Odds N Ends

Is it just me or are the  Cyber Monday sales really disappointing?No great deals. I started shopping a few places but the high cost of shipping spoiled me Almost $9 for a few socks and baby clothes? No thanks. I pretty much have my Christmas shopping done anyway... except my brother of course. There;s always one person impossible to shop for LOL!!

The biggest news - I THINK I felt that baby move Sunday morning! OF course I haven't felt anything else yet lol So who knows.

Impatiently waiting for my sono appt. Thurs.  Just want to know for sure so we can really get started on the registry. Yeah, all of that is still overwhelming, what brands and types of items to sign up for.

Speaking of... the other day I received my Secret Santa gift from Survey Junkie's Secret Santa Exchange. My Santa was Marah at diary of a devil dog wife.  She got me a really AWESOME gift - it is a belly measuring tape, but it comes with stickers and a marker so you can mark hoe big you were at certain events like hearing the baby's heartbeat, feeling kicks, each trimester, etc.

Blurry pic but how cute and original is that? I love it - thank you so much! I have the gift for you guys, just need to wrap and send. They're not as cute and original though!

Also: I NOW HAVE A FACEBOOK FAN PAGE! Please click on my button on the left to add me :)

Holiday gift Giveaway Hop in jsut a few days!

Are you guys getting excited?I will be giving away TWO $25 gift cards and a bonus of TWO $5 gift cards!!!! Woo hoo!!! Can't wait :)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Right now I am sitting on my rear, watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, while my husband makes rolls for today's dinner. :) Can't complain!! Hope you all have a fabulous day surrounded by family, friends and love (I wish that for my U.S. and non-U.S. readers!)

And we're having a... maybe.

Ah, yes. Had the level 2 sonogram this past week. Baby is measuring well, looking good, my belly is right on target. But he had his legs tucked under him (like mom, like baby I guess!) so yes, the tech did say it was "probably" a boy! I have to go back in 2 weeks because he wouldn't turn around so she could meaure his spine. Hopefully we'll find out "for sure" then.

We are going to start a registry soon. Ran out of time this weekend. So overwhelming. I have the baby bargains book on hold in the library. That should help! Need to figure out where else to register, other than BBB.

In other news... I have popped!!! I noticed this morning and thought that it was just what I was wearing. But nope, I am popped! So exciting. I love it.

Radical Review Wednesday: Brilliant Lenses Eyeglass Cleaner and Giveaway!

If you wear eyeglass gthne you KNOW how impossible it is to keep them clean! Enter Brilliant Lenses, which helps to solve that problem. It comes with two small bottles of  lens cleaner, an optical microfiber cloth and a small carrying pouch. Brilliant Lenses is a  premium eyeglass cleaner with SR-8 that adds a protective barrier to lenses to resist scratches and soiling from water, sweat, dust and dirt. Can be used on ALL types of lenses.

 I really liked this product.It did a great job cleaning my lenses, and they stayed clean longer than I expected! The SR-8 scratch resistant coating is such a great incentive to use this every day. The carrying case is a plus because I usually notice that my lenses need to be cleaned when I am driving!  Even Jeff was impressed by it, and I think he'll be stealing my other bottle lol!

One lucky LB&J reader will win their own  Brilliant Lenses eyeglass cleaner and microfiber cloth!

Mandatory Entry:

1. Friend Brilliant Lenses on Facebook OR Twitter. Leave a comment stating whixh one you did and either your Facebook name (or initials) or Twitter name, whichever you did (1 entry)

 

Bonus Entries:

*must do the mandatory entry first or these entries won't count*

*for items with more than one entry, leave a separate comment for each entry*

 

2. Subscribe to my blog via e-mail. (2 entries)

3. Subscribe to my blog publicly via Google Friend Connect ( 1 entry)

4. Subscribe to me in a Reader (1 entry)

5. Follow Me on Twitter. Leave your Twitter name in your comment (2 entries)

6. Tweet this giveaway, using the following tweet or your own that includes a link to this post and @lbandj.     "Win Brilliant Lenses Eyeglass Cleaner and a Microfiber Cloth! Review and giveaway @lbandj http://tinyurl.com/24x4b9v" (2 entries for the first tweet. Can be done daily for one additional entry per day)

