FREE IPOD: This Looks Interesting

http://ipods.freepay.com/?r=39925735

I don't usually take a second glance at this kind of stuff - but I have been interested in Ipods lately and so this did catch my eye:

The offer is for your choice from a selection of Ipods and Nanos. To get the free device you have to do two things...(1) click on a partner offer and (2) have 5 friends also join. The interesting part is that the partner offers are not really asking you for much. The one that I decided to try is:

["Get Three Nick Jr. Books for Free! Order now and get 3 free storybooks, a free backpack, free Parents Guide and free PlayPages along with a trial storybook, The Brightest Star, for just $6.99! Introductory shipping is free!" ]

With this offer, you just join and they send you the first three books plus the backpack - then they charge you $6.99 (refundable within 7 days) for the next book. You can cancel anytime. Seems easy enough! I will keep you posted! In the meantime - feel free to check it out at:

http://ipods.freepay.com/?r=39925735

***One more thing - it seems that you can start by signing-up with and email and password - then check it out and start telling friends before you even go ahead and click on a partner offer. This gives you a chance to look into it further. Also, it will notify you if someone signs up. You have 90 days to complete if you want to get the Ipod for free.

Product Review: Daenyx MP-700 Portable DVD

If time is money, I am in trouble yet again! I am writing this product review on here because this item is not yet listed in Epinions or any other product review site that I have found. Actually, when I was researching portable DVD players the last while, I had trouble finding information specific to electronics available in Canada. If anyone knows of a Canada-based product review site, I would like to hear about it.

The story of the portable DVD player saga goes as follows: First I purchased a portable DVD player from a guy on Kijiji classifieds. It was supposed to be multi-functional and top of the line. He came over, I paid, he left, the machine failed to function properly. When I couldn't reach him immediately by email, I thought I had been scammed. To my releif, he did get back to me and kindly came over to refund my money. The same day, a family friend surprised us with a visit and a gift. A portable DVD from Walmart! Yippie. It was the black Venturer that was available there. The catch for me was that we didn't have a receipt. I wanted to have a receipt for the warranty because I know that these things can go at any time. I decided to return it to Walmart for a gift card and look around at a couple different models.

BIG MISTAKE

I started out with the Citizen from Zehrs which was about $90.00 + tax. Read bad reviews and decided not to keep it. I also didn't like that the DVD cover is held down by a tiny clip. I can just see that being the first thing to break and then us having to use a piece of tape to keep it closed!

I then started doing some research but didn't come up with much. Back to Walmart I went, but they were all sold out of black Venturer DVD players. The good news was that the model I liked was on sale. I bought the pink one with hopes of exchanging it for black at another store or when they were re-stocked. I called a few stores and was given different prices and different information about the item being replenished. Most said that it would "for sure" be replenished "any day now". Finally an employee told me that the items was a limited time offer and would no longer be on the shelves. Ahhhh. I spoke to a manager who confirmed this. What next? I emailed the distributor to find out if there were other stores carrying the machine. By now I was obsessed and felt that this was the best bang for my buck and therefore worth the search.
Didn't hear back from Walmart or Venturer or anyone -

In the meantime, I was getting anxious to settle on one that we liked because we have a couple of long drives coming up and an airplane trip to Nova Scotia in mid-September. I had been to Zehrs (two locations) and looked at a portable DVD for $100.00 called an Astar PD8800. I found pretty good reviews but someone did mention the sound output being low. I checked out the player for myself really felt that it seemed cheap and probably too sensitive for our young family needs. The DVD cover was plastic and flimsy and if you touched the top of it the disc skipped or went back to start.

I asked people online about advice on places to go for a good value and a good machine - but didn't get too much response other than the usual, Walmart - Zellers, etc. I checked out Toys R Us, Canadian Tire and other stores on line - but came up with nothing. I did find out that a store called Factory Direct carries machines for as low as $39.00. They are refurbished and my husband did not want to go there - so we passed on that one. The warranty would be 30-90 days from that store.

