One Grateful Mama

Giveaway: 25 Shutterfly Holiday Cards!

2011-11-10T20:28:00.000-08:00

I have ordered pictures through Shutterfly for years. The website is easy to use, the picture quality is excellent and things always get shipped quickly. I love to order our Christmas cards from Shutterfly! I always love to receive family photo cards during the holidays so I can see how all of the kids have grown in the past year!

We used this design for our cards last year:

I love the simple, crisp layout. It is fun to have multiple pictures too. We always have a family member take our Christmas card photo on Thanksgiving. Everyone is already dressed up and taking pictures anyway so it is easy to do.

Take a look as Shutterfly's extensive Christmas photo card selection here. They have hundreds of styles ranging from classic to contemporary so you are bound to find one you love! If you are looking for more of general holiday cards instead of Christmas cards, Shutterfly has tons of those too.

Over the years I have bought quite a few photo gifts as well. My husband keeps a photo mug and photo mouse pad at his desk. They are nice family reminders while he's at work. Most of them have goofy pictures of our daughter to make him smile. We also do family calendars every year.

Have you decided what you are going to do for your holiday cards this year? I am excited to announce that the first three readers who comment will get a code for 25 free cards from Shutterfly!

Are you a blogger? Want a chance at 25 free cards this holiday season? Register here: http://goo.gl/DDw7Q

Disclaimer: I will receive holiday cards from Shutterfly in exchange for this post . All reviews by onegratefulmama.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author. Please review my disclosure policy for additional information.

Going to try Lawry's SW Chicken Skillet recipe

2011-10-14T15:52:00.000-07:00

My family is looking for some new dinner ideas! We are tired of eating the same things every night, especially on week nights. I was recently sent some samples of Lawry's spices and we are looking forward to trying them out. We've been using their seasoning salt for years. One of the first recipes we are going to try is this one:

LAWRY'S® SOUTHWEST CHICKEN SKILLET

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil
1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast tenders
1 package Lawry's® Southwest Chicken Skillet
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed (optional)
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 1/4 ounces) whole kernel corn, undrained
1 cup instant white rice
1 cup water
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

Directions

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
Stir in Seasoning Mix, beans, tomatoes, corn, rice and water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and rice is tender. Remove from heat. Stir to mix well.
Sprinkle with cheese. Cover. Let stand 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Southwest Burritos: Prepare as directed in Steps 1 and 2, decreasing water to 3/4 cup. Spoon mixture into large flour tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese. Roll up and serve.

It looks pretty easy and I think the whole family will eat it. :-)

Disclaimer: I received samples of Lawry's spices through BzzAgent for the purposes of this post . All reviews by onegratefulmama.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author. Please review my disclosure policy for additional information.

Wordless Wednesday - Baby Chicks!

2011-04-06T04:05:00.000-07:00

Ant Farm Fun!

2011-04-05T14:05:00.000-07:00

My daughter is starting to get into science and having lots of fun learning about nature. So I thought it would be fun to try out an ant farm. This Space Ants set from CSN Stores has been so great!

Space Ants is a small ant habitat. It is based on a 2003 NASA Space Shuttle experiment to study animal life in space and test how ants successfully tunnel in microgravity. After an easy set up we've been watching the ants live, work and tunnel through their home. The ants are really easy to care for - they don't need food or water.

It is still pretty rainy so it has been nice to a science project to do inside. Every morning we check on the ant farm to look for new tunnels and to see what the ants have been up to over night.

Now I'm tempted to get the butterfly garden too!

Disclaimer: I will receive a gift code from CSN Stores for the purposes of this reveiw . All reviews by onegratefulmama.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author. Please review my disclosure policy for additional information.

Wordless Wednesday - Ready to Plant!

2011-03-30T06:29:00.000-07:00

Silk Almond Milk, yum!

2011-03-29T13:13:00.000-07:00

We go through a lot of milk in our house! All of us love cereal and have a bowl almost every weekday morning. Frankly, I have been ready to try something a little different. So, I was excited when BzzAgent asked me to give Silk products a try (they sent me some coupons!).

So far I've tried their Silk Pure Almond Dark Chocolate flavor. Yum! It does have a distinct almond taste so I was surprised when my daughter really liked it. I thought she'd be disappointed because it doesn't taste exactly like the chocolate milk she's used to. Nope, she asked for seconds before she was even done with her first glass!

Now I want to try their regular Silk Soy milk on our cereal in the morning...

Wordless Wednesday - Worm Friend

2011-03-23T06:27:00.001-07:00

I love trading kid clothes/toys on ThredUp! (Get a $5 credit when you join)

2011-03-17T13:22:00.000-07:00

I have a new addiction - trading the clothes and toys my daughter has outgrown for ones that are her size! I have used the trading website ThredUp a few times now and I'm thrilled. My daughter loves the Care Bears messenger bag, doll and toys she received in the box we got last week. If you join through this link you will get a $5 credit in your account to help you get started! There is no cost to join, so go browse through their boxes and see what you think.

Here is how it works:

1) Browse their list of thousands of boxes full of preloved kids clothes & toys - just $5 (+ $10.95 USPS shipping). Get your box delivered to your doorstep in just a couple of days.

2) Post your own box of preloved clothes/toys your child no longer wears on thredUp. It takes just minutes to list out the great items your kids no longer use.

3) When another member picks your box, send it 100% free of charge. ThredUp provide boxes, postage, and will even schedule the pick-up. You never have to get out of your PJs!

To give you an idea of what might fit in a box, here is a picture of one of the boxes I sent recently. It had 4 DVDs, 2 puzzles, unopened sticker packs and a set of wooden lacing beads.

Let me know how your ThredUp experience goes. Happy trading!

Wordless Wednesday - Cat in the Hat!

2011-03-16T03:42:00.000-07:00

I'd Love to Have More Pendant Lighting!

2011-03-14T13:38:00.000-07:00

The other day I was doing a puzzle at the dinning room table and I found myself wishing that the lighting was better in there. I usually do them on the island in the kitchen and the lighting there is fabulous. I've realized that the original 1922 light fixture in the dinning room really isn't cutting it any more. When we remodeled our kitchen a few years ago we put in a lot of pendant lighting and we love it! The pendant lights over the island have greatly improved the lighting for the entire room.

So, I decided to take a look at the extensive lighting selection on CSNlighting.com. I think a pair of pendant lights over the dinning room table would really look nice. Plus I would have enough light to do my puzzles!

Hum, now I'm thinking a pendant light over my daughter's desk nook in her room would be nice too...

Do you have any lighting tips?

Disclaimer: I will being reviewing a product from CSN Stores in the near future. All reviews by onegratefulmama.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author. Please review my disclosure policy for additional information.

Wilton Party Giveaway from 3 Princes and a Princess!

2011-03-09T10:44:00.000-08:00

I love kid birthday parties! They are so fun for everyone. Last year I did a pizza cooking party for my daughter and this year I'm thinking of doing a pirate theme. So I was excited to see a Wilton pirate party giveaway from 3 Princes and Princess. You can enter on her blog here!

Wordless Wednesday - 5 Year-old Planning the Garden

2011-03-08T12:22:00.000-08:00

Grateful for snow days!

2011-02-27T15:40:00.000-08:00

I am grateful for the rare snow days we get! School was cancelled on day last week and my daughter was thrilled. We had a fantastic day playing with all of the neighborhood kids in the snow. It was so nice to have a surprise family day at home!

Northwest Coupon Lady giveaway

2011-02-07T12:28:00.000-08:00

Well, if you follow my blog you must know by now that I'm a big fan of CSN Stores! They pretty much sell everything under the sun. If you have not tried them out, you should enter Northwest Coupon Lady's giveaway for a $50 CSN gift card! You can enter here... Good luck.

Brightening Up the Dining Room this Winter

2011-01-12T12:07:00.000-08:00

January in the Pacific NW means lots of grey skies and rain. I like to add bright things around the house to add some cheer this time of year!

I would also like to update my house with a more modern look. I'd love to buy some modern dining room furniture like this set available at CSN Store's All Modern online store:

For now, though, I am going to start with some key household accessories such as this lovely bright striped bowl. This iittala Origo Orange Bowl is on sale for $23 right now!

This Le Creuset Pitcher would certainly liven things up at the breakfast table...

How could I not be cheered up while sipping coffee in this fabulous iittala Temma mug? A great reminder that the sky will in fact be blue again before too long. :-)

What do you do cheer up your house during the dreary winter months?

Disclaimer: I will being reviewing a product from CSN Stores in the near future. All reviews by onegratefulmama.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author. Please review my disclosure policy for additional information.

Activeion giveaway on Does Mommy Love It?

2010-12-27T15:15:00.000-08:00

I would love to have this! I really don't like cleaning with chemicals. My daughter has asthma so we really try to keep chemicals out of the house. I make most of my own cleaners these days, but this would be even better! Does Mommy Love It gives the Activeion HOM rave review. I'm sold. Enter to win yourself here!

Wordless Wednesday - Chatting with Santa!

2010-12-22T06:00:00.001-08:00

Genesis Moments blog hosting fun kid giveaway!

2010-12-15T14:37:00.000-08:00

I love that my little gal is not only into pink and dolls.... she also loves outdoor adventures and bugs! That is why the fun Backyard Safari Outfitters giveaway on Genesis Moments caught my eye. I can just see my daughter in the backyard sucking up spiders and beetles in a bug vacuum! Of course, she'd be dressed head to toe in pink...

Go ahead and enter here!

Wordless Wednesday - Santaland!

2010-12-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

Playmobil tops the Christmas list!

2010-12-13T11:33:00.000-08:00

My daughter is so excited about Christmas. She has been working hard to be on Santa's "nice" list. She has also been spending quite a lot of time working on her Christmas list. Playmobil is all over her list! I am thrilled because I have always played with Playmobil toys. My brothers and I put in countless hours playing with the Playmobil pirate ship when we were kids. Now, over thirty years later my little gal is playing with that very same ship! It is still in amazing shape.

My gal wants to be a vet when she grows up and she's been drooling over the Playmobil vet sets. The one she wants the most is the Vet Operating Room:

She also loves the Animal Clinic:

What do your kids have on their wish lists?

Disclaimer: I did not receive anything in exchange for this post. I just love Playmobil toys!

