Shop Wiki

I am an avid shopper. I love deals and sales and am always looking for that next big clearance event. One of my favorite things to do is to shop online. It is quick, easy and I can shop in my pajamas. (Which is a huge thing to me. :D)
I like to shop around, making sure the price is the best possible price available. I like to use search engines, but its hard, because the only stores that show up are the ones that buy advertisement spots. So I am left searching through hundreds of sites looking for the product. Well, I came across an awesome website for online shopping. Not only does this site allow you to search through all stores on the Internet, but it is super user friendly and has very advanced search options.
Just the other day, I was looking for a photo viewer for my daughter. I wanted something that she could use and abuse, but also something that was nice. I searched and searched, and couldn't find anything. I came across a shopping search engine called ShopWiki.com. I typed in digital photo viewer, and then chose a color (My daughter is a fan of yellow). The very first product was exactly what I was looking for. It was a SpongeBob Square Pants photo viewer for kids. I was so excited. It was a perfect fit for my daughter. I searched a little bit more and found that I could find it cheapest at a certain store.
The search engine is very user friendly. You can narrow your search by color, price, and brand. I would highly recommend the ShopWiki.com search engine!

Christmas

My favorite things about Christmas:

1. Christmas music. I love hearing all of the festive songs on the radio. (In moderation.)
2. Christmas lights.. but only if they are done properly. They have to be straight across the roof. Not saggy. No one likes saggy lights.
3. Christmas movies... The Santa Clause is my favorite.
4. The smell of Christmas! I love going into the stores and smelling (if its not too strong) the smell of the cinnamon pine cones. And the smell of fresh baked cookies and fudge.
5. I love the excitement that comes with knowing Christmas is near. The happiness that people show.
6. I love how giving people are. I love watching the services' that people show this time of year.
7. I love Christmas eve. I love drinking hot cocoa and listening to my grandfathers voice on a tape about a neighbor boy. We recorded the story right before he died. I love having that bit of my grandpa here with us. {I will post the story here soon.}

And here is the things that I DON'T like about this time of the year...

1. The Christmas Story. That freaky movie scares me to death. I hate hate hate it. Seriously. It is part of a recurring nightmare.
2. How commercialized Christmas has become. Come on people. We are celebrating Christs' birth, not Barbies 100th anniversary Christmas edition doll.
3. I hate those florescent colored fake trees. Seriously? Are you kidding me? Who wants a bright ___ (insert color here) tree that is instantly an eye sore? Well, obviously someone, cause they are selling like crazy this year.
What do you like about Christmas? What don't you like about it? Leave a comment and tell me what you think!

Islam is the Light

When you buy your children toys, I am sure you aren't too worried about the type of message that the toy can bring. Especially if the toy is something as innocent as a baby doll. Well, I have never worried about what the underlying message could be in the toys I buy Gracie.
For her birthday, we bought her a Mattel's Little Mommy Cuddle 'n Coo doll. This cute doll giggles, says "mama", moves and babbles and is even motion activated. She has had it for a couple of weeks now, and plays with it all the time. My sister called me the other day and asked what type of doll Gracie got for her birthday. I told her and she asked me to listen to the doll when it is 'babbling'. She wouldn't tell me what it said, just that it was something that a baby shouldn't say. We listened and the first time caught the word 'Light'. The next time my grandma said, Islam? Islam is the light?!? Well, sure enough, this innocent looking baby says some serious propaganda.
Here is a video that I found on youtube. This is exactly what her baby sounds and looks like. See if you can figure out where it says it....


So I called the company. I was outraged. They assure me that it doesn't say this and that “The sound is compressed into an inexpensive speaker, so sounds may be imprecise... they also claim that the doll’s only scripted word is “Mama.” They blame the doll’s cheap speakers for distorting the soundtrack. And they also blame the power of suggestion - in that people are being told what to listen for.

You decide. Is this some strange propaganda or is it one serious misunderstanding?

The curse of the overflowing bathroom

I have no idea how many times I have walking into a public restroom, humming some old Beatles song, and unexpectedly come upon some sort of overflowing disaster. Not only is it disgusting, but to me, having to go out and find some manager to let them know that their bathroom 'needs attention' isn't the most fun. My biggest problem is trying to make it clear that it wasn't me... That I just happened to walk in on the sewer flood. Why does it bother me? I have no idea. I shouldn't care what some 17 year old fast food manager thinks, should I? Well, I do.
But, fear no more! The amazing people at Wal*Mart have come up with yet another awesome invention....I took this picture with my cell phone at my local Wal*Mart. (You should have seen the look on the other customers faces as I whipped out my cell phone to take this picture... you would have thought they had seen some alien walking around in a cow suite...)
The concept is simple, but if you don't understand, let me explain. If you walk into the bathroom upon some feces covered floor (of if you were the one to do it) all you have to do is flip up the switch and walk away. No seeking out a manager and trying to descretly tell them about the mess (while still trying to explain that it wasn't you!). Hooray for Wal*Mart. What would I do without them?
Do you have any fun public restroom stories? Please share! Us here at Now What Do You Think About That? are always ready to hear some bathroom dramas. It makes us feel better!

