Catchin' Up

Wow! I didn't realize it had been so long since I last gave my faithful readers a real post. I have been super busy since baseball season has started. I was also addicted to Animal Crossing for a short time. I have since done everything there is to do on that stupid game and am now back to reality.

Both boys are playing baseball again this year. I am blessed in that they are on the same team. It only happens because we play Youngest up so it works out that every other year they are on the same team. Unfortunately this will be the last year that happens because it is the last year we will play Youngest up. It has been a busy 4 weeks of meeting new coaches and team mates along with ordering uniforms, finding cleats, finding the right size pants and the right color socks, etc. I know it sounds like I'm complaining but really I love this time of year. I truly love to watch my boys play a game they enjoy so much and this year is very special because it is the first time that Hubby has been able to really be involved. He is even an assistant coach. Our first game is Thursday so stay tuned for a game post along with pictures!

I am also trying to fix my computer as my time with my mom's laptop is coming to an end. Unfortunately I didn't know my computer was messed up as I haven't been on it in a long time but Hubby has and he said it was working fine last time he was on it. So the problem is that it won't come on. It gets power because the lights come on but nothing else happens, so that will be something I concentrate on at some point very soon. I am also working on a new blog design. Yes, it will have a baseball theme to celebrate the season. It is coming along very nicely I am just working on a few finishing touches and then it will up and running. Don't worry though I am also going to find the time to put up a new Infertility and Me post very soon.

Well that pretty much covers what I've been up too. Oh, wait, I almost forgot. We also spent the weekend "babysitting" a very cute little kitten. I went to the post office last Thursday to get my mail and send a few letters and the mail lady had a kitten that had been shoved into the blue mail box out in front of the post office. She had gotten it out but it needed a home. My friend Gina had been looking for a kitty so I brought her home and had to wait a couple days for Gina and I to touch bases and be able to set a meet up time but I didn't mind. I love cats so it was nice having one in the house, but it was also nice to see her go to a good home. I have a few pictures and will try to get some posted tomorrow.

Clorox Wipes in Pretty Containers

I bet ya'll think I'm a cleaning freak. Well, I'm not. I do like to make things as easy as possible and so I love Clorox wipes. I have kept a box of these on the back of the toilet for a long time. My boys are not always good at aiming and I got so tired of fighting with them I just told them to make sure they use the wipes to clean up their messes because if I find a wet seat again they will be in BIG trouble. I do make sure they know to wash their hands after using the wipes but it has really made my life easier. I also like to have a box of the Clorox wipes in my kitchen to do quick clean-ups after cutting meat. Well of course it isn't the most beautiful thing to show off to your guests. I mean if you walk in a kitchen and see this

people might not be so inspired to eat what you place on the table. As my Nana would say, cleaning supplies have their place. Also with the original wipes they were in a roll and the wipes were suppose to come up through the whole from the middle of the roll and it didn't always work out well. Sometimes I would get 2 or 3 wipes before I was able to get them to tear and the lid didn't always stay closed because of the small piece of wipe left sticking up through the top. With these new prettier and better designed containers all those problems are taken care of.

These new canisters are pretty and they don't scream, "Look at me, I'm a cleaner" so you can easily leave them out on your counter or toilet or wherever without worrying about your guests. Also the lid is bigger and closes without any trouble. The wipes are set up like baby wipes also so they come out easily. And don't worry about finding one that will match your decor because they have 8 to choose from and are hosting a contest at their site for you to design your own. If this sounds good to you then you will love that I have 5 coupons to give away to my readers so you can try them yourselves. All you need to do is leave me a comment telling me where you would display your canister. Be sure to leave a way for me to contact you. Contest will end on April 17 at 9 pm EST.

Thanks to Family Review Network for this review opportunity.

Nature's Source Winner - take 3

Well I didn't hear from the original winner so I have a new one.

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

42

Timestamp: 2009-03-26 05:24:10 UTC

Anonymous said... 42

I'd like to try them all especially the toilet bowl cleaner.
-Terra H.
partymix25(at)hotmail(dot)com

3/18/09 4:34 PM

Please contact me within 3 days with your shipping information or a new winner will be chosen.

