Try These Baubles On For Size

Now that I'm a mama, I'll admit, I've lost a little bit of my swagger.

I rock yoga pants a lot. My hair basically puts itself into a pony-tail most mornings. And jewelry? I'm doing good if a pair of stud earrings finds their ways into my lobes one or two mornings a week at best.

So imagine my shock and awe - and secret giggles of glee - when FashiontoFigure.com contacted me to review a piece of their jewelry.

They let me pick what I'd like to try on, and, as I was perusing their online catalogue, I figured, what the heck?

Let's go big or go home.

Literally.

And look what I got!

Pardon the self-portrait. Ella can't hold the camera steady yet.

I'll admit, when I pulled it out of the package, I was scared. The necklace is huge. By far the biggest piece of jewelry I've ever worn.

In a store, I'd have thought, "That necklace is going to wear me," and I'd likely have passed it up.

But, I'd already promised Fashiontofigure.com I'd give it a go-round. So, I looked at my little black book and tried to find a suitable event to don said baubles for.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am here to tell you that, not only has my wardrobe taken a mom hit, but so has my schedule.

Every day, there were play-dates, a job with friends, an FRG meeting. But nothing that required such a stunning statement piece.

So, I had to just go with it.

I wore the necklace (and the really great, understated matching earrings it came with) to a command barbeque. I walked in with a bowl of homemade coleslaw in my hand, a baby on my hip, and the necklace on my neck.

And?

It was a huge hit.

I got compliments from everyone on it. Everyone.

While I don't think most people would have thought "This screams hamburgers, hot dogs, and baked beans!" oddly enough, it worked.

I didn't look half-bad. And while the necklace was large and in charge compared to the rest of the jewelry I normally wear, it really, in some ironic sense, fit the occasion.
And it's affordable, too. A lot of FashiontoFigure.com's stuff is. While the site caters to women shopping for plus-sized clothing, I am proof positive that, even if you don't need plus sizes, you can find something fashionable for every body type.

Even Ella thought the necklace was working for mama.

In fact, I think this necklace would work for most mamas. Thanks to it's size, it's sturdy.

Perfect for little hands to play with.
Which means it's perfectly suitable to wear on a play-date, too.

Ella can vouch for that.

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I was provided the necklace for free by FashiontoFigure.com in exchange for this review. However, the opinions published are solely my own.

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Happy Monday, everyone!

Bounce Becomes Mama's Little Forget-Me-Not

I do laundry seven days a week. It's systematic, really. Get up, get dressed, nurse the baby. And throw in the requisite load of laundry for that day. Monday, it's diapers. Tuesday, it's the hubs' uniforms. Wednesday, it's sheets and towels. And so on and so forth. Honestly, you'd think I'd be a pro at it by now. I should know my washer and dryer like the back of my hand; I should be so efficient that I'd be able to operate a laundromat out of my own home, right?

Yeah, well, tell that to my husband who went to work last week in a stinky, yet fresh-out-of-the-dryer uniform, because yours truly forgot to put in detergent. Yes, it's true. I did three loads of laundry that day and forgot to add the detergent to every single one of them. Talk about a day wasted. But the fact of the matter is, these days, it's not surprising. I have a new baby, a giant dog, a part-time job, and a military husband who requires a lot of upkeep in the laundry department. (The man has more uniforms than Lady Gaga.) Lately, I'm liable to forget my head if it wasn't attached. Luckily, my baby's loud, or she might get left behind, too.

In other words, this sleep-deprived mama needs a few advantages - a few short-cuts, if you will - to keep her sanity and her laundry smelling good. Enter the Bounce Dryer Bar. Literally, all you do is stick it into your dryer and forget it. And while I'm wracking my brain trying to remember where in the world I left my car keys, the Bounce Dryer Bar is freshening my husband's uniforms quicker than I can say, "Oops! I forgot the dryer sheets!" Not to mention the fact that the bar repels dog hair - Did I mention that 100-pound black dog that sheds all over every fabric surface in our home? - which is basically a god-send for my husbands' dress-white uniforms and my sweet baby girl's pale pink onesies.

