LaRue Across America (Review+Giveaway)

 

One of the things that I find most important to instill in our children is a love of books and reading.  Thankfully I was blessed with 4 children who love to read and be read to and even though they will often choose to read on their own I still make sure that I encourage it as often as possible.  While I love many children’s authors one of my very favorites is Mark Teague, you may remember a review that I did on a couple of his books a few months back, well he’s back again with another witty, fun, and adventurous book; LaRue Across America!  Check out all of the details below and see what we thought about this book…make sure you check out the book trailer too!

 

 

“Ike’s plan for a peaceful cruise with Mrs. LaRue are thwarted when their neighbor, Mrs. Hibbins, falls suddenly ill. Mrs. LaRue suggests that she and Ike care for her cats while Mrs. Hibbins is in the hospital, inviting them along on the cruise. But cats aren't allowed, and Mrs. LaRue decides to take them all on a week's vacation of road-tripping. Ike is beside himself and quickly takes up his pen to tell us why!

 

Join award-winner Mark Teague on this romping road trip across America. Readers can follow along on the maps of the U.S. that span the endpapers. Teague drives us to the story’s satisfying conclusion, and we are left with one profound question: Can cats and dogs really be friends?”

 

As I mentioned above Lil Diva and Lil Man love to be read to and this book has been a huge hit around our house!  Not only does LaRue Across America feature a cute, sarcastic, witty dog named Ike as the main character it’s also beautifully written and illustrated.  Lil Diva has carried LaRue Across America around since it arrived , she asks me to read it to her, she asks her sisters to read it to her, and she even sits down and “reads” the story to herself…it is the cutest thing ever! 

 

 

You can pick up LaRue Across America: Postcards From the Vacation (LaRue Books) on Amazon! 

 

I have a little treat for everyone…2 (YES two) MIBR readers are going to win a copy of LaRue Across America and a LaRue branded backpack…your little ones are going to LOVE this book!  Details on how you can enter this giveaway are below!

 

WIN IT!!!

As I mentioned above 2 MIBR readers are going  to win a copy of LaRue Across America and a LaRue branded backpack…to enter this giveaway please leave a comment on this post telling me who you would like to win this for…that’s it, easy peasy.  This is mandatory and must be completed before any additional entries are allowed!

 

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This giveaway ends on April 14 , 2011 at 11:59 PM EST.  Two winners will be chosen via Random.org and announced in a separate winner’s post.  Winner will have 48 hours to claim his/her prize, failure to do so within 48 hour time-frame will result in winner forfeiting his prize and me choosing a new winner.

The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That” Tales About Tails!

Who doesn’t love The Cat in the Hat?  The Cat in the Hat has been a favorite in our house since my oldest was little and a favorite of mine when I was younger (many moons ago…at least according to my kiddos).  If you’re a Cat in the Hat lover I have a treat for you…The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That!  DVD series:  Tales About Tails! hits shelves on April 5th…just in time for Easter!

 

 

“What’s better than a tale or two?

Tales about Tails by you know who!

It so happens the Cat knows a lot about tails

There are tails on beavers, and even on whales!

You can see how a monkey’s tail helps him climb high

Or a rattlesnake’s tail warns of danger nearby.

When the kids want to perform a little dance,

They meet a bird named Tango, who teaches a prance.

Take a journey with your favorite Cat,

The Cat in the Hat Knows a lot About That!”

 

Now how cute was that?  And as an egg-xtra special treat (you like that didn’t ya) from Monday, April 18 through Sunday, April 24, if you buy 2 cartons of eggs at any Walgreens store, you get an instant coupon at the register for 2 FREE rentals at any Redbox kiosk!  You can even use the coupon to rent the newest The Cat in the Hat Knows A lot About That!  Tales About Tails!

