brown couch events

eShakti Review by Mrs. Couch & $15 gc Giveaway! CLOSED

2010-05-06T03:40:00.003+10:00

WINNER! Congratulations to Susan of A Day in the Life!

Oh, eShakti, how I love thee!

eShakti sent me this sweet little black dress to review

I love it!

I felt like singing, "I feel pretty!" all day long.

eShakti is a fantastic online shopping site to work with

they pay close attention to what the customer wants

even welcoming custom orders

I admit, I opted for the easy order of size 12 please

great service. great product. great price

eShakti is so great, they are giving a $15 gift card to one lucky Brown Couch Events reader!

Head on over to eShakti, browse around, then come back here and tell us your favorite item.
Hey, be sure to check out their accessories, too!

Like what you see?
Become a fan of eShakti on Facebook
Follow eShakti on Twitter

Open to USA Only!
Ends May 12th

BCE {hearts} UMI shoes! - Review by Courtney of Simple Saving Secrets

2010-03-08T04:41:00.001+10:00

UMI Shoes sent me their Bo Peep in pink plaid flower to review.

I fell in love with the looks of these shoes as soon as I opened the box!

They are so cute and not too bright of pink to mismatch my daughter's outfits.

UMI also delivers on comfort. The outside of the shoes are very soft and flexible. The inside of the shoe is just as comfortable and easy to get her foot into.

I really like that the strap goes around a metal loop and then attaches to velcro making it more secure on her foot and harder for her to get them off. She wore them all day for two days straight and never complained. We usually have a very hard time getting her to keep her shoes on, but she never tried to take these off. She would even put her little foot out to show them off when someone would ask her about her new shoes. We are very happy with them and would recommend them to friends.

Review by Courtney

Simple Saving Secrets

Carolina Pad for Tax Time Giveaway - Review by Courtney of Simple Savings Secrets

2010-03-03T05:55:00.001+10:00

Contest Closed! Winner contacted and will be announced soon!

I am definitely an organizer, but my husband is not.

We have had many discussions about him putting a receipt in the wrong place.

So when I received this wonderful pack of organizational tools from Carolina Pad, I was very excited to get all of my past and current tax papers organized.

My current filing was not working with the limited folders and random categories. I used the big 26-pocket folder to put all my past tax year papers in the same place. I added some of the folders and labeled them according to type of tax paper (donations, retirement, medical, etc.) so I can put the current year receipts in there, too. I used the clips to keep W-2s separated inside the folders.

My only complaint is that even though it came with multiple tabs for the folders, they were only months and the alphabet, but I needed years. I would have liked to see them add in yearly tabs as well. But that was a very small inconvenience and I simply wrote the years on the extra tabs. Now all of my tax papers are in one place and easily accessible. Plus, I love how cute everything is! No boring plain colors, but bright and girly designs. It made it all a little more fun.

Review by Courtney

Simple Savings Secrets

Win a set from Carolina Pad of your own for Tax Season!

Carolina Pad and Brown Couch Events wants to know how you would use the Hot Chocolate set to stay organized for the Tax Man! Tell us in a comment below.

This giveaway open to USA & Canada!

Ends midnight March 15th, Eastern Standard Time

Discount! Use code: Tax_Relief to receive 10% off any online order!

Click the e3 to learn how to earn extra entries!

eShakti Contest - Who is the eShakti Woman?

2010-03-03T03:40:00.002+10:00

In 25 words or less, describe the eShakti Woman. And, mention 3 items on the eShakti site that best represent you! Answer these two questions and win up to $250! One first prize of $250. 25 prizes of $50. Every entrant receives a $10 eShakti gift certificate! No purchase necessary.

Please note: eShakti will chose the winners, not Brown Couch Events.

Contest ends midnight Pacific Time, March 31, 2010

Important: click the photo on the right, it will take you to the contest entry form. On the form it will ask if you came through a blogger. Here is the information you need:

Blogger's Name: Deborah Brine
Blogger's page URL: http://browncouchevents.blogspot.com/2010/03/eshakti-contest-who-is-eshakti-woman.html

All the Best! Have fun! Let us know if you win!

Periphery Designs' A Little Piece of My Heart Necklace Review by Mommie Daze

2010-02-08T09:20:00.000+10:00

I received the A Little Piece of My Heart Necklace from Periphery Designs in silver.

It's so pretty, and delicate. The the sweet little 1/2 inch heart is hand-forged which gives it a unique look. It's just one of those things that makes you feel good when you put it on.

It arrived ready to present as a gift packaged in a box tied with a lovely ribbon.

This is certainly a great romantic gift for Valentine's Day.

But I think would also make a nice gift for your daughter, BFF, or anyone who is extra-special and you want to say, "I love you," too.

Review by Colleen of Mommie Daze

WIN IT! Play Valentine's Blog Party Game -Leading Men Match-Up for your chance to win A Piece of My Heart necklace. USA Only. Ends February 14th. Click here to play to win.

Scandle Candle Review by Courtney

2010-02-04T10:26:00.001+10:00

Today my house has a wonderful aroma flowing through it that can only be described as fruit in the air. It is the Scandle Body Massage Candle in Chocolate Dipped Strawberries. After burning for approximately an hour and a half, the wax was completely melted and I was ready to try using the oil as a hand treatment. I must admit that the thought of pouring hot liquid into my hand went against everything I had been taught as a child ("Don't touch - it's hot!"). But I was very surprised to find that it was not too hot to hurt in any way and yet warm enough to feel the moisturizer immediately working. I covered both hands completely and continued to rub it all in for at least 2 minutes. I used a little too much for just my hands and had to rub some of it off. It was very soothing and my hands still feel soft even after being washed later. My only disappointment was the strong smell of the candle. It was a little too overwhelming once I had it on me. It wasn't bad being just in the air because it flowed throughout the house. But once I had it on my hands and it stayed with me everywhere I went, I quickly realized just how strong it was. However, for a soothing and relaxing at home spa treatment, I truly enjoyed this candle. Even better, it's good for my skin and the environment!

Thanks for this opportunity to review the Scandle Candle! I had fun with it!

Reviewed by
Courtney of Simple Saving Secrets

WIN IT! Play Valentine's Blog Party Game - Serenade with Kisses to win a Siamese Slanket of your own. Open USA Only! Ends February 14th. Click here to play to win.

A quick note about the redesign...

2010-02-02T11:27:00.009+10:00

Apple releases the iPad, we release BCE 2.0...but at least we're not the subject of period jokes.

I (Mr Couch) promised myself I would get this thing out, and lo and behold I did! Sort of.

It's been a long time coming, but finally the blog redesign is here. In all its new, shiny and things-aren't-quite-completely-working-so-please-be-patient-y'all troubled state.

We're working hard on making this a thing that really works, and looks good, and is functional, and we're getting there. And holding an event at the same time. And one of our two computers has packed up and disappeared (see my earlier rants here and here. And never buy an HP) but we're ploughing through.

I also want to point your attention to the sidebar to the right. It's essentially going to be used to update you to whatever is happening with the blog that doesn't require a full post. Kind of, tweet-length updates. You'll see them happen periodically as I make changes to the blog and want to let you know, especially if it affects you, our wonderful visitors.

Please as always, feel free to let us know what you think about our new design or anything else connected with BCE - we love hearing from you!

Lovopoly Game Reviewed by Mommie Daze

2010-02-01T20:17:00.003+10:00

Lovopoly is a board game for couples that you customize just for you.

I placed the order on their site, and it was really simple to do. First, you have to enter 22 of your favorite places. These can be any places that are special to you as a couple. I chose places that we've visited together on vacation. These 22 places become the spaces on the board. Then you upload your own photos for the game pieces, as well as some other photos that go on board. That's all there is to it. Lovopoly does the rest.

According to Lovopoly's site that game helps couples share memories, and think about who they are and where they want to go. This certainly is a unique idea. I don't think I've seen a customizable game like this before.

You're sure to surprise your special someone if you give them this for Valentine's Day. I'm excited to receive our game. It should be here any day now. And there's still time for you to order. According to their site you can order as late at February 9th, and still receive your game in time for Valentine's Day.

Reviewed by our Michigan Mommy Reviewer

Colleen of Mommie Daze

WIN IT! Play Valentine's Blog Party Game - Pop The Question! for your chance to win a Lovopoly Game of your own. Open USA Only! Ends February 14th. Click here to play to win.

Siamese Slanket Review by Mommie Daze

2010-02-01T20:17:00.002+10:00

OK, I have to admit when I was asked to review this, I laughed. The Siamese Slanket? Really? I've been poking fun at these blankets with sleeves since they first arrived a couple years ago. But I have to admit this blanket built for two is very soft, thick and warm. It's great for cuddling up on a cold winter night. And as far as quality goes? Well, my son has a blanket with sleeves from another company, and I can tell you that the material the Slanket is made out of compared to the other brand's is much nicer. My only complaint? I wish they'd change the name. I don't know, "Siamese" just seems a little un PC.

Reviewed by our Michigan Mommy Reviewer

Colleen of Mommie Daze

WIN IT! Play Valentine's Blog Party Game - Tell Him! to win a Siamese Slanket of your own. Open USA Only! Ends February 14th. Click here to play to win.

Gourmet Gift Basket reviewed by Mommie Daze

2010-02-01T10:50:00.004+10:00

There was much excitement when my Gourmet Gift Basket arrived. My five year old wanted to tear into it, eat everything and play with the cuddly teddy bear. My husband wanted to know who my secret admirer was.

I received the Cupid's Aiming For You Valentine's Day Gift Basket. It included Sweethearts conversation hearts, a Beaumont Teddy Bear, an assortment of chocolate covered nuts, a bottle of berry flavored sparkling cider and my favorite, chocolate covered dried cherries. If you need evidence of how yummy everything was, well, the teddy bear is the only thing left. We devoured everything else.

The basket came beautifully packaged, and makes a very thoughtful and romantic Valentine's Day gift.

Reviewed by our Michigan Mommy Reviewer

Colleen of Mommie Daze

WIN IT! Play Valentine's Blog Party Game - If You Love Me Honey, Won't You, Please, Please Smile? for your chance to win a Flirty Apron of your choice. Open USA Only! Ends February 14th. Click here to play to win.

Flirty Aprons Review by Mommie Daze

2010-02-01T10:05:00.000+10:00

Aprons have made a comeback in the kitchen in a big way. Especially pretty aprons like the ones you'll find at Flirty Aprons. They sent me their Cherry Blossom apron to tie on and try out. I love it! It's cute, it's comfortable, it's well-made. If you've shopped around for a one of these trendy new aprons you know they can be on the pricey side. Flirty Aprons are reasonably priced. This one is just $29.95. A bargain compared to other brands that cost around $50. Flirty Aprons make a great Valentine's Day gift. Buy one for her or put one on for him. The stove won't be the only thing in the kitchen that's hot!

Reviewed by our Michigan Mommy Reviewer

Colleen of Mommie Daze

WIN IT! Play Valentine's Blog Party Game - What's Cookin', Good Lookin'? for your chance to win a Flirty Apron of your choice. Open Worldwide!!! Ends February 14th. Click here to play to win.

Valentine's Blog Party Game - What's Cookin', Good Lookin'? Closed

2010-02-01T06:05:00.017+10:00

Contest Closed! Congratulations, Sarah B!

Answers to Food Love Quiz:

1. Chocolate
2. Basil
3. Chiles
4. Asparagus
5. Honey
6. Black Beans
7. Rosemary
8. Avocado
9. Strawberry
10. Artichoke

11. Oyster

Win a Flirty Apron of your choice!

Open Wordwide!

The way to a man's heart is through his stomach, so the saying goes. I'm sure you all have a tried and true recipe that is a sure fire way to win your man's affections. Lest we forget, there are specific foods for l-o-v-e. We invite you to try your hand at this fun quiz all about these fun foods.

To enter, write a post on your blog with the answers, linking back to this game. Leave the link to your post entry in a comment below.

If you don't have a blog, choose one of the following options:

- email us your entry, subject: "Love Food Quiz" .

- post a note on your Facebook page, title: "Love Food Quiz", and leave a link in a comment below.

Click on the "E" to learn how to earn extra entries!

L-O-V-E Food Quiz {C'mon give it a go! At least join in the fun and guess! We aren't grading you!}

1. South American Indians celebrated the harvest of this food. Today, a main ingredient for moles and desserts.

2. This herb was used as a powder by Haitian wives. Today, a main Italian staple in every home.

3. This veggie will get your blood flowing. Today, it is a main ingredient in Mexican recipes.

4. French couples ate plenty of this green vegetable before their wedding. Today, in Asian cooking it is often stir fried.

