Cookware for a lifetime.

There is one thing that comes to mind when it comes to quality heirloom quality cookware. Yes I didn't stutter I did say heirloom. Le Creuset.

I honestly was clueless to the value of cast iron enameled cookware until I was on a trip to France. There in the middle of this medieval restaurant was this gorgeous blue pot an open fire stove that must have been as old as the restaurant itself. An older woman was cooking cassoult and as much as I love cassoult I couldn't take my eyes off that pot. Well turns out it was an enameled cast iron pot and though I have no idea what the brand was it, and most likely it was older than anyone in the place, it left me wanting one of my own.

Once I got back into the states I came across a small pumpkin shaped Le Creuset baking dish. I begged and pleaded for it as a birthday present (as my birthday is in october) and no one took me seriously. I kept hearing "Why on earth would you want a casserole dish that costs that much. Well the funny thing is, I've had several casserole dishes since I asked for that Pumpkin and yes possibly the pumpkin cost a bit more but you know I've had to replace my cassarole dishes more than enough time to cover them.

Cast Iron Enamel is super strong, it conducts and holds heat better than pan you have ever used, its beautiful and available in almost a rainbow of colors, and quite simply if you take care of it it will easily outlast you. So when I say heirloom I really do mean you can buy a cast iron pot in your 20s and then give it to your grand kids or great grand kids. Le Creuset cookware items are warrantied for a lifetime, but with proper care they should last longer than that!

To be totally honest with you though I've been obsessed with cast iron enameled cookware for almost a decade I've never owned my own piece up till now. I've borrowed, begged, and practically stolen pieces from friends but in the end always had to give them back and my new round oven is everything I dreamed it would be, and actually more, as its my favorite color to boot. Its a stunningly gorgeous shade of turquoise called Caribbean which reminds me a bit of the color of the ocean off the coast of France which is fitting as the first time I saw a pot just like it was in a little town on a cliff in France overlooking the ocean.

It cooks fantastic, and holds heat better than any other pot I've used thus far, so much so that it will keep a soup hot for long after you turn the burner off but be warned it stays warm for a long time so don't go sticking your fingers on the pot until you know its cool. The best part though is its painless to clean. I had envisioned having to scrub it as its not wise to put your cast iron pans in the dishwasher not only are they very heavy and will wear on the dishwasher itself but it does affect their lifespan. Personally I see no reason to even consider putting mine in the dishwasher as no matter what I cook in it I've found that just a tiny bit of soapy water, a gently scrubby brush, and tada, clean. Even tomato based dishes.. not a stain on it. I will warn you in advance that cast iron bakeware is very heavy so if your cooking on a glass top stove as I am make sure you are careful not to bang the pot too abruptly on the cooking surface or drag it. Though its quite difficult past dropping a cast iron pot to really hurt it, It's certainly sturdy enough to hurt your feet, hands, and of course cooking surface if handled roughly. Tell the menfolk to back away from the enameled pot.

If your looking for that perfect gift for a mom, grandmother, or just someone who loves to cook usually I say "Buy anything but cleaning products or cooking products as it just looks as if your trying to say something" but in this case she will be THRILLED. Personally I'd practically kill to get my hands on a cast iron enamel skillet. I'm so curious to see how it cooks as I am so tickled with my oven that the skillet must three times as fabulous. I'm a skillet girl all the way, its my cooking dish of choice.

In the meantime head on over to Le Creuset and check out their selection. If your interested in purchasing online check out their online list of retailers and personally my favorite place to go and visit with Le Creuset is at Williams Sonoma. I have to go in every time I go to the mall and check them out and.

Really their candles are smart!

I did a review back in July about the Jellephish lamp from Smart Candle and wow have we ever really enjoyed that lamp. Connor sleeps every night with it set on the blue setting and though it actually does light up his room fairly brightly there is something soothing about the blue light and the moment I turn he lays down and tends to settle down. I guess its just become part of our lives.

Well I recently discovered that candles, at least the traditional kind, are a huge "no no" in this household. Connor is a climber and thus far if he really wants something there is just no stopping him from getting to it. Unfortunately for him he inherited his mothers obsession for anything that glows, this includes candles. Sadly he has yet to realize that touching burning candles may not be the best idea ever as well, though I admit I have done it myself on one too many occasions. Either way it doesn't feel good and we really do not want any burnt fingers, faces, or clothing around here so we are on a temporary candle ban. Not to mention have you ever noticed just how warm your house gets if you burn a few candles for an hour or two. I lost power a few weeks ago and I lifted the candle ban while Connor slept and lit some candles for light and lets just say middle of July, no power, candles burning, no air conditioning or fans, the house quickly rose to a toasty 95 degrees with the exception of Connor's room.

