Take Your Family To The Movies Free!

What was the last movie that your family went to see in theaters? For us it was Madagascar 3! The girls love to go to the theater, but with a family of 5 it is more of a special occasion than a regular way to watch a movie.
General Mills, with select Big G cereals, has a great promotion going on to make it a little easier to have a family night out! If you buy any two specially marked boxes of cereal, you can enter the codes to redeem for a free movie ticket. The free movie promotion is valid from 11/08/2012 through 12/06/2013.
Some of the participating cereals are Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms, Trix, Cocoa Puffs, Golden Grahams, and Reese's Peanut Butter Puffs. I don't know about you, but my family eats a lot of cereal, so I am really liking this!!

Here is how it works ~ you buy the specially marked cereals and enter the codes on this web page and for every two codes you enter, print your Movie Cash certificate good for 1 ticket, up to $12! To find a participating theater in your area, click here.

~*~ How would you like to get a jump start on those movie tickets? General Mills and MyBlogSpark are offering a prize pack to one of you that includes 1 box of a participating cereal and 2 free movie tickets! So you will be half way to your third free movie ticket - sounds like a family night coming soon ;)
If you would like to win this prize package, please enter via the raffelcopter below. Please leave your facebook/twitter names for verification purposes in the comments. Good luck! Open to residents of the USA who are 18 years or older.




a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclosure: I was provided the same gift pack that is being offered as a giveaway from General Mills via MyBlogSpark. All opinions are mine.

Easy, Fun Digital Scrapbooking *~*Review and Giveaway!*~*

I love pictures - I love taking them, seeing them, arranging and displaying them. When I was contacted by My Memories to review and host a giveaway of their award winning digital scrapbook software, I was thrilled.
I have always wanted to really get into scrapbooking because I think it is a fun and beautiful way to preserve memories, but have never really gotten into it as much as I would have liked. Digital scrapbooking, I like much better - it seems easier for me.

With the My Memories Suite I was able to start creating amazing pages in minutes. There are so many designs and layouts that you can use or create your own with tons of layouts, pages, designs, embellishments, etc. You can also add to your collection from the My Memories Store - there are many designs that are free and others that are very reasonably priced!
In addition to creating scrapbooks you can also create note cards, calenders, and many other items. It truly is fun and the possibilities are endless. I have included a couple of the first pages that I have created. It was easy to do because there is a help feature that will walk you through how to create exactly what you want.

**Giveaway**

I am very excited to be able to share this great software with you by offering one lucky follower their very own copy of My Memories Suite!! In order to win this giveaway you must be a public GFC follower of this blog! If you are not a GFC follower, you can become one in the box on the top right side of my page!
To enter to win, please leave a separate comment below for each of the following entries, #1 is required and must be completed before the other entries will count. :)
#1 - Visit My Memories and tell me a design that you like!
#2 Like my blogs FB page - can be done on the right sidebar. Leave your FB name in your comment so I can verify please.
#3Like My Memories on Facebook, while you are there you can tell them you are coming from Prov 31 Mom & Wife! ;)
#4 Follow me on twitter, can also be done on the right sidebar
#5 Follow My Memories on twitter
#6 Tweet about this giveaway, you can get a daily entry for tweeting. Please leave the URL to your tweet in your comment, thanks! Sample tweet :

Amazing digi-scrapbooking software giveaway @tinymansmom @mymemoriessuite Easy entries!! http://bit.ly/pmHNf6

#7 You can get an extra entry for commenting on other posts, just let me know what posts you commented on!
#8 Share this giveaway on ANY other forum, just leave a link so that I can verify it. Unlimited entries for sharing!
 If you would like to purchase My Memory Suite, you can do so here I have a coupon code for you that will save you $10 off the purchase price and will give you $10 to spend in the My Memories store!! The code is : STMMMS71005 (feel free to copy and paste!!) If you do purchase a copy, you can email me (kat.brandenburg@gmail.com) your confirmation email for 5 extra entries into this giveaway - this would make an A-Maz-Ing Christmas gift!!

Good Luck to everybody. This contest will close at 10 PM PST on September 30, 2011 and a winner will be announced shortly after that! I will use the random integer generator at random.org to select the winner!

Disclosure: I was provided a product free of charge to review. All opinions are mine, you may have different experiences with the same product.

Bosch T20 -Tassimo Hot Beverage System {{Review & Giveaway}}

What is your favorite hot drink? Coffee? Cappuccino? Macchiato? Hot Cocoa? Tea? Latte? If you answered yes to any of these drinks, or if you like a combination of them, you are going to love the Bosch T20!! 

I am sure that you have seen some form of one cup coffee maker, but the Tassimo is so much more than that -- it is a total hot beverage system. Lattes have the perfect amount milk, steamed to the perfect temperature. Macchiatos, mochas, tea, cocoa, even just a regular cup of coffee -- they are all made perfectly with almost no effort on your part!

The tassimo machines use special disks, called T-Disks, to make the perfect beverage every time. There is a unique bar code on each of the t-discs that tells the machine the the amount of water, steam, etc to add. Because all of the brewing takes place in the pods, there is no waiting between drinks and the flavor of one is not at all impacted by what was made immediately before it (or much earlier.) The Tassimo does not require any time for start up, from the time you switch  the machine on and decide what you are going to be drinking, it is literally about a minute before you can enjoy it!

