What does this mean exactly? Well, every Friday the wonderful people at Swagbucks increase the rewards on your everyday searches! For today only you will have greater chance of earning larger SwagBucks! You could even win up to 500 SwagBucks! (Just now I earned 3 for searching Blogger to post this. Anything more than 1 or 2 SwagBucks just rocks my socks.). You can also learn more about it from my post here.

If you don't have a SwagBucks account, today would be a great day to sign up! You'll earn 3 SwagBucks just for signing up!

If you hit the 500 SwagBucks you'll have to let me know. I'd be so excited for you.

Guess what information I just stumbled upon...you'll never guess. Old Navy is hosting a 2-Day Super Sale, this Friday and Saturday (1/29-1/30 only)

What does this mean exactly? Well, all shoppers will get 30% off on every single item in stores – except gift cards – even items already on sale. No coupons required.



Tell me this sale is not incredible. Go ahead tell. I mean, all we have to do is shop to save. That totally rocks my socks in my book. (Especially since my dear friend Genie was there last weekend and hit some pretty good deals herself. I'll admit I was totally jealous but I think I can redeem myself this weekend with this sale, don't you?)

Going to Walmart this week? Pick up these freebies while you are there.

Coffee Mate Original Sticks 7 ct. $0.98
Use $1/1 Coffee Mate product printable
Free after coupons

Scotch Lint Roller Travel Size $0.97
Use $1/1 Scotch Lint Roller coupon from the 1/24 SS insert
Free after coupons

Thanks Freebie Blogger!

Happy Freebie Friday, everyone! A huge thank you to Freebies 4 Mom for sharing their favorite freebies of the week with our readers. Heather features great deals & freebies all week long so be sure to check her site regularly!

Health & Beauty
DenTek Floss Picks (on Facebook)
Colgate Healthy Habits for Kids

Food
Ensure Shake
Kashi Cereal or Bar

Entertainment
The Biggest Loser and Subway workout mix
Lego Club Jr. Magazine (for kids 6 & younger)

Home & Garden
uni Super Ink Pen

Upcoming Freebie Events:
Please call your local store or restaurant to confirm they are participating in these freebie events

JANUARY
30 – Lakeshore Learning Kid Crafts make a key holder 11-3

FEBRUARY
1 – Denny’s free burger & fries (first 500,000 to register)
5 – Starbucks free Kind bar samples
6 – The Home Depot Kids Workshop make a #20 Car Display 9-12
9 – Denny’s free Original Grand Slam 6am – 2pm
13 – Lowe’s Build and Grow Clinic make a Jewelry Organizer 10-11

I'll see you here next Friday for another installment of Freebie Friday! Enjoy your weekend and your freebies!

Last week I stumbled upon one glorious gem. It's the perfect addition to a healthy living all the while giving us that sweet decadent feels like i'm cheating feeling. What is it that I am speaking so highly of you might be wondering? Well, it's Jell-o's Mousse Temptations.

Not only is it filled with mouth watering chocolate-ness flavor but it's also sugar-free and only 60 calories per cup. Now tell me that does not sound appealing.









This chocolate packed cup feels so rich and just bubbles in my mouth like a mousse would. I even let Little Bear have a cup for herself and it was so delicious she had to share it with the rest of her face (Bummer I don't have a picture of that). I was able to find these at my local Wal-Mart (with a coupon from my Sunday insert). They are around $2.00 but if you have a decent coupon around $1.00. I will tell you what - they are worth every penny. SO GOOD!

Next time you're out grocery shopping do your mouth and your soul a favor..grab a pack of these. They will not disappoint.

Do you have a TILT to share? Something you just love having around? Head over to the Diaper Diaries and join in, or just visit others who are sharing their TILT.

P.S. Check out this giveaway.

For more Wordless Wednesday Photos, Visit 5 Minutes for Moms

Last night, Little Bear and I had her Two Year Wellness Visit. She was a month late getting in because they were just so booked. (Don't you hate it when that happens?) Our appointment had us leaving exactly how we thought we'd leave.