You're most likely wondering why on earth Connor's room stayed so much cooler but yet was still lit. Easy, Smart Candles.

Smart Candles are the perfect solution for those of you who love candles but for one reason or another cannot use them. Maybe its a weater issue, heat issue, kids, babies, pets, whatever, but I can guarantee to you that a Smart Candle will cause you no grief and you wont miss your real candles not even one second. Actually unless you look really close you and your guests may not even realize that the candles burning are not real. The offer the same glow and flickering action of a real candle and there are a range of different looks and candle heights so you can find one to match almost any holder.

Smart Candles are basically battery operated candles. They come in several different options but my favorite is the pillar candles which come in a scented wax, yes I did say wax, shell or a silicon shell. Either way is great depending on what you need and they look just like real candles. I replaced the real candle centerpiece on my dining room table with a Smart Candle wax pillar and believe me no one was none the wiser. The best part is I can turn it on anytime I want and I never have to worry about Connor sticking his fingers in it or it getting knocked over. Not to mention with how sleep deprived I've been lately, its not an issue if I leave it on all night and it won't burn down the house either. heh. Worst case I run the batteries down and that's easy enough to fix.

Along with the battery operated candles, Smart Candles come in a selection of rechargeable models. Let me just tell you know I would flip my lid to get a set of the rechargeable silicone candles. Seriously if you have a lady in your family that is a candle nut you really must check out the four candle rechargeable set. Not only is that completely rad, but its environmentally friendly too! If you know someone that runs a restaurant or are planning a wedding all of the smart candle rechargeable are available in commercial bundles as well, meaning you can buy a set of 12 or more candles to reuse as many times as you'd like. They come in tea light sizes as well. Could you imagine how cool it would be to have a whole room of tables lit with rechargeable candles. So many restaurants shy away from candles now, but these candles are totally safe for guests as well.

Smart Candles are available for purchase directly from their website!

I have a tealight gift set to give away to one lucky reader!

To enter :

• Leave a comment on this post. Check out Smart Candles and tell me which Smart Candle is your favorite and why you'd love to have one!
  
• Make sure there is a way for me to contact you - if your email address is not on your profile or you are not a blogger you may leave it in your comment or email it to me directly (angelaandconnor at gmail dot com) We have had to disqualify a lot of potential winners as of late as many people do not have emails available in their profiles or leave anonymous posts without any way to contact you.
• Please US entries only.
• To get extra credit :
• For an extra entry :
• Bloggers - Blog about this contest and leave me the link on your comment, or add me to your sidebar and let me know its there.
• Non Bloggers (or bloggers) subscribe to my mailing list/RSS feed and earn another entry!
• One extra credit per person. Please post your extra credit in a separate post.
• This contest will end September 15th at midnight!

BPA Bottles for Mommy!

We hear people talking about BPA in children’s bottles all the time, but have you even considered your own drinking bottles? Sports bottles are as much of a danger as children’s bottles and sippy cups! I think at least in my case I tend to worry more about Connor than I do myself, and it never even occurs to me that my own drinking containers may be putting myself at risk as well as him, as its not unusual for him to drink out of my water bottle or cup if we are out and about.

As soon as this weather starts to cool off a bit down here in the middle of the burning hot south, I really need to get my butt in gear and start working on this flub that I have accumulated since Connor was born. The post partum weight is really starting to go from “oh its ok, I just had a baby” to wow.. what did you eat? People really do not take that baby weight excuse very seriously when your kid is chatting them up in the store.

That really got me thinking, are my water bottles safe? Turns out, the answer to that was a big fat no. All along Connor has been enjoying BPA free bottles while mommy has been sipping on them by herself.

Well that’s no longer going to be an issue as now we have a Camelbak sports bottle. All the Camelbak line is now completely BPA free, which is great news for everyone concerned. Personally, I really love their spouts as they are leak proof so if your baby gets a hold of the water bottle it won’t end up all over the floor, or worst, your car. Connor is notorious for picking up water bottles and flipping them upside down to “see the other side” which is adorable but it’s not so great when it ends up all over the floorboard of the car. The Camelbak bottles have an unusual design in which you actually have to bite down on the end of the spout to drink. It makes it leak proof as well as baby proof.

Camelbak sports bottles are available for purchase directly from their site. You really have to check out their new limited edition bottles, I really want to get my hands on one of those new blue argyle bottles. How cute is that?

