The B Keeps Us Honest North Carolina Mom Blogger: November 2010

Add the Christmas Gift Guide Button to your Blog for bonus entries

Sunday, November 28, 2010

If you add the Christmas Gift Gide Button to your blog before 12/1 you can earn 2 extra entries into any Christmas Gift Guide giveaway.

Leave a comment below with the link to your blog home page where the button is placed.

Then leave 2 separate comments on each giveaway in which you'd like extra entries.

Tea Collection Cyber Monday Sale

Tea Collection is offering 6 Daily Tea dresses for $15 each and a variety of collection dresses for $29. Great mark downs for boys clothes as well. Starting now save up to 50% off 'til Tuesday 11/30!

Shop Cyber Monday Sale

Roma Floral Dress on Sale for $29 (Regularly $59)

Autumn Leaves Yoke Dress on Sale for $15 (Regularly $29)

Great Giveaway Links

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Every Thursday The B Keeps Us Honest offers a place to promote your giveaways, Great Giveaway Links. Be sure to link directly to your giveaway and not your homepage. Links that are not directed to the giveaway will be deleted.

Holiday Gift Guide at The B

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Starting the Day after Thanksgiving I will be hosting a Holiday Gift Guide here at The B. I've got a lot of fun stuff lined up so stay tuned!

Feel free to add the Holiday Gift Guide Button to your blog, there may be a few surprise extra entries if you do.

$50 GC to Babiology for only $20

Monday, November 22, 2010

If you live in or near Raleigh you should really check out Babiology, or you can just shop online!

They have an amazing collection of baby clothes, accessories and cloth diapers.

Today's living social deal is for a $50 Gift Card for only $20.

I bought mine, now you go buy yours.

Little Star Review

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Teaching Jude the real meaning of Christmas is very important to me. Every night before bed Jude and I read a few books, most of them a short books for toddlers. I was really excited to read "Little Star" by Anthony DeStefano because it's such a great story but I was concerned he wouldn't sit through the entire story. To my surprise he sat and listen intently to every word and even began to point out little star on each page.

I think we may start a new tradition in our home and read the story of Little Star each Christmas Eve. It's a wonderful story about the birth of Christ and the true meaning of Christmas. the first time I read it I almost cried. I love the perspective of the book.

About Little Star

“I think I understand!” Little Star cried out. “The baby Jesus is a king! He’s just little!”

A king is about to be born! The stars in the heavens are competing to shine the brightest to celebrate his birth. But when they see the poor family, the donkey, the shabby stable, the stars all think, That can’t possibly be a king. We’ve been fooled. All except one.

The smallest, loneliest star in the sky, Little Star, is the only one to understand what the king was about to bring to the world. But what can Little Star do for him? Certain to become a Christmas classic, this delightful tale connects the star atop our Christmas trees to the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus, in the hearts and minds of young children.

I received the featured product in exchange for my honest opinion. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and not influenced by the company. This post was written for Family Review Network & Little Star who provided the complimentary product for review in exchange for my honest opinions.

Peanuts Holiday Collection & Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales Review

I think everyone is familiar with the Charlie Brown holiday episodes. I've always loved watching the special on TV at Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now, my 2 year old, Jude is obsessed with "Charlie Groun". Every single day he asks to watch "Charlie Groun" and quotes some of his favorite lines for the episodes.

He absolutely loves the holiday, Halloween so I think "It's a Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" is his favorite. I love it when he cries out, " you owe me restitution". There is also a bonus episode, "It’s Magic, Charlie Brown" – This bonus episode finds Snoopy putting on a show after he checks out a book on magic tricks from the library.

As thanksgiving approaches we are watching "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" more often. Special features include a bonus episode, The Mayflower Voyagers and a new featurette titled The Making of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. This featurette takes a look at the final installment of the Peanuts holiday trilogy and what it meant to its creators.

Today we are watching, "A Charlie Brown Christmas". The bonus episode, "It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown" is the second Christmas-themed Peanuts episode since A Charlie Brown Christmas. Holiday preparations include Charlie Brown selling wreaths door-to-door to make extra money, Peppermint Patty sweating out an important book report and the entire crew appearing in a Christmas pageant.

I have a feeling we will be watching Peanuts Holiday Collection and Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales for a long time. I'm totally OK with that.

“Peanuts Holiday Collection” -- A box set that contains three popular, seasonal Peanuts specials in one set (“A Charlie Brown Christmas,” “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” and “It’s a Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” plus bonus episodes). This classic set is released on Blu-ray™ hi-def format for the first time.

“Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tales” (on standard format) -- A holiday special made up of a series of animated vignettes, each featuring members of the Peanuts gang.

I received the featured product in exchange for my honest opinion. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and not influenced by the company.

Great Giveaway Links

B Mom Event

Monday, November 15, 2010

As most of you already know we are expecting Baby #2 in the spring of 2011. We are super excited to be adding to our family. I'm also really excited to do a mom and baby review/giveaway event here on the B. Very soon I will be starting the "B Mom" event which will highlight products for mom. This includes maternity products and baby shower gifts. (pretty much anything you might buy when you are pregnant.)

With our 1st we didn't buy much, just the bare essentials. So I'm excited to try out all the fancy products marketed to moms to see if they actually improve my mothering.

Contrary to popular thought I think babies actually require very little gear.

Here is my list of essential:

Diapers (I prefer cloth - they double a burb cloths too)

Sleepers

Blanket

Car Seat

Sling

Bulb Aspirator (buy as part of a little baby 1st aid kit)

Crib w/sheets (if you're not into co-sleeping)

Seriously, you can totally get by with just these few things, all the other stuff is for convenience. Not that I'm against convenience, I'm all for things that save me a few minutes. And we did buy a few more things than what I listed above. I mean tiny baby things are cute and irresistible.

Do you think I missed something on my list of essentials?

What product was the MUST-HAVE with your newborn?

What product did you find to be the biggest waist of time or money?

Handmade Market Vendor Spotlight - Bath

Thursday, November 11, 2010

This year's Handmade Market features more than 50 artist, designers and crafters that offer a variety of wonderful products for just about anyone. If you can't make it to the event or just want to get a head start on checking out the goods every couple days I will be featuring a few of the great designers here at The B.

The Bath Place

- natural and nature inspired bath products.

Parish House Soap Co.

- handcrafted beeswax and honey soaps

Just Neem

- soaps and lotions made with a blend of moisturizing oils and therapeutic Neem.

Ablutions Spa

- skin care and bathing rituals created from certified organic and naturally sourced ingredients

The count down has begun only 2 more days until The Handmade Market.

Great Giveaway Links

Norah Jones Featuring Album Review

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

I have always been a big fan of Norah Jones, she has such a beautiful voice and is overflowing with talent. Now take that awesomeness and combine it with some of the greatest musicians of our time and you get an album that will completely blow your mind.

Some of particular favorite collaborations are Dear John with Ryan Adams, Virgina Moon with The Foo Fighters, Blue Bayou with M. Ward and Take Off Your Cool with OutKast. Each song contains a unique element that is identifying to each guest but still has that smooth and identifying sound of Norah Jones.

“A lot of the people on this record are people I've worshiped since I was a kid, and some of them are younger and more my contemporaries,” says Jones. “Even though the musicians are so varied, the vibe of the songs makes sense when we put them all together.”

…Featuring, a star-studded collection of the multi-platinum selling, multi-Grammy Award winning singer Norah Jones’s musical collaborations from the past decade. The 18 songs on the album include duets with such legends as Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, and Dolly Parton, and with 21st Century icons from OutKast to the Foo Fighters.

Pre-Order your copy of Norah Jones Featuring

I received the featured product in exchange for my honest opinion. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and not influenced by the company. Thanks to the One2One Network.

The Handmade Market Vendor Spotlight - Home

There are so many lovely products for decorating your home at the Handmade Market. I such am a sucker for cute, handmade home decor.

Cephalopod Ink.

Raleigh resident, Tanya Casteel creates pottery and ceramics from her home studio.

Flutter

Hand printed and embellished with stitching products for the home such as placemats and pillows, accessories including iPod holders and decorative ornaments, as well as fashion items like scarves and various handbags.

Jenny Lynne Handmade

Jenny Lynne, a mixed media artist in love with vintage anything creates one of a kind, and made by hand home decor.

Olle M.

An array of unique and one of a kind items handmade with love.

Olive O. Home

Reused and repurposed materials and upcycle the-not-so-pretty into unique pillows, coasters, napkins and more.

Tasha McKelvey

Handmade Clay Work featuring bird pottery, ginkgo pottery and some slab pieces with a faux bois (woodgrain) texture.

Tiny Peepers Printed Fabrics

Towels, napkins and more screen printed by hand.

NOVEMBER 13th

The HandMade Market

Be There!

Wisk Morning Routine Lab

These past few months I've been working with Wisk to promote and review the new Stain Spectrum Technology. I must admit I have been very impressed with the results of each test I have conducted. Today I will be experimenting with Wisk's ability to remove Oil Stains like those found in lip gloss.