Nature's Source - Winner 2

Well I didn't hear from the original winner so I have a new one.

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

18

Timestamp: 2009-03-26 05:24:10 UTC

silverbele said... 18

I am trying to go greener

Please contact me within 3 days with your shipping information or a new winner will be chosen.

DaBib is Great

DaBib

Ok I admit that I have babies on the brain. Hubby and I really want another one and pray daily that this will be our year. I know, I know, we don't have one yet. So, why would I do a review on a bib. Well, because my niece is expecting a baby very soon and I thought it would make a great gift. I remember the days of struggling with youngest during feedings and trying in vain to keep his clothes clean. As an infant the main trouble was drool. Lots and lots of drool. Also when he was drinking from the bottle we had the wet neck. You know how it is, the milk seeps out the sides of their mouths and slowly rolls down their cute little chubby cheeks and ends up puddling in those adorable neck rolls. Yuck. I tried lots of bibs. Their were even a few I liked. I always prefered the snappable kind because they were easy to take off but they did nothing for protecting the neck from all that drool. Then I tried the over the head kind. Well, they helped some but if the neck hole is big enough to fit over their heads it doesn't fit well around their neck and taking that thing off was a pain! Now the DaBid solves all those problems. It has a velcro closure so it is easy to put on and remove. Along with the easy closure it has a unique scrunchy neck collar that fits closely around their neck to hold off those neck drools.

The DaHugs are made especially for the infants who are mostly on liquids. It has a soft micro fiber terry front to absorb all that dampness and a waterproof backing. As the baby grows and begins on more solid food their is a small pocket on the back of the bib which can be folded forward, which enables it to stay open, to catch all those stray bites that tend to slip through those tiny fingers.

If you have a toddler then DaGiggles is perfect. It has a waterproof front with a fold forward pouch to catch any lost tidbits. The fold forward pocket is perfect as it ensures easy cleanup because there is no open seams for the food to seap in to.

I am very excited to share this new product with my neice and her new baby. But don't think for a second I would go on and on about a great new product like this and not have something for you too. Yep, the wonderful people at DaBid are giving one of my lucky readers their very own DaBid to try. All you have to do is visit the DaBid website and pick out which bib you would just love to have and come back here to tell me all about it. Make sure I have a way to contact you if you are the winner. You can get an extra entry by blogging about this contest linking back to me and to the DaBid website. The contest will run until 9pm est. on April 10th.

Thanks to Family Review Network for this opportunity.

Nature's Source - Winners

WOW! We had a lot of comments on this one. I took all the entrants that entered on time and put the numbers in at random.org and here is our winner......

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

27

Timestamp: 2009-03-22 14:54:23 UTC

Congrats Beverly.

Beverley said... 27

I'd like to try the All Purpose Cleaner, and the Toilet Bowl Cleaner.

3/14/09 10:04 PM

As always, please contact me with your shipping info within 3 days or another winner will be chosen. Thanks for entering.