I love the sleek, compact design of the new T20. I had the T45 machine before I received the T20, and I am loving the counter-friendly size of the new machine. The T20 has all the same capabilities as the (much larger) previous model but is about the size as a regular 12 cup coffee percolator. One of the features that I love is that this machine has a 1.5 L water tank with a filter, so you can make quite a few drinks before refilling the tank. So this new Bosch T20 is smaller (more convenient) and just as wonderful!!

I received the white model T20 and am excited that it has different color inserts available to complement most kitchens. You can see in the photo below the difference the color insert can make. I want to get the red one to match my kitchen!
Honestly, I can't think of anything that I do not like about the machine. At the time I reviewed the previous model, I was a bit disappointed in the lack of availability of T-discs locally, but have noticed them showing up at more and more retailers. They are available at Walmart, Bed, Bath, & Beyond, Kohl's and of course online. Tassimo actually offers some amazing deals online and for auto-ship orders of t-discs.

Would you like to have a Bosch T20 Tassimo?

You can buy them at any of the retailers above, on Tassimo's website, and Amazon.

One of you wont have to buy it though, because I have a Bosch T20 Tassimo Hot Beverage System to give away!!

Giveaway Rules

You must be a public follower through google friend connect to win on my blog.

This giveaway is open to legal residents of the US who are at least 18 years of age.

The winner will be chosen by random.org and will have 48 hours to reply to the email I will send them or another winner will be selected.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry (if something is worth 2 entries, leave 2 separate comments.)

This giveaway will close Feb 25, 2011 at 9 PM PST

Good Luck!!

Mandatory Entry (must be done for any others to count): Tell me what your favorite hot beverage is that you would like to try in the T20. You can see the selections available here.

Extra Entries:

Follow me on twitter (button on right sidebar)

 Like my blog's FB page (box on right sidebar)

Subscribe to blog updates by email, must activate/confirm subscription (left sidebar) 2 entries

Like Tassimo on FB

Tweet about this giveaway, be sure to include a link to this post. Here is a sample tweet you can copy and paste:  "Make ur own coffeehouse drinks at home, #win a Tassimo T20 beverage system http://tinyurl.com/winT20 @tinymansmom" (1 entry daily)

Change your FB status to something promoting this giveaway, including a link and tagging @Proverbs 31 Mommy & Wife so I can verify the entry (1 entry daily)

Share this giveaway on any social media - giveaway sites, your blog, etc. Leave a link (2 entries)

 

Disclaimer: I was sent the Bosch T20 Tassimo machine for review purposes, free of charge. All opinions in this post are mine, and they are honest!

Tassimo Hot Beverage System

There is a new Tassimo machine out -- the T20!
If you don't know what the Tassimo is, check out the review I did of a previous model last year. It is single cup beverage maker - cappuccino, latte, espresso, cocoa, it does it all!
The new one is awesome, it has all the power and capabilities as the tassimo I reviewed last year, but is a sleeker, smaller, more "counter space friendly" model!! I received one on Friday to review and will have that up in the next few days. And guess what --- I will be giving one away on here too!! So keep your eye out for that in the next week or so.

Mend Mark: The Mark Of Love --Bracelet-- {{{Review & Giveaway}}}

I absolutely love this bracelet! Everything from the unique design, to the inscriptions, to the story behind it is amazing.

Mend Mark, The Mark of Love 

The Mend Mark is an innovative and distinctive bracelet that is designed to reflect the scars and nail holes of Jesus. By bringing the story of Jesus’ life and death to constant awareness by wearing a bracelet, Mend Mark is meant to powerfully remind wearers of the ultimate act of love Jesus made for all of humankind.

The Mend Mark is meant to inspire and motivate wearers to live a life of service. Harrison strives to bring people together around the simplicity and power of love as lived by Jesus. But this is no example of passive love. The Mend Mark calls individuals in all walks of life to love with a profound sincerity and commitment great enough to change a neighborhood, a community, a world.

Unique in its design, the Mend Mark is sure to be noticed and gives wearers an opportunity to share the story of the profound love of Jesus for each and every person.

My Review:

Like I said, I love this bracelet. The first thing that I noticed when we received our Mend Mark, The Mark of Love bracelet was the wording on the back of the box:

{REMEMBER LOVE}

if we stop remembering, then we forget

------

there once lived a king

who laid his entire life down for his people

this selfless act became the greatest love example of all time

remember the sacrifice

emulate the emotion

change the world

WOW, right!?! A wonderful message of love and an almost convicting reminder to emulate it. Jesus did show us and tell us many times through the Bible that loving each other is one of the most important things we can do.  

On the bracelet are the words REMEMBER and LOVE. As you can see from the picture below, the bracelet is made to be pretty thin and unnoticeable as far as the band, with bold circles reflective of a hole where a nail was driven through Jesus. It is most definitely a noticeable piece, and people have asked about it opening up an opportunity to share the love and sacrifice of Jesus for our salvation.

For me, any product that opens doors for a talk about salvation gets a 5 star rating!!

 The only thing that I take issue with is that according to the Bible (as far as I read and understand it) Jesus was mailed through the hand, not the wrist. That being said, this bracelet is a reflection that makes you thing of Him being nailed to the cross -- and I think that it is a great representation.

If you would like to buy a Mend Mark: The Mark of Love bracelet, you can order them online for $9.99 on the Mend Mark website A portion of each bracelet sold goes to support Living Waters International, providing clean water to communities that need it.

Hunter Harrison, creator of the Mend Mark, has generously provided an extra bracelet for a lucky Proverbs 31 Mommy & Wife reader!! 

