Happy Birthday Canada!!!

Happy 142 Birthday Canada!

Though I know many of the readers here at A Busy Mommy are US based, there are a bunch of us canucks who will be enjoying Wednesdays Canada Day Celebrations! Ben and I will be spending our Canadian enjoying all the free activities that our village has to offer.

There is a FREE pancake breakfast at the firehall, a FREE BBQ, lots of live music, a gigantic soap slide, facepainting, relay races, ring toss, wagon rides and soo much more! I can't wait to enjoy all the New Minas has to offer. (And the cake) !! If anyone reading is from the Annapolis Valley, check out what's going on. Click Here!

Enjoy Canada Day!

Maternity Mania

July is Maternity/Baby Month!


The greatly anticipated Maternity Mania is almost here! We've got lots of wonderful sponsors who can't wait to share their awesome products with all of us! And I can't wait to get it started.


First of all I want to say a huge Thank You to the companies who have worked with me over the last couple of weeks to put this event together. There are some great prizes up for grabs worth over $260 and the list is still growing!!

Give some love to our Maternity Mania Sponsors. Reviews, Giveaways, Features and Coupon Codes to come!!!

Pregnancy Update!! 15 weeks

I think it's about time for a pregnancy update! I'd love to show you a belly shot, but I don't have a belly just yet!

I am about 15.5 weeks preggo, and so far it's been pretty uneventful. I think I like it that way. My waist bands are getting a bit tighter but I don't have that belly bump as of yet to share with all of you. Trust me. As soon as I have it, you'll all get to see it.

I'm in the beginning of my second trimester, and most days I'm feeling OK. The morning sickness has pretty much gone away, thankfully! I couldn't stand that part of it. With my first I really didn't get sick so that was all new to me. Most days I have my energy back, though I have to admit, the last two days I've pretty much felt like crap. I find myself needing to lay down all time. So hoping that this will pass again soon. I'm not a fan!!

We're waiting for an appointment for an ultra sound. Hoping to be able to find out the sex of the baby. I find it so much easier to plan. (And I really don't like surprises) The Dr. figures it'll be close to the end of July before I get the appointment.

I was a little scared of my due date. Being due soooo close to Christmas (Dec 17th) made me worry a lot about being in the hospital over the holidays. I really didn't want to ruin Christmas for Ben. Baby or not, he still deserves his holiday. I was happy to hear the Dr. Say that they probably wont let me go late. Not only for me and my family but for the hospital staff as well. Everyone deserves a break!!

As for names...they've barely crossed our minds. I really have no idea what this little one will be named. If it's a girl the middle name will be June, after my late grandmother...other than that, who knows????

The one thing I have noticed is I've had a few Braxton's Hicks. Not a lot, just a couple. The Dr. told me not to worry, we tend to notice those things quicker with second pregnancys.

Oh well, off the see what the Little Guy is destroying....

Giveaway Friday!

Hey everone! It's Giveaway Friday once again! Post all your giveaways here on Mr. Linky and share them with all! We love giveaways around here!

RIP - The King Of Pop

I'll never forget when I was about 6 years old. My mom took me to the VHS rental store to pick out a movie, and the one I chose was Michael Jackson's Thriller. It took a lot of persuading but eventually she gave in and allowed me to rent it. I was Thrilled!! (lol)

Now, today, is a sad day for a lot of people the King of Pop, Michael Jackson had died, leaving behind his 3 children and a huge legacy.

Though many had mixed feelings and emotions about M.J. Credit must be given to what he has done for POP Music. It is because of him that we have our Justin Timberlakes and Brittany Spears and all the other Pop music artists that are in our lives every day.

To You Michael Jackson, I hope you are now at peace. And to the rest of the world, I'll leave you with this....

Thriller lyrics - Michael Jackson lyrics

Thriller Video - Michael Jackson Music Videos

Music Videos by VideoCure

I need some gear!