Mrs. Clean and Other Stuff

Ok, we all know who Mr. Clean is but this week Mrs. Clean has visited my house. At least that is what my Hubby and kiddo's think. I spent the last two weeks sick. BAD sinus infection which lead to even worse migraines. I mean I didn't get out of bed for nearly 3 days without being dizzy, nauseous, and groucy. Of course, being a mom, I had to get up but we didn't really do much and I headed back to the darkness of my bedroom as quickly as possible. I couldn't even drive myself to the doctor's because it just wasn't safe so I had to wait. I did finally manage to make it and got a strong antibiotic and a shot for the headache. I had nearly four blissful hours before the pain hit again. It took about two days for the anitbiotic to really work and the pain to lessen. I say lessen because it still isn't totally gone but it is manageable. I was told last September that I basically never get over sinus infections because my sinus cavities are in such bad shape and that I needed sinus surgery but we just can't afford it so I fill my cabinet with Zrytec and Aleve and deal with it until it gets really bad. Anyway, back to Mrs. Clean. Once the pain subsided and I got to where I could breathe I HAD to clean this place up. So Friday I started with my bedroom. I dusted, cleaned under the bed, swept, the whole nine yards. Then Saturday it was on to the kitchen. I cleaned out the refrigerators, washed all the dishes that had been neglected, scrub the counters and the microwave. The boys were really big helpers too. They emptied and cleaned out our second refrigerator by themselves and emptied the kitchen fridge for me. They also took the leftover food across the street to the woods to dump it for me. When I was working in my room they helped get the stuff from under the bed, get the dirty clothes sorted and put where they belonged and helped move my stack of homeschool stuff I need to sell to the kitchen table so I could sort it and get it listed. Saturday night a friend from High School and her boys came over. Let me tell you how old that made me feel. She had her first child when I was a Junior and I was there for all of his firsts. Now he's 6 feet and then some tall and almost 16 years old!!!! I was a little nervous about her visit because we hadn't seen each other in years and her boys are 12, 14 and 16 and I wasn't sure how they'd mix with my little ones but they were great. They played the Wii a little bit but they also played Life, Twister hopscotch, and built with lincoln logs. I was truely impressed. The only downfall, her oldest said OMG a lot and now we're having trouble with our Oldest saying it. Other than that it was a really good visit.
Sunday I rested. I mean that's what God did so I figured it was ok. Then this week I've tackled the living room and bathroom. It feels really good to have a nice clean house and we've even managed to keep it that way!
I've also been playing Animal Crossing. That game got a lot of hype and so a friend of mine bought it. Then she made me buy it to have someone to play with. We have both decided it is boring, yet we keep playing it. We are going to achieve all the goals of building our house and town and then we will probably never touch it again. We loved Toontown Online and thought Animal Crossing would be like that. It has its similarities but in Toontown you had constant tasks with rewards, plus a house to decorate. If they would combine the concept of the two games it would be awesome! I love being able to build your house and manage your town but I also prefer to have other tasks to work on in the meantime.
Monday I had my monthly mom's meeting and it was really nice to get out with the girls after being shut in with the sickness for so long. We are planning to go to a baseball game at our local Minor Legue stadium and we are having a picnic and kite flying day next week. Oh and we're going bowling soon. The group did a bowling day a couple of weeks ago but the boys and I had to miss it due to my sickness so I'm really excited about the next one.
Well that pretty much sums up where I've been, how 'bout you?

Mom's Best Naturals

Mom's Best Naturals is a family owned cereal company. I was recently introduced to this fabulous cereal recently thanks to Mom Fuse. When I first received these boxes I wasn't sure what to expect but I went ahead and dug in. First I tried the Oats & Honey cereal and it was GREAT! I am not a breakfast eater but I do enjoy a good bowl of cereal at other times during the day. The ultimate test was whether the boys would like it. Now, we don't eat a lot of sugary cereal so I wasn't worried about that but they sometimes don't want to try new things. The next morning I asked if they liked their cereal and they both said yes and asked to have the same kind the next day. Hubby told me he liked it also and asked where it the new cereal came from. We all also enjoyed the Raisin Brand but the Oats & Honey was our favorite.

Ok, so they passed the taste test but how exspensive are they? That's a question I always ask, especially in these days when Hubby's job is questionable. The good news is that they are affordable. Compared to the leading brands you get more cereal for you dollar. If that sounds good to you then go to Mom's Best and get your printable coupon for a dollar off your very own box. You can also go to their store locator to find a retailer near you that carries it.

Thanks to Mom Fuse for this opportunity.

Rain-X Winner

Here is the Rain-X winner. I am sorry for the delay. I've been really sick and haven't been able to get on and do anything. Here is the winner though.

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

2 

Timestamp: 2009-03-10 03:07:13 UTC

AmandaSue said... 2

I dont really check my windshield wiper blades, I just replace them once they dont seem to be making the window as clear and clean as they use to. I think I get new ones like ever 6 mos to a year, depends on how much I've had to use them in the snowy winter.

2/25/09 2:32 AM

You have 3 days to email me your shipping information or a new winner will be chosen.

Infertility and Me 3

If you've missed the other installments of Infertility and Me go here.