GIVEAWAY RULES
Open until 11/26/10 at 9 P.M. PST
**Please always include a valid email address in your comments if one is not visible in your blogger profile, or I will be unable to contact you!**Leave a separate comment for each entry you are completing

MANDATORY ENTRY (must be completed for any extra entries to count):
Tell me why you’d like to have The Mark of Love.

EXTRA ENTRY OPPORTUNITIES:
**Like Mend Mark on Facebook, tell them you heard about them from Proverbs 31 Mommy & Wife - leave part of your FB name in your entry/comment  (2 entries)
**Follow Mend Mark on Twitter leave your twitter name (2 entries)
**Follow my blog publicly through Google Friend Connect or through Facebook's Networked Blogs leave your name (2 entries each)
**Subscribe to email updates in the top left sidebar leave your email address -only activated subscriptions count so be sure to confirm your subscription with the email they will send you (3 entries)
**Follow me on twitter leave your twitter name (2 entries)
**Friend me on Facebook leave part of your FB name (2 entries)
**Tweet about this giveaway, Share it on your FB wall, link it in a giveaway linky, etc - leave the URL (2 entries each, daily)
**Blog about this giveaway and link it back here – 5 entries
**Enter my other giveaways – 1 entry each

Open to legal residents of the USA, age 18+ only. Winner will be chosen based on the random integer generator at random.org. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email I will send them before a new winner is chosen.

Disclaimer: I was sent a product free of charge in exchange for this review. The opinions are my own and are honest.

Nacho Mama Tees {{{Review & Giveaway}}}

When I first heard the name on this store, I wanted to check it out - Nacho Mama Tees.

It peaks your interest, right?

NachoMama Tees has a large variety of t-shirts - some thing for everyone! They have vintage tees with things like Ghost Busters, The A Team, and more. There are shirts for guys and shirts for gals. Really, there is something for every body.

I received this shirt for my husband:

REVIEW:

Honestly, I was surprised with the quality of the shirt. They are not very expensive, so I was expecting something like a light- to medium-weight cotton. This shirt is a heavy-weight cotton, it's soft and very comfortable. The shirt did shrink a little bit when it was washed, so if you are teetering between sizes, I would recommend getting the bigger size, but if not the size you normally wear would be perfect.

NachoMama Tees was easy to navigate, loaded fast, and has a lot of search options - vintage, funny, girls, etc. Ordering and shipping was fast and easy. There is a "Daily Deal" tab where each day a new shirt is on sale for only $6.99!!

GIVEAWAY:

NachoMama Tees has graciously offered one Proverbs 31 Mommy & Wife reader an opportunity to win a t-shirt of their choice ($19.99 or less)!!!

In order to be eligible to win this giveaway, you must be 18 years or older and live in the USA. Please leave your email address in your comments, so that I can contact you if you win. Contest closes at 9 PM PST on Nov 19, 2010. Winner will be chosen by Random.org. I will verify the winning entry and then notify the winner, who then has 48 hours to send me their info or a new winner will be chosen.
GOOD LUCK!!

Mandatory Entry: Go to NachoMama Tees and pick out the shirt you would like to win and leave the URL to it in the comments!!!

Extra Entries:

**Like CrazyDog T-Shirts on Facebook  leave part of your FB name (BTW, they give you a $5 coupon code for liking them) (2 entries)

**Follow CrazyDog TShirts on Twitter leave your twitter name (2 entries)

**Follow my blog publicly through Google Friend Connect or through Facebook's Networked Blogs leave your name (2 entries each)

**Subscribe to email updates in the top left sidebar leave your email address -only activated subscriptions count so be sure to confirm your subscription with the email they will send you (3 entries)

**Follow me on twitter leave your twitter name (2 entries)

**Friend me on Facebook leave part of your FB name (2 entries)

**Tweet about this giveaway, Share it on your FB wall, link it in a giveaway linky, etc - leave the URL (2 entries each, daily)

Disclaimer: I was send a product in order to review and publish this post. The opinions are mine and are honset. Your experience may differ.

B-natal Thera-Pops {Review & Giveaway}

Thanks to MomSelect I was given the opportunity to review and host a giveaway of an amazing product - B-Natal Thera-Pops, also available in lozenges! I chose to review the cherry flavored thera-pops, but there is also an apple flavored lozenge available.

I was pretty much past the MAJOR morning sickness phase by the time that I received the thera-pops, but still got nauseous at times. When I did get nauseous, I had a thera-pop. They taste like a yummy cherry sucker, not something that can make you feel better...and they did seem to help relieve the queasy feelings I was having.

Vitamin B6 is the active ingredient in the B-natal products. You can read more about the role of B6 in treating morning sickness here.
B-natal was developed by a mom who was unable to find something natural and safe to quell her own morning sickness. You can read about the birth of B-natal on their website, where you can also order online!

My experience with B-Natal was awesome and I would definitely recommend these products to any expecting mother who is having problems with morning sickness. I tried a number of things to ease my morning sickness, to no avail until I tried thera-pops! And they taste a lot better than ginger tablets!! :) The only thing I recommend is that if you already have little ones at home, is to get the lozenges or stock up on suckers for the kids!



