Powermat Wireless Charging System Review/Giveaway 6/19 - CLOSED WINNER

CONGRATULATIONS TO ...


HBOMB!


An e-mail has been sent and she has 48 hours to respond before a new winner is selected by random.org.  


Thanks to all those who entered and Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!

Are you ready for something pretty amazing and ultra or I should say uber cool (my oldest would be rolling her eyes at me and calling me a geek now)?  You don't even have to be a gadget geek to love this one!  As part of my participation in the Mama Buzz group, I received a complimentary Powermat Wireless Pad and accessories to power up our iPods, iPhone, Nintendo DS Light and other accessories in exchange for an honest review.  I didn't fully grasp what an opportunity this was until the package arrived and my 21 year old said "Wow, you got one of those? "  Her fiancé was also very jealous so that shows you the worth of the Powermat's reputation.  Apparently she knew much more about it then me as after I saw it initially, I thought "cool, I'll try it out."

The package arrived and we were like kids at Christmas!  Each box is even packaged in an inviting, deluxe way that brings more attractiveness to the product.  The sleek black and green adds to the eye appeal and the boxes were packaged in such a way to protect each piece of equipment.  By the way, it's very durable as the travel mat was dropped along with the receiver for the DS Light and no problems!  They were easy to open thankfully as we were in no mood to wait!  As we opened each box with lots of "ohhhs" and "wows," I couldn't help but think of the envy my poor hubby in Kuwait will be feeling when I gloat (I mean tell him) about this great package!

The entire set was extremely easy to set up with no lengthy instructions required.  Each gadget easily fit onto its receiver and for those gadgets we didn't have a receiver for, the Universal Powercube Receiver allows you to charge many other devices.  It arrived with adapter tips and a great carrying case with a magnetic closure.  The entire packaging was really dynamic with more magnetic closures for ease of viewing pleasure.

If you have an iPhone, iPod, iPod Touch, Blackberry, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DS Light and so many other gadgets, the Powermat is for you!  With the ease of drop and go, it will charge and emit a sound when the connection has been made. Once charged, you just pick up and go and it's ready to go!  I've not seen anything easier than this and love how my kids can just set the Nintendo DS Light down on the powermat and the charging begins with no wires or cords.  It's easy and I don't have to worry about them messing around with electrical outlets as the one pad takes care of them all.  

This is a GREAT gift for anyone and especially for Father's Day which is coming up!

Powermat Home & Office Mat:

Powermat Portable:







The Powermat Home & Office Mat can be purchased for $99.99.  The Portable Powermat is also $99.99 and the Dock for iPod & iPhone is priced at $39.99.  The Universal Powercube Receiver is available for $29.99 with tips sold separately for $6.49-$8.49 a piece.  


Free shipping is available for orders over $50.  You can follow Powermat on both Facebook and Twitter.


The Giveaway:

Your own Portable Powermat and iPod Dock just in time for Father's Day!  You can enter by doing one or more of the following.  Leave a separate comment for each way that you enter.  Winner will be selected by random.org, on Saturday, June 19, just in time for Father’s Day!  You can create a cute e-card to notify your special dad that it will be on it's way!


Mandatory entry:  Follow my blog and you can choose to complete one or all the extra entries below:

• Visit Powermat and tell me what feature of the Powermat you like the most (two entries).
• Follow Powermat on Twitter.
• Follow me on Twitter.
• Tweet about this giveaway (can be done daily)
• Blog about this giveaway and leave a link (worth five entries)
• Subscribe to my blog.
• Enter any of my other giveaways or click here to learn about more ways to earn entries or enter other giveaways.

Giveaway ends 6/19 at midnight!

(Disclosure: I received a Powermat Home & Office Mat, a Portable Mat, a Dock for iPod and iPhone, and 3 Universal Receivers (one of which was a Powercube), free of charge, from Powermat, for the purposes of this review.)

4 Coupons for FREE Bryan Food Giveaway 6/20 - CLOSED WINNER

CONGRATULATIONS TO...


BARB!


An e-mail has been sent to Barb!

  

I have four coupons for FREE Bryan products up to $4.00 off which equates $16 in free food!  Coupons expires 7/31/10.

If you would like to win, just leave a comment! 


If I get more than one response, I'll use random.org to draw a name on 6/20.


Please make sure your local stores sells Bryan Foods as they are a southern food item.

