SoftBums Mystery Product Event! Extra Entries HERE!

Who doesn't love a good mystery?! And an awesome giveaway event! Tomorrow, Oct. 1, Softbums is revealing their NEW Softbums diaper! And to celebrate they are giving away lots of awesome prizes..including an IPAD!! Here's the details!

Steps for the Mystery Diaper EVENT:

#1. The SoftBums Blog will be linked with a list of over 100 bloggers who are all participating or reviewing the NEW SoftBums Mystery Diaper.

#2. On Oct 1st at 12pm CST SoftBums will reveal their newest SoftBums diaper on YouTube and…

#3. at the same time all the reviewing bloggers will post their reviews of the new diaper.

#4. Blogs are open early to begin taking comments

#5. After the entry period ends (Oct 18 @ 8pm CST) 23 winners will be chosen from all the compiled entries!

*Check Back Here on October 1st, I’ll post the video and more info on the NEW myster diaper!*

Come join the SoftBums Mystery Event and visit all the participating blogs for a chance to win these amazing prizes!



Grand Prize:A Brand New iPad (available to win on other blogs-entries on Liz Has A Life count for 1st prize down!)

First Prize: Complete Birth to Potty Package of SoftBums NEW Mystery Diapers!!

Second Prize: Win a gift certificate for $75 to www.softbums.com

Third Prize: Amazon Gift Card worth $50

PLUS:1 SoftBums Mystery Diaper given out to winners #5-#20

PLUS: Baby Legs to winners #21-#23

You can choose to enter only one participating blog, or bounce around and enter on ALL the BLOGS!

Sound like fun?

To get an early start and extra entries:

Post, blog or Tweet about the SoftBums Mystery Event and comment here to enter your entry!

Plus Extra entries available for:

Going to other SoftBums Mystery Event Blogs, listed on the SoftBums blog

Follow the SoftBums “Love Cloth Diapers” Blog

Tweet ”Enter to WIN a new mystery #SoftBums diaper and more from @softbumsmama! http://bit.ly/aIcL38 @lizhaslife #clothdiapers #giveaway 10/18″ (leave a comment)

Follow SoftBums on Twitter (Leave comment)

Like SoftBums on Facebook (leave comment)

Tell why you are excited to try the new diaper! (leave comment)

Share this Mystery Event as your status on Facebook (leave comment)

Leave a review on SoftBums (leave comment)

Subscribe to my blog via email through feedburner (leave comment)

Follow me through Google Friend Connect or via a reader (leave comment)

Grab my button and post it on your blog (leave comment)

Blog about this giveaway (leave comment with link)

A Few Friday Blog Hops!!

Welcome new followers!!

My Lip Stuff Product Review and Giveaway! **CLOSED**

**CI was very excited to be able to do a product review for My Lip Stuff! The hubby and I both have very dry lips and go through chapstick like crazy! So I am always on the lookout for the next best thing to moisturize and have our lips feeling great! And I'm happy to say I really think I've found it!!

About My Lip Stuff

My Lip Stuff has over 500 flavors of natural lip balm!! They also carry body butters, bath salts, linen sprays, and lots more!! All of their products are skin, earth, and animal friendly! Some examples of the types of balms they have includes Booze Balms, Days of the Week Balms, Fortune Cookie Lip Balms, and Voodoo Lip Balms!! They can also creat personalized, custom, or promotional lip balms, which is perfect for baby or wedding showers!! My Lip Stuff is "serious lip care with a fun flair!" And at a great price too!

What we Think!

Right off the bat I thought this stuff was awesome! It smelled soooo good! I received three tubes to sample. One was Pumpkin Cupcakes, one was Candy Cane, and one was Caramel Apple! All 3 smell awesome! I think my favorite scent of the three is Pumpkin Cupcakes! Reminds me of fall, which I love! It got even better when I put it on my lips! It is so soft and smooth! It's not sticky like some chapsticks, which I hate, cuz my hair always tries to stick to my lips! Yuck! But not this stuff, it was amazing! I also liked how it stayed on my lips for a while. Even after the initial gloss feeling was gone, I could still feel that my lips were being moisturized! Seriously! It was great! So then of course, I had hubby try it and he liked it too! He's not big on the smells like I was but he said it felt really great on his lips!

So this household is definately a fan of My Lip Stuff and I will recommend it to anyone!

Buy It!

http://www.mylipstuff.com/

Win It!

The great people at My Lip Stuff has generously given me the opportunity to give away one random 6 pack of lip balms from My Lip Stuff! A $13 value!

** Please leave you email in every comment so that I can reach you. This giveaway is open worldwide. The giveaway will end on Oct 16, 2010 at 11pm EST. Winner will be chosen using random.org and will have 24 hrs after being emailed to respond or another winner will be chosen. Good luck!

**Mandatory entry** You must be a follower of this blog via Google Friend Connect and then go here and tell me which flavor of lip balm you would like to try the most!

Extra Entries

(1 entry) Subscribe to this blog via email.

(1 entry) "Like" The Not-So-Secret Confessions on Facebook

(1 entry) Follow the Not-So-Secret Confessions on Twitter

(2 entries) Blog, Post on your facebook status, or Tweet about this giveaway with link to this blog. (This can be done once a day.) Leave me a link in the comment when you posted it.

