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May 2010

Fat Fling 2010: GH Skinz kicking off the month with a giveaway

Just because I’m so excited about this challenge, I want to start right off with a giveaway. GH Skinz is one of our wonderful sponsors. They have beautiful Wii Balance Board skins. Here’s your chance to win one and make your Balance Board pretty.

If you’re tired of a boring white balance board, take a look at GH Skinz…there’s something for everyone. Later this month we will be reviewing these. Here’s your chance to get your own and let us know what you think too.

Can’t wait for the giveaway to end? Need to skin your balance Board right now? Head on over to GH Skinz website and pick one out.

Want to win one? One lucky reader can win their choice of Wii Balance Board skin. Entering is easy: Leave a comment below telling us your favorite skin from GH Skinz. Want extra chances to win? Do the stuff below and leave a comment for each task:

Mandatory entry: leave a comment below telling us your favorite skin from GH Skinz. (1 entry)
Subscribe via RSS or email to Stuff to Love (1 entry)
Become a Like Stuff to Love on Facebook (1 entry)
Follow @stufftolove on Twitter (1 entry)
Join our Google Friend Connect (1 entry)
Follow us on Networked Blogs (1 entry)
Tweet this: “Check out Fat Fling 2010 @stufftolove and win GH Skinz Balance Board Skin #giveaway #wiifit #wii #fatfling10 #wiimoms http://bit.ly/ddAdc5” (1 entry)

You must comment here, on this blog post, to receive credit for additional entries. Contest open to US residents. Giveaway ends May 7th @11:59PM PST. Winner will be announced in a separate post by 5pm on May 8th. Winner will be picked via Random.org and notified via email. Please respond within 48 hours, or a new winner will be chosen. Good luck!

Thanks for reading! Don’t miss a single review: Subscribe to our RSS feed, get us by email, follow us on twitter, or be our fan on Facebook.
Post Author was provided the balance board skin for this giveaway. This blog uses affiliate links within posts. To read more, view the terms and disclosure policy here.

Category: Fat Fling 2010, Giveaway Tags: balance board, balance board skin, Fat Fling 2010, gh skinz, Giveaway, skin, wii, Wii Fit, Wii Fit Challenge, Wii Fit Plus 24 Comments

May 2010

Kicking off the Fat Fling 2010!

By byteofgreen

ITS HERE! ITS HERE! Its time for Fat Fling 2010 to start.

I’m so excited that everyone is here to learn to use their Wii Fit better, and more regularly. This is going to be the best month. Hopefully by the end of it, we’ll have all shed some pounds, made some healthy habits and some great friends.

The official rules and sponsor page is up. Be sure to go check it out. All of the weekly giveaways are open to everyone, but to be eligible for prize drawings at the end of the month there are some specific things you have to do. Everyone is welcome, and you only have to participate as much as you feel comfortable. Even if you just want to stop by and comment a couple times, we don’t mind. The important thing is to GET ON YOUR WII FIT!

How does this work?

Every Monday this month, I’m going to post a weekly Challenge. Then on Friday, there will be a Friday Fat Fling check in post for you to post your progress. Tell us how the weekly challenge went, and how the Fat Fling is going in general. These challenges are not hard, just designed to get you thinking about how to use the Wii Fit efficiently, safely and making the perfect workout that you can fit in your schedule every day.

Tuesdays and Thursdays we will be having reviews and giveaways of awesome Wii and Wii Fit accessories that complement the Wii Fit. Anyone is welcome to enter these giveaways!

At the end of the month, those that have officially participated for the whole month will be eligible to win prizes. All the products we will be giving away this month, we have another to give out to our participants as well. To be eligible for the end of the month prize drawings, you must have followed our official rules. The weekly giveaways are open to everyone.

How do I join?

First off: Get ready to start using your Wii Fit every day, starting today.

Then, grab our ‘I’m Flinging’ badge at the top of our sidebar, and post on your blog that you are joining the Fat Fling 2010. Introduce yourself. Let us know what your goals are for the month. You can post pictures, video, anything you want…or as little as you want. There is no requirement on how much info you share. We just want to know you are doing it, so we can give you some encouragement through the month. After you’ve posted, head back here and add the link to your Fat Fling 2010 post to our linky. Get your post up by May 6th!

