Giveaway Reminder

Just wanted to remind everyone that today is the last day to enter the EcoMom Eco Cup Giveaway! It ends tonight at midnight PST, so get your entries in! I love my Eco Cup and it is so handy to drink my coffee from, both in the house and when I am out and about! This is such a great way to "green" your coffee drinking!

Good Luck!

The Little Hedgehog is FINALLY on Facebook!

The Little Hedgehog is on Facebook!

Well, that was a long time coming. I feel so behind the times! It took me forever to figure out how to create a Facebook page for my blog, but I finally buckled down, did some research (where would I be without you Google search?) and I learned how to do it! I feel as if I have regained some brain cells or something to that effect. I love learning new things and tackling projects that I felt were daunting! Yay!

I would absolutely love it if you would stop by my NEW Facebook page and "Like" me!

Book Review: God Gave Us So Much

I recently had the opportunity to review the book, God Gave Us So Much, which is a Limited-Edition Three-Book Treasury written by Lisa Tawn Bergren and illustrated by Laura J Bryant.

God Gave Us So Much is really three books in one: God Gave Us the World, God Gave us Love, and God Gave us Heaven. I really enjoyed reading through all 3 books and even though little man is still a bit young for the level of text and the length of each story, I know these will be special stories to share with him in the future. Each story centers around a polar bear named Little Cub who learns some timeless lessons about God and Heaven through conversations and questions he asks Mama Bear, Grampa and Papa Bear.

In God Gave Us the World, Little Cub learns that God made the world and everything in it. He learns that God created our world to be full of diversity, unique places and how God wants us to take care of this special world He has given us. Mama Bear helped to teach Little Cub about the value of making new friends, being willing to learn about and try new things, and seeing the beauty and wonder of the world that God created just for us.

In God Gave Us Love, Grampa helps Little Cub learn that God created us to show others love, even when we may not like them. Grampa teaches that God is love and that He created us to love. Little Cub also learns that there are different kinds of love and that when we love others, we bring out the best in ourselves and see the best in others. I think that my favorite parts are when Grampa talks to Little Cub about faith, trusting that God is there even when we can’t see Him and the message that God loved us so much that He sent His Son to save us. For a child's book, this sure is a story that can make a big impact!

Then, in God Gave Us Heaven, Little Cub learns from Papa Bear about how amazing Heaven will be. Papa Bear uses imagery to teach Little Cub that Jesus is like our bridge from this world and the bad choices we make here, to our future home in Heaven. This story would be very touching to read with any child who has questions about Heaven or where we go when someone passes away. It is a story full of hope, joy and beautiful imagery that takes the biblical descriptions of Heaven and words it in a way that a child can understand and relate to.

I really enjoyed all three stories because they really approach some of the “big” questions that some children have about God, love and Heaven and illustrate them in a way that is easy to understand. At the same time, the stories leave room for more questions for your little one to ask or for you as a parent to add more stories from the Bible to the lessons. This would be a wonderful and very special treasury to add to your library for your children or to give as a gift! 

I am so happy to add this book to our little library of books for our little nman! I cannot wait to read these stories to him as he gets older.

Interested in adding it to your child's library of books? This would make a perfect gift for any little one! You can buy it on Amazon or at any other major book retailer!

If you'd like, you can read and rank my review here!

Waterbrook/Multnomah provided me with this book for a review at no cost to myself and no other compensation was received. The item sent to me for review has not influenced my opinion of the product. I have sought to give my honest opinions and experiences on this product. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own.

Wordless Wednesday

Ahhh...sheer joy and happy squeals filled the air for a little man who has a love for flying through the air...

Blog Hop: More Followers Monday

I'm getting my "blogging year" started off with a fun new blog hop that I found!

Welcome and thanks for stopping by!

Shop the Mini Social and get $10 off $10 or more!

If you head on over to the Mini Social, you can use the code: MERRY10 to get $10 off your purchase of $10 or more! They have some super cute organic items if you're looking to add to your wardrobe or pick up a little something sweet for your little one! Now, I'm still looking through their different sales, so I haven't actually used it yet....so I can't guarantee how long this code will be good for. So if you see something you like, I'd jump on it...things are selling out quickly!

This organic womens scoop neck top is $19 before the discount

Lots of cute colors in these organic cotton crib sheets - $19 each!

This organic long sleeved infant onesie is only $10 and comes in two colors and lots of sizes!

Don't have an account with the Mini Social? You can sign up for an account here with my referral link.

Happy Shopping!

All About Me...In 30 Days! Day 30

 

Day 30 – it's Christmas Eve! post a photo of what's under your tree this year! 

 This is what our tree looked like on Christmas Eve! So pretty and all aglow. We read little man the Night Before Christmas and tucked him into bed. What a special tradition to start with him! We hung up all of the stockings and Santa visited during the night. At 13 months, he's still not really "into" opening gifts, but we had fun! I look forward to year after year of him being more involved with Christmas.

So the "All About Me in 30 Days" event has come to an end. It was a lot of fun for me and I am so glad that I took part in it! I hope that you all have enjoyed getting to know a little bit more about me and I look forward to getting to know you all a little bit more in the next year! Thank you so much for reading! 

