Winners

This week has completely gotten away from me and I'm so sorry that I'm just now posting these winners! The holidays have been super busy and now we're diving into selling our house and buying a new one.



Don't forget that the Style event starts tomorrow so be sure to put the button up and comment on THIS post for extra entries into the first few giveaways.

-The Kolcraft Jeep Wrangler Unlimited g-edition™ Stroller Giveaway had 1913 comments and the winner is:
Kim

-The Baby Bjorn Organic Baby Carrier Original Giveaway had 606 comments and the winner is:
Tiffany

-The Playmobil Giveaway had 623 comments and the winner is:
Janice

-The Hasbro Games giveaway had 823 comments and the winner is:
MommaWad09

-The Moxie Girlz Doll Giveaway had 480 comments and the winner is:
Emily Armstrong

-The Evenflo Exersaucer Giveaway had 931 comments and the winner is:
MrsMcKnight

-The Misikko 1.5" Hana Professional Flat Iron Giveaway had 1167 comments and the winner is:
Nicole

Wordless Wednesday-Rockin' Out

I'm not sure if I've ever posted this picture, but it is one of my favorites. This is Evan rockin out when he was 10 months old.



If you have a Wordless Wednesday on your blog, leave your link here so I am sure to visit!


For more Wordless Wednesday go check out 5 minutes for mom and 7 Clown Circus!

Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro

My computer crashed a few weeks ago and I lost some of the programs that I had on it. The photo editing software that I had was Paint Shop Pro. It was hard for me to learn and I never found a good tutorial in it so I never used it much. Since my aunts knew that I couldn't find my software for it, they got me Paint Shop Pro Ultimate PHOTO x2 for Christmas.

Before they got that for me, I was thinking of trying Photoshop. I've heard so many of you talk about how wonderful it was, so I thought I'd give it a shot instead of Paint Shop Pro.

So now I need your help. Should I stick with PSP or take it back and get Photoshop instead? I've asked on twitter and facebook, but am getting mixed suggestions.

ALSO, do you have any good websites with tutorials for either of them? How did you learn how to use them? Any help would be great-I have a fantastic camera, I just need to learn how to use photo editing software!

These are the two that I'm thinking about.

Paint Shop Pro Photo X2


OR

Adobe Photoshop Elements 8

Got Giveaways? 12/29

Please feel free to link up to as many of your giveaways as you'd like. If you linked up last week and your giveaway is still going on, please link up again!

If you could let other people know that I'm doing this, I'd really appreciate it. It's not mandatory, but it would be great if you could add my button to your blog or send a tweet out to get people here and post their giveaways!

Also, don't forget that the Start The New Year With Style event starts Jan 1st. You can read more about it on THIS POST and be sure to grab the button AND leave a comment on that post for even more extra entries into the first few giveaways!




Please link to the specific post for each giveaway-NOT just your blog! I will delete your link if it does not go directly to the giveaway..

Our Christmas

I hope you all have had a great week. Two of my aunts were in town for Christmas so I was MIA to spend time with them and the rest of my family. We had a great time and ate way too much. I'm still not going to be around as much due to the fact that I need to put my house back in order. One of the kids may even have to move out so that I can fit all of the new toys and randomness in my house!

Here are a few pictures from the past few days.

This is my "You Might Be A Redneck If..." picture. We piled up in the back of hubby's truck to go look at Christmas lights.


Christmas Eve


Christmas Morning



She was all about the paper. The Prince Lionheart BebePOD was perfect for her to sit in and open her presents.


I made a Santa cake with the cake pan that I won at Sitting On The Mood Swing... to take to the nursing home where my Grandma is on Christmas day. I forgot to take a picture of it after I was completely done, but I was pretty close to being done here.


I wanted to try and get a family picture yesterday and this is the best out of the bunch.


Did you write a post about your holiday fun? If so, link up so that I don't miss it!

Merry Christmas

My family is in town and I will be gone for the next few days. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas. I can't wait to get back and see everyone's pictures. I'll put up a linky when I post mine so be sure to come link up so that I don't miss your Christmas pictures post!

