Halloween 2011

It's that time of year again...the time for silly "holidays" and although I don't believe in the whole Halloween thing, I still let my kid be a kid. Dwayne was in charge of the costume for William and decided on a pirate. Good choice, eh? Good thing Will loves all things pirate so he really enjoyed his costume. I drew on a mustache with eyeliner since I knew there is no way he would keep an eye patch on. Glad I did because the mustache was the hit at the Halloween events we attended!

Check out the mustache! 

One day he will look enthusiastic about getting his photo taken. One day.

He enjoyed yelling out "Trick or treat!" 

The bounce house. He LOVED it! It was so funny how when kids would fall from bouncing too hard William would ask them "Are you okaaay?!" and when William would fall he would yell out "I'm okaaaay!" 

Carmex skin care line review | Giveaway

**Contest Closed** 

Winner is #67 Julie Jones~ Congratulations!! 

I received the latest Carmex Blog Squad goodies last week and they came right on time! The kit came with both Carmex Healing Lotion and Healing Cream in full-size tubes as well as the mini versions. I have tried both of them out in the past and love love love them! It has a very light scent that reminds me of playdough for some reason. They are non-greasy and emollient at the same time.

I am a big fan of the healing cream since the temperatures have dropped. My whole family's skin turns into reptile-like scales. Not cute at all! The cream is heavy enough to smooth my skin out and makes it feel and look softer instantly. These creams and lotions are available at Walgreens and CVS and I just found out that Walmart will start carrying it. That is great news since I go there at least once a week (just don't tell my husband that). Full-size tubes retail for about $5.99 and the mini ones for around $0.99. They would make perfect stocking stuffers and teacher gifts. I can just see a small tube of Carmex lotion for each teacher to keep in their desk.

The awesome folks at Carmex are allowing us to give away one Carmex skin care prize pack to one lucky Momfiles reader. The prize pack will include:

• One 5.5 oz Carmex Healing Lotion
• One 4 oz Carmex Healing Cream
• One 1 oz Carmex Healing Lotion
• One .75 oz Carmex Healing Cream

To enter: Let us know if you are a Carmex user and if so, what is your favorite product? Have you tried any of the skin care items?

For additional entries Please leave a separate comment for each entry to count.
 ~ "like" Carmex and Momfiles on Facebook
 ~ Share this giveaway on the Momfiles FB wall and let us know you entered.
 ~ Follow this blog via Google Friend Connect
 ~ Follow Carmex and Momfiles on Twitter
 ~ Tweet this giveaway (once daily) and leave a link to your Tweet:

Enter to win @Carmex #skin care products from @momfiles http://tinyurl.com/4xvejrw #beauty #giveaway #Carmex

This giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on November 25, 2011 at 9:00 pm EST. One winner will be chosen at random and contacted via email. Please leave your email address in your comment if you do not have a Blogger Profile. Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received products samples for review. All opinions are 100% mine as always.

Holidays 2011 with Shutterfly {Giveaway}

**Contest Closed** 

Winners are #12 #35 and #30~ Congratulations!

It is hard to believe that the Winter Holidays are not too far away. I have already been thinking about having a family photo taken for cards to send out to family and friends. Hey, you can never be too early! I browsed the 2011 Holiday card collection from Shutterfly and just love all of the beautiful designs!  There is everything from traditional as well as many fun, contemporary styles to choose from. That is going to be the hard part-- choosing! Look at how cute these are!

I have to figure out of I want to go with a folded type Christmas card or what we have been doing for the past few years-- the flat Christmas photo cards. I am going to pick my top 3 favorites and let the family vote. I think I might choose something that we are able to add several photos in more of a collage instead of a single photo.Now all I have to do is get the whole family together at one time to take some photos. Quite honestly, that might be the even harder part!

The generous folks from Shutterfly have provided me with 3 codes (3 winners) good for 25 Shutterfly cards (5x7 Holiday & Christmas Greeting/Stationery Cards) ~ just in time for the holidays!

*Entering is easy, just let us know what you plan to do with the cards if you win. Are you already a Shutterfly user?

For extra entries (leave a separate comment per entry method):
~ "like" Shutterfly and Momfiles on Facebook
~  Follow Shutterfly and Momfiles on Twitter
~ Write on the Momfiles FB wall letting us know you entered
~ Tweet this giveaway (once daily) and leave a link to your Tweet:

Enter to win 25 @Shutterfly #Holiday cards from @momfiles http://tinyurl.com/4xcq23w #giveaway {3 winners} 

~ Follow Momfiles via Google Friend Connect

Giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on November 9, 2011 at 9:00 PM EST. Be sure to leave your email address if you do not have a Blogger Profile. 3 winners will be chosen at random. Winner must pay shipping costs. Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes.

I received a code for a set of cards from Shutterly. All opinions are completely my own. 

Unexpected surprise

This morning I received some emails, blog comments and Momfiles Facebook page posts that I won 1,000 Swag Bucks in an hourly drawing. When I read the first message, I automatically assumed it was a scam. After about the 6th message I looked into it. Turns out I did win the 1,000 Swag Bucks and was in complete shock!

If you are not a part of the Swag Bucks community I encourage you to check it out and sign up for yourself. It WORKS! I have redeemed enough of my SB's to receive over $100 in gift cards all for FREE! It is great that all I did was search the web and get rewarded for it. Now you go get your Swag on~!

Wordless Wednesday

I posted about Will's pumpkin patch visit the other day and told everyone to tell me what they noticed in the first photo. Nobody got it. Here is the answer:

Finally!

We have been working diligently with William to get him potty trained. It has been a trying task to say the least. I can't even begin to say how ashamed I have been that I have a 3 1/2 year old boy walking around in training pants. Every time I turn around I see one of my Facebook friends posting about their 2 year old being fully potty trained or even worse an 18 month old trying to get into it. I am wondering where I have gone wrong. I have every potty seat, underwear, disposable underwear, books, toys, bribery tools...all of it. What do I get? Nothing. Just a hard-headed boy pooping in his pants and me having to clean it all up. Fed up, irritated, powerless. That is how I felt. Well 2 days ago something changed. I saw William in a distance getting ready to hide so he can do his business in his trainers. I quickly snatched him up and asked him if he needed to go poopoo. He had "the look" that I know very well and he tells me "NO!" I calmly walked him into the bathroom and told him to try to go anyway. He sits on the potty and I close the door partially and told him I would let him have his privacy. I can hear him talking to himself. He then calls me in and tells me to look. Of course, as usual...nothing. I told him to try again. He then sits and says to me "and don't get up until you go poopoo". I smiled and agreed with him. About 45 seconds later he calls me back in and once again tells me to look. This time (for the first time) was different. There it was... He did it! He actually went poopoo in the potty!! I immediately high-fived him and praised him for doing a great thing. He didn't look all that happy but after he got cleaned up and washed his hands, he very proudly yelled through the house to the rest of the family that he poopooed in the potty like a big boy. Everyone was so happy and excited for him but we were still wondering if this was a one-time thing.

Well, the following day he voluntarily told me when he needed to go poopoo in the potty.  As a matter of fact, he went 3 times! I know TMI! We are so thrilled that he has met this milestone. I was beginning to think it would never happen! I guess all the rumors about boys being harder to potty train were very true. Patience and persistence were what was needed. I guess things happen when they are meant to happen. Go William! Another important step to becoming more independent. Now if only I would stop catering to him :)