Last resort was the Daenyx model from Zehrs which has many features that I like and only a couple that I don't.

Good features

- Battery is built in

- Can also hook up to your tv and be used as a regular dvd player solid design

- 7" screen (though we did consider a bigger screen or a two-screen unit)

- DVD case is sold and not held down by a clip

- Volume goes 1-16 and is okay, though still not very loud

- Has a jack for earphones (we will use on the airplane)

- Black inside (husband prefers this to the pink Venturer that is yet to go back)

- Has a ONE YEAR over the counter warranty from Zehrs! (Venturer manufacturer warranty says 90 days)

- Picture seems good

- Came with a remote, earphones, various wires, car adapter and regular outlet plug (which also charges the machine)

- with a carrying case that we can use as a spare or sell (I bought a Case Logic case on Ebay because I could not find them for less than $25.00 anywhere)

Features I would change:

• Machine itself does not have buttons to fast forward or rewind the scenes on a movie (you have to use the remote)
• Silver outer design looks like it will scratch easily
• That's it so far!
  

Cost: $90.00 + gst (sale). The same price as the one that was originally given to us - so it is essentially the same gift with a bunch of hassle in the middle that I brought on because I wanted to check out different brands. I can report that they are not all the same and that it is good to have a bit of exposure to different ones before spending the money. Epinions is great, but as mentioned, does not review all Canadian brands or models.

So far I give this DVD player an 8/10

Am I Invinsible?

The answer is "no", but I must have thought so the last couple of weeks by the sleep deprivation that I have allowed to go on. I'm not saying that I have had any control over the 2-3 wakings during the night with kids, but I DID have control over the very late nights. I have actually been staying up as late as midnight most nights and for no apparent reason - other than having some time to myself or hanging out a bit on the back deck with my husband. While those things do have merit, I also need to remember that my biggest enemy is my tired self that has lowered patience and is much more irritable. I have been on a good streak for at least a couple of weeks and have been feeling extra good about being home with the kids. I have had more patience, and though not always perfect, have been able to give myself a little extra credit for being the parent I want to be. I have not been blogging much, but I can address that another time (as it is probably a piece of the puzzle as well).
Anyway, last night I did the same thing and finally got up to bed around midnight. The last thing I did was to feed the baby and sort some laundry - then off to sleep. Up around 3:00 to feed the baby (who doesn't actually need to eat that often) and then up again with our toddler. I just went into his bed. The bad news on that front is that he now only wants "mommy" in the middle of the night. Yippie for me. Nursing one and just the top pick for the other. Something will need to be done about this. Anyway, when it was time to get up with them this morning at 6:45, I knew right away that I was depleted. I was fast to act when I saw my babysitter on Messenger....

I have never done it before, but I asked her to come over so that I could nap! I kept the baby up until she got here and that is exactly what I did. I fed him and we both crashed and it was WONDERFUL. I woke up to a quiet house and came downstairs to find our toddler asleep in his fuzzy chair. He seriously never falls asleep in his chair when he is with me, but anyway. The moral of this story is that I recommend doing this. I do, I do, I do.

(1) Find a babysitter who lives near you. Even if they are a bit younger, it is okay if you can trust them as a "mother's helper" to help you out when you are home. They will also gain experience with your kids and be able to do more as time goes on.

(2) Ask them to come over when you know (or pray) that one of your children will be napping.

(3) NAP YOURSELF!!!

I give PAYING A BABYSITTER SO YOU CAN NAP ON A WEEKDAY MORNING A 10/10

PARENTING HELP: Bedtime for Toddlers

Well, here is a topic that I have been meaning to write about for a while now -- bedtime and sleeping for toddlers and babies! Most of you who are parents will have had some experience with toiling over what you should, could or should not be doing when it comes to trying to get your child or children on track when it comes to bedtime and SLEEP!!!

