9.28.2011

lil j goes potty!

Yesterday afternoon, I came home to pure excitement.  The reason?  Lil J had gone potty - not once, but TWICE!!!

In gathering various versions of how he went potty {from Daddy G and my mother-in-law to my niece and nephew}, I quickly learned that Lil J had told my hubby that he needed to go pee and ran to the bathroom.  He made it in time the first time to pee, but apparently Daddy was a little too slow in getting the potty the second time so he peed in his Pull-Ups {or maybe on the floor?}.  The third time he actually pooped in the potty!!  I never thought I'd get so excited at the prospect of my son going to the washroom.

A total mom thing.

And while I would LOVE to post a cute little picture of Lil J on the potty, I know that one day it will come back to haunt me and he will probably get back at me when he's older {like maybe a picture of me in Depends on his Facebook page?}.

So I'm coming to the conclusion that this potty thing might not be as hard with Lil J as I have been warned.  You know, the "boys take much longer than girls" theory.  Or the "boys tend to retaliate" theory.  I'm definitely not pushing potty training on Lil J.  You might even say that I'm being a bit lazy at consistently training him.  But I feel that he will tell me when he's ready on his own time.  Now let's hope his "own time" is before he starts daycare in November.

Something else happened last night with the potty.  Lil J was happily sitting on his potty seat on the toilet when I turned away for a second to turn off the tap in the bathtub {I was running his bath}.  The next thing you know, Lil J has taken off the potty seat and is attempting to sit on the "adult" toilet seat and bam! - down he goes.  Yup, straight into the toilet.  The one that I had not cleaned for a while.  I grabbed him quickly, while he was still in shock and while I was cringing, and dumped him into the bathtub.  Problem solved right?  Nope.  All I see floating around in the bathtub are pieces of poop-type floaties {from the toilet or Lil J's bum?}.  I am now fully disgusted, as I'm sure you are too.  But I just had to share!

Ahhhhh, the joys of potty training!
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wordless wednesday: popo = grandma {linky}



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monday giveaway linky {9/26 - 9/30}

Time to link up your giveaways!

I forgot to post this on Monday but I figure it's better late than never!  The linky will stay open until this Friday, September 30th.

In the "Link Title" box, please submit your giveaways in the following format:

"Name of Giveaway - Country {End Date}"

Please leave a comment after you have linked your giveaway and don't forget to check back on my blog for more exciting giveaways coming soon!




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9.23.2011

{swank}deal: Sephora's Weekly Special {iPhone case}

Sephora currently has an amazing offer for iPhone users.  Get a FREE iPhone 3G/3GS or 4G case with any online purchase!  All you have to do is download Sephora's iPhone app and enter the code found under the "weekly specials" section of the app.

Happy shopping!

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9.19.2011

monday giveaway linky {9/19}

Time to link your giveaways up and gain exposure to your blog!  The linky will stay open until this Friday, September 23rd.

In the "Link Title" box, please submit your giveaways in the following format:

"Name of Giveaway - Country {End Date}"

Please leave a comment after you have linked your giveaway and don't forget to check out my current giveaway with Lalabee Bathworks {ends 9/21}.



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9.13.2011

wordless wednesday: posers! {linky}

Found some more pictures of Lil J and Miss S from our trip to the local corn maze:





Please link up your Wordless Wednesday posts below, leave a comment & say hi {not mandatory}.  Thanks!


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{swank}review: iLatch



Often times you will come across a product that makes you think, "Why didn't I think of that?!".  The iLatch is one of those products.



Invented by new mom Laura Graham, out of desperation to keep her son occupied while on-the-go, the iLatch is a revolutionary iPad cover with a built-in latch system that hangs to virtually anything - from the headrest of your car seat to a shopping cart...you name it!  Click here for a video on how the iLatch works.

iLatch is launching in November 2011 and is available now until Sept. 26th for pre-order via KickStarter.com.  All you have to do is pledge $25 {50% off the MSRP} to get your hands on your own iLatch {additional pledge options are available - see descriptions via the KickStarter page.

Support Laura and iLatch via Twitter and Facebook to keep up-to-date with future iLatch news.

Stay tuned for an exciting giveaway with iLatch and {swank}mama coming soon!
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out of the mouth of: {swank}mama

Last night I was in a baking mood:

Me:  I bought canola oil so I could cook you some corn muffins.

Hubby {with a smile}:  You wanted to cook me muffins?

Me {oblivious}:  Yes!

Hubby {with a wider smile}:  You're gonna cook me muffins?

Me {finally realizing & laughing}:  Yeah!  I mean, I'm going to bake you some corn muffins.  Told you I'm not domestic.

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9.12.2011

monday giveaway linky

Link it up!

Time to link your giveaways up and gain exposure to your blog!  The linky will stay open until this Friday, September 16th.

In the "Link Title" box, please submit your giveaways in the following format:

"Name of Giveaway - Country {End Date}"

Please leave a comment after you have linked your giveaway and don't forget to check out my current giveaway with Lalabee Bathworks!



