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DUM
DUM

DUM
We will see!

JUST IN~I have added Top Ten list's for Rowan and My Self and they are there to make your shopping a little more easy! If you are looking for a gift or something for yourself and want to know a great place to shop or what to buy Jr. check out the
list, I have you covered! There is also a new safety
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home and to keep your family safe.


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Sunday, March 14, 2010

Select Comfort Review and Giveaway!  

I love my bed. I have not always been a big soft
comfy bed person for I have more then once fallen for
fads when it comes to what I sleep on but one thing
has always remained constant no matter what the bed
looks like. I have got to be surrounded by pillows.
Not just a couple either. 2 would not even be semi
normal and 4 is just a good start. Right now I have 8
pillows on my bed and I would have more if I had the
room. The funny part is out of all those pillows I only
truly sleep with two, the rest are tossed around the
bed for when I roll and move around. I have the body
pillow I stash between my knees but also need one
behind my back, and a pile on the other side for I
tend to flip and roll. With Rowan it has become a little
more difficult but they are still there, sort of like a
frame around the outside for I really don't think I
could sleep without them. Now for the two, those are
always my favorite and if someone so much as looks
at them I get defensive. Now remember I told you I
have eight pillows right now? Those 8 are mine. John
has two of his own and they can't mingle with mine or
I get all upset. My favorite two? I don't care what the
circumstances are he will never ever be allowed to touch
them. If we are trying to have some alone time I
very carefully take those two pillows and put them on
my dresser so he does not get "Him" on them in any
way. Even for just a normal night of sleep I place
a lesser one of the eight or two between my best ones
and his pillows so not even his pillow can touch my
top two! I know it may sound a little nutty but men
in general have a distinct smell, it doesn't matter how
clean they are, it just seems to soak into linen and
bed items. If they do the least little bit of sweating
in the night it will never come out no matter how many
times you wash it. When I lay my head down I have
to have the feel and smell of fresh linen no matter what.
Picky, you betcha, but that is just the way I am.
How does a pillow make the top 2? Wow, now
that is complected. All of my pillows at one point
were a top 2 pillow. Every single one started out top
of the heap and pillows wear down just like anything else.
When they are new they have that status of top 2, I
will tell you why in a minute, but after about 6 months
I replace and refresh and move them down a level to
top side, then top legs and at last the feet. Once there
they slowly work their way off the bed and are either
passed over to John or one of the kids or sent to the
guest bed. Last stop for them would be Andrews room
for he is a pillow hog too but for him any old one will
do but they never have a chance to leave his room and
be passed to someone else for once they enter his room
it is all over for them. Andrew's room is the last stop for
most things in this house no matter what they are. Now to
make top two on my bed a pillow needs a few things first:
The right level of firmness
The right width of the pillow
The ability to mold to your head
The right feel of the pillow. This one is a doozy. It must
have that certain cool feel and comfort of fine linen. If
it is even the slightest bit tacky or picky out it goes.
I understand a case will go over it but it is the good
old "Princess and the Pea" syndrome, you can still feel
the bumps underneath.
The Pillow has to have the right smell. Just like feel I
want to smell good linen. No plastic by-products or
cheap materials for when it is on another product you
may not smell it but a pillow you can for face it, it
spends its entire life span by your nose.
The Pillow has to have the right "inner feel". Just like
the outer feel but when you smoosh it you want to be
able to feel more pillow and not your fingers. There
can not be any gaps where the foam or feathers or
stuffing are not there. No holes so to speak.
Now my list may seem silly but to me it means a lot
and I have been known to spend hundreds of dollars on
a pillow just to make sure I get the right one. There have
also been times when I found a really cheap one with
the same qualities but those times are rare. They are out
there but rare. When all of my specifications have been
met you can rest assured it is a pillow 90 percent of
the population would love and that is why I am so
protective of them. I have had house guests before that
have asked if there were any extra pillows and John,
foolish John, has told them to just go grab some off of
our bed ( there is a closet full but you know men) and
it never fails, no matter how I bury them, my top two
are always the pillows they come back with and I instantly
revert to a five year old yanking for my pillow back and
our now unwanted guest is just as stubbornly yanking to
keep it for they know perfection when they feel it. John
has had to break up a squabble over a pillow more then
once for they are normally his relatives for I do not
have any of my own and there is no way they are getting
my top 2 and though I was raised to be gracious I
draw the line there. It also upsets me for the top 2 are
always buried to avoid such mix ups as a simple
mis-understanding and his relatives did a lot of digging to
find them in the first place. Take the comforter, take the
sheets, heck, take the bed but you will not have those
pillows. Why am I so determined? Because it is so
hard to find them. I have spent weeks looking for
replacement pillows for I can never find a place that
consistency has the same pillow. I fall for one brand
and order it without thinking the next time and when I
get it the pillow is never what I remember. THE HORROR!
