2 Against 1: April 2011

A Moment for Mommy Giveaway Event

Welcome and Thank you for stopping by

A Moment for Mommy Giveaway Event

This is a 3 day event where readers will have the opportunity to win many great prizes while learning about new companies. Take advantage of this event to connect with some bloggers both new and old. Be sure to hop around to the other participating bloggers and enter their giveaways as well.

Thanks again and Good Luck!

North Fork Bed & Breakfast Gifts

North Fork Bed & Breakfast, located in Northern New York has been in business since 2003. The gift shop opened in 2009 and sells generally all natural products. They support American farmers by using soy and loofas produced by local farmers. Products can be requested both scent and dye free, although North Fork Gifts has many allergenic clients who have been reaction free. There products are made to be pleasantly fragrant but not overwhelming.

North Fork Gifts - A Moment for Mommy Gift Basket

This basket is over flowing with great items to help any Mommy unwind. To win it, follow the rules below. Good luck!

Basket Contents

2 oz. Fragrance free Goat's Milk and Honey Lotion
2 oz. Almond Vanilla Scrub
2 oz. Almond Vanilla Shower Gel
2 oz. Vanilla Soy Candle
Orange Cream Vanilla Lip Balm
Assorted Chocolates (who doesn't love chocolate!?!)

*Winner will be selected using random.org and contacted via email. The winner has 48 hours to respond to email once it is sent. If the winner does not respond to email within allotted time, a new winner will be selected and notified. Original winner forfeits the prize. *

Mandatory Entry:

Follow 2 Against 1 via Google Friend Connect (GFC)
Visit North Fork Gifts here and leave a comment

(Already a GFC follower, try Network Blogs, subscribe via email, etc. instead, just leave a comment letting me know which alternative you chose.)

Extra Entries:

1 Entry - "Like" 2 Against 1 on facebook by clicking here

1 Entry - "Like" North Fork Gifts on facebook by clicking here

1 Entry - Follow 2 Against 1 on Twitter - @2Against1twins

1 Entry - Follow North Fork Gifts Twitter - @NorthForkBBGift

* For each entry, be sure to leave a comment and your email for each entry so I can track your entries and contact the winner. *
*Giveaway will open April 29th at 12:01 am and remain open until midnight Sunday May 1st *

Thank Goodness Its Friday (04/29)

Welcome to Thank Goodness Its Friday! Our linky will open every Thursday night so you can join us for Thank Goodness Its Friday, also known as TGIF. Let’s make some new blogging friends and celebrate the end of a wonderful week!

Would you like to be featured as our Guest Host for theTGIF blog hop? Just fill out this form by clicking here. We are promoting growing blogs with less than 500 followers.

To join us in the Thank Goodness Its Friday Blog Hop, follow these 3 easy steps!

#1 Follow your three hosts via GFC and leave them a comment on their blog to let them know you are following from the TGIF blog hop (if you already follow via GFC, follow on facebook, twitter, or networked blogs)

#2 Follow our guest hosts, Heather, from Basil Momma, Mrs. Shopper at Simply Shop and Save, and Chase from Chase’s View.

Heather is a busy working Mom of 2 boys that are 11 and 8. She has a husband and 2 dogs as well! Join Heather in reading about her culinary hits and misses and all of the life that happens along the way!

If you are looking for savings, freebies, deals, coupons, and family related topics, then visit Mrs. Shopper. Most things are Canada related but she does have giveaway contests for USA/CANADA. Her product reviews are family friendly and she tries to add some natural/organic reviews.

Chase is a SAHM to a beautiful 12 month old! She loves being a stay at home mom and seeing the growth of her daughter every day. Her daughter has amazed her from birth. Chase loves doing reviews and giveaways on her blog, but also loves cooking and doing crafty things as well.

#3 Add your blog to the linky

#4 Follow the 2 blogs directly above yours and leave a comment letting them know you are following from TGIF Blog Hop.

Then, please stop by as many blogs as you can.

We’d love it if you would place the button to the Blog Hop somewhere on your page, whether it’s on your sidebar, a “Blog Hops” page, or a separate post. Please help us support this blog hop!

Have fun and remember to stop by again next week!