 

You can find Tales About Tails at Toys “r” Us, Kmart, Redbox, Amazon, and also on NCircle’s website on April 5th…Tales About Tails has a runtime of 75 minutes, SRP:  $12.99

 

*I received the aforementioned product to facilitate my review.  All opinions expressed are my own and were not influenced by monetary (or other) gain.*

Get Your Goals on Track with GoalForIt.com

With four children running around  making messes everyday it doesn’t take long for my house to look similar to the aftermath of a F5 tornado.  I find it very interesting that all of the kids seem to be in cahoots while the mess making is going on, but as soon as it comes time to take responsibility for said mess and clean it up they start throwing each other under the bus left and right.  With all of the bickering over who made what mess and who’s going to clean up what I learned early on (I’m talking when my oldest was about 2 or 3) that the only way to get my children to clean up after themselves was bribery.  Now I know what you’re thinking, and I know that there are those parents who will be all, “that doesn’t teach them anything.” and I get that, but I don’t mean bribe them as in…”you clean your room I’ll buy you a car”, no, the way I do it is simple…as my children get older they want things, money, clothes, magazines, minutes for their cell phones, etc.. and what better way to help them get those things than by having them help you out around the house, it’s a total win-win! 

 

Several years ago I began making chore charts for my oldest daughters as a way for them to become more responsible and earn money, sadly I’ve let the chore chart has become less and less a priority which has led to me angrily yelling for the kids to clean up their messes nearly every day.  When we moved into our new house at the end of February I vowed to get a handle on the chores around the house and bring back the chore charts in a bog way and that’s when I found out about GoalForIt.com!

 

For those of you who don’t know what GoalForIt.com is let me give you the lowdown…

 

What is GoalForIt.com?

“Goalforit is an online community of people committed to achieving success. We offer a variety of free tools to help people master the art of getting the right things done and bring more focus & personal success into everyday life.”

 

Who can use GoalForIt?

“You must be 13 years of age or older to use Goalforit.com In addition, please note that profiles for people under the age of 18 are not displayed in the Browse section of the site out of regard for their privacy.”

 

Basically GoalForIt is a website that allows you to create and manage your goals, whether they be getting the kids to help out around the house (their chore charts are customizable and so cute), behavior charts, or just solutions for helping you achieve your goals whatever they may be.  Setting up an account on GoalForIt is simple (it literally took 30 seconds) and it’s FREE!  You can choose from a variety of different templates ( I chose the Chore Chart template) and then choose age appropriate themes and “chores” or responsibilities.  Once your chart is completed you have the option of sending yourself email reminders (daily, weekly, monthly, or not at all), you also have the option of sharing your charts with other GoalForIt members.  I really like that you can track your child’s progress, add reward stickers, and let the child know how well they are doing!  I have to admit I am usually scatterbrained when it comes to remembering to check the chore charts, but with a daily or weekly email reminder it’s fast and easy!  I love how cute and creative the chore charts are (they even utilize images to help make chores easy enough for your littlest kiddos to understand) and I love that you have the option of using the charts online or printing them out!  Below is a sample chore chart that I made a few weeks ago for one of my girls to give you an idea of what they look like and how they work.

 

 

I know the screen shot is kind of difficult to see, but you can kinda see how they are set up and how they are used.  I also really love that your kids can earn “moolah” for doing their chores (you assign a moolah value to each chore if you choose to).  You can then assign rewards to your kids moolah bank (rewards can be anything from 1 ice cream after dinner, to extra TV time, more bike riding time, getting to stay up later than usual) I also love the idea of my kids earning moolah and not getting it right away and using it…so in a sense GoalFotIt also teaches them about financial responsibility as well.  I think that the moolah bank is an excellent incentive to get kids to do what their told and come on what child wouldn’t make his or her bed if they knew ice cream was involved. 

 

I don’t know about you, but if GoalForIt can help motivate my kiddos to pick up their backpacks and coats off of my entryway when they come home from school I am ALL for it!  Seriously though, GoalForIt is definitely worth checking out and the fact that it’s FREE makes it even better…so go check it out and get started today!

 

*I wrote this post as part of a paid campaign…all opinions expressed are my own and were not influenced by monetary gain*

Tyson Any’tizers +March Madness=YUMMO!

