Love To Shop Mom

Springtime Blog Swap: Hosted By Family of Shorts

Shortmama from Family of Shorts is hosting a Spring Time Blog Swap! This will be my first blog swap to participate in, and I am so excited! The swap is simple! You can sign up, today is the last day to sign up, and then you will be matched with another blogger that has also signed up! Then you make a cute basket full of spring time goodies and swap boxes with each other! It's a fun way to get to know a new blogger and to spread the spring time joy with someone else! Plus you get a present in the mail, and who doesn't like getting presents!!!! So if you want to participate in Shortmama's Spring Swap just visit her post on the rules and how to participate and sign up to swap spring goodies with another blogger!!!!

Happy Spring Time!

12:27 PM | 0 comments | Read more...

$Let\$

Let's Shop: Brownies.com Easter Sale

Fairytale Brownies is having a wonderful Easter Sale! Right now their Easter Medley is on sale for just $28.90! You can even find 6 Great Easter Gifts for Under $35! And Shipping is just $6.95 per Recipient! If you have never tried a Fairytale Brownies and want some advice before buying them, check out my review I wrote in November! These Brownies are so YUMMY!!!

To take advantage of the Fairytale Brownies Easter Sale, just visit their website! HERE

**Disclosure** I did not receive any form of product or cash for this post, all opinions are my own!

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Fun for St. Patricks Day

Today I thought it would be fun to share a few of my favorite St.Patrick's Day ideas from Http://www.kaboose.com Everything from the post can be found directly on the Kaboose website, but I have included direct links with each item so they are easy to find! I hope you enjoy, are wearing your green, and have a great St.Patrick's Day!

Irish Soda Bread

This Recipe and picture is courtesy of www.kaboose.com and can be found if you follow the link http://recipes.kaboose.com/irish-soda-bread.html

Ingredients
4 tablespoons sweet butter, softened
½ cup sugar
2 large eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups buttermilk
1 cup currants

Cooking Instructions

Butter a cookie sheet. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl beat butter and sugar together to combine. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In a medium bowl whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to combine.
Beginning and ending with flour mixture alternately add flour and buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Stir in currants.
On a generously floured hard surface knead the dough about 4 minutes until smooth and not sticky, adding flour as needed.
Form into 7½-inch round. Transfer to prepared cookie sheet. Etch an x in the top of the loaf.
Bake about 1 hour 10 minutes or until it sounds hollow when tapped on. Move to a rack to cool completely before slicing.

Substitution(s)
Raisins can be used in place of the currants

Fun Printable Coloring Pages:

This coloring page can be found on www.kaboose.com
You can find the full printable version along with other's if you follow this link! I found TONS of cute St.Patrick's Day themed printable coloring pages and art time activities on the Kaboose Website!
http://printables.kaboose.com/jolly-leprechaun.html

St.Patrick's Day Humor:
What is out on the lawn all summer and is Irish? Paddy O'Furniture

Why do frogs like St. Patrick's Day? Because they are always wearing Green

What does a leprechaun call a happy man wearing green? A Jolly Green Giant
For more cute and fun St.Patrick's Day Humor, follow the link, http://holidays.kaboose.com/patrick-games-jokes.html

You can find a great article on the History of St.Patrick's Day including Traditions and the symbols of St.Patrick's Day if you follow this link! http://holidays.kaboose.com/saint-patricks-day/history/patrick-history-traditions-symbols.html

What are your plans for this St.Patrick's Day? Did you remember to wear Green?

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Wordless Wednesday-A Day at the Park Edition

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A Feeling of Relief

Last weekend I experienced almost every emotion known to man. I was going to blog about my emotion filled weekend a few days ago, but decided against it in fear of what people would think. But then when I talked it over with my hubby he encouraged me to blog about it and not to care what people would think. I love my husband for being so understanding and such a huge supporter of Love To Shop Mom.

So here I am today blogging about what I wanted to blog about the other day.