A Princess is Born

This past weekend my sister-in-law gave birth to her first child, a beautiful and healthy baby girl. I was lucky enough to share in this wonderful miracle, as my brother called the day of induction and asked me to be a coach. I cannot lie, at first I was nervous. I had a c-section with my twins so I was unsure how helpful I would be, never personally experiencing what she was about to go through.

Turns out I did great, or at least I think I did. Either way, I was honored my brother and his girlfriend let me share in such a personal moment. For me, there are no words to explain the emotion I felt when she was born. I couldn't help but cry as I watched my older brother, instantly become a father. Generally my brother is uncomfortable holding babies, but it was as though his Princess just fit perfectly in his arms.

He gave her to me to hold when she was just minutes old. Because of the c-section I had, I wasn't able to hold my own children that quickly. It was such an amazing feeling. It wasn't long before he took her back. 24 hours after she was born, I asked to my brother if he's been able to put her down. His answer was quick, only for feedings.

I wish them all the best as they begin their journey into parenthood.

Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion Review

Since having the twins I wash my hands several times a day, more times than I can keep track of. Throw in a minimum of three loads of dishes per day, yes my other job is a dishwasher. Needless to say my hands are always dry and cracked, screaming for moisture.

When I was approached recently to do a review for Skin MD Natural Shielding lotion, I was skeptical. My home is already filled with several different types of lotions, all of which I apply to my hands many times a day. To date, nothing has worked. I surfed the Skin MD site and thought for sure this lotion was too good to be true.

I received my samples in the mail and decided to give it a try, I had nothing to lose. The pamphlet included with my samples was packed full of testimonials from people praising the product.

"A conventional lotion is not formulated to protect the skin like a shielding lotion does. Conventional lotions only add surface moisture to temporarily alleviate the dryness or itching. Shielding lotions are an effective dry skin treatment because they bond with the skin and protect it for long periods of time. With this protection in place your skin keeps its own moisture in and has a chance to use this natural moisture in the deep layers of the skin to heal itself."
- Dr. Lisa Benest, Board Certified Dermatologist

Skin MD claims it has no greasy residue, no fragrances, no parabens, no petrochemicals and no dyes. I will agree, it is fragrance free and didn't leave my hands greasy. To be honest though, at first I was disappointed with the product. I was expecting a miracle lotion. Now, keep in mind when I started using the product my hands were literally cracked, my knuckles bleeding in sections (I wash my hands continuously throughout the day). My disappointment was because I had expected to notice a difference overnight, which unfortunately didn't happen.

However, after roughly a week of using Skin MD Natural Shielding lotion I noticed a significant change. My hands were no longer cracked and bleeding and my disappointment turned into relief. Overall, I would say it is a good product and does work. I would recommend it to other people suffering from dry, cracked skin.

You can order Skin MD Lotion online by clicking here.

Magnificent Monday Week 6 (04/24)

Welcome to Magnificent Monday! Our linky will open every Sunday night so you can join us for a Magnificent Monday. Let’s try to make the beginning of the week a bit better by finding some great new blogs and making some new blogging friends!

Do you notice anything different about Magnificent Monday? Please say hello to our newest host, Lynda from 2 Against 1. Lynda is a mommy to two beautiful twins and blogs about her experience providing “customer service” to her two kids, along with starting to host giveaways. We’ve also decided to change the image for Magnificent Monday. If you’d like to let the awesome photographer know what a great image she took, stop by her blog at 1 at Play.

Would you like to be featured as a Guest Host for Magnificent Monday? Just fill out this form by clicking here.

To join us in Magnificent Monday, follow these 4 easy steps!

#1 Follow your three hosts on GFC and then leave a comment to let them know you’re following (If you already follow on GFC, then follow on Facebook, Twitter, or Networked Blogs)

#2 Follow our Guest Host, Aly, from Seventeen Sirens

Her pregnancy has taught her to be patient, to keep going, and to be happy. When you realize that someone else's life depends strictly on yours, everything changes. This blog is Aly’s journey into motherhood.

#3 Add your blog to the linky

#4 Follow the 3 blogs directly above yours

Please stop by as many blogs as you can. It also helps if you leave a comment on the blogs that you visit so they can stop by yours and say hello.

We’d love it if you would place the linky to the Blog Hop somewhere on your page, whether its on your sidebar, a “Blog Hops” page, or a separate post. Please help us support this blog hop!

