Mark it with a B

{Closed!} Prenatal Vitamins just got easier to take

2012-05-03T09:56:00.000-06:00

Thanks everyone for entering! The winner is: Kayleigh Seelen! Your 30 day stash of Premama is on it's way. We were very recently excited to learn that our daughter is expecting another GIRL to join their family. A boy would have been fine too - and we would have been just as excited of course, but girls are fun. I know girls. lol. Little one is expected in late September/Early October. :)

Speaking of new tiny people... my daughter has had a really difficult time with morning/all day sickness again this time around and I don't know who decided that prenatal vitamins had to be so huge but... there might be some relief in sight for those of you who find prenatals hard to swallow, and keep down. There's a new company called Premama and they've jumped on the "put this powder in your drink" bandwagon - for prenatals!
My daughter tried them out recently and really really liked them. She has taken them in juice and milk with no change of taste in her drink and they stay down, unlike her large prenatals sometimes. They come in tube - you can take the whole tube at once or, since it's compartmentalized into 2 sections, take one part in the morning and one later in the evening. Easy!

Premama Prenatal Supplement Mix is nut-free, gluten-free, egg-free, fish-free, shellfish-free, and sulfite-free. AND packed with vitamins, minerals, DHA and nausea relieving extras such as Ginger, Vitamin B6, and Magnesium.{Go HERE for Nutritional Info}

“Say goodbye to prenatal horse pills. Say hello to Premama—the superior prenatal drink mix. Created with doctors, for women.”

Doctor-recommended Premama is a flavorless, prenatal vitamin on-the-go drink mix. It is complete with key prenatal vitamins and minerals—including folic acid, iron, DHA, CoQ10 and calcium—that help greatly reduce the chances of some birth defects, when taken appropriately. Premama’s ingredients have also been shown to help relieve common prenatal vitamin side-effects, such as nausea and constipation.

Check out the Premama website at http://drinkpremama.com/ for more info on their product and ordering - they are offering FREE shipping right now.

One thing my daughter noted, if you put the powder in water/juice and stir it it may not dissolve completely - so if you have some sort of issue {it's not gritty or anything} seeing things floating in your water you might want to put it in something that you can shake or blend up - or close your eyes lol. My daughter had no trouble with it tho' and the powder is taste-free.
I'm not sure if the product helped with her sickness but she is feeling better these days, and it's *definately* easier to take and keep down. She LOVED that aspect alone.
Her only comment on what they might do better is to put a small cut on an edge so the packages can be opened without needing to hunt down a pair of scissors.

She's giving them 5 crowns for... well everything! Ease of use, taste {or lack thereof}, and she says it's a great product she wished had been available during her first pregnancy.

Thanks to MomSelect and Premama I'm giving away a 30 day supply of Premama to a lucky reader! Just follow the Rafflecopter prompts below to enter.

And psst! You can sign up for free samples too! Just go to the bottom of the page here:
You can also hook up with Premama on Twitter and Facebook.

Giveaway ends: Saturday 13 May

OH - and often my personal FB page doesn't show on the widget correctly. I have no idea why. You can manually like it and then click the enter button. Here's the link: https://www.facebook.com/robinphillipsknotts AND if you have any other problems just leave me a comment on the blog. Thx!
US peeps only and 18+ years please.
a Rafflecopter giveaway I recieved product to facilitate this review; no other compensation was received. Thanks to Premama and MomSelect for sponsoring this review and pending giveaway. All opinions are that of myself and my daughter.

Postcards & Soup Winners!

2012-03-12T16:49:00.000-06:00

I want to thank my sponsors for the two recent giveaways: Progresso Soup and MyBlogSpark and PrintRunner! AND, I know these two giveaways were of a shorter duration than normal but thanks to those of you who made it over to enter to win!

And our winners are...
Lauren Ayer is the winner of the Progresso Soup Package - confirmed

and...

Jeni Monroe is the winner of the Postcards from PrintRunner!

Congrats to them!
I've emailed the winners, so check your emails.
{If the prizes are not claimed new winners will be chosen.}
Thanks everyone for playing!

{GIVEAWAY} PrintRunner Postcards

2012-03-07T10:34:00.000-06:00

Recently I was contacted by a very kind rep for PrintRunner... never heard of them? Let me get you up to speed: PrintRunner is your convenient online printing services resource. Check out their site and print postcards .

PrintRunner, Inc. was established with little more than a small press and a dream. Ten years later PrintRunner.com is one of the foremost quality printers in Southern California and occupies over 25,000 sq ft. Our growth is due to our commitment to providing the best value in high quality full color printing at an affordable price. Whatever your promotional needs, from business card printing to full color brochure printing to postcard printing services and beyond, we have the solution.

Of course I said yes when the rep asked if I wanted to give 100 postcards away to one of my readers! Can't think of any uses for postcards? I know you can think of 100s of uses for postcards but I'll give you a few off the top of my head real quick:
* Thank You notes for any occasion {weddings coming up anyone?}
* We've Moved change of address cards
* Sales cards for your business
* A little note to someone you care about - with a custom picture on the front!
* Put whatever message/graphic you want 4-5 up and cut apart! Instant hang tags, moo-type cards, business cards.
* Great for non-permanent tags per CPSIA for you crafters
* Put several designs on one & cut them apart for your 365 album or... what's that called where everyone is scrapbooking once a week... Day in the Life or something? With those cute wallet size cards for journal prompting using the cute divided up page protectors?? You know what I mean. All the cool kids are doing it {obviously I'm not one of them lol}... These would be great for that and you'd have plenty to share with a friend! {Just make them generic and personalize-able}
* Put a cheery message on them and leave them around town for others to find - brighten someone's day!
* and of course, if you REALLY can't think of anything please consider asking your favorite charity if they could use 100 postcards - I know the local Dog/Cat Rescue here would never turn down such an offer. :) {And if you really really can't think of anything to do with them, should you win, lmk. I know Animal Fair Rescue would love for you to donate the cards to their rescue}

Okay, enough of that...
One lucky reader will win...
Postcard Size: Postcards 5x7
Quantity: 100
Colors: 4/0 Front Only Printing
Paper: 14 PT. UV Coating on Front,
Rounded Corners: Yes
Proof: None
Ready to Ship In: 4 Business Days
*Giveaway is open to US Residents only, ages 18 years old and above. Giveaway will end on 12March2012 & prize code awarded on 15March2012. If winner does not respond to winning email by 13March2012 prize will be awarded on 15April2012. Please see terms & conditions on the Raffelcopter widget for more info.

Just follow the Rafflecopter directions and cross your fingers! Thanks for playing!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook

Thank you to PrintRunner for providing us this giveaway, I will receive a set of postcards for hosting this giveaway.

Progresso - Souper YOU + a giveaway!

2012-03-02T21:05:00.000-06:00

... and I'm back! And with a giveaway - and another one coming on the heels of this one so stay tuned and read on!

