The Olivia Project

It's been a long time since I shared any recent pictures of the kids on here, and my Aunt Kate gave me the perfect reason to grab my camera and shoot some new ones of the girls.  A talented crafter, she created some adorable coats from fabric that features Olivia The Pig.

Named The Olivia Project for obvious reasons, these coats are near and dear to my heart since I have my own little Olivia.  Doesn't she look cute?

I seriously wish I had the time to create adorable things like these coats for my girls.  As it is, I've been working on a pair of dresses for over 2 weeks now and they are still not sewn together.  But at least I have my Aunt Kate working hard to keep my girls in stylish new clothes...

She claims that they were "sew easy" to put together.  She made 5 of them actually!  I'm lucky if I can sew 2 pieces of fabric in a straight line. (And I usually do that with the help of a seam ripper and several attempts!)  You can see more of my fabulous Aunt's projects by clicking here or on any of the links above.

I'll leave you with just a few more pictures of The Olivia Project in action...

And one of the big brother just to be fair:

My 3-year Old Needs.... Detox???

Joey has been bit hard by the sugar bug lately.  He asks for sweets constantly.  It is the first thing he talks about in the morning, the last thing he talks about when he goes to sleep.  He even reminds me that he gets chocolate in the morning when he groggily rolls over when I cover him up at midnight before I go to bed. No joke... a few nights ago I came home from work around 11:30, went upstairs to tuck them all in for the night, Joey must have been in a light sleep because as I covered him up with his blanket he barely opened his eyes and said, "Don't forget to give me chocolate tomorrow Mom."  I told him I wouldn't forget, and he rolled over and went back to sleep.

This morning Joey's sweet tooth out in full force.  He climbed up on my bed, told me it was time to wake up, and suggested that "maybe we can make brownies for breakfast."  At 6:40am my child is already planning to kick off the day with a breakfast of champions.  When I said that it was too early for brownies, he shrugged his shoulders, put his hand up in the air like he just had a brilliant idea, and cheerfully announced, "but it's not too early for gummies!"

When I ask Joey whether he wants PB&J or Grilled Cheese for lunch he nonchalantly says, "I don't need any wunch.  Maybe I can just have cookies."

Last night when I was about to help him brush his teeth Joey took the toothbrush out of my hand, slipped it back into the Nemo toothbrush holder, and told me it wasn't teeff-brushin' time.  "I just need to have a wittle chocolate.  Then I will brush my teeff."

I swear, this kid has sugar on the brain 24 hours a day.  He's usually  not too unreasonable when I explain to him that we can't eat too much sweets, or 7am is too early for cookies and chocolate morsels, but it doesn't stop him from asking for something 3 1/2 seconds later.  I have a feeling this addiction to sweets was brought on by a combination of my one true parenting vice (bribery), and the Holiday Season.  (not to mention that all of my children are predisposed to a serious addiction to sweets thanks to their lovely DNA makeup)  As with any other house we had more than the usual collection of chocolates masked in pretty, shiny, foil wrappers, cookies of all shapes, sizes, and flavors (cookie swap anyone?), and dessert way more often than necessary.  Ron and I have tried to snap ourselves out of this snacking on sweets behavior, but Joey is pretty content with the constant supply of sugary snacks in the house. 

Is anyone else having this problem?  I'm fine with my kids getting a little treat every now and then, but how many sweets is too many?  Do your children expect and request chocolate/cookies/gummies/candy every waking hour of the day?  Let's hear it mommas...

Disney On Ice Winner Announcement

Looks like you ladies had fun recalling all your favorite Disney memories, and I truly wish I had tickets to give away to each of you.  But.... I don't.  So with the help of my friend, Random.org, just one lucky winner was selected.  Congratulations to post #10, Marie (Anonymous) who said, "My fav disney memory would be after seeing the Little Mermaid I would go under water at the beach and swoosh around like I was a mermaid :)"  Hope you and your family are excited to see Ariel 'swooshing' her way around the skating rink while attending Disney On Ice presents Mickey and Minnie's Magical Journey!  I know you'll have so much fun!  Marie, I'll be in touch with showtime and ticket pick-up info.

*** Edited 1/5/11 to include Random.org screen shot.***

Didn't win, but still want to go?  Click the link above and enter promo code MOMS5 to knock $5 off your ticket price valid for the following performances: Thursday, January 6th at 7pm; Friday, January 7th at 7pm; Saturday, January 8th at 6:30pm; or Sunday, January 9th at 1pm.  Tickets start at just $15.

Thanks to all who entered, and don't forget to check back soon for more great giveaways.  Including the latest one for a Kix Prizepack! including 2 free boxes of Kix, a puzzle, flashcards, and some other fun goodies.

