Cuddles Kids Bedding Boutique Giveaway!!!

When I was asked by Cuddles Kids Bedding Boutique to host a $25 gift certificate giveaway I immediately checked out their webiste & was in love.  I couldn't have been more excited to host a giveaway with them & wanted to get pregnant right then & there so that I could shop for new baby decor, bedding, accessories & more!  

They have the cutest & most stylish items that you could ever want for you infant, toddler, or child.  Here are just a few of the items that I feel in love with & I mean just a few; if I could have I would have posted everything they have on their website for you easy viewing pleasure! 

Train Stomp Step Stool

Egret Chocolate Messager Style Diaper Bag

CuddleZabba Personalized Baby Blanket

"Baby on Safari" – Handpainted Wood Gift Set in Keepsake Shadow Box

Caden Lane Dark Blue Swirl and Stripe Double Pendant

 

Chanel Adult Empre Glider Rocker

How to enter the Cuddles Kid Bedding Boutique giveaway:

Required entry: Visit their site & tell me what you would LOVE to use the gift certificate for. (1 entry)

1. Becoming a fan of Cuddles Kids Bedding Boutique on Facebook & let me know you are. (1 entry)

2. Follow Cuddles Kids Bedding Boutique on Twitter & let me know you are. (1 entry)

3. Become a public follower of my blog & tell me you are. (1 entry)

4. Vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs & let me know you did. (1 entry per day)

5. Vote for me on Picket Fence & let me know you did. (1 entry per day)

* Extra entries: Make sure to leave a separate comment for EACH extra entry or it will not count.

This giveaway begins today, August 13th, and will end in 1 week from today, August 20th. The winner will be selected at random. You must respond to my post with a valid email address within 48 hours or another winner will be chosen. Good luck, ladies!

Attention Giveaway Lovers............

Head over to Giveaway Scout for the the latest & greatest giveaways that have been posted or you could just scroll down a bit & see them here on my blog (look to the right)!!

This is a little bit about what they do:

All blog giveaways, contests and sweepstakes in one place. Giveaway Scout - All blog giveaways, contests and sweepstakes in one place brings you the latest giveaway promotions with products ranging from coupons and samples to high value jewelry and electronics. Giveaways have become extremely popular in recent years and thousands of blogs offer them on a regular basis. Giveaway Scout scans a large number of giveaway blogs and updates every hour with the latest offers.

Since giveaway contests usually expire quite quickly, we offer an automated update service that informs you by email when a new giveaway in your chosen category is discovered.

Brayden's Birthday @ Chuck E Cheese.......

When I posted Brayden's 12 month pictures here I mentioned that he wasn't feeling well but that didn't stop him from enjoying his 1st ever Chuck E Cheese birthday experience later that evening.  My family drove in from VA Beach that afternoon so we went up to Chuck E Cheese so that we could celebrate Brayden's birthday but also so that my nephews could have some fun after being in the car for 9 hours!

Brayden fell in love with the slide & was not afraid of the animatronic Chuck E. at all; he was however a little unsure of the real one that came out later in the evening.  He loved to ride all the little cars they had for the toddlers & walked around like he owned the place.  We all ate way to much junk food but had a great time celebrating the birth of Brayden Lance Goodson!!

I have not forgotten to post his stats BUT what I did forget is to make his 1 year appointment way in advance since all the school kids had to get their shots before starting this school year...........his appointment is August 19th!!

Challenge #6 Update.............

Challenge #6

Buy only products on sale and that you have a coupon for, excluding dairy, meats, and produce which often offers no coupons. For these products, you can only buy products on sale. Discuss if this was a challenge for you? Did it effect the quality of food you purchased? Plus your experience and if you were successful or not.

This was the wrong week for this challenge since my family was in town for Brayden's 1st birthday & also for his party this past Sunday & it was a cook out so alot of meat was purchased; we did well on all the meats because we went to Costco & I guess we did well on most of the other stuff that we needed as well since most of what was purchased was Kroger brand however I never realize just how picky people are about what & how they eat certain things until we had 6 adults, 3 kids & 4 dogs here this past week. 

From the specific "Dukes" mayo my pops loves on his sandwiches, to the name brand Miracle Whip that makes my moms potato salad just right; from the Dr. Pepper that my sister loves to sip all day, to the "Club" crackers that she eats when nothing else will do; we all have our little things that we have to have & when there is that many people I guess it all just adds up!  I don't think that indulging in specifics is bad all of the time but if you look at the cost comparison you will see a big difference in the pocket book over time.  I am happy that I can eat the "off" brands & not really care but I do have to admit I made myself a sandwich to take to work today & used the "Dukes" mayo on it & it was I think the best sandwich I have had in quite a while!

I m really going to start looking for more specific coupons so that I can stick to the budget I have laid out for our family but indulge in the name brands when ever possible............Lance is going to love this!!!

