My Ten Tips for Planning a Unique Baby Shower

TwitterMoms and Tiny Prints has another great blogging campaign and again, it's so timely as I'm planning my daughter's baby shower now!  Our theme is pink and brown polka dots and we're having a couple shower as her fiance is a baby and wants to be included!  I've been researching and trying to come up with fun ideas that are also elegant.  Tiny Prints offers baby shower invitations that also inspire my ideas.

1. I've already made the diaper cake thanks to a past TwitterMoms campaign except I have to change the ribbon to match the theme as we had thought it was going to be a boy but we were surprised.  My instructional is here if you want to see it.
2. I'm making all the baby shower decorations with my daughter with a paper cutter machine.  We plan to customize every aspect of the shower and with the two of us making everything, it will bring us more memories.
3. I'm going to have the 4D ultrasound playing on the TV during the shower with no sound just so those who haven't seen it, will have a chance to view it too.
4. For the baby shower invitations, I personalized the postage stamps with the 4D picture so everyone will have another memento of the big event.
5. Each guest will have a CD of the 4D ultrasound to take home.
6. The entire desert and food table will be food items in pink.  I already ordered the rock candy, swizzle sticks and pink taffy.  I have to find vases or glass bowls to set them up.
7. An array of games will be planned that include personalize game pads of the baby shower for the guest.
8. I'm making my own three tier cupcake stand of wood, fabric and ribbon to accentuate the cupcakes and be the centerpiece on the table.  I'm going to borrow a lot from the Minnie Mouse party I had for my other two daughters this summer (see picture below).
9. Since this is our last year expected in our house before we move to El Paso (military), we decided to have it at home for sentimental purposes.  The house will prove to be a beautiful staging area as we utilize the architecture for the design of the theme.
10. A photo of the baby inside a large white background frame will allow the guests to leave their well wishes and thoughts.  My daughter will be able to keep it for the memories.

Unfortunately, I'm still at the designing phase but those are 10 ideas I plan to utilize to make a very unique and special baby shower for my daughter.


I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Tiny Prints blogging program, making me eligible to get a $50 Tiny Prints Gift Code plus 25 FREE Tiny Prints Greeting cards (valued at $149.75). For more information on how you can participate, click here

Five Simple Things to Keep My Child's Smile Healthy and Bright

Very ironic that the latest TwitterMoms campaign is making children's smiles healthier and brighter in conjunction with Trident as we just returned from the dentist.  All four of us with a staggering must return for dental work.  So, based on that, I can definitely tell you what can be done and what WE should be doing to follow it in order to avoid an $800 dental bill!

1. Visit your dentist is number one!  Frequent visits will eliminate bad problems later down the road.  We have a great dentist and are so lucky.
2. Brush your teeth twice a day and make sure you brush them long enough as most people don't.  Brushing can be boring but with all the great toothbrushes out there, it should help to encourage the little one's to brush longer.  Make tooth brushing fun and your kids will love it more!  Don't forget to floss frequently as this is something that my oldest doesn't do and it's critical for maintaining a healthy smile.
3. Avoid too many soft drinks since they can eat at the enamel and cause cavities.  My preference of drinks are milk and water.
4. Eat healthy is another key as garbage in does equal garbage out.  Your teeth need good nutrition to stay healthy.
5. I'm a believer that chewing gum will help in keeping your teeth healthy.  I pop in a piece when I can't brush and it seems to help with any food collection that can't be extracted until I brush again.

There are so many ways to keep a healthy smile and going to the dentist is first and foremost.  Want to join the discussion, join in at:  http://www.twittermoms.com/forum/topics/share-five-simple-things-you

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Trident blogging program, making me eligible to get a $25 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here

Win $100 GC, Zhu Zhu & More & $50 GC Giveaways 8/31

My seven year old daughter's Angels4Epilepsy project has hit a roadblock at 18 and has not budged since late Friday.  In order for her to win a $5,000 Pepsi Grant, she needs to be in the top 10 by 8/31 and competition is getting fierce.