Our Doctor, as always, is just fabulous! An older, Italian woman. Not the type of Dr that is all modern like (for example, being strict with say starting cereal at X age. We didn't we started Little Bear when she was ready. She was okay with that. No scolding or anything). Anyway, no shots were required at this visit so we started off discussing the typical concerns or issues one would have for their two year old - eatting habits, naptimes, temper tantrums, two year molars, potty training, etc. etc.. Little Bear also has been cursed with Poppa Bear's extremely sensitive skin (this will be quite the challenge for me as I do not suffer from it) so we had to ask some questions about some outbreaks. For example, she has this awful rash on her bum from the plastic on the potty. (Poppa Bear can't wear plastic watches, his skin goes raw and breaks out horribly) Apparently, Little Bear is allergic to the plastic of the potty. (Dr's Suggestion.....Make/Sew a potty seat cover. How on earth do I do that? I wonder if I could find something like that on Etsy.com?) Other than that main concern, I really didn't have any other ones - which is good news if you ask me. We will not be due back again for another year.

Little Bear's current stats ended up coming out like this - 26 pounds and 32.5" tall. She's in the 50% percentile. Not too shabby, eh? :o)

All and all, we had a really good visit and I left quite satisified. Tho I must admit, I still find it so hard to believe that my Little Bear is two already - TWO! Where does the time go?!

Click here to receive a free sample of one of the following Kashi products:

- Go Lean Crisp! Toasted Berry Crumble Cereal
- TLC Dark Chocolate Coconut Fruit & Grain Bar
- Go Lean Crunch! Honey Almond Flax Cereal

Which one did you pick?
You know I picked the one with the chocolate! ;0)

I am officially past the two week mark with The 30 Day Shred (aka 30DS) and I thought it was time for another update. Actually, I'll just update weekly like i've been doing. :o)

We started off the first week rather rough but pleasantly surprised at the end and even took my chance at Level 2. Go Me! Then we had week two.

Week two brought on new challenges. This was the week I would take on Level 3. Ey Curumba! She sure does make the exercises look easy on the telly but when you go to actually do the exercise. WHEW! What a workout! I was so glad it was still only 20 minutes. I was also glad it had some new music to it. You can say Level 3 has a lot more plyometrics than Levels 1 & 2. So, if you like that sort of thing, you will LOVE Level 3.

Once I tried Level 3 the rest of Week two basically went like this Level 1, Level 2, Level 1, Level 3. I ended up missing three workouts out of seven tho. The weekend ended up being more pre-occupied with other important items around the house such as de-cluttering for upcoming home improvement projects. (Which both will have to wait for blog posts of their own.)

We are now embarking on Week Three and I have to be honest with ya'll, I'm B O R E D with The 30 Day Shred. BORED! It's fun. It's challenging. It's only 20 minutes which let's face it is perfectly ideal for the Busy Momma but....well....I'm bored! I'm starting to need variety. The same script she says is starting to drive me batty. It's getting annoying. LOL! But heck, she sure does give you a killer workout! I want to see this 30DS through and I will do my best. However, truth be told, yesterday I was not feeling it. Not at all. I knew I had to do do SOMETHING tho. I already went two days without exercise. That's not good when you are trying to get back into it, ya know? So, what did I do? I whipped out my old trusty iPod and did a Cardio Coach workout. Specifically Volume 1. I opted not to do the optional third challenge and my workout still was completed in 30 minutes. I burned 218 calories. I was pleasantly surprised and felt great! I'll post more about these specific workouts another day. They certainly deserve a post of their own. So, will I still be Shredding It Up with the rest of ya'll? I'll certainly try but right now I need to mix things up to keep me interested. I think I'll play the DVD today and do a Level 1.

I'll update on my 30DS progress in a week. Until then, Keep on Shredding!

