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Congratulations to…
Heather Ratliff! Congratulations, Heather – and thanks to everyone who entered!
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The Skinny: If you’re in Texas (or even if you’re not), you’ve probably heard of MD Anderson Cancer Center. The mission of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is to eliminate cancer in Texas, the nation, and the world through outstanding programs that integrate patient care, research and prevention, and through education for undergraduate and graduate students, trainees, professionals, employees and the public.
The Children’s Art Project at MD Anderson Cancer Center helps make life better for children with cancer. Through worldwide sales of young cancer patients’ original artwork featured on seasonal note cards and gift items, the project has returned $27 million to programs that benefit cancer patients and their families. Each year, the project offers Holiday, Everyday and Valentine collections of note cards and gift items.
My Opinion: I love the fact that you can find adorable gift ideas here and help children with your purchase. If you don’t see anything you want to buy, you can make a donation in the recipient’s name. When my kids are a little bit older I think we’ll start donating to this and other causes in their name as one of their gifts – what a great way to share the concept of thinking of others.
Buy it For: Anyone on your list!
One winner will receive a notepad and notecards from the Children’s Art Project and I will make a $10 donation in your name. This giveaway is open to all U.S. & Canadian residents. Entries will be accepted until midnight CST on Monday, November 29.
Mandatory Entry: Visit the Children’s Art Project site and comment back here telling me your favorite item available on the site.
(Only valid after the required entry has been completed)
Please leave a comment for each extra entry – if you blog about this giveaway and get 3 entries, for example, comment 3 times.
Note: MD Anderson Children’s Art Project provided the notepad and notecards for the giveaway, however, any opinions remain honest and my own. I was not compensated monetarily for this post.
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Good morning! Can you believe how close Thanksgiving is? It really feels like November snuck up on us this year. I have to admit, a lot of the reason I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving is that we will be able to put up our Christmas decorations! (We’ve got a couple up already… don’t tell!)
I can tell the holidays are rapidly approaching because this week we’ve got several Thanksgiving activities on our schedule. My work has a big potluck-style meal for faculty, staff & students (I’m bringing appetizers and am still trying to figure out what to bring – ideas?) Wednesday. Then the boys’ school is also having a Harvest Meal – for C’s class I’m making cookies, and for J’s we’re supposed to bring pumpkin pie, which he is incredibly excited about.
I have another thing going on this week that I’m looking forward to – have you ever heard of Taste of Home? They have a cooking school in our town every year, and I love it! It’s basically like watching a Food Network type of show live. They give out bags of samples and coupons (which, if you know me, you know I adore) and a cookbook magazine that the audience can follow along with while recipes are cooked. I’m sure I’ll be trying some of the recipes in coming weeks – I’ll let you know of any good ones I find!
On to meals for the week. We’re following the KISS meal plan because of all the activities going on. :) I don’t know that we’ll end up using all of these meals, either – but it doesn’t hurt to have them ready, right?
Monday: Leftover soup – we had our small group from church over last night. I made tomato basil soup and chicken taco soup, and we’ve got enough left over for dinner tonight – especially since the boys won’t eat it and will have nuggets instead.
Tuesday: Chick Fil A night! Lately we’ve been getting surveys on our receipts where we can get a code for free sandwiches, so this makes dinner an even better deal.
Wednesday: My work’s potluck meal – wish us luck with the kids at this thing!
Thursday: Pizza – we’ll make our old standby options – pepperoni & buffalo chicken.
Friday: Leftover pizza. Exciting, I know.
Hopefully your meals are a little more exciting this week. Anything I should try? I don’t want to fall into a rut just because we’re busy this holiday season, so I’m definitely still on the lookout for more meal ideas.
I want to mention before I go that I have several giveaways going on right now, with more to come this week! The $25 Del Monte gift certificate ends tonight, so be sure to take a minute to enter that one. Giveaways are always posted in the upper right corner of my blog, and of course I’d love for you to enter! :) Hope you all have a wonderful week!
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Welcome to Friendly Friday!
Remember, YOU can host the link list on your blog too! Just click “Get the code here…” at the bottom of the list. The code is different every week, so be sure to get the new code when hosting Friendly Friday on your blog. Hosting the list is a great way for everyone to get even more traffic to their blog.
Thanks for joining the Friendly Friday celebration hosted by Christi at Frugal Novice, Xenia at Thanks, Mail Carrier and Charla at Healthy Home Blog! We invite you to join us every Friday to make more friends in blogville, get more blog followers and follow other great blogs out there.
To join in the Friendly Friday celebration, include your family-friendly link in our list, follow the hostesses in the first 3 spots and then start blog hopping! Visit other blogs on the list and comment to give them some blog love. Then take a minute to follow them through Google Friend Connect – this is a good way to keep up with other blogs, but also lets us show support to each other! Please DO NOT list your giveaways here, links must be to either your homepage or your Friday posting with your blog title. All others will be deleted.
