Mooshka Sing Around the Rosie Doll {Giveaway} – CLOSED

June 21, 2014 by

About my Ruby

A couple of years back when I found out that I was having a baby girl I was beyond ecstatic.  Don’t get me wrong.  I love all my children equally.  They each have their own unique qualities  and are so super sweet.  Basically I just love being their mommy!   *grin*   When Ruby came along I just knew that she and I would bond.  She would like all the things that I liked as a child.  She would like unicorn figurines.  She would like the creepy looking dolls that survived my childhood and were saved just for her.  She would like those plastic charm necklaces.  She would like to collect stickers in a sticker book.  She would like to get in shape girl.  Okay are you ready for a shocker?  I was a child of the 80’s.  I know.  You weren’t really able to figure that out already from my childhood likes list.  *wink*  Yes, Ruby was going to be just like me.  Exactly like me.  You know what?  She likes none of those things.  Not. At. All.  She likes music way more than I ever did.  The girl seriously walks around the house singing all day.  She likes super heroes, trains, and building blocks.  Basically anything and everything that her older brother likes.  She likes baby dolls that are so different than the ones of the 80’s.  They aren’t even remotely creepy looking!  Speaking of the dolls that she likes…

Combine her love of music with a cute doll and what do you get???

This adorable doll!

Here’s my Ruby playing ‘Ring around the Rosie’ with her new friend:

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Mooshka sent us her new friend and she has been having too much fun playing.  Banjo has even been joining in on the fun.  There are several “singing” dolls to choose from.  Each one just as cute as the next.  We have Lera and she’s perfect, because she resembles our little girl!

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And… I’m giving away a Lera Mooshka doll to one very lucky winner!

(Enter to win on the Rafflecopter below.)

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*This giveaway is open to US entries only.
*The winner of this giveaway will be drawn no later than the evening of Monday, June 30th and will be emailed.  If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.
*This posting and giveaway are sponsored by Mooshka, but all opinions are strictly my own.

 

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Little Tikes Garden Chairs {Giveaway} – CLOSED

June 13, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Can you tell that we like to read?

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Yes, we like to read lots.

All winter long and into the early spring we were shut ins around here.  So all of our reading took place indoors.  We didn’t even venture out to the library.  No siree.  Why is that?  First, it was super cold outside.  Second, it was super cold outside.  Third, it was super cold outside.  Okay you get the idea.  It was super cold outside.  Then… Don’t even get me started on the amount of snow that was dumped on us.  Loads and loads.  All winter long.  I thought that it would never end.  We even got a snow storm when I was postpartum in the hospital with Cache.  Oops. I think I must have left that out of Cache’s birth story.   Yes, I know that I forgot to put that part in.  Basically a HUGE snow storm decided to come rolling in the day after he was born and we weren’t sure if we were ever going to get to leave the hospital.  For some reason when it snows in St. Louis the ENTIRE city shuts down.  Does that happen in other cities?  Anyway, back to our love of books… Now that the weather is simply glorious outside (not too hot and not too humid yet) we can take our reading outdoors.

My friends over at Little Tikes sent Banjo and Ruby these adorable garden chairs.

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The chairs are the perfect size for their little tushies and are now their favorite reading spots in the backyard.

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I LOVE that my sweet littles LOVE books.

Now… for the giveaway!!!

The winner of this giveaway is going to

receive TWO garden chairs from Little Tikes

in the colors red and orange!

(Enter on the Rafflecopter below.)

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*This giveaway is open to US entries only.
*The winner of this giveaway will be drawn no later than the evening of Monday, June 23rd and will be emailed.  If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.
*This posting and giveaway are sponsored by Little Tikes, but all opinions are strictly my own.

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Fash’Ems {Review}

May 25, 2014 by Leave a Comment

My girl, Ruby loves her some My Little Pony.  When she talks about them it’s, “My Pony” this and “My Pony” that.  She ALWAYS leaves out the mention of “Little”.  The girl knows what she wants and she knows what’s hers.    I must admit that I cried real tears of nostalgia when I realized that the My Little Pony of today is so very different that the My Little Pony of my past.  I’m talking the My Little Pony of the 80’s.  What happened to those ponies???  It’s a good thing that my girl is in love with these ponies, because it takes away the pains of a childhood lost.  I’ll admit that the look is growing on me…  Probably because Ruby thinks they are sooooo very dandy!