5. Story goes, Attila the Hun enjoyed this on his honeymoon...so much so, that he drank himself to death. Today, bridegrooms in India receive this as a gift on their wedding day.

6. The Latin church believes this veggie to be high in protein and increase fertility. Today, it is a staple side with rice in Latin countries.

7. Medieval women scented their bath water with this intoxicating herb. Today, I use it to season my homemade pasta sauce. It's great coupled with garlic on a lamb roast, too.

8. Aztec maidens were forbidden to help harvest this green veggie. Today, guacamole cannot be made without it.

9. Bavarian cows were decorated with this fruit in hopes of an abundant milk supply. This Valentine's Day, I recommend dipping this in the answer to question #1.

10. This green veggie plays hard to get. Today is very popular deep fried.

11. This seafood is loaded in zinc and many believe it to be a very romantic food indeed. Today, it is popular in chowder.

Valentine's Blog Party Game - If You Love Me Honey, Won't You Please, Please Smile? Closed

2010-02-01T06:04:00.008+10:00

Contest Closed! Congratulations, Xenia!

Answers:

Smile #1 - Matt Damon

Smile #2 - Ben Affleck

Smile #3 - John Heder

Smile #4 - Hillary Swank

Smile #5 - Halle Berry

Smile #6 - Julia Roberts

I used to play this game at youth events as a teen. The object was to try to make the other person smile. That is if you were "it". If you weren't, the object was to at all costs avoid smiling.

The person begging you to smile could do anything to make you smile. The designated smile maker approaches a frowny victim of choice and asks, "Honey, if you love me, won't you please, please smile?"

The chosen frowner is to respond without cracking a smile, "Honey, I love you, but I just can't smile."

If the frowner fails and smiles, giggles, laughs, they switch places and so it goes. This game is great for parties and so much fun. It was very popular when I was a teen.

Well, we aren't doing exactly that. Okay, nothing like it. For this game, you will need to identify celebrities by their smiles. Hey, we like you, in fact, we love our readers! So, we are going to include a hint with each. The prize is a gift basket from Gourmet Gift Baskets.

This giveaway is open to USA Only!

Mandatory Entry

Become a Fan of Gourmet Gift Baskets.com on Facebook

Let us know in a comment below that you did.

To Play the Game, write a post on your blog with the answers (the names of the celebrities smiling), linking back to this game. Tell your readers you are playing to win a Gourmet Gift Basket. Leave the link to your post entry in a comment below.

If you don't have a blog, choose one of the following options:

- email us the answers.

- post a note on your Facebook page and leave a link in a comment below.

Click on the "E" to learn how to earn extra entries!

Example:

Hint: "Honey, I love you, but I just can't smile. Not until you tell our readers how to play this game."

Answer: Mrs. Couch!

Smile #1

Hint: "Honey, I love you, but I just can't smile. Not until you return those diamonds!"

Smile #2

Hint: "Honey, I love you, but I just can't smile. Not until you are safely home."

Smile #3

Hint: "Honey, I love you, but I just can't smile. Not until you buy a lanyard."

Smile #4

Hint: "Honey, I love you, but I just can't smile. Not until you get on with life and love again."

Smile #5

Hint: "Honey, I love you, but I just can't smile. Not until you help me land this plane."

Smile #6

Hint: "Honey, I love you, but I just can't smile. Not until you kick off your running shoes and say, 'I do!'"

Valentine's Blog Party Game - Pop the Question - Closed

2010-02-01T06:02:00.026+10:00

Contest Closed! Congratulations, Mummy 2 Monkey!

Win a Lovopoly game!

Open to USA Only

To enter, tell us your proposal story. How did he pop the question? Or did you ask him?

Choose one of the following ways to enter. Be sure to leave a link in a comment below, including your name and email.

- Blog! Post your story on your blog linking to this game. Leave the link to your post in a comment below.
- Vlog! Post a video of your story dedicated to the one you love. Leave a link to your post in a comment below.
- Facebook! Post a note on your Facebook page. Leave a link to your note in a comment below.

Click on the "E" to learn how to earn extra entries!

Valentine's Blog Party Game - Serenade with Kisses - Closed

2010-02-01T06:01:00.009+10:00

Contest Closed! Congratulations, Anna!

Answers:

Song One: Then He Kissed Me

Song Two: This Kiss

Song Three: Kiss Me

Song Four: Kiss From A Rose

Song Five: Let's Just Kiss

Song Six: A Kiss To Build A Dream On

Song Seven: Kiss The Girl

Song Eight: When You Kiss Me

Song Nine: Kiss On My List

Song Ten: It's In His Kiss

Win a Scandle Candle!

To enter, provide the names of the songs below. Write a post on your blog with the answers, linking back to this game. Leave the link to your post entry in a comment below.

If you don't have a blog, choose one of the following options:

- email us the answers with subject "Kisses Serenade".

- post a note on your Facebook page and leave a link in a comment below.

Click on the "E" to learn how to earn extra entries!

Song One
Well, he walked up to me and he asked me if I wanted to dance.
He looked kinda nice and so I said I might take a chance.
When he danced he held me tight
and when he walked me home that night
all the stars were shining bright . . .

Song Two
It's the way you love me
It's a feeling like this
It's centrifugal motion
It's perpetual bliss

It's that pivotal moment
It's impossible . . .

Song Three
. . . down by the broken tree house
Swing me upon its hanging tire
Bring, bring, bring your flowered hat
We'll take the trail marked on your father's map . . .

Song Four
. . . Ooh,
The more I get of you,
Ooh...................
Stranger it feels, yeah.
And now that your rose is is in bloom.
A light hits the gloom on the grey . . .

Song Five
If we borrow words
They'll have to be returned
Keeping them would surely be remiss
The stars have acquiesced
By giving us this night . . .

Song Six
. . . Give me a kiss before you leave me,
and my imagination will feed my hungry heart.
Leave me one thing before we part . . .

Song Seven
There you see her
Sitting there across the way
She don't got a lot to say
But there's something about her
And you don't know why
But you're dying to try
You wanna . . .

Song Eight
This could be it, I think I'm in love
It's love this time
It just seems to fit, I think I'm in love
This love is mine

I can see you with me when I'm older
All my lonely night are finally over
You took the weight of the world off my
shoulders (the world just goes away)

Song Nine
My friends wonder why I call you all the time,
What can I say?
I don't feel the need to give such secrets away
You think maybe I need help though I know i am right, all right
I'm just better off not listening to friends advice

When they insist on knowing my bliss,I tell them this
When they want to know what the reason is
I only smile when I lie, then I tell them why

Song Ten
Does he love me?
I wanna know!
How can I tell if he loves me so?

(Is it in his eyes?)
Oh no! You need to see!
(Is it in his size?)
Oh no! You make believe!
If you wanna know
If he loves you so . . .

Valentine's Blog Party Game - Tell Him - Closed

2010-02-01T06:00:00.030+10:00

Contest Closed! Congratulations, Jeanette Huston!

Girl, you gotta tell him! Listen to this song. Tell him that you're never gonna leave him, always gonna love him, prove it with one kiss. Tell him and us.

To play this game, you will need to write a blog post inspired by The Exciters' song, "Tell Him". Dedicate it to the one you love. Take this opportunity to tell the world what your Love means to you. Men, write a blog post for your Love. This isn't just for the ladies. Man or woman can win the prize.

Win a Slanket!

Cuddle up with your love and whisper sweet nothings and bask in the glow of your love.

This giveaway open to USA & Canada! Enter by midnight February 14th, EST.

To enter, write a post on your blog, linking back to this game. Leave the link to your post entry in a comment below.

If you don't have a blog, choose one of the following options:

- email us your entry, subject: "Tell Him" .

- post a note on your Facebook page, title: "Tell Him", and leave a link in a comment below.

Click on the "E" to learn how to earn extra entries!

Valentine's Blog Party Game - Leading Men Match-Up Closed

2010-02-01T06:00:00.029+10:00

Contest Closed! Congratulations, Abby!

Answers:

1. Clark Gable/Rhett Butler

2. Ryan Gosling/Noah Calhoun

3. Colin Firth/Mr. Darcy

4. Dougray Scott/Prince Henry

5. Cary Elwes/Westley

6. John Corbett/Ian Miller

7. Hugh Jackman/Leopold

8. Hugh Grant/Edward Ferrars

9. Leonardo DiCaprio/Jack Dawson

10. Hugh Jackman/Drover

11. Tom Cruise/Joseph Donnelly

12. John Travolta/Danny Zuko

13. Tom Hanks/Sam Baldwin

14. Rex Harrison/Professor Henry Higgins

15. Jeremy Northam/Mr. Knightly

Win A Little Piece of My Heart necklace from Periphery Designs!

This giveaway open worldwide! Enter by midnight February 14th, EST.

Name the leading men in the following movies. To enter, write a post on your blog with the answers, linking back to this game. Leave the link to your post entry in a comment below.

If you don't have a blog, choose one of the following options:

- email us the answers.

- post a note on your Facebook page and leave a link in a comment below.

Click on the "E" to learn how to earn extra entries!

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

The Rosemary Company LOVE Cookie Cutters

2010-01-31T16:15:00.003+10:00

I received this super cute LOVE cookie cutter set from The Rosemary Company. It seems to be mainly marketed to those in the wedding planning stage of life (they have lots of fun items for wedding favours), however, I thought it was a sweet idea for Valentines Day!

I suppose the most obvious use would have been to make sugar cookies with these babies, but I couldn't be bothered so I made JELL-O blocks. I chose Strawberry since it was red. My kids just love these treats and were delighted with a "new" colour. Usually it's orange (my husbands favourite) or grape (my favourite). I've decided to be bold and live-on-the-edge by trying lime next time . . . but I'm getting off topic, back to things of Valentines!

My first attempt to cut out the letters didn't go so well, specifically with the letter O. The center part became detached. So I did the remaining ones by placing the O into the Jell-o and then pressed in the center part separately. I liked that there was a little heart in the center, but it was disappointing that the cookie cutter came apart. Washing the cutters afterward could have been a little tricky, as there were Jell-o bits stuck in the tiny crevices above the heart. Not to worry though, I keep a pipe cleaner (chenille stem) near the sink and that cleaned it out quickly and easily (free kitchen tip: they are also great for cleaning the inside lip of lids).

My three children loved having their Jell-o in letters and hearts. I was a little surprised at how excited they were about it all. Letters were much more exciting than boring old squares! We will have to do this again sometime (with lime Jell-o of course).

You can check out their site for other LOVE themed goodies that would be perfect for your favourite Valentine! I think the "Love Beyond All Measure" scoop and measuring spoon set are fun! Please note that some of the items have a minimum order requirement.

Reviewed by our Canadian Mommy Blogger

DeAnna

Be My Valentine Blog Party February 1 - 14

2010-01-19T14:00:00.006+10:00

Please note: It has come to our attention that the button is not working. We are in the process of fixing it. Thank you for your patience.

Grab our Valentine button and join the party!

Link up to RSVP. Everyone linked up will be automatically entered in all of the giveaways!

Earn early extra entries! Leave a comment for each:

Blog about the party - leave your link in a comment below.

Tweet about the party - leave your tweet link in a comment below.

Facebook - tell you friends about the party - leave a link in a comment below.

Vlog about the party - leave a link to your vidoe in a comment below.

Meet our sponsors:

Meet Me At The Corner Virtual Field Trips - Featured Sponsor

2010-01-04T16:43:00.001+10:00

Hey, have you noticed our new sponsor? Up there. Top right. Their logo looks like this:

Meet Me At The Corner hosts excellent educational virtual field trips. Perfect for homeschooling moms or classroom teachers. Fantastic additions to current curriculum. Take a trip today!

Would you like to be a BCE featured sponsor? Ask me how!

Surprise Giveaway! Ski Banz - Ends 1/8 - Closed

2010-01-01T01:57:00.001+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Winner announced soon!

The day these babies arrived in the mail, my little sunshine (as I like to call him) excitedly claimed them as his own. Well, that was okay since they are meant for ages 3-7 and he is the only one in the house that fits into that category. He instantly LOVED them and wanted to wear them practically every time he ventured outside. I should mention that when we received them the weather had not quite turned cold, as we had some t-shirt weather even into November which is quite unusual for Ontario, Canada! I indulged him and let him wear them out a few times even though the weather didn't call for such "protection". It made my heart smile to see such a simple belonging bring such joy to my three year old.