And speaking of that sweet baby girl, who has what can only be described as extremely sensitive skin, the Bounce Dryer Bar comes in a "free" option. As a first-time, nervous-Nelly mama, I am extremely happy there's a product out there that leaves her clothes clean, soft, and non-irritating. Thanks to the Bounce Dryer Bar, the whole family's now walking around in clothes that actually smell clean, while Mama over here only has to remember to replace her Bounce Dryer Bar every few months. Thank heavens for that. Now if they could only invent a similar way to dispense laundry detergent...

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Thanks to Bounce and BlogHer, you have the chance to win big -- a Bounce Dryer Bar and a $50 Visa gift card. To enter the Bounce Dryer Bar sweepstakes, tell me about a laundry mishap youíve had (like leaving out the detergent as I did) in the comments below.

Please consult the following rules: No duplicate comments. You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods: a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry. This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected. The last day to enter the giveaway is Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 5:00 p.m. PST. The Official Rules are available here.

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For more information about the Bounce Dryer Bar, please consult the frequently asked questions and videos available on Bounce's Facebook page. For more opportunities to win, visit the Bounce round-up page on BlogHer.com to read other bloggers' reviews!

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I was compensated for my review of the above-mentioned product in this post. However, the opinions and content are solely my own.

The Year of The Baby

Ella was but eight hours old when I said it.

I turned to my husband and let out, "I cannot wait till Christmas this year!"

Mind you, it was June, so I'm pretty sure he didn't respond, assuming I was in some sort of post-partum, euphoria-induced hallucination, but I assure you, I knew I what I was saying.

After all, this would be our first Christmas where we could decorate a tree with our baby. And wrap presents for our baby. And bake Christmas cookies with our baby.

This will be an Ella-themed Christmas, mark my words.

Which is why this year? Our baby is going to be smack-dab, front-and-center on the first piece of the holidays anyone is going to receive from us: Our Christmas card.

I have never been so excited to address untoward amounts of envelopes in my life.

Last year, we used Shutterfly to make our Christmas cards. They produced a quality photo print. They were quick to arrive at our doorstep. And they let me personalize the heck out of their product.
And this year, we have the same plans. But this year, it will be even better.

Because this year, there will be a roly-poly, widely smiling, chubby-cheeked infant on the front of them. And she belongs to us.

I am obviously a new mama because anything with my baby's face on it? Well, it never gets old for me.

Which is why all the in-laws should probably expect Ella calendars, Ella coffee mugs, and other Ella-themed gifts this year.
The more ways Shutterfly allows me to plaster my kids mug on things, the better.
Lucky for me, they have a host of personalized gifts for the making.

Anyone for Ella-themed playing cards this Christmas?

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I was given 25 free Christmas cards by Shutterfly in exchange for this post, but the information and opinions written are my own.

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Happy Thursday, everyone!

Lookie! Lookie!

I'm so excited, my friends, to tell you about a new project here at Living in the Moment.

Drum roll, please...

I now have the pleasure of introducing to you ... Living in the Moment - Reviews and Giveaways!

Yes, that's right. I'll not only be blogging here daily, but I'll also be up and about at my first blog dedicated solely to reviewing products and giving away prizes to my beloved readers, followers, and subscribers.

Pardon me while I squeal with glee.

I'm so abuzz about this new venture that I'm downright twitterpated.

Because not only will this be a way to better communicate with all of you and hopefully bless you all with a few fabulous prizes from time to time, but it also gives me a chance to use the word twitterpated on my blog.

Which means I can now die happy.

Still, all twitterpation aside, I'd love to have you join me and follow along at Living in the Moment - Reviews and Giveaways, as well. Big things are on the horizon, and I'll be posting about them soon over there. Trust me, you won't want to miss it.

And, meanwhile, back at this ranch, I'll still be rambling on about color-coding my underwear drawer and eating sweaty dinners.

So, until then, see around here. Or there! Or wherever this crazy blogosphere takes us!

We'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming around here tomorrow.

Happy Monday, everyone!

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P.S. A special thanks to my wonderful blog designer friend Kelsey, who took time out of her weekend to update this blog and help me set-up my review blog, as well. She's a true to gem to work with, my friends! Check her out at Kreated by Kelsey.