BlogMania Sponsor-Batty's Bath

If you've been reading my blog for a while or are just tuning in, I ♥ Batty's Bath!
She makes some of the most amazing handmade soaps, shampoos, lip balms, deodorants and so much more! I have made some purchases from her and have NOT been disappointed. I even got my 9 year old nephew hooked! He has eczema and the skin on his hands has gotten really dry to the point of almost bleeding. So I contacted Jamie, she made a suggestion and I went with it and my nephew is in heaven with soft skin and great smelling lotions for his hands and body.

Jamie is always creating and making items for her shop. She has recently released her 100% Natural Cold Press Soaps. They are made from scratch using old world techniques and ingredients. There are no short cuts when it comes to the cold press method. These soaps take weeks to cure but are well worth the wait.
Batty's Bath handmade method of soap making ensures that the most amount of glycerin possible is retained unlike commercial soap making. Retaining the glycerin makes a softer, milder soap which is emollient and moisturizing to the skin.
Batty's Bath Cold Press Soap is ideal for those with sensitive skin, for conditions such as eczema, dermatitis and psoriasis or anyone allergic to commercial soap because they don't strip the skin of it's natural beneficial oils. Isn't the packaging stunning?

Along with the release of her 100% Natural Cold Press Soaps, she has an amazing Facial Rescue Kit.
Since being diagnosed with cancer, I have skin like a high school teenager and it isn't getting any better, I am thrilled to know that Batty's Bath offers something that isn't going to be harsh on my skin and will not only clear it up but keep it clear! Whether you suffer from breakouts, scars from previous acne breakouts or uneven skin tone now is the time to change your skin care regiment!
With the Facial Rescue Kit, it will get you started on the path to figuring out what your skin needs to keep it healthy, smooth and glowing!
Products in the kit:
-Patchouli Facial Moisturizer:
Known for it's unique ability to combat skin irritations, acne & inflammation.
-Facial Primer & Day Moisturizer:
Contains 3 natural clays that are each added for specific skin loving reasons.
1st clay is used to add 'slip' making it a good primer, giving your skin a super smooth & soft texture so makeup goes on flawlessly without getting 'caught' on imperfections, dry spots or fine lines.
2nd clay is added to improve the overall state of your skin by working to reduce dryness & flakiness, while improving clarity & tone.
3rd clay is added to combat skin imperfections such as excess oil, break outs & scars.
-Clay Mask(dry formula):
Gives you an extra boost of clay benefits because it is highly concentrated. It is picked for it's known ability to calm break outs, reduce redness, diminish the look of scars & is the strongest of all the clays for detoxification. Minerals in the clay help rebalance oil flow & strengthen the skin.
-Mineral Makeup Concealing Powder:
Conceals scars, redness, blemishes, dark eye circles, black heads and other imperfections.
Made with 100% natural ingredients, doesn't contain nano or micronized minerals, perfume, parabens, dyes, bismuth, oxychloride or talc.
The Facial Rescue Kit retails for $26. That's a steal knowing it is all natural and isn't going to be harsh on your skin like other acne treatments.

I am really excited that Batty's Bath is one of the sponsors for BlogMania and one lucky Ma21cuteboy reader will win a $20 gift certificate to the shop!!

You can visit and show her some ♥ here:
Batty's Bath  Blog
Batty's Bath on Facebook
Batty's Bath on Twitter
Batty's Bath Etsy shop


*Please note this is not the giveaway. The giveaway will take place on April 9th & 10th.*

*Disclaimer: I was not compensated for
this post. The opinions expressed are that of my own & others' may differ. Thank you Jamie for your generosity and providing the winner with a fabulous gift card.*

Comfort Food & A Recipe!

I don't know how but it just hit me BAM on Thursday night, I got sick. I hardly ever get sick but when I do I get it bad! So while I was sick(and not blogging) I wanted some comfort food. One of my favorite things to eat and make with my family is refried beans. Not from a can(I don't know how people eat those) but from my kitchen! I thought while I was making it that I would share the recipe with you!! While it does take a little time to cook the beans, there is nothing like homemade refried beans!

What you'll need:
Pinto Beans- one bag
Garlic Cloves 2-3 depending on the amount of beans using
Crockpot
Water-enough to cover beans
Oil-dollup
Skillet
Potato Masher
Salt-to taste
Cheese-to taste
Tortillas(optional)

-Place your pinto beans into a strainer and into a sink full of water, soak them for about 10 minutes
-Pick out the 'bad' beans, they will look darker, be broken or halved and should float to the top

-Place your beans into a crockpot with cloves of garlic and cover with water(make sure you cover them enough so the water doesn't evaporate)

-Cook your beans on low for about 24 hours or until the beans are soft and the water has turned a dark brownish color

-Heat your skillet with about 2 tbsp of oil(or more)*you want the skillet hot and place your beans with some of the juice inside.

-Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes, reduce heat and then with your potato masher start to mash the beans until they are the desired consistency. If you prefer not to mash them you don't have to, they are great either way!

-Add salt to taste and top with cheese!

- Enjoy!

You can serve these as bean & cheese burritos, with eggs(breakfast), enchiladas, chips, basically any way you want.

If you are interested in me doing more recipes for homemade Mexican food like: enchiladas, green chile, chili rellenos, salsa or whatever else you might want to learn to make leave me a comment, I just don't want to take all of the time and energy taking pictures and doing a tutorial if nobody is interested.

SunglassReplicas.Com Winner...

The winner of the SunglassReplicas.com giveaway is:                                                                                   

Congratulations Giant Sis! I sent you an email and you have 48 hours to respond or I have to choose a new winner.

