One Winner $35 + 3 Winners Win $25 PayPal Cash Giveaway 2/13

Who doesn't like Cash?  I know we do!  That's why Learning To Be Frugal and Suburban Coupon Mom have teamed up with several other wonderful bloggers to bring you this amazing 10K PayPal Cash Giveaway! We Love Our Readers and we are so excited to bring you this giveaway! There will be FOUR lucky winners! One Winner Will Receive $35.00 In PayPal Cash. Three winners will receive $25.00 In PayPal Cash! a Rafflecopter giveaway

thinkThin® thinkWellness Bars Giveaway 2/6 - 10 Winners

If you are still sticking to your New Year's Resolution or just always watch what you eat, you will want to check out the thinkThin® thinkWellness Bars. thinkThin® thinkWellness Bars are delicious energy snacks with the quality ingredients in 12 great bars. All thinkThin® thinkWellness products are gluten free and are ready to go in convenient one bar packs. All of the 12 flavors have zero sugar and 20 grams of protein. I was able to try six different bars and there was only one I didn't like and it was the Cookies and Cream but I don't normally like products like that.


I had a picture of them but for some reason, I can't find the pictures and I already ate them so I can't show them.


Other than the Cookies and Cream, I tried:

• Cranberry Apple & Mixed Nuts
• Cherry & Mixed Nuts
• White Chocolate Dipped Mixed Nuts Crunch Bar
• Peanut Butter
• Caramel Chocolate Dipped Mixed Nuts Crunch Bar

I loved the other five flavors and felt better eating them due to the low calories. You couldn't tell they were good for you as they were nearly as delicious as candy bars. Just knowing they are better makes up for the goodness by far! My four year old liked them too and I had to share which wasn't fair (smile).

Since I'm trying to get healthier, this was a great alternative for that little sweet kick you need every now and then. You can click here for the latest promotions and coupons. Each bar is priced at $1.99 which is comparable if not cheaper than other bars of similar nature.

The Giveaway:

10 winners will receive one (1) Weight Wellness Sampler which includes 2 thinkThin® Protein Bars & 2 thinkThin® Crunch Bars for a total of 4 delicious bars.

To Enter:

Please use the Rafflecopter form below.

Amazon $20 Gift Card Giveaway 2/24

Have you thought about your spring dresses yet?  Are you gearing up for some weddings?  My blog post giveaway is focusing on Adorable Baby Clothing as I just love the quality, selection and customer service.  I purchase most of my formal type clothing from Adorable Baby Clothing and even though the outfits might costs a little more than what you might find at Walmart, the quality is unmatched.  Each of the dresses I have are heirloom quality and I have saved every one to pass down to my children and their children.


Even though Adorable Baby Clothing is not sponsoring this giveaway, I am starting a series of giveaways in which I focus on a particular business that I support.

Discover Your Winter Cocktail Blog App & Giveaway Hendrick’s Gin Golf Umbrella & $20.00 Crate & Barrel Gift Card 2/19

Everyone has their favorite cocktail, but have you wondered what winter cocktail fits you best?  Take the Discover Your Winter Cocktail quiz by answering just a few questions to see what winter cocktail suits you.  There is even a fun guide with little known facts about liquor that might surprise you!  Enjoy some new twists to some of your classic cocktails and just have fun!

Here are some recipes that look pretty good!

 Chocolate Snowball

Ingredients:

• 2 oz coconut rum
• 2 oz  Irish cream
• 1 oz hazelnut liqueur
• 3 1/2 oz melted chocolate
• 3 1/2 oz cream
• 1 dash chocolate syrup

Preparation: Place the chocolate syrup around the glass then place the other ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Strain into glass.

Spring Fever

Ingredients:

• 3/4 oz lemon juice
• 3/4 oz mango syrup
• 1 1/2 oz pineapple juice
• 2 oz blood orange juice

 Preparation: Shake well over ice cubes in a shaker, and strain into a collins glass half-filled with crushed ice.

Winter Breeze

Ingredients:

• 1 oz creme de cacao
• 1 oz vanilla schnapps
• 1 oz Irish cream
• milk

 Preparation: Pour liquors into a beer mug, and fill with milk. Stir, and serve.