 

March Madness is officially in full effect and with some of the major upsets already our house has been divided on who to cheer on from jump!  Before the tournaments began our house was actually already divided, my husband and brother-in-law and most of our children were major Duke fans and my daughter Nay Nay and I were UK/OSU fans.  When Duke was knocked out of the running very early on my husband, brother-in-law, and some of our kids jumped the Duke ship and boarded the OSU train.  Fast forward to this past weekend when UK stuck it to OSU and my husband, brother-in-law, and kids jumped ship again…you’re seeing a pattern here right?  Being a house divided only makes for majorly fun basketball viewing around here and this past weekend we had a blast watching basketball and grubbing on Tyson goodness!

 

I was super psyched when I found out that I would be hosting a Tyson Any’tizers Basketball viewing party for the NCAA tournament this year, seeing as I love Tyson and adore basketball (college ball that is…NBA=No Muy Bueno) I was all in!  So this past weekend we had a few people over, cooked up some awesome Tyson Any’tizers and watched all kinds of basketball!  But before I get into all of the yummy snacks we munched on I wanted to share with all of you some of the many reasons I love Tyson Any’tizers!

 

 

 

Tyson Any’tizers are my go-to snack for afterschool, when the kids have friends over, or for an impromptu basketball viewing get-together!  I love that the come in SO man great varieties from Honey BBQ Boneless Chicken Bites to my newest favorite Any’tizers QuesaDippers (LOVE the Fajita Chicken) and that they are almost effortless to prepare! 

 

 

 

 

For our Tyson Any’tizers  Basketball viewing party I picked up 3 different varieties of Tyson Any’tizers Chicken Breast Chunks with Sweet & Sour Sauce, Tyson Honey BBQ Chicken Bites, and Hone BBQ Chicken Wings, along with a few other must-have munchies thanks to Tyson!  I can’t say enough how much I enjoy the fact that Tyson Any’tizers are so quick, easy, and delicious and my guests seemed to agree…I say seemed because they were too busy eating to really confirm or deny!  All in all our basketball viewing party was lots of fun, I mean my team did survive to play another day (Go CATS!!!), my guests had a blast and left stuffed, and I introduced a few more people to the simplicity of Tyson Any’tizers…all in a days work!

 

 

 

Make sure you check out (and Like) Tyson Any’tizers Facebook Fan page to find out about the newest Tyson products, special offers, and promotions from Tyson! 

 

 

*  I was provided with FREE product coupons from Tyson as well as a $50 Walmart GC, and a Tyson apron in order to facilitate my review.*

2 Nickelodeon Favorites Just in Time For Easter!

Being the youngest in a houseful of older siblings means lots of things don’t always go Lil Diva’s way.  Take for instance the times Lil Diva is trying to tell Mommy and Daddy something, but we can’t hear her over her older siblings screaming and yelling, or the times when Lil Diva wants so badly to go outside and play with the big kids but she’s not big enough…but Lil Diva takes it all in stride!  Every once in a while I make sure to let Lil Diva have things here way and when she gets the chance her first request is always to watch the TV show or movie of her choice…and more often than not her choice is Max &  Ruby!  And just in time for Spring Max & Ruby have a new DVD coming out on April 12th:  Max & Ruby:  Rainy Day Play!

 

Max & Ruby’s Rainy Day Play features 12 episodes of Max & Ruby fun for your little one, and it makes a great real life rainy day so much more fun!  I love that Lil Diva can sit and watch 2 or 3 episodes of Max&Ruby and learn so much that carries over into her day…she has learned so much about being helpful and kind from watching Max & Ruby!  Lil Diva can enjoy a few episodes of one of her favorite shows and I can get a little blogging done…a definite win-win!  And what better time to pick up a copy of Max&Ruby":  Rainy Day Play than just in time for your little one’s Easter basket?

 

Max&Ruby:  Rainy Day Play will be available on DVD April 12th where Nickelodeon videos are sold.  DVD SRP:  $16.99

 

Another favorite Nickelodeon show in our house is Go Diego Go!  Lil Man went through a rather long phase where he was Diego and everything was about Go Diego Go!  Since both Lil Man and Lil Diva love animals and adventure, it’s a given that Go Diego Go would be one of their favorite shows! 

 

If you have a lil one in your house who adores Diego like my kids do then you’ll definitely want to know that Go Diego Go:  Diego Saves The World will also be coming to DVD on April 12th!  And I know that I don’t need to tell you that Diego Saves The World would make an excellent Easter basket addition!