Gift Cards

Lately there has been many e-mails and news circulating about the dangers of buying gift cards. If you haven't heard about this, you will soon enough. The e-mails are stating that retailers are not accepting gift cards and that the stores are going out of business. They even quote a list of retailers that are not accepting gift cards. So, us here at Now What Do You Think About That? decided to look into this e-mail circulation.
The one thing that we found is that the list is completely overstated and untrue!

Gift cards are definitely the preferred gift for the holidays. Why is this? Because gift cards are versatile, easy to use, easy to spend, and easy to give.

There was a study done recently by Blackhawk Network (which is the largest third party distributor of gift cards and creator of Gift Card Mall™ ) and they found the following:

• 70% feel that gift cards are a great gift since the recipient can get what he/she wants.
  
• 66% think that by purchasing a gift card, they are assured their money is not wasted on a gift that someone will not like or use.
  
• 54% feel that they would rather give a gift card than cash.
  
• 58% of consumers still plan on buying gift cards this holiday – especially women (62%.)

So? Can't figure out what to get the person on your list? That person who either has everything, or returns all of the gifts that they receive? A gift card ensures that they get what they want, when they want it and in the right size! Head on over to Gift Card Mall ™ and get your shopping done early this year!

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

ANOTHER GIVEAWAY!!!!!!

Alright, so I know I have been a MIA blogger lately, but I promise that will change. I hope my loyal viewers are still there!!

I am so excited to tell you all about the newest giveaway. This should have been part of the Pajama Party, but, as I said before, I was MIA.
The giveaway if for an amazing product called the Miracle Blanket®.

Here is a little bit about the blanket from the inventors...

"When our first child was born, my wife and I found out how tough a fussy baby could be. For the first three months of his life, he spent most of his time screaming (seemingly in pain) and keeping us from sleep. My wife would stay up until I got home from work at 4:AM (Back then I was a Manager for Harrah’s Entertainment). I would then take over comforting him until she awoke at 8:AM or 9:AM. Finally, I would go to bed and sleep until it was time to go to work in the evening. Those were the longest three months of our lives! And although it was several years - and a couple executive jobs - later, we remember it like it was yesterday. I remember searching high and low for a remedy; but in the end, more than three sleepless months was the only cure.

When our second son was born we got lucky; he was happy. He began sleeping through the night within a couple of weeks. We assumed that it was because we were now "experienced parents" - our calmness and patience created the difference. We were very proud of ourselves.

Then our third son was born. He wasn't as tough as our first, but we knew right away we had a problem. But this time we were determined to find a solution. We'd kept the books from the first time around, so we dug them out and started reading up. Throughout our research we noticed some recurring themes:

1. Swaddling is the most helpful ingredient in every effective calming method,

2. Holding your baby on your forearm, face-down (or face-forward) while rocking or jiggling him (gently) seems to enhance the calming effect, and

3. Using a pacifier and making a loud shushing sound in his ear further adds to the effectiveness.

We noticed right away that if all of these things were done at once, babies almost always calm down very quickly. So what was the problem?

Well, we quickly found that it was difficult (or nearly impossible) to bundle a baby in a way that keeps him snug all night during restless sleep with a normal, square receiving blanket. Many of our friends mentioned that their pediatricians suggested swaddling, but they too found it very difficult to do properly. They quickly became frustrated and gave up swaddling. One thing everyone agreed on was that no matter how well you swaddle them, babies seem to have an incredible ability to get at least one hand free to scratch their face right about the time you finally fall back to sleep. Additionally, if you watch your baby sleep, you'll notice her twitching - often (this is called "The Moro Reflex"). If the baby is not wrapped snugly, this twitching causes her arms to flail, which eventually wakes her up. However, like most parents, we didn't feel comfortable using safety pins, Velcro, tape, belts, or straps while our baby was sleeping. We knew there had to be a better way, but there wasn't! So one day, out of pure frustration, I went to the fabric store and bought a couple yards of high quality flannel and made a prototype of a blanket that was taking shape in my mind. I had my wife wrap our baby first with a quick explanation of how to do it. It took her a total of about 5 seconds. The baby loved it, and my wife looked at me and said, "WOW! I think we have something here!" We used the blanket until Jacob was just over 3 ½ months old. And he slept well every night.

I then went about the task of finding anyone, anywhere, who had a baby that was less than 4 months old. I asked them to test the blanket for me. 100% of the people who tried it became very excited and impressed with its effectiveness and simplicity. I then knew, for sure, that I had to become an expert on swaddling - find all the pros and cons. One of the first things I realized is that there was an overwhelming amount of new research coming out in 2002 regarding swaddling and its benefits. Many pediatricians were beginning to publish studies proving the importance of swaddling. And they all had one thing in common: They all mentioned how tough it is to do right. They called it an "art" or a "tradition" passed down from generation to generation … all of them made swaddling sound inconvenient and difficult. Then we really knew we were on to something! During my research I was able to find some different "swaddling" blankets but they all have several problems: many cover the head which increases the risk of overheating; many touch the cheeks which triggers the rooting response; many are simply "baby bags" that don't give the snug sensation of real swaddling; many made the process of swaddling even more difficult with complex folds, arm pockets, adjustments for different size babies, buttons, Velcro or straps; and some designs bind the legs and hips no matter how big the baby grows. The Amazing Miracle Blanket eliminates all these concerns through the simplicity of its design.