Have fun hopping and please stop by to join us each week for Magnificent Monday!

A Moment for Mommy Giveaway

A Moment for Mommy Giveaway begins one week from today. With the countdown on for this great event, combined with the fact I've never been good at keeping secrets. I thought it would be a great time to announce my sponsor for this event.

Drum roll please..........

2 Against 1 is pleased to be working with Lisa from North Fork Gifts on this great event. What started out in 2003 as a bed and breakfast in Northern New York, with hopes of a including a gift shop became a reality in 2009. At first North Fork Bed and Breakfast purchased the items they were selling to their guests. It was shortly after opening the gift shop that Lisa realized she could instead make her own items to sell. That was just over 2 years ago and has since proved to be a success.

The majority of the items produced and sold by North Fork Gifts are natural, they don't add colouring to products unless needed. The candles are made with soy wax. Soy can be easily washed with soap and water, therefore the candle tins can be reused for something else. Both the wax, as well as the loofas that are included in the Pamper Me Pedicure set are produced in America, helping to support American farmers.

Don't like strong scents, no worries. North Fork Gifts candles are made to be pleasantly fragrant but not overwhelming. By request custom orders can be made fragrance and colour free. Many allergenic clients have used North Fork Gifts products and had no reactions.

A Moment for Mommy Giveaway begins April 29th and runs until May 1st. Be sure to mark you calendars for your chance to win a great basket prepared by Lisa from North Fork Gifts.

While you're waiting for this great event to begin, feel free to check out Lisa's Etsy Shop, Bed and Breakfast and of course Gift Shop.

Thank Goodness Its Friday Week # 5 (04/22)

Would you like to be featured as our Guest Host for the TGIF blog hop? Just fill out this form by clicking here. We are promoting growing blogs with less than 500 followers.

To join us in the Thank Goodness Its Friday Blog Hop, follow these 3 easy steps!

#2 Follow our guest hosts, Laurie, from DRD Designs and Sara at Posh Pooch Designs

DRD Designs was created to honor the memory of Laurie’s son, Dillon R. Dziedzic. The idea originated with her son who was saving his favorite pair of jeans by patching them all by hand sewing them with various items. A short time after Dillon’s passing on October 24, 2010 at only the age of 24, Lauren began creating jeans for loved ones and as therapy...it then evolved into DRD Designs.

Posh Pooch Designs is a blog all about free crochet patterns, Crochet, crafts, Crochet for dogs, Sara’s chihuahuas and their antics, a few recipes for dogs, and Sara’s life as a chihuahua owner. It is light and fun and a little bit silly. Sara loves to load pics of her dogs!

#3 Add your blog to the linky

#4 Follow the 2 blogs directly above yours and leave a comment letting them know you are following from TGIF Blog Hop.

Then, please stop by as many blogs as you can.

We’d love it if you would place the button to the Blog Hop somewhere on your page, whether it’s on your sidebar, a “Blog Hops” page, or a separate post. Please help us support this blog hop!

Have fun and remember to stop by again next week!

Live Each Day Like it's Your Last

Recently a posting I read by Becca over at Becca's Perspective has opened my eyes to an old quote "live each day like it's your last". I communicate quite frequently with Becca as we, along with another blogger, co-host Thank Goodness it's Friday (TGIF) Blog Hop. She has also been a pleasure to get know, as she has helped me quite a bit with this world of blogging.

Becca and I, live in different time zones and figuring out the time difference isn't exactly our forte. However, I had noticed a lot of the emails she has sent me were late at night. So needless to say last week, I emailed her and told her she needed to get some sleep. It was then she told me to check her archives regarding an emotional post she had written about a car accident she had been in. This posting would explain to me why she doesn't get much sleep.

Emotional is right. I read this posting, May you live all the days of your life. ~ Jonathan Swift, late at night, the twins and my husband both fast asleep. I teared up a little and had goose bumps the whole time. This person I've come to enjoy communicating almost daily with, is lucky to be here at all. I went to bed that night grateful for everything I had. My husband and I struggle a lot financially, but who doesn't. At least we have each other. There are days when Laura and Brady push me to the brink of insanity, but at least I have them.

