BJ's Wholesale Club Giveaway

I've never been a member of a wholesale club. When I first moved out on my own, I'd tag along with my mom on monthly Costco trips. I'd stock up on mostly non-parishables since it was just me. This weekend I made my first trip to BJ's Wholesale Club.

BJ’s Wholesale Club and General Mills provided me with the free trial membership, gift card, coupons and information through MyBlogSpark. This was an excellent opportunity to see what all the fuss is about. We got there on Black Friday - after the rush hours!

At first, we had planned to just get our 60-day free trial membership and hit the aisles. When we got to the customer service counter we were informed of a great offer this particular club had going on. For $35 we have 14 months of membership, plus coupons galore! This was an offer we just couldn't refuse! Membership specials vary by location, but check out your local BJ's to check out their current membership specials.

There's a pretty wide selection so you're sure to find what you need. Among other deals, I made sure to stock up and bought myself a big ol' box of Chips Ahoy for only $5.96 - I think there are four 12 oz packages inside. That's a lot of cookies. But don't worry if you're afraid of getting too much! BJ's has recently made some of their grocery selections a bit smaller and more "manageable."

As a mom, I can't wait to stock up on diapers and wipes! If only we had the membership when we were buying formula! It's so much cheaper at BJ's! I did stock up on juice for the tot. They also have a great selection of Gerber baby food and Graduates snacks. I was pretty impressed with the selection although I was a little disappointed in the frozen foods section. I was really looking forward to getting some fun appetizers. Aside from taquitos and egg rolls, (both of which I love) there wasn't anything unique to pick up.

Check out BJ's latest coupons here! You're also able to enjoy a FREE 60-day trial membership! If you're a sucker for deals like I am - you won't be able to pass up the membership specials!

Here's your chance to stock up just in time for the holidays! The Mad Mom is giving away a FREE $25 giftcard to one lucky reader! Here's how to enter:
 
Initial Entry:

Leave a comment here about what you'd like to stock up on for the holidays- yes, BJ's sells wine ;)

1 Extra Entry:
Follow my blog or subscribe to the RSS feed. Please leave a separate comment that you did!

1 Extra Entry:
Follow @MadMomMission on Twitter (comment here with your Twitter ID)

1 Extra Entry:
Tweet this giveaway and post a link to the Tweet here. (limit once per day)
2 Extra Entries:
Become a Fan of The Mad Mom on Facebook. Leave a comment that you did so.

3 Extra Entries:
Blog about this contest with a link back to this Giveaway! Don't forget to post a link to your post here!



Deadline for entering is December 7th at 7:00 EST. Thanks for entering and good luck!

Wordless Wednesday: Little Guy's Birthday!

Someone enjoyed their birthday cake!

Thankful Thoughts

I love Thanksgiving. It's my absolute favorite holiday. The vast amount of food is of course just a compliment to the wonderful people we surround ourselves with during this holiday feast. Sad thing is, I don't take too much time to think about what I'm grateful for on this day of thanks.

I'm grateful for almost too many things to list. Health, family, my beautiful baby boy, friends, my job, food on the table... The list goes on. The only time I usually dedicate to this list is when I'm thinking of something to say when we go around the table to give thanks.

I try to think beyond the most obvious. There are so many other things to be thankful for - that I'm able to afford to put gas in my car, that I have a wonderful in-home babysitter, that I have socks and shoes, I'm able to keep my house warm, the fact that it hasn't snowed yet and it's almost December (knock on wood), that my child is well behaved...

What are some of the less obvious things you're grateful for?

Crib Recall

My sitter told me there was a huge crib recall that affected millions of parents. I don't get the paper and didn't see anything in the headlines this morning, so I needed to make sure the word got out! Without her, I would have never known.

According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, Stork Craft is recalling 2.1 million (yes, that's a LOT) drop-side cribs. The recall was prompted by 110 drop-side detatchments. The drop-side rail detatchment leaves an opening large enough for an infant to become entrapped and has lead to 4 suffocations.

Major retailers in the United States and Canada sold the recalled cribs including BJ’s Wholesale Club, J.C. Penney, Kmart, Meijer, Sears, USA Baby, and Wal-Mart stores and online at Amazon.com, Babiesrus.com, Costco.com, Target.com, and Walmart.com from January 1993 through October 2009 for between $100 and $400.

Please visit the US CPSC or Stork Craft's website for more information.

Help spread the word! There are so many other things to worry about as a new parent, don't let your baby's crib add to them!

Yoplait Kids Giveaway Winners!

Congratulations to our two lucky giveaway winners, Sherri and Sharon! You gals won a Yoplait Kids prize pack including free Yoplait Kids yogurt, fun color changing spoons, placemat, toy, and keep cool bag.

Thank you to everyone who entered! Stay tuned for the next Mad Mom giveaway coming soon!

Hormones

Hormones are the worst. Starting at the delicate age of about 12, us women become ruthless monsters. All thanks to hormones.

