticized waistband and inner adjustable button tabs at waist for a fine-tuned fit. Although my son is thin, these pants stay up no problem. I love this outfit on him, very handsome!

Baby J is wearing the same outfit as E, but his pants are a little different. He is wearing the Lined Cargo Pants. These pants are made of 100% cotton bedford corduroy with an ultra-soft microsanded finish. They have tons of pockets and an adjustable waist. Best of all, they are fully lined with a cotton/polyester jersey inner. These pants are so nice for the cooler fall weather!

If you haven't checked out The Children's Place lately, I suggest you take a look! Be sure to sign up for their emails for extra savings! You can also sign your children up for their Birthday Club. You will receive special discounts on your child's birthday. This will help save you money on that special birthday outfit.

Now, do you want to go shopping for the holidays? You can win a $50 gift card to The Children's Place! Here's how:

WIN IT- The Children's Place is giving one Happily Domestic reader a $50 gift card!

BUY IT- Shop The Children's Place online here , shipping is only $5 no matter how large your order! Want to find a store near you? Click here.

Here is how to enter:

First Mandatory entry:
Visit The Children's Place and tell me your favorite outfit!

*Remember to leave your email address in your comment! YOU MUST DO THIS TO WIN*

After you have completed your first entry you are eligible for additional entries. *See my giveaway instructions here for more information. * *Remember to leave a separate comment for each additional entry and include your e-mail address.*

• Follow my blog publicly through Google friend connect (can be found at my right sidebar.) - current follows count too! Counts for 3 entries. Please leave separate comments per entry!
  
• Subscribe to my blog emails via Feedburner. Sign up box on my right sidebar. Counts for 2 entries. Please leave separate comments per entry!
• Blog about THIS giveaway between and November 21st and December 1st and gain TWO entries!!! link back to my site- leave the URL where you blogged. Please leave separate comments for each entry. Example "I blogged about your TCP giveaway@ #1" then "I blogged about your TCP giveaway@ #2".
  
• Grab my Happily Domestic button! (found at right sidebar)- Leave the URL where it is posted.
• Follow HappilyDomestic on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway (counts as 1 entry)- after this you may "tweet" daily and gain an extra entry each day that you tweet-limit one per day. Leave your tweet status.
• Like Happily Domestic on Facebook. Click here. Leave a comment saying that you did this.
• Enter any of my current giveaways, leave a comment and tell me which giveaway you entered. Counts as 1 entry per giveaway entered. Please leave separate comments per giveaway you entered.
• Sign up for The Children's Place emails. Click here. Leave a comment saying that you did this.
• Sign up for The Children's Place Birthday Club. Click here. Leave a comment saying that you did this.
• Like The Children's Place on Facebook. Click here. Be sure to tell them Happily Domestic sent you! Leave a comment saying that you did this.
• Follow The Children's Place on Twitter. Click here. Leave a comment saying that you did this.
  

Giveaway ends Friday, December 3rd, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.(MST). 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.*

Thank you to The Children's Place who provided me with the clothing for review.
All opinions are my own and no other compensation
was received to conduct this review and giveaway.

*THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED*

Upcoming holiday sales at MyBabyClothesBoutique.com!!

The holidays are upon us and the mad rush to the malls has started!! At MyBabyClothesBoutque.com you can avoid this mad rush – they are offering a pre-Thanksgiving “Beat The Rush” sale.

Details are as follows...

Beat the Rush Sale!

15% OFF their entire catalog!

MyBabyClothesBoutique.com is offering 15% off their entire catalog from,

November 22nd - November 24th 2010.
Place your orders before the holiday rush to get first pick of their holiday items before they run out of stock!

Use the discount code below to get 15% OFF any order. Simply enter the code during checkout at MyBabyClothesBoutique.com

Discount Code: BEATTHERUSH2010

* Promo only valid from 11/22/2010 - 11/24/2010. Cannot be combined with other offers. Shipping not included.*

Cyber Monday – One day only sale –

25% OFF their entire catalog!

MyBabyClothesBoutique.com is offering 25% off their entire catalog,

November 29th

Use the discount code below to get 25% OFF any order. Simply enter the code during checkout at MyBabyClothesBoutique.com

Discount Code: CYBERSALE2010

* Promo only valid from 11/29/2010 12am – 12 am est. Cannot be combined with other offers. Shipping not included.*

Snag some great deals at Hayneedle and save for the holidays!

How is your holiday shopping coming along? If your anything like me you want to do most of your shopping online to avoid the crowds! I wanted to give you a heads up about some upcoming sales at Hayneedle that I felt were note worthy....

Starting Friday, November 19, 2010 they are having a 3 Day Tree Sale. Take 15% off the current price of any tree, wreath or garland. The best part about this promotion is not only will you save on your Christmas tree purchase, but you also will have a tree planted in the forest. For ever tree they sell this year they will plant a tree in the Nation’s forest!!