How has everyone's New Year's Resolutions been coming along? Need some help in the managing your weight part of your resolution? I think resolutions pertaining to weight are probably the #1 resolution made for a new year and Progresso may be able to help!

With 40 delicious soups with 100 calories or less per serving, Progresso Soup has a variety of offerings that help you beat diet boredom and satisfy your taste cravings, while helping you stick to your weight management calorie goals. Progresso soups are packed with hearty ingredients like pasta, beans, rice, meat and vegetables that suit your taste buds and make you feel good about including it in your meal choices.

This year, the Souper You® Contest will provide three lucky winners with an ultimate makeover experience in Hollywood; this includes a trip for 2 to Los Angeles, California where the winner will receive a head-to-toe makeover including hair and makeup, guided shopping spree with a $1,000 fashion retailer gift card, $1,000 spending money and 2 tickets to this season’s live finale of NBC’s The Biggest Loser.

The entry deadline for the Souper You contest has passed but fans can check back on March 12th for the announcement of the top ten finalists, and to vote for their favorite finalist until March 25th. During this time, there will also be a special sweepstakes opportunity in which you will have the
chance to win one of three prize packs for a one-year supply of Progresso soup! Visit SouperYou.com for complete rules and to vote!

In addition, visit http://bit.ly/ProgressoCoup to download a printable coupon for $1.25 off the purchase of four (4) cans of Progresso Soup today! Also, tune into The Biggest Loser on NBC Tuesdays at 8/7c.

Click here to watch this amazing video of the 2011 winner experience.

And the giveaway!
The winner’s Progresso “Souper You” prize pack will contain:
(2) VIP Coupons for Progresso Soup
(1) copy of “The Biggest Loser” Workout DVD

Please note: Entries for this giveaway are conducted by Rafflecopter, and you may have to be patient while it loads {if you have a connection like mine}. Any entries made via comment, except when asked to do so by the Rafflecopter widget, will be deleted.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway is open to US residents 18+ and ends on 11 March just before midnight - winner will be announced here and emailed. Said winner will have 48 hours to respond to email/blog post or another winner will be chosen. Facebook has nothing whatsoever to do with this giveaway and all emails collected will be used only for the purpose of notifying the winner and will be deleted upon completion of giveaway. Void where prohibited {you know who you are}, no purchase necessary. I am not responsible for delivery of prize pack to the winner but will do what I can to help if there is a delivery problem {I know people}. Good luck, Godspeed, please spay & neuter your pets, and please remember to use your powers for good and not evil.

Disclosure: The Progresso® Souper You® prize pack, information, coupon, and giveaway have been provided by Progresso through MyBlogSpark.

Winter Driving - A few tips

2012-01-25T20:02:00.006-06:00

Many parts of the US have virtually been without a winter so far - including MO where we live. And in the meantime many states that usually don't have much of a winter have been hit pretty hard with snow and ice storms recently. I'm sure that makes for unsure drivers on the road so here's a few tips when faced with winter storms.

If the weather is bad or you are unsure - stay home if at all possible. If you must go out...

Make an effort to be prepared. I know this is hard in an area that might get hit with a sudden storm, especially if you live in an area that doesn't see much in the way of winter. But it's always a good thing to keep some provisions in the car whether it's winter or summer. Some things you might consider keeping in the car are blankets, flashlights with spare batteries, granola bars & bottled water {rotate out monthly}, gloves & a hat, and flares {know how to use them} or a triangle. You may never need any of these things but it's extra piece of mind to know that they are there.

Make sure you are using car seats and boosters that match the weight and height of your kids. And consider extended rear facing if you have a toddler/preschooler - it keeps the kids safer longer. An improperly used restraint can be dangerous. Don't start the vehicle until everyone is secure in whatever restraint is proper for their age and size.

It probably goes without saying but, no matter what the law is in your area, don't text and drive! Make sure your cell is charged but consider turning it off while you are driving.

Leave plenty of time to get where you are going as it's probably going to take twice as long. Go slow, don't rush. You might be sure of your winter driving skills but are you sure of the skills of others? Be extremely aware of other vehicles around you.

If you are in an accident, no matter how small, you'll want to have your documents handy. Know ahead of time where your insurance info is and who to call if you need to. This would be good advice for any other insurance you might have also - life, house, etc. Don't wait until you need it to figure out how to use it. We recently shopped around for car insurance and were able to save quite a bit moving to a new company. If you are in the market for new insurance consider learning more at the Esurance website.

Have extra supplies at home so you don't *need* to rush out to get groceries. This is one thing I'm really bad about. Consider making a stockpile. Helpful during the Zombie Apocalypse too. :)

Be cautious and stay safe! {and did I mention just stay home? lol}

You can find out more and get your questions answered on the Esurance Facebook page.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Esurance blogging program for 8,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Goal for it - more than a chore chart {review}

2012-01-07T21:28:00.000-06:00

What are your New Year's Resolutions? Not everyone is making them but everyone has goals for the year. Want to loose weight and or eat healthier? Be more present with your family? Make more time for yourself? or just try to get the kids back on track after a hectic previous year?

Give Goal For It Chore Chart a test run - it just might help.

I don't have kids at home any longer, but I've been trying this new Chore Chart out with my granddaughter, whom I watch two times a week. Even tho' she is only 3 we still have goals on those two days she is with me - we need to get her dressed, eat breakfast, brush her teeth, get her to preschool on time... and she loves being able to mark these things off on her Princess-themed chart with a Mady-chosen sticker! {you can print out the charts or use them online}
These are her "jobs" right now and she is very proud when she accomplishes these things!
This is a great way to teach even the smallest child the beginning of responsibility, and young kids enjoy seeing the patterns, and consistencies, in their days; Your kids too will enjoy the feeling of accomplishment as they check off each chore/goal - and you can designate reward points for each checkmark if you choose.

Goal For It is more than just a chore chart though. It has areas for adding friends and family so you can easily communicate, you can post goals for yourself and your family, keep track of to-do lists - and no longer loose track of them! And yes, even I love to see things crossed off a list :). There is also a Journal section, and more. Consider it your go-to online organizer! It's free and takes only a few simple steps to set up.
I'm going to start using Goal for it to focus my blogging tasks as well as tasks I need to complete for my new Etsy shop, On Woodland Road - I think it will be a very helpful tool. Kids 13 and over can create their own account to keep track of their personal lists and tasks. {The under 18 crowd is kept out of the community searches etc.}

Even if you just want to use the Chore Chart sections they are very versatile and appealing; There are Chore charts geared to kids, and to tweens/teens and they each have several categories: health {food choices, weigh-in reminders, exercise}, chores, and behaviour charts for starters, and you can add your own custom items of course. You can also set up custom email reminders to keep you, and your kids, focused and on-task.

Give Goal For It Chore Chart a spin, remember nothing works forever with kids and you may need to change things up every so often {or at least make it look different by changing the theme} but I think this is a great tool to help you, and your kids, stay focused throughout your day.