(1 entry) Enter one of my other giveaways and comment which one you entered.

**Disclaimer : The views expressed on this blog are my own. I was not paid for this review.

New Email!

So since I have so many awesome things going on with the blog I have been receiving a lot more email than normally. So I decided to creat an email address specifically for the blog so I don't get things mixed up! So if you need to contact me please email me at the new address::

MommyFerg02@gmail.com

Thanks!!

SnuggyBaby- An awesome WAHM store!

So I have been privilaged to talk with Jo from SnuggyBaby about her awesome store. At http://www.snuggybaby.com/ she sells wetbags, slings, and even doll sized slings for you little one to carry their doll in! How cute is that!!

• all hand made in the United States
• has wetbags from travel size to pail liner sized in a fabulous selection of fabrics. These wetbags are durable and can be used for more than just diapers!
• has baby wraps and slings in an amazing array of colors and fabrics..fleece included!
• has a selection of kid sized doll slings for mini moms and dads!
• fast, reliable shipping! 

Here's the awesome part!!

Jo has offered to give my followers 10% off your entire  purchase at http://www.snuggybaby.com/ !!

All you have to do is

1) be a follower of this blog

2) use code 'NotSoSecret' at http://www.snuggybaby.com/

Code is good until Oct 31, 2010!!

Thanks Jo for offering my followers this awesome deal!

Calling all Green Mama's!!

So I am really interested in becoming more green and I know there are some really awesome mommy bloggers that are green! So since I will be pretty busy with school I'm thinking of having some cool guest bloggers to talk about being green and ways we can all be green! I really want to do more things green in my household so if any way I can get tips and ideas is great!

Soooooooo

If you are intersted in being a "green" guest blogger for my blog please email me at mommyferg02@gmail.com with the following details:

• Please make sure the subject is "Green Guest Blogger App"
• Give me your name and blog url
• Tell me a bit about yourself and how you are green
• Give me any links to your facebook page or twitter account you may have

Thanks! Look forward to hearing from all you awesome green mamas!!

(I'm even linking up at a Green blog hop today! Yay!)

School at full force!!

So I started school back yesterday. Boo, no fun! I am taking 3 classes which is a full load according to my school. I can already tell its going to a be a full load too! Lots of homework and boring lectures! So I am telling you this because if my posts are not as often or at crazy random times of the day, that why! My goal is to make all A's this last year of college so I'll probably be pretty busy!

But even though I'm busy I still love to hop!! Welcome any new followers! Please leave me a comment so I can follow you back! Have a great day!



  

48 Hr Giveaway!! Netflix 1 Month Free Trial!! 4 winners! **CLOSED**

So we get Netflix and we love it! Brian and I both are horrible about remembering to return movies. We even forgot to return one once when we went on vacation and ended up paying $20 in late fees! Netflix makes that problem go away, and they are cheap! We pay $10 a month for unlimited movies! You get one in the mail, keep it as long as you like, watch it, mail it back and get a new one! It's sweet!

So I got 4, 1 Month Free Trial cards in the mail to give to anyone I want! So I thought, heck, lets give them away on the blog! Giveaways are always fun! Hehe!  This is an easy one too! The offer ends Oct 31, 2010 so you have to sign up for the free trial before then. So I'm making this a quickie giveaway too! It's only going to be up for 48hrs! I will draw 4 winners, using random.org, on Wed afternoon at 2:30 EST.

** Post a comment for each entry. Please leave your email address in each comment so I know how to reach you. This giveaway is good for US and Canada Only! Ends Wed, Sept 29th at 2:30pm EST.

Here's how to enter :

1) You must be a follower of this blog via GFC! (Mandatory Entry!)

2) Tell me what your favorite movie is! (1 entry)

3) Like me on Facebook! (1 entry) Leave the name you "like" under.

4) Like my Avon Page on Facebook! (1 entry)

5) Follow me on Twitter (1 entry)

6) Blog, Tweet, or update on Facebook about this giveaway. You must tag or link back to this blog! Leave the link where you posted.  (2 entries)

Good luck!! :)

So how did I do??

I think I did pretty good but I'm going to let you coupon guru's tell me for real if I did a good job or not!

I got all this for $50.14. The only thing that wasn't a BOGO or on some kind of sale was the cheese crackers and the taco shells. I only used 4 coupons but they were good ones! I used $3.00 off any Johnson & Johnson products when you buy two or more. So that means I paid $.15 for one!! Another good one was a  Glade plugins BOGO coupon and they were BOGO at Publix too. And I THINK she took off the whole price of one regular price  cuz my receipt says -$5.99!! So whoo hoo!! Also I had a coupon for $1.00 off Oscar Meyer meat which was BOGO at Publix and $.55 off Country Crock butter! The rest of the stuff I bought was BOGO or 5/$5 or 2/$1.00 or on sale in some way!! My receipt says I saved $44.01 total..so I saved almost as much as I spent! So did I do ok?? Be honest!! :))

Mom Blog Monday Blog Hop! Week 5!

<center><a href="http://ftmommyferg.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="The Not-So-Secret Confessions of a First Time Mom" src="http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m335/kayedani/newmondaybutton.jpg"/></a></center>

Are you a Mommy blogger? Do you blog about your kids? Do you blog about great things for Mommies? Do you wanna meet other Mom Bloggers?

