See Kai Run Shoes Review and Giveaway

I love love love these shoes!

I was excited to be able to get a chance to try out a pair of See Kai Run shoes but I didn't think I would love them this much. I have to admit when J was a baby I bought whatever shoes were on sale. I kind of thought "he's too small anyways to know anything about real quality shoes." Well now I know the difference and I'm not going back. I chose the Jake from See Kai Run's Smaller line for Baby L. How cute are they?!

The cream and brown colors go with everything. They arrived in a cute silver box that was nice enough to give as a gift without additional wrapping. These shoes are handcrafted from butter soft sheep skin leather so they are soft and flexible. The soles are made of soft suede and have non slip rubber pads, which is great for wobbly walkers. With breathable leather insoles and lining, baby won't get sweaty stinky toes. And because of their velcro closures they are easy to get on and off of Baby L's wiggly feet.

See Kai Run shoes have been awarded the American Podiatric Medical Association's prestigious Seal of Acceptance.

Now you're the lucky one! See Kai Run is offering one of Oh My Baby's readers a pair of their very own shoes from See Kai Run or their Smaller line. To enter simply leave a comment below telling me which pair you would choose if you won. You have until midnight, August 24th. A winner will be chosen at random and will have 72 hours to respond. U.S. and Canada only. Good luck!

For extra entries (leave as separate comments)

- For 2 extra entries sign up for See Kai Run's email list

- Help spread the word and blog or tweet about this giveaway

- Become a follower of Oh My Baby

- Subscribe to Oh My Baby

- Add an Oh My Baby's button to your sidebar

Baby Dipper Winner

Congratulations to Cari C.! You are the winner of the Baby Dipper bowl and spoon set. I've sent you an email!

Blog Hop '09

So if you're like the majority of us who aren't attending BlogHer '09 this year in Chicago don't feel left out. Join in the party at Blog Hop '09 instead. This is a great way to meet some great people around the blogosphere as well as chances to win some great giveaways.

I'm Kimberly. I'm married to my college sweetheart and we have two beautiful children. I started blogging for my online business Oh My Baby, a baby boutique, to update customers on new products. It's since turned into product reviews and giveaways. Through that I've met some great people blogging and hope it continues. My husband and I are both Virginia Tech alumni (Go Hokies!). After graduation I spent a couple of years in Corporate America before being lucky enough to stay home with my kids. I love my new job and wouldn't change a single thing about my wonderful life.

Make sure you take a look at some of my giveaways that I have going on right now (top left corner). I've got several more in the works so stop by anytime.

Happy Hopping!

Awesome Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I came across this recipe and had to try it out. I loved it so much I wanted to share it. Who doesn't love a chocolate chip cookie??

Ingredients
2 Cups plus 2 TBS flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 TBS butter, melted and cooled
1 Cup packed brown sugar
1/2 Cup white sugar
1 large egg and 1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla
1 - 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together and set aside

Mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in egg, yolk and vanilla until combined.

Add the dry ingredients and beat on low until just combined. Stir in chips.

Scoop out dough in 1/4 cup and place on cookie sheets.

Bake 15-18 mins
Makes about 12 cookies.

And for my own extra flair. While cookies are still warm, smear some marshmallow fluff over cookie for a new take on s'mores. YUM!

Hope you enjoy this recipe!

GoPicnic Review and Giveaway

GoPicnic meals are ready-to-eat tasty food anytime, anywhere. These meals are perfect for on the go especially since they don't require refrigeration.

I was able to try some of these meals myself. I chose the Safari Munch, Explore Munch, GoPrimo, and GoPower. They arrived just in time for the weekend as we already had plans to head out to the park. Normally I would be hesistant about boxed meals but then I realized they were packed full of brands I already knew and could find in my regular grocery store. The GoPower meals happen to include my already favorite Mariani dried cranberries. Some other well known brands packed into these meals include Stacy's Bagel Chips, Chicken of the Sea, and my new favorite spread, Nutella. My son's favorite were the gummi bears (big surprise there right?!) I was happy to see that the meals include everything you need including a plastic knife for spreading and a lemon hand wipe for easy clean up. Only thing missing was a drink to wash it all down.

