Uprinting Business Card Giveaway

I have had business cards printed four times since I started blogging seriously 10 months ago.  The first time I was unimpressed with the quality from the company and so I knew I had to find somewhere different.  Then I found Uprinting and have had my business cards printed there three times already and am actually getting a fourth set printed very soon.  I know it is a lot of cards but the second set has the wrong URL now since my blog changed, the third I hated my design once I had them printed so I am going in for a fourth attempt haha.  The big thing though is that in all the times I have had them printed with Uprinting I am impressed with the quality and ship time, just not with the other things that I did wrong.

I highly recommend Uprinting for all of your printing needs.  Check out all the cool Business Cards Uprinting has to offer.

~WIN IT~
Uprinting is going to give 250 Die Cut Business Cards for One (1) Winner
Die cutting options available: Rounded Corners, Leaf, Rounded One-Corner, Half-Circle Side, Circle
Paper Type: 14pt Cardstock Gloss, Matte, or High Gloss; 13pt Cardstock Uncoated
Color: 4Color Front, Blank Back; 4Color Front, Black Back; 4Color Both Sides

~TO ENTER~
Tell me what you would use the business cards for if you won.

~BONUS ENTRIES~
Please make sure to leave seperate entries for each thing, if it says you get 5 entries please leave 5 comments.

Spiffies tooth-wipes Review & Giveaway

Maddisyn is a tiny little girl which I absolutely love.  The one downfall though to her being so tiny is that she has a tiny little mouth.  Having a small mouth I find it very hard to fit a normal kids toothbrush into her mouth between her cheek and her teeth and so I don’t feel her teeth are getting brushed properly in the side which leads to me be very concerned about her oral health.  On top of the toothbrush not fitting properly if I try to make it fit she has a fit because it hurts her mouth (totally understandable) and then when I say it is time to brush her teeth I get an absolutely horrid crying fit from it because she simply does not want to go through the discomfort.

Recently I was approached about trying out Spiffies teeth-wipes.  I have to admit that at first I was not sure of the idea but then I realized hey if it gets her teeth clean and causes her no discomfort then it certainly will not hurt anything to give them a shot.  When they arrived I was pleasantly surprised to see them in an adorable gift bag and the wipes individually wrapped so they are easy to take along if need be.  Maddisyn wanted to try them out right away as soon as I told her that they were for her and Holden so I figured no time like the present.  I can tell you without a doubt that Spiffies is one of the best products I have reviewed on this blog for my kids in a long time.

Spiffies come in three great flavors mango, apple and grape.  Maddisyn loves the grape ones the best and always goes for the telltale purple package when I tell her it is time to do her teeth.  Yes you read that right SHE goes and gets the package and is actually excited for me to clean her teeth, no more huge toothbrush that does not fit in her tiny little sweet mouth, no more yucky tasting toothpaste that makes her gag, and best of all no more horrid crying fits when it is time to do her teeth.  She just grabs her wipe, brings it over to me and sits on my lap while I make sure to clean each one of her tiny pearly whites.  Then when I am done going over her mouth she takes the wipe and goes through her mouth on her own cleaning her teeth.

I feel that because of Spiffies Maddisyn won’t be so freaked out when she does get older and her mouth grows to normal toothbrush sized.  I will have more success with her co-operating and her dental health being great rather then failing.  I also have to say that I love our bonding time we spend together when both she and I are cleaning her teeth up and getting ready to start or finish the day.

I have recently started using Spiffies on Holden as well, he tends to bite me more then anything but I know that I am at least getting him used to the idea of this and getting his little teeth cleaned.  He does not like the grape flavor at all (Maddisyn is fine with that) but he does prefer the mango ones himself for the amount he lets me use them.

My one and only complaint with the Spiffies is the wipe leaves my hands and the kids faces a little sticky, but lets be real here that is not much of a complaint when I think of all the good they have done, a simple wipe with a face cloth and a simple hand washing for me (which I do before and after I do each kids teeth anyways) and we are all clean, happy and ready to face/end our days.

