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Friday, May 31, 2013

Pottery Time: Toothpick Holder


I made this pottery toothpick holder for my husband for his birthday. I like to make some gifts and sometimes struggle with stuff for guys, but this one was a no-brainer. My husband loves his toothpicks after a meal and since he is often eating lunch at his desk, I thought he could use a toothpick holder. I didn't want just a cup-like one, I wanted something a little more artistic and so I came up with this design.

I made it my slab rolling clay and hand building. After I slab rolled out my clay I cut out a circle of clay and began to form it together with having the center being pressed in and together and having the sides be raised (can't have the toothpicks falling out!). I thought it turned out pretty nice and was a good idea for a guys gift for birthday, Father's Day or Christmas.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Thrifty Thursday: Keep Tires Properly Inflated



Keep tires properly inflated to avoid premature wear and tear, as well as mileage loss. Under-inflated tires can waste 5%-10% more fuel and cause tire blow-outs, which can cause an accident.


Often it will say on the tire what the pressure should be, but that can be hard to see. On my truck I can also find it it on the driver side door sticker, as well as on a sticker behind the door where my gas cap is.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

GIVEAWAY and Review: Pressureze All Natural Nasal Spray



I was very interested in reviewing Pressureze so that I could have my husband try out a product that he might be very interested in. He is a faithful Neti Pot user when he has allergies or gets any kind of head cold or sinus issues. Pressureze is like using a Neti Pot in that uses saline, but with Pressureze the saline is already mixed and at the proper pH level. Since we have had a late winter in MN (our last snowstorm was over a foot of snow at the beginning of May) and a rainy spring, he has not needed help with allergy relief yet, but he will be taking it with his this weekend when he goes on his guys' weekend fishing trip up north.

My husband does travel often for work and I was not aware that people uses a product like Pressureze for altitude changes for ear pressure relief. Usually when he has problems with altitude changes it is because there is an existing sinus problem and if he is at home he can remedy that, but that is not the case when he is traveling, or at least until now.

Pressureze comes in a convenient 2 oz. size, so it is under the airline safety requirements and can be packed in your allotted one quart bag and brought in your carry-on luggage with you while traveling. So, now if he is having issues while traveling for work or while in air, he can have it with him at all times.


Here he is demonstrating how he uses Pressureze. He has found for him that if he uses it with head tilted to the side it is the most efficient position for him. To use Pressureze, just spray the mist 3 times , wait 30 seconds and then blow your nose and repeat if needed.

Pressureze is all natural nasal spray and free of drugs, preservatives and chemicals. The only thing it contains is salt and purified water. The label on this product says it is safe for all ages. This product is non-addictive and can be used daily.

CLICK HERE to buy Pressureze! Shipping is free with the purchase of 3 or more bottles!


ONE LUCKY READER WILL WIN BOTTLE OF PRESSUREZE!!!
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I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Wordless Wednesday: Happy Swinging Boy

Thanks for stopping by my Wordless Wednesday. I am going to suspend my WW Linky for a few weeks because I don't have time to return signing up on linkys, but I will still share some pictures with you every week and will let you know when I am able to host a linky again. May & June are just very busy for our family.

Happy Swinging Boy






Tuesday, May 28, 2013

GIVEAWAY: Space Warriors Blu-Ray + DVD + Digitial Combo


I have to give kudos to anyone that can go to space or survive space camp. I start to get dizzy just playing Ring Around the Rosie with my kids, but if you want the chance for your family to go to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center's Space Camp, then you better not miss watching Space Warriors on the Hallmark Channel on 5/31 at 8/7C so that you can get the secret word that you need to enter. You can check out the trailer to Space Warriors too!



Take the Quiz "How Spacey Are You?" and see just how well you know some space facts and Let Me Know How You Scored!!! I am an Astounding Awesome Astronaut. Although, you still won't catch me going in to space. My heart skips a beat just when I watch movies where people look over the edge of a building.