There is going to be a B-Natal Twitter Party tomorrow, June 17th from 8-9 P.M. EST. The twitter party is hosted by @MomTalkRadio and will be using the hash tag #Bnatal

Thanks to MomSelect and B-Natal, one reader has the opportunity to receive their choice of either B-Natal Cherry Thera-Pops or Apple Lozenges!! WINNER WILL BE SELECTED 6/30/2010 AT 11:59 A.M P.S.T
To enter to win, please let me know whether you would prefer to receive the thera-pops or the lozenges...that's it, it's that easy!!!
For more chances to win, complete the following entries and leave a separate comment for each that you do:
**Follow this blog publicly through Google Friend Connect - Left Sidebar
**Follow through FB Networked Blogs - Left Sidebar
**Subscribe to email updates from my blog (top right sidebar) for 2 extra entries
**Blog about this giveaway or leave a link on any giveaway linky (leave a link in your comment) 2 extra entries
**Follow me on twitter and tweet about this giveaway - 1 extra entry daily, leave link
**Comment on any other post

Pedia-Lax Fiber Gummies **Review & Giveaway**

I had never really given much thought specifically to the fiber in my children's diets. I always paid much more attention to having balanced meals and relatively healthy snacks.

When I was first approached about reviewing the Pedi-Lax Fiber Gummies, I became interested in what the recommendations for fiber intake in children was. I was incredibly surprised when I found out how much fiber kids need too. I had heard something about the child's age plus five grams was what was recommended, that would be 8 grams of fiber per day for Emily since she is 3 years old. According to the American Heart Association's chart, children aged 1-3 need 19 grams of fiber daily, and as with adults for every 1000 calories consumed, there should be at least 14 grams of fiber consumed.
For a list of high-fiber foods with serving sizes and fiber content, check out this list from the Mayo Clinic

My children were super excited when they saw the Pedia-Lax Fiber Gummies we were sent for Emily to try out. They are cute, colorful, appealing little penguins!

They are sugar-free and have no calories, the Pedia-Lax Fiber Gummies are naturally fruit flavored and approved by dentists. They are approved for children ages 2-11.

I found it incredibly easy to get Emily to eat her fiber gummies, not so easy to convince her that she could not eat a handful! :)
The fiber supplement has helped ensure that she gets the daily reccomended fiber intake. I find the Pedia-Lax Fiber Gummies to be a great addition to her diet, because although she does eat healthy and gets a good amount of fiber, there are days that she is more picky. With these fiber supplements I know that she is consistently healthy amounts of fiber daily.
There is a coupon for $1.00 off Pedia-Lax Fiber Gummies (and chewable fiber supplements as well) on their website!
Buy It: Pedia-Lax Fiber-Gummies are widely available, I have seen them at Wal-Mart, Walgreens, CVS, and I am sure they are at many other stores as well.
Win It:One reader will win a bottle of Pedia-Lax Fiber Gummies to try for themselves.
GIVEAWAY RULES -- Closes 3/31/10 at 8:00 PM, PST
**Please always include a valid email address in your comments if one is not visible in your blogger profile, or I will be unable to contact you!**Leave a separate comment for each entry you are completing
MANDATORY ENTRY (must be completed for any extra entries to count): All you have to do to enter is check out the "Fiber Fundamentals" section of Pedia-Lax's website and leave a comment telling something you learned or that interested you!

EXTRA ENTRIES (worth one extra entry unless noted otherwise):
· Follow my blog publicly through google friend connect (left sidebar)
· Follow through Face Book’s Networked blogs (left sidebar)
· Subscribe to email updates (only activated subscriptions count) 2 entries
· Grab my button or add me to your blog roll 3 entries
· Follow me on twitter & tweet this giveaway, including URL – 1 entry daily
· Blog about this giveaway and link it back here 5 entries
· Comment on any non-giveaway post – 1 each, 3 maximum


Open to legal residents of the USA, age 18+ only. Winner will be chosen based on the random integer generator at random.org. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email I will send them before a new winner is chosen.

Re-opening Anti Monkey Butt Powder Giveaway

There were no entries into the Anti Monkey Butt Powder giveaway, that has never happened to me before!
So, I am going to re-open the giveaway, on the original post, linked above, for another 2 weeks.
Keep in mind that there are so many uses for this product. This is great for those who who enjoy activities like bike riding, riding motorcycles or four-wheelers, horseback riding, those who work in the heat, walk a lot, etc...
Please view the original post and enter the giveaway if you are interested!!
Have a great weekend!

I'm back!

Ok, I am back. Sorry it has been so long since I last updated my blog, it has just been crazy around here! So, I have a few things to tell you, grab a cup of coffee or tea, and spend a few minutes with me!

*I hope that each of you had a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends. We had a great Christmas. On Christmas morning we spent time with my husband's parents and his brother (Blake) and sister-in-law (Angela). It was great. Last year we were not able to spend with Blake and Angela, so this year felt even more blessed, it was wonderful to have them back "home"! Later, Christmas afternoon, my mom came over and we visited for a bit and had dinner - it was YUMMY!


*Last Tuesday afternoon, Emily started to get a bit sick. She had gone out in the snow and played, had a good time - came inside and had a tea party with her sister and Uncle Blake, then started vomiting...yay! (Sarcasm anyone?) Tuesday evening Emily was having a terrible time breathing and was HOT. We gave her an albuterol treatment and decided not to take her to the ER, but to get her to the doctor first thing in the morning. To make a long story short, the doctor was worried about her oxygen saturation levels and her labored breathing. He gave her a bunch of medication - antibiotics, steroid syrup, albuterol, and some steroid that goes into the nebulizer. He scared the heck out of me by saying that if she wasn't breathing BETTER in just a few hours that she would have to be hospitalized for a night or two...Christmas Eve and Christmas? No bueno. Thank God, the medication is working wonders on her, but the steroids turn her into a raging lunatic! Any prayers for her would be appriciated!

*I am feeling much better, the nausea comes and goes, but thankfully it goes away for a while at a time! I have my doctor's appointment in a couple of hours to find out how far along I am and get an estimated due date...even though they have never been right yet!!!