Getting from that point, through the testing and research stage, to where we are now is a long, boring story; but suffice to say we are incredibly happy to be able to help so many parents."

Okay, so I am sure you all are thinking that this sounds too good to be true, right? Well, it isn't. This blanket has worked wonders for thousands of parents. So, I decided to test it out. I don't have a baby, so I borrowed one :). My cousin allowed me to try this on her baby. The results were instant. Her baby is fussy. She stays up all night. After using this blanket, the baby is calm, and actually sleeps through the night! What a great gift Miracle Blanket has given my cousin. She now shows all her friends how the blanket works.

So? Do you know someone that could benefit from this blanket? How about someone who is going to have a baby? Or do you have a newborn that would benefit from this?

Well, here is your chance to win the Miracle Blanket®. The great people at Miracle Blanket® is going to give a Now What Do You Think About That? reader one of their very own blankets! All you have to do is fill out the simple form below.

Awesome News Listing

For Immediate Release

October 1, 2008

Refrigerator POL-ICE detain Salt Lake City Mayor

Salt Lake City, UT: The Refrigerator POL-ICE, while supervising a group of demonstrators, detained Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker today, in an effort to draw attention to the energy and produce wasted as a result of overcooling refrigerators and freezers.

The Chief of the Refrigerator POL-ICE stated that everyone was in good spirits, and kept their cool. Download a video of the protest at www.visualdreamsproductions.com/refrigerator/ and view the attached photographs from the event.

The company Refrigeratorsaver.com was behind these publicity protests, and is planning to take this campaign from state to state, trying to raise awareness among home and business owners about refrigerator and freezer energy and produce wastage. Approximately 20% of the world’s energy is used by some form of refrigeration. Unlike many other appliances, refrigerators and freezers are generally constantly on, twenty-four hours a day.

The average home will throw away over $580 of produce this year, which equates to over 600 pounds of produce discarded annually. An estimated $96 billion dollars of produce will be thrown away in the United States this year. Furthermore, the energy to power the average home refrigerator will cost $200 annually.

The Refrigeratorsaver helps save energy and extend the life of produce by two to three days. The product produces a 20% energy savings and saves $130 in produce annually for the average refrigerator. For commercial refrigerators, the savings can be substantially greater.

With commercial refrigeration being used in restaurants, cafes, bars, supermarkets, hotels, hospitals, schools, and colleges, the Refrigeratorsaver, which won a Millennium Award, is a must for refrigerators and freezers.

Most consumers and businesses today are looking for ways to save money where they can. With gas prices increasing and fuel surcharges being added to all deliveries, this $30.00 device, which has no installation requirements, can save organizations money and has a payback period of months, rather than years.

The Refrigerator POL-ICE are continuing to spread the news about saving money with the Refrigeratorsaver. Find out if the Refrigerator POL-ICE are coming to your state by visiting our website at www.refrigeratorsaver.com.

About Refrigeratorsaver.com

Refrigeratorsaver is owned by a British housewife based in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The company will open offices on the East Coast and West Coast next spring. Refrigeratorsaver has its own news channel, which weekly reports Fridge News featuring host Adam De Frost. The program makes energy saving fun and can be watched via the Refrigeratorsaver website beginning October 1st.

