The Clever Mommy has Moved!

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http://theclevermommychronicles.com

Hope to see you there soon!

A Few Updates

As you may remember, I've been a busy little bee lately, getting everything moved over to Wordpress, and I haven't had much time to add any real content to the blog (shame on me, I know).  It'll be worth it though, I promise!

So, here are a few updates, and you can expect a "Grand Opening" of sorts tomorrow, when I've finished moving everything over (with a super sweet giveaway to go along with it!).

I'm still working on my kitchen; the paint hasn't made it's way to the cabinets yet, mostly because of a serious lack of time.  I'm hoping to get that done sometime next month.  I can't wait!  In the meantime, I've also been working on the Bug's room.  Right now he's using his crib, converted into a toddler bed, but I'm thinking I may want to switch him up to a regular bed (I'm looking at the selection of headboards at CSN Stores right now... there are several that I want for ME there, too!), because we're currently trying for baby #2, and he or she is going to need the crib when they come.  I'll be posting photos of his room's progress, too.  It's going to be really cute!

I've also been busy with the Blogmania Scavenger Hunt.  I'm so so excited about this! If you haven't looked into it yet, and marked July 1st on your calendars, you need to!  Check out the Facebook page for details.

I've got several great giveaways lined up for you, but I'm waiting to post them until next week, when all the dust settles from the move.

So, I will see you all back here tomorrow, for my final blogspot post, and the Grand Opening of the new and improved blog! Yay! 

Two Winners and Some News!

Two giveaways ended last night, so congratulations to comment number...

which was T, who won the Giani Granite Countertop Paint Kit!

AND comment number...

which was Kim, who won the Kang NaShi giveaway!

You both have 48 hours to get back to me, or new winners will be chosen.  Enjoy those fab products, and I want to see pictures of both! :)

In other news, today is the Blogmania 15% on 15 event.  If you visit http://blogmaniaevent.blogspot.com, you'll find a list of all participating shops and you can save 15% with all of them today.  Check it out!

Blogmania has also launched the Fresh Face of Blogmania contest:

Visit the Fresh Face of Blogmania Facebook Page for details!  

Lastly (for now), I'm moving the blog over to Wordpress today, so there may be some down time.  Just an FYI.  You should still be able to get me at the old blogspot url (http://theclevermommy.blogspot.com) in the meantime, and I'll be back up and running asap!

Mocha Cheesecake Pudding Pie (insert drool here)

Are you kidding me?  Cheesecake? Coffee? Cookie crust?  CHOCOLATE PUDDING?? Trust me when I say that you will want to hide this in the fridge, or it'll be gone faster than you can blink.

Disclaimer: If you are on a diet, close your browser now.  Seriously.  Better yet, make THESE instead. You'll thank me.  You'll probably thank me if you make the pie, too, but I'm pretty sure your hips won't. ;)

Mocha Cheesecake Pudding Pie

• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 3 tbl. granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. instant coffee crystals (use decaf or coffee substitute if you're feeding kids, or just leave this out completely.  Still totally yummy.)
• 1 tbl. milk
• 8 oz. tub whipped topping, thawed in the fridge for four hours, and divided
• 2 pkgs (3.9oz) instant chocolate pudding
• 2 C. milk
• 1 9 in. chocolate cookie crumb pie crust

*If you want to make this REALLY yummy, make your own pudding in lieu of the instant pudding and two cups milk.  As is, it's still super yummy, and really really easy.

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar, cocoa powder, instant coffee, and 1 tbl. milk.  Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.  Gently fold in 1/2 the whipped topping.  Spread on the bottom of the crust.  Store the remaining whipped topping in the fridge for now.  

In another large bowl combine the pudding mix and 2 cups milk.  Beat with a wire whisk for about two minutes.  Spread that over the cream cheese mixture.

Refrigerate for at least four hours, and spread the remaining whipped topping on top immediately prior to serving.  Enjoy!!

So What's This Blogmania Thing All About?

I'm sure you've all seen my Blogmania references here, on Facebook, and on Twitter. Have you wondered what the blue bird I'm talking about?  This post is for you.

Blogmania is a HUGE giveaway event that happens only twice a year.  The first event occurred in April, and was a big success.  The next one is coming up in September; the 15th and 16th, to be exact, and we're expecting it to surpass the first event in every way. Two days to enter BIG giveaways (none under $100, most well above that, and some worth over $1,000!!) on over 100 participating blogs.  Become a follower of the Blogmania blog, and you can keep up to date on the giveaways, participating blogs, and the sponsors who are donating the awesome prizes.  We're making it really easy to enter the giveaways, too.  All word verification and other annoyances will be turned off during the event.  Yay!

Have you noticed the list of The Clever Mommy's Blogmania sponsors over there to the right?  Curious as to what they're giving away?  I'll be spotlighting each of them over the next couple of months, so check back here.  Trust me, they're giving away some really cool stuff.  My theme for Blogmania is "What a Mom Wants" and I've got things to pamper you, things to help you go green, things to help a brand new mama, and more.

The total of all of the giveaways here on The Clever Mommy is nearing $800.

Can you guess what the total of ALL of the Blogmania giveaways is?  Are you ready for this?

So far (yes, it's still growing!) the total is over $19,000!  That's a lot of giveaway there.

