...and the winners are....drumroll....

Well, the Ultimate Blog Party is finally over for this year. It was tiring, exhausting and fun all at the same time!! I enjoyed my first ever twitter party...that was so fast and fun and tiring all at the same time!! I would like to take part in another one soon:-)...

I met some amazing bloggers that I will enjoy keeping in touch with like Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails, One Day At A Time and Shh...Mommy's Hiding

AND NOW........!!!!!!!

I can finally announce the winners of my giveaways!! It was a lot of fun, and a lot of work when some issues arose...but, since I am a lover of comments-it was fun to see them filling up in my comment section:-)

The first giveaway was for 2 back pain relief products from Lakota and the Usborne Book - The Flip Flap Body Book (like a mommy/kid prize;-) The winner of that prize is Misfit Momma . You should check out her blog (by clicking her name) and check out this Giveaway post!! You could definitely win something there too!! The giveaways just never end...

Second was the very cool and beautiful bouquet for Mothers Day, provided Canada Flowers...what a nice way to have a gift already for that special someone:-) Shooting Star Mags will be enjoying the flowers this Mothers Day, a nice way to spruce up the house during this indecisive weather:-) Visit and congratulate Shooting Star Mags on her win (and check out all the great reviews that they have going on over there!!)

The next giveaway was for a $50 iTunes gift card, sponsored by Custom Orthotics. That one received well over 250 comments!! The winner is The Tucker Family!! You should click over and check out the Monday Madness that they have going on!! A great way to get new followers:-)

The last giveaway was for Green School Totes...a mom who is so inspiring - who had an idea and turned it into a company that is improving the environment one corner at a time:-) The winner of these 2 totes is Kim S. She is not a blogger...so you can congratulate her here instead!!

Congratulations to all the winners and thanks to all who participated. It was so fun to meet new bloggers and take part in the UBP'10!!

And it was a blast doing the giveaways for the first time ever!!

Thursday 13 - New Blogs I Now Love from UBP'10!!

1. Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tales

2. One Day at a Time

3. Shhhh...Mommy's Hiding

4. I'm A Lazy Mom

5. Amundsen House of Chaos

6. Seriously A Homemaker

7. Just Thinkin'

And some great reads I can't get enough of:-)

8. Shasher's Life

9. Cheri and Family

10. Fire, Earth and Water

11. Family Tales Not Ties

12. Tara's View of the World

13. Living Life in 3D

Extra 13:-) Mommy Moment

It has been a great Ultimate Blog Party...and will probably take me a week to recover...but it was worth it to meet the tons of bloggers I have connected with (including the ones that haven't listed here:-)

Thanks to 5 Minutes for Mom and Happy Panda for all your hard work!! (and anyone else who may be a part of it!!)

Blog Party Break and Potty Talk:-)

I am having a blast meeting so many new bloggers...I have found a number of blogging friends that I will be following regularly...they are the ones that I went there to thank them for visiting me and an hour went past while I was reading their posts:-)

I still have my giveaways going on below, it is cool to see so many entries coming in...my first time hosting giveaways has been a great success, I think...

Anyhow, for now I am doing a regular post, yup...one about life again:-) Because I am still here...I do exist...My blog is not just about the party or the giveaways...though it is a lot of fun...

We have an issue going on here, and while so many people are visiting me, I thought I would look for opinions and advice...even though it has to do with my 5th child...cause it all seems so new again:-)

Potty Training...So, Faith is my number 5 kid. We have successfully toilet trained 4 kids before her, it wasn't that difficult and the kids started showing they were ready to train by 2 or shortly thereafter.

Faith is 2 and a half now. She has started showing signs that she dislikes her diaper. She is constantly taking it off, and wants desperately to have panties on. We have let her run around in panties too, just to see if she catches on.

When we encourage her to sit on the toilet, she genearlly cries to get off after a very short time (less then a minute) occasionally she will pee and we will make a huge deal about it, she does well with a lot of praise, and literally minutes later she is peeing on the floor and is oblivious that she did so.

Her latest is taking her diaper off in the middle of the night. We no longer have those 1 piece sleepers, and some nights she sleeps with pj pants on and other nights with just a shirt and a diaper on - it is hot in our house already!! She comes and climbs into our bed...because she doesn't really sleep and we realize that there is no diaper...

