Mother's Day Multi-Gift Giveaway $200+ Value 5/5/10 Bonus Entry Opportunities CLOSED WINNER!

CONGRATULATIONS TO....

SARAH P!

I wanted to get this one out ASAP to hopefully hit Mother's Day in time which involved a late night!

An e-mail has been sent and given the urgency of reaching Mother's Day, she has 24 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen by random.org.

Thanks to all those who entered and if you didn't win, check out YouFloral as it's a great concept!

Giving gifts is such a fun experience for me and I love the thrill in finding that one of a kind, unique product.  Many people, like my husband, dread buying gifts and he waits until a few hours before to get my gifts.  I like to spend quite a bit of time preparing because a gift should be from the heart.  I don't think gifts should be given out of obligation rather out of love and sincerity.

I was at a loss for Mother's Day as I've been so busy planning two birthdays and the deployment of my husband to Kuwait on 4/29.  I was looking at some other giveaways at TwitterMoms when I came across another giveaway for YouFloral and instantly fell for the concept.  Sending flowers is a very nice gesture but to send flowers with a vase you can customize just adds to the personal aspect and adds so much love to the gift.

If you are like me, I had never heard of YouFloral.  I had the pleasure of receiving a complimentary order of flowers and their patent pending, exclusive VaseExpressions.  I can assure you the ordering process is so easy and is done in five steps:

1. Select the occasion
2. Select the theme
3. Upload a photo (optional)
4. Add your message
5. Choose from a beautiful selection of flowers based on how much you want to spend

For my order, I chose Mother's Day and 19 theme choices were available on the next screen.  The choices allow for so many personalities and tastes.  I like the idea of not having to try to create the background as it's done for me.

Once you select the theme, you can choose from a photo & message, photo only or message only.  I chose the photo & message and the next screen that pops up is to upload a picture.  Another nice feature is you don't have to worry about sizing the photo perfectly for the upload.  The tools available allows the user to edit to fit appropriately.  After I added my photo, it was time to add the message and then to select the flowers.  YouFloral's program provides a color match automated service ensuring your flower choices will match your theme.  They take out all the work needed to make it look perfect!

Look at how beautiful the outcome is!  It is so gorgeous and was even more beautiful in person.  It arrived in a secured, protected box by UPS and was wrapped just as elegantly in fine tissue paper and protected in little tube vials to ensure each stem had enough water.  It was a beautiful vision!

I played around in the program and easily made three different versions in under 15 minutes.  You can take all the time you need as there are so many choices to make and with the message option, you can unleash so much creativity.  Your loved one will not be disappointed!

What makes YouFloral unique are the VaseExpressions I noted above.  They are full color, customizable, waterproof vase liners that fit inside the glass vase.  After pouring water in my vase, it remained dry and didn't damage the image.  When the flowers are gone, your loved one will have the beautiful liner to treasure.

With a combined 60 years in the farm-to-consumer floral business, they also guarantee your flowers will arrive fresh and will last.

 

If you need some ideas, you can also browse their examples here.

I would highly recommend YouFloral for all your gift giving needs!

The Giveaway - One winner will receive the following:

• Your very own YouFloral - beautiful floral arrangement with customized vase - up to $79.99 value
• $10 Walmart GC
• Hand Sensory Soap Dispenser - $39.95 value
• Robeez children's shoes $25 GC
• Flirty Apron - $31.95 value
• Surprise organic skincare sample pack 

This is a giveaway valued at over $200 and might grow pending what other products I receive!


To Enter (mandatory):

Follow my blog (each entry will be verified) and visit YouFloral and tell me which occasion you would choose.

Bonus Entries (worth one extra entry unless noted):

• Become a fan of YouFloral's Facebook page (2 entries)
• Become a fan of my Facebook page.
• Subscribe and confirm to my blog (will be verified)
• Follow me on Twitter (2 entries).
• Add my button to your sidebar (3 entries)
• Add Angels4Epilepsy's button to your sidebar (3 entries)
• Add Youthfultips to your blogroll (using my URL) and link back to me (3 entries)
• Blog about this giveaway (five entries) - leave link
• Tweet about this giveaway (2 entries - can be done daily)

Limited Bonus Entry Opportunity Until April 11, midnight:

This how you can get some bonus pre-entries before it's even posted but only for a limited time!

