Friday Blog Hops- I'm featured!

I'm glad it's Friday. It's been another busy week. We're looking forward to Zachariah's second soccer game on Saturday and a little trip to Oktoberfest too!

What are your weekend plans?

Don't forget to check out my giveaways listed at the top of my blog.  And I'm hoping to get the 1000+ follower giveaway tomorrow, so keep an eye out for that. You'll have to be a follower of my blog to be eligible for the great prize!

I found out that I'm the featured blogger this week at...



Thanks so much!
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Angelina Ballerina: Love to Dance DVD Review + {Giveaway} (CLOSED)

Angelina Ballerina is making her CG animation debut in the latest Angelina Ballerina: Love to Dance DVD. Angelina is a little mouse who has dreamed of making it as a prima ballerina.

Whether it's making new friends or rehearsing for a show, Angelina Ballerina is always focused on fun and dance. She discovers what it's like to start at a school that's different than she's used to in "Angelina's New School." Perfecting a dance routine with another person isn't always easy as you'll see in "Angelina's Dance Partner." And getting together with friends is always fun in "Angelina's Oldest Friend" and "Angelina's Sleepover." And see what happens when the ballerina mixes with hip hop in "Angelina and the Hip Hop Kid."

We have always enjoyed Angelina Ballerina. But we've only been able to see her in the HIT compilation DVDs. This was our first DVD that was only Angelina Ballerina. My son loves to dance, so he enjoyed all the music and dancing that the Angelina Ballerina: Love to Dance DVD was all about.

The Angelina Ballerina: Love to Dance DVD is geared towards preschool/school-aged children from about 2-7 years old. The DVD runs about 62 minutes. And Angelina Ballerina: Love to Dance DVD has some bonus features too. There is an "Angelina Says" Game, "Get Up and Dance" Music Video and "I Will Be A Star" Music Video.




Buy It: Angelina Ballerina: Love to Dance DVD is available in stores and online now.

Win It: I have one copy of the new Angelina Ballerina: Love to Dance DVD to give away.

To Enter: Tell me something that you like or found on their website. Be sure to include your e-mail address, so I can contact you when you win. (If I can't find an e-mail address in your profile or in your comment, I will draw a new number for the winner.)

Extra Entries: If you'd like to, you may earn extra entries for doing each of the following. Be sure to leave a separate comment for each. You must do the above (main) entry first, and then you can do these others.

*Post about the giveaway on your blog and leave the link here. (2 entries)
*Subscribe to this blog by RSS feed or feed reader.
*Subscribe to this blog by e-mail.
*Become a Google Friend Connect Follower (or you already are). (2 entries)
*Grab my button and post if on your blog. (2 entries)
*"Like" my fan page on Facebook. (2 entries)
*Follow me with Networked Blogs (2 entries)
*Enter my other giveaways, then come back here and let me know which ones you entered. (Each good for an extra entry, so you could get as many extra entries as giveaways you entered.)
*Follow me on Twitter.
*Post about this giveaway on Twitter and leave the link here. You may do this once a day until the giveaway ends. I've made it easy, just Cut & Paste:

Enter to win Angelina Ballerina: Love to Dance DVD from @psmomreviews – http://tinyurl.com/2fv397r #giveaway

This giveaway is open now through Sunday, October 10th. I will post a winner on Monday, October 11th.

>Open to USA & Canada only!<



*Disclosure: I was not paid to post this, but a product was provided to me for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.*

Duncan Hines Decadent Cakes Review

A new kind of cake mix showed up in the baking aisle recently. In addition to the regular varieties, Duncan Hines has introduced their newest creation- Decadent Cakes.

Duncan Hines offers two new indulgent flavors of cake mixes. The Duncan Hines Decadent Triple Chocolate Cake with real chocolate chunks and rich fudge and the Duncan Hines Decadent Apple Caramel cake with real apples and rich caramel. These are quick and easy to make desserts that are sure to impress your friends.



