This link up will be posted Monday at 7 PM est. and run all week long! Make sure you stop in as often as you can to list your latest giveaways.
Here is how to use the Giveaway Link Up
1. Post your reviews and/or giveaways, as many as you have, be sure to add the end date (family friendly please)
2. Help spread the word about the giveaway link up by grabbing our button, Tweeting or posting on Facebook. (Not mandatory- but it helps get more exposure to your giveaways as well!)
3. Take a moment to enter any giveaway that strikes an interest to you!
If you would like to follow the three hostesses, we will gladly follow you back! Simply leave us a message to do so.
This link up will be posted Monday at 7 PM est. and run all week long! Make sure you stop in as often as you can to list your latest giveaways.
Here is how to use the Giveaway Link Up
1. Post your reviews and/or giveaways, as many as you have, be sure to add the end date (family friendly please)
2. Help spread the word about the giveaway link up by grabbing our button, Tweeting or posting on Facebook. (Not mandatory- but it helps get more exposure to your giveaways as well!)
3. Take a moment to enter any giveaway that strikes an interest to you!
If you would like to follow the three hostesses, we will gladly follow you back! Simply leave us a message to do so.
I am so sorry for missing out on last week's linky! I think that things are finally settling down and I should be posting more often. It's just hard to get back into the swing of things - and to even think of what to write about! - after taking such a long hiatus!
Hello! I know it's been quite a while since you've heard from me. But I'll be back this week. Knitting and crochetong is slow-going, but I've thought of a way to get my posts out and keep plugging along on making items for my shop!
This link up will be posted Monday at 7 PM est. and run all week long! Make sure you stop in as often as you can to list your latest giveaways.
Here is how to use the Giveaway Link Up
1. Post your reviews and/or giveaways, as many as you have, be sure to add the end date (family friendly please)
2. Help spread the word about the giveaway link up by grabbing our button, Tweeting or posting on Facebook. (Not mandatory- but it helps get more exposure to your giveaways as well!)
3. Take a moment to enter any giveaway that strikes an interest to you!
If you would like to follow the three hostesses, we will gladly follow you back! Simply leave us a message to do so.
Sorry I didn't post this last week! I've been a busy bee - knitting, crocheting, and learning all I can about running a business from my living room for the past couple of weeks! I need to thank Classified: Mom and Tots and Me for being so understanding. I'll be opening up my shop on Etsy on Wednesday, so come check it out!
This link up will be posted Monday at 7 PM est. and run all week long! Make sure you stop in as often as you can to list your latest giveaways.
Here is how to use the Giveaway Link Up
1. Post your reviews and/or giveaways, as many as you have, be sure to add the end date (family friendly please)
2. Help spread the word about the giveaway link up by grabbing our button, Tweeting or posting on Facebook. (Not mandatory- but it helps get more exposure to your giveaways as well!)
3. Take a moment to enter any giveaway that strikes an interest to you!
If you would like to follow the three hostesses, we will gladly follow you back! Simply leave us a message to do so.
This is what I get when I ask him to say "Cheese!"
If you aren't familiar with Mouth Man Hoodies, you're missing out! I was sent the Kids' Skeleton Hoodie Shirt for Little Guy and it has quickly become his favorite thing to wear. The graphics are beyond amazing - sharp and detailed - and printed with eco-friendly inks. And the hoodies are made of 100% Polyester Sport Fabric (recycled!) This isn't a heavy-weight material and is made to breathe, so it's perfect for year-round wear. Right now, it's cold out around here, so Little Guy has been wearing a long-sleeved tee under his hoodie. But, as the weather warms up, this will be perfect to wear outside in the spring or fall, and a great cover-up to carry around all summer for cool nights or windy days at the beach.
VERY cool graphics.
Now, I don't know how old each of my readers is but, according to my stats, it looks as if most of you grew up in the 70's and 80's - like me. So you'll be pretty familiar with the band Journey. Guess who came up with the idea of Mouth Man Hoodies... The bass player, Ross Valory. AND, some of the graphics have been designed for Mouth Man by another (former) band member, drummer Prairie Prince. (((I can't get "Don't Stop Believin'" out of my head!)))You can read more about the creation of these fabulous hoodies and their designs HERE.