If you go to http://www.mamavation.com and on the right hand side is a list of all the Mamavation Mom contestants, you can vote for Colleen_Mouse and secure five bonus entries (per day) until midnight (EST) on April 11, 2010.


Leave your five entries afterwards - this can be done daily until 4/11 midnight.

Sorry but this giveaway is only for US and ends 5/5/10 at midnight.  Winner will be chosen by random.org and I will do my best to validate entries and get the winner their prize pack in time for Mother's Day.

*Disclosure:  I was provided a complimentary product in exchange for my review.  No financial compensation was received.

Yoplait Simply Go-Gurt Review, Prize Pack Giveaway & 30 FREE Coupons 4/24 WINNER CLOSED

CONGRATULATIONS TO...


ANNJOYCE!


Winner was selected from random.org and has 48 hours to respond to an e-mail that was just sent.


Thanks to all those who entered!


Kids on the go!  Summer is quickly around the corner!  Nutrition is a must!

Three things I think of when I think of Yoplait's new Simply Go-Gurt.   With no high fructose corn syrup, no artificial flavorings or coloring, Yoplait's Simply Go-Gurt is ideal for what I want my children eating.  Whether your little one enjoys strawberry or mixed berry, Yoplait's Simply Go-Gurt is available in both flavors.  What makes these so nice for kids is they come in portable tubes of delicious yumminess (my little one's word)!

My children really liked the fact they could carry these around outside.  Living in Georgia, it's HOT and having a quick, cold snack to take on the run is really nice.  They preferred strawberry as I knew they would and it had the same great taste that I like about Yoplait and would recommend them as a snack for your little one or ever yourself if you are on the go.

Click below for great tips and 30 free coupons to the first 30 visitors:




You can click here to get more information as well as a $1.00 off coupon.

The Giveaway:

You can receive this great prize pack just like I received.   The Go-Gurt “Simplify Your Life” prize pack contains a pocket Etch a Sketch, weekly planner and a seat back organizer.

It's a great prize pack so don't miss out!

To Enter:

Follow my blog and share a wholesome snacking tip.

Bonus Entries:

• Subscribe to my blog
• Follow me on Twitter
• Blog about this giveaway (worth five entries)
• Tweet about this giveaway (can be done daily)

Giveaway ends 4/24 at midnight (EST) and winner will be chosen by random.org.

Thanks for entering and good luck!



*Disclosure:  The Simply… Go-Gurt, prize pack, information and additional prize pack to give away were all given to me from Yoplait through MyBlogSpark.

Book: Sarah Sundin's A Distant Melody Contest 4/25

Sarah Sundin's A Distant Melody is the first book in a series debuting as a Christian historical novel that will leave you wanting to read more.  It's ideal for romance and military history buffs.  Not only can you get caught up in the nostalgia, but you can enter to win a great prize pack.

THE CONTEST:

A Distant Melody, Book 1 in Sarah Sundin’s exciting Wings of Glory series, is in stores now!  To celebrate the release, they’re offering one Grand Prize winner the chance to get NOSTALGIC!

THE PRIZE:

The Winner of  the ‘NETFLIX® & Nostalgia’ giveaway will receive a vintage prize package, including:

•  A 6 month NETFLIX® subscription
• $25 Starbucks® gift card
• A box of See’s Famous Old Time Chocolates®
• A jar of homemade strawberry jam
• A Big Band music CD
• A Mini B-17 Model airplane
• Vintage stationery and pen
• British specialty tea
• WWII style playing cards

 To enter just click on the icon above! Contest will be live April 5th and run through April 25th!

Vote for Colleen_Mouse at Mamavation Please

Hello to all my followers!  I'm asking a favor for a friend that also blogs.  Her name is Colleen and she's trying to win a spot as the next Mamavation Mom and you can help!


All it takes is 30 seconds to vote for her at http://www.mamavation.com on the right side.