For more details, contact Pamela Freedman

Tel: 801-649-4979

Email: info@refrigeratorsaver.com

www.refrigeratorsaver.com

RefrigeratorSaver

    Although I haven’t jumped on the ‘green’ bandwagon yet, I have been trying to find ways to save my family some money by reducing energy usage. I have read article after article about how to reduce energy costs and learned that some of the best ways to do this is by simply keeping your lights off not to run your air conditioning. Easy, right? Well, I tried these things and realized all too soon that only turning on lights when it was absolutely needed caused many a accident and the lack of air conditioning in the house was making everyone cranky.
    So I started to research again. Another article I read was about refrigerator energy use. I learned that the refrigerator uses an average of 20% of the worlds energy. I was then shocked when I found out that in the U.S. an estimated $85 billion worth of food is thrown out every year. 85 billion dollars! The average household of four throws away 14 percent of their groceries, much of which is produce. That is a waste of not only our money as consumers, but the money to grow, harvest and ship the food.
    I figured there has to be a way to reduce the energy usage and to lower the waste of our food. I learned that one way we can reduce the waste is by extending the life of our produce.  There are several factors that cause us to loose produce quickly. One of which is heat. Warm temperatures speed up the bacteria in the produce, causing fruits and vegetables to spoil quickly. The second reason is cold air. Temperatures that are too low damage produce and cause it to wilt and decompose. Wilting lettuce is an indication that a refrigerator is running too cold.
    I learned that the best temperature to keep produce fresh is between 38-40 degrees F.  But the problem with a refrigerators thermometer is that it measures the temperature of the air in the refrigerator, not the food itself. How then, do we fix this problem?
     Well, one product I have found is a new thermometer called the RefrigeratorSaver. This thermometer is surrounded in a silicone like gel that mimics food, helping us tell the temperature of our food, not the temperature of the air around it. And because food temperature is more stable than air temperature, it requires less energy to cool. Thus allowing us to turn the temperature down to save energy without compromising our produce.    
     After putting the RefrigeratorSaver in my refrigerator, I realized that the difference between the air temperature and the food temperature was off by a little over 2 degrees.  And I found out that each degree you lower your refrigerator yields an average of 8% energy savings. That means by lowering my refrigerator to the right temperature saved me money by extending the life of the produce, thus saving me money in my grocery bill, and by reducing my energy usage by 16%.
     After doing the research and trying out new things, I have realized that I may have joined in the ‘green’ revolution after all. Maybe not as consciously as I would like, but I feel like I have taken that first step into helping and protecting our awesome world.

Winners!

Hi everyone! I just wanted to let everyone know of the several winners of the previous giveaways and the next AWESOME giveaway coming up.

The winner of the Quiet Book is Holly D. at Scatter Sunshine! Congrats Holly!
The two winners of the Johnny Light are Kam A. and Meghan W. Congrats!!!
The winner of the Pajamas is Elizabeth M. Congrats to you too!!
The next giveaway coming up is going to be awesome!!!

Card Shoppe

Hey everyone! I am so excited to announce the opening of my new store, Me'Shelle's Card Shoppe! I am selling top of the line handmade card packs for all occasions. The pack of 10 cards are on sale for $19.95 right now. You all should go check it out!! :)
So maybe I should add an address... goodness... it is Meshellescardshoppe.etsy.com

Schick Silk Effects Ladies Razor

I was at Wal*Mart last month, and was looking for a razor. I didn't mind which one. Something on sale, hopefully. Well, I found a razor on sale for $4.99. It was a disposable, with a reusable handle. You just buy the extra blades. It was a Schick Silk Effects Ladies Razor. Well, $4.99 sounded great, so I bought it. I really liked the Schick brand so I figured I would like this too.

When I got home, I decided to shave my legs. I was excited because the name of the razor had 'Silk' in it. I figured that must be true. 

Now, I am your regular shaver. I don't go so fast that my legs are going to fall off, but I am not going to shave so slow that I will NEVER get done. I started shaving and right away I noticed that the blades were clogged with my leg hair. (I know, its gross). I tried to rinse it out and it didn't seem to clean. Oh, well, I thought, and continued to shave. Bad idea... this is what happened:

(This picture is of the cut, 3 weeks later...)

So after I cut myself horribly, I tried to clean out the razor again. It still wouldn't clean out. I was desperate to finish shaving my legs so I could stop the profuse bleeding. I grabbed a needle and tried to push the hair out the back of the razor. Then I noticed: there is no where for the hair to go! The back of the blades is all covered, so you can't clean it out!

I was loosing blood fast, so I grabbed the extra blade and switched the blades. Carefully, I finished the other leg. 

So, I figured to shave my legs it cost me 2.50 per leg. Don't love that idea. 

So? What are the facts?

Schick Silk Effects Ladies Razor 

Price : $4.99 (on sale)

One extra blade

So? What is the verdict of this product? 

1 star! What was the one thing that I liked about it? It was pretty. Yep. Thats about it.

(I do love all of the Schick brand. I have bought razors since then, but I am just reviewing the Schick Silk Effects)

Now What Do You Think About That?

One slide and one naked baby...

Grace has entered the 'no clothes' phase. All you moms and dads know what I am talking about. The phase where you dress your child and turn around and you see a streak of pinkish flesh whirl past you and through the door. You are left thinking... "How do they get their clothes off so fast?" And I want to know why it is the initial thought of a toddler to run outside after undressing?
Well, I have tried everything to keep at least the diaper on. And finally, I have cured my child of the obsession of the nakedness. Not on purpose, of course... (isn't that how it usually happens?) But she is cured nonetheless. How? I am sure the parents of naked toddlers around the world are asking that very question.
Well, Let me take you back...
I get my 22 month old child up. I change her diaper. I dress her. I enter the kitchen to make breakfast. I hear my child crying in the living room. I was nervous. I run in, not knowing what to expect.
As I entered the living room, this is what I saw. One child. Fully nude. One slide. One fully nude child sitting on the slide. There is screaming going on. Yep, definitely screaming from the toddler. Not a hurt scream as I initially thought, but an angry scream. A really angry scream. I ask whats wrong. The screaming toddler points down the slide and points at her bare bottom. She has this mad expression on her face as she tries to scoot down the slide on her bare bottom. She is stuck. And she is mad. She tries again. Nothing. More screaming. There is laughter coming from somewhere. Oops. I think that's coming from me...
I lift her off the slide. She is angry, but on a mission. She marches naked over to the corner. She picks up her diaper and shoves it at me. She has a defeated look on her face.
We haven't had a problem since.