Please help her win! Voting is daily until 8/31 via logging in Pepsi.

You can vote three times a day by going to my Facebook page and clicking the link with the red bulleye button, logging in via your e-mail from Pepsi and texting 101122 to 73774 (Pepsi).

You also get five bonus entries to any of my giveaways until 8/31.

$100 GC & More Giveaway HERE

$50 GC Giveaway HERE

Please vote and refer to as many people as you can!

Jamie suffers from Benign Rolandic Epilepsy and due to the condition/medication, she also has pediatric migraines and insomnia.  Jamie wants to get non-profit status and buy more items for the gift bags she delivers to children in the hospital.  You can read more at her blog at:  http://www.angels4epilepsy.blogspot.com.  Long term, we want to educate schools on what epilepsy is, types of seizures, care of an epileptic and much more.

We are planning a Christmas delivery with Santa and Jamie dressed as Rudolph so please help!  Thanks!

Arnold, Brownberry and Oroweat: Get Ingrained Grants Program Opportunity

Now you have the perfect reason to get healthy as you can inspire those in your community as well with this great opportunity to win a grant.  I love Arnold bread and it's become a regular staple of mine.

Here is the information:

Arnold, Brownberry and Oroweat breads are happy to announce the inaugural Get Ingrained^TM Grants Program, which will award two $15,000 grants to people or organizations committed to improving health in their communities. 

How it works:

From now through October 4^th, submit an entry by visiting the official program Web site. A complete entry includes an essay of no more than 250 words, describing a personal or organizational mission to improve health and wellness in the community through nutritional-based initiatives. Additionally, a budget overview, complete with an explanation of how the $15,000 would help to implement a new project or complete one that is underway, is required.

Who can enter:

The Get Ingrained^TM Grants program is open to U.S. residents aged 18 years and older, who lead or inspire health and wellness-based initiatives in their communities.  For more information, please visithere.

On October 25^th, five finalists will be chosen and the public will have an opportunity to vote to select the two winners who will ultimately receive the $15,000 Get Ingrained^TM Grant. 

Get Your DownEast Basics ON!!!! GIVEAWAYS

DownEast Basics by Design by designer Andrea Updike has a giveaway and you can enter and get more information here.


Here is a short excerpt:

"As I mentioned in my Destination DownEast blog post, nothing is more exciting to me than seeing someone looking gorgeous in DownEast Basics, which is why I am asking you to send us a photo of yourself, wearing your favorite clothing and accessories from DownEast! The rules are simple:

o         Go for a layered fall look

o         Be creative and show your best style

o         Incorporate at least one DownEast clothing item or accessory – but the more the better!

DownEast will select the top five “looks” from submitted photos; the ones chosen will be featured in an upcoming DownEast by Design blog! Even better, for the look deemed best overall, the model will receive a DownEast Basics gift card valued at $150!"

Five of My Favorite Family Time Ideas

LEGO® and TwitterMoms have teamed up to give us bloggers another fun project! I love the Twittermoms campaigns and this one is Five of My Favorite Family Time Ideas. We have Family Fun night twice a month on a Friday to help take a break from a long week. We usually have these on Friday night and started them last school year. Our five are usually pretty routine but we have fun.

1. Watching a good wholesome movie that we picked out together. Part of the excitement of watching the movie is picking it out as a family.
2. Making a pizza or dinner. Again, we decide as a family what we will make and everyone has a task to make it complete.
3. You can never go wrong with games and whether it's a board game or something like a wii, it can be great family fun. We like to compete so this one is fun and we try to incorporate learning aspects too. Sometimes we just have a dress up/girls night too!
4. Making some kind of a craft to help develop their creativity while learning something new. Kids love to make things and this is a great way a family can have fun.
5. Going out to dinner and the movies is another fun family activity.

