Show Your School Spirit With Crayola

Crayola has, once again, come out with some great new products and I'm thrilled to get to share them with you.

We received some fabric markers, perfect for decorating jeans, backpacks, and tshirts. These markers are designed so that the colors really pop when used on dark fabrics. We tried them first on Britain's black backpack. It's plain and we though it could use something to make it personalized and fun. Now I admit, writing on black is obviously iffy, but the box showed the markers working on black fabrics. I went over and over again on the line I was drawing before it (barely) showed up. Britain lost interest and decided he didn't want to decorate his backpack after all. I'm going to try again with some of the girls jeans and see how that does. I would love to also get the girls a pair of cheap, plain shoes from Wal-Mart and let them decorate some shoes. I think they would love that!

I love the new Wild Notes products. The Wild Notes products use a special pen. Instead of writing with a boring black or blue pen, this pen writes a rainbow of colors. I think I was probably supposed to give them to the kids, but I really didn't want to. So instead, I used them to write some notes and place them in the kids backpacks. The fun colors make even mundane tasks, like grocery lists, more enjoyable. 

I also received the Wild Notes Sticky Notes and Wild Notes Index Cards. The index cards and notebook are both spiral bound and the pages/cards are perforated for easy removal. Even Jaxon, at 19 months of age, is able to remove the pages without ripping them! He loves this notebook and pen, by the way and constantly steals it from me. He has a bad habit of writing on himself when he has a pen - I love that this pen does not allow him to do that. 

We also received the Dual-Sided Dry-Erase Board. It's about the size of an iPad, so it travels well. One side is black, the other side is white. The included dry erase crayons write in bright colors, so they work well on both sides of the board. There's a (machine washable) cloth for cleaning the board and a crayon sharpener.  

Finally, we received the Crystal Effects Window Markers and the Window Mega Markers. My kids adore window markers. We just use ours for fun drawing on windows & mirrors, but these would be great for decorating the minivan for a football game! Great way to show your school spirit! For all you homeschoolers out there, my kids have always loved practicing writing and math facts with these markers. Writing practice is more fun when you get to write on the windows! The Crystal Effects markers are very cool - the effect does not transfer well to a picture, but as we drew on the windows, the colors "crystallized" before our eyes. Very neat!

Thanks to the generosity of Crayola, one lucky reader will get a prize pack containing 6 Crayola products!

Publix Running Out? Run In. event and a giveaway!

I've written about my love for Publix several times before. I'm so happy that we have moved (more on that later!) and are now close enough to Publix to do all of our shopping there. 

One of the many great things about Publix are their "Running Out? Run In." events. During these events, you can take advantage of great savings on your favorite General Mills and Procter & Gamble, such as Cheerios, Charmin, and Crest. We are always running out of toilet paper, so I'm sure we'll be picking up some Charmin while we're at Publix this week. 

During this Running Out? Run In event, you will get a free gallon of milk when you purchase any 6 of the participating items like Tide Pods, Yoplait Yogurt Kids, or Trix!

Thanks to the good people at General Mills one of my readers will win a $25 Publix gift card. Enter using the super easy Rafflecopter form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Disclosure:  The Publix gift card, information, and additional gift pack has been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Mrs. Tuesday's Departure Book Blast - $100 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

Mrs. Tuesday's Departure Book Blast - $100 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway 

Meet Author Suzanne Anderson

I was born in Fort Lauderdale, attended the University of Michigan on an athletic scholarship for swimming and then worked on Wall Street. I left the bright lights of the big city fifteen years ago and traveled the world. I now live in the mountains of Colorado, where I pursue my dream of writing novels.

LINKS:
Website: http://www.suzanneanderson.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Suzanne-Anderson-Author-Page/201662786512944
Twitter: https://twitter.com/seakiev

Mrs. Tuesday's Departure

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for…
Hungary's fragile alliance with Germany kept Natalie, a renowned children’s book author, and her family out of harm's way for most of the war. Now as the Führer's desperation grows during the waning years of the conflict, so does its threat. Natalie's younger sister, Ilona, married a Jewish man, putting both her and her young daughter, Mila, in peril; Natalie's twin sister, Anna, is losing her already tenuous hold on reality. As the streets of Budapest thrum with the pounding boots of Nazi soldiers, danger creeps to the doorstep where Natalie shields them all.
Ilona and her husband take the last two tickets to safety for themselves, abandoning Natalie to protect Anna and Mila from the encroaching danger. Anna's paranoid explosion at a university where she was once a professor, sparked by delusions over an imagined love triangle, threatens their only other chance for escape. Ultimately, Natalie is presented with a choice no one should ever have to make; which of her family will she save?
An inspirational story of faith and family, strength and weakness, and the ultimate triumph of love over hate. Mrs. Tuesday’s Departure demonstrates the power of faith to light even the most harrowing darkness.
... faith is the evidence of things not seen.

I love reading historical fiction set during World War II, so I'm really looking forward to reading Mrs. Tuesday's Departure. Does this look like a book you'd be interested in? Enter to win the $100 Amazon code below and you'll be able to purchase this book and many more! 