Pajama Party - Week 4

Today is the start of a brand new awesome giveaway! The sponsor of this giveaway is Johnny Light...

"The Johnny-Light^™, dubbed a "DHC" or "domestic harmony commod-ity", is an easily installed (no tools), battery powered device that lights the toilet bowl at night and goes off when the toilet seat is down. The greenish glow in the toilet bowl reminds users to put the commode seat down and helps eliminate the "annoying fall-ins" and late night splashes that aggravate so many women. The "seat-up/seat-down" debate has raged in households almost as long as toilets have existed. Potty politics have been a subject for poets, fodder for such advice columns as Anne Landers, and even lyrics in songs.

Richie Mills, Bill Bradford, and Jack Bryan (RBJ) patented the product and launched it in 1996. Bradford, an electrical engineer, is the 14th generation descendant of William Bradford, the first mayor of Plymouth (as in Rock). Co-inventor Bryan is a professional engineer and patent agent, and Mills is a partner in the company which manufactures and distributes the Johnny-Light^™.

The Johnny-Light^™ has been featured on "Regis and Kathie Lee", and also on the "Leeza" Gibbons and the "Howie Mandel" television shows, as well as "Good Morning Texas". Articles have appeared in Glamour Magazine and numerous newspapers around the country.

The Johnny-Light^™ is an ideal gift for Mother's or Father's Day or as a Christmas stocking stuffer. They also make great bridal and baby shower gifts. The Johnny-Light^™ has also been proclaimed a great aid in children's toilet training. It prevents the need to turn on a bathroom light that disturbs other sleepers, and helps improve sanitation. Males are reminded to close up shop when they are done!"

So? Do you want to win a Johnny Light? The great folks at Johnny-Light are giving away TWO Johnny-Lights to the readers at Now What Do You Think About That. It is super easy to enter... Just fill out the simple form below. All we need is your name and e-mail address!!

Another Giveaway

Hey everyone! I just wanted to remind you that I have 2 active giveaways going on. One is ending tonight, so you better hurry and click here to get your name in the drawing!

The second just started, click here to enter to win!

Tonight I will be starting another giveaway for our Pajama Party!! Wanna hint?

The Host - Stephanie Meyer

The Host: A Novel by Stephenie Meyer

In this book, Meyer explores what happens to relationships and personalities when two people inhabit the same body. Earth has been taken over by aliens, (known as Souls), which take over the human bodies and erase the mind. At the start of the novel, Melanie Stryder, one of the few human left on earth, has been captured by the aliens and is implanted with a Soul named Wanderer. Although the process of implantation is not easy, Wanderer finds her host unwilling to let go of the mind they share. Wanderer is driven to find out why Melanie won't let go and soon finds herself wanting to reconnect with the ones her host most loved.
I loved The Host. The storyline was well written and even though some may say the romance was sappy, I think it was well played out. The diversification of characters and personalities (similar to the Twilight series) was easy to follow and fun to read.
As I read the book, the only thing that I would say was a little bit distracting is the similarities of characters between the Twilight Series and the Host. Obviously, since it was written by the same author, Stephanie Meyer, they will be slightly similar. But the characters are almost interchangeable, and because of this, predictable. You could go through the list of characters in one book and match them up exactly to the other. Different names, different stories, different world, same personality. But, I do love the characters and overall the book was well written and fun to read!
Age group: Teen - Adult

Overall rating:

4.5 out of 5 stars!

Have you read this book? Are you planning on reading it? Do you agree or disagree with my review? Tell me!
Now, what do you think about that?

Cricut Expressions!

Win a Cricut Expressions!

Pajama Party - Week 3

Today, our sponsor for the Pajama Party is Just Fun Designs!

Just fun designs sells handmade felt quiet books, personalized baby hangers, blankets,wine bags,customized children and baby items! and more to come!
fun...stuff....for...fun...People

The great people at Just Fun Designs are giving away a custom quiet book to one lucky Now What Do You Think About That? reader!
"Each book is made from felt, with felt pieces. Handmade appeal, so not every piece or stitch is perfect!"

Here are some samples of unassembled pages. Shown above are pink felt pages with a girl theme, while below, the substitute boy page shows the Train, Car, plane, etc. Pages can be in cream, pink, Light blue and cover color can be chosen as well.Want to win a custom quiet book? Its easy! Just go to Just Fun Designs.com and choose which quiet book you would like to win. Then, leave a comment telling me which you would choose. Also, tell me the name and/or date you would want on the book. Pretty easy right? Well, you can also earn an extra entry by posting about this giveaway on your site! Just leave another comment with the link to your post!