LargeFormatPosters 18 x 24 Poster Print Giveaway Ends 6/24 - CLOSED WINNER

CONGRATULATIONS TO ....

MRSMCHAPELL!

An e-mail has been sent.  Winner chosen by random.org.

Thanks to all those who entered!

Who doesn't love posters?  I ordered a print last year of my two oldest in Hawaii and framed it for my middle one's room which looks great.  Posters can be used for so many things whether it's a birthday, a welcome home, a gift or any occasion.  Posters that you can customize can be a special sentimental treat to someone you give it to.  With the ease of ordering online and costs, you really can find cheap poster printing as well as Large Format Posters.

With Large Format Posters, you have options to choose from whether it's high gloss poster or semi-gloss poster and the size you want.  It was so easy creating a poster from a photograph with LargeFormatPosters!  After I selected the size I wanted and type of finish, I uploaded my picture and that was it!  I chose a picture from Disney we took:

The posters would be great to personalize your child's room, personalize for a birthday party or shower or just give as a gift from a memorable moment.   Here is something that I didn't know about LargeFormatPosters.com, they have wall graphics as a choice for your custom creation!


Before you purchase, you can opt to upload and preview or get a free proof before you pay!  That is a great feature for me as I know in the past I have wasted money with other companies that do not offer that feature.


There are also banners and canvas products to choose from in addition to adhesives and posters.


The Giveaway:


One winner will receive a 18 x 24 poster print!


To Enter:


Follow my blog and tell me what you would choose for your personalized photo (i.e. picture of my two year old's birthday party).


Extra Entries:

• Sign up for LargeFormatPosters.com e-mail specials (two entries)
• Follow me on Twitter (two entries)
• Blog about this giveaway (five entries)
• Subscribe to my blog (two entries)
• Tweet about this giveaway (two entries - can be done daily)
• Enter any of my ongoing giveaways (five entries)
• Grab my button for 5 extra entries (each) to any on-going giveaway.
• Enter any of the on going giveaways for 5 extra entries.  Just leave five comments or fill in the area on the form (pending on which giveaway) with the giveaway you entered.

US only please and winner must be 18 years of age.  Winner will be chosen by random.org and giveaway ends 6/24 at midnight.

SootheTIME: Soothing Solutions for Baby & You Review

Sleep and comfort were always my first concerns for my children and myself when they were born.  Like most, if not all parents, I frequently checked to ensure they were breathing but outside of that, I always worried if they were too warm or too cold.  Kids and blankets do not mix and I often wonder if my two year old has some magnetic force hooked to her that if a blanket hits her body, it flies immediately off.  I know most kids are like this which is why products that help to give peace of mind are essential for a new parent's rest.

The SootheTIME's motto is "Soothing Solutions for Baby & You."  SootheTIME has many products for your baby and some are broken down by stages.  The first stage is the sleep stage and the SootheTIME Snooze Wrap Plus is for babies between 7-14 pounds/0 to 3 months.  Made of 100% cotton and a tummy portion that provides comfort against colic and a sense of snuggling, it cute and functional.  If you have children, you know the age old problem with sleepers of having to unzip and try to take off the upper portion without waking the baby or causing too much disruption to cause her to stay awake was nearly impossible if not impossible at all.  With the SootheTIME Snooze Wrap Plus, it unzips from the bottom which is quicker and more efficient as who doesn't want to cut down on time in the middle of the night?

Here is a quick how-to instructional and illustrates how easy it is to swaddle your baby with the SootheTIME Snooze Wrap Plus.

More Features:

• Gentle head support ensures proper positioning which may reduce the development of flat head syndrome.
• Soothing tummy comfort that may help relieve symptoms of colic while providing extra security to help baby sleep more comfortably.
• Adjusts for growth as baby grows so does the Snooze Wrap Plus thanks to the adjustable pocket.
• Arms free option lets you choose which is most comfortable for baby.
• Cradle support pad helps add security and confidence while holding baby and lifting her.

Here is another optional feature with the SootheTIME Snooze Wrap Plus:

Sleep stage 1

Use the Snooze Wrap^™ Plus with the Snooze Sheet^™ to create a healthier and safer sleep environment. Innovative Sleep Stabilizer Tabs^™ comfortably secure baby in the pediatrician-recommended back sleep position without loose blankets or wedges. Simply attach the Sleep Stabilizer Tabs^™ to the center of the Snooze Sheet^™. Easy, safe, security for baby and you.