Her name is colleen_mouse and she's so worthy of this opportunity so please vote!


If you do not know about Mamavation, it's a great site of mom's that encourages one another to not only lose weight but get healthy.  It's all about getting healthier and when you get healthier, the weight drops.  The fierce leader is "BookieBoo" who is an amazing success story of triumph and commitment.  


If you are longing to get healthier, check them out or minimally, please vote for Colleen as she's a success story who needs a final push to reach her goal.


Thanks!

Unique YouFloral Review & Giveaway at Leslie Loves Veggies

You have to check out this great review and giveaway of a unique idea for flowers.  You can customize the vase with their designs or your own picture!  I love it!

To read about it and enter, click here.

Partial Post:

YouFloral is a unique floral company… they not only have a passion for fresh flowers, but also for making your occasions memorable. They design some of the most stunning floral arrangements I have seen in a long time, and their exclusive product, VaseExpressions, enables you to send a floral gift that won’t be forgotten! VaseExpressions are full color, completely water-proof, customizable vase liners, which allow you to express yourself in your very own, unique, and personalized way each time you send a flower arrangement.

Trekaroo Safety First Car Seat Giveaway 4/11

Another great car seat giveaway from Trekaroo here.

Partial posting:


Therefore, when I saw Safety 1st announce it’s new Complete Air Convertible Car Seat, I knew we needed to put this new baby to the test.

Pros

• Air-filled head wings provides protection from side collisions
• 40 pound rear-facing weight limit (one of the tallest rear-facing carseats available toady)
• 3 crotch strap positions
• Head wings make for nice pillows during car naps
• Easy installation
• Stylish, easy to clean fabric

Cons

• Even with 3 settings, the crotch buckle might still be snug for older kids
• For smaller cars (aka VW Golf), installation as a rear-facing car seat will probably require a pool noodle or towel to get a comfortable 45 degree angle recline. Safety 1st’s Complete Air SE and LX models cost more, but come with a 4-position recline to deal specifically with this issue

All in all, I would definitely recommend the Safety 1st Complete Air Convertible Carseat.  Considering how important side impact head protection is, this car seat just cannot be beat. Here’s my full review of the Safety 1st Complete Air Car Seat with Side Impact Protection.

3 Kids and Us Car Seat Giveaway 4/7

Since my "baby" is expecting her first baby on 10/10/10, I'm searching for a car seat for her.  I might as well enter giveaways since I host giveaways and 3 Kids and Us is a great site!  If you are in the market for a car seat, you should check out her review and giveaway for this amazing True Fit Premier Convertible Car Seat here.

Quick info:

The True Fit Convertible Car Seats have all been awarded high “Ease of Use” ratings from the National Highway Transportation Administration, NHTSA for short. What does that mean? That after reviewing our seats, our labels, and our instructions it was determined our seats were Easy To Use! The True Fit Premier Rebound (model C670) was awarded Five Stars in both the rear- and forward-facing modes, the maximum awarded by NHTSA.

Piggy Paint Review & $15 GC Giveaway 4/24 - CLOSED WINNER

CONGRATULATIONS TO ...

JENPRINCESS88!

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

Thanks to all those who entered!

Little girls love having their nails painted and so do us bigger girls!  I love seeing my little one's with nail polish on them as it's so dainty, so girly and so delicate.  I grow more and more concerned with all the products for children given toxins, chemicals and who knows what is in some of these products.  When I can find a product that is organic and non-toxic, I enjoy writing and sharing about it.  Most bloggers and entrants have seen other reviews and giveaways for Piggy Paint and if you are like me, weren't one of the lucky ones to win.  Now, you get another shot at winning a gift certificate for $15 of great Piggy Paint!

What you might not know about Piggy Paints is they are:

• Non-toxic
• Low odor
• Water-based
• Hypoallergenic
• Have many fun, kid loving colors
• Dries to a hard finish

There is no formaldehyde, toxic chemicals, toluene, phthalates, bisphenol A, ethyl acetate or acetone.  I have no idea what some of that is but as they say, if you can't pronounce it, it's most likely not good and who wants to put something toxic on our little one's growing and developing bodies?