The Giveaway:


Hendrick’s Gin Golf Umbrella and an amazing $20.00 Crate & Barrel Gift Card.


To Enter:


Please use the Rafflecopter form below.

Pillsbury Valentine’s Day Pillsbury® Ready to Bake!™ Shape® Cookies Prize Pack Review & Giveaway 2/14

What are you doing this Valentine's Day?  Are you making Valentines or did you buy them?  Have you decided on making a gift or buying a gift?  My girls love to make things and to bake sweets, they are always ready.  We took the opportunity to take our wonderful Pillsbury Valentine's Day pack and make some sweet treats ahead of Valentine's Day but in time for the Super Bowl.  Our complimentary pack included a nice oven mitt, a spatula, a ceramic Pillsbury cookie jar and a package Valentine’s Day Pillsbury® Ready to Bake!™ Shape® Cookies with none other than Mickey and Minnie Mouse!  Did I mention that my girls LOVE Mickey and Minnie?  They are huge fans of Mickey, cookies and Valentine's Day so this was perfect!


We received the package yesterday and went to the store this morning.  We scored the very last box of Pillsbury Valentine's Cookies!  We also had some fun baking them too!  My youngest loved the oven mitt and they had fun placing them on the cookie sheet.  Of course the best part was taking them off and eating them!

Don't forget to check out the Pillsbury website, Pillsbury on Facebook and on Twitter.

The Giveaway:

One reader will win:

• A VIP coupon to purchase a package of Pillsbury Ready to Bake! Shape Cookies
• Cookie Jar
• Cookie Spatula
• Oven Mitt

To Enter:

Please use the Rafflecopter form below.

Sweety High Next Generation of Social Games Valentine's Day Baking Prize Pack Giveaway 2/9

Have you heard of Sweety High?  If you have tween or teen girls, this might be the fun you want them to experience as it combines online and offline life into a single game experience.  It's full of many activities from earning virtual money to shooting original shows to publishing scrapbooks and much more.  Signing up is fast and free.  Sweety High also focuses on the safety factor by offering a controlled, filtered environment.  It sounds like a creativity mecca for girls that I wished I had as a tween/teen!

 

For ages 8 and up, Sweety High provides a boutique arts and entertainment website driven by social networking, gaming and original content.  There are even educational programs included to promote leadership, safety and community participation in a real world.  Each member has to sign up in order to have access or view profiles, pictures or any other user content.  Users under the age of 13 have to be verified by a parent's last four digits of a social security number or credit card.  All generated content including all text is moderated in conjunction with CRISP THINKING's technology.  Parents of girls under 13 are also given an account access to their daughter's profiles to be able to delete any content deemed inappropriate and e-mail updates are provided on activity.  You can read more about Sweety High's security features here.


You can check out Sweety High on YouTube too!


The Giveaway:


One reader will win a really fun and cool baking set that includes:

2 Heart Shaped Plates

1 Petite Pie Mold with Heart-shaped cut-out

1 Set of Valentine’s themed confections

1 Heart-shaped cookie cutter

2 Heart embroidered kitchen towels

1 Spatula

To Enter:

Please use the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway




*Disclaimer: I received no compensation for this post and the giveaway is provided by the sponsor.

Running DOES Feel Good

If you aren't a regular exerciser or a runner, you probably hear people say how good it feels to run.  I know it does as I used to run regularly but then I fell out of it.  I started running about six or seven week's ago (or maybe longer) and although I still have trouble getting motivated, I am sticking to it.  I trade it around with walking, running, riding and using the eliptical trainer.  I do know my legs are constantly sore with all the working out I'm doing but I also have lost 30 pounds so can't complain about that.  When I began my journey, I didn't go out and buy new clothing to work out as I already had it all but I did by the Sketchers runners with the toning quality to get a little boost.

Courtesy of Runners World

That little boost might be why my legs hurt all the time.  Running seems like the impossible task if you are new at it but you would be surprised at how quickly you can build up.  I started walking to get warmed up and I remember doing that first run for one mile seemed like mission impossible or that I'd have more luck getting a date with Johnny Depp than finishing.  Much to my surprise, I was up to two miles in a week.  I learned that if I were too tired, I could just walk.  I also throw in some bursts now to really kick in the burn. I've read how one minute walking around 3.5 and bursting around 7 will really kill some calories in 20 short minutes.  It really is a work out and I know I have to have some energy to do that.