About Space Warriors: Six highly skilled teenagers are handpicked to be part of a summer space camp competition at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. As the competition heats up, the kids have no idea that their ultimate challenge will be to solve a life or death crisis aboard the International Space Station as the world anxiously watches. Starring: Thomas Horn, Danny Glover, Josh Lucas, Dermot Mulroney, Mira Sorvino and Booboo Stewart. Space Warriors is the second film in the Walden Family Theater original lineup featuring great family entertainment, airing Friday nights exclusively on Hallmark Channel. Walden Family Theater is creating films for the whole family to enjoy together, so make sure to mark your calendars and gather around the television to watch all the great upcoming films!

ONE LUCKY READER WILL WIN THE SPACE WARRIORS BLU-RAY/DVD/DIGITAL COMBO PACK!!!!!
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I am working with Walden Theatres for this giveaway. I received no monetary compensation and did not receive anything to review. Only products received by the winner will be given out.

Bet On Your Baby! and LUVS GIVEAWAY



  Bet on You Baby is a new Game Show that will air on Saturdays 8/7C on ABC. Take the Challenge below and see how many you can get correct. I scored a 57%, but it says the average is 43%. Can you beat my score? What is your score?

On the game show, parents will play with their toddlers and bet on what the baby will do next. They are competing to win $5,000 in college tuition money and a chance to play for $50,000. Do you know your baby well enough to bet on them to try to win money for college?

 

Even if you don't win at Bet on Your Baby, you can win a 3-pack of Coupons for LUVS Diapers!!!!


ENTER RAFFLECOPTER FORM BELOW!!!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

I did not receive any compensation and will not be receiving any product to review. This post was simply created to help promote the game show and give my readers a chance to win.

GIVEAWAY and Review: Mustache Cookie Cutter Set




This was such a fun product to do a review on. I was given a set of 3 mustache cookie cutters from Fuzzy Ink to review on this blog. I chose to review them for their intended purpose which is as cookie cutters, but we also use cookie cutters for playing with play dough and making fun pancake shapes (we cut them out after I make them - us parents eat the "leftovers" while the kids eat the fun shapes.) I am sure we will use these cookie cutters for those purposes as well.

I used candy sticks (or cake pop sticks) and inserted them immediately when I took out the cookies from the oven to make them in to cookies that we could hold up to our upper lips. We did share some of our mustache cookies with our neighbors. They were too fun not to share. I decorated them using my Royal Icing Recipe and some sprinkles.

You can see there that are 3 different shapes for these mustache cookie cutters. They are all made of 100% stainless steel. They are a sturdy cookie cutter and cut through the dough nicely and cleanly. My son helped me with the cookie cutting part and they were easy to use. They measure about 4"x1.25"x1.5", give or take a little depending upon the mustache shape. Also, $5 from the sale of these cookie cutters go to the Movember Foundation, which helps raise awareness and funds for mens' health issues, specifically prostate and testicular cancer initiatives.

Don't you think this is a fun way to support Movember or just fun any time of the year? Who would you make mustache cookies for?

ONE LUCKY READER WILL WIN THEIR OWN SET OF MUSTACHE COOKIE CUTTERS FROM FUZZY INK

Enter Rafflecopter Form Below




a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Try It Tuesday: Create Your Own Personalized Wreath


Making your own wreath is as simple as buying a grapevine wreath, some artificial flowers, a wooden letter and some hot glue.

I like to have a wreath at the front door, but some of ours are getting a little worse for the wear. Plus combine that with the fact that we were getting a new front door, we needed something that was nice looking too.

Our door needed to be painted, so I used that paint to paint the letter to match it and picked out some accent flowers to match as well. I am very happy with how this turned out.