The pain, Andrew gets a new pillow that is brand new!
It has been like this for years and then I got a chance
to do a product review that may have changed my ways.
I might even let the next guest try one of my top two
for when I found out I was going to do this review I
was happy but a little worried for I have never replaced
one of the two before I have always replaced both at
the same time. As a surprise John ordered me another
one and it was not even sent here and when he told me
what he did I pretty much dismissed it for I know I have
explained to him more then once if you do not get them
together they will not be the same. He knows how I feel
but absent minded John took the chance any ways and
though I admit it was a lovely gesture I didn't think I
would have two of the same pillows. I was wrong.
John won. The pillow I received for review and the
pillow he ordered were exactly the same. I about
keeled over.
Who is this company? Who has offered me two pillows
of the same consistent quality that were ordered 10 days
apart? Who has proved for the first time in my life you
can buy the same quality every time you shop? Why
the place I did a review for that offers this is Select
Comfort. I have to rave for a minute here. I thought
they were pretty much beds and that was it. I never
realized they offered so much more. I really never thought
they would have my dream pillow. For one, not only
is their product consistent, it is consistently a pillow that
is pure perfection. They met each and every one of my
requirements head on and more. Each item on my list
was blown out of the water and I can tell you that since
my pillow thing started over 25 years ago I have went
through close to 100 pillows at an average of 4 a year
and have never found a pillow this fantastic before. I
just got two new pillows in January and though they were
nice, they were not THIS nice for these are off the charts.
Now I walked through the house and counted all the
bed pillows we have in the house right now and there
are 28 in total. I think changing out 4 a year is pretty
modest and I also think out of a family of four I am
an expert in the field of pillows.
The particular pillow I received for review is the Down Pillow and though
and in theory I know they are supposed to be one of the
best types of pillows on the market but in my experience
they are the first to fail the "Inner Feel" test for seldom
are they filled enough and you can almost always feel
your other hand if you press hard enough. With the
Down Pillows at Select Comfort this was not the case.
These were fantastic. These were stupendous, these
were off the charts for me and I was doing a happy
dance around the bed like some insane rain dance of
dreams. I just couldn't believe it. Some people collect
knick knacks, some people collect trinkets, some
collect art work and some go for antiques, I collect
pillows to put it to you plainly. I am almost as bad
when it comes to throw pillows but bed pillows are my
specialty and to find a pillow that makes me this happy
is just about unheard off. Select Comfort fills theirs with
European White Goose Down and they choose the finest
quality available. They have the policy of only using
feathers that are freshness assured, and that means they
use an exclusive 15-step cleaning process that removes
allergy-causing impurities. This pretty much means those
Hypoallergenic covers I pay a small fortune for are unnecessary.
And remember that feel I told you about? Well Select
Comfort uses 300-thread-count, 100% cotton sateen to
provide me with that luxurious feel I so crave. The pillows
themselves can be spot cleaned or tossed in the wash
and come with a 5 year warranty. They are also constructed
in the USA and you guys know what a kick I am on
with that issue. Anyway you slice it, I am in love.
The fact they offer a consistently exceptional product
just sweetens the deal!
Select comfort offers more then bed and pillows
and I am so excited about that as well. In fact I
am dieing to get my hand on another one of their
products, the Comforters. Now their beds have been on
my wish list for a few years now and I have really
heated up my want for one since my back has taken
a turn for the worse but like anyone else I have to
budget and re-do one room at a time and Rowan
sorta put a bump in my road there for next year was
supposed to be the bedroom but I had to push my
schedule back and Andrews room has to be first for
he is going to need items to get him started in his
own life but right after that I will have my bed. Until
then I can busy myself with their other products and
that comforter is first on my list. They have a classic
down comforter that will go splendid with my pillows
and I have got to get it! I MUST have it! If I am
doing a Jig over the pillows I might all out break
dance over the comforter! Now they have more then
the down one, a complete line at that with everything
all the way down to an Organic one too! Even inserts
and covers and blankets for those look like they are
right up my alley as well! Select comfort has sheets
and mattress pads and covers and of coarse their
famous beds. Everything you would ever need to
assure you get the most comfortable nights rest ever.
We all work better when we have had a good night
of sleep! You just can't get more comfortable then
a bedroom accessory from Select Comfort! In
fact I need to go spend some time hugging my
pillow now!
Now if you guys come to my house I still have
not got enough of these pillows to share so Select
Comfort is going to give you a chance to win one!
To enter just head over to their site and take a look
around and then come back here and post what you
have learned in a comment. The contest will start
tonight and run to Midnight on April 29th.
USA and 18 and older can enter daily and the winner
will be contacted by email and have 72 hours to
contact me with their mailing information. As always
you can earn a bonus entry by entering the contest of
the day, every day, and then posting that you did here
and other ways to enter are posted below.
I also will need a valid Email addy and name for Select

