Tag: product review

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Everything Else Reading

BlogHer Book Club: My Life Map

My Life Map by Kate & David Marshall was yet another BlogHer Book Club stretch for me. I don’t typically read books in the ‘self help’ genre & thanks to BHBC, this makes my second in the last few months.

There were parts of My Life Map that reminded me of Daring Greatly. They both pushed me to think about my past, plan for my future, & define goals.

I’ve never made a life map or goal board before. While I’ve thought about my future, I’ve never put pen to paper on it.

I don’t think I made or shifted any big plans. I’m happily married, with two young children & living in an area I plan to stay in. I enjoy my job situation & My Life Map reinforced that idea while still helping push me to think of how I can improve my work life.

The discussion on ‘play time’ did make me think about this ole blog. I’ve never made a future plan or business plan for Suz’s Treats. Is it a hobby? Is it {very small paying} part time work? I think I’m happy for now that I can call blogging both. A fun hobby that allows me to be a bit creative, has helped me find a community of online friends & still adds a little change to my pocket.

I wish I had read My Life Map sooner. I think it would be a great book to give to anyone on the cusp of a big life change. Such as soon-to-be college graduates to help them focus, as a wedding or bridal shower gift to help a new couple make life goals together, or even as a retirement gift so the retiree can plan for their open days ahead.

As with all the BHBC books, I’ll be discussing it with others on the My Life Map BHBC page. Feel free to hop over there to read more.

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Babies Everything Else

North American Bear Co {review & giveaway}

It’s fairly surprising to me, but the babies don’t have many stuffed animals. Their Nana gave them a small lamb rattle & little bear at our first shower. My aunts gave them the huge stuffed owl that’s in their monthly photos. And they have a brown bear from my Mom. That’s pretty much it. I was thinking the babies needed some additional soft toys to hugs & play with just about the time I was contacted by North American Bear Co.

I was already a fan of their stuffed toys. I’d unsuccessfully entered to win some North American Bear items from pretty*swell. For a few months, I’ve loved getting behind-the-scenes glimpses via their twitter & instagram pages. So when they offered to send Zach & Lucy some new stuffed animals to love, I of course said yes.

Soon after, Zach & Lucy received little Baby Long Legs in Puppy & Bear and they were also sent the big Baby Long Legs in Puppy & Bunny.

I gave the babies the big Baby Long Legs during their 5 month photos, suffice to say, they love them. Lucy was fascinated by the long ears & legs.

Lucy & her Bunny

Zach in typical fashion, was a little more reserved & just enjoyed snuggling with his Puppy.

Zach & his Puppy

The small Baby Long Legs are perfect for their small hands. At their age, they’re just beginning to grasp toys {& bring them to their mouths}. Soft, light, cute stuffed animals like these from North American Bear Co are great. I went a little photo crazy this past weekend, but they were having fun with their new favorite toys & I was loving the light in my parents’ den.

Zach & Lucy love their Baby Long Legs squeakers!

Since North American Bear Co is so awesome, they’ve agreed to share the stuffed animal love with one of you too. That’s right, just in time for Christmas, one of you can choose anything from their ‘What’s New’ category {$50 limit}. If I were you & had a little girl to shop for this Christmas, the beautiful Muffy VanderBear would be my pick. I think Lucy & Zach might just have to have these Chrismouse squeakers in their stockings!

To enter, just check out North American Bear Co & leave a comment telling me your favorite item.

For a second entry, make sure you follow @suzstreats & @NABearCo on twitter, & tweet about the giveaway. Something like, “I entered to win up to $50 of stuffed love from @NABearCo & @suzstreats. You can too! http://tinyurl.com/d9k8rp7“. Be sure to leave a comment with the link to your tweet.

Feel free to follow them on Facebook & instagram too if you’d like.

I’ll end the giveaway next Tuesday 11/20 at 10p. I’ll draw the winner using random.org & stay tuned for the winner to be announced on Zach & Lucy’s 6 month bday 11/21!

Good luck!

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Babies Everything Else

Introducing Babyhuddle

I was recently introduced to Babyhuddle, after Susanne {yes, her name caught my eyes first!} stopped by & left a comment on my cloth diapering at daycare post.

I jumped over to the babyhuddle site because I hadn’t heard of it. I noticed immediately that it was a cool, user-friendly & very interactive site for all things baby. I noticed the prices were all in EU, they used the term ‘mum’ {which is just too cute} & wondered if they were going to have a US site. Turns out, they’re launching their US version of babyhuddle today.

My favorite part about babyhuddle? The lists! I love lists! {Remember my pre-babies list that didn’t quite get finished before bed rest?} I searched online before the babies were born for blog posts to help me register for what I’d need most as a twin mom. I found very few.