And check out those graphics. I think that the hood is my favorite part. The photos on the site don't show the hood, so I was really surprised and impressed when Little Guy pulled it over his head. And these aren't just cool graphics - we were able to even get a little learning about bones in over the past week. Now, whenever he bumps his head, I hear him say, "Mommy! I hurt my cranium!"
Here's the best part of the hoodies, and the reason they're named "Mouth Man" - when you cross your arms in front of you, the graphics on the elbow-area of the shirts create a head with a mouth! Once I put Little Guy in front of a mirror and showed him how he could cross his arms and then make the skeleton's mouth open and close, he was running around "YOMP-ing" Daddy, Brubber, and the poor, confused cat!
Don't you just love it when red-eye actually works in your photos?
Mouth Man has many more designs and is available in sizes from Kids 2T all the way up to Adults XXL.
Enter To Win!
Mouth Man would like to give one reader their very own hoodie shirt! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below.
So, I've managed to clean up around the house a little. I am proud that I've been able to keep the kitchen in order for a whole week - that place gets out of hand within hours! I'm taking steps to give Little Guy the full attention he needs every day by doing projects, reading together, or just watching him play with my full attention. I haven't been blogging much or even thinking about it. Until last night, that is.
I have been blogging for about a year. At first, I had absolutely no idea what to write about. Slowly, I found some topics to write about that others actually wanted to read. I still don't feel as if I've found my real niche, but I have some ideas as to where I want to go with my blog and am going to give it the old college try. Here's how I'm doing it:
First, I wrote down all of the topics that I like to write about and ended up with six that I really would like to concentrate on: education, crafting, recipes, parenting, green/alternative topics, and cool shops/products that I'd like to share. Then, I made a list of the blog carnivals, etc. that I'd like to get involved in - Carnival of Natural Parenting, Mindful Mama Carnival, Mamatography, Sunday Surf, etc. Finally, I listed the regular memes that I take part in - Wordless Wednesday, Mindful Parenting Collaboration, etc. I also perused the Web for hops and linkies that I'd like to take part in. For instance, I love to share my child-centered posts on the Sunday Showcase and my crafty posts and recipes on the Chic & Crafty Party. I matched up the six subjects I'd like to focus on with a few of these hops and linkies - I'm going to have to sort through them and choose one or two that take place per day to add my posts to.
Next, I got out my calendar. Each subject will (hopefully) be a weekly post. Right now, for example, I have my crafty posts scheduled to go up on Thursdays. I left space for me to write a brief title for each subject so I can just jot it down when inspiration for a subject hits me. Then, I penciled in the topics, due dates, and post dates for the carnivals that have schedules posted. Finally, I filled in the dates of the postings for the memes that I already take part in.
I am hoping to be able to have a weekly review or giveaway, tentatively set to post on Saturdays, if I can find the sponsors. I don't want to take any reviews that happen to come my way - I'd like to concentrate on items that are handmade, green, and/or related to parenting. (If you're a business owner or PR rep and would like to get in touch, I have a nice little "Contact Me" page and form you can fill out - Hint, hint!) I got way too overwhelmed with this type of thing in December and need to make sure that I space things out and plan better!
One more thing that I plan to do is make a point to visit other blogs more often. I tend to read posts via Facebook, Google reader, and my email subscriptions. I don't leave comments very often. I have a goal to leave at least two comments on other blogs per day, two comments on Facebook updates per day, and tweet or re-tweet two posts per day. None of these little tasks take much time, so it should be no problem. There are so many bloggers/writers who I admire, who make me laugh, and who teach me something new. I feel like I owe it to them to let them know that their posts have meant something to me and to share their words with others. So don't freak out and think I've suddenly become a stalker if you see more and more comments/shares/tweets from me!
So, I was checking out my page stats on Blogger last night, too. I've always used Google Analytics to see my stats, but it is geared more toward larger bloggers and other, business-like Web sites. The Blogger one is much easier for me to understand. I found out my top five posts for last year and was quite surprised. I also saw that I had many more people actually reading posts than I thought. I guess I was gauging how many were reading by the number of comments I received. Boy, I was way off! So, just like 90% of the blogger out there, here are my top five most-read posts of last year:
I hope that you all have a great year and continue to stick with me. I really feel positive about the upcoming "organized" blog plan I have going. I am sure that I'll fall off of the horse once in a while, but I'll be sure to jump back on!