If you answered yes to any of those questions then link up!

This blog hop is hosted by Sippy Cups and Cloth Bums, The Not-So-Secret Confessions of a First Time Mom , and MidgetMomma $1200 Budget Deals and Freebies !

Rules?

All we ask is that you follow Sippy Cups and Cloth Bums, The Not- So- Secret Confessions of a First Time Mom, and MidgetMomma $1200 Budget Deals and Freebies.We are the first three on the linky!Then follow spot #4 which is the featured blog! Be sure to leave us a comment so we can follow you back!

We would LOVE it if you'd grab our button and put it somewhere on your blog or in a blog post! This would help us spread the word. However, you aren't required to.

You can follow as many or as few blogs as you'd like.

Each week one lucky blogger that links up will be chosen to be the featured blog.

This week's Featured Blog.....

 

Kelly from The Coupon Scoop...

About Kelly and her blog...

"I'm a deal finding, coupon carrying wife and mom of two,I live for deals, and I love to review the latest products and give you my honest opinion so you don't waste your money. At The Coupon Scoop you will find the scoop on the coupons, deals, reviews and giveaways. I am celebrating my first blog birthday this week with 5 days of giveaways. Make sure to stop by and enter over 25 giveaways!"

I Heart Coupons!!!

Ok so I FINALLY got a newspaper today. Not even the big huge one. Just the Athens Banner Herald..which is fairly big but not the biggest. I was like a dang kid in a candy store just now! I started going through and clipping coupons and I seriously sounded like a happy little kid! haha!! I was like "ooo" and "ahhh" and "yes! Jackpot" hahahahaha

Seriously though I was so suprised at how many coupons there are of stuff we actually use! Even if its not the brand we use, its stuff we use on a regular basis that I can now save some money on! Yippeee!!

Now I just have to make a list based off the sales and coupons. I think I will be going to Publix tomorrow because there sale ends on Tuesday and they have a few good meat sales and Bogo's I wanna get before it ends. I need to figure out what store is cheaper to buy things like cleaning supplies and non food items. We usually shop at Walmart because hubby gets a 10% dicount for being an employee of Walmart, but I'm pretty sure the discount doesn't apply if you use coupons, so if Target or somewhere else is cheaper than Walmart, then I need to start shopping there.

I am so excited to finally be using coupons and hopefully start saving some money!! I'll update again when I go on my first shopping trip! :)

Cheese!!!

I just had to share! Noah now knows what it means when you say "say cheese!" ...and this is the face I get! I just love it!! haha!

Rockin' Green WINNER!!

Congrats to comment # 116 which is  Amy -I tweeted http://twitter.com/ohsosavvymom/statuses/24043493414
 
 

Congrats!! I will be emailing you now! You have 24 hours to respond or I will choose another winner! Thanks!
 
(ps- I still haven't figured out how to put the random.org widget on my post. If anyone knows how please let me know!!)

Giveaways Giveaways Giveaways!!

I have quite a few giveaways going on right now and more to come...here's just a little reminder of what I got going on!!

My Rockin Green Cloth Diaper Detergent Giveaway is ending tonight at 11:50pm EST and I will choose a winner first thing in the morning! So if you haven't entered yet be sure you do it before tonight!!

 I have a Thirsties Duo Wrap and Duo Hemp Prefold up for grabs in the winners choice of color and size! It ends Oct 4!!

I also have an Avon giveaway going on! It has very low entries so you have a great chance of winner! The winner gets to choose between an Anew Skincare Regimen Starter Kit or a Smooth Minerals Makeup starter kit! Both are over a $60 value!! It ends OCt 5!!

And the last one going on at the moment is the No Throw giveaway! This is a must-have product for mamas with babies and toddlers! It ends Oct 5 as well!

** Be on the lookout for more giveaways and product reviews to come! I have some awesome stuff lined up so be sure to check back!!

Featured Fluff Friday- Fuzzibunz!!

I have decided to feature Fuzzibunz as the first diaper in Featured Fluff Friday because they are one of my personal favorites! The majority of my stash is Fuzzibunz! So I'm going to tell you a bit about the website and just give you my personal experience with Fuzzibunz , because the people over at Fuzzibunz are very busy people! Cuz these dipes are so dang popular!!

Fuzzibunz was started by a stay at home mama, Tereson Dupuy, in 1999 after dealing with diaper rash on her son and was just dissatisfied with the diapers available. She sewed the very first fuzzibunz in her home and an awesome product was born!

Fuzzibunz comes in two different styles, one-size and perfect size. The One Size diapers are adjustable and usually fit from 7-35lbs. The leg casings adjust to 8+ settings and the waist can adjust to 4+ settings! The Perfect Size diaper is available in four different sizes and is the trimmer of the two diapers. It is especially made to fit your kiddo great!  Fuzzibunz come in a variety of 14 beautiful colors, including Mac and Cheese and Crushed Berries, just to name a few! They are pocket diapers so they have inserts that you stuff, which makes for quicker drying time. The inside of the diaper is made of fleece which is super soft on baby's bum!!



