Sport-Brella Chair and Umbrella Review and Giveaway

When I did my little review interview on NBC last week, there was one product that didn't quite arrive in time. Thankfully, it appeared on my doorstep on Monday morning. I am THRILLED about this chair!

The Sport-Brella Chair by Sport-Brella

The Sport-Brella Chair is the ultimate chair for any outdoor setting. It is a portable fold-up sport chair, but unlike other fold-out sport chairs, it has an attached 360 degree swivel umbrella which can be moved from one side of the chair to the other and can be swiveled at 3 different points at the push of a button to offer complete coverage from the sun and wind at any conceivable angle. The umbrella opens out to 46 inches wide and has a UPF 50+ lining for maximum sun protection. The Sport-Brella Chair also has a built-in cup holder, bottle opener and item pouch. Folds down instantly and fits into a compact carry bag. $39.99

My husband and I have been going to The Indy 500 for a few years now. I saw this chair on the sidelines last May and thought "Brilliant! I wonder where I can get one of them?" Well, now I know. It's by Sport-Brella, too and is actually way cheaper than I originally thought it would be. I guarantee that we will be using this chair at not only soccer games and camping but at the Indy 500 in 2012!

This next product WAS featured on the interview and is completely awesome as well...
The Sport-Brella XL by Sport-Brella

The Sport-Brella XL gives the whole family instant protection from the sun, rain, and wind with its domed shape, side flaps and 125 SPF. Its umbrella action open mechanism allows it to be set up in just three seconds and fits the family, fully 9 ft. wide. Includes top wind vents, side zippered windows for efficient airflow and additional visibility, internal pockets for gear and valuables, convenient carry bag and tethers/ground stakes for use when necessary for additional stability. $69.99

I am SO STOKED about the Sport-Brella XL!! We love camping, fishing, and going to the beach, but all of those activities can truly stink when it is 95 degrees and sunny. Just last year, my middle son almost had heat stroke at Lake Michigan's beach and he is WAY too big for me to carry across the dunes! I'm thrilled to bring the Sport-Brella XL to the Dunes with us this August and to continue to use it for any outdoor events that occur in the elements. If you purchase this, just be sure to take the directions out of the pouch with the stakes. Mine was a little stiff to manipulate, at first but is a breeze to set up now! In fact, we used it this weekend for a bit of shade during our lunch in Six Flags' parking lot. What a help!

Want your own chair and umbrella? Sport-Brella is generously offering one set (one winner) as a giveaway!

How to Enter:

Each item you do counts as a separate entry. Please do a different comment for each one! We'll pick the winner on August 15!

Ways to enter:

~ comment! Easy as pie.

~ Visit Sport-Brella.com and tell me what you'd like the most.

~ Follow me on Twitter or my blog.

~ Tweet, post, Facebook, or spread the word about this giveaway on any other social media site and link back. (no limit! Have fun spreading the word, but please leave a comment for each entry!)


Good luck!

Musselman review and giveaway

When we received our basket of delicious goodies from Musselman's, I had GRAND PLANS. Plans, I tell you! Plans for slowly devouring the individual packages of strawberry applesauce myself. Plans for creating the unique salsa recipe they provided for the 4th of July and documenting it all with gorgeous pictures of joyful family members reveling in my awesomeness. Plans! Plans! Plans!

Man makes plans and God laughs, right?

Well, har-dee-har-har.

After some camera issues and other small malfunctions, I had to go with a different choice. Especially since my daughter had eaten most of the applesauce by that time...As usual, her favorites are the applesauce/fruit combinations. Mine involves anything with the Apple Butter. Mmmm... apple butter....

Musselman's has offered an assortment of their delicious sauces and apple butter for one reader. (picnic basket not included).

Follow the directions below for entries. We'll pick the winner on August 15! Each item you do counts as a separate entry. Please leave a different comment for each one!

Ways to enter:

~ comment! Easy as Apple Pie.

~ Visit Musselmans.com and tell me what you'd like the most.

~ Follow me on Twitter or this blog.

~ Tweet, post, Facebook, or spread the word about this giveaway on any other social media site and link back. (no limit! Have fun spreading the word, but please leave a comment for each entry!)


Good luck!

Coffee Mug giveaway

One of my new "favorite things" is my specialty coffee mug by GoPromos.com. I can't think of a better wayt to start my day than with a hot cup of coffee, served with smiles from my family...

(picture here)

...especially since they're in picture form. Nobody can speak while I'm drinking. Ahhhh....


Want your own cool mug?

Then enter below and I'll pick a winner via our fancy method of Name in A Hat on Monday, August 15. Each item you do counts as a separate entry. Please do a different comment for each one!

Ways to enter:

~ comment! Easy as pie.

~ Visit GoPromos.com and tell me what you'd like the most.

~ Follow me on Twitter or this blog.

~ Tweet, post, Facebook, or spread the word about this giveaway on any other social media site and link back. (no limit! Have fun spreading the word, but please leave a comment for each entry!)


Good luck!

Star of the Sea book review

Yet another fabulous book by Janet Halfmann! "Star of the Sea" is less of a storybook and more of an educational book about the amazing lives of sea stars. You probably knew that they can regrow a lost limb, but did you also know they could extend their stomachs FROM THEIR BODIES so that they can digest other sea creatures without cracking the shells? I do, now. My kids and I have read this book several times and now know a WHOLE LOT about this particular animal. Ms. Halfmann's words are easy for my 5 year old to digest but interesting enough to keep my 9 year old's attention and even garnered several comments from my pre-teen (from across the room, naturally. He didn't want to be caught being interested in a picture book!).

As a homeschooling family, every book we read can become an educational opportunity. Star of the Sea has definitely fit that bill!

Mess: The Manual of Accidents and Mistakes - a Review

I received a really cool book to review a while ago. Titled, "Mess: The Manual of Accidents and Mistakes" it's a challenge to the owner to break out of your comfort zone and create MESSES.

I love this concept! One page suggests the idea of dropping blobs of ink on a page and creating a character around it. Another directs you to take a hammer and chalk and pound it into the page until pulverized, just to see the result. Basically, this book is about destroying the pages, simply to realize that art knows no boundaries and creativity exists in everything.

I had thought to have this be a book for Justin whose special situation includes an extreme aversion to any project that isn't clearly outlined. He likes rules and directions with a known outcome and this book was and is the anti-christ of all art projects. He managed to eek out a few pages, but it was honestly painful for the entire family and I needed to give this book a review!!

Evan had been watching the whole process with Justin and The Mess Book. As my frustration with Justin grew, Evan's curiosity became more evident. "Can I do that book if Justin isn't going to?"

I slapped my head when I realized that I had, yet again, forgotten which child I should have targeted!! My little boy who is always making messes but has strayed from spontaneous art would LOVE this book.

And so, we began to Mess it Up:Using WASHABLE markers on the cover was an interesting lesson. From now on, if you hold our Mess book, you will, in fact, become MESSY...

Coffee grounds...
Leftover spaghetti!
Painting without looking...


I totally endorse Mess: The Manual of Accidents and Mistakes for anyone looking to remember how to be spontaneous and enjoy the process of art without focusing so much on the outcome.