Whatever you choose to do, it's always fun if you decide as a family and everyone has a role in what to do. Being a family includes finding fun things to do as a unit.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and LEGO blogging program, making me eligible to get a prize pack. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Fracture is Changing Photo Home Decor: I Want One

Have you heard of Fracture?  It is changing photo home decor, and is looking to get the word out about its new one-piece picture and frame made from printed glass that mounts to directly to your wall quickly and easily.

Printing and framing pictures is often a huge hassle and can become really expensive really fast. Between getting your photos printed, finding a suitable frame, and figuring out how to mount them, the frustrations (and dollars) have mounted, and the magic has gone away.  However, you now have a contemporary, affordable, and practical way to show off all your favorite family pictures -- Fracture.  Fracture is the fastest, easiest, best way to get your pictures from your camera to your wall.

Fracture's introductory product lets you print your digital pictures right onto glass!  There's no paper, film or anything involved.  Simply ink and glass.  We have effectively combined printing, framing, and mounting into one simple process.  You upload your photo to FractureMe.com, we print it on glass, and send it on it's way with everything you need to mount and display. It's a one-stop, complete photo decor solution. 


I really want to try it as I'm a huge photographer and this would be great!  You can read more about Fracture too by clicking here.  If I'm one of the first 100 bloggers to receive a Fracture, I will be writing a follow up post after testing it for your viewing pleasure. :)


More information on Fracture can be found here:

Website - http://www.fractureme.com/

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/fractureme

Blog - http://www.fractureme.com/blog/

Posterous - http://fracture.posterous.com/

I wrote this blog post in response to a TwitterMoms RAMBO alert, making me eligible to get a Fracture picture frame for review. You can learn more about Fracture at http://www.fractureme.com.

Day Five: Getting in Shape & Six Pounds Lost

Today is day five where I decided to change how I eat and what I do to finally get in shape.  I wrote about day three here.  After five days, I've lost six pounds and I know many would say it's unhealthy to lose it that quickly or it will just come back and maybe so but you'd be surprised at how easy it was to lose it.  I took a combination of things I learned from the Atkins Diet and the Quick Weight Loss Center Diet and it's working.



Every day, I wake up and weigh myself at the same time of day using my complimentary EatSmart™ Precision Digital Bathroom Scale w/ Extra Large Backlit 3.5" Display and "Step-On" Technology.  I love this scale because it's easy to use, you step on it, it lights up and in seconds it delivers your weight to the nearest tenth.  Nice and precise!


I start my day with two eggs (no oil used to cook) and three pieces of bacon and Quick Boost orange drink that is available at Nashua Nutrition.


For lunch, I make an organic spring lettuce salad with ground beef or chicken sprinkled with cayenne pepper, 1/2 cup of salsa, two tablespoons of guacamole, and fresh cut up onion bits.  


For snack, I might have some summer sausage bits, bacon, peppers, etc.


For dinner, I repeat what I had for lunch but change up the meat.  I interchange the meat in the salad with steak or chicken breasts.  I also drink another Quick Boost.  Water is the only other drink I consume.


I also have a snack afterwards of the same or a handful of mixed nuts.


Given the amount of salads and vegetables in the salad and salsa, I feel it's not too bad of a diet and I'm also trying Yoga.  I'm sure I'll hit a point to where the diet will not produce such quick results and I know it's the reduction of carbs that is helping.  I plan on adding fruit next week.  To date, I don't mind the diet at all although I have some cravings for sweets, I'm doing better than I ever had on a full blown Atkins' Diet.  This is a hodge podge between the two and it works for me.


Now .. to find the cure for these polka dots on my face as my three year old calls any dot on her body or aka ....adult acne.

Meet James Lacerenza: Pepsi Refresh Grant Contestant for Muscular Dystrophy

Meet James Lacerenza a man born 11 weeks prematurely in 1987.  I've chosen to write about James as he's not typical of any person as he's remarkable.  James has cerebral palsy and has to use a wheelchair but that doesn't stop him.  In fact, from what I can tell, nothing can!  James is also a senior at UConn Stamford.


