Label Daddy Discount!!!

 

...Have you heard of Label Daddy? If not then you are missing out! With AR headed to preschool in the fall, I'm already trying to figure out how to make sure she gets home with her jacket, lunchbox, etc...since I won't be there for drop-off/pick-up. Lucky for me, I've come across Label Daddy!

 

Label Daddy labels keep your belongings from getting lost or mixed up with others. These labels are super durable peel-and-stick washable labels -- they're washer/dryer safe, microwave safe, dishwasher safe and UV resistant! Label Daddy labels are also fun and attractive. You design your own labels! 

 

Pick from many colors, sizes and logos, including Disney and Marvel characters, MLB, NBA, and NHL team logos, other sport and fun logos, and more. Our exclusive laminated coating gives labels an extra layer of protection and is a must for camp, school, or just because they're plain cute! These labels are made in the USA and shipped directly to you worldwide. Save 10% on Label Daddy labels! Go to their website and use code USFAMILY10 at checkout.
 

STL Transportation Museum...

...the morning of the Great Pumpkin Festival, AR and I went to the STL Transportation Museum. I had bought a Groupon for $8 which included admission for 2 and train rides for 2. I paid an additional $4 for Creation Station so I spent a total $12 for our outing.

First things first, we went to Creation Station. They had this school bus that you could walk up the stairs then drive the bus or go down a slide. This is where AR spent the majority of her time. She LOVED it...can you tell? 

Of course they had train tables, quite a few of them! AR liked this one but she got so mad at this bridge. Her train would get stuck in it and it took her awhile to figure out how to get it out. I thought trains were a boy thing but my little girl really loves the train table.

This was the reading corner. I told her to get a book for Mommy to read and when she turned around to look at me, this is what I got. Silly goose!

This pen was magnetic and you could move balls around with it. AR was very intrigued by this and played here for awhile. She wasn't too keen on sharing any of the three with the two boys in the background but I finally got her to just play and not worry about those. Creation Station was a good deal! $2 per person for an hour of play and there were tons of things to do in there plus crafts. 

Then we went on the miniature train ride. It's $4 per person I think over 12 months. The best part is that it's unlimited rides! I thought the thing went pretty fast as you can see from AR's hair here and she loved it. There were random trains and planes that they give you history as you ride. There's also a separate building with more trains you can go see.

Here's AR with the conductor! I was pretty proud of her in this picture with that huge smile. Lately, she's all about mommy so I wasn't sure how she'd react but she did awesome.

Mommy and AR with the train behind us

There's a big, full size train on display in front which AR loved. She liked watching the little train go by us outside. She loved sitting on the stairs and going up and down. She really liked this place!

Then as we left, we passed Gypsy Rose, a boat on wheels with pirates! Here's AR with her sword protecting her Cheerios!

I thought it was a great time and the weather was perfect. It was very small but I liked that because there weren't a ton of people there. Honestly though, if we didn't do Creation Station then there wouldn't have been a whole lot for us to do so it's a definite must if you take the kids there. Since I didn't have to pay for admission for her but had bought the Groupon for 2, they gave me a free pass with no expiration which I wasn't expecting so that was a nice surprise.

 

The Groupon was an awesome deal. If I'd paid for everything, it would have been $20 vs the $12 I paid plus free pass to come back again. I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for this deal again!

CollageIt 3 Pro For Mac Halloween Giveaway...

** * Time Limited Offer - 70% OFF! * * * Click on the link for an opportunity to enter to win a free CollageIt 3 Pro. The app is Free on App Store from Oct. 29 at 0:00 CST to Oct. 31 at 24:00 CST.

CollageIt Pro is an easy-to-use and automatic app that helps you create eye-catching photo collages on Mac OS X. It was designed to give everyone an opportunity to brighten up one's photo collection, and in a few seconds, a set of photos will be turned into an impressive array of collages.

With CollageIt Pro, collage creation is effortless. Choose a template from 4 collage styles - Mosaic, Grid, Center and Pile (including 45+ brand new templates), add photos and text, and the photo collages can be generated automatically. You can also switch to Free Mode to manually edit the collage as you wish. What’s more, apply photo effects, text effects, border and shadow to make sure the collage gets its best look. After your master piece is finished, you can export it, print it or share it on Facebook or via Email with family and friends.