Monday, May 27, 2013

Make It Monday: Sugar Free Ketchup

It's Memorial Day and if you haven't already started grilling outside, this might be the first day you do. And hidden in your ketchup you might be topping your grilled burgers and veggie burgers with is white sugar or high fructose corn syrup.  It is easy to make, so why not give it a shot. I think you will be pleased with this tangy and savory variety.



Sugar Free Ketchup Recipe
2 6oz can of tomato paste
1 8oz can of tomato sauce
2/3 C apple cider vinegar
2 tsp celery salt
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cloves

Directions: Blend all ingredients together in a sauce pan. Bring to a simmer and cover. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Cool and store in the fridge. Enjoy!

Friday, May 24, 2013

Friday 4-Part: Quick Lunch Idea #4


A healthy lunch can be super quick if you have your fridge stocked with a few fresh items. I used an Ezekiel wrap with some fresh organic baby greens, sliced tomatoes, cilantro and a half a package of Sea Fare Pacific sustainably caught albacore tuna in the jalapeno flavor.

Be sure to check out the giveaway I posted yesterday to win 2 pouches of Sea Fare Tuna in the jalepeno and sea salt flavors.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

GIVEAWAY and Review: Sea Fare Albacore Tuna





If you have been reading my blog for a while, you have an understanding that I try to subscribe to a clean eating lifestyle and eat healthy and also try to make decisions that help preserve and better our environment and you will understand that I was very excited to review Sea Fare Pacific Albacore Tuna.

The first thing I noticed about the packaging is that is was a lot larger than other tuna pouches than other pouches of tuna. The next thing I noticed was the information about the pouch having 4 layers to help keep it fresh and that the polypropilene lining layer is safe and BPA-free.

The albacore tuna that is sustainably caught in the wild on the west coast of the USA and is prepared and packaged in Coos Bay, Oregon by Oregon Seafoods. Part of their sustainability practices is making sure they are dolphin safe and they try to maintain only making a small footprint on the environment.


Now that I have sold you on their business practices and the care they take in ensuring the packaging is safe, then you will be very excited now to learn some pretty awesome facts about how healthy the Sea Fare Pacific tuna is. While other tuna companies cook the tuna twice to make processing easier, Sea Fare Pacific albacore tuna is prepared by hand at ice cold temps before being cooked only once. By cooking only once they can retain most of the fresh taste as well as 6 times more of the tuna's omega 3's. Not only that, but you know that this tuna is caught on the west coast and multiple studies have shown that Pacific caught albacore tuna do not have mercury concerns. Can you say you know where your tuna came from with your current brand.

So now you know all about their sustainability practices and how much healthier this tuna is, you have to be wondering - "but how does it taste?"  I can honestly say that this was the best tasting tuna I have ever had. Their are chunks of tuna (not shreds) and it tastes very fresh. If you want the simplest form of their tuna, try the Sea Salt which is just their albacore tuna seasoned with sea salt. You are going to love it. There are not preservatives or fillers added and it is packed in it's own juices. The jalepeno tuna was quite delicious. That is what I have in the wrap above (only half the package, the other half I ate straight out of the storage container when I needed an afternoon snack) and it has a slight jalepeno kick that is not overpowering. The jalepeno tuna is packed in oil, but I did find that there was too much oil, it was perfect! You really have to try out Sea Fare Pacific Albacore Tuna!

ONE LUCKY READER WILL WIN THEIR OWN PRIZE PACK OF 2 TUNA POUCHES FROM SEA FARE PACIFIC!!!


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I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers 

Thrifty Thursday: Monsters University at Lowe's Build and Grow


Registration open TODAY for the Monsters University Build and Grow Clinic at Lowe's. These Build and Grow Clinics are FREE. For this clinic they will be offering 2 days/times. Either Saturday, June 8th @ 10am or Sunday, June 9th @ 2pm.

This is the first time I have ever seen them post a time that a clinic had a registration open date, so this may be something new they are trying.

This will be a fun movie memento to build with your kids for FREE!

