Etsy Giveaway: Meadow Muffin Gardens

Before you enter this giveaway, it would be a lovely idea to read my review of Meadow Muffin Gardens.

Stacy was kind to donate 1 item of the winners choosing from her shop the Meadow Muffin Gardens!

How to Enter the Giveaway:

Visit Meadow Muffin Gardens and comment back with the link of the item you would choose if you won.

Bonus Entries: 
Separate comments for each Bonus Entry please!

(1) Subscribe to my blog via email and confirm your email.
(2) Follow Music and Mommies and Meadow Muffin Gardens on Twitter
(3) Like Music and Mommies and Meadow Muffin Gardens on Facebook and comment back with your username.
(4) Share this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter and comment back here with the link.
(5) Leave a thoughtful comment on a non giveaway blog post and comment back with the link of the post.

Giveaway Rules:
Open to residents of the US and Canada. Giveaway ends October 12th, 2011. Winner will be selected using Random.org and will have 72 hours to respond to confirmation email.

Etsy Review: Meadow Muffin Gardens

Stacy from Meadow Muffin Gardens sent me the Chickweed Herbal Salve and the Serenity Moisturizing Cream to review.

The Chickweed Herbal Salve is a mildly scented but powerful infusion of chickweed, comfrey and plantain.  The product information page taught me a lot about the healing attributes of chickweed, an herb that I savagely rip out of my garden every few days. I was not aware that it acted as anti-inflammatory. Upon using the salve, the first thing I noticed was that it did not sting and it immediately offered a mild cooling sensation which I presumed to be the cooling chickweed absorbing the heat. The second thing I noticed was that I didn't have to itch anymore. The salve is just as effective as any 'after-bite' lotion on the market and comes without any toxic ingredients.

The real prize however is the Serenity Moisturizing Cream. It was a little messy when I first opened it up but this has not dampened the effectiveness of this ultra-hydrating lotion. The Serenity Moisturizing Cream is made with natural ingredients and will provide your skin with real moisture. The almond and hazelnut oils moisten your skin without leaving it feeling greasy. It is the perfect solution for thirsty dehydrated skin. I have found that the best time to apply this lotion is after the bath or shower, at bedtime. This will allow time for the extra moisture to sink into the skin overnight leaving your skin plump and replenished in the morning. Especially since it is scented with lavender and Sandalwood. Lavender is know to be a calming and it is wonderful for the skin, especially on blemishes and it also helps reduce the appearance of scars. Stacy has this listed as a facial moisturizing cream and I would be inclined to agree if it were being used as a night cream. I feel it might be a little too heavy for daytime use.

If you haven't already, stop in and view her wide selection of natural beauty products.

Beautiful Sunflowers and Giveaways

I have a few sunflowers in my garden at different stages of their development. They are not very tall. Being the 3rd batch that was planted, there was not much time left in their natural light cycle to vegetate and gain the height for which they are known. The first 2 batches of sunflowers that I planted were uprooted by the crows and other birds. They are very fond of the sprouts.

The sunflowers are so beautiful to watch this time of year. The geometrical patterns at every stage of flowering is quite breathtaking.

My oldest son has started Middle school and the change in him from School aged to Teenager was almost immediate. He has a new girlfriend that he speaks with on the phone at least 6 times a night.

In the week ahead, I have 2 products that I will be reviewing here at Music and Mommies. One of these products is a Degreaser from Stanley Home Products. It was sent to me with a list of 50 uses for this product. I plan on trying out use #28 and cleaning my BBQ racks with it and whatever other random uses hit me in the moment. If you happen to 'like' their facebook page, be sure to say hello.

The second review I will be posting this week is a Chickweed Herbal Salve and Serenity Moisturizing Lotion from Meadow Muffin Gardens on Etsy. The shop owner Stacy has also offered up a prize for residents of the US and Canada. If you check back sometime during the day on Friday you should be able to enter.

#Kindermom - Spontanious Kinder Fun

As I posted last week! I have been selected as a Kinder Mom, so over the next few months you will see the odd post with Kinder Canada prompted topics. This is one of them. 