 

Make sure you check out both of these Nickelodeon shows on DVD April 12th! 

iCarly Season 2 Volume 3 (Out on DVD April 5th)

My children are all huge iCarly fans and to be honest my husband and I enjoy the show too…hey Spencer is kinda, sorta an adult!  It’s no wonder iCarly won the 2010 Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award for “Favorite TV Show”, it is pretty awesome ya know!  If your little ones (and/or big ones lol) dig iCarly as much as our family does then you’ll want to pay close attention to this post because iCarly Season 2 Volume 3 is coming to DVD on April 5th, packed full of exciting episodes and featuring two hour-long iCarly movies!  You can check out all of the details below and find out what our family thought of the 3 disc DVD set!

 

Get ready for the biggest iCarly set ever -- 15 iCarly episodes and two hour-long TV movies are coming to DVD with iCarly: Season 2, Volume 3!  The 2010 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards winner for “Favorite TV Show” closes its second season with a set that features the first-ever iCarly Awards, delves into Sam's pageant girl days and includes the ratings record-setting episode that everyone is still talking about, "iSaved Your Life."  Nickelodeon’s groundbreaking hit live-action series stars Miranda Cosgrove as Carly, the host of an incredibly popular teen web show.  Created by Nickelodeon Home Entertainment, and distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment, iCarly: Season 2, Volume 3 comes out on DVD April 5, 2011 for the suggested retail price of $19.99.

 

Disc 1

iTwins

iSpeed Date

iCarly Awards

iHave My Principals

iMove Out

iFind Lewbert’s Lost Love

Disc 2

iQuit iCarly (hour-long TV movie)

iWas A Pageant Girl

iEnrage Gibby

iSaved Your Life (extended director’s cut version)

iSpace Out

iFix A Popstar

Disc 3

iWon’t Cancel The Show

iBelieve in Bigfoot

iPsycho (hour-long TV movie)

iBeat The Heat

iBloop

 

We received the iCarly Season 2 Volume 3 DVD set to review about a week ago and let me just say, my children have watched the whole thing, all 3 discs, more times than I can count!  Honestly I can’t think of a cuter teen star (Miranda Cosgrove) and a funnier TV show than iCarly…and can I just say that I LOVE that the show showcases the power of the internet…that scores iCarly big points in my book!

 

If you have a houseful of iCarly fanatics you will definitely want to get the iCarly Season 2 Volume 3 DVD set…don’t forget, you can pick up your own copy on April 5th everywhere Nickelodeon DVD’s are sold!

 

*  I received this product for review…all opinions are 100% mine and were not influenced by monetary gain!*

Yoplait Kids Giveaway (First 20 MIBR Readers)

Remember my Yoplait Kids post?  Well I have another exciting opportunity for not one, but 20 of my awesome readers to win FREE Yoplait Kids yogurt!  In addition to free yogurt for the first 20 readers who sign up you can check out the Yoplait Kids widget below for coupons, product information, wholesome snacking tips and exclusive video content from moms and kids who love Yoplait Kids yogurt!!

 

 

 

If you’re not familiar with Yoplait Kids yogurt let me give you a few reasons why we love it!

 

*Yoplait Kids provides an excellent course of calcium and vitamin D, and a good source of protein to help build strong bones

*Yoplait Kids yogurt has 25% less sugar than the leading kids' yogurt

*Yoplait Kids yogurt has the delicious taste that kids love

*Yoplait Kids package size is 4-3.0 oz. cups

*Yoplait Kids yogurt is available nationwide and in three varieties: Strawberry, Strawberry Banana and Vanilla

*Packaging features kids' favorite characters like Dora the Explorer, Lightning McQueen from the hit movie "Cars" and the Disney Princesses

 

What’s not to like?  My kids love Yoplait Kids and I love that I can give them a snack that they love and feel good about it because it’s good for them!  If you haven’t tried Yoplait Kids yet now you can tr it FREE…remember the first 20 MIBR readers to click on the FREE Yogurt link in the widget above will get a coupon for FREE Yoplait Kids yogurt!  What are you waiting for?  Get your FREE Yoplait Kids yogurt now! 

