Like BabyLegs? You'll Love NotSox (This Weekend Only!)

Hooray! For a great deal on some cute and trendy leg warmers (from the makers of BabyLegs), check out these NotSox! This weekend ONLY they are $5 each... What a bargain!

Dove Self-Esteem Fund News

The Dove Self-Esteem Fund was established to inspire and educate girls about a wider definition of beauty and is committed to reaching 5 million girls globally by 2010 with self-esteem programming. Thanks to the support of influential women globally, Dove has already reached 2 million girls and conducted nearly 2,700 educational self-esteem workshops since 2006.

What do I think of this? I think it's awesome! I remember what it was like growing up a girl, worried about my image, and feeling pressure to be something I wasn't. (In fact, I think we all still feel that way sometimes.) I love that Dove is taking steps to help girls feel comfortable in their own skin, so I decided to learn more.

According to Dove:

Dove recently released the Real Girls, Real Pressure: A National Report on the State of Self-Esteem, conducted with girls between eight and 17 and commissioned by Dove Self-Esteem Fund, to provide additional information to help Dove better understand the issues, causes and outcomes of low-esteem -- as well as the most powerful change agents on a national and regional level.

Findings from the Report found that the majority of girls (seven in ten) feel they do not measure up in some way including their looks, performance in school and relationships. Most disturbing is that girls with low self-esteem are engaging in harmful and destructive behavior that can leave a lasting imprint on their lives.

That's scary. I want more for my daughter. If Dove can help me in my efforts, I'm grateful. For more information (and to see all the latest, really cool videos from the Dove campaign, see www.campaignforrealbeauty.com) And for the full report, see this link.

Review of DoodleStix

Did you ever wish there was someone in your child's peer group that could talk to them about character and making good decisions? Someone who doesn't come off as a lecturing adult, maybe? Well, I think I may have a simple solution with Doodlestix!

The premise of Doodlestix is clear: A penpal that encourages character development through peer interaction and accountability.. . Doodlestix is a character that children can relate to. Upon a quick and painless online set-up, your child will begin receiving letters addressed specifically to him/her in the mail (or via email, if you prefer.) The letters are written at your child's age level (younger children can have Mom or Dad read to them, as well.) Each one details an event in Doodlestix's life that allows for a character lesson to be taught, and parents will receive a message with tips and ideas on how to share the lesson with their kids.


This is a very simple, but super effective way to teach kids important virtues like responsibility, honesty, and kindness. I read the letter to my younger boys, and they giggled as they heard the story of Doodlestix in ways that were personalized for them! I was able to ask questions and engage in conversation to make sure my kids understood -- and guess what? They did!

This cool service is really affordable, and you can even sign up for a free trial to see if it's right for your family. I suggest you take a look and see what Doodlestix is all about! Just visit www.doodlestix.com for all the details on this innovative resource for parents.

JCPenney Recalls Infant and Newborn Pants

The metal snaps on the Arizona brand pant waist can detach, causing a choking hazard. Please see the full details at the CPSC website.

Joobles are Too Cute for Their Own Good...

Ok, rarely do I promote anything without having held it in my own grubby little palms, but THIS particular toy just couldn't wait. In the spirit of promoting a better business model, and in anticipation of what could be the most adorable soft toy I've seen in ages, I have to tell you about Joobles!


Made from organic cotton and eco-friendly dyes, the Joobles are 11 inches of huggable fair-trade goodness! What's fair trade, you may ask? Fair Indigo (the site behind Joobles) tells it like this:

"Quite simply, we pay fair wages to the good people who make our clothes and accessories instead of the minimum wages that dominate the clothing market today."

I'm so liking this fair trade thing!

Joobles are a home-grown endeavor by a family in Peru (a mom, a dad, and their daughter). Fair Indigo (the company that sells the Joobles) is taking part in the Fair Trade movement in their own ways, too! Read more about it at their website.

We are looking forward to reviewing our very own Jooble in the near future, but in the meantime, would you like to win one?