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

-CLOSED- EcoMom Review & Giveaway: Eco Cup Ceramic Hot Drink Cup

 

Can I just say that I <3 EcoMom. I love shopping from the EcoMom website and I know that whatever I buy there is safe for my home and my family. 

EcoMom recently sent me the Eco Cup Ceramic Hot Drink Cup to review and I just l-o-v-e it! My hubby's reaction was so funny when I opened the package from EcoMom- I was just pulling it out from the wrapping and my hubby got so excited and burst out with, "You got me a re-usable ceramic mug?!? How did you know I've wanting one for so long! That's awesome! Is it my Christmas present?" Poor hubby. I had to confess that I didn't know that he had been wanting one and that it wasn't his Christmas present, that it was for a review! Well, either way, he is happy that we have one now!

Meet the Eco Cup:

Hello. I am the Eco Cup. I'm Not a Paper Cup. I am a single-walled (non-thermal) porcelain cup with a silicone lid and sleeve. I hold approximately 16oz and come with a brown or white sleeve. I am 3.5" in diameter and 6" tall. I am also microwave and dishwasher safe.

I take my Eco Cup with me everywhere! Seriously, I even use it in the house. I am notorious for pouring my first cup of coffee and being so pre-occupied with little man for so long that I forget to drink my coffee. (Bad mommy, I know... I mean, I can barely function without coffee) So, then when I sit down to drink my coffee, it's cold. Ewwy. Cold coffee is not yummy. Lately, I've been putting my morning coffee in the Eco Cup Ceramic Hot Drink Cup and the lid keeps it much hotter for longer! Yay! No more cold coffee! It is also super easy to take along in the car or to the park (it fits perfectly in my strollers cup holder) and it is so nice to have a reusable mug to take to the coffee shop!

The perfect "going to the park" accessory!

Now, one thing I will say about the mug. It has a warning on it to not pick up the mug when it is full of a hot drink without the sleeve on it. They are 100% correct. The ceramic mug gets very hot! So you will want to make sure that you put it on before putting your hot drink in it. 

"WARNING- CUP CAN BECOME EXTREMELY HOT TO THE TOUCH WHEN FILLED WITH HOT BEVERAGE. DO NOT USE WITHOUT SILICONE SLEEVE ON CUP."

Also, since it isn't seal-able, you will want to be careful that your little ones don't knock it over or reach for it to grab it. Little man is notorious for trying to grab mommy's coffee cup and sometimes it's like we're playing the keep-away game.

I love that EcoMom is constantly introducing new products to their site. I feel good about shopping there because I know they sell safe, eco-friendly and high-quality products. I also love the things that I can learn from their site! Here are some other fun tid-bits about the EcoMom site:

•  When you spend $50 at EcoMom, you get FREE shipping!
• EcoMom has amazing daily deals at deep discounts. You can sign up for the daily deal here.
• They also have a blog that has more information on green products and advice, parenting tips, ideas and crafts.

Overall, I love my new Eco Cup. It sits right next to my coffee maker so I can use it every day. I love having it to use at coffee shops rather than a paper cup that gets thrown away, because every little bit helps! 

Interested in picking up a treat for yourself? Or do you have someone in mind who you know would love this mug? Or perhaps your New Year's resolution is to add some new "green" habits to your life? You can BUY the Eco Cup Ceramic Hot Drink Cup for $9.99 at EcoMom.

Also, EcoMom has generously offered a 15% discount to my readers to use on your first order at EcoMom - just use code SBBL636 at checkout for 15% off your order! (This discount code is good until December 31, 2010 ...so get shopping!) 

  

-Or-

You can enter to WIN a the same mug I received from EcoMom! One lucky reader will win their very own Eco Cup Ceramic Hot Drink Cup to use and enjoy drinks from.

  Here's how to enter:
Mandatory Entry:
 

*This mandatory entry must be completed for the rest of your entries to be valid. I will be checking/verifying your comments, if you say you signed up for something or did something, you do need to actually do it for it to count as an entry*

• You must my publicly follow my blog via Google Friend Connect AND visit EcoMom and tell me what other item you love from their site!

Extra Entries:

•  "Like" EcoMom on Facebook and let them know that The Little Hedgehog sent you. (2 entries)

• Follow EcoMomCEO on Twitter and comment here with your Twitter ID (1 entry)

• Sign up for the EcoMom newsletter (2 entries)  

• Add my button to your blog and leave me a link (2 entries) 

• Follow me on Twitter: @lttlehedgehog then, comment here with your Twitter ID to get your entry. (1 entry) 

• Tweet about this giveaway. Comment with a direct link to your tweet so I can see it to get your entry!  You may use this tweet or make up your own:  Enter to #Win an Eco Cup Ceramic Hot Drink Cup from @EcoMomCEO and @lttlehedgehog http://bit.ly/dJUJFw {Ends 1/7} #green #eco #giveaway  (1 entry per day)

• Sign up to receive the little hedgehog emails via feedburner and have your subscription verified. (2 entries)

• Blog about this review/giveaway. Be sure to include a link to this review/giveaway. Comment with a link to your blog post to get your entry! (2 entries)

Don't forget to put your email address in each comment so I can get a hold of you if you are the lucky winner! If I cannot get a hold of you, I will have to draw another winner! Also, I will check to make sure that the winner filled out the mandatory entry.