Now that I've got my trusty laptop (thanks step dad) I always find myself wanting some of the awesome gear that goes along with it. I look in awww at the neat trinkets that many of my friends have. I've been browsing online through many different sites and just recently I came across one that seems to have everything I could possible need for Laptop Accessories.

I've found so many things so far that I just don't think I can live without, one is this awesome ZeroShock III Netbook Case in Orange, one of my very favorite colors!! I like this site so much! You can find the exact case for your laptop!

And here is a retractable mouse that I really think I must have. I cannot stand using the touch pad on my laptop, it's inaccuracy and touchyness absolutely drives me crazy.


I really enjoy checking out all the neat gadgets and trinkets that us computer geeks just love to have. And with such an easy to navigate site, it makes for a very pleasant experience. You don't just have to search all the pages,(though you should, you don't want to miss out on that next cool gadget) you can pick your accessories based on your notebook. That makes it so much easier. For example, if your looking for Asus EEE Accessories or MSI Wind Accessories, all you have to do is go on the site, pick the specific model of your notebook and voila! All your accessories are just a click away.

Another really cool thing is that GearZap is that they carry all the name brand products that everyone wants. Like Cool Bananas and Case Logic. It saves so much time and effort when you can just pop online and find exactly what your looking for. One of the total benifits of great sites and online shopping!

Wordless Wednesday

Though not the most recent picture of my little guy, definitely a great start to his soccer career! Hoping the coach calls me soon so we can get this soccer season under way.

See more Wordless Wednesday posts at 5 Minutes For Mom

Stranger Danger?

Do you teach your kids about stranger danger? I'm asking this because I just read an article that really made me think about it, and I have to admit, I really don't say too much about this to our little guy, and I think it's about time I started.

Reading this article, written by Lisa Hallas, an editor for Type A Mom, it was almost like a light bulb went off in my head. I can't believe I've neglected this. I have lots of little excuses running around in my head like "stuff like that doesn't really happen around here" (things around here tend to be isolated incidents). If we're in a busy store, I always put him in the cart. In most stores we are holding hands, he is always in my sight. But everyday he's becoming more independent, and it's only 1 more year before he starts school. I tend to take for granted that he would know what to do, he's pretty smart. Quite aware of what's going on around him...but how can I really think "It wont happen to us."

Things like this have happened to us, to me anyway. I've had major crime happen in my life. 11 years ago my (X) stepfather was stabbed 17 times, from the neck up. (Isolated incident - he survived but lost an eye.) Some day I'll tell the whole story, but I was there and saw it all.

Anyway, It Can Happen. And we need to get prepared. I'm plan to take the advice that Lisa Hallas gives and put it to good use. DS needs to learn what to do if....

Do-N-Slide product review & Giveaway

Recently our family was chosen to review the Do-N-Slide from Our Kids To Yours. With a young child, I figured anything that will help excite him into doing his daily chores would be welcome in our house, so we decided to try it out.

Now, we received out Do-N-Slide a few weeks ago, and what a great tool it has been. Now, when Ben gets up in the morning, one of the first things he does is check what he's got to do. Since he's only 4, he does not have a lot of chores, but the regulars like making his bed and picking up his toys are just a few of his daily jobs.

Every night we set his chores for the next day, I always include things like brushing his teeth, making his bed, feeding the pets (he's got a fish), picking up his toys and we'll usually add one or two extra chores like taking out the trash and clearing the supper table (one of his favs). At the end of the day, if all the cards have been slid over to the "done" side, he gets a loonie to put in his piggy bank. (We're Canadian, to those who don't know, a loonie is a $1 coin) That gives him the opportunity to earn $7 per week in allowance. (I believe in teaching a child to earn, not giving everything the want) If even one card isn't slid over or not completed, he doesn't earn anything. (I don't pay for half a job)

The Do-N-Slide has been a wonderful addition to our family chore list, and I'm excited to tell you that one of you will be able to add this awesome tool to your own family routine. To enter head over to Our Kids To Yours and check out the site. Let me know which additional pack of cards you would like for your Do-N-Slide.

