SmartLab Snap Fashion Jewelry Kits Review & Giveaway 5/18 - WINNER CLOSED

 CONGRATULATIONS TO ...

Linda Henderson said...

I am an email subscriber.

seriousreader at live dot com

May 15, 2011 12:49 PM 

An e-mail has been sent and she has 48 hours to respond before a new winner is selected via random.org.  Thanks to all those who entered!  Thanks to SmartLab for sponsoring!

Kids love to make things and girls especially love to make jewelry.  When they can make jewelry of their own design it not only is fun but it triggers creativity.  I love anything that can promote a desire to try something new and an ability to put themselves into a project.  To have a complete project in a box that allows my children to create an array of different items is also a win-win.  SmartLab created the Snap Jewelry Fashion Studio that makes rings, necklaces, barrettes and more.  The kit includes:


Includes: 
• Customizable snap maker 
• 25 domes and backs to cover with fabric 
• 5 necklace and bracelet snaps 
• 2 snap rings 
• Necklace with hook and clasp 
• Charm attachment 
• 16 1.5" precut fabric circles (8 styles, 2 each) 
• 12" ribbon 
• 12 birthstone gems 
• 5 ml bottle of glue
• 24-page book bedazzled with ideas

 

The book has some really cool projects which to me, completes or makes the kit.  The concept is easy with the precut fabric circles, domes and snaps.  The customizable snap maker was a neat little tool that allowed them to make their cool designs.  They did have trouble with the final step of putting the snap together as they weren't strong enough so I had to help them with that.  They had fun and were excited to make their own jewelry.  I think it's a great idea and I'm pretty sure my older nieces would LOVE it!

Snap Fashion Jewelry is available for $24.99 here at SmartLab Toys, Amazon.com and select retailers.  They also have free download-able activities for kids here.

Right now, SmartLab is giving Health, Beauty, Children and Family readers a 25% discount at www.smartlabtoys.com  by using the code BLOGBUZZ at checkout.  Offer expires 6/30/11.

To Enter: 

Follow my blog and visit SmartLab Toys and leave a comment on this post telling me which toy you'd like to win.

Extra Entries:

•  Like SmartLab Toys on Facebook
• Follow SmartLab Toys on Twitter
• Subscribe to my blog
• Follow me on Twitter
• Like me on Facebook
• Tweet about this giveaway (can be done daily for two entries)
• Blog about this giveaway (can be done twice at least 7 days apart for five entries)
• Enter any of my other giveaways (five entries)

Giveaway ends 5/18 at midnight (EST) - Winner will be selected via random.org


US only please

This is a mamabuzz review.  I received the snap fashion jewelry studio from smartlab toys for the purpose of this review.  

Pampers' Little Miracle Mission & $50 GC Giveaway Challenge 5/18 - WINNER CLOSED

CONGRATULATIONS TO ...

Cynthia Mock said...

Let's see...Liked the Pampers page, entered my daughter in their contest, tweeted, follow you everywhere! I want to win this for my daughter since she has 3 in diapers!

May 3, 2011 10:17 PM 

An e-mail has been sent and Cynthia has 48 hours to respond before a new winner has been selected via random.org.  Thanks to all those who entered and thanks to Pampers for offering such a great campaign!

I gave my card to a mother who is just starting back to school and is a single mom.

In today's world and economy, little acts of random kindness can mean more than one can imagine.  It could lift up someone's spirits, bring a smile to an unsuspecting face or even save the day.  I wholeheartedly believe in the concept of paying it forward.  Now Pampers has set the challenge called Little Miracle Mission and you can participate!  I find this program extremely exciting as how wonderful it is to help someone out and thanks to Pampers, you don't have to pay a dime!  Even without this great program, I hope others are encouraged to give back at anytime.


Little Miracle Mission started the week of April 11th and is committed to celebrating babies by providing over 30,000 care packages to families and babies in the NICU.  This is special to me as my youngest was in the NICU and later in the PICU a couple of times.   This program encourages others to help one another in fun, unexpected ways.  They will even provide suggestions to support little miracles.  I already have tons of ideas rushing through my head on how I will pay it forward with my complimentary $50 gift card.


Once you finish a mission, you can also enter their sweepstakes for a chance to win diapers and wipes for a year.  Don't have a child in diapers?  You can pay it forward again!


There are other ways you can participate such as clicking the "Like" button on the Pampers' Facebook page and committing to help by clicking here.  If they get 2,500 commitments to complete a mission, Pampers will throw over 1,000 baby showers across the country for expectant mothers!



Stay tuned to find out what I'm doing once I receive my card!


Check out this video:

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To enter to win your own $50 Gift Card to use for supporting your own local miracle, follow my blog and tell me what you will use the $50 Gift Card for if you win.