I was introduced to Goal For It via a relationship with MomSelect and was compensated for this post. All opinions & experiences, however, are my own & are not reviewed by anyone but me prior to posting.

Family Storybook Treasury Book {Giveaway!}

2011-11-27T11:10:00.000-06:00

This was scheduled to start a few days ago but from me not setting it right or blogger being twitchy... it didn't but here it is now! :)
Read on for the giveaway for this very cool, and huge!, book...

Today's giveaway is for THE FAMILY STORYBOOK TREASURY: Tales of Laughter, Curiosity, and Fun! and TWO of my readers will each win a copy!

Family, friends, your favorite characters - bring them all together at story time! Share the book that is sure to entertain, delight, and make the whole gang laugh. The Family Storybook Treasury is a collection of your most well-loved picture books and poetry, now available in one beautiful keepsake volume with bonus audio CD!

Includes eight complete picture books:
Curious George and the Firefighters by Margret and H. A. Rey
Martha Speaks by Susan Meddaugh
Lyle Walks the Dogs by Bernard Waber, illustrated by Paulis Waber
Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw, illustrated by Margo Apple
Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester, illustrated by Lynn Munsinger
Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow
The Great Doughnut Parade by Rebecca Bond
Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton

A beautiful treasure to give, receive, and pass down.

This really is a lovely book! We've read from this book several times and Mady's favorites so far a Sheep in a Jeep, and her all-time favorite story - Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed {she learned the song at story hour at the library and loved it immediately}. Just beware: since there are 8 stories in this one book it's very easy for the child you are reading to to talk you into "one more story!"

Mady gives the Family Storybook Treasury 5 Princess crowns:

Buy it! You can buy The Family Storybook Treasury here.

Win it! 2 lucky readers will win the Family Storybook Treasury for their little one or a little in their life.

Please post the first mandatory entry as a comment on this blog, all other entries will need to be done on the rafflecopter widget to count. And remember that the mandatory entry must be completed before other entries will count. Thanks!

Winners!

2011-11-21T12:52:00.000-06:00

Our winners are up and are being emailed as I type! Thanks everyone for entering!
Go here to see the 2 winners of the Xia-Xia Pets, and here to see who won the My Memories Suite Scrapbook Software!

I'll have another book review and giveaway up this week - Have a lovely Thanksgiving week everyone!

~ Robin

{Giveaway!} Can you see what I see?

2011-11-15T18:57:00.000-06:00

Mady and I love the I Spy books and this new Can You See What I See book is similar but with a story behind it. It's called The Toyland Express and is fabulous! The book is by Walter Wick and has something for all ages.

Here's a peek:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnrHnmBcnfY
Embed Code:

CAN YOU SEE WHAT I SEE? TOYLAND EXPRESS, the eighth title in the bestselling search-and-find series, follows the life of a toy train from the workshop to the attic, only to be rescued at a yard sale and brought to life once again in a new home. As readers search for more than 250 hidden objects, they will also notice how the train takes on various transformations along its journey.

The text of this page reads:
Can you see what I see? A rocking horse, a rolling hoop, a birthday candle, an ice cream scoop, a wheelbarrow, a cat, a goose, a green race car, a red caboose, a jack, two dice, a hammer, a sword - Now load the train it's time to board!

We enjoyed the story and searching for objects. Some were too challenging for Mady to locate
{she's not yet 4} so I just had her find something else instead. She also enjoyed spotting things for *me* to find. We actually spent quite a bit of time enjoying this book, then looking again to really see how the train changed as the story progressed. The train also gave us the opportunity to talk about shapes and how we can combine them to create something new; like a train! The opportunities for learning are pretty endless with this book - and the cool thing is that the kids are learning while engaged with the book and not just learning by rote memorization.
Mady gives this book 5 Princess crowns.

About the author:
Walter Wick has opened millions of eyes to a world of treasures big and small in his award-winning, bestselling I SPY and CAN YOU SEE WHAT I SEE? picture-puzzle books. Walter discovered his passion for building picture puzzles by accident. One day when cleaning out a drawer, he scattered odds and ends on a glass tabletop and photographed them. The photo appeared in a magazine and caught the eye of Jean Marzollo, editor of Scholastic’s Let’s Find Out. This photo inspired the first I SPY book, with riddles by Jean Marzollo, and led to their long collaboration.

In his more recent CAN YOU SEE WHAT I SEE? series, Walter’s detailed photographs convey subtle hidden stories. Walter meticulously constructs 3-D sets for CAN YOU SEE WHAT I SEE? in his Connecticut studio. For videos and more photos, visit www.walterwick.com or www.facebook.com/walterwick.

Win it!
1 lucky reader will win... A signed copy of Can You See What I See? Toyland Express!
(Prizing courtesy of Scholastic)

Got Pasta?

2011-11-14T20:04:00.002-06:00

I have a love/hate relationship with pasta - I love it but, you know how it is, carbs to straight to my butt. And not in a good way.
Like many of you out there in bloggy-land, I've tried the whole wheat versions - and while I love whole wheat bread the whole wheat pasta wasn't my favorite thing in the world.
Enter Dreamfields Pasta! I received a free box in the goodie box from the promoters of Beth Aldrich's forthcoming book, Real Moms Love to Eat. She has the best sponsors!

Dreamfields Pasta has several advantages over conventional pastas:
* Twice the Fiber of Traditional Pasta – 5 grams per 2 ounce serving
* Very Low Glycemic Index of 13 makes it great for Diabetics
* Naturally Cholesterol free
* 0 grams trans fat
* Dreamfields has the delicious taste of traditional pasta.

If you are in the market for a new and healthier pasta give it try! You can check out the website for info on store locations {or buy online} in your area as well as frequent coupons.

I was sent the goodie box as a promotion for the new book, Real Moms Love to Eat. All opinions are my own. By posting this review I will be entered in a contest.

The RMLtE goodie box! Lookie!

2011-11-13T17:14:00.008-06:00

As you might have noticed I'm working, along with many other bloggers, to help Beth Aldrich promote her awesome new book Real Moms Love to Eat, and earlier this month she sent out a goodie box to her affiliates! And what a great box it was! It was filled with healthful stuff - most of which isn't easily purchased where I live so I was thrilled. :)
I'll be telling you about some of the products that I received in future posts - but I wanted to tell you about my VERY favorite thing in the goodie box:

Now I'm not a huge Peanut butter fan - I like it but can live without it, and I feel the same about chocolate - so I was very surprised when I tried Peanut Butter & Co.'s White Chocolate Wonderful and well... I literally ate the whole jar in 3 days. All.by.myself. With only a spoon. it was amazing!

Peanut Butter & Co. make several products, and 3 other Peanut Butter flavors - and you can order from the website... something that might be a bit dangerously too easy for me. :)

If you are a Peanut Butter lover, lookout. This may just make your day. :)

Update: Acutally found this at the store this afternoon. AND the hubster made me buy a jar - because, you know, he didn't get any of the first jar. :)

Thanks to Peanut Butter & Co. and Beth Aldrich for putting this into the goodie box. :)
You can find them on Facebook too.

