Feel Good Sunday.......Little Boys

Little Boy / Little Man

Author: Clair Peach

What Are Little Boys Made Of?

Hopes and Dreams
Mischief and Laughs
Climbing up Trees
Splashing in Baths
What are the best men made of?
Hugs and kisses
Cuddles and Joy
Patience and kindness
Will make a man from this boy

Man I love this little man!!!!

Contest Closed!!! Product Junkie Approved: Review and Giveaway

Contest closed. Winner is A nut in a nutshell! Congrats!!!

Normally I share beauty products but I have to say Cold-EEZE is one product you should have in your arsenal to shorten the duration of the common cold. I mean who looks pretty with a RED, drippy nose and no beauty product can fix that. Also as a busy Mom when my son gets sick that means I get sick too, and I don't have time to be sick, who does?

Product info:

Cold-EEze zinc lozenges are clinically proven to safely and effeectively reduce the duration and severity of the common cold. Once you feel a cold coming on, start sucking one Cold-EEZE lozenge every two-to-four hours, they are loaded with Zinc which promotes the strength of the immune system. There are a variety of flavors including sugar-free pomegranate, strawberries and cream, cherry and honey lemon. The Strawberries and cream are my favorite.



Another great product by Cold-EEZE is the Organix Cough and Sore Throat Drops. The Organix Cough and Sore Throat Drops are USDA certified. The drops contain natural menthol derived from organic peppermint oil combined with pectin to suppress coughs, cool nasal passages and sooth a sore throat. Available in Dark Chocolate Mint, Purely Peppermint, Orchard Cherry and Golden Honey Lemon. The wrappers the drops come in are made of fully compostable corn starch!

The next time a cold strikes reach for some Cold-EEZE zinc lozenges.

You can pick up Cold-EEZE and the Organix Cough Drops at your local drug store.

Here is the best part you can win a a box of sugar-free Pomegranate Cold-EEZE and a bag of the Dark Chocolate Mint Sore Throat Lozenges. All you need to do is leave a comment in this post by February 14th!!!! This contest is open to US citizens only.

Say it isn't so LEGGINGS are back???

Untitled - by klacustomcreations on Polyvore.com

Many of springs fashions have been inspired by the 80's, I vowed I would never wear leggings again but guess what I think I am going to give them a spin. Leggings are just too comfortable to pass up, you just won't see me exposing my bum, it will be covered with a long top or a dress.

You can read my article on leggings at TwitterMoms. I am a featured weekly contributor at TwitterMoms on all things fashion and beauty related.

Are you a member yet? TwitterMoms is a fabulous social network that is comprised of some of the most influential Moms and has almost 8000 members! Don't miss out on such a fabulous social network.

Visit twitter moms: the influential moms network

A bloggers dream the SurfShelf!!!

I could give you a million excuses for why I do not use my treadmill and instead use it to air dry laundry but I no longer have any valid excuses, besides me just being lazy. I discovered the SurfShelf and I was delighted! Have you seen this fabulous product?

My main reason why I didn't use my treadmill is that it is in the basement and doesn't have a TV to occupy me. I never dreamed of using my laptop while exercising, now I can exercise, watch TV, videos and check e-mail!

Let me tell you more about the SurfShelf, it is just that a shelf that you can attach your laptop to. I found it easy to use and was able to check my email and also get caught up on the latest entertainment news. If you are anything like me sometimes I like to be able to just quickly check my email and if something is pressing answer it right away and if not I get back to what I was doing without worry of missing a thing. Being away from the computer for long periods is challenging for a blogaholic! SurfShelf, where have you been? I worked out longer and harder and had fun while doing it!

SurfShelf has something else that is fabulous In-Gym.com. In-Gym.com is a site that has an entertainment guide that is navigated using only your arrow keys — no typing or mouse is required. It currently has seven categories (news, sports, entertainment, health & lifestyle, music videos, online TV and lots of fun stuff for teens) with each category having twelve video channels (so that’s 84 video sites total). Just use your arrow keys to choose the video site you wish to view (using the arrow keys is easy to do while exercising) and press ENTER. Your show will then launch automatically and begin playing hands-free.