We got to try both varieties of these cakes through the Family Review Network and Duncan Hines. The Decadent Triple Chocolate Cake was wonderful. It was very chocolaty and gooey inside too. The Decadent Apple Caramel cake was so moist with the apple bits inside of it. And the drops of caramel sauce through it put it over the edge. Mmm, both of these cakes were huge hits at the get-togethers that I took them to.

I would definitely recommend these cake mixes to everyone. They are easy to make with the step-by-step directions on the box. They require the same ingredients that you would need for any other cake mix. These just have that something extra that will wow your family and guests when you serve it.



Buy It: The Duncan Hines Decadent Cakes are available in grocery stores all over. They come in a 20 oz box for a SRP of $2.99.



*Disclosure: This post was written for Family Review Network & Duncan Hines who provided the complimentary product for review in exchange for my honest review.*

Tuesday Blog Hops

I've kept pretty busy lately with soccer, babysitting, and home improvement projects galore.  But I'm still managing to have a little time for blogging and other things.

I hope your week is starting out great. We are excited about Zachariah's first soccer game tonight!


Keep an eye out for an exciting giveaway. I am very close to having 1000 followers here. I'm going to post a giveaway that starts soon and ends when I reach 1000+ followers. You will have to be a follower to enter.

Monday 9/20/10 Winners!

The winner of the Digital Photo Keychain from WholesaleKeychains.com is...

#20 - ruthhill74

And the winner of the Yoplait Splitz Yogurt Prize Pack is...

#73 - Hannah

Congrats to the winners. An e-mail is already on its way to you. You will have 48 hours to respond, or I will draw a new winner.

Be sure to check my blog for the other giveaways going on now. Don’t waste any time, go enter now!

Smarty Had a Party Review

Do you love to host big parties and get-togethers at your house? Is your least favorite part the clean up afterwards? Yep, mine too. I love having people over (though I don't do it nearly as often as I'd like). Entertaining is fun and I like when people can relax and have a great time at my house.

But the hardest part about hosting a party is getting the house ready before all the guests arrive, and then cleaning up after everyone has left. Then you have to decide do I want to use real dishes and silverware? It looks so nice, but then you have all those dishes to wash! You can use disposable plastic or paper plate, and then it just doesn't look as nice. And it's hard sometimes to find something other than plain paper plates. When you're really going for a specific look, those aren't going to work either.

Now there is a solution for all your party supplies. Real looking, disposable plates and silverware. Plus cups, serving bowls, tablecloths, and much more, all of them easy to use, sharp looking, and disposable. It's all from Smarty Had a Party.

I received a "Hawaiian themed" set of party goods from Smarty Had a Party. I got the 11" Bamboo Plates, 7" Bamboo Plates, 16 oz. Plastic Tumblers, Reflections Full Size Long Dinner Forks, Reflections Grand Heavy Knives, 3 Ply "Bamboo Bash" Paper Dinner Napkins, and Olive Willow Green Artificial Rose Petals.

All the items I received are great quality and very nice looking. The Bamboo Plates are very sturdy, so that's a good way to go if you're looking for sturdiness. My son was even impressed with the "silver"ware. He said, "It looks like real silver." It really does look like real silverware. And it's sturdier than plain, old plasticware. Same thing with the cups, they are nice and hold up well. And the best pat is when the party is over everything can be thrown away.



Buy It: You can find these products and many more in their website SmartyHadAParty.com.



*Disclosure: I was not paid to post this, but a product was provided to me for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.*

Nature Valley National Parks Project Review + {Giveaway} (CLOSED)

Our country is filled with beautiful national parks and wonders. The natural beauty of the land is one of the neatest things that you'll see in your life. I've always loved the wonder of the ocean and the majesty of the mountains. Nothing compares.

Yellowstone was the world's first national park. It's been visited by hundreds of millions of people who just want to come and see the peaceful wildness of the park. Recently there has been concern for our national treasures like this. The national parks have been underfunded and polluted for years.

In order to preserve our parks and natural wonders, Nature Valley and Patricia Shultz, the best-selling author of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die and travel industry leader, have the National Parks Project going on this year to help restore work at the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Biscayne National Parks.