Comforts Mailing list. This will not be used for Spam and
their mailings only. Thanks guys!


Select Comfort!




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Sunday, February 28, 2010

Fisher Price Rock and Play Review!  


Fisher Price


From the day we brought Rowan home she could not
be close enough to us. We bought a bassinet and
set it up in our room but the only place to set it
was a good ten feet from our bed.
A whole ten feet!
Do you have any idea how far that is to a new mother?
You might as well put that baby ten miles away for
to a new mom it will seem just about the same distance.
Now I never professed to you guys to have good advice
on Parenting. I know products, yes! I can shop, yeap!
I can sniff out a good deal, uh uh! I have no problem
finding unique and interesting gift ideas at fabulous
prices, yes mam'. I can even wrap my head around tec
gadgets and geeky gear and since I am a big gadget geek
myself I am usually pretty good at finding the latest
stuff and most of the time I know all about what is in
the pipes for the future too. I am also a gamer, maybe
not as big of one as my son but I know enough about
video games and video game systems to make some pretty
good recommendations there. But parenting advice? Well
guys, I pretty much learn as I go along with you. I used
to have a pretty good grip on what was considered the
appropriate way to deal with a certain circumstance but
just like technology, things change super fast in the
world of child rearing. Doctors and experts change
their mind faster then you can read their latest book
of advice. And just like everyone else I tend to bend
the so called rules when they do not work for me. The
Bassinet was one I bent for I could not stand her being
so far from me. I tried cramming it right next to
the bed but there really was no room and even when she
needed a nap I had a whole other world of problems for
I could not stand the thought of her being in another
room while she napped and spending my whole day lording
over her and sitting next to her while she slept was
just unpractical. For a while we turned her stroller into
a makeshift Bassinet for the living room but that thing
takes up so much space and we were tripping over it left
and right for we had to get one of the big models and
the only place to put it was right in the entrance to the
kitchen and it was so in the way there. So I broke bunches
of rules that will have some of you shaking your head
and others going that sounds like a good idea for all the
reading I did on the subject let me know people in general
are mixed on the idea of having your child in the bed with
you at night. This started when she had been home for like
a week. I just could not bear the thought of her being so
far away from us and her sleeping was so sporadic I was also
taking naps when she did for those middle of the night feedings
got the best of me. One afternoon I was sitting in the
bed rocking her for a nap and my arms grew tired so I
laid her down next to me and was rubbing her tummy and next thing
I know we were both waking up. We had also slept about 4 hours
and the was the longest stretch she had ever slept since she
had been home. When you have been living on one and two hour stretches
of sleep for the last couple of weeks and maybe getting 5 total
a day, four hours and four hours straight, seems like a slice
of heaven. After that there just wasn't any turning back and
soon John was sleeping in Rowan's room on the twin bed in there
for I was afraid he would roll on her for he is the deepest
sleeper ever and here I am 8 months later wishing I had toughed
out those first few weeks for it is almost imposable to
get her to take a nap without me being there with her.
I really love being so close to her but I also would
now like for her to sleep in her own room and dread the fight
that transition is bound to be. I wish I would have found
another way to have her close to me at the start and I regret
thinking that what was available to me when Andrew was a baby
would be the same now. I knew there were a lot of new products
out there and did have some of them but I didn't really spend
a lot of time looking. The upgrades I had bought were ones I
had seen my friends with over the last 15 years. For example
Andrew didn't have a bouncy seat, per say, he had a seat that
if you wanted it to bounce you had to do it yourself. Rowan had
one that all I did was push a button and it not only bounced it
played music. They also have the combo things were your baby
can sleep, play in and it has a changing table too. Those are
pretty awesome and I did want one of those but a friend gave me
a changing table before I bought one and after that it just seemed
redundant. The next item I just got for review and I will tell
you what, this is my big regret for if I had went and looked
at the baby items instead of just making a list of things
I needed from my memories of when Andrew was little I would have
seen this then and not be in the pickle I am in now.