*I miss my family who is not here. A lot. I wish that I, sometimes, had really long arms so that I could hug everyone! So for those of you who are not close enough to get a hug from me, please hug yourself or someone you love and imagine a hug from me!

*I wish you all a very safe New Year. We will probably be at church - we are having worship, word, fun, and games! But I am not yet set on going, I think it would be just as easy to stay home so that we didn't have to drive after 12 with all the people who have been out drinking...still praying about it.

Thanks for taking a minute to catch up with me. I will have more for you later.
I just posted a giveaway for Anti-Monkey Butt Powder and am soon to post a review & giveaway of Pre-Histin, a natural allergy product; a giveaway of eCover; and a review of a Tassimo Hot Beverage System!!!

Cook's Ham for the Holidays! Win one!!

I love the holidays - turkey at Thanksgiving and ham at Christmas...it's a great tradition! This year, my family will be enjoying a Cook's ham for our Christmas meal. Of course, this is not the first Cook's ham that I've cooked. My daughters and I think that ham is one of the best foods ever created, and Cook's Ham is a great brand that is reasonably priced!
The wonderful people at Cook's Ham have given my family a coupon for a free ham and have given me one to give to one of my readers! You can check the store locater to find a retailer who carries Cook's Ham near you!

*****WIN A HAM*****
This is going to be a rather quick qiveaway - only open for a week to ensure that the winner will receive their coupon for a free Cook's Ham (up to $30 value) and has time to purchase it before Christmas. So this giveaway will end December 15 at 9PM PST - Good luck to all who enter!!
PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN EVERY ENTRY IF IT IS NOT VISIBLE IN YOUR BLOGGER PROFILE, OR I WILL PICK ANOTHER WINNER!
~~Mandatory Entry~~
All you have to do to enter is check out the recipe section of the Cook's website and if you find something that looks good to you, share it with the rest of us, or share a recipe of your own using your leftover Cook's Ham!
~Additional Entries~ One entry each unless stated otherwise!
*Follow My Blog
*Subscribe to e-mail updates by entering your email in the box in the top, right sidebar(only activated emails count)
*Sign up for the Cook's Newsletter - promotions, recipies, and more

Kidorable **Review & Giveaway**

Emily was sent the most beautiful raincoat and rain boot set that I have ever seen! Kidorable is an adorable company with much more than raincoats and boots!

They have umbrellas, backpacks, knit hats, hanger sets, and more! Each of the product lines have beautiful, creative styles - from butterfly, mermaid, fairy, ladybug, to dinosaur, fireman, frog, pirate, and more! The kidorable products are so stylish and fun that Emily had a really hard time picking which was her favorite! They make rainy days beautiful, hanging up clothes fun, they even have bookends that can brighten up the shelf!!
This is an amazing company!
The products that we were sent are great quality and will definitely be able to be passed down to Natalie.
One thing that I thought was great about Kidorable is that they also have a "My First" collection, so if you have a little baby, like a year or so old, they have a line of firsts - first raincoat, first rain boots. So if you have a little one with an older sibling, they can both be stylish in the rain!!
Kidorable also has a Facebook Fan Page where there is usually something fun going on and a twitter account.

You can view and purchase any of the kidorable products on their website.

The people at Kidorable have generously offered a Proverbs 31 Mommy & Wife reader a chance to win an umbrella of your choice! There are a lot of really cute ones, so it might be hard to decide!!

GIVEAWAY RULES - Starts now and ends Monday, 12/7 at 12 NOON, PST
**Please always include a valid email address in your comments if one is not visible in your blogger profile, or I will be unable to contact you!**
Leave a separate comment for each entry you are completing
MANDATORY ENTRY (must be completed for any extra entries to count): Go to the Kidorable website and check out the umbrellas and come back and tell me which one you would want if you win, chose carefully as this will be your prize!!
EXTRA ENTRIES (worth one extra entry unless noted otherwise):
• Follow my blog publicly through google friend connect (left sidebar)
• Follow through Face Book’s Networked blogs (left sidebar)
• Subscribe to email updates (only activated subscriptions count) 2 entries
• Fan Kidorable's Face book Fan Page and write on their wall letting them know that you are coming over from Proverbs 31 Mommy & Wife
• Follow Kidorable on twitter
• Grab my button or add me to your blog roll 3 entries
• Follow me on twitter & tweet this giveaway, including URL – 1 entry daily
• Blog about this giveaway and link it back here 5 entries
• Enter my other giveaways – 1 entry each
• Comment on any non-giveaway post – 1 each


Open to legal residents of the USA, age 18+ only. Winner will be chosen 12 NOON PST on 12/7. Winner is picked based on the random integer generator at random.org. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email I will send them before a new winner is chosen.

IBW Interactive books - **Review and Giveaway**

IBW Interactive books are tons of fun! They are very age-appropriate and entertaining for children. It is really a neat concept, each of their books has a web address at the end of each chapter. After your child, or you and your child, read each chapter, you get on the Internet and go to the address given. Each web scene is a short animation that corresponds to the chapter that was just read.
We were sent one book from the KA Reader series and one book from the Busy Preschoolers series.
My oldest daughter will be 3 on December 6 and she absolutely enjoyed each of these books. She loved the webscenes from the KA Reader book, and the story. She was able to connect the chapters with the pictures and tell me information about the pictures that came from the book.
The Busy Preschooler book was wonderful!! There is an activity for each letter, they are simple yet fun and educational. There is also a webscene for each letter, and an ABC-TRACE. The ABC TRACE really got Emily's attention because she is into learning letters right now. The ABC TRACE has little "tracer pacers" at each touch point of the letter. The child uses the mouse to click and drag, as if they were writing the letter.
I have a video of Emily doing the "H" activity, but am having trouble getting it to upload. :( I will figure it out, and when I do, I will post it too!
So that you can get the idea, I am going to tell you briefly about the activity and will give you the address of the webscene: The activity was a riddle where the child had to guess what body part was being talked about, they had to act out the phrases as you read them (ex. It can count and clap and wave) and at the end guess what it was - hands! Here is the webscene, at the bottom is the link to the ABC TRACER.