{I was provided with free product, but my opinions are totally my own. By reviewing this item I will be entered into a giveaway.}

Real Moms Love to Eat - Book review

2011-11-13T05:39:00.002-06:00

Real Moms Love to Eat is more than just a recipe book that tells you the good, the bad, and the ugly of what we eat. This book helps to work through whatever emotions you have about food. Once your food issues are worked out you can start to enjoy food again without the stress. Beth Aldrich, the author of Real Moms Love to Eat, also guides you into making healthy choices but in a 10 part step-by-step fashion that's easy to follow, allowing you to eat well while eating what you love.

This book isn't a Vegan or Vegetarian book but there are plenty of yummy recipes that I plan to try.

In my own experience I've found that eating healthier is a gradual process and not a "diet" by the definition that you might know it as - but diet as in what you eat as part of your lifestyle - and Real Moms Love to Eat is a great resource for those wanting to make changes to a healthier way of life.

Our food system has changed so much in the past 20 years and there are lots of movements out there to help get the word out that real food is healthier than the toxic processed food many are consuming on a daily basis. This book helps you make those healthier choices without having to give up all the foods you love, and if you are like me and have a few {or more} pounds to loose it might even help you do that too.

You can learn more about Beth Aldrich and her book, Real Moms Love to Eat, on her facebook page and Twitter @RealMomsLuv2Eat
Real Moms Love to Eat is now available by Pre-Order and is scheduled for release in January 2012. Pre-Order now and you can be entered into the Real Moms Love to Eat sweepstakes!
Real Moms Love to Eat will also be available for the Kindle

{I was provided with a complimentary early version of the book to review. All opinions expressed are mine and ymmv. This post contains affiliate links.}

My Memories Suite {Giveaway!}

2011-11-12T16:03:00.001-06:00

Years ago, like many many other moms, I got into scrapbooking. I bought paper, embellishments & archival safe glues & tape - and bunches of other items. This wasn't really a good thing for me because I like to have unfinished projects out in the open where I can finish them. eventually. This was a problem mostly because I tend to have many different types of unfinished projects at any given time and you might be able to imagine how the flat surfaces in my house quickly became cluttered.

Then I stumbled upon DIGITAL scrapbooking! What a lovely thing! lol. You might think that all my problems were solved but... now the problem was that I *love* to collect things like patterns, and well... digital scrapbook kits. :) I have tons but at least things aren't scattered all over the my real life flat surfaces. BUT I have tons of files that weren't getting used for one reason or another - partly because it was a huge time suck to sort through all the kits I have on a hard drive until I found just the right one.

So back to square one right...

Enter My Memories Suite.

My Memories Suite is an easy to use scrapbook software package that makes it easy to create beautiful scrapbook layouts. But you can also create beautiful slideshows {with sound even!}, cards, web graphics, just about anything really.
Once installed the interface is quite intuitive, and if you do get stuck their FB page & website have video tutorials {pdf tutes too!}, and their Facebook group can probably answer any questions you have - it's a very active group that frequently hosts challenges and giveaways. Great community that I've been putting through the paces a bit with questions. lol

The interface also comes preloaded with some templates, background papers, etc. to get you started; after you play with those a bit you might want to purchase other sets and templates in the My Memory Suite shop for resonable amounts - some are even free. You can also import .png/.jpg graphics that you already have into the program quite easily.

{Wedding reception page done with a quickpage from the software. Sweet Baby Girl 12x12 - built in the software}

{Ever After Set.}

{Photos taken by Amy Biggerstaff}

I use, and pretty much know my way around, Photoshop but I'll be honest, I've not even digitally scrapped in years - my granddaughter is 3.75 years old and I've not even put togethter a baby book for her - so you can imagine how far behind I am on my adult daughter's images.
Like many of you, I'm sure, all my photos are stored on hard drives {that could fail} and backed up on flickr. But I think My Memories Suite might be the answer I'm looking for to easily, and quickly, get back into digitally scrapping and put some of these images into a format we can enjoy. You can print your precious pages individually through several printing services, or bind them into a book through MyMemories or other sites.

A note on installing: If you have Hughesnet, 3G hotspot, or dial-up find another connection. As you might expect it's a large download {565mb}.

Buy it:
My Memories Suite is greatly affordable {have you priced Photoshop lately?} at and because I really really like my readers - I hace a unique coupon code that gives my readers $10. off the full price of 39.97! AND, when you purchase My Memories Suite v2 you'll also get a $10. coupon code to buy anything in the My Memories store to get you started! I think you all can do the math on that - what a deal!

To purchase using the code: Click on the image above, or go here then copy and paste STMMMS41062 in the shopping cart page at the My Memories website for your $10 discount. And remember, you'll also get a $10 code, in the welcome email after purchase, to use on kits in the My Memories shop!

Win it:
Anyone want to try My Memories Suite for FREE?? They have generously given me the okay to give one of my lucky readers the My Memories Suite software for free! Just enter using Rafflecopter below. Only the 1st entry requires a comment at the bottom of this post - all other comments will not count.

{My Memories Suite provided me with a copy of the scrapbook software & 2 kits to try out. All opinions are my own and ymmv. Thanks My Memories!}

Real Moms Love to Eat

2011-10-25T08:00:00.002-06:00

I've not shared a lot of personal things on this blog but one thing I've been working on for years is learning more about the food we have available to us. I've learned about GMO food, processed food, REAL food... the list goes on. Most importantly I've learned amazing things about how all food types affect our bodies and, over the past five years, have made some important lifestyle changes in how we eat. We no longer eat much processed food, we eat a vegetarian diet with strong raw diet leanings, and no longer eat white flour, white sugar, or white rice.
After all the research I've done I'm very excited to be able to receive and review a new book from fellow blogger/SocialMom, Beth Aldrich... and keep reading for a chance to win prizes! {Formal review of the book will be coming soon!}

Real Moms Love to Eat will be out in January 2012, and is broken down in three sections, which include a fun and easy-to-follow 10-part plan for moms to implement to make gradual, life-long changes in their approach to food and 21 days of meal suggestions, tips, recipes and lifestyle changes — all to help you continue your love affair with food to look fabulous. Beth’s approach to healthy eating is simple and realistic for busy moms. You’ll learn a lot about the food you eat and how it impacts your body and still have loads of fun experiencing new foods and enjoying your life.