I love that idea!  For this review, we did not review the sheet to be able to provide any feedback on it.  


SootheTIME has a host of other products for different stages of baby growth, sheets with more coming for food, bath and traveling.  Sign up to stay current on new products!


Overall, the material is very soft and handles regular machine washing.  It held up nicely and came out a little softer than before.  I love the fact it can be zipped from the bottom thus allowing us to change our baby's diaper without too much activity to fully wake her.  She did sleep better as she was warmer since she was unable to come unwrapped.  It's a great feature for comfort, warmth and better sleep!  I wished I had this for my now seven year old who never slept well!  I would recommend!


To purchase, go here and sign up here to receive updates on new products, coupons and information.

 

   

* Disclaimer:  I received a complimentary product by either company or PR agency in exchange for my honest review.

The Women: Have You Seen It?

There are a series of movies I tend to watch again and again and drive my family crazy over them.  I tend to watch a couple of different genres.  One are the movies about Europe or England specifically that deals with the wars or the royal families.  Of course now that I think of it, they are tied hand in hand usually.  I loved Braveheart and other movies like Elizabeth and The Other Boleyn Girl with Natalie Portman.  The other types involve romance/humor tied in with strong women.

 

I just watched The Women with Meg Ryan, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing and Annette Benning and love it.  I love it because it empowers a middle aged woman to be who she was meant to be.  It tells the story of what so many women endured of giving up their dreams for another dream.  Having a family is a wonderful dream and some women manage to juggle both while others tend to the family dream only.  The movie delivers a good message in that it is a reminder that you can live your other side outside of roles of mother and wife.  It shows younger women to pursue your dreams while reinforcing to us older women it's never too late.  I also liked Annette Benning's character which reminded me that I also like Samantha's character from Sex and the City.  


Other movies I enjoy are The Upside of Anger with Joan Allen and Kevin Costner, Out of Africa with Meryl Streep and an adorable Robert Redford and Becoming Jane with Anne Hathaway.  All women who struggled not only with life but with love.  Wonder if there is some hidden psychological thing going on?  Have you seen P.S. I Love You with Gerard Butler and Hillary Swank?  A real tear jerker but I love it!

 

Custom Coffee Holders by Evelyn White Fine Fabric Fancier Etsy Shop

 

Another great find for Father's Day or beyond!  These great double layered canvas java jackets are customizable and protect your hands from the heat and keeps your hands dry from summer heat with sweating cups.  The sleeve is made out of durable canvas with a velcro closure.  Fits all standard sizes of coffee cups and cold cups sold in coffee shops.  Since they are washable, they are eco-friendly!


FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE ON ALL CUSTOM JAVA JACKETS!


Click here to check out all the other great items at Evelyn White's Fine Fabric Fancier Etsy Shop.

   

Father's Day Labels & More from Martha Stewart

You still have time to get that perfect personalized present ready for Father's Day and I love today's craft from Martha Stewart.  It's also very easy.

Retro Father's Day Clip-Art Labels

He'll go nuts for personalized pistachios -- or pickles or hot sauce. In fact, these retro labels make it a cinch to turn any of Dad's favorite foods into a custom gift for Father's Day.

How-To

1. Download our designs. Print them onto plain or self-adhesive paper, enlarging or reducing the size as desired. 

2. Affix labels to cellophane bags filled with treats, jars of homemade goodies, or store-bought products. Use double-sided tape if your labels are on plain, not self-adhesive, paper.

For more great ideas, visit Martha Stewart!

  

Today's Target Savings & Sunday Coupon Preview

Pampers Wipes $2.34
Shout $1.34
South Beach Bars $2.59
Heinz Catsup $2.49
Heinz Catsup $2.49
Yoplait Go-Gurt $2.19
Armor All Glass Cleaner $2.69
Armor All Glass Cleaner $2.69


Total:                   $18.82
Out of Pocket:     $3.90*


*should have been $2.90 but the cashier or how Target took off the Armor All coupon left off a $1 savings.


Check out Red Plum for new coupons here and Coupons.com here and We Use Coupons here.


CVS Preview and Matchup for upcoming Week: http://www.weusecoupons.com/upload/cvs/64569-cvs-6-13-6-19-ecb-deals-ad-scan.html 


Food Lion Ad for Upcoming Week: http://www.weusecoupons.com/upload/food-lion/66639-6-9-6-15-ad.html 


RiteAid Preview and Matchup for upcoming Week: http://www.weusecoupons.com/upload/matchups-scans-printables/66533-ra-week-6-13-6-19-a.html#post561096 


Click below to see this Sunday's coupons:

Coupons for Bagel Bites, Scrubbing Bubbles, Huggies, General Mills and so much more in Smart Source.