This contest starts today 9/4/08 and will go until 9/11/08.
(Don't forget to enter the other giveaway too!)

Giveaway coming up

The next giveaway for our pajama party is coming up tomorrow. Wanna hint?Its personalized...Which is pretty darn exciting!!
Stay tuned for more details.
Don't forget to enter the organic pajama giveaway HERE... They are adorable for a baby shower gift, your own baby or even for a grandchild or a niece or nephew.
Tell all your friends to come by and enter too. :)

Pajama Party - Week 2

Today is the start of week 2 of the pajama party giveaway!! Today, the sponsor for our giveaway is Happy Hearts Boutique."My name is Carolyn and I am a small business owner and the operator of Happy Hearts Boutique online shop. A full time wife and mother to 4 wonderful children, I began shopping online in 2003 for items for myself and my children. I have always personally loved shopping online for the sheer convenience of sitting in the comfort of my own home. Taking my time to peruse products without pushy sales people or even the hassle of gearing up the kids or fighting traffic - even being able to shop in the middle of the night! - were all major pluses in my choice to shop from home. I know what customers are looking for when shopping on the internet - because I myself started out as a customer first! More than the products of interest, we are looking for an easy to navigate site, professional and friendly service, quick response time with questions, safe and secure checkout and shipping that doesn't cost an arm and a leg or take forever to arrive. We are committed to providing all of these to you, in addition to quality children products with new items added weekly."
Carolyn was sweet enough to give a pair of organic cotton pajamas to one lucky reader from Now What Do You Think About That!!So? Want to win an adorable set of toddler pajamas? I know I do! I think I am going to have to see if I can get a pair too!! :) Its super easy, just go to Happy Hearts Boutiques website and tell me which set of pajamas you would like to win... Then, Just fill out the simple form below. That's it!
The contest runs from 9-1-08 to 9-8-08. The winner will be announced right here on my website, and I will also e-mail the lucky winner.

Arte Y Pico

My blogging buddy over at Now Entering Momville awarded me with a fantastic award today! Yay! I am so honored... Thanks!

This award recognizes a blog’s creativity and overall contribution to the blogger community. Once you’ve been selected, please follow these guidelines and pay it forward:

1) Choose 5 blogs that you consider deserving of this award based on creativity, design, interesting material, and overall contribution to the blogger community, regardless of the language.

2) Post the name of the author and a link to his or her blog by so everyone can view it.

3) Each award-winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award.

4) The award-winner and the presenter should post the link of the “Arte y pico“ blog , so everyone will know the origin of this award.

5) Please post these rules.

Here are the 5 blogs I'm passing the award to:

1.) Holly @ ScatterSunshine - She has the best ideas, crafts and recipes. She is awesome!

2) Emily @ Little Momma & Company - Not only is she a great writer, but has some awesome crafts and tips for everyday life. I love to read her blog!
3.) Kathleen @ Grosgrain Fabulous - She is an inspiration to sewing in the blogging world. I think she contributes so much and doesn't get anything in return. Thanks Kathleen!!

4.) Pam @ Pamela Donnis Designs has the most awesome digital scrapbooking designs available. If you aren't a digital scrapbooking person, try it today with one of these awesome designs!
5.) Jen @ Cake Wrecks - I love love love this site. I am so excited when my Bloglines says that she has posted a new disaster! I can't really explain this one - she can explian it better... "When professional cakes go horribly, hilariously wrong."

Coming up!!

Hi everyone! You all probably know that I have several giveaways coming up, and I know most of you know its nighttime products... but here is a little sneak peek of whats coming...

P.s. don't forget about the personalized pillowcases... the drawing will be held on Sept. 1st. Good luck!!

My blogging buddy, Now Entering Momville is hosting a game giveaway. It sounds like so much fun!! Click here to go and support her blog! Thanks!

Oh, and Grosgrain has another fabulous giveaway... Wandering Waif Collection GIVEAWAY !!!!!!! I am so hoping that this one I might win. I'm crossing my fingers!!

Pajama Party!!

Today is the start of several new giveaways!! Hooray! I am hosting a Pajama Party here at Now What Do You Think About That.

The first giveaway is from Bunnies and Bows. Bunnies and Bows was founded in 1995 by Chrysa and Kevin Sparrow. Bunnies and Bows offer toddler size pillowcases and infant pillowcases. They are all personalized with your child's name. These pillows are perfect for travel, daycare, preschool, or grandparent's house. Each pillowcase includes a pillow!  Each pillowcase is carefully hand screened using a 6 color press, and usually 60 or more in quantity. The pillowcases are super soft! They use water based, non-toxic inks to silk screen these pillowcases, and they are totally safe, and soft for your child’s face to sleep on. They are the finest cotton percale, using a very high quality 180 thread count pillowcase. They are 50/50 cotton/polyester which helps reduce wrinkles.

Bunnies and Bows also offer adorable Tooth Fairy Pillows. Each are hand sewn and personalized with your childs name!