7. Add my button to your sidebar. Leave link to your blog. (1 entry) 

LEAVE YOUR EMAIL IN YOUR COMMENT SO I CAN REACH YOU IF YOU WIN!  I will check your entries. Giveaway will end on Wednesday, 11/24 at 10 p.m. EST. Open to U.S. No P.O. Boxes. Good luck! :)

[Product review & giveaway disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
Sponsored by Tomoson.com]

Hot Deal:Buy 1 Get 1 Free at Starbucks!

This is my most favorite time of the year for Starbucks! Summer is great because of the frappes, but oh! nothing beats a peppermint mocha! When my friend  posted this information on Facebook, I immediately began making plans: How would I convince Jeff that e need to go to Starbucks? (Sadly the economy has cut down my buying a coffee a day habit!)

From tomorrow,  11/18 to  Sunday, 11/21, stop by any Starbucks between 2 and 5pm and you can buy one holiday drink and get one free! There are several flavors to choose from including Caramel Brulee Latte, Peppermint Mocha, Peppermint hot chocolate, Gingerbread and Eggnog Latte, and more. Click here for the details. You can also click on the picture above!


Also, starting December 1st, you can get a daily deal texted to your phone when you text "12DAYS" to the number 29943. I am so excited about this! I don't think it's a good thing that I work in the same place as a Starbucks LOL

When did you feel the baby move?

Today's question concerns what might seem like the first "real" out of the doctor's office feeling that you are pregnant: feeling the baby kick.
(Uh.. did that sentence even make sense? lol)

Today I am 20w2d, and I don't think I have felt the baby kick yet! It is so disappointing.  I thought maybe, Sunday at church, but the little bubbles feeling seemed very high up. And MAYBE this morning I felt something, right after I woke up, it felt like bigger bubbles popping. But it might have been gas.

How do you tell the difference? I thought that I'd feel it more than once a day. Where exactly will I fell the movements? My stomach was so big to begin with that its confusing. I've read that you should lay on your left side, but all I feel when I do that is my heart beating.

I know it will happen so, but I am so anxious! Usually by now you can feel something :\

Thursday is my Level II sonogram, and we will hopefully find out the sex. I cannot wait!!!

The Holiday Gift Giveaway Hop - Dec 1 to 5!

Mark your calenders because The Holiday Gift Giveaway Hop at Simply Stacie starts in just  2 and a half weeks!

How It Works:

• Each blog will host their own giveaway, but will be linked up through the Holiday Gift Giveaway Hop linky. Entrants  just need to “hop” from blog to blog via the linky entering all the giveaways.
• The theme of this hop is holiday gifts that are easy and quick to ship. The prize must be either cash (ie. paid via Paypal) and/or gift cards. They can be of any amount from any store! You can have one or both and its up to you what the prize is as long as it fits into either of those categories.
• Giveaways must be easy to enter. The main entry must be something that is quick and easy to do. For instance, you can have the entry be “Follow my blog on Google Friend Connect” or “Follow me on Twitter”.  Choose your entry method based on what areas of your blog you want to build up your following.
• The hop will start on December 1 at 12:01 am EST and end on December 5 at 11:59 pm EST.

PR/Sponsors- I  am currently accepting sponsors for this blog hop- so please e-mail me if you are interested. All you would need to do is donate a gift card in ANY amount. It will be a great chance for your business to get a lot of exposure through the blog hop - more than 300 blogs have already signed up! Please e-mail me at petrellinyc-blog at yahoo dot com if you are interested!

Kraft Huddle to Fight Hunger: Donate a Meal for FREE!

Sign up at Join the Huddle and Kraft will donate a meal to a local food bank! How cool is that? When you put in your zip code, local food banks will pop up, and you can choose the one you want them to donate to!