We have probably had an average experience with this with both of our children. Actually, I think we've probably got it pretty good with our second - but I only have our first to compare to. Any way you look at it, parents want sleep. In our case, we would preferably like more sleep than we are actually getting on the average night. This is due to a couple of factors, mainly:

1. bedtime for toddler is stressful and draining - ends up being later than we'd like
2. usually up once a night to comfort toddler - sometimes by just climbing in bed with him
3. baby is still up twice a night
4. toddler or baby could be up anytime after 6:00, though we often get lucky with a little later than that

What I want to actually post is some specific suggestions that the Kid's Help Line provided me with when I called about the stress of getting our toddler to bed. Looks like it will have to wait til tomorrow...sorry!

Back again to post the suggestions given by the Kid's Help Line.

1. Keep bedtime routine simple and consistent

2. Ask yourself if the child is getting too much sleep during the day or if they are perhaps over-tired

3. Perhaps spend more time winding down in the evening

4. If child cries out for one parent after lights go out, perhaps they need a little more time and assurance from that person. (In our case, our toddler cries out for me from his bed or from the gate.)

5. Give physical reassurance every night. This can be hugs or kisses or whatever.

6. Do your routine, say goodnight and do not linger. Lingering at the child's bedside tells them that you don't have confidence in their ability to get to sleep.

There may have been more, but I can't think of them right now. I can tell you that this was very useful information for us. I thought I had read it all and tried it all -but the suggestions about physical reassurance and not lingering were important new lessons for us. For physical reassurance and routine, we now add a little routine to the very end of bedtime where we kiss our toddlers body parts one by one and say "goodnight toes, see you tomorrow toes", "goodnight hands, can't wait to see you in the morning hands" and so on. Apparently kids crave this extra physical attention on night and for us, this is a fun way to add a loving touch to this concept. Our child especially likes it when we do this together and each of us kisses one hand or finds a new, silly body part to say goodnight too.

The other suggestions that we are trying is having me read one of the stories. Generally I have not been doing bedtime with our toddler (except to say goodnight) because I am with the kids all day and will often spend the time either putting the baby to bed or just doing chores such as sorting laundry or whatever. I used to look at putting our toddler to bed as a good way for my husband to interact with him, since he really only gets a couple hours in the evening. In the end, I think that there was truth to him needing a bit more time with me to just cuddle and say goodnight.

The last thing that we were told was to leave the room and then if we have to go back in - try the end of the routine again -- and just leave the room again. For us, this means going back in for another "tuck in" and goodnight kisses. We were told to stay calm at all times - this isn't always easy when things get really drawn out, but we are trying. Makes sense to keep things quiet and calm, but again, sometimes easier said than done. Bedtime has been a major stress for us for a while. I can report that it has been much better lately. I have already had some good suggestions on this post and hope that perhaps moving bedtime even earlier will work for us. I am wondering how long other toddlers (who ARE good at getting to bed at night) are sleeping during the day????

Please feel free to post a comment. I am sure this topic will come up again over and over in our household, and it would be nice to be able to browse through the helpful hints and reminders. Have a great day.

Marriage Mondays: Talk & Touch

Okay, so it isn't Monday - but "better late than never", right? Ever since I started posting for Marriage Mondays, I have been receiving feeds and emails from a couple different sources. One of them is Mort Fertel. I think he offers some sort of counselling or something...but he also sends automatic emails on the topic of marriage. For the most part, I have found the emails to be interesting and have decided to continue to receive them. This week, I am posting part of one of these emails as the topic for Marriage Mondays. I hope you enjoy.


==========================================
7 Secrets for Fixing Your Marriage By Mort Fertel
SECRET 2: TALK & TOUCH
==========================================
Did you ever hear the Paul Simon song, "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover"? It's a humorous song about a not-so-funny subject (the break-up of Simon's marriage). I don't want you to hop on a bus or drop off your keys, but the song does make a good point about how to succeed in marriage.