James is a Pepsi Grant contestant vying for a $50,000 grant to help send kids with MD to camp.


James' Goals

• To send up to 70 children with neuromuscular disease to camp
• To let them have a week of fun at no cost to their families
• To let them see their "disability" does not define them

Overview:  To send as many kdis with MD as he can to a local camp in Spring Valley, NY.

You can read more about James' mission along with their experience this young man has with MD and helping others at his Facebook page or his blog here.

Fact: Since 2005, they have been able to send over 80 children to the MDA Camp in Spring Valley, NY.  It's a great cause and some wonderful goals. To learn more or to donate, click here..

It's a great cause and a wonderful way to give back while helping kids with MD have a fun summer at camp!  Please vote!

Mutsy, kokopax®, Kushies® and pediped® present a giveaway valued at $1,000! 9/30

Hot Summer Fun for baby giveaway, "hot" prizes from four "hot" brands...Mutsy, Kushies, pediped and kokopax. You can enter here on their facebook page and find a link on our site for the contest.

Four Lucky Fans Will Win One of These Four Great Prizes!

From Mutsy, one lucky winner will take home a Funseat, Mutsy’s brilliant little seat for toddler that lets them “steer” and ride along along with a Funseat duffle bag, great for transporting all of baby’s gear for those fun outings to the beach, playground and amusement park. The Funseat easily pops into Mutsy’s Rider range frames and we’ll give the winner a sleek 4 Rider frame with their Funseat. www.mutsy.com

From kokopax®, another winner will receive the Eco-Classic carrier, the premium carrier in the stylish kokopax collection. It incorporates the latest technology in green textile printing and consumer safety. A 5-point harness assures safety and security for both baby and parent and the adjustable frame provides the perfect fit for mom or dad. Using the convenient kickstand, the carrier is simple to load and unload. We’re also including one of their adorable baby sun hats. www.kokopax.com

From Kushies®, one lucky winner will take home a $100 gift basket of toys from Kushies® award-winning Kushies® Zolo® toy line. Kushies® Zolo® toys encourage self-expression, build self-confidence, and inspire the imagination. Zolo®’s progressive design stimulates the recruitment of a greater variety of brain cells than traditional baby products, which helps to create a more open-minded, flexible thinker. www.kushiesonline.com

From pediped®, the number one name in children’s footwear, one winner will take home three pairs of pediped® shoes from their new Grip ‘n’ Go™ collection, the perfect shoe for the active toddler. pediped® Grip ‘n’ Go™, are ideal for a toddler transitioning from early walking to walking with a more confident stride. The rounded edges of the shoe mimic the natural shape of a child’s foot and the heel stability and soft toe box allow toddlers to feel and grip the floor. www.pediped.com

Stefan or Damon? The Vampire Diaries: The Complete First Season

The Vampire Diaries: The Complete First Season is coming on Blu-Ray and DVD on August 31st and you can own the entire first season if you are a fan!  The hit show centers around Elena who is caught in this love triangle with two brothers, Stefan and Damon.  Each person has their preference as to who they'd take home but I think I would choose Damon due to his ice blue eyes.   Besides, what women isn't intrigued by the dangerous, bad boy types? 


The Vampire Diaries started as a series of novels by L.J. Smith.  The series is about two brothers, one good and one evil

I received these DVDs before the official launch and if you are a fan, you will like some of the bonus content such as never seen scenes, gag reels, casting the series, Vampire 101: The Rules of Vampiring and much more!

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to raise awareness for The Vampire Diaries: The Complete First Season – which arrives on Blu-ray/DVD on August 31. Visit http://bit.ly/9APlGp to pre-order your set and vote for which vampire brother YOU would like to take home!