IBW Books has very generously offered one of you lucky readers the opportunity to win your own interactive books! You will be able to chose from the following prizes:

The Busy Preschooler’s Guide to Learning – fun activities built around the 26 letters of the alphabet, with step-by-step help to guide parents in how to use everyday situations to teach 105 skills their kids need before they walk in the kindergarten door.

~~OR~~

THREE (3) KA Readers – beginning readers that use a new kind of storytelling where kids see an animation unfold at the close of every chapter! Dr. Seuss-like rhyming hooks kids on the fun of words. Online activities help parents assess a child’s reading and comprehension.

GIVEAWAY RULES
**Please always include a valid email address in your comments if one is not visible in your blogger profile, or I will be unable to contact you!**
Leave a separate comment for each entry you are completing

MANDATORY ENTRIES – there are 2 (must be completed for any extra entries to count): *Go to IBW books’ website and have a look around, then come back and tell me which of the series’ is your favorite. *Tell me which of the prizes you will want if you win.
EXTRA ENTRIES (worth one extra entry unless noted otherwise):
• Follow my blog publicly through google friend connect (left sidebar)
• Follow through Face Book’s Networked blogs (left sidebar)
• Subscribe to email updates (only activated subscriptions count) 2 entries
• Grab my button or add me to your blog roll 3 entries
• Follow me on twitter & tweet this giveaway, including URL – 1 entry daily
• Blog about this giveaway and link it back here 5 entries
• Enter my other giveaways – 1 entry each
• Comment on any non-giveaway post – 1 each, 3 maximum

Open to legal residents of the USA, age 18+ only. Winner will be chosen at 12 NOON, PST on 12/09 based on the random integer generator at random.org. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email I will send them before a new winner is chosen.

The Friendship Stone **Review and Giveaway**

I recently came across a wonderful company whose products represent lifelong friendship and positive thinking! Sounds great, right? Not to mention that through this link, feel free to bookmark the site when you get there ;) they donate 20% of sales to Big Brothers, Big Sisters of America! It gets even better, the founders of the company are best friends, and sisters! (I am a succer for close families!) And another 10% is given back to the villages in Africa where the stones originated to help make the villager's lives better!

I was sent this wonderful Friendship Stone. The Tiger's Eye is beautiful! When you look at the stone from different angels, the colors seem to change. In the booklet that came with the stone, there is a story of a mother who gave one of these Friendship Stones to her children. The color changing was explained to the children as representing their power to change their feelings by changing their viewpoint. WOW. Holding the stone in my hand and just rubbing it is very calming, I really enjoy the friendship stone and everything it stands for!
Cathy Raff, the owner/founder of My Stone Company has a heartwarming story of her own, and I would like to share part of it with you. In her first year of college, Cathy was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitus and had a total colectomy (removal of large intestine) on her 21st birthday. Cathy says, "I knew this was really my birthday, as I felt re-born on the day after I awoke from surgery." When Cathy was 31, she she fell in love and got married. After 4 years and 12 unsuccessful IVF treatments, the couple had three children through surrigacy. Through all of the medical challenges that Cathy has been through, she began thinking of her disease as a gift. She began thinking of what was important to her, and the amazing feeling of being pain free! In 2004, the friendship stone journey began when she was on a business trip with her husband to South Africa.
The Friendship Stone has generously offered to give one of my readers a Power of Two - Friendship Stone Gift Pack a $24.95 value. Also, remember that if you purchase a power of two gift pack, 20% of net sales gets donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America - 15% to your local agency and 5% to National, when you order through the BBBSA-TFS site.
GIVEAWAY RULES
**Please always include a valid email address in your comments if one is not visible in your blogger profile, or I will be unable to contact you!**Leave a separate comment for each entry you are completing
MANDATORY ENTRY (must be completed for any extra entries to count): Go to The Friendship Stone website and come back and tell me one thing you learned about the company, products, or anything that interested you
EXTRA ENTRIES (worth one extra entry unless noted otherwise):
• Follow my blog publicly through google friend connect (left sidebar)
• Follow through Face Book’s Networked blogs (left sidebar)
• Subscribe to email updates (only activated subscriptions count) 2 entries
• Grab my button or add me to your blog roll 3 entries
• Follow me on twitter & tweet this giveaway, including URL – 1 entry daily
• Blog about this giveaway and link it back here 5 entries
• Enter my other giveaways – 1 entry each
• Comment on any non-giveaway post – 1 each, 3 maximum


Open to legal residents of the USA, age 18+ only. Winner will be chosen at 12 NOON, PST 12/08 based on the random integer generator at random.org. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email I will send them before a new winner is chosen.

MyClyns germ protection spray - review & giveaway!

With it being flu season, and add to that the Swine Flu -N1H1-, I am open for suggestions as to how to keep my family healthy. Of course, hand washing is the number one way to avoid getting and spreading any virus. But is it enough? I do not believe that it is. So when I was approached about reviewing MyClyns, a germ protection spray, I was intrigued. It is a bit uncoventional in its application, but seems to be worth the new routine.

