We LOVE Tasha, our mom of three boys, parenting expert, chef extrordinaire and quick witted twitter bug!!!  She has a wonderful blog of her own though that I love and know that you will too!!  Check her out at http://myhomemadehappiness.blogspot.com and send her your prayers and well-wishes as she and her family move to Vermont… FINALLY:)!!!!! 

Love ya Tash!!

Congratulations to Xenia who is the winner of our Barn Dandys SWAG ALERT!!!  Xenia used Twitter to gain an extra entry that won her big:)!!  Click here to follow us on Twitter too @Bellaziza!

Thanks to everyone who entered on behalf of our wonderful sponsor Barn Dandys and do stop back soon for more of the best of the best for the family who has everything but deserves more!!!

HINT:  New V.I.P. SWAG posting soon!!!  *Oooh! Aaah!*

A BIG CONGRATULATIONS goes to subscriber Lisa S. of NJ who is the big winner of the UPPAbaby Vista stroller with ALL of it’s magnificent accessories!  We are so happy for you and can only imagine the wonderful outings and walks that you’ll have in this super sweet ride!  (Not that YOU’LL BE RIDING, but you know what we mean, hehe!)

Thanks to everyone for entering and for all of the incredible comments that you left for our generous sponsor UPPAbaby!  Stay tuned for more incredible products and SWAG ALERT Giveaways!!!  Also, be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Subscribe via email and RSS so you are sure not to miss a single thing!

When I found Barn Dandys I immediately remembered my first lunchbox.  I loved that thing!  It was one of the old rectangular metal ones with plastic handle and matching Thermos inside.  Mine?  Charlie Brown and Snoopy.  Hey, I was a child of the 80′s and that was standard issue.  Loved it though and I’m sure my mom even has it around somewhere:)!  (Hmmm, I’ll have to ask!)

In the mean time though, after thinking that the old school metal lunchboxes had all but disappeared in favor of thermal zippered pouches, enter Barn Dandy‘s!!!  I was SO excited to find them and know you will be too… if not just for the lunchboxes, then for the huge variety of other wonderfully vintage products that they offer!  (Think early Christmas shopping if you love unique gifts!!)

SWAG ALERT:  In the mean time, check them out online and let us know what you think!  They’re giving one very lucky reader a Lunchbox and Thermos set, Notebook set and Backpack all in their choice of pattern/color!  You know how it works and what to do.  This SWAG ALERT will be open until we say so.  Good luck and have a fun and safe back to school!

So you’ve been thinking about getting “The Family Swing Set”.  Got kids.  Got Family.  Why not?  Have you looked into the different ones that are available?  Have you researched quality and construction?  Safety and / or chemical concerns of the materials that are used, perhaps?  How about what this beast is going to look like a few years from now?  What are the maintenance requirements annually?  Will you need a Master’s in Engineering to get the blasted thing up?  Will it take a month?  How hard can it be?  It is a child’s plaything after all… right?

We were quite honestly shocked by the amount of information and the questions that one needs answered in order to make the best choice when it comes to swing sets.  We came through yet again for you though!  Here it is…  Drumroll please…  Without further adieu, the product of months of research and our Favorite Swing Set Company is… Kid’s Creations!!

We chose Kid’s Creations for every reason.  We were surprised though that the highest quality set was also the best price by comparison!  Buying from Kids Creations allows you to purchase directly from the manufacturer, and in turn you save a TON of money!  How’s 50% off sound??  Oooh yeah.  They also won us over for their commitment to being the safest and highest quality swing set on the market.  You can even custom design your own at the same great prices!!!  Most of the elements come pre-assembled too so when you go to build it you’ll be amazed by how quickly it goes up!  (Makes dad look like a real pro-builder too!)  Take a look at these side by side comparisons of some of the materials…

Many of the woods that are used in other swing sets today are either not safe due to chemical treatments or simply will just not hold up to weathering and the test of time.  Kids Creations uses 100% premium Con-Heart Redwood exclusively – the highest grade right from the center of the Redwood tree.  They are the only company in their industry to do so.  Overkill?  We think not.  Less is less, more is more and the BEST IS THE BEST!  Con-Heart Redwood is naturally weather and rot resistant, bug resistant and is virtually splinter free!  In today’s world as parents you just can’t be too safe when it comes to chemical treatments too.  With Kids Creations there simply are none.  NO chemicals at all.  We love that.  The fact that it is rot resistant naturally is a huge plus too.  Unlike many other brands of swing sets, you don’t have to stain or seal it… EVER!  Maintenance free and again, no chemicals – LOVE IT!  They are also committed to buying only wood that has been sustainably forested and take our protecting our environment seriously which as parents we all appreciate.

