A Bonding Experience for Girls and Moms

A quick post for any Chicago suburbs area readers!

The first 2 people to respond to this giveaway post will receive 2 tickets to a Mother-Daughter event in Naperville on Tuesday, March 2. From 7-9 at Jefferson Junior High School, Rosalind Wiseman (best-selling author of Queen Bees & Wannabees) will be hosting a workshop and interactive discussion about confidence, friendships and dealing with pressure. She will also be signing copies of her books. Geared towards tween girls and their mothers, this is an opportunity to grab hold of these precious moments and strengthen the bonds.

Again, these 2 sets of 2 tickets will be given to the first two comments on this post (a good reason to start having my blogs in your RSS feed reader!!).

Good luck!

Winner of Natural Granola

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

A Lil Monster...

I love supporting women who are working to help support their families. Especially when the woman is someone who uses her creativity to craft something that is as adorable as the monster shirts from My Lil' Monsters are.
Honestly? I didn't expect to enjoy the shirt quite as much as I do! (I have sensory issues with felt.) But the materials used on Corinne's "Sara" monster shirt are more of a sturdy but lightweight fleece than the traditional felt that I am accustomed to cringing away from. It is SO SOFT~ And absolutely adorable. Even my girly-girl who is quite particular about which items adorn her body was sold on it. (Note her rendition of the monster's face on the first photo?) I can safely say that this is one of my new favorites (despite the fact that she's already gotten red Jell-O on it. Sigh...)

(FYI Corinne is tall but average sized in her torso for a 4 year old, and the size 6T shirt we got FITS her-fits her, so I recommend ordering larger than the size your child traditionally wears.)

Want to win a sweet lil' shirt for your own lil' monster?

Here's how:

~ Go to My Lil' Monsters and tell me which monster is your favorite.

~ Follow Danielle on her blog, My Lil' Monsters and comment again.

~ Follow me on Twitter and link back to comment again!

~ Tweet about this post for another entry...

~ Subscribe to MY blog and comment!!

~ Post about this giveaway on your blog for a 6th entry to win your own monster shirt!

Whew. That's a lot of ways to enter. Pick and choose the ways that suit you, but the more you do, the better your chances are. And if you don't win? I hope you consider purchasing your own shirt. This is one item that I truly think is worth the cost.

Good luck! I'll pick the winner on Friday, March 12.

Diggity Kids Giveaway

As the third child, Corinne has to make do with a lot of things that have been around the block once or twice. You know: black or navy "boy" snowpants and gloves, a Hotwheels scooter instead of a Barbie one and also, a ratty, stained booster seat. So when Diggity Kids sent us a new Kids Travel Comfort System, I jumped right on it! Corinne (of course) chose the hot pink and it certainly brightens up our van!

The story behind the company is one of a couple of moms whose kids complained about long travels on uncomfortable seats. As is the case with most inventions, the necessity for a happy kid brought about the soft and comfortable Keester (cushion for the tush), seat belt cover (Corinne LOVES this as it is her prime complaint in Daddy's car) and the kids' neck pillow (which is also highly needed in this family full of car sleepers).
(No, you will not see her in the seat in the van because I actually want you to continue to respect me... The van is like your junk drawer: you don't take pictures of your junk drawer...)

I have only good things to say about this product. It is made with high quality materials and actually delivers what it promises. And they make having to sit in a booster seat a little bit cooler for the little kid who doesn't want to be so little anymore.

Want to win your very own Travel System? In any of the very cool colors and designs they have available? (nice though the pink is, I have a feeling not all of your sons would be too thrilled with that one...)

Enter below and TWO READERS will receive an entire Diggity Kids Comfort Travel System!!

First:

~ Go to Diggity Kids and tell me which color system you would choose. Then come back and enter any of the other ways below!

~ Follow me on Twitter.

~ Tweet this post and link back.

~ Subscribe to my blog.

~ Post about this on your blog and link back.

We will pick the TWO WINNERS on Friday, March 5. Good luck to everyone!

Winners of the RTB socks and Ladybugs&Butterflies hairbows

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Children's clothing giveaway

An interesting item came to my door to review. Bersica Futurewear is a clothing company for children that is trying to defeat all stains and dirt with their new material which has "textile nanotechnology." Don't get scared by the fancy words. It's a pretty smooth, lightweight material that feels like a nylon/cotton/spandex mix. We received a pair of shorts and a green polo to try out and while the shorts didn't really fit either of my younger kids (too wide in the waist for Corinne and too short for Evan) the shirt they sent was really quite intriguing...

The liquids truly do bead up and run off, despite my best attempts to stain them. Check out our video to see me torturing my children:

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Nothing but class over here, folks.

Bersica is having a promotion on their site for readers who want to try it out themselves. Simply enter BERSICAMOM at checkout to receive 35% off your purchase!! This code is good until February 26.

Want to win a polo or pair of shorts and see for yourself? First, go to the Bersica Futurewear site and sign up to receive their newsletter online. Once that is done, come back and enter your first comment (commenting without joining their newsletter notification will result in your name being removed from the drawing).

...
All entered at Bersica? Great! Now you can:

~ Comment!

Extra comments:

~ Follow me on Twitter

~ Tweet this post and link back.

~ Subscribe to my blog.

~ Post about this giveaway on your own blog.

Good luck to everyone! We'll draw the winner on Friday, March 5!