MyClyns is a non-toxic, alcohol-free, non burning spray that kills 99.99% of MRSA and other germs. It is safe to use in the eyes, nose, and mouth - where germs typically enter the body.
To use it, you simply spray the area of the body that is affected: Imagine that you are in a store, doing your Black Friday shopping :) and the person in front of you starts coughing and sneezing, instantly germs fill the air around you. In this instance you would remove the cap and spray the MyClyns on the nose/mouth area of your face, preventing those germs from entering your body. Say that you are shopping and your child puts their mouth on the cart (happens to me a lot) all you have to do then is spray the mouth area on your child.
You might be thinking "WOW, spray them in the face - really?" But as I was reminded, when hand sanitizer first came out the thought of using a thick, sticky, alcohol-based goop was also if-y.
Emily, my "almost 3 year-old" is skiddish about water going in her eyes, and she handles this well. There is no alcohol in it, so there is no burning...it is almost like a game to the kids, and reassuring to me to know that they/we are being protected from more than 60 dangerous germs!

MyClyns is the only germ defense for use in the eyes, nose and mouth – offering protection where you need it most – common entry points for most germs. MyClyns is safe to spray directly onto the face and even into open wounds. It’s safe for people of all ages – even those who wear contact lenses.

One of you lucky readers is going to get your very own spray bottle of MyClyns, a $9.99 value! For those of you who don't win, you can buy yours here or look for it at CVS and other drug stores near you (ARV $7.99-9.99).

Please leave a seperate comment for each thing you do to enter (each is worth one entry unless noted!
Be sure to leave an email address if one is not visible in your blogger profile!
**Mandatory Entry: Go to the MyClyns website and come back and tell me one thing you learned.

**Extra Entries (mandatory entry must be done first):*Follow my blog publicly through google friend connect (left sidebar)
*Follow through Face Book's Networked blogs (left sidebar)
*Follow me on twitter and tweet about this giveaway
*Tell me of an instance that your family would use the MyClyns germ protection spray
*Sign up for the mailing list on the My Clyns website and come back telling me you did
*Subscribe to email updates, leave the email address you subscribed (2 extra entries)
*Enter to win the set of 4 hardcover childrens' books (before 11/27) and comment telling me you did
*Blog about this giveaway and link it here or email 4 people and CC tinymansmom (at) sbcglobal (dot) net (5 extra entries)
*Comment on any non-giveaway post and tell me the title of that post (1 entry each, up to 2 extra entries)

Giveaway ends 11/27 at 12 NOON PST, and is open to legal US residents who are at least age 18. Winner will be chosen from the random integer generator on random.org. Good luck to all who enter.
I was provided with a sample of this product for review purposes, and the opinions expressed are my own.

Win a Kindle!!

A perfect holiday gift for you or someone you love (valued at $259)
That's why Noobie is excited to announce they are giving away a brand-new Kindle, valued at $259.00, just in time for the holidays. All you need to do is fill out the form. Noobie will take care of the rest!

Here's how to enter
To enter, simply fill out the form by clicking the link. When you are done, click the Submit Form button at the bottom of that page to send your contest submission to Noobie. That's all there is to it! What are you waiting for? You have absolutely nothing to lose.

Noobie's Kindle Giveaway will end on December 10th, 2009 at 11:59 P.M. ET. The drawing for the Kindle will take place on or about December 14th, 2009.

Little Music Lovers ***Review & Giveaway***

What do Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and lullabies have in common? They are the themes of Little Music Lovers Cd's.
My children LOVE music! They dance and sing and have a great time with music, and are actually getting "smarter" while they listen to Little Music Lovers!
Dr. Diane Bales, a University of Georgia professor says:

"Music seems to prime our brain for certain kinds of thinking. The classical music pathways in our brain are similar to the pathways we use for spatial reasoning - the ability to understand the relationships between objects, such as the pieces in a puzzle. When we listen to classical music, the spatial pathways are 'turned on' and ready to be used."

Classical music is unique in this effect because of the complexity of it, so listening to country or rock music is not going to have the same effect, it will however help build other music-related pathways in the brain and have positive effects on mood.


Here are some ideas on how you can nurture your child's love of music from the time they are born:
*Play music for your baby
*Sing to your baby
*Sing with your child

Our experience with the sampler CD that we were sent was nice. We had the music playing in the background while we did the stuff we do - play, make and eat snack, play, read, lunch... I noticed that Natalie (1 YO) seemed to be more aware of the music playing than Emily (2 YO). Natalie would track down the source of the music and would stare at it for a minute and then start to do her little baby dance! Emily didn't really seem to notice it, until I turned it off, then she asked where her music was. For me, the classical music was calming, yet stimulating - like while I was making lunch I was surrounded by beautiful music rather than silence. I can't say we are smarter because of it, but it definitely lifted our moods!

The nice people at Little Music Lovers want to offer one of my readers a CD of their own. (US addresses ONLY, please) Go check out the Little Music Lovers website and look over the Cd's available in the smart music series, and come back and tell me which one you would want to win. From the Little Music Lovers website, you can also purchase these Cd's from iTunes and Amazon, and they are available at Barnes and Nobel and Borders.

