We Love Our Wii

When I first found out I was pregnant I tried to hurry up and "grow up". I threw out music and dvds I thought were not child friendly. I surrounded myself in all things baby. I even had my husband sell our XBOX. I thought getting rid of these things was going to make me be more grown up. Well I have to admit I was a bit nuts when I was pregnant and have learned its a maturity level not the stuff I have that makes me a parent. 
Video games has always been a source of fun for my hubby and I. I have fond memories of us when we first moved in together eating cheesecake and playing our video games until the early hours of the morning. Good times, good times!! Since we are now parents we do have to stay home more and watching tv can sometimes be the same old same old. We really wanted a video game system for Christmas and then for my husbands birthday in early January but we could not afford one. Then out of the blue my brother and sister in law decided to send us their Nintendo Wii !! We were so thrilled!! I have to admit I have been bowling, golfing, and figure skating on my Wii like crazy. I even have a sore arm lol.

Only the Wii could make him forget about his binkie lol

The best part about it is seeing my husband and son sitting there together smiling while they play. My husband is a only child and he grew up on video games and I think he was a bit sad when I made him sell our last system. Now they get to have a blast on it together. I know my little guy is only 14 months old but oh my you should see him squeal and jump when he plays the Wii. His favorite two games are the bowling and badminton. He swings the controller and can actually play the game, its so stinkin cute!!
So with all that said I sooooo recommend the Wii for families. I know right now my son can't play all the games but he loves to hold his controller while his daddy plays. With all this cold weather here in Northern Cali we are wimps about going outside to play so the Wii has definitely helped us to have indoor fun and save on gas money!
Do you recommend any fun family games or great kids games??
Better yet do you have a giveaway for a game?? I would definitely enter!

A BIG Thank you to my brother and sister in law for the super awesome Wii!!!

Women's Bean Project Gift Basket Review and Giveaway

I am a huge chocolate fan, who isn't right! When chocolate is for a good cause I love it even more. I learned about the Women's Bean Project from another mom blogger. They are a non profit organization that is helping woman emerge from poverty and unemployment by teaching job readiness and life skills for entry-level jobs through employment in their gourmet food production and handmade jewelry manufacturing businesses. They have wonderful goodies to eat and beautiful handmade jewelry.

For our Valentine's Day event we had the opportunity to review one of their gift baskets. We selected the Chocolate Lover's Basket. I loved the basket that came along with our goodies. It now sits on my table holding bills and important papers. Much better than the ugly box I had it in.
The treats inside the basket were delicious. I really loved the Chocolate Espresso Beans! My son seemed to enjoy the Chocolate Mint Candies, which surprised me since hes not much of a sweets eater. My husband liked being able to bake the brownies. The brownies were very chewy and delicious. I decided to make the cookies myself and I kind of burned them! They are chocolate oatmeal and the batter started out dark so I was not sure if they were done so I over cooked them. A little milk and a scraping later I still ate them!

I liked that the name of the person who assembled the treats were on the bags. It gave it a personal touch that we smiled about knowing someone made it for us who was improving their life.

Here is a little information about The Women's Bean Project from their website:

Our Mission and Vision

Since 1989, Women's Bean Project has been dedicated to helping women break the cycle of poverty and unemployment.

Our Mission: To change women's lives by providing stepping stones to self-sufficiency through social enterprise.

Our Vision: Women’s Bean Project strives to break the cycle of chronic unemployment and poverty by helping women discover their talents and develop skills by offering job readiness training opportunities.

With this stepping stone toward success, the women will be able to support themselves and their families, and create stronger role models for future generations.


You can learn more about donating  to the Women's Bean Project by clicking here.
If you would like to learn more about volunteering to help the Women's Bean Project you can click here.

He really liked the packaging! I had the bow on his head but he wouldn't let me take his picture.

GIVEAWAY:
The Women's Bean Project has generously offered a Chocolate Lover's Basket to giveaway to one of my lucky readers.

Here is how to enter the giveaway.
MANDATORY Entry:
Follow Women's Bean Project on twitter

Leave your email address in your comment so I can contact the winner.