Giveaway Details:
$100 Amazon Gift Code
Ends 8/21/12


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent's permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Hot Fluff Cool Baby Cloth Diaper Giveaway Event!

Welcome to the Hot Fluff Cool Baby Cloth Diaper Giveaway! This awesome cloth diaper stash starter event is sponsored by Greenie Beanie Bottoms and hosted by Just Add Cloth, along with over 75 wonderful and influential bloggers who all love cloth! Cloth diapering is a great way to reduce waste, help our planet, and save money. Cloth diapers are hot items and cool for your baby! Not only are cloth diapers more breathable in warm weather, but they make adorable accessories in summer! Simply pair a cute shirt with an adorable diaper and you've got an outfit!

Starting your stash can be daunting, so this prize from Greenie Beanie Bottoms is a great way to get a variety of diapers to try out. Greenie Beanie Bottoms is an online retailer of cloth diapers, accessories, amber teething jewelry, and reusable menstrual and nursing pads. They offer totally free shipping for all orders in the U.S. and low flat rate shipping to Canada.

Now on to the prize!

Our Hot Fluff Cool Baby cloth diaper prize comprises everything you need to get started with cloth!

 

One lucky winner will receive:

2 Happy Heinys One Size pocket diapers

2 Wahmies Deluxe One Size pocket diapers

2 Drybees All-In-One cloth diapers

2 Oh Katy One Size Pocket diapers

2 Tweedle Bugs One Size pocket diapers

A dozen Tiny Tush Perfect Wipes

A Knickerknappies Hanging Diaper Pail /wet bag

2 Pairs Agoo baby leg Warmers

A Wolbybug wet bag

A jar of LuSa Organics booty balm

5 Fold-to-Fit Bamboo inserts by the Cloth Diaper Company

2 Happy Heinys One Size diaper covers

That's 10 pocket diapers in winner's choice of colors and closures, two wet bags, 12 cloth wipes, two pairs of baby leg warmers, diaper cream, two diaper covers, and five bamboo terry cloth inserts, bringing the grand prize total to over $300!!

With 15 diaper changes and accessories to match, this is a great beginner stash for anyone just starting out in cloth diapering. It's also a great way to add to your existing stash or to try out some new brands of diapers you haven't used before. 


This giveaway runs from 12:01AM July 16 through 11:59PM July 31, EST. It is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada. Must be 18 or older. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Entering means you agree to the terms and conditions stated in the form. Entering is easy! Simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

*The participating blogs are not responsible if sponsor fails to provide prize. Bloggers did not receive review items or compensation for this event. 

Bloggers: Sign Up For the Free "Carry Me Please" Ergo Giveaway Event!

Bloggers: don't miss your chance to sign up for the "Carry Me Please" giveaway event at Tailor Made Momma.

The event runs from May 12-26, and the winner will have their choice of an Ergo or Pikkolo carrier!

Sign-ups close on May 10th.

Any questions, email tailormademomma@gmail.com.

$100 Amazon Gift Code Giveaway

Welcome to the Team Abnegation $100 Gift Code Giveaway.  During the month of April, HarperTeen is promoting the release of the book Insurgent by Veronica Roth. This giveaway was organized to help promote the release of that book. To learn more about this book series please visit the Publisher's Website: http://bit.ly/GQFqbF.


To enter to win a $100 Amazon Gift Code, use the rafflecopter below. You have many chances to win and can enter daily from now until April 22nd.

Publix Best Meals Happen at Home Event + $25 Gift Card Giveaway!

I love Publix. We don't have one close enough to us, so I have to drive 45+ minutes to get to Publix. But it's so worth it. If you have a Publix near you and aren't shopping there, you need to start. Not only is Publix a great place to shop, it's also a great place to save. They run weekly specials and Buy One, Get One deals that are very cool!


During the Best Meals Happen at Home event, you'll find great savings on your favorite participating brands like Pillsbury, Cheerios, Betty Crocker, Campbell's, and Bertolli. The even runs March 8-14th. You'll find valuable in-store coupons that are valid through March 28, 2012. I was provided a gift card to shop at Publix and so Jaxon and I made a trip there last night to check out the great savings during this event.

Upon entering the store, we found this great display. It had store coupons, pictures of featured recipes, and a QR reader to scan to go straight to the Best Meals Happen at home site. I love it when Publix hands out store coupons!  Publix allows you to stack store coupons and manufacturer coupons. One of the store coupons on the display is for $1.50 off of 2 Prego jarred spaghetti sauce. When that coupon is combined with the .50/off of 2 Prego jarred spaghetti sauce I already had, it's an especially great deal, especially since my Publix doubles manufacturer coupons to .50 (check with your local Publix to see if yours does this as well). I picked up two jars of Prego spaghetti sauce for a total of $1.56! Since Publix also had pasta on a buy one get one special, I also picked up a couple of boxes of spaghetti noodles (total of $1.17), so we're set for a couple of spaghetti dinners. Some of the other coupons on the display were $1 off a box of Chex cereal, $2 off Bertolli frozen meals or soups, and $1 off a bottle of Wish Bone dressing.  