Noah in his red Medium Perfect Size Fuzzibunz

 Like I said, Fuzzibunz are one of my personal favorites. They are so durable and well made! I love the snaps! And the inside is seriously sooooo soft! I use the perfect size diapers and they fit Noah great! I have one of the one-size diapers and they are awesome too! The colors are super bright and fun! I have never had a leak in a fuzzibunz and we even just started using them at night (double-stuffed) and still no leaks! They are a great diaper and I will continue to use them until Noah is potty-trained and with next baby as well!!

All my info came from http://www.fuzzibunz.com/ and from personal experience. If you have any questions about these diapers please feel free to comment below or email me!

A Merry Fluffy Christmas!

So I came across this thing called A Merry Fluffy Christmas started by the lovely Jessica at And Then There were 4 . It is a blog hop/cloth diapering holiday event that is running Dec 1-5. Each blog participating will host a giveaway , each day,  valued at at least $25!! How awesome is that! I knew I had to have in on it since I love fluff so much here at The Not-So-Secret Confessions!

So, with that being said, I am looking for sponsors!! I am looking for companies to donate diapers, wetbags, gift cards, or anything that has to do with cloth diapering for this event!! We can be creative with it! And even if you can't provide a gift with a value of at least $25 we can combine sponsors and create awesome gift packages!

Benefits of Being a Sponsor:

- I will write a blog post about your company and/or product. This blog post will highlight your products and service and will tell readers all about you! I will give links to where they can purchase your product as well as links to a facebook page or twitter account you may have! This blog post can also provide a review of any of your products, if you would like me to test them out and give my opinion. That is totally optional though!
- I will post your logo or button on my blog in the Product Love section (lower right) during the course of the Merry Fluffy Christmas event.
- There will be a direct link to the blog post about your company at the top of my blog during the Merry Fluffy Christmas event.
- My sponsors will not only be featured on my blog but also on my Facebook page and Twitter account during the course of the event!

If you are interested in becoming a sponser please contact me(Michelle)  at michelleod8975@hotmail.com

Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you!

Thursday Blog Hops!!

Good morning and happy Thursday! I am blog hopping this morning! There are some awesome blog hops going on today and some are even doing GIVEAWAYS!! Awesome huh?! If you are a new follower WELCOME! Say hello and leave me your link so I can follow you back! Be sure to enter my giveaways(left side)! My Rockin' Green Cloth Diaper Detergent giveaway is ending tomorrow so hurry up and enter!! Have a great day everyone!!

> 

Wordless Wednesday -Sweet Smiles

No Throw Product Review and Giveaway! **CLOSED**

When I heard about the No Throw I knew it was a must have!! Noah is the worlds worst about throwing his sippy cup and then wanting it back! It can be VERY irritating for mommy and on car rides he throws it and then I get to listen to him fuss because I can't get to it. This is usually the case for many parents of babies and toddlers and the No Throw is the perfect solution!!

About No Throw

No Throw was created by Karla and Karen, two twin sisters who were dealing with the sippy cup throwing from their own kiddos. The No Throw is designed for kids 3 months and older and is made to tightly fit around bottles and sippy cups. The leash style handle makes it easy for it to slip around arm rests or into seatbelts so that it can be secured right near the baby. It can easily go around high-chairs, carseats, strollers, bike seats, and baby backpacks!

What we think!!

I received the No Throw right before our trip to South Carolina! I was so excited to try it! We first used it in the car. I slipped it around his car seat arm rest and set it next to him in the carseat. It was soooo helpful! Instead of having to reach back there every 10 minutes to hand him his sippy, I could relax in the front seat and he had his cup whenever he wanted it. It definately made our not-so-fun road trips less difficult. Then for our trip to the zoo we used it again. It was a hot day so it was great that Noah had access to his sippy at anytime without being able to knock it out of the stroller.

Overall I say the No Throw is a wonderful product and a must have for parents of babies and toddlers! If I would change anything it would be that both ends of the No Throw were secured with velcro just so that there can be a more secure latch to the arm rest or stroller. Other than that its perfect! I will definately be recommending this product to all my mommy friends!

Buy It!

 http://www.nothrow.com/

 or purchase at your local Walgreens or Rite Aid

 Win It!

 The wonderful people at No Throw is giving away 2 No Throws to One(1) lucky follower!

 **Mandatory Entry**  You must be a follower via Google Friend Connect and leave me a comment telling me why you want to win the No Throw!

 Extra Entries

 (1 entry) Like The Not-So-Secret Confessions on Facebook and comment on my wall that your entering this giveaway!

 (1 entry) Follow MommyFerg02 on Twitter

 (1 entry) Subscribe via email

 (1 entry) Add No Throw as a friend on Facebook

 **Please be sure to leave your email with every comment so I can reach you if you win this givewaway!Open to US and Canadian resident only! Giveaway ends Oct 5 at 11pm EST! **


**Giveaway has been extended to Tuesday, Oct 12th at 11pmEST!**

Tuesday Hops!

Here are some Tuesday blog hops I'm participating in! If your a new follower Welcome!! Have a great Tuesday!!

 

One Lovely Blog Award!!

I am horrible about remembering to do this..so I'm proud of myself for remembering today!!

I received a blog award! I feel so honored! Bonny at Quick Tattletails gave me this award! Thank you so much Bonny!! :)

Ok so here's the rules....

1.Accept the award. Post it on your blog with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.



2.Pay it forward to 15 other bloggers that you have newly discovered.