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. ~Burton Hillis



And the angel said unto them, "Fear not! For, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, Which shall be to all people. "For unto you is born this day in the city of David A Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, Lying in a manger.
St. Luke 2:10-12

Shred Sled Review

I was not blessed with a lot of coordination. I have always been envious of those that can gracefully hop on a skateboard and ride off. It took me forever to learn how to use one and I still didn't look too great riding it.



I am now trying to master the Shred Sled. The Shred Sled is the first 4 wheel in line caster board. It is easier to control than older 2-wheel generation boards. It combines the movements of snowboarding, surfing and skateboarding into one unique sport.

We were sent a black Shred Sled.


The Shred Sled consists of two boards that are coupled with a flexible connector that allow both boards to rotate around the vertical and horizontal axes so it's easy to maneuver. The decks are made of ABS material and features 4 x 80mm polyurethane wheels. The ABEC-5 bearings are smoother and stronger than standard hardware so that they rarely need to be replaced.

Instead of pushing off the board like a regular skateboard, riders use their hips, legs, and arms to move the board. When you first try the Shred Sled, it is best to stand beside a wall or something you can hold on to for support. Place your preferred foot on the center of the sand paper on the front plate, then put your other foot on the rear plate. Hold on to the wall to balance your body and make the board flat where the sides are not touching the ground. After the board is moving, twist your hips and legs to make it go forward. After you've figured out how to make the board move forward, you're ready to try turns and other tricks.

My 12 year old sister, 18 year old brother, and my dad all caught on pretty quickly. My sister needed something to hold on to for balance at first, but was able to ride it without support after about 5 minutes. My dad and brother just jumped right on and started gliding.


After they had all mastered how to go straight, they tried to turn. They kept switching off and taught themselves how to make a turn and keep going. Within 30 minutes, they could all ride the board, turn it, and then go the other way. I am uncoordinated so it took me a little longer to get the hang of it. I'm still not as good at it as they are. My brother's friend came over and hopped right on and started riding. He could cut turns and do other small tricks within 15 minutes of using it.


We all had a great time using the Shred Sled. If you're looking for a fun product that the whole family can use, the Shred Sled would make a great gift.

Buy It!
You can purchase the Shred Sled for $119.99.

This was not a paid post and honest opinions were used. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others. Thank you to The Shred Sled who supplied the product for review.

Wordless Wednesday-Over The Years With Santa...

This is my third Christmas that I've been a mom. Here are our pictures with Santa over the past three years.

Evan at 4 months in 2007.


Evan at 16 months in 2008 with My husband, brother, sister, and I(Isabella was in my tummy).


Evan at 2 and Isabella at 4 months in 2009.


If you have a Wordless Wednesday on your blog, leave your link here so I am sure to visit!




For more Wordless Wednesday go check out 5 minutes for mom and 7 Clown Circus!

Holiday Recipes Using Swanson® Premium White Chunk Chicken Breast And Giveaway

I can't believe that the holiday season is already here. I'm incredibly busy and need easy recipes that I can throw together for my family.


Swanson® Premium White Chunk Chicken Breast is great to use when I don't want to worry about having to cook chicken. It is made with ONLY white chicken breast and contains no preservatives or artificial flavors. The chicken is fully cooked and cut into pieces so it's quick and simple to prepare. Here are a few recipes that look incredibly yummy.

Chicken & Vegetable Bake

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Celery Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)

1/2 cup milk

1 cup cooked broccoli flowerets

OR cauliflowerets

1 cup cooked sliced carrot

1 cup cooked cut green beans

2 can (4.5 ounces each) Swanson® Premium White Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained

dash Ground black pepper

1 can (2.8 ounces) French's® French Fried Onions (1 1/3 cups)

1/4 cup cooked red pepper strips (optional)

• Stir the soup, milk, broccoli, carrots, beans, chicken, black pepper, 1/2 can onions and red pepper, if desired, in a 1 1/2-quart casserole.
• Bake at 350°F. for 25 minutes or until the chicken mixture is hot and bubbling. Stir the chicken mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining onions.
• Bake for 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.
• Serving Suggestion: Serve with a tossed salad with ranch dressing with crusty Italian bread. For dessert serve pineapple chunks.