Eventually the temperture did dive and the snow began to blow! Winter is a much celebrated season in our home; not so much by me but more by the rest of my family. These boys of mine have a great love for winter activities and the Ski Banz have fit perfectly into that scene. My husband has taken the boys out on a few occassions now to go for a spin on the snowmoblie and to go sledding. The Ski Banz have definitely kept our young ones eyes protected and prevented flying snow (and trust me, the snow did fly!) from getting in his eyes. This allowed him to enjoy some family time together that otherwise probably would have ended with a little boy being upset by all the cold wet snow in his face.

If your family enjoys winter activites, I would definitely recommend Ski Banz for your young ones. I believe that they have recently introduced a little bigger size for ages 4-10 and the price is $35 U.S. This seems a bit pricey to me but to be honest, I have not compared them to other ski goggles for children. I do know that they seem to be well made, which reminds me of the old adage "you get what you pay for". They also have what looks like really great Summer gear, so there is still hope for those of you who are missing out on all the snow and cold weather that Winter has to offer. You can check out their site here. Click on the flag that represents your country and start shopping!

Reviewed by DeAnna
Canadian Mommy Reviewer

Win your choice of Ski Banz!

Simply tell us your favorite feature of the Ski Banz. Be sure to leave your name and email address for us to be able to contact you are the winner. Click here to learn how to earn extra entries!

Open to USA & Canada
Ends 1/8

12 Days of Christmas Event - Ends Midnight 12/25 EST - closed

2009-12-26T01:00:00.012+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Congratulations to all the winners!

Happy Christmas! Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad!

Gesëende Kersfees! Mele Kalikimaka!

Beginning today, December 14, you have 12 more days until Christmas! Do you have your shopping done? We haven't even begun. We are going to take our chances with the maddening crowds. We had hopes of kicking off our Christmas event December 7. Well, you all know the story of the Kaboom in our living room, thus the late beginning to our Christmas event.

Here we go. Let's make this simple. Link up here to be entered to win a prize. In the "link title" leave your name and the name of the giveaway you're entering. If you don't have a blog, simply leave your name, the giveaway you are entering, and your email address in a comment below. Follow the example below to be entered. You have 12 days to enter. All giveaways will close midnight December 25th EST. You can enter (link up) each giveaway once per day. If you happen to do anything that normally qualifies you for extra entries, tell us about it in a comment. Any questions? If this is clear as mud to you, please feel free to email and clarification will be happily given.

Link Title:
Mrs. Couch - Swings Sets & More Giveaway

e-mail address:
browncouchevents@gmail.com

url:
http://browncouchevents.blogspot.com/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now on to the giveaways!

Vintage Chenelle - click here to read about the giveaway and earn more entries! Winner, KYM!

swingsetsandmore.com - click here to read about the giveaway and earn more entries! Winner, Anna!

Simply Soles - click here to read about the giveaway and earn extra entries! Winner, Xenia!

Shirley Stitches - click here to read about the giveaway and earn extra entries! Winner, Anna!

Oh Boy Cat Toy - Click here to read about the giveaway and earn extra entries! Winner, Jaime!

Connectagons - click here to read more about the giveaway and earn extra entries! Winner, Xenia!

Keep checking back as we add more! We will also be posting about each giveaway, so look for more chances to win.

Hearthsong Giveaway! Ends 12/25

2009-12-23T19:58:00.000+10:00

Toys! Toys! Toys! Every girl and boy is hoping to find new toys under their tree and in their stockings this Christmas. HearthSong is a treasure trove of gifts, games, toys, storage solutions, home decor . . . head on over now and have a look. Hey, all you last minute shoppers save 65% on holiday clearance.

HearthSong knows fun. Have a look at these fabulous finds. Any kid would love these . . . I would love to play with them!

Geo Dome on sale $63.99

Giant Bowling Game $39.98

Penelope Peapod Cradle/Purse $26.99

Cradle Rocker $11.99

Changing Table $21.99

High Chair $11.99

Win Connectagons!

Simply, link up with the It's A Very Brown XMas Linky.

For some Christmas fun and to win extra entries, fill in the blanks to this familiar Christmas Carol. Email us your answers.

Dashing through the _____noun______. On a one horse open _________noun___________. O'er the ____plural noun______ we go. _________"ing" verb_________ all the way. Making ____plural noun______ bright. What fun it is to _____verb____ and _____verb______ a sleighing song tonight.

Giveaway closes midnight December 25 EST.
Open to USA Only

Oh Boy Cat Toy Giveaway! Ends 12/25

2009-12-23T17:33:00.000+10:00

Oh Etsy, how I love thee! Yes, another wonderful Etsy crafter to introduce here at Brown Couch Events . . . Oh Boy Cat Toy! Do you have a pet to shop for this Christmas? I know two orange fluffy cats who would flip for this cute red Christmas stocking. My mother would flip for these darling cat toy, if it meant Ezekiel and Malachi no longer tore up her furniture sharpening their claws.

Being partial to our brown couch, we at Brown Couch Events highly recommend gifting an adorable Oh Boy Cat Toy to your beloved pet. Here are three of our favorites:

2 Turkey Drumsticks $10

Fishy Foo Organic Catnip Toy $3

2 Pizza Face Catnip Toys $10

Win the Christmas stocking cat toy for your kitty!

Simply, link up with the It's A Very Brown XMas Linky.

For some Christmas fun and to win extra entries, tell us which Christmas movies the following quotes came from.

1. "No! No! I want an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle!"

Hint:

2. "Maybe Christmas", he thought, "doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!"

Hint:

3. "The best way to spread Christmas Cheer, is singing loud for all to hear."

Hint:

Email us your answers, subject "Christmas Movies".

Contest closes midnight December 25 EST.
Open to USA Only

Shirley Stitches Giveaway! Ends 12/25

2009-12-23T13:41:00.000+10:00

Shirley Stitches is an Etsy gem. If you don't know Etsy, I'm guessing you are new to the bloggy world and/or you are not the crafty kind. Etsy is the place to buy and sell handmade items online. Shirley showcases many delightful handmade goodies in her online Etsy shop: pillows, pillowcases, tablecloths, table toppers, pot holders, napkins, quilts, and tea towels.

I don't know about you, but I always like to hang up holiday tea towels for Christmas. Shirley has a lovely selection. Just have a look at these Christmas-y tea towels:

Win a tea towel of your choice from Shirley Stitches!

Simply, link up with the It's A Very Brown XMas Linky.

For some Christmas fun and to win extra entries, tell us what Frosty The Snowman was made out of:

1. ____________ pipe
a. coke bottle
b. corn cob
c. cork board

2. ___________ nose
a. beetle
b. button
c. blueberry

3. Two eyes made out of _________
a. chocolate chips
b. tortilla chips
c. coal

Email us your answers.

Giveaway closes midnight December 25 EST.
Open to USA Only

Simply Soles Giveaway! Ends 12/25

2009-12-23T09:07:00.002+10:00

New shoes for Christmas! Yes, Santa, size 9 for me (I have a good understanding for my 5' 4" frame). SimplySoles has a wonderful selection of shoes and boots. Now, we know that the majority of our readers are from the USA. We are suspecting that many of you are covered in a heavy blanket of snow right now. Do you have a good pair of boots? SimplySoles is more than shoes. Among the designer shoes, you will find these:

Argyle Socks

Burp Cloths

Jimmy Choos (Dog Toys)

The Salma in Orange and the Sandra Boot are both part of the lillybee collection. The lillybee collection is exclusive to SimplySoles and designed by the owner and founder, Kassie Rempel.

Win $50 SimplySoles Gift Certificate!

Simply, link up with the It's A Very Brown XMas Linky.

For some Christmas fun and to win extra entries, in The Christmas Carol, name these characters:

1. The Miser
2. His Partner
3. His Clerk
4. The 3 Spirits/Ghosts
5. Who says, "God Bless Us Everyone"?

Email us your answers.

Giveaway closes midnight December 25 EST.
Open to USA Only

Taby Tray Review

2009-12-22T10:13:00.000+10:00

My family decided to make a special trip out of town just to try out this product. I gathered a few things for my daughter to play with that could be placed on the tray. Once we got in the vehicle and I got her strapped in I added the tray. This was not easy at all for me. It looked simple at first, but then I got out the instructions and tried to place the tray on like it says. Well, my car seat must not be in the compatibility list {if they have one} because it did not fit on the seat right. It wouldn't stay in place. So I tried a few other ways to keep it in place by adjusting the straps. The straps are easy to use so this wasn't hard. It never quite fit her seat. We went ahead and did the best we could and took off on our trip.

She really enjoyed having her toys right there where she could play with them and loved the tray to use as a base to play on. Her sippy cup fit very well in the cup holding part. Zoe enjoyed placing the cup in and out of it's holder. She had fun playing with her things for about half the trip {30 min. maybe a little less}.

We then decided to give it a go with food. We ordered her a corndog, fries and a small milk. Because the tray didn't fit well to her seat I believe it was at too much of a slant. Her food kind of pooled at the bottom of the tray. She was able to eat just fine, but when she went to take a drink this is where the big mess began. My daughter grabbed her milk and took a nice drink of it and went to place it back in the holder. She didn't quite make it and only placed it on the tray. This should be ok because the car was not moving and it should have just stayed in place. This, however, was not the case. Because the tray would not fit to the seat it slid all the way to the bottom of the tray, hit the edge, fell to its side, and the milk poured over the tray edge all over my vehicle's seat. A huge mess I hated to clean up.

I have used the tray to place her food on at home a couple of times minus an open topped drink. It works ok that way. I believe the idea of this product is great and was really hoping it would work out great. I believe if I could get it to be level on her car seat it would be a great added piece to our travel time. It did help keep her happy for the first little while in travel. I would only recomemnd this product to someone that has a car seat that it fits well to. I will continue to use it for long travel time to help give her a place to play with her toys, but when it comes to eating on it we will have to find a better way.

Kristy's Rating
1. The functionality - 6.5

2. Ease of use - 8

3. Packaging - 10

4. Visual appeal - 10

5. Durability - 10

6. Recommendability - 7

7. Value for money -http://www.tabytray.com/ 7

Reviewed by Chaotic Kristy

Baby Bond Giveaway! Ends 1/2 - Closed!

2009-12-21T12:55:00.002+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Winner Announced Soon!

Baby Bond has two functions. One, use over the shoulder and across the chest to shield the breast while you nurse. Two, use around the waist like a belly band to shield your tummy while you nurse.
I found it easy to put on, but not so easy maneuvering to feed my baby. It worked well around the waist, but it's one size fits all made it a little long for my taste. I felt like I was wearing a karate belt with one side dragging across my knee.

The band is very easy to put on. It took me a little while to get the hang of moving the material around without exposing myself to feed my son.

The packaging is nice. It has the instructions right on the box. Plus, when you take the product out of the box it has a "pocket" to wrap the band back up when not in use. I love this little added feature.

It looks nice wrapped around the shoulder, but around the waist just didn't seem nice to me with the extra bit hang down almost to my knee.

While it does do its job; I personally would just expose my breast in most cases. I would however recommend this product to someone that feels uncomfortable exposing themselves in public. It does a good job keeping "the girls" covered and the baby's face open to explore his surroundings. This is much better than covering the baby's head because you lose that one on one bonding you get from seeing baby's face.

Overall the product does what intends to do. The baby's face is not covered while the breast is. The hanging tail was a turn off for me, but the added "pocket" was a plus. This product would be great for someone that is a little uncomfortable feeding in public.

Reviewed by Chaotic Kristy

Kristy's Rating

1. The functionality - 8

2. Ease of use - 8

3. Packaging - 10

4. Visual appeal - 9

5. Durability - 10

6. Recommendability - 8

7. Value for money - 8

Win your very own Baby Bond!

If you'd like another chance to win, enter at Comfort Joy Designs!

To enter just visit Baby Bond and tell us one way Baby Bond has given back to their community.
Open to USA Only
Competition closes 1/2
Click here to earn extra entries!

25% - code: joy
Redeemable 12/21 - 1/2

Vintage Chenille Giveaway! Ends 12/25

2009-12-20T07:00:00.001+10:00

Etsy is a favorite online hangout for me (Mrs. Couch). I so enjoy seeing all the lovely handmade items. Did you know Etsy crafters are from all over the world? Koorlong. Who knows where that is? Did I hear Australia? Yep. Good on ya! That's correct.

