I really should update this blog more often. I think once a year probably isn't too much to ask of myself.

I'm a member of a great community of bloggers called BzzAgent. We receive samples and coupons in exchange for our honest feedback and spreading word-of-mouth about new and exciting products. I recently receive free samples of the new Coppertone CLEARLYSheen sunscreens. They certainly live up to the hype. They're lighter than typical sunscreens (no more bulky, chalky sunscreen for me!). With my breakout-prone skin, I look forward to not spending the summer scrubbing my face constantly to clean out my pores of the sunblock I desperately need to maintain my porcelain skin tone. It's promoted as a product that can be used under make-up and I'm interested to see how that works. I've never even considered wearing sunscreen and makeup together before.

Earning Sites Update 11/13/2012

So, it's been awhile since I update this old dinosaur. And there are people asking about the earning sites I use to completely fund our Christmas budget. As a disclaimer, I earn referral points for people signing up under for me some of these sites. However, I do not recommend sites I do not use regularly (or sites at which I have not cashed out). These sites are reliable and I would recommend them even if I wasn't being compensated. Even if you've already signed up, feel free to ask questions. I really do love helping people maximize their earnings. It's a tough economy and every little bit helps.

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1. Best payout: Swagbucks. In the last year, I've earned over $775 at Swagbucks. Yes, you read that correctly. $775 from just one site. I've ordered gift cards from Target, Walmart, CVS, and Domino's. I've also donated to various charities. There are literally thousands of options, though, including Paypal. The computer on which I'm composing this blog was purchased solely with Amazon gift cards earned on Swagbucks. Here's a breakdown of how I earned the majority of that money:

Special Offers: $310
Videos: $157
Surveys: $92
Searching: $71
Bonuses: $55
Referrals: $26
Codes: $21
Games: $18
Task: $16
Shopping: $7

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2. Easiest: Bing. Seriously, my 10-year-old does this one. However, it also has the lowest earning rate. I earn about $5/month. But it only takes me about a minute a day to search and earn points. I only cash out for Amazon gift cards, but there are other options such as Xbox points or Live membership, Starbucks gift cards, Hulu Plus subscription, Redbox codes, and Groupon codes.

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3. Easiest payout: Jingit. Basically you cashout whenever you want. They issue you a debit card. You earn cash for watching brand video ads (Jello, Elmer's Glue, Box Tops for Education, etc) and doing check-ins at Walmart and at home. You transfer cash to the debit card when you want. I transfer mine once a week so I know how much I earn each week, but you can transfer funds up to 31 times per month. And it's real cash. You use the debit card anywhere that accepts debit cards (although I don't suggest using it to pay-at-the-pump for gas due to the holds placed). I've earned over $215 with Jingit in the last year.

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4. Quickest payout: InstaGC. I've made $85 since I started at the beginning of the year. And I don't even spend that much time on the site. There are people that make $100/month on this site. The benefit of this site is that the gift cards are instant. That's their name: Instant Gift Cards. You click 'redeem' and the gift card code pops up on the screen with the confirmation (no worries if you miss it, they email it to you). I've cashed out Amazon and Walmart gift cards. There are too many other options to even list. A new offer has appeared recently that you won't find on other sites. If you're doing the majority of your Christmas shopping on Amazon.com, like I am, you can earn 2% back though InstaGC. That's right. If you spend $100, you'll get $2 back.

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5. Crowdtap is the most fun. With Crowdtap, you earn gift cards in addition to possibly earning free products by interacting with brands in different ways. Today, I was selected for an Old Navy Style Council, which means they're going to send me two coupons for a free item-one for myself and one for a friend. They just ask that you submit a report regarding the garment. I've also earned $20 in Amazon gift cards (there are other options as well) in the last two months.

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6. Social Moms is a little different. You earn points for writing, commenting, and sharing articles. There are also frequent giveaways. I've earned about $120 in Amazon gift cards (Paypal is also available) since April, in addition to winning a $20 Amazon gift card and a Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3 dvd/Bluray combo pack.