 

*Yoplait provided me with this opportunity, information and product samples/coupons through MyBlogSpark*

Actor Josh Duhamel hosts Relief Run in Santa Monica This Weekend!

The earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan has not doubt touched you in a profound way, if nothing else it has probably left you wondering why and how and what you can do to help!  I know that I have readers from all over so I wanted to pass along some information about an effort to raise money for the victims of the devastation in Japan. 

 

 

Actor Josh Duhamel is hosting a Relief Run in Santa Monica, CA this weekend (Sunday March 27th) and YES the actor will be on hand running along with all of the participants!  So if you’re in the Santa Monica area this weekend make sure you head down to Santa Monica Beach and show your support!  Registration starts at 10 am and the run starts at 11 am. 

 

You can find out more information and download the registration form on the Relief Run website!  If you have family or friends in the Santa Monica area make sure you pass this information along and help out the victims of the devastation in Japan!

Winners, Winners Everywhere!

Hey y’all!  I seem to have an issue with closing out giveaways on time lately…sorry!  Anywho at least I didn’t forget altogether right?  So without further ado here are the winners for the Yoplait Kids giveaway and the Kroger $25 GC giveaway!

 

Yoplait Kids Giveaway winner!!!

Winning number is:  

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

1	

Timestamp: 2011-03-25 05:30:20 UTC

 

That SO never happens! 

 

Winning commenter is: 

 

March 7, 2011 11:32 PM 1

susanlanai

At our home it is blueberries ~ our little one gobbles them up.

 

Next up is the Kroger giveaway winner!!!

Winning number is:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

443	

Timestamp: 2011-03-25 05:31:46 UTC

 

Winning commenter is:

March 13, 2011 7:21 PM 443

Mari

http://twitter.com/LuckyDuckyToo/status/47119940242767872

runningmatey at hotmail dot com

 

Congrats to both winners and a big THANK YOU to everyone who entered!  We’ll be back with more giveaways (and more giveaway winners) soon! 

flipflop wines {Review}

Being a mom is hard work and after a long day of calming meltdowns, scraping lunch off the ceiling, and figuring out how to get melted crayons out of the dryer we deserve a medal.  Sadly Super Mom falls way at the bottom of the superhero list (it’s definitely a conspiracy) so medals for Bravery in Combat are hard to come by around here so most of us settle for a little quiet time as our payoff for all of our hard work.  Now I don’t know about you, but when I can manage to sneak in a little quiet time nothing is more relaxing than a nice glass of wine and maybe a foot rub from the hubby…alright maybe a foot rub is pushing it.

I have to be honest and tell you that I am a total novice when it comes to wine as I only recently began to sample and enjoy different wines.  That’s why I was very excited when I received a shipment of wine from flipflop wines!  Not familiar with flipflop wines?  Well, let me be the first to introduce you…

“flipflop wines: to each, their own

Instantly likable and easy going, flipflop wines are always delicious, never pretentious. Our winemakers craft each one to reflect the best of that varietal’s nature, creating expressive wines enjoyable anytime.

With flipflop wines, we have embraced the movement toward individualistic expression, instead of manufacturing wines into some cookie-cutter style that’s all the rage.  Our goal is to craft expressive, well-balanced wines that evoke just what the grapes inside intended, without being over-wrought or over-explained, and that can be enjoyed at any occasion.”

flipflop offers a variety of wines for every taste and every style, each wine has “an expression of individuality, a sense of comfort and pair extremely well with foods that make people feel at home.”  Perhaps as amazing as their wine is their commitment to Soles4Soles, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing children across the world with shoes.  flipflop is committed to helping in a big way, for every bottle of flipflop wine purchased flipflop wines will donate one pair of flipflop sandals to Soles4Souls…now that is awesome or what?