Just visit the Fair Indigo website, and comment on this post with your favorite Jooble (don't worry. If you win, you'll have a chance to change your mind.) We'd also like to hear your thoughts (a few words is fine) on what you think about Fair Trade. You have until next Sunday, November 30th at 5pm CST to get your entries in. Giveaway is subject to complete site rules. (Be sure to give us a way to reach you if you win, and remember that we will never use your email or contact info for anything other than to send your prize.) Good luck!

Shop Sugarplum Dreams for a Fairytale Holiday!

Have your heard about the boutique that dreams are made of? (Sugarplum Dreams to be exact.) If you've got a heart for the finest and most adorable boutique gifts for babies and kids, you have to see the holiday sale going on at the SugarplumDreams online store!

Here are a few of my FAVORITE goodies from the boutique:

Cloud B Sleep Sheep - Soothing the senses with cuddly companionship!

BabyLegs - You know how much we love these things!

The Dictionary of Dance - Just one of many unique books available!

There are so many more wonderful gift ideas at Sugarplum Dreams. To help you with your shopping, we've got an exclusive savings offer just for Lille Punkin' readers!

Save 15% on purchases of $50 or more, from now until the end of the year. Use code LillePunkin15 at checkout to receive your discount!

Review of Pledge Furniture Polish

Did you know?

While nearly two-thirds of adults (64%) say their living room is where they and their family spends most of their time, less than half (49%) dust the living room on a weekly basis, and only one in four adults knows that household allergens can lead to serious health problems.

If you visit my home, you're bound to see a few dust bunnies peering out from behind a piece of furniture (they love hanging out under the couch.) What you won't see is me spending a lot of time trying to get rid of them -- because I don't have to.

I have always been a Pledge fan. To me, there is no substitute. (It is proven to eliminate up to 84% of dangerous household allergens found in dust.) With a little guy with allergies running through the home, I have to know that my dusting product will really work. I always keep a bottle on hand for dusting duty. Here are some of the ways I use it in my home:

• Spray the end of my broom and use it to wipe off the top of the fan blades (Short people have their resources!)
• Spray an odd sock for getting behind the entertainment center and in places where only my hand will fit
• Spray a micr0fiber dusting cloth and attach it to the bottom of my slippers! Then I slide around on the floor, giving my dusty laminate a bit of shine. (Be careful you don't use too much.. it will make your floor slippery!)

How would you use Pledge in your home? Tell us on this post, and you will be entered to win one of two (2) gift packs from Pledge, each containing a bottle of Dust & Allergen formula, a bottle of regular Pledge, and a $25 Target gift card!

You have until this Sunday, November 30th at 5pm CST to get your entries in. Giveaway is subject to complete site rules. (Be sure to give us a way to reach you if you win, and remember that we will never use your email or contact info for anything other than to send your prize.) Good luck!

For extra fun and prizes, visit www.pledgephotohunt.com, and enter to win $5,000 every time you play!

Avon for the Holidays - Win It!

I remember looking through the little Avon catalog every holiday season when I was a girl. I loved the nail polishes, makeup kits, and fancy earrings. Some things have changed since then (mostly online ordering), but the quality and variety of holiday gifts that Avon continues to offer, hasn't.
I was thrilled to open my box of Avon goodies just in time for the shopping season! First, I got to sample a yummy Bamboo Reed Diffuser from Botanicals. This took a few hours to get started (they all do), but when it was ready, my home smelled delightful! This is really handy since we started using wood to heat our home, and I am always worried about my home not smelling fresh enough. (I also dig the cute container that would go in any room!)
I also sampled a Jillian Dempsey Essential Beauty Palette. This little kit was perfect for gift-giving, and it had everything you needed for about a dozen different looks! With two palettes to choose from (warm or cool tones), you can have just the right look in minutes!

Did I mention that both products (as well as everything on the Avon.com website) is affordable? If you're big on budgeting, and you don't want your gifts to look cheap.. I'd recommend Avon!