I'd like to thank Becca for opening my eyes again. Before my husband left for work the following morning, I must have told him I loved him at least 3 times. It was later that day when I told him about Becca's accident that he knew why. He later told me it wasn't the amount of times I said it that had caught his attention, but instead the way I had said it.

I am going to borrow a line from an email Becca sent me. If you have 15 minutes to read an emotional post, hop over to Becca's Perspective and do so.

Live each day like it's your last.

Stay at Home or Working Mom

I recently read a great article in Oh Baby Magazine about the ongoing misconception the working Mom has of the stay at home Mom (SAHM) and vice versa. Julie M. Green's depiction of how each Mom portrays the other, really hit home for me.

She does an excellent job of describing a SAHM and working Mom's daily routine. She refers to the working Mom longing to trade her dress pants and heels in for the comfort of the yoga pants the SAHM wears. The SAHM longing to trade in her puke stained sweats for heels and a nice outfit.

I have days where I would love to be at work rather than breaking up fights between the twins, wiping snotty noses, doing laundry, preparing meals, etc. Days where I feel like one more stinky diaper, just may throw me over the edge. Truth is though, I can also sympathize with the working Mom too. I tear up at the thought of being at work, away from the Laura and Brady.

A neighbour of mine (a working Mom) tells me quite frequently how jealous she is that I get to stay in my pj's all day. Yes that's exactly what I do, loaf around in pj's all day, drinking coffee and relaxing. She tells me she would love to be a SAHM.

Interesting, considering this is the same Mom who tells me you couldn't pay her to have another child. The same Mom who drops her child off to daycare early because she can't handle his tantrums (he's at the terrible 2's stage). I'm curious how she would handle him all day, everyday. A SAHM doesn't have the luxury of dropping their children off for someone else do deal with the tantrums and tears for the day.

It's not easy for either type of Mom. I know a lot of working Mom's who would truly love to be a SAHM, but unfortunately don't have that option. I also know fellow stay at home Mom's who really long to be at work instead. It doesn't make the working Mom a bad employee or those stay at home Mom's bad mothers. Every person is different.

I welcome you to check out Julie M. Green's blog at littlegreen1.com.

Magnificent Monday Week 5 (04/18)

Would you like to be featured as a Guest Host for Magnificent Monday? Just fill out this form by clicking here.

To join us in Magnificent Monday, follow these 3 easy steps!

#1 Follow your three hosts on GFC and then leave a comment to let them know you’re following (If you already follow on GFC, then follow on Facebook, Twitter, or Networked Blogs)

Becca’s Perspective
Ins & Outs

2 Against 1

#2 Add your blog to the linky

#3 Follow the 2 blogs directly above yours

Please stop by as many blogs as you can. It also helps if you leave a comment on the blogs that you visit so they can stop by yours and say hello.

We’d love it if you would place the linky to the Blog Hop somewhere on your page, whether its on your sidebar, a “Blog Hops” page, or a separate post. Please help us support this blog hop!

Have fun hopping and please stop by to join us next week when we have our first ever Guest Host!

Jewelry Ninja

2 Against 1 recently teamed up with Jewelry Ninja to help promote their new Posh Mommy line. Just by entering the promotion code "twins" you will receive free shipping on your order. Jewelry Ninja has something for everyone. So why not take advantage of this great promotion. Whether it be for that special someone in your life, your children, or even yourself.

Don't forget to enter the Promo Code TWINS

What is Jewelry Ninja you ask?
Great Question. Well, at Jewelry Ninja, their goal is to sell fine jewelry at even finer prices. They offer a variety of diamond, gemstone, and personalized jewelry items. They sell many of the same items as the bigger chain stores, but do it for a price. Jewelry Ninja does not use any expensive advertising, but instead depend on word of mouth and social media to get the word out about their products. They believe if people like their products, they'll tell their friends! So, they want all of their customers to be satisfied with their purchases. Jewelry Ninja takes special orders too, so if you don't see something you want, just ask. They can probably get it for you.

Posh Mommy Collection
The Posh Mommy Collection features personalized pendants that allow you to "show off the ones you love." The collection includes not just necklaces for mothers but also Posh Daddy dog tags for fathers and a Posh for kids collection as well. The Posh Mommy Forever Loops have been a hit with grandmothers as they can accommodate up to six names and birthstones.