3.Contact those blog owners and let them know they’ve been chosen.
 
And here's 15 awesome bloggers I have newly discovered!!
 
1. By Word Of Mouth
2. Children Teaching Mama
3. Gnarly Notes: Journey of a Modern June Cleaver
4. His Little Mrs
5. Home Grown Families
6. Just Hide the Dishes in the Dryer
7. Life of this SAHM
8. Living Out Loud
9. Mommy Katie
10. Mommy's Margaritas
11.One Little Mister
12. Spoiled ...But Not Rotten
13. Stay at Home PrettyMom
14. Takin' Care of Twins
15. The Very Best Housewife
 
Thanks again Bonny! And congrats to all these awesome blogs!! You have one lovely blog!!
 

Another Avon Giveaway! US Only! **CLOSED**

** This was on the facebook page but to get more traffic I moved it here! Entries over there transfer to here and will still count!!

I am trying to get my name out there as an Avon representative so I need your help! Please leave your email address with every comment and one comment per entry! Thanks!

Winner gets:

One (1) Anew Skincare Regiman starter kit in your choice of formula (kit comes with cleanser, day cream, night cream, and contouring eye system)

OR

One (1) Smooth Minerals Kit in your choice of shade! (kit comes with two foundations, transparent glow, and blush)

This is a $60 value , yours free if you win!!

**Mandatory Entry** Go to my Avon website and tell me one thing you would love to try! And go to my Avon facebook page, like it, and suggest to 5 friends!! Then come back here and tell me you did. :)

Extra Entries

(1 entry) Suggest to 10 more friends!
(1 entry) Post about this giveaway on Facebook (leave link)
(1 entry) Tweet about this giveaway (leave link)
(2 entries) Blog about this giveaway
(3 entries) Place an order on my Avon website and comment with the order/confirmation number.

Giveaway ends Oct 5 at noon!! Open to US only!

**Giveaway has been extended to Tuesday, Oct 5th at 11pm EST! **

Coming Soon!!

So we all know I love cloth diapers! But there are SOOOO many different kinds out there even I don't know about them all. So what I am going to start very soon is something called Featured Fluff Friday! I will feature a different brand/type/style of cloth diaper every Friday. You'll get info on where it came from, who made it, what's so great about it, what's not so great about it...and where you can get it!!

So if you've ever wanted to try a diaper but just don't know much about it or just want to know more about your favorite diaper, Featured Fluff Friday will be the place to come! But I need your help! Let me know what diapers you'd like to see featured! It can be any type or brand and I will do my best to get all the info I can about it and feature it! Some of these will even be paired with giveaways! So leave me a comment below and let me know which diapers you want to see featured! Thanks!!

Mom Blog Monday Week 4!!

<center><a href="http://ftmommyferg.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="The Not-So-Secret Confessions of a First Time Mom" src="http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m335/kayedani/newmondaybutton.jpg"/></a></center>

Are you a Mommy blogger? Do you blog about your kids? Do you blog about great things for Mommies? Do you wanna meet other Mom Bloggers?

If you answered yes to any of those questions then link up!

This blog hop is hosted by(me) Sippy Cups and Cloth Bums, The Not-So-Secret Confessions of a First Time Mom , and MidgetMomma $1200 Budget Deals and Freebies !

Rules?

All we ask is that you follow Sippy Cups and Cloth Bums, The Not- So- Secret Confessions of a First Time Mom, and MidgetMomma $1200 Budget Deals and Freebies.We are the first three on the linky!Then follow spot #4 which is the featured blog!  Be sure to leave us a comment so we can follow you back!
We would LOVE it if you'd grab our button and put it somewhere on your blog or in a blog post! This would help us spread the word. However, you aren't required to.

You can follow as many or as few blogs as you'd like.

Each week one lucky blogger that links up will be chosen to be the featured blog.

This week's Featured Blog.....

Christy's from Petals and Pine

About Christy and her blog...

Welcome to Petals and Pine. I'm Christy, a 27-year-old wife to Devan and mother to 19-month-old Jeremiah. We have a furbaby, an English Mastiff/Bullmastiff mix named Ares, and I have an American Quarter Horse named CoCo. I'm also a full-time college student pursuing a degree in medical coding. I am passionate about history, animals, genealogy, and all things nature-related. My blog is a journal of our family, a way to document our adventures and momentous occasions. I write about things that are important to me and I share a lot of pictures, so be forewarned. I'm a combination of country farmhouse and vintage. I love literature, poetry, music and art. Pull yourself up a chair, pour a glass of iced tea, and see what we're up to!

Sunday Blog Hops!

I love Sundays! They are the most relaxing day of the week (usually). I love getting up and going to church and then coming home and being lazy! So fun! Here's some good blog hops going on today! If your a new follower, welcome and be sure to leave me a comment! Look to your left to find my giveaways and go enter! Have a great day!!

My trip to Publix today.....

Was a mess! I was so overwhelmed and confused! I didn't have many coupons but I looked at the sale paper yesterday and wrote down all the deals of stuff we would use and then made another list of things I needed. I spent $80 bucks on everything. Which isn't bad but I don't feel like I really saved much money. Before I started trying out this couponing thing and saving money, I just shopped at Walmart. My husband gets paid bi-weekly so I usually shop for two weeks and spend anywhere from $100-$150. So at Publix I spent less but I don't feel like I got as much food. I'm not sure if I did it wrong or not. I did get alot of great BOGO deals and there were definately some products there that are a lot cheaper than at Walmart. But I just didn't get this big sense of accomplishment when I left. I circled the whole store about 5 times cuz I didn't know where a lot was and I just felt very confused. Haha.

