When I got the opportunity to review “Pinterest for Dummies” by Kelby Carr, I jumped at the chance!  In case you don’t know Pinterest, this is an amazing tool that lets you “pin” pictures to a board a you create.  These pictures mostly come from around the web … so when you find an article that you love with a great photo, you can pin.  I use my Pinterest board most frequently for pinning luscious looking recipes that are gluten-free.  The image links to the original content.  You can also upload pictures to Pinterest.

This book will teach you creative, strategic ways to use Pinterest, plus I was interested in more advanced functionality.  No worries there.  In “Pinterest for Dummies,” Ms. Carr takes you from beginner set up all the way through suggested uses, community building, and socializing strategies.  Since this is a “Dummies” series book, you don’t need to know a thing to get started, basically a computer, internet, and a social media account will get you going.

I’m always concerned with legalities of what I’m doing on the web and Ms. Carr details exactly the limitations and regulations of using Pinterest, complete with etiquette rules so you don’t make any major screw ups.  I recommend this book.  It’s a quick read and covers everything you need to know about Pinterest.

Giveaway
For your chance to win your own copy of “Pinterest for Dummies” and master this awesome, traffic-driving tool, please answer the following question in the comments below:

What would you like to most learn from “Pinterest for Dummies”?

Deadline
This contest will run through 3:00 PM, EST, on Friday, May 25th, 2012.

Rules
This contest is only open to U.S. residents. All contestants must be over 18 years of age.

Winner
On or within a few days of 5/25/12, I will select one winner at random. Entries will be entered in order and one number will be selected at Randomizer.org. I will then contact the winner and the contest coordinator, who will then require your contact information to coordinate your prize. No information will be stored or used for any other purpose.  Winner MUST contact me within 48 hours of sending notice.  If I do not hear back within 48 hours, I will select a new winner.

Good luck!

Best of all, right now, Mom-Blog readers will get 10% off their entire order when they enter the code: BLOGMOM.

Lil Jelly Beans was started by Mrs. Carmen, a stay at home mother of 4, whose passion is finding bargains.  Family and friends help her seek out these bargains and share them at large so that the rest of us can buy awesome clothing at awesome prices.  You can save up 80% off retail, and Lil Jelly Bean off 100% free shipping to all continental US customers.  You can also sell your clothes there.  Lil Jelly Beans has a free kit that can help you get started.

They specialize in new and gently-used baby and kids’ clothes, sizes newborn to 12.  Brand names include Gap, Ralph Lauren, Gymboree, and Guess to name a few.  You can also find nursery items, toys, and accessories.

I had no idea why all this was going on, and I thought about it very hard, prayed on it, and thought some more.

It’s actually very simple what’s going on:

No matter what choices, decisions, disciplines or rewards I have set down for Zoe, I am unsure if any of them measure up to what my little girl needs.

This is not so with Amelia.  I can look back and recall the year and a half that time outs were a an excellent and effective tool.  I can even look back at that desperate time when they failed, and the scramble to find new things that work and the very slow, long journey to a renewed discipline approach with Amelia, which was complimented by her attaining a certain level of maturity.

When I look back at my time and approach with Zoe, this is not so.  I’ve got nothing, except a brittle connection between that when she has dairy, she doesn’t sleep.  That’s it.  There’s nothing else I can pin down.  What works today, may not work tomorrow.  What diet changes we do, are they enough?  When things fail, I’m lost: is this die off, is this frustration, is this more poison in her body?

What if, what else, what now?

That’s autism.

Pardon me if I’m not going to be one of those people who champion what a great thing it is that my daughter’s brain functions so uniquely!  Because I’m having a really hard (difficult, impossible, nonexistent) time training her up in how to live life at all.  I’m stumped on potty training.  I’m confused on the biting / self-biting, what causes it, what will stop it.  I have no idea if she understand stop signs or faith or danger.

I’m not trying to be self-involved when I tell you I feel like a failure.  I just don’t have any friggin’ proof that I’m doing a single thing right.  Or wrong.

It’s a mystery.

So it seems to me, in conversations I’ve had with friends of faith, of sermons and songs and scriptures that have caught me off guard, that perhaps there isn’t anything I can do.  Perhaps, this child rearing project must completely be in God’s hands.  Go forth with the diet, but understand that it may only be a small pitiful illusion of control in a thing I can’t even get a basic grip on.

Surrender it, trust God, and try not to hide the fact that I’m crossing my fingers behind my back.