Extra Entries:

• Like the Pampers' Little Miracle Mission and commit to participate - three entries
• Subscribe to my blog
• Follow me on Twitter
• Like me on Facebook
• Tweet about this giveaway (can be done daily for two entries)
• Blog about this giveaway (can be done twice at least 7 days apart for five entries)
• Enter any of my other giveaways (five entries)

Giveaway ends 5/18 at midnight (EST) - Winner will be selected via random.org


US only please

*** BONUS ENTRY OPPORTUNITY ***

Vote daily for this Pepsi Refresh idea, Send Kids with Muscular Dystrophy to Camp and you can have two extra votes a day for each or all my on-going giveaways.

3 DVD Set Thomas the Train Play Date Pack Review & Giveaway 5/18 - WINNER CLOSED

CONGRATULATIONS TO ...

agatewood1 said...

http://twitter.com/#!/shuggysmommy/status/70477383072882689

daily tweet

agatewood1@ymail.com

2

May 17, 2011 9:15 AM 

An e-mail has been sent and she has 48 hours to respond before a new winner is selected via random.org. Thanks to all those who entered!

Thomas & Friends new three DVD Set titled Play Date Pack was released by Liongate and HIT Entertainment in April and this great three set series is a great deal at only $15.98 at Liongate Shop.  It's 420 minutes of fun with Thomas and his friends, James, Gordon, Percy all the other engine friends.  We watched the three DVDs and the kids loved the songs and games.  Thomas invokes children to use their imagination and have fun playing on magic carpets to races and more.  The Sir Topham Hatt's Railway provides the hidden learning experience they don't realize as they are too busy laughing, singing and having fun.



I like the idea they are learning as they watch different episodes of getting alone, working together and getting a job done.  My kids, like most if not all, fight all the time with each other so if they can watch and see that others do as well but learn from it, it's a win-win for me.  They really loved this collection and it will remain on our shelves for the long run.


Collection and special features include:

• IT'S GREAT TO BE AN ENGINE!
• Read-Along
• If You Were An Engine Trivia Game
• Cargo Challenge
• THOMAS' SODOR CELEBRATION!
• Read-Along
• Character Gallery
• Storybook Adventure With Games
• CALLING ALL ENGINES!
• Read-Along
• Calling All Engines Game
• Sing-Along

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To Enter:


Follow my blog and let me know who your child's favorite character is from Thomas.


Extra Entries:

• Subscribe to my blog
• Follow me on Twitter
• Like me on Facebook
• Tweet about this giveaway (can be done daily for two entries)
• Blog about this giveaway (can be done twice at least 7 days apart for five entries)
• Enter any of my other giveaways (five entries)

Giveaway ends 5/18 at midnight (EST) - Winner will be selected via random.org


US only please

*** BONUS ENTRY OPPORTUNITY ***

Vote daily for this Pepsi Refresh idea, Send Kids with Muscular Dystrophy to Camp and you can have two extra votes a day for each or all my on-going giveaways.

3 DVD Set Play Date Pack with Barney Giveaway 5/18 - WINNER CLOSED

CONGRATULATIONS TO ...

Valerie said...

blog subscriber

vjsweeley at gmail dot com

May 3, 2011 6:11 PM 

An e-mail has been sent to Valerie and she has 48 hours to respond before a new winner is selected via random.org.  Thanks to all those who entered!

Liongate and HIT Entertainment released this great three DVD set titled Barney: Play Date Pack and what small child can resist Barney the purple dinosaur?  My three year old loves Barney and my other two older children grew up with that catchy, singing, educational dinosaur.  Let’s Pretend With Barney, Can You Sing That Song and Come on Over to Barney’s House, Barney, B.J.™ and Baby Bop™ in a three DVD set that is inexpensively priced at only $15.98 at Liongate shop!


My kids have huge imagination and watching the Barney collections is perfect since pretend play is huge with the themes of each episode.  This three pack allows your child to imagine and experience the fun with building their own airplane, visiting a tropical island adventure, sing along to catchy, groovy tunes and just minutes of fun at Barney's house.  The imagination aspect is what draws my children to the show along with the cast of other children and the fun songs.

The set includes the following three DVDs:

• Let’s Pretend with Barney
• Can You Sing That Song
• Come On Over to Barney’s House

BONUS FEATURES

• Barney’s Jukebox
• Barney’s “Loop De Loop” Counting Game
• 2 Read-Alongs
• Barney’s Game Show “Can You Sing That Song?”
• Behind the Scenes with the Dinos and the Cast
• Barney’s Gumdrop Games
• Barney’s Bonus Episode Who’s Your Neighbor
• Music Video – “The Barney Boogie”
• Bonus Episode – Bob the Builder “Muck Gets Stuck”
• DVD-Rom Fun

It's a powerhouse of fun at a very low cost AND one of my readers will get a chance to win their very own 3 DVD set!