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Try It Tuesday: Barbie Fairy Cake


This is the cake that I made for my daughter's 7th Birthday Party. I have mentioned before how we are huge FAIRY FANS in this house, so it only makes sense that we finally had a fairy themed birthday party. I will share more about everything we did for the Fairy Party in another post, but I wanted to share the cake with my readers right away.

I made this Barbie Fairy Cake for her, you can see the other cakes I have made on Northern Cheapskate when I taught myself how to make & work with fondant.

To make this cake I made 2 round cakes and split them and arranged them as you see above. I then made homemade fondant (tastes so much better and cheaper than pre-made stuff!) I frosted the cake with a tub of frosting that we added Duncan Hines Flavor Creations to (it give it color & flavor, she chose Pink Lemonade). I frosted the entire cake in it and then rolled out homemade green and blue fondant and decorated the wings and made a matching skirt for the Barbie (Giselle from Barbie in the Pink Shoes).

I have one happy little girl with such a special birthday cake!

Check out all the posts I have done that revolve around fairies!

Monday, May 20, 2013

Make It Monday: Slow Cooker Lasagna

I've cleaned up a lasagna recipe and made it in the slow cooker. This is perfect for those days when you are not going to be home for that hour it takes to cook in the oven. Now you can come home and have it on the table as soon as you walk in the door.


Slow Cooker Lasagna Recipe
1 pound ground turkey
1 med onion, chopped
8 oz whole wheat lasagna or Dreamfields lasagna noodles (9 noodles)
1 29 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 med zucchini, sliced
1/2 package frozen carrot coins
2 C cottage cheese
2 C shredded mozzarella



Directions:

  • Brown ground turkey with onions to a deep frying pan.
  • Add crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, and garlic to browned meat. Cook to a simmer.
  • Spray inside of 6qt. crockpot with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Spread a thin layer of sauce mixture on the bottom of the slow cooker.
  • Mix together the cottage cheese and 1 1/2 C mozzarella, reserve the other 1/2 C for the top.
  • Begin layering noodles (you should have 9 noodles, use 3 per layer) then 1/3 of the sauce, then 1/2 of the vegetables, and 1/3 the cheese mixture.
  • Repeat above layer.
  • Final layer will be 3 noodles, the remaining sauce, the remaining cheese mixture.
  • Cook in a Slow Cooker on low for 4-6 hours.
  • When there is 10 minutes left, top with reserved 1/2 C mozzarella cheese.
  • Enjoy!



Friday, May 17, 2013

Friday 4-Part: Quick Lunch Idea #3


This is just a simple combination of foods that you might not have thought of, plus it is a clean eating lunch!

It's just whole wheat toast spread with homemade hummus (that I blended 1/2 C fresh cilantro in to change up the flavor), topped with avocado slices and sea salt sprinkled on top.

Simple and Tasty!

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Thrifty Thursday: Free Music from RockMyRun.com



Sign up with Rock My Run and you get a free credit every month and a free credit to start out with. They do send you an email every month to tell you that you have a new credit in your account and it is only good for the month. You can buy more credits if you want by signing up for a premium membership.

A credit has bought me a mix that are 30, 45 & 60 minutes long. So, search through them and you find one that works for you.

I really like that I can narrow my search by genre or music and beat per minute.


Wednesday, May 15, 2013

GIVEAWAY and Review: Can't Wait Willow Children's Book



The first book in the series:  Can't-Wait Willow!
Willow is so excited that the Over-the-Top Circus has finally come to town! The only pONE roblem is, that when left to her own devices, she can’t say “no” to some good things. On the way to the show, she is distracted by enticing treats and fun that she just can’t turn down. Willow arrives late and is sad to find that, not only has she has run out of time, but money, and she won’t be able to enjoy the pink cotton candy she’s been dreaming of. Willow is given valuable advice and a second chance and is ultimately taught the lesson that sometimes in life you have to say “no” to good things to end up with something great!