Wish me luck.

Images: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Aziza’s jewelry is unique because she makes all of her glass beads herself, using a process called lampworking.  She uses a 3000 degree gas torch to melt Italian glass and reshaipe it into beads. How fun!

Check out her Etsy Shop.

Coupon Code
All Mom-Blog readers right now  get a coupon code.  Enter MB15AG for 15% off every purchase from Aziza’s shop. This is a special coupon code just for you and  will be good for the next month until June 14, 2012.

Giveaway
You mandatory entry is to comment below with what your favorite jewelry is.

Additional Entries:
For extra entries, please comment with what you have done on  the following, and be sure to include the link and/or your Twitter name or email so I can verify.

• Tweet about this giveaway:
  #Giveaway: Sterling Silver Personalize Necklace , http://mom-blog.com/?p=6260 @ginabad

Deadline
This contest will run through 3:00 PM, EST, on Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012.

Rules
This contest is only open to U.S. residents. All contestants must be over 18 years of age.

Winner
On or within a few days of 5/22/12, I will select one winner at random. Entries will be entered in order and one number will be selected at Randomizer.org. I will then contact the winner and the contest coordinator, who will then require your contact information to coordinate your prize. No information will be stored or used for any other purpose.  Winner MUST contact me within 48 hours of sending notice.  If I do not hear back within 48 hours, I will select a new winner.

Good luck!

My opinion?  This book is a “must have” for all first time moms.  Wynne shows you the in’s and out’s of everything you will need to get ready for baby, and how to save money doing it.  She gives you lots of options to save money, so not all of them will apply, but many will.  The basics of how to save money are reviewed first, then a primer on couponing – even if you don’t plan on becoming an extreme couponer, these tips will help!  She covers where and how to get freebies, how to save on diapers,  what items are necessary – and what you can do without.  Wynne gives you multiple options for finding cheap or free places to score everything from diapers to furniture.

Wynne wrote this book based on her own research on how to save money when she was pregnant.  The average American family spends $23,000 in the first 2 years of a baby’s life, but she was determined not to go into debt.  Wynne shares methods she’s used and mastered over the years.  She even reviews top toys and other desirable, unnecessary items, like bouncers and jumpers, and provides a host of resources for you get coupons, bargains, and find deals.

Giveaway
“The Baby Cheapskate Guide to Bargains” is the ultimate guide to preparing for a baby on a tight budget, and you can win a copy of this books today.

Mandatory Entry
Comment below on Rafflecopter with why you’d like to win this book.

Deadline
This contest will run through 12:01 AM, EST, on Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012.

Rules
This contest is only open to U.S. residents. All contestants must be over 18 years of age.

Winner
On or within a few days of 5/22/12, I will select one winner at random. Entries will be entered in order and one number will be selected at with Rafflecopter. I will then contact the winner and the contest coordinator, who will then require your contact information to coordinate your prize. No information will be stored or used for any other purpose.  Winner MUST contact me within 48 hours of sending notice.  If I do not hear back within 48 hours, I will select a new winner.

**Good luck!**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I was provided a copy of this book to facilitate my review.  All opinions are my own.

What about war-torn countries?  It always breaks my heart when I see kids with disabilities abroad, because I cannot imagine what their kids are suffering or how helpless their families must feel.  Ekhlas, an Iraqi mother of five, is one of the many mothers that have uprooted their families in Iraq to save their children – you know you would do the same. For Iraqi refugees, like the Ibrahim family, war, violence and toxins have made the situation worse.  I can’t even imagine what it’s like to raise a disabled child in one of these countries.

Since 2008 the legal nonprofit, the Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project, has successfully relocated over 1000 Iraqi refugees into safe communities and lobbied for more accommodating legal legislation.  Recently, they helped to  relocate  the Ibrahim family to the United States.  Now their children can get the help they need and grow up able to

School of Rock offers  summer rock performance camps at their campus throughout the summer.  Camps run Monday through Friday, from 10:00 AM  to 3:00 PM.  Students get to rock out the entire time, taking private lessons, working in groups, and rehearsing as a band!

Any Mom-Blog readers will get a 15% off discount right now
if they sign up before May 31, 2012.

Their (really incredibly awesome sounding) camps are:
Grunge Rock – June 25-29
Xtreme Metal – July 23-27
Led Zeppelin – August 6-10
Beatles VS Stones – July 9-20 (2 week camp, M-F)

They also have a new program specially designed for 3-6 year olds. Check out all the camps.