I'm hoping my next trip will be better. I hope to have a lot more coupons. If anyone has anymore tips for me , especially any tips for just starting out, I want to hear them!! Thanks!

Thirsties Duo Wrap and Duo Hemp Prefold Review and Giveaway! **CLOSED**

I was so excited when I received word back from Thirsties to review one of their products! I was actually a bit nervous when I was told I could review a Duo Wrap and Duo Hemp prefold because I have never really used prefolds before. I tried them when I first started using cloth diapers but found them a bit difficult and just not as simple as the all-in-ones and pocket diapers. But I only tried one kind and I was using the snappi to hold them together. So when I found out I was getting a prefold, I thought uh oh, but I decided to give it a shot!

A little about Thirsties and their Diapers

Thirsties is an American cloth diapering company started by a mom 5 years ago. It is a small, but growing company that is committed to greener parenting and making eco-friendly choices. Thirsties products are made by work at home moms and their customer service reps are cloth diapering mommies! They have a great variety of cloth diapers to fit every cloth diapering mama’s needs.

What’s the Duo Wrap and Duo Hemp Prefold?

The Duo Wrap is very similar to the Thirsties cover but since it is adjustable and works from birth to potty training it can save you a lot of cash! It comes in two sizes- size one is from 6-18 pounds and size two is from 18-40 pounds. It is waterproof, yet breathable and the inside can be wiped clean with a wipe or wet rag, making it possible to use more than once before washing. They have awesome laundry tabs to keep you from pulling a diaper chain out of the wash, and you can even get them in snap closures!

The Duo Hemp prefold is no ordinary prefold! The Duo Hemp is only 2 layers thick making it easier to clean and gives you a quicker drying time. But since it is made of hemp it is 25% more absorbent than a prefold of the same size made of cotton alone! One of my favorite parts of the prefold was that I didn’t have to snappy it together! All you do is fold it into thirds and lay it into the duo hemp and wrap it around your kiddo! Very simple!

What we think!!

So like I said, I was a bit nervous about trying a prefold. I thought, “what if I can’t do it right” or “What if I don’t like it?”, but I tried to keep an open mind. When I received the wrap and prefold the first thing I did was wash them. The duo hemp prefold needs to be washed at least 3 times to do its absorbency job, so I did that. Like I said before, I really liked that I just layed the prefold into the wrap. It made it much easier than using pins of a snappi. I was worried that it would leak just laying in there like that though. Well it didn’t! The first time Noah wore it, he was in it for almost 2 hours and not one leak! I was so happily surprised! The second time I put him in it I kept him in it even longer and still no leaks! That hemp really does its job! And the wrap is awesome too! The prefold can be completely soaked but baby is completely dry on the outside. I checked around the thighs and belly where Noah usually leaks, and he was dry.

I am very pleased with the Duo Wrap and Duo Hemp Prefold. It is so simple to use and really does a great job! I will continue to use this diaper and recommend it to other cloth diapering parents!

 

 

Buy It!
http://thirstiesbaby.com/retailers.htm  

Or request a catalog at:

www.thirstiesbaby.com/catalog.htm

 

Win It!!

 

The awesome people at Thirsties are giving me the opportunity to give away one(1) Duo Wrap and one(1) Duo Hemp prefold in the winners choice of size and color!!

 

**Mandatory Entry: You must be a follower of this blog via GFC and then go to Thirsties and tell me about another product you'd like to try or have tried and like!

 

Extra Entries

(1 entry) Like Thirsties on Facebook and tell them I sent ya!

(1 entry) Like The Not-So-Secret Confessions of a First Time Mom on Facebook and leave me a comment on my wall!

(2 entries) Subscribe to this blog via email (right column)

(1 entry) Follow The Not-So-Secret Confessions on Twitter.

(1 entry) Follow Thirsties on Twitter.

(2 entries) Grab my button and post it on your blog and leave me the link to where it's posted.

(1 entry) Tweet or update your Facebook status telling others about this giveaway and leave me the link. (this can be done once daily and equals one entry per day)

(2 entries) Blog about this giveaway on your blog and leave me the link.

**Giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only! Please leave me your email with each comment so I can reach you if you are the winner! Giveaway ends Monday, Oct 4 at 11:00pm EST! Good Luck! **

 

 

 

Noah's First Trip to the Zoo!!

We went to Columbia, South Carolina this week to visit some great friends of ours and take Noah to the zoo for the very first time! It was very exciting! I love the zoo! So I was really excited to see if Noah would too.

He was a tired little man when we got there ( he never sleeps well in the pack n play) but he sure was a trooper! He really LOVED seeing the animals! He even fed a giraffe!!  It was a great trip!!

We're going to the zoo!

I am so excited cuz this morning we are taking Noah to the zoo for the very first time!! Yay!! I haven't been to the zoo myself since before he was born so I am excited just to go and see all the animals on my own! I really hope he enjoys it!