From my experiences, building up slowly from walking is the surest way to stay motivated.  If you try to fun five miles, you will get discouraged and quit.  Go at your comfort level and challenge yourself each week to go a bit further.  If you are walking, just walk and keep moving up your speed each week until you are ready to jog or run.  To have success, you can't make your goal impossible at the beginning.  Make a sustainable goal and build on that each week.


Good luck!

Convenient & Safe Bath Seat: Butt Bench Review & Giveaway 2/21

Know someone who needs a safer way to take a bath or do you just want some extra organization space or perhaps both?  I'm sure my elderly parents could use something like this especially my father and his bad hip.  The Butt Bench® is a sturdy, high-quality patent-pending bathtub seat made of natural wood.  What is unique about this is it's a tub seat that supports your weight which makes it easier to sit, to bathe or to just relax while you crank up the heat and turn your bathroom into a sauna.


The Butt Bench® for me, has become a very useful storage ledge.  I have had the Butt Bench® for three weeks and it has not moved from the shower because I was curious as to how the wood would perform under intense heat, water and general moisture.  I thought it might crack or show signs of damage but I was wrong.  It looks just as good as the day I received it.  What is nice are they come with suction cups that have a little mobility from side to side to ensure proper anchorage.  They sit strongly against the tile and the only way I can get them to release is to use my fingernail to pull the suction up.  This assures me the fit is tight and an accidental fall won't ensue if the bench moves.


The Butt Bench® is available in:

1. Pine 
2. Pink Pine
3. White Pine
4. 12"
5. 15"

Installation is a breeze:

The Butt Bench® is an all around handy product whether you need extra safety due to a health issue, want some extra comfort with a sauna-like atmosphere or want some extra storage.  It's not too heavy to move either if you want the full use of your bath and fits nicely on top of the toilet (if needed).


The Giveaway:
One reader will win their own Butt Bench®!


To Enter:
Please use the Rafflecopter form below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Disclosure:  I received a complimentary product for the purposes of this review/giveaway.  The opinions are of my own.

Bank of America Chicago Marathon

Discover strength in numbers by becoming a part of Team RMHC

Registration for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon is NOW OPEN.

 To Become a Team RMHC Runner:

1. Download and complete the attached Bank of America Charity Runner Form and the Team RMHC Waiver and Commitment Form
2. Return both Forms to Charles Rubner either by fax to (773) 857-1022 or by email toCharles.Rubner@rmhc.org 
   

Once registration for the 2012 Chicago Marathon opens on February 1, the information you provide on the Charity Runner Form will be used for your Marathon registation. Your credit card will be charged the $150 marathon registration fee, and you will receive confirmation of your registration by both the Chicago Marathon and by Ronald McDonald House Charities.

If you have any questions about joining Team RMHC or would like any additional information not described on this website, please contact Charles Rubner at charles.rubner@rmhc.org.

NOTE: All Team RMHC runners must set a minimum $1,000 fundraising goal, and use their best efforts to achieve (or exceed!) that amount. Once registration for the Chicago Marathon closes, RMHC will have a limited number of post-close charity entries available. For these 'post-close' entries, the $1,000 fundraising commitment is a requiredminimum. More information and details regarding your fundraising commitment are included in the Team RMHC Waiver and Commitment Form.

Chance to Win a Tanger Outlets $25 GC

At Tanger Outlets, they are taking discounts to the next level and want their fans to show them how they save at Tanger! All you have to do is snap a photo of an item (and the price tag) that you found for a great deal (a discounted price) at Tanger Outlets, and tweet Tanger us @TangerOutlets with the hashtag #RealDeal for a chance to win a $25 gift card!  

Upping the ante, every month, Tanger will award one fan at random with a $25 gift card, just for submitting a photo of a deal via Twitter! 

Here is a sample #RealDeal Tweet: Found a major deal at @TangerOutlets? TwitPic your biggest steal with #RealDeal for your chance to win their Treasure Hunter $25 gift card!