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HIGHLIGHTED FEATURES
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* New Features in 3.0
• 45+ brand new templates.
• Added Free Mode to edit collage freely.
• Zooming of editing area.
• Added 20+ photo effects and many text effects.
• Added border of round corners.
• Share collage directly on Facebook.

* Automatic, Easy to Use and Powerful
• Only three steps you’ll create photo collage automatically; easy enough for users of all experienced levels.
• Realtime preview with a super speed.
• Large photo capacity supports adding up to 200 photos.
• Maximum collage size can reach 40”× 40”.

* Various Templates to Choose
• Supports 4 collage styles - Mosaic, Grid, Center and Pile.
• Includes 45+ brand new templates in total.

* Personalize Photo Collage Freely
• Click Random Layout to generate various collage layouts continuously.
• Switch to Free Mode to move, resize, and rotate each photo manually.
• Apply photo border and shadow for decoration.
• Crop photos so that they fit well in the collage space.
• Apply photo effects/filters to beautify your collage.
• Add text – resize; rotate; apply shadow & abundant text effects such as Stroke, Glow, and Background to make your text stand out.
• Choose from 50+ background patterns, or load your own image as background to suit your collage.

* Share the Collage Anywhere
• Save the collage as JPEG, TIFF, BMP, PNG, or GIF, etc. image format and print it out.
• Send the collage to family and friends via Email.
• Set the collage as desktop wallpaper.
• Save the collage as a PDF file.
• Share the collage directly on Facebook.
• Save the collage as project and open it for further editing.

 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Sweet Treat from Treat!!!

...Treat is Shutterfly’s exciting new greeting card brand that makes it easy for people to create and send one-of-a-kind greeting cards. Think Christmas season coming up and who doesn't love personalized cards? It reminds me of when you'd go to the mall and they would type in the person's name so it was "personalized." We've really come a long way since then, eh? With AR, I'm thinking we'll do personalized birthday cards for the grandmas and grandpas because they're always asking for new pictures of her.

Treat has decided to give us a sweet treat: create and send a totally personalized greeting card from Treat for FREE. Go to their website www.treat.com and use this code: TREATBLOGR The offer is only good on Monday 11/19 & Tuesday 11/20 so don't miss out. Head over to www.treat.com and make your card! Be sure to let me know what kind of card you made. Happy personalizing!!!

SEMO Homecoming Parade & Shutterfly Winner...

...Saturday Papa and I took AR to her first parade. I really thought she'd have a good time because she loves to shake her booty to any music she hears. However, because of the kids on either side of us who were older and felt the need to be IN the street, AR didn't have a great seat so I don't think she really got to see everything. FYI to smokers: If you want to smoke, go for it but do NOT smoke around my child!!! Seriously, chain smokers on either side of us who then didn't make their kids pick up their trash, or their own. I told AR that when she was older, she'd have to pick up her own trash.

 

Anyways, my friend Laura and her son, TJ, watched the parade with me while Papa held AR. TJ didn't like Tootsie Rolls so I now have a whole bag of Tootsie Rolls to snack on this week.

 As you can see, AR was less than impressed and dozed off...until the motorcycles and "machine gun" came by super loud. She woke up and looked around but didn't cry. Papa and I held her ears because it was REALLY loud. I'm glad she woke up though and we didn't have a "Mr. Holland's Opus" moment.

 Me and my girl. Love her hat? Aunt Jan made it. On Saturday, it was a Redhawk for SEMO but it could also be a Fred Bird hat-go Birds!

 AR, me and Papa

The weather was perfect but unfortunately, the Redhawks didn't pull off a W.

Now on to why you're really reading...the winner of the Shutterfly $50 giveaway is tabicakes! Congrats!!! Please leave me a comment no later than Wednesday, October 24 at 5pm CT with your email address so I can get you your prize!

Christmas Card Time!!!

...it's that time of year again to start thinking about Christmas cards. We're having family photos on 11/3 (first time EVER!) but I'm already cruising the Christmas Cards over at Shutterfly. I love all the bright, colorful ones like this:

 But I love this one even more because it's colorful and has multiple pictures. We're going to attempt one family shot of Matt, AR, me AND the dogs but let's be honest...we'll probably have to do MANY pics to get all of us in the card.

 

I'm also liking this traditional one:

There are still so many to go through before I find the "perfect" one! Be sure to check out their page of special offers. I've already purchased a few Christmas gifts from there because of the sweet deals they always offer. If the special offers aren't enough to entice you to go check it out, how about a giveaway? Giveaway prize: $50 off total order (does not include shipping & cannot be combined with any other promos).