Chicken Pot Pie

1 package (15 ounces) refrigerated pie crust (2 crusts)

1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell's® Chicken Gravy

3 cups cooked cut-up vegetables *

2 cans (4.5 ounces each) Swanson® Premium White Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained

• Let the pie crusts stand at room temperature for 15 minutes or until they're easy to handle. Place 1 pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate.
• Stir the gravy, vegetables and chicken in a medium bowl. Spoon the chicken mixture into the pie plate. Place the remaining pie crust over the filling. Press the edges to seal. Cut several slits in the top crust.
• Bake at 400°F. for 45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
• *Use a combination of sliced carrots, peas and cubed potatoes.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup blue cheese salad dressing

1/2 cup any flavor Frank's® RedHot® Sauce

2 ounce crumbled blue cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese (about 1/2 cup)

2 cans (9.75 ounces each) Swanson® Premium White Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained

Assorted fresh vegetables and Pepperidge Farm® crackers

• Heat the oven to 350°F.
• Stir the cream cheese in a 9-inch deep dish pie plate with a fork or whisk until it's smooth. Stir in the dressing, hot sauce and blue cheese. Stir in the chicken.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until the chicken mixture is hot and bubbling. Stir the chicken mixture before serving. Serve with the vegetables and crackers for dipping.
• To make in the microwave: Use a microwavable 9-inch deep dish pie plate. Prepare the dip as directed above in Step 2. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH for 5 minutes or until the chicken mixture is hot, stirring halfway through the cook time.
• To reduce the fat: Use 1/3 less fat cream cheese and reduced-fat blue cheese salad dressing.

You can view more recipes that use Swanson® Premium White Chunk Chicken Breast HERE.

Win It!!

Swanson is giving one of my readers FIVE coupon vouchers for cans of Swanson® Premium White Chunk Chicken Breast!

To enter, take a look at the other Swanson recipes and tell me one that you think looks yummy! This is required and must be done before the extra entries count!

EXTRA ENTRIES!
You can do any of these things for an extra entry. Make sure to leave a separate comment for EACH thing you do.

1- Subscribe to my blog via email.

2- Follow my blog via google friend.

3- For TWO extra entries, blog about this giveaway and link it back to this post and Swanson.

4- Follow twoofakind AND Swanson Chicken on twitter and tweet about this giveaway. You can Tweet once a day for an extra entry every day! You can copy and paste: Win FIVE cans of @Swansonchicken Premium White Chunk Chicken Breast @twoofakind http://tinyurl.com/ycv8vh6

5- Place the 'Start The New Year With Style' button on your blog.

6- Follow my blog in a reader(click on posts in the section under my buttons and choose the reader you'd like to follow in).

7- Become a fan of Two Of A Kind... on Facebook.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on January 8th when I will draw a winner at random. PLEASE leave your email address if it is not visible on your profile. I will notify the winner and they will have 36 hours to respond!

Open to US only.

This was not a paid post and honest opinions were used. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others. Thank you to Swanson who supplied the vouchers for the giveaway and 1 voucher for me to keep for review.

Got Giveaways? 12/22

Please feel free to link up to as many of your giveaways as you'd like. If you linked up last week and your giveaway is still going on, please link up again!

If you could let other people know that I'm doing this, I'd really appreciate it. It's not mandatory, but it would be great if you could add my button to your blog or send a tweet out to get people here and post their giveaways!


Please link to the specific post for each giveaway-NOT just your blog! I will delete your link if it does not go directly to the giveaway.

Pretend Play Kitchens Primary Toaster Set Review And Giveaway

Evan has become a big "helper" in the kitchen. I can't cook without him pushing his stool over to where I am. He says "See Momma, See!", so I have to scoot over and let him see what I'm doing.



Pretend Play Kitchens offers several kitchens and accessories so that Evan can "cook" with me. Their sets are made from wood by KidKraft and Guidecraft. They are made to last for generations and are great for children of all ages.

Pretend Play Kitchens sent us the Primary Toaster Set.