It is getting kind of old. Has anyone else experienced this? It really is new territory for us. I haven't been sure about her toilet training, with the developmental delays that she has and the fact that her ABI has affected the memory area as one of the main areas of injury. I really have not had much hope for training at a decent time, but what can I do other then have her in onesies all the time, or sleepers?

She can get the diaper off even if she is wearing pants...she is very quick too...

Anyhow, that is our dilemma...I don't know if it is a sensory issue (which she scored WAY above other kids in - needing lots of sensory stimulation) or if she really is showing that she wants to train now...

I am perplexed:-S

GREEN SCHOOL TOTES Giveaway!!

Green School is a great Mom based business in Canada and I LOVE to support fellow moms in their endeavors!!

To provide innovative, environmentally responsible school products to the global community.
The green school™ tote was created based on both a need and desire for an eco-friendly method to send money and forms from home to school. Conventional methods used to send money to school include single use plastic bags and envelopes. Most municipalities are unable to recycle plastic bags and as a result they are clogging our landfills. By using the green school™ tote we are eliminating plastic waste and conserving our forests by reducing our use of paper products.

I have 2 Green School Products to giveaway to 1 winner!!

The green school tote is great for sending kids to school with their pizza money, permission forms or any orders they may have.

This is the green school book tote. It is a great carrier for your kids to use to keep papers and homework protected on the way to and from school!

This is what you MUST do to get your first entry: *CANADA ONLY

1. Become a fan of Green School on their Facebook Fan Page

For additional entries you can do ANY or ALL of the following - but be sure to LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT for each thing that you do - each time you do it!:


•Go to the Green School website and tell me (in a comment) what you could use some of their products for if you don't have kids:-)
•Digg, Stumble, Reddit, Fave, Buzz, etc...the main site and link each one in a seperate comment for however many entries
•Facebook your friends about the giveaway on my blog (leave link in a seperate comment)
•Join the Mom's Musings Fan Page (leave a seperate comment)
•Follow my blog via - Networked blogs (FB), or Google (in sidebar) (leave a seperate comment for each follow)
•Follow my twitter (leave a seperate comment)
•Tweet the the giveaway blog post (1 entry, leave a seperate comment)
•Tweet the main Green School site (1 entry, leave a seperate comment)

The winner will be chosen at random.org on April 17, will be notified and I will need a response within 48 hours or we will redraw:-)

$50 iTUNE's GIFT CARD Giveaway!!

That's right, you heard me!! Giveaway #3!!

This prize is a $50 iTunes Gift Card from Custom Orthotics **Open to Canada and The US

Custom Orthotic Design Group Ltd. is an orthopaedic appliance
facility that incorporates the skills of a select group of orthotic
professionals. They are dedicated to improving the quality of life for people
who are challenged by a physical limitation.

Custom Orthotic Design
Group provides a wide variety of orthopaedic devices which are used to enhance
an individual's physical ability to perform activities of daily living. Their
Certified Orthotists are specialists in the design, fabrication and fitting of
orthoses (braces or splints) intended to prevent or correct deformities, protect
a painful part of the body, redistribute forces evenly over a body part or to
improve the function of a weakened extremity.

Custom Orthotic Design
Group has three retail outlets: Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga, St,
Joseph's Heathcare in Hamilton, and a new office in Guelph

This is what you MUST do to get your first entry:

1. Become a fan of Custom Othotics on their Facebook Fan Page (if the first link doesn't work, try this one instead Facebook Fan Page )

AND/OR

2. Follow Custom Orthotics on Twitter

Leave 2 comments if you do both.

For additional entries you can do ANY or ALL of the following - but be sure to LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT for each thing that you do - each time you do it!:


•Go to the Custom Orthotics website and tell me (in a comment) what product you would benefit from
•Digg, Stumble, Reddit, Fave, Buzz, etc...the main site and link each one in a seperate comment for however many entries
•Facebook your friends about the giveaway on my blog (leave link in a seperate comment)
•Join the Mom's Musings Fan Page (leave a seperate comment)
•Follow my blog via - Networked blogs (FB), or Google (in sidebar) (leave a seperate comment for each follow)
•Follow my twitter (leave a seperate comment)
•Tweet the the giveaway blog post (1 entry, leave a seperate comment)
•Tweet the main Custom Orthotic site (1 entry, leave a seperate comment)

The winner will be chosen at random.org on April 17, will be notified and I will need a response within 48 hours or we will redraw:-)

MOTHER'S DAY BOUQUET Giveaway!!