I so wish there had been US babyhuddle then. I love being able to see the lists made by real Moms like myself showing products they use & adore. {I know Amazon has lists but these feel more personal.} I immediately started a list I called ‘twin mom must haves’. It includes many of the items I listed in my newborn must have post plus a few more items that I forgot.

Babyhuddle also has an ask questions feature where you can throw out a question about any baby topic & have it be answered by other parents. I answered questions about breastfeeding {how long I would nurse, what products I used most} & my favorite baby shower gift {the brestfriend twin pillow btw}. I asked a question on babyhuddle too ~ What was the best product for the 6-12 month crowd? I need Christmas gift ideas as my family has been inquiring.

Not only is babyhuddle interactive with their lists & ask features, you can also shop. *ding, ding* {happy bells in my head}. I have no time to go to stores anymore, so online shopping has become a new favorite. Babyhuddle has a great selection of all my go-to baby product as well as perfect mom to-be gifts. And their prices seems very reasonable too.

If you’re like me & enjoy being one of the firsts to try something new, go check out babyhuddle. Look for me there. I’m ‘suzstreats’. Join, make lists, ask & answer questions & you can shop too of course.

After checking out babyhuddle on my own & for myself, I was contacted by babyhuddle for a review post. This was sponsored but all opinions are genuine & my own.

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Everything Else Reading

BlogHer Book Club: Reflected in You

I was very thankful we received both of the first two books in this Crossfire novel series by Sylvia Day. I might have felt a little lost reading Reflected in You without the beginning/back story provided by Bared to You.

The story of Eva & Gideon captured me right from the start. Recent college graduate moves to NYC & gets an entry level marketing job in a beautiful high rise building. On her see-how-long-it-takes-to-get-to-work trial run, she literally runs into a smokingly hot, dark & slightly dangerous looking man. And with that, I was hooked. Throw in a fun gay boss, a wild male model roommate, ultra-rich mother & step-dad, & a down-to-earth father & you’ve got a good cast of characters beyond just that of the main two. Their over the top rich lives are enough to make you a bit envous before you discover their dark, twisted pasts.

These books definitely fall into the ‘romance novel’ category. I was into historical romance novels as beach reads in HS & college but hadn’t read one in years. The modern day setting made this romance novel a nice change from some of the cheesy back drops & story lines from past romance novel reads.

As a romance novel, you get sex scenes. Wild, crazy over the top ones only {I imagine} pulled off by the very creative, wild & wealthy. Coming off of reading Diary of a Submissive, these sex scenes seemed tame & unriske by comparison. That was a nice change.

Reflected in You sums up itself well but most definitely leaves you hanging & wanting more. Thankfully, the last page mentions that Entwined with You will be coming out in 2013.

I’d recommend Bared to You & Reflected in You to any romance novel fan or those looking for a fun, quick & easy, romance novel, beach read. I’ll be discussing Reflected in You on the BlogHer Book Club page. Join me there?

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Everything Else Reading

BlogHer Book Club: Diary of a Submissive

I love the BlogHer Book Club. Because while the books sent to me straight from the publisher & the lil bit of cash {which helps me feel better about splurging on fancy gelato} are nice, BHBC also pushes me to read things outside of my norm. Outside my comfort zone if you will. I wouldn’t have picked up Theodora. Or Daring Greatly.

And most certainly not Diary of a Submissive by Sophie Morgan. But because I don’t mind reading something different {& yes, so I don’t want to miss out on a book}, I sometimes hit send on the form before I really read the description. I felt slightly uncomfortable later on just reading the description. In a what-have-I-gotten-myself-into-&-yet-I’m-curious kind of way.

Diary of a Submissive arrived just as I’d finished Matched {where kissing was oh-so-scandalous}. I threw it in my pumping-at-work bag & in the hour & a half a day I sit in the pumping room, I read Sophie’s memoir about her sexual tendencies.

I don’t blush much & have read a bit of smut before, but just the first few chapters had me running on Facebook to tell friends in a group that I was in over my head.

I haven’t read this summer’s much discussed Fifty Shades of Grey. Because I’d heard it was a lil crazy & a lil cheesy & not so well written. & hello, I had two newborns & very little to no time to read smut this summer.

I believe Diary of a Submissive takes Fifty Shades & turns it into 100 shades of making Suz blush & feel uncomfortable to the point of wanting to stop reading. But I read it. I had to know how a seemingly normal 30-something lived this life & why & how.

Would I recommend it to all my friends & family? No, remember I live in the Bible belt states for goodness sakes. But it was interesting; kinda like watching something super foreign on National Geography is interesting. Happy to never go there, okay that you now know more about it.

I know the discussion on Diary of a Submissive will be quite interesting. Jump on over to BlogHer Book Club Diary of a Submissive for more specifics.

I was compensated for this BlogHer Book Club review but all opinions expressed are my own.