Where have I been?!

I owe you all a huge apology. This past month my life took off without me and I had to catch up. Something had to give and unfortunately it was this. I am trying to get organized and back on track so I will have time for it again. Thanks for hanging in there with me. In hopes of getting better at time management my question of the day is...What is your best time management or organizational tip?

25 Days of Christmas - Mama's Favorite Things!

December is here! I love the Christmas season, and all the fun that comes with it. Over the next month I will be sharing some of my favorite things with you during my 25 Days of Christmas event! Check back each day for fun holiday tips, freebies, gift ideas, and holiday cheer!

Today's favorite things...Advent Calendars!

My kids love the countdown to Christmas that starts on December 1st in our house. We have several advent activities in our house, their favorite being the kind full of fun treats! I run across so many cute craft ideas on making your own advent calendar and had to share a few of my faves.

Here is one made out of a mini-muffin tin. We are doing this craft with my MOPS group this year and it's sure to be a hit!

Learn how to make your own at Somewhat Simple!

If you have a bit more room, or want to fill each day with a larger treat or prize then this "shoe carrier" advent calendar is perfect for you. What a smart, simple idea!

Check out all the details at Sparky Fizz for instructions and tips!

Here's a great paper version! A garland of envelopes full of fun, family activities! 

Don't miss the fun ideas for pajamas holiday lights tour 

at the end of Pink and Green Mama's post too!

And if you happen to have 25 match boxes there are so many fun ways to arrange them into a really cute advent calendar full of goodies! 

Like this one from Kids Craft Weekly.

Or this fun arrangement from Becoming Classy and Sophisticated!

I think my favorite may be this tree arrangement by Inspiring Creations!

Another fabulous idea I heard for keeping the true meaning of Christmas alive is to set up a nativity and have your children put one piece out at a time saving baby Jesus for Christmas morning. 

 The Fisher Price Little People set is one of my favorites!

 Playmobil also offers one!

 And HERE is a free printable version to cut out and color from Scrapbook Scrapbook.

What are some of your family's advent traditions?

Knot Genie Winners!!!

The three lucky winners drawn from Random.org are...

#54 Our Crazy Days Called Life said... Follow on networked blogs :)

#46 BeeCute said... I shared the giveaway and tagged u both on facebook 2

#18 Tucson Trinklein's said... Follow Makes Mama Smile on Networked Blogs

Congrats, I will be emailing you and you will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is drawn! Thank you to all that entered!

Be sure to visit Knot Genie on Facebook and thank them for this fun giveaway!

Wordless Wednesday - The Bib Says It All

Follow Me Back Tuesday

Follow Me Back Tuesday is another day of the week that you can gain more followers and find other great blogs to follow on a weekly basis. Follow Me Back Tuesday is hosted by Survey Junkie, Little Yaya's, and Boobies, Babies & A Blog. 

 

This week's Guest Host is Jessica from Caterpillar Family.

 

Each week they choose a random number every week from the blogs linked and add the random blog to the #4 spot to link to the following week (must follow 3 hostesses to be chosen). It could be you...so check it out!

Knot Genie Review and Giveaway

When I started this blog I wanted to share with you all the great products out there that you may not have heard of that would make your lives simpler, especially ideas created by other mamas! That is why I was SO excited when Knot Genie contacted me to do a review on their detangling brush.

I have a sensitive scalp and have hated having the tangles combed out of my hair since I was a kid. If only my mom had owned a Knot Genie brush! As their site explains "the Knot Genie™ Detangling Brush was created for every mom that has endured the foot stomping and screaming matches that come with brushing their child's hair." This product was designed by a mom of three girls who "created the brush for all of us moms who DREAD THE DRAMA of bath and shower time."

I tried the brush on myself first. I love taking long relaxing showers, but afterward have to dedicate some serious time to brushing out my long, wavy hair.

Layers of tangles

I can run my hands through my hair!

After the Knot Genie - soft & smooth!

I know that using a regular brush can just tear through it and leave damage, but a wide tooth comb seemed to take forever. I now have the perfect tool, the Knot Genie quickly and easily gets through each layer of my hair without causing any breakage. I know I probably sound like an enthusiastic infomercial right now, but I really do love this brush!
I love how it fits right into the  palm of your hand, it is very comfortable and easy to use. My hair is so smooth and soft when I am done brushing. It is also great for creating a smooth ponytail without leaving the lines from the brush as you pull it back.




I tried it on the boys since Baby Lu's hair isn't quite long enough. They had gone to bed with their hair still a little wet and woke up with these tangled nests on top of their heads. It is usually a battle to get a comb through even just this little bit of hair. The response to the Knot Genie..."are you done already, can you comb it some more?!" Then little brother told big bro to come quick and try the new brush. I asked what it felt like and big bro said "it feels like someone is just rubbing my hair with a towel, I like it." I asked my eight year old what made this brush different and he answered "because of the bristles that are different lengths and they sway with your hair." This morning as they were getting ready for school they were frantically looking for their brush and fighting over who got to use it first!

Before - a messy nest

After the Knot Genie

I really don't have anything negative to say about it, believe me I tried to find something! This brush definitely makes this Mama smile and I highly recommend it. They are available at www.knotgenie.com for purchase and come in four fun colors! I love mine in Poof of Purple. They are also available in Blue Cloud, Genie Smoke, and Fairy Pink.

From now until June 2011 two dollars from every brush sold will got to Locks of Love! End the hair brushing battle at your house and a donation will be made to help underprivileged children who are suffering diseases that cause hair loss receive a hairpiece. Everyone wins!

