Enter Suzanne Woods Fisher's Simple Wisdom KINDLE Giveaway!

Suzanne's Amish Proverbs just hit the shelves. To celebrate she's giving away a KINDLE and throwing a party! Let the fun begin. See below for info and links.

Find out more about the book, Suzanne and the blog tour here.

Enter Suzanne Woods Fisher's Simple Wisdom KINDLE Giveaway!

One Grand Prize winner will receive a Kindle preloaded with Suzanne Woods Fisher titles. The Prize Pack (valued at over $205.00) includes:

* A brand new KINDLE, Free 3G, 6", Latest Generation

* Amish Peace by Suzanne Woods Fisher

* The Choice by Suzanne Woods Fisher

To enter, simply click on the icons below to fill out the entry form, then tell 5 or more friends about the contest.

Oh, and enter soon! Winner will be announced on September 1st.

 
Join Suzanne for a Wrap-up Party on September 1st!

She’ll be announcing the winner of the Simple Wisdom KINDLE Giveaway, chatting with readers, and giving away copies of Amish Proverbs and The Choice! Be sure to join us on Wednesday , September 1st at 8PM EST at Suzanne’s Author Page

Be sure to check out the blog tour here or purchase a copy of Amish Proverbs: Words of Wisdom from the Simple Life!

Blogmania 2010 is Coming!

What does over 20 sponsors and you mean?  One winner will receive a prize pack valued at over $700!  That's right!  $700+ prize pack will be won by one winner at next month's Blogmania event on my site alone!  There are over 200 bloggers participating in this mania that will leave many happy winners!

Interested in learning more?  Check out my full blog post here.

$50 GC to My Vintage Baby & $50 GC to Just Bead It 8/20

  

Celebrate Back-to-School – a do-good-away!

Just go visit Parker PR Online and see how easy it is to vote and you support my daughter's Angels4Epilepsy project for a Pepsi Grant!

Thanks to everyone!

Supergirl by Nastia Clothing Line

Girl empowerment is never a bad thing when you are trying to raise strong, confident girls.   Thanks to Nastia Liukin, 2008 Olympian champion, will be making her way around JCPenney stores to celebrate Supergirl by Nastia.  Not only will she be promoting her collection but she's going to be providing motivational advice to girls in achieving goals, feeling confident and being smart, strong and empowered Supergirls.

Raising three girls myself of various ages, I know the importance of raising girls with high self-esteem and confidence.  Having good sound role models like Nastia is critical in achieving success with our children.  Children tend to mirror and want to be like those they admire and having Nastia in that role is comforting to me.


If you live in Glendale, California, you can take your girls to meet Nastia at the JCPenney Glendale Gallerai on August 21st from 2:00 to 3:30 pm.

The Supergirl by Nastia collection features trend-right, affordable apparel that encourages a message of empowerment, creativity, strength, intelligence and independence—the symbolic attributes and S-Shield of Supergirl, the iconic DC Comics super heroine. The collection, created for today’s 4-12-year-old girls, will be available exclusively at JCPenney – in stores and on jcp.com – was introduced July 20, just in time for the back-to-school season.

 

Priced between $20 to $38, it is affordable for most budgets and right now, they are on sale at JCPenney.

Nastia will conduct personal appearances to promote Supergirl by Nastia at JCPenney locations in five markets:

• July 24: New York, NY – Greeley Square Park at 33rd Street and 6th Avenue
• July 31: Frisco, TX – Stonebriar Mall
• August 7: Schaumburg, IL – Woodfield Mall
• August 21: Glendale, CA – Glendale Galleria
• August 28: Orlando, FL – The Florida Mall

I have been hired by Warner Bros WB Word division to raise awareness for the Supergirl by Nastia clothing collection. For information on Supergirl by Nastia - in time for back-to-school season, please visit: http://bit.ly/b9kJy3

Ten Tips for Saving Money During the Back-to-School Season

Back to school time means my children will be gone during the day which saddens me as I love spending time with them but I do love the fact that they are learning. This year, I had to find ways to save money since I'm no longer working and my husband is deployed.  

Did you know that Staples is helping those disadvantaged and without an opportunity for school supplies? The 3rd Annual Staples Do Something 101 School Supply Drive is underway. The first two Annuals raised nearly one million for charities and Staples is prepared to help again! I think that's great community responsibility!


Not only that, Staples is offering a special discount to us TwitterMoms by printing out the coupon here to get 25% off select merchandise.