Mark it with a B loves new books by other mom bloggers and of course, free prizes! Please help to celebrate the launch of “Real Moms Love to Eat: How to Conduct a Love Affair with Food, Lose Weight and Feel Fabulous” (New American Library, a Penguin Books Imprint, January, 2012) by author, Beth Aldrich, Certified Health Counselor.
Everyone that participates in this “virtual pre-order launch party” is eligible for randomly drawn prizes. Simply enter the the twice-a-month pre-order book giveaway, hosted by the RealMomsLovetoEat.com site here. You can pre-order the book for one entry AND sign up for Beth’s FREE newsletter for a second entry!
{Winners from this virtual book pre-order party will be chosen on January 3, 2012 through random.org and contacted via email.}

If you are a blogger and want to participate in the Book Tour please check out the information here and consider becoming a "Food Affairiate." All registered Food Affairiates who write a review will receive a digital copy of the book now and then a final paper copy when they come out on January 3rd, a goodie bag filled with swag from their book tour sponsors AND be entered to randomly WIN one of the following: Top of the Line Kitchen Blender, Compact Food Processor, Kitchen bakeware, Kitchen utensil goodie basket, cutting boards and a couple other secret prizes!

image credit: Beth Brown

About the Author: Beth Aldrich was former host and producer of PBS's For Her Information. Though always interested in healthy living, a serious car accident in 2007 started her on a journey to formally study Holistic Health and Nutrition. She believes a happy life comes from both health and pleasure. She wants to share this information with other Moms so they can also enjoy food guilt-free while eating healthy and delicious foods. Find more information, including how to pre-order her book at www.RealMomsLovetoEat.com. ((New American Library, a Penguin Books Imprint, January, 2012)

You can also find Real Moms Love to Eat on Facebook and Twitter.

Disclosures:
I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Beth Aldrich - Real Moms Love to Eat blogging program, for a chance to get 3,000 My SocialMoms Rewards points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.
I was gifted from Restoring Essence Nutrition, LLC-owner of Real Moms Love to Eat, a free copy of the book, “Real Moms Love to Eat” and a Food Affairiate goodie bag for participating in this virtual tour and writing about this book pre-order contest.

Xia-Xia Pets are here! {Giveaway}

2011-10-22T19:49:00.001-06:00

I recently received for review a set of Xia-Xia pets {by Cepia, the makers of Zhu-Zhu Pets}! Keep reading because I have a giveaway too! :)

Xia-Xia pets are from an island far away where they dance the Samba to their favorite song. Open their shells and a little friend waits inside! Their shells are their costumes, polished and bright, watch them parade and skitter scatter all night! So come join the party, a festival of cheer, in the land of Xia-Xia where it's Carnivale all year.

Xia-Xia Pets were recently named Toys 'R Us's Hot Toy for 2011 and I'm sure they will be on many many Kids' Christmas lists this year.

I thought they were cute and their cottage and house are quite whimsical. I wasn't sure what kids would think of them, and I'd not seen the ad on TV yet - so wasn't quite sure what to make of them or how my 3.75 year old granddaughter would feel about them.
So... I gave them to Madysen... and she loved them! I was actually surprised that she played with them for so long {about 45min}, but she was quite taken with them.

Based on a Carnivale theme, Xia-Xias are four collectible, robotic hermit crabs with removable shells that contain a little friend hidden inside. A press of the claw and they are on the move skittering around. And to make them even more fun and collectible you can purchase extra shells that contain not one, but two little friends!

Meet the Xia-Xia crabs!

Bimini with her pink polka-dot & striped shell, she loves to strut her stuff in different shell fashions.

Trinidad with his dazzling, bright orange & yellow swirled shell, he loves to dance. Press his claw and watch him skitter scatter in a fun parade.

Turks is sweet and bubbly, and has a red shell and pretty pink bows, making her a cute companion.

Tobago with his rough-and-tumble blue exterior and happy grin, he's always dancing to the Xia-Xia Samba.

3 playsets are available to round out the fun! Rio de trio Village, Copacabana, and Confetti Cottage.
You can visit www.xia-xiapets.com to learn more.

I, personally, prefer open-ended toys that allow a child to use their imaginations in play, and I think these little hermit crabs will offer that for quite some time.

What did I think about them?
While I'm not a huge fan of plastic toys they are cute and stood up to Madysen. I think they will stand up to normal child play quite well. As mentioned, I do like that they are an open-ended toy and I can see Mady introducing these to her GnomeWorld setup and them fitting in there nicely. The little friends in the shells are tiny and therefor very cute {who doesn't like tiny cuteness?? lol} - they are great to collect and trade. Mady did need some help getting the shells off and on but they do go on easily once they are turned correctly. The playsets were easy to put together and I only needed the instructions for a few pieces on the Copacabana. It's cool that the cottage and the Copacabana can attach together, and you could probably finagle the Village to hook on also. At any rate all the extras make a nice playset with lots of possibilities for hours of fun for the 4+ crowd.

And now for the giveaways! {sorry for the icky photos above - no light & I wanted to get this posted}
The first winner chosen will receive the Rio de trio Village, 2 Collectible Shells, 1 Trinidad + 1 Tobago!
The second winner chosen will receive 2 Collectible Shells, 1 Trinidad + 1 Tobago!
{The Village in the first giveaway, & the 2 crabs in the 2nd giveaway were opened for review purposes but are like new & will include their original boxes; the other crabs are NIB}

This is an easy peasy Rafflecopter Giveaway but the first entry will be to post a comment on this blog post - just scroll down to do that, post your comment, then mark it done on the Rafflecopter widget. The rest of the entries are to be completed on Rafflecopter. If you have any questions just email me: cokelush at gmail
Open to residents of the US. 18+ only please.
Disclaimer: I was sent Xia-Xia pets & playsets to review. All opinions are my own. Your mileage may vary. :)

How do you stay cold & Flu free?

2011-10-05T13:12:00.001-06:00

Today Social Moms and Lysol want to know your tips for staying flu free during the flu season. Will you get a flu shot? Will you start washing your hands more often? Will you use products such as Lysol to disenfect your home and car more often than usual?

Remember, this is just what WE do. I suggest everyone do some research and do, or not do, what you feel is right for YOUR family.

I have several changes that I make during this time:
Most of the time we try to eat healthy - for us that means as little processed foods as possible and never any meat products. I also take a probiotic and eat cultured/fermented foods with my meals. I think this helps tremendously to keep us healthy, even in flu season.
We do wash our hands frequently but never with antibacterial soap - that contains pesticides and soemething I would not want on our hands right before eating especially.
We never get a flu shot and I don't regularly disinfect the kitchen or other areas of the house on a routine basis. I might use a product on the kitchen counters and sink if we were using meat products but since we don't, I don't. We mostly clean the kitchen with water or vinegar which is a natural disenfectant.
The store, however, can be a very germy place. During the big Bird/Swine flu scare especially I always used a baby wipe to open the freezer doors in the frozen foods sections where I get our frozen fruit for smoothies, and on a routine basis I wipe down the cart before taking it.
We try to drink lots of water and stay well hydrated, take extra Vitamin C if I think about it or start feeling a little "off".
We use a very natural approach to our health when well and when sick. And for good measure we definitely try our best to stay away from the doctor's office when we are well unless absolutely necessary! That's where all the sick people and germs are after all. :)

I can't even tell you the last time me or anyone in my family had the flu - in fact it might have been the last time my husband had the flu shot! lol. I used to get the flu every year soon after the military gave out shots.