FREE SHIPPING ALERT! Save even more, with free shipping on all orders over $30! Just use code JINGLE30 when you shop with an eRepresentative.

Wanna win? We'll give one winner both products, just in time for the holidays! Just enter in one of 3 ways:

1) Leave a comment with your favorite product from the Avon website. 2) Blog this giveaway. 3) Sign up for our newsletter (link is in the upper right-hand corner of every page on this site.)

Let us know which way(s) you've chosen to enter. You have until next Sunday, Nov. 30th at 5pm CST to enter. Giveaway is subject to complete site rules. (Be sure to give us a way to reach you if you win, and remember that we will never use your email or contact info for anything other than to send your prize.) Good luck!

Review of The Secret Mountain Books

If you have a hard time getting your little ones to sit still for story time.. you now have no reason to worry. The award-winning books (with accompanying CD) from The Secret Mountain are the absolute best way to positively enforce reading skills and get the wiggles out, too!

We had the joy of reviewing three books from the collection:

Dream Songs, Night Songs: From Belgium to Brazil

Down at the Sea Hotel

A Duck in New York City

With the exception of the Dream Songs (which is obviously a collection of lullabies), these books are guaranteed to get kids moving! I couldn't believe the humor in the songs that came with A Duck in New York City. Songs about Belly Buttons? I'm so there! A Slug Opera? Count me in! I was so amazed at how refreshing the music was. It was too fun!

The stories were first-rate, simple tales that kids ages 2-5 would get a kick out of. Each one was beautifully-illustrated with vivid color and amazing vision. My oldest son (the artist of the family) liked the pictures in the books better than anything! We also loved that the books included the lyrics for easy learning of the songs.

I'm not one to hold on to a book too long before letting it fall to the bottom of our HUGE book bin. But these books were far too special to lose track of. They have found a permanent home on the kid's special nightstand, where we can read from them anytime -- and can easily pop in a CD for some special music.

Today was the first day my youngest son didn't scream during naptime. We used the lullaby CD to give him a pleasant distraction.

Good times.

For all the details on these super-duper books and CD's, see The Secret Mountain website.

Review of coverPlug Outlet Covers

This mama has admittedly gotten a bit lazy with her childproofing. It was just a few weeks ago that I witnessed my youngest trying to put a paperclip in the 3-pronged outlet in our dining room. What kind of lazy mom was I? Apparently, the kind that struggles to keep her home childproofed while under construction.

It was that same day that my husband opened up his newest issue of Family Handyman Magazine and read the rave reviews of the coverPlug Outlet Cover. He begged me to research where we could get one.


Just this week, we were able to take the coverPlug for a test spin. This thing was so unbelievably simple, I couldn't believe no one had thought of it before! (Isn't that how most ingenious products seem to be?) This outlet cover is virtually non-existent (to kids, friends, and paper-clip wielding infants.) Just push the coverPlug into the ground openings of any standard double wall plug. No tools, no fuss, and no tempting and awkward plastic doohickeys to fool with.

The best part of these rockin' covers is that they are paintable. Yep, that means that not only do they fit seamlessly over our new fancy outlet frames, they do so in the same color as our wall -- making them invisible to anyone who's not freakishly observant.

Safety, style, affordability (did I mention they were super-cheap to buy?) mark these as my new favorite baby-proofing gear. If you have children with fingers (that you would like them to keep), consider these for your home.

The coverPlug is available at these awesome online retailers. Check it out at www.coverplug.com.

Corded Blinds Recalled -- Please Read!

There have been two very important recalls involving corded window blinds. This is something to take very seriously, as my son had a near-fatal experience involving corded blinds. For details on both of the recalls, including a Green Mountain Vista roman blind sold at Target and other retailers, and a another set sold exclusively at IKEA, see the CPSC website.

Note: CPSC reminds consumers to examine all Roman Blinds and shades in their homes. If looped pull cords are present or exposed inner cords are found on the back of blinds or shades and children are in the home or occasionally visit your home, please consider replacing them with blinds or shades that do not have exposed pull cords or inner cords.