You can pick up a SurfShelf for $59.95 at SurfShelf.com SurfShelf has generously offered a 10% discount to my readers, just enter code surfshelf-kristen. This product is pure genius!!!

Thousand Words Thursday

Will has a weekly class called Wee Scholars which is a co-op class that I attend with him. I am so glad that he gets to play w/ messy shaving cream at school and not at home!

Will is the kid that never wants to participate and tells his teacher that her activities are boring, Circle Time is at the bottom of his list! In Will's words, "Why can't I just play the entire time, circle time is so boring"

I have my work cut out for me when he starts school!

Messy is so fun when you are 3!!!!

To view more Thousand Words Thursday please visit Cheaper Than Therapy Jen.

Valentine's Day Picks for the one you love which may also be yourself, that is ok!

All items are available at Kristen's Custom Creations! Do you have your Valentine's Day shopping done yet?

Wordless Wednesday

To view more Wordless Wednesday click visit MomDot and here 5minutes4mom

I got picked up.....

That is by the Post-Tribune! You can read the entire article here

The article was originally featured at Beautiful! Fabulous! if you aren't a member please be sure to join!

Top Buzzwords for 2008

Did you know that according to Time the top 3 buzzwords of 2008 were as follows:

1. Change- Regardless of what political side you favor so many people were and still are hoping 2009 will bring change, a end to the recession and an end to war.

2. Bailout: All you need to do is watch the news and you know what a Bailout is! The word bailout surely is spilling into 2009 with so many other companies seeking a bailout.

3. Hockey Mom: We know where this one came from, Governor Sarah Palin and it caught fire.

I wanted to create a piece of jewelry that represented three powerful words so I chose Change, Hope and Peace! you can find this piece here.

What are your buzzwords for 2009?

Let me introduce you to.......

Happy Monday friends! Can you believe it is February already! You know what Monday means, I have the pleasure of introducing you to one of my fabulous readers. It gives me great pleasure to introduce you to Shannon of Welcome to the NutHouse. Shannon is one funny gal, with a beautiful family and is a mama that you should follow, if you aren't already. I love the title of Shannon's Blog, Welcome to the NutHouse I can so relate. I won't spoil Shannon's answers but it is no wonder we follow each other we have a lot in common. We like the same shows and shop at the same stores. Grab your beverage of choice and get to know my friend Shannon.


Name:

Shannon of Welcome to the NutHouse



Family:

I’ve been married to my husband, Shane, for 11 years. We have two daughters, H (age 8) and M (almost 6).

How did you start blogging?

My good friend, Angie, had been blogging for a few months and I began reading her blog. One day Shane said to me, “You spend so much time reading Angie’s blog, why don’t you start one yourself?” I gave it some thought… and decided to take the plunge!




What is your parenting philosophy?

Life is busy and messy… but try and find joy in each day. Time goes by way too fast, so enjoy the moments you have together while you can!

You will never find me without...... lip gloss.

Day job:

I’ve been a SAHM for almost two years… while it’s the hardest job I’ve ever had, I am very grateful that I’m able to be home with my girls. Some days it does seem that I am busier now than when I was working, but I really wouldn’t have it any other way!

Favorite Stuff:

Music: I have a very wide range of favorites when it comes to music… Sam Cooke, Green Day, ABBA, The Police, Josh Groban, Puccini, The Beatles… I could go on and on and on…

Food: Italian, Chinese, Mexican… and nothing beats good ol’ Southern cooking: fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, fried okra, cornbread, mac & cheese… mmmmm!

TV/ Movies: Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, The Amazing Race, Rescue Me, The Office, Survivor (yeah, I watch a lot of TV)… my favorite movies include Roman Holiday, Batman Begins (and pretty much anything else with Christian Bale in it) and Steel Magnolias

Reading: A few of my favorite authors are Nora Roberts, Janet Evanovich, Sue Grafton… and Stephanie Meyer (Yes!… I’m one of those Twilight-addicts)

If you had to wear a T-shirt with your favorite saying on it what would it be?

I love carbs.

Favorite stores to shop at:

Target, Old Navy, The Children’s Place

Now be sure to leave Shannon some comment LOVE!