We're also holding the first annual Blogmania Scavenger Hunt from July 1st-30th.  All you have to do to participate is find our image (that cute little thing over to the left) hidden in over 100 participating shops, and you could win $100 to the participating shop of your choice!  There will be a master list of all participating shops, and clues to help you find the images, on the Blogmania blog starting July 1st, so you can take your time during the month, and find as many of the images as you can.  The winner will be randomly drawn from the entries with the most images found.  You can keep track of all the participating shops leading up to the Hunt, on the Blogmania Scavenger Hunt Facebook page.  Tell your friends! Friends don't let friends miss out on the chance to win $100 to the shop of their choice!  Oh, and bonus; most of the shops that are participating are handmade.  We love supporting handmade!

So now you've got two things to mark on your calendar:

• July 1st-30th: The Blogmania Scavenger Hunt!

• September 15th-15th: Blogmania!

Are you excited, yet? :D

Are you a business who'd like to participate in Blogmania, as a sponsor?  Contact me, and we'll talk!

Mama Made Them: A Review and a Giveaway

I was first drawn to Mama Made Them, because of her handmade wooden people and accessories, very similar to the classic little people sets that we all grew up with (not the chunky plastic ones they sell now).  I'm fairly certain the Bug's Christmas this year is going to include quite a few pieces from Mama Made Them, and that's not lip service.  I really really like her things.  Check out these adorable items from Cheryl's shop:

So, when she agreed to do a review and a giveaway for The Clever Mommy Chronicles, I was very excited.  I chose her bathtub boat, which comes with two people that sit in the boat.  The boat is crafted from a solid piece of pine, and the people are made of birch.  They are coated in a beeswax and oil finish to protect them from the water.   The boat is 6 inches long and 1.5 inches at its highest height and 2.5 inches wide; the people are slightly larger than little people.

Here is a personal note, straight from the boat listing in the Mama Made Them shop:

I got rid of all my son's plastic bathtub toys (of which there were many and were only taken out and never played with) and substituted some stainless steel bowls, natural sponges, and this boat. Now he plays in the bathtub, instead of just pulling everything out and staring at it, and he has natural bathtub toys.

I actually had a similar experience.  I've always preferred natural toys for Bug, but I could never find any for the bath, that weren't super expensive.  So, he had several plastic toys, including a ducky, a hippo, and a couple of turtles.  He likes them, but he doesn't really play with them.  They just float in the bath with him, and that's about it.  When the boat arrived to us, I put him in the bath right away to get some pictures, and he LOVED them.  Now, every day at bath time, he asks for the boat.  I think I'm going to follow Cheryl's lead with the stainless steel bowls and sponges, as well.  Sounds like a pretty great little imagination-inspiring set up.

Before hopping in the bath (it makes a great out-of-the-bath toy, too)...

  

In the bath...

I couldn't get him to sit up and look at me for the pictures because he was so intent on playing with the boat. Now, THAT is a good toy.

The great thing about buying from Mama Made Them is that you are supporting a single mom who is making her living creating these toys.  Here is part of her sweet bio from her shop:

It's important to me to have toys that will last and still look good ten years from now. I prefer not to paint and instead use different types of wood to achieve different colors. I believe in nice, rounded corners and edges. I like to make toys with simple designs that won't break easily. Toys should be beautiful, durable, and natural.

I am a single mother travelling around the country in my van with my 3 year old son. You can follow the adventures of the traveling toymaker on my blog: www.abarefootlife.blogspot.com. If you are interested in hosting our traveling workshop in your garage, in exchange for free toys, drop me a line.

I love supporting businesses like Mama Made Them!  Here's your chance to support her, too, and enter to win something, too!

Cheryl has offered a Bathtub Boat for one of you, and a set of her Chunky Keys for another of you!  Two winners!

The Chunky Keys...

 All you have to do to enter is visit her shop, and then come back here and leave me a comment, telling me which of the items in her shop is your favorite, and which of the boat and the keys you would choose.  That's it!

Want additional entries?  After completing the entry above, you may earn additional entries using the following methods.  Please be sure to leave a comment for each entry, and leave your email address in the comment if it's not in your profile so that I can contact you if you win.

• Follow Cheryl's blog, A Barefoot Life, using Google Friend Connect
• Follow The Clever Mommy Chronicles, using Google Friend Connect
• Follow Mama Made Them on Twitter
• Follow The Clever Mommy on Twitter
• Tweet the following: #Win an adorable handmade wooden bathtub boat from @mamamadethem & @TheCleverMommy and make bath time fun again! http://bit.ly/aSaVJK
• "Like" Mama Made Them on Facebook (she's new to facebook and twitter; let's show her the love!)
• "Like" The Clever Mommy on Facebook

The giveaway ends 6/26 at 11:59pm MST. The winner will be chosen via random.org, announced here on the blog, and notified via email.  The winner will have 48 to respond, or another winner will be chosen.  Good luck!!


*I was given a Bathtub Boat from Mama Made Them for the purpose of this review, and was not compensated in any other way.  The opinions expressed in this review are mine alone, and were not influenced by anyone or anything other than my own experiences.

Milkin' Cookies Winner!!

This could be a very small instance of larger forces at work, or it could just be completely random (I did use random.org, after all), but when the winner of the Milkin' Cookies giveaway left her comment, I remember thinking, "Oh, I hope she wins, she really sounds like she is excited about them!"  Of course I would have been happy with whomever won, but it did seem a little serendipitous when I clicked "generate" on random.org and had the number 4 as a result. :)

Congratulations, Holly Wilson! You won a two week supply of Milkin' Cookies in your choice of either Oatmeal Chocolate Chip or Cranberry Almond!  Let me know what kind you want, and send me your address, and I'll get it right over to the Mommy Doctors!

Please get in touch with me within 48 hours, or another winner will be chosen.

Enjoy those cookies!