First, I took a brand new, beautiful hand towel and wiped my greasy lip gloss on it.

Next, I applied a bit of Wisk with Stain Spectrum Technology directly on the stain and let it sit for a minute.

Then I scrubbed the Wisk into the stain for about 30 seconds. As you can see the stain is already starting to lighten. (This part took a little elbow greasy)

Then I continued to rub the stain while running the towel under warm water for approximately 15-30 seconds. To my surprise the stain was completely gone!

Final Thoughts: It took a little work to get this stain out but was much easier than I expected. Contrary to what I thought running the stain under warm water really helped removed the stain.

New Wisk® with Stain Spectrum™ Technology is engineered to target the major stain groups. New stain vocabulary:

There are hundreds of different stains but most stains fall into three major groups:

* Carbohydrates such as milk chocolate

* Proteins such as grass

* Oils such as peanut butter

New powerful stain fighting formula. It doesn’t matter which of these stains you encounter, new Wisk with Stain Spectrum ™Technology is the solution to tackle them all

Wisk is available in August at major retailers nationwide, such as Walmart, Target and Kroger. Suggested Retail Price: $5.99 for 50 fl oz. bottles that cleans 32 loads

Download a $1.00 off coupon

Visit Wisk at www.Facebook.com/Wisk

Follow @Wisk on Twitter

I received the featured product and compensation in exchange for my honest opinions about the product. Thanks to the One2One Network and Wisk.

Attune Chocolate Probiotic Bar Review

My digestive and immune systems could most certainly use a boost. Did you know that 70% of your immune system is in your digestive system? Your digestive system helps stop bad bacteria and viruses before they get to the rest of the body. And, the friendly bacteria that live in your digestive system have a lot to do with your overall immune health. Attune’s probiotics help those friendly bacteria and keep your digestive system in balance, which helps strengthen your immune system. By keeping your digestive system healthy, it can help keep you healthier overall.

Attune chocolate probiotic bars are gluten free and come in three decadent dairy free flavors, along with their luscious milk chocolate flavors and creamy white chocolate. I received 3 flavors: Milk Chocolate Crisp, Raspberry Dark Chocolate and Blueberry Vanilla. My favorite was Raspberry Dark Chocolate as I love both raspberries and dark chocolate. they were all delightful and felt like I was being bad eating candy but I was actually getting a great dose of probiotics that keep me healthy and strong.

Buy: Attune Probiotic Bars are available online or at select retailers across the US.

Like Attune on Facebook

Follow @AttuneFoods on Twitter

I received the featured product in exchange for my honest opinion. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and not influenced by the company.

Mrs Prindables Gourmet Caramel Apple Review

I absolutely love caramel apples but I really love gourmet caramel apples like Mrs. Prindables. It's like the perfect combination of sugary sweet and natural sweet. I received the Triple Chocolate Jumbo Caramel Apple and let me tell you this thing is huge, delicious and huge. Joe and I worked on this apple for a few days before we were able to finish it. The package says it will serve 6-8 people and they are not kidding.

I was completely thrilled with the beautiful way the apple was presented and packaged. I didn't take a picture of the beautiful box it came in but I should have. If you want to make a great impression I would highly recommend sending someone Mrs. Prindables. Not only is the quality of the product superb but the care and attention to detail is impeccable.

Mrs. Prindable’s is the category creator (25 years ago) of premium caramel and chocolate covered apple and handmade confection gifts that make an unforgettable impression.

Buy Mrs. Prindable's online or at high-end Departments stores during the Holidays: Neiman Marcus, Saks 5th Avenue, Bloomingdale’s, Lord & Taylor.

Follow Mrs. Prindable's on Twitter

Fan Mrs. Prindable's on Facebook

Giveaway Offer: Mrs. Prindable's will be holding holiday apple giveaways on our Facebook page!

I received the featured product in exchange for my honest opinion. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and not influenced by the company.

Handmade Market Vendor Spotlight - Men

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Today is all about stuff for Men! Most people think the Handmade Market only offers products for women, but The Handmade Market makes sure to include something for everyone, that includes men.

Buncombe Buckles

Buncombe Buckles Metalworks is a small, one woman company based in Asheville, North Carolina. Each buckle is designed, fabricated and finished by Celia Gray. Celia collects inspiration from repeated patterns, great color combinations, old quilts, vintage wallpaper, and weathered and worn surfaces. Each buckle is designed, made, cleaned, and finished with individual care.