The Primary Toaster Set is made for children over 3 and features blue and red colors that make it perfect for boys or girls. Children can take their toaster in the kitchen and help parents make breakfast. This 9-piece set includes a toaster, a stick of butter held together by Velcro, 2 slices of toast, 1 butter plate, and 1 butter knife.


This toaster is so much fun. You can press down the lever and makes the toast go down. They then press the button on the side to have the toast pop back up. The stick of butter has several pieces that are held together with Velcro. Use the butter knife to "slice" the butter to put on the bread.

I am very impressed with how well made the toaster is. The wood is durable and isn't something that Evan can easily break. The set is completely realistic and makes it where Evan can help without getting hurt by real kitchen gadgets.

Visit Pretend Play Kitchens for more gift ideas.

Buy It!
The Primary Toaster Set is on sale for $37.99(normally $49.99). Pretend Play Kitchens offers FREE shipping on all orders!

Win It!!
Pretend Play Kitchens is giving one of my readers a Primary Toaster Set.

To enter, visit Pretend Play Kitchens and tell me another product that you'd like to have. This is required and must be done before the extra entries count!

EXTRA ENTRIES!
You can do any of these things for an extra entry. Make sure to leave a separate comment for EACH thing you do.

1- Subscribe to my blog via email.

2- Follow my blog via google friend.

3- For THREE extra entries, blog about this giveaway and link it back to this post and Pretend Play Kitchens.

4- Follow twoofakind AND Pretend Play Kitchens on twitter and tweet about this giveaway. You can Tweet once a day for an extra entry every day! You can copy and paste: WIN a Wooden Toaster Play Set from @playkitchen during #MistletoeMadness @twoofakind http://tinyurl.com/yatdvca #Giveaway ends 1/8

5- Place the 'Start The New Year With Style' button on your blog.

6- Sign up for the newsletter at Pretend Play Kitchens and receive $5 off of your order!

7- Become a fan of Pretend Play Kitchens On Facebook.

8- Enter the Your Baby Can Read Giveaway on Jennifer's blog.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on January 8th when I will draw a winner at random. PLEASE leave your email address if it is not visible on your profile. I will notify the winner and they will have 36 hours to respond!

Open to US only.

This was not a paid post and honest opinions were used. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others. Thank you to Pretend Play Kitchens who supplied the products for the giveaway.

Winners

I wrote this post and emailed the winners, then forgot to publish it! I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who is taking the times to visit these sponsors and enter their giveaways! Mistletoe Madness isn't quite over yet and we still have more new giveaways to go up.

Have you grabbed the Style Event button? Remember to comment on THIS POST so that you get extra entries for grabbing it early!

-The Safety 1st Air Protect Car Seat Giveaway had 1214 comments and the winner is:
Stacey

-The Bei Bambini Giveaway had 540 comments and the winners are:
Set 1-MiMi
Set 2-Wina

-The Swinx Game Console Giveaway had 503 comments and the winner is:
jav0201

-The Sprig Dolphin Boat Giveaway had 411 comments and the winner is:
April

-The Medela Nursing Camisole Giveaway had 261 comments and the winner is:
Christy

-The Darda Race Track Giveaway had 326 comments and the winner is:
~**~Miracle~**~

Congrats to the winners! They have all been emailed and have 3 days to get back in touch with me.

K'NEX Sesame Street Neighborhood Collection: Police Station Review

Evan is at the stage where he likes to build things. He'll put his train tracks together or build houses with blocks and drive his cars through them. It is so fascinating to watch his little imagination soar.



K'NEX has several sets available for Evan to build with. They distribute their products in over 30 countries. and strive to provide safe, effective, innovative, and distinctive brands that truly delight the senses of sight and touch at every age. They also provide BRIO trains and toys and Lincoln Logs in North America.

K'NEX sent Evan the Sesame Street Neighborhood Collection: Police Station.


The set is meant for children over 2 and includes 44 parts. There is a buildable Elmo and Ernie that are ready to report for duty. The set is completely compatible with the other three Neighborhood Collections so that children can use all of the pieces to make the whole town. A "Play & Learn" activity sheet with additional building ideas is included to provide children with even more play.