Extra Entries: Can be done after leaving a comment for mandatory entry.
If the extra entry says 1 extra entry leave 1 comment and 2 extra entries leave me 2 comments and so on.


"Like" Women's Bean Project on Facebook +2
Follow Me on GFC (right top corner) +3
Follow Me on Twitter +2
Add me as a friend on Facebook +2
Visit Women's Bean Project website and tell me your favorite basket +2
Enter any of the other giveaways during the Valentine's Day Event and leave a comment on which giveaway you entered. +2 for every giveaway you enter.
Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link +5

*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts January 28, 2011 and ends on February 7, 2011 at midnight PST.  Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. I was sent for free the Chocolate Lover's Basket to review for this post.

A Sweet Voice

This afternoon my little guy has said the most things in one day. He has learned a few words this last month and is now understanding when to apply them. He is 14 months now and his voice is so sweet. He is very rambunctious and has the cutest laugh but now I get to hear his sweet little voice. He has said mama and dada for quite a while now but now he says it in a cute voice and with intention rather than just saying when he is upset.

I could hear him in his room saying mama mama like he was calling me to come get him but not yelling it. I went in there and he smiled so big and was snuggling his giraffe. He wanted down right away when I got him out of his crib which for him is very big boy. He normally wants to be held for like 30 minutes after he first wakes up.
He told me exactly what he wanted too. He said mama juice. After I gave him his juice he said cats, cats!! So I put on his Kitten Party DVD and he sat down juice in hand and happily watched his cats.
I was in awe of this whole scenario. He is my first child and up until this point he has been just motioning to stuff and getting frustrated. But today he is his own person. This is so weird to me, that I have a tiny person who has his own likes and dislikes and is now telling me what he wants. I will savor the memory of today and remember his sweet little voice as I am sure he will soon learn words that are more demanding and sometimes upset!
 

J.R. Watkins Naturals Product Review and Giveaway

The first thing I have to say about this company is I LOVE their labels and logo. To me it seems so pioneer days and it should since the company has been around since 1868. I love that it looks like a product mothers of a different generation would have used but at the same time has a modern appeal. I was surprised when my husband commented about how he loved the labels too. Normally he doesn't care about the cleaning products I use as long as they don't smell funny. This time he said they smell awesome, loves how they look and we need to get more when it runs out!
I had the opportunity to review 4 of the J.R. Watkins Naturals products for the Valentine's event. I definitely think loving your family means finding the right home cleaning products that you can all have around you. With my little guy now in our family, my sensitivity to smells that can lead to migraines and my husbands sensitive lungs I have to be careful of the cleaning products I use. With J.R. Watkins I found the perfect cleaning supplies!
The 4 products we reviewed are:

Lemon Liquid Dish Soap

I really enjoyed using this soap. It has a light lemon scent that is very pleasing. Unlike some lemon products that make me feel sick just smelling them. It works great on cleaning too! It worked on cutting grease on my stainless steel pans and was gentle on my favorite Starbucks mug. When I can I try to use dish soap instead of the dishwasher to save on water and electricity costs and this product is a great help.

 Lavender Window Cleaner

This product is wonderful and a headache saver! I have a hard time cleaning some days because I suffer from migraines that are triggered by scents. Often times using other products I find myself having to lay down the rest of the day from an intense headache, but not with this one.
The lavender in this window and hard surface cleaner was heavenly.  Not only did it clean my mirrors and windows sparkling clean but it also allowed me to continue on with my day. I use lavender rubs and lotions to ease the pain of a headache all the time so this was like cleaning and aromatherapy! My husband even joked now I can clean everyday and not complain!

My dirty mirror, see the spots!

Smells soooo good!

Clean and Aromatherapy

 Aloe and Green Tea Sink Set

This product was my favorite. I loved the little J.R. Watkins holder the set came in. I am always washing my hand through out the day and this set made it so easy to wash then rehydrate. The soap works well on my son's hands too. I worry about drying out his skin when I use dial soap and the chemicals but with this soap I know he is naturally clean! The lotion is wonderful because it is thick and absorbs quickly. There is nothing I hate more than watery lotion! The scent of this lotion was very mild and pleasant.  I think this would make a great gift for a house warming, new parent, mother's day or a birthday.