Flytrap

Jody Cedzidlo and Eric Haugen, a couple of sweethearts in North Carolina are the brains behind Flytrap. Every single item in their shop is, and has always been, printed by hand by Jody, and she takes the utmost care in guaranteeing high-quality, totally permanent professional printing.

Hazel Cole

Hazel Cole is a family jewelry company based in Raleigh, NC. Susan Cole Cannon and her two daughters, Rachel Cole Cannon and Sarah Hazel Cannon, have been designing and making jewelry for over 8 years.

SquidFire

Squidfire's purpose was to offer the public alternatives to shopping malls and corporate giants, our focus is quality, comfort and individuality. All of their images are designed by hand and printed by hand, using manual presses.

Mark Your Calendar the Handmade Market is THIS Saturday!

CSN Stores Giveaway

Monday, November 8, 2010

Enter to win a $35 CSN Stores Gift Certificate on my other blog, We3Liebs. There may be a few special perks for this giveaway if you are already a follower of The B Keeps Us Honest!

Ends 12/1!

What Is On Your Child's Christmas List?

Have you started your Christmas shopping? I wish I could say I was done but I have barely scratched the surface. I really like doing my shopping online that is why I love CSN Stores. CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find everything from contemporary coffee tables to fantastic fitness equipment to cookware!

Luckily, Jude isn't old enough to make a Christmas list yet. However, over the past few months I have made many observations about the kinds of toys he likes to play with when we are out. He's a thinker and really enjoys playing with toys like puzzles or pretend play that mimics adult behavior. He particularly loves play kitchens where he can open and close doors, put things away and pretend cook.

I've been wanting to get him a play kitchen but wasn't sure if I wanted to build one myself or buy one. While I can create a pretty awesome play kitchen in my mind, I don't have any building tools and am not particularly crafty. So I was thrilled when I found this cool play kitchen at CSN Stores.

I think he will love finding this under the tree on Christmas morning. I'm super excited!

I received compensation in exchange for this post. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and not influenced by the company.

Little Wonder Review

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Jude is just starting to recognize himself in photos so I thought it would be a lot of fun to get a personalized book where I can create the main character to look exactly like him. I really like the www.littlewondercompany.com because you can make the hero of the story look like your child.

The character I created is a little boy with big blue eyes and blonde hair, his name is Jude.

This adventure revolves around a little boy who steps through his mirror and toward a voice only to find himself in the land of his favorite super hero, Little Boy Lightning. Like in Little Girl Wonder, he is called upon to save the day and keep his new friends safe from the likes of a fire-breathing dragon, a larger than life rattlesnake and a hungry growling bear! This is a perfect story for a little boy who likes to be the hero of the day! Best suited for boys, ages 3-8.

Create your personalized children's books online at Little Wonder Company. These books would make for the perfect Christmas gift.

[Product review & giveaway disclosure: 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. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."]

Pocoyo Squeeze 'n Play Review

Have you seen Pocoyo? Pocoyo (“little me” in Spanish) is hit CGI series that originated in Spain. Now airing on Nick Jr., PBS, Univision and XYZ, Bandai’s toys capture the vibrant and exuberant world of Pocoyo and his animal friends.

Pocoyo is such a fun and cute show to watch and the toys are just as fun and cute. The Pocoyo line includes squeeze plushes, bath toys and an electronic car. Preschoolers age one to three years old are sure to fall in love with Pocoyo! With Pocoyo toys, preschoolers can participate in Pocoyo’s adventures and discover right along with him! Bandai’s new line brings Pocoyo into the lives of children in several different ways, and they all encourage children to learn through laughter.

Jude has only seen a few episodes of Pocoyo so he wasn't overly familiar with the character but he loves the music and laughter from the Squeeze 'n Play Pocoyo. I like that there is an on/off switch under the back flap so I have the option for a silent plush toy. (Always a must for any parent)

This post was written for Family Review Network & Zinkia Entertainment who provided the complimentary product for review in exchange for my honest opinions.

Tommee Tippee Review

Friday, November 5, 2010

I have heard so many great things about Tommee Tippee but had never tried any of their products until recently. I received the Explora Li'l Sippee Sipper Cup in Pink and Purple. I have no problem with Jude using Pink and Purple sippy cups, in fact he loves pink.