Leah of Vintage Chenille creates the most fantastic items from chenille, of course. Just have a look at these darlings.

Looking for a puppy for Christmas? One that won't shed? Doesn't eat much. Oh, and no problem with the landlords if you rent. Quiet, too, your neighbors will appreciate that. You may be the proud owner of a new Scottie this Christmas. This little guy is looking for a new home . . .

Simply, link up with the It's A Very Brown XMas Linky.

For some Christmas fun and to win extra entries, name the 12 things given by "My True Love" in the song The Twelve Days of Christmas. Sure, use whatever resources you have for helps. This is for fun and extra entries. Email us your answers.

Giveaway closes midnight 12/25 EST.
Open to Worldwide

Swingsets and More Giveaway! Ends 12/25

2009-12-19T09:33:00.003+10:00

What's on your child's Christmas wish list this year? A swing set? Swing sets? A trampoline? An inflatable bouncer? How 'bout a playhouse or bicycle? Whatever your child is hoping for Swingsetsandmore most likely has it, especially when it comes to outdoor play.

Swing - n - Slide Alpine Playset Sale Price $142.99

Little Tikes Airplay Tikes Inflatable Bouncer Trampoline Sale $99.99

Time to Play Le Café Play Tent Sale $39.99

One lucky Couchie is going to win a My First Racer Battery Powered Ride On Toy!

Simply, link up with the It's A Very Brown XMas Linky.

For some Christmas fun and to win extra entries, name the reindeer in the song Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. Sure, use whatever resources you have for helps. This is for fun and extra entries. Email us your answers.

Giveaway closes midnight 12/25 EST.
Open to USA Only

Naturepedic Crib Mattress Review

2009-12-19T07:32:00.000+10:00

It worked great. My son is still in his bassinet but I did use it when my two nieces came over. I placed it in the floor for them to lay on. My daughter wanted to lay on it as well. It held up great to them fighting over who got to sleep on it. As well as them jumping up and down on it multiple times.

It's a bed, there aren't many ways to use one and it's hard to get it wrong.

It looks soft and comfortable.

It held up to the kids jumping on it.

This mattress is much nicer than my daughter's $100 store brand that we bought 2 years ago. It's thicker and looks comfier. It's also Organic Cotton which I love. I really hate the plastic feeling thing my daughter sleeps on.

It's double the nice factor of my daughter's mattress and double the price, but I believe it's well worth it. In this case you do get what you pay for.

Great mattress, soft, comfy and organic. What more could you want in a mattress?

Kristy's Rating

1. The functionality - 10
2. Ease of use - 10
3. Packaging - 10
4. Visual appeal - 10
5. Durability - 10
6. Recommendability - 10
7. Value for money - 10

Reviewed by Chaotic Kristy

Meet Me At The Corner Review

2009-12-14T21:17:00.000+10:00

Meet Me At The Corner is a virtual field trip series. Created from a child's perspective, these unique pod casts feature historical and cultural sites. A suggested reading list and follow-up activities accompany each video.

I personally enjoyed the Interview with a Veteran: Evacuation of Saigon. Young Robert is very likable as he takes us to San Diego to visit the USS Midway and meet Vern, a retired US Navy man. Vern tells Robert his exciting story of evacuating Saigon as a Navy Colonel.

As a teacher, I highly recommend Meet Me At The Corner for use to enhance your curriculum or something for fun for your students/children at home. Meet Me At The Corner provides activities and further study for each pod cast topic: vocabulary building, fun trivia questions, map skills, listening skills, research. If I used this in my classroom, I would have library books on the pod cast subject for my students to read. I think reading comprehension is important. Read. Read. Read. I'm happy to see that Meet Me At The Corner lists recommended books on the subject, as well as fun websites for more information.

Meet Me At The Corner Virtual Field Trips For Kids can be found at the following websites:

Curriki an open source website for educational materials k-12 has over 80,000 members who are educators and teachers.

Teacher Tube a video sharing website based on YouTube. It is designed to allow those in the educational industry, particularly teachers, to share educational resources. To dates TeacherTube has 380,000+ members.

Next Vista Learning online library of free videos for learners everywhere. NextVista.org believes learning is stronger with teachers and students from all over the world contributing content. They have a membership of 6,000 contributors.

WatchKnow founded by Dr. Larry Sanger, co-founder of Wikipedia. Watch Know is a database for "instant tutoring". It hosts multiple video explanations of the same topics, to accommodate many different learning styles.

Check out the newest episode of Meet Me At The Corner Virtual Field Trip: Canine Companions for Independence.

Learning Link Giveaway! Ends 12/18

2009-12-13T11:53:00.004+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Winner: Susan, Congratulations!

Learning Link Technologies offers assistance through their brain training system to children with learning disabilities. Whether you are a parent or teacher, you will find this resource helpful. Learning Links is generously giving away a three month brain training program!

Simply do any of the following to be entered to win:

Subscribing to Lisa's video series
www.braintrainingsystem.com

Joining Lisa's Facebook Group
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=80601871492

Following Lisa on Twitter
http://twitter.com/learninglink

Becoming a registered user at www.learning-aids.com
http://www.learning-aids.com/user/register
(there are benefits to this such as being able to ask Lisa a direct question which will be answered on her site.

Comment on one of her blog entries
http://www.learning-aids.com/blog/lisa

Open Worldwide

Ends December 18

We're Back! Sort of...

2009-12-11T08:30:00.002+10:00

Nothing says "We're back! Sort of..." like cartoon dinosaurs.

Hello, and welcome to Brown Couch Events, where crazy nonsense is our middle name (Brown Couch "Crazy Nonsense" Events?)

As previously reported by our irate on-the-scene reporter Mr Couch, our computer blew up in a maelstrom of smoke and mild swearing (dagnabbit all! Golly gosh! Etc) and we invoked the extended warranty clause...when we asked the good man at our electrical retailer about when we'd have the computer back, he decided ambiguity was going to be his watchword. Basically this is what he said:

"well you know, the repair guys are always busy, and Christmas is coming up, and you know, they have a backlog, and the recession and everything, and one of their mothers is in hospital, and the football's on tv, and it's summer so the beach is calling, and you know, one of them has tai chi classes...so, maybe you'll have the computer back in...oh and Jimmy's son's best friend just made the soccer team so Jimmy will have to drive him to games I think...oh, you might have the computer back in 2012. But, hey don't quote me!"

In the end we threw our hands in the air and just bought a laptop.

In the meantime we got our old computer back, which is great. Double the BCE! I (Mr Couch) have been working on a redesign for the blog for some time now, which I hope to achieve soon, so there's that. Also, we had planned a Christmas event, but seeing we were electronically thrown back to the stone ages until not long before the event was due to start, it may be less elaborate than we had planned! But we still hope to go ahead with it.

In the meantime I would like to thank the on average, thirteen people a day who kept coming to our blog...we love you too! And we're still working hard on this thing.

So check back often and see if you can win some more stuff. We want you to! Oh, and feel free to write us if you have any questions or concerns.

Random Line Giveaway! Four Winners! Ends 12/18

2009-12-08T11:16:00.012+10:00

Random line is the creator of great games for kids. Hey, these would make terrific stocking stuffers!

Three - count 'em 1- 2- 3 lucky Couchies (BCE readers) will win:

1 Alphabet SQUIGGLE On-The-Go and 1 SQUIGGLE Script On-The-Go

One Couchie will win:
1 Hurry-Up The dice game for ages 8 and Up (great math skills game!)

Visit Random Line have a look around and tell us another product of theirs you think your child would like.

USA only, please
giveaway closes December 18th, 2009
To earn extra entries, click here!

The kaboom in our living room

2009-11-13T21:20:00.005+10:00

Our computer is fine, just fine...oh, wait...

We have a $2000 paperweight in our living room, right now.

It's big and black and has a 22" screen diagonally and it died this morning, refusing to restart despite my verbal threats and histrionics (try and guess whether Mr Couch or Mrs Couch is writing this post?)

After two hard drive reformats - twice the fun! - it has decided to get back in the game, but we are invoking Article 14, Section VII, Paragraph (b)...the dreaded extended warranty. Cue ominous music!

So tomorrow we cart our huge black poorly-constructed, over-priced, overhyped, immensely-low-quality, bits-and-pieces-constantly-breaking, obviously-made-by-poor-Thai-peasants-"earning"-forty-cents-an-hour-waiting-for-their-socialist-revolution-which-will-never-come Hewlett-Packard computer back to the mall from whence it emerged with such excitement 18 months ago, which means, Brown Couch Events will be, shall we say, offline for a bit.

How long? ~~The length of time it takes them to beat our computer senseless with a large object~~ Not sure, unfortunately.

But bear with us! We here at BCE love you guys, and we want you to come back. We do. So if the cobwebs start to pile up a bit and dust gathers here and there, feel free to brush it aside for us while we're gone, and look forward to a bright new day when once again we offer more and wonderful giveaways and reviews!

And in the meantime, as always feel free to drop us a line. We love hearing from you!

And when we get our $2000 paperweight back, we might even respond.

Sweet Arts Design Giveaway! Ends November 20

2009-11-08T13:52:00.024+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Winner: Chacoy, Congratulations!

Win a Sweet Arts Design Birth Print!

Sweet Art Designs does more than birth prints.

And much more: books, journals, onesies, kids tees, cards, notepads, personalized prints and alphabet prints. You really must check them out. Hey, with Christmas coming, you are certain to find something to surprise a loved one with this year.

To enter just visit Sweet Arts Design and tell us what your favorite item is.
Open to USA Only
Competition closes November 20th
Click here to earn extra entries!

5% off - code: CKBS

Swaddle Designs Giveaway! Ends November 19

2009-11-08T13:25:00.013+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Winner: Kim, Congratulations!

Win SwaddleDesigns Ultimate Receiving Blanket®!

Designed by a registered nurse, this super soft and larger than the typical receiving blanket will make a wonderful gift for any new mom. Every baby will feel safe and loved snuggled up in this preshrunk 100% cotton flannel.

To enter just visit Swaddle Designs and tell us which Ultimate Receiving Blanket you would choose if you win.
Open to USA Only
Competition closes November 19th
Click here to earn extra entries!

10% off - code: MadeinUSA

Bummas Review

2009-11-08T12:46:00.012+10:00

They are the size of my hand, fingertip to almost my wrist {I have large hands for a woman}. They will work great to keep the pee showers at bay, but I'm a little concerned about the size when it comes to a poopy mess. Since they are made of terry this may not be a problem. They are packed nicely and looks kinda like a bouquet of bright cheery flowers. The bright colored trims a very nice to look at. These would look great in a baby shower bouquet or basket. The ones that I got to review are mostly white, so I'm a little concerned on how long they will stay white, but I'm not concerned on how long they will last. They are made out of a nice terry material that seems like it will hold up well in the wash. If you are cloth diapering, why not cloth wipe as well? These would go great in your routine. They would make a great baby shower gift for any mom cloth diapering or not. $16.99 for 10 wipes. I feel this is a great price for baby's comfort and less waste in a landfill. Bummas are super soft even the threading that trims them is super soft. They come in a great color arrangement. I really enjoy the bright colored trims. They would make great baby washcloths for bath time, cloth wipes, or pee shields. Bummas would be great for sensitive skin so your not adding all the chemicals you get from disposable wipes.

Review by Chaotic Kristy

Julianne Originals Discount, Review, & Giveaway! Ends November 19

2009-11-06T19:37:00.019+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Winner: Xenia, Congratulations!

The Julianne Originals bib I received looks awesome. I was so excited to see my son's name on the bib. It was a little gift within a gift. the bib is a great size. I always hated bibs that are small they don't help much with the mess. This bib will cover quite a bit with little room for a mess. When I showed my family they all loved it. I hate to use it with the messy food that will get on it because how great it looks. This is a great keepsake item. OK, now that we know I love the way it looks, what about the quality? It's well made. It's soft and looks like it will hold up to a ton of washing. I would recommend this bib to any one looking for that special gift for the mother to be, the mother that is, or just for yourself. Their monogram bibs are a great price and look great too.

Review by Chaotic Kristy

Win a Julianne Originals bib for the little one in your life!

To enter just visit Julianne Originals and tell us which bib you would choose if you win.
Open to USA Only
Competition closes November 19th
Click here to earn extra entries!

20% Off - code: BROWN20

Hugga-Bebe Giveaway! Ends Nov. 18

2009-11-05T17:42:00.021+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Winner: Anna, Congratulations!