I was sent 3 wines from flipflop to review; Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Pinot Grigio.  Being a wine novice I opted to try the Riesling first since it is a medium body, slightly sweet with a smooth finish, I was not at all disappointed with the Riesling and it has since become my wine of choice, next to Moscato of course which I love and fyi flipflop also offers Moscato too!  The Pinot Noir was probably my least favorite of the three that I tried, but only because it is a pretty dry wine and was not for me.  I did enjoy the Pinot Grigio, it paired beautifully with spaghetti and was a welcome change from my usual water with dinner.    I also love that flipflop wines give you ideas for finding the perfect pairing of food and wine, this helped me out tremendously since I don’t regularly drink wine.  I also have to mention how affordable flipflop wines are; from $7 for a bottle it’s yummy and affordable!  And the fact that flipflop wines are committed to the Soles4Souls charity just makes them an all-around awesome company in my opinion. 

If you’d like to check out flipflop wines you can visit their website and see all of the wines they have to offer, purchase a couple of bottles (and help a good cause while you’re at it), and find out more about Soles4Souls!

*I received the above mentioned products to facilitate my review, no monetary compensation was given for this post.  All opinions expressed are my own and were not influenced by monetary gain.*

Fried Coconut Chicken…You HAVE to Try this!

I know that I don’t post recipes too often here (I hope that changes soon) but this is one of my all-time favorite chicken recipes and it’s a definite must-try! 

 

If you’ve never heard of Coconut Chicken (no not the Asian kind) then just think Coconut Shrimp only with chicken…major yum right?  One of my favorite restaurants to eat at around here is De Sha’s and this is my favorite thing to order there.  It does take a while to prepare the chicken and then fry it, but it is SO worth it!  Enjoy!

 

 

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour (for coating chicken and beer batter)

1 bag of sweetened shredded coconut

1 1/2 cups of lite beer (I used Miller Lite)

2 (1.5 pound) packages of Tyson chicken tenderloins

1 cup of milk

salt and pepper (to taste)

1/4 tsp. paprika

oil for frying

 

 

Step-by-Step Directions

Pre-heat oil for frying.  You will need 3 deep containers or baking dishes, one for each step of the coating process.  In the first dish combine 1 cup of all-purpose flour, salt, pepper, and paprika and set aside. 

 

In the next dish combine 1 1/2 cups of lite beer, 1 cup milk, and 1 1/2 cups (to start) all-purpose flour.  Blend mixture until it becomes the consistency of pancake batter (I’ve found that a runny batter will NOT make the coconut stick as it should). 

 

 

 

In the last dish place half of the bag of shredded coconut.  You will end up using the entire bag, but because the beer batter can make the coconut clumpy you will want to add it half at a time. 

 

One piece of chicken at a time place first in the flour mixture and turn to coat, next place the chicken tender into the beer batter also turning to coat, and last place the chicken tender into the coconut and turn to coat well.  Repeat this process with all pieces of chicken.  I find it easier to coat all of the chicken at once and then place into the refrigerator until ready to fry, the coconut seems to stay on the chicken better if the chicken is places in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes before frying.

 

 

 

One piece at a time, add chicken to hot oil and cook until golden brown.  Drain on paper towels or baking rack.  Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy! 

 

The Company Store: Kids’ Design Contest

My children love being creative; they love to paint, draw, color…you name it, if  it’s related to art they’re all for it!  It makes me so happy to see one, or all of them opt for drawing in a sketchpad over playing video games or watching television.  I think encouraging creativity in our children is one of the greatest things that we can do for our kids as the bounds of creativity are endless!  That being said I love companies who encourage creativity in children too, and one such company is, The Company Store through the Kids’ Design Contest!  Check out all of the information about both The Company Store and their Kids’ Design Contest below.

 

 

“The Company Store, known for its comfort, design and value since 1911, offers top quality, down comforters and pillows, sheets, towels, and home accessories.  The best-selling, American-made LaCrosse Comforter offers unique craftsmanship ensuring the ultimate in sleeping comfort, a lifetime guarantee and is available in a full palette of fashion colors.  Other top collections include wrinkle-free bedding, fashion quilts, and a bamboo collection that features sheets, towels, blankets and loungewear. The Company Store offers extensive monogramming, and other custom services in their LaCrosse, Wisconsin factory.  The Company Store sells its merchandise through catalogs and the internet at www.thecompanystore.com.”