I'm excited to announce that Kinder Canada has relaunched with a new collection of Kinder toys for 2012. This includes a giraffe that is 22 cm high, some interesting stamp pads, and some toys that squirt water.

Yesterday, we had an unintentional Kinder party at the house. The children, Jessi and our new friend Tyler had a dozen eggs to go through (and some extra toys) together. Jessi managed to get the 22 cm giraffe. It was one of the more difficult toys to assemble. In the time that each of us had assembled 2 or 3 toys, she had only assembled the one. We've named him Freddy and she is going to keep him in her cubicle at work as a reminder to celebrate the smaller victories.


I think that attitude is fantastic, it isn't only important to celebrate the small victories with children, but adults we need to be reminded about how capable we are of the little things. It helps us feel more confident in ourselves. I think attitudes like this help us to live more gracefully.

We ended off our kinder fun by standing at the top of the hill flying some 'Wow Wings' and 'Firetubes' that came inside the kinder eggs. My youngest boy had fun combining a couple of the flyers into one super flyer. It doesn't fly as well considering it is much heavier but it was still very impressive. He was very proud of his creation and has since combined different styles and made a few different models.



It was really nice to do something spontaneous with the children. I love the freedom that is found in the moment and life unfortunately seems so planned out at times. I have been making an effort to try and be a little more spontaneous with the children. If they are being a bit trying sometimes a fun way to change things up a bit is to send the kids outside for a scavenger hunt to win a super special snack. I've sent them outside looking for things like feathers, shells, pine cones and even army men that are missing in action.


Disclosure: I’m part of the Kinder® Mom program and I receive compensation as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Etsy Giveaway: Madame Scodioli's Solid Perfumes

Madame Scodioli's was kind to offer 1 full sized solid perfume of the winners choice for this giveaway. If you haven't read my review on Madame Scodioli's Bearded Proprietors Solid Perfumes you can find it here.

To Enter:
Visit Madame Scodioli's and comment back here (don't forget to include your email) with a product or two that you would love to try.

Bonus Entries:
(1) Subscribe to my blog via email and confirm your email.
(2) Follow me on Twitter and Tweet about the giveaway, comment back here with the link.
(3) Like Music and Mommies on Facebook and comment with your username.
(4) Like Madame Scodioli on Facebook
(5) Share this giveaway on Facebook and comment back here with the link.

Giveaway Rules:
Open worldwide. Giveaway ends September 30th, 2011

Winner: Shenny

Etsy Review: Madame Scodioli's Solid Perfumes

I recently stumbled across the most delightful Etsy shop. Madame Scodioli Bearded Proprietor has a wonderful line of solid perfumes and shaving soaps made with natural ingredients. The shop, product descriptions and visual artwork carries you away to a small gypsy caravan where Madame Scodioli charms you with her luxuriously scented potions. The magic of the carnival, the music and the memorizing people grant you a freedom that you have only felt fully now for the first time in your life.

I contacted Madame Scodioli about reviewing a product and she graciously sent me a full sized Clofullia solid scent and samples of Gypsy Caravan and Drabardi to review. I also had to ask about the product branding because I found it very impressive and Madame S. informed me that her assistant is a graphic designer.

The solid perfumes are deliciously pleasing to my senses. Since they are crafted with natural ingredients there is no chemical irritant to mangle my sensitive snout, which is great for the obvious reason... and also because I can now live with my nose buried in these wonderful scents.

One of her more complex scents, Clofullia is crafted with jasmine, patchouli and orange. Jasmine is the first scent that hits you, so those of you who don't care for floral scents might find this discouraging. As you breath deeper the patchouli and orange undertones surface creating depth and balance within this scent. I highly recommended this to Jasmine lovers.

Drabardi is a very relaxing and uplifting scent. The bergamot is calming and the coriander gives a very complimentary spicy lemon scent. I adore it and I think it will get put to good use this winter as part of my plan to alleviate the winter blues. I find myself opening up the container and getting a whiff of it when I feel a little down in the dumps or anxious. 