7. Jebbit: best up-and-coming site. I've earned over $20 cash with this site since I started last month. You earn money by interacting with brands. The money you earn is transferred to your bank account via WePay (similar to Paypal). It is only open to college students right now so you need to have a .edu email address or college information listed on the Facebook account through which you register. The earning is slow for now, but cashout is at $2.

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If you've been adding it all up, I've earned over $1200 in the last year, with just these earning sites. There are more. In fact, I have an account with no less than ten different earnings sites. You can find my referral link to other sites elsewhere on this blog. But these six are the ones I use the most frequently and the ones I think are the easiest. They are also the most reliable. All sites have their ups and downs. Some days/weeks/months are better than others. Right now, there is only one $0.10 ad on Jingit. But next week, I may be back to hitting my $13 weekly limit again.

You'll see in previous blog posts that I have recommended Superpoints and Calyp. Superpoints has gone bust. You will not be able to sign up for that site. Calyp, well, I cannot recommend Calyp. The ads have been few and far between lately. I have only cashed out once in the past three months and they were almost a month late paying out. Have I completely given up on them? No. But if you sign up, it might not be worth it.

Back Again

Wow. Crazy. It's been over two months since my last post. It's been a crazy couple of months. Patrick went on his first trip to the beach in June for Austin's birthday. He really enjoyed the pool. He's quite the little waterbaby. He was kicking and moving around the pool in his float within minutes. Just look at that face!

But the ocean, not so much. I don't blame him. The sand was scorching, the water was freezing, and it was just plain hot. He did like digging his feet in the sand once we set him up a place under the tent. The beach excursion lasted all of thirty minutes-most of that involved setting up. He fell asleep almost immediately after getting in the van.

Mom, Jonny, and I (with a little help from Austin) finally finished the nursery. I might be a little biased, but I think it looks amazing. I'm still working on decorations and such, but the colors look amazing (thanks to Tabitha) and I love the Dr. Seuss theme.

BEFORE

AFTER

Patrick is getting to be quite the pro when it comes to crawling. I can't turn my back for a minute. Inevitably, he'll have crawled from one side of the living room to the other in order to reach the cute little baby in the reflection on the entertainment center (yes, I'm referring to Patrick) or harass his brother. Now that he's getting the hang of crawling he's starting to pull himself up. He pulled himself up onto one knee and one foot yesterday using the exersaucer. He has pretty much mastered sitting. He can go from sitting to crawling back to sitting in fluid movements now. He still gets a little overconfident every once in awhile and topples over.

He's also becoming a pro at eating solid foods. Well, unless you count the fact that he blows major razzies the entire time. I'm not sure how much food is making it in his stomach. I've been making his food from fresh fruits and vegetables (a lot of which has come from Heather's garden). He hasn't found a food he dislikes yet. Bananas seem to be a favorite.

I left Patrick for more than a few minutes for the first time yesterday. I had a lovely, kid-free lunch with Sammy. I missed the kids, but I had forgotten what it was like to not inhale my food so I can finish before the baby is tired of sitting. Patrick is absolutely bonkers over his brother. His face lights up when he walks in a room or if he hears his voice. Even if Patrick is crying, Austin can usually cheer him up. Every day I'm more impressed with what a great older brother Austin is.

Crazy About Cloth? Maybe.

Patrick is consistently sleeping eleven hours straight at night now. His parents really appreciate it, especially his mommy. If you were this cute while you slept, you'd probably sleep all the time too.

I finally received the gDiapers and got them prewashed and tried them out. They don't work for overnights, but then most diapers would be stretched at eleven hours (we still haven't found anything that works better than Swaddlebees and Blueberry pockets for overnights). The gDiapers are cute, absorbent, well-fitting, and convenient. They're easy to use than the prefolds and covers but you can get more use out of them than the pocket. My biggest complaint is that they are secured in the back. It's a little difficult to turn a wiggly baby over to fasten the diaper. I will attempt to turn the diaper around and see if it works that way. Overall, I like the gDiapers. I cashed in at Swagbucks for four $5 Walmart gift cards this week for the express purpose of purchasing more gDiapers.