If anyone has any suggestions about hops, memes, carnivals, blog post topics, linkies... anything, please feel free to leave me a comment or get in touch via my Contact Me form. I'd love some suggestions!
Last year, I was lucky enough to have won a custom iCaughtSanta.com photo. What is this? It is a very cool way to surprise your kids with a photo of Santa in their very own home. I simply took a photo of out living room (I choose where Little Guy stashes his toys since that's a very familiar area to him) and then uploaded it to the site. Once it was uploaded, I was able to choose from a ton of different Santa poses to find the right one for my photo. What I really love about this is that you can change the size of Santa, you can change the hue of his clothes and lighting to match your photo. It really looks as if he's there:
In my last post, I told you how Santa replied to Little Guy's letter with a wonderful box of goodies. We hung the "hangable" stuff on our "Tree Wall" and it looks great:
When I learned that I'd have the opportunity to review iCaughtSanta.com this year, I was so excited! I uploaded the above photo and added the PERFECT Santa pose:
Santa in OUR LIVING ROOM, checking out Little Guy's Santa's Nice List Certificate!
Once I finished creating the photo, I was able to print it out, share it on my social networks, and even email it to friends and family. I also downloaded my photo so I always have it (just like I did with last year's.) Wouldn't it be cool to have a photo every year to add to our collection? I'm imagining eventually making a garland with each photo on it to hang along with out other decorations!
So, on Christmas Eve, I'll have Little Guy help me set up our digital camera to see if we can try to get a picture of Santa when he stops by!
Would You Like A Chance To Win One?
iCaughtSanta.com has offered to give away FIVE CODES to my readers! You can make your very own Santa photo. They also have other characters to chose from, such as the Easter bunny and the tooth fairy that you could use it on. AND, if we can get 30 different entrants, they're going to double the giveaway andI'll have TEN WINNERS! So, take a minute and enter in the Rafflecopter form, below! This giveaway is a quickie so the winners will have time to make their photos. And, if you don't win, you can still use the code: SAVE25 to receive 25% off your order! Just think of the wide-eyed look on the kids' faces when they wake up Christmas morning to see a photo of SANTA in their own living room!
Melissa and Doug are very close to having 100,000 Facebook fans. For a while now, they've been giving away a Trunki to one fan every time they gain 1,000 new fans. When they reach 100,000 fans, they'll be giving away some VERY awesome prizes. They also promise a "Special Offer" to all of their Facebook fans when they reach their goal. I don't know what this offer will be, but this is a pretty generous company, so I can only imagine that it will be great! So, if you don't already "like" them on Facebook, head on over and do it now to get in on the fun!
*I'm not getting anything for this post. I just thought that you might be interested in learning about this offer!
Sponsored by Tomoson.com
Little Guy has been learning how to use the potty since the beginning of summer. He's only had a handful of accidents at home since we just let him run around without pants on all day. When he began learning to use the potty, I bought one small package of Pull-Ups (I know... guilty) to use. Those Pull-Ups ran out about a month ago and, even though it's tempting, I will not buy any more. That means that I need to be prepared for accidents while we're away from home. I have a plastic bag with a clean pair of pants, underwear, socks, and shoes in it that I lug around wherever we go. I didn't need to use it until last week's trip to the grocery store.
It seems that my husband shared raisins with Little Guy the night before. Lots of raisins. (How many of you just thought, "Oh no!"?) So, yeah... Now, I should have known something was up when he complained that his tummy hurt as we were walking to the bus stop. He only complains about "owies" when he really has them. We were almost there, so I told him that I'd rub his tummy while we waited for the bus. He seemed fine by the time the bus arrived and I forgot all about his tummy ache.
Well, the inevitable happened - halfway through shopping, I start to smell something. Little Guy was walking funny. And he was unusually quiet - not running around trying to toss everything he could get his hands on into the cart. I just knew... Our Kroger does not have public restrooms, so I had to find an employee to show us the way to the "secret" bathroom in the back. I went through THREE people who refused to let us use the restroom! I had to make my way to the customer service desk, stand in line, and ask the manager. He started to shake his head, too. I threatened to clean a poopy little boy right there at the desk if he didn't show us to the restroom. That got him moving!