Gypsy Caravan is my favorite of the 3 scents. Romantic, captivating and sweet scent oozing with fresh, ripe pomegranates. Madame S has captured the essence of two lovers sharing a blanket, feeding each other pomegranates seeds over a bottle of wine at sunset in a field of fruit trees and wildflowers. 

Madame Scodioli also offers sampler packs for those of you who do not wish to commit to a full sized scent without smelling it first. The samples are a good size and will last for awhile. So if you are unsure, this is a great way to try out the different scents and still have some duration of use.

I am so very impressed with this shop,  I plan on ordering a couple full sized solid oils in Gypsy Caravan because it is wonderfully intoxicating and also some samples of the scents I haven't tried yet to see what else I enjoy! Please I encourage you all to buy something from Madame Scodioli's Bearded Proprietor. 

Book Giveaway: The Book of Life (Low Entry)

WINNERS: Chemmy, Ann, Lukey Here 

Hachette Book Group has given me 3 copies of The Book of Life by Stuart Nadler to giveaway.

How to Enter the Giveaway:
Comment below with your favorite mantra, something that you might reflect upon during tough times. Don't forget to include your email address in your comment.

Bonus Entries:  - Separate comments for each Bonus Entry please!
(1) Subscribe to my blog via email and confirm your email.
(2) Follow me on Twitter and Tweet about the giveaway, comment back here with the link.
(3) Like Music and Mommies on Facebook and comment back with your username.
(4) Share this giveaway on Facebook and comment back here with the link.

Giveaway Rules:
Open to residents of Canadian and US. Shipping addresses only, no P.O. Boxes sorry! Winners are subject to 1 copy per household. Giveaway ends September 28th, 2011.

Review: The Book of Life by Stuart Nadler

A collection of seven short stories involving characters who are all involved in the midst of conflict involving faith, family, grief, love, temptation, and redemption.

Stuart Nadler's writing is uniquely driving and intensely captivating. I had a difficult time putting the book down and if not for other obligations, I would have finished it in a day. Nadler has a way of describing the situations involving his characters both efficiently and effectively. Throughout the book I found myself empathetic, uncomfortable and even awkward as I related to these people with an endearing attachment as though they were dear friends.

These stories have cliff-hanger timing. It angered me dearly as he would end one story and begin another at  times that felt so inopportune to me that I found myself cursing him silently. I had become so invested in that story, it forced me to let go and move on to the next story, not knowing if things ever resolved themselves or if the characters were successful with their paths from that moment forward. I had no chance to negotiate with this 'Ghost of Christmas past' and perhaps stay for a moment longer onlooking. No closure, as much as I hated that... it signified to me the capabilities of a great author, as he invoked many emotions in me.

I'm a Kinder Mom!

Remember those surprised that I told you were coming in the weeks ahead?? Well they are so close now they are practically breathing on your neck! Isn't that creepy.

Friday September 9th, 2011
I will be posting, not 1....
but 2 giveaways!

The first of these giveaways will be for a book that I am reviewing on behalf of Hachette Book Group called 'The Book of Life'.

The second giveaway is for a beautiful Etsy shop with very striking branding, Madame Scodioli Bearded Proprietor.

I also have an announcement to make to all of you lovelies. I have been selected by Mom Central Canada and Kinder Canada to be a Kinder Mom for the next 3 months. I will be participating in their group discussions, reviewing some of their products and giveaway some of their products in the near future. I am very excited to be paired up with this awesome sponsor and to keep you all informed with the inside Kinder scoop! My kids love the chocolate and building all of the little toys. I have a soft spot for Kinder chocolate myself!

Labour Day Leeches

I hope that everyone has had a wonderful Labour Day weekend! We just got back last night from the camp. Every year we go to Mat's uncle's camp, they have a horseshoe tournament and lots of great food. Some of the people that attend I only see once a year, so I really enjoy the conversations and hearing a mild breeze blow off the lake and through the trees.

Mat usually leaves himself open as a spare player in case their is an odd number. He enjoys playing but since it does tie him up for the entire day he prefers to offer himself up when there is a need for an extra player. On the instant that he doesn't get picked, he sometimes offers to relieve some of the older players who might need a break. Although since some of those older players are quite skilled at the game, they usually just break between rounds instead. Since their was an odd number of players, Mat got to play.