Now this is Mady's first year in Pre-School and I'm hoping that she won't come down with something since she's not been exposed to lots of germs in her 3.5 years. I have tried to teach her handwashing and to sneeze into her arm when she catches it quick enough but... time will tell.

What are you doing to protect yourself and your family??

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Lysol blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

{Giveaway!} Uprinting 100 postcards

2011-09-12T10:02:00.000-06:00

This is a quickie but... uprinting is a great company to work with and I didn't want to pass up the op for one of my readers to win 100 5x7 custom postcards! The uses for these are endless! Early Christmas cards, Thank-You notes, set your design 2-4 up and cut them apart for tags, small unique business cards, bookmark cards/handouts, mommy playdate cards, or as a postcard with a unique design personal to your family, if you have a sale going on announce it! Great for etsy users, bloggers, mom's & dad's, business owners... and if you just can't think of a use for them contact your local pet rescue & ask if they would like them!
For all your postcard printing needs - look to Uprinting for all your online printing needs.

This giveaway is limited to US residents 18 years old and above only.
Prize claim instructions are sent the month following the giveaway date.
Winners are allowed to win only once over a six-month period.
Prize Details:
100 Postcards for One (1) Winner
5" x 7"
14pt Cardstock Gloss
No Folding
Front Only Printing
2 Business Days Print Turnaround Time

This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, no monetary compensation was given and I will receive postcards for hosting.

Now, to make this EASY - just fill in the Rafflecoptor entries of your choosing. Any or all. Facebook is not affiliated with this giveaway at.all. Your email will only be used to notify you if you are a winner - we do not store emails & we do not give them away nor sell them. Comments to this blog post will not count as an entry - altho' if you wish to comment as a way to remember you entered the giveaway, or you just want to say hello, you are welcome to. Winner will be notified on or about 16 Sept. 2011 & will have 2 days to respond to said email with the requested info. If winner does not respond they will forfeit their prize & a new winner will be chosen. Normal stuff, no surprises.
✿◕ ‿ ◕✿ Now go on and enter! And good luck!

{Closed!} Children's Book: Bailey by Harry Bliss

2011-08-21T19:57:00.001-06:00

Winners are Katie Klein, Rhonda Tenderholt and Kathy Palla - congrats!!

I'm excited today to bring you a new giveaway! Today we have Bailey by New York Times best selling author Harry Bliss - and, thanks to Scholastic, I've got THREE copies to giveaway!
This is also my first giveaway using Rafflecoptor! They make entering giveaways SO easy and I've got a gob of ways you can enter so ... let's get to it!

Meet Bailey, a dog who surprises and charms his fellow human classmates with his irrepressible antics.

Follow Bailey the dog as he gets ready and goes to school. Should he wear the red or blue collar? Both are so fashionable! Will he be late? That squirrel is a distraction! And what about Bailey's homework? Would you believe he ate it? That is what dogs do, after all.

In this funny new book from the best selling children's illustrator Harry Bliss, school proves to be an unexpected place for Bailey to do all sorts of things he loves: reading, fetching, painting, digging, singing — and making friends!

Watch the book trailer here!
This book is rated for the age 4-8 crowd.

Mady thought the book was really cute - she loved the ruff-y of course! We've also been talking to her about school recently as this will be her first year of Preschool and they will be in a Junior High School building; she'll see lockers and buses and other things that are in this book.
She also liked telling me her version of what was going on in the illustrations - which I thought was great and the book lends itself well to that sort of thing which *I* love. :)

So we are giving Bailey by Harry Bliss ... 5/5 crowns on the Mady Meter. :)

THREE lucky readers will win a hardbound copy of Bailey by Harry Bliss.
Please choose each entry and read the details, do the thing, and click done. So easy! One note on the mandatory entry: Choose whether you wish to post your entry on Rafflecopter or on this blog post. If you are posting on the blog just write BLOG in the space provided on Rafflecopter so I know to look there. Thanks and good luck!

Your child's individual sense of style

2011-07-27T18:03:00.001-06:00

Social Mom's has been busy! Here's another post from Social Mom's and JC Penney's... Our topic today is... School clothes style! Fun right?!
This is my granddaughter...

She is 3 and I'm sure, judging by this outfit & her personality in general, that she will have her own unique style. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
When her mom was a tween she had pink hair before pink was in style. She wanted her belly button pierced at 14. She was, and still is, a unique individual.
So, Princess Wild Thing will be a force to be reckoned with probably.
The Princess will be going to part-time Pre-school this year and I hope to make some of her dresses, altho' I may check out some thrift stores too for her. Right now her style consists of anything that twirls, preferably in pink or purple and extra points if it has a princess or fairy on it. I do try to stay away from character prints for her but that's just a personal preference - and her mom and dad don't mind such prints. But as a general rule, if it doesn't twirl she won't wear it. And she's not much for separate pieces - like skirts and tops. She'd rather have a full-fledged dress. And this is funny, but she also likes the little undies that I make her - sometimes the unders even match the dress. :) Best of all they don't give wedgies. lol. Luckily she will wear jeans or tights under a dress in winter.

She is also quite the girly-girl and loves to have her nails done.

I just hope that in the future her mommy will remember what she herself wanted as a kid and remember that hair regrows in it's normal color, and that even piercings can heal over. {We did make her wait until she was 18 for a tattoo tho'. lol}

While her clothing choices have been pretty consistent over her first 3 years her hairstyle hasn't. As soon as she had long enough hair to do so I put her in two piggy tails. So cute!! Am I the only one that waiting impatiently for their child or grandchild's hair to be long enough for piggies?? lol. Now she doesn't really want me to style her hair that way - but she pulls the hair clips out and as she is growing out her bang... well, we have to do something!
Either way she is just beyond fun and I look forward to more styling as she grows older and even more opinionated.

What makes your child unique?

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and jcpenney blogging program, for a gift card worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Ten tips for making your life easier

2011-07-13T18:09:00.001-06:00

It always seems that everyone is waiting for the summer to start; the kids will be out of school and everyone in the family can take it easy with no school lunches to pack, no extra-curricular after-school activities to run to... and then when summer hits it seems to be just as hectic, if not more so for some. Why is that? Does it have to be that way? I don't think it does! With some pre-planning I think you can have the more care-free summer of your dreams and here are my top 10 tips for doing so...

10 - Keep a list. and a calendar. Most importantly keep them where you will use them. I know this seems like a no-brainer but I hear of people all the time {sometimes myself included} who have lost their list or double booked themselves for a certain day. I've found what works for me is keeping the list on my cell phone - I keep my calendar there too and it can sync up with my calander on the laptop. I've always got my cell phone with me so my list is always handy. Now don't forget to look at said list!

9 - If you find yourself spending too much time shopping then find a map online, or make one next time you are at the store, of the store. You know, what is on which aisles - and then make your shopping list in order by which aisle it's on. Really this saves tons of time looking for that elusive item.