We got to the bathroom just as Little Guy's plastic pants began to leak - JUST in time! I looked around for paper towels that I could wet to clean him up and there weren't any (aren't employees - especially those working around food, supposed to wash their hands?!) There was only half a roll of that one-ply, see-through toilet paper. I started to dig through my bag. Band-aids, no. Camera, no. Crayons, no. Extra hat.... um, no. Then I saw it - I swear it had a heavenly glow surrounding it!
A few days earlier, I received two sample packs of QwikShower disposable washcloths. I tossed one of them into the bag and gave the other to my oldest to try out. I had planned on checking them out when I had a little extra time. I forgot and I am so glad! After undressing my poor little one, I opened up the package. I was expecting that fake lemony smell that wet wipes tend to have, but was surprised that it smelled really good! The wipe was about 10" X 12" and was thick enough that I knew it wasn't going to bleed through as I cleaned him up. I didn't think that just one was going to do the job very well, but it did. By the time we left the bathroom, Little Guy was clean and smelling fresh! (I let hubby deal with the laundry part after we got home!)
I plan on ordering a few more (you can get 10 for only $7) to carry around with us. After that experience, I don't want that feeling of dread at not having anything to clean him up with again! Plus, the scent is one that I know will appeal to my oldest. They'll be nice for him to toss into his bag for track or to use on those rare mornings when he wakes up just in time to get dressed and catch the bus. No one wants a nickname like "Stinky Kid" in high school!
You can buy your own QwikShower wipes at their online store - they will even send you a single-wipe sample for just $1 so you can try it out to see if you like it before buying more. QwikShower also has fundraising and affiliate programs, where they partner with PTA's, athletic booster clubs, and even bloggers. The organization (or blogger) will receive 10% of all proceeds from sales. You can learn more HERE, or contact Harvey via email.
Would you like a chance to win a 6-pack of QwikShower wipes to try out for yourself? Enter in the Rafflecopter form below!
Sponsored by Tomoson.com
I suck at math. Actually, I should say I used to. I barely got through my high school Algebra, Geometry, etc. classes with D's. It just didn't make sense to me most of the time, so I stopped trying to figure it all out. When I had to take "Problem Solving I & II" for my online degree, I knew it was going to really be just a bunch of Algebra (it was.) BUT, I found that I learned much better when I was teaching myself! There is usually more than one way to get the right answer to a math problem, but my high school teachers always only taught ONE way. By learning on my own, I was able to find an easier way to remember all of the rules and ended up getting A's in both classes (mostly while nursing a newborn at the computer!)
When my oldest started having problems in Algebra last year, I was more than happy to help him out. We worked a few times a week together on his homework. I loved seeing that light go on whenever he finally understood how to do a problem. Then came his first test. He failed. While all of his answers were correct (Oh, yeah. I checked!), his teacher had marked all of them wrong because he didn't show his work the way she taught him how to do the problems - HER way or the highway. I tried to talk to her, to the principal, to get him transferred to a different teacher - nada. He was stuck. I couldn't understand her way, so how could I explain it to my son? He ended up giving up around October and failed the class. While I was disappointed that his GPA had dropped and he was no longer a member of the Junior National Honor Society, it was OK. He was taking a high school Algebra class in 8th grade, so he could take it over again this year and there wouldn't really be a penalty.
This year's Algebra teacher has been wonderful. While she cannot teach every possible way to do every type of problem, she does allow for students to figure out the best way for them to do the problems. As long as their answers come out correct consistently and they show their work, she's cool with it. My son did great the first few weeks - they did a bunch of review work. When new stuff was introduced, though, he got lost. I think that he stopped listening just long enough to find himself completely baffled. I tried to do the homework thing with him again, but his teen "I know it all" attitude got in the way. We'd both end up angry and frustrated with one another. When I had the chance to try out the Algebrator Software Tutor Program, I jumped at it!