What will challenge us next??

Challenge #7:

Start a grocery price book for the products you most often buy and gather standard prices for your most frequent purchase. Start tracking how low prices go. Discuss if this was time consuming. Do you feel that it's worth the time? Do you already track prices? Do products you buy go on sale often? Plus your experience and if you were successful or not.

Always Playing Catch Up.........

That is how I feel; I was finally getting caught up on everything after being sick & then my family got here & Brayden's 1st Birthday happened & then his party happened & now I am WAY behind on everything again so I am going to back track just a little.

July 31st we had a couples shower that we attended for a our friends that are getting married on August 14th (this Saturday).  Lance worked with Justin before we met & then when we started dating we all became the best of friends.  Sadly we have had 2 big falling outs & the last one was pretty bad so they were not apart of my pregnancy or Brayden's birth at all & I was sad about that the whole time I was pregnant.  We are talking again & it is so great & we missed them so much but because of the falling out Lance & I are not really a part of their wedding & that again makes me sad.............Meghan was there for me & even put my veil in my hair the day I became Mrs. Goodson & I just wish I was there for her too.  I know that this is selfish of me & that is why I haven't expressed any of these feelings to her; I have told Lance & he has told me that he is upset too but we just have to be happy for them & pray that we will once again be friends like we used to be.

I know that they are going to be a very happy couple I mean look at the way she is looking at him.........that is love with a capital L!!

The party was on a house boat & this was the night sky.............

They played games & the night was just wonderful; she is going to be a stunning bride & he will be a very dashing groom...........

& Lance & I just wish them the best & all the happiness in the world!

90 Day Budget Boot Camp - Challenge #5 Update

Organize Coupons

Now that you have your coupons, pick a way to organize them and start a system. Talk about the different organization systems you considered and show/describe the one you finally selected. How time consuming was it to first organize your coupons? Do you think it will get better now that you have a system in place? Pros/cons of the system you selected? Plus, discuss your experience.

I am so used to being able to organize anything & everything but I have to admit that this has been one of the hardest things I have ever tried to organize.  At first I thought that clipping & organizing in a coupon organizer was the way to go but then when I was doing that part I was wondering what I was going to do about the coupons that I had uploaded online onto my Kroger Plus card; I mean how was I going to remember what was on there??  Thus began a lenghty night of figuring it all out.........

I looked over all the coupons that I had clipped, printed out, received in the mail & added to my Kroger card & decided that what would work best for me is to make my grocery list & then pull out all of the coupons that I have for the items that I needed before I even head out to the store.  It seemed to work really well for me this past weekend & I am sure that as time goes on I will get more used to doing it & it won't be as time consuming.  As most of you know, having a walking 1 year old tends to take up the majority of my day so I am having to do as much as I can when he naps & after he is in bed & I had a few late nights getting everything researched & organized but last night I made a list of a few things that we were in need of & pulled the coupons & it only took about 15 minutes so there is hope for me yet.......... 

What's Next??? 

Challenge #6

Buy only products on sale and that you have a coupon for, excluding dairy, meats, and produce which often offers no coupons. For these products, you can only buy products on sale. Discuss if this was a challenge for you? Did it effect the quality of food you purchased? Plus your experience and if you were successful or not.

Happy 1st Birthday Brayden..........

Today is our little guys 1st Birthday & he is sick :(  He has a cold & it is in his eyes & nose; poor little guy hung in like a champ anyway today & even made it through a Birthday celebration tonight at Chucky Cheese!!  I will post all the pictures once I get them all uploaded but here are a few of me trying to get his 12 month shots this morning; needless to say B didn't want to coroperate!! 

He did love the big stuffed dog we got him; I know he wasn't feeling well because he kept laying his head on it & cuddling with it!

11 Months Old..........

A year ago today I was checking into the hospital to start the induction process of my labor; I knew that I was going to love Brayden so much (since I already did without even seeing him) & also knew he was going to change our lives but I guess I didn't realize that it was going to be the most wonderfully overwhelming kind of love that it has been this past year.............he will be 12 months old tomorrow!!

He is so happy all of the time.........

He laughs..........

& smiles..........

& giggles all of the time.......

He loves to be shirtless..........

He "grrrrs" at us his face looks like this (he tenses & straightens his arms, hands & fingers too)............

& he has grown to love to be read too..........he even says "ba" for book!!

10 Months Old..........

He got comfy in his big boy car seat...........

& also got comfy in the big bath tub (no more duck tub).........

He got a rocking chair just his size from his JuJu & PaPa........

Love to walk around (with assistance of course).........

Learned to take off his shirt & loved it..........

Started to prefer feeding himself...............

Played with is cousins..........

We got his birthday invite designed..........

He loved his little pool in that his Grams & Puddy got him for the back yard.........

We had family pictures made.......

& we all happily celebrated Father's Day with Lance......