If you are interested in being featured at my site please send me a email at klacustomcreations@comcast.net
Win some Lip Balm Here

Feel Good Sunday: Good things and some Jack Johnson

This little Blessed dish is one of my "Good Things" I had this dish custom made over at
Mud Hutt, I also picked one up for my Mom as a Christmas gift. Isn't it just too cute??

Before I go to bed I take all of my jewelry off and place it on my little Blessed dish. I think it is a good reminder of how Blessed I am and also a safe place for my jewelry. I can not sleep with jewelry on.

I also wanted to share one of my favorite artists Jack Johnson, I could listen to his music over and over again and not grow tired. Originally Jack was a professional surfer and after an accident started writing songs while recovering, becoming a professional singer wasn't his original intention, you see sometimes things do happen for a reason.

For your listening enjoyment:




Don't forget to enter for your chance to win some free Softlips!!!!

Closed: Giveaway,Giveaway,Giveaway: Softlips pure bliss for your lips!

Congratulations the winner is Carolyn of Carolyn in Carolina.

I have shared many times some of my favorite lipsticks but when I need just a great all round lip conditioner I like to keep several tubes of the Softlips 1oo% natural lip conditioners readily available for application. I love finding affordable products that are organic! The key for keeping your lips from becoming dry or chapped is keeping lip balm on your lips as often as possible. I have probably 5 tubes scattered throughout the house and in my purse so I can apply it whenever I need to. I also love to wear it under my lipstick as a base. What I love about the Softlips all natural is just that, they are all natural and come in two yummy flavors Honeydew and Pomegranate. I can't pick a favorite since I like both equally. These lip balms are smooth and taste great!

Here is the best part I have two to giveaway to one lucky reader!!!!!
I am going to keep it really simple please just leave me a comment that you would like to snag some Soft Lips certified organic lip conditioners!!! That is it, that simple! No hoops to jump through! Please just make sure I have a way of contacting you if you win!!! Contest closes February 7th at midnight EST.

You can find Softlips at Target, Drugstore.com and many other drugstores and they are priced under $4.

Product information:

100% Natural, 95% USDA Organic.

Softlips® Pure Honeydew is certified organic and 100% natural. the premium, organic ingredients provide a silky-smooth, eco-friendly lip conditioner for softer, healthier lips.

• Blend of organic oils, beeswax and shea butter deeply moisturize and nourish lips
• Vitamin E and mineral -rich cucumber extract protect lips
• 100% natural honeydew flavor
• Free of pesticides, harsh chemicals and parabens
• Gluten-free
• Cruelty free
• Certified organic by VOF

  100% Natural, 95% USDA Organic.

  Softlips® Pure pomegranate is certified organic and 100% natural. the premium, organic ingredients provide a silky-smooth, eco-friendly lip conditioner for softer, healthier lips.

• Blend of organic oils, beeswax and shea butter deeply moisturize and nourish lips
• Vitamin E and antioxidant -rich pomegranate extract protect lips
• 100% natural pomegranate flavor
• Free of pesticides, harsh chemicals and parabens
• Gluten-free
• Cruelty free
• Certified organic by VOF

Go Red For Women and Fashion Friday

Untitled - by klacustomcreations on Polyvore.com

February 6^th is National Go Red for Women Day, a day to raise awareness for women and heart disease. You can raise awareness by wearing red on February 6th! Please check out the site Go Red For Women, while you are there you can learn how to keep your heart healthy and ways to support the American Heart Association.

I also wanted to remind everyone that for every hammered "Love" necklace sold a portion of proceeds will be donated to the American Heart Association.

If you would like to read my entire article please visit Beautiful! Fabulous! where I am featured weekly.

Say it FORWARD

What would a blog be with out the fabulous people who leave comments? I am so lucky to have Jenni of Jiggety Jigg as a regular visitor at my site! I introduced you to her last week, as one of my featured readers. A special thank to Jenni for being one of my very loyal followers! If you haven't visited Jenni she is hilarious! You need your daily dose of Jiggety Jigg! Be sure to stop by and say hi to Jenni!

Now since we all love comments, leave me some comment love, it can be about Jenni!

For more Say it Forward please visit 5minutes4mom

News Flash!!!! Someone is having a one year ANNIVERSARY!!!