See, the song's ultimate point is that once you make up your mind to do something, action is sure to follow. Whether you decide to leave or love, it's the decision that's most important. Once the decision is in your head, there are 50 ways you could do either.

You want to restore your marriage, right? Good; you know WHAT you want. The only question left is HOW. HOW will you restore your marriage?

Let's be clear about one thing first. It has to be an ACTION. Contrary to popular opinion, love is NOT a feeling. It's a verb; the result of ACTIONS YOU CHOOSE every day.
Okay, but what action?

Within the next 24 hours, I want you to try a Talk Charge and a Touch Charge.
A Talk Charge is a 60 second positive, LOVING, verbal interaction with your spouse about a NON LOGISTICAL matter. It's a fun or frivolous chat.

A Touch Charge is similar, but it uses touch instead of talk. A Touch Charge is a LOVING physical gesture with your spouse. It's not foreplay or an advance for love making; it's just a warm touch for the sake of connecting in that moment...

...Do you want REAL change and LASTING love in your marriage? Then establish the RIGHT HABITS and do them CONSISTENTLY. Talk and touch everyday, for example...

...do you remember when you used to just talk? Not about who's going to pick up the kids, make the dinner, or pay the bill...I mean just talk for the sake of talking. If you're like most couples, you need to start talking again. Tell your spouse about your dreams. Share your fears. Tell a joke. Talk about the interesting person you met today or the experience you had jogging in the park.
In the morning before you part for the day, share something with your spouse. In the middle of day, call your spouse for a Talk Charge. You don't have to be all sweetsie if you don't want to. But make sure you don't discuss anything logistical. And don't fight! Just talk.
You and/or your spouse probably feel you don't get enough attention from each other. As discussed, it could be that you need to talk more. But you also probably need to touch more.
REACH OUT AND TOUCH YOUR SPOUSE TODAY. Make it clear that you're touching them solely to connect in that moment. Try a warm kiss or a gentle rub. Stroke their cheek or play with their feet. It only takes a moment, but the positive energy can carry you through an entire evening....

See more information, including "Today's Advice" at: http://www.marriagemax.com/

Product Review: Natural Instincts Hair Colour

This product review is being blogged mostly for my own reference. Note to self: DO NOT choose shade 27a from Natural Instincts ever again! My hair colour is naturally medium-dark brown and the texture is coarse and wavy. I would consider it to be quite difficult to work with and very difficult to find a compatible new style for. My hair seemed to be only slightly wavy before I got the good ol' 80s perm when I was 16. After that, it seemed to stay really curly. I let it grow for years and ended up with long hair, probably about to my waste at about age 24. I went to hairdresser only on occasion (maybe once a year) and rarely (if ever) used any colouring products (since the 80s cap-highlights, that is). Anyway, in my late twenties my curls were not as predictable and gray hairs were started to rear.

Out of advice from a family member who is a stylist, I started using Natural Instincts. First of all, I need to post a picture of my natural hair colour. I will leave a space here and try to find one!

I had success a few times at around age 30 (including for my wedding) with colour # 28 - Nutmeg, dark brown. This provided solid, all over dark brown colour. Very dark, but very even. This is a do-it-yourself product that claims to be more gentle than permanent colour. It washed out in about 28 shampoos, though I find that darker colours last longer than that. Anyway, I got sick of the dark Nutmeg shade and decided to venture out.

This is my hair before today's not-so-fortunate episode in colouring:

Before - my hair has a few subtle highlights (foils) in these photos

I believe I tried Expresso once before. I think this was about two years ago, after our first son was born. I don't think I liked the results then, so I don't know why I put it into my hair today! This newest chapter in hair colour started a couple days ago when I bought Natural Instincts on sale at Shoppers. The lady there recommended a shade, but when I got home I saw on the box that it was intended for hair that is naturally lighter than mine. I called Clairol and the CR Representative recommended #24 Ash brown. I went back to the store but was confused by all the choices. I also thought that #24 looked really dull on those silly-little hair samples that they have. I called Clairol again today and the person I spoke with recommended #20 Hazelnut, medium brown. I was going to listen, I really was -- too bad they were all out at the store and I decided to throw caution to the wind and try Expresso (forgetting about previous experience).