Camelbak sports bottles are available on Amazon as well as you can use their store locater!

I have two blue Camelbak Better bottles to give way to our readers!

To enter :

• Leave a comment on this post. Check out Camelbak's website and tell me which bottle or sports accessory would you most like to have from their collection!
  
• No "i want to win" stuff without a little effort (and I do mean little!)
• Make sure there is a way for me to contact you - if your email address is not on your profile or you are not a blogger you may leave it in your comment or email it to me directly (angelaandconnor at gmail dot com) We have had to disqualify a lot of potential winners as of late as many people do not have emails available in their profiles or leave anonymous posts without any way to contact you.
• Please US entries only.
• To get extra credit :
• For an extra entry :
• Bloggers - Blog about this contest and leave me the link on your comment, or add me to your sidebar and let me know its there.
• Non Bloggers (or bloggers) subscribe to my mailing list/RSS feed and earn another entry!
• One extra credit per person. Please post your extra credit in a separate post.
• This contest will end August 31st at midnight!

The Mommy Hook.. it sounds like a pirate contraption!

I know what your thinking, The Mommy Hook sounds like something from Peter Pan. Possibly its a device that will allow you to snatch your kid off the recliner before they sky dive onto the floor from across the room? Nah, but it's just as cool.

At first glance the Mommy Hook just looks like an over sized climbing hook like the ones that have become popular as key chains, and yes.. it is for the most part but It does so much more than hold your keys.

The Mommy Hook, well, does anything you want it to but its most useful feature is adding more storage to your stroller. Personally my favorite small stroller is currently the Mutsy Spider and my only complaint has ever been the lack of a large storage basket, not to mention that there is no way on earth that my current purse will even remotely fit in that tiny basket. All I have to do now is slip on my Mommy Hook and I can put as many shopping bags and purses as I can fit on there.

The Mommy Hook is unusual as the back part of the hook is padded with a foam padding. This keeps the Mommy Hook in place and prevents it from sliding all over your handle, as well gives you a comfortable place to grip when you are lifting your bags off the stroller. You can actually just leave all the bags on the hook and put them in the car with the hook in place to make them easier to carry!

The Mommy Hook is available for purchase directly from Keen Distribution for $7.99!

I can see again!

I used to make fun of people who spent more than $20 on a pair of sunglasses. After the month I have had with my eye problems and now the need to pretty much wear sunglasses anytime the sun is even remotely out, I will no longer laugh. Actually I find myself checking out other people's shades now.

After that icky eye thing happened it was recommended that I get a pair of wrap around sunglasses. Sorry guys, I just can't bring myself to enter that level of geekyness and please if someone know where you can find a pair of wrap around that actually look good I'll consider it! The last thing I want is to look like an 80 year old blind person. At least that's the thing I'm attempting to avoid, as with my many visits to the retinal specialist I hang out with those cool cats sometimes weekly.

It seemed almost fate when Julbo contacted me within days of my eye troubles, and little did I know it then, but my Julbo glasses seriously make me feel a thousand times better when m driving. I got a pair of the Spectron 5 Julbo Cube's in pink, of course, which is the highest rated UV protection that will still allow you to drive.

The Julbo Cube is designed for outdoor activities and they come with a super light plastic frame that is actually pretty well done, as thus far Connor has yet to be able to break them, though he has tried on several times. I swear he is getting smarter than I am by the day as he is constantly moving things to climb up to steal things out of my purse no matter where I stash it.

The one thing I noticed right away when I put on my Cube glasses is how tightly they fit to your face, it actually threw me off at first and took some getting used to, but now I love it. With their low profile they mimic fully wrap around glasses, meaning you get little to no light invading around the frames The low profile allows the Cubes to really stay put no matter what your doing. I never have to worry about my glasses falling off my head even if I'm hanging upside down (yes seriously). They actually stay put soo well that I have found myself putting them on top of my head while I'm in a store and spending ten minutes looking for them in my purse only realizing that they were on my head the whole time. No I am not blond, but I hate to admit that I've almost worn them to bed the same way at nap time.

Even in the Alabama heat and intense air conditioning that these local stores like to dish out I have only experienced them fogging up once and that was last week on our most humid and hot day this summer. I can't really blame them seeing as I went from about 60 degrees air conditioned to almost 100 degrees with drastic humidity.