Today is the 1 year Anniversary of my shop Kristen's Custom Creations I can hardly believe it has been a year! I wanted to offer a special savings to my bloggy friends for 24 hours I am offering 20% off anything in my shop. Please just enter code anniv01 and you will receive a credit after your purchase within 24 hours. This offer expires on January 30th at NOON EST.

Did you know the traditional gift for a 1 year Wedding Anniversary is something paper, I think I would prefer jewelry! How about you?

P.S. This necklace isn't listed it is my own personal necklace but if you would like one just let me know!

Build a ..........Spiderman????

First pick out a sound, please don't pick Hannah Montana singing!

Brush and Blow Dry for a really long time!

Making a bear is so tiring........ time to sleep!

Back up! "Polar Bear/Spiderman" that is his name even though he is a Panda Bear needs to go for a ride!

Will had a complete blast building his Panda/Spiderman, who knew they even have Spiderman clothes for the bears. I think the woman that created Build-A-Bear is a genius, why didn't I think of it??????

Did you know that while shopping for Beanie Babies she came up with the concept of Build -A -Bear, she has a very interesting story and the company is still going strong, it surely isn't a fad at all. Every time I walk by a store they have a line out the door! You can read more about her story here. It just shows you that your dream can turn into a multi-million dollar empire.

So tell me how many Build A Bears do your kiddos have?
Today is a special Anniversary click here
To view more Thousand Words Thursday you can visit Cheaper Than Therapy Jen.

Wordless Wednesday: What's Up???

To view more Wordless Wednesday posts you can visit MomDot and 5minutes4mom

Keep Calm and Carry On Necklace

The Keep Calm and Carry On necklace available HERE.

Have you ever seen the posters that say "Keep Calm and Carry On"? The one above is a reproduction from sfgirlybybay I just had to learn more about the history behind it, I love the saying and often say it to myself when I feel I just need to Keep Calm and Carry On! It inspired me to create my new hand stamped "Keep Calm and Carry On" necklace.

Here is a bit of history for you:

In the Spring of 1939, with war against Germany the British Government's Ministry of Information commissioned a series of propaganda posters to be distributed throughout the country at the onset of hostilities. It was feared that in the early months of the war Britain would be subjected to gas attacks, heavy bombing raids and even invasion. The posters were intended to offer the public reassurance in the dark days which lay ahead. If you would like to learn more about the history behind the signs you can visit here

So the next time you feel a bit stressed why not do what I do say to yourself, "Keep Calm and Carry On!!

Featured Reader: Let me introduce you to.....

Happy Monday friends! Where did last week go? Monday's are always fun at La Dolce Vita, since I have the pleasure of introducing a very special reader of the week. I am very excited to introduce you to Stacy of Stacy's Random Thoughts. I can't even remember where I met Stacy but we truly became fast friends. Do you know when you read a blog and say wow I can really relate to this person, this is how I feel about Stacy's blog. Stacy speaks from the heart on many different random things as her blog is titled. I love that it is random that way you never know what to expect. Stacy is surely a daily read and you have to read this post about her miracle baby. I was truly touched! Go grab a cup of joe and get to know Stacy, you can thank me later for introducing you to Stacy!


Name:

Stacy Johnson o f Stacy's Random Thoughts

Family:

My hubby Landon and I have been together for 12 years, married for 6. We welcomed a beautiful Miracle Baby, Savannah, who just turned 6 and is a true blessing. We also have a Wheaten Terrier named Elvis, a new puppy – a Blue Merle Sheltie named Travis, a Persian named Norman and a Dove named Virtualization (wait, I think Princess Nagger changed the name again…but we’ll go with the one that I remember last…) ;)

How did you start blogging?

