Baby K's 1st B-day Blog Par-tay - Halo Sleep Sack

Baby K! She's cute, she's sweet, she's turning ONE! So let's have some giveaway fun!

We used a Halo SleepSack for Baby K's sleep routine during her first few months of life. (I use the word "routine" lightly of course...) We started with traditional swaddling but then she learned how to wriggle her way out of that pretty well and it was no longer the best option. The sleep sack with swaddle is especially wonderful because they still feel swaddled, stay warm and are on their back as recommended.

As Baby K grew and didn't need the swaddling as much, we simply removed the Velcro swaddle section and continued to use the sleep sack without that portion. Genius.

And did you know that the HALO® SleepSack® Wearable Blanket is the #1 choice of parents and leading experts and is the only wearable blanket used by hospitals nationwide?

I'm a huge proponent of the Halo SleepSack as I feel it helped us ALL get more sleep than if we had not had it. Also, I love that it easily zips from the bottom (!) so that middle of the night diaper changes are a easier AND it keeps baby warm and cozy, without the use of loose blankets.

Halo has now partnered with Target and come out with a new line exclusive to Target stores and this giveaway also comes with a $10 Target gift certificate!

So, if you'd like to win a Halo SleepSack + 10 bucks to one of my favorite stores please leave a comment. Any old comment will do this time. You can tell me about your day or what your kids are going to be for Halloween or how cute Baby K is - it's totally up to you! :)

For extra entries...

Follow @HaloSleepSack on twitter

Like Halo SleepSack on Facebook

Tweet about this giveaway and leave me an additional comment letting me know you did so! Please mention @elainea and @HaloSleepSack in your tweet.

This giveaway closes on Saturday, October 2nd at 11:59 p.m. CST and is open for U.S. entries only. Winner will be announced on Sunday, the 3rd.

Please make sure there is a way for me to get in touch with you should you win, either through your blog profile or leave your email address in the comments.

And please don't forget to enter the other giveaways that are going on this week in celebration of Baby K's 1st B-day Par-tay!! We are partyin' all week long!

Baby K's 1st B-day Blog Par-tay - The Rocking Pony

Baby K! She's cute, she's sweet, she's turning ONE! So let's have some giveaway fun!

Do you like your little one(s) to have clothing that is original and cute at the same time?

If so The Rocking Pony's shirts are definitely for your tot! She designs the cutest tees with fun things like monsters, guitars and even bunny slippers! I mean, how cute is that??

And your boy can even wear a tie, without, well, actually wearing a tie!


I really like this one for Baby K.


And this one for Little G.



I like EVERY.SINGLE.ONE actually because they are all so stinkin' cute and cool all at the same time!

So, go visit The Rocking Pony Etsy shop and let me know one or even THREE of your favorites, (because I'm SURE you're going to like at least three of them if not 20!), then come back and tell me in a comment.

For an extra entry you can tweet about this giveaway and leave me an additional comment letting me know you did so! Please mention @elainea and @RockingPony in your tweet! :)

And for a 3rd entry you can "Like" The Rocking Pony on Facebook. Please leave another comment if you do!

This giveaway closes on Saturday, October 2nd at 11:59 p.m. CST and is open for U.S. entries only. Winner will be announced on Sunday, the 3rd.

Please make sure there is a way for me to get in touch with you should you win, either through your blog profile or leave your email address in the comments.

And please don't forget to enter the other giveaways that are going on this week in celebration of Baby K's 1st B-day Par-tay!! We are partyin' all week long!

Baby K's 1st B-day Blog Par-tay - ZaichikiBaby Blanket

Baby K! She's cute, she's sweet, she's turning ONE! So let's have some giveaway fun!

The next giveaway for the week is for an original hand-dyed blanket from Jayna of Yankee Drawl . Now I don't know about you but I'm pretty sure the "cozy" just jumps right off the screen at me when I see one of these "babies"! ;)


Am I right or am I right?

They are made of organic bamboo velour AND they are also hand sewn and hand dyed by Jayna herself. You can see more colors and sizes at her website, Zaichiki Baby where she also sells cloth diapers in some very darling fabrics.

Lucky for you, Jayna has offered to give away this fabulous blanket (the exact one seen below, in purple and gold), sized 30" x 34" - such a great size!

I can totally see this blanket becoming a favorite "lovey" (I know it would around here) because of it's softness and size and I think these will be used for years to come!




If you'd like a chance to win this wonderful blanket, please leave a comment telling me who you'd give it to (or if you'd keep it for yourself!).

For an extra entry you can tweet about this giveaway and leave me an additional comment letting me know you did so! Please mention @elainea and @yankeedrawl.