TwitterMoms and Staples provided another opportunity to spread how we save money for the back-to-school season and you can take part here.

1. Relook at what you already have as sometimes you already have some of the supplies you need.
2. Get the local paper and hunt for bargains as every year, stores like Staples have great back to school sales. Sometimes when you sign up for a store, you get loyalty specials to use.
3. Host a swap with your neighbors for clothes and supplies or suggest it for your school.
4. Clip coupons as you can get great deals with them and some stores allow you to stack store coupons with manufacturer ones to maximize your sale.
5. Go to yard sales for super cheap bargains.
6. The second hand stores also have great bargains on clothing and other items.
7. Join your local Yahoo Freecycle group to get great items that others no longer want.
8. Plan out your bargains through the summer and only buy when on sale to maximize your savings. Online stores sometimes offers better savings.
9. Check on hand me downs with your other children clothes to avoid not wearing out the potential for your clothes.
10. Use your reward cards or bonus points and look for great buy one get one free bargains or freebie items when you purchase something with your card.

*Disclaimer: I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Staples blogging program, making me eligible to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here

CSN Victorian Kitchen Faucet Review & $25 Giveaway 8/31 - WINNER CLOSED

CONGRATULATIONS TO...

GIANT SIS!

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

Thanks for entering!

I love to shop as everyone in my house knows (thankfully hubby is in Kuwait so he doesn't know if I am or not although he did find my blog so he might be reading and if he is, just kidding ... wink wink).  When I shop, I shop online and offline and tend to gravitate more to online shops just because I'm so busy with having young children and a grand baby on the way.  I had the pleasure to work with CSN Stores in the past and not only enjoy the customer service but I love how their network of stores are set up and provide such a vast array of products.  Their network seems to continue to grow in a one stop shop for all and I'm loving it.  From bathroom vanities to baby products to furniture to fashion and so much more, I enjoy shopping and checking out all they have to offer.

We are a military family and with being of such, we move every three years.  We went from Hawaii to Georgia and it appears our next stop is the Lonestar state which is no big deal for him since he's originally from there.  Since we have to move again, we need to sell our house and one of the opportunities is to review a new kitchen faucet.  This great Victorian Goose Neck Kitchen Faucet with Porcelain Lever Handles and Plastic Side Spray is not only elegant but will look amazing in my kitchen and is the one I chose to receive in exchange for my honest review from CSN.

    

CSN has so many items to choose from in their huge network of stores.  As you can see in my before and after photos, the new faucet looks much better and I don't need to place the towel in the back for leaks!  To be honest, after looking at the picture, the new faucet doesn't look as beautiful in the photo as it does in person.


It took awhile to post my review as I had to figure out how to put it in so I looked online and found my handyman who even stated he thought the faucet was high quality and looked great.  I liked the elongated "goose neck" feature which gives a little more leeway to my kids when they wash their hands.  The handle choices were white or wood but I thought the white looked more elegant.  The bonus is if you ever change your kitchen, the handles can accommodate!

The spray nozzle was another bonus as it blends in so nicely.  I have absolutely no complaints on my faucet and love it!  There hasn't been one item I received from the network of CSN stores that I have not been happy with.


The Giveaway:


One reader will receive a $25 GC to CSN!


To Enter:


Follow my blog and visit CSN Stores and tell me what you would like to buy!


Extra Entries:

• Fan CSN Stores on Facebook and tell them you entered the giveaway at Health, Beauty, Children and Family (three entries)
• Follow CSN Stores on Twitter (two entries)
• Follow me on Twitter (two entries)
• Fan me on Facebook (two entries)
• Subscribe to my blog (two entries)
• Tweet about this giveaway & leave your URL link (two entries - can be done daily)
• Blog about this giveaway (five entries)
• Enter any of my other giveaways (five entries)
• Vote for Angels4Epilepsy for a Pepsi Grant - (can be done daily - five entries)

Giveaway ends 8/31 at midnight - winner chosen by random.org

US and Canada only please

Thanks for entering and good luck!

Nielsen Home Scan Consumer Panel (no landline required)

Now you can join Nielsen Home Scan Consumer Panel if you have no landline!  Once you join, you can earn points for electronics, household items, jewelry, toy, gift cards, and more.

I belonged for awhile but had to opt out given some time constraints.  I did get some great gifts out of my participation!