Can't Wait Willow! is written by Christy Zigler and illustrated by Luanne Marten. It is published by Ideals Books.

My Thoughts:
I have read this book to my kids about a half dozen times already. They really enjoyed the book and would request it at bedtime. I thought the message about learning to say no and save your time and money for something for what you really value and want came across very well during the first half of the book, but then it took a turn where the Ring Master gave her free tickets to come back the next night and she ended up riding an elephant at the end of the book. I thought the message changed to that if you are sad because you made bad decisions and get upset and cry then someone will make you happy and make it all better.  I would have likes to see Willow have to save her money to go to the Circus the next time it was in town or to admit her mistake to her parents and ask to do chores to earn money to buy a ticket for the show the next day.I really thought all the pictures were beautifully drawn and very cute. 

ONE LUCKY READER WILL WIN THEIR OWN COPY OF CAN'T WAIT WILLOW!

Winning # will be picked through Random.org.
GIVEAWAY ENDS at 11:59 on 5/20/13

To Enter (leave a separate comment for each one you do):
  1. Comment who you want to win this book for
  2. Like Save Green Being Green on Facebook
  3. Like Ideals Books on Facebook

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Wordless Wednesday: Teacher Appreciation Gifts

Teacher Appreciation Week was last week and I shared with you all week the gifts my daughter was giving to her teacher, but in case you didn't see those posts I want to show you everything she gave.




Monday, May 13, 2013

Review: Ride Along Dolly Bike Seat




When I found out I was getting the opportunity to review the Ride Along Dolly Bike Seat I was so excited, but better yet I knew when my daughter saw what we were reviewing she was going to be beyond excited, which is exactly what she was. I had actually been thinking of purchasing the product because my daughter's 7th birthday was soon approaching and she loves to play with her American Girl Dolls, which do fit in this seat.

You can purchase the Ride Along Dolly Bike Seat from Amazon for less than most other accessories or outfits for an American Girl Doll. The seat does come with stickers that the child can decorate themselves. My daughter put most of the on the Ride Along Dolly Bike Seat, but also put a few on her bike too. As a girl who loves crafts, she loved being able to decorate her doll bike seat.

Any girl friends who have seen this have been very interested in knowing about it and where she got it and how they can get one. There was even a little girl at the park who ran up to her bike to check it out because she had never seen anyone have a bike accessory like this. This would make a perfect gift for any young girl who is about 4-8 years old.

Here you can see the Ride Along Dolly Bike Seat up closer so you can see how a doll fit in it and can be strapped in. You can strap in a doll or stuffed animals that are between 18"-22" and weighs 3 pounds or less.

Other products that are made to coordinate with your Ride Along Dolly Bike Seat include:

  • ·         Pinwheel Handlebar Streamers

  • ·         Bow Handlebar Streamers

  • ·         Bike Basket with Motion Activated Lights

  • ·         Bike Pinwheel

  • ·         Bike Wheel Spokies

  • ·         Make Your Own Bike Name Plate
Below is a video of my daughter when she first got the Ride Along Dolly Bike Seat put on her bike and was riding around the driveway.



You can find more information about the Ride Along Dolly Bike Seat:






I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

New Winners Announced!

Please check your emails and junk mail to reply back!

Warner Bros. Blu-Ray - Austin B.

Ring the Bell DVD - Amy T.

Amazon Gift Card - Sharon M.

Tree Hut Olive & Shea Body Care Product - Leora T.

Jonah's Whale Book - Kali H.

Make It Monday: Slow Cooker Spaghetti Meat Sauce

Many of the jarred spaghetti sauce in the super market contain added sugar, this slow cooker recipe doesn't need it and fits in great with clean eating,



Slow Cooker Spaghetti Meat Sauce
1 lb. ground turkey
1 can (28 oz) of crushed tomatoes
1 med. onion chopped
8 oz sliced mushrooms (I used portabella)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 T red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil

Directions:
Brown ground turkey over stovetop. Combined browned turkey and all ingredient in a slow cooker and cookon low for 8 hours. Enjoy!

