Camping gear: one berrie sweet Christmas present

It's rare that I offer a giveaway here without having first tested out the product in order to give you all a head's up on the latest and greatest-but I had to make an exception with this one (and I am sure no one is going to be complaining. ;)

Landbridge Toys recently contacted me asking if I thought my readers would be interested in the Haba Terra Kids Camping Lamp . I said, "Um....YES!"

So here are the details on what looks like a pretty cool Christmas gift for one lucky kiddo!

The Haba Terra Kids Camping Lamp works without an outlet...all the kids have to do for camping trips and blanket tent adventures in their rooms is move the crank to get the generator to produce electricity. It also comes with a snap link alarm whistle, a compass, and instructions. All for $32.

So who wants in on the contest?

To enter, visit Landbridge Toys and leave me a berrie (read: comment) telling me which other product you think your kids would love. why you think your kids would love. Entries will be accepted until midnight, EST, December 16 and the winner will have four business days from the announcement date to contact me with their information or an alternate will be selected. US entries only, please.

Additional extra entries are also available if you:

* subscribe to my RSS feed and comment letting me know you did so.

* Blog about contest and link to this post.

* Non-bloggers can email three of their friends about the contest at berriesweet.info (at) gmail (dot) com and CC me on the email. Girl Scout's honor that I will never bother these sweet people. I promise!

* Grab my Berrie Sweet Picks button and place it on your blog page. I'll check!

* Follow me on Twitter! (nickname: berriesweetest)

* Tweet the contest leave a comment with your username telling me what you said to your "tweeple"!

Please note all entries MUST include a valid email address to be considered for the drawing! That means that well, all entries must include an email address to be considered valid. Simple enough, right? ;)

Snug as a bug for Halloween

It doesn't matter where you live: Fall means colder weather for everyone. And winter in the Midwest means it's pretty much time to pull out the parkas.

I distinctly remember everyone telling me that I would need one of those little snow-bunting thingies for Buttercup to get us through the winter. After all, if I was bundled up from head to toe (thanks to said parka) then she should be, too, right?

Well, yes...and no.

See, I do the baby-wearing thing and with all of the no-fuss that I love about not having to worry about a stroller when I can just pop her in and out of my carriers, I really didn't want to make life harder by involving a bunting that I was going to have to put on and take off each time I got her in or out of my carrier.

That, and I really am not a patient person. So I was not interested in spending 20 minutes bundling her up to have to just reverse the whole process five minutes later when we arrived at our destination.

And heck-before we even get to the snowy stuff, what was I going to do on Halloween? She was only 4 months old for her first one and I got the most adorable tu-tu for her to wear, so did I really want to cover that up with a bulky coat?

Of course not!

And of course, that's wear my Snugabug Warmsie same in. This little cutie takes the place of the standard onsie for the colder months, wicking away moisture and keeping baby warm with a comfortable thermal base layer of 100 percent TempRite polyester. The $36 price covers the Warmsie onsie and pants, made of a solid body and cute (and practical)contrasting ankle and wrist bands to keep the warmth in. Best of all, the roomy seat was made with Baby's diaper in mind (and you all know that Buttercup wears cloth!)

But don't stop reading if your kids are past toddlerhood. Snugabug just expanded their product line to include the Snugz sizes from 3-10. They have also introduced their White Warmth line, a basic choice in white, perfect for layering under anything, anytime. Prices range from $30 for an infant toddler set to $22-$24 for individual kids' pieces.

This is definitely one product I highly recommend for parka-free trick-or-treating, and every other fave outdoor activity from trips to the apple orchard to building snow men.

Have baby, will go biking

The sky is blue.

The sun is yellow.

Birds have feathers.

And I'm the most indecisive being ever to exist in the universe.

Seriously. You can ask anyone I know! Sweeter (the hubby) has a rule when we go out to eat that once i make up my mind, I must hand over the menu. If I do not, he takes it. This prevents me from changing my mind 37 times and then wishing that I got the menu item that caught my eye to begin with.

The sad thing is that it works...so you can only imagine how long it took for me to decide on a bike trailor for me and Buttercup. It really wasn't pretty. But after researching and comparing and buying and returning two, I finally found my perfect Kidarooz Bike Trailor.

I love biking in the early fall when the humidity is gone and that little bit of chill is just beginning to cool the wind. So why do I love my Kadarooz?

It's got a great, integrated weather cover, a safe and low center of gavity, is easy to attach (ON MY OWN!!!!), fits one or two kids, has protective bumpers, AND even has extra COVERED storage space in the back. And that last one pretty much sold me since I like to bike to the grocery store and farmer's market and want what I bought to make it home with me!

I got mine from Costco for $159.00 and definitely think it has the biggest bang for the buck. Keep your eyes peeled for one if you're in the market, and enjoy the ride.