The Recessionistas Book Review & Five Book Giveaway 8/31

CONGRATULATIONS TO ...


Jakiesmom, Melanie, Valerie, Aileen

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

Thanks to all those who entered and voted!

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; 1 edition (August 9, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446563676
• ISBN-13: 978-0446563673
• 
  

Set the day after Labor Day in 2008, The Recessionistas by Alexandra Lebenthal is a book that made me think at first would be a good guide for anyone residing in the NYC area with a need for a preschool.  The author details a selection of schools for her daughter while ensuring the reader completely understood the magnitude of details required when selecting the school.  I found it to be too detailed for a novel but I understood the author's desire to portray each character's traits in a way to mesh all of them in this book about wealthy New Yorkers shocking catapult to every day life as most know it.


The author does a great job with her depiction of each character, such as Grigsby, from the rich mommy's club and the spouse that has to endure them.  This is a typical portrayal of women with too much money and a desire to succeed based off of their perceived peer requirements. It really made me not want to be any part of that materialistic world and made me appreciate my own average world better.  


The book does make an interesting read since it is timely to the meltdown of the financial district so it opens up a new view of how the meltdown impacted that world.  There is a common theme about greed and wealth alone of Wall Street whereas this novel shows the other side of those that were hit the hardest and how they came to grip with the situation.


I used to live near NYC and can attest to these moms so if you have ever wondered, this is the ideal book to get into the lives of the socialites!


The Giveaway:


Five readers will win their own copy of The Recessionistas!


To Enter:


Follow my blog and let me know you follow!


Extra Entries:

• Visit Hachette Book Group and tell me another book you would like to read (two entries)
• Fan Hachette Book Group on Facebook (two entries)
• Follow Hachette Book Group on Twitter (two entries)
• Blog about this giveaway (five entries - only once per giveaway)
• Tweet about this giveaway (can be done daily - two entries)
• Subscribe to my blog (two entries)
• Follow me on Twitter (two entries)
• Fan me on Facebook (two entries)
• Enter any of my ongoing giveaways (five entries)
• Vote for my daughter's Angels4Epilepsy Pepsi Refresh Grant (see widget on right hand side of blog) (can be done daily - five entries)

Giveaway ends 8/31 at midnight (EST) - Winners chosen by random.org


Open to US and Canada - no PO Boxes please


*Disclaimer:  I received a complimentary book for this review.

• 
  

Ficklets: Eyewear Charm Huggers & Back to School

With back to school time it means the essentials like eye exams which is something that I'm behind in doing.  When my middle one had her eyes tested two year's ago, she didn't know how to communicate very well so the tech passed her at the local military hospital.  I thought this was okay at the time but wished I had pushed for a proper exam.  Little did I know that day that she was prepping for her first day of school with eye and hearing exams and inoculations, she would develop an unexpected diagnosis of epilepsy.   That is an entire different set of posts!

 

 

Back to the eye exam as it's so important to screen your children regularly as it can hinder their education.  I had eyeglasses as a child and hated them as back in the day of the dinosaurs, they were ugly, big and bulky.  They had no personality and usually just equated to a big blinking "geek" sign overhead.  Not anymore!

A wonderful woman named Ros created these ingenious little eyewear charm huggers that fit on a kid's pair of glasses with ease.  They are inexpensive and interchangeable.  The idea was developed by the love she had for her own daughter's dislike in her glasses.  This sudden idea transformed to a business that caters in to helping children enjoy and maybe even love their glasses.   There are many designs to choose from and the variety allows so much of the child's personality to shine.


If you haven't checked out Ficklets, you should!  Visit www.ficklets.com for yourself!

Blogmania 2011 Dream Team Members

Tommee Tippee Review

I've been trying to wean one of my children off of her bottle for some time with little luck.  I have tried cup after cup and no matter what I use, she's too stubborn to budge.  I jumped on the chance to review the Tommee Tippee collection from a Mom Bloggers Club opportunity since I have young children and a grand baby on the way.  

If you aren't familiar with Tommee Tippee, as I wasn't, they are bright colored infant and toddler feeding products from the number one brand in the UK.  Mayborn Group Limited has a reputation built around the Tommee Tippee products since 1965.  What is unique about this collection of products is they are designed to promote natural development at every stage, age and feeding need.