Hugga-Bebe hugs your baby securely while they play in their activity center, jumper, walker, or park bucket swing. Ideal for babies ages 4 months - toddler.

Win a Hugga-Bebe for you little one!

To enter just visit Hugga-Bebe and tell us what color you would pick.
Open to
Competition closes November 18th
Click here to earn extra entries!

Guardian Sleeper Review

2009-11-05T15:43:00.013+10:00

The Guardian Sleeper keeps the baby in it's place, with no concern of rolling over. The blanket is soft and breathable but will keep the baby warm. No need for extra blankets. Very easy to use. It only took me second to figure it out. The Velcro may wake up the baby if you have to undo it before placing the baby down to sleep but this can be avoided by leaving it open when you remove baby. It comes packed in a nice plastic zippered pouch. The package contains instructions for easy use and is reusable. he color is nice to look at and can match a rooms decor. It's made of a super soft material and looks oh so comfy. The construction of the Guardian Sleeper is great. I feel it will withstand many washing and last the entire time my baby will need it. I'm not sure how well my daughter would have liked this because she preferred to sleep on her belly. {I know this isn't recommended but she wouldn't sleep any other way} My little sisters son that modeled it for me didn't like being strapped down but he is one years old and at that age I don't think many babies like to be strapped in. Little bit high in the price range, but for peace of mind it is a great value. Also it keeps you from having to buy those baby wedges that keeps them from rolling and extra blankets or sleeper suits. So over all you could save money.

Review by Chaotic Kristy

Kristy's Rating:

1. The functionality - 10
2. Ease of use - 10
3. Packaging - 10
4. Visual appeal - 10
5. Durability - 10
6. Recommendability - 9
7. Value for money - 9

Bath Luve Review & Giveaway! - Ends Nov. 17

2009-11-04T09:17:00.028+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Winner: Lindsay, Congratulations!

The Bath Luve frog seemed to help keep baby warm. He didn't seem to fussy compared to when my daughter had her first bath. The frog looks completely cute and the bath towels look great as well. The Bath Luve is likely to last a long time. They are made of a soft terry material. The hooded towel and matching wash cloths are very thick and warm. It's large enough to use on my 2 year old daughter. It doesn't quite make it all the way around her but it works. Bath Luve is a great way to keep baby warm while bathing.

Reviewed by Chaotic Kristy

Kristy's Rating:

1. The functionality - 10
2. Ease of use - 9
3. Packaging - 10
4. Visual appeal - 10
5. Durability - 10
6. Recommendability - 10
7. Value for money - 10

Win a Bath Luve of your choice!

To enter just tell us what you would choose: the frog, fish (blue or pink), or duck Bath Luve.
Open to USA Only
Competition closes November 17th
Click here to earn extra entries!

GoJane Giveaway - Closes 18th November!

2009-11-04T02:48:00.005+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Winner: Lisa, Congratulations!

Does your daughter need something new to wear this back to school season? Come to think of it, ladies, do YOU need something new to wear?

'Course!

GoJane has an extensive variety of everything you could want...Tanks, tops, jeans, leggings, shoes, shirts, skirts, you name it...GoJane has it!

And, with affordable prices, you're not going to be chained to your desk (or tractor, or car, or any other place you work) just trying to pay for clothes which are classy and stylish.

Beat the economic slowdown and check out GoJane. Do it now!

GoJane knows you're going to love their stuff!

That's why they're giving away a $25 gift certificate to their online store. That's twenty-five smackeroos to spend on their whole range of clothes & shoes!

Have a closer look at the items on this page...you can get all this with the one $25 gift certificate! Told you GoJane was good value!

So...what would you buy?

Just go to GoJane's site and leave a comment telling us what you would get with a $25 gift certificate.

We'll draw a winner randomly.

USA only, please
giveaway closes November 18th, 2009
To earn extra entries, click here!

Winners and buttons...

2009-11-04T02:17:00.004+10:00

For those of you who won something during the massive close off of giveaways on the 31st October, just want to let you all know that your details have been passed on to the sponsors, and you should be receiving your loot soon :)

Of course if you have any problems e-mail us. We're happy to help.

Mrs Couch has been bugging me for a while now, to give all you winners something to put on your blogs if you like...a button that says, "you know what? I won something at BCE and I want to share it with the world". And I finally got around it after tussling for a few hours with GIMP.

It's that little picture you see up there...here's the code for it: (right click, "select all", then copy)

So, y'know...if you feel like adding it, we love you very much. And if you don't...well, we love you anyway.

Have a fantastic day!

Baby Dipper Review & Giveaway!

2009-11-03T16:34:00.014+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Winner: Anna, Congratulations!

What a smart design. I remember spending many times holding a bowl or jar in one hand at an angle and trying to spoon the food out with the other hand. The Baby Dipper takes the pain out of it all. Place the food in the slanted bowl design and the food pools in the front of the bowl. This provides easy access to the food for one handed scooping. This makes it much easier to feed your little one. This also makes it easier for them to feed themselves. The no skid design helps keep it in place so it's easy to scoop the food out without bowls flying across the table/highchair. I am glad to have this product and would recommend it to any mom.

Review by Chaotic Kristy

Kristy's Rating:

1. The functionality 10

2. Ease of use 10

3. Packaging 10

4. Visual appeal 10

5. Durability 10

6. Recommendability 10

7. Value for money 10 $9.99 for set

Win a Baby Dipper Bowl & Spoon Set!

To enter just post your messy food baby pics on your blog and leave the link in a comment below. No baby, but want to win for a friend or family. No worries, just tell us your worst baby feeding story.
Open to USA Only
Competition closes November 16th
Click here to earn extra entries!

Cute Beltz Giveaway! - Ends November 16th

2009-11-02T02:57:00.008+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Winners: Becky, Abby Congratulations!

Cute Beltz - when you don't want your kid to moon the world!

About three weeks ago we gave a Cute Beltz sample to our mommy reviewer Katie, for her little girl to try out. One outstanding review later, here we are.

Cute Beltz make all sort of pants-holding-up devices for your kiddies - from velcro to d-ring belts, to little cute bags and gift sets...

Featuring cute little designs for the girls and smart ones for the boys, these are an awesome and inexpensive way to keep your kid's pants up!

Cute Beltz are giving away two belts!

First, the Fruit Splash Girls' D-Ring Belt:

and secondly, the Nautical Toddler Velcro Belt:

To enter, just go to Cute Beltz' site and tell us your favourite item! Also, tell us whether you would like to win the Fruit Splash Girls' D-Ring Belt or the Nautical Toddler Velcro Belt.

We'll randomly draw one winner for the girls' belt, and one winner for the toddler belt.

Giveaway closes November 16th, 2009
US only, please
To earn extra entries, click here!

We pop and we don't stop...

2009-11-02T00:58:00.002+10:00

The other day I posted an update saying that we had removed the word verification thingy from our comments, and that if anyone had any other suggestions, that we'd take 'em on board.

Well, we got an e-mail from someone wanting us to use a comment box that pops up, rather than the one that embeds. That way, said the person, when she clicked comment, she wouldn't lose her place on the page - an especially useful tool for those who respond to a lot of our giveaway posts.

So let it not be said that we do not listen! And, we now have comments that pop up in a box. However, I'd like feedback on this if anyone feels strongly about it. Do you love the idea? Do you hate it? Let us know by e-mailing us or by leaving a comment here.

Shandle Giveaway - Ends November 15th!

2009-11-01T01:31:00.009+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Winners: Xenia, Sandra, Susan, Anna, Lisa, Congratulations!

We all know the benefits of hand washing, but I bet if we asked ten parents of potty-trained kids whether it's a tough ask to get their kids to do same, ten would raise their hands and nod dejectedly. Or at least, wearily.

Seat goes up...

And...yes! Seat goes down!

But Shandle's here with an interesting little device called...a Shandle, believe it or not. The Shandle is like a little lever which sticks to your toilet seat - it's strong enough to be used under the lid or the seat itself and functions a) as a hygenic way to lift the seat and b) to remind your little ones to wash their hands post-number one or number two.

With a squillion cute and appealing-to-kiddies designs which encourage kids to wash, you're covered when it comes to raising a Hygenic Harry. Or Clean Clarissa. Or Germ-free Gerry (I'll stop now).

And, because Shandle are such delightfully wonderful people, they're giving away five (yes, I said FIVE!!!) Shandles to YOU, BCE readers. Yes, five indeed.

To enter just leave a comment telling us which character on a Shandle, would have encouraged you to wash your hands. For example: if I (Mr Couch) as a kid, had seen a Chewbacca, He-Man or Voltron on a Shandle encouraging me to wash my hands, I'd have DONE IT!

We'll draw five winners randomly for this one.

Here are the details:

Open to USA only
Giveaway closes November 15th, 2009
To earn extra entries, click here!

Out of the Box Games Giveaway! - Ends November 14th

2009-10-31T02:39:00.007+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Winner: Patti, Congratulations!

Like a home board game version of Nadia Comineci (spelling?), this one got straight tens when we gave it to our reviewer, Katie, to check out.

So you know it's good!

I've done a fair bit of posting about the merits of indoor games lately, so I won't reiterate. What I will do is say that Out of the Box Games' Backseat Drawing is one of those ingeniously simple ideas which always seem to comprise the best games!

Backseat Drawing puts teams to the test as they try to identify what one of their team members is drawing - only that person has no idea either! Absolute chaos is just destined to ensue...

Out of the Box Games wants your family to enjoy this kind of madness this winter! They're giving away one Backseat Drawing - and you can choose either the Junior or Adult version!

To enter just leave a comment telling us your favourite all-time board game! I (Mr Couch) like Monopoly...but no-one would ever commit five hours to playing with me!

Here are the details:

Open to USA only
Giveaway closes November 14th, 2009
To earn extra entries, click here!

Winning Moves' Cir*Kis Review

2009-10-31T01:56:00.005+10:00

Are you in the northern hemisphere? Is it cold out right now? Do you face the prospect of ten or more feet of snow this winter?

If you answered yes to any of the above, stop reading this blog and move to a small island in the South Pacific immediately.

Seriously, now...it's winter and it's cold. You're looking for stuff to do. With the economy the way it is, what, you're going to the movies? You're gonna take your two kids and spend seventy bucks of your hard-earned for two hours of sequelised entertainment and junk food that's 70% more expensive than it should be?

We.........have an alternative! 106 of you left comments on our Winning Moves' Cir*Kis giveaway, indicating at least a passing interest in board games. I (Mr Couch) want to encourage the rest of you to jump on board (bad pun intended). Board games are a great way to encourage competition, fair play, and in many cases, reflexes and hand-eye co-ordination. Not to mention, problem-solving and you know, actually using your brain.

So what are you waiting for! Get into some good, wholesome, inexpensive fun. We gave Cir*Kis to our reviewer Katie to do just that......

So, seriously...I was all types of excited to be able to play and review this game. It got awards people! It MUST be AWESOME! Well...not so much.

Honestly, I was extremely disappointed in this game. I was bored with it after the first few moves, and that's hard to do because I do not get bored easily. Especially when it comes to games. I love games...LOVE 'em.

So anyway, yeah. Did not like this one at all. It was also very frustrating trying to keep the pieces in place. They don't "snap it" like it says. More like just "lay where you place them". We were always trying to straighten and fix previous pieces played, which took longer than playing the actual game.

But whatever, if you don't mind that sort of thing, than maybe you could give this game a try and see what you think. Of course, this is only my opinion, and many other people have enjoyed this game...but I just don't see it.

The functionality: 6
Ease of use: 6
Packaging: 10
Visual appeal: 10
Durability: 10
Recommendability: 2
Value for money: 5

Usborne Books Giveaway - Closes 14 November!

2009-10-31T01:02:00.008+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Winners: Candice, Chantelle, mummy2jj!

So, a while back we did an Usborne Books giveaway - three copies of Illustrated Classics for Boys.

But you know, Usborne, being the generous and wonderfully-committed-to-not-just-boys-literary-development people that they are, also have an Illustrated Classics for Girls.

Who knew!

Simply yet effectively illustrated, ICFG includes timeless tales such as the story of Heidi, Little Women and the Wizard of Oz.

This is a great way to bring the classics home, and in the process, teach your little one to love reading. Fight the electronic invasion while they're young and impressionable, that's what I say.

So......you want one of these, eh? Well, Usborne Children's Books Australia wants you to have one. In fact, they want three lucky winners to have one!