I'm hopping a bit this morning so if your a new follower be sure to say hello! Have a great day! I'll be back with lots of pictures!!

Shusybye Book and CD Review

I was privilaged to by able to review the Shusybye book  Shushybye Sleepover Suprise and the music cd " The Shushybye Dream Band - Shushybye and Goodnight".

What is Shushybye you ask?

Shushybye is a brand for babies, toddlers and preschoolers made to promote bedtime and have kids looking forward to sleep! It is an interactive routine for kids and parents to get excited about going to bed! Shushybye consists of book, music, dvds and even a tv show!

Shushybye is made up of several different characters like Snoozles, Dozie, and Zeez! They live in places like Nap Valley and Snore Shore and they make the dreams of children who make their Dream Wish and go to bed on time! Then Conductor McCloud puts all the dreams on the Dream train and transports them to all the children!

What we thought about Shushybye!

When I heard about shushybye I thought it was super cute! But I was a little hesitant to think that it really worked to get the kiddos to bed and to enjoy going to bed! Well the first night we got it we opened the book and I saw the interactive cd that comes with the book. So I had hubby pop it in and instead of me reading the book we got to listen to the book--complete with songs and effects and everything! Noah really enjoyed that and listened to the whole book! (Thats a big deal for a 16 month old!) The interactive cd was definately a big bonus to the book. Once we finished reading I told Noah it was bedtime and he was more than happy to go to bed!

The next day while playing in his room, I put on the music cd for Noah. Of course, Noah just danced away. One thing I love about the cd is that its not just a bunch of little preschool short songs that drive us parents nuts when we have to hear it over and over. (you know the kinds of songs I'm talking about if your a parent) The style of music has a nice jazz feel to it and its something that even adults can enjoy!

I really enjoyed the Shushybye book and cd! Now, Noah is only 16 months old so he doesn't quite understand the concept of Shushybye and Dream Wishes and all that good stuff. But it was enjoyable for him now and as he gets older I can definately see these books being a big part of our bedtime routine!

Thanks again!

I just wanted to say thanks again to the awesome hosts of Blog Hop Tuesday for letting me be the spotlight blog!! And thanks to all my new followers for taking the time to come by! We are out of town right now so it may take me a bit to follow all my new followers back but I promise I will get to you by the weekend!

But in the meantime..if you wanna do me a HUGE favor...Ragababe Cloth Diapers is giving 2 mommy bloggers the chance to review and giveaway one of their diapers!!! All you have to do is go HERE and comment under the picture that you would like to recommend the Not-So-Secret Confessions of a First Time Mom!!

SOOOOOOOOOOOOO

If you do that for me I'll do something for you!! You can get ONE extra entry to my Rockin Green Cloth Diaper Detergent Giveaway! The winner will be announced Friday, Sept 17th so you have until then to recommend and then come back and tell me you did so on the Rockin Green Giveaway post! Thanks thanks thanks!! :)

You Like????

Do you LOVE my new blog makeover! I won a premade blog design from Wacki Jaqui's Designs! She spruced it up and made it all organized and pretty! She's SUPER cheap too so if you are in need for a makeover or even something as simple as a button she does it all!!

Let me know what you think about the new look and DON'T FORGET to grab my NEW button and show some love on your blog!! :)))

I'm in the Spotlight!!

For Tuesday Blog Hop! I was so excited for being asked to be the spotlight blog! Thank you so much for choosing me!

Welcome to any new followers! Please leave me a comment so I can follow you back! I will be on the road tomorrow afternoon! We are going to visit some good friends in South Carolina till Friday...so I may not get back to your comments right away but I promise I will by the weekend! Have a great weekend!








<center><a href="http://www.fabulousfindsbynimblergrove.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/ae327/nimblergrove/sellis_43_clouds.jpg" /></a></center><  
 

Hosted by Fabulous Finds by NimblerGrove, New To Mom, and Chubby Cheeks Thinks.

 

1.Follow all 3 of your hostesses including the "Spotlighed Blog" of the week. Make sure to leave us comments (we do follow back). Link up to this hop by adding your blog to the linky list below. Please remember this is not a "giveaway link up" also keep this clean and family friendly.

2.Grab the Tuesday Blog Hop Button and make sure to indicate it in a post on your blog so fellow "hoppers" know where to comment.

3. Make sure to follow our "Spotlighted Blog" of the week (Me!)  The Not-So-Secret Confessions of a First Time Mom. Each week a new Spotlight blog will be chosen at random.

If you are a CLOTH DIAPERING Mommy you NEED to read this!!

The people at Diaper Junction are doing a HUGE Super Stash Giveaway on their blog!!

Prizes include:



Grand Prize- $500 gift certificate to Diaper Junction!!
1st Prize- 12 pack Fuzzi Bunz One size diapers in your choice of colors
2nd Prize- GroVia “Half Time” Package in your choice of colors
3rd Prize- 6 pack bumGenius! 4.0 One size pocket diapers in choice of colors.



This is definately a giveaway you want to take the time to go enter!! Good luck!!

Mom Blog Monday blog hop - Week 3

<center><a href="http://ftmommyferg.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="The Not-So-Secret Confessions of a First Time Mom" src="http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m335/kayedani/newmondaybutton.jpg"/></a></center>

Are you a Mommy blogger? Do you blog about your kids? Do you blog about great things for Mommies? Do you wanna meet other Mom Bloggers?