Grateful for rainy days!

2010-12-13T11:22:00.000-08:00

I am grateful for rainy days! Our family has been so busy with school, work and getting ready for the holidays. It was actually a relief to have an absolute downpour this weekend. It was so yucky outside that instead of running errands all around town we just stayed in and had a nice quiet day as a family. We played games, watched movies and made a cute gingerbread house. So nice!

Wordless Wednesday - Watching Santa's Train!

2010-12-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

Great holiday list of best toys on Mamanista!

2010-12-05T19:23:00.000-08:00

Check out Mamnista for a great list of the hottest holiday toys for 2010! She is also hosting 12 days of giveaways!

This is my favorite toy on her list:

The PlasmaCar (Amazon – $47) is kid-powered and well-designed for years of enjoyment. So easy a three year old can drive and so sturdy even an adult can ride–you know you want your own.

Happy holidays everyone!

Wordless Wednesday - Some of the Thanksgiving spread!

2010-12-02T14:19:00.000-08:00

I ordered my Shutterfly Xmas cards!

2010-12-02T14:14:00.000-08:00

One more thing to cross off the list - I ordered our family Christmas cards through Shutterfly! I was planning to select a layout with just one photo of our family. However when I was going through our pictures I ran across a lot of cute ones of my daughter. So, I ended up with a three photo layout and I love it! I have family shot plus one of my little gal under water and one of her on the monkey bars.

Shutterfly made it easy to try out various layouts with our photos. Since our family photo has a basic white background, I picked a layout with a bright green frame. I did not realize that we needed a blasts of color until I tested the photos out in more subdued cards. Here is the layout I ended up selecting:

If you haven't ordered your holiday cards yet, take a look as Shutterfly's extensive Christmas photo card selection here!

Activeion giveaway on Ascending Butterfly!

2010-11-22T20:44:00.000-08:00

I would love to have this! I really don't like cleaning with chemicals. My daughter has asthma so we really try to keep chemicals out of the house. I make most of my own cleaners these days, but this would be even better! Ascending Butterfly gives the Activeion HOM rave reviews and she seems to have given it a very thorough test. I'm sold. Enter to here!

Holiday cards from Shutterfly!

2010-11-19T14:01:00.000-08:00

I have ordered pictures through Shutterfly for years. The website is easy to use, the picture quality is excellent and items get shipped quickly. I have even ordered our Christmas cards from Shutterfly. I always love to receive family photo cards during the holidays so I can see how all of the kids have grown in the past year!

This year I am thinking about using this design for our cards:

I love the simple, crisp layout. I never thought of using a black and white picture on a Christmas card, but it looks fabulous here. I am going to try it! We always have a family member take our Christmas card photo on Thanksgiving. Everyone is already dressed up and taking pictures anyway so it is easy to do.

Take a look as Shutterfly's extensive Christmas photo card selection here. They have over 800 styles to choose from so you are bound to find one you love! If you are looking for more of general holiday cards instead of Christmas cards, Shutterfly has almost 300 of those too.

Have you decided what you are going to do for your holiday cards this year?

Fox Run Pizza Stone CSN Review

2010-11-17T11:25:00.000-08:00

Add caption

We have been cooking at home a lot more these days. My family LOVES pizza and I have been interested in making homemade pizza for a while. So I was thrilled when CSN Stores contacted me about doing a product review for them!

I have shopped with CSN Stores a few times now and have had great experiences. They make shopping easy. CSN Stores is comprised of over 200 websites, offering everything from furniture to cookware to lighting to baby products and more. They carry over 1,000,000 products! CSN Stores has low prices too. In fact, if you find the same product for less somewhere else they want the chance to beat it!

In order to test out making pizza at home, I selected the Fox Run Craftsmen Square Pizza Stone. Like the other times I have ordered through CSN Stores, my package was shipped out the next day. I love it when things I order arrive quickly! That next weekend we had a great family night making pizzas. My daughter loved kneading the dough and putting the toppings on. I think about half of the cheese went into her mouth instead of on the pizza.

The Fox Run Craftsmen Square Pizza Stone was a big hit with all of us. The natural stoneware heated up quickly and evenly. The square shape made it easy to get the stone in and out of the hot oven. It seems like it would be hard to get a round pizza stone in the oven without squishing the edge of the dough. The best part though was the yummy crispy crust - just like a pizzeria!

Clean up was a nice surprise too. The instructions say to just scrape off any crumbs with a knife or spatula. No soap or anything. In fact they clearly state that you should not use soap or your next pizza will taste like.... yep, soap.

Our family had so much fun that we are talking about making pizza together every Friday night. Who would have known that a product review would end up starting a new family tradition. Thanks CSN Stores!

If you are considering buying one, you will be glad to hear that CSN Stores has the Fox Run Craftsmen Square Pizza Stone on sale for $19.99 right now!

Disclaimer: I received a Fox Run Pizza Stone from CSN Stores the purposes of this review . All reviews by onegratefulmama.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author. Please review my disclosure policy for additional information.

Wordless Wednesday - Lots of Starfish

2010-11-11T07:21:00.000-08:00

Crane giveaway on Confessions of an Overwork Mom

2010-11-04T12:48:00.000-07:00

Well, we are already on our second cold of the season in our household! One thing that really seems to make a difference for my daughter is humidifiers. We've been using the frog shaped Crane Humidifier in her room for five years. Now we'd like to have one for our own room. That's why I was so glad to see that Confessions of an Overworked Mom is hosting a giveaway for a Crane Humidifer. Go ahead and enter to win here! Good luck!

Wordless Wednesday - Little Witch!

2010-11-03T07:21:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving Seating

2010-11-01T11:11:00.000-07:00

Now that Halloween is over I am already starting to think about Thanksgiving. I am wondering where everyone is going to sit! We are going to be hosting dinner at our house and we are inviting both relatives and neighbors over. So the big question is... do we need more dining room chairs?

A few days ago I was contacted by CSN Stores to review one of their products. While looking through their network of over 200 online stores, I found some fabulous chair ideas on their Dining Rooms Direct site. This is one of my favorites...

I hope we don't have to resort to using the extra folding chairs and table! Stay tuned for my upcoming CSN Stores review....

Have a great week!

Wordless Wednesday - Under Water

2010-10-27T07:32:00.000-07:00

Crane giveaway on Cartoon Lovin' Mama

2010-10-17T20:21:00.000-07:00

It's getting to be that time of year again.... colds and flus! One thing that really seems to make a difference for my daughter is humidifiers. We've been using the frog shaped Crane Humidifier in hre room for five years. Now we'd like to have one for our own room. That's why I was so glad to see that The Cartoon Lovin' Mama is hosting a giveaway for a Crane Humidifer. Go ahead and enter to win here! You might also want to check out Crane website for more information about their humidifiers. Good luck!

Grateful for trips to the beach!

2010-10-14T20:44:00.000-07:00

I find the beach to be very relaxing. Something about the size and power of the ocean makes all of my worries seem insignificant. Our family went to the Oregon coast last weekend and had a wonderful time. Since it was Oregon it did, of course, rain one day. We still had a great time seeing the sharks and pretending to be deep sea divers at the Oregon Coast Aquarium!

CSN Stores giveaway on Lisa Reviews!

2010-07-22T14:50:00.000-07:00

I have had such great experiences with CSN Stores! I thought you'd all like to know that Lisa Reviews is hosting a giveaway for a $30 CSN Stores gift card right now. You can enter to win here.

If you win it will hard to pick what to use your gift card for - CSN Stores have pretty much everything. Their selection is amazing. Good luck!

EarthPan 12" Skillet CSN Review

2010-06-18T15:29:00.000-07:00

I am so pleased to be working with CSN Stores! They have over 200 stores online and carry pretty much anything you can think of. You can shop at all of their stores and use just one shopping cart. So easy! I have been looking for a new 12" skillet for a few months so I was thrilled to be able to review one for CSN Stores. Since I am really working on being Earth friendly and limiting my family's exposure to chemicals I choose the EarthPan II Skillet.

So far I love it! I have used it to cook eggs and sloppy joes (two of my family's faves!). The skillet was very easy to use. When I made sloppy joes I had a lot of burners going at the same time and the handle stayed cool. It also distributed the heat evenly and the food cooked nicely. The best part was the clean up. The leftover food pretty much slipped out of the pan. I just needed to wipe it once with my soapy sponge and that was it! With such a fabulous nonstick finish I am hopeful that it will last a long time.

Here is some more detailed information about this skillet.... The foundation of this EarthPan™ II skillet is the exclusive eco-friendly SandFlow™ nonstick coating. This unique nonstick originates from sand and is formulated to provide excellent food release and easy cleanup. Based on industry lab tests, SandFlow™ nonstick food releasing performance will outlast all other ceramic-based, eco-friendly cookware 3 to 1.

Features:

SandFlow™ nonstick coating will outlast all other ceramic-based, eco-friendly cookware 3 to 1
Aluminum construction heats up quickly and helps reduce "hot spots"
Dual riveted silicone enhanced handle is comfortable to hold and provides a confident grip
High-heat performance
Reduced greenhouse gasses - lower carbon footprint during production

Specifications:

Color: Espresso
Overall Dimensions: 3.75" H x 12.75" W x 21.25"D
Materials: Aluminum with SandFlow™ nonstick coating
Oven safe to 600°F/315°C
Dishwasher safe
Created with no toxic fumes, no PTFE, and no PFOA

CSN Stores actually has this skillet on sale for $29.95 on their cookware.com site!! If you are in the market for a new skillet I think you would be very happy with this one.

Disclaimer: I received a EarthPan 12" Skillet from CSN Stores the purposes of this review . All reviews by onegratefulmama.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author. Please review my disclosure policy for additional information.

Volkswagen Summer Road Trip Giveaway at Blessings Abound!

2010-06-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

Blessings Abound Mommy is yet another one of my favorite blogs to follow! Right now she is hosting a fun giveaway for a Summer Road Trip Survival Pack. Tomorrow is my daughter's last day of school and we have a few road trips planned for this summer. I would love to win this to help with the "are we there yet" "are we there yet" "are we there yet" that comes from the backseat. :-)

You can enter to win here!

Mom's Focus on Cyber World Giveaway!