They are going to donate up to 4 million meals! How awesome.

Please go to the Kraft Huddle to Fight Hunger and sign up today. You only need to put in your name, zip and e-mail. Easy peasy! And you'll be helping people in your area.

Save 20% at the Disney Store and FREE Shipping!

EVERYTHING in the Disney Store  is 20% off when you use the code DISNEYFAN at checkout. Through Monday the 15th.

Plus get free shipping on your order over $75.

Have you seen their holiday items? They have such great ornaments this year! And the Jim Shore stuff is always so cute!  Jeff has taken advantage of the sale to buy me some Christmas presents  :D

And this weekend I'll be posting pictures from the new Times Square Disney store! It is totally awesome! (Or B-Awesome! ;) )

Radical Review Wednesday:Taylor Freezer-Refrigerator Thermometer

 I always wondered just how accurate my refrigerator and freezer temperature was. With the Taylor freezer-refrigerator thermometer, I don't have to guess anymore!

The thermometer has an easy to read face. The temperature range 20 F. to 70 F with safe temperature zone indicators. I was happy to see that my refrigerator and freezer were both in the safe zone. It also comes with a safety cap and protective storage sleeve with cooking temperature chart.

It comes with a hook to hang it, but no instructions on ho to attach the hook to the thermometer. I just wrapped it round the thermometer itself and hung if from my shelf. In the freezer, I just put it it one of the buckets in the door.

Find more fridge accessories and info at refrigerator select

[Product review & giveaway disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."]

Dress Shopping and Thoughts on Pregnancy Clothes...

My brother got married a few weeks ago.Yay!!! It was held in an old Vanderbilt house up in the Berkshires in MA, and was such a nice weekend getaway.Congrats to them <3

I needed to buy a dress for the wedding, an of course waited until the weekend before the wedding to go out and buy one lol I wasn't sure if I would have "popped" by then.(I hadn't and haven't yet, but I am getting close!)

My first stop was a maternity shop. My first time in one! Dress-wise, it was very disappointing. All ther dresses were short and summery. I find that almost ALL pregnancy clothes are short sleeved and light-weight. Or they are 3/4 length (which I hate wearing) Let's not talk about how most sweaters are button up! Just not so good where we actually have winter! Anyway, I did try on one dress, but just felt and looked fat and not pregnant. I did end up buying a few things for work though, including an awesome plum colored sweater. I can't find the sweater online, but I had to buy this shirt as well:

My next stop was Kohl's. I didn't think they had fancy dresses, but I had $10 in Kohl's cash to use anyway. Now, they have a pathetic selection of maternity clothes. They have 2.5 racks stuffed full with jeans and pants, and the other half of the second rack has shirts. Half of those are the cami type shirts and the rest are regular shirts. Great for pants, not so good for the rest.

I made a quick stop at Macy's just to see the maternity dept. The same stuff as the maternity store, same prices. Pushed into a dark corner room, stuffed full!

Long story short, I finally ended up at Dress Barn, dragging poor J. with me. The dresses were mostly summery, but at least they were longer. I ended up liking two - one was prettier and longer, and the other was shorter but made me look more pregnant. I chose the second lol It did have straps, but I bought a little cropped sweater which helped (warmth and hiding arm fat!). I was hoping to have a pic of me that really shows the dress by now but no such luck. I will post one if I ever see one :)

But until then... here are a few more pics of the place where the wedding was held.

 Just a small part of the library... it was heavenly LOL

 One of the bedrooms... they were all just amazing. Like staying in a castle!

And finally the happy couple!! <3

I won at Cafe Mom!!!

Just a copule of days ago, I enterd a ocntest on Cafe Mom. I can't remember where I found thel ink but thank tyou! Becvause I WON!!!

I won THIS: Fisher Price Swing High Chair Mosaic

How cool!! I ma so excited!! We haven't even started making our registry yet (we need to get on that!) but a stroller and swing would definitely be on it!

I am new to http://www.cafemom.com/ but it looks like a fun interactive and informative site!