Monday - Beef Roast Tips in Gravy, Roasted Red Potatoes, Spinach

Tuesday - Chicken and Dumplings

Wednesday - Breakfast for Dinner (Eggs & Bacon)

Thursday - Hamburger Helper Taco Crunch (we use this as a dip and get a bag of Fritos on the side for dipping)

Friday - Dh's Frozen Pizza Dinner Night

Saturday - Homemade Mac and Cheese (recipe on the back of the box. He loves this recipe. I just add an extra block of "Seriously Sharp" cheese per his request)

Sunday - Loving Leftovers. Spread out a buffet table of all the leftovers from the week’s meals. This means a day-off for the chef!

For a thousand more recipes and hundreds more menu plans, check out I'm" An Organizing Junkie!

What does this mean exactly? Well, every Friday the wonderful people at Swagbucks increase the rewards on your everyday searches! For today only you will have greater chance of earning larger SwagBucks! You could even win up to 500 SwagBucks! (Just now I earned 3 for searching Blogger to post this. Anything more than 1 or 2 SwagBucks just rocks my socks.)

If you don't have a SwagBucks account, today would be a great day to sign up! You'll earn 3 SwagBucks just for signing up!

If you hit the 500 SwagBucks you'll have to let me know. I'd be so excited for you.

Happy Freebie Friday, everyone! A huge thank you to Freebies 4 Mom for sharing their favorite freebies of the week with our readers. Heather features great deals & freebies all week long so be sure to check her site regularly!

Health & Beauty
Kerasal Foot Ointment
Huggies Diapers (newborn or size 1)

Food
Cream of Wheat
Betty Crocker $10 Coupon Book
Souper Salad Kids Eat Free
Atkins Quick Start Kit

Entertainment
Baby Mozart song download
N3WY3AR Redbox Code at McDonalds
Star in The Hero movie (upload a photo)

Home & Garden
uni Super Ink Pen (starts daily at noon CT)

Upcoming Freebie Events:
Please call your local store or restaurant to confirm they are participating in these freebie events

JANUARY
23 – Lakeshore Learning Kid Crafts make a fuzzy felt wallet 11-3
23 – Lowe’s Build and Grow Clinic make a Tic Tac Toe 10-11

FEBRUARY
6 – The Home Depot Kids Workshop make a #20 Car Display 9-12

I'll see you here next Friday for another installment of Freebie Friday! Enjoy your weekend and your freebies!

If it's one thing that is familiar in the Winter month's it's dry chapped skin and more importantly lips. Ugh. Let's get a raise of hands on who just dislikes the chapped lips? Yeah, I thought so.

About seven years ago or so (Wow! Has it really been that long?!) I came across a product at the local Rite-Aid and figured "heck, what do i have to loose?" and brought it home with me. Little did I know that it would soon become my new best friend and forever friend.

The product I am talking about ladies - the product that I love and hold dear to my heart is Neutrogena Overnight Lip Treatment. It says it is clinically proven to heal dry, chapped lips. Folks, that's exactly what it does. I only tend to use this in the Winter months. When I do, I put it on every evening right before I get into bed to prevent dry, chapped lips. This product says it is known to deep condition and replenish moisture overnight? A very strong accusation, yes? Would leave one skeptical, no? Well folks, I'm here to tell you that it's true! I use it every night (mainly only in the Winter) and it manages to keep my lips nice and smooth and subtle and soft! It's fabulous! For those of you that think "well what if my lips are already chapped?" Well, here's something for you....If I sense the littlest bit of chapness (from either extreme weather conditions or sheer lack of laziness of applying before bed) I just apply that night and the next morning GONE! Yes, gone! It's fabulous? I said that already, yes? For Cereal...it works that fast!

It's rich, creamy formula nourishes lips with naturally-derived emollients, skin conditioners and Vitamin E. I won't lie. This product isn't exactly organic for one self but some things I'm okay with not going ala natural - especially if the product works as well as this does.

This little 0.18oz product is starting to become a bit hard to come by nowadays. I have been able to spot them at Rite-Aid and occasionally CVS. I have not, however, seen them at a Target or Walmart. Le Sigh.. I am hoping that this will change. Should this product ever be discontinued I will cry my little heart out. My lips will forever be chapped because ladies, I haven't found anything yet that works as good as this!