Here's my 13 year-old's review:
I really like this algebra program. All I have to do is put one of my homework problems on the screen and this will show me how to do each step of the problem. It seemed hard to do at first, then my mom showed me that there are demos of how to solve every kind of problem. I could use this all the way to college. I'm going to need it because I want to be a video game animator and they need to have a lot of math classes. This will really really help me.
So, there you have it. When you see a video game that my son created in 10 years or so, you can think, "Gee, I guess Algebrator really does work!" LOL The demos he referenced are really cool and he's right - there are Videos and Screenshots of how to solve nearly every kind of problem there is. And you can choose between seeing the demos animated or on slide shows. (I love this because I just cannot learn effectively while watching a video, unlike my son.)
Algebrator covers all levels of algebra, from the basics of Pre-Algebra all the way up to college-level classes. Below is a list of the types of problems that can be entered into the program. I've got to tell you, this is just amazing to me that you can enter your own problems and learn how to solve them! My son likes to check his homework with Algebrator now because, if the answer is incorrect, going step-by-step shows him where he made his mistakes.
This is a screen-shot from the Algebrator Web site. Click on the picture above to see the entire page.
I love having this available to my son and I know that it is going to come in handy for years to come. You can get your own download and optional CD-ROM RIGHT HERE. It is a special price at nearly 50% off for my readers! Algebrator has received an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and is used in a ton of public & private schools and colleges. *Algebrator is compatible with any PC running any version of Windows (including Windows 7) and any Intel Mac running OS X.*
Or, you can see if you can win your own download of Algebrator in the Rafflecopter form, below!
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
I've wanted to write up this post for over a week, but just couldn't find the time. Yeah, I could have done a quickie post... But I think The We Do Listen Foundation deserves more than that. This non-profit's mission is to help children learn to communicate their emotions effectively and find their own inner peace (how cool is that?!)
So, how do they do this? Check out the We Do Listen
FoundationWeb site. There, you will find FREE animated books, songs,
posters and non-violent games. Additionally, the foundation sells nine Howard B. Wigglebottom books. The books are pretty darn great! Each one is focused on a subject that is important to children's personal growth, self-love, and general emotional well-being. Some of the topics covered in the books include: listening to what others have to say, bullying,
anger management, divorce, peer pressure, and the need to belong. I received a book on the last subject for this review, and I love it!
My oldest was always pretty happy with himself. That is, until he decided to go to "real" school. The first month was pretty hard for him. His dad had cancer and was pretty sick at the time, so I attributed his quiet, withdrawn behavior to that. Then, I received a call from his teacher. It seems that he had started to make up unbelievable stories about himself - things he had done, toys he owned, people he knew, etc. - and the other kids knew that he was lying, the stories were just too amazing to be true. He wanted them to like him and thought this was the way to do it. After a long talk about listening to his own heart and being himself, then reassuring him that he would find friends who liked him just for who he really was, he managed to get past this huge speed bump. Within another month, he was one of the most popular kids in the class due to his empathetic nature (oh, and he was "totally cool" because he could draw neat pictures, too! LOL)
I really believe that the Howard B. Wigglebottom books, games, songs, and lesson plans would have prepared my oldest for his first taste of "I'm better than you because I _(fill in the blank)_" that seems to run rampant in classrooms. In the book Howard B. Wigglebottom Listens to His Heart, written by Howard Binkow and illustrated by Susan F, Cornelison, Howard (a cute bunny who has the same feelings and makes the same mistakes that most children do) wants desperately to fit in. When his classmates laugh at him when they see him doing his very favorite thing, he vows to never do it again. Instead, he tries doing all sorts of other things that he thinks will make the other kids view him as being "cool".He screws them all up... miserably. He has a talk with his grandfather about the troubles he's having and, without telling him what to do, Grandpa steers Howard in the right direction. In the end, Howard is once again caught doing his favorite thing but, this time, he is cheered for it!
I am so glad to have this book for Little Guy. He's pretty self-confident right now, but you just never know when that confidence will crumble. It happened to my oldest! I've also been taking Little Guy to the Foundation's Web site to watch the animated versions of all of the Howard B. Wigglebottom books, play games, and learn new (catchy) songs. I've also taken some time to read over the lesson plans. There are some really great ideas in them! I think that, at three years old, it's the perfect time to introduce him to these concepts. Although I don't intend for Little Guy to go to school (he's 100% the unschooling type!), he'll still be around other children and need to be prepared for the inevitable.