This giveaway closes on Saturday, October 2nd at 11:59 p.m. CST and is open for U.S. AND Canadian entries only. Winner will be announced on Sunday, the 3rd.

Please make sure there is a way for me to get in touch with you should you win, either through your blog profile or leave your email address in the comments.

And please don't forget to enter the other giveaways that are going on this week in celebration of Baby K's 1st B-day Par-tay!! We are partyin' all week long!

Baby K's 1st B-day Blog Par-tay - Mixbook Photo Books

Baby K! She's cute, she's sweet, she's turning ONE! So let's have some giveaway fun!

I believe it was my good old pal named "Twitter" that directed me to the Mixbook site. I tweeted something about needing/wanting to make some photo books because I don't seem to have time for scrapbooking anymore and lo and behold a couple of people replied and mentioned this company.

So I decided to make a photo book from our Summer vacation to Florida and it turned out wonderfully. I was quite pleased with how easy it was to create the book and the quality and color of the end product.



I also plan to make a book of Baby K's first year after I get pictures from her first birthday. And of course there area MANY other books I would love to make since I take so many pictures these days!

And there are so many fabulous features to the Mixbook site and their photo books that I'm not sure where to start, except maybe to direct you to go there yourself so you check it out. But, I'm still going to list a few here.

*Access to your pics from Facebook, flickr, Picasa, Photobucket and more

*Books in sizes from 6x4 to 14x11 and starting at $6.99*The ability to have friends add their own pictures to your book

*Online Scrapbooking

Plus, they also have cards and stationary available as well! Check out these great holiday designs.



The good people of Mixbook are offering one of you a FREE book up to a value of $39.99!

If you'd like to win please visit the Mixbook website and leave comment here about something YOU like about their site or their products.

For an extra entry you can tweet about this giveaway and leave me an additional comment letting me know you did so! Please mention @elainea and @mixbook in your tweet! :)

This giveaway closes on Saturday, October 2nd at 11:59 p.m. CST and is open for U.S. entries only. Winner will be announced on Sunday, the 3rd.

Please make sure there is a way for me to get in touch with you should you win, either through your blog profile or leave your email address in the comments.

And please don't forget to enter the other giveaways that are going on this week in celebration of Baby K's 1st B-day Par-tay!! We are partyin' all week long! Click below to enter!

Custom tutu/bodysuit from It's All in the Bag

The Juppy Walker

Mabel's Labels

Cloth baby shoes from Baby Things by Jessica




*Disclaimer: I purchased a photo book from Mixbook several months ago and was very pleased with the product so I inquired about giving a book on my blog. One of my readers will receive a free Mixbook photo book up to a $39.99 value. I have received no compensation for this post and all opinions are my own.

Baby K's 1st B-day Blog Par-tay - Baby Things By Jessica

Baby K! She's cute, she's sweet, she's turning ONE! So let's have some giveaway fun!

Do any of you remember these precious shoes?

Yeah, I do too. Unfortunately they are now too small for the almost gonna be in a couple of days one year old. I wish there was a way to "extend" them. But alas there is not. *sigh*

(yeah, see the little baby there with very little hair and still laying on her tummy, she is a thing of the past...)

I found them in a darling shop on Etsy called Baby Things By Jessica and their maker (her name is Jessica, go fig!) is happy to celebrate Baby K's 1st B-day by giving away a pair of her precious baby shoes!

I love them because they are made with some extremely adorable fabrics and they can dress up or down and... they stay on! That right there is worth it's weight in gold people! And she makes them for wee little guys too! See the baby boy cuteness??


So, please go visit Jessica's shop and then come back here and tell me which pair you like in your comment.

For an extra entry you can tweet about this giveaway and leave me an additional comment letting me know you did so!

This giveaway closes on Saturday, October 2nd at 11:59 p.m. CST and is open for U.S. entries only. Winner will be announced on Sunday, the 3rd.

Please make sure there is a way for me to get in touch with you should you win, either through your blog profile or leave your email address in the comments.

And please don't forget to enter the other giveaways that are going on this week in celebration of Baby K's 1st B-day Par-tay!! We are partyin' all week long!


*Disclaimer. I purchased a pair of baby shoes from Baby Things by Jessica several months ago and was very pleased with them so I inquired about giving a pair away on my blog. One of my readers will receive a pair of baby shoes for free. I have received no compensation for this post and all opinions are my own.

Baby K's 1st B-day Blog Par-tay - Mabel's Labels

Baby K! She's cute, she's sweet, she's turning ONE! So let's have some giveaway fun!

You've heard of Mabel's Labels, right? You know, the Canadian company that makes cute and high-quality labels for just about anything your kid needs or totes around? Yeah, those!