Do you have a TILT to share? Something you just love having around? Head over to the Diaper Diaries and join in, or just visit others who are sharing their TILT.

Wow! I can't believe it! I was just notified that I won a giveaway from one of my bloggy friends. This is my first blog giveaway win ever! Talk about being stoked! Not only that, it's for a particular item that I have just been aching to try! So excited!

I would like to thank Katie over at Katie's Nesting Spot for the lovely opportunity to possibly win her giveaway for Totally Toned Arms: Get Michelle Obama Arms in 21 Days by Rylan Duggan. I am still so excited to find out that I won! I'm going to be so anxiously awaiting the delivery man's appearance now. HaHaHa!

For those of you that are intriqued with the win feel free to check out Katie's post here. I can't begin to tell you why I'm so excited about this. To put it short, sweet and frank, I feel that I have always had big, nasty, flabby upper arms. I'm so self-conscious about them that I very rarely ever wear a tank top in public - let alone around my house in the privacy of my own home. Actually, I will usually only wear one if Poppa Bear isnt home and it's only me or me and Little Bear. Yes, i'm that self-conscious. Katie's review on the book sounded so appealing and I just had to apply for the giveaway - never thinking i'd be lucky enough...and look at that. I am!! Thank you, Katie.

How many times do you find a recipe in a magazine, online, or given to by a friend that you wanted to set aside to try some day? The time comes you want to try one of those recipes (or you've already had and want to remake this delish dish) but could not seem to find the recipe? I cannot tell you how often that has been the case for me.

Poppa Bear is always saying I have to stop leaving recipes all over the house. How nice of an idea would it be to have them all stored away somewhere, in one central location, where they can easily be obtained? Yeah, sure! In your perfect world maybe. Little did I know Poppa Bear was suggesting something so brilliant! Sure, my gazillion colored folders full of recipes were all over but at least they were in a neat folder, yes? Wrong! It obviously wasn't working for me. Enter the idea of a Recipe Binder.

For years I was on the hunt for a perfect recipe holder. I came across cookbook ideas, recipe card ideas, etc. etc. but truth be told, all required a lot of work. More work that I have the time for. I mean, really, who has time to print off or write out recipe cards to put into a pretty binder? Certainly not me. Then it hit me.....I could get a el cheapo 3" binder (Compliments of one already in our office closet unused), grab some sheet protectors (already have those too because of my Avon business) and some tabs (which I did not have on hand but scored at 50% off using an AC Moore's gift card making the total a whopping $1.50!). Now, all the Family Tried & True favorites are in this Recipe Binder, protected by the sheet sleeves and organized in it's right category. It also has a clear pocket in the front so if my kitchen decor changes or I just change my mind on the looks I can update the cover. This works for me.

Find more Works for Me Wednesday tips head on over to We Are THAT Family.

Vita-tops rocks my world!

You've probably heard about them from the Hungry Girl websites or daily emails if you subscribe. They have got to probably be one of thee most popular low calorie snacks amongst healthy living women. For those doing Weight Watchers, these little babies are only one point. Yes, I said it, only one point. For those of us not on Weight Watchers, we still get that oh so lovely feeling for these because they are only 100 calories. Did you know you could easily walk off these 80-100 calorie snacks in a mere 13-15 minutes? That's right. Just 13-15 minutes walking and you have burned these bad boys off. Not bad, huh?

The lovely Katie over at Vitalicious was kind enough to send me an array of muffins and brownies to try and review here for all you fine ladies. Honestly, I think she sent me almost one in every flavor. Katie, Thank You! You were so generous and have a customer for life.

Vitalicious offers many options such as the famous muffin tops, muffins, brownies and most recently coffee (tho I have yet to try this one and would be very interested). I was able to taste-run several muffin tops and the brownies.