The kids selection at Julbo is even more delicious than the adults. Connor has a pair of the Chocolate/Blue Loopings 3s which not only fit his head fabulously but come complete with spectron 6 glasses which also completely protect his little eyes from damaging UV rays. Though we still have to have a bit of a chat about keeping them on. The color combo really goes perfectly with everything in his wardrobe, which is a huge plus! The best part though is the fact that the frames on the kid's Julbos are super flexible and will easily hold up to almost anything your active toddler can throw at them. Unlike some of the stiff plastic frames I have seen in cheaper glasses I am not even remotely worried about Connor breaking them as he attempts to put them on himself. They also come with an optional strap to keep them on if necessary which we use when we are shopping at the outdoor malls here.

You can check out Julbo's entire line of glasses on their website. I know I personally will not be caught without mine these days. Julbo glasses are available at many sporting good stores or you can buy them directly from Julbo.

Charlee Katz Creations - Simply Stunning!

Hi Everyone! *waves furiously* I'm Stacy, and I'm so thrilled to contribute to Sevendogs! Angela and I have been friends for many many years... I'll tell ya more about that later. First, I want to talk about Charlee Katz.com ... One Word. Divine. These unique and beautiful hats and scarves are so well made, even the pickiest hat lovers will pick these. Now, I know it's July, and its a hard to picture yourself in one of these warm, cuddly hats while you schvitz in the blistering heat, but as you know, now is the time to get a head start on Christmas shopping.

From the time you pull one of these soft, buttery cheneille hats from the box, you will be hooked. They are made with quality stitching, and have a unique look and feel to them. My favorite part is you can get matching hats and scarves for moms and daughters! It just doesn't get any better. I have a friend who knitted Soph and I matching hats and scarves. We looked adorable when we went out, until I stupidly left my hat at a playgroup. Now that Soph has this gorgeous Charlee Katz hat for the chilly months, I can hardly wait for that first crisp day to send her to kindergarden (though maybe not the very first day or her head might melt) in her special Charlee Katz Creation!

Want a gorgeous hat ensemble' for you and your darling? Visit Charlee Katz ( actually, that's her daughter's name) and browse her collection, and read her story. I promise these hats do not disappoint.

The ultimate in Mommy comfort.

I know that mom's just don't like to admit it at times.. but there has been more than one occasion that its taken me past 1pm to even shower. Especially now that Connor is more mobile than ever and the increasing demands of school and blog that "me" time is forever lost in the mix. Ok, possibly not forever, but it seems that way sometimes. Being exhausted is just a fact of life, and its more learning how to compensate.

Every Mom needs a little extra pampering and there is just nothing better than slipping on something that makes you feel good about yourself, beautiful, and yes.. comfortable! When was the last time you felt all of those things in your trusty mom tshirt? Well, don't worry I have a solution that even your hubbies (or boyfriends) will enjoy.. and no.. I am not talking about lingerie, though your other half my enjoy that part its not exactly something you want to be walking around chasing the kids in.

I actually came across Little Giraffe through a random encounter and I was really taken back by their beautiful polka dot baby blankets. Made from super plush velvets and chenille its really almost unfair that such little people get so much pampering. Though I have to say that the kids that are lucky enough to curl up every night in a Little Giraffe bed set must feel like they are in heaven, they will be ruined for life when it comes to bedding. heh.

Well that same amazing comfort has finally been translated into something Mom can enjoy for herself in a much more portable way. Their adult cover up robes have to be one of the most luxurious robes I have ever dared laid my hands on. Those amazingly soft cotton robes at five star hotels have absolutely nothing on them. Made from a super soft satin on one side and one of the most touchable soft plush velvets on the other side, I'm starting to envy my son's blanket collection a little less these days. The Luxe cover ups are actually made from the same fabric combo as the Luxe collection blankets and if the baby blankets are even half as nice as this cover up, wow.

Little Giraffe was gracious enough to send me a Luxe cover up in my favorite color, lavender. I love it so much, if I honestly felt I could get away with wearing it in public I would. And though it has been awfully hot here the last few weeks, I just turn it inside out and wear the satin near my skin in the mornings and it brings a whole new aspect to the robe itself. For once I can honestly say I am actually looking forward to winter so I can wear it round the clock, or at least while I'm home.

Little Giraffe also sent Melos his own little blanket cover up. Though it doesn't actually wrap around him, its kinda funny to see him in it. He uses it more to snuggle with than as a robe. Its funny, I think thats actually the first time someone sent Melos something, he must be feeling a little like the rock star he truely is right now. I mean what other Chihuahua would put up with a rowdy 15 month old day in and day out and rarely ever complain.

Check out the entire Little Giraffe collection, they even have a pet section, and you can find their luxe blankets at Nordstroms. I also spotted almost the entire collection over at Layla Grace.

A perfect way to make someone feel truly special!