Monday, November 22nd they are having a 12 Hour Pre-Black Friday Sale. The sale starts at 11:00 AM ET and ends at 11:00 PM ET. They will have an amazing selection of products at amazing prices!! Check back in at Hayneedle to see the products. They will be sharing a few of the products on Facebook that will be found in their 12 Hour Sale.

Do you receive the Hayneedle mails? I highly recommend signing up before Wednesday, November 24, 2010. They are giving their email file early access to their Black Friday “Door Buster” sale. Only those who receive their emails will get the promo code early. Friday is their Door Buster Black Friday Sale. To end out the zaniness of sales they have their Cyber Monday promotion. Make sure you are tuned in on their social sites for more black Friday and cyber Monday deals!

Twitter: @hayneedle

Facebook: facebook.com/hayneedle

My Twinn- The Just Like Me Doll, Girl and Doll Nightgowns Review and Custom Doll Giveaway!!

*THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED*

Last March I had the wonderful opportunity to work with My Twinn on a review of their custom just like me doll. My daughter named her doll Elizabeth and has loved her since! She enjoys dressing like her doll and the whole family gets a kick out of the resemblance. Sometimes when her doll is on the couch or sitting on the ground, I have mistaken it for my daughter! Haha.

This time I would like to tell you all about the adorable girl and doll matching pajama sets from My Twinn! Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall you will find the perfect sleepwear for your girl and her doll with over 10 styles to choose! My daughter was sent the Rosebud nightgown set and it is beautiful! These nightgowns have a classic style with ruffles, bows, lace and a petite rosebud pattern. Very feminine, I love it!

Ready for bed!

♥ Adorable ♥

More about My Twinn:

My Twinn specializes in creating one of a kind dolls made to look like your little girl. Their artists will match your child's hair color, hair style, eye color, skin tone, and even add special features such as freckles and birthmarks at your request. These high quality 23 inch dolls come with a soft cuddly body and are fully poseable.

Once your little girl has her "Twinn" the fun begins! My Twinn offers a HUGE selection of matching girl & doll outfits, doll furniture and accessories. At My Twinn My World she can create a virtual world for herself and her doll, play games, send e-cards, and more!

Since last spring I have purchased several outfits and accessories for my daughter and her doll and am quite pleased with the quality and service I received. I have also come to appreciate all the great sales and promotions MyTwinn offers it's customers! Their Free Goods program is awesome and will help you get the most bang for your buck!

My Twinn Also Offers:

• My Twinn Baby Dolls and all their accessories.
• Adopt A Friend Dolls- For every Adopt a Friend sold, My Twinn will make a donation to the National Adoption Center!
  
• Vintage Toddler Dolls- These 20" dolls look just like a little toddler. Don't forget that younger brother or sister!
  
• My Twinn Outlet- Save BIG on your favorite My Twinn merchandise!
  
• Free Goods- This promotion runs periodically. With each purchase made you earn dollars towards FREE MY Twinn Merchandise.
• FREE 1 year subscription to Family Fun Magazine with any purchase of $25 or more. This alone is a $9.97 value !
  
• Gift Certificates- These make the perfect gift for that out of town niece, Granddaughter, or friend.

Now... do you want to win a custom My Twinn doll for that special little girl in your life? This will make the BEST Christmas present ever!


WIN IT- My Twinn has generously offered to give one Happily Domestic reader a My Twinn Doll Gift Package . $149.00 Value

*This includes a personal profile packet so you and your daughter can match eye, skin, and hair color for your very own custom doll! You will then return this information along with a photograph of your daughter in the postage paid envelope and My Twinn will do the rest. You will receive your custom doll in 4-5 weeks. Doll shipping is also included in this doll package.*

BUY IT- Shop My Twinn for custom dolls, adopt-a-friend dolls, matching girl & doll outfits and more! Don't forget to take advantage of all their current promotions!

Here is how to enter:

First Mandatory entry:
Visit My Twinn and tell me which outfit you will pick for your custom doll AND what accessory is your favorite.

*Remember to leave your email address in your comment! YOU MUST DO THIS TO WIN*

After you have completed your first entry you are eligible for additional entries. *See my giveaway instructions here for more information. * *Remember to leave a separate comment for each additional entry and include your e-mail address.*

• Follow my blog publicly through Google friend connect (can be found at my right sidebar.) - current follows count too! Counts for 3 entries. Please leave separate comments per entry!
  
• Subscribe to my blog emails via Feedburner. Sign up box on my right sidebar. Counts for 2 entries. Please leave separate comments per entry!
• Blog about THIS giveaway between and November 18th and December 1st and gain TWO entries!!! link back to my site- leave the URL where you blogged. Please leave separate comments for each entry. Example "I blogged about your My Twinn Doll giveaway@ #1" then "I blogged about your My Twinn Doll giveaway@ #2".
  