The Vita-tops are low-fat, high fiber and are 15 vitamins and minerals. They offer a wide variety of flavors sure to please everyone's taste buds. Currently, they are offering Raisin Bran, Deep Chocolate, Banana Nut (just like your Momma would make. Goes well with a nice cup of tea), Golden Corn (Just like a corn muffin), Banana Fudge, Fudgy Peanut Butter Chip (By Far my favorite!!), Triple Chocolate Chunk (Perfect for that chocolate craving you are having), Double Chocolate Dream, Chocolate Mint, Dark Chocolate Pomegranate, Chocolate Fig, BluBran, CranBran and AppleBerry. They also offer several of these in Sugar-Free for all you diabetics out there. ;o)

The Vita-Brownies come in flavors of Deep & Velvety Chocolate (so moist and chewy!) as well as Dark Chocolate Pomegranate.

They are all sooooooooo good. It was hard to chose a favorite. Of course I will probably always have a tried and true - Fudgy Peanut Butter Chip. I mean, really, who doesn't like peanut butter and chocolate. It's such an awesome combination.

Vitalicious products are stored in the freezer and can be enjoyed fresh out of the frezzer or thawed. I love to eat them fresh out of the freezer. They are such a treat - even better if you smear a bit of Lite Cool Whip on them. Mmmmmm Delish! For the Bran tops, toast them and then spray some I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray on and it's superb!

Vitalicous products are a very delicious and healthy treat (or breakfast) product that I am sure each of you would enjoy! Taste one and you'll feel as though you are cheating on your nutrition plan. But Honey, I'm here to tell you that you are not cheating. you are just indulging - with something that totally fits into your nutrition plan.

I can normally find these in my local ShopRite and the occasional Acme. I even saw these this past weekend in the Walmart. Sweet!

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Vitalicious nor am I being endorsed to promote their product. They were kind enough to send me some product samples to try and review for free on my blog.

Monday - Homemade Hamburger Helper

Tuesday - Steak (from the freezer), Roasted Red Potatoes, Spinach

Wednesday - Macaronni & Cheese, Hot Dogs

Thursday - Ham, Mashed Pototoes, Green Beans

Friday - Dh's Frozen Pizza Dinner Night

Saturday - Spaghetti and Meatballs in a marinara sauce for Little Bear and I (Parmassean sauce for Poppa Bear)

Sunday - Loving Leftovers. Spread out a buffet table of all the leftovers from the week’s meals. This means a day-off for the chef!

For a thousand more recipes and hundreds more menu plans, check out I'm" An Organizing Junkie!

Happy Freebie Friday, everyone! A huge thank you to Freebies 4 Mom for sharing their favorite freebies of the week with our readers. Heather features great deals & freebies all week long so be sure to check her site regularly! Also, if you become an email subscriber to her site right now you can enter to win a $300 Apple Gift Card! Hurry over to get your entry in! I know I am.

Health & Beauty
Gold Bond Ultimate Hand Sanitizer (Walmart)
KotexAveda Color Conserve Sample (at Aveda salons)

Food
Taco Bell Free Fresco Taco (coupon reset)
Einstein Bros. Free Bagel (coupon for Facebook fans)
Celestial Seasonings tea (take quiz on Facebook)

Entertainment
Shutterfly 50 Free Prints (when you create a share site)
Forbes magazine (Rewards Gold)

Home & Garden
Purex 3-in-1uni Super Ink Pen (starts daily at noon CT)
aerie January Freebie (every Thursday)
Pink Tote from Nursery WaterWearever Recipe Box (when you register)

Upcoming Freebie Events:
Please call your local store or restaurant to confirm they are participating in these freebie events

JANUARY
16 – Lakeshore Learning Kid Crafts make my pet penguin 11-3
16-18 IKEA Kids Eat Free
23 – Lowe’s Build and Grow Clinic make a Tic Tac Toe 10-11

I'll see you here next Friday for another installment of Freebie Friday! Enjoy your weekend and your freebies!

Do you have a TILT to share? Something you just love having around? Head over to the Diaper Diaries and join in, or just visit others who are sharing their TILT.

I am officially past the one week mark with The 30 Day Shred (aka 30DS) and I thought now would be a good time for an update.