I actually started my Blog outside of Blogger in January 2008, when I jumped on the bandwagon to try to save one of my favorite shows ‘Journeyman’. I was clueless as to what ‘blogging’ was all about, otherwise I would have been a bit more aggressive in my posts (instead of once a month or so). Although I don’t think it would have mattered, as NBC already had their minds made up about canceling that show before they finished airing all 13 episodes. Over the summer I started getting interesrws in reading all the blogs in the blogosphere, and thought it was a great idea to keep in touch with all my friends and family who live so far away – it would alleviate sending long and multiple email messages to so many, this way I can get them all updated in one post! ;) I also wanted to make sure I documented ‘special moments’ of my Little Princess – so she can see them in later years and either be impressed at how cool she was, or embarrassed by being a dork. Some good blackmail material for when she starts dating! ;)

What is your parenting philosophy?

We are big on teaching Savannah respect and manners – she knows she won’t get anything if she doesn’t say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. ;) She has her moments, as all kids do, but we feel very blessed that she has been ‘good’ since infancy. If she’s not doing what she’s supposed to be doing, we count to ‘5’ – usually she’s then doing what she’s supposed to be doing by the time we get to 4… If she is especially stubborn, she gets a time out. Luckily she’s rarely gotten to the ‘time out’ stage! ;) If she does something wrong, it’s always followed with an apology and hugs and kisses. So far she seems to be a well adjusted child – hopefully that will last through her teenage years down the road! ;)

You will never find me without......

My laptop! ;) Of course when I go out, it’s usually my purse (which seems to get bigger each year as the Princess Nagger grows…) with the necessities – cell phone, wallet, lip gloss, snacks for the Princess Nagger, the occasional odd toy she slips in there for safe keeping…etc. ;)

Day job:

My first and ‘main’ job is Domestic Goddess! I used to be a Marketing Manager in the Corporate World but when our Miracle Girl made her arrival, I ditched stuffy suits for jeans and comfy clothes… ;) I feel that it is an honor and privilege to be able to stay home with her and never miss all those ‘firsts’. Second to that, I do Web Design at www.sassydesigns.org. I have a small client base at the moment that I’ve created websites for and do their monthly maintenance. I also have a crafty side over at www.savannah-haven.org and get inundated with orders for custom gift baskets and homemade Kahlua around the holidays, chocolate covered cherries for Valentine’s Day. I also make custom dolls and restore composition dolls over at www.sassydolls.com – though that particular site has been put on the back shelf since the Princess Nagger was born, and will remain so until I can get my craft room set up to accommodate all the things I need to create without having to dig through multiple boxes stacked in the attic. ;) Between parenting, blogging and my SassyDesigns and Savannah*Haven sites, I stay very busy!

Favorite Stuff:

Music: I love all kinds of music – it all depends on my mood, but my first love is New Country.

Food: My favorite is Seafood – having grown up in the Seattle area, it was easy to come by and always fresh. Now that I’m in PA, I don’t get my seafood fix as often as I’d like! My second favorite is Italian - anything pasta! For special occasions, I do love steak and lobster… ;)

Tv/ Movies: This list would be to incredibly long…heh, heh! I have a lot of favorite TV shows, thank goodness for my DVR! Some of my top favorites are The Mentalist, Bones, House, Desperate Housewives, Brothers and Sisters, Ghost Whisperer, Numb3rs, Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, Criminal Minds… I rarely watch reality, but I’m hooked on The Bachelor, American Idol, Kitchen Nightmares and Hell’s Kitchen.

Reading: I’m a sucker for a good Historical Romance novel… I like all kinds of books, too if they capture my attention in the first chapter, they’re a ‘must read’ for me. Apparently The Twilight Series is going to be going on my list soon… ;)

If you had to wear a T-shirt with your favorite saying on it what would it be?

Sassy Mama, of course! ;)

Favorite stores to shop at:

We don’t have a lot of great ones where I live – so I do a lot of shopping online…but I do love me some Target, Nordstrom’s, TJ Maxx, Kohl’s and Macy’s…

Other good stuff from Stacy:

My Motto:

Dance like no one's watching...

Love like you'll never be hurt...

Sing like no one's listening...

And live like heaven on earth.

Would you like to be a featured reader? Please email me at klacustomcreations@comcast.net to see how you can participate, and don't forget you have a chance to win one of my custom handstamped necklaces out of my shop!

Now leave some comment love for Stacy, we all love comment love!!!!

Winner's of the isABelt!!!!!

The winners of the isABelt are as follows:

Christina@cutestkidever and dawntrenee! Congratulations to you!