2010-06-13T16:23:00.000-07:00

I just love these adorable Crane animal humidifiers! It would be hard to pick which animal to get. Right now Mom's Focus on Cyber World is hosting a great giveaway for one! Go on and enter it here!

Endless Summer at TicTacDough!

2010-06-10T16:30:00.000-07:00

TicTacDough is a really fun blog! She is hosting a great Endless Summer event right now. Here are some of my current favorite giveaways from the event:

Enter here to win the above cute Busy Kit. Looks like tons of fun things to entertain your little one(s) on a trip!

Enter here to win a fantastic cooler and bag from L.L. Bean. We'd use these practically daily during the summer!

I had not heard of Hayneedle before, but I am impressed with the selection on their retail site. They have lots of great hammocks! You can enter here to win one of their kiddie pools!

I am also excited about the High Sierra Sport bag giveaway. They make great packs! You can enter this one here!

Good luck!

Moody Mama is giving away a humidifier!

2010-06-10T13:09:00.000-07:00

I sure love humidifiers! Running one in my daughter's room really helps control her asthma. I have lots of family in dryer parts of the country and they swear by them too.

Opinions of a Moody Mama is hosting a fantastic giveaway for a Crane humidifier. I bet it would make your life more comfortable, so enter to win one here! Best of luck!

Mommy's Memorandum Does It Again!

2010-06-03T16:26:00.000-07:00

I have been pretty busy and haven't had time to visit many of my favorite blogs for a while. Today I had a a few minutes so I dropped by Mommy's Memorandum. I am always amazed at her fabulous giveaways! Here are my two favorites that she is hosting right now:

These Measure Up Bowls look so fabulous. Why haven't I seen these before?? These porcelain bowls have rings showing pre-measured portions. How clever! I think it would be a big eye opener to serve ice cream in these bowls. I know my portions are way to big. :-) If you would like a shot at winning these, enter here!

These Crane Humidifiers are adorable. As many of you know, my daughter has asthma and we have found that humidifiers really help with her breathing. We've been using the same one for a few years and it should probably be replaced. It was be so nice to have a cute humidifier to bring out when my little gal is having a hard time breathing! You can enter here!

Best of luck everyone!

Cash for Books!

2010-06-03T08:35:00.000-07:00

I recently noticed that my bookshelves are sagging! About the same time I saw a blurb in All You magazine about selling your books for cash. I actually used this service, Cash4Books, a few years ago to sell some textbooks but I had forgotten all about it. It is so easy! I pulled three relatively new hardback books off my shelf to see what I could sell them for. I ended up making $15 which, of course, I will use to buy more books. :-)

Here is how Cash4Books works:

1. Enter your books to sell: Type the ISBNs from your books into the form at the top of their home page

2. Ship the books for free: Print a shipping label from your computer

3. Get paid: They send you a check as soon as they receive the books

I sent my books last week and got an email today saying that they received my books and my check is in today's mail. I'm so happy with how quick and easy the process has been. Now I'm going to go back to my book shelves to find more books to sell!

If you have books sitting around, I recommend checking out Cash4Books!

Disclosure: this post does include an affiliate link.

Wordless Wednesday - The Princess and Her Castle

2010-06-02T04:50:00.000-07:00

Time for a "Big Girl" Bed!

2010-05-28T14:42:00.000-07:00

For a few weeks my daughter has been asking when she can move into a "big girl" bed. So we finally did it! Luckily we had an extra twin bed in the attic so we were able to do it easily. After setting it up, I found out that my husband got the bed back when he was in high school. Yep, twenty years ago! Needless to say, it probably won't last too long. The poor thing is a bit saggy. It will be great for a while though. For one thing, we don't care if she and her friends jump on it all day long. :-)

I am already starting to scope out new beds and bed frames for her. A twenty year old bed can only take so much bouncing, right? I have had great experiences with CSN Stores in the past, so I am checking out twin beds on their Bedroom Furniture online store.

My little gal would LOVE something girlie like this one!

The one below is really fun too! How could you not wake up happy if you slept in this bed?

The bed will have to wait a few months at least. For now I am going to focus on one of my daughter's other favorite things these days... cooking! Stay tuned for an upcoming review of a cookware item from CSN Stores!

Have a great long weekend!

Join Jamie's Food Revolution!

2010-05-27T21:04:00.000-07:00

I really like the Food Revolution show that Jamie Oliver did recently. I hope it makes a difference in the way school systems prepare lunches! You can sign his petition to improve school food here. He's hoping to take it to the White House to show how much Americans care about what their kids eat.

The Not-So-Blog's Experimental Mommy is hosting a fabulous giveaway to help get the word out about Food Revolution! All of the items pictured above are included in the prize pack. I'd love to win this so I can read his book and try out some of his recipes. I was really inspired by his show. You can enter to win here! Best of luck! You can also go to disneyfamily.com to find out more about Jamie Oliver and other Disney Family programing.

McDonalds and Shrek House Party Fun!

2010-05-26T14:22:00.000-07:00

I had a lot of fun hosting my second House Party this weekend! This one was the McDonald's McNugget and Shrek Forever After House Party. We had a bunch of neighborhood kids over and everyone had a blast. It was so fun to watch the kids watching the Shrek 3 movie. Their giggling was contagious. Of course the McDonalds treats were a hit too. The picture above shows the goodie boxes that the kids each got to take home. Now I'm addicted to McFlurries! Thanks House Party!

Great giveaways!

2010-05-26T13:50:00.000-07:00

I haven't been entering as many giveaways recently, but there are a few I really like right now....

Mommy to 2 Girls is hosting a fun giveaway for a $15 gift certificate from the Education Warehouse. With just two weeks left in the school year, I am definitely looking for ways to keep my little gal busy this summer. I'd use the gift certificate to buy either fun workbooks or washable paints!

Leapfrog products are always a hit in our house! I've had my eye on their digital camera for a while now. So I was thrilled to see that one of my favorite blogs, The Mommy Files, is hosting a giveaway for one! Yahoo! It holds up to 100 pictures which is great since I know my gal would take tons of pix!

The Art of Being Mom is hosting a giveaway for a child's emergency kit from The Ready Store. I always like to be prepared so this would be great to have on hand! We have some basic things ready for an emergency kit, but we certainly should be more prepared.

So go enter! Best of luck everyone.

Three Wishes Book Review

2010-05-17T10:08:00.000-07:00

About the book:

Carey, Beth, and Pam had succeeded at work but failed at romance, and each resolved to have a baby before time ran out. Just one problem: no men.

Carey took the first bold step towards single motherhood, searching anonymous donor banks until she found the perfect match. What she found was not a father in a vial, but a sort of magic potion. She met a man, fell in love, and got pregnant the old-fashioned way. She passed the vials to Beth, and it happened again. Beth met man, Beth got pregnant. Beth passed the vials to Pam, and the magic struck again. There were setbacks and disappointments, but three women became three families, reveling in the shared joy of love, friendship, and never losing hope.

About the authors:

Carey Goldberg has been the Boston bureau chief of the New York Times, Moscow correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, and most recently a health and science reporter at the Boston Globe. She now writes happily at home.

Beth Jones is a freelance writer and educator who has contributed to theBoston Globe, the New York Times, and numerous academic journals. She plans to climb many more frozen waterfalls.

Pamela Ferdinand is an award-winning freelance journalist and former reporter for the Washington Post, Boston Globe, and Miami Herald. She remains an incorrigible romantic.

My thoughts:

I always enjoying heartfelt books about women taking charge of their lives! So I was delighted to be asked to review a great new book, Three Wishes by Carey Goldberg, Beth Jones, Pamela Ferdinand. The writing is very honest and refreshing. I felt like I could relate to each of the women who's stories are shared in this book. The first thing the nurse told me when she confirmed my pregnancy (almost 5 years ago!) was that my pregnancy was considered high risk due to my advanced age. Though my pregnancy went well, I could relate to some of the worries and issues that these three authors experienced during their struggles to become mothers. I also enjoyed reading about the support and friendship these women provided each other through trying times.

You can buy Three Wishes through Amazon here!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for purposes of this review. All reviews by onegratefulmama.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author. Please review my disclosure policy for additional information.

$35 Jiffy Lube Gift Card Giveaway - CLOSED

2010-05-13T12:44:00.000-07:00

KATIE (COMMENT #10) IS THE WINNER! I JUST SENT HER AN EMAIL. THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED!

About ten years ago I took an amazing class for women on how to take car of your car. They told us that the most important thing you can do is to stick to the maintenance schedule recommended by your car's manufacturer. The instructors made it very clear that that includes regular oil changes. So, I've been getting my oil changed like clockwork ever since! I always take my car to the local Jiffy Lube which I drive by almost every day.

In case you missed it, April was both National Car Care and National Informed Women Month. A perfect opportunity to get empowered to care for your car! Did you know that in the United States the average age of cars and light trucks on the roads today has reached a record high of 9.4 years? That means it’s more important than ever to take proper care of your vehicle.

With the informative Web site www.MotorOilMatters.org (created by the maker of industry-leading brands Pennzoil and Quaker State) you can easily locate key information about how quality motor oils can help prolong your engine’s life and improve overall efficiency, as well as help answer other questions you may have about motor oil. In addition, the site offers a fun, educational game for you to play called “M.O.M. Knows Best” where you can put your motor mind to the test with an interactive quiz.

Did you know?

According to a recent survey from the Automotive Service Association, more than 54 percent of customers who take their vehicles for service and repair are women
Using a high-quality motor oil in the right grade can help maximize fuel economy
Low-quality oils that do not meet industry standards or the vehicle manufacturer’s requirements could cost consumers in the long run by potentially damaging the vehicle’s engine or possibly voiding the manufacturer’s warranty
Another reason to look to a high-quality motor oil – like Pennzoil and Quaker State - is that it is designed to meet the demands of today’s engines

GIVEAWAY:

One reader will win a $35 Jiffy Lube gift card!

MANDATORY ENTRY: (Please leave a valid email address or make sure it is visible in your profile)

Leave a comment about how you take care of your car

EXTRA ENTRIES:

To receive these extra entries, you must first do the MANDATORY entry:

Comment about something you learned on the Motor Oil Matters website -- 1 entry
Enter another one of my giveaways -- 1 entry for each
Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect -- 2 entries
Tweet about this giveaway (can tweet once daily - leave link) -- 1 entry
Blog about this giveaway (leave me a link to your post) -- 5 entries

Contest ends May 23rd, 2010 at Midnight PST. The winner will be chosen by Random.org and emailed. If they do not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen.