To enter, leave a comment and tell us your all-time favourite tale as a kid. Hansel and Gretel? Peter Pan? Snow White? What was your literary flavour?

Entries go into a random draw!

Here's the fine print:

Open to Australian residents only
Giveaway closes November 14th 2009
To find out how to earn extra entries click here!

Ask and ye shall receive........

2009-10-31T00:31:00.002+10:00

Word verification: an evil, evil invention.

It was recently suggested by someone *cough* HI XENIA!!!!!!!! *cough* that it might be a good idea to ditch the whole word verification thing for comments, because it just adds to the time it takes to write comments. Especially if you earn extra entries.

So, we've disabled them, with a small caveat. If we see loads of this kind of thing:

bUy V1@gr@ onl!ne cheap $30/12 specal offr now

...then we might enable word verification again. But hopefully, this will make it easier for all you guys.

Also, we do want you all to feel free to contact us if there is something about the site you think can be improved/changed/added/etc. We take your comments seriously and we want to make this as good an experience for YOU as we can! So, if you have anything to say about the site, you know, drop us a line. We're nice 40% - 45% of the time.

To all 10,000 of you...

2009-10-29T01:59:00.003+10:00

We're just...*sniff*...overcome with *sob*....emotion...

Noticed today, that we're comin' up on 10,000 unique hits in a couple days! Wow...seems like just yesterday I (Mr Couch) was pounding my head against the wall trying to design this blog just right.

But here we are, our baby is past 250 followers and just growing and growing...yes, he's even had his first catastrophic Photobucket outage. Good times.

Anyway, I don't want to get too emotional. I do want to say thanks to everyone who drops by, who enters giveaways, who reads reviews, who clicks links (32,000 times in total) and who is always so appreciative when I send a little e-mail saying you've won this or that.

BCE is growing...thanks for being here.

ZDaisy Free Shipping, Review, & Giveaway! - CLOSED!

2009-10-27T10:28:00.016+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Congratulations to Whitney for winning!

Very easy to use and works great. The clasp is super simple to use with one hand. It has a little elastic to hold the paci on with. Just loop it around the paci, thread bungee through and your golden. I love the fact that it's organic and that the company uses recycled material to package it. Mine was placed on a cereal box. It's made of a super soft material and the color would match any clothes my child would wear. I would recomemend this product to anyone with a child that uses a binkie. My child has not yet grasped the concept of a binkie, but this product kept it close at hand and easy to find.

I wished I had one of these when my daughter was younger. She had to have a binkie all the time and I was always strugling to find one or keep one clean. With this product I wouldn't have to worry about it dropping or looking for it in the car seat or crib. The bungee would kept it safe from falling and easy to find.

Review by Chaotic Kristy

Christy's Rating:

1. The functionality 10

2. Ease of use 10

3. Packaging 10

4. Visual appeal 10

5. Durability 10

6. Recommendability 10

7. Value for money $16.00

Win an Organic Binkie Bungie from ZDaisy!

To enter just visit ZDaisy and tell us which bungie you would choose if you win!
Open to USA Only
Competition closes November 2nd
Click here to earn extra entries!

Free Shipping until December 31st! code: browncouch

JAKO Nappies Discount, Review, & Giveaway! - CLOSED!

2009-10-27T10:16:00.018+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Congratulations to bekki1820cb for winning!

Just like Grandma used to use only better designed. It has Velcro tabs and a sleek design. The tabs makes it really easy to use. It's super soft which is something I wasn't expecting. I think of wool as those itchy dress coats Dad use to wear and this was nothing like that. This is very soft and super cute. It was very well made and I believe if I care for it probably it will last for as long as I need it. I didn't have any leaking so it seemed to do it's job well.

The price is a little steep for me; only because it's fitted for one size at $21 dollars and the prices go up as the sizes go up. I'm not huge into the cloth diaper world yet {slowly but surely} so I'm not sure on the value, but I have seen most covers going for $15 dollars that aren't nearly as cute. So I guess they are in the right ball park on the price range.

Reviewed by Chaotic Kristy

Christy's Rating:

1. The functionality 10

2. Ease of use 10

3. Packaging 10

4. Visual appeal 10

5. Durability 10

6. Recommendability 10

7. Value for money $21.00NZ for an organic newborn cover

$10 gift certificate to JAKO nappies!

To enter just visit JAKOnappies and tell us your favorite item.
Open Worldwide!
Competition closes November 2nd
Click here to earn extra entries!

5% off - code: BCEVENTS

Boogie Wipes Giveaway - CLOSED!

2009-10-27T09:34:00.014+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Congratulations to Susan for winning!

Boogie Wipes Gift Basket

With flu season upon us, and the ominous Swine Flu leering at us, we need all the help we can get to stay healthy. Thank goodness for Boogie Wipes. Made with saline, Boogie Wipes dissolves mucus. Toss them in your diaper bag, back pack, car glove box, drawer at work. Yes, Mama, you need these! And, this is your chance to win a lovely Boogie Wipes Gift Basket!

To enter just visit Boogie Wipes and tell us a Boogie Tip.
Open to USA Only
Competition closes November 2nd.
Click here to earn extra entries!

Pedoodles Review & Giveaway! - CLOSED!

2009-10-26T11:39:00.016+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Congratulations to Krista for winning!

Once I received this product for review I was amazed by the packaging that they came in. They come in a cute little, round, zippered plastic case. So the case can double as a cute little carrying case for my daughter. Pluses there!

I was sent a set of shoes and a hat. They are both fish themed. They are totally adorable. My daughter about thew a tantrum because she wanted to open them right away, but I wanted to get photos of the packaging.

My daughter opened the hat first and immediately tried to get it on her head. I wasn't sure if would fit but to my amazement it fit and she didn't stretch it out. It totally looks cute on her. I cant wait to see how this looks on my son when he gets her. This will look so cute when we go out. I better not be in a hurry because I know I will get stopped so they can tell me how cute that hat is. {not only how cute my son will be :) } This cute hat is made out of a soft fleecy type material and should keep my little one's head warm.

Next up was the shoes. They are made of real leather! Big Pluses for that. They have bright little fish on the toes. Major cute. My daughter also tried to put them on. Now of course they wont fit her feet, but she still tried. It was really easy for her to open and try to put on. They are easy to use and will be very easy to place on a fussy moving baby.

The Products both look as though they will last a long time. I believe they will last the whole time my baby is able to wear them and I could even pass them on to another momma. This makes them a great value for your money.I would totally recommend them and would love to have a few more.

I would also like to note that when I took them away from my daughter to put them up she actually did throw a tantrum because she wanted to keep playing with them.

Reviewed by Chaotic Kristy

Pedoodles! First Feet Collection or Next Step Collection - Winner's Choice! The winner also chooses the stlye & size they want!

To enter just visit Pedoodles and tell us what pair you would choose if you win.
Open to USA Only
Competition closes October 31st
Click here to earn extra entries!

Simply Chickie Discount & Giveaway! - CLOSED!

2009-10-26T11:22:00.011+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Congratulations to mscoffee77 for winning!

Win an "Inside Me" onesie from Simply Chickie!

To enter just visit Simply Chickie and tell us your favorite item.
Open to USA Only
Competition closes October 31st
Click here to earn extra entries!

20% off! - code: Oklahoma20

JJ Cole Review & Giveaway! - CLOSED!

2009-10-26T10:38:00.014+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Congratulations to Dee for winning!

1. The functionality - 10

Works wonders. As soon as it arrived I was thrilled. I'm always searching my house for where I last placed the baby wipes and diapers. This product definitely cut my diapering time down. It's all stored in one place, easy to find with everything handy.

2. Ease of use - 10

Very easy to use everything fits nicely. Diapers on one side wipes on the other with creams, powders in the drawer and a changing pad on the side. What could be easier?

3. Packaging - 9

It was nicely packaged in a plastic cover. This cover was not very easy to remove at all. I have to say I was however very impressed that the box it was shipped in was reused packaging to reduce paper product consumption. Extra Points for that!

4. Visual appeal - 10

This diaper caddy looks so cute and the colors could match a wide variety of room styles.

5. Durability - 10

It looks to be made with great construction and should last a very long time.

6. Recommendability - 10

I would recommend this for not only a new mom but also for any mom still diapering. This has already become handy in my house and makes diapering my 2 year old much easier.

7. Value for money - 10

$29.95
It's a very great value for the money anything that saves a mother precious time gets extra brownie points from me.

Reviewed by Chaotic Kristy

Win a JJ Cole Colections Diaper Caddy!

To enter just visit JJ Coles and tell us a favorite product of theirs that would make your life easier.
Open to USA Only
Competition closes October 31st
Click here to earn extra entries!

Bummas Giveaway - CLOSED!

2009-10-26T10:25:00.005+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Congratulations to Anonymous for winning!

Prevent diaper rash with Bummas.

Bummas are a fantastic alternative to regular wipes. And, work well as burp cloths, too. See review by Mommie Daze here.

Bummas - winner's choice of colors!

To enter just visit Bummas and tell us which set you would choose if you win.
Open Worldwide!!!
Competition closes October 31st
Click here to earn extra entries!

Childish Clothing Company Giveaway - CLOSED!

2009-10-25T16:45:00.018+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Congratulations to DeAnna M for winning!

I love Flannels for Fall! Don't you? Childish Clothing has a fantastic selection of back-to-school clothing. These plaids are perfect for jumping in leaves and sipping hot cider. Um, I think children also receive higher Spelling grades, too.

Childish Clothing wants to help one lucky Couchie (yeah, I'm talkin' to you) with dressing their child for school. They are giving away one of their Robert Plaids to one of you!

Visit Childish Clothing and tell us your favorite item.

Open to US residents only
Giveaway closes 31 October 2009
To find out how to earn extra entries, click here!

Baby Legs Review & Giveaway! - CLOSED!

2009-10-25T15:14:00.016+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Congratulations to JackieN for winning!

With colder weather approaching, (Fall & Winter for our Northern Hemisphere readers), you may be thinking on how to keep your little one's legs warm. BabyLegs are a fantastic solution. Pair them up with an adorable onesie. Hey, they even keep little arms warm, too.

I received a package from BabyLegs recently and have to tell you I was completely excited. I have always wanted to try out BabyLegs to a point that I even tried to make my own a few times. They of course didn't turn out near as close to the quality and look of BabyLegs. Once I put my hands on them I could tell they are made to last. They are super soft and the color combinations they have to offer are great. Once my daughter seen them she wanted to try them on. I of course wanted her too as well. They fit perfect on her. She is 2 years old and about 36" tall. This brings up a little concern as to how well they will fit baby once he arrives. I even tried on the BabyLegs over my nicely swollen pregnant leg. They fit, it however didn't look great on me because I must have been really swollen and the colors where way to stretched out to look nice. I then placed it back on my daughter and it still fit her to my surprise. I was worried I may have ruined them for the both of us. They are quite easy to use as easy as putting on a pair of socks. We all know how hard that can be on a moving child, but that's not BabyLegs fault. This will make the whole diaper changing process a lot easier in the cooler months since I wont have to shove pants on my baby. I also like the idea of being able to have these on him when he starts crawling. I always worry about the hard floor or carpet hurting their legs and BabyLegs will help protect them a little more. These are definitely a great buy. I would like to have a few more of them. Especially if I was still in my punk rock, funky stage I would totally wear these as arm warmers....Ok, Ok I admit it I would still wear them as arm warmers today, I have even got my eye set on the Jolly Rogers BabyLegs (black BabyLegs studded with pale green skulls and crossbones). I don't think I have totally out grown that stage yet. I keep talking myself out of the Pink hair I had a few years ago or even the red hair I had a year and a half ago. I would definitely recommend this product, but I have a feeling I will be talking a lot about them once I try them out in public. Everyone will be asking me where I got them.

Reviewed by Chaotic Kristy

Win a pair of BabyLegs!

To enter just visit BabyLegs and tell us which pair you would choose if you win!
Open to USA Only
Competition closes October 31st
Click here to earn extra entries!

Little Lasso Discount, Review, & Giveaway! - CLOSED!

2009-10-24T17:07:00.007+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Congratulations to Anonymous for winning!