I will not lie when I say this first week started off ROUGH. I knew I was weak and out of shape but boy was I humbled by Miss Jillian. It most certainly was a workout in itself. However, as each day passed and I continued to do Workout 1 (out of 3) my stamina and strength were clearly improving. It wasn't until yesterday that I took the plunge and said "forget doing Workout 1 for 10 days before moving on, I'm going to move up now." (Side note: Noone says you have to do each workout for 10 days. It was just what I had pre-planned knowing there was a possibility it would change)

Yesterday came and there I was - standing in front of the TV clicking on Workout 2 secretly nervous as to what Miss Jillian was about to bestow on my poorly shaped, weakened muskles self. And we were off.................oh.............my............glorious........God.....this is going to be the death of me! Yes, that Workout 2 of her's is the devil. Yup, I'm pretty sure of it. It is quite deceiving. It certainly looked easy but ladies (or gents!) do not let that fool you. Oh no. It lies!! Lies I say. All of your muscles will be hurting. Muscles you forgot you had. All the while your cardiac muscles are so intense you feel as though your heart is about to burst out of your chest. Ey Curumba! But did I stop?! Heck No! I pushed and pushed some more. I was going to finish this workout darnnit. After all, it's only 20 minutes. Child's play I say. NOT!

After my 20 minute Workout 2, I felt relieved. I also felt refreshed, energized and proud of my accomplishments. After about two hours post-workout 2 I also finally felt the feeling of "Alright Jillian. I'm not giving up yet. Bring it on tomorrow because lady, I'm ready for you to BRING IT!" I bid you adeu for now Miss Jillian but I shall see you again today @ 4:30pm. Bring your torture. Bring your pain. But baby, you better bring me a better physique, stamina and strength at the end of this 30 Day Challenge. (I know you will. *wink*) Until then.....

P.S. ~ Starting weight 132.0. One week of The 30 Day Shred Progress is a 2 pound loss bringing me to 130.0

P.S.S. ~ I will follow Amber's suit and will post my before pics (and measurements) but it will probably be at the end of this challenge with my after pics (and measurements). That is, unless I change my mind and post before and if that's the case I will notify you then. ;o)

Tiki Blueberry Flax - If you love blueberry's you have to try this. Talk about flavorful! Yumm-o!
Paradise Walnut Pistachio
Exotic Coconut Almond - This one is my favorite!
Tropical Sesame Cranberry
Tribal Cinnamon Oatmeal
Island Brazil Almond Nut

What I really love about these bars are the sugars and carbs are not nearly as high as most bars you find out there. Another plus is if you clink on the links you can see exactly what you are eating. Nuts and seeds - that's it!! You can't get any more natural than that.

Unlike other bars I've tried in the paste these did not leave me feeling sick with a sugar buzz. Out of all the bars I tried the only complaint that I have is that I was a bit disappointed with the Tribal Cinnamon. It lacked the taste of cinnamon. I think that if you are going to put Cinnamon in the title it should at least have some of a cinnamon taste to it but that's just my opinion.

If you have been looking for an all-natural, 110% bonafide organic energy bar that won't leave you sick with a sugar buzz or even worse - the dreaded crash after a sugar rush, you've GOT TO TRY THESE! They will rock your world (and give you energy to tackle the world)!

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Bora Bora bars nor am I being endorsed to promote their product. They were kind enough to send me some product samples to try and review for free on my blog.

It occured to me this morning that I have not updated on anything regarding Little Bear in quite a bit of time. Tisk, Tisk.....Well, here's one for you....

We had decided almost four weeks ago that it was time to start potty training Little Bear. She was getting to the point that every time she went to the bathroom she tried to pull her diaper off. She was DONE. Then she started to try to take them off. Oh no! We certainly couldn't have that. Then, of course, came the time when she went to the Diaper Caddy station and would get out the Changing Cloth, wipes and a fresh diaper all laid out on the floor ready to get changed. Yup, she's ready!