A disaster

These pictures probably don't really show it - but my hair is really dark with some purple and red colours. Strange. I will be going with a plain, brown selection like #20 or #24 next time...if there is a next time. We'll see how the colour changes after a wash or two...hopefully the weird tones fade out a bit. Anyway, that is my story. I have liked this product in the past, but not the last several time that I used it. I could probably do better by doing the strand test, but who has time for that!!?? I did the colouring today while both kids were napping! Too bad it didn't turn out A cool, new hair colour would have been refreshing!

Missing a Friend

The whole Tim McGraw thing opened up a whole new world for me today-- just what I needed, more distraction on the Internet! Believe it or not, I did not know that you can watch music videos on the Web! Guess what I did tonight after our boy went to bed!? That's right - music videos...

Anyway, my husband and I are often trying to remember the name and artist of a song that we listened to years ago. The song sticks out in my mind because we listened to it after our really good friend passed away. It has often come up in our conversation when we are driving in the county and have come across the Christian message signs reading "what is it to profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul"... You will have to watch the video to understand why this stood out...

Anyway, my mission tonight became finding the song, artist and video! I asked the question on "yahoo questions", but before getting the answer, my husband somehow found the old (very) CD! It was R.Kelly - "I Wish". This is a neat song from an artist who has a "party" rap reputation. I like it because he is feeling "called" to leading a good life and even back to church to heal his pain over a lost friend. Watch for yourself:

http://video.music.yahoo.com/up/music/music/?rn=1301797&vid=2143461&stationId=&curl=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.music.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2F%3Fm%3Dall%26p%3Di%2Bwish

Some of my other favorite video links of the moment (just for fun):

Usher "Burn"

R.Kelly "Ignition"

-- by the way, check out "Ignition", it is a really "feel good" song :) Lots of fun!!!

In My Daughters Eyes

I thought that since I was on the topic of parenting and family, that I would add these links to a great song by Martina McBride, called "In My Daughter's Eyes". I particularly enjoyed this song when Martina performed it at the giant baby shower that Oprah had for military wives. They were all pregnant, so there were lots of tears happening!!! Celine Dion has also performed very touching songs about motherhood.

Martina McBride:

http://www.petsynergy.com/Eyes.html

http://www.oprah.com/tows/slide/200410/20041011/slide_20041011_206.jhtml

Celine Dion:

http://www.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/tows_2002/tows_past_20020325.jhtml

http://video.music.yahoo.com/up/music/music/?rn=1301797&vid=2170761&stationId=&curl=http%3A%2F%2Fmusic.yahoo.com%2Ftrack%2F2134111

Live Like You Were Dying

I really don't listen to much country music, but lately I have been struck by the song, "Live Like You Were Dying" by Tim McGraw. Why did the lyrics to this song catch my attention? Probably partly because I am constantly giving thought to how I can live the richest and most authentic and happy life possible. This includes being the kind of person that people would have good things to say about and fond memories of. As a mother, this is always a consideration for me because I seem to spend a lot of time being serious, worrying and trying to guide my toddler with loving discipline. As a wife and a mother, who do I want to be and how would I like to be remembered? Things song makes me think about that for sure.

I am pasting the lyrics below and have highlighted the ones that I identify the most. I have also posted a link to Yahoo Music Videos. Who knew!? I think I'll to now to watch some videos!!! Anyway, I hope you enjoy. I would love to hear from you if you, too, are struck by this song and how it relates to your life and your role as parent and spouse.

Blessings.