When I worked in the corporate world I was always on the lookout for a place to buy really unique and fabulous gifts that could be delivered to our executive friends. They do not need to be especially expensive but it really becomes more of the art of gift giving.

RedPig Gifts is absolutely one of those places, the combination of fabulous items, amazing wrapping paper, and great shipping makes whatever your giving from their collection from a stuffed animal to an exotic set of fiber optic cuff links, perfect for the geek dad by the way. The founder over at Red Pig has really gone out of her way to put together a collection of gifts that are special and if your having one of those moments where you need a gift fast and you don't have time to look it would most certainly be the first place I would check. The best part is that each collection of gifts from jet set, executive, and babies/kids only have about a dozen to twenty selections per category which you may think isn't that many but if you have ever been in the midst of a gift giving crisis the last thing you want is to be buried in a pile of ideas.. I've been there and its not pretty.

Connor got a beautiful little plush mutt from RedPig Gifts wrapped so carefully in the most gorgeous wrapping paper I have ever seen. I let it sit on my table for almost two days before I had the nerve to actually allow him to open it. I've never actually felt guilty about letting my son half destroy half eat a package but I admit I had a bit of guilt as I watched him annihilate that package. It was bitter sweet as the mutt is stinking cute but the package was awfully pretty.

One really unique feature about Red Pig Gifts, their gift cards are hand written on a similarly designed super heavy note card stock as their wrapping paper. Its a nice touch, I was so moved I actually sat down the moment I opened the gift and sat it in the middle of my kitchen table and just admired the package and note card. It reminded me a bit of the beautiful presents my grandmother used to give me every little detail accounted for no matter what was inside it always made me feel special.

Now I know exactly what to get the person who has everything. Anything from RedPig Gifts.. as its not at all the present but sometimes truly the thought that counts.

A little lovin for the Mommies!

I've fallen in love with the products over at Thymes. We did a review of Thyme's Sweetleaf Baby collection not long ago, and I've been hooked ever sense.

As I mentioned before you can't help to notice how gorgeous the packaging is on all of the Thymes products, but the real treat is in just how luxurious their bath products truely are. I've been using the Red Cherrie body scrub for the last two weeks, three times a week and my skin feels amazing. Though I used to use body scrub often, I just found that so many of the brands didn't hold up to my expectations. Some of which ended up being more like a bath gel than a scrub as they always seemed to thin. The Red Cherrie scrub is nice and thick and is especially pleasant when I have had a particularly rough day and feel a bit grimy.

I know, I really honestly dislike cleaning, but the cleaning products over at Thymes makes the job much more pleasurable. I've been using their all purpose cleaner for a few weeks now and I love it. Its nicely scented but not overwhelming and it actually does a great job cleaning off the mess Connor leaves all over my dining room table.. even if I do forget to clean it up one night and end up waiting till the morning. Connor eats at the table with us and he has been known to make a royal mess. I also found it does a really great job of getting that greasy film off my glass top stove.

If your over at Thymes check out their cool sink caddy's that come witch every sink set thats sold. They are stainless steel and they look super sharp sitting in your kitchen or bathroom. All of my house guests end up asking where I got my soap caddy from.

As stressed as I've been lately with this eye thing I really am thinking about purchasing a bottle of their perfume. The Green Tea Cologne sounds like it would be just the thing to help me relax.

Thymes sent me a bottle of the Red Cherrie body lotion and a bath salts to give away to one lucky reader!

To enter :

• Leave a comment on this post. Head on over to Thymes and tell me what product from any of their lines is your favorite (other than the ones I mentioned above)!
  
• No "i want to win" stuff without a little effort (and I do mean little!)
• Make sure there is a way for me to contact you - if your email address is not on your profile or you are not a blogger you may leave it in your comment or email it to me directly (angelaandconnor at gmail dot com) We have had to disqualify a lot of potential winners as of late as many people do not have emails available in their profiles or leave anonymous posts without any way to contact you.
• Please US entries only.
• To get extra credit :
• For an extra entry :
• Bloggers - Blog about this contest and leave me the link on your comment, or add me to your sidebar and let me know its there.
• Non Bloggers (or bloggers) subscribe to my mailing list/RSS feed and earn another entry!
• One extra credit per person. Please post your extra credit in a separate post.
• This contest will end July 5th at midnight!

Take your books everywhere!

Imagine the possibility of being able to store your entire library of books in the palm of your hand. Thats no longer science fiction, with Sony's PRS-505 Digital Reader you can indeed store up 160 or more (you can store hundreds more with the addition of a memory card!) books in a device that is basically half the size of a paperback!