We were going to start Thanksgiving weekend but Mother-In-Law wasn't ready yet due to her knee injury. We would start the following week - but alas, that was Little Bear's birthday party and it would be pointless to start then. The following weekend we began. And wouldn't you believe that's when she got S I C K! Needless to say, what would normally catch on fast for her (I just KNOW she would have caught on fast, not a slow learner just because of how she was acting prior to) took a little bit longer than expected.

When she finally felt better (that blastid sickness took almost three weeks to go away completely), she would go in the potty 1x a day at least. Then 2x a day. Then 3x a day and now.......We are going one week with almost going potty in the potty all day long with no accidents!!!! All in a matter of a week!!! I think it also helped that we tried the "reward" idea....we went with peppermint tic tacs for pee and a Lifesaver or M&M for poo. Man, we started that and BAM! Instant potty progress. (Funny story-The first time she went "poo" in the potty and saw it, she cried. Didn't know what to make of it. I read stories that some children are so scared of it. I thought she might be but after that, she was fine! Guess it was because we didnt make a big deal of it and just praised her like WHOA! But it was rather funny(and not at the same time) how she reacted.) That is, until yesterday. I'm sure it was an accident and I know we'll have set backs here and there but yesterday she apparently had four accidents. One of which was when she was home with me last night and I know that's because she was so into her playing that she just simply forgot to tell me when she had to go. We were right back on track this morning tho and she had went right away. If she continues going the way she is now, in another week I will tackle the next step --- removing the over night diaper. I am so new to this tho (being a first time Mommy and all) that I do not even know if that's the next step right to try or if that part of the potty training process takes longer.

Right now, we've been training her the old fashioned way - big girl panties the minute she wakes up but a diaper for nap time, commuting (or when we go out to the stores) and bed time. It was just this week that we decided to drop the diapers during the commutes to and from Mother-in-Law's house (she watches Little Bear during the day while we work) to home and have put her in Huggies Pull-Ups. Now, the only diaper that touches her is her overnight and nap time.

I know each child is different but I can't help but wonder "is it time to try to remove the over night diaper and try regular or is it too early?" As I am writing this out, I am thinking maybe we should hold off on the overnight and test out the nap time one first then the overnight. Ahh, this makes it sound like it will be a longer more drawn out process but Little Bear is already doing soooo well compared to other children's potty training experiences are going.

Little Bear really is doing super fantastic during this process tho! I mean, a whole week, where she went every single time in the potty! That's FANTASTIC!!

I have such mixed emotions with this whole potty training business tho. In a way, I so cannot wait to be rid of diapers. They can be such a pain. However, at the same time, I'm saddened. This means it's one more step closer out of babyville. Okay, I know she's a Toodler now but she only has two things left that keep her near the babyville border --- sleeping in her crib and diapers. We actually thought we'd have to put her in a "big girl bed" back in October when she climbed out but she hasn't done it since. I'm going to try to hold out on this for a little bit longer if I can. I know this one transition is going to be a little hard on me. :0( They really do grow up oh so fast!

Here’s a recipe for you that I'm sure you will just adore!!! It is kind of like drinking a Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookie without the pesky Girl Scout. Just kidding of course. I love Girl Scouts (and used to be one clear through to Leader status) and their calories…I errrrr mean cookies. Yeah, that's it.

Thin Mint Shake

1. 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
2. Mint flavored water (Metromint Chocolate-Mint water is fantastic, but you can make your own with water and mint extract. *wink*)
3. Ice
4. Blend
5. Enjoy

You can find Metromint at your grocery store, usually in the organic/health food section. For a money saving coupon click here: http://www.metromint.com/coupon/

Here's one for all you Wii Gamer's out there as well as the fitness enthusiast! Been wanting to try the Wii Fit Plus? Now is your perfect opportunity to try before you buy.