Who's the Official Gossip Girl? Gossip Girls: Third Season 8/24

When you take high society living and chattiness, you get New York City or even better Manhattan and the Gossip Girls.  WB's Gossip Girl is the buzz with many as they get to watch their favorite character whether it's Chuck, Serena, Blair, Dan or Jenny.  This group of young and beautiful has their share of drama and with the Gossip Girl: The Complete Third Season arriving on Blu-Ray/DVD on August 24, you will get to enjoy even more if you are a Gossip Girl fan.

I think it's Jenny ... any ideas?


I was provided with a complimentary set of the Complete Season Three which has great bonuses of having an interactive viewing experience on Episode 16 with the Empire Strikes Back, how to throw a Gossip Girl party which you will love, a gag series and more!


I have been hired by Warner Bros WBWord division to raise awareness for Gossip Girl: The Complete Third Season – which arrives on Blu-ray/DVD on August 24. Pre-order your set, and unlock an exclusive show clip by playing the Gossip Girl game here: http://bit.ly/cx8nDx!

Grand Giveaways: Bonus Entries w/ Box Tops for Education at Target Huge Giveaway

Anyone who follows my blog knows that my seven year old is vying for a Pepsi Grant for her Angels4Epilepsy project.  She hopes to use the money to gain incorporated/non-profit status as well as fund her project for Christmas as she plans a wonderful trip to the local children's hospital's epilepsy ward with a Santa (my future son-in-law) and herself dressed as Rudolph to deliver Christmas goodies.


Grand Giveaways:  Product Reviews & Giveaways for Moms has so wonderfully stepped in to help her achieve more votes and we couldn't be more tickled and appreciative!   What she is offering to her readers is five bonus entries to her current giveaway:

Box Tops for Education at Target HUGE Giveaway

This awesome prize pack includes:

* An Avery Binder

* Betty Crocker Fruit Gushers Variety Pack

* Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni

* Hefty CinchSak Trash Bags

* Honey Nut Cheerios

* Juicy Juice 8-Pack Juice Boxes

* Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars

* Welch’s Concord Grape Jelly

* 25 Bonus Box Tops

* AND a $25 Target® gift card!

Please support my daughter and Grand Giveaways! 

Five Lessons Every Kid Should Learn

Every parent knows that we are the role models for our children and we really should be. It's our duty to teach them how to be good, sound citizens of this world in order for them to grow up and be successful adults. When TwitterMoms and Nanny McPhee Returns offered us bloggers this fun contest, I jumped as I always do! Who doesn't want to win a $50 Fandango gift card anyway? You can see below at the bottom of this post on how you can join in on the fun!

There are basic lessons I teach my children:

1. Manners - it's imperative my children have manners as I have witnessed far too many rude children and it's a direct reflection on the parents in my opinion. Manners is first and foremost.
2. Kindness is another trait that children should learn and granted, it kind of goes hand in hand with manners but kindness can take many forms. Reading the Bible and going to church also helps to instill goodness and charity.
3. Cleanliness is really next to Godliness! A clean child will have far better success overall relative to his/her social circle and health. Every child needs to learn good hygiene habits.
4. Paying it forward is also a huge lesson I try to instill in my children all the time. My middle one is currently up for a Pepsi Grant for her Angels4Epilepsy project where she wants to help other children with epilepsy. We are always donating things to charity and volunteering our time for good causes.
5. Not the last in lesson's of life but another lesson is responsibility. This can take many forms whether it's financial or for their own behavior. Teaching responsibility for actings is utmost to success as a child that goes well into adulthood.

What are your lessons? Care to share or want to join in? Just click below and find out more!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Nanny McPhee Returns blogging program, making me eligible to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

About Nanny McPhee Returns (In Theaters August 20, 2010):

In Nanny McPhee Returns, Oscar®-winning actress and screenwriter Emma Thompson returns to the role of the magical nanny who appears when she’s needed the most and wanted the least in the next chapter of the hilarious and heartwarming fable that has enchanted children around the world.