Disclaimer: MotorOilMatters.org and Shell Lubricants provided me with the gift card, information, and giveaway through MyBlogSpark. All reviews by onegratefulmama.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author. Please review my disclosure policy for additional information.

SuperValu Box Tops for Education $25 AmEx Gift Card ** Giveaway * - CLOSED*

2010-05-13T12:12:00.000-07:00

THE WINNER IS Mami2jcn (COMMENT #140)! I JUST SENT HER AN EMAIL. THANK YOU TO ALL THAT ENTERED!

My daughter won't start kindergarten for two more years but I am already collecting Box Tops for Education to support her future school! All I have to do is cut them out and drop them into a folder that sits out by the main office. Lots of neighborhood families do this and that envelop gets pretty full. School budgets are always tight and I am happy to do something so easy to help out!

Did you know that every year 24 million parents and children join in clipping Box Tops to support their local schools. As a result, SuperValu shoppers helped participating schools earn more than $10 million in the 2008-09 school year alone!

To make it even easier to participate in the program, the SuperValu family of stores (ACME, Albertsons, Cub, Farm Fresh and Jewel-Osco) joined Box Tops for Education in creating a website that not only tracks your Box Tops contribution and the school’s redemption, but also offers recipes, coupons, store promotions and more.

From now through May 31, SuperValu stores and Box Tops for Education are giving you a chance to win 50,000 bonus box tops for your school. That’s a $5,000 value! All you have to do is register at www.GrowingLocalLearning.com, and click the link to the 50,000 bonus box tops sweepstakes*. You will automatically receive 5 Bonus Box Tops just for signing up!
*Please note that the sweepstakes is void in some states.
Visit www.GrowingLocalLearning.com and view the sweepstakes’ official rules
for more details.

After you’ve entered the sweepstakes, be sure to stick around and browse the website where you’ll find a variety of great offers on your favorite General Mills brands including Betty Crocker®, Old El Paso®, Totino’s® Pizza Rolls® and Pillsbury®. Once you register you can also find recipes that will earn you even more Box Tops and you can access coupons for the latest deals at your local SuperValu store!

GIVEAWAY:

One reader will win a $25 American Express gift card!

MANDATORY ENTRY: (Please leave a valid email address or make sure it is visible in your profile)

Leave a comment with a guess of how many box tops you could collect if you spent the $25 on General Mills Box Tops products.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

To receive these extra entries, you must first do the MANDATORY entry:

Comment about something you do for local schools -- 1 entry
Enter the www.GrowingLocalLearning.com sweepstakes -- 1 entry
Enter another one of my giveaways -- 1 entry for each
Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect -- 2 entries
Tweet about this giveaway (can tweet once daily - leave link) -- 1 entry
Blog about this giveaway (leave me a link to your post) -- 5 entries

Contest ends May 23rd, 2010 at Midnight PST. The winner will be chosen by Random.org and emailed. If they do not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen.

Disclaimer: SuperValu and General Mills provided me with the gift card, information, and giveaway through MyBlogSpark. All reviews by onegratefulmama.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author. Please review my disclosure policy for additional information.

High Sierra giveaway from At The Fence

2010-05-05T11:02:00.000-07:00

Hiking season is almost here! We are planning on taking a lot of family day hikes this summer. I really don't like my backpack though, so I'm hoping to win a new one. Right now At The Fence is hosting a giveaway for a High Sierra pack. She's doing a fun scavenger hunt for entries - great idea!

You can enter the giveaway here!

Just Let Me Lie Down Book Review & Giveaway - CLOSED

2010-04-23T10:41:00.000-07:00

Congrats to the 3 winners: Hotsnotty2, Charlene and Molly C. I have emailed them. Thanks to all that entered!

Kristin van Ogtrop knows she's lucky--fulfilling career, great husband, three healthy kids, and, depending on the hamster count, an impressive roster of pets. She also knows she is tired. Always.

Using stories and insights from her own life, she provides a lexicon for the half-insane working mom. Anyone who has left a meeting to race to the Halloween parade immediately understands van Ogtrop's definition of "Kill the messenger" as "The action you must take in order to forget about the office for a time--that is, to remove your Blackberry/Treo/iPhone/whatever from your person and store it as far away as your neurotic self will allow." Filled with essays, lists, and resonant observations, Just Let Me Lie Down establishes van Ogtrop as the Erma Bombeck of the new millennium.

About the Author
Kristin van Ogtrop is the editor of Real Simple magazine and has held positions at Glamour, Vogue, Travel & Leisure, and Premiere. She lives outside New York City with her family.

I was sent a copy of this book to review and I read it in just a few sittings. The observations Kristin van Ortrop makes are right on and quite funny at times. I am an avid reader of Real Simple magazine, so I was pretty sure I'd like this book before I even picked it up. I like how it is organized like a dictionary. The topics are grouped alphabetically. Many of the topics are covered in a paragraph and others take a few pages. With such brief sections this is an easy book to pick up when you have just a few minutes for a quick read. It would be a great book for commuting moms who want a quick read for the bus/subway. A couple of times I read it in the car while I was waiting for my daughter to get out of school.

I found myself relating to many of the observations in the book. One I experience I have almost nightly Kristin van Ogtrop calls "brains spins: the unpleasant phenomenon that occurs when you wake up at 3:15 a.m. and start thinking about the work meeting your are dreading tomorrow, whether or not your son will remember that he needs to take an empty two-liter soda bottle to school for a science experiment - wait, do we even have any two-liter soda bottles?!" Sure sounds like my life!

My book club is going to be reading Just Let Me Lie Down for our next book. I am looking forward to laughing with the other moms as we share stories about how our lives are reflected in the book!

Just Let Me Lie Down is a good book for moms who work, for moms who work from home, and moms whose work is home. I think it would be a fun gift to give a mom who is just about to go back to work after maternity leave!

GIVEAWAY:

Three readers will win a copy of the book Just Let Me Lie Down

MANDATORY ENTRY: (Please leave a valid email address or make sure it is visible in your profile)

Leave a comment letting me know who you will give this book to or if you'd like it for yourself.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

To receive these extra entries, you must first do the MANDATORY entry:

Comment with the title of one of your favorite books -- 1 entry
Enter another one of my giveaways -- 1 entry for each
Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect -- 2 entries
Tweet about this giveaway (can tweet once daily - leave link) -- 1 entry
Blog about this giveaway (leave me a link to your post) -- 5 entries

Contest ends May 3rd, 2010 at Midnight PST. This contest is open to US and Canadian entrants only. No P.O. Boxes please. The winner will be chosen by Random.org and emailed. If they do not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen.

Silk Pure Almond Milk Review & Giveaway - CLOSED

2010-04-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

The winner is susan1215! I have sent her an email. Thanks to all that entered!

I used to drink almond milk occasionally when I was in college. So I was happy when Silk asked me to review their latest product, Silk Pure Almond™ milk. I have milk every day and it's nice to have something new to try. My family not only drinks milk but also uses it frequently in cereal, smoothies and baking. Milk is a staple in our house.

When I first tried Silk Pure Almond™ milk I was surprised at how smooth it was - more smooth than the almond milk of my college days. I usually drink skim milk so the richness of Silk Pure Almond™ seems like a real treat. I really like the flavor and smoothness it adds to smoothies too. I have only tried the Original flavor so far and look forward to trying Vanilla soon. My four year old thinks it's pretty fun to "drink" almonds. It is nice to have a milk alternative for her as well. After reading about the health benefits of Silk Pure Almond™ you will see why I am happy to pour glasses full of it for my family.

It doesn’t take much to get from whole, natural almonds to Silk Pure Almond™ milk.  Each glass provides an excellent source of natural antioxidants, and as much calcium and vitamin D as dairy milk, with absolutely no cholesterol, saturated fat, dairy or soy. Best of all, a serving of Silk Pure Almond Original almondmilk is only 60 calories, and a delicious glass of Vanilla is just 90.

What makes almondmilk Silk Pure Almond so healthy? For starters, it’s the almonds. Every little nut is a perfectly packaged powerhouse of natural antioxidants and more. In fact, we like to think of almonds as Nature’s Perfect Nutrition – and that’s where our almondmilk begins.

Almonds are recognized by health professionals as a nutritious addition to a healthy diet. A serving of almonds provides an excellent source of vitamin E (a natural antioxidant), and a good source of protein and fiber. In fact, almonds are higher in protein and fiber than any other tree nut. Plus, they're naturally low in saturated fat and cholesterol-free.

About Antioxidants:

We've all heard a lot about the benefits of antioxidants – and Silk Pure Almond™ milk is a great way to get more of these healthy must-haves into your everyday routine. Antioxidants are beneficial components that occur naturally in many whole foods including nuts, fruits, vegetables and soy. Health and nutrition pros agree that a diet rich in antioxidants can help you look, feel and live your best.

Benefits of Almonds:

New to nuts? Not to worry. Almondmilk really can go everywhere:
·      Splash almondmilk on your favorite cereal. Good morning, antioxidants!
·      Have you tried an almondmilk latte? Prepare to get hooked.
·      Whirl up a smoothie with Silk Pure Almond and your favorite fruit. (Throw in a handful of crushed almonds if you’re feeling extra nutty.)
·      Almondmilk cooks and bakes to perfection, and can be substituted for milk in many recipes. Discover soups, cakes, muffins and more – with fewer calories than you’d think.

Go to their website to get a $.75 off coupon when you register.

GIVEAWAY:

One reader will win a coupon for a free half gallon of Silk Pure Almond and also a Silk Pure Almond branded ChicoBag (these are great reusable shopping bags)!

MANDATORY ENTRY: (Please leave a valid email address or make sure it is visible in your profile)

Leave a comment telling me which flavor of Silk Pure Almond milk you would try first: original or vanilla?