Extra Entries! Please leave a Separate Comment for each additional entry.

• Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post. Don't forget to link me!
  
• Tweet this giveaway and don't forget to link me! (can be done once per day)
  
• Join our Fan Page on Facebook
  
• Subscribe or Follow my blog (or both)
• Stumble, Technorati, ect me...
• Subscribe to my NEW monthly newsletter so you don't miss out!
• Leave a comment on any other post (just let me know which one)

Contest is open to both Canadian and US residents and will end July 7th at 12am Atlantic time. Winner will be chosen via random.org and will be contacted via email - winners are also posted on our winners page. Valid email must be made available at time of entry or else I cannot contact the winner. Winners will have 48 hours to reply to the email or else they forfeit their prize and a new winner will be chosen.

I'd like to thank Our Kids To Yours for the opportunity to review this product.

Do you have Health Insurance?

Health Insurance is something that I find to be a bit of a scary, confusing purchase. Though the public health system is there to take care of me, will it always be? Yeah, I know, If I'm in a car accident and ambulance will come take me to emergency and I'll be looked after. But what about when it's not an emergency? What about if I develop some sort of disease that needs long term treatment and multiple tests. Will I make it through the enormous waiting lists?

With an aging population, it's only realistic to think that those ever so long waiting lists are going to get even longer. And for my family, I would much rather not be at the end of those lists if ever we're in need. That's why I started checking out Health Insurance
.

Now, what I've found the hardest was deciding just what type of insurance is best for us. With unlimited venues, and types of insurance out there, it can really make ones head spin. That's why I was impressed when I checked out Inform. With a no obligation, no hassle and free service, Inform is there to help you through all my health insurance questions! (And, boy do I have a lot of them) I have to say their website was very easily navigated as well.

Be sure to check out Inform for your Health Insurance
needs.



Disclaimer: Thanks to PayPerPost and Inform for the opportunity. This post is a sponsored post.

Changes are good....right???

As I'm sure most of you have noticed, there have been a few changes around the A Busy Mommy site. And there are sure to be a few more.

I've upgraded my template to allow for easy navigation of the site just in time for the Maternity Mania event. You'll also notice a Featured Content slider at the top where you'll find lots of great info on upcoming events.

I'm planning to do some "more structured" posts in the upcoming weeks. Giving a schedule that can be easily followed.

From now on, all giveaway event will start on the 15th of the month, running to the 30th. All winners will be posted on our winners page, and no announced through blog posts. I do email all winners.

Our upcoming events will include the Maternity Mania event starting in July and our Back to School event will start in August!

We will have weekly posts that aren't all figured out yet. Though they will include some pregnancy updates (almost 15 weeks already, and getting thicker), a weekly childrens' book review, wordless wednesday, weekly organizational tips and much much more. If you know of something you would like to see on A Busy Mommy please feel free to email me at jen@abusymommy.com with your input.

I also have a new project in the works for Canadian Momprenures, but I can't let the secret out of the bag just yet. Gimmie a couple weeks on that one!!

Well folks, I have to go make supper for Ben and I (TV dinner night) and get back to playing with this template.

Don't forget to join our fanpage on facebook!

New Fan Page on Facebook!

Hey everyone!

Just wanted to let you know that I just opened a fan page on facebook for all of you lovely readers to join. You can check out the Fan Page Here.

Today is a lazy day for me. I over worked myself yesterday. Still not quite used to this whole pregnancy thing. I know, I've done it before, but sometimes I forget to limit myself. Yesterday, I spent the morning helping my Mom finish cleaning out the club. It's now all finished! Yay! Then my bff and I thought it would be a good idea to go do some laps at the local university pool. UMMM not such a great idea. By the time we were finished, I couldn't stand up...literally. The walk back to the car was insane. I was dizzy, I couldn't think straight, couldn't speak properly....there was seriously something wrong. I figure my sugar levels had dropped way too much 'cause we hit Tim Hortons and I scarffed down chocolate chip muffin and an everything bagle. After that and a large chocolate milk, I was starting to feel better.