• Grab my Happily Domestic button! (found at right sidebar)- Leave the URL where it is posted.
• Follow HappilyDomestic on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway (counts as 1 entry)- after this you may "tweet" daily and gain an extra entry each day that you tweet-limit one per day. Leave your tweet status.
• Like Happily Domestic on Facebook. Click here. Leave a comment saying that you did this.
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Giveaway ends Friday, December 3rd, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.(MST). 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.*

Thank you to My Twinn who provided me with the products for review.
All opinions are my own and no other compensation
was received to conduct this review and giveaway.

*THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED*

Fluff Talk Thursdays- Meet Our Cloth Diaper Mama's for November 18th!

Two weeks ago I introduced you to 3 cloth diaper mamas. This week I have 3 more amazing mamas for you to meet! Make sure you say hello in a comment here and be sure to visit their blogs!

Our first mama is Tara...


Name: Tara

Children: A 10 month-old daughter we like to call Blondie

Occupation: I could go on forever listing all my job titles but stay-at-home-mom covers them all!

How long have you been cloth diapering? I have been cloth diapering for almost 10 months now.

What is your favorite diaper brand and style? Oh this question is so hard to answer because it all depends on the situation. Daddy loves to use Mud Butt AI2 and I enjoy used them while out and about. I love bumGenius pockets for overnight and during the day I enjoy using SoftBums Omni covers with prefolds!

How did you get started cloth diapering? I love sharing my start into cloth diapering because it's pretty unusual and I like to say that cloth chose us! My intentions were not to use cloth diapers, I was very misinformed and thought I don't have time to pin them on, deal with the poop and then wash them! My husbands client very generously gave us about a dozen bumGenious' and they sat in our living room for about a week while I figured out how I was going to get rid of these things. I thought for sure nobody would want them and then I realized people I knew were cloth diapering and they gave me the real facts and the rest is history!

What is your best cloth diaper advice? Do your research and know that what works for one family might not work for yours. If you get the opportunity to meet with someone locally who will show you your options with diapers and answer your questions it can really help! All the information on the internet can really make cloth diapering feel overwhelming and like a lot to handle!

Tell us your funniest cloth diaper moment: I haven't had anything too funny happen yet, although my Grandma is obsessed with the snappi and I think it's so funny! The first time I changed a diaper in front of my Grandma she was amazed at the function of the Snappi, or as she calls it "bungee-cord thing", and everywhere I went with her all she would talk about was this "thing" and then I had to explain to them what she was talking about! She still hasn't gotten over this and always talks about it!

Is your husband supportive of your choice to cloth diaper? Absolutely he is! He is a very supportive husband with anything I do and when we talked about making the switch to cloth diapers he was a little taken back but he started with AIO's and then he quickly asked for me to show him how to do the bikini twist with the prefolds! He is an amazing man!


What type of comments do you receive from friends/family/strangers about your cloth diapering decision? My family and friends have been great through this whole process. I have a girlfriend who isn't even pregnant yet but LOVES to talk about cloth diapers and plans to cloth her future children. My mom has jumped right in and wanted to learned how to use the prefolds and has been great! I did have a few family members who kept asking me "How's it going, are you still using cloth?" I felt like they thought it was just a phase and it would pass. Surprisingly the strangers I have come in contact with are all for the new modern cloth diapers and I have had great experiences talking with them about cloth diapers!

Tell us a bit about yourself! I am a 25 year old stay-at-home-mom to my adoring 10 month old daughter and wife to my husband of 2 1/2 years. I live just outside of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota and love it! I enjoy the start to my mornings with my sister, who lives in Iowa, and a cup of coffee over skype! I am very close to my family and love them dearly. I also love taking day-trips and sightseeing around Minnesota. In my free time I enjoy blogging, sewing, crocheting and just being a mom! I have found passion in spreading the word about cloth so I am a member of various sites and a discussion leader of my local Momslikeme.com cloth diapering group along with starting a drive called Fluffy Holiday to help give Twin Cities families in need cloth diapers around the holidays!

Website/Blog: www.thesmalltownmom.com




Next we have Lyn....


Name: Lyn

Children: LJ (2.5 years) and Peanut due early Feb.

Occupation:SAHM/WAHM

How long have you been cloth diapering? We started cloth when John was about 18 months.

What is your favorite diaper brand and style? I don't really have a favorite brand, but we are in love with pocket diapers. I have actually started to make my own diapers to build our stash and prepare for diapering a newborn in cloth, which we have not done before.