GoPicnic has something for everyone. They have vegan, kosher, and gluten free meals. They're perfect to grab and go on road trips, to sports games, for lunch at work or in a park.

Now it's your turn to try some GoPicnic meals. Simply stop by GoPicnic and leave me a comment telling me what two meals you would like to try. TWO WINNERS will each get TWO MEALS of their choice. You have until midnight, August 17th.

For extra entries (please leave each one as a separate comment)

- Help spread the word and blog or twitter about this giveaway

- Subscribe to Oh My Baby's blog

- Follow Oh My Baby's blog

- Grab an Oh My Baby button and put it on our sidebar

Notice something different?? Oh and another giveaway

Oh My Baby has gotten a facelift thanks to the talented Danielle from The Design Girl. She was so easy to work with and got this done in record speed. I didn't even recognize my own blog the first time I saw it.

The Design Girl doesn't just spruce up blogs they also have a variety of other items like stationary, invitations and custom logo designs. Danielle has been nice enough to offer a giveaway for Oh My Baby's readers. One lucky winner will receive stationary of their choice from The Design Girl. Just look at how cute these are

The best part about this stationary is that they are "print at home" stationary. You can print as many or as few as you would like. If a month later you decide you need some more, just print them out. These can be printed on your home printer or at Kinkos or vistaprint.com.

Just to add to all the excitment The Design Girl is also having their own giveaway. Stop by and check out it!

Stop by The Design Girl and leave a comment telling me your favorite product. Leave your comment by midnight, Monday August 10th. The winner will have 72 hours to respond.

For extra entries (leave these as separate comments)

- Enter The Design Girl's Giveaway

- Help spread the word and blog about this giveaway

- Subscribe to Oh My Baby's blog

- Become a follower of Oh My Baby

- Add an Oh My Baby button to your sidebar

The Baby Dipper Review and Giveaway

The time has come for baby L to start eating solids. All of a sudden I'm getting flashbacks of when his big brother J started solids. The mess wasn't fun to clean but it did make for some really great pictures.

This time around I'm getting a little help from Baby Dipper. I was lucky enough to get a chance to try out this great bowl and spoon set. It came in really handy yesterday when L took his first bites. L can't sit up on his own yet so it gets tricky helping him while trying to scoop food out of a bowl to feed him. Baby Dipper only requires one hand to feed. That's right one hand. The bottom of the bowl has a non slip base so the bowl doesn't move around the table. The contoured interior actually guides the food to one corner of the bowl and the spoon fits into the corner to get every last bite. Baby dipper was so easy to use and it allowed me to use my other hand to wipe down baby L's face...a lot.

Baby L will even be able to use this bowl and spoon set when he starts to feed himself. He won't be chasing the bowl around the table when he's reaching for food or be able to tip it over and make a mess.

The best part is that Baby Dipper is Phthalate-free and lead-free. It is also microwave safe.

One lucky Oh My Baby reader will win their very own Baby Dipper. Stop by Baby Dipper's website and tell me one thing you learned about the product, the owner, anything. Leave it in a comment below by midnight July, 27th. One winner will be chosen at random and will have 72 hours to respond.

For extra entries (only after you've done the one above) leave them as additional and separate comments

- Help spread the word and blog about this giveaway
- Follow Baby Dipper on twitter

- Become Baby Dipper's Facebook friend

- Become a follower of Baby Dipper's blog

- Subscribe to Baby Dipper's newletter

- Become a follower of Oh My Baby

- Grab an Oh My Baby button and add it to your sidebar

<a href="http://oh-my-baby-gifts.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh201/ohmybabygifts/125_ohmy1.jpg" /></a><br/><a></a>

First Bike Memory

Running into the bushes...being so traumatic no wonder it's one of my first memories.

