..happy spring!..

LOVE this time of year! The weather has been great, even a little unseasonable warm (it has hit 81 degrees several times in the last couple of weeks). My first little tulip bloomed, and it was so pretty to see.

Onto to something that needs just a LITTLE bit of attention... I turned the big 3-0. I was really dreading it before it happened. I didn't think I was going to be ok with it, but now that it has come and gone, I really am good with it. There are some changes I want to make, and some I'm in the process of making (goodbye baby weight) and so I'm really looking forward to this year.

Another big change that has happened recently involves the hubs. He got a new job.. or should I say a new career. I never in my life thought I would see the day when he didn't fly for a living, but it's here. He decided to leave the airlines. Unfortunately flying for the airlines isn't nearly what it used to be. The pay and the benefits have gotten to be, well honestly, a little pathetic. Airlines have gotten to where they are trying to find any way possible to take from their pilots instead of giving. In the last year he has had one pay cut and another larger one was looming. He has been trying for the last 2 years to get on at TVA and luckily he was accepted into their latest class. This is going to help us out so much, both in a monetary sense and also just as being a family. Instead of being gone for days at a time he will be home every single day. We're very excited! :) It will also mean that I can scale back my time at the bakery too. I love my shop, but even on an easy week I am there at least 50 hours a week. On a tough week it is upwards of 60 hours. I am seriously considering having the shop open only on Thursdays and Fridays. I know that will upset some of my customers, and I may even lose some, but my family comes first. I get to spend very little time with my girls, and I can't stand that. I also miss my blog and my crafting time. My sewing machine has just about forgotten my name, lol. Although I did get to spend some time yesterday making the girls a bandanna dress each.

So I hope you all are having a beautiful Spring day so far. And here's to new and exciting changes.

Peace, love and koala fuzz y'all!

..carhartt review..

If you or someone in your household is a hunter, fisherman, or love to be outdoors, then chances are you own clothing by Carhartt. The Carhartt brand, founded in 1889, is synonymous with outdoor- and work-wear. They make lots of great and durable pants, coveralls and coats and shirts.

Carhartt recently sent me and the hubs some items to try out and review. They sent me the following items:

Women's Thermal-Lined Zip-Front Hooded Sweatshirt

Women’s Sandstone Mock-Neck Vest/Sherpa-Lined

 

And the Women's Sherpa Sweat Jacket

The first thing I noticed about the clothing is the weight. "Lightweight" is not how I would describe the items I received. They definitely feel like quality garments. Also, we had a very wet winter this year. In Alabama the high humidity makes it bitterly cold, so I was able to really put these items to the test. I have one major thing to say about all of them: WARM! When the wind blows the cold can feel like it just eats right through you. But I can honestly say that these are the warmest garments I have ever worn. Even with the wind, my legs and face would get cold, but my torso and hands (in the pockets!) stayed really warm. Carhartt absolutely knows how to make clothing. Also, the Sweat Jacket is very pretty. It can be dressed up or down, and still give you the warmth you might need. Overall, I am very, very impressed with the clothing, and I would definitely recommend the brand.

Here's what the hubs had to say about the items Carhartt sent to him:

Men's Sandstone Mock-Neck Vest

Wow. Carhartt nailed it! I love this vest.  I had to admit, I'm not much of a vest wearer, but I thought I'd give it a shot.  This vest is made from the quality durable outerwear we’ve come to demand from Carhartt, combined with a soft warm lining. Great number and placement of pockets and possibly the best feature is the extend tail to keep wind and cold off you're back. Great product!

Men’s Heavyweight Solid Flannel Shirt

I have been very pleased with the quality of this shirt, both in terms of material and craftsmanship. The flannel is nice and heavy,  and the cut is good-looking. I anticipate it will hold up well over the years and not fall apart like the thinner, flimsier flannel shirts which are the norm in retail shops. The color is a deep navy that goes well with light or dark pants. Because of the thick material, it goes better with loose or large-sleeved sweaters and would probably be difficult to layer under tighter clothes. On warmer days it can stand in for a jacket. I now see why people gravitate to the Carhartt brand.