When people comment on your blog and let you know they’re a part of Friendly Friday, return the favor and follow them back. This way everyone gets traffic and followers out of participating, and it’s a win-win situation. We would love for you to also grab our Friendly Friday button and post it on your blog and/or in a post – the more bloggers that find out about Friendly Friday and participate, the better!
Spotlight on Friendly Friday Followers! We love your participation and want to show it! In addition to gaining followers, each week we’ll select three blogs at random and will feature links and a write-up for those blogs in the content of next week’s Friendly Friday post. There are so many seriously wonderful blogs out there, and this will be a great way to highlight some of those each week. Say hello to the lucky chosen 3 for this week (and feel free to stop by and give them a little extra love):
Chances are that you’re already reading and enjoying the warm, friendly and downright hilarious writings at A Nut in a Nutshell… and if you’re not, get with it! This mom of two college-aged children (who often make fun guest appearances on her blog) has a self-proclaimed quirky sense of humor that will keep you coming back daily to see what new product review/giveaways, life stories or just plain nonsense will show up next and make you smile.
The story behind the adorable newlyweds, Emily and Andrew, at The Brady Blog is one that will make you smile. Having first met at the age of 9, this sweet couple and their cat, Bella, enjoy life down South in Atlanta but keep their family and friends back in Ohio up to date by blogging. Through posts about daily life, law school and fun pictures, you’ll feel as though these two are long-distance pals of your own.
The next time you’re thinking of cooking or baking, Sheila at Welcome To My Kitchen has a collection of new recipes (many with video!) to inspire you… and make your stomach growl. This blog-hopping, blog award-winning Cook Extraordinaire has a post about everything from drinks to main dishes to desserts (with reviews, giveaways and shopping tips mixed in) that you’ll be sure to want to try.
Now that you know about these 3 wonderful blogs, it’s time for you to join in! Add your family-friendly link below and we’ll see you back here every Friday! And don’t forget, you can grab the code to share the link list on your blog too.
All three hostesses appreciate followers through GFC and Twitter, and we’ll follow you back – be sure to leave a comment with your URL and/or Twitter username. Hope everyone has a great weekend!
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The Skinny: Rub a Dub ABC and 123 by Alex from GrowingTreeToys.com (the site with tons of learning toys for your kids!) brings the classroom to the bathtub! With Rub a Dub ABC and 123 bath toy, kids love that they can build words and numbers with these soft foam shapes that stick to the tub or tile when wet. Alex Rub a Dub ABC and 123 is the great bath toy that includes 2 multi-colored sets of alphabet letters and a set of numbers 0-9 – that makes 62 different pieces with which to play.
Our Opinion: These letters made bath time a lot of fun for the boys. There are a ton of them, so there were plenty for them to share. J is really big into letters and words, and he had a lot of fun having us help him “build a word” (thanks, Word World!) over and over. The letters came in the tub pictured above, which is great for storage – that’s especially important to us since we all use the same bath/shower. Priced at $11.95 for the tub at GrowingTreeToys.com, it’s a good value in my opinion. I did some searching for competition, and the Rub A Dub set is cheaper than others I found, with more included.
Buy it For: Infants, toddlers, and children up to early elementary school. There are also other bath toys by Alex available that would be fun for a variety of ages.
Note: GrowingTreeToys.com provided us with the letters and numbers for review, but my opinion is honest and my own.
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The Skinny: Like Netflix, but for books. Rent as many books as you’d like each month for a flat monthly fee. There are different levels of plans available that let you have out a different amount of books at a time; the smallest plan lets you have three books at once. On that plan, for example, you can return two of the books once you finish reading them. Then you can be reading the third book while you wait for two new books to arrive, and you’re never without a book to read. There are a ton of fiction books, as well as books available in all sorts of categories, including:
• Arts & Photography • Children’s Books • Parenting & Families
• Nonfiction • Cooking, Food & Wine • Home & Garden
You’ll also find books from the NY Times BestSellers list & Oprah’s Book Club List.
My Opinion: I got to try out BookSwim and was really impressed with both the selection of books available and how quickly my first set of books arrived – 3 days after my order. The “Light Reader” plan (3 books at a time) is $24.95 a month. If you are a fairly quick reader or like to keep up with the newest book releases, the multiple-book plans would be worth more than their cost. I know with my schedule I don’t think I’d have enough time to make it worth $24.95 for me long-term. BookSwim has a 1-book-at-a-time plan for $9.95 a month that I think might be a good fit for me. I do think the “Light Reader” plan would be a great gift idea – even just a couple of months would be a nice gift.