Needless to say, last night I slept like a baby, though today I'm still weak, and my hips are killing me.

I have a ton of housework waiting for me, I just can't seem to find the energy to do it. Grocery shopping tonight will suck if I don't get the fridge cleaned out and the dishes done....anyone want to come do them for me?

NO...didn't think so.

Well, I'm still waiting to hear from Ben's new soccer coach. I can't wait to see him out strutting his stuff on the soccer field. Hopefully it will begin soon!

Thanks for stopping by!

Giveaway Friday!

Here is week 2 of Giveaway Friday. A little late getting it posted, but none the less, it is here. Please feel free to share all your current giveaways, and enter some great ones too!

$50 Tiny Prints Gift Card Giveaway!!

As many of you know, around the A Busy Mommy house we love, love, love Tiny Prints! And with our new baby on the way I can't wait to chose our baby shower invitations and baby announcements!

Here are just a few of my personal favs!!

Now, I know you want to win this one, so let me explain how to enter this contest!

1. Head over to facebook and log in. (If you don't already have a Facebook account, signing up is easy as pie!)
2. Pick which Fan Page you want to join. There are 4 to chose from. Here are the links that will take you directly to your fan page of choice. (Yes, you may chose all of them)
   The Facebook pages consist of:
   
   • Eco-Friendly Cards: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tiny-Prints-Eco-Friendly-Cards/775377...
   • Business Stationery: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Business-Stationery-Tiny-Prints/82405...
   • Holiday Cards: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Holiday-Photo-Cards-from-Tiny-Prints/...
   • Wedding Invitations: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wedding-Paper-Divas/20005774861
3. Then head over to Tiny Prints and pick out your favorite custom card.
   
4. On the Fan Page of your choice, post a comment with a link the the card that you chose. (This step is done on Facebook)
5. Then come back here and leave a comment letting me know which Fan Page you chose. I will also need you to leave a valid email address. If I can't contact you, you can't win. (If you chose to join more than one Fan Page, please leave me a separate comment)
   

I know this may seem like a lot of steps, but with so many chances to win it is totally worth it! You'll notice on the fan pages that there is a list of other blogs that are participating in this giveaway. Once you've completed the steps listed above, you can enter the giveaway on all the other blogs as well (though you can only win once)

As an added bonus - When each Fan Page hits 400 members there will be another draw for 3 $50 Tiny Prints Gift Cards/per Fan Page, so be sure to invite your friends to become fans!!!!

Extra Entries:

As always, there are lots of extra entries that you can use to your advantage, please leave me a separate comment for each entry.

• Blog about this giveaway and link to both A Busy Mommy and Tiny Prints and leave me a link.
  
• Tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link. (Can be done once per day)
  
• Stumble, Digg, Technorati ect this site
• Follow my blog through blogger
• Subscribe to my email updates
• Sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Giveaway will end on July 10th. A winner will be chosen via Random.org. Winner will be contacted via email and will be posted on our winners page. Winner will have 48 hours to reply to the email or a new winner will be chosen. Contest open to all!

I'm So Excited....

I get to be a Soccer Mom! Yesterday we signed Ben up for the 4 and under (all kids born in 2005) Soccer team in our area. Being as we are the Soccer Capital of Canada, have huge tournaments all summer long and a great indoor venue for winter, I figured Soccer would be a wonder activity for him!

He's crazy excited too! Since he doesn't get a lot of interaction with other children (yes, I suck) this will be his first real organized event! Oh! and not to mention the tax credit that us Canadians get when we enroll our children into organized activities!! Yay!

I can't wait until it starts. We're impatiently awaiting a phone call from the coach to let us know when the program will begin! Now we're off on a cleat, socks and shorts shopping trip!