Open to U.S. and Canadian residents only.

I'll accept entries until Friday, January 7, 2011 at Midnight PST. I'll select a winner using random.org's random number generator, then email the winner. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email and if I don't get a response, I will have to choose another winner. Again, make sure you leave your email address in your comment!

*EcoMom will be emailing the winner’s gift certificate item to them directly.

Thank you to EcoMom for providing me with the opportunity to host this review and giveaway at no cost to myself. The item was sent to me free of charge for review and has not influenced my opinion of the product. I have sought to give my honest opinions and experiences on this product. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own. Thank you again to EcoMom for sponsoring this review and giveaway!

All About Me... In 30 Days! Day 29

Day 29 - a picture of something you want to do before you die...

“Every man dies – Not every man really lives.” ~ William Ross

I would love to live in Italy for at least a year before I die. I would love to soak in the culutre and the lifestyle there!  I would love to learn the language, go to the market for foods, learn to cook the foods and to sit and enjoy my life with my hubby and a good glass of wine. La vita è bella!

Hubby and I could even get around on our own little vespa!

 

All About Me... In 30 Days! Day 28

Day 28 - your hopes, dreams, plans for the next 365 days...

I hadn't really thought about my resolutions for the next year yet. But, since we're on the topic...

• My hopes: That I will remember to be present in every moment with my little man. Whether he is just flipping through a book or trying to climb on me or even if he is shrieking in my general direction. My hope is that I am actively there with him in those moments. I know that it is impossible to be there every second of every day (because mommy does need a potty break, or a moment for coffee or food or just a breather for some silence). But my greatest hope is that I will be there to play with him, talk to him, listen to him and watch him grow. The first year has gone by so quickly and I know that the following years will fly by just as fast, so I want to cherish the time I have with my little man. The same applies to my hubby, especially since he travels for work. When he is home, I hope that I remember to take advantage of the time that we get together and to be thankful of the time we do get to spend together.

• My dreams: That hubby and I will continue to dream up future vacations! Traveling is so important to me andI want to continue to dream up new adventures with him. Whether we are discovering something new to do that is local to where we live or if we are dreaming up our next vacation plans, I never want those dreams to stop. My dream for this next year is that we will work on plans for our next big vacation to Europe. I want to go with hubby and my family again and I really, really, really want to take little man! Our last trip with our family before hubby and I had little man was such an amazing vacation and I want our little man to see new countries and cities, experience other cultures and foods, to have his cheeks pinched by Italian "mamas" that we don't know, to try gelato, to play on the lawn in front of the Eiffel Tower, to see the soft, brown Swiss cows with their big bells around their neck and whatever other mischief and adventure he might run headlong into. My dreams have always included traveling and I loved including my hubby in those dreams and now I can't wait to share those dreams with our little man.

• My plans: That hubby and I will continue and maybe even finish our home improvement projects! We have painted every room in the house except the office and my plan is to have that room painted in the next year! My plan is also to tackle our yard and get some new plant is the ground and (keeping my fingers crossed) a retaining wall in! My plan is to get pictures of our family printed and hung in our stairway, to get large prints made from our last trip to Europe and get them hung in the living room and guest room. I would also like to get back into the swing of couponing more diligently to help cut back on our monthly expenses. Ooooh, I have so many plans that I could make my head spin with all of the things I want to accomplish. One things at a time though and I am sure that I will get more things checked off my list that I even thought I could. Even looking back at this year, I am impressed by the things that hubby and I have done!

But, as it is quoted, "The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray..." So, I will do my best and remember to always have a back-up plan and a deep breath and a smile for when things don't go quite as expected. Whatever the next year brings our family, I am excited for it and am so blessed that I get to have another year full of adventures, surprises, love and fun with my hubby and little man.

 

All About Me...In 30 Days! Day 27

Day 27 - a photo of someone you could never imagine your life without...

Well, I have two "someone's" that I could never imagine my life without:

All About Me...In 30 Days! Day 26

Day 26 - a photo of where you live...

Ahhh...sunny Southern California! I love living here! Last week it was 80 degrees! Now it's cooled down and is raining, but still, 80 in December....kinda crazy! I love warm weather though. I am a flip-flop and tank top wearing girl and I just thrive in the sunshine! I am definitely happiest when the sun is out and shining on my shoulders. 

This is the entrance to our housing community. It's the perfect tree-lined drive...just like I've wanted since I was a kid!

This was actually taken a few short days before we bought our home. Now there are some new palm trees and grasses growing in the front yard.

This is the view of the mountains (and other homes) from our master bedroom

I feel that we are so blessed to have a house to live in, make our own and raise our little man in. I could have never dreamed that hubby and I would have a house of our own (especially when we got married 5 years ago and the housing market was skyrocketing!), but every day, I am so thankful to come home to our "home sweet home."