I love Lands End.  They have some of the greatest products.  They are priced great for the quality you get.  In case you don’t know, Lands End has more than just clothes.  I have a Lands End jacket (I did a review of it a while back), luggage, and slippers too!

Madison picked out these really cute kid slippers herself. I was leaning more toward some that looked like ice skates, and she was like “no mom, I like the penguins”, so as you see, she won that argument. We were in the market for some slippers for all of us for the basement. As you may know, we remodeled and put down tile on the floor.  However, that tile gets really, really, really cold, and it hasn’t gotten below 0 yet.  Also, my house is pretty much all hardwood floors.  Socks don’t work well, because everyone ends up slipping and sliding and falling all over.  Madison told me they were super warm and then makes me touch her sweaty feet when she shows me (the joys of being a mom).

Now, Mommy took care of herself too. I picked up a pair of these travel slippers.  They are extra flexible for easy packing and are super soft.  They also have a slip resistant outsole.  Since I go to quite a few conferences, these will come in really handy.  Also, I have been using them around the house.  These also save my feet from my ice cold floors (both upstairs and downstairs).  My husband is liking them since I am not sticking my ice cold feet on him anymore.

Another piece we have added to our travel arsenal is this wheeled duffel bag. Can I tell you how awesome it is? Without anything in it, it is small enough to fit under my bed. Space is it a premium in my house, so that is so helpful! It also comes in extremely helpful when we go up to visit my parents. We are trying to get 4 people in two tiny bedrooms, so space is limited there too!  It is made out of denier ballistic nylon which is resistant to tears, abrasion, stains, and moisture.  Basically, it wil take a lickin’ and still look great!  You can even get it monogrammed!

Now, all I know you want to know how to get your hands on this stuff, so I am having a giveaway. The winner gets to pick which item he/she wants! Here’s what you need to do:

1. Leave a comment on this post. I want to know what you want and why!
2. Twitter about this contest. Please leave me your username so I can verify.
3. Stumble this post. If you don’t know what Stumble Upon is, please read Lori’s post at Blogging Cents. She explains it extremely well.
4. Add this post to other social media sites like Digg, Kirtsy, Blogging Zoom, Reddit, Propeller, Etc. (1 entry for each social network).

For 5 additional entries,

1. Blog about this on your blog. Please give me the URL, so I can verify.
2. Add this to any forums you belong too. Please give me the URL, so I can verify.
3. Subscribe to this blog using either my email or RSS feed
4. Add my badge to your sidebar:

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This giveaway will end on December 5 at 8:00 pm CST is available to US residents only. Good luck!

Can I say that I absolutely love this alarm clock? This is an alarm clock that every kid needs in their room. Kids as young as 3 can even use this!  Teach Me Time!  Talking Alarm Clock is an alarm clock, a teaching tool, and a nightlight!

How can it be all that?  Easy!  For kids that are 3-5, you are able to set the clock, and you can set it to be a yellow glowing nightlight.  Now, if you don’t want the kids getting up super early, you tell them they can’t get up till the clock light turns green.  Now, I didn’t think that would really work, but it does!  Well, it does for my four year old who thinks this clock is the greatest thing since sliced bread.  Now, for kids that are 5-7 years old, there is a talking game (which we tried to play with Madison, but it was pretty hit or miss for her.)  The alarm clock shows both digital and analog time, so it helps them learn to tell time.  I am hoping that if we keep working on it with Madison that she get it at some point.  Now, if your kids are over 7, the talking alarm clock works as a fully functioning alarm clock with a snooze button!

This alarm clock is a must have.  It has three different bezels (blue, pink, and yellow) that you can interchange.  This is not made with lead paint.  It has adjustable volume too.  You can even change the brightness of the nightlight.  For us, this alarm clock keeps my daughter in bed longer, and we love it.