Blogmania 2010: Hello Sweet World

Welcome to Hello Sweet World Etsy Shop and wonderful Blogmania 2010 sponsor of my site! For unique photo crafts, prints and unique finds, click on over to Hello Sweet World!  


Here is an example of some of the beautiful products you will find:

  

A little about Hello Sweet World:

I love photography. I learn each time I take a photograph. My camera collection is growing faster than i can keep up. But i still love them all the same. I don't plan on stopping anytime soon.

I've tried to make unique photography crafts with all my work that you won't find anywhere else. You might find a few non-photography related items too. Either way, thanks for peeking into my sweet world!

My website at www.sweetworldphotography.com 

And i'm now a member of the Photographers of Etsy team, Independent Photograhers team and Visual Arts Street Team! So check them out! 

You can also find Hello Sweet World's blog here and follow her on Twitter here.

Link Up Your Giveaways!

Need more exposure for your giveaways?  Click here and enter your giveaways!

Fashion Playtes Birthday Party Special Offer & Code

Birthdays are supposed to be a fun celebration with friends! And for those girls who are total fashionistas, FashionPlaytes has a fantastic new idea... throw a FashionPlaytes birthday! They have a fun, creative, and mess-free way to make sure your daughter and her friends have a great time!  With Fashion Playtes, your girls will get to express themselves by designing their own dream outfit, while saving you from carpooling down to the local mall! FashionPlaytes also has a ton of party ideas that will make a great addition to the creative, girly, fashion party! **Plus, they have a special BIRTHDAY offer: If you throw a birthday party with 5 guests, then the birthday girl will get a free t-shirt! Simply use the code "birthday100" and when you buy $120 in gift certificates, we will only charge you $100! This is a great offer that lets each girl design her own Jane t-shirt!

Visit FashionPlaytes.com - where girls 5-12 are fashion designers - get $10 off your next purchase!

Princesseneige Etsy Shop

Looking for necklaces, children's bags, legwarmers, scarves or more?  Don't forget to check out Princess Eneige's Etsy Shop.  Some of the handmade items feature the softest baby alpaca from Perou.   Here are just a few of the beautiful handmade items available:

  

About Princesseneige's Etsy Shop:

Original, luxurious and poetical hand knitted clothes and accessories for babies, kids and moms.

In my boutique you can find unique items for you or somebody you love. Each piece is unique and knitted with great care and special attention to details.

Using only 100% natural yarns and fabrics such as alpaca, cachmere, wool, cotton, linen, mohair and silk, this collection is made in France.

Visit her web-blog at http://princesseneige.canalblog.com/

Princesseneige has partnered up with Blogmania 2010 to provide this great giveaway item to one of my lucky winners:

Thanks to OneMillionMoms for Protecting Our Families

In a society that really makes me fear sometimes for the future, I wonder how much other generations in the past had the same fears of what is happening with our country and what is going to become of it?  I probably should do more to make changes and invoke a difference but I just keep too much on my plate and have differing priorities.  So when I can't completely do what I want to do, I have found an outlet in trying to protect my children as much as possible through other venues.  I understand there is a fine line with freedom of speech and parental responsibilities but there is also a line to draw when the material is clearly and blatantly up front and not just on TV but in advertisements and businesses.

One of my personal favorites is OneMillionMoms.com which is a project of the American Family Association.  I signed up with them a few year's ago and they are a web based, e-mail alert program that asks its members to contact certain businesses when their advertisements cross the line.  The latest one which inspired this post was asking members to contact Sears.  For their Father's Day event, there were a series of nude and semi-nude posters available for purchase.  The posters were found via a specific search and I was really surprised that Sears actually sold these posters online.  Granted, porn is everywhere and when you have a society that utilizes half dresses women to sell anything from grass killer to tires to animal feed (I am exaggerating a bit), it's no wonder there is a focus on nudity.  However, I do expect to have some decency in places that I would have expected to be harmless.  I never envisioned that I would have to monitor my kid's searching on department stores now.


So after my rant, I wanted to say thanks to the American Family Association's OneMillionMoms.com for being the voice of decency in areas our children have access to ...namely advertisements and more!  Thank you!