I strongly urge you to go check out The We Do Listen Foundation's Web site and then head over to their online store. Right now, for U.S. buyers, all hardcover books are on sale for only $6 each (regularly $15)! And you can buy all 10 books for just $50. In addition to the Foundation's online store, you can find Howard B. Wigglebottom books nearly anywhere books are sold throughout the U.S. and Canada.
So, would you like to WIN your choice of a Howard B. Wigglebottom hardcover book for a special child in your life? Just enter in the Rafflecopter form below!
Starting at 8am ET, head over to Melissa & Doug's Facebook page to enter to win some great prizes. They will be posting status updates with questions throughout the day. In order to be entered to win whatever the active prize is, just answer the question in the comments section of the question. The very first giveaway winner will with that really cool Train Table pictured above!
They are giving away prizes based on their Terrific Twenty - the Top 20 educational toys for the holiday season. Click below to see what toys are in the giveaway line-up:
Get ready early and "Like" Melissa and Doug on Facebook now. The giveaways will run from 8am ET to Midnight, so make sure you check back often throughout the day!
AND, it looks as if this giveaway is open to US and Canada!
Oh, and there are two great discounts going on for Cyber Monday at Melissa and Doug, you can choose the one that is best for you: You can get 15% off your order with the code NSAVE15 OR you can score free shipping with the code FREESHIPZERO. Codes are good in the contiguous United States only (sorry HI and AK) and will no longer be valid after midnight!
When I heard about Natural House's non-toxic household cleaners, I have to tell you I was intrigued. First, there were the names of their products: Sinky, Flushy, and Trashy. Hmm... weird, but what's in a name, right? Next, I wondered how on earth would probiotics help with cleaning. Well, it only took a few minutes to watch this video to see and understand. The idea seems so simple to me now. Why did no one think of this before?!
Yeah, kind of a "DUH!" moment for me! LOL
So, I gave them a try. Hubby, who is in charge of cleaning the bathroom (hey, I'm the only girl in a house full of guys - ICK!), was handed the package of four Flushy probiotic packets. He doesn't do well with instructions, so I was interested to see what he'd do. Oh, come on! I have to find some form on entertainment, don't I? I don't get out much... Anyway, the bag has instructions that are so easy, even Little Guy could have figured them out - there are pictures and words! Hubby looked at the pictures. LOL! He dropped the packet into the toilet, let it foam for about 15 minutes, then used the brush to scrub the inside of the bowl. He asked me, kind of worried, if he should flush the toilet or not. Um... yeah. While we didn't notice a difference right away, other than a sparkling clean toilet bowl, we did find a NOTICEABLE difference in the morning. Our bathroom no longer had that lingering truck stop bathroom odor anymore. I knew it was the toilet giving it off, but we just couldn't figure out where it was coming from. Must have been under the rim. Those little probiotics went at it and I no longer have to hold my breath when I go in the bathroom! YAY!
I have a huge complaint about dirty dishes in this house. People (Hubby and my oldest, to be exact) have a nasty habit of leaving a bite or two of food in their bowls and on their plates when they put them into the sink. Then, they rinse the dish off (at least they do that!) Well, little bits of cereal, cookie crumbs, and veggies end up getting washed down the drain. Add grease that inevitably ends up in the pipes when I wash pans. We always have had a slow drain and it will clog at least once every week or so. I refuse to pour toxic drain cleaner down there, so I've been hitting the clogs with baking soda and vinegar and following with a boiling water chaser. It works - kinda. Well, after just two weekly uses of Sinky, my drains are fast and we haven't had a clog! Additionally, my kitchen smells better, too. You know how clogged drains have that nasty, lingering odor? Well, I must have just gotten used to it - not a good thing! The steps leading to our apartment land visitors right in the middle of my kitchen. It never occurred to me that they were getting nasty sink odors as a first impression. It didn't until someone mentioned how nice it smelled in our apartment the other day. (Can you say "embarrassed" and "relieved" at the same time?!)