I also had a chance to prewash and test out the new Fuzzibunz pocket this week and I have to say, I love it. First off, Fuzzibunz donates $1 from the sale of this color-Light It Up Blue-to Autism Speaks. No, they didn't add $1 to the cost of the diaper. It comes out of their profit. Second, it's less bulky than other pockets, including the Swaddlebees and Blueberrys I like so much. They're just as absorbent, however. And I really like the color.  

Here's the new play toy Jonny has spent so much time on lately. It's a Lenovo IdeaPad A1. It's an Android-based tablet that I bought on Amazon with money earned from GPT sites. The cover was also purchased with earned Amazon gift cards.

This Saturday will be Jonny's first go at being the sole caregiver for Patrick. A friend is getting married and I'm in the wedding. I trust him to take care of Patrick, that isn't the problem. I'm just not ready to leave him for very long yet. 

April Redemptions

Here are my redemptions for the month of April.  That's a total of $164.80 in one month. Or somewhere close depending on how poorly I've added. I also cashed in for 25FB credits at 4Loot. I haven't cashed out at Bing yet, but with continued luck I will redeem a $5 AGC this month. 

Swagbucks: $25 Amazon, $10 Domino's, $10 donation to Autism Speaks

Irazoo: $20 Amazon

Instant Gift Cards: $10 Amazon

Jingit: $32.35

Calyp: $37.45

Superpoints: $10 Amazon

Social Moms: $10 Amazon

Lifetime Totals:

Swagbucks (since 11/03/11):
$225 Amazon
$10 Domino's
$1 donation to Children's Miracle Network,
$10 donation to Autism Speaks
Irazoo (since 12/01/11): 
$35 Amazon
Instant Gift Cards (since 1/16/12): 
$30 Amazon
Jingit (since 11/17/11): 
$62.07
Calyp (since 1/1/12): 
$136.88
Superpoints (since 11/8/11): 
$10 Amazon
Social Moms (since 3/17/12): 
$10 Amazon

That's over $500 since November!

One For the Money, Two For the Show

First off, let me say that I am wholeheartedly against Amendment One. And this does not have as much to do with my support of gay rights as it does with my support of human rights. Gay marriage is already banned in North Carolina. This bill, if passed into law, would make marriage the only domestic legal union recognized in North Carolina. That is not restricted to gay couples, but also straight couples. That means if a woman has a restraining order against an ex-boyfriend, the restraining order could be removed due to it not being a recognized domestic union. Please go read the amendment before you vote. You can vote early from now until May 5th. Polls will be open on May 8. Please do not vote ignorantly on this issue. It does not affect only gay people. 

My new tablet was delivered earlier this week, along with Patrick's new Light It Up Blue Fuzzibunz diaper. Fuzzibuzz donated $1 from the cost of the diaper to Autism Speaks. The picture below was taken with my tablet's back camera. Patrick's rocking his new Meadow Green Blueberry diaper. Jonny has enjoyed playing with my new tablet, especially Draw Something. If you're playing a Draw Something game with me, you're probably not playing with me. It's probably Jonny.

We went to the lake this afternoon for a cousin's birthday. Patrick hung out on the deck with the adults while Austin played with his cousins in the yard. Unfortunately, after his cousins left Austin decided to play by himself. He threw a rotten egg to see what would happen. What happens, you might ask? The egg explodes all over the person throwing the egg and it smells awful. On the way to the van to leave, Austin also found a baby bird that had left the nest. He decided he needed to spray it with water. Apparently, the bird wanted him to. 

Patrick is growing so fast! He's starting to really enjoy his Exersaucer, especially when Austin is playing with him. It's rather convenient since he can sit in the Exersaucer while I'm cooking. It's hard to believe that less than four months ago this little guy was happy just laying on his daddy's shoulder, sleeping. 

If you're apprehensive about joining Jingit, what are you waiting for? The weekly limit reset today and I hit my $12 weekly limit this afternoon in about half an hour. That's $24/hour. Can you not spare a half an hour, while you're doing other things, to watch a few videos for a few bucks? Depending on your vehicle, you could make enough to pay for a full tank of gas every month. 