How did you get started cloth diapering? I was lucky enough to have a momma at our church who uses cloth on her children and she helped me get started and learn some of the basics. Also I did research, research, and more research. I bought some gDiapers at the store thinking they would be the way we would go. I soon left them aside for a small stash of pockets I bought from sites like diaperswappers.

What is your best cloth diaper advice? For newbies, try as many brands as you can and don't sweat the small stuff. Be flexible. As my son has gotten older, our stash has changed to fit what works best. What is best at 6 months may very well be totally different at 9 months. Days at home are totally different from days out.

Tell us your funniest cloth diaper moment: We haven't had tons of funny moments, but one time shortly after we started using cloth, Hubby was the one to change our son at church and before I knew it, he was soaked. Clothes and all were totally soaked. As it turns out Hubby had put on a fitted without knowing that it needed a cover. So, we changed him up quick before we had to leave.

Is your husband supportive of your choice to cloth diaper? At first he wasn't sure about it, and I knew that I was going to be the person changing the diapers, but he has begun to come around and he will change the diapers, he just doesn't do anything with dirties, that is mommy's job. :) I think he is looking forward to all the cute diapers on our newest bundle when she gets here. :)

What type of comments do you receive from friends/family/strangers about your cloth diapering decision? My in-laws used cloth, but she is wary of the new kind. My mom doesn't even really try the whole cloth thing. She doesn't get it really. I have been able to convert one friend and she has converted others. I haven't gotten much response from strangers really. Most people don't even totally notice that he is wearing something different.

Tell us a bit about yourself! I am a SAHM/WAHM mom to a great little munchkin with another one on the way. I started my own little business to try to bring a little extra money in to the house to help out as much as I can. My husband and I have now been married for five years and together for 11. I try to save money where I can, so living frugal has become a little mission of mine. I love finding new things to try out to make life better for my family in any way that I can. I am so glad that I have been able to rekindle my love for sewing so that now I can even make some of the diapers for my son's and soon to be daughter's stash. I am just trying to make the best of the life I have been given. I am very blessed. Oh, and I love to meet moms who share passions similar to mine. :)

Website/Blog: My blog is lynifer.blogspot.com - my blog is a little bit of everything. General life talk, cloth talk, frugal living, green living, my business talk (Lynifer), and I am working to enter the realm of reviews and giveaways as well.



Last but not least we have Chari...


Name: Chari Price

Children: 1 Two year old and 1 baby due in April

Occupation: Stay at home mom

How long have you been cloth diapering? 26 months

What is your favorite diaper brand and style? Happy Heinys in aplix. I’m a one size pocket gal all the way, but I do have a few other styles in my stash.

How did you get started cloth diapering? Before I was even pregnant with Ethan I knew that I would cloth diaper. As soon as I found out we were expecting our first baby I started doing research about cloth diapers. I could not believe how much cloth diapers had changed since my husband and I were cloth diapered by our moms!

What is your best cloth diaper advice? #1 Try all kinds! I see so many first timers buy a whole stash of ONE brand of diapers then are disappointed in cloth diapering because they don’t work and give up cloth diapering all together. Babies come in all shapes and sizes and what may work on your friends baby, may not work on yours. Buy several different brands and types and see which ones you really like. You can always sell the ones you don’t like and buy more of the ones you do like. #2 Buy seconds! There is nothing functionally wrong with seconds and you can save so much money. I have only ever bought 1 diaper over $10 a piece. Funny thing is that it was just a few weeks ago. I was positive that I am pregnant with a girl so I bought this girly diaper that was too cute (and at a good price). Guess what? I’m having a boy! Serves me right for paying more than $10 for a diaper!

Tell us your funniest cloth diaper moment: I finally broke down and bought a diaper sprayer a few weeks ago. Husband admitted that he accidentally had the sprayer turned the wrong way and sprayed the ceiling. I thought that was funny until I did it myself the next week! Needless to say I double check my sprayer before turning it on.

Is your husband supportive of your choice to cloth diaper? He is because he was cloth diapered as a baby.

What type of comments do you receive from friends/family/strangers about your cloth diapering decision? I have only received one negative comment from anyone about cloth diapering. The only people really interested in cloth diapers that comments or asks me questions about them are the ones who are looking into cloth diapering or who plan to when they have children.

Tell us a bit about yourself! I am a 30 year old stay at home mom to Ethan who is 2 years old. I have been married to Andrew since May 2004 and we are expecting our second baby, Cole, April 3^rd. Blogging is a huge part of my spare time as well as crafting, and sewing up some newborn diapers for the new baby. When I’m not pregnant I love running and staying more active.

Website/Blog: taketimetosmelltherose.blogspot.com Stay tuned for a cloth diaper event in January 

Interested in cloth diapers but not sure how to get started? Check out my previous Fluff Talk Thursday posts here.