My dad taught me how to ride a bike when I was younger. Like most little kids I learned on a bike where if I wanted to stop all I had to do was pedal backwards. Well one day I was at a family friend's house and I borrowed one of their bikes. We rode around their hilly street. I was headed down the hill faster then I wanted to go and was headed straight for the end of the road. The road ended at a bushy area. I scrambled to pedal backwards as hard and as fast as I could so I could stop before hitting the bushes. My feet just kept going backwards and I wasn't slowing down. Next thing I knew I was in the bushes, my legs completely scraped up and filled with thorns. I was inches from hitting a big tree. I remember running back to the house crying to my dad. I didn't understand, I pedaled backwards and the bike wouldn't stop. That's when I was informed for the first time that the bike I was using had hand brakes...something no one had bothered to tell me before I got on.

My 3 yr old is at the age where he wants to graduate from his tricycle to riding a "real" bike like his older cousins. Balance Bikes might just be the answer for both of us. Balance Bikes are a great way for kids to learn how to ride a bike without training wheels...or pedals. I know it may sound silly, no pedals. Kids sit on the bike and walk or run themselves around. This allows kids to learn how to balance themselves and before you know it they'll be gliding around for hours.

Read other's first bike memories here.

Secrets of the Budgeting Mom Contest

I know we all have our own secret or two to saving a few bucks especially in today's economic times. The Secrets of the Budgeting Mom Contest is a web based contest to find out what Moms are doing to help make ends meet and budget successfully. The contest began on July 6th and will run until August 3, 2009. Stop by Secrets of the Budgeting Mom Contest and tell them your best budgeting strategy, tips or story.

No contest is complete without some great prizes right?! There will be 12 winners in all. 10 Budget package winners, 1 Personal Finance Gift Basket winner, and 1 Grand Prize Trip Winner.

Prizes
(1) Grand Prize: A trip for two to the luxurious spa of the Four Seasons, Dallas at Las Colinas, for three days of rest and relaxation!

A panel of judges will select the ten best submitted budgeting Secrets, Strategies, Stories, and Tactics, and then America will vote to determine the grand prize winner! The grand prize winner will receive:

• Airfare and three nights’ accommodation for two (valued at $2200.00)
  


• $700.00 resort amenity credit to be used for spa services, meals, and all of the other amazing experiences offered at The Four Seasons, Dallas, TX at Las Colinas
  The knowledge that you can take a vacation like this without worrying how you’re going to pay for it!
  


• One copy of YNAB Pro, the bestselling family budgeting software.
  


• One copy of Jesse Mecham’s The YNAB Way
  

(1) First Prize: The Ultimate Personal Finance Gift Package.
One lucky person will win the random drawing for this ultimate personal finance gift package, which includes:

• A one-hour phone-based financial consultation with “Women and Money” Guru Sue Fenimore, CFP® of the Financial Consulate, Inc.
  


• One copy of YNAB Pro, the bestselling family budgeting software
  


• One copy of Jesse Mecham’s The YNAB Way
  


• Jean Chatzky’s The Difference: How Anyone Can Prosper in Even the Toughest Times
  


• Sharon Epperson’s The Big Payoff: 8 Steps Couples Can Take to Make the Most of Their Money–and Live Richly Ever After
  


• Jane Bryant Quinn’s Smart and Simple Financial Strategies for Busy People
  


• Janet Bodnar’s Everything You Need to Know to Achieve a Lifetime of Financial Security
  


• Suze Orman’s Women & Money
  


• Kristin Delfau’s Turbo-Mom’s Guide to Saving Money Without Wasting Time
  


• Kimberly Lankford’s Rescue Your Financial Life: 11 Things You Can Do Now to Get Back on Track

(10) Second Prizes: The YNAB Gift Package.
Ten lucky people will win the random drawing for the YNAB Gift Package, which includes:

• One copy of YNAB Pro, the bestselling family budgeting software
  


• One copy of Jesse Mecham’s The YNAB Way

Stop by Secrets of a Budgeting Mom Contest and share your favorite budgeting tip or story and you will be entered to win one of these fabulous prizes. Good Luck!