Knot Genie has generously donated three brushes for a giveaway! THREE WINNERS will each receive their very own Detangling Brush in the Blue Cloud color!

Mandatory (one comment):
1. To win you must be a follower of this blog through Google Friend Connect (right sidebar)
2. Visit www.knotgenie.com and comment below this post telling me something you learned and/or your favorite feature of the brush.
3. Leave a valid email address.

Extra Entries (leave comment for each completed):
Become a fan of Makes Mama Smile on Facebook
Become a fan of Knot Genie on Facebook
2 entries - Share this giveaway on Facebook (tag MMS and Knot Genie)
Follow Makes Mama Smile on Networked Blogs (left sidebar)
Follow Makes Mama Smile on Twitter
2 entries - Blog about this giveaway and share link

Giveaway ends Friday November 19, 2010 at 10:00  p.m. (MST)

Winner will be drawn by the random number generator at Random.org and will be notified by email. Winner will also be announced on this blog.
Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn.
*This giveaway is open to USA residents ONLY.
Must be 18 years old or older to win.*

Thank you to Knot Genie for sponsoring this review and giveaway!

Smiling About SodaStream!

I had the awesome opportunity to review a SodaStream Soda Maker as well as many of their Sodamix syrup flavors!

 This products has me smiling for several reasons; its value, style, convenience, nutrition, eco-friendliness, and of course taste! I was sent the Jet SodaStream machine in black, it takes up minimal space on my kitchen counter and makes carbonated beverages with just the push of a button. Many other styles and colors can be found on the SodaStream website. The process is so simple, my 6 year old was even making soda. You fill the carbonating bottle with tap water and screw it into the machine, you are then able to add as much or as little carbonation you'd like in your drink. You simple press the carbonating button on the top till you hear a "buzz" and repeat that two more times. You can end the process there and enjoy carbonated water or add one of the many flavors that SodaStream offers. The boys were so excited to try this, it made it out of the box and onto the counter in a hurry! We had so much fun and were pleasantly surprised by the ease of it all, as well as the minimal clean-up!

Here is a quick video showing just how simple it really is!

So many flavor choices!

Sodamix syrups are made with either a combination of Splenda and sugar or just Splenda in the diet flavors. They do not contain high fructose corn syrup or aspartame! I am not partial to the taste of sucralose so this took me a little getting used to. I noticed it more on the root beer flavor and with other flavors could not detect the taste. The kids didn't seem to mind and were thrilled to be having such a treat since we rarely drink soda in our house. I was happy to be giving my children a sweet drink knowing they weren't guzzling down carbonated corn syrup! The SodaStream beverages offer a healthier choice, cutting out a lot of the calories, carbs, sugar, sodium and even caffeine with their recipes. This makes it a great choice for a Mama of a six month old who is trying to get back into her skinny jeans!

You can see the comparison to other brands:

	Calories	Carbs	Sugar	Sodium	Caffeine
Pepsi®	100	27g	27g	25mg	25mg
Coca-Cola®	100	27g	27g	35mg	23mg
SodaStream Cola	34	9g	9g	2mg	15mg
7-UP®	100	26g	26g	50mg	0mg
Sprite®	100	26g	26g	45mg	0mg
SodaStream Lemon Lime	36	9g	9g	25mg	0mg

All SodaStream regular sodamix uses a mixture of Splenda® and sugar. Diet flavors are sugar-free,  sweetened with Splenda® brand sweetener. Comparison is based on 8 fl. oz. serving size (0.34 fl. oz. of SodaStream sodamix per 8 fl. oz. of water).

 

I have tried many of the flavors and so far my favorites are Cola and Orange-Mango! If you'd rather have a flavored sparkling water they've got you covered too! I received four MyWater flavors and just added a splash to a bottle of carbonated water for a hint of fruit flavor. My favorite is the lemon-lime!

With a family of 6 it is great to have the option to mix up several flavors to make the whole family happy! I am not a diet soda drinker, so now when a friend comes over who is I have their favorite flavor on hand. 

Orange-Mango flavor...so yummy!

They recently introduced Sparkling Naturals which I can't wait to try! "Sparkling Naturals contain no artificial flavors, no artificial colors and no artificial sweeteners, and do not contain any preservatives, making them a perfect, sparkling, natural soda alternative for the entire family." The apple-mango flavor sounds delish!

Each bottle of Sodamix makes 12 liters of soda and MyWater Essence flavors make around 20 liters of sparkling water per bottle!

I have minimal food storage space in my house so finding the space for a few small bottle of syrup compared to several 2 liter bottles or large boxes of cans is perfect for my family. Not to mention we are cutting out all of that waste! Less packaging waste from cans and bottles and less pollution caused by transport of bottled beverages.

The bottles are not dishwasher safe, but are easy to clean by hand and can be used again and again. They come with screw on lids so you can keep your favorite soda creations in the fridge. 

The carbonating cartridge will make 66 liters of soda and can exchanged for a refill or spares are available for purchase. 

Whether you are looking for a healthy alternative to regular soda, looking to decrease your carbon footprint, are tired of spending time and money at the store, or all of the above...I recommend checking out SodaStream and see what flavors your family would enjoy!

You can also check out their blog at http://msfizz.sodastreamusa.com/

What flavor would YOU like to try?!

I received a Fountain Jet - Soda Starter Kit for this review. All opinions are my own and I have not been compensated in any other way for my review.