8 - When you get home from shopping, and are putting things away, leave out the produce and go ahead and prep it for how you will use it. I just started doing this and while it took me about an hour to do it has been well worth it. I chopped up some onions, washed everything ect. For a salad all that is required now is to throw it together. Pizza? Grab the items and throw it on the dough of your choice. Need a snack? It's easy to grab a bag of prewashed, pre cut carrots.

7 - Keep some snacks in your car or a "diaper" bag or back pack that you keep by the front door ready to go. Kids and adults get super cranky when they are tired but add huger into the mix and there's usually a very real problem.

6 - And while we are shopping - consider shopping online for things that you might normally head out to the mall to purchase. With programs like ebates, and swagbucks shopping online can be less expensive, and it's certainly less time-consuming and uses less fuel. Use the time instead to relax and do something else you enjoy. Did you pick up that Seattle's Best Iced Latte while you were at the store? Enjoy it! Here's a coupon for your next shopping trip!

5 - Try to schedule at least one night a week where everyone is home at once. You can have game night, or movie night, or your family members might have very varied interests and might not wish to do the same things. That's okay. Just having everyone home is nice and helps everyone recharge.

4 - Ask for help. Start a carpool for the soccer players in your neighborhood so you don't have to drive each time Jr. has practice. Much more efficient and saves fuel as well!

3 - Use sites like the flylady to minimize the housework you need to do everyday and be more efficent and don't be afraid to delegate tasks! You also might consider once a month/week cooking!

2 - This one is tough... turn off facebook. Or whatever sucks your time if you need to be doing something else that might make your life easier. Or your kid needs to be doing something else. Just unplug.

1 - This is a biggie... just say no. The extra activities will be around later for your kids, you can get dinner with a friend at a later date that is better for you.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Seattle’s Best Coffee blogging program for a gift card worth $30. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Ten reasons why you would want to visit Virgina Beach

2011-07-11T18:29:00.002-06:00

I don't know about you but I love to spend my dh's hard earned money :) on experiences instead of things. Like vacations! We go somewhere every 2 years or so and so far there has been one constant - there's a beach somewhere close by.
A prompt from SocialMom's and the Virginia Beach Tourism Department prompted me to look into this area. I grew up on the West Coast but have never been on the East Coast so i learned a lot.

Here's some of the things I thought were pretty cool about the Virginia Beach area:

1. The activities. It goes without saying that where there is an Ocean there are awesome activities and Virginia Beach is no exception! You can snorkle, swim, sail, even go on a charter fishing trip if that's your thing. Surfing? Sure! There's something for everyone at the beach.

2. I've read that the Virginia Aquarium is awesome, but if experiencing sealife in their natural habitat is more your style then a whale watching expidition might be just the thing for you. I know this is one of the things I've always wanted to do - along with swimming with Whale Sharks!

3. Like lounging on the beach? People watching? Fishing off the pier? You can do that too!

4. Of course I think everyone has heard of the great East Coast food! I happen to be a Pescetarian so even I could enjoy the variety of seafood the area has to offer.

5. Family fun on the boardwalk. Lots of things to do! This 3-mile stretch is lined with hotels and restaurants, as well as home to museums and historic sites, an arcade and amusement rides such as a Ferris Wheel. You can walk, bike, or skate this bustling center of activity.

6. Are you a history buff? Loads of history in the Virginia area and DC is only a 4-hour car ride away. Heaven for those of you into US History!

7. Got Kids? Lots for the littles to do from building sandcastles to hitting the aforementioned aquarium. Surf is gentle I'm told so beginning surfer teens can catch the waves to their heart's content. virginia Beach is also home to a unique payground at Grommet Island Beach Park and Playground.

8. Don't forget the Ocean Breeze Water Park and Mini Golf Course!

9. Don't know how to surf? Virginia Beach, with is gentle waves, is a great place to learn.

10. Kayak with the dolphins! Yes please! I'm leary about taking a large boat out but a kayak sounds like a lot of fun!

So where will you go for vacation in the near future??

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Virginia Beach Tourism blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

TT Lip Moisturizer Winner

2011-07-03T18:54:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the delay everyone - Blogger was acting up for a few days so I let the giveaway go a few extra days... Winner is #48 -
Rhonda Tenderholt said...
posted to fb again...is that 12 pm? not sure what mn is.
JUNE 30, 2011 1:27 PM

Thanks for playing everyone!
PS - MN = Midnight. :)

{Closed} 48 hour giveaway - 50 custom Brochures

2011-06-24T19:03:00.001-06:00

Thanks for playing! Random.org says our winner is #3 - Hallie who shared on FB. I'll be contacting you shortly Hallie!
Now everyone head over to the lip moisturizer giveaway and enter to win! :)

Okay readers - this giveaway will be a QUICK one! Deadline for entry is Sunday 26 June 2011 - the winner will need to respond within 24hours or a new winner will be chosen. ALSO, per UPrinting, if you've won a UPrinting brochure giveaway within the past SIX MONTHS please do not enter - If you were to win I'd have to choose another winner.

And onward...
UPrinting has been a leader in the online printing company game for awhile now. I've received several of their printed items from large stickers to business cards, to vinyl banners and have been very pleased with their quality and turn-around time.

This giveaway is for Brochures! 50 to be exact. {see below for the exact specs of the prize}
Not sure what you'd use brochures for? Check out the Brochure Templates for some ideas. You can also ask your favorite charity if they can use 50 Brochures - I know our local Dog Rescue will be happy to get them.

Uprinting is giving one of my readers:

50 pcs Brochure printing
8.5" x 11"
100lb Paper Gloss,
With Folding (Half Fold, Trifold/Letterfold, Z-Fold, Roll Fold, Accordion Fold),
Outside and Inside printing, 2 Business Days Turnaround, *Free shipping
Restriction: Limited to *US residents 18 years old and above only.

IMPORTANT: By entering this giveaway you are letting me know that you have not won a UPrinting Brochure giveaway in the past six months.

Giveaway ends on 26 June 2011 and the winner will have 24 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. In the case of a new winner being chosen said winner will have much less than 24 hours to respond. Sorry!
Winner will be contacted within 30 days with instructions/a link for claiming their prize.

Mandatory Entry: Follow Mark it with a B via Google Friend Connect PUBLICLY. Leave your email addy in this first entry as well please.

Bonus Entries:
Follow Mark it with a B via Networked Blogs {Right menu} & leave your FB ID.
Blog about this giveaway, and/or post on FB and/or Twitter. Leave a seperate comment & link for each thing you do. - you can do this once a day.
Enter my giveaway for Tropical Traditions Lip Moisturizers & lmk by leaving TWO seperate comments.
Tell me what you might do with these Brochures if you win.

Thanks and good luck! Winner will be chosen at 10amCT on 26 June 2011.