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment letting me know what Christmas card or photo gift you'd purchase. Giveaway will close on Sunday, October 21 at 5:00pm CT. Winner will be chosen at random and announced on Monday, October 22.

Happy shopping for Christmas Cards!

*This post is sponsored by Shutterfly. Thanks Shutterfly!

Cotton Babies...

...so I've always heard of Cotton Babies but I just assumed they were an online store. Much to my surprise, Sarah told me last week that they are based out of St. Louis and then Aimee told me that they will actually fit you for a nursing bra. Tuesday was my last planned full week day off until Baby G arrives (exciting and scary at the same time!) so I figured I'd go check out the store. Well, Monday night was our last baby class and the teacher told us that they sold breast pumps at cost!?!

Tuesday morning I headed to the store and didn't see much of a breast pump selection and then my eyes turned and I saw the exact one I'd wanted down to the carrying case (I wanted the backpack). I tried to contain my excitement and asked the sales lady how much it cost...it was $75 CHEAPER than what Target and Babies-R-Us were asking.
She then helped me find a good nursing bra and I went to try them on (Lordy, let's not even talk about what size I had to get!). While in the dressing room, I pulled out my phone to figure how much the pump would cost at the other places with the additional 20% off coupon you get towards the end of the registry and it was STILL about $10 cheaper than the plain old price at Cotton Babies.
When I walked out, I asked if they always had the pumps in stock and she said no. They keep your name on a list and when they arrive they call you but they don't specifically order them for you. I had to make a split second decision and I went for it-I bought my breast pump!!!

So what was supposed to be a trip to the store to "check things out" turned into an expensive, yet inexpensive trip and since I spent so much money, I got this free linen/cotton swaddle blanket with goldfish:

I definitely plan on going back to get another bra after Baby G arrives and I want to possibly check out one of their breast feeding classes if time allows it. The next 6.5 weeks are going to fly by!!!

Happy birthday to the best Grandpa ever! We still miss you but think of you often. Odd...his name was Cotton and this post is about Cotton Babies!

My Trip to Florida...

...well, I'm home from Florida! It was a wonderful, glorious break from the crazy, hectic pace that I've been keeping up at home. This trip was much different than the last time I went to visit my mom. Different for many reasons, 1. Matt didn't go and 2. I am pregnant so I couldn't do as much stuff (we'd planned on going to Sea World but after one day of returning items and shopping at home, I knew I'd never survive a full day there). The weather was much warmer than last time so I spent most of my mornings sitting by the pool enjoying the warmth of the sun and reading and most of the evenings eating and visiting with my mom and her friends. We did get out and do a few things like go to the movies, drive all over Florida and shop!

Here are the highlights of the trip:

I saw a real life alligator in the "wild." Here he is chilling with a turtle on the bank across from the dock we were at:

We drove across this crazy bridge around Sarasota. I won't lie, it was kind of freaking me out because it was soooo high!

The last day I was there, we found a public beach that was COVERED in seashells...most of which were in tact! Here's my mom searching for shells:

A starfish on the beach that I made my mom throw back in the water because I wouldn't touch it but I thought it belonged there:

Did I mention we shopped? My mom bought me a pair of maternity pants and some tops but MOST of the things we bought were baby clothes on sale. Here's an "I heart daddy" outfit for a girl:

The cutest little sock/shoes!

We can't forget outfits that include mommy too!

Um yeah, we shopped...A LOT!

It was great to get away from the hussle and bussle but then today it was already back at it! 

An Afternoon in the City...

...this afternoon, Matt and I had planned on using some of my Groupons so first stop was my favorite, the Fountain on Locust. Matt was "starving" so we ordered an appetizer. Before we knew it, our food had arrived but no appetizer. So the waitress gave us free dessert since we didn't get our appetizer-yum!!! Matt said since we got free dessert, we weren't allowed to use the Groupon so I guess that means I'll have to go again! Darn the luck...:)

Next stop was the Laclede's Landing Wax Museum. Luckily, I only spent $6 on this Groupon because it wasn't even worth that. Here are some pictures I snapped...