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9.08.2011

dear lil j: you're a big boy now!

26 Months and 15 Days

Dear Lil J,

I just got a text from Daddy this morning and he told me that you pooed in the toilet!!  That was your first time going potty {except for the time you "sort of" went pee with Grandma} and I wish I was there to celebrate with you.  You might think that sounds gross but I really do!  It must be a "mom thing".

Does this mean you're ready for full-on potty training?  I hope so.  Although I've heard that boys can take up to age 3 to feel comfortable with the potty, I wouldn't be surprised if you learned soon.  You amaze us every day with everything else, so....why not, right?!

We're definitely not forcing you to go potty even though the daycare I'm thinking of putting you in would rather you be potty trained.  I want you to be comfortable with going to the "big kid" toilet.  I told your sister to show you when she goes "potty" {if she feels comfortable with it, of course}, in hopes that you will follow suit.  You always seem to like to mimic your sister anyways!

Last night you got so mad because you peed in your Easy-Ups, you ran to the change pad and whipped it out so that I could change your Easy-Ups immediately!!  Daddy said you did that when you pooped earlier in the day.  Yay!

I know you can do anything you put your mind to - and potty training is no exception.  Keep up the good work baby!

Love,
Mommy



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9.07.2011

{swank}review & giveaway: Lalabee Bathworks


Congratulations to #62 Cara Gosse - winner of a Baby Butter and Bottom Balm from Lalabee Bathworks!



When it comes to protecting my baby's bum {and the rest of his body}, I always look for products with natural and organic ingredients.  Thank goodness I found Lalabee.

Lalabee Bathworks is a Canadian company that specializes in skin care products for pregnant, postpartum and nursing moms, and babies.  They use 100% certified organic and natural ingredients, and I love how they are environmentally conscious by using recycled packaging for their products, biodegradable ingredients, printing on recycled paper and trying to reuse all their shipping materials {as indicated on the company's website}.

I was sent one tin of each of Lalabee's Bottom Balm and Baby Butter {now known as Baby Moisturizer - same product, different name & label} to try on Lil J, and I was pleasantly surprised and impressed.  For some reason, I expected the Baby Butter to be greasy but after rubbing it on Lil J's knees and elbows, I noticed how smooth and non-greasy it was.  The butter was also not sticky and applied evenly to Lil J's delicate skin.

I would have to say that the Bottom Balm performed just as well as the Baby Butter.  Lil J's bum was free of any diaper rashes and soft to the touch while using the Bottom Balm.  I was very happy to be using a balm that was made of natural and organic ingredients - and not breaking the bank while doing so.

Buy It!

Lalabee offers a number of products ranging from Nipple Cream for nursing moms to Gentle Baby Wash for baby's bathtime. You can buy their products online or at any of their retailer locations.

Any purchase over $25 {after discounts} will receive free mini bath bombs {see website for more details}.


Win It!

Enter to win one 20g tin {each} of Bottom Balm and Baby Butter from Lalabee Bathworks

MANDATORY 1ST ENTRY

Follow {swank}mama via GFC {see right-hand sidebar on blog}

EXTRA ENTRIES
  • Go to Lalabee Bathworks' website and tell me which product you would like to try {1 entry}
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  • Tweet {up to 3x a day, 2 hours apart} "Enter to win baby essentials from Lalabee Bathworks from @SwankMama http://bit.ly/qfqqzy #giveaway #contest #swankreview" {1 entry each, up to 3 entries per day}
  • Vote for {swank}mama on Picket Fence Blogs {see right-hand sidebar on blog} {2 entries}
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You can enter this contest until September 21, 2011 at 9:00pm PST.  You must respond by email within 48 hours of being notified by us.  If you do not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen.  This giveaway is open to all Canadian residents over the age of 18 years old.

The views expressed in this review are my own and do not represent the opinions or views of Lalabee Bathworks.  Note that {swank}mama does not accept responsibility for sponsors that do not fulfill their giveaway duties.

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wordless wednesday: LOVE

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9.01.2011

the journey 2.0: baby fever!

There's no denying it.  I officially have baby fever.  Everywhere I go, everywhere I turn, there is a pregnant woman.  And when I see this pregnant woman, I am filled with jealousy.  Not like rage jealousy but the type of jealousy where you wish you were in the other person's shoes.

Like I seriously want to get knocked up.  Right now, right this minute.  Well maybe not right this minute as I sit here at work at my desk, but you get the point.  I'm ready for another baby.  So ready.

I'm never one to really think clearly about something.  I like to go with the flow.  Of course, having another kid is a huge commitment and I understand the responsibilities behind it, but I'm not one to dwell on the 'what if's'.  I've contemplating the pros and cons of adding to my family for over six months now and I didn't want to try for another baby until I was completely ready.  My husband's {aka Daddy G} response to my question, "When do you want to have another baby?" was the same response I got when we were considering our first baby, second child {Miss S is Daddy G's daughter from a previous marriage}.

So I'm ready.  And if you've been following my journey, you'll know that we've been trying for at least three months now.  Hopefully three's the charm!

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