Spiffies is made by a company called DR Products LLC.  DR Products LLC was founded in 2003 by a a practicing pediatrician, and his wife Marti, an experienced businesswoman.  Their goal with the company was to prevent tooth decay in the early lives of all children around the world.  The two flagship products for DR PRoducts LLC are Spiffies tooth-wipes and I Can Brush, a syrup created for toddlers.

Both are centered on the prevention of tooth decay with Xylitol, the ingredient in their products. Over the past 50 years, medical research has shown that Xylitol, first discovered in the naturally sweet part of birch trees, can prevent tooth decay in children and adults when used regularly.
• Spiffies Tooth Wipes are designed for a parent to cleanse the infant’s mouth after feedings. The delicate taste combined with a caring gentle massaging action provides a pleasant experience for both, while conferring a unique health benefit to the baby—in the months and years to come, for that baby, tooth decay may not develop at all. Tooth wipes are ideal for the teething infant.
• I Can Brush is a healthy, all-natural syrup that provides Xylitol protection against cavities and, unlike toothpaste, is safe for toddlers to swallow.
Both Spiffies Tooth Wipes and I Can Brush, and even the Xylitol used to create them, are made in the USA. DR Products has sold more than 4 million Spiffies Tooth Wipes to date.

I want to share with you this short video Maddisyn and I made of us cleaning her teeth.  We just did a quick job so that you could see how easy it is to do without having to sit through our entire routine.  Don’t Maddisyns poor boo-boo nose she was walking around with a cardboard house on her head and walked into the wall and banged up her nose a bit.  But that is a totally different blog post I will get to soon and will be our own PSA in it haha.

~WIN IT~
Spiffies is going to give one of my lucky readers a 45-day supply of Spiffies tooth wipes in an adorable gift bag like the one pictured above.

~TO ENTER~
Go to the Spiffies website and look around then come back here and tell me one of the benefits of using Spiffies wipes (you will find the answers on the Spiffies website).

~BONUS ENTRIES~
Please make sure to leave seperate entries for each thing, if it says you get 5 entries please leave 5 comments.

Powermat – Cut the cords save the hassle

Ready to cut the wires?

We definitely were if your family is like ours you probably have chargers everywhere for all kinds of devices. Just at the end of the counter in our kitchen there’s a charger for my cell phone, both of Lee’s cell phones, mine and Lee’s Blue tooth Headsets and the kids Ipod thats 6 chargers. What do you do with all those wires? I’ll tell you what we did, we wrapped them all up and put them in the drawer as soon as our powermat arrived.

Powermat is a wireless charging station with solutions for many devices. First, you have the mat itself. A simple looking flat black plastic mat that plugs into the wall. Then there’s the Powermat receiver, whether it be a case, battery door replacement or the universal power cube with multiple different tips available for all kinds of devices or the iPod/iPhone dock. Simply attach the receiver to your device and then put the receiver on the charging mat. A magnetic attraction between the Receiver and Mat ensures alignment so the most efficient charging can occur. Once the  alignment has taken place you will hear a sound and a similar sound when you take your device off charge, so there’s never any doubt as to if it is connected properly. When a device reaches full charge, power is shut off to that device. This not only saves energy, but it also prevents overcharging of the device’s battery, which can shorten battery life.

The powermat comes in different sizes as well, ranging from single device to the Powermat 3x which gives space for three devices at ones, and there’s also the Portable Mat, which is the one I received, that gives space for up to 3 devices as well as a USB port for an extra. The portable is nice and convenient, it folds up easily and  includes mat, travel case, power cube and 8 power cube tips which will charge nearly all mobile devices.

We love our Powermat so much I’m sure it’s going to be purchased for a few people on our Christmas list as well as a second one for Lee to keep on his desk at work.  The Powermat is a must have for anyone that charges a portable device on a regular basis and is tired of looking at those awful charging cables all over the place.

I also believe that because I travel so much now with both blog and family related things going on Powermat will make it easier on me since I won’t have a baggie, quite literally like a gallon size baggie, of cords to take along.  I can pack my powermat and the charging tips/power brick into my suitcase and be off with one neat little package.  I think that is the ultimate awesomeness myself.