Finally, there's Trashy. He's my oldest's new cleaning friend, since he's the garbage hauler around here. Now, since we try to recycle, reuse, and compost as much as possible, our trash can go many days without needing to be taken out. We've tried using a smaller trashcan, but it leads to people trying to "make baskets" and making huge messes everywhere (that they, then, pretend they didn't notice and leave for Mom to step in at 2am on her way to the bathroom!) We've tried a lid, but that just concentrates the odor until it's released in one big stink cloud all at once when the trashcan is opened. I handed over the spray bottle of Trashy to my son and instructed him to give the can two sprays before he put the bag in, then two more inside the garbage bag. I wanted those little probiotics all over my trash. It worked wonders - no more stinky garbage!I can imagine using this in diaper pails and outdoor trash cans, too. In fact, I may just try it out on the dumpster when the weather gets warm again. When we get just the right breeze in the summertime, I have to close all of the windows or risk passing out from the terrible smell of that dumpster. I'll bet, if I spray the interior of that dumpster once a week, after the garbage truck comes by, I could probably keep that smell in check - nd send lots of little probiotics to the landfill to get working!
Natural House uses all plant-based ingredients that are eco-friendly and biodegradable. I really like knowing that they are working long after I toss my cleaning rags under the sink - an entire week, in fact! How's that for the biggest house-cleaning procrastinator in the world? And, I like to think that I'm doing a little extra long after the sink has been rinsed, the toilet flushed, and the trash has been taken out. Think of the probiotics that are being sent into the sewage system in the water. And what about the ones that are on my trash bag? If you can imagine more than half the households in just the U.S. using Natural House products, those probiotics could even turn around many of our polluted areas! Just by tossing a simple little packet into the sink and toilet once a week and spraying the trash can before putting in a new bag, I know that odors are controlled and those areas of my home are safer for my family (especially that little 3 year-old who loves touching things then sticking his fingers into his mouth!)
If you'd like to try out this revolutionary new cleaning products for yourself, you can purchase them directly through Natural House's Web site or on Amazon (great deal if you've go free shipping!) You could also enter to WIN A ONE-MONTH SUPPLY OF ALL THREE PRODUCTS! Just enter on the Rafflecopter form below!
*I've had problems with the Rafflecopter form loading properly on my homepage. It was suggested that I put in a page break before the form, so that's what I'm trying here. If you don't see the form, PLEASE just click on the title of this post and it should show up for you. If not, leave a comment on this post or get in touch with me on my Contact Me form so I can fix it!
I loved reading all of your ideas for cards and I know that Bernie is itching to get her hands on the list. You all had some great ones. I just know that I didn't do Budugalee Cards justice in my review/giveaway post. And I can't tell you just how lucky the winner of this giveaway is! If you need a special card for someone, keep Budugalee Cards in mind. And don't forget that Small Business Saturday is this week, it would be a great time to visit her shop! (Thanks for sponsoring the giveaway, Bernie!)
So, here's the lucky reader:
Congrats to Wendy!!!
Don't forget to enter my other giveaways, too. They're listed at the top of the page. AND, I'll have quite a few more added to the list soon.
This link up will be posted Monday at 7 PM est. and run all week long! Make sure you stop in as often as you can to list your latest giveaways.
Here is how to use the Giveaway Link Up
1. Post your reviews and/or giveaways, as many as you have, be sure to add the end date (family friendly please)
2. Help spread the word about the giveaway link up by grabbing our button, Tweeting or posting on Facebook. (Not mandatory- but it helps get more exposure to your giveaways as well!)
3. Take a moment to enter any giveaway that strikes an interest to you!
If you would like to follow the three hostesses, we will gladly follow you back! Simply leave us a message to do so.
Thank you for linking up with Aimee @ Classified: Mom & Karen @Tots and Me & Alicia @ McCrenshaw's Newest Thoughts!
My oldest was excited to try Mayesa's Healthy Chocolate beverages the second I told him I was going to review them. Every day, until my samples arrived, he'd come home from school and ask, "Did they come yet???" He's a big chocolate & mint lover, so he was really looking forward to trying Mayesa's Mint-flavored drink. The day the samples arrived, you'd have thought he won the lottery. I explained that I had to review the drinks, so I needed him to consider everything about them for me.