Don't forget to enter my current giveaway's!

$100 MAZE Cord Blood Banking Giveaway{2 Winners}

**CLOSED**

Pregnant mothers everywhere will agree with me when I say how exciting being an expectant mom is. Dreaming of what & who they will look like, what the gender of the baby will be, what color to paint the nursery, what his or her name is going to be? You don't often think of the bad things that could happen, although you think of how painful the delivery will be and sometimes 'what if something goes wrong?'

When I had Chucky I was scared to death! I thought positive and yet still didn't or couldn't hope and pray enough because at 28 weeks my little miracle was born. I got a lot of bad news and a lot of good news but couldn't bring myself to imagine the worst. When Chucky was born they didn't have cord blood banking and if they did I didn't know anything about it and don't know of anybody who did. When you don't know what's going on, what to expect or are just interested in something what do we do, we do research.

What is a cord blood bank?
It is a laboratory that stores your child's umbilical cord blood. The blood collected from the umbilical cord immediately following the birth of a child. This blood is provided nourishment for the baby during pregnancy, but once the baby is delivered umbilical cord blood is no longer necessary for the baby. Umbilical cord blood is rich in multi potent hematopoietic stem cells(or blood stem cells). These cord blood stem cells produce the cellular ingredients necessary for the blood and the immune system. When the umbilical cord blood cells are transplanted into patients, they can help restore the immune and blood systems to help fight diseases and replace diseased blood.

How does Saving Cord Blood & Cord Blood Storage work?
Immediately after the baby's birth, a physician or nurse will collect one bag of umbilical cord blood, which is approximately 150 ml. or 5 oz.

The cord blood will be collected after the umbilical cord has been cut and either before or after the placenta has been delivered. Therefore, there is absolutely no risk to you or your baby.
•Additionally, the physician will draw three tubes of the mother's blood for testing.
•You, or your partner, will notify us that the cord blood collection is done; then a medical courier will be sent to the hospital.
•A medical courier will bring the cord blood collection kit containing the cord blood and the mother's blood to M.A.Z.E. Cord Blood Laboratories.
In the lab, the technician will:
•Reduce the volume of the blood to about one quarter of the collected volume (approximately 25 ml or 63 oz.) by removing a large proportion of the red blood cells and plasma (liquid portion of the blood). The red blood cells and plasma do not need to be stored as they do not contain stem cells.
•Analyze the cord blood to determine how many transplantable cells are present and create a report with this information. This information will be useful in case you need to use the cord blood later.
•Add cryopreservative (special chemicals to help in the freezing process) to the remaining stem cell collection.
•Slowly chill the bag at a rate of 1º centigrade (C) per minute until it reaches the optimal freezing temperature of -130º C (-320º Fahrenheit).
•Transfer the stem cell collection into storage.
•Run the mother's blood through a wide variety of tests to ensure that there are no diseases present at the time of delivery that could have transferred to the child's cord blood.

Chucky is doing amazing and yet I am still terrified not knowing if he will get cancer and if one day he could have used his umbilical cord blood to help save his life. I think that as parents no matter what happens we can beat ourselves up over all of the 'what ifs,' and the story of baby John is an example of how cord blood banking could help not only save the life of your child but also others in your family.

If you choose to use a cord blood bank these are some of the diseases that can be treated:
- Cerebral Palsy
- Leukemia
- Myelodysplastic Syndrome: Sometimes called Pre-Leukemia
- Lymphomas
- Inherited Red Cell(Erythrocyte)Abnormalities
- Other Disorders of Blood Cell Proliferation
- Bone Marrow Cancers
- Other Cancers

Buy It:
If your thinking of saving cord blood, MAZE Cord Blood Laboratories is an affordable cord blood bank. They offer nationwide delivery and no additional storage charges.

Win:
MAZE Cord Blood Laboratories is giving two(2) Ma21cuteboy readers a $100 cord blood banking coupon!
*Please leave a separate comment for each entry. Don't forget to leave your links, names, urls & email address*
Mandatory Entry:
Visit MAZE Blood Cord Laboratories and tell me one thing you've learned or like about them.

Extra Entries:
'Like' MAZE Blood Cord Laboratories on Facebook
Follow MAZE Blood Cord Laboratories on Twitter
'Like' Ma21cuteboy on Facebook
Share this giveaway on your Facebook page
Follow Ma21cuteboy publicly via GFC
Grab the Ma21cuteboy button & place on your sidebar
Subscribe to Ma21cuteboy by Email or RSS-2
Add this giveaway to a linky, forum sweepstakes etc.-4
Post about this giveaway with a link to this giveaway-5
Follow Ma21cuteboy on Twitter and tweet:-can be done 2x daily
Enter to win $100 GC to MAZE Cord Blood Bank @cord_blood_bank at @Ma21cuteboy 2/10 US/CAN http://bit.ly/f1213w

Contest Guidelines:
Giveaway will close on at March 10th at 11:59 MT Giveaway is open to residents of U.S. & Canada 18+
Coupon is transferrable & can be given as a gift to a relative or friend.
Winners will be chosen via Random.org
Winners will have 48 hours to claim their prize or another winner(s) will be chosen
Winners will be notified via email as well as in a winning post here on the blog
I verify all entries and if they are not done, you will forfeit your prize!

*Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post. I was sent some educational products to facilitate this post. The opinions expresses are honest, that of my own & others' may differ.*

Spring Preview

Over at one of my most fave places EVER Evy's Tree, she is showcasing her 'Spring Preview.' There are some amazing things in store and she is going to be taking pre-orders for all of the 'Spring Preview' items like this:

So you better get on over and check it out and get yours pre-ordered!