My clean mirror and sink set

Here is a little info about J.R. Watkins Naturals Home Cleaning Products from their website:

"Made with refreshing lemon and lavender oils and highly effective plant derived surfactants, Watkins diverse line of cleaners are safe and effective for your home and your family.

Responsible manufacturing processes are as important as its commitment to providing natural, consumable items for everyday life. By utilizing gravity-fed filling, biodegradable packing materials, as well as recycling programs and much more, Watkins is devoted to leaving the smallest environmental footprint possible."


J.R. Watkins also makes a line of Natural Personal Care products and Natural Gourmet products. I would love to try their lip balms, facial care, as well as their BBQ sauce and vanilla extract. I could run my whole household with just their brand of products!!


GIVEAWAY:
For our Valentine's Day Event J.R.Watkins Naturals is giving away one set of the same products I reviewed in this post.

Here is how to enter the giveaway for your own set of the J.R. Watkins products I reviewed.
MANDATORY Entry:
Follow J.R. Watkins Naturals on twitter

Leave your email address in your comment so I can contact the winner.

Extra Entries: Can be done after leaving a comment for mandatory entry.
If the extra entry says 1 extra entry leave 1 comment and 2 extra entries leave me 2 comments and so on.


"Like" J.R. Watkins Naturals on Facebook and tell them The Coupon Queen Bee sent you +4 
Follow Me on GFC (right top corner) +3
Follow Me on Twitter +2
Add me as a friend on Facebook +2
Visit J.R. Watkins Naturals website and tell me your favorite product. +2
Enter any of the other giveaways during the Valentine's Day Event and leave a comment on which giveaway you entered. +2 for every giveaway you enter.
Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link +5

*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts January 27, 2011 and ends on February 7, 2011 at midnight PST.  Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. I was sent for free the products pictured and mentioned in this post for a review by the PR company representing J.R. Watkins Naturals.

Gorton's Grilled Seafood January Facebook Giveaway & Coupon Giveaway

We are huge fans of Gorton's Seafood in our house. Just last night we had Tilapia Fish Sticks. Fish sticks seem to be the one thing no matter what my son will eat. He doesn't seem to care for beef and only eats chicken if hes in the mood, which is rare, but Gorton's fish sticks he will eat even cold and for breakfast!

Right now for the month of January Gorton's Seafood is having an awesome Facebook Giveaway. You can win and XBOX 360 KINECT and other great Gorton's Seafood products. There is only a few days left to enter so act now to make sure you get in your entry.

You can enter the Gorton's Seafood January Grilled Facebook Giveaway by clicking the link.

The giveaway on Facebook is for:

One thousand (1000) FREE grilled product coupons will be given out in four (4) Drawings of two-hundred fifty coupons (250) on: January 10, 2011; January 17, 2011; January 24, 2011; January 31, 2011. One (1) Grand Prize: Xbox 360 Console with Kinect (Retail Value $300.00) to be drawn on January 31, 2011.

 

 

GIVEAWAY on my blog :

For Our Valentine's Day Event Gorton's has allowed us giveaway 2 FREE Product coupons to 5 of our lucky readers!!

Nothing says love like healthy fish!! 

Here is how to enter the giveaway on my blog:

MANDATORY: 

 "Like" Gorton's Seafood on Facebook 

Leave your email address in at least one comment so I can contact the winners.

Extra Entries: Can be done after leaving a comment for mandatory entry.

If the extra entry says 1 extra entry leave 1 comment and 2 extra entries leave me 2 comments and so on. 

Leave a comment on Gorton's Facebook wall that The Coupon Queen Bee sent you +3

Follow Me on GFC (right top corner) +3

Follow Me on Twitter +2

Go to http://www.gortons.com and sign up for a fun e-newsletter! +2 

Which recipe is your favorite Gorton's recipe? +2

"Follow" Gorton's on Twitter and tweet about the January Grilled Giveaway!  +2

*Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts January 26, 2011 and ends on February 6, 2011 at midnight PST.  Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. I will be receiving coupons for a free product from Gorton's Seafood to review in the future.