How’s assembly, you ask?  Well, you could practically land a helicopter on ours, so it took a little bit of time.  We counted it out as about 30 hours total, meaning that if we had 3 guys it would have been ten hours.  Hardest part?  The twisty slide.  Easiest part?  Everything else!!  This is MUCH less of your time (or your favorite contractor’s:)!!!) than competitor’s products would take because so many things are pre-assembled!  The directions that came with our set were absolutely detailed and custom designed as blueprints for our custom set.  When I had a question (twice), I called them and even on the weekend someone was available and helped me resolve my issue immediately!  Excellent customer service… redefined!!!

Are you one of those people who like to customize everything?  Do you look at things always thinking how you would have designed it, or how you would have wished it different?  Do you maybe need to fit an odd shaped space in your yard? Look. No. Further.  As mentioned before, Kids Creations has a system on their website where you can design the absolute swingset of your dreams, yet still carry over that amazing 50% off discount like with the pre-designed sets!!!  (WARNING: This can get addictive… you know… something you sit at the computer with a bowl of popcorn with for wayyy too long style addictive.)  Single tower or double?  Two swings or four?  Did you want the rock climbing wall on the front or off to the side?  Where was the helicopter landing pad supposed to go again??? You get the picture.  You make it what you want.  You are in control.  You are the designer.  You can fit it within your budget.  You’da boss.  It’s all about you.  Give it a try and you’ll see what we’re saying!  Want to see a catalog instead?  CLICK HERE to order your complimentary copy.

SWAG ALERT:  So there you have it.  Kids Creations blew our socks off and now all of you get to have the same experience!  They have generously offered one lucky reader a $500 gift certificate towards the purchase of their very own set too!  Just visit them at www.KidsCreations.com and comment back to us with what you think.  You know how it works and what to do.  This SWAG ALERT will be open until we say so.  Good luck and have fun designing the swing set of your dreams… ahem, of your kids dreams!!!

Congratulations to commenter Shannon O. who is the big winner of a gorgeous new bathrobe from Seth & Grayson!!!

Many thanks to our very generous sponsors! And thanks, of course, to our loyal readers!! Your comments were super great this week and Seth & Grayson really appreciates your feedback so much!!!

This potato soup is a favorite in our house. We make it once every week if given the chance! My father, who is usually the soup master, is staying with us temporarily. We made this soup for dinner and he couldn’t get over it! It sure is guaranteed to please.

Feel free to use any meat that you want to use. Also, adjustments in the quantities are okay! Every time we’ve made this we put different amounts of everything in it, and every time it still manages to come out perfect!

Ingredients:

• 5 cups potatoes, diced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup celery
• 1 package bacon, cooked and torn into small pieces (or 1 cup diced ham)
• 5 chicken bouillon cubes
• 3/4 teaspoon salt (to taste)
• 1 1/4 teaspoon pepper (to taste)
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 5 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups milk

Directions

Combine Potatoes, Onion, Celery, and Bacon into a large stockpot. Fill with just enough water to cover ingredients. Cool on high until boiling, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken bouillon, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook soup on low.

Melt butter in a saucepan, use an egg beater to mix in flour. Slowly stir in the milk a little bit at a time to avoid lumps, cook until heated. Add to stockpot mixture and stir.

Serve at any time with your favorite rolls or bread!

Since Vintage Tees are all the rage, we wanted to find some that we could show off and with some mommy pride to boot!  What we found was also Earth friendly from Booby Dooby!!

I wear my I Love My Kids shirt with pride and the kids glow when I wear it too!  There’s nothing like showing your kids and the world how much you love ‘em!  These shirts are SO soft and at only $34, SO affordable!  Get one for the kids too so they can sport their love for you!!

Congratulations to commenter Natalie P. who is the big winner of a gorgeous new complete 3 piece bedding set from Seth & Grayson!!!

Many thanks to our very generous sponsors! And thanks, of course, to our loyal readers!! Your comments were super great this week and Seth & Grayson really appreciates your feedback so much!!!

You may have noticed something has changed. Is it our hair? No. We lost weight? Well, in a way… That’s right! We totally redesigned the website! It was a long time coming!