Keep up with the latest deals and steals on Tanger Outlets by following them on Facebook (http://facebook.com/TangerOutlets) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/TangerOutlets)!

Cooking Healthy Tips for Children #BensBeginners

Getting healthy is an important step I started last year and it has paid off.  Not only have I lost 30 pounds but my children are now focused on getting healthy and being healthy.  It hasn't been as easy for my four year old but we're making strides and I know we'll get there.  I've seen remarkable improvements in the choices from my eight year old as well as getting my oldest, 23, motivated into losing weight and getting healthy.  Getting healthy is not something you can do overnight with a click of the switch as it's a mindset and a lifestyle change that involves work and commitment.


Some of the ways that I'm incorporating healthier eating and cooking include:

• Again, it's not a snap of the fingers and it's done rather it's a step by step change of habits.  I didn't remove all the cola and junk food at once and I haven't eliminated it completely.  Rather I do allow some but it's about moderation.  If I went cold turkey, they would have revolted so I ensured that I was starting on the right foot.
• Second, I get them involved in the meal planning.  I find out what they want to fix and let them help prepare the menu.  I look up recipes and show them for their input.  Sometimes we make a menu and they can color it to feel more empowered in our meal preparation.
• Third, I have them help cook.  What child doesn't like to cook and if they partake in the process, they might be inclined to eat.
• Finding fun recipes such as vegetable animals where you can make shapes and add other vegetables can create some fun edible garnishments for that extra push to eat.
• Cooking from scratch versus popping everything in the microwave is also healthier in my opinion.  I control the ingredients and can select organic foods if I want.  They have learned that cooking from recipes is healthier from my standpoint.
• I also use products such as brown rice, whole wheat bread and foods that have been processed less to make them healthier.
• Sneaky cooking is another option as there are great recipes that you can supplement items for to make the recipe healthier such as cauliflower, sour cream, and so forth. Sneaky cooking is a great way to get that picky eater something a bit healthier without them even knowing.

There are many ways to encourage children to eat healthier for the sake of their health now and the future.  We have the ability to train them now for a lifetime of better eating if we lead by example.  Simple things such as involving them in food planning, preparation and other fun activities will encourage them to eat healthier and stay healthier.  We have a lot of fun experimenting and even when I can't get them to eat something I want, being sneaky is never off limits.  A little hidden vegetables can go a long way!

Do you have a child between ages 5 and 12?  If so, submit a 2-3 minutes video of you cooking a rice-based dish with your children and you could win $20,000 along with a $50,000 grant towards a cafeteria makeover for your child's school with Uncle Ben's Ben's Beginners contest!  Check out more on Ben's Beginners on Facebook.

*Disclosure:  I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Uncle Ben’s blogging program, for 6,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

UPrinting 250 Club Flyers Giveaway - 3 Winners! 2/13

I can think of many ways I can utilize printing products and love to be able to offer them to my readers.  I use them from anything ranging from parties to my daughter's non-profit and anything in between.  If you are part of a school or another organization or even a business, these Club Card Flyers would be ideal.  They come in 4.25" x 5.5" or 4" x 6" and are printed on 14 pt cardstock gloss making it perfect for so many things.  Although Valentine's Day is too close to try to use them, there are other holidays coming up that would make a cute card even though the front is the only side printed.


For those with a business, this would be the perfect compliment to advertise your product or service and best of all, three people will win!  With only a 3 business day turnaround, you don't even have to wait a long time to receive them!




The Giveaway:

250 pcs. Club Card Flyers each for Three (3) Winners

4.25" x 5.5" or 4" x 6"

14pt Cardstock Gloss

Front Only Printing

3 Business Days Turnaround

*Free shipping

Restriction: Limited to *US residents 18 years old and above only

To Enter:

Free Purex Sample at 2 pm (EST) 1/30

Free Purex Sample just click here!

Publix The Best Meals Happen at Home $25 GC Giveaway 2/14

I'm a firm believer that the best meals happen at home for many reasons.  Now when I was working a lot, it was hard to fit that concept in but as I get older and wiser, I'm learning more reasons why what Publix is stating is so true.  Not only do home cooked meals taste better but it's a great opportunity to get the family together for some 1:1 family time which is greatly missing in many families today.  Publix is hosting The Best Meals Happen at Home event now (January 26th) until February 1st!  