Feb 12 2010 winners!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Surf Sweets

In my recent quest to try and reduce the number of pesticides, corn syrup, chemicals and other non-food garbage from my family's diet, I have been being contacted by companies that offer healthier choices. One such company was Surf Sweets. Surf Sweets are treats for your family made withOUT corn syrup or artificial colors or flavors. They are also gluten-free, casein-free and "made in a facility free of the ten most common allergens." You can check their website for a location nearby you (Whole Foods, Lifetime Fitness, BuyBuy Baby, etc.) or you can contact their company at this link and request a free sample.
The samples we tried were the Gummy Worms, Jellybeans, Sourberry Bears and Gummy Bears. (We snuck them into the movie theater. Shhhh! Keep it to yourself...) The only candies we didn't love were the Sourberry Bears as their texture wasn't gummy so much as it was more grainy to our palates. Even still, all of the above candies had 60-100% of the daily Vitamin C requirements and were made with organic fruit juice and sweeteners. I actually didn't MIND giving my kids this candy, and will be looking for it in my local stores as a better choice for those days that our sweet tooth cravings get the better of us!

A giveaway that makes me laugh and drool...

"Que es esto?"

"All NATURAL?!? No preservatives? Get. Out. It must taste horrible..."

"Holy cow! It totally ROCKS! I love this granola! And my son, the pickiest of picky eaters? HE LOVES IT TOO! And he TOTALLY thinks his dad is cool!!"

(inserting picture of son being 100% NOT embarrassed by his father...)

Even Barbie* approves of the Nature's Hand Granola!

Want to receive a package of six 1 pound bags of Nature's Hand Granola? Want to experience the delicious goodness that has no preservatives, artificial colors, trans fats or salt? Want to give your kids something sweetened with only brown sugar and honey? Want to help support a company that is the official granola of Outward Bound, the non-profit educational organization?

Then sit on down, my friends and comment away!

Ways to comment:

~ Visit Nature's Hand and look around. See if there is a retailer near-by you. If not, let them know where you might need such a product! Comment back!

~ Become a follower of Nature's Hand on Facebook or Twitter and comment back with a link.

~ Tweet about this entry and link back.

~ Follow me on Twitter.

~ Blog about this post and link back.

~ Subscribe to my blog.

Whew! That's a lot of ways to enter! Please do each one as a separate entry so that I can keep better track. We'll pick the winner on Friday, Feb 26. Good luck!


* Barbie did not actually eat the granola and, therefore, cannot actually approve it. It's a sad, sad day that a person feels the need to qualify a cutesy remark such as the one I posted above, but the last thing my family needs is Mattel a-knocking down my door with Angry! Eyes! because I told you that THEY approved of this product, when, in fact, it was all tongue-in-cheek and the Princess Corinne Barbie was acting as my body double** on this particular day when we were all eating granola in our scuzzy rags. In fact, I am just now realizing that there is a pair of tights hanging over the back of the chair that is in the pictures. Fabulous. Carry on. Carry on...

** SHUT UP. She and I could TOTALLY pass as twins. If I were a blond. And about twice as big up top and twice as small down low. And about 5 feet shorter...

Feb 5 jewelry winners

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Cutesy Girly Bows!!

SO CUTE!! Ladybugs and Butterflies sent me 2 adorable hair bows for review and they are everything I had hoped! Very well-made, beautiful ribbon and strong clips. Corinne is sporting a ballerina French barrette and her baby-fine hair wasn't going anywhere. She even wore her ballerina barrette one to ballet class to show it to her new friends. I can only assume the other 4 year olds were extremely impressed as I was in the entry room, monitoring her brothers' schoolwork. :)


We also got the Sierra Lorraine in red. It is currently ON HER HEAD and it is GORGEOUS. Honestly, I wish I could get away with bows again! (That, and sparkly red shoes... Think people will start to stare at me, should I decide to adorn that type of outfit??)

One lucky reader will get a chance to pick any 2 hair clips that they want!! Considering the size of their collections, the combinations are enormous. So, let me know in the comments which 2 hairclips you would choose, and then do the extras for more entries!

1. Visit Ladybugs N Butterflies, come back here and tell me which 2 you'd like.

Do the following on separate comments, please!

2. Tweet this giveaway and link back here.
3. Follow me on Twitter.
4. Blog about this giveaway and link back here.
5. Subscribe to my blog.

Good luck! I'll choose the winner on Friday, February 19!

Rock-A-Thigh-Baby Giveaway

Oh my gosh! I have such a cute giveaway for parents of babies and toddlers, both girls AND BOYS! I know that for my daughter, dresses and skirts are an EVERYday occurrence. And I do mean Every. Day. In Illinois, however, it can get a bit, shall we say, chilly? Yes. Chilly is a kind way of saying we freeze our bums off from January through March...
Spinny Rinny!
Sporting the Chunky Monkey socks in size 2-4 years (and she's tall!)...

When we were sent a pair of adorable thigh high, slip-free socks from Rock-a-Thigh-Baby, I nearly squealed with joy (ok, actually I DID squeal, because Corinne wears tights 24/7 which means she's pulling them up and down to use the bathroom 24/7 which means we have lots of holes in our cute tights...). AND we can wear them underneath her pants when we go sledding to give one more layer of warmth. All the benefits of tights without the hassle of getting them over the booty! YES! The best part of it all is that one lucky reader will get to pick out their favorite style of RTB socks for themselves!!

How to enter:

~ Visit Rock-a-Thigh-Baby and pick your favorite style, then comment back here.

~ Tweet about this post and link back.

~ Follow me on Twitter.

~ Blog about this post and link back.

~ Subscribe to my blog.

Easy as pie! We'll pick the lucky winner on Friday, February 19. Good luck to everyone!!