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To Enter:

Follow my blog and let me know who your child's favorite character is from Barney.

Extra Entries:

• Subscribe to my blog
• Follow me on Twitter
• Like me on Facebook
• Tweet about this giveaway (can be done daily for two entries)
• Blog about this giveaway (can be done twice at least 7 days apart for five entries)
• Enter any of my other giveaways (five entries)

Giveaway ends 5/18 at midnight (EST) - Winner will be selected via random.org


US only please

*** BONUS ENTRY OPPORTUNITY ***

Vote daily for this Pepsi Refresh idea, Send Kids with Muscular Dystrophy to Camp and you can have two extra votes a day for each or all my on-going giveaways.

Mamavation - Week Five

Today was weigh in day is for my family and I.  I started a weight loss challenge with my family trying to motivate them into getting healthier.  It was definitely inspired by Mamavation.  It started January 1st and I went up and down but once April 8th hit, I became serious along with my oldest.  Since April 8th, I've lost 16 pounds with watching what I ate and exercising.  My daughter lost 13 pounds  Combined in my family, we lost 50 pounds since January 1st.  This week's Mamavation Monday is about transformation and this is definitely what I'm seeing with 16 pounds lost.  My face is thinning, I dropped a size and I feel so much more confident and happier.  It's definitely the beginning to my overall transformation of being healthy for a long time.

With two major health concerns I'm facing that I keep putting off, I know that if I take care of myself from a healthy eating perspective, it might offset the outcome of the other two conditions.  I am so very proud of my eight year old who is opting for water instead of soda and apple slices versus french fries.  She's getting it and being an epileptic, the more I can influence healthier habits, she might offset a seizure.  My youngest, three, still has a way to go but my oldest is there.  I know this is all attributed to myself and I can put it also on the first time I joined Mamavation and again, no.  It's great to have the support network and it's therapeutic to write in a "journal" weekly.

So this is the end of week five and I'm looking forward to seeing what the week has in store as I try to pick up the level of exercising and watching what I eat.  My husband returned from Kuwait today and we're about to embark on a week vacation to Disney and then a cross country trip to Texas for his new orders.  What better way to continue the year?

Happy Monday, Mamavation Moms!

This week's blogging carnival is:

How do you reward yourself after you have worked hard towards a goal?  Do you have any pampering rewards thought out for future goals?


Unfortunately, I'm still not there with choosing healthy rewards as I ate two pieces of pizza for my reward of 16 pounds and two small pieces of chocolate.  I should have opted for a manicure, facial, clothing or something healthier but I know I will get there.  I still have a little way to go and my reward is waiting for me in the form of two bathing suits that I'll be able to wear at our new house that has a pool.  As I continue, I have been pampering my face as it all is part of being healthy.  I gravitate towards products that are good for my skin and body and avoid toxic ingredients such as what Tilvee has.

I've not tried Tilvee but after looking at the website, I'm definitely interested in learning more and trying out their products.


I wrote this blog post while participating in the Mamavation Blogging Carnival for a chance to win a Eco Ethical Skincare Basket from Tilvee.

Post Kuwait & Good Riddance to bin Laden

I just realized that I didn't take a single picture but my husband returned from Kuwait today after being deployed a year.  He was exhausted yet stayed up through the day and night to spend time with us.  He caught all his flights but his bag didn't so he was disappointed since there were gifts in there.  It was interesting to watch my three year appear a little unsure about the situation when seeing him again at the airport.  He's been gone almost half her life between Iraq and Kuwait so it's been tough I'm sure but her love for him has never wavered.  This holds true for my eight year.  They adore their father so this was a very good day for them.  Life in the military is tough for kids between the deployments and moves.  We are getting ready to move our third time in four years.

I just woke him up since I figured his work in the wars were finally paid off when the major objective of getting rid of bin Laden finally happened.  He perked up in his half sleep and was happy to hear.  Being that he's in intelligence, he might have known already.  I would like to celebrate knowing such an evil man is gone but I also fear the retribution we might suffer as they will have yet another excuse to target us.  Nonetheless, my gratitude to our military is just as profound as it's always been and I'm proud to be a military wife and especially proud to be an American.

Unplanned: The Dramatic True Story of a Former Planned Parenthood Leaders' Eye-Opening Journey - DVD Review & Giveaway 5/15 WINNER CLOSED

CONGRATULATIONS TO ...

Aileen said...

I follow your blog and plan on donating this to the local library. arobimom at gmail dot com

May 15, 2011 5:51 AM 

An e-mail has been sent.  Thanks for entering!