A Beautiful Mothers Day Bouquet From Canada Flowers!! valued at $59.95Canada and the US Only...

Send Flowers Online with Canada Flowers, your Online Florist and a Top 100 FTD Florist. Order Flowers online, and deliver flowers in canada or have them delivered through the international FTD florist network any where in the world. Same Day Delivery. Quality Guaranteed.

Send Fresh Flowers for any occasion: Mothers Day Flowers, Easter Flowers, Birthday Flowers, Anniversary Flowers, , New Baby Flowers, Business and Corporate Flowers, Get Well Flowers, Funeral / Sympathy Flowers, Roses, International Flowers, Hanukkah Flowers, Christmas Flowers, MothersDay Flowers, Congratulation Flowers and more

This is what you MUST do to get your first entry:

1. Become a fan of Canada Flowers on their Facebook Fan Page


For additional entries you can do ANY or ALL of the following - but be sure to LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT for each thing that you do - each time you do it!:


•Go to the Canada Flowers website and tell me (in a comment) what your favourite flowers are
•Digg, Stumble, Reddit, Fave, Buzz, etc...the main site and link each one in a seperate comment for however many entries
•Facebook your friends about the giveaway on my blog (leave link in a seperate comment)
•Join the Mom's Musings Fan Page (leave a seperate comment)
•Follow my blog via - Networked blogs (FB), or Google (in sidebar) (leave a seperate comment for each follow)
•Follow my twitter (leave a seperate comment)
•Tweet the the giveaway blog post (1 entry, leave a seperate comment)
•Tweet the main Canada Flowers site (1 entry, leave a seperate comment)

The winner will be chosen at random.org on April 17, will be notified and I will need a response within 48 hours or we will redraw:-)

LAKOTA/USBORNE Giveaway!!

UBP'10 GIVEAWAY!!

Lakota Pain Relief Package - 10 ways (or more) to enter...Canada and the US Only...
Includes 2 Lakota products and Usborne Body Flap Book

Lakota offers a wide range of Natural Source Pain Relief Products. A great
alternative to prescription drugs. Pain Relievers for Arthritis Pain Relief,
Back Pain Relief, Lower Back Pain Relief, Joint Pain Relief, Muscle Pain Relief,
Sleep Aids, Fibromyalgia Treatment and general Pain Relief. You can trust the
power of the traditional medicine from Lakota. Don't forget to look at our
Lakota Promotions section. Lakota Direct is the online division of Lakota Herbs

To get your first entry into this contest you MUST join their Facebook Fan Page and Tell me in a seperate comment.

For additional entries, you can do one or more of the following:

• Go to the Lakota website and tell me (in a comment) what product you would like to try
• Sign up to receive the Lakota Newsletter on their website (leave a seperate comment telling me you signed up)
• Digg, Stumble, Reddit, Fave, Buzz, etc...the main site and link each one in a seperate comment for however many entries
• Facebook your friends about the giveaway on my blog (leave link in a seperate comment)
• Join the Mom's Musings Fan Page (leave a seperate comment)
• Follow my blog via - Networked blogs (FB), or Google (in sidebar) (leave a seperate comment for each follow)
• Follow my twitter (leave a seperate comment)
• Tweet the the giveaway blog post (1 entry, leave a seperate comment)
• Tweet the main Lakota site (1 entry, leave a seperate comment)
• Write a review about a Lakota product you have used and post it to their Facebook FanPage (leave link in seperate comment

The winner will be chosen at random.org on April 17, will be notified and I will need a response within 48 hours or we will redraw:-)

UBP '10 KICKOFF!!!

I am a mom with many hats...with 5 kids, I change these hats regularly...

• Hat #1 - I am currently a stay at home/work at home mom
• Hat #2 - I am a wife (15 years this month!!)
• Hat #3 - I am also a PSW student
• Hat #4 - I am an advocate for my kids
• Hat #5 - I am a therapist and researcher for my daughter who has an Acquired Brain Injury and GDD (global developmental delay)
  BUT...this week I am putting on my PARTY HAT!!
  