Don’t worry if you’ve missed a few days already…JUMP IN! Starting is the important part.

How do I keep track?

If you have a blog, post weekly status updates and let us know how its going. There will be a linkup on the Friday Fat Fling post, so we can all share our progress and see how others are tackling the challenges.

For those of you that don’t have a blog but want to join in, you can create an account at dailyburn.com, and add me and Mika as your friends. There you can track your progress, and post updates without having a blog. **Bloggers: Dailyburn.com is a great place to track your exercise, weight loss, and diet…be sure to check it out too!

What can I win?

We have some awesome sponsors for this first Fat Fling! We’ve got some Wii Fit accessories from Company X Accessories and CTA Digital. Whimsical Walney has given is some neat workout towels from their Words to Sweat By line. If you want to make your balance board and Wii pretty, GH Skinz and DecalGirl can help you there. You might even be able to snag a copy of the first Yoga game for Wii from DreamCatcher Games. So many prizes!

Are you ready to Fat Fling?

This week is our intro week. This week is when we get ourselves set up to work with our Wii Fit all month long. Though you CAN just jump on your Wii Fit and pick exercises randomly, that’s not very efficient. It can also leave you without having done a good workout. This week is ‘Set Up a Routine’ week. This is the week to create a 15-30 minute Wii Fit workout with yoga and strength training. This is how you can quickly get on and off the Wii Fit, while still getting a great workout. Monday’s post will go into it more.

Over the weekend, start thinking about what exercises from those categories you like, and what ones challenge you. Creating a good mix of both of those maximizes your workout.

This is going to be the greatest month. I’m so looking forward to Fat Fling 2010. Join us and make Wii Fit a habit.

Here are some places you can find Mika and I for additional support:

Twitter: Hashtag: #fatfling10, Ema: @byteofgreen, Mika: @froggygirletsy
Dailyburn.com: Ema: byteofgreen, Mika: bokamo
Wiifitroutine.com: Ema: twoluvcats

Post the link to your Fat Fling 2010 post here, and then be sure to comment below letting us know you’ve posted your link!

Thanks for reading! Don’t miss a single review: Subscribe to our RSS feed, get us by email, follow us on twitter, or be our fan on Facebook.
This blog uses affiliate links within posts. To read more, view the terms and disclosure policy here.

Category: Fat Fling 2010 Tags: 28 days to make a habit, baby weight, Exercise, Fat Fling 2010, healthy, weight loss, wii, Wii Fit 9 Comments

Apr 2010

Fat Fling 2010: ARE YOU READY!?!

By byteofgreen

Ok Fat Flingers! The info page for Fat Fling 2010 is up! Check it out here. For those of you that are ready to get started….grab our badge over on the right and let everyone know “I’m Flinging!” Tomorrow there will be a link-up post so we can all hook up with everyone else that is participating.

How much information do you have to share? Only as much as you want. Personally, I’m sharing everything…you’re going to see pictures, weights, food logs…maybe even video if I can get my camera to behave! However much you want to share in the Fat Fling Friday posts is up to you…we just want to know you’re still motivated and be able to give you motivation as well!

Tomorrow we start 30 Days of Wii Fit. Are you ready?

Category: Fat Fling 2010 Tags: are you ready?, Challenge, Fat Fling 2010, rules, sharing, wii, Wii Fit, Wii Fit Challenge Leave a Comment

Apr 2010

Rockin’ Green Soap Bundle winner [Win It Wednesday]

By byteofgreen

Oh wow! I forgot to announce the winner for our Rockin’ Green Soap giveaway! I picked the winner early this morning. I just forgot to post it. I’m sorry! So without further ado…Here’s the winner of the Rockin’ Green Soap bundle:

Sarah Winson from Sarasewta

Thanks so much to everyone who entered! It was great to have you all participate. For those that didn’t win, don’t worry, we will have plenty of chances for you to win again. We will be contacting the winner by email as well. So Sarah, watch your inbox for an email from us.