If you answered yes to any of those questions then link up!

This blog hop is hosted by(me) Sippy Cups and Cloth Bums, The Not-So-Secret Confessions of a First Time Mom , and MidgetMomma $1200 Budget Deals and Freebies !

What is a blog hop?

A blog hop is an awesome way of meeting and reaching out to more bloggers.

Rules?

All we ask is that you follow (me) Sippy Cups and Cloth Bums, The Not- So- Secret Confessions of a First Time Mom, and MidgetMomma $1200 Budget Deals and Freebies.We are the first three on the linky! Be sure to leave us a comment so we can follow you back! We always follow back!

We would LOVE it if you'd grab our button and put it somewhere on your blog or in a blog post! This would help us spread the word. However, you aren't required to.

You can follow as many or as few blogs as you'd like.

*Each week one lucky blogger who links up will be the next week's featured blogger.*

This week's featured blogger is...

Andria from Crazy, Creative & Cheap.

A little about Andria:

Life can be crazy at times but I love every minute of it! I am married and have an 11 year old son. I am a freelance graphic artist and pharmacy tech part time. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, love to travel and listen to all kinds of music. I am addicted to finding online deals, coupons and saving money and love to blog about it!

Please make sure you follow the featured blogger as well! Stop by and tell her Mom Blog Monday Blog Hop sent ya! ;)

**If you grab the whole linky code please be sure to link back to the hosts! Thanks!! Happy Hopping!!

Well this takes the cake...

So as some of you know, I started feeling sick last Thursday (sept 2). I went to the dr the next Monday and the dr said I had "pharyngitis" and probably strept but he wasn't going to test me for it cuz my throat was red and swollen enough.

Well after a week of not feeling any better and actually feeling worse Brian tells me to go back to the dr.

I have freakin bronchitis, and an ear infection AND a possible sinus infection!

No wonder I have felt miserable!! We are supposed to go out of town Tuesday so I'm crossing my fingers and praying I feel up to it. But we'll have to see.

Since I am STILL laid up in the bed miserable...check out my facebook page cuz I'm off to find some awesome giveaways going on that we can all enter!!

Never Forget

I don't even have the words to explain the hurt I feel for those who lost their lives and those who lost their loved ones. I can't even begin to fathom the feeling of absolutely no hope. I can imagine having to choose between burning to death or jumping to my death.

Please take the time today to remember those who were lost. Not only in NYC but at the Pentagon as well. And especially those who lost their loved ones in this horrible tragedy.

I know alot of us have little ones who weren't even alive on that day. So the best thing we can do is to tell them. Tell them what happened, tell them why it happened...educate them and never forget.

Congrats! Munchie Mug Giveaway Winner!

Ok so I have no clue how to do the random.org widget thing ..so if you know and can show me how please do!

Congrats to comment #90! Adalia Montalvo who said : Follow you on Twitter  @adalia080!

I sent you an email and you have 24 hrs to respond or I will choose a new winner!!

Congrats again!

Be on the lookout for more great giveaways coming VERY soon!

Cloth Diaper-what are my choices?

When it comes to cloth diapering there is soooooo much to choose from! It can get overwhelming! I can't even list to you all the choices you have, because I don't even know them all! But I am going to give you a basic list of the most typical kinds of cloth diapers, and some of the brands that make those kinds.

Prefolds and Covers

These are the cheapest option. You can get these almost anywhere. You can even get them at Walmart! (although those are usually used as burp cloths). Almost any cloth diaper store carries them but just to name a few... Abby's Lane , Moms Milk Boutique , and Nicki's Diapers . 

Fitted Diapers

So there are soooo many types of fitted diapers! These are actually pretty popular. And alot of WAHM's get their business going making these diapers. These can come in solids or prints, held together with velcro, snappi, or snaps. The only somewhat downside about these is they usually need a cover. So if you get a cute printed diaper, you might just have to cover it up with a cover. Some popular brands are

Kissaluvs , Thirsties Fab Fitted, and Bagshot Row Bamboo .

Pocket Diapers

These are another type that is pretty popular and my personal favorite. The  reason a lot of people like these is because they have an insert in which you can take out so it makes it easier to clean and makes for a lot quicker drying time. A few common ones are Fuzzibunz , BumGenius 4.0 , and Smartipants .

I need to add, a lot of pocket diapers are one-size. Which means they adjust to fit newborns to toddlers. Which in some opinions, is another great perk.

Hybrids

Hybrids are kind of a mix between cloth and disposable. Most of them have reusable wraps or covers, with disposable or flushable inserts. Even if you go full time cloth, these are nice for vacations and road trips! Two very popular hybrids are gDiapers  and GroVia ...but there are a few different kinds as well. 

All-In-Ones

If you want to go with simplicity this is usually the way to go. These diapers work almost exactly like disposables ...except you wash them! They are just what they say...all in one...no inserts, no flushables..just one complete diaper. There are sooo many kinds of these...a lot of wahm's make these as well and then their are major brands like BumGenius.

** Hope I gave you a little bit of an idea what types of cloth diapers there are out there! There are other kinds as well but these are the most common! If you have any questions please feel free to leave me a comment or send me an email!