These sterling silver pendants come in several shapes and sizes that can be mixed and matched. Both sides of each pendant can be engraved. They can also be set with birthstones (which show through on both sides). The loops are the most popular and come in three sizes, the Wee Loop, the Posh Loop, and the Forever Loop.

Posh Mommy has been in the spotlight repeatedly. Posh Mommy necklaces were featured on Ellen's Mother's Day episode. The CBS early show named Posh Mommy one of the top ten personalized gifts of the Christmas shopping season! Posh Mommy necklaces have been featured in several magazines including People, In Style, and In Touch.

There are lots of celebrity Posh Mommy and Posh Daddys as well. Among the Posh Mommy celebrities are Trista Sutter from the Bachelorette, Brandi Glanville, Camilla Alves (Matthew McConaughey's wife), Mark Wahlberg's wife Rhea, Danica McKellar, Maxine Bahns, Brooke Burke, Renee Baio, Garcelle Beauvais, Naomi Priestly, and Natalie Morales just to name a few. There are lots of celebrity Posh Daddy's as well, including Carson Daly, Ian Ziering, Mario Lopez and Jay Demarcus from the Rascal Flatts.

The Posh Mommy collection is a modern update to the traditional mother's ring. There are many options to choose from. With prices starting at under $50 they make a great gift for someone else or for yourself!

Thank Goodness Its Friday Week # 4 (04/15)

Would you like to be featured as our Guest Host for the TGIF blog hop? Just fill out this form by clicking here. We are promoting growing blogs with less than 500 followers.

To join us in the Thank Goodness Its Friday Blog Hop, follow these 3 easy steps!

#2 Follow our guest host, Amanda, from Confessions of a Marine Wife.

Amanda blogs about her everyday life as a mom and wife of a Marine. She plans to do some reviews and giveaways here and there to reward her readers for all of their time.

#3 Add your blog to the linky

#4 Follow the 2 blogs directly above yours and leave a comment letting them know you are following from TGIF Blog Hop.

Then, please stop by as many blogs as you can.

We’d love it if you would place the button to the Blog Hop somewhere on your page, whether it’s on your sidebar, a “Blog Hops” page, or a separate post. Please help us support this blog hop!

Have fun and remember to stop by again next week!

Sippy Cup Hide and Seek

Lately it seems I have been playing a daily game of hide and seek with the twins sippy cups. Let me tell you it has been frustrating. I didn't think it was possible to lose at hide and seek against a sippy cup. However, I can assure you it is. One night last week I hunted high and low in this place in search of one missing sippy cup. I went to bed that night thinking I would have to buy a new one the following day.

Sure enough, the next morning as I'm getting the twins breakfast ready, in walks Laura drinking from that very sippy cup. The sippy cup, who just the night before had beat me in a game of sippy cup hide and seek. The night before I had asked both Brady and Laura several times if they knew where the cup was. They laughed and danced, they even pretended to look for the cup. Well, I hope they were looking for it. If not, then they were mocking my loss of the game of hide and seek with the sippy cup.

Tonight before we put the twins to bed my husband decided to join in on the game. Together we looked everywhere for this sippy cup. Especially since it was just purchased today. Laura and Brady standing around, helping as always. I could tell my husband was starting to feel the same frustration I had felt the week before. Sure enough he found it on the couch, in front of his face. This has happened to me on countless occasions. The more I hunt for missing sippy cups, the more frustrated I get too.

I am determined to come up with a device for these sippy cups. A pager perhaps, so I won't lose at sippy cup hide and seek again.

Blog Bash 2011

2 Against 1 is excited to announce we will be

taking part in Blog Bash 2011!!!

For my readers who are not yet familiar with this great event it runs from June 22nd @ 12 am to June 24th @ 11:59 pm. During this time readers will be hopping from one great giveaway to another. There are approximately 150 fellow bloggers participating in this event. That being said, there will be a great variety of items available for all of you lucky readers to enter to win. Prizes and prize packs will be of at least $100 value!

I am currently looking for sponsors for this great event. If you are interested in sponsoring 2 Against 1 for Blog Bash 2011, please contact me. In celebration of this great event, 2 Against 1 will be offering its sponsor(s) for this event, free advertising from now until July.

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