The Review:

We followed the recommended instructions by washing the girl's hands with soap and water.   We applied applied three coats of Piggy Paint nail polish, waited 60 seconds and then used the hair dryer for another 60 seconds.  Piggy Paint suggests singing a song to help those wigglers through the entire 60 loooong seconds! Great idea as that worked perfect!

Another aspect I really like about Piggy Paints is they suggest utilizing the nail polish as a mechanism to learn.  Whether it's enhancing their fine motor skills of painting their own nails or learning color names as well as patterns and if in school, school colors.  It's a great way to teach skills and practice basics.

Piggy Paint really is low in odor especially in comparison to other polishes that seem unsafe to be around.  The polish goes on smooth and is durable.  We painted the girl's nails on Saturday and it still looks great!  There is no normal wear and tear yet which for kids, is surprising.  The color is subtle enough to be visible but not overpowering.  It really enhanced their Easter dresses and they looked so adorable!

The nail polish remover is nearly odor free as well and touts the same benefits of being non-toxic.  As their motto reads, "Natural as mud."

The gift choices were equally appealing with two nail polishes and one bottle of nail polish remover packed together in a cute little bundle for $24.99.

Piggy Paint has everything you need for little one's nails to include cute shirts to provide a girly gift.

I would recommend Piggy Paints due to the safeness primarily.  It dries quickly, lasts a long time, comes up easily if accidentally spilled (if done quickly) and is a great experience to try out with your little girls.

The Giveaway:

One winner will receive a $15 gift certificate to have their own fun!

To Enter:

Follow my blog and visit Piggy Paints to tell me what you would select if chosen as the winner.

Bonus Entries (worth two each unless noted otherwise):

• Become fans of Piggy Paints on Facebook.
• Subscribe to my blog.
• Follow Piggy Paint on Twitter.
• Follow me on Twitter.
• Become a fan of mine on Facebook.
• Blog about this giveaway (worth five entries).
• Tweet about this giveaway (can be done daily).

Giveaway ends 4/24 at midnight (EST) and winner will be chosen by random.org.

Thanks and good luck!

* Disclosure:  Sponsor company provided complimentary product in exchange for an honest review and giveaway.  No financial compensation was received.

Our Formal Dresses from Adorable Baby Clothing

Cynthia at www.adorablebabyclothing.com came through again!  I choose my girl's formal dresses there due to the amazing choices and the ease of finding two various sizes with no effort.  You can click on my PR link to see this past year's Christmas dresses or perform a search for adorable baby clothing to see all my posts.

The lilac dresses have beautiful sash bows in the back and on the side.  There embroidery is so beautiful and some are raised making the quality stand out even more.  The area underneath offers a tulle type petticoat to provide fullness.  They are absolutely gorgeous and are made of such high quality, it's worth the money.  I have all my dresses to date for the girls and plan on handing them down to them for when they have children one day.

I also use Adorable Baby Clothing because the person behind the store is a very wonderful and caring person.  I prefer a company that has a person behind the name.  Cynthia provides expert, caring customer support and if you purchase something from her store, you will see it!

I wasn't aware until just recently, she sells a host of many others items like baby shower favors, gifts, toys and every type of clothing imaginable.

Mamavation Monday

This week was another hard week with Easter and Easter dinner but I found a new love and that is salsa and chips.  I'm not sure how healthy it is but it's a viable snack that allowed me to lose another pound.  My husband is getting closer to deploying to Kuwait which is making it harder for me to stay committed to exercising.  He leaves on Thursday for a week to visit other family so I'm hoping to take full advantage of the time apart to kick it in to gear.

I'm also having some distractions involving work and hopefully that will pass.

I bought the kids some outdoor toys to encourage myself to go out and avoid the kitchen hoping the extra physical activity will also help to encourage everyone gets healthier!  Showing the kids how physical activity can be fun is very important to me since I am their ultimate role model and teacher.