Right now, Target is offering a $15 gift card to anyone that tries out a Wii Fit plus and their upcoming tent events. First come first serve. Limited supplies. I would get there early. The following are the only sites participating:

Thousand Oaks Target
2705 Teller Road
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
January 16th & 17th from 10am-5pm

Burbank Target
1800 W. Empire Avenue
Burbank, CA 91504
January 23rd & 24th from 10am-5pm

Valencia Target
24425 Magic Mountain Pkwy
Valencia, CA 91355
January 30th & 31st from 10am-5pm

Frisco SuperTarget
3201 Preston Road
Frisco, TX 75034
January 16th & 17th from 10am-5pm

Plano West SuperTarget
2200 Dallas Pkwy
Plano, TX 75093
January 23rd & 24th from 10am-5pm

Cypress Target
25901 Highway 290
Cypress, TX 77429
January 30th & 31st from 10am-5pm

Atlanta Perimeter SuperTarget
100 Perimeter Center Place
Atlanta, GA 30346
January 30th & 31st from 10am-5pm

Cumming SuperTarget
1525 Market Place Blvd
Cumming, GA 30041
January 16th & 17th from 10am-5pm

Kendall Target
15005 SW 88th Street
Miami, FL 33196
January 23rd & 24th from 10am-5pm

Click HERE to learn more.

I, personally, own the Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus. The only difference between the two is the upgraded and bonus extra games on the Fit Plus version. What's so great about the Wii Fit Plus is that it automatically will update with the information from your previous Wii Fit - very seamlessly too I must add. Don't have the Wii Fit but want to just get the Plus? That's okay! No prior Wii Fit purchase necessary. After having the Wii Fit Plus for about two weeks now I can honestly say I love the new added exercises, games and training programs. If this is a product you've been curious on and are within the area of some of these select cities I highly recommend you go and try it out.

Are you using Swagbucks? I was discussing it here on Friday. If you are using Swag bucks as your "SEARCH & WIN" engine I have great news! Swagbucks will be offering a free swag code every day of this week on the toolbar. To take advantage of this freebie, make sure you have the toolbar downloaded. Then throughout the week check the envelope icon on your toolbar for alerts on the new code.

If you are not using Swagbucks this is a great time to start! Swagbucks is a search engine that randomly rewards you with Swag bucks every time you use it. The more you use it the more chances you have to win these Swag bucks. Accumulate these bucks to get free stuff. For example, one $5 Amazon Gift card is worth 45 swag bucks. You get 3 swag bucks just for signing up. Sign up right now and at the end of the week you should have at least 8 swag bucks (three for signing up plus five from the toolbar). Add to that any you may randomly win for searching the web. Don’t forget to take advantage of Mega Swagbucks on Friday when you may win double the swag bucks.

Sign up now and download the toolbar to get the free codes alerts. Plus the toolbar also helps you in making sure you use Swagbucks every time you search the one (FYI..the Swagbucks toolbar search engine is powered by Google so you are not leaving the Google Search behind at all).

Monday - Grilled Swiss Cheese Sandwiches, Tomatoe Soup

Tuesday - Poppa Bear's "Meat Concoction" (this is basically just one pound of ground beef and a whole bag of shredded sharp cheddar cheese. I like to call this "Heart Attach Casserole". You can guess that Little Bear and I will have opposing meals instead of this)

Wednesday - Chicken Noodle Soup with Ritz Crackers (It's awfully cold here in the Northeast thus the reasoning why Poppa Bear would like soup again this week)

Thursday - Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli

Friday - Dh's Frozen Pizza Dinner Night

Saturday - Stuffed Peppers, Side Salad

Sunday - Loving Leftovers. Spread out a buffet table of all the leftovers from the week’s meals. This means a day-off for the chef!

For a thousand more recipes and hundreds more menu plans, check out I'm" An Organizing Junkie!

Here’s a freebie that i'm sure you will just love! Right now, you can download the Biggest Loser Workout Mixes for free courtesy of Subway and The Biggest Loser. Some of the tracks include: Paparazzi by Lady Gaga, Umbrella by Rihanna, Stronger by Kanye West and Love Story by Taylor Swift. In total there are 12 workout tracks. Click here to get your free music download.

This is one GREAT Freebie! I am digging it! Thanks She Saved!

(Click to join)