Digital eBook readers are not necessarily brand new technology as they have been around for some time, but the earlier models were hard to read and ended up giving me more eye strain than they were worth. The new Sony Digital Reader is not only super easy to read but the display actually resembles a book's page. It's actually quite odd as I know its a digital display but the pages are so clear and crisp it looks almost as if its paper.

I have hundreds of my own books that I would love to see in my reader, the only real disadvantage is the fact that you can't just transfer your physical books to the magical ebook realm but to lessen the blow Sony does include 100 free eBook classic title downloads with the purchase of your reader. For those of you who read a book then get rid of it unlike myself who cannot seem to part with a book once its joined the family here the transition will be smooth. Though I will say my family and friends would appreciate my books in digital format other than all over the house and storage unit like they are at this point.

My favorite aspect of the Sony PRS-505 is its abilities to read word documents, PDF files, and even MP3s and JPG photos. Though the accessing time on especially large PDF files is a bit slow I find it especially useful for doing my work remotely as many of the promotional materials I recieve for reviews we need to do are in PDF format. The only drawback to this the fact that to read the PDF files correctly you really have to go in and reformat the page size on each PDF file.. though honestly its too much work for some of my smaller files I do keep my product catalogs that I have in PDF on hand with the use of my Digital eBook Reader.

One extra little neat feature including in the Sony PSR-505 is the fact that you can store photos and mp3s as well. Though I have not tested out the MP3 capabilities yet I did transfer over a few picture of Connor and they display very well though the display is in black and white its very crisp and the load time is not awful as long as you keep them in a lower resolution.

At approx $270 (plus or minus depending on if you find it on sale) the Sony PSR-505 Digital eBook Reader is a fairly economical way to get into an eBook Reader. About the only thing your missing in this reader vs its higher priced competitor is the wireless capabilities. Though the wireless capabilities would be a good addition especially with the aspect of being able to read blogs remotely at almost $400 to buy an eBook with wireless capabilities I am not sure if I can justify or stomach that, especially when you can buy a cheap ultra portable laptop or PDA at the same price.

Though the Sony PSR-505 is available at most major retailers including Amazon you can purchase some great package deals directly from Sony including having it custom engraved which would make a great father's day present!

Connor's precious first steps captured on video!

We have a video camera... I actually won it when I was still pregnant with Connor and I almost went into early labor I was so incredibly excited about it... Its probley only seen the light of day possibly once or twice. I'm sorry when you have a child that moves incredibly fast and seems to magically stop doing whatever it was you wanted to video tape the moment you get the video camera out and ready.. its nearly impossible to use one.

I do however have a digital camera strapped to me at all times and up till now was always a bit disappointed at how dark the indoor videos came out so again I rarely end up taking the videos I'd love to capture.

The Casio Exlim EZ-Z80 is my new companion in capturing both videos and pictures of Connor on a daily basis. I actually captured the video of Connor trying to walk just a few days ago in minimual light and it came out really great.

Some very neat features of the Casio Exlim EZ-Z80 is its facial reconition and smile recognition capabilities. When the facial recognition is turned on it will automatically focus on any faces in the picture you can even set it to give priority to previously recorded family members. I have yet to test this feature as I usually am only taking pictures of Connor but the facial recognition is super helpful when attempting to focus a wiggly baby in the middle of the picture. The smile recognition ability allows you to set the shutter to automatically take the picture when your subject smiles. I honestly was a bit apprehensive of this feature but it works... I am still totally baffled by it or how it knows.. but it works! If your into taking pictures of yourself (or in my case pictures of myself with Connor) its incredibly helpful as it allows you to hold the camera with one hand and the baby in the other and not have to worry about pushing any extra buttons.

The Casio Exlim EZ-Z80 is the perfect camera for beginners but it will allow more veteran uses to tweak the settings. Personally I prefer it set in easy mode with auto flash so the camera automatically decides if it needs to use a flash or not, I spend enough time dealing with computers I honestly do not want to spend my off time fighting with a camera as well. The easy mode gives you just the basic function options of the camera which I find quick, easy, and especially helpful with a child who is usually crawling at full speed in the opposite direction so any pictures you want to take must be taken as fast as humanly possible.

If your looking to do videos nothing can be easier, just hit the record button and tada your taking movies. No need to flip between diffrent camera modes or turn any dials like some of the older digital cameras I have used all there is is one simple little red button at the top right corner of the back of the camera.. press it once to record.. press it again to stop recording. If your not looking to edit the videos you can then just use the included software to upload them directly to you tube from the camera itself if you'd like! Perfect if your in a hurry to get that special video off to the grandparents pronto.