So we are finally parents and are loving it but knowing that we wanted a big family we didn't want to wait too long. Some people may think we were jumping in fast but by the time the adoption finalized we'd already been parents for 3 years. We got youngest when he was only 4 months old and he had just turned 3 when the papers were signed. Oldest had also been with us for a full year by then, so to us it was just he next step. Of course having PCOS we knew we had to look at all the options and make an educated decision. We also had to decide how far we wanted to go to conceive. We believe that if God wants it to happen it will but we aren't opposed to some scientific help. We just didn't want to cross the line between trusting God and taking it into our own hands.
The first step was knowing our options. The best treatments for PCOS are:

• Weight Loss – Weight loss can sometimes help to improve hormone imbalances and restore normal menses.
• Metformin (or Glucophage) – Metformin improves the body’s sensitivity to insulin. It helps your body to use insulin better so that you do not produce as much insulin to control blood sugar. High insulin levels appear to be what creates the high levels of male hormones. By reducing insulin levels, male hormones also decrease. If Metformin is successful, male hormones will be lower, and ovulation will resume. Metformin is considered safe to use on women who do not have diabetes because it affects insulin levels and does not actually lower blood sugar directly. There are also a few other insulin reducing medications that are used in the treatment of PCOS. You will want to discuss your options with your doctor.
• Clomid (or other fertility drugs) – Fertility drugs, such as Clomid, are often used in the treatment of PCOS related infertility. Clomid works by blocking estrogen receptors in the brain. With estrogen receptors blocked the brain is tricked into thinking there are low estrogen levels. Low estrogen levels trigger the body to produce more FSH and LH. FSH and LH are what signal the body to ovulate. Clomid is often successful at bringing about ovulation but only thirty to forty percent of the women who do ovulate from Clomid will actually become pregnant. Metformin may also be prescribed in conjunction with Clomid.
  Other fertility drugs work more directly. Injections of gonadotropins (FSH and LH) work directly to stimulate follicle production and ovulation. These injections require more monitoring than Clomid and are generally used only after other options are tried first.
• Ovarian drilling – Ovarian drilling is a procedure where a small needle is used to puncture tiny holes in the ovary with an electrosurgical needle. The electric current destroys a small portion of the ovary. This may result in lowering androgen levels and restoring ovulation.
• IVM (in vitro maturation) or IVF or (in vitro fertilization) – In vitro Maturation is a procedure where immature eggs are harvested early in a woman’s cycle. The eggs are matured in a laboratory and can then be used for fertilization. In vitro fertilization is procedure where mature eggs are collected from the woman’s ovary. The eggs are then fertilized and implanted in the woman’s uterus. The difference between the two is that with IVF medications are used to produce mature eggs and with IVM the eggs are matured in a laboratory. IVM may be helpful for women who do not respond to drug therapy.

(Taken from Just Mommies)

I, of course, tried to lose weight but it is extremely difficult for me to do and with the PCOS it just makes it worse. I could lose about 20 pounds and keep it off for a few months but it would come right back. We had tried Metformin and Clomid in the early days of trying and being that I wasn't getting any younger we decided to go one step further. In December 2006 I had the Ovarian drilling done. It did not work. We took 2007 to just let God be in control and take things easy. I stayed on Metformin as long as I could but the side effects weren't the best and I eventually had to go off of it. In September 2008 I went in to see my OB and talk about options. At this point we still wanted to conceive but we mostly wanted to make sure I would stay healthy. Since I couldn't have a cycle without provera to start me, I was having to make sure I called the doctor every 3 months to get a prescription to make myself have something no woman truely wants to have, a period. Being that I didn't cycle regularly I was at a higher risk for ovarian cancer, endometriosis and other unplasantnesses. The doctor told me that as long as I continued taking the provera regularly and stayed monitored I'd probably be ok but if we were ready to look at all the options I should probably start considering having a hysterectomy. That word terrified me. I heard hysterectomy and I wanted to cry. That wasn't letting God decide that was going in the complete opposite direction. So I asked what the other options were. I was told that I could try Metformin with Clomid again or try a stronger fertiltiy treatment which would consist of injections. I explained my problems with Metformin and was told that their was an alternitive medicine to use. I left in a confused, worried state not sure what to think but nearly positive that I would not be doing the injections. I mean, already have a strong chance of twins and then with clomid our chances of multiples increase so I could only imagine what the injections could possibly do. Not to mention I felt that that was maybe stepping over the "God is in control" line.