I can't believe that for a $40 sign up fee, we get to enjoy the summer outdoors, and help promote an active lifestyle in our little guy! I can't wait to start going to the games. (I would imagine 4 year old soccer games could be pretty funny!) I'll be sure to bring the camera with me to share the fun with everyone!

Need a gift for the Eco Friendly Nature Lover in your family?

Well, have I found the perfect gift for you then. Nikon has recently released one of their newest Eco Friendly products, the Nikon Ecobins 10X25 binoculars are the perfect gift for Dad this year. He can love nature from all spectrums using these new binoculars!

The Nikon Ecobins 10X25's designers left no stone unturned when they were looking for great eco friendly products. They feature only non-chloride rubber, there were no harmful dyes or inks used, Eco-Glass lead free and arsenic free lenses and prisms. Even the carrying case and strap are made from a completely biodegradable Lenzing TENCEL fiber. Even the packaging is environmentally friendly. Really, how can you beat that?

But don't think that Nikon gave up on quality to create such an eco friendly product. They're still just as rugged as ever. Both fog proof and water proof, but still compact. You'll be able to depend on these in any situation.

If you (or your loved one) is a novice nature lover, or an expert hunter or bird watcher, the new Nikon Ecobins 10X25 would perfect! What better way is there to support a great hobby but with an eco friendly tool to help them along the way. Want for information, just check Nikon Ecobins

I'll love you forever...

Do you ever have those moments with your kids where they just melt your heart. Well, tonight, while I was reading Ben one of his many bedtime stories we had one of those moments.

Now, I'm sure most of you have this book in your childs' collection, if not, you really should. It's one of those books that touch your heart. "Love you forever" by Robert Munsch.



Well, tonight was our third night reading this book in a row. I think Ben gets a kick out of seeing mommy well up with tears (this book makes me cry EVERY time I read it). Tonight, when we hit the 3rd to last page, when The Grown Man picks up his old and sick mommy and sings her the song, my little guy decided that he should do that for me. He wanted to pick me up and sing me the lullaby from the book. He actually got quite upset when he realized that he would not be able to pick me up. So, I picked up my 4year old boy, and rocked him back and forth and sang the song to him. "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be."

When all was said and done, he looked at me and said "Thank You Mommy, I love you!!" how can you beat that!

Then, within seconds, life goes back to normal and he's saying "Mom, I can't sleep; Mom, I need a drink; Mom, just one more show; mom, mom, mom...."

But it's all worth it for those little moments.

Thank You Robert Munsch for writing a book that means soooo much!

Giveaway Friday!

Hey to all my bloggy friends! If you have a giveaway going on, please feel free to share it here on Mr. Linky! By next week I'll have a button made. Be sure to check back often!

Skin MD Natural - Polling Moms !! *Bonus Contest*

SKIN MD NATURAL

Many of you may remember my Skin MD Natural review from quite some time ago. Well, right now, Skin MD Natural is polling moms across North America to find out just what worries you the most about skin care in the summer. With school almost out, and lots of fun outdoor summer plans, as a parent I worry about the lasting effects of sun damage on my children.

For anyone who takes the survey (it's only 6 questions folks) you will get entered into a draw for 2 bottles of Skin MD Lotion. One regular and one with SPF 15. To get entered you must mention "A Busy Mommy" at the end of the survey. You can also request a free sample of Skin MD Lotion.

All of the questions from the survey will be presented to some of the most respected dermatologists in LA, and all participants will receive an advanced copy of the results.

Click Here To Take The Survey

Don't forget to mention "A Busy Mommy" to get entered into the giveaway!!!

This contest is open to Both Canada and US entries! Please feel free to leave a comment after you complete the survey. I'd love to know how many entries we get!

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Imagination at it's best. This is my little guy building a "City" out of his big blocks. The cars are parked in the "parking lot" and he's got a helicopter flying over head. I love to see just how far his imagination goes.