Nature Valley is recycling wrappers in select boxes of Nature Valley Bars. And they will contribute $0.10 to the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) for every wrapper received (up to $600,000 in total).

You can help by mailing in your wrappers to: National Parks Project, PO Box 450328, El Paso, TX 88545-0328. And you can find out how else you can make a difference at PreservetheParks.com. You can also make a difference by supporting the national parks when you visit them. Always remember to take only pictures and leave only footprints.

In participating in this campaign to bring awareness to the National Parks Program, I received a Nature Valley prize pack. In addition to Nature Valley Bars, it included a mini backpack; a military grade compass; a solar-powered, key chain flash light; a reusable water bottle and a copy of Patricia Shultz's 1,000 Place to See Before You Die: A Traveler's Life List.

We enjoyed the Nature Valley Bars. They are yummy, crunchy granola bars. I've had several of their varieties and liked them all. My son really enjoyed the Oat's 'N Honey ones that we received.




Buy It: Nature Valley Bars are available in your local grocery store.

Win It: I have a Nature Valley prize pack just like the one I received for one of you.

To Enter: Tell me which National Park your family would most like to visit and why. Be sure to include your e-mail address, so I can contact you when you win. (If I can't find an e-mail address in your profile or in your comment, I will draw a new number for the winner.)

Extra Entries: If you'd like to, you may earn extra entries for doing each of the following. Be sure to leave a separate comment for each. You must do the above (main) entry first, and then you can do these others.

*Post about the giveaway on your blog and leave the link here. (2 entries)
*Subscribe to this blog by RSS feed or feed reader.
*Subscribe to this blog by e-mail.
*Become a Google Friend Connect Follower (or you already are). (2 entries)
*Grab my button and post if on your blog. (2 entries)
*"Like" my fan page on Facebook. (2 entries)
*Follow me with Networked Blogs (2 entries)
*Enter one of my other giveaways, then come back here and let me know which on you entered. You may do this for only one extra entry.
*Follow me on Twitter.
*Post about this giveaway on Twitter and leave the link here. You may do this once a day until the giveaway ends. I've made it easy, just Cut & Paste:

Enter to win Nature Valley Bars and prize pack from @psmomreviews – http://tinyurl.com/27dpfwx #giveaway

This giveaway is open now through Sunday, October 3rd. I will post a winner on Monday, October 4th.

>Open to USA only!<



*Disclosure: I was not paid to post this, but the Nature Valley Bars, prize pack, information and giveaway were all provided to me by Nature Valley through MyBlogSpark for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.*

Calendula Cream Review + {Giveaway} (CLOSED)

Calendula Cream is a natural over-the-counter topical medicine. It is to help heal minor burns, scrapes and skin irritations. It can also relieve sunburn and minor cuts.

From the company-

Calendula Cream is made from its namesake the Garden marigold (Calendula officinalis). A native to Southern Europe and cultivated widely throughout North America, the Garden marigold has been used for centuries as a natural healing and soothing substance. Likewise, homeopathic preparations of the flower have been used safely for generations to naturally speed the healing process.

It relieves all types of skin irritations, including minor cuts and scraper, burns and sunburns, and chapping. There are no artificial colors or perfume; no medicinal smell. It's available in three other forms: gel, lotion and ointment, allowing a consumer to choose the formula that best fits his/her needs or texture preference.

We did use this cream on a few scratches and a minor burn my son got from getting a little too close to the toaster. It has a good smooth texture. You only need a little bit to go a long way. It seemed to help and the problem areas healed quickly. (Of course it's hard to tell with such minor problems, but it seems good.)

I like having a product that's created from a natural source, like plants/flowers and such. This is something that I feel safe and happy to use in my home and more specifically with my young son.



Buy It: Calendula Cream can be found in natural product stores and in independent and select chain pharmacies.

Win It: I have one package of Calendula Cream to share with one of you.

To Enter: Tell me where you can buy some Calendula Cream from their website. Be sure to include your e-mail address, so I can contact you when you win. (If I can't find an e-mail address in your profile or don't already have it, I will draw a new number for the winner.)