So? Do you want to win one of these adorable pillowcases? Its easy! All you need to do is go to their website to decide which one you want to win. (http://www.bunniesandbows.com/) Choose either a infant or toddler pillowcase or a Tooth Fairy Pillow and tell me which one you like! Its that easy! Even if you don't have a child, these are awesome for personalized birthday or shower gifts!

Garden Party Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Garden Party Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!
Another gorgeous giveaway by Grosgrain!!

Coming next week!!

Next week, I am hosting a 'Pajama Party!' I have several sponsors of nighttime products for baby and child.... Including... Blankets, custom pillowcases, story books, and more to be given away!! Stay tuned for more information on how to win!

Getting Red Stains out of Carpet

Last week my daughter dumped a half full cherry slurpie on my grandparents carpet. I panicked. I scrubbed for a half hour. It looked like it was pretty much gone. The next morning, I woke up to find the spot brighter than ever. I found a great way to get out red stains. Just follow these instructions..
First, use a shop-vac to suck some of the juice out, if you can get to the stain quickly. This can stop the spill from entering the carpet fibers. Getting out some or all of the remaining stain takes time.
Start with Dawn dishwashing detergent - the original blue type. Add five or six drops to two cups of warm water. Dampen a white cotton cloth with this solution and lay it over the stain. Then place a clothes iron on top of it, set on "low".
Let this sit for fifteen minutes, and don't press down. The red stain will start to wick up into the cloth. You should see red on the cloth. Fold it to use a clean part or apply a new cloth, and repeat the process.
It takes patience to get red stains out of carpet, but even year-old red stains have been removed using this method. Repeat the process again and again until there is no more transfer of the red stain to the cloth. Rinse the spot with water, blot it up, and dry it quickly. Quick drying prevents any stain deeper down from wicking up to the surface.
I give this method 5 out of 5 stars!

Have you tried this? Do you have a better method? Leave a comment so you can tell me

Now what do you think about that?

Olympic Outrage

I was very very sad to read about this sweet cute little girl who lent her voice to the olympics....

"Little Lin Miaoke won the hearts and minds of the Chinese people for her stirring rendition of "Ode to the Motherland" at the Olympic opening ceremony. But there was anger in Beijing yesterday at the revelation that she mimed the rousing patriotic anthem, while the real singer was a little girl whose looks just didn't make the grade.
Chen Qigang, musical director of the ceremony, said the song was not actually sung by Lin, who has been christened the "Smiling Angel", but by Yang Peiyi, also aged seven. He said Lin had been chosen ahead of the more gifted singer because she was prettier. "The reason for this is that we must put our country's interest first," Mr Chen told Beijing Radio. "The girl appearing on the picture must be flawless in terms of her facial expression and the great feeling she can give to people. We had to make that choice. It was fair to [both girls]. We combined the perfect voice and the perfect performance."

Seven-year-old Yang Peiyi (left) sang the patriotic song 'Ode to the Motherland' that was mimed by Lin Miaoke (right)
Lin made a huge splash in the domestic and international media for her performance. There were scores of stories about how the little girl, who has been in TV commercials with the actress Zhao Wei and the champion hurdler Liu Xiang, had to get through a tough interview process and beat off hundreds of other hopefuls to get the nod to sing the song.
Yang Peiyi, a first-grader at a primary school in Beijing, was putting on a brave face, telling Chinese television she did not regret the fact that her face had not been used for the ceremony and that she was honoured to have her voice beamed to the estimated 15 per cent of the world's population that tuned in. Some Chinese bloggers likewise claimed both girls were heroes, but others were horrified at the message the decision sends to children. "Since this happened, seven-year-old kids all think you should judge a person according to his or her image," said one blogger. "They now think that being good looking is better than having a good voice. Shame!"
Another blogger added: "Personal image can have an effect on a country, and a negative image is not in the national interest? What a joke! Why don't they just cancel the programme? Don't relate everything to the national interest."
The lip-syncing scandal came as organisers revealed that the 29-footprint firework display at the heart of the opening ceremony contained much digital sleight of hand, and that digitally enhanced video was superimposed on to live footage of the fireworks section outside the stadium.
Gao Xiaolong, head of the visual effects team, told The Beijing Times it had taken almost a year to create the 55-second sequence. He said actual fireworks could be seen outside the stadium but it was logistically impossible to film them by helicopter, so the decision was made to recreate the effect digitally.
The ruse even extended to getting the weather forecast right so as to simulate the same smog as on the night, and adding camera shake to simulate filming from a helicopter. "Seeing how it worked out, it was still a bit too bright compared to the actual fireworks. But most of the audience thought it was filmed live, so that was mission accomplished," said Mr Gao.
Another trick China is using to boost the atmosphere at the Olympics are rent-a-crowd volunteers to fill embarrassingly empty seats at some events, including judo and archery. Some tickets have been bought as an act of patriotism or as gifts for business contacts – but have not been used. Mr Wang, a senior official on the Beijing organising committee, said: "If they find that there are not enough people, or if they find that there are too many empty seats, they organise some cheerleaders.'"