The Explora Li'l Sippee Sipper Cup:

Soft Spout – supporting baby’s oral development for first transitions

Silicone soft top works without biting

Integrated one-piece valve for easy cleaning and no spills or leaks

Easy-grip shape for little hands

All lids and handles interchangeable with other Li’l Sippees cups and Closer to Nature bottles

Hygiene cap

2x10 fl oz/300ml cups

The Tommee Tippee claims to be spill proof and while it does a pretty good job of keeping the liquid contained it did leak a little bit when laying on it's side. Also, I don't think they make a sippy cup that is 100% toddler proof because Jude likes to stick his finger in the spout and pour out all the water. But overall I do really like these cups. There are no attachements to slow the flow, just two simple pieces that are easy to assemble and clean.

Tommee Tippee, Great Britian's #1 baby feeding brand, proudly brings moms simple intuitive products designed to make traveling with infants and toddlers easy and stress free this holiday season. In partnership with Babies R Us, Tommee Tippee will be hosinting a 'Traveling with Tiny Tots' Blog Tour Event on November 6, 2010. Visit your local Babies R Us for traveling tips, discounts and more. For more information on Tommee Tippee products, visit their website, Babies R Us page, Facebook page, or follow Tomee Tippee on Twitter!

I received the featured product in exchange for my honest opinion courtesy of Tommee Tippee and The Mom Bloggers Club. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and not influenced by the company.

Sweet Tomatoes Catering Coupon

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Print off this coupon and save %25 off your catering order.

Handmade Market Vendor Spotlight - Kids & Cute Things

Today is all about stuff for Kids and All Things Cute!

Monkey and Me

Monkey and Me offers a wonderful selection of handcrafted children's designs that are unique and fun.

The Alligator's Threads

The Alligator's Threads makes beautiful hand-knit hats, booties and much more.

JellyKoe

JellyKoe has fabulous creations like WonkyDolls, Wine-o-World, Clayed Man, and most recently, Posterpocalyptic.

Lazymuse Productions

Lazymuse Productions sells unique handmade crocheted animals and more.

Phil Barbato

Phil Barbato makes cute plush monsters and much more.

The Felted Pair

The Felted Pair sells adorable felt treasures like cake toppers.

Get busy shopping!

And mark your calendar for November 13th!

Oh yeah Happy Blogiversary to ME

Monday, November 1, 2010

I've been so sick this past month I totally forgot that it is my blog anniversary. I had full intentions of doing a fun giveaway or something great. But alas, time slipped away and I totally forgot. Oh well. I will still line up some great stuff for the coming holiday season so don't you worry your pretty little heads.

I want to say a huge thanks to all my readers for their loyal support and for making The B Keeps Us Honest such a fun place for me to write and share my thoughts. I love writing this blog even though this past month I've been a little behind. I hope you will continue my journey with me as I am expecting a lot of great stuff for this next year!

Sweet Tomatoes Catering Review

Last weekend my family had a little get together to celebrate my cousin's birthday. I have pretty big family, my parents have 9 grand kids (so far) so it's always a lot of fun when we get together. The kids love to eat! They play hard and generate appetites. When Sweet Tomatoes contacting me about reviewing their catering services I knew it would be perfect for our family get together.

Here’s the basic menu I selected:

2 Salads – Chicken Wonton Happiness Salad & Ranch House BLT w/Turkey and Bacon

2 Cold Pasta Salads – Joan’s Broccoli Madness & Dijon Potato w/Garlic Dill Vinaigrette

10 Regular Baked Potatoes w/toppings

5 Baked Sweet Potatoes w/ toppings

Assorted Muffins

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tea

Leamonade

The kids loved all of the food, especially the chocolate chip cookies! Sweet Tomatoes delivered the food about 10 minutes before our suggested time. The driver brought everything in the house and set it all up. Everyone at all of the regular salads but there was a lot of cold salad left over. I wish they regular salads were bigger and the cold salads were smaller. Also, I probably should have selected a salad other than potato since we had baked potatoes. The regular potatoes were on the small side but the sweet potatoes were huge. Everything else was well portioned and tasted great. We had a lovely evening and no one had to worry about cooking for 15 people and doing all the dishes.

Sweet Tomatoes offers catering starting a $9 a person. I think it would be great for a family get together or office meeting especially since they deliver.

Linkbar

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Tea Collection is offering 6 Daily Tea dresses for $15 each and a variety of collection dresses for $29. Great mark downs for boys clothes as well. Starting now save up to 50% off 'til Tuesday 11/30!

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Monday, November 22, 2010

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Monday, November 15, 2010

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Monday, November 8, 2010

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Friday, November 5, 2010

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Monday, November 1, 2010

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