EXTRA ENTRIES:

To receive these extra entries, you must first do the MANDATORY entry:

Follow Silk US on Facebook -- 2 entries
Enter another one of my giveaways -- 1 entry for each
Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect -- 2 entries
Tweet about this giveaway (can tweet once daily - leave link) -- 1 entry
Blog about this giveaway (leave me a link to your post) -- 5 entries

Contest ends May 3rd, 2010 at Midnight PST. This contest is open to US entrants only. The winner will be chosen by Random.org and emailed. If they do not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen.

Disclaimer: I was contacted directly by Silk and received 2 coupons for purposes of this review. All reviews by onegratefulmama.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author. Please review my disclosure policy for additional information.

Grateful for Radishes!

2010-04-23T09:44:00.000-07:00

I am grateful for radishes. My hubby and daughter planted tons of seeds about 3-4 weeks ago and we already have radishes, yum! It is great to be rewarded with veggies so quickly. Other plants are growing well too including lettuce, spinach and sugar snap peas. It is so gratifying to already be harvesting even though it's not much. I love that my little gal can see where her food comes from. Salad season is kicking into gear!

Are you growing any fruits/veggies in your garden?

Wordless Wednesday - Construction on Our Block

2010-04-22T13:34:00.000-07:00

I meant to post this yesterday...

Grateful for Earth Day!

2010-04-22T12:31:00.000-07:00

I am grateful for Earth Day. It is good to step back and appreciate our planet and it's environment. Here are some of the things our family is doing today:

Walking to and from school
Hubby taking bus to/from work
Stirring compost pile
Sorting plastic for recycling
Planting more veggies (yum!)

Are you doing anything special for Earth Day?

Fun Giveaways at Family Ties and Growing Pains

2010-04-15T10:38:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered a fun blog called Family Ties and Growing Pain. They are having some great giveaways for fun kid things right now. The drawing pads from RandomLine look like they'd be perfect for road trips! Enter to win one here.

The other giveaway I really like is for a Curious Chef cookie set. I love these kids cooking tools! We have the pizza set and my little gal is having a blast in the kitchen. You can enter this great giveaway here.

Good luck everyone!

Knex giveaway on Mommy 2 Two Girls!

2010-04-14T11:19:00.000-07:00

My daughter has a lot of fun playing with K'NEX at school, but we don't actually have any at home. It would be fun to have our own set so she can create things whenever she'd like. That's why I entered the huge giveaway over at Mommy 2 Two Girls. She's giving away a bunch of fabulous sets for all sorts of ages. Enter here!

Activeion giveaway on TicTacDough

2010-04-13T14:08:00.000-07:00

I would love to have this! I really don't like cleaning with chemicals. My daughter has asthma so we really try to keep chemicals out of the house. I make most of my own cleaners these days, but this would be even better! TicTacDough gives the Activeion HOM rave reviews and she seems to have given it a very thorough test. I'm sold. Enter to here!

Green Works® Kids Gear Swap House Party!

2010-04-12T09:10:00.000-07:00

I just hosted my first House Party. My friends were happy to try out the Green Works cleaning wipes and laundry detergent. House Party sure makes it easy! They sent me a great box full of samples and coupons for all sorts of products from Green Works to Brita. My friends and I try to be environmental, so this was right up our alley!

I just applied to do another party next month and I sure hope I'm selected! We'd get to invite a bunch of families over to watch the new Shrek 3 movie and snack on yummy McDonald's McNuggets. What a fun way to spend an afternoon! Stay tuned...

Curious Chef Giveaway on Hope's Cafe!

2010-04-06T10:08:00.000-07:00

I would love to get my daughter cooking more often! This fabulous cookie set from Curious Chef would be a lot of fun. My little gals sure loves cookies! Hope's Cafe is hosting a giveaway for this set right now. Enter here! Good luck.

SodaStream giveaway on Mommy's Memorandum

2010-03-22T11:45:00.000-07:00

Have you seen these SodaStream soda makers yet? They look really fun + they are great for the environment. They have lots of flavors to pick from too. I'd love to try their root beer. Mommy's Memorandum has a bunch of great giveaways going on right now. One of them is for one of these fabulous SodaStreams. Go ahead and enter here!

Wordless Wednesday - Playing at the Park

2010-03-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

ABC Neckties Review and Giveaway - CLOSED

2010-03-12T11:45:00.000-08:00

The winner is Jennifer57! I have sent her an email. Thanks!!

My husband often has to wear a tie to work and he's pretty tired of all of the ties he has. So, we were very excited to review a new tie from ABC Neckties. My hubby had a hard time picking a tie - there are so many to choose from. ABC Neckties carries over 300 different ties! He finally chose the Rivera silk tie in the red and black pattern.

The tie arrived two days later. I love it when things ship quickly. So we were off to a good start. The box was smaller than I expected and I was worried the tie would have creases. I was pleasantly surprised to find the tie in fabulous condition - not a crease to be found. I am impressed with the quality of the fabric and the richness of the colors. My husband tried the tie on and I must say that he looks quite handsome in it. He is very happy to have a new fashionable tie to wear!

Take a minute to look at the selection at ABC Neckties. You can easily narrow your choices by style, novelty and color. I tend to prefer more traditional ties, but they do have some fun novelty ties: Harley Davidson, Hawaiian, Holiday, Jerry Garcia, and on and on.

ABC Neckties has been offering affordable fashion and novelty ties since 2000. The prices are very reasonable with ties starting at $15. They work directly with the manufactures to keep the costs low. Their customer services is fabulous. ABC Neckties offers:

Free standard shipping
100% money-back guarantee
Same day shipping
Hassle-free returns
More than 300 selections

Note that they are having a 15% off Winter Sale on sitewide right now.

GIVEAWAY:

One reader will win the tie of their choice!

MANDATORY ENTRY: (Please leave a valid email address or make sure it is visible in your profile)

Leave a comment telling me who you would give the tie to if you win.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

To receive these extra entries, you must first do the MANDATORY entry:

Comment with your favorite tie from ABC Neckties (other than the Rivera) -- 2 entries
Follow ABC Neckties on Facebook -- 2 entries
Follow ABC Neckties on Twitter -- 2 entries
Enter another one of my giveaways -- 1 entry for each
Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect -- 2 entries
Tweet about this giveaway (can tweet once daily - leave link) -- 1 entry
Blog about this giveaway (leave me a link to your post) -- 5 entries

Contest ends March 21th, 2010 at Midnight PST. The winner will be chose by Random.org and emailed. If they do not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen.

Disclaimer: I received a necktie for purposes of this review. All reviews by onegratefulmama.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author. Please review my disclosure policy for additional information.

Xtrema Skillet Giveaway on Akron Ohio Moms!

2010-03-12T10:57:00.000-08:00

I would like to replace my non-stick pots/pans with something more environmental. The cookware by Xrema looks fabulous! Right now Akron Ohio Moms is hosting a giveaway for a Xtrema skillet. Enter here!

Piggy Paint * Review and Giveaway* - CLOSED

2010-03-10T12:05:00.000-08:00

The winner is Jennifer! I have sent her an email. Thanks!!

I've been reading great things about Piggy Paint non-toxic nail polish and remover. I am amazed by the founder's story about why she developed Piggy Paint products:

One day while we were painting nails over a foam plate, my daughter dropped a glob of her solvent-based polish onto the plate. Shortly after, the paint began to bubble and “ate” through the plate. I looked in dismay at the hole in the plate and decided to test all of her other “kid” polishes on the foam. Within minutes, ALL of the solvent-based polishes began to bubble and eventually left big holes in the plate. From that day on, I decided that any flammable substance that could eat through foam was unacceptable for my children’s fingernails, which would inevitably end up in their mouths.

My quest was on, and Piggy Paint^™ was born. As you may have guessed, our polish is NOT flammable and sits beautifully on the unaffected foam. We hope you enjoy this water-based polish that is specially formulated of natural ingredients. Finally, a kid-friendly polish without the accompanying drawbacks of traditional polishes. It is free of formaldehyde, toluene, phthalates, biphenyl A, ethyl acetate and acetone... and made in the USA!

Yikes! I am going to toss all of my old nail polishes. I don't want to use anything that makes foam plates bubble. In addition to all of the enviromental benefits described above they use 100% reused peanuts from their local community to ship their products. They really make a point to reduce, reuse, and recycle! This is a company I am happy to support.

My daughter was very excited to try out the Girls Rule! polish. The bright, shimmery purple color is fabulous. It was so nice to open the bottle and find that it really is odorless. My husband usually makes us paint our nails in another room due to the smell, but this time he didn't even realize we had the polish open. The polish went on very smoothly. My four year old was able to do it herself. She was so proud of herself and she has been showing her nails to any/everyone. The polish air dried in 60 seconds so we were back to playing in no time. The finish was hard and durable.

I really like knowing that the polish and remover are non-toxic, odorless and kid-friendly. Their color choices are very vibrant and fun. We will have to pick some more colors for painting little toes throughout the summer!

BUYING INFORMATION:

Piggy Paint has generously provided a promotional code for my readers. This code is good for 10% off exclusive for my readers on anything on their website including sale items! The code is GRATEFUL10L (expires June 30, 2010).

Also note that if you spend over $35 then domestic shipping is FREE!

GIVEAWAY:

One reader will win a $15 gift code to use at Piggy Paint's website!

MANDATORY ENTRY: (Please leave a valid email address or make sure it is visible in your profile)

Visit Piggy Paint and then leave a comment with your favorite polish color.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

To receive these extra entries, you must first do the MANDATORY entry:

Follow Piggy Paint on Facebook -- 2 entries
Follow Piggy Paint on Twitter -- 2 entries
Enter another one of my giveaways -- 1 entry for each
Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect -- 2 entries
Tweet about this giveaway (can tweet once daily - leave link) -- 1 entry
Blog about this giveaway (leave me a link to your post) -- 5 entries

Contest ends March 21th, 2010 at Midnight PST. The winner will be chose by Random.org and emailed. If they do not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen.

Disclaimer: I received a sample of Piggy Paint nail polish and polish remover for purposes of this review. All reviews by onegratefulmama.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author. Please review my disclosure policy for additional information.

Wordless Wednesday - Climbing Trees

2010-03-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

Humidifier giveaway on Mass Hole Mommy!

2010-03-08T12:28:00.000-08:00

Mass Hole Mommy is hosting a great giveaway for a Crane Humidifier! Great for the cold/flu season. Her giveaway runs through 3/13. You can enter here. Good luck!

Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce - Winners!

2010-03-08T11:14:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all that entered my Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce giveaway! Random.org picked these two comments:

Number 71: Sue E

Number 77: Melodic Mom

Congratulations! I just sent emails to both of you. I hope you enjoy this yummy sauce. Thanks Country Bob's!

CleanRest Allergy Blocking Bedding Review and Giveaway - CLOSED

2010-03-05T13:36:00.000-08:00

The winner is MS-Texas! I have sent the winner an email. Thanks!

CleanRest® is a family of products designed to provide the user with the cleanest, healthiest sleep possible. CleanRest® features an advanced technology called MicronOne™, which offers the highest level of protection available today. It protects you from all microscopic toxins that exist naturally in every bed and pillow. Each square inch of the patented MicronOne™ fabric contains about 3 billion pores; a weave so tiny moisture can’t get in and micro-toxins can’t get to you. It creates a breathable, yet effective barrier between you and what’s in your bedding.

MicronOne:
Allergen Barrier
Maximum protection against dust mites, mold, pet dander and other allergens that occur naturally in every home.
Water Resistant
Prevents staining and contamination from liquids.
Breathable Comfort
Breathes naturally like your very own skin.
Washable
Durable and machine washable.

CleanRest® products include mattress encasements, pillow encasements, allergy free pillows, travel pillows, comforters and duvet encasements, which all give complete 360° coverage against allergens. This revolutionary new product is the quickest, simplest way to improve your sleep.

My husband and I both have some allergy issues so I was pleased to be able to test this allergy blocking bedding! I was sent a mattress encasement, box spring encasement and two pillows for my review. It did take two of us to get the encasements on, but it wasn't too hard and the zippers were easy. The material has a very tight weave and it sure seems like nothing could get though it. The pillows are comfortable and fluffy. My husband likes a pretty thick pillow and he's very happy with these. We have been sleeping with this set for a week now and we are so pleased to wake up breathing clearly! I feel more rested when I get up in the morning. There is one thing we are still trying to get used to... the little rustling sound when one of us moves around. I am a very light sleeper so I am more sensitive to sounds than most people. This would be a great set for anyone with allergy issues! I am also looking forward to just tossing these in the wash to clean them.

CleanRest® products are available at many retailers including these.

GIVEAWAY:
One of my readers will win their own complete bedding set worth $185. The set includes 1 mattress encasement, 1 box spring encasement and 2 stuffed pillows in your choice of size.

MANDATORY ENTRY: (Please leave a valid email address or make sure it is visible in your profile)
Leave me a comment telling me why you would like to win this bedding set.

EXTRA ENTRIES:
To receive these extra entries, you must first do the MANDATORY entry:

Follow CleanRest's Protect Your Sleep Page on Facebook -- 5 entries
Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect -- 2 entries
Tweet about this giveaway (can tweet once daily - leave link) -- 1 entry
Blog about this giveaway (leave me a link to your post) -- 5 entries

Contest ends March 21st, 2010 at Midnight PST. The winner will be chose by Random.org and emailed. If they do not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen.

Disclaimer: I received a bedding set as described above for purposes of this review. All reviews by onegratefulmama.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author. Please review my disclosure policy for additional information.

Invisible Dry Spray Shampoo Review

2010-03-05T12:30:00.000-08:00

I have fine, straight hair that looks greasy pretty quickly. I'm definitely one of those people who has to wash my hair every morning. I've always been so jealous of those who can go a day without washing their hair! So, I was very intrigued when I heard about Salon Grafix Invisible Dry Spray Shampoo.

The other morning I was running late and needed to get ready to take my daughter to school. Hum, seems like we are always running late getting ready for school. Anyway, this was a great day for me to be able save some time by not washing my hair. I was surprised how easy it was to use. You just spray it on your roots by section or layer. Then wait a minute and comb it out. My hair really did get clean. It was not greasy and smelled great. This is going to be my secret weapon for rushed mornings!

Some quick facts about Salon Grafix Invisible Dry Spray Shampoo:

New invisible formula does not leave behind any powdery residue
Effectively cleans and neutralizes odors
100% safe for all hair types
Absorbs oily buildup on the scalp, perfect alternative to daily shower

Salon Grafix Invisible Dry Spray Shampoo is available at retails stores nationwide for $7.99.

Disclaimer: I was sent a complimentary bottle of this product for my review. I heard about it from The Product Review Place. Please review my disclosure policy for additional information.

Zoodles' Kid Web Browser Review and Giveaway - CLOSED

2010-03-03T10:17:00.000-08:00

Everyone that entered this giveaway won! debiwelbon, I do not have a way to contact you. If you see this, please email me at molomatic (at) gmail (dot) com so I can arrange your prize. Thanks and congrats to the other winners!

Here's a fun new product that I am glad I found out about... Zoodles' Kid Browser. They have built a safe, fun, and educational online experience for kids that also gives parents the information and control they want. Anybody can get the Zoodles web browser for free, but there is also a set of fabulous paid parent features with the Premium Membership.

Zoodles ensures your child's safety by only allowing them to visit web pages that have been pre-approved by their team of educational experts. When you add a child to your account, you provide some basic information about your child's skills. Zoodles use this information as a guide to ensure that your child’s Toybox is filled with just the right content - age and skill level appropriate – so that they can immediately begin playing, exploring and learning all by themselves. The below image shows what a 3 year old's Toybox might look like.

One of my favorite features is the Parental Controls. Zoodles allows you to customize the games and activities in your child’s Toybox. Don’t want your child interacting with a specific game, website, or branded character? Not a problem. Tell them what you want to block, and Zoodles will remove all related games from your child's Toybox. Have a child that's falling behind in math? Zoodles lets you ramp up educational subjects in your child's Toybox so he or she can spend more time playing games in those subject areas. Additional parental controls include the ability to set time limits, block videos or printables, and even set violence filters. Parental controls are free for a trial period and then available only to Zoodles Premium Members. See Pricing details to learn more.

They have a great new directory of games on their site that shows all the games that are inside of the Zoodles browser. Parents can browse games by age or grade, subject, or branded character, and then learn what the game's about and what it teaches their kids. I think you'll be amazed at the amount and variety of content. My daughter's favorite game so far is Bot's Silly Fix It Game (from Nick Jr.). Some other great games include the Dora counting games and Blues Clues reading games.

My daughter loves to watch videos on the computer so I was pleased to see a large selection of You Tube educational videos. Zoodles puts a simple frame around the video to block all of the ads, comments, etc. For those parents who would rather have their children playing the games, you can ask Zoodles to block videos.

All parents who download the free Zoodles browser will also be given a free trial of Zoodles Premium Membership. Once the free trial expires, basic Zoodles members can still continue using the browser for free. For parents interested in becoming Premium Members, Zoodles offers a number of pricing plans, including $7.95 per month, $39.95 for 6 months and $59.95 for the entire year. See Pricing details for a complete description of the difference between free and premium Zoodles Membership.

GIVEAWAY:

Five (yes, 5!) separate readers will win 3 free months of Premium Membership!

MANDATORY ENTRY: (Please leave a valid email address or make sure it is visible in your profile)

Leave a comment letting me know what your child's favorite website is

EXTRA ENTRIES:

To receive these extra entries, you must first do the MANDATORY entry:

Check out Zoodles' directory of games and comment with a link to your favorite game in their directory -- 5 entries
Leave a comment with something else you learned about Zoodles from their website -- 2 entries
Download the free version of Zoodles browser and try it out -- 5 entries
Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect -- 2 entries
Follow me on Twitter -- 1 entry
Tweet about this giveaway (can tweet once daily - leave link) -- 1 entry
Blog about this giveaway (leave me a link to your post) -- 5 entries

Contest ends March 14th, 2010 at Midnight PST. The winner will be chose by Random.org and emailed. If they do not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen.

Disclaimer: I received a free trial of Zoodles Premium Membership for purposes of this review. I learned about Zoodles through The Product Review Place. All reviews by onegratefulmama.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author. Please review my disclosure policy for additional information.

Wordless Wednesday - Lovin' the Monkey Bars

2010-03-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

Vtech giveaway on The Not-So-Blog

2010-03-02T19:25:00.000-08:00

This VTech DS6321-3 Cordless phone includes an answering machine and three additional handsets. The Not-So-Blog's Experimental Mommy is hosting a great giveaway for this set. Our main phone is starting to go out and has a big delay when we answer it. I hope to win! You can enter here. You can also get more info about Vtech phones on their website.

Good luck!

Horizon Organic Chocolate Milk with DHA Omega-3 Giveaway - CLOSED

2010-03-02T11:49:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to our two winners: Jennifer (comment #3) and Chip (comment #62). I have emailed you both!

We drink a lot of organic milk in our house. My daughter has 3-4 glasses every day. So you imagine how happy I was to hear about Horizon Organic lowfat Chocolate Milk with DHA Omega-3, yum! We have chocolate milk as a treat pretty often, so this is right up our alley. Chocolate with extra health benefits such as DHA, what more can a mom ask for?

Horizon Organic lowfat Chocolate Milk with DHA Omega-3 provides a great tasting and easy way to add calcium and DHA to your family’s diet. It is fortified with a natural, 100 percent vegetarian and sustainable source of DHA - a safe, wholesome, delicious way to bring more of this important nutrient into your family's diet. I was glad to learn that flavored milk provides the same nine essential nutrients as unflavored milk (calcium, potassium, phosphorous, protein, vitamins A, D, B12, Riboflavin and niacin), and can help kids meet their calcium requirements.

DHA Omega-3 is an important nutrient that helps support heart, brain and eye health. It provides a nutritional boost for children's growing minds and bodies. Children's brains grow incredibly fast. In fact, the brain nearly quadruples in the first five years of life. Many young children don't get their recommended daily amount of DHA as it is found in a limited number of food sources.

There is a lot of helpful information on Horizon's website. Check out this link for Ingredients and more Nutrition facts about their chocolate milk. I also found their Store Locator helpful for tracking down my favorite Horizon products.

GIVEAWAY:

Two separate readers will win 4 coupons each: 2 for a FREE half gallon of Horizon Organic lowfat Chocolate Milk with DHA Omega-3, and 2 $1 off coupons.