Just so you know, I would have taken that Led Zeppelin one as a teen, in a heart beat.  Have I not told you my 13 year old rock band tryout?  I lasted a day, then got some weird kind of strep but I landed it by wailing “Whole Lotta Love”.  Awesome.  For now, I have to wait and hope there is singing in heaven, of the hard core variety

Welcome to the Louis Vuitton Giveaway Event!

**Powered by Madame Deals and Slop Swap**

Along with our hosts:

Go Momma Coupons
This Mama Loves Her Bargains
Dixie Lands Deals Product Reviews
Flabby Fashionista
Saving More Than Me

Present this Louis Vuitton Giveaway Event!

Giveaway will run May 12 12:01 am EST thru June 12 11:59 pm EST

You have a lot of chances to WIN! Complete the mandatory entry and unlock the bonus entries.

Bonus entries are Facebook likes.

Wait for the Rafflecopter to load and enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

That’s why I’m psyched to introduce you to Made from Earth.  Their Holistic Honey Body Lotion is one of the few body care products I’ve found where I didn’t have to look anything up after reading the label!  The same thing goes for their Organic Lip Balm.  I love both these products!

The lotion is very creamy, smoothing on your skin almost like a liquid, then instantly disappears, leaving your skin soft and moisturized.  It has a light natural scent, no harsh perfumy-ness or anything like that.  Even my  husband liked it and, yes, I can recommend it for, ahem, massage   A perfect Mother’s Day treat!

The lip balm was great too. I’m pretty fussy about these, but this one is great, lightly scented and flavored with blueberry.  Again, the balm is soft and creamy, not at all thick or gooey, and feels lovely on my lips.

I highly recommend these products, and encourage you to check out Made from Earth’s other products.

Disclaimer: A sample of these products was sent to me to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

That’s not acceptable for the way and frequency that we vacation around here.  My kids’ biggest thrill is swimming, and #2 is theme park attendance, so we need it.  On our recent trip to Myrtle Beach, we were forced to use it the junky stuff, even though I did my best to buy one that looked “ok.”  Swimming indoors is fine, but outside is completely different.  Even with the low temps and the sunblock, Zoe got really dark, Amelia turned a bit pink, and Chris and I got a sun burnt.

So, when I learned about Beyond Coastal, I can tell you, I was beyond thrilled!  You see, Beyond Coastal makes a natural sunscreen that is:

• gluten-free
• fragrance-free
• cruelty-free
• Oxybenzone Free
• Paraben Free
• Oil Free

Four of their products got a good rating on the EWG Skin Deep Sunscreen Report for 2011.  I can live with that, because this summer we are headed south for much more fun in the sun this  June!

The Active Sunscreen and Natural Clear Sunscreen, both SPF30+, were used for a baseball game last week.  The creams were thick and had to be rubbed in, but I suppose that’s a good thing! It kept my fair-skinned baby protected at the outing.  I tried the Active Face Stick, which glided on nice and smooth, thanks I’m sure to the coconut oil.  (It’s also water resistant.)  The Natural Sunscreen 30+ was soft and smooth and glided right onto skin.  Amelia also liked the Citrus Grove Active Lip Balm, which was the first balm she actually let me put on her.  She had chapped lips for some reason, and it cleared them up after a day.

These products work and have no toxic scent, either odorless or a light, pleasant smell (Active Sunscreen had shea butter).  I’m comfortable using the products that are listed in the database, namely the products labelled “Natural”.  I cannot let my kids out in the sun without protection, and now thanks to Beyond Coastal, I don’t have to!

Beyond Coastal is giving away a kit with all these products and a holder bag, as shown below:

Giveaway:
To enter, leave a comment below answering the following question:

What is your family’s favorite fun in the sun activity?

Deadline
This contest will run through 3:00 PM, EST, on Thursday, May 24th, 2012.

Rules
This contest is only open to U.S. residents. All contestants must be over 18 years of age.

Winner
On or within a few days of 5/24/12, I will select one winner at random. Entries will be entered in order and one number will be selected at Randomizer.org. I will then contact the winner and the contest coordinator, who will then require your contact information to coordinate your prize. No information will be stored or used for any other purpose.  Winner MUST contact me within 48 hours of sending notice.  If I do not hear back within 48 hours, I will select a new winner.

Good luck!

Disclaimer: Beyond Coastal provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.