If you would like to see the full stats of the Casio Exlim EZ-Z80 check out its website here. You can also see more examples of the pictures we have taken thus far with it by browsing Connor's birthday bash. All of the personal pictures shown of Connor on the blog from the birthday bash till now have been taken with the Exlim.

I have to say I really love the fact that it comes in multiple colors too! I personally have a blue one, but it comes in pink, hot pink, black, silver and green. How cool is that?

The Casio Exlim EZ-Z80 is available on Amazon!

Super Rug.. seriously

Ever dream of having a rug that can withstand baby spit up, dog pee, finger paints.. whatever on earth your family can dream up (aka mess up!).

Flor makes quite possibly the most family friend carpeting and rugs a mom could ask for... If you have a stain that just wont come clean.. no matter what you throw at it, well never fear you can just replace that bit of carpet or rug. Seriously..

Call FLOR the "block" version of carpet, you just put these little carpet squares together in whatever pattern/shape/color combo you choose and you have not only a custom designed rug, but they will truely fit any room or design you can dream up. I was really concerned that once they were put down you would not be able to vacuum your rug as with seven dogs in the house and Connor, vacuuming is really a daily reality. To my pleasant surprise not only can you vacuum the tiles once they are down, if one gets soiled you can also pick it up and wash it (actually wash it!!) in the sink. Oh what I would give to have my bedrooms done in FLOR .. I can only imagine how awesome it must be to be able to just wash your carpet especially once you enter those potty training years (babies or dogs) and someone has an accident. Mind you FLOR recommends that you use clean them using cool water and a non solvent cleaner if necessary. I found just a nice rinse does the trick in most situations. Though I am not sure I would recommend tons of repeated washings for longevity's sake.. but a good rinse after an "uh oh" would certainly be better than the alternative.

You know I think from the standpoint of in previous years I have moved quite a bit, the thing I regret most about not investing in a FLOR rug sooner was that all this time I didn't want to spend the money on a rug as I never knew what size I might need at the next "place". Well with FLOR you can just put as many or a little together that you need and size is never an issue.

All FLOR carpet tiles are made with some recycled fibers as well as are recyclable themselves.. so once your totally done with your FLOR no need to send it to the landfill. Just call FLOR and they will provide you a location that accepts them for recycling. Check out what FLOR is doing to go green.

FLOR has so many color options and patterns to choose from.. its a bit dizzying.. With a tile calculator and design ideas available right on the FLOR website your bound to find something to tickle your fancy!

You can buy FLOR directly from their website as well as at a local retailer.

Baby proofing my bed, sadly the last thing I thought about when I was pregant.

I'll be honest with you, if someone would have told me I needed to do something to protect my bed from the baby while I was pregnant, especially suggested a mattress protector, I would have laughed in their face. My idea of a mattress protector up till recently was the opinions I formed when I was a child and my friends who had them on their beds were stiff and crinkly and downright awful honestly.

Connor has a baby sized mattress protector on his bed.. and though its not nearly as awful as the ones I remember growing up it still is plastic lined and it does make a crinkling noise if you roll around on it... Personally on my bed that would drive me INSANE.

Connor sleeps most of the night in his own crib, but usually somewhere around 3-5am he wakes up and its always been our routine to just bring him to bed instead of attempt to fight him back to sleep and seeing as he did cosleep the first four-five months and he takes a good majority of his naps on the bed its really truely amazing we haven't had more bedtime accidents than we have had, however, the first time he projectile vomited on me and all over the bed I realized I really had to do something about protecting my mattress as it was a huge investment and not one I can afford to repeat anytime soon.

When I heard about the Protect-a-Bed I was skeptical at first worried that it would be all the things I dreaded about a mattress protector, but the moment it arrived I was pleasantly surprised. The first thing I did was throw it into the washing machine and after a wash and dry I noticed immediately how incredibly soft and flexible the protector was. The top of the protector instead of being this itchy hot quilted top like you see on many mattress protectors, to my enjoyment it was a soft comfortable terrycloth with super stretchy sides that easily went on my pillow top king mattress! Connor and I actually took a great nap on the Protect-A-Bed cover while we waited for our sheets to dry!

Well its been two weeks since the Protect-A-Bed has gone into use in this household and its withstood two leaky diapers, countless leaky bottles, and the sweat monster himself (Connor) all the while unless if I hadn't been there when we put it on the bed I would have never been the wiser that there is a mattress protector under the sheets. Why why why did I not do this sooner? I should mention that the Protect-a-Bed is fabulous at protecting your bed from baby accidents its also great at protecting you and your bed from dust mites as well which is wonderful for those of you with allergies (like myself as well!)