Category: Giveaway Winner, Win it Wednesday Tags: Giveaway, Giveaway Winner, Giveaways, rockin green soap One Comment

Apr 2010

Win It Wednesday: Mess Saver Bib (ends 5/5)

By byteofgreen

This week’s Win It Wednesday is written by a guest reviewer: Meet my Mom, Peggy Tibbetts. You can find her at From the Styx and Advice From a Caterpillar. Check out her great review, and find out how to win your own Mess Saver Bib.

Mess Saver Bib I babysit my 15-month old grandson, Bodi. One of our main activities is lunch. Bodi is the world’s messiest eater. About a month ago, a pasta and red sauce fiasco ended up in the bathtub. After I hosed him down, I stared in horror at the high chair which was finger painted in red sauce. Bits of pasta dotted the wall. “Oh boy!” I collapsed in a heap not knowing where to begin. That’s when Bodi’s 8-year old sister Hailey, sensing my mild frustration, said, “Check this out, Nana. On the TV.”

It was a commercial for the Mess Saver™ Bib. The announcer promised that it “catches the mess before it can fall”. The lady poured a whole cup of grape juice on the tray and none of it spilled on the floor – or in the kid’s lap. I could hardly wait to get my hands on that bib.

The Mess Saver™ Bib is everything the commercial promises and more. The bib portion that goes around the child’s neck is wider than most bibs and forms a pocket between the tray portion of the bib. The pocket catches all the food parts and keeps them there. So far I haven’t found any crumbs or food on the seat cushion. I no longer have to hose down the high chair and wash the seat cushion after every meal. That has been worth the price tag alone, which is $19.95 for two bibs plus $15.90 shipping, so that’s about $17.95 each.

The tray portion of the bib is outstanding. The high cushiony sides really do keep everything on the tray, even liquids. The only disadvantage is that one size DOES NOT fit all. It’s designed for large-tray high chairs only. Be sure to look at the illustration carefully to be certain it will fit your high chair.

But wait! There’s more. Let me tell you about clean up. It’s so awesome. First I wipe up the excess liquid and food parts with paper towel. Then I unfasten the Mess Saver™ Bib from Bodi and fold it into itself in the tray. I clean up Bodi’s hands and face – and inevitably eyes, nose, ears, and hair. Afterward I dunk the bib in the dishwater in the sink, rinse it off, and hang it on the deck to dry. Voila!

I heart the Mess Saver™ Bib so much that if it didn’t fit my high chair, I’d replace my high chair.

Want to get one of your own? Head on over to Mess Saver’s website get one.

Want to win one? We’ve got one Mess Saver Bib for a lucky reader to win. Entering is easy: Leave a comment below telling us your messiest baby feeding story. Want extra chances to win? Do the stuff below and leave a comment for each task:

Mandatory entry: leave a comment below telling us messiest baby feeding story. (1 entry)
Subscribe via RSS or email to Stuff to Love (1 entry)
Become a Like Stuff to Love on Facebook (1 entry)
Follow @stufftolove on Twitter (1 entry)
Join our Google Friend Connect (1 entry)
Follow us on Networked Blogs (1 entry)
Tweet this: “Check out the reviews @stufftolove and win a Mess Saver Bib #giveaway #babyfeeding http://bit.ly/byrTqI” (1 entry)

You must comment here, on this blog post, to receive credit for additional entries. Contest open to US residents. Giveaway ends May 5th @11:59PM PST. Winner will be announced in a separate post by 5pm on May 6th. Winner will be picked via Random.org and notified via email. Please respond within 48 hours, or a new winner will be chosen. Good luck!

Thanks for reading! Don’t miss a single review: Subscribe to our RSS feed, get us by email, follow us on twitter, or be our fan on Facebook.
Post Author purchased both review bib and giveaway bib with own money…ok, actually she bought one for her daughter, and it didn’t work with her highchair…so we’re giving one away on the blog. This blog uses affiliate links within posts. To read more, view the terms and disclosure policy here.