My struggles this week were not eating the Easter candy!  I had three robin eggs, one big robin egg and one cadbury egg.  I did resist the cute little cupcakes and had one piece of apple pie.  So I did slip but I kept it somewhat contained.

This week's goal is to use my EA Active More Workouts MORE and drink more water, eat more veggies and fruits and get the girls involved in making some healthy dinners.

Next week, I hope to drop two pounds at least!

Thanks to all the Mamavation moms for their encouragement and if you haven't voted, don't forget to vote for my former weight loss online buddy Colleen!

Dog Birthday Party Ideas

This year, my daughter was  wanting the the dog theme for her birthday party so I stared this post but since then, she changed to a Snoopy theme so that will be my next post.  I love planning parties and although I won the time of a party planner from another blogger, it didn't pan out as the party planner took down my information and never got back with me.  So, I'm planning the party on my own but that's okay because I love doing it!

When I plan my kid's parties I use many sources for kids' birthday party supplies  but my all time favorite is Birthday Express.  They have such a huge selection of Party Themes, Favor Boxes , Kids Costumes  and now they have HUGE Wall Decals that are adorable!

My theme for decorations are all set and now I just need the menu and games.

Activities:


As the guests are coming in, you can have them make doggie collar name tags.  Use a large ribbon and attach a piece of cardboard to the ribbon.  You can punch a hole through it and place the ribbon through it.  Have the kids decorate them with drawings or with doggie stickers you can easily purchase at Walmart or Target.  These can be tied gently to their wrists.

Another idea is to buy inexpensive headbands at your local dollar store, some felt, glue and glitter (optional) and the kids can make puppy ear headbands.

If you are a creative painter, purchase face paint and paint black noses, whiskers and other little playful doggie features to the kid's faces.  You can also paint little doggies on their cheek if they prefer.

Games:

Draw and cut out a picture of a dog and dog tails and play pin the tail on the doggie.

Bone treasure chest - if you have a large sandbox you can hide toys in various areas and have the kids try to find them.  Another choice is if you purchase a bag of sand, set up small piles in various areas of your yard and hide toys in some of the spots while the kids try to find them.

Hot bone - use a doggie play bone and instead of a potato, play hot bone.

One of the things if you are an animal lover, you can also take the opportunity to requests guests bring one item to donate to your local shelter so you are teaching your kids at the same time as having fun.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Graduation Gift Idea & Review

Spring is coming and with that comes summer and GRADUATIONS!  Graduations are so exciting as it marks the new journey into a new chapter of life.  Whether it's graduating from kindergarten, fifth grade, high school or college, it's a unique memorable moment that should be treasured and embraced.  As someone who loves to give gifts, I always hunt for the perfect gift and if I can personalize, even better!

My niece is graduating this year so when I was asked to review a graduation Build-A-Bear bear, I jumped as who wouldn't love to review a Build-A-Bear animal?  I cannot tell you how many we have and I love the holidays as it gives me a reason to "have" to buy more!

If you are unfamiliar with Build-A-Bear's graduation line, they have many options to choose from.  They just might have your mascot and if not, you can choose the ever so faithful, cute and cuddly Lil' Chocolate Cub or Curly Teddy.   The choices are plenty as you can choose the Gator, Owl, Tiger or Longhorn if you prefer.

If you noticed in the picture above, my niece received a personalize gown that had her full name, the name of her high school and 2010.  Embroidery personaliztion only costs $8 more and adds such a wonderful touch for a memorable keepsake.

Other options available include adding sound.  For example to show just some available:

• Roar sound
• Giggle sound
• I love you sound
• Monkey sound
• Meow sound
• Pomp & Circumstance sound
• Brittaney & the Chipettes' Single Lady sound
• Leave it All to Me iCarly sound

You can purchase these all online or go to the store.  If you purchase online, there is an option to hear each sound before you decide.

Each Build-A-Bear Workshop Graduation animal comes complete with gown, pants, shirt, dress loafers, hat with tassel and diploma.