Buy it For: Any book lovers in your life, or for a family to share (with all sorts of categories available, there’s something for everyone). This would also be great for that person that already has everything – we have a few people like that on our shopping list, that don’t need anything but would probably enjoy something like this a lot.
One lucky reader will win three months of the “Light Reader” plan from BookSwim, valued at $74.85! This giveaway is open to all U.S. & Canadian residents. Entries will be accepted until midnight CST on Monday, November 29.
Mandatory Entry: Go to BookSwim.com and then comment here telling me which book would be the first you’d add to your BookSwim pool!
(Only valid after the required entry has been completed)
Please leave a comment for each extra entry – if you blog about this giveaway and get 3 entries, for example, comment 3 times.
Note: BookSwim provided a membership for me to review and one for the giveaway, but opinions provided in this post remain honest and my own. I was not compensated monetarily for this post.
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The Skinny: To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Rubik’s Cube, Techno Source introduced Rubik’s Slide, a new electronic puzzle game. Rubik’s Players begin each puzzle by checking the goal pattern and then sliding the lights into the correct pattern by twisting and shifting the top panel. (Much like the slide or “fifteen” puzzles from years ago). Once the puzzle is solved, Rubik’s Slide will advance to the next puzzle. Featuring more than 10,000 puzzles, Rubik’s Slide includes two different types of play. Players can see how many puzzles they can solve in Free Play mode or race against the clock to complete a series of 10 puzzles before time runs out in Lightning Round. There are multiple levels of difficulty, with easy, medium and hard puzzles built-in, vibrant light and sound effects, adjustable volume control, and high score memory. Batteries are included.
Our Opinion: I wasn’t sure what to think when I first turned the game on. I’ll admit, it took me a minute or two to figure it out. I tried Lightning Round on Easy, and on my first attempt I only completed 2 of the 10 puzzles – whoops! Once I tried again, though, I completed 9 out of 10 puzzles. Then I was hooked. This is a fun, quick game and is addicting! It’s compact and easy to take along on the road. I could definitely see it being a lifesaver on road trips. Rubik’s Slide is priced at $19.99, and just from looking at it in the package I wondered if it was overpriced. My verdict now? This game can provide countless hours of entertainment and is less expensive than buying a video game – I think it is a good value for the cost. My husband and (college-aged) brother both tried the Rubik’s Slide too, and it was a hit with both of them! I made Brian try it out while I recorded it so you could get an idea of what it’s like:
Buy it For: Anyone who loves games and puzzles! It’s marketed for ages “8-108” and that’s pretty accurate – I think it’d be great for kids and adults alike. The Rubik’s Slide will be available at retailers like WalMart, Target, & Toys”R”Us nationwide.
One lucky reader will win their own Rubik’s Slide, courtesy of Techno Source! This giveaway is open to all U.S. & Canadian residents. Entries will be accepted until midnight CST on Monday, November 29.
Mandatory Entry: Comment letting me know who on your gift list you’d buy the Rubik’s Slide for – “Myself” is a completely valid answer, by the way! :)
(Only valid after the required entry has been completed)
Please leave a comment for each extra entry – if you blog about this giveaway and get 3 entries, for example, comment 3 times.
Note: Techno Source provided a game for me to review and one for the giveaway, but opinions provided in this post remain honest and my own. I was not compensated monetarily for this post.
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I’m sure most of you have heard of Del Monte – I know we’ve bought their fruits and vegetables for as long as I can remember! Well, they’ve announced that they are launching a program to help support kindergarten through 12th grade public school teachers across North and Central America. They will be providing cash to purchase school supplies and fresh fruit in the “Teacher Monday: Cash for Classrooms” campaign. One hundred prizes totaling $1,000 each will be awarded to teachers who get the most votes in the “Teacher Monday: Cash for Classrooms” online contest at www.fruits.com.
To be eligible to win, teachers must register for the “Teacher Monday: Cash for Classrooms” online contest at www.fruits.com. After teachers register their name and school, they can get all their fans — from parents to students, to friends and family — to vote for them. Ten winners will be selected each Monday for five consecutive weeks in October/November, 2010, for a total of 50 winning teachers North American teachers. Winners are based solely on the number of votes they receive. Winning teachers will receive $750 in cash to purchase school supplies and $250 in Del Monte fresh fruit coupons for classroom snacks and to use in fruit educational activities.
Beginning early Fall, consumers can expect to see “Teacher Monday: Cash for Classrooms” stickers on Del Monte Fresh Produce such as pineapples, bananas, melons, grapes, tomatoes and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, as well as colorful posters and other materials in produce departments.
I think this is a great program and love the idea of supporting public schools! Go to fruits.com to see if your children’s teachers are participating so you can vote for them!
Del Monte has also generously provided me with a $25 gift certificate good toward any Del Monte products – perfect timing with Thanksgiving coming up!