Matt and the Hulk

Whoopi and Patrick from "Ghost"

Louis Armstrong and Michael Jackson

Indiana Jones

Ronald Reagan

Yeah...see what I mean? Also, this place was FREEZING! I pulled out my gloves and put them on it was so cold. I guess so that the wax didn't melt, that was my guess. They also had a Hall of Horrors but only Matt went since I'm pregnant it said not to go. Matt said he didn't know why unless they were afraid being scared. OH and did I mention that we were the ONLY two there and it only took about 20 minutes to walk through the entire thing?

Since we were downtown already, we decided to drive along the Riverfront.

We found some artists working on graffiti on the flood walls.

And I never pass up a chance to get a good picture of the Arch.

All in all, it was a very nice little date for us. The weather was beautiful, it got us out of the house and was a fairly cheap afternoon. Although I would NOT recommend hitting up the wax museum! Have a great weekend everyone!

Crowdtap & Jeans!!!

...I recently got picked by Crowdtap for another Old Navy Sample and Share. Previously, I participated in the Active Pants Sample & Share and this time I got picked to sample and share Old Navy Jeans. I was in heaven! 1. Because I love Old Navy and 2. Because they are the ONLY kind of jeans I own.

Last weekend, my sister and I hit up the Old Navy ready to find the perfect pair of jeans. After browsing through the HUGE selection, I narrowed it down to my top two choices which are:

Option #1 (and the Winner!) Dreamer Boot-Cut. Top also courtesy of Old Navy:

 Option #2 The Sweetheart Boot-Cut. "Does this make my butt look big?"

I went with the Dreamer because they fit better lengthwise. I also like the darker denim because you can still wear it with a t-shirt to run out and do errands but you can also jazz it up with some heels and a cute top. Now I just need Matt to take me on a date night soon so I can wear them out on the town.

Here's my sis in the Sweetheart Skinny Jeans, top also from Old Navy:

 Option #2 Sweetheart Bootcut and the obvious winner by the smile on her face:

 Here's my neice, myself and my grandma giving my sis the thumbs on that pair of jeans

Thanks Old Navy and Crowdtap!!! I can't wait to participate in the next Sample and Share.

Think He'll Notice???

...so while Matt was at the fair last week, my sister had a garage sale on Saturday. I went to help her with it and saw she was selling her treadmill. I've been wanting one FOREVER. Not that I'd do my primary training on it but on days that I don't work, it would be nice to have the option to run inside instead of the heat advisory or snow days that Missouri brings us.

On Friday night, I had discussed the treadmill with Matt who said absolutely not can I bring it home because there's no where to store it. I decided to ignore that "suggestion" of his and got it anyways. Think he'll notice?

It's not THAT obvious, is it?

First off, I carried that entire thing inside on my own with a dolly. Yes, I have bruises all up and down my arms from it and it did start to pour rain while I was trying to get it to fit inside and I may have cut the carpet but it's old and doesn't match anyways but I got it inside. My dad came up later that afternoon and I told him I was hoping Matt wouldn't notice. My dad gave me the "are you crazy, of course he'll notice" look.

I think Matt's just worried because I'm taking over the civilized part of the man cave as my exercise area. Sorry dear! I'll let you know what he said. I did tell him worst case scenario, we can sell it on Craigslist.

Bikram Yoga AKA Hot Yoga...

...last spring, Groupon was offering a deal for $40 for one-month unlimited Bikram yoga. I've never been a fan of yoga, seemed too much of a calm, peaceful sport and at the time, I had no idea what bikram yoga was. Then suddenly bikram, or hot yoga, started popping up all over my radar! When Jenn and Jen said they'd bought the Groupon, I was totally bummed because it was an AWESOME deal (normally it's $170/month for unlimited so $40/month for unlimited equals AMAZING!). Oh well, I'd filed it away under missed opportunity, don't pass this up again. Then this past Sunday, fate started working it's magic. Long story short, Jen's friend had bought the Groupon then she got a new place and neither location was convenient for her. Jen hooked the two of us up, I got the Groupon, she got her money and we were both two happy ladies.

So on to the class...first off, what is bikram yoga? Straight from the studio's website: "Bikram yoga is a demanding series of 26 postures (asanas) that works the entire body for 90 minutes. The class is conducted in a heated room to improve circulation, help eliminate toxins, and significantly reduce the risk of injury during deep muscle stretching."

