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.

        

Buddy Fruits Review and Giveaway 2 Winners

We recently reviewed a product called Buddy Fruits. They are an all natural, no sugar added 100% pure blended fruit to go. I am all about a healthy snack for my children so I loved the idea of fruit on the go in this handy little drinkable pouch. There are quiet a few different flavors to choose from like Apple & Banana, Apples and Cinnamon, Apple and Multifruit and Mango Passion and Banana. My 4 year old was my taste tester and he seemed to like most of the flavors. He really liked the Mango Passion and Banana as well as the Apple Banana. I think that anything with banana in it is a winner with him! It seemed that the apple flavors alone may have been a little overwhelming for him so I thought my husband and I should also give them a try. The more the merrier right? I liked the Apple Cinnamon and my husband agreed with my son on the Mango Passion Fruit.

 The top is a screw off style cap so you can twist it back on and save it for later if need be. This is virtually no clean up snack because the opening is small enough that even when you squeeze the pouch there is no overflowing mess, perfect for on the go and in the car. The packaging is so cute, they are very inviting to little eyes.

The best thing about Buddy Fruits is that they do not have to be refrigerated, which is awesome cause fridge space seems to be limited around here. I love that we can take them on day trips and store them in the car for a "snack emergency". They are so handy and a great little healthy snack for my son as well as anyone who loves fruit. What a great idea!


You can buy Buddy Fruits at Walgreens, Publix, Piggly Wiggly, Harris Teeter, and many more. You can find a retailer near you on the site under the Where To Buy tab. Or you can purchase them online at Amazon and Diapers.com.
You can also win your own 18 pouch pack right here!!

GIVEAWAY 2 Winners:
Here is how to enter the giveaway for the Buddy Fruit Pouches:
MANDATORY Entry: "Like" Buddy Fruits on Facebook
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.

Follow Me on GFC (right top corner) +3
Follow Me on Twitter +2
Friend me on Facebook +2
Visit Buddy Fruits website and leave a comment on something you read there. +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 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 was sent one set of 18 Buddy Fruit Pouches for this review.

PaperToy Monsters Book Review and Giveaway

Today January 25th is the official PaperToy Monster Day!!! We are so happy to be apart of this great event! This year I wanted to find simple and low tech ways to have fun with my family. When I had the chance to review this book I knew this would be a great start. My sister and I both want to be more crafty and this book is a great way be crafty but also not leap right into handcrafting.

 

I really liked the color and detail of the monsters. They were easy to punch out of the book and even easier when my husband suggested to tear out the whole page then the cut outs. I cracked up and had a duh moment when I realized that the whole page was intended to come out.

My husband and I had so much fun making the monsters and handing them over to our son. He made a wild mess of them making them battle then crushing them. Even though he is too little to assemble them himself we all had so much fun. We look forward to making more monsters for him to play with and to share them with his cousins.



For PaperToy Monster Day there are many fun activities you can do from home.
There is a cool video to watch about making your PaperToy Monsters and the fun you can have!

For Valentine's Day you can have your very own PaperToy Monster. It is really cute and would be great to give to your Valentine! You can download it here.

If you want some PaperToy Monsters for your Super Bowl Party you can download two Football Ghouls.

GIVEAWAY
 You can win your very own copy of PaperToy Monsters for your family to enjoy.

Here is how to enter the giveaway for a copy of PaperToy Monsters:
MANDATORY Entry: "Like"  PaperToy Monsters on Facebook. You can leave a comment that The Coupon Queen Bee sent you. Not required but everyone loves comments!
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.

Follow Me on GFC (right top corner) +3
Follow Me on Twitter +2
Friend me on Facebook + 2
Follow PaperToy Monsters on Twitter +2
Take the PaperToy Monster Quiz to find out what monster you are most like ( I am the Ice Huggy lol) +4
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 25, 2011 and ends on February 5, 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 one copy of the book PaperToy Monsters for free for this review.

CSN Stores Review

For all my readers that participated in my 1st Birthday Bash you know I did a review for CSN Stores about a toy chest for my son. Recently I had another opportunity to do a review or giveaway and I wanted this time to share the great stores at CSN with you, my readers! So in about a week for the Valentine's Day event I will be hosting a giveaway for $20 gift certificate that can be used at any of the 200+ stores CSN has on any product. It does not cover shipping but many of their awesome products come with free shipping. Or you can use it towards a larger purchase.

While I was checking out all of the great stores CSN has I found some really great stuff in the Modern Furniture section. Our house does not have much in the way of a style and some simple decor additions and lighting would really change the whole look. I found countless items that I added to my wish list of items! With tax season giving everyone refunds I thought what a great time to do a big furniture purchase.

 Gus Modern carries a wide variety of living room furniture that has that sleek modern look. I loved the Sparrow Glider for $850. It comes with Free Shipping, which I love. This rocker looks nice and would be a perfect way to rock my little guy to sleep at night without looking like a baby rocker.

One brand I thought had great stuff is Thomas Paul. He has great pillows, towels, coasters, dishes in a sleek and simple design. My favorites are the Sea of Life Dinner Plates $40 and the Bath Shell Mat $40.

Check Back in about a week for the Giveaway and I will be posting about it on my facebook and twitter as well. If you find a great deal on Modern Furniture I would love to know and share it with my readers.

JustPaperRoses.com Review and $50 Gift Certificate Giveaway

Just Paper Roses is a great website for fun and unique gifts. They have tons of Valentine's Day gifts as well as Anniversary gifts. The one gift that cracked me up is their famous toilet paper! What loved one wouldn't get a smile on their face seeing this adorable tp in their bathroom. I switched our tp in our bedroom bathroom right before I knew my husband was going to go in there. I waited for a second then heard him laugh and open the door. His first question was "Where did you get this?" I was sneaky and kept it hidden until that morning. The toilet paper says " I Love You From Top to Bottom" You can see more of their cute and fun Valentines gifts here.

We both got a laugh out of it and then I proceeded to dress my son in a decoration of Valentines tp! He looked so cute! Of course we used the rest of the roll in the bathroom.
We were also sent the cutest Valentine Bear for my little guy. He loves stuffed animals and he shrieked with the cutest amount of joy when I handed it to him. It is very soft and wears a cute Valentines tshirt.

The site is full of cute gifts. One of my favorites is the Golf Toilet Paper. It made me laugh and I know my hubby would get a laugh out of it. This would be great for a birthday or Father's day.
They have Paper Roses of course and so much more. My favorite set of roses is the Just Candy Roses. They are made with the Dot Candies that are on paper. I loved those candies as a kid!!

GIVEAWAY
You can have your very own roll of tp or a bear or anything you choose if you win the $50 gift certificate that JustPaperRoses.com has provided for a giveaway. There are so many great gifts on the site I know who ever wins this giveaway will find something great.

Here is how to enter the giveaway for $50 Gift Certificate to JustPaperRoses.com:
MANDATORY Entry: "Like" JustPaperRoses on Facebook
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.

Follow Me on GFC (right top corner) +3
Follow Me on Twitter +2
Add me as a friend on Facebook +2
Visit JustPaperRoses.com website and tell me your favorite product. +3
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 24, 2011 and ends on February 5, 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 one teddy bear and one Valentines TP roll for free for this review.