I knew that we had a lot of praying to do and a big decision to make about whether or not to try any more meds but I was sure that I would be 100% supported on injections not being an option. I was in for a big surprise though.

To be continued.....

Sources:
Just Mommies
4women.gov
inciid.org

Nature's Source

Spring is in the air and the cleaning bug has entered my house. Now, I'm pretty set on my cleaning routine and I have my regular tried and true cleaners but I'm never afraid to try something new. As a matter of fact not too long ago I got to try the new green windex and I loved it! I felt like it cleaned so much better than the old blue stuff that I went on a search to buy some even though I had more than enough blue stuff in my cabinet. Yes, I can be the crazy cleaning lady sometimes. Anyway, recently I was given the opportunity to try another new cleaner made by the great people who make Windex and Scrubbing Bubbles. When the cleaner arrived I couldn't wait to use it and my Youngest was right there beside me. I was a little nervous about trying a new cleaner with him in the room because some cleaners aggravate his asthma but he insisted on seeing what the new stuff did and he wanted to hurry up and get in a bubble bath. I loved the bubbly foamy spray and the nice clean tub that was left behind. Youngest liked the way it smelled and it did not seem to bother his asthma at. Oldest, Hubby, and I are not fans of the scent but the clean that is left behind is great. It doesn't leave any kind of film behind and cuts through the soap scum with ease. I also learned that it is good for cleaning sticky dried up tea out of the bottom of the fridge. It made the fridge job so easy that the boys were able to clean it out for me! Now that's a plus in any mom's book. Another huge plus is that Nature's Source products use plant-based, biodegradable cleaners. They clean naturally and effectively, leaving nothing behind but a fresh scent. The cleaners are more than 99 percent natural, packaged in recyclable bottles, partly produced by renewable energy from a local landfill, and recognized for safer chemistry by the Environmental Protection Agency's Design for the Environment (DfE) program.

Now for the really awesome part. SC Johnson is giving away a bottle of their Nature's Source cleaners to one of my lucky readers. To enter visit the Nature's Source site and come back here and tell me which product you would love to try. The contest is open to US residents only and will end on March 20 at 9 pm est.

Thanks to Family Review Network and SC Johnson, who supplied the product for review and giveaway.

Martina McBride and Memories

As a Christian I listen to only Christian music. I love southern gospel and some of the contemporary stuff but I am exclusively a christian music person. That wasn't always the case. Growing up I listened to a bit of everything; Tiffany, Debbi Gibson, NKOTB, Tom Petty, Garth Brooks, Brooks & Dunn, etc. When I got into my teens it was all country all the time. All of my teenage relationships could be summed up in one country song or another and Martina was one of my favorites. When I got the chance to review the Martina McBride Playlist cd I jumped on it. Even though I don't listen to country anymore I thought it would be fun to take a trip down memory lane and it was. This cd is a compilation of 14 songs from 11 different cd's. Listening to songs such as My Baby Loves Me, Wild Angels and Wrong Again took me back to those high school days when my girlfriends and I would go cruising along with the windows down and the music up singing our lungs out. It was really fun to listen to and my friend was happy to add it to her cd collection when I was done walking down memory lane. I not only like Martina's music but I like that she seems to be a down to earth person, not letting fame take hold of her. She took time away from all the music and fame to just be a mom and I can so respect her for that.

Here’s a clip from Martina McBride’s performance and interview on Soundcheck. Soundcheck tracked down the Country superstar at the onset of her greatest hits release: ‘Playlist: Martina McBride’. She performs some fan favorites like ‘This One’s for the Girls’ and ‘I Love You’. See the performances and interview in full on Soundcheck. While you’re there don’t forget to get your free download of ‘I Love You’ courtesy of Soundcheck.

Martina McBride exclusive on Soundcheck
by soundcheck2008

Thanks to Family Review Network for this opportunity.

Scanalog Winner

And the winner is.....