 

The Company Store, celebrating their 100th anniversary, today announced the launch of their Kids’ Design Contest, a program geared at inspiring creativity while supporting art education and charitable work among America's youth.  Under this initiative, The Company Store will accept original artwork from children 12 years and under.  The winning piece will be transformed into a comforter print for their ongoing Buy One, Give One Comforter Donation Program, in which The Company Store donates a new comforter to a homeless child for every comforter sold.

 

"Since launching this endeavor in January, we've seen an immensely positive response from consumers who view this as an opportunity to make a purchase while simultaneously giving back to their community,” says Dennis Warner, Chief Marketing Officer of The Company Store.  "This next phase is a chance to engage and involve children while demonstrating that making a difference in the world can be both enjoyable and rewarding."

 

Submissions will be accepted on the Facebook page for Company Kids (Facebook.com/CompanyKids), the children’s division of The Company Store.  Voting will be open to the general public beginning March 28th through April 22nd.   

 

Not only is this an incredible way to help foster creativity in children, it also helps out a very worthy cause.  So pull out the paint, markers, crayons whatever you have on hand and have your child design something amazing…it may end up being turned into a comforter and help a worthy cause all at the same time! 

Save BIG at Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic March 17-20

What’s better than shopping at your favorite stores and getting a discount?  How about shopping at your favorite stores, getting a discount, and helping a good cause in the process?

 

Starting today, March 17th through Sunday March 20th you can shop, save, and help Habitat for Humanity at Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic!  Details and the link to an exclusive 30% off coupon are below…happy shopping!

 

Habitat for Humanity is proud to be a partner in Gap’s Give and Get program. Download your coupon here to get a 30% discount of your total purchase at Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Gap Outlet, and Banana Republic Factory Stores. Shop March 17 — 20 and Gap will donate 5% of your total purchases to Habitat for Humanity. Share this email with your friends and family — and use it as many times as you like, March 17 — 20. Download today to help Habitat build safe, decent and affordable homes in partnership with families in need of housing!

Rapper Nate Dogg Dead at 41

Imagine my surprise when I saw on the front page of Yahoo that one of my all-time favorite rappers Nate Dogg had died at the age of 41.  If the name Nate Dogg doesn’t ring a bell maybe you’ll remember one of his biggest hits the collaboration that he did with Warren G…Regulate.

 

 

According to the Yahoo article Nate Dogg’s family confirmed that the rapper did indeed pass yesterday March 15th and that his death was attributed to “complications from multiple strokes.”  Also according to the article Nate Dogg, whose real name was Nathaniel D. Hale, the rapper had suffered from strokes in both 2007 and 2008. 

 

 

I still remember when this song hit the charts, it was the summer of my sophomore year or high school and this song was everywhere and quickly became one of my favorites.  To this day when I wanna reminisce I go to YouTube and this song is one of the first that I listen to!  Nate Dogg will be dearly missed by all of his fans, but his distinct voice and music will forever live on in our hears!

Ohio River Reaches/Surpasses Flood Stage (+Pics)

The weather here in Ohio has been lousy lately, I’m pretty sure it’s rained almost every single day since I’ve moved…I’m over it!  Now as if the constant rain wasn’t bad enough, the Ohio River (which I just so happen to live right on the banks of) is flooding!  Schools in Cincinnati have had to close due to high water, roads have been closed due to high water, and unlucky businesses along the river have had to close their doors as well.  And sadly we haven’t even seen the worst yet, the already swollen Ohio river is expected to crest sometime this weekend for Maysville, KY (our neighbor to the south) at 55 feet, 5 feet above flood stage!

Driving through town today I noticed traffic cones along the entrance to our town park and decided to drive a little closer to get a better look and I discovered that half of the park is already underwater so I snapped a few photos of what we’re up against in my neck of the woods! 

The tree line and poles in the water are usually at the edge of the park/upper river bank

The current water level is covering much of the parking lot, all of the basketball court, picnic tables, and beginning to reach the swings

The arrow on the right is pointing to the tree line that is normally at the edge of the park/upper river bank, the arrow on the left is pointing to the baseball field which will undoubtedly be covered in water before all is said and done!  You can also see the road at the bottom of the photo…not too far to go till it reaches that!