I'm a HUGE Publix fan because they offer such a huge variety of my favorite brands, organic brands and their own brands which are of high quality.  I love the BOGO deals and the buy the name brand and get the Publix brand free opportunities!


Head out to Publix to experience some great savings on your favorite foods as well as some in-store coupons that will be good from today until February 1st.  If you visit Publix BestMealsatHome online, you can sign up for weekly recipes and coupon offers that can help you save up to $200 this year.  Not only can you save money but you can also check out some recipes Publix has to offer which I already did and shared.  Check Publix out on Facebook for more tips and possible money savings.


I don't know if you ever tried any of Publix recipes but they are good!  I love how they have the cooking demonstrations in the store.  

Here is a quick and easy Crunchy Chicken Nugget Recipe:

Prep time: 15 Min
Cook time: 25 Min
Makes: 4 servings
Ingredients:
• 2 cups Cheerios^® cereal
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
Directions:
• Heat oven to 400°F. Spray with cooking spray or lightly grease 13x9-inch pan.
• Finely crush cereal. Stir together cereal, salt and pepper; set aside. In medium bowl, stir together milk, honey and mustard until blended. Dip chicken into milk mixture; coat with cereal mixture. Place chicken in pan; drizzle with melted butter.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until crust is golden and chicken is no longer pink in center.

Now the fun part, one reader will win a $25 Publix Gift Card!  To enter, just complete the Rafflecopter form below and that's it!



a Rafflecopter giveaway


*Disclosure: The Publix gift card, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Five Mom-Inspired Driving Tips #Esurance

Driving is a scary time anymore as it seems there are too many distractions on the road.  Not only do you have to worry about what might be in the road or your own vehicle but you have to always be on the watch out for others. It's not easy trying to drive at times when you have your kids in the car because they also offer their own mode of distractions.  Sometimes they just can't help themselves and require immediate attention.  Being on alert is imperative when it comes to driving and watching out for others.  Based on my many years of experience with driving and helping to teach one teen how to drive, here are my five inspired driving tips.

• Slow down!  That is for everyone!  When you are in a hurry, not only will you possibly make careless mistakes but you might also get a case of road rage.  I found that when I'm in a hurry, I tend to get angrier when I drive so I have learned to slow down.  Slowing down is also safer from an auto standpoint.  Having a tire blow out going 70 mph versus 60 mph can mean the difference between life and death.
• Treat distractions as non-existent until you are safe.  If the phone rings, wait to find out who calls.  When you didn't have a phone, you still kept driving so there is no reason why a call can't wait.  Same with text messaging as it's unsafe and in many states, illegal.  There is nothing that can't wait until you are parked.  If the kids are causing a problem that is taking your attention, pull over in a safe spot and deal with it.  I've seen too many parents try to discipline as they drive.
• Buckle up and use appropriate car seats for children.  You always hear of so many people dying because they weren't properly seated in the car.  It takes a click to buckle up and you owe it to yourself and your loved ones to prepare for anything.
• Keep your distance and don't tailgate.  Even if it's illegal to cause an accident, it doesn't stop people from slamming on their brakes if you are tailgating.  When driving, always be on the look out for the other guy and it's one thing I really taught my daughter.  You have to always watch to make sure someone is not going to swerve in your lane, make sure they are going to stop and so forth.  Being on the defense is paramount to good car safety.
• Drive for the conditions is what my parents always told me.  I neglected that rule when in high school as I didn't realize the roads really did become slick with rain around curves and wiped out a telephone pole and a boat on a trailer not to mention my car.  Hazards are everywhere so you have to watch and adjust for the conditions at all times.

Driving is a tough time especially for the young.  When you are a mom, you have so many distractions battling for your time but when you are driving, paying close attention is the key to staying safe.  No matter what, most everything can wait their turn. Keep the phone away from you to avoid temptation, talk to the kids about car safety, keep the car maintained properly to hopefully avoid things like tire blow outs and most importantly, buckle up!

Esurance on Facebook

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*Disclaimer:  I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Esurance blogging program for 8,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.