Friday, May 10, 2013

Friday 4-part: Quick Lunch Idea #2


Do you remember my post about Re-purposing an Indoor Grill as a Panini Press, well, then you may have already thought about making this as a quick lunch. There is just something special or fancy about having a panini sandwich, but they are so simple and so quick.

I try to keep a variety of fresh fruits and veggies in the house so that I can have healthy side items to add that need minimal (if any) preparation.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Review: Paper Culture Birthday Invitations


I had an exciting opportunity to review birthday invitations from Paper Culture just in time for my daughter's birthday party. They are just the most adorable invitations and even though I had a lot of choices, I instantly knew which one I wanted! The Fairy card! Remember who I told you about what big fairy fans we are in our home, so this was perfect.

On the front of the card I was able to put her face on a fairy body. It was quite easy to do and I was able to change the direction of the image, as well as the size so that I could make it fit in as best as my image would allow. All of the text could be changed and customized, but I loved what they had as a suggestion at the top ("A Fairy Good Time Will Be Had By All", so to kept it. At the bottom I changed the text to include my phone # and email to RSVP to (which is why that part is obviously covered up).

The cards are made on a heavy card stock and are very sturdy. They are actually a quite impressive invitation. One mom texted her daughter's RSVP and said she loved the invitation and asked if I made them myself. I said that I did make them at Paper Culture .com and she replied back "OMG! They are so neat. Good job mom! Cute Pics!" It's pretty awesome to get nice feedback like that from another mom!

On the back side you could make it all text or a picture or a combination of pictures and text. I did a collage of some pictures that show some of my daughter's interests. At the bottom I made the text to say "Date", "Time", and "Place" with lines that I could write on because I was under a deadline to place my order and was still waiting for a location to get back to me to confirm a date/time.

The invitations were shipped in a sturdy cardboard box that is just a plain brown, which my brain is already spinning with how we will reuse this box.

Now that I have told you all about our cards, let me tell you more about Paper Culture.


  • They plant a tree with every order they receive. In fact, they send you an email with your dedication (which of course I dedicated to my daughter whose birthday it is). You can post your dedication on Facebook too. Here is my dedication.
  • Cards and envelopes are made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper (Yeah for recycled paper!)
  • They use 130 pound paper when others use 110 pound paper, which is why they are so thick and sturdy!
  • They have rounded corners on all their cards and address labels and it's free! No up charge for this service. 
  • They have a Mail & Message service which you ONLY pay for the cost of the stamp, no extra costs.
  • They offer a 100% Customer Satisfaction Guarantee.
So, how do you find out more about them? Check them out here:

Paper Culture in the Social World
Facebook (over 130,000 fans): http://facebook.com/paperculture

Teacher Appreciation Gift #5 - Earrings Made by My Daughter


Earrings might not be the first thing you think of when you think of a teacher appreciation gift, but that is what makes it fun and unique.

My daughter designed these for her teacher (she did this last year too) and all I did was put the hook on. She  told me that her teacher's favorite color is blue, so that is what she picked out. When I looked back at the picture of the earrings she made her for Christmas, I notice that the center bead on these hoops are the same as the ones she put on these drop earrings. LOL! They look completely different, but she really must think her teacher would like those beads. Considering how many beads I have to choose from and all the combinations she could make I am amazed she picked the same one. Oh well.

I sure hope she remembers to tell her teacher than she made these (and the ones from Christmas) as I think that makes it more special

Be sure to follow my Teacher Gift Ideas Board on Pinterest for more ideas.

Pottery Time: Soap Dishes (Teacher Gift #4)


Today we are sending some non-traditional, but hand made gifts to school for my daughter's first grade teacher. This is a hand built pottery soap dish that I made by slab rolling and molding. I made a couple others that are a little different than this in design & definitely different glazes that I will share with  you once they are given (so, it is going to be a while yet).