The little lasso stayed in place and was easy to use. I believe this would be great to use for newborns and up.Although my two year old was able to remove it in a little under 3 minutes, she did leave it attached to the sippy cup until her drink was completely finished. It was very easy to place on her sippy cup and the link at the top made it easy to attach to many different places including her car seat. The package was visually nice and a ease to open. The little lasso is very bright and colorful. My daughter was really excited to play with it. It kept her occupied for at least 10 minutes before the dog caught here attention. The products durability looks like it will last the term of use. My only concern is with all the stretching, pulling and washing done on it through time as to whether the cloth material will hold up to the wear. I would completely recommend this product to new moms and moms to be. I remember how much of a hassle it was to try and find the baby bottle, favorite toy or sippy cup from where ever it was thrown. This product removes this task. It keeps what ever is attached right in it's place. No more hunting and fishing when most of the time you only have one hand and your last nerve to work with.

Win a Little Lasso for your little one of your choice!

To enter just visit Little Lasso and tell us which pattern is your favorite.
Open to USA & Canada
Competition closes October 31
Click here to earn extra entries!

15% off - code: VBS

Hip T Giveaway! - CLOSED!

2009-10-24T10:01:00.028+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Congratulations to Anna for winning!

Hey, have you read Katie's Hip-T review? If not, head on over and have a read. We are certain you will want to win a Hip-T for yourself. Perfect for back to school. Whether student, teacher, or mother - Ladies, we all can use a little help with the low-cut jeans and short tops which are in fashion these days. We all end up needing a little bit more coverage.

Win a Hip-T of your choice!

Open to US residents only
Giveaway closes 31 October 2009
To find out how to earn extra entries, click here!

ListPlanIt Giveaway - CLOSED!

2009-10-22T14:34:00.026+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Congratulations to Kathryn for winning!

How are you at organizing? Need some help? ListPlanIt is what you need - organizers, lists, and e-planners. With the school year in full swing and Christmas just around the corner, I'd say ListPlanIt is essential to getting through your day.

One lucky Couchie (yeah, I'm referring to you, dear reader) will win a ListPlanIt membership and an e-Planner!

Show us how good you are at organizing and labeling. The following foods all begin with the letter "a". Put them in alphabetical order.

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

Open to US residents only
Giveaway closes 31 October 2009
To find out how to earn extra entries, click here!

Blanky4me Discount & Giveaway - CLOSED!

2009-10-22T12:23:00.021+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Congratulations to fancygrlnancy for winning!

Also...those wonderful people at Blanky4me have free shipping to the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, but only until 15 November 2009!

I just love personalized baby items. They are thoughtful and sweet gifts as well as treasured keepsakes. Blanky4me offers fantastic selection of ultra soft waffle fleece baby, kids, and adult blankets - personalized, of course.

Their gifts sets are super cute, too! This baby blanket with bear set is a favorite of mine. I think my 5 month old nephew would like it.

Blanky4me is generously giving away a $50 gift certificate to one winner. Oh, yeah, this is open worldwide. It is an electronic gift certificate. Three cheers for Blanky4me! Hip-Hip (Hooray)! Hip-Hip (Hooray)! Hip-Hip (Hooray)!

To enter just visit Blanky4me and tell us how you would spend the $50 gift certificate if you win.
Open Worldwide!
Competition closes October 31st
Click here to earn extra entries!

15% off store wide - code BCE4K

Free Shipping to USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand now until November 15.

Glow Baby Review & Giveaway - CLOSED!

2009-10-22T10:55:00.018+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Congratulations to Jennifer for winning!

Every baby should have a baby journal. Meaning, every mommy needs one, too. Chaotic Kristy received a Baby's First Journal from Glow Baby. This is her review.

Perfect size to fit in a diaper bag or larger purse. Easy to read with a great format to use. Will be very handy keeping track of feedings and diaper changes.

There are columns for breastfeeding {which I plan to use}, bottle feeding {which I plan to make a sitter use}, diaper changing, and sleep.

Under each column are sub categories that make it easy to remember which breast I used last, when I started and how long it took. They also have under the diaper changing whather it was a peed diaper or a poop diaper. These will all be very helpful. I also like the note feature at the bottom of each page. This is a great place to store the first smile, laugh or any concern you may have at the time.

I love the way it arrived wrapped in brown paper topped by a blue paper, than topped with a cute footprint sticker. What a great way to receive a baby show gift. I almost didn't want to open it.

The journal has a nice look to it and I love the fact that it's spiral bound this makes it easier to use with one hand if needed.

Made with quality paper, it feels like card stock. This is sure to hold up to all the abuse that it may encounter with regular use by a busy mom.

I would definitely recommend this product to a new mom. I always had trouble remembering what breast I used last, how long she nursed and when my daughters last poop diaper was. This was always a problem when we visited the doctor, because they always ask these questions.

Baby's First Journal $14.99 CDN
Great value for the money. Normal price for a journal, but this one has all the right special touches.

This makes a great shower gift and keepsake.

Win a Baby's First Journal from Glow Baby!

To enter just visit Glow Baby and tell us what color journal you would choose.
Open to USA & Canada
Competition closes October 31st
Click here to earn extra entries!

We're Back!

2009-10-21T12:54:00.004+10:00

This was me yesterday upon seeing that our blog had returned to normal.

Yes no longer was the 'Matchy-Matchy' look, as Xenia put it, dominating our page. Gone was Photobucket's "you're straining our servers and we hate you" wallpaper. Now, it's back to normal. Yay!

A specially warm and nice round of thanks to everyone who showed their support.

And, believe it or not, we are actually coming to the end of the Back to School Thingy soon. I know! It's almost Christmas and the kids are absolutely BACK to school already. But we promised to get this done and we will!

Also, the Chaotic Kristy Baby Shower is...ongoing. We're getting through the posts and bringing you more giveaways to enter and fun to have! Naturally.

So, welcome back, thanks for comin', and let us know if you want to drop us a line!

Harvest of Friends Blog Party!

2009-10-21T03:36:00.000+10:00

Mrs. Couch decided to join in the Harvest of Friends Blog Party hosted by Lynette of Dancing Barefoot. Let's play 20 Questions.

1. What is your favorite thing to snack on while you're blogging?

Chips & Salsa

2. What is one thing you wouldn't want to live without?

French Vanilla Coffee

3. Beach, Mountains or Farm? Where would you live if you had a choice?

On a farm in the mountains near the beach.

4. What's your least favorite chore/household duty?

Cleaning the bathroom.

5. Who do people say you remind them of?

6. Prefer parties and socializing or staying at home with the fam?

Me, Mrs. Couch, I'm the social butterfly.

7. What's your all time favorite movie?

It's A Wonderful Life

8. Do you sleep in your make up or remove it like a good girl every night?

Sleep

9. Do you have a hidden talent or a deep desire to learn something that you've never had a chance to learn? What is it?

Sign Language

10. What's one strange thing you're really good at?

not sure

11. What first attracted you to your spouse?

His smile.

12. What is something you love to smell?

Lilacs

13. Tell something about you that you know irritates people.

not sure

14. When you have extra money (HA!) what's the first thing you think to do with it?

Save it.

15. Are you a silent laugher or a loud laugher? What makes you laugh the hardest?

Loud. Myself.

16. Where is your favorite place to shop?

Old Navy

17. What's one thing you'd do more often if you had more time?

Sit in the sun by a pool reading an Agatha Christie mystery and drinking ice cold sweet tea.

18. Are you a big spender or frugal?

Frugal

19. Who is your favorite character of all time (from a movie or book)? (Can't be real)

Joe in Little Women

20. Would you want to be famous?

No.

Link up and join the fun - - - I hear there are prizes!

Carolina Pad Review

2009-10-20T18:14:00.013+10:00

I love, love the sampling of Carolina Pad products that I was able to review. Their designs and colours are like a delectable array of candy (for the eyes anyway) that surely would add some excitement to the beginning of school for even the most unenthusiastic child. I love that you can coordinate your folders, notebooks, pencils, etc. to match. All the options are colourful and stylish, and I see this as an affordable way to indulge your children in a few trendy, yet useful, items for back-to-school.

The notebooks come with sturdy, durable covers. The pages are perforated and the metal binding is a double ring, snag-resistant coil. As a good friend of mine says, once you try the double ring you won't go back to the single (spiral) ring. The notebooks open up and lay flat nicely and don't become bound up. The composition book has an even sturdier cover and on the inside has printed lists of things like commonly misspelled words, parts of speech, tips for proper use of punctuation and more! Love it! My favourite aspect of the journal is that it has a flap that flips over the front and it is magnetic. A great way to keep it securely closed.

The price appears to be comparable to others in the market and you are definitely getting a high quality product.

If there were one thing that I would change, or rather add, would be the development of more designs that appeal to boys. Being a Mother of three boys I felt that the product selection was very girly but boys do need and use these same products for school and creative writing endeavours! I do acknowledge however that I'm sure their target market is those of the female persuasion. At any rate, this product is a winner in my books!

Reviewed by DeAnna

1. The functionality - 10
2. Ease of use - 10
3. Packaging - 10
4. Visual appeal - 10+
5. Durability - 10
6. Recommendability - 10
7. Value for money - 10

Baby Banz Giveaway 2 Winners! - CLOSED!

2009-10-20T17:22:00.018+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Congratulations to ErinJeany and Jet'Set for winning!

Babies need their eyes protected from the sun, too. And, not just in the sum - sum - summer time. All year long! The winter sun can be just as harsh as the summer sun. Baby Banz specializes in eye protection for your little ones.

Two, yes, t-w-o of you will win Baby Banz for your little bright eyed bundle of joy.

To enter just visit Baby Banz and tell us your favorite product (they sell more than baby sunglasses).
Open to USA Only
Competition closes October 31st.
Click here to earn extra entries!

Our blog looks funny.......

2009-10-16T07:59:00.000+10:00

This was me when I woke up this morning and checked our blog ----->

Yes, I wax my hair, 50's style.

It seems our blog has grown and grown and grown and grown and...well, grown some more. And our Photobucket account doesn't like that. PB gives us 10gb monthly of free bandwidth, and it seems we have gone past that limit. And thus, our blog has blown up.

So, until the 20th, you're going to see all those Photobucket things everywhere we're hosting on their site. It resets on the 20th, at which point I'll be able to see what I need to change (even I can't see my own images).

Now, if anyone wants to, you know, help us out here to stop our blog looking ridiculous for the next four days, then *cough* 24.95 *cough* that would be awesome. As always we're available here.

Thanks for your patience...and remember kids, when it comes to waxing your hair...just say no.

Baby Inspirations Giveaway - CLOSED!

2009-10-14T13:47:00.018+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Congratulations to Anonymous for winning!

Baby Inspirations has your precious little miracle in mind. Their inspired wear is sure to put a smile on your face. Carrying adorable attire for babies, as well as diaper bags and burp cloths.

Win a $50 Baby Inspirations Gift Certificate!

Visit Baby Inspirations and tell us what you will spend the gift certificate on if you win!

Open to USA Only
Competition closes October 27
Click here to earn extra entries!

15% off - code INSPIRED - ends October 31, 2009

Not Your Mama's Cloth Diapers Giveaway - CLOSED!

2009-10-12T11:58:00.018+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Congratulations to Sam and His Parents (Angie and Brian) for winning!

Cloth diapering is suddenly cool again. I remember when I first started baby sitting that most of the babies used cloth diapers then. Oh, the countless times I pinned myself avoiding pinning the baby. Thank you, to the person who invented velcro! No more diaper pins! Hooray!

Not Your Mama's Cloth Diapers carries many popular cloth diaper brands such as: Fuzzi Bunz, bumGenius, and Baby Beehinds. Cloth diapers are better for the environment and more cost effective and stylish, too!

Win a $25 gift certificate to Not Your Mama's Cloth Diapers!

Tell us your favorite cloth diaper brand. If you are new to cloth diapering, visit Not Your Mama's Cloth Diapers and tell us what cloth diaper you'd like to try.

To enter just leave a comment following the above instructions.
Open to USA Only
Competition closes October 26
Click here to earn extra entries!

My Kangaroo Giveaway - CLOSED!

2009-10-11T11:04:00.019+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Congratulations to tealeclan for winning!

My Kangaroo is a delightful Etsy shop offering printable games for children. As a former teacher, I can tell you, printable games for the classroom are terrific! I was always making my own. I think it is fantastic that My Kangaroo saves hard working teachers time and energy by providing these great resources. What is especially wonderful about My Kangaroo games is that they are created by a speech language pathologist. The games target language development and articulation practice.

Win a package of 3 different printable games from My Kangaroo. The package includes: a scavenger hunt, charades, and tic-tac-toe.

Tell us your favorite childhood game? What did you always play at recess?