MANDATORY ENTRY: (Please leave a valid email address or make sure it is visible in your profile)

Tell what your favorite drink was when you were a kid!

EXTRA ENTRIES:

To receive these extra entries, you must first do the MANDATORY entry:

Visit Horizon's website and comment on another Horizon product you would like to try -- 2 entries
Become a friend of Horizon Dairy on Facebook -- 2 entries
Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect -- 2 entries
Follow me on Twitter -- 1 entry
Tweet about this giveaway (can tweet once daily - leave link) -- 1 entry
Blog about this giveaway (leave me a link to your post) -- 5 entries

Contest ends March 14th, 2010 at Midnight PST. The winner will be chose by Random.org and emailed. If they do not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen.

Disclaimer: I received coupons for free Horizon Organic Chocolate Milk Plus DHA Omega-3 for purposes of this review. All reviews by onegratefulmama.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author. Please review my disclosure policy for additional information.

Reading Glasses Winner!

2010-03-01T11:39:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all that entered my reading glasses giveaway! Random.org picked comment number 30, lilshuga2001.

~*~lilshuga2001~*~ said...30

I heart the Andrea Sun readers.

Congratulations! I am about to send you an email. I hope you enjoy your new reading glasses.

Thank you to Reading Glasses Shopper for providing the fabulous glasses! By the way, they are having a sale right now and offering 15% off sitewide.

Prima Princessa Presents Swan Lake DVD Review

2010-02-26T11:45:00.000-08:00

My daughter and I had a lot of fun watching the Prima Princessa Presents Swan Lake DVD yesterday. My four and a half year old gal took her first ballet class a couple of months ago. It was a great experience. Now she spins around the house in her tutu on a regular basis. She has even been know to go to bed wearing a leotard.

Prima Princessa's Swan Lake DVD got my daughter all excited about ballet again. The video does a nice job of combining footage of profession dancers, ballet students and young children. The story of Swan Lake is shown in clips from each of the four acts. The voiceover does a fabulous job of explaining the story as the dancers from the world-renowned Paris Opera Ballet perform excerpts from Swan Lake live on stage. Between acts the adorable cartoon Prima Princessa guides viewers through ballet steps preformed by School of American Ballet students. Then you get to watch young children (ages 4-6?) practicing the steps.

My little gal really enjoyed watching the professional dancers and following the story. The summary at the end of each act really helped her follow along. She also liked watching the students show the various steps. Her favorite part seemed to be the scenes when animals were "performing" the steps. She absolutely cracked up when a flamingo was doing a piroutte! I was surprised to find her so entranced with the music. She kept asking to have to sound turned up. The 40 minute running time was just the right length. The only part I would want to change is the section between acts when the children are practicing their steps. It is adorable and got my daughter moving, however she seemed to want to have the "encore" showing of the steps shorter. She said that she'd already seen that part and that she wanted to get back to the story.

I knew this DVD was a hit when my daughter kept asking to watch it again. "I want to watch the ballet show again!"

You can find the Prima Princessa Presents Swan Lake DVD on Amazon and at Target. It is very reasonable priced at $6.99!

Keep any eye out for the rerelease of the Prima Princessa Presents the Nutcracker. It would be a wonderful holiday gift for little girls! I will be looking for it for my little dancer.

Disclaimer: I was sent a complimentary copy of this DVD for my review. I heard about it from The Product Review Place. Please review my disclosure policy for additional information.

Friday Follow: A Celebration of Followers #7

2010-02-26T09:07:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Seventh Friday Follow celebration hosted by One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families and Midday Escapades! We invite you to join us every Friday to get more blog followers and to follow other interesting blogs. It is all about sharing and having fun.

Here's how YOU can join the celebration:

* Link up your blog name and URL using the MckLinky below. Only need to add on one blog to be seen on all the blog hops.
* Follow the Friday Follow hostesses listed in the first 3 slots.
* Follow as many blogs as you like
* Comment on the blogs telling them you're from Friday Follow
* Follow back when you get a new follower through Friday Follow

The Blog Hop is the same at each of our three hosts blogs so you do not have to add your blog at each site. Just one - but you can follow each blog. Follow a few or follow them all.

The list is new each week. The links do not carry over. Please link up each week for new participants to find your blogs. The list is only open to add your blog links on Fridays. It will be visible all week to visit the blogs listed.

As hostesses, we realize the time required to participate in Friday Follow. Due to the overwhelming number of entries each week, we understand everyone may not be able to follow every blog including ourselves. To keep it fun, follow what you can at your own pace. We appreciate your understanding and thank you for your continued participation!

Grateful for eggs!

2010-02-25T17:00:00.000-08:00

I am grateful for eggs! My daughter is one of those picky eaters. My biggest concern is that she won't really eat meat (other than sandwich meat). I am so glad that she loves eggs. It's just about the only way I can get protein in her. She will eat them scrambled, over easy, in an egg casserole, cooked in a quiche... you get the idea. Now I just have to start sneaking more veggies in somehow.

What are you grateful for?

Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce Review and Giveaway - CLOSED

2010-02-22T21:06:00.000-08:00

I am so pleased that Country Bob sent me their Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce to review. It is good on just about anything: steak, hamburgers, chicken, fries, and on and on. You can grill, cook and marinate with it or put it in your soups, stews, baked beans and your other favorite dishes. There are a lot of great recipes on their website to try too.

We had beautiful sunny weather this weekend, so we decided to pretend it is summer and we barbequed, yum! We used Country Bob's World's Greatest Burger recipe. This recipe won them the "Best of Show" at the St. Louis BBQ Cookoff! It makes a lot and there are only three of us, so we cut the recipe in half. The burgers were so easy (mix and cook) and very tasty. Perfect for grilling season. We will be making these a lot this summer! My husband, who puts sauce on EVERYTHING, is happy to have a new sauce to play with. He has also already tried it on pizza and chicken. We both like that the sauce is a bit sweeter than typical steak sauce but not overly sweet like barbeque sauce.

Country Bob's other products include Spicy All Purpose Sauce, Barbeque Sauce, and Seasoning Salt. Thier products are available in stores as well as online.

GIVEAWAY:

Two separate readers will receive two bottles of Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce each!

MANDATORY ENTRY: (Please leave a valid email address or make sure it is visible in your profile)

In celebration of the recent sunny weather, leave me a comment telling me your favorite thing to barbeque!

EXTRA ENTRIES:
To receive these extra entries, you must first do the MANDATORY entry:

Visit Country Bob's recipe section and comment on which recipe you'd like to try first -- 2 entries
Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect (left sidebar) -- 2 entries
Follow me on Twitter -- 1 entry
Tweet about this giveaway (can tweet once daily - leave link) -- 1 entry
Blog about this giveaway (leave me a link to your post) -- 5 entries

Contest ends March 7th, 2010 at Midnight PST. The winner will be chose by Random.org and emailed. If they do not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen.

Disclaimer: I received Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce for purposes of this review . All reviews by onegratefulmama.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author. Please review my disclosure policy for additional information.

Book Review: Tim McGraw's Love Your Heart

2010-02-20T21:45:00.000-08:00

Tim McGraw and songwriter Tom Douglas once again join forces to write a second book about the precocious Katie and her dad. Katie has many talents, but she wonders which one will win her school’s talent show. With the help of Dad and her faithful dog Palio, and after several amusing mishaps, Katie finally chooses one talent that includes Palio. But at the talent show, she decides to drop out of the contest to help her friend, showing kindness is the best talent of all. Katie’s proud dad reassures her that she did the best thing and that while he loves many things about her, he loves her heart most of all. This lovely children's book is written for ages 4 to 8.

I have not read the first book in this My Little Girl series, but now I am going to. The little girl Katie is delightful. She has such self-confidence! She really believes in herself and does not get discouraged even when she ends up in a mud puddle. I love the pictures of Katie and her dad. I like that the father character is supportive and lets her find her own way. The ending is very sweet with Katie helping out her friend. The book has nice lessons about kindness and thinking of others. The illustrations are a joy to look at and really bring out the personalities of the characters. My four year old daughter and I enjoyed reading this book together.

Disclaimer: Thomas Nelson sent me a complimentary copy of this book for my review. Please review my disclosure policy for additional information.

Humidifier giveaway on TicTacDough!

2010-02-20T21:28:00.000-08:00

As you might know from previous posts, my daughter has asthma. One thing that really seems to help her breathing is running a humidifier in her room. TicTacDough is hosting a ton of great giveaways right now. They are running a Labor of Love online baby shower through March 3rd. So if you are hoping to win some baby things, this is the blog to visit!

I would love to win a new humidifier for my little gal. Enter the giveaway yourself here. It ends 3/2.

Good luck!

Friday Follow Hop #6

2010-02-19T09:16:00.001-08:00

It’s Friday Follow again hosted by One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families and Midday Escapades! I look forward to meeting some new bloggers!

Here’s how YOU can join the celebration:

Link up your blog name and URL using the MckLinky below – Only need to on one blog to be seen on all the blog hops.
Follow the Friday Follow hostesses listed in the first 3 slots
Follow as many blogs as you’d like
Comment on the blogs telling them you’re from Friday Follow
Follow back when you get a new follower through Friday Follow

The Blog Hop is the same at each of our three hosts blogs so you do not have to add your blog at each site. Just one – but you can follow each host blog. Follow a few or follow them all.

This list is new each week. The links do not carry over. Please link up each week for new participants to find your blogs. This list is only open to add your blog links on Fridays. It will be visible all week to visit the blogs listed.

Grateful for monkey bars!

2010-02-18T12:27:00.000-08:00

I love the monkey bars. My daughter loves them even more. At four years old, she has learned a lot from the monkey bars. A couple of months ago she was struggling to get across them. She kept working at it though. She was determined and kept getting back up there when she fell off. She is not very patient so it has been wonderful to watch her being so resilient. Mastering the monkey bars has really built up her self-esteem. She has also learned a lot about taking turns. It's helped her learn to use her words and improved her social skills. Her teachers say that she goes back and forth on the monkey bars through the entire recess! It has been wonderful to watch my little gal grow in so many ways. I am grateful for monkey bars!