Buy It: You can find these products and many more, including jeans, on the Carhartt website
Follow:
Carhartt on Twitter
Carhartt on Facebook

..the long day's journey..

Into weight loss, ugh. The girls are 17 months old, I'm about to turn the big 3-oh my gosh, and I decided the rest of this baby weight HAS to come off. After the girls were born I dropped 30lbs pretty quickly. But lack of exercise and a horrible diet made me get stuck there. So there I was, hovering around 176 and miserable. So it's time, for real. The weather is pretty which means I can push the girls in the stroller. In the past two weeks since I started walking again I've lost 5 pounds. And that's just a great motivator to keep going, wanting really badly to NOT put those 5lbs back on.

I'm trying to improve the diet too. It also helps that now my girls are little piggies so they eat half of whatever's on my plate. They're a very effective method of portion control, lol.

I don't care about being a size 0, which I don't even think would be physically possible for me. I just want to feel good. I want to be healthy. And I know I can do it. I set the realistic goal that by the end of summer (actual last day of summer by the calendar) that I will be under 140. To put that into perspective, I was 154 when I got pregnant (2 years ago), and I was 132 when I got married (almost 6 years ago). So according to the almanac, the last day of summer is September 21, and I have 30lbs to lose. 6 months, 5 pounds a month. Doesn't sound nearly as scary and daunting when you break it down that way. Wish me luck! :D

..winners..

Julep Maven Winner: Comment #14

Angie like Julep on facebook and left an update on their page that koala fuzz sent me (Angie B.)

 

EGRObaby Winner: Comment #60

Becca I follow Ergo on Twitter.

 

Congrats to my winner. I will be contacting you by email. Please respond within 72 hours to claim your prize!

 

..ergo baby review & giveaway..

Babywearing isn't something that has just recently come about. Mothers have been "wearing" their children for a long, long time. Some people see it as a necessity, and I can tell you it definitely helps when you have twins. One of the leading names in babywearing is ERGObaby. The ERGObaby Carrier was born out of a personal desire for mobility and comfort allowing you to tackle life while maintaining a close & natural bond with your baby and toddler.

After the girls were born, ERGObaby sent me one of their Original Carriers with the optional Infant Insert.

Original Carrier

Carrier with Infant Insert attached

One thing that I like about ERGObaby is that they really are customer driven. Not only can you download user manuals and photos from their website, but they also have a very extensive FAQ section. I'm talking two pages of FAQs!

And this carrier isn't just for younger babies. ERGObaby recommends a weight limit of up to 40lbs. I love taking it with us on vacation because even though the girls do well in a stroller, they get antsy in there after a while. They love to ride in the carrier, and they stay happy and calm for much longer. Another great thing about this carrier is that it's actually comfortable to wear. I'm 5'7" and, well, let's say I'm not a petite girl, lol. And my husband is 6'2" and has 100lbs on me and we can both wear this carrier comfortable. I can definitely recommend the ERGObaby carrier.

Buy It: You can purchase an ERGObaby carrier from their website or at a retailer near you.

Win It: ERGObaby is offering one of my readers an Original Carrier with an Infant Insert. Each entry below is worth 1 entry, unless otherwise specified. Please leave a separate comment for each entry. PLEASE make sure your email address is in your post or your profile.

*Visit the ERGObaby website and tell me which color carrier is your favorite
*Follow my blog publicly
*Follow me on Twitter @hayatiggs
*Tweet this giveaway with a link back to this post (can be done 2x daily for 1 entry each)
*Blog about this giveaway and leave me a link to where I can find it (2 entries)
*Post this giveaway on your Facebook page with a link here and tell me where I can find it (3 entries)
*Follow ERGObaby on Facebook and tell them Koala Fuzz sent you! (2 entries)
*Follow ERGObaby on Twitter
*Post the Blues Buster button on your blog and leave me a link showing me where to find it (3 entries)
*If you commented on this post, then you get 2 extra entries


This giveaway is now closed. Congrats to our winner!