Category: Review, Win it Wednesday Tags: bibs, crumbs, easy cleanup, frustration, Giveaway, high chairs, mess saver, Win it Wednesday 40 Comments

Apr 2010

Rockin’ Green Soap: Hard Rock Rocks

By byteofgreen

I’ve been cloth diapering my son Bodi since a couple weeks after he was born. Its really been an off and on thing. We’ve really struggled finding the right combo for nighttime. I don’t like to use them when we travel for more than an overnight. Plus, over the winter, my washer broke down, so for 2 months I didn’t cloth diaper at all…that really got me out of the habit. The one other thing that keeps me from cloth diapering full time…STINKIES! Ugh, if you’ve cloth diapered at all you know exactly what I mean…the diaper smells fine, you put it on your little one…20 minutes later the urine/ammonia/stink is permeating the room. That smell made me want to give up cloth diapers all together.

Thanks to advice from both BumGenius and Charlie’s Soap, I really felt like I had a decent wash routine. My diapers were looking stain free, but they were definitely not stink free. I started to hear about Rockin’ Green Soap and how it really killed the stinkies. Then I heard there was a new hard water formula coming out…I knew I needed to try some. I live in Western Colorado…land of hard water. Mika and I contacted Kim over at Rockin’ Green Soap and she agreed to send Mika a sample of Classic Rock, and me a sample of Hard Rock. I was a little shocked at how much I was looking forward to receiving laundry soap in the mail.

I decided to test the Grape Soda scent of hard rock. When it came in the mail, you could immediately tell what it was. The grape soda scent is strong. It was stronger than I expected, and I was concerned about what I would think of grape soda smelling diapers. I just happened to have a load of diapers ready to go…so I got them right in the wash with 1tbs of Rockin’ Green Soap for my front loading machine. Here was my first mistake…I made a lot of mistakes with this sample. lol When you are switching to Rockin’ Green Soap, you really need to rock a soak first. I didn’t do that. So when my first load of diapers was done, I was not overly impressed. The diapers didn’t smell like grape soda, which was impressive and a great sign of a clean rinsing detergent, but the deep seated stinkies were still there.

The next day I checked the Rockin’ Green Soap Facebook page for tips, and that’s when I learned all about the soak and how THAT was when you got the miracles I expected from Rockin’ Green Soap. So armed with that information, I decided to take ALL of Bodi’s diapers and rock the soak overnight. (well…at least that was my plan). I just got a new front loading washer in November…and one thing I had not done was try to soak anything in it. Its not as easy as it sounds. The machine only wants you to ‘soak’ for 30 minutes, and then it drains the washer automatically. This was not what I wanted to do. I wanted my diapers to sit in water overnight…but alas, this was not to happen. I managed to get about an hour soak with Rockin Green, and hoped for the best.

Its the tub of fluff!

After the soak, I did a cold wash/ hot wash/ cold wash routine. I was really expecting them to be stinky-free by this point. I opened up the dryer, and again was disappointed. Oh…but let me tell you WHY! Again, I made a silly mistake. So not only did my overnight soak not work…BUT I didn’t press the right button on my washer, so it didn’t dispense more than 1/2tsp of detergent into the wash at the most. There really was no Rockin’ Green Soap in with my diapers. **sigh** So by this point my sample was used up, and my diapers were better…but not yet awesome….totally my bad. So I contacted Kim again (have I mentioned that Kim totally rocks!) and had her send me another sample. Round 2!

This time I was sent Fresh Linen Hard Rock. This is not a scent I would have picked for myself, but its really nice. Its light, and clean. Also, this time there was a “rock the soak’ card in with my sample that reminded me to make sure I did a soak first. I really wanted to do an overnight soak, and since my washer doesn’t like to do that, I decided the bathtub was the perfect place to soak my diapers. In they all went. Right down to the last prefold. I was able to soak them overnight in the tub in much warmer water than my washer allows on a soak. After 11 hours in the tub, I drained it, lightly wrung them out and then transferred the whole mess to the washer, and did cold wash/hot wash/cold wash with no soap. This time when they came out of the dryer, they really smelled better. There was no sour tang, and they seemed much cleaner. But the true test was yet to come…what would happen when Bodi peed?

The next diaper change rolled around, and I went in for the sniff test. It was absolutely amazing…the stinkies are truly gone! I am so amazed. I’ve seen claims that you don’t need to sun your diapers if you start using Rockin’ Green Soap, and I think that’s true. Sun for stains…but you won’t need to sun for the stinkies anymore. I’m really happy to have found a cloth diaper detergent that really goes after one of the main problems with cloth diapering. Stains can always be hidden, but its hard to hide a diaper that stinks up a room. Rockin’ Green Soap gets rid of that smell for good!