Part of the parking lot and all of the Veterans Memorial under water.

It snowed here tonight after it rained all day, not enough to really amount to much, here’s hoping it doesn’t rain and or snow anytime again in the near future

Cars 2 Trailer Races to MSN

There’s no question that one of our family’s all-time favorite movies is Disney.Pixar’s Cars and we are all so excited about Cars 2 which will hit theaters June 24, 2011!!! 

 

Star racecar Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) is back, along with the incomparable tow truck Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) and the rest of the gang from Radiator Springs. This time, they’re heading overseas for the first-ever World Grand Prix, where Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage. Introducing hilarious new characters and red-hot racing, CARS 2 is a global extravaganza! 

 

Thanks to MSN you can checkout the latest Cars 2 trailer and get psyched up about the Cars 2 release this summer…check out the Cars 2 trailer now!  And because I love bringing y’all the latest and greatest I’ve also included some of the newly released images from Cars 2…enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Yoplait Kids: It’s Snack Time! (+Giveaway)

My children are not very picky eaters, aside from a few things that they would never dream of trying (liver anyone lol) they pretty much eat whatever I put on their plates, but that wasn’t always the case.  With my oldest daughter I had to be very sneaky to get her to try new foods, like the time I told her that yogurt was just runny ice cream, I managed to trick her into trying it and yogurt ended up being one of her favorite foods.   Thankfully I didn’t have to be as sneaky getting the rest of my children to try yogurt as it is definitely a favorite snack around our house!

 

Recently I had the chance to take part in a fun and yummy campaign from MyBlogSpark for Yoplait Kids, knowing my children’s affinity for yogurt how could I say no.  Aside from the fact that all of my kiddos love yogurt (and happen to prefer Yoplait Kids) there are all kinds of reasons why you should try Yoplait Kids as a healthy snack option for your little ones:

 

*   Yoplait Kids has an excellent source of both calcium and vitamin D

*   Yoplait Kids is a good source of protein and it contains 25% less sugar than the leading kids’ yogurt

*   It also has no high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners

 

Need more reasons why Yoplait Kids is a healthy snack choice for you children? 

 

With tasty flavor options, as well as calcium, vitamin D and protein to help build strong bones, Yoplait Kids yogurt is sure to be popular with parents and kids alike. A great value at just $2.00 for a pack of four, this yogurt comes in three delicious flavors, including Strawberry, Strawberry Banana and Vanilla. Kids will love finding their favorite friends, like Dora the Explorer, Lightning McQueen from the hit movie “Cars” and the Disney Princesses, on every cup.

Yoplait Kids has also partnered with well-known mom-blogger, Christine Coppa, Mama's Boy blogger at parenting.com and author of Rattled! (Broadway Books, 2009), who has developed helpful snacking tips for moms with young children including:

 

• Tips about healthy snack ideas
• Tips about portable snacks
• Tips about making snack time fun

 

We received a Yoplait Kids prize pack full of fun stuff and of course containing a coupon for FREE Yoplait Kids yogurt!  As always my kiddos gobbled the yogurt down as soon as we returned from the grocery store…good thing I printed an extra coupon to help save some money on my backup supply! 

 

Do your little ones love Yoplait Kids?  Maybe they haven’t gotten a chance to try it yet?  Either way you can enter for a chance to win the same Yoplait Kids prize pack that I received full of fun stuff!  Details on how to enter below!  Want more great Yoplait Kids updates, offers, and specials?  Follow Yoplait Kids on Twitter and “Like” them on Facebook!

 

 

Win it!

To enter this giveaway please leave a comment below telling me what your go-to healthy snack is.  This is mandatory and must be completed before any additional entries are allowed!

 

Extra Entries!

Please leave separate comments for each additional entry.  Unless otherwise noted ALL extra entry options are worth 2 entries! 

 

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This giveaway ends on Monday March 21, 2011.  One winner will be chosen via Random.org and announced in a separate winners post.  Winner will be emailed and have 48 hours to reply and claim his or her prize. 

 

*This coupon offer for a free four pack of Yoplait Kids yogurt is not valid in some states, including California, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota and Tennessee.

US ONLY PLEASE!