Open Worldwide
Giveaway closes 25 October 2009
To find out how to earn extra entries, click here!

Tie Chair Giveaway - CLOSED!

2009-10-11T05:08:00.021+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Congratulations to Xenia for winning!

Looking for an easy, convenient, portable, safe, and fashionable way to keep your little one in their chair? Tie Chair, the oh-so-stylish way to secure your child to their chair without the hassle of fastening belts, and locking in trays. Portable, too. No highchair available? No worries. Tie Chair fits nicely into a diaper bag. Also, a dream to wash. If your child is able to sit up on their own, then they are ready for Tie Chair.

Tie Chair - you choose the fabric!

To enter just visit Tie Chair and tell us your favorite fabric.
Open to USA Only
Competition closes 10/25
Click here to earn extra entries!

Tie Chair is offering Brown Couch Events readers a $25 discount! Code: browncouchevent25

Simply email Tie Chair what you would like and where to send it and who to send it to and Tie Chair will email you a paypal invoice and ship it out.

Serena & Lily Giveaway - CLOSED!

2009-10-10T15:00:00.017+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Congratulations to Anonymous for winning!

Serena & Lily {swoon} . . . pinch me I'm dreaming baby furnishings and essentials. Every baby and every mommy will feel special when presented with a gift from Serena & Lily. F.Y.I. - my three personal faves:

#1 -

#2 -

#3 -

Serena & Lily Prague Market Sling

Serena & Lily slings are ooh-aah-adorable! One of you will win the baby sling pictured here. Happiness!

Finish the following sentences. Leave your answers in a comment.

1. A tisket, a tasket, a green and yellow _____.

2. Wynken and Blynken and Nod sailed off in a wooden _____.

3. There was an old woman who lived in a shoe; she had so many _____ she didn't know what to do.

To enter just leave you guesses in a comment.
Open to USA & Canada
Competition closes October 24
Click here to earn extra entries!

Daddy's Design Giveaway - CLOSED!

2009-10-09T17:42:00.010+10:00

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! Congratulations to Erinjeany for winning!

Are you a new dad? Frustrated with all the gizmos and gadgets that come with a new baby? Know a new dad who is? Well, this giveaway is for you! Hey, you don't have to be a new dad to be frustrated by some of those who's-its and what's-its. Thingamabobs frustrate Aunties, Uncles, Grandparents, anyone who cares for baby.

Meet the Snoogie Seat. Comfortable. Secure. Supports baby's neck and head.

Lightweight, durable, and ready for travel.

Win a Snoogie Seat from Daddy's Design!

Choose between brown or pink monkey for your little one.

Vent your frustrations here. Tells us your frustrations about new baby gadgets. What frustrates you?

To enter just leave a comment telling us your frustrations with baby gizmos include your name and email (we need to be able to contact you if you win!
Open to USA Only - 48 cont. states
Competition closes October 23
Click here to earn extra entries!

Ashley Petite Review

2009-10-09T17:10:00.001+10:00

Ashley Petite sent Chaotic Kristy a baby hat and burp cloth to review for her new baby boy.

1. The functionality - 10
The material is made of good quality. The burp cloth is soft and well made. I love the cute little touch of the blue ribbon down the terry cloth side. It should hold up to baby messes very well. The sun hat is made of a lightweight material to keep baby's head cool while keeping the sun out of the baby's eyes and still look cute.

2. Ease of use - 10

3. Packaging - 10
The products came bundled up nicely in a matching bow. Nice presentation to give at a shower or welcome home gift.

4. Visual appeal - 10
The burp cloth has cute playful sheep on a blue background. The other side has blue ribbon and terry cloth. I believe it is made with a print any mom or dad could appreciate wearing on their shoulder time after time. The sun hat is a blue gingham print. Cute enough for a boy or a girl.

5. Durability - 9.5
Items are of great handmade quality. The blue sun hat had a little nick on it that I'm a little concerned will start to unravel in the wash but it's not that large so it may not be noticeable. The rest of the hat is constructed great. The burp cloth has no flaws and should hold up well to many washes.

6. Recommendability - 10
I would recommend these products, while the sun hat had a flaw I believe this was just an accidental look over and in no way concerns me of the quality of other products they ship out. Handmade items are a nice touch to any baby's layette set.

7. Value for money - 10
The price are good for handmade items.
$10 For burp cloth
$15 for Sun hat

Review by Chaotic Kristy

Backseat Drawing Junior Review

2009-10-09T11:48:00.003+10:00

This back to school season, when winter approaches and indoors is the place to be, you're probably going to be looking for things to do with your kids. I mean, anything to keep them jumping from furniture piece to furniture piece, in a destructive effort to make their way from one end of the house to the other without touching the floor, right? Right.

Enter Out of the Box Games! With a wide selection of games guaranteed to occupy short attention spans, these guys have you well covered this ~~breaking things indoor~~ winter season.

OTB were great enough to provide a copy of their Backseat Drawing Junior game for our reviewer Katie, to check out...

Backseat Drawing Junior...the silly game of Sketchy Directions! This game is SO much fun! We really get to laughing when we are playing this game, and my whole family enjoys it. It is now the most requested game to play on family game night!

To play the game, players race to identify a drawing done by the "artist", but the artist doesn't know what he or she is drawing! It's up to the "director" to tell the artist how to draw the picture without giving away the name of the item shown on the picture card.

The game is intended for ages 7 and up, but my 3 year old and 5 year old can play just as well. They just either do the guessing of what is being drawn (my 3 year old is pretty darn good at it too) or they do the drawing of what is being described. It helps them practice their listening skills as well as comprehension.

Overall, Backseat Drawing Junior is an awesomely fun game, and I'm so glad I got the chance to review it. I suggest that it be in every family's game collection, and it's sure to make it to the list of favorites on YOUR family game night!

The functionality: 10
Ease of use: 10
Packaging: 10
Visual appeal: 10
Durability: 10
Recommendability: 10
Value for money: 10

Hip-T Review

2009-10-09T10:41:00.003+10:00

Don't go out showing all the world your ass...I mean, assets. Just don't do it. It's not cool, or sexy, or anything else good.

Instead, Hip-T proposes that you wear one of their "layering accessories" - you know, you don't have to wear a whole other shirt under your top in order to hide your butt...Hip-t's come in a range of trendy colours and styles, so you can be trendy as well as classy.

Hip-T was stellar enough to give one to our reviewer, Katie for her consideration...

The hip-T by g3 Originals, is...well...different. I don't think I've seen anything like it before. Except maybe for those tube tops that were popular long, long ago. But they were covering a whole other territory. Cover your butt with a Hip-t!

With special thanks to Katie's four year old, Aiden, for the fine photography.

Oh, you wear those "mom jeans" you say? You never get that drafty chill when you bend over because your pants fit like they are supposed to? Well, you are in luck. Because this product has a double purpose.

It can be used as a layering piece, without adding all the extra bulk. Fine, you don't need something to cover up your underwear or whatever when you bend over. But you do need something to wear under your shirts that aren't quite long enough.

Or how about adding a little pizazz to your outfit by layering a lace hip-T under one of your favorite t-shirts? Instant pizazz! See? You can be trendy and not have to wear a bunch of bulky clothing! How simple is that?

The hip-T is definitely something every girl needs in her wardrobe. And as you can see, it can be used in different ways. Use your imagination! Just don't use it as a tube top, please.

The functionality: 8
Ease of use: 10
Packaging: 10
Visual appeal: 10
Durability: 8
Recommendability: 8
Value for money: 8

A big thank you and an update

2009-10-09T09:57:00.000+10:00

Today, we hit 200 followers. A massive thank you to everyone! To everyone who stopped by, wondering what a Brown Couch had to do with an event, and what was an online event anyway? To everyone who entered one of our giveaways, or read a review, or clicked an ad. Boy, we just love you guys. I'm getting emotional about it all.

We're convinced that this online event thing has potential, and we plan on riding that potential like a colt that needs to be broken in. And we want you to come along for the ride. Win prizes, interact with people, win more prizes, play the games we put up. We're thrilled to have you and we hope you'll stop by.

Now, we need to update you all on the Chaotic Kristy Baby Shower: you probably haven't seen too many posts to do with the baby shower, aside perhaps from our awesome Radio Flyer giveaway and a couple others. And, there's a good reason for that...and when someone finds out what it is could they please let us know? No, I'm just kidding.

The thing is, because we had to extend the Back to School Thingy (it proved to be more popular than we thought) everything else, meaning the baby shower, got backed up. So, YES the Chaotic Kristy Baby Shower is still on - but it's being extended. We'll let you know when the new end date is.

And lastly, we are overhauling the site. We're trashing this design and going with something better - something slick and purposeful and functional. If you have any ideas for the site - anything you hate that you wish were there/not there, anything you can think of to make this a more enjoyable experience for you, then leave a comment or, e-mail us.

Because after all, this is your site too.

MJM Books Review

2009-10-08T20:18:00.000+10:00

With Christmas coming up, all you parents are probably starting to mentally make lists of what to get your kids, right? Well, maybe not. But soon you will (if the Christmas decorations in the mall is any indication, it'll be even sooner).

So here's something interesting. MJM Books produce children's' stories, customised for your child. They put your little one's name right in the story, making them the focal point of the action!

And, they're so confident in their stories that they gave one to us to review. We promptly passed it on to our reviewer, Katie, whose little boy, Aiden was made part of the fun...

What a totally cool book!

MJM Books allows you to put your child right in the story! When you go to order your book, there is place to customize the character in the story to look similar to your child. You get to pick out the hair color, eye color, skin tone, etc., and then add your child's name to the character.

So when you read the story with your child, he or she feels like they are part of the story! Really neat idea, and my son Aiden loves it! We read it with him all the time, and he almost has it all memorized! Make a great gift also!

The functionality: 10
Ease of use: 10
Packaging: 10
Visual appeal: 10
Durability: 10
Recommendability: 10
Value for money: 10

Cute Beltz Review

2009-10-08T17:43:00.001+10:00

Cute Beltz make, well, cute belts, for toddlers. Their line up is designed, with velcro or D-ring fasteners, to be easy for toddlers to put on themselves, and promote self-confidence whilst still being stylish and cute!

We were sent a sample by Cute Beltz, and we had our reviewer, Katie check it out...

Yes, toddlers need belts too...because even though their bums are all cute and squishy, no one wants to see that peekin' out the top of their pants. Well at least I don't, and I am always telling my daughter to "pull up your pants girl"! And that is with those stupid adjustable elastic waist thingys all the way tightened on her pants...ugh, I hate those things.

Anyway, CuteBeltz has come to the rescue! They make super cute belts for girls and boys, all at a reasonable price. I, to this day, have not found a belt in a store that will fit my daughter's waist, thus having to rely on the above mentioned adjustable elastic waist thingys.

So far, CuteBeltz has been the only belt that will fit her, and she loves it. Not only that, but it fastens with velcro so it is easy for her to take off when she has to use the potty. Great, great product. My only wish is that they made more colors to choose from. So far in the velcro they only have 5, mostly patterned colors. I would like to see more solid colors, that way it could coordinate with more outfits.

But overall, I do like these belts and I am so glad we were able to try one!

The functionality: 10
Ease of use: 10
Packaging: 10
Visual appeal: 10
Durability: 10
Recommendability: 10
Value for money: 10

Arm & Hammer Spinbrush Review

2009-10-08T07:37:00.004+10:00

"You spin me...right round baby, right round, like a record player, round round round round..."

Remember that song? At the start of The Wedding Singer? Anyone? No? Okay, then.

Arm & Hammer Spinbrush, unlike that 80's classic, seems like a more memorable prospect. With a line-up that includes eight different brushes, you're bound to find something that your dentist will be pleased you use.

But are they the real McCoy? We asked Katie to find out...

Ahh...the Spinbrush. What is there not to like? They make brushing your teeth fun! And the kids love them, with all the cool designs. My kids actually ASK to brush their teeth since we've had them in the house. Which is weird, because I'm always the one asking THEM to do it.

The spinbrushes are about the price of a manual toothbrush, but of course if you get regular dental check-ups (like you should) you always get a toothbrush for free. Yeah, the free ones are not as fun as the Sprinbrushes, but luckily they aren't too expensive. I say, if it gets my kids to brush their teeth without me having to ask over and over again, it is worth it to me. Thanks Sprinbrush!

The functionality: 10
Ease of use: 10
Packaging: 10
Visual appeal: 10
Durability: 10
Recommendability: 10
Value for money: 10