How can I not begin to feel this way when they make her so happy?

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She received an entire fleet of Fash’Ems for this review and she was definitely not disappointed.

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What are Fash’Ems, you ask?  Well, for starters they are squishy.  They aren’t going to break or get scratched up the way a lot of other toys do.  And… They stretch!

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The ponies come in these adorable little capsules in hot pink.  We had an absolute fun time playing hide and seek with them in the backyard!

In addition to My Little Pony there are these characters:

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Doesn’t Hello Kitty look adorable?

Some of the sets even come with crowns and other accessories to dress the characters!

Fun times for my little Ruby!

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This review was sponsored by Tech4Kids, but all opinions are strictly my own.

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LEGOLAND Kansas City {Giveaway} – CLOSED

April 26, 2014 by Leave a Comment

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My Banjo is now 6-years-old.  It’s weird to think that my first born is that old.  He’s like a little man who is almost finished with kindergarten.  So very strange for me!  In past years we have always had a birthday party for him.  I was trying to be that mom who threw those big, fabulous parties with lots of friends invited.  Yes, that mom.  I even invited the siblings of the friends, because I didn’t want anyone to feel left out.  Is that a little crazy?  Maybe a little excessive?  (Now there’s nothing really wrong with being that mom.  There are plenty of moms who can pull it off and more power to them.  I’m just not good at being that mom.  For sanity sake I had to take a step back, evaluate what’s truly important, and just say no.)

This year?  No more.  We have three littles now.  All will have a birthday.  All will eventually want to have a party.  All cannot have a party in the same year.  That would be maddening.  I can’t plan for such things.  I can’t decorate for such things.  I can’t organize for such things.  I can’t do such things.  It’s just not going to happen times three every year.  Nope.  Not going to do it.  So I’m thinking that each child has a “friend party” every other year.  Maybe every 3rd year.  Just. Not. Every. Year.

That’s why this year we decided to take Banjo (and the other two littles) out of town for a surprise birthday weekend extravaganza.  Banjo expected to have a party.  We told him we had a special adventure planned instead of a party.  It was a weekend all about him, things he likes, and together as a family.  The best part of celebrating in this way?  Family time!

We went to LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Kansas City!  LEGOLAND agreed on us coming for a visit, my doing a review on the blog, and giveaway away FOUR tickets.  You will find that giveaway below.  First, here are just a few of our favorite highlights from the place Banjo now thinks is the bestest birthday celebration ever.  At the LEGOLAND in Kansas City you can…

Find out how many LEGO bricks you weigh and your height in LEGO bricks:

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Travel to a distant land:

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Meet your favorite LEGO characters:

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Build and race LEGO cars:

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And just have a fantastically dandy time!

Of course you can’t visit LEGOLAND without getting some LEGOS.  Audi came out of the shop with this on my keys:

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He said it’s because I’m Wonder Woman.

As I already mentioned, the winner of this giveaway will receive FOUR tickets to LEGOLAND in Kansas City!

*This giveaway is open to US entries only.
*The winner of this giveaway will be drawn no later than the evening of May 2nd and will be emailed.  If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.
*This posting and giveaway are sponsored by the Kansas City LEGOLAND Discovery Center, but all opinions are strictly my own.

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Jungle Boogie

June 8, 2013 by 4 Comments

It was beyond beautiful outside yesterday.  Audi was in lectures all day and got out of work early at 3pm.  (Every so often he gets to spend all day in lectures on medical topics like:  Hearing loss, throat cancer, etc.  Exciting, right?)  So the kids and I picked him up from work and we headed to the St. Louis Zoo.  How better to spend a glorious early evening outside?

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Here in St. Louis we have one of the top zoos in the nation.  And…  It’s free!  That’s right there is absolutely no entrance fee to our zoo and that’s not just for residents.  If you come to St. Louis on vacation then you too can experience our zoo for free!  (Along with our free art museum and free science center.)  Thanks to the generous donations of so many wonderful, giving St. Louisans.