Please share this information with friends and family!

ImagiPLAY Recalls Bead Maze Toys Due to Laceration Hazard

The trees on the toys can detach, exposing a metal screw (which can be sharp.) For full details on this recall, please see the CPSC website.

Review of Keepaboo.com

I love taking digital photos of my kids (especially when they're little babies.) Storing them in a way that makes sense, however, is NOT my specialty. When I was recently told about Keepaboo.com, I found myself getting a little bit ambitious, and started eagerly planning all the ways I could organize and spiff up my digital photos!

Keepaboo.com has all the elements of your typical online photo storage. Easy upload, easier sharing, it's a breeze to use. Keepaboo's extras are what make is special, however:

• Record your child's developmental milestones and important events from the very first smile to the first day of school. Add your own pictures or choose from a wide selection of funny illustrations.
• Track your child's weight and height from birth to adolescence with the Keepaboo interactive growth charts.
• Save all the memorable sayings of your child from the first words to the funny questions and clever observations.Your child's quotes would appear in a fun colorful comic page.
• Keep a diary of your child and your parenting experience. Express your thoughts and feelings, and preserve the special moments for a lifetime. The diary module offers a selection of colorful backgrounds. You can also add emoticons and pictures to your diary entries.

I loved the sample book available on the website (it gave me all kinds of ideas on how to use Keepaboo for my own kids!) Check out Keepaboo for yourself at www.keepaboo.com. It's really cool because it's easy!

Save Money This Holiday with Libby's and Win!

What family isn't looking to save money this holiday season? If you've begun pricing the ingredients for your favorite holiday recipes, you might be suffering a bit of sticker shock. Luckily, there are ways to create familiar dishes with a few budget-friendly shortcuts!

Old Tradition: Shop 'Til You Drop
New Twist: You have a budget and you're ready to hit the supermarket and favorite stores. For the best deals, remember to shop early. Plan your holiday meals weeks ahead and store up on non-perishable items at the grocery store. Canned vegetables, such as Libby's, are affordable, convenience, and taste great in green bean casseroles, corn pudding, and all your holiday favorites!

Libby's and mom of 7 Hannah Keeley teamed up to bring us some delicious dishes for you next holiday get-together. Check out our favorite:

Wild Rice Pilaf

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
2 packages (4.3 oz each) long-grain and wild rice mix
1 can (8.5 oz.) Libby's Whole Kernel Sweet Corn, drained
1 can (8.5 oz.) Libby's Peas and Carrots, drained
1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds*

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add celery and onion; cook about 5 minutes or until soft. Add rice, seasoning packet and amount of water specified on the box (omit butter.) Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer about 30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Add corn and peas and carrots; stir gently over medium heat until heated through. Transfer to serving bowl; sprinkle with almonds. (Serves 4).

*To toast almonds, place on a baking sheet in a 350 oven about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Love the recipe? Want to learn more? Download more budget and family-friendly holiday recipes from Libby's CANvenient Recipe Database.

Wanna win? Libby's is giving one lucky reader their very own Mayfair & Jackson Covered Casserole Dish with Rack and some vegetables! Just comment here with your favorite recipe title from the CANvenient Recipe database. You have until next Monday, Nov. 24th at 5pm CST to enter (you can enter up to 5 times a day). Giveaway is subject to complete site rules. (Be sure to give us a way to reach you if you win, and remember that we will never use your email or contact info for anything other than to send your prize.) Good luck!

Review of U*neaks Sneakers for Kids

I don't think I've been this excited about a shoe since I begged my mom for some Nike Pumps (sadly I never got them.) Less gimmicky than most shoes, these comfy kicks are unique!