So this give away should be a no-brainer. Everyone needs labels for their kiddos stuff and this company is awesome. They are SO friendly, great to work with and their customer service is outstanding.

So, who wants to win one Colorful Essentials Combo pack of labels?
(includes 30 sticky labels, 40 iron-on labels OR 70 Tag Mates, 12 shoe labels and 2 Teeny Tags)

All you have to do is visit the Mabel's Labels website and tell me something about their labels that you like. Then come back here and tell me in a comment.

For an extra entry you can tweet about this giveaway and mention @elainea and @mabelhood in your tweet then leave an additional comment letting me know you did so.

This giveaway closes on Saturday, October 2nd at 11:59 p.m. CST and is open for U.S. and Canadian entries. Winner will be announced on Sunday, the 3rd.

Please make sure there is a way for me to get in touch with you should you win, either through your blog profile or leave your email address in the comments.

And please don't forget to enter the other giveaways that are going on this week in celebration of Baby K's 1st B-day Par-tay!! We are partyin' all week long! Including these...

Custom Tutu/Bodysuit Giveway from It's All in the Bag!

The Juppy Walker Giveaway!

*Disclaimer: Mabel's Labels has offered one set of their Colorful Essentials Combo pack of labels to one of the readers here. I have not been compensated in any way for this post and all opinions are my own.

Baby K's 1st B-day Blog Par-tay - The Juppy Walker

Baby K! She's cute, she's sweet, she's turning ONE! So let's have some giveaway fun!

I connected with the folks from The Juppy through Business 2 Blogger and was thrilled to have a product that would help ME to help Baby K learn to gain confidence as she prepared to walk.

The Juppy Walker is great because you are still with your baby while assisting them as they learn to walk but you aren't killing your back at the same time. You simply zip them into the padded vest, adjust the straps as needed and away you both go! It also folds up quite small and comes with it's own carrying case and can fit in your purse or diaper bag (great for the park!).

At first Baby K wasn't quite sure what to do but as I moved behind her she started to get used to it and she cruised quite a bit the second time we used it and after that.





The Juppy is giving away a walker to one Miss Elaine-ous Life reader in your choice of pink or blue!

To enter please visit The Juppy website and tell me what your favorite feature is about the product and what color you would choose.

For extra entries... (leave an additional comment for each):

Follow The Juppy on Twitter - @TheJuppyWalker and tweet about this giveaway.

Like The Juppy on Facebook

This giveaway closes on Saturday, October 2nd at 11:59 p.m. CST and is open for U.S. and Canadian entries. Winner will be announced on Sunday, the 3rd.

Please make sure there is a way for me to get in touch with you should you win, either through your blog profile or leave your email address in the comments.

And please don't forget to enter the other giveaways that are going on this week in celebration of Baby K's 1st B-day Par-tay!! We are partyin' all week long!


*Disclaimer: The Juppy sent me one complimentary Juppy walker for use and review. The Juppy has offered to give away one Juppy walker to one my readers. I have received no other compensation for this post and all opinions are my own.

Baby K's 1st B-day Blog Par-tay - It's All in the Bag!

Baby K! She's cute, she's sweet, she's turning ONE! So let's have some giveaway fun!

The first giveaway this week is for something that I am so excited to share with everyone! We're kicking it off in "high style" for sure!

I reached out to Liz from Loving Mom 2 Boys (who also has two boys and is currently pregnant with a baby girl, like I was last year at this time!) because she's a sweetheart, a great blog and twitter friend and well, she's pretty talented too. Her Etsy shop, It's All in the Bag, has cute purses, crayon rolls and aprons too.

And thanks to her, Baby K will be all decked out in this darling outfit on her birthday! I just adore the fabric she used for the "1" on the bodysuit and the tutu is extra fun and "froofy" (which is totally a word.)

(please note: headband NOT included in giveaway)

So, here's the good stuff for YOU! It's All in the Bag is offering one customizable set like this one! That's right, you choose the colors and what you want on the body suit - either a letter or number, for the sweet girl in your life!

All you need to do to enter is to visit Liz's shop and tell me something else you like in a comment. How easy is that?

And for an extra entry you can tweet about this giveaway and leave me an additional comment letting me know you did so! Please mention @elainea and @lovingmom2boys in your tweet! :)

This giveaway closes on Saturday, October 2nd at 11:59 p.m. CST and is open for U.S. entries only. Winner will be announced on Sunday, the 3rd.

Please make sure there is a way for me to get in touch with you should you win, either through your blog profile or leave your email address in the comments.

And please don't forget to come back to enter the other giveaways that are coming up this week in celebration of Baby K's 1st B-day Par-tay!! We are partyin' all week long!