Want to get in on the savings? You can visit BestMealsAtHome.com to sign up. You'll receive emails with weekly recipes and exclusive coupon offers. You could save up to $200 this year! Some of the recipes on the site look great. I saw this recipe for Tuscan Glazed Chicken on the store display and I had to look it up when I got home. It looks so good!

Be sure and like the Best Meals Happen at Home Facebook page to stay updated on all the great meal ideas and coupons. 

Want to win a $25 gift card to Publix? Of course you do! Enter using the super easy Rafflecopter form below!

Frosted Toast Crunch Review & Giveaway

My kids love Cinnamon Toast Crunch - it's the cereal that they request for me to buy most often. So when I was given the opportunity to review the new Frosted Toast Crunch cereal from General Mills, I was pretty sure they would like it. 

We were sent a box of Frosted Toast Crunch, a frosted pitcher, a spilt milk bowl, and a lickety spoon. The bowl and spoon were an instant hit and I had to let them know that they would have to take turns with them. The bowl makes it look like the milk is spilling, and the spoon makes it look like you are sticking out your tongue when the spoon is in your mouth.

Britain took the first turn with the bowl and spoon and he immediately fell in love with the Frosted Toast Crunch. He's eaten it every morning since! Alex also tried the cereal and while she liked it, she didn't like it as much as Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I don't eat cereal very much, but I also tried it and liked it. I thought it was great straight from the box as a snack. It has a nice sweet vanilla flavor with just a hint of cinnamon.


Jaxon also tried the cereal and he LOVED it. I was a little surprised. I've never given him anything like this, but since these squares are not quite as crispy as Cinnamon Toast Crunch, I thought he would be able to eat these. He did well with them and loved being able to eat the same thing that the big kids were eating.

With 11 grams of whole grains and only 9 grams of sugar, this is a cereal that you can feel good about serving. It's also a good source of calcium and your kids will love it! 

One lucky reader will have the chance to win the same package I received!

Winners!

Congratulations to Mehera who won the Babybond giveaway! Congratulations to Julia who won the Lovable Labels giveaway! I hope you both enjoy your prizes!

Fuzzibunz Giveaway

I'm giving away a Fuzzibunz one size cloth diaper in Buttercream! It's really easy to enter using Rafflecopter!

Prefense Review and Giveaway

I will admit I'm a little bit of a germaphobe. I wasn't like this before I had kids. But I hate when the kids are sick, and so I try to do everything I can to keep them from picking up illness. I've been especially concerned since Jaxon has been here.  We are always on the go and the kids have ample opportunities to pick up germs from their friends, playground equipment and public restrooms. I'm always reminding them to wash their hands and I normally carry alcohol based hand sanitizer with me and dispense it as necessary.  


So, naturally, when I discovered Prefense I was intrigued. Prefense contains no alcohol and  and lasts all day, up to 24 hours or 10 hand washings. Isn't that amazing? The active ingredient in Prefense is AMOSILQ. I looked this ingredient up - it is serious stuff! I found out that hospitals use AMOSILQ to prevent the spread of MRSA, so you know it must be pretty powerful, yet it's non-toxic and safe for kids. Once applied, Prefense kills germs on contact and forms an invisible barrier on the skin to protect from new germs for up to 24 hours or 10 hand washings. This is the perfect thing to have your kids apply to their hands before they leave for school each morning! 

We received the 1.5 oz bottle of Prefense and we really like it. The bottle is a good size. It's great for the diaper bag or your purse. While 1.5 oz may not sound like a lot, it contains 120 sprays. Since you only need 1 spray a day, it will last you a while. It's colorless, doesn't stain clothes, and has a light pleasant smell (my kids said it smelled somewhat citrusy). My husband is very sensitive to perfumes and he was surprised to find that he did not mind the smell of Prefense. Prefense also contains botanicals that soothe dry skin and prevent chapping. 


The only downside I've found to using Prefense is that now when I tell my kids to wash their hands, they don't want to. They just tell me that they have the "germ free all day" stuff on their hands. I keep telling them that while it may keep their hands germ free, it doesn't keep them chocolate free, dirt free, or spaghetti sauce free! We will be taking Prefense with us on our trip to Disney World. I'm looking forward to keeping everyone well with the help of Prefense. 


The 1.5 oz bottle of Prefense retails for $6.99, but right now you can get a combo pack that contains the 1.5 oz bottle AND a container of hand and face sanitizing wipes for just $7.99! That's a great deal that would normally cost you almost $14. You can purchase Prefense products from Amazon but you can get great deals, like the combo I mentioned, by purchasing directly from Prefense.

Want to try it before you buy it? You can win the big 8 oz bottle here (good for 640 sprays!). Enter using Rafflecopter below!

Zutano

Have you heard of Zutano? Zutano makes the cutest kids and baby clothes. Their clothes are soft and come in sweet, adorable prints. Each print has at least one   coordinating stripe and several coordinating solids. This allows for lots of mixing and matching so that your little one can have their own unique look. Check out these super sweet styles:

I love Zutano! That's why I'm super excited about the giveaway that "The Bragging Mommy" is hosting. It's for a $75 gift card to Zutano. Head on over and enter if you'd like a chance to win!