At a glance

Pros	Cons
fun scents, economical, kills stinkies	powder is messy
Verdict	cloth diaperers who want to be stink free

Rating

99%

Thanks for reading! Don’t miss a single review: Subscribe to our RSS feed, get us by email, follow us on twitter, or be our fan on Facebook.
Post author was given a sample size of Rockin Green Soap to test. This blog uses affiliate links within posts. To read more, view the terms and disclosure policy here.

Category: Review Tags: classic rock, cloth diapering, cloth diapers, destink, detergent, diapers, front loading washer, hard rock, laundry, Review, rockin green soap Leave a Comment

Apr 2010

Fat Fling 2010: 30 Days of Wii Fit. JOIN US!

By byteofgreen

Fat Fling 2010

We are so excited! Next month Stuff to Love is going to be having a Wii Fit Challenge…all month long! We want you to join us!

Mika and I are going to WordCamp Chicago the first week in June. Since we both are still carrying 2030 or so extra pounds of leftover baby weight, we thought we’d try to lose a little bit of it, and maybe drop a dress size during the month of May. I hear all the time ‘it takes 28 days to make a habit’, so we’re going to put that to the test. In May, we’re going to get on our Wii Fit every day.

Have a Wii Fit? Join us! We are going to be bringing you articles about the Wii Fit, information on eating better, and help in setting up a worthwhile Wii routine…plus reviews on accessories and other Wii workout games. There will be giveaways every week. Plus at the end of the challenge, there will be a big Wii goodies basket giveaway for all Fat Fling 2010 participants.

We’ve already lined up some great sponsors for this event. You will see reviews and giveaways on products from Company X Accessories, GH Skinz, Words to Sweat By™, Recharge – The Natural Sports Drink and DreamCatcher games…and there are more to be announced!

Official participation rules will be posted by Friday. The Fat Fling 2010 starts Saturday, May 1st. So we really want to know:

Will you join us for the Fat Fling 2010 Wii Fit Challenge, and use your Wii Fit every day in May?

Can you join us?

Category: Fat Fling 2010, Tech, You tell us Tags: 28 days to make a habit, baby weight, Company X Accessories, Diet, DreamCatcher Games, Exercise, Fat Fling 2010, GHZ Skinz, healthy, May, Recharge, Wii Fit, Wii Fit Challenge, Words to Sweat By 12 Comments

Apr 2010

[CLOSED]Win it Wednesday: Get your hands on a Rockin’ Green Bundle

By byteofgreen

Welcome to Win it Wednesday!

Just in time for Earth Day, we are bringing you a great giveaway this week. Last week, Mika reviewed her experience with classic Rockin’ Green Soap. She really liked it! I’m going to also be bringing you a much more cloth diaper oriented review of the new Hard Rock version of Rockin’ Green Soap either this Friday, or next Monday. I had some technical difficulties with my sample, and needed another one sent to me before I could give a thorough review. But I can tell you this…Rockin’ Green Soap smells WONDERFUL!

If you aren’t familiar with Rockin’ Green Soap, head on over to their website and check it out. To give you a quick rundown…

Rockin’ Green is:

Dye free
Comes in several yummy scents (& an unscented version for sensitive skin)
No fillers
No enzymes or optical brighteners
100% Phosphate free
Vegan
Great for sensitive skin
Easy rinsing formula
Approved for military use
Works wonders on microfiber stink!
Perfect for cloth diapers
HE compatible
Reusable packaging
Great for all water types
Economical at .13 cents a load!

I did get to use my sample for one load, and I can tell you that Rockin’ Green soap is very low sudsing, and very clean rinsing. The detergent itself may smell wonderful, but the best part about it is that smell DOES NOT stay on your clothes/diapers…meaning it really does rinse clean.

Using the right detergent with cloth diapers is essential. You can’t use diapers that smell horrible as soon as they get wet. Rockin’ Green Soap is your first line of defense against the development of stinkies. They have such low shipping too, its worth picking up a couple bags. Head on over to Rockin’ Green Soap’s store and pick from Classic Rock or Hard Rock for some great TLC on your cloth.