First of all, let me state that no cute shoe is worth putting little toes in an uncomfortable position. That being said, these shoes put my mind to ease instantly! U*neaks are 100% Mom-approved for comfy wear, and I love the non-slip soles. They had a roomy feel that kept my picky son from complaining (and that's a huge deal.) But what makes these shoes really cool are the clear side panels that allow you to see through the shoes to the socks inside. Thrifty Moms will find that you can match your shoes to most any outfit by simply changing the sock. (How cool!)
We tried out the Camel Rev design for boys, and my 5-year-old loved them! The U*neaks branded socks look fabulous underneath (check out the Madascar line), but they also worked well with your everyday plain socks. (Hint: Even the most trashed white socks look OK in these shoes, since the window doesn't show the bottom of the sock.)
They also have the most adorable girl designs. (The Pearlized Pink Paris Z-Strap shoes are so easy to put on!) Any girly-girl would feel like a princess in them.

U*neaks come in sizes ranging from 8 to 3.5 and are surprisingly affordable starting at $34.99. (Which when you consider that these shoes can replace almost every color of shoe in your kid's closet -- it's a fabulous deal!) Get your pair at the U*neaks website or these select retailers.

Wanna win? U*neaks is giving one of our readers their very own pair! Just comment here with you favorite shoe style from their website by next Monday, November 24th at 5pm CST. Giveaway is subject to complete site rules. (Be sure to give us a way to reach you if you win, and remember that we will never use your email or contact info for anything other than to send your prize.) Good luck!

Win $250 from Marshall's with the Great Shoe Find!

Complete all 3 rounds in the shortest time and be eligible to win!

Review of Wholly Wholesome Pies and Crusts

Remember our last review of Wholly Wholesome? Our experience in the past has been that good for you doesn't have to taste bad. In fact, our recent review of the newest pies and crusts from Wholly Wholesome has just reinforced what we already knew: wholesome is delicious!

We had a chance to try two of their new pie varieties: The apple and the pumpkin. (It's also important to note that they have blueberry, cherry, and dairy-free pumpkin versions available, too!) We baked the frozen pies and served them to our family -- they had NO idea that they were not homemade! I loved eating the pies while slightly warm (with whipped topping, of course.)

The pies themselves have only the most simple, natural ingredients. The pumpkin pie, for example, contains only: Pumpkin, Water, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Wheat Flour, Vegetable Oil (Palm Oil, Soybean Oil), Milk, Eggs, Organic Whole Wheat Flour, Sea Salt, Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves. That's a lot of organic and natural!


What if you want to bake your own pie? Wholly Wholesome has you covered there, too! With their own pre-formed pie shells, you can make your own creation with a natural crust. They offer three varieties of 9" crust: Traditional, Whole Wheat, and Spelt - all organic and vegan!
Check out their Chocolate and Graham Cracker no-bake pie crusts!

I am super-confident that this year's holiday fixins are going to be simpler and more healthy than ever, thanks to Wholly Wholesome. (At less than $8 a pie, it's also truly affordable to go organic this holiday!) For a complete list of their holiday offerings, visit their website at www.whollywholesome.com

Review of "Focus Friends: Appreciation Party" Book

Parties are fun, no doubt about it. But did you also know that you can learn while partying? The newest Focus Friends book (we reviewed the first one and loved it) is all about appreciation and learning to find the best things in life.

When friends attending a party try to use clues to solve a problem, they find that everyone has the gift of appreciation! This book by Lisa Rey Marks is sweet, honest, and will set an excellent example for kids and adults who read it. The illustrations by Eris Klein are bright, cheerful, and skillfully done. We love Focus Friends, and everything they stand for!

"Stunning, entertaining and empowering picture book shows children ways of celebrating and appreciating simple joys in life." We agree. :) Available at Focus Friends website for $16.99 (hardcover.)

Wanna win? The Focus Friends team has offered one copy of Appreciation party to a lucky reader! Just visit the Focus Friends website and comment here with your favorite product from their site. You have until next Friday, Nov. 21st at 5 pm CST to get your entries in! Giveaway is subject to complete site rules. (Be sure to give us a way to reach you if you win, and remember that we will never use your email or contact info for anything other than to send your prize.) Good luck!