In the latest installment, Nanny McPhee appears at the door of a harried young mother, Mrs. Isabel Green (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who is trying to run the family farm while her husband is away at war. But once she’s arrived, Nanny McPhee discovers that Mrs. Green’s children are fighting a war of their own against two spoiled city cousins who have just moved in and refuse to leave.

Relying on everything from a flying motorcycle and a statue that comes to life to a tree-climbing piglet and a baby elephant who turns up in the oddest places, Nanny McPhee uses her magic to teach her mischievous charges five new lessons.

Watch the “Nanny McPhee Returns” Trailer: http://www.nannymcphee.com

Join Nanny McPhee Returns on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nannymcpheereturns

Day Three: Get in Shape However it Takes

Well, not really but I am working hard to lose weight and keep it off.  I started watching what I was eating, reading my Jillian Michaels' book and keeping busy.  I even started yoga for the first time in my life.  I would love to work out in a gym but with my children, it's next to impossible and hubby is all the way in Kuwait.

This morning when I stepped on my EatSmart™ Precision Digital Bathroom Scale w/ Extra Large Backlit 3.5" Display and "Step-On" Technology, I weighed in three pounds less and was so happy!  I am documenting my weight loss as the folks at Eat Smart provided this very nice precision weight scale for my review.


I have an older scale but I love this quick read, easy stand on display.  No waiting long seconds to see that dastardly number appear and it's precise to the tenth.  When you are watching your weight, you'll take all the weight loss numbers you can get.


My routine is: 

• Wake up and weigh in - same time every day for consistency
• Healthy breakfast
• Snack
• Yoga
• Lunch
• Snack
• Quick bicycling 
• Dinner
• Snack

So, as I am busy trying to get votes for my daughter's Angels4Epilepsy program for Pepsi, I find that I don't snack either so that's proof that staying busy helps!


Stay tuned for more!

NEW $50 You-Name-It GC: Vote for Angels4Epilepsy Giveaway 8/31 - Closed Winner

CONGRATULATIONS TO ...


amandawk 


An e-mail has been sent and she has 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen by random.org.


Thanks to all those who entered and voted!




VOTING ENDS AT 11:59 PM (EST) - THIS GIVEAWAY ENDS AT 11:45 PM (EST)

I'm really, really wanting my daughter to win this Pepsi Grant so I'm hoping that another giveaway will spark interests in helping her win.


In addition to my other giveaway of a $100 GC, Zhu Zhu Pets and more and a giveaway for two $50 GCs at Parker PR Online, you have a chance to also win a $50 Gift Card wherever you want (as long as I can purchase it online)!


To enter:


Just vote for my daughter by clicking the link below that reads "Vote for this Idea."   Once you click on the button, you have to either sign in via Pepsi or Facebook and then click on "Vote" once again if you don't see a thank you pop up.  You will receive a "thank you" upon a successful vote.


After you successfully voted, leave a comment on this post to be entered.


Extra Entries:

• Vote every day and leave the day you voted for three extra entries. <- this one I would really appreciate!
• Tweet "Please vote to give this idea 5K: 7 year old's Angels4Epilepsy project for children with epilepsy  #pepsirefresh http://pep.si/dCLJiA" and leave your Tweet url - worth two entries - can be done daily
• Blog about this giveaway noting the place specific to vote for her and her cause (worth five entries) - post url
• Post on your Facebook page either by url from the Pepsi page or via the upload application on the Pepsi page after you vote for her - three entries - can be done daily
• Follow my blog (two entries)
• Just added:  You can also get five extra entries for voting for Healthy Habits by clicking here and/or texting 100214 to 73774 (Pepsi) each day.

VOTING ENDS AT 11:59 PM (EST) - THIS GIVEAWAY ENDS AT 11:45 PM (EST)


Winner will be chosen via random.org.  Open to both US and Canada.