This year we got to enjoy a lovely batch of Chili made by Mat's Aunt. It was delicious. She made it very mild so everyone could enjoy it. There was a bottle of hot sauce nearby so us 'lovers of spice' could get our fix.

So after an entire decade of spending Labour Day weekend at this camp, I had my first encounter since childhood with leeches (bloodsuckers). To be honest, even though I had been told that their were leeches in the lake... I don't believe I had actually seen any. This year, the leeches were in abundance. I stood in the water up to my ankles with 2 other ladies having a nice little conversation, chuckling as one of the ladies proclaims that she considers all wild meat 'beef'. I lift my right leg out of the water and notice a baby leech, one of the ladies pulled it off my foot. At the time I might have even thought it was cute. Until the other leg came out of the water and I seen the momma attached to the top of my foot, flipping and flapping all over the place. I screamed and then laughed at myself for screaming. We pulled her off and the other two leech babies that we had found and then tending too my wounds. The salt shaker would have been ideal in this situation but it was too far for me to run up to the camp, parading with a momma leech flip-flopping all over my foot. So instead, I paraded up to the camp with blood running down my foot. It seemed like the more tolerable of the two at the time.

Musical Golf

Sounds like a new game worth inventing, doesn't it?

Today we went down to the Golf and Country Club to watch a show hosted by Double Brutal and Acadian Embassy. We arrived early as Mat was playing with his band Dress Code Casual and we were responsible for the back line. We also had ulterior motives. Those motives were... to tackle the driving range. So we unloaded the gear and then entered the pro shop with high hopes of coming out with a container of balls and a left handed golf club for me because for some reason, swinging actions like baseball or golf require me to use the opposite side of my body that most people will utilize for these activities. Unfortunately for us, all the balls were out on the course at the time because they were having a golf tournament for the weekend and I guess there had been a lot of people practicing on the driving range.

So, I was a little disappointed and wandered downwards through the range picking up golf balls. I examined them slightly, turning them in my hands like tiny fluorescent stress balls. When the older lady with a scowl on her face sped towards me in a golf cart.

"What are you doing with those range balls" She crabbed at me.
"I don't know, I - I..." I stammered nervously. I truly didn't.
"Drop those balls on the ground and leave you're not supposed to be here" She snapped.

Now whether I was supposed to be or not, I feel that when you represent any sort of company that it would be everyone's best interest to treat other people with respect. I was unaware of the rules of the establishment and I still treated her with respect, even though I was pretty upset by the whole situation. Even her work mate thought she was overreacting, and she gave him lip too. I used to work security years ago, it paid the bills... I used to really get annoyed by the guards that took their jobs too seriously, you know the type. The ones who get control happy, are often bitter with their lives and sometimes believe themselves to be police officers. She irked me in that same way. Our bad moods collided, I bit my tongue, politely complied... As I passed by her work partner, I jokingly muttered "I guess I wasn't supposed to be back here haha, have a good day" it helped relieve some of the tension I was feeling. I wasn't hurting anything.

So I went to the playground next door to write in my journal, swing for the first time since childhood and clear my head for a bit before the show.

A few great bands played. Labyrinthian opened up, I always enjoy watching them play and I'm saddened because I know that the frequency of their performances are dwindling on account of a member living in Halifax and the front man performing in two other bands that are very active. Dress Code Casual played and also a band from Halifax called Quaker Parents came down, they were just a drummer and a guitar player but their performance was quite interesting and fun to watch despite the lack of low end. Kuato headlined and they are an awesome instrumental band. Mat and I often refer to them as a band for musicians because of their technicality and the fact that they are instrument. They are very entertaining to watch and had a nice little lighting show and sound clips cued up for their performance. All that stuff takes very careful planning so it was a great learning experience even as a spectator.

After the show was done we packed Darb's van with the gear and off Mat and I went, on a 2 am adventure to the camp for Labour Day weekend.

FYI:  Did you know that when you type in Kuato, Firefox spell check thinks you mean Kumquat.