 The Fisher Price Newborn Rock and Play Sleeper. Wow, this is
perfect for my needs and would have been incredible when Rowan
was a newborn and though I am still using it now for naps I wish
with my whole heart I had it 8 months ago. The Rock and Play is
as comfortable as the bouncy seat but unlike being flat on the
ground where you would have a hard time reaching her in the middle
of the night this raises up so she is right next to your bed at
a comfortable level. Unlike the bassinet that was so far away
I would have to get up and check on her in the middle of the night
I can keep this right next to my bed for it is the perfect size
and fits just about anywhere. In fact it reminds me of a cradle
in design but more compact and easy to move and not nearly as
heavy. My main issue with the Bassinet was it was just too
big to have right next to the bed and even if I had squeezed it in
I would have had to sit up for the sides were so high I could not
see her. With the Rock and Play I can slide it right next to
the bed and all I have to do is roll towards her and I get a
complete and unobstructed view and just reach over to touch her.
It is like having a mini extension of the bed right where you
need it and big enough for Baby.

The Rock and Play also well, Rocks. A light push has it
swaying and comforting your baby as she drifts off to sleep.
It is also built on a slight incline so your baby feels as comfortable
and secure as they do in Moms arms. I liked how Rowan could drift
off with me and I could slip her in and she didn't even notice
the switch. Before I would lay her down and just the fact she
was flat on her back was enough to wake her. No more! It is also
super easy to tote around and put together. I didn't have to wait
for the boys to build it for me or get it together for it was
so simple I could do it with Rowan sitting there in her walker
cheering me on. It also comes with an soft blanket and an adorable
elephant toy. All the fabric is super soft and breathable so
baby wont get all sweaty and sticky even in the warmest of months
and there is even a pocket on the end for storage. I really loved
that for Rowan is really fond of this portable light that
shines on the ceiling and plays music and in the bed I am always
looking for a spot it will stand up right and not fall down and
here it fits perfect in the pocket and is in easy reach. The part
I liked best is it is a snap to fold up and move and this could
not have came at a better time for my Mother is having surgery
this week and I am going to have to stay at her house with
her pets while she is there and I was a little worried about
Rowan for I have a pack and play but that is the same issue as
her Bassinet was for she is down to far and can't see Mom's
face and this packs up way more easy then the pack and play
and takes up a lot less space and is perfect for this trip
for I can put her right next to me on the couch while my
mother is recouping and she can see me as well as if she is laying
in the bed next to me. This has got to be one of the best products
ever and I really wish I had it when she was born for I would
most likely have her in her crib by now for she would be used to
sleeping an a bed without me. My only complaint is Rowan will
not be able to fit in it much longer and I would love if they
made one like this for older babies for travel and naps for
this is so perfect I would much rather use this all the time
when she is older instead of the bulky pack and play. As it
stands I will keep her in this as long as I can and hopefully
by the time she will not fit I can put her right in the crib
and I believe this might have saved me from my tough road ahead.

The Fisher Price Newborn Rock and Play is a must have item for
new Moms and Dads and is a super good value for the price is
also one that can't be beat. For what I payed for a bassinet
and a pack and play I could have bought 5 of these and the
quality is first rate too! My final review! If you are pregnant
or have a new born at home, run and grab one now for you will
not regret it the Rock and Play Rocks!


Fisher Price

Fisher Price Newborn Rock and Play Sleeper

Picture I used on cards

Picture I used on cards
Rowan with soap hair