  
  I LOVE TO PARTY!!
  Visiting with friends...

Eating Cake and Ice Cream...

and best of all...

PRESENTS!!

This year I am joining in with the Ultimate Blog Party '10 through 5 Minutes for Mom...

I am looking forward to meeting some new friends and getting to know some old ones better!!

I even have presents...because what would a party be without presents?

I have donated a prize to the main prize page of 5 Minutes for Mom, you can check that out here!! See me? I am number 24 on the list under the Canada/US section!!

I will be offering an extra prize here, just for fun! (and have I mentioned I LOVE prizes and presents?)

More may come up though, keep watching!!

Some of my friends are giving away prizes, you should check them out!!

• Shan is giving away a $150 Canadian Tire gift card at her Travel Blog and a $150 Spa Card - from Asu-Wish at her personal blog and there is an awesome contest for an iPad!!
• Tara is giving away a $150 Spa Card - from Latitudes, and a whole whack of other prizes!!
• Tanya is giving away a beautiful Mothers Day bouquet and some Epicure!!

Come back on Thursday for my Thursday 13...best blog/giveaway sites I found this week!!

Also check out:

I would love to win a prize too this year!! I won a giveaway a while back and it was so exciting to win something:-)

My top 3 picks from the 5 Minutes For Mom prize page would be:

• INTL8 - A Level 3 Blog Design from Mary Hess Designs
• INTL14 - A Complete Custom Blog Makeover from Dawn Farias
• USC60 - A $200 Gift Certificate from Modern Wall Graphics, the Makers of Wall Slicks

And if those were gone, I would also love to win...USC39, USC35, USC25 or anything else too...'cause winning is just fun!!

Thursday 13 - Things I am looking forward to during the UBP'10

1. I am really looking forward to participating in the blog party this year at 5 Minutes for Mom!! Click the button to check it out!!

2. I am looking forward to the new bloggers I am going to meet!!

3. I can't wait to see how many visitors I have at my blog...

4. I can't wait to do my first ever giveaways...I have 3 so far, plus one on the main site!!

5. I can't wait to enter some of the amazing giveaways that are going to be happening!

6. I am excited for comments!! I love comments and thrive on them...so please show me some comment love!!

7. I have at least 4 friends that will be joining in this year! It is so much fun that we may even try to have a real life/webcam party at the end...to celebrate!

8. I will be looking forward to some virtual treats...if I can find some blogs that will share with me:-)

9. I can't believe it will be a whole week of fun!! I have done this once before, but then stopped...not sure why I stopped...

10. There are so many people who have put a lot of work into the UBP'10 and I thank everyone for that...

11. I will be sharing some linking love to the blogs that I find that I love...(and even better if they have cool prizes!!)

12. Don't miss my next Thursday Thirteen, it will be all about the fun I will be having during the UBP'10 week!!

13. So, plan to come back here for more fun starting tomorrow and keep an eye on the prizes that I am offering...Lakota, Green School Product, A Mothers Day Bouquet...

Wordles Wednesday - It's Almost Party Time!!

I've Got My Prize Listed and More on The Way!!

5M4M UBP '10 EXCITED!!

Getting Ready for a PARTAY!!

That is right!! I have attempted a blog makeover...and am preparing a special "door prize" to offer my visitors!!

There will be recipes that include LOTS of chocolate and treats!!

I am looking forward to visiting all the party goers and getting to know some fellow bloggers out there! It is about time I get back into this blogging life!!

Let's get ready for some fun and mingling...and PRIZES!!

Join me and my blogging friends at this years Ultimate Blog Party 2010

Check out the "How you can participate" page at 5 Minutes for Mom

Wordless Wednesday (kinda)....

Alright, I know it is Wordless Wednesday, but let me quickly tell you about myself. I am Ruth, mom of 4, soon to be 5, married to Pete for almost 12 years. My kids are my son, Mr. Hockey - 11 years old, My daughters, Princess - almost 9 years old, Cutie Pie - 5 years old and Pooky - almost 2 years old. We have a crazy dog who recently realized that he can chase his own tail.
I am homeschooling the kids this year and we are putting Princess in private school next year and continuing to homeschool the others. She is very excited since she has been bugging to go to school for 3 years now!!

Anyhow, welcome to my blog, feel free to browse the excitement that I call my life.