Disclaimer:
This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, an online printing company. Visit UPrinting.com for more information about brochures and available brochure templates. I was not compensated for this giveaway but will also receive 50 brochures which I'll be giving to our local Dog/Cat Rescue, AnimalFAIR at no cost to them. Support your local Rescues & please Spay & Neuter your pets to save lives! Thanks!

10 time-saving tips for busy moms

2011-06-22T15:01:00.001-06:00

While I'll admit I'm just not that busy now that my kids are grown and off doing their own things, there are several tips that I think I can pass on to this generation's busy moms.
My two girls are fairly close in age and we were plenty busy when they were in school. Keeping organized helped tremendously in making our busy days go smoother - here are some ways we did that.
Keep in mind not everything will work for everyone - don't waste time trying to make something work that just isn't working. Try something else.

Tip 1: We did the binder system for awhile until it was just too hard, or the binder would get misplaced. The idea is to put all info that you need to "keep safe" for easy access into a binder. School notices, permission slips that need to be signed, etc; if you need to do something with it, it goes in the binder. Phone numbers and addresses also. Many people include a calendar with color-coded activities but I don't remember unless said calendar is in front of my face all.the.time so...
Tip 2: Have a great calendar system and use it! Sometimes just using your chosen method is a wee bit time consuming but taking the time to sit down at the end of the week and programing your calendar with the following weeks' activities can save tons of hassles during the week when there are other things going on, and you'll be less likely to double-book yourself or your kids.
Tip 3: Just say no. Sometimes children don't get that they can over-stimulate themselves with too many activities - they just wanna do stuff. It's often good to just say no to the millions of extra-curricular activities out there and save yourselves tons of stress, and often money. Chances are good that that class or sport will be there later.
Tip 4: Find a place for stuff as it comes into the house BEFORE it gets lost forever. Be it a bucket, a basket, or a drawer. Common sense but sometimes the easy fix is the most effective.
Tip 5: Google Calendar will sync with the other calendar users in your family. Whether it's via your phone or your computer - I think it's worth a look. :)
Tip 6: Try to get plenty of rest at least several times a week. Things look much more stressful and mucked-up when you are working on five hours {or less} of sleep.
Tip 7: Ask for help! If you just can't get those five dozen cupcakes baked in time for the bake sale ask for help from someone you know who likes to bake or a teen that would love to bake them for you for a little extra cash.
Tip 8: We never had too much trouble dressing our little ones because we never filled their closets with a million options. Try to purchase seperates that can go together in many different combinations and don't give them a ton of options to choose from in the morning. Less options are easier to choose from.
Tip 9: Get the kids involved in chores around the house; it takes longer to show them how to do chores but in the long run this can save you time. Eventually. You might have to compromise when the towels aren't folded just the way you'd like but hey, they are folded AND put away! Score!
Tip 10: Make a master dinner list of meals that everyone likes and rotate it every few weeks. If you have a matching shopping list shopping becomes a whole lot easier and quicker.
Bonus: Try to relax for a little bit daily - Starbucks just made that a bit easier with their new payment apps for smartphones. You can learn more here.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Starbucks blogging program, for a gift card worth $30. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

{Closed!} Tropical Traditions Lip Moisturizers

2011-06-17T13:43:00.003-06:00

FINALLY! Another giveaway! I know right. Sorry for the delay. I've been talking about these moisturizers for a bit now and ... here we go!

Just in time for summer I received each of the Lip Moisturizer flavors from Tropical Traditions. LOVE these! The flavors I received are:
Unscented, Cinnamon/Peppermint, Tea Tree Oil, Orange/Cinnamon, & Citrus.
Since I don't have particularly troublesome lips I sent off the Orange/Cinnamon flavor to my friend's little girl to review for me since she has a problem with chapped lips. Her review will be forthcoming. :)
But in the meantime I can say that these Lip Moisturizers are top notch. Love the feel, love the fragrance from the Essential Oils AND you don't get that white line ickyness on your lips that you do from products with inferior ingredients - yes!! You know the ones I'm talking about. The Topical Traditions Lip Moisturizers are yummy!

Here are the ingredients:
organic virgin coconut oil, organic beeswax, organic virgin palm oil, and organic essential oils {EOs omitted in the non-scented of course}

Yep, that's it! Way cool.

And Tropical Traditions is giving a Lip Moisturizer set of 5 {1 of each flavor} to one of my readers!
Don't want to wait to see if you are the winner? You can purchase the Tropical Traditions Lip Moisturizers in the following flavors: Unscented, Cinnamon/Peppermint, Tea Tree Oil, Orange/Cinnamon, & Citrus.
As of this writing they are on sale for $2.50-$2.75 ea.! (Normal price is only $3.25-$3.50 ea.)

Want to shop Tropical Traditions' many healthy products? Go HERE. Until 23 June 2011 they have Organic Expeller-Pressed Coconut Oil on sale 2/$25.00 - that's 50% off the regular pricing!

BONUS: Any of my followers can receive a free copy of the Virgin Coconut Oil book with your first purchase of any Tropical Traditions product. This book contains info about the healthful benefits of Coconut Oil as well as some yummy recipes.
When you choose “Referred by a Friend” and enter my ID {6341908}, or use my Lip Moisturizer links, on your first online order this book will be automatically added to your order. You can email Tropical Traditions if you need any help placing your web order & scoring the book.

How To Enter:
** Please note that to enter a giveaway you MUST be a PUBLIC GFC Follower **

Mandatory entry: Please visit Tropical Traditions and let me know what else you might be interested in trying. I'll take everyone's comments into consideration when choosing future giveaways. PLEASE leave your email in this comment as well.

BONUS ENTRIES: For each of these activities please leave a seperate comment for your entry - leave your coresponding ID for Networked Blogs/Twitter/FBook also so your participation can be verified.
☆ Tell me what flavor of Tropical Traditions Lip Moisturizer is your favorite
☆ Subscribe to my RSS Feed
☆ Follow me by email {link at bottom of menu on right}
☆ Follow Mark-it-with-a-B via Networked Blogs {If link doesn't work use the widget on the menu to your right}
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☆ Blog about this giveaway linking back to Mark it with a B. Please leave an address where I can visit
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☆ Tweet this giveaway & leave the tweet's URL: #Giveaway @cokelush @Troptraditions & #Markitwithab http://bit.ly/l7ZYcN #Win a set of 5 Tropical Traditions Lip Moisturizers!
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That's it! Good luck & thanks for visiting!

Winner will be chosen on 01 July 2011 at 12mn CST - from qualified comments. Winning comment will be verified. If I can't contact the winner, due to your email not being on a post or not being public on your profile, another winner will be chosen. Winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here, as well as emailed, and will have 36 hours to contact me, or respond to notification requesting name and email addy, or a new winner will be chosen. *This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.*

{This was not a paid post and my honest opinions were posted. These opinions are my own and your mileage may vary. Thank you to Tropical Traditions for supplying me with product in return for hosting this giveaway. This post contains some affiliate links & any purchases you choose to make through said links is greatly appreciated!}