You will see that our other hand made gift she is getting today is earrings that my daughter made.

Please check out my Teacher Gift Ideas Board on Pinterest to find some more ideas! You still have one more day left of Teacher Appreciation week, and even if you miss it I bet any teacher would be very appreciative of a gift given at any time.




Wednesday, May 8, 2013

GIVEAWAY: $10 Gift Code to Magazines.com

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.





Magazines.com offers people a fun, easy way to discover new reads and helps them track their magazine subscriptions. 
Shop the great magazine subscription deals at Magazines.com for Mother’s Day 2013! You’ll find incredible savings on Mom’s favorite cooking, celebrity, crafting magazine subscriptions and more. Don’t forget about all the moms in your life—your aunt, sister and your grandmother! Give her a gift that keeps on giving!


I was given a $10 gift code to review the website and place an order and I chose to get Parenting: The School Years. Do you know what is so great about that subscription? It is only $4.97 for a 2 year subscription! Can you believe what a great deal that is? That is 22 issues for less than $5. 

The site was very easy to use to search through the magazines and to place my order. I received my confirmation almost instantly after submitting my order. I can't wait to get my first issue!

Other subscriptions I was interested in were: Paper Crafts, Fitness, 
or Food and Wine.

Please note: NY, NJ, and TN bloggers and winners will need to pay sales tax when you sign up for a subscription, everywhere else is tax free

ONE LUCKY READER WILL WIN A $10 GIFT CODE TO MAGAZINES.COM
ENTER RAFFLECOPTER FORM BELOW

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Long List of Winners!

The Winner of the NCIS: LA Sounrtrack is Deanna T.

The Winners of the Collage-It Pro Software for MAC are:

  1. Annamarie M
  2. Delila H
  3. Emi
  4. Ashley W
  5. Shana W
  6. Kortney Lah
  7. Diana H
  8. Diana G
The Winners of the Collage-It Pro Software for Windows are:
  1. Rachael P
  2. Heather M
  3. Jessica S
  4. Marissa M
  5. Shantelle S
  6. Audrey G
  7. Andrew M
  8. Rachel S
  9. Sarojini F
  10. Julie S
  11. Jennifer S
  12. Debra W

GIVEAWAY: Warner Bros. Mother’s Day Movie Night Blog App


We’re proud to announce the Best of Warner Bros. Mother’s Day Movie Night Blog App!

We think that most can agree... Moms are the best - and they do a lot for us! Now it’s time to return the favor and celebrate this Mother’s Day by giving mom the movie night she deserves! Celebrate Sunday, May 12th in the best way possible by spending quality time with your family and watch one of YOUR favorite classic films! Watching a classic flick together tells the story of a different time and place, and is the perfect opportunity to catch up and share stories with your family... tell them something that they never knew about Mom! 






ONE LUCKY READER WILL WIN --

one of the following Blu-ray titles to give away to your readers! (Prize will be chosen randomly from the titles below!)

- A Star is Born (1976) (Blu-ray)

- Cabaret (1972) (Blu-ray)

The prize will be sent via FedEx or UPS. No P.O. Boxes please.

Enter the Rafflecopter Form Below

a Rafflecopter giveaway



I am working in conjunction with Warner Bros and prize will be provided by them. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not given anything to review.

Teacher Appreciation Gift Idea #3 - Flowers



These are the potted flowers that my son is giving to his ECFE teachers. We just went to Lowe's and I let him pick out which flowers he wanted to pot up and we bought some little pots and some dirt and came home and helped me pot up all three.



My daughter started growing this plant from seed in February for her science fair project and at that time we had decided to keep growing the plant so she could give it to her teacher. I think we got the timing right on this one because it shouldn't be long before it develops a flower. And she drew her a picture of flowers and wrote "Thanks for Helping me Grow!" on it.