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

1

Timestamp: 2009-03-03 01:26:06 UTC

Michelle said... 1

Oh my goodness!!!! Great giveaway! I have heard other women raving about scanalog! I get so many magazines and I save them all. If I win I'll take a pic and blog about my PROBLEMATIC magazine rack. :) It's a mountain! I'd love to use scanalog because I have such diverse interests: I get some political magazines, some fashion, some parenting, and some health. I'd love to be able to save the parts I love. THANK YOU THANK YOU!! --Michelle, blogattoday@(gmaildotcom)

2/21/09 1:17 AM

As usual you have 3 days to send me your shipping information so I can pass it onto the sponsor. If I don't hear from you a new winner will be chosen.

Never the First Time

Ok, I've had a week with telephones. Ours kept dying so I went out and bought a new one after I was unable to find new batteries for the old phones. I brought my new purchase home, charged it for the required 16 hours and then used it. The handset kept beeping at me as if the battery were about to die and there was a ton of static. Now this was a 5.8 ghz phone so it was suppose to be good. It was also VTECH which is what my old phone was. Well it was awful. So I took it back and bought a GE. It is worse. My main base is in the back of the house but this phone came with 2 additional handsets and bases. Great, or so I thought. It is worse than talking on a cell phone. My friend and I were trying to talk and she kept getting static and then would lose me all together. She thought it was her phone. I heard some of the static but that was it. Well later I called my mom and she kept asking if I was on the cell phone because she was losing me. So tomorrow I have to take second phone back and try again. This time I am going to try a 6.0 digital phone. I have no idea what any of that actually means but I have to have a phone and since our local electronic store closed my only options are Walmart and Kmart. This will be last Walmart option. If I'm near Kmart I may check their first but the one I'm returning goes to Wally World.
Also, last week, we bought a new handle for our shower. Ours is a single handle for the hot/cold water that pulls out and then turns left or right for the temperature. It is old and has been sticking. Youngest can't turn the water on by himself at all and has gotten his fingers stuck behind the handle when turning it off before. So we bought a new one. Well, it wouldn't work. We spent 30 dollars on something that was basically just a replacement cover when we actually needed the whole thing. So back to the store and 78 dollars later we have what we need. I could not believe the price. We had to buy a whole shower packate; spicket, handle (w/extra cover?), and shower head. All we needed was the one part but no, not possible. Now wonder nobody can afford things today. So we buy that and head over the blind section. We are buying a faux wood blind for the boys room and it has to be cut to size. Hubby measured, twice. We told her the size and left with our blind. A little bit ago Hubby tries to put the blind up and it is too big. We measured and she cut it too big. Only by like an eighth inch or so but still it won't go in. We put it in the return pile and move onto the tub project. Hubby tries to take the old handle off and BOOM, their goes the pipe. So after a mad dash to turn off the water and save our wall he is off to Lowes to buy new pipes and see if they will recut the blind. I'm just hoping he makes it before they close or we won't have water until tomorrow night.
Seriously, though, it seems like this is how it always is for us. We can never get the right stuff or have it work the first time. He's having the same problem with some parts for our car. Luckily my mom had some sheetrock left over from her business she is building because to fix the bathroom we have to cut a hole in the wall. Atleast that is one thing we won't have to buy.

I hope everyone else had a more productive weekend than we did. It wasn't a bad weekend. We've had a lot of family time together and for the first weekend in a LONG time I'm sitting here on a Sunday night with a clean house (other than the 3 dinner dishes I can't wash because of the water issue). Usually by Sunday it is a disaster because I just can't keep up with the three of them but last week I started the 1 strike rule. If they have to be told more than once to do a job or if they have to be told how to do the job (since it is a job they've done a thousand times like clean their room and I mean under the bed, dresser, etc....) then they get a time out or lose a privilege. Youngest does get 2 chances since he is younger and has less time in the chore arena. It has really been good. Oldest has had a hard time since it has affected him more so far but he has always been my more stubborn one. Youngest sees the concesequence and decides he'd rather take a minute now than 20 later but Oldest seems to always want to see if he can get away with it. It is more important to hurry and cut corners now than to do it right but he is learning that it doesn't work anymore. The best part is that Hubby has been 100% supportive. He hates that I'm a yeller and so do I so with this 1 strike thing I don't yell I just do the time out or take away the privilage and make them finish the job. Hubby has even been picking up after himself. We'll see if it lasts throughout the week but so far I'm pleased.
Well I better go watch some Andy Griffith with the boys before they get mad.