The winner will receive one $25 gift certificate for Del Monte products. This is open to all U.S. and Canadian residents. Entries will be accepted until midnight CST on Monday, November 15.
Mandatory Entry: Go to fruits.com and comment here with a fruit fact you’ve learned from the site. While you’re there, be sure to vote for your teacher to win money for his or her classroom!
(Only valid after the required entry has been completed)
Please leave a comment for each extra entry – if you blog about this giveaway and get 3 entries, for example, comment 3 times.
Note: Del Monte provided me with a gift certificate for use, and one for giveaway as a part of this post. Any opinions provided by myself are my own.
I am really excited to start the holiday gift guide today – and my first post for the guide includes a giveaway! I’ll be posting it this evening so be sure to check back!! Also, within this hour I’ll be posting a giveaway that is not a part of the Gift Guide, but is perfect to help get you prepared for Thanksgiving dinner! Keep your eyes peeled. :)
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Welcome to Friendly Friday!
Remember, YOU can host the link list on your blog too! Just click “Get the code here…” at the bottom of the list. The code is different every week, so be sure to get the new code when hosting Friendly Friday on your blog. Hosting the list is a great way for everyone to get even more traffic to their blog.
Thanks for joining the Friendly Friday celebration hosted by Christi at Frugal Novice, Xenia at Thanks, Mail Carrier and Charla at Healthy Home Blog! We invite you to join us every Friday to make more friends in blogville, get more blog followers and follow other great blogs out there.
To join in the Friendly Friday celebration, include your family-friendly link in our list, follow the hostesses in the first 3 spots and then start blog hopping! Visit other blogs on the list and comment to give them some blog love. Then take a minute to follow them through Google Friend Connect – this is a good way to keep up with other blogs, but also lets us show support to each other! Please DO NOT list your giveaways here, links must be to either your homepage or your Friday posting with your blog title. All others will be deleted.
When people comment on your blog and let you know they’re a part of Friendly Friday, return the favor and follow them back. This way everyone gets traffic and followers out of participating, and it’s a win-win situation. We would love for you to also grab our Friendly Friday button and post it on your blog and/or in a post – the more bloggers that find out about Friendly Friday and participate, the better!
Spotlight on Friendly Friday Followers! We love your participation and want to show it! In addition to gaining followers, each week we’ll select three blogs at random and will feature links and a write-up for those blogs in the content of next week’s Friendly Friday post. There are so many seriously wonderful blogs out there, and this will be a great way to highlight some of those each week. Say hello to the lucky chosen 3 for this week (and feel free to stop by and give them a little extra love):
Tiffany at Fashion in the Forest is a Southern girl who is always on the lookout for great deals and freebies. She shares this info with her readers along with reviews and giveaways. Tiffany also likes sharing about things that inspire her, and she has just started an Etsy shop called “Summer So Far” which will feature handmade items and antiques.
At Whirlwind of Surprises, this 25 year old medical student loves sharing about reviews, contests, and giveaways on her blog. She also loves reading, shopping, blogging online, tweeting, playing sports, and being with her boyfriend, friends, and family. She especially enjoys playing with her baby nephews whenever she can find time!
Although born on the east coast, Emily at Family and Life in Las Vegas followed her heart west. She thinks her husband, who deploys often, is an amazing man. They have a little boy (toddler), aka “Squishy/Squish/MelonMan,” and Emily loves these two “men” in her life and says they are the best parts of her day. She also enjoys blogging and does reviews and giveaways.
Now that you know about these 3 wonderful blogs, it’s time for you to join in! Add your family-friendly link below and we’ll see you back here every Friday! And don’t forget, you can grab the code to share the link list on your blog too.
All three hostesses appreciate followers through GFC and Twitter, and we’ll follow you back – be sure to leave a comment with your URL and/or Twitter username. Hope everyone has a great weekend!
I haven’t posted much this week because I’ve been busy planning out a holiday gift guide that will start Monday of next week! I love Christmas shopping, and I like to find fun, unique items for my friends and family. The gift guide will be a series of posts throughout next week, and will highlight some great gift ideas for all the different people in your life… PLUS, I’ve got some great giveaways that will all be taking place next week! I’ve got six lined up, and you’ll never know when one will pop up! I can’t wait to get started with it and will have my first Gift Guide post up Monday morning. Hope you’ll join in on the fun!
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If you’re not familiar with Great Wolf Lodge, it’s a company with indoor water parks located around the country. Right now they have eleven locations:
We recently got the opportunity to visit and review the Grapevine location. When we drove up to the lodge I could tell that this wasn’t going to be a typical hotel stay – this place is HUGE!
The entrance is really grand with wolf sculptures around it, and when I walk in to the lobby it felt almost like I’d been transported to somewhere else (certainly somewhere other than Texas!).