Every summer the zoo has bands perform in the evenings.  It’s always packed.  We of course picked to go to the zoo on band evening.  😉

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995415_10151478844235894_1370383550_n  The kids loved it!

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Getting Older

May 30, 2013 by 2 Comments

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Where does the time seriously go?  Only yesterday it seems that I was on bed rest and awaiting the arrival of our little “Banjo”.  How did he exactly become 5 years old already?  That’s mean I’m how old?  I shudder at the thought…  I am now the mother of a preschool graduate:

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If the past 5 years went by this fast then very soon it will be junior high graduate, then high school graduate, and so on.  Slow down!  I did tell Banjo that he will have at least 3 more graduations in his life to end with college.  Hopefully there will be a second college level graduation added in there, because we aim high in this family.  😉

I do look forward to the coming years of graduations, but for now I just want to focus on the here and now…

My sweet ones just chilling together:

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 And of course remembering how they were just a little over a year ago:

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No matter how many years go by they will always be my babies.  🙂

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Nice Weather.

March 23, 2013 by 2 Comments

Today it’s in the 50’s.  Tonight and tomorrow we are supposed to receive a dumping from a massive snow storm.

We got out of the house today before the dumping arrives:

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St. Louis Science Center

If you have never been to St. Louis then you really should come for a visit.  We have the some of the very best museums and a very dandy zoo.  And it’s all FREE!  So definitely worth the trip.  😉

Hopefully we won’t be snowed in tomorrow.  I’ll keep you posted…

 

 

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Remember Benny?

March 10, 2013 by 1 Comment

Just thought we’d let you know how he’s been doing…

 

Have a dandy week!

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She did good!

January 12, 2013 by 4 Comments

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(before)
I’m so very happy to report that Ruby’s eye procedure was a success! Fingers crossed that the tear duct remains unblocked, but I think that it will. Only 1 in 10 needs to be done again, so I think that’s some very good odds! Ruby came through it like trooper. Everyone was amazed by how content and inquisitive she was. She just watched everything that was going on with this curious expression on her face. After all, Ruby is such a sweet little girl and doesn’t get bothered by much. She even went with the hospital staff back to the operating room with ease. No fussing from her then. After it was over the general anesthesia did make her a little disoriented and scared, but she was back to her normal self in no time.
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(after)

I on the other hand I was a total basket case. When I discovered that the resident would be handling Ruby’s anesthesia, and not the attending physician, well… Watch out, because I came very close to turning into “that” patient. Even for hours after the fact I wasn’t happy about how it all went down. This was my first experience with the procedures of a teaching hospital. I know they all have to learn, but on my baby??? Regardless of my almost meltdown the resident did an amazing job, the eye surgeon fixed the problem, the nurses were fantastic, and Ruby is on the road to recovery. Thank you to for your thoughts and prayers on Ruby’s behalf. I know she’ll be up playing the piano in no time. 🙂

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Precious Ruby

January 10, 2013 by 1 Comment

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Perhaps you have noticed that our Ruby has an infected right eye A LOT of the time???  Or perhaps I only post pictures of her that aren’t so noticeable?  Either way our little girl is having surgery in the morning for a blocked tear duct.  We knew it was coming.  Eventually.  For months and months now we have been waiting, hoping for it to unblock all on its own.  To no avail.  So at 6:15 tomorrow morning we are reporting to the children’s hospital to have it taken care of.  The procedure itself is supposedly super simple, but the anesthesia part of it has me nervous.  It’s times like these that it’s hard being a parent.  As a mother I’m responsible for my babies, teaching them, and keeping them safe.  Tomorrow morning I won’t be in complete control of the situation.  I’m entrusting my child in the hands of doctors, nurses, and other medical staff.  St. Louis Children’s Hospital is a top notch facility and all involved are fully capable.  I have faith in that fact, but it’s still scary.  Most of all I’m looking forward to her being well.  Kids are resilient and I’m sure she will bounce back really fast!

253916_10151242283965894_726133886_nPlease keep our baby girl in your thoughts and prayers.  Thank you!

 

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