 

..julep maven review & giveaway..

I have a confession to make. I'm a little bit obsessed with fingernail polish. More than a little bit actually. And what's even better is I have found a company that helps with that obsession. It's a company called Julep, and they have recently launched their Julep Maven program. When a beauty company comes up with new products, they make sure to send out previews to top beauty editors, trendsetters and magazines for review. Wouldn't you like to get ahold of one of those preview sets? Well, with the new Julep Maven program, now you can, and you can even have it personalized for your style! Here's what the beauty gurus at Julep has to say about their new program:

"We launched our new Julep Maven program to give all of our girlfriends access to the beauty editor Sneak Peek Box we create every month.  As a Julep Maven, you will have access to the hottest trends in nail color and the latest Mani Care and Pedi Care products - delivered right to your doorstep, just like the beauty editors do.  And you'll have access to these trends and products before anyone else.

We know that tailoring and customizing each editor delivery is critical to gaining her attention and enthusiasm, so every Sneak Peek Box we send you will be tailored to your needs and preferences.  Just take our fun and easy Julep Maven Style Quiz to help us understand your style profile.

Then each month, we'll send you an email to let you know what we've curated for you in your customized beauty editor Sneak Peek Box.  If you don't like what you see, you can try a new style."

For just $19.99 a month, you will receive more than double that amount in the newest trendsetting nail polish and cutting-edge beauty products from Julep Maven.

And Julep proudly donates $1 from the sale of every Julep Nail Vernis  to organizations that empower women.

Recently Julep sent me one of their great customized Julep Maven boxes. Inside I found two of their bottles of beautiful nail polishes, in colors Whitney and Nicole, and a bottle of their SPF 30 Hand Cream.

Besides the great color, another wonderful thing about Julep's nail polish is that they are developed without carcinogens such as formaldehyde or formaldehyde resin, toluene and DBP. The nail colors went on very smoothly. There is nothing worse than thin nail polish. I hate when it takes 4 coats to obtain the shade that you see in the bottle, and that is definitely not the case with Julep's polish. It coats very well and evenly. The Hand Cream was very nice also. It absorbs well, and has vitamin E which helps to strengthen my nails.

Try It: As a special just for my readers, Julep is offering your first Julep Maven box for just $5! Simply enter the code KOALAFUZZ at checkout. 

Win It: You have the chance to win a Julep Maven box of your very own! Each entry below is worth 1 entry, unless otherwise specified. Please leave a separate comment for each entry. PLEASE make sure your email address is in your post or your profile.

*Follow my blog publicly
*Follow me on Twitter @hayatiggs
*Tweet this giveaway with a link back to this post (can be done 2x daily for 1 entry each)
*Blog about this giveaway and leave me a link to where I can find it (2 entries)
*Post this giveaway on your Facebook page with a link here and tell me where I can find it (3 entries)
*Follow Julep on Facebook and tell them Koala Fuzz sent you! (2 entries)
*Follow Julep on Twitter
*Post the Blues Buster button on your blog and leave me a link showing me where to find it (3 entries)
*If you commented on this post, then you get 2 extra entries
*Become a Julep Maven using the KOALAFUZZ code (5 entries)

This giveaway is now closed. Congrats to our winner!


*I was sent products for review and was not monetarily compensated in any way*

..getcha some!..

That Blues Buster Giveaway Event button I promised you? Yeh, here it is! :)

You can grab the code for it over there on the right --->  And when you put it on your blog, leave a message right here in this post telling me where I can find it. Then, when it comes time for the giveaways, look for your chance to get extra entries!