I never buy myself anything, and I know that most moms are like me.  We buy everything for our families, and we take care of ourselves last.  The last winter coat that I got was when I was in high school (and I graduated in 1995).  I was definitely needing a new coat this year, and my Lands End Women’s Weatherly Jacket fit the bill.  The first thing I loved about the jacket was that it was not bulky.  I am a heavier person, and trust me when I say this, I don’t need any more bulk than I already have.  Now, even though the jacket is not bulky, it is still super warm (and this jacket was put to the test today when it was snowing out this afternoon).  The second thing I love is the fabric it is made from.  It is very comfortable; I could easily go to bed wearing this jacket.  I also have short arms, and I am able to adjust the jacket at the wrists.  For those who don’t have that issue, you have no idea what a pain it is to own clothing and coats that constantly covers your hands.  The pockets are fleece lined, and you also have side entry handwarmer pockets (and since I don’t like to carry a purse, these pockets come in super handy).  There also is an inside mp3 player pocket and some security pockets.  Lastly, there are a ton of colors to pick from.  I personally like blue, so that is what I got.

If you or a loved one needs a new coat this year, definitely make sure you check out Lands End.  You cannot go wrong with this brand!

Ever feel like nobody would understand how you feel?  Ever feel the need to connect to other moms?  If so, I definitely have the place you need to check out:  Moms Like Me.  I love the community on this site.  We are able to do everything from talk about cookie recipes to talking about how to get our kids to bed at night. It is one of those places that you get support from everyone even if they don’t have any helpful advice for you.  I remember a time when it was just Madison and me at home all day, I would have loved to have found this site them.  However, I am glad to be a part of it now.  I don’t mind telling people my story and my issues.  I have found Moms Like Me a great resource for me also.  I just recently learned how to sign up for the Toys R Us Newsletter!  There also have been some great giveaways over there for new members.  You can also sign up under one of the groups there are if you find one you like.  They have everything from a fundraising group to a blogging group to a knitting group.

If you are trying to find your place in this world, this is a great place to stop and check out.  If you have any mommy questions, this again is someplace to check out.  If you need a bit of support, you should definitely check out Moms Like Me!

Why do I love Dragon Naturally Speaking? Let me count the ways . . . .

Ok, so the video doesn’t tell you all ways I love Dragon Naturally Speaking. However, it does show you how easy it is to use the software. Literally, all you have to do is plug in a noise canceling headset to your computer and download the software. You place your cursor where you want to type and away you go. Now, you do have to train the software to your voice. I tend to talk fast, so it had to correct for that. Plus, if you find that it is typing same wrong word, you can train it on that specific word. This isn’t rocket science to figure out (which is good because I have a tendency to NOT read the books or pdf files that comes with software).

I was able to create that video while my kids were up and playing at my feet (and you can tell when they grabbed my leg, because the video starts wobbling. You can also hear them a little too.) However, I did want to show that you can still be involved in doing other things and be able to use Dragon NaturallySpeaking. This more than triples my typing speed when I am typing and dealing with my kids (Take the Dragon NaturallySpeaking typing test if you don’t know what your typing speed is). I am actually writing this blog post using the software too. Here is the official video on how this all works:

As I stated in my video, I am finding that I can get a lot more in the little snippets of time I have during the day plus I am able to get way more done at night. I love being able to go to bed before midnight. I love being able to answer emails and do blog posts when I have Will sitting on my lap drinking from his sippy and watching cartoons. I have five blogs, so being able to write more content in less time is a huge plus for me. Plus, anyone who knows me, knows I have no problems talking. I am able to do my freelance work and reports using this also. I will be recommending this to my boss. Beside blogging, I have used it to make my daily lists of what I have to do each day plus some grocery shopping lists too! I am not the only one who thinks it is great, check out this New York Times Review.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking is really for anyone who works on a computer. If you talk faster than you type, you need this. If you want to be more efficient in your work, you need this. If you just want a new toy to play with, you DEFINITELY need this. Time is money, and the time you save from using Dragon NaturallySpeaking makes it worth every penny.