It all started Friday morning, when I realized what day of the month it was and that I was three days late. Which freaked me out and scared the HELL out of me. The thought of being pregnant right now was not something that brought good feelings my way. I immediately told my hubby and he reminded me that we have been stressed out and that it could just be that. But that if we were pregnant with baby number 2 that we would just figure things out.

My main fear was immediately financial issues, how would we even begin to afford a second baby right now. My next fear was no health insurance. I did not want to have use Medicaid again, I would really like to have health insurance before we go having another baby. My next fear was Little Miss Diva in Training, how would she handle not being the only child, would she be a good big sister.

I began to panic. I felt guilty because I was not ready to have another baby right now, guilty because we just moved and have already flipped Miss Diva's life all kinds of upside down and getting pregnant right now would only make her world seem worse. And then I found myself praying that I would get my period or that the unthinkable would happen.

And that's when I felt worse about myself than before.And I cried. and I cried and I cried. Mostly for feeling like I did not want a baby. Don;t get me wrong I love being a mom. Pregnancy was not very nice for me the first time around, and I am not sure I am ready to repeat it just yet. I would love another baby, but just not right now. It just does not feel like the time is right. We are just beginning to get out of a financial whole and a baby would not help matters right now.

And then I finally got my period on Saturday morning and felt nothing but a huge wave of relief. The words, THANK GOD actually came out of my mouth. I even spent the entire weekend feeling guilty and terrible about myself.

When I finally told my hubby about my feelings, he confessed that he felt the same way, that he was indeed not ready for another baby yet. What surprised me the most was that he told me that I did not have to feel guilty for feeling this way. That it just meant that it is not time to make our family a family of 4.

After thinking it over long and hard I realized that indeed it is OK to feel thankful for getting my period and not being pregnant. And when I look at this picture of Miss Diva I know that I Absolutely 100% LOVE my little family of three so much and think it is just perfect the way it is. Who knows if we will ever be completely ready to have a second baby. Maybe in a few months or even a year or two years. I love being a mom and would love to have another baby, someday. But for now I cherish my Family of Three and am happy just the way we are; Mommy, Daddy, and Miss Diva.

2:51 PM | 2 comments | Read more...

Sprout Baby Review and Giveaway

Sproutbaby.com recently sent me a few samples of their Episencial Playful Foaming Wash to try for the purpose of this review. If you have never heard of Sprout Baby, you are definitely missing out. Sproutbaby.com is a great place to find healthy and Eco-friendly products for your family. They offer everything from; food, feeding, diapering, baby care, mom care, health care, dad care, toys, home care, and books and media! It is a one stop shop for great Eco-friendly products for the whole family.

One product Sprout Baby is super proud of is their food, Sprout Foods baby food. Sprout Foods is an amazing new line of organic, gourmet, and shelf-stable baby food, created by celebrity chef (and dad), Tyler Florence. If Miss Diva was still eating baby food I would definitely try the Sprout Foods with her! Heck who knows maybe next baby we will!

Sprout Baby sent me their Playful Foaming Wash for Miss Diva and I to try with bath time! One thing that is important to me as a mom is to use products that are Eco-friendly and healthy for Miss Diva. The Playful Foaming Wash was super soft when we used it and left Miss Diva's skin smelling great and soft to the touch. What's even better is that this hydrating wash can be used in the hair and on the body, so it is a money saver as well since I only have to buy one product for bath time instead of two. The foaming Wash lathered up great, and did not irritate Miss Diva's eyes or other sensitive areas. I was impressed and will definitely be purchasing the Episencial Playful Foaming Wash in the future from Sprout Baby!

Sprout Baby is offering One LUCKY Love To Shop Mom reader a chance to WIN a Full Sized Bottle of their Better Body Butter and Playful Foaming Wash by Episencial!

Main Entry: Visit the Sprout Baby Website and tell me another one of their Bath Time Products that you would want to try!