Sometimes events and decisions in our lives are not understood until a later day.  We arrive at decisions that might be changed once more is learned.  In the DVD, Unplanned: The Dramatic True Story of a Former Planned Parenthood Leaders' Eye-Opening Journey on DVD by Abby Johnson and Cindy Lambert, it tells a true story how a high ranking local ex-Planned Parenthood leader starts out on a crusade to help fellow women without fully understanding the whole picture.  It chronicles the day to day life of this one woman, Abby Johnson and how she started out with the Planned Parenthood agency to the point where she realized she was in the wrong field.

The story provides glimpses into Abby's family and her strong Christian upbringing, her personal life and decisions that would shape her decisions as she progresses through life.  It also provides an inside look into pro-life groups and their mission and process.  The story eventually unfolds to her unexpected participation in an abortion that shifted her entire life afterwards.  It's a great story and informative as it provides both sides of the abortion debate from an ex-Planned Parenthood employee to volunteers and employees from Coalition for Life.  I already had researched methods of abortion so the details were not as shocking as it might be to someone who truly does not understand what an abortion entails.  Being pro-life, I think it's a great documentary for anyone to watch.  What I liked the most about this story is the respect that the Coalition for Life volunteers had for Abby when she was a Planned Parenthood employee.  

Released May 15, 2011 by Tyndale House on DVD.

_____________________________

The Giveaway:

One reader will win a certificate for a free copy of Unplanned DVD.

To Enter:


Follow my blog and leave a comment.

Extra Entries:

• Fan Tyndale House on Facebook
• Follow Tyndale House on Twitter

Giveaway ends 5/15 at midnight (EST) - Winner chosen via random.org - US Only Please


*Disclaimer:  I received a complimentary copy of the DVD for the purposes of this review and giveaway.

Dressing Your Little Princess at AdorableBabyClothing

The world is abuzz with William and Catherine's wedding and although some thought it was a tad bit over the top to spend so much money and coverage, I think some might be missing the point.  If you aren't into the idea of a monarchy, you will definitely agree it was over the top.  I'm half English so maybe I'm a bit intrigued or interested in it due to that or maybe because I love England and can't wait to go back.  Either way, this was a big deal for England as William will be king one day.  It doesn't happen often and it seems from all media accounts that William is a wonderful person with his charitable work, his military service and how he can easily talk to what they call the "commoners."  Once the Queen passes, Charles is next in line but since he's already fairly old and they suspect the Queen will live another 10 to 15 years, Charles won't have long in the throne if at all.  This leaves William who will rule England one day.

My three year old insisted on dressing up for the occasion and she even has her tiny little hat on:

So with all that I enjoyed of the ceremony, I was on FB sending comments back and forth with Cynthia, the momprenuer of AdorableBabyClothing.com.  She is what the English would call a lovely lady and much more.  Not only is she a friend of mine thanks to social media, she has this incredible online store full of amazing clothing for children.  I'm a regular buyer for our special occasions and holidays.  I can't help but to dress up my girls as I only have so much time before they make me stop.  She also carries every day clothing, toys and more and specializes in special occasion clothing especially for weddings.

In honor of the Royal wedding, here are some ideas if your little one is a princess too:

 

 

 

  

 

  

To find all of these and many more, just search for "princess" on her site at www.adorablebabyclothing.com and you will see pages of items to make your little one be the princess she is!

flipflop Wine Review

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Summertime conjures up thoughts of sitting outside, sipping wine and enjoying the relaxation of a smooth tasting bottle.  I've never heard of flipflop wines so I was interested in receiving a complimentary sample to share with my readers which will be coming soon!  I decided to post ahead because flipflop wines participates in a pay-it-forward mentality which I love.  For every bottle of wine sold, Sales4Souls will distribute a pair of shoes to someone in need.



If you are like me and were unfamiliar with flipflop wines, they have a variety of different flavors to appeal to most everyone:

1. Chardonnay
2. Riesling
3. Pinot Grigio
4. Moscato
5. Cabernet Sauvignon
6. Merlot
7. Pinot Noir

Another true test of a good wine are the awards they have received and that they have.  In 2011, alone, they have received many which you can check out here to find out more.

About flipflop wines:

David Georges, Vintner

"While working at an organic vegetable farm in the Mt. Shasta region of California, David discovered the art of grape growing. After planting a small vineyard on the farm, he was fascinated with wine, from managing the vineyard to tasting the fruits of his labor. Inspired to learn more, David attended the University of California at Davis first to study viticulture, and then added  winemaking coursework as well. David honed his winemaking skills at well-known California wineries including Artesa and Davis Bynum.

In 2009, David began working on the wines that would become the inaugural vintage of flipflop. His goal is to stay true to each wine’s varietal character, and to make great tasting wines that don’t break the bank."

  

Stay tuned for a review and for more information, you can "like" on Facebook here, on Twitter here or check out YouTube here.