These chemicals change and make me so emotional sometimes. When I was getting married, I would be driving in my car and think about my friends and how much we've gone through together over the years, now they're in my wedding, and blah blah blah... I'd cry. Yes, just the thought of happiness, made me cry tears of joy out of nowhere. Then the whole changing of the name thing was just too much for me. I built an identity on my maiden name and now I have to change it?! I wanted to change it, but I had to have a breakdown first.

Then I got pregnant. Need I say more? Ok, then I'll on. The first trimester wasn't bad. Toward my 14th or 15th week, those crazy juices started flowing. Pop music fans- remember that song "Piece of Me" by Britney Spears? Well the lyrics are about how she can't do anything without it ending up in the tabloids. I know, PUH-LEASE. Riding in the car, the song would come on and the part of the song would come on and I'd just get so sad for Britney! **Insert crazy guy crying "Leave Britney alone!" here**

"I'm mrs she's too big, now she's too thin." That lyric got me every time. I would think about my massive rear end I'm sitting on and how horrible it would be for the public to point it out and headline it on People and OK! and the rest of the tabloids. Don't get me wrong, I'm not having a pitty party for Britney Spears, I was crying (yes, I shed a tear to this song) because my hormones were raging out of control!

I would sob and sob and sob during my second trimester. Nearly everything would turn me into a raging, psychopathic bitch or a crying, bumbling idiot who needed a hug. That went strong until about 30 weeks into my pregnancy. Then it shut off. I was getting ready. Nesting, being in control.

Then I got to my baby shower. Blaring "Move bitch get out the way" (a la Ludacris - yes it was that kind of move), I sped to my shower. Singing along "move bitch," my big, huge 8 and a half month pregnant self got to the parking lot, after holding it back the whole way, and started to sob. "I can't believe I'm having a baby!" Seriously, picture this singing Ludacris... they let me have a baby. HA!

What are some of your fun stories you can blame on your hormones? Does it ever work? Do you ever verbally knock your man's lights out and get away with it because you're feeling "bitchy?" C'mon tell!!

Birthdays

I've been thinking a lot lately. Reminiscing about my pregnancy, the birth of my first baby, and how fast the first year has gone. My son, my baby, my first born, will be turning one year old on Friday. I can't believe it. The time has gone so fast.

When he was first born, I'd hold him and sleep with him on my chest, and soak up each and every second. Always thinking about how these days would be gone before I knew it. And they were. In the blink of an eye, Josh was eating baby cereal, cutting a tooth, saying his first word and walking.

I took the day off from work on Friday so I can celebrate with my little man. I was always so excited when my mom got to stay with us on our birthdays. It just made the day so much more special. That statement made me think. She took the day off work so she could spend time with me. That means the day must have been special for her, too. Why wouldn't it? She carried me around for nine months, gave birth to me, raised me... Of course this day is special for her.

Our attitudes toward birthdays are so self-centered. "It's my day!" As a mother, I'm totally re-thinking that statement. My birthday is not all about me. Yes, I was born and the world changed forever... haha, but the most important factor was the fact that as the first born, my birth created a family. My parents' love for eachother, created a family. That's such an astounding thought that I could only understand after becoming a parent.

This year, more than ever, I want to spend my birthday with my parents. The ones who brought me into this world. The people who fed me when I was hungry and taught me the importance of the "Clean Plate Club." The people who grounded me because "it worked" and didn't ground my younger sister because she needed "different" discipline - grounding "didn't work." The people who put up with my shinanigans as a teenager (and as an adult).

Now that I'm a mom, there's nothing in the world more important than being with my baby on his birthday. I still remember my 16th birthday. The teenybopper boy band group LFO was popular (yes, gag me now) and my friend had gotten us tickets to a small concert on the night of my 16th birthday. I wanted to go SO bad! What better way to spend your Sweet Sixteen than with a girl friend and crooning prubescent boys? My mom was disappointed that I wouldn't be around, but she understood that I was a teenager and it was "all about me" that day. Looking back, no, I wouldn't change it, but I certainly do appreciate her more for being disappointed. If she didn't care at all, what would that have meant?

But don't get me wrong, I still deserve to be treated as a queen on my birthday. I'll just make sure to share some of the love with those two people who put me here and gave me a day all to myself!

Thought I'd throw this clip in here. I can totally relate to this commercial. I'm sure you've seen it before. It just reminds us how prescious these years are before they become their own people- with jobs and boyfriends and lives outside our happy little home.

Yoplait Kids Giveaway: Less Sugar, More Fun!

MyBlogSpark recently offered my the opportunity to try Yoplait Kids yogurt. I, of course, was thrilled! I'm a convenience food eater myself and it's so hard to not pass that bad habit along to the little one.

Snack time is hard. Sometimes it's just easier to hand the kids whatever is closest, then think about all the sugar and sodium in that convenience food. Are you, too, searching for a snack for the kids that tastes good and is good for them? Yoplait Kids yogurt is the perfect solution with 25% less sugar than the leading kids´ yogurt. With its thick and creamy texture that will hug your little one´s spoon, you won´t have to worry about a sticky mess to clean up afterwards. It also contains no artificial sweeteners or flavors, so you can feel good about serving it to your kids.