Reading Glasses Review and Giveaway - CLOSED

2010-02-16T12:49:00.000-08:00

I recently won a pair of reading glasses from Reading Glasses Shopper! I had been thinking about getting reading glasses for months so the timing was great. I'd been having a hard time reading the tiny print on labels. My eyes were also getting tired after reading a while. I guess that's what happens when you get close to 40!

I received the Becky frames in black last week and I love them. As soon as I put them on I noticed how crisp the words were when I looked at a book. The frames are very flattering. Their website mentions that the rectangular shape works well with many face shapes. Another great thing about the Becky is that it comes with a case.

If you are interested in reading glasses, I would highly recommend Reading Glasses Shopper. Their prices are fabulous (my Becky glasses are on sale for $14.41 right now). They have a huge selection of stylish frames. It's very easy to find the pair you like. You can narrow your search by categories such as women's or men's readers, half vs full frame, power, etc. Reading Glasses Shopper even has a line of sunglasses. I also like that they provide same-day shipping and a 100% money-back guarantee.

Reading Glasses Shopper recently added two glossaries that might help with your selection. Take a look at the reading glasses glossary and eye health glossary sections for some great information.

Now for the good stuff - the giveaway! One reader will win a pair of glasses of her choice.

MANDATORY ENTRY: (Please Leave A Valid Email Address or make sure it is visible in your profile)

Visit Reading Glasses Shopper and then leave a comment telling me which pair you would choose if you win!

EXTRA ENTRIES:

To receive these extra entries, you must first do the MANDATORY entry:

Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect (left sidebar) -- 2 entries
Tweet about this giveaway--can tweet once daily (leave link) -- 1 entry
Blog about this giveaway (leave me a link to your post) -- 2 entries
Become a fan of Reading Glasses Shopper on Facebook -- 1 entry
Follow Reading Glasses Shopper on Twiiter @RdgGlassesShopr -- 1 entry

Contest ends February 28th, 2010 at Midnight PST. The winner will be chosen by Random.org and emailed. If they do not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen.

Disclaimer: I did not receive any money or product for this post. Please review my disclosure policy for additional information.

Booster Seat Giveaway on Busy Mommy Media!

2010-02-16T10:55:00.000-08:00

Busy Mommy Media is hosting a giveaway for a The First Years Booster Seat. My daughter is just about ready for a booster, so I'm excited about this giveaway! She gives the booster seat a great review. The seat has a lot of great features and sounds safe & comfy.

Enter to win here. Ends 2/28

Best of luck!

Giveaway Winners!

2010-02-15T06:56:00.000-08:00

Wow, I'm so thrilled to have so many entries in my first two giveaways. Thanks everyone!

JC is the winner of the $50 Safeway Gift Card. Congratulations! I just sent you an email.

One Southern Girl is the winner of the Melissa & Doug Slice and Bake Cookie Set. Congratulations! I just sent you an email.

Melissa & Doug Slice and Bake Cookie Set - Review

2010-02-10T11:09:00.000-08:00

You've probably already seen my giveaway for a Meilssa & Doug Slice and Bake Cookie Set. If not, enter here. The giveaway ends 2/14!

CSN Stores also generously sent me a Meilssa & Doug Slice and Bake Cookie Set for my review. I am very impressed with the ordering/shipping process through CSN Stores. I got an email that my packaged had shipped just a couple of hours after my order was placed. The package was at my door with in a few days (I think it was 3 days). I love that quick response. It's hard to wait for something to arrive.

My daughter was excited about the Meilssa & Doug Slice and Bake Cookie Set as soon as I pulled it out of the box. She even tore herself away from a video to play with it. She spent the rest of the afternoon pretending to cut, bake and decorate cookies. The best part was when she'd put on the oven mitt and tell me to "be very careful, Mama! This cookie sheet is very hot. You are going to need to wait until the cookies cool a bit. Be patient, Mama."

We also enjoyed playing sorting games with the cookies. My daughter would put all of the ones with sprinkles together in one pile, chocolate iced ones in another, etc.

This wooden set includes twelve cookies and eighteen colorful toppings, knife, spatula, kitchen mitt and cookie sheet. There is no doubt that your child will feel like a baker in no time! Ages 3 and up.

Please enter my giveaway to win one for your little one(s). You can also order it through CSN Stores' Toys and Games Online site here.

Happy baking!

I love to review products and host giveaways

2010-02-08T14:14:00.000-08:00

About me:

I am a stay at home mom living in the Pacific Northwest. I love spending time with my husband and hilarious four-year-old daughter! I enjoy blogging and I love to review great products and host giveaways. If you are interested in having me do a product review and/or giveaway please email me at molomatic (at) gmail (dot) com

My interests include:

Children's toys, clothing, books, food, DVDs, music, etc.
Movies. DVDs, CDs
Video games (we LOVE our Wii)
Electronics
Environmental/green products
Home improvement
Cleaning tools and products
Clothing and accessories
Food and cooking
Gardening
Dinning out

How I promote giveaways:

All reviews will be posted on my blog, sent to readers via RSS feed, and promoted on Twitter. I use additional methods to promote giveaways including posting on giveaway sites such as online-sweepstakes.com and prizey.net. I also encourage entrants to spread the word by allowing extra entries for posting the giveaway on their own blogs and sending out daily Tweets.

I like to promote my clients by including multiple hot links to their products. Often times the mandatory entry requirement will include visiting the client's website. I like to encourage my readers to spend some time on the site by asking them to comment on something such as their favorite color choice or feature of a product.

Thank you!

Xtrema 10" Skillet Giveaway on Tic Tac Dough!

2010-02-06T15:33:00.000-08:00

Over at Tic Tac Dough, one lucky winner will receive an Xtrema 10 inch skillet. I've read a lot of great reviews about Xtrema cookware. I love the environmental benefits plus they sound easy to clean. We use our 10 inch skillet more than any other size so it would get a lot of use in our house. Perfect for cooking up a batch of eggs for the whole family! Tic Tac Dough always has great giveaways, so follow her blog!

Enter to win here!

One Grateful Mama

Giveaway: 25 Shutterfly Holiday Cards!

Going to try Lawry's SW Chicken Skillet recipe

LAWRY'S® SOUTHWEST CHICKEN SKILLET

Wordless Wednesday - Baby Chicks!

Ant Farm Fun!

Wordless Wednesday - Ready to Plant!

Silk Almond Milk, yum!

Wordless Wednesday - Worm Friend

I love trading kid clothes/toys on ThredUp! (Get a $5 credit when you join)

Wordless Wednesday - Cat in the Hat!

I'd Love to Have More Pendant Lighting!

Wilton Party Giveaway from 3 Princes and a Princess!

Wordless Wednesday - 5 Year-old Planning the Garden

Grateful for snow days!

Northwest Coupon Lady giveaway

Brightening Up the Dining Room this Winter

Activeion giveaway on Does Mommy Love It?

Wordless Wednesday - Chatting with Santa!

Genesis Moments blog hosting fun kid giveaway!

Wordless Wednesday - Santaland!

Playmobil tops the Christmas list!

Grateful for rainy days!

Wordless Wednesday - Watching Santa's Train!

Great holiday list of best toys on Mamanista!

Wordless Wednesday - Some of the Thanksgiving spread!

I ordered my Shutterfly Xmas cards!

Activeion giveaway on Ascending Butterfly!

Holiday cards from Shutterfly!

Fox Run Pizza Stone **CSN Review**

Wordless Wednesday - Lots of Starfish

Crane giveaway on Confessions of an Overwork Mom

Wordless Wednesday - Little Witch!

Thanksgiving Seating

Wordless Wednesday - Under Water

Crane giveaway on Cartoon Lovin' Mama

Grateful for trips to the beach!

CSN Stores giveaway on Lisa Reviews!

EarthPan 12" Skillet **CSN Review**

Volkswagen Summer Road Trip Giveaway at Blessings Abound!

Mom's Focus on Cyber World Giveaway!

Endless Summer at TicTacDough!

Moody Mama is giving away a humidifier!

Mommy's Memorandum Does It Again!

Cash for Books!

Wordless Wednesday - The Princess and Her Castle

Time for a "Big Girl" Bed!

Join Jamie's Food Revolution!

McDonalds and Shrek House Party Fun!

Great giveaways!

Three Wishes Book Review

$35 Jiffy Lube Gift Card **Giveaway** - CLOSED

SuperValu Box Tops for Education $25 AmEx Gift Card ** Giveaway * - CLOSED*

High Sierra giveaway from At The Fence

Just Let Me Lie Down **Book Review & Giveaway** - CLOSED

Silk Pure Almond Milk **Review & Giveaway** - CLOSED

Grateful for Radishes!

Wordless Wednesday - Construction on Our Block

Grateful for Earth Day!

Fun Giveaways at Family Ties and Growing Pains

Knex giveaway on Mommy 2 Two Girls!

Activeion giveaway on TicTacDough

Green Works® Kids Gear Swap House Party!

Curious Chef Giveaway on Hope's Cafe!

SodaStream giveaway on Mommy's Memorandum

Wordless Wednesday - Playing at the Park

ABC Neckties *Review and Giveaway* - CLOSED

Xtrema Skillet Giveaway on Akron Ohio Moms!

Piggy Paint * Review and Giveaway* - CLOSED

Wordless Wednesday - Climbing Trees

Humidifier giveaway on Mass Hole Mommy!

Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce - Winners!

CleanRest Allergy Blocking Bedding *Review and Giveaway* - CLOSED

Allergen Barrier

Water Resistant

Breathable Comfort

Washable

Invisible Dry Spray Shampoo Review

Zoodles' Kid Web Browser *Review and Giveaway* - CLOSED

Wordless Wednesday - Lovin' the Monkey Bars

Fox Run Pizza Stone CSN Review

EarthPan 12" Skillet CSN Review

$35 Jiffy Lube Gift Card Giveaway - CLOSED

Just Let Me Lie Down Book Review & Giveaway - CLOSED

Silk Pure Almond Milk Review & Giveaway - CLOSED

ABC Neckties Review and Giveaway - CLOSED

CleanRest Allergy Blocking Bedding Review and Giveaway - CLOSED

Zoodles' Kid Web Browser Review and Giveaway - CLOSED

Horizon Organic Chocolate Milk with DHA Omega-3 Giveaway - CLOSED

Prima Princessa Presents Swan Lake DVD Review

Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce Review and Giveaway - CLOSED