~WIN IT~
Powermat is going to give one of my readers a powermat charging station and case for your phone/device of your choice. ARV 139.98 based on a charging mat valued at $99.99 and an iPhone case at $39.99

~TO ENTER~
Go to Powermat and tell me which charging mat AND which device case you would choose if you won.

~BONUS ENTRIES~
Please make sure to leave seperate entries for each thing, if it says you get 5 entries please leave 5 comments.

Protect a Bed Mattress Protector Giveaway

Protect-A-Bed is hosting the Long Live Your Mattress Sweepstakes at www.protectabed.com. One lucky sweepstakes winner will receive $30,000 in honor of the company’s 30^th anniversary. Ten 1^st prize winners will receive complete bedding protection sets valued at nearly $500. The grand prize winner will also receive a bedding protection kit. The sweepstakes begins Tuesday, Aug. 10 and runs through Oct. 31 and is open to all United States residents. No purchase is necessary and winners will be chosen after Nov. 1.  Protect-A-Bed is based in Northbrook, Ill., a suburb of Chicago. To enter the Long Live Your Mattress Sweepstakes or to learn more about Protect-A-Bed and its products, visit www.protectabed.com.

We have a protect a bed mattress cover on our bed and we have one on Maddisyns bed.  I love them because I feel like my bed is better protected against wear of time, and I am better protected against bed bugs.  I really think that you should all consider a Protect a Bed mattress protector.  One big thing I noticed when I was putting Maddisyn’s on her bed is that it is also waterproof, and for any parent potty training we all know how important waterproof bed protectors are.  I also really like how fluffy it feels when you put a top sheet onto your bed over the protect a bed mattress protector instead of just the feel of the mattress underneath.

Go check out the sweepstakes and enter to be one of the lucky winners.

~WIN IT~
Protect a Bed is going to give one of my readers their choice of one of these three items Premium Mattress Protector (any size), set of Pillow Protectors (any size) or Premium Crib Protector.

~TO ENTER~
Tell me which one you would choose.

~BONUS ENTRIES~
Please make sure to leave seperate entries for each thing, if it says you get 5 entries please leave 5 comments.

Herman T’s BBQ sauce Mix Giveaway ends Sept 7

My kids love BBQ sauce, I am not sure what it is about it because to be honest I am generally not a big fan, the stuff just leaves a bad taste in my mouth even when it is cooked on something like chicken or hamburgers on the barbecue I still find that I don’t like it.  I think I am simply too picky of an eater.  Thanks to the Family Review Network we got the chance to try out Herman T’s BBQ Sauce.  I figured if nothing else the kids would love the new BBQ sauce and I would continue to eat my food plain haha.

Herman T’s BBQ sauce is incredibly easy to make and the directions and amounts required per batch make it even easier to to only make as little or as much as you need.  The entire package can make up to 3/4 of a gallon of BBQ sauce although we make it in the smaller batches so that it is fresh and it does not take long to make so it is no big deal we make it while we are prepping the meat for the BBQ.

Directions:
In a sauce pan combine
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup of ketchup
1 Tablespoon of mix

Whisk to a boil and reduce to low heat, Simmer for 5 minutes

That’s it, it really is that easy. The only thing I wish is that it was a little bit thicker, it’s a little bit runny for brushing on to your meat while barbecuing. I did however find it the perfect consistency to marinade the meat in for a while before hitting the grill.

As I mentioned my boys love BBQ sauce so there was no question in my mind that they would love this, but if you will remember I also said that I absolutely did not like BBQ sauce.  I knew though that since I was reviewing this it would only be fair to try it myself to be able to give you all an honest opinion.  Ready for that opinion?  Well are you?  I thought it was fantastic.  For once I found a BBQ sauce that I can actually eat and enjoy eating.  We will continue to buy this BBQ so that A) I can continue to eat it and B) we will always be able to make fresh BBQ sauce.   Here are a few pictures we took of the making of the sauce as well as it spread on our sausages we had for supper the other night.