He sure took his job seriously! He checked out the label of each package, mentioning things he found interesting: He actually knew what each ingredient was - no need for a great deal of food chemical knowledge! Most of the ingredients are organic. It has a lot of vitamins in it - even 50% of the RDA of Vitamin D. It's dairy-, gluten-, and soy-free. And, it's all-natural.
Then, seeing an opportunity to use my computer, he asked if there was a Web site. OK... I figured that if he wanted to do all of the homework for me, then why not, right? I found him the Mayesa product information page. Being 13, he found it intriguing that I'd let him drink something with hemp in it. (LOL!) I explained that the "hemp" he was thinking of is only one type of a whole group of plants. We managed to have a little history/social studies lesson on what hemp was and is used for, beside the obvious. He was amazed that it contains protein and Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids. Also, hemp requires little water, no pesticides, and contains no GMO's. He also learned about cacao (a.k.a. "chocolate"!) and that it's actually very good for you. Since he's well-aware of the importance of antioxidants and protein, he was really stuck on those. I has to remind him that the milk chocolate he likes is very different from "cacao" and that, if he was thinking of trying to use his new information to get me to buy more candy, he was nuts!
Time for the taste-test. He tried the Mint Flavor first. He didn't like it. Said that it had too much flavor. Well, that's kind of weird. "Did you shake it up?" No, he didn't. He had put the straw right into the Tetra Pak, to the bottom, where all of the flavors had settled. We shook it up and he tried again. Oh, yeah! He loved it! He drank about half of it down, then wondered how it would taste warm (he loves minty hot chocolate). He poured some into a cup, heated it, and that was a thumbs-up, too. You should have seen him smelling, sipping, rolling it around in his mouth, etc.! We went through the same taste-testing with the Original flavor, but didn't skip the shaking part this time. He loved that, too, but preferred the mint.
Little Guy and I got to taste the Original, too, while my oldest kept the Mint all for himself. I liked the richness in it. It was like drinking liquid chocolate! The flavor was strong and good - not bitter. In fact, this is how I've imagined the chocolate drinks that Mayans made would taste. Smooth, flavorful, slightly sweet, and filling. Little Guy was enthusiastic about helping Mommy test this new drink, too. He tried to parrot all of the chocolate drink-connoisseur stuff my oldest had done. Hilarious! He loved it, too, and had a fit when he found he'd drank it all and there wasn't anymore!
I can say that, hands down, Mayesa passed the taste test in our family and passed my Mom inspection of the nutrition and ingredients labels.
A few other things I want you to know about Mayesa:
The Tetra Pak containers that Mayesa drinks are packaged in are made of cardboard from trees grown in managed forests and are recyclable.
Mayesa supports Kiva, a non-profit organization that provides loans to people around the globe in order to help them start businesses that will keep their families from poverty.
You can find Mayesa in stores if you live in Southern California, Texas, or Massachusetts. You can also order it online from the Mayesa site. (You'll also find printable coupons at that link!)
So, would you like a chance to win a 6-pack of Mayesa to try yourself? Mayesa has offered to give one reader 3 of their Original Cacao and 3 Mint-flavored healthy chocolate beverages. Just fill out the Rafflecopter form, below, and you'll be entered!
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
This is a GREAT prize! The stuffed animals that Leah makes are cute, soft, and lovable. Our Hippie has been loved on (and thrown around by both my boys) since we received him earlier this year and all of his seams are perfectly intact!
Congratulations to Crystal!!!
Thank you to Leah, owner of ElJay Plushie, for sponsoring this generous giveaway.
***Don't forget to enter my other giveaways (listed at the top)! Or, if you have a few minutes, go on over to the Green Parenting Giveaway Linky to see what everyone else is giving away!
Thank you to everyone who entered the Custom Stacked Hair Bow giveaway - I had 184 entries! I hope that, after visiting Jamie's Etsy shop, Home Made with Love, you have found some great gifts for loved ones who love pretty hair baubles. You cannot find these in stores - not the low prices, high quality, attention to detail, and ability to customize just by asking!
Congrats to the winner!
Connie G.
I'll be emailing Connie later today and she'll have 48 hours (from the time of my email) to contact me or I will choose a new winner.