Extra Entries: Please leave a separate comment for EACH entry that you complete!

Follow my Blog, Grab my Button, Subscribe, follow me on Twitter, and/or Become a Facebook Fan (1 Extra Entry for EACH)
Enter another one of my Current Giveaways (5 extra entries per giveaway that you enter)
Comment on another one of my Non Giveaway Posts(1 extra per post that you comment on, up to 5 posts)
Follow Sprout Baby on Facebook and Become a Fan
Follow Sprout Baby on Twitter @EcoMomCEO
Tweet about this Giveaway (1 extra per day): Enter to Win Sprout Baby Bath Time Products from @lovetoshopmom Ends 4/3 http://bit.ly/93LXmJ #giveaway #win

PLEASE Don't forget to include an email address with your entries so that I know how to contact you should you be the winner

**This giveaway ends at midnight (central standard time) on April 3, 2010. Winner will be chosen using Random.org. And will be announced on April 4, 2010 Winner will have 48 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen. Must be 18 years or older to enter. Giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada residents only.

**DISCLOSURE**The product in this review was provided to me free of cost for the purpose of conducting this review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are not influenced by monetary compensation

12:45 PM | 5 comments | Read more...

$Disney\$

Disney's The Princess and the Frog is Released

Disney's The Princess and the Frog is being released today, and in honor of that I would like to share a few clips, activity sheets for you and your little ones, and some fun facts about the movie!

Little Miss Diva in Training and Mommy have not seen The Princess and the Frog yet, but we can not wait to see it this weekend!

FUN FACTS About Disney's The Princess and the Frog

FROG FUN -- Animators and visual development artists invited a host of real frogs into the studio in order to truly appreciate what makes frogs frogs.

DISNEY’S NINTH PRINCESS – Disney’s newest princess, Tiana, joins ranks with Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Belle, Ariel, Pocahontas, Jasmine and Mulan. The Princess and the Frog is Disney’s first princess film since Mulan, which was released in June 1998.

LATER GATOR -- The well-known chef Emeril Lagasse voiced the part of Marlon the Gator.

PICTURE THIS -- Filmmakers took more than 50,000 photos of local iconic images to use as reference and inspiration including places like the buildings, restaurants and the garden district.

A GOOD CAUSE -- During their time in New Orleans, directors Ron Clements and John Musker, and producer Peter Del Vecho volunteered for Habitat for Humanity to help rebuild New Orleans.

EVERYBODY LOVES A PARADE – Filmmakers were invited to participate in Mardi Gras aboard a float. At the end of the film, there are caricatures of the directors throwing beads off the float during the wedding parade.

INDEPTH RESEARCH -- Filmmakers took the Nanchez Riverboat tour to ensure the authenticity of the riverboat scenes. They also took a private tour of the streetcar system in New Orleans.

PAYING HOMAGE – During “Down in New Orleans” early in the film, the carpet from Aladdin is being shaken up on a wrought-iron balcony. Mama Odie comes across the lamp from Aladdin during “Dig a Little Deeper.” A Mardi Gras parade float is modeled after King Triton from The Little Mermaid—on it are caricatured versions of directors John Musker and Ron Clements (who also directed The Little Mermaid, Louis realizes his dream of playing with a jazz band and the band is called the Firefly Five Plus Lou after a Disney Animation ragtime band from the 1940s-50s known as the Firehouse Five Plus Two (the film’s piano player is even modeled after Disney Legend Frank Thomas was the piano player for the Firehouse Five Plus Two).

Sneak Peek at Bonus Features from the DVD

Coloring Pages for You and Your Little Ones! Please feel free to save them and then print them from your own computers!

I would like to Thank Click Communications for sending me the Fun Facts, Video Clips, and Coloring Pages to share with my readers! I hope you enjoy the movie and I know I can not wait to watch Disney's The Princess and the Frog with Miss Diva!

7:57 AM | 0 comments | Read more...