Second, there's rules...yes rules. 1. You're supposed to drink like 100 ounces of water/day. 2. No talking in the room (MAJOR no no) and with that, you can't make any movements or get a drink if they're still in a pose. 3. You're not supposed to eat 1-3 hours before class. Those are just a few of the rules. I broke 3/3 rules! 1. I only drank like 60 ounces before class but I'm pretty sure I drank 100 after! 2. I did well the first day not talking until she asked me a specific question and instead of nodding, I said "yes!" Yikes! She didn't get on me too much. 3. I was STARVING as I neared the studio so I stopped and got a cereal bar...I was totally fine.

Once I got there, I got set-up in the room and before class even started, I already had sweat rolling down my forehead. When we got going, I could feel the sweat but when I bent over to touch my toes and saw sweat beading out of my calves, I was in shock because I didn't know I could sweat like that! By the end of the class, my navy shorts looked black, my sports bra and tank top were soaked and my hair looked like I'd just gotten out of the shower. I was so wet and sweaty that I could barely get a grip on my ankles during some of the poses! My thoughts on sweat...I love it! It means I've worked hard (even if I would have sweated regardless of the movement) and I just wish that every time I sweated that I would get tan too...wishful thinking, I know! OH! And you're not supposed to wipe your sweat, one lady kept doing it and the instructor kept telling her to stop then I think she walked over and took her towel away. They're hardcore! So even though at some points I had sweat rolling IN my nose and couldn't even grip my ankle, I did NOT wipe a single bead of sweat off until the very end.

Let me be honest in saying I've really NEVER done yoga before. I mean I've tried out a few videos here or there but they only kept my attention for 15-20 minutes. I was amazed at how flexible some of the people were especially the man in front of me (which for the record, I will not stand behind him again...old man, sweaty hairy armpits and a Speedo-no thanks! I'm just glad I only had the cereal bar before class.). I surprised myself and I thought I did VERY well. I mean I'm not touching my foot to my head or anything but I actively participated the entire class, which the lady told me the main goal of class #1 is to make it all the way through, and I didn't sit out of any poses. The last 10-15 minutes of class though, I was getting tired and hotter and I was ready to be done. Hopefully it'll get easier with more practice! The teacher recommends 10 times in 30 days and that's my goal plus whatever else my schedule will allow. This week I can only go 3 days but next week I think I can make it every day but we'll just see how my body reacts. Tonight I'm going back with Jen and I'm just hoping we don't get in trouble for talking! Now before I sign off, I'll leave you with pictures.

Before class (please disregard the hair, I swam before I went to class):

After and exhausted!

So have you done bikram or hot yoga? What's your thoughts? OH! Does anyone know how many calories you burn? My Fitness Pal keeps telling me that for 90 minutes, I only burned 300 calories. Maybe that's true but MAN, it felt like WAY more!!!

Crowdtap & Old Navy Active Pants!!!

...I recently joined Crowdtap after Meredith posted about her experience with them. After just a few weeks of joining, I got picked to Sample and Share some Old Navy active pants. Click here to check out the options available! Basically, I got a coupon for myself and three to giveaway to friends to get a free pair of active pants of our choice. Having recently lost some weight, my current workout pants were getting a little baggy so this was perfect timing!

This morning, Jen and I met at the gym to get in 5 miles. Since the Cardinals won last night, we stopped at Mobil to get quarter fountain drinks then made our way to Old Navy. Lucky us, Old Navy was having some awesome sales! We started in the active pants section then hit up all the clearance racks. I walked out of there with 2 men's khakis, 2 shirts, a jacket, a pair of shorts and 2 pairs of active pants for only $42!!!

Here were the options:

Option #1-Black compression capris! (This pair was the winner!)

Option #2-Gray compression capris (Also took this pair home!)

Option #3-Black compression shorts...the top is also Old Navy with great support for the ladies. ;)

Jen with the first option-black compression capris!

Option #2-Gray compression capris...she too left with both pairs!

My sister couldn't join us for our shopping spree in Lake Saint Louis so she shopped at the Old Navy in Cape Girardeau, sending us pics and getting our thoughts.

Here's my sister (and granny in the background!) with Option #1-Black Yoga Capris

Option #2-Black yoga pants

Option #3-black yoga capris...again-her final choice!

Here's Jen and I post shopping spree with our goodies!

It was a fun start to the long, holiday weekend! I can't wait to wear all my new clothes. So thanks Old Navy and Crowdtap-you guys rock!!! I can't wait to participate again.