That's Just the Life

I put Patrick down in his bassinet for a nap today and after fussing for a few minutes, he went to sleep. It was only a 45-minute nap, but that's a first. Normally, he has to be nursed or rocked to sleep. Letting a baby get accustomed to nursing to sleep is a bad habit. It just happened that he fell asleep every time he nursed and it where he would only go to sleep while nursing. But what that means is that I'm pretty much tied to wherever I was sitting when he fell asleep. Anywhere that is comfy enough to nurse is difficult to get up from when he falls asleep without waking him up. It's not often I have time in the middle of the day to relax and do adult things (like eat, shower, laundry) without a baby on my hip. Patrick demands constant attention. If he allows me to take a shower, he expects to play peek-a-boo the entire time. It's no wonder I've forgotten to wash the shampoo out of my hair before.

It never ceases to amaze me what a wonderful brother Patrick has. Austin asked for a brother or sister (but mostly brother) for years, but I was concerned with how he would treat a younger sibling. I was terrified that he would be jealous of Patrick the way he was with other babies when he was younger. Or that he would be too rough with him. Or that he would just ignore Patrick because he's so little and fragile. We spent most of my pregnancy trying to explain to Austin that his brother wouldn't be his age, ever, and that it would be awhile before he would really be able to play with him. My concerns were well-founded, but unwarranted. Austin is amazing. He entertains his brother while I'm cooking dinner. He sings to Patrick (most often Take Me Out To The Ballgame without the middle lyrics). He wants to hug and kiss him all the time. The first thing he asks when I pick him up from school is 'how was Patrick's day?' During the week Patrick doesn't wake up until Austin has left for school, but on the weekends, he comes to see his brother as soon as he wakes up. He does have some trouble being quiet when Patrick is napping, but what child doesn't. And he has to be reminded occasionally to be gentle with Patrick. But Austin has far exceeded my expectations. I'm so proud of him.

Entertaining each other while Mommy tries on clothes

Heather has been tutoring Austin 1-2 days a week for a few weeks now and I'm impressed with the results. For the first time in months, Austin brought home test papers with only As, Bs, and Cs. He even made a 104 on his spelling test. Math is his trouble subject right now, and that's the subject in which Heather is tutoring him, but I was exceptionally proud of him for that spelling test.

I'm glad the weather is clearing up. Patrick is so much happier when we can go outside. I think the boys and I will go to the park this afternoon. It's a beautiful day-sunny, warm without being hot, and not too breezy. Perfect day for the park.

Jonny is overly anxious for the new toys to get here. He asks me every day what the tracking information says. And he's disappointed when he checks the mail and they're not there. It arrived this afternoon (with a new cloth diaper from Fuzzibunz). I bought a Lenovo IdeaPad from Amazon with my earnings. It's pretty awesome. I love my new toy. Well, when Jonny lets me play with it.

A Mid-meal snack

It finally happened. Patrick's hands found their way into his mouth. Unfortunately, his favorite time to put his fingers in his mouth is when he's supposed to be eating. He just sticks his fingers in his mouth and then grins at me. I'm a sucker for those grins. 

He slept a lot today. This is how he fell asleep for his second nap. Who am I to tell him what's comfortable? I slowly re-situated him once he was asleep. I'm fairly confident Patrick is in a growth spurt. He slept 10 hours straight last night and then went back to sleep for an hour this morning. And he pretty much ate and slept the rest of the day. He woke up, I changed his diaper, he ate, and went back to sleep. I've missed playing with my little guy the past few days. 

I didn't get a chance to get pictures of the new Blueberry diapers today, but the gDiapers arrived today so maybe I'll get a chance to post all three tomorrow. One can hope, at least. I can report that the Blueberry diapers performed as well as the others and I am still extremely happy with Swaddlebees/Blueberry. I think after 6 diapers, I can say Swaddlebees/Blueberry pocket diapers are my favorite. 

I'm always behind the camera, taking pictures. There really aren't many pictures of me and the Little One. Here's a picture of me and the ever-photogenic Patrick hanging out after a nap. And what a wonderful nap it was. It's amazing what sixty minutes can do to perk you up.

So now, my husband is at the bar watching the NFL draft with his friends and the kids are tucked in their bed. What do people do when they don't have families that require direct attention? Well since the internet is being finicky, I think I'll enjoy this free time with a bowl of Rocky Road ice cream and a refreshing bottle of water.