Now I want to make mention right now that Herman T’s sent me two packs of BBQ sauce to try out one was regular and the other was hot.  I did not try the hot sauce because I do not handle spice at all but Lee really enjoys that one and says it has a nice little bite to it.

Now for the yummy part for you.  You get the chance to win some of the Herman T’s BBQ sauce to try for yourself.

~WIN IT~
Herman T’s is going to give one of my lucky readers two packs of bbq sauce to try for yourself.

~TO ENTER~
Tell me what you use BBQ sauce on in your house the most.

~BONUS ENTRIES~
Please make sure to leave seperate entries for each thing, if it says you get 5 entries please leave 5 comments.

Zuvo Water Purator Review & Giveaway

A while back I posted a review for my Zuvo water purator. I’m happy to let you all know that I still absolutely LOVE this product, my tap water normally has a yucky taste and really smells like chlorine and I hated drinking it so we were spending tons of money on bottled water. I now drink more water than ever and completely love the taste of it.

Based on this I was excited to work with Zuvo again and this time go a unit to put to my ultimate test…

Our camp is located on the shore of Lake Superior here in Canada and being a camp there is no city or municipal water systems out there. For the sake of washing and cleaning we put in a couple hundred feet of pipe and a jet pump to give us on demand water straight from the lake. Not exactly ideal but better than nothing. We installed a water filter but all it did was keep out any debris and if we wanted to cook with it or anything we would first have to boil the water etc.

This is why I was even more excited to have the chance to work with Zuvo again. We installed the new Purator at camp almost right away and have been using it regularly.  We test the water every time we are out there and every time we do so it is safe for consumption. This means no more hauling jugs of water out when we go and no more boiling water to cook etc. more room in the van, less stress for me but best of all ultimate happiness to have fresh drinking water on tap.

To me this is pretty amazing, straight lake water through the Zuvo and it’s good to go, no chemicals or anything.

“Take Back Your Tap

With the safety of drinking water on everyone’s minds these days and Congressional hearings on bottled waters ongoing, the new Zuvo Water Filtration System offers a solution to the question of how we can get the cleanest drinking water to improve our fitness and health and at the same time save our planet.The Zuvo Water Filtration System will revolutionize the way you think about easy to use home water filtration systems. It’s ecologically friendly and elegantly designed and has been awarded the Parent Tested Parent Approved Award for best new green products, recommended by the Cooking Clubs of America  and we’re on track for the Good Housekeeping Seal too.

Get Off the Bottle

Just because children have smaller bodies does not mean they need less water. Water is in fact one of the most important nutrients for children.  And because our bodies are 75% water, we can’t live without water and can survive only for about three days without it. The fact that your readers turn to you for the latest in healthy eco friendly products and advice, Zuvo should be a perfect fit. Zuvo raises the bar for water purity and taste. (ranked #1 over Fiji, Aquafina, Brita, Pur, Aquapanna, Evian and Smart Water by the San Francisco Chronicle and Wine & Spirits Magazine) at the most cost-effective price, Zuvo eliminates the need for expensive and eco-unfriendly plastic bottled waters, in fact if the water we use at home cost what even cheap bottled water costs our monthly water bills would run about $9000.00.”

~WIN IT~
Zuvo is going to give one of my readers a Zuvo Water Filtration System valued at $299.99.

~TO ENTER~
Tell me how the Zuvo would be helpful in your life.

~BONUS ENTRIES~
Please make sure to leave seperate entries for each thing, if it says you get 5 entries please leave 5 comments.

Bumbo Review and Giveaway

When Maddisyn was a baby the Bumbo was probably my most recommended baby item for parents to have.  The playtray is great for the baby to eat their snacks on or even play with cars or other toys.  Maddy would sit in hers on the floor and watch tv or play with me and her toys for quite a bit of time, it held her attention the longest.  It is also great for taking places to visit such as friends/family we were able to use it as a containment device as well as a high chair.

Made from a single piece of latex-free, low-density and lightweight foam, the Bumbo Seat provides a snug and comfortable environment for baby to sit up for feedings, play time or quality time with the family. The Bumbo Baby Seat requires no straps or fasteners to hold babies in place, and helps them transition into sitting. It also makes the perfect baby shower gift!