In addition, Yoplait Kids is a good source of vitamin D and, according to two new studies that provide the first national assessment of the crucial nutrient in young Americans, millions of U.S. children have disturbingly low vitamin D levels, possibly increasing their risk for a variety of health concerns, including bone problems. About 7.6 million children, adolescents, and young adults have vitamin D levels so low they could be considered deficient. It can be challenging for growing kids to get enough vitamin D because this nutrient is only found naturally in very few foods; however Yoplait Kids makes it a little easier to incorporate a delicious source of vitamin D and calcium in your child´s diet.

Sound good? My son loves this tasty snack. It's SO much easier to feed him the thicker Yoplait Kids yogurt than that gooey baby yogurt! Here's your opportunity to try it!
 
Perfect for accompanying this fun afternoon snack, the Yoplait Less Sugar, More Fun prize pack includes coupon for a Yoplait Kids yogurt, a travel cooler (to take your yogurt on-the-go), a fun spoon that changes colors in warm water, a reusable place mat with games to keep the kids happy while snacking, and a fuzzy tangle puzzle for some after-snack fun.
 
This prize pack is so much fun! I am lucky enough to offer this to 2  readers! Here's how to enter:
 
Initial Entry:

Leave a comment here about how you try to sneak in that extra goodness at snack time. Whether it's for yourself or your kiddo!

1 Extra Entry:
Follow my blog or subscribe to the RSS feed. Please leave a separate comment that you did!

1 Extra Entry:
Follow @MadMomMission on Twitter (comment here with your Twitter ID)

1 Extra Entry:
Tweet this giveaway and post a link to the Tweet here.

1 Extra Entry:
Become a Fan of The Mad Mom on Facebook. Leave a comment that you did so.

3 Extra Entries:
Blog about this contest with a link back to this Giveaway! Don't forget to post a link to your post here!

Deadline for entering is November 18th at 7:00 EST. Thanks for entering and good luck!

Rubber Pants and Always Pads

Pee. That's all I can say. There's so much pee! Everynight we get up in the wee hours of the morning to our son screaming at the fact that he is soaked in pee. His diaper, jammies, sheets and sometimes his favorite aligator gets a bath in the golden shower. We've tried everything! At first we thought it was the diapers. We had success with our local super market brand and they were about $10 cheaper a box. Which, as you know, really adds up when you're going through so many diapers!

The first few times this happened he was in the generic store brand diapers. He peed so much that the silicone inside had seeped out into his PJs and he was covered in this jelly-like goo. Not a fun experience to get up to a screaming baby and have to bath him at two in the morning because he had a diaper explosion. Then we switched to Luvs. Same thing happend.

After restricting his fluid intake before bed to only sips of water with dinner, then a bottle at bedtime, we had some success. Success meaning the diaper didn't explode it's gooey guts all over him. We went to Babies R Us to pick up some rubber pants, thinking this would at least contain the goo, and found these cool absorbant inserts. They're like big thick Always pads without the sticky. Just put one in front and it boosts the absorbancy of the diaper. Pretty cool but the best part was they were less than $4 for a package of 30. I could handle that.

We tried both the inserts and the plastic pants over the diaper. It seemed to work ok but he'd still pee thought. He just wasn't soaking to the point of needing a bedding change at 2 am.

I wasn't too keen on the plastic pants after that. Since he was peeing and getting the inside wet I was afraid of what that would do to his skin. He has pretty sensitive skin and I don't want to give him an un-needed rash.

So, after all of this for about two months, I think we finally have it figured out (knock on wood). I have continued limiting his liquids at night and added more solid food. This kid eats and eats and eats. I added some applesauce to his bedtime routine. I give him some Gerber Graduates snacks like the wheels or crunchies and about an hour later we move on to applesauce. He loooves applesauce.

Since we've added more solid food and are using the inserts, we haven't been getting up at 2 in the morning to a wet, screaming baby.

Trial and error, ladies.... Hope this keeps working or I don't know what I'm going to try next!

Things I'm Glad I Don't Have to Pay For

Times are tough. Not just here, but everywhere. That little traffic incident last month cost me $300 that I was not happy to see go. After kissing my hard earned $300 away (well, it was technically $295 - $100 deductible for my crinkled up car and a $195 ticket), I started thinking of all the material thinkgs I was glad I didn't have to pay for. Yeah, as a mom you can say, "I love that those little giggles are free and can get them anytime I want." The best things in life are free, but there are things in life that keep us sane and this is my short list:

Top Things I'm Glad I Don't Have to Pay For:

• Facebook Fan Page
• Email account
• Paying bills online
• Twitter
• Blogging - could pay, but I'm cheap and I'll stick with my BlogSpot.
• Grey's Anatomy - or CSI, or Flash Forward. Prime Time TV has so much to offer me to escape reality
• Showering- yes, there's a water bill, but a fee per minute or fee per shower would make showering far less relaxing
• Wasting time watching funny videos on YouTube
• Listening to Pandora

What did I miss? When trying to think of all the material things we can get without having to pay, I really couldn't think of any. My list makes me happy though. I would be sorely disappointed if these things cost me a per use fee. Could you imagine the bill you'd rack up with a fee-per-Tweet? Or fee-per-status update on Facebook?  No thanks!