Or you can win some! This week Stuff to Love has teamed up with Rockin’ Green Soap to give one lucky reader a chance to jump right in to using Rockin’ Green Soap. Enter our giveaway for your own Rockin’ Green Bundle. You get all the best they have to offer: a 45 load bag of detergent (your choice of fragrance), an 8oz Shake it Up! pail freshener in the same scent, and a large laundry scoop. Perfect to get you started! Entering is easy: Visit Rockin’ Green Soap’s website and then leave a comment below telling us your favorite detergent scent. Want extra chances to win? Do the stuff below and leave a comment for each task:

Mandatory entry: leave a comment below telling us your favorite Rockin’ Green Soap scent(1 entry)
Subscribe via RSS or email to Stuff to Love (1 entry)
Become a Facebook Fan of Stuff to Love (1 entry)
Follow @stufftolove on Twitter (1 entry)
Join our Google Friend Connect (1 entry)
Follow us on Networked Blogs (1 entry)
Tweet this: “Check out the reviews @stufftolove and win a Rockin’ Green Soap Bundle #giveaway #clothdiaper @rockingreensoap http://bit.ly/9g5ETc ” (1 entry per day)
Blog about this giveaway (5 entries)
Grab our badge over on the right. Make sure to link to the page it is on in your comment. (5 entries)

You must comment here, on this blog post, to receive credit for additional entries. Contest open to US residents. Giveaway ends April 27th @11:59PM PST. Winner will be announced in a separate post by 5pm on April 28th. Winner will be picked via Random.org and notified via email. Please respond within 48 hours, or a new winner will be chosen. Good luck!

Thanks for reading! Don’t miss a single review or giveaway: Subscribe to our RSS feed, get us by email, follow us on twitter, or be our fan on Facebook.
Author was given a sample to review, and company is providing product for giveaway. This blog uses affiliate links within posts. To read more, view the terms and disclosure policy here.

Category: Giveaway, Win it Wednesday Tags: classic rock, cloth diapers, detergent, earth day, ecofriendly, Giveaway, hard rock, HE detergent, laundry, Review, rockin green soap, soap, Win it Wednesday 122 Comments

Apr 2010

You Tell Us: Greeing your home [Earth Day]

By byteofgreen

This is where you tell us about stuff you like. Because we really want to know! Let us know your answer in the comments. Today’s question is…

What have you done to make your house greener? What are you doing next?

Ema says: For both ecological reasons, and financial reasons our family has gone a little green in a few places. I’m on a mission to eliminate our day to day contact with as many chemicals as I can. I’m using cloth diapers on my son 95% of the time. I only wash my hair with a shampoo bar and then I rinse with a homemade vinegar rise that I made myself. I make my own deodorant (it actually works, really!) Last Thanksgiving I upgraded my washer and dryer to a frontloading pair, which uses SO much less water. In 2010, I want to eliminate paper towels, find a good spot in my yard for a clothes line, reduce our electric & heating bill by at least $100, and replace a few light switches with motion sensors.

What about at your house?

Category: You tell us Tags: cloth diapers, clothes line, earth day, ecofriendly, going green, green living, opinion, recycle, shampoo bar, share your thoughts, You tell us Leave a Comment

Apr 2010

Aces High book winner [Win it Wednesday]

By byteofgreen

The winner of their own copy of Aces High is…

Shari D @ comment #7

Category: Giveaway Winner, Win it Wednesday Tags: book, book review, drawing, Giveaway Winner, Giveaways, winner Leave a Comment

Author Archive

Fat Fling 2010: GH Skinz kicking off the month with a giveaway

Kicking off the Fat Fling 2010!

How does this work?

How do I join?

How do I keep track?

What can I win?

Are you ready to Fat Fling?

Rockin’ Green Soap Bundle winner [Win It Wednesday]

Win It Wednesday: Mess Saver Bib (ends 5/5)

Rockin’ Green Soap: Hard Rock Rocks

At a glance

Fat Fling 2010: 30 Days of Wii Fit. JOIN US!

[CLOSED]Win it Wednesday: Get your hands on a Rockin’ Green Bundle

Welcome to Win it Wednesday!

Aces High book winner [Win it Wednesday]

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