Evan has had a blast with the Police Station. He loves the windows and always is sure to include them in his "designs". At this stage, he doesn't care about the directions or how you're supposed to put the pieces together, he just stacks them all up. I like how the set also includes a stop sign and stop light to make it more realistic. I plan on purchasing the Police Car that I know Evan will enjoy driving through the neighborhood that he builds.


The only thing that I don't like is that there is no storage included. With 44 pieces, the set can be a mom's nightmare if there isn't a way to contain them. I went out and purchased a plastic shoe box size container at the dollar store so that I could keep the parts together.

The Police Station has provided Evan with hours of fun and I would recommend it to anyone with a child that enjoys building.

You can also enter for a chance to win one of 100 Sesame Streets sets for your child HERE. Simply leave your email address. Hurry, this offer ends on December 31, 2009.

Visit K'NEX to view all of their other great gift ideas.

Buy It!
You can purchase the Sesame Street Neighborhood Collection: Police Station for $20.99 at Toys R Us.

This was not a paid post and honest opinions were used. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others. Thank you to K'NEX who supplied the product for review as part of a Team Mom Campaign.

Isabella At 4 Months

I was pretty slack this month. Isabella turned 4 months on December 5th, and I just got her into a 4 month doctor appointment last week.

She's still long and skinny. At 4 1/2 months, she weighed in at 11 pounds, 12 ounces(8%) and was 25 3/4 inches tall(90%). I was/am a little worried about her head because it is only 15 1/4"(8%). They even checked it three times to make sure. The doctor said that developmentally, Isabella is perfectly fine, so it should be OK.

We decided to start her on baby cereal to try and fatten her up a little bit. Friday night was the first time she had cereal and at first she made a face and spit it out. After a few minutes she would reach for the spoon and try to get it in her mouth herself. She would still push it out with her tongue, but that is just part of learning to eat.


She went through a week or two where she was waking up 2 times at night, but now she's back to sleeping most of the night. She goes down around 9:30pm and wakes up at 6am to eat, then goes back to sleep until 10-11am.

She rolls all over the house and takes it all in. She's starting to play with toys(AKA chew on them) and will scoot herself to get closer to whatever she wants to put in her mouth. If she gets too close to one of Evan's toys, he'll go and say "NO baby, mine!". I tell him he needs to share and he'll usually put it back down on the floor and show her how to play with it.

She's my little thumb sucker. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about that when she gets older. As soon as she starts to get a little fussy, she'll stick her thumb right in her mouth. My mom calls her the Simpson baby, but instead of the paci, it's her thumb.

She's very mild mannered and will always go along with the flow. She almost never cries. The only time you hear from her is if she's really sleepy or hungry. Usually if she's sleepy she'll just put her thumb in her mouth and put herself to sleep.

Just for comparison and so I have it recorded somewhere else, Evan was 12 pounds, 15 ounces and 25 1/2 inches long at 4 months.

Great Gifts From The Children's Place

I am a huge fan of The Children's Place. I can purchase quality clothes for a fraction of the cost that I would spend at many other stores. In addition to clothes, The Children's Place also has some great accessories and gift ideas such as books and watches.



The Children's Places sent us a monkey board book, 2 penguins, cat in her hat, and the cozy monster hat.


I have had the biggest laugh with these hats. You can't possibly look at a child wearing one of these and not smile. They cover their whole head and ears to keep my kids warm and cozy. Here is Evan wearing his monster hat outside.


Isabella has a really tiny head, but here she is wearing her cat hat and holding her penguin.


The Children's Place was super sweet and sent both kids a penguin. Evan's has a blue scarf and hat, where Isabella's penguin is sporting pink. They are two of the softest stuffed animals that I have ever felt. I want to keep rubbing them against my face. Evan loves to cuddle with his penguin. He's holding his penguin while reading his book in the picture below.


The Silly Brown Monkey, What Do You Wish For? board book has whimsical illustrations that keep Evan's attention. The book features several different animals and Evan will point to them and do the sound that they make. This has become his new favorite book that he likes to read to Isabella.

Be sure to visit The Children's Place to see all of their other great gift ideas!

This was not a paid post and honest opinions were used. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others. Thank you to The Children's Place supplied the products for review.