I'm in the market for new pillows and you better bet I will be getting Protect-A-Bed Pillow protectors before I even let anyone touch my new pillows!!

You can buy Protect-A-Bed products in their online store, as well use their store locater to find them in your area!

Protect-A-Bed is offering one lucky reader their own Premium Mattress Protector to protect your mattress for whatever your life can throw at it (including leaky bottles and sick babies!).

To enter :

• Leave a comment on this post. Go check out Protect-A-Bed's products. Come back here and tell us which product would suit your needs best and why you need a mattress protector!!
  
• No "i want to win" stuff without a little effort (and I do mean little!)
• Make sure there is a way for me to contact you - if your email address is not on your profile or you are not a blogger you may leave it in your comment or email it to me directly (angelaandconnor at gmail dot com) We have had to disqualify a lot of potential winners as of late as many people do not have emails available in their profiles or leave anonymous posts without any way to contact you.
• Please US entries only.
• To get extra credit :
• For an extra entry :
• Bloggers - Blog about this contest and leave me the link on your comment, or add me to your sidebar and let me know its there.
• Non Bloggers (or bloggers) subscribe to my mailing list/RSS feed and earn another entry!
• One extra credit per person. Please post your extra credit in a separate post.
• This contest will end April 18th at midnight!

My recycled mailers actually are starting to look pretty again!

Anyone who has ever won one of my giveaways by now has figured out that though I love great paper products I cannot and will not let a perfectly good mailer go to the landfill before I at least see it make one more trip, what happens to it after that is up to the person who receives it! My only regret up till now is that the packages going out of here are not always as pretty nor do they look as thoughtful as the ones coming in. Though personally I would rather save some trees than have the most beautifully wrapped mail, it sometimes does make me a bit sad to see my recycled packages beside the beautiful ones arriving for review.

Well, PSA Essentials made my day, as their self inking stampers makes a HUGE difference in the way I feel about my outgoing mail. I got a personalized stamper for our return address that actually makes me giddy when I am making my address labels! Along with their AWESOME stampers they sell a line of note cards with a blank in the middle just the right size for your stamp. You can impress your friends and family with your new "personalized" stationary!!! I just love the stripes and argyle patterns. I have to admit I am so excited about my personalized stamper that even though the postage rates are going up AGAIN.. I still feel a bit giddy when its time to start packing up all the giveaways to send them off. I know its just an address stamp, but the fact that it was made just for me, makes me feel kinda special.

Want one of your own? Check out the PSA Essentials store locator!

Sheryl Crow is being featured on Soundcheck!

You know I was just thinking about Sheryl Crow today and the ecofriendly baby shower she had! I was stuck in biology lab today and they were hammering global warming and its affects on the enviorment and though I whole heartily agree with them its been a bit of a stressful day and all I could think of was all the diapers we have used thus far. LOL Needless to say I need a break, but not till Thursday as I still have three more tests before this week is over to deal with. Woohoo. Enough about all of that though..

If your anything like me you do not even remotely have the time to even consider going to a concert and have a hard enough time keeping up with your favorite music. (If I hear the wheels on the bus one more time I may just scream.) Tonight when the kids/baby is in bed and you need a few minutes to unwind I really highly recommend you go and check out Soundcheck, a new spotlight on some fabulous artists presented by Degree. You can watch some great up close and personal performances (all filmed in HD!) that might at least somewhat give you the feeling of seeing them in person. Hey, its the closest thing I can even pretend like I am going to get to seeing a artist play live in at least a few more years!


This month they are featuring Sheryl Crow and there are some great performances from the past few months live as well including my favorites thus far the Matchbox Twenty and Chris Cornell performances. Actually the Chris Cornell (yum!!) performance is playing in my background right now and I can actually turn it up as Connor is spending the night with his Grandpa!

To make it even better I have a pretty awesome gift pack to give away one lucky reader will go home with a prize pack including the new Sheryl Crow Live Set DVD, some swanky iTunes Downloads and Unilever products (its a surprise!). Pretty neato eh?

To enter :

• Leave a comment on this post. Go check out Soundcheck and tell me which of the performances (past or present) you're most excited about!
  
• No "i want to win" stuff without a little effort (and I do mean little!)
• Make sure there is a way for me to contact you - if your email address is not on your profile or you are not a blogger you may leave it in your comment or email it to me directly (angelaandconnor at gmail dot com) We ha