Gigis Petals Brooch/Hair Clip Giveaway [CLOSED]

GigisPetals is a beautiful Etsy shop that found me after I added one of the necklaces to my favorites:

GigisPetals creates jewelry and accessories revolving around flowers and pearls--two things I absolutely adore. Thus I was thrilled when the seller offered to do a giveaway. She sent me a lovely brooch/hair clip in one of my favorite colors.

First I wore it as a brooch on my otherwise boring cardigan.

The next day I wore it in my hair. Love the color!

Smiles
*Versatility: one day you can wear it as a brooch, the next as a hair clip. You can pin it to a bag too. Or your little girl can also wear it.
*Lovely colors and elegant designs.
*Great customer service.
*The pearls are securely sewn to the flower, something I appreciate as the mother of a baby.

Frowns
*Beware if you have a baby: I had a fun time trying to stop mine from ripping the brooch off my sweater!

GigisPetals is giving away one brooch/hair clip in the color of your choice! You can also buy something from her shop for 15% off using the coupon code FOLLOW15.

Mandatory 1st Entry: Like GigisPetals on Facebook. Leave your user name. (Once there are 100 fans, she will do another giveaway on Facebook!)

3 entries: Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect.

3 entries: Grab the GigisPetals button on the right sidebar and post it on your blog. Leave a link to your blog. (Note: the button must be there at least until the giveaway ends.)

2 entries: Like The Hand That Rocks the Cradle on Facebook. Leave your user name.

1 entry: Heart GigisPetals on Etsy.

1 entry: Post this giveaway on Facebook.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry. All entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. MST on Friday, May 6. The winner will be announced Saturday, May 7. Please leave your email in one of your comments so I can contact you if you win. Good luck!

Food Drive

Whenever there is a food drive, the most common item received is canned vegetables. Probably corn or peas are the most popular, I'm guessing. As important as eating vegetables is, people need a well-rounded diet. Next time there is a food drive in your area, donate one of the following needed items instead, as suggested in a recent food drive flyer here:

• Canned fruit
• Canned tuna or chicken
• Canned tomatoes or tomato sauce
• Canned broth
• Canned soups
• Peanut butter and jelly
• Cereal
• Pasta
• Rice
• Condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayo)
• Meal mixes, such as Hamburger Helper

Say, "Ahhh!"

photo by Peter Skadberg

A newsletter from my health insurance reported that "tooth decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease. More than 51 million school hours are lost each year to dental-related illness, reports the Office of the Surgeon General." No surprise when you think about how much sugar we let our children consume. I think changing their diet is the number one prevention because most of us already take good direct care of their teeth by brushing, rinsing, and flossing. Obviously that is not enough! Review what your children eat and make healthier choices. What we eat affects all our body parts, not just our waistline.

I Heart Motherhood Maternity!

I was introduced to Motherhood Maternity by a friend who bought her maternity swimsuit there. I decided to check it out and immediately fell in love for the following reasons:

~The clothes are cute, fashionable, and comfortable, including the nursing bras. The shorts I bought are my favorite. They are so lightweight, perfect for being pregnant in AZ summer.

~The service is excellent. Every time I go, the sales clerk is super friendly and extremely helpful.

~The prices are very reasonable, especially for a store at the mall. For example, Lansinoh disposable nursing pads are cheaper there than at Wal-Mart.

~They're advocates of breastfeeding and let you nurse your baby in the dressing rooms (though they could have more comfortable seats).

If you have never been there and there is one nearby, I recommend you go check it out!

How to Number Your Comments in Blogger

My friend Ashley led me to this great tutorial on how to number your comments in blogger. The directions were really easy to follow. I needed to do this because I hated counting comments for giveaways!

Clean Pregnancy Jokes

Should women have children after 35?
No, 35 children are more than enough.
---
What's the difference between a nine-months-pregnant woman and a model?
Nothing, if the pregnant woman's husband knows what's good for him.
---
When choosing a name for your baby, open the back door and shout it out a few times.
---
A couple went to their first prenatal class. The instructor strapped a bag of sand to the husband's stomach so that the husband could get an idea of what it felt like to be pregnant.

As he walked around with his new bulge, the husband said, "This doesn't feel too bad."

Then the instructor deliberately dropped a pen and told him, "Now I want you to pick up that pen as if you were pregnant."

"You want me to do it the way my wife would?" asked the husband.

"Exactly the same," confirmed the instructor.

The husband turned to his wife and said, "Honey, pick up that pen for me."
---
A man took his pregnant wife to the hospital to give birth. The doctor told them that they had developed a new machine and asked if the couple would like to try it. The machine could take some of the pain of childbirth from the mother and give it to the father to ease the mother's burden.

They thought that was a good idea, and decided to give it a try. The doctor initially set the machine on 10 percent, telling the man that even 10 percent was probably more pain than he had ever experienced. But the husband was surprised at how little pain he was feeling, and asked the doctor to raise the level.

The doctor increased it to 20 percent, and when the man still felt fine, he raised it to 50 and finally 100 percent.

After it was all over, the man stood up, and stretched a little. Both he and his wife felt fine, and they shortly left the hospital to take the baby home.

It was then that they found the mailman dead on their doorstep.
---
An American man is riding a train in a European country. His seatmate knows some English, and they end up chatting. The seatmate asks if the American has children. The American says no.

"Ah, so sad," says the European. "Your wife, she is impregnable?"

"Well, um, that's not exactly the word," says the American.

"Oh!" interrupts the European. "I mean, she is inconceivable?"

"Um, not quite --" the American begins, only to be interrupted again.

"Oh, no, that isn't right," says the European. "She is, what is it, she is unbearable?"

"Well, actually," answers the American, "that pretty much sums it up."
---
The Lamaze class was full and the instructor was teaching the women how to breathe properly, along with informing the men how to give the necessary assurances at this stage of the plan.
 
The teacher then announced, "Ladies, exercise is good for you. Walking is especially beneficial. And, gentlemen, it wouldn't hurt you to take the time to go walking with your partner!"
 
The room got really quiet. Finally, a man in the middle of the group raised his hand.
 
"Yes?" replied the teacher.
 
"Is it alright if she carries a golf bag while we walk?" [So like my husband! haha]