The Tommee Tippee Cup features a rounded, weighted base that avoids accidental tip overs.  The Explora Cups have an advance-flo valve that was designed by a physicist and requires no force drinking with no leaks and spills.  I know with my children, until they can grasp that sipping concept, this is a great way for weaning.  I have never had a sippy cup that didn't either require a forced sipping or a cup that leaks.  I love this concept and it works as there were no messes when she tipped the cup.

  

The Explora product line includes sippy cups, straw cups, water bottles, drinking cups, meal sets, weaning bowls, food pots and utensils for ages six months and up.  The bright colors are perfect for little ones as well since they are visually stimulating and what kid won't want to have something that is bright and different?


The mat is a nice feature that works with the weaning bowls and affixes to most flat surfaces.  No spills = happy me!  It rolls up for easy traveling, BPA free and easy to clean.  This is a great example of how their products are created for children and parents as well!

Some of the qualities that I like the most are they are BPA free, ergonomically shaped for little hands and fingers, microwavable, dishwasher and microwave safe, stackable for better storage and available in more than one color.  I also love the fact that their products are made to not spill, tip over and make extra messes.  This is a big bonus for me as they do well enough on their own in creating messes.  They are durable and my kids love them and so do I!


I haven't been able to wean her yet but she does like being a big girl!


Ready to take that jump over and try the Tommee Tippee product line?  You can find them at Toys R Us and Babies R Us!


You can also stay up to date on Tommee Tippee's Facebook page and Twitter.

Fogless Shower Mirror Review and Giveaway 8/25 - WINNER CLOSED

CONGRATULATIONS TO ...
lovelyritaann


An e-mail has been sent and Rita has 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen by random.org.


Thanks!

I've never owned a mirror that goes in the shower and often I think that my husband would definitely love to have one so he can see on those days when he showers.  I think the idea is wonderful and although not new, the technology is improving.  I received the Toilettree Products Fogless Shower Mirror for review and one for a giveaway.

This patent pending design easily affixes to your wall and is simple yet it works.  After following the easy to follow directions of applying it to your wall, simply remove the mirror from the base and fill the reservoir with hot water from your shower head and it's done!  The other nice features of this mirror is it's adjustable, it has a built-in shelf to store a razor, a squeegee is provided to wipe away water drops and it's shatter proof which I can vouch for as it's already been dropped twice and no cracks or damage.

  

Here is a tip I did not know about, according to the website, dermatologist recommends performing daily skin tasks while in the shower as the combination of heat and moisture provides the ideal environment for shaving, tweezing and cleansing.


All in all, I like the mirror and can't wait for my husband to return from Kuwait to try it out for himself.  If you would like to have one, this is a great choice given it's fog-free, adjustable and rust free.  It fits in to the current decor given it's sleek silver and black appearance.


You also get a money back guarantee and you can purchase the Fogless Shower Mirror with Squeegee by ToiletTree Products. Guaranteed Not to Fog, Designed Not to Fall straight from Amazon for only $29.95.

The Giveaway:


One reader will win their very own Fogless Shower Mirror!


To Enter:


Follow my blog and tell me what feature you like the most about the mirror.


Extra Entries:

• Follow ToiletTree on Twitter (two entries)
• Fan ToiletTree on Facebook (two entries)
• Tweet about this giveaway (two entries)
• Share this giveaway on Facebook (two entries)
• Blog about this giveaway (five entries)
• Subscribe to my blog (one entry)
• Follow me on Twitter (two entries)
• Fan me on Facebook (two entries)
• Enter any of my on-going giveaways (five entries)
• Vote for my daughter's Angels4Epilepsy Pepsi Refresh project (five entries)

Giveaway ends 8/25 at midnight - winner will be chosen via random.org.

US only please.

$30 Kroger or You-Name-It GC Giveaway 8/16: CLOSED WINNER

CONGRATULATIONS TO ...Mami2jcn!

I'm getting ready to send an e-mail and she has 48 hours to respond!  

Stay tuned, getting ready to start a new giveaway to get more votes for her!

Thanks to all who supported Jamie!

Here is an easy giveaway for you because I really want to see my daughter win a Pepsi Grant for her project Angels4Epilepsy.  In addition to my other giveaway of a $100 GC, Zhu Zhu Pets and more, you have a chance to also win a $30 Kroger GC or wherever you want!


To enter:


Just vote for my daughter by clicking the link below that reads "Vote for this Idea."   Once you click on the button, you have to either sign in via Pepsi or Facebook and then click on "Vote" once again.  You will receive a "thank you" upon a successful vote.