The Review:
I wasn't able to give the adorable bear to my niece yet as it's not time!  As is always the case with Build-A-Bear, it's cute, plush and made of high quality material.  The little gown is authentic and looks just like the real thing.  I think the embroidery is such a great choice to add that special touch in terms of finding the perfect gift that shows you put in extra effort in recognizing their special day.  The black loafers are adorable with real laces and little Built-A-Bear labels sticking out the back.  The tassels provided were of multiple colors to allow the gift giver or receiver to choose their own color.

As a frequent buyer of Build-A-Bear, this bear stood up to what I expect from them.  High quality, adorable and different in terms of giving a gift for graduation.  I loved the idea of choosing among the different graduation animals or the ability to purchase your own choice and suit it with the cap and gown.  It's very versatile and a great gift idea.

The receipt of the Graduation Bear was done online and it turned out even better than I expected.  To me, this shows that although it's fun to create the bears in the store for the little one's, you can still count on the same quality and committment online.

I would recommend the graduation line at Build-A-Bear Workshop for any of your graduates.

* Disclosure:  this bear was provided to me at no charge by Build-A-Bear Workshop.  The opinions expressed in this review are of my own and no financial compensation was received.

Two Words: Beautifully Innocent

I took this picture yesterday in hopes of getting some nice daughter and dad pictures to send to my husband once he deploys to Kuwait on April 29th.  She of course didn't understand the concept of my goals but after looking at the outcome, all I could think was 'beautifully innocent."

Ghirardelli 1/2 Off at Amazon's Deal of the Day

Don't miss the great deal of the day at Amazon!


Ghirardelli 1/2 Off


 

Three Giveaways Ending Tonight: eShakti, ABC Ties & NYC Theater Good Ol' Girls Tickets

Don't forget to enter these three great giveaways ending tonight:


YouthfulTips eShakti Define an eShakti Woman Contest 3/31


YouthfulTips ABC Necktie $25 GC Giveaway 3/31


YouthfulTips 2 Tickets to Good Ol’ Girls in NYC 3/31

HonestBaby Twitter Party 3/31 8-9:00 PM EST

Join the Twitter party tomorrow night with Honest Baby from 8-9 pm ET for a chance to win great prizes to include on Twitter-er will win the grand prize of a seven day Caribbean vacation!


For more information about the twitter party and the prizes, you can go to: http://www.honestbaby.com/win-a-caribbean-vacation-at-our-twitter-party/

Not familiar with Twitter, here is all you need to do:

• Login to Twitter
• Follow www.twitter.com/honestbaby
• Click on your “Home” link (at top) In the sidebar search field, search #honestbaby

Keep checking www.twitter.com/honestbaby to find out the topics and how to win prizes.


Reminder: make sure all of your tweets have the hashtag #honestbaby at the end so that HonestBaby can see them and you can win prizes!

Family Fun Night

So many families are too busy to gather together for fun and family oriented events.  Often times, it's work, other extracurricular activities, busy social lives and internet addiction taking its toll on the family.  Even though I spend a good amount of time on the internet, I do hold my block zones where I focus solely on the children and other family events.  We started a tradition back in the fall for blocking out a Friday of each month for Family Fun Night.  We typically choose a recent release entirely kid focused and a dinner theme to coordinate with it.

Our last Family Fun Night involved a Mexican theme.  I printed a menu with the help of my almost seven year old that included cute Mexican clip art.  She was able to decorate it and pass it around for everyone to choose their selection.

The movie, although not related to any Mexican theme, was Planet 51.  After dinner, we watch the movie and use our counter top popcorn maker to pop the amazingly good popcorn I found from an Ebay seller.  It tastes as good as movie theater popcorn.

If you haven't started a Family Fun Night, you should!  There are endless possibilities to plan one to bring your family back together.

Here are some other ideas:

1. With warmer weather coming, camping is a lot of fun to some and this is the perfect family activity.
2. Plan an actual movie theater night.  Although not as personal as spending time together since you can't openly speak, it's still a great option.
3. Take the kids roller skating!  There are still many rinks open and this is a great way to show off your roller skating abilities.
4. Pull out the board games or buy some new ones.  Even Wii has great games the whole family can play and the bonus is getting a little physical activity!

What are your ideas for creating a fun family fun night?