Listen to the song:
http://members.vpchat.com/skye46/LiveLike.html

Watch the video:
http://video.music.yahoo.com/up/music/music/?rn=1301797&vid=2170761&stationId=&curl=http%3A%2F%2Fmusic.yahoo.com%2Ftrack%2F2134111

Lyrics:
Song: Live Like You Were Dying

He said I was in my early forties with a lot of life before me when a moment came that stopped me on a dime
and I spent most of the next dayslooking at the x-rays
Talking bout the options and talking bout sweet time
I asked him when it sank in that this might really be the real end
how's it hit you when you get that kinda news
man what'd you do
and he said I went sky diving
I went Rocky Mountain climbing
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named FuManchu
and I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter
and I gave forgiveness I'd been denying
and he said someday I hope you get the chance to live like you were dying.

He said I was finally the husband that most the time I wasn't
and I became a friend a friend would like to have
and all the sudden going fishin wasn't such an imposition
and I went three times that year I lost my dad
well I finally read the good book
and I took a good long hard look at
what I'd do if I could do it all again

and then I went sky diving
I went Rocky Mountain climbing
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named FuManchuand
I loved deeper
and I spoke sweeter
and I gave forgiveness I'd been denying
and he said someday I hope you get the chance to live like you were dying.
Like tomorrow was a gift and you got eternity to think about
what'd you do with it what did you do with it what did I do with it
what would I do with it'

Sky diving I went Rocky Mountain climbing
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named FuManchuand
then I loved deeper
and I spoke sweeter
and I watched an eagle as it was flying
and he said someday I hope you get the chance to
live like you were dying.

To live like you were dying
To live like you were dying
To live like you were dying
To live like you were dying

Toonie Tuesdays: Wanted Ads

Just popping on there quickly to post a suggestion for this weeks entry of "Toonie Tuesdays". My suggestion is the use of free on-line classifieds and "Wanted" ads. I have had great luck with wanted ads on free classified sites. I think they work so well for a couple of reasons:

(1) Some people may have the items you are looking for but may not have realized that they would be of any interest to anyone else

(2) The potential seller may not have the time or the computer confidence to bother with posting "For Sale" ads.

(3) The potential seller may have forgotten that they even had the item until they see your "wanted ad" (basements, attics and garages can be places of great mystery!)

If you want to find good on line classified sites in your area - just go to Google and enter "free classifieds + your town name). Example: "free classifieds + Windsor"

TIPS for posting FREE WANTED ADS:

1. Post a picture. This always helps to draw attention to your ad and to give readers a clear view of what you are after. If you know the exact name and brand, go to Google Search, enter the information and choose "images" search, instead of "web" search. If you don't have a specific brand in mind, just do the same but with the type of item such as "futon couch". You will have many photos to choose from and can pick something that is close to what you might be hoping to buy. SAVE the photo to a new folder on your computer called "Wanted Items". This will make them readily available for future use.
2. Do not post the price you are willing to pay for an item. The seller may have a cheaper price in mind. Once they tell you what they are hoping to get, the ball is in your court.You are probably best to let them tell you what they are asking and then you can either go ahead with their price or offer less. A general rule of thumb for any used item seems to be that people can ask for 40-60% of the retail price. 40 is probably more reasonable. Items that are new and in the original packaging may bring in a higher price.
3. Ask questions. Buyer beware. If you have standards up front, list them in your ad. (Example: must come from smoke free home).

Another place to look if you are interested in posting "Wanted ads" is in Yahoo Groups. Go to Yahoo.com, select "Groups" and search the name of your town. If there are too many groups to sort through, you may have to narrow down your search criteria. Look for groups that focus on buying and selling, trading or swapping or free stuff. Freecycle is a popular group in many areas. You can sign up for "daily digest" so that you receive a reduced number of emails that are summaries of all the postings (instead of individual postings).

Hope you have enjoyed this. If you would like to view my other Toonie Tuesday ideas for saving money - click on the link in the side panel.