After you successfully voted, leave a comment on this post to be entered.


Extra Entries:

• Vote every day and leave the day you voted for three extra entries.
• Tweet "Please vote to give this idea 5K: 7 year old's Angels4Epilepsy project for children with epilepsy  #pepsirefresh http://pep.si/dCLJiA" and leave your Tweet url - worth two entries - can be done daily
• Blog about this giveaway (worth five entries) - post url
• Post on your Facebook page either by url from the Pepsi page or via the upload application on the Pepsi page after you vote for her - three entries - can be done daily
• Follow my blog (two entries)

Giveaway ends 8/16 at midnight and winner will be chosen via random.org.  Open to both US and Canada.

Boboli Pizza on the Grill: Excellent!

I finally had the chance to grill out a pizza and not only was it a fun activity for my kids and I to participate in, it was one of the best pizzas I've ever had.  We picked up our two complimentary Boboli Pizza Crusts this past weekend and today, grilled them.  We used one recipe on the wrapper and made a plain cheese one with the other.  We also decided to try the Boboli Pizza Sauce which is now my favorite sauce.

The directions are very easy:

1. Turn the grill on high for about 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Turn off one burner:  I turned off the middle one and kept the two sides on high.
3. The girls brush one side of the crust with Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil before I placed it on the grill and then I brushed the other side after I placed it on the grill. 
4. Remove from grill after allowing each side to cook for 2-4 minutes.
5. Place your desired toppings onto the pizza.
6. Grill for another 7 to 9 minutes and it's done.

It was so crispy and the taste was amazing.  It was partially the sauce as I'm very picky about my sauce having a particular taste.  I preferred the pizza we made with chicken, cilantro, Mexican cheese and onions over the plain cheese pizza.

All my children loved it!  I'm sure having them help make it encouraged them to eat their creations!

Thanks to Boboli for a chance to finally try grilling out with pizza.  For more information on Boboli, click here.

Follow Me Monday

Join me in the Follow Me on Monday!  It's a day early but you can still post now!


Have a great day and please vote for my 7 year old's project, Angels4Epilepsy, to help other children with epilepsy (click link or use the widget on the right hand side) - Thank you!

Link Up Your Giveaways Sunday

Love Is ...

Having your three year old singing to Taylor Swift's video of You Belong to Me to have her turn to you and say "I love you, mom"


Isn't it funny how such little things in life mean so much than any money or gift you can get?


Being a parent is such a gift of life that it's sad when others let it go without realizing that little inkling of time we are granted with them as children passes as quickly as a blink of an eye.  I am guilty of it myself in my younger days as I was working to get ahead in the pharmaceutical industry.  I don't have a ton of regrets as I was able to get my then only child many things she wanted while I was a single parent.  If I could turn back the clock, I would spend a little more time with her.  We had good memories of going to the mall after school and spending money, going out to dinner, going on vacation and spending time with her cousin who lived next door.


All those memories are priceless and I have tons of photos to prove it.  I think the older I get, I realize to savor all my time I can have with them.  When my job was running out, I was hit with many questions rushing me back into employment and I couldn't understand the rush.  Why not spend time with my children?  We aren't exactly in poverty as my husband feels we are so I would rather pass over the money to be with my kids.  

Life is about giving back not what you can get.  I am grateful my father taught me so much about giving, smiling, caring, nurturing and loving.  All qualities that I am passing on to my children.  It was four years ago this month that my father learned he had colon cancer and it's the third summer he's learned he's remission free. At 73, I'll take every extra year I can have with him.  Here is to you Dad!

Modnique is having some great sales if you are a Murano Glass, Oniss Paris, Spy Zone, Level 99 or Elvis Presley/Marilyn Monroe fans!

Modnique is having some great sales if you are a Murano Glass, Oniss Paris, Spy Zone, Level 99  or Elvis Presley/Marilyn Monroe fans!  Level 99 jeans normally $99 at just $28!  Great prices!

 

Zulily Medical Alert Bracelet for Kids Sale $19.99

This is a big one for me being that I have two smaller children with chronic medical conditions.  I have bought a couple before but these come with the USB which makes them perfect for sharing medical information to the doctors if something unexpected arises and they have to go to the ER.   I love the concept and will be purchasing two for my children and wanted to share this one!


They are water resistant, comes in many colors and sizes and are available at Zulily.