And there's a great little button on the top of my right side bar for you to post on your blog if you want to help spread the word! Just grab the code below. Thanks!

Good Luck!

*Disclaimer: I purchased a bodysuit and tutu set from It's All in the Bag! and I inquired about giving away a set on my blog. One of my readers will receive a body suit and tutu set for free. I have received no compensation for this post and all opinions are my own.

Life Lessons Learned Through Another Mother

So there's this other Mom I know in the community that I run into quite a bit.

For the sake of this post, let's call her Julie (that is NOT her name and for the life of me I can't remember it right now, so it could possibly be her name, but I'm about 98.356% sure it's not).

Julie's son and my son go to the same school. Julie's been to a few of the same birthday parties as me. Julie and her family go to the same church as us. Julie goes to the same gym in town that we do.

So you get it right? I see Julie out and about quite a bit.

We've talked a few times after Zumba or while waiting for our child to get out of school (during the times I've actually walked up to the front to get him).

But we've never really "gelled" as they say. Maybe it's me, maybe it's her, I'm not sure. Maybe it's both. Maybe we just don't "gel" well.

I'd like to be her friend. I'd like to be most people's friends but when we do talk it seems forced and just a formality. Like something we "have" to do. You know the drill.

Part of it, at least from my perspective, is that she always seems distracted or in her own little world. Like even when I'm talking to her she's already moved on to the next thing in her head, her eyes looking past me even.

So then it got me wondering if I ever "seem" that way while talking to others...

Today, as I drove through the car pick up line to get The B Man, I saw her walking away from school, slowly behind her son AND husband. Yes, her husband and her both come to get their son EVERY. DAY. And she wears scrubs and I've heard (she didn't tell me, someone else did) that she's a surgical nurse at one of the hospitals in town.

I watched her through my windshield, as she walked along carrying her son's backpack on her shoulder and she had kind of a weird/strange/sick look on her face and then I wondered... Maybe she is carrying other burdens on her shoulders that I don't even know about. I realized then and there...

I really know NOTHING about this woman.

She could be going through some stuff that I have no idea what it is.

Who knows why her husband comes along every day in shorts and a t-shirt, to pick up their son. Perhaps he lost his job. Maybe she brings "home the bacon" and she's more tired than I could possibly imagine. Maybe someone died at the hospital today.

I have no clue.

All we've ever exchanged are pleasantries.

So then it got me wondering if I have a "funny" look on my face, what do people think may be going on in my life?

Anyway, I've learned a few lessons here (just since I've been typing).

You won't be friends with someone just because you have a lot of "around town" places in common.

REALLY listen to people and look at them when they are talking to you because otherwise they may not think you are actually listening to them.

And always try to wear a smile in public (notice I said try) no matter what's going on in your life.

That's all. Carry on.

You Capture - Flowers!

Alive and well...

Not as much...

Still standing tall...

Leaning a bit...

Making me smile...

WW - We've Come Along Way Baby!

Last year at this time this was the scene around here. At least from my own personal view.



My enormous swollen feet, way down there below my large, round belly. (I'm assuming those blurry things on my shirt are bits of some kind of food and it's HUGELY possible it's ice cream. Get it? Hugely?? I kill me.)

And because less than two weeks later the belly went down AT LEAST 7 lbs. 13 oz. (the feet took a little longer...), we're havin' a little party here at The Miss Elaine-ous Life next week!!

A party that I am MOST excited to tell you all about.

And so is my little tweetle-bird. (a.k.a. soon-to-be BIRTHDAY GIRL!!!)

Ain't she just the cutest thang???

That's right, next week, all week, we are celebrating like party girls do, and giving away some pretty great products from some wonderful companies and individuals that I am proud to know and work with and I'm SO excited!

And so is she. I mean she even put on her new "skinny jeans" (also known as $3.99 leggings from Kohl's) to get ready for her FIRST Birthday party!


So don't be late! The festivities start on Monday September 27th and go on through Baby K's Birthday on Friday, October 1st.

I promise you don't want to miss out and if you are willing to help out spreading the word, please grab the code from the "button" below and post in on your blog. Your help won't go unnoticed, I promise.

(and thanks SO much to Krystyn from Krizzy Designs for creating the darling button below!)

<center><a href="http://www.misselaineouslife.com/"><img alt="Baby K's 1st Birthday Blog Par-tay" src="http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff437/elainea1/BabyKsfirstbirthdaybash.png" /></a></center>

And here's one last pic of the "baby" girl just because I love it so...

p.s. currently giving away a Potty Tots potty-training kit HERE!


More WW at Parenting by Dummies.