Kix Review and Giveaway

I think any house with children can attest to the fact that cereal is a huge staple in the pantry.  My kids love to eat their cereal dry while they wait for breakfast or another meal.  Kix is simple in ingredients but big on taste, and has been a hit in my house for a long time.  The “Kid-Tested Mother-Approved^®”cereal is made with whole grain corn and is an excellent source of iron. It also is a good source of calcium, fiber, and Vitamins C and D. Whether I choose to serve Original Kix or Honey Kix, I feel good in knowing that my kids are getting a wholesome food with nutrients they need to grow.

Through MyBlogSpark, Kix was kind enough to send me a prize pack containing a 24-piece counting-themed floor puzzle, fun learn-to-count flashcards, a sippy cup, a portable snack container and a box each of Original Kix and Honey Kix cereals.  And lucky for you, they've agreed to send an additional prize pack to one of my lucky readers!

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post telling me what your family enjoys for breakfast. 

Want more chances to win?  Up to 10 additional entries can be earned by doing some or all of the following: (leave an additional comment for each additional entry.)

• Become a follower of Thou Shall Not Whine (3 extra entries!) *Just click the little "follow" button on the right-hand sidebar, then leave me 3 additional comments stating, "follower #1, follower #2, etc." 
• Facebook (2 extra entries) *click on the networked blog button on the right-hand sidebar, then leave 2 additional comments stating that you did!*
• Grab my button and display it on your blog (2 extra entries!)
• Mention this giveaway on your blog with a link back to it. (2 extra entries!)
• Leave a comment on a non-giveaway post. (leave an additional comment here to count as your entry!)

This giveaway starts now and will conclude on Tuesday, January 11th, at 11:59pm EST. Winner will be selected via Random.org and contacted via email. Winner will have 48 hours to respond before another winner will be chosen.

*Disclosure:* I was provided the products mentioned above free of charge from Kix through MyBlogSpark for the purpose of writing this review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Disney on Ice is Coming to Hartford! Win 4 tickets here!

Disney on Ice is coming to Hartford's XL Center this week for 5 days of fabulous performances.  Mickey and Minnie's Magical Journey will feature the magical worlds of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Peter Pan, and Lilo & Stitch. From Ariel’s enchanting undersea kingdom to Never Land with Peter Pan and his sassy fairy friend Tinker Bell, Disney fans of all ages will be captivated by the music, beauty, and laughter in a journey so magical, they'll never want to leave!

Since I started this blog while living in the Hartford area, I still get contacted from time to time to promote events like this.  And since I LOVE Disney on Ice (just brought my kids to the show in Raleigh last month), I figured this one would be well worth the effort.  I've been asked to feature the show on my blog and give my Greater Hartford Area readers a chance to win a family 4-pack of tickets to see the show on Wednesday, January 5th at 7pm. 

All you have to do to enter to win is leave a comment on this post including your favorite Disney memory and a valid email address where you can be contacted.  This giveaway will start now and conclude in just 2 short days on Monday, January 3rd at 11:59 PM EST. (That'll give me enough time to contact the winner and forward the information on for ticket pick-up)

Remember, the giveaway is only for the Hartford, CT show on Wednesday, January 5th at 7pm.  If you don't live in the area or aren't free this Wednesday, save us all the trouble and skip this giveaway. ;)  If you do live in the area and don't have plans on Wednesday night.... what are you waiting for?  Comment now for your chance to win!

One last thing: If you don't win and still want to attend one of the shows, or you can't attend on Wednesday night, use discount code MOMS5 for $5 off the ticket price for one of the following performances:  Thursday, January 6th at 7pm; Friday, January 7th at 7pm; Saturday, January 8th at 6:30pm; or Sunday, January 9th at 1pm. (code is only valid for the performance dates/times listed.)  Click on this link to buy your tickets online.  Ticket prices start at just $15!
*No bonus entries are being accepted for this giveaway.  Since this is a localized giveaway and only active for 2 days, I'm keeping it simple with 1 comment per person.*

Winners

Sorry I'm late in posting these winners.  Working, travelling, and the holiday festivities have all interfered with my blogging lately, and I sincerely hope to do better.  I really miss this place. (my blog)

Without further ado, the winner of the Chex Party Mix Prize Pack sponsored by General Mills and MyBlogSpark is Cheryl F., post #5, who said, "Following Thou Shall Not Whine with NetworkedBlogs on Facebook."

And the winner for the Old El Paso Family Taco Night prize pack sponsored by Old El Paso and MyBlogSpark is Karin, post #5, who said, "I'd love to win because we like Mexican food and love eating tacos!"

Congratulations to both of you, I've emailed you both for shipping info so you can receive your prize pack ASAP.

Thanks to all who entered, and stay tuned for more great giveaways!