When Holden was born I knew for sure we would have to get a bumbo and we did and used it just as we did with Maddisyn.  After he outgrew it I sold my bumbo which was clearly a big mistake because my brother got a new old girlfriend and she has a little boy, thankfully I was given the opportunity to work with Keen Distribution and review the Bumbo and I have a new little buddy who likes to use it and sits in it and plays.  As a matter of fact he was just here last night and was playing in it.  I did not get a chance to put the tray on but here is a pic of him playing without it.

Key features

• Available in blue, lilac, aqua, pink and lime green
• Recommended for babies 3-14 months
• Requires no straps or fasteners
• Durable, hygenic and easy to clean
• Portable, light weight and versatile

As I mentioned you can also get a playtray, I had an old school clear plastic one that was a pain in the butt to put on but I still used it because I loved the feature.  Now they have this great white one that attaches so much easier to the Bumbo.

~WIN IT~
Keen Distribution is going to give one of my lucky readers a Bumbo in your color choice (pink, blue, lilac or lime) as well as the playtray.

~TO ENTER~
Go to Keen Distribution and tell me something else you see there you think would be great to have.

~BONUS ENTRIES~
Please make sure to leave seperate entries for each thing, if it says you get 5 entries please leave 5 comments.

Monopoly Giveaway x 2 Winners Ends 08/21

Do you play games with your family?  Every week we have a family game night and I think that is part of what makes us a close family, right now we only really play with the older two boys but I cannot wait for Maddisyn and Holden to be old enough where the six of us can have a weekly game night with snacks and drinks and of course tons of fun.  One of our favorite games is Monopoly, I like that it teaches the kids to count and deal with money and I like to dream of being a millionaire every now and then when I am kicking butt in the game and have a ton of money.

“MONOPOLY “Money Makes It Real”

Have you ever wished the MONOPOLY money that you collected in during the game could be real? If so, you’re not alone! A recent survey conducted by Hasbro, showed that 60 percent of United States residents who have played the game have imagined the cash in the game becoming real money. If the money became a reality, more people would use this cash to pay off debt (70 percent) or buy something for their family (54 percent), before they purchased something for themselves (40 percent). Can you imagine?

Now is your chance to tell us and you could win some cash! That’s right, we are giving away $20,580 (the total money in the game “bank”) as part of the MONOPOLY “Money Makes It Real” contest to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the game. Visit here <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=84999398&msgid=1001657&act=1LDX&c=379122&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Ffamilygamenight%3Fv%3Dapp_6009294086%26ref%3Dts>  for more details!”

~WIN IT~
Hasbro is going to give TWO of my readers a copy of the 75th anniversary edition of Monopoly.

~TO ENTER~
Tell me if you have a family game night what your favorite game is.  If you don’t have one tell me your favorite Hasbro game.

~BONUS ENTRIES~
Please make sure to leave seperate entries for each thing, if it says you get 5 entries please leave 5 comments.

mamaRoo bouncy seat giveaway

I had bouncy seats with all my kids, they were a good way to rest my arm, the only downfall is that my feet would get so sore bouncing my children to keep them happy.  I had to bounce them because the vibrate thing was far from soothing for my kids and actually freaked them out and made them cry.

The mamaRoo seat from 4moms is amazing, I totally wish I would have gotten this when my kids were babies so that we could actually use it a lot more.  But for now I will settle with using it for my brothers baby and perhaps some day I might be able to convince Lee to have another baby and we can use the mamaRoo seat we have with that little one.

We’ve never seen a parent vibrate like a bouncy seat or swing like a swing. But we’ve seen thousands of parents scoop their little ones up in their arms and bounce and sway. And that’s what the mamaRoo does. It moves like you do.

I don’t even know where to start with this seat because there is so much to tell you so lets start at the top and work our way down.