One of the major new features is our current SWAG ALERT(s) will always be listed at the top of the site. Yeah, that’s right, I did put an “s” in those parenthesis. We will sometimes be running multiple SWAG ALERTS at a time. You’ll be able to come to the site and simply click on the SWAG ALERT of your choice to go directly to its corresponding post, and then you can just enter your little heart out!

We’d like your opinion on the new site! Play around, browse, and then come back to this post and leave a comment telling us what you think.

In leaving us your honest thoughts on the new site, you’ll be entered to win a SWAG ALERT Bonus! The prize will be a Baby’s Baker’s Dozen (that’s 13!) of Bellaziza Barrettes!

This SWAG ALERT will be open for daily entry until Monday, May 11th at midnight PST.  Our same fabulous SWAG ALERT rules apply, including EXTRAS, but if you need a refresher on the details just CLICK HERE or visit our “SWAG INFO” page by clicking the tab at the top of this page. Winner will be chosen from the comments posted and our subscription list on Tuesday via random.org.

Here are some really cute and funny quotes and stories about Moms.  Perfect for Mother’s Day!!  Pass them on and make another Mom smile!!

“Mothers are all slightly insane.” – J.D. Salinger

“I want my children to have all the things I couldn’t afford. Then I want to move in with them.” – Phyllis Diller

“The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.” – Calvin Trillin

“All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That’s his.” – Oscar Wilde

“A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.” – Tenneva Jordan

“There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it.” – Chinese Proverb

“You don’t really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around – and why his parents will always wave back.” – William D. Tammeus.

“My mother’s menu consisted of two choices: Take it or leave it.” – Buddy Hackett

“Any mother could perform the jobs of several air-traffic controllers with ease.” – LisaAlther

“My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.” – Mark Twain

While assembling furniture, Mary asked her roommate’s five-year-old son to bring her a screwdriver. “Do you want a ‘Daddy’ screwdriver or a ‘Mommy’ screwdriver?” the little boy asked. Confused with the question, Mary said, “Bring me a ‘Mommy’ screwdriver.” The child came back and handed her a butter knife.

For weeks, a six-year old lad kept telling his first-grade teacher about the baby brother or sister that was expected at his house. One day, the mother allowed the boy to feel the movements of the unborn child. The six-year old was obviously impressed, but made no comment. Furthermore, he stopped telling his teacher about the impending event. The teacher finally sat the boy on her lap and said, “Tommy, whatever has become of that baby brother or sister you were expecting at home?” Tommy burst into tears and confessed, “I think Mommy ate it!”

A mother and her young son returned from the grocery shop and began putting away the groceries. The boy opened the box of animal crackers and spread them all over the table. “What are you doing?” his mother asked. “The box says you can’t eat them if the seal is broken,” the boy explained. “Therefore I’m looking for the seal”, he cutely said.

I wonder how many hours this guy’s Mom spent doing arts and crafts with him over the years?  Get out the paints, moms, it’s worth your time!

How many times have you answered the question: “So, how many kids do you have?”  Do you ever just need a simple but stylish, yet totally comfy tee?  How about the perfect tee?  Oooh yeah!  We do too!!!  Introducing Demi Bella’s fabulous line of t-shirts!  It’s definitely one of our Favorite Things!

They have been featured in publications such as People, Baby Couture, Pregnancy & Newborn & American Baby as well as having a huge celebrity following!  Some of the celebrities wearing their shirts are Brooke Burke, AnnaLynne McCord of 90210 (who wears it for her cat!), Natalie Morales, Marishka Hargitay and many more!

Designer and founder of Demi Bella, Marlo Moleski, gave us a few minutes to talk about her tees!  She said: “Demi Bella tees are different than your basic mommy tee because of the stylish design and fit. It’s a young fresh look for the moms of today who are fashion conscious. Moms want to look and feel good and our tees help you do that. Being a mom is something to be proud of and brag about and our shirts do that for you!”

Check out all of their great products including their new line of burnout tees (pictured above)  at www.demibella.com and tell them who sent you!

The Mom Song sung by Anita Renfroe. Does it GET any funnier than this?!?!

Oh my!  When I saw this, it all just made sense!  Go GREEN!  It’s not just for the tree huggers, floks!

The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard is a tiny yet impactful video about stuff… and so is this blog, essentially… but I think that they work together as we show you lots of the best stuff so that you only have to buy said stuff one time rather than stuff, upon stuff, upon stuff.  Thus ends my stuff rant.  Buy the best, buy once. Makes sense to me.

Take a few minutes and enjoy The Story of Stuff!  Your kids will thank you and it will all just make sense.  It sure did for me!

Crista