Is anyone else as outraged as I am about this? It makes me so sad for this poor girl. Can anyone say low self-esteem. And the fact is, is that she is cute!

I don't really care about the fake fireworks or fake cheerleaders. I think its not smart on their part, but the real story is that poor little girl...

Mary-Kate Olsen refuses to talk to authorities about Heath Ledger's death

Alright, So I usually don't like and don't care about celebrity gossip. But this article on FoxNews.com really made me frustrated.

Allegedly Mary-Kate Olsen was friends with Heath Ledger (wasn't he way too much older for her to be 'just friends?' just wondering...) and was the first one called when her masseuse discovered Ledgers body after he had died. All of Ledgers friends have rallied around the actor in an attempt to stop the speculation of illegal drug use and suicide. That’s what good friends do, right? Well, not according to Mary-Kate Olsen. She is refusing to talk to federal authorities that are investigating the accidental overdose of Ledger until she receives immunity from prosecution. Immunity from what my I ask? Hu, Mary-Kate? According to the post, some of the pain killers were likely obtained illegally. Hmm.

Shout Advanced - Action Gel

Stains are bound to happen. Food, grass, and every day messes are not a match for the new Shout® Advanced. You can remove tough set in stains and keep your family looking great, no matter what life throws at you.

The fast acting spray gel can be applied to the stains as you are throwing them into the washer, or for the really tough stains you can apply the gel and leave it for hours or even days before washing.

My only problem that I have with this product is that it works, maybe a little too well! With a baby, some shirts that used to be one color end up being a darker shade of that color... So when that shirt gets stained again, putting the stain remover just on that spot, makes that spot cleaner than the whole shirt! So then I have to spray the whole shirt with the spot remover to make it all the same :).

The price is a little hard to swallow as well, but seeing how long it lasts and how concentrated it is, I still buy it.

Want a coupon for Shout? Click here to find some money saving coupons.

Product: Shout® Advanced
Price: Approx. $4.29
Size: 14.0 fl oz.

So? The verdict...

4 out of 5 stars!

Do you agree? Disagree? Here is your chance to tell me why for your chance to win one!
Now what do you think about that?

Google Mobile

The number is 466-456 (or google).

Want to know the weather? Are you lost? Are you trying to figure out when Brad Pitts birthday is? Just text Weather, Directions or Brad Pitts age to 466-456. You will get a swift, free, text giving you the answer. Want to know the movie times? What about the number to the restaurant that you are on your way to, so you can get reservations? Did your stock go up today? Send "Help" to 466-456 and get your information.

I love google SMS. Its fast, free and useful.

The only thing that Google hasn't integrated into this system is local residential numbers. In some ways, I am glad that my info can't be at the fingertips of the public. But, on the other hand, if I forgot to call my neighbor before I left the house, and don't have their phone number, I would love to type in their name and get the number fast. Its a catch 22.

So? The verdict?

5 Stars!!

Do you agree? Disagree? Here is your chance to tell me!
Now what do you think about that?

Clorox® Bleach Pen®

Got a stain on the white part of a striped shirt? Well, there was no easy way to get it out. That was until Clorox® came out with their new Bleach Pen®. The bleach pen comes with a dual tipped applicator with one side that is fine pointed for direct cleaning, the other is a scrubby brush to get out set in stains...

I was sceptical of this product at first. How would the bleach not run into the colored part of the shirt? It probably smells horrible. I bet it leaks all over the place...

I bought this from the impulse buy section right up by the cashier. (You know the place. Where the child alluring chocolate bars and sticky gummy treats are stored.) I thought, I might as well give it a try. Boy am I glad I did. I am in love with this product.

Now, to answer my own questions...

The bleach doesn't run into the other parts of the clothing because it is gel! So it stays right where you want it to stay. And because it is a gel, it doesn't leak on the clothes I am wearing. And finally, I thought it would smell like bleach, (which is a smell I have a hard time with) but it actually doesn't smell bad. It is such an easy product to store and to use.

My ONLY gripe about this product is that it is only 2 fl oz for $3.99.

Okay, so lets review...

Product: Clorox® Bleach Pen®

Price: Approx. $3.99

Size: 2 fl oz.

And so, based on all of the information, my final rating for this product is...

4 out of 5 stars!

Do you agree? Disagree? Here is your chance to tell me why for your chance to win one!

Now what do you think about that?

It all has to start somewhere...

This is where it all began. Right here. I am a mom, wife, and a consumer. I use hundreds of products everyday. I see movies, I watch television. I am going to tell you what I think about all of these.

Rules and Regulations

Want to win the products I am reviewing? Its easy!! All you need to do is to rate the product and then leave a comment telling me what you think about it. That's it! Make sure you leave your contact info (either your blog or your e-mail address) so I can find you!

Winners!

Congrats to Andrea Hutchison on winning the Bunnies and Bows pillowcase!

Congrats to 3boyzmom! This is what she said about the new Clorox Bleach pen... "I've never tried this one, but it sounds like it might be worth getting!!"