****Win One of the Little Music Lovers Cd's****

Mandatory Entry:
Go to the Little Music Lovers website and come back and tell me which of the four Cd's you would want to win

Extra Entries: (Mandatory Entry must be completed first for any of the extra entries to count)
~Tell me a way that you nurture your child/grandchild/niece/nephew's love of music
~Follow my blog publicly through Google Friend Connect
~Follow my blog via Facebook Networked Blogs
~Subscribe to email updates & activate your subscription (top right sidebar)
~Follow me on twitter and tweet this giveaway (can be done daily, leave a new comment with link to tweet) You can use this tweet, or make your own: Win a little music lovers cd for your child, or someone on your Christmas list! http://bit.ly/4vpXGb @tinymansmom
~Blog about this giveaway and link it back here (6 extra entries)

Good luck to all who enter! Contest will close Friday, November 13 at 12 NOON, PST. Winner will be chosen by random.org's random integer generator. Please make sure to either leave an email address or have one visible in your blogger profile. I will contact the winner by email and they will have 48 hours to respond, or another winner will be chosen. US addresses only, please. I was provided with a sampler CD to write this review, and the opinions are mine and were not influenced by the sponsor.

Ivy Pochoda's The Art Of Disappearing Giveway extended

Because I still have a few more copies of Ivy Pochoda's new book The Art of Disappearing to give away, I am extending the deadline for entries one more week! The new closing date will be October 16.
Click here to go to the original post and enter to win!

Feel free to spread the word - and get extra entries for it!

The Art of Disappearing Review and Giveaway

Photo from Amazon.com
I was given an Advance Readers' Edition of Ivy Pochoda's The Art of Disappearing to review.
From book:

When Mel Snow meets magician Toby Warring in a dust roadside bar, she has no idea that he will be her husband. But just two days later the couple is married and beginning their life together in the shadow of Las Vegas, where Toby hopes to make it big. Mel knows that magicians in Vegas are a dime a dozen, but Toby is different-his magic is real.
When a trick goes terribly wrong during his big debut, Toby and Mel flee the lights of Las Vegas for the streets of Amsterdam where a cabal of old-time magicians, real magicians, like Toby, take them in. Under their spell and haunted by failures, Toby soon disappears into his magic, leaving Mel to wonder if the love they share is genuine or if it is all just an illusion, conjured up by a lost magician looking to save himself from being alone.

My opinion:
The characters in this book are well developed and interesting. The amount of detail is great. The book moves fast at times and very slow other times, it requires a great deal of attention to detail.
Toby and Mel's relationship develops as the pages turn, leaving you wondering what is going to happen next. It is a story of "real" magic intertwined with a complicated relationship between what is real and what is not. A mix of the past and present leading to an uncertain future...
A good book overall. I would give it 3 out of 5 stars.

You can buy this book on Amazon
**Win it**
5 readers will have the opportunity to win a copy for themselves.
To win, you must follow my blog.
Mandatory entry
Tell me what is your favorite genre of books
Additional Entries
**Follow my blog via Facebook Networked Blogs
**Follow me on Twitter
**DAILY ENTRY - Tweet this giveaway - here is a pre-formatted tweet if you prefer Win 1 of 5 copies of The Art of Disappearing @tinymansmom http://bit.ly/KyKVR
**Grab my button
**Subscribe via email, and activate your subscription ;)
**Unlimited entries - Comment on any non-giveaway post and then leave a comment telling me what post you commented on.

Contest is open to those in the USA who are 18+ years old. Contest will close at 12 Noon PST 10/9/09. Winner will be chosen by the random integer generator at Random.org

Do you remember the first steps?

Emily was 14 months old when she took her first unsteady, little steps from the coffee table to the couch. I remember that look on her face like she just accomplished something great - and it both amused and scared her!!

Natalie took her first steps long before she started walking (on a regular basis!) One day when my sister came over to pick up her son, she had Natalie in the room that in now our dining room, and she was playing with her and asked if she wanted to walk to Mama. Natalie played back and then took off! It was seriously like 4 or 5 steps - and she barley started standing up without holding on to things.

Now, I have heard so many things from "it is better for a begining walker to not wear shoes" to "it doesn't matter what kind of shoes they have" and a lot in between. But, thanks to Stride Rite, I am learning that it does matter a great deal what shoes babies and toddlers are wearing! Stride Rite has just developed a new line of shoes with of patent-pending Sensory Responce Technology (SRT)that "improves the way a child learns to walk via a sensory feedback system, an ultra-flexible design that allows for more freedom of movement, and a unique construction that reduces the number of stumbles and falls."

Don't worry - just because these shoes are great for the little guys' and gals' doesn't mean they are plain, boring, or ugly! They have some really cute designs in the new SRT line of shoes! Here are a couple!




For more information sheck out the Stride Rite website and become a fan on the Stride Rite Facebook Page - there is always something exciting going on over there - like giveaways and chat!

Stride Rite is sending us a pair of the new SRT shoes for Natalie to try, and I am really excited - she LOVES shoes!
Do you want to WIN A PAIR for your infant/toddler? (Sizes 3 to 8 in medium to wide sizes) All you have to do is fill out this form http://bit.ly/zb2Qb This contest is open to legal U.S. residents 18 years or older. The giveaway begins at 12:00 a.m. ET September 14th and ends at 11:59 p.m. ET September 28th. Five winners will be chosen to receive a pair of SRT shoes – toddler size only ($50 RV per pair).
This contest is brought to you by Stride Rite and Momfluence.


Because this is a multi-blog contest, I cannot offer extra entries to win, but it would be cool if you would follow my blog, so that I can get the opportunity to continue bringing you great stuff!!!

After you enter to win, leave a comment sharing one of your favorite first steps memories...