At the very top is a mobile with three soft toys to play with.  The toys are two different colors depending on which side you put up.  One side is black and white for infants, they say black and white is good for baby development, the other side is colored for babies (about four months) who love to look at color for stimuli.  What I love most is that these come easily in and out of the mobile so your little one can slobber on them, you throw em in the washer to clean and then back onto the mobile for playtime.

Next we have the seat.  Simply flip a switch at the back and slide the seat to recline/sit it up.  The seat is very easy to take off and is machine washable how awesome is that.  It is available in six great fabric color choices.  We picked the lime green/brown although i would have loved the pink/brown I only have boys to use it with so the colors were not working lol.

Now for the fun part, the base of the chair, the brains of the chair.

First off on the base is a hookup for your iP0d so if your baby is anything like mine and loves music you can play some great tunes for your little one straight off your iPod so it will be easy to travel with the music as well. There are two built in speakers and a volume control.  If you don’t have an ipod no worries they also built in a white noise machine with 5 different sounds to choose from to help soothe your little one.

Now lets get to the controls.  The chair has 5 unique motions that are nothing like a normal vibrating chair.  Below you will find the motions and the explanation of them straight from the 4moms website.

A figure eight on its side

Lots of up-and-down, less side-to-side

High on the sides, low in the middle

Low on the sides, high in the middle

~WIN IT~
4moms is going to give one of my very lucky readers a mamaRoo chair of their own in their color choice of red, pink, silver, black, green, or orange valued at $199.99.

~TO ENTER~
Go to 4moms and tell me one interesting fun fact you learn about them or another product you would like to try.

~BONUS ENTRIES~
Please make sure to leave seperate entries for each thing, if it says you get 5 entries please leave 5 comments.

Threadless Kids Giveaway

Today Threadless Kids launched their 24 new designs and I am excited to tell you that I get to share them with you and one of my lucky readers will get a chance to win one.  But before we get to that let me tell you some about Threadless Kids.

Just in time for back to school, from daycare to junior high, parents are getting ready to seek out attire that will enable their tikes to express their personalities and personal style.  With 24 designs made just for the little ones in your life, parents can snag any tee, hoody, hoodsie, or onesie for the kiddos and get free shipping anywhere (for a limited time).

Threadless has also updated the Kids website with new activity pages, where parents can download coloring pages and play puzzles online, both inspired by Threadless Kids designs.  And just when you think it can’t get any better, the first 10,000 orders on Threadless.com will include a free coloring book produced in collaboration with their community artists.

The Kids line will consist of 12 classics, which will include some of the awesome designs previously released that every parent and kid has always loved, as well as 12 designs exclusive to the Kids line.  Sizes will range from zero to three months all the way up to size 12.

Threadless will also be holding a contest through their Facebook page where parents of kids crazy for crayons, mad for markers and tickled by tees can download a tee template and have their kids draw a design of their very own on it.  Parents can then scan it or take a picture and post it to the Threadless Kids! facebook wall.  Threadless will choose a winner from three age groups (4 and under, 5-7, 8-10 and 10-12) to win a $50 Threadless gift certificate. They’ll also choose an overall winner to receive a pack of 12 Threadless Kids! tees and a $100 Threadless gift certificate. Winners will be chosen based on the three A’s- Awesomeness, Adorability and Artistry.  Please note that as of 11:15 AM this contest was not posted but I have been assured it will be posted by later this afternoon.

Ok so now that I have shared all that let me share the new shirts with you.  You can go to Threadless Kids, scroll down on the homepage and look at all the new designs, I already have one picked out for each of my kids that I believe would so suit their personalities.  For Chase I love The Misstep tee, for Blake May the Forest Be With You, for Maddisyn Playin’ In The Sprinkler and last but certainly not least for Holden Partly Hungry Skies.  While I have not actually reviewed the shirts they look to be very adorable and I am totally jealous of you all being able to win one.

~WIN IT~
Threadless Kids is going to give one of my readers their choice of one of the 24 new designs.

~TO ENTER~
Go to Threadless Kids and tell me which design you would choose (remember scroll down on the main page to see the 24 new designs).

~BONUS ENTRIES~
Please make sure to leave seperate entries for each thing, if it says you get 5 entries please leave 5 comments.

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