Extra Entries: If you'd like to, you may earn extra entries for doing each of the following. Be sure to leave a separate comment for each. You must do the above (main) entry first, and then you can do these others.

*Post about the giveaway on your blog and leave the link here. (2 entries)
*Subscribe to this blog by RSS feed or feed reader.
*Subscribe to this blog by e-mail.
*Become a Google Friend Connect Follower (or you already are). (2 entries)
*Grab my new button (on the right side of my blog) and post if on your blog. (5 entries- leave a separate comment for each entry)
*"Like" my new fan page on Facebook. (5 entries- leave a separate comment for each entry)
*Follow me with Networked Blogs (5 entries- leave a separate comment for each entry)
*Enter one of my other giveaways, then come back here and let me know which on you entered. You may do this for one extra entry.
*Follow me on Twitter. (I'll follow back.)
*Post about this giveaway on Twitter and leave the link here. You may do this once a day until the giveaway ends. I've made it easy, just Cut & Paste:

Enter to win Calendula Cream, a natural healing cream, from @psmomreviews – http://tinyurl.com/26efd48 #giveaway

This giveaway is open now through Sunday, September 26th. I will post a winner on Monday, September 27th.

>Open to USA & Canada only!<



*Disclosure: I was not paid to post this, but a product was provided to me for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.*

Friday Blog Hops

Whew! I don't know about you, but I'm ready for the weekend. Well, not completely ready, but we have some good things going on. Zachariah has his second soccer practice. I hope that he'll try harder to keep up with the other kids this time. And my parents are coming over, so my dad and my husband can replace our front door. I can't wait to get the new one in and working.

What are your weekend plans?

Thursday Blog Hops

This week is going...rather slow actually. The days individually have been going quickly for me, but I feel like it should be Friday already. Strange.

I have been settling into a new routine with my nephew here. Although his schedule here this week is a bit different. He is not here today, but that worked out great.

Zachariah has his 4 year check-up with the pediatrician today. And of course, yesterday afternoon he took a nose dive into the ground outside. He fell off the swing. And he now has scratches and bruising from his forehead to his chin. His nose is the worst. He's fine thankfully.

Well, we're one day closer to the weekend. How has your week been?




Twitter Hop Thursday @ Simply Stacie

Tuesday Blog Hops

So I started something new this week. It's keeping me busy, but it's oh so much fun. I started babysitting for my nephew, Patrick during the day when his mommy is at work. One of them has always been able to stay home with him since he was born due to maternity leave and an unfortunate lay-off. But now they are both back to work, so I offered to watch the baby. We're excited to have him here and enjoy spending time with him. It ensures that I get plenty of time to spoil my 4 month old nephew.

Tonight starts another new thing for us. Zachariah starts soccer. Tonight will be his first practice. He's excited to play, and we can't wait to see him in action.

Has anything new and fun happened to you so far this week?

Keep an eye out for an exciting giveaway. I am very close to having 1000 followers here. I'm going to post a giveaway that starts soon and ends when I reach 1000+ followers. You will have to be a follower to enter.

Monday 9/13/10 Winners

I have two contests that closed today. And I hope to have some new DVD giveaways posted tomorrow.

The winner of the Thomas & Friends: Creaky Cranky DVD is...

#62 - karasceviour

And the winner of the Music, Music Everywhere DVD is...

#14 - Diana D

Congrats to the winners. An e-mail is already on its way to you. You will have 48 hours to respond, or I will draw a new winner.

Be sure to check my blog for the other giveaways going on now. Don’t waste any time, go enter now!

   

Captured By Grace by Dr. David Jeremiah Review

"Amazing Grace" is a song revered by many. People worldwide know the words and sing its tune. In "Captured by Grace" Dr. David Jeremiah tells the story behind the song "Amazing Grace." He also shares how grace from God can change our lives just like it changed the life of John Newton, author of "Amazing Grace."

I found the stories and words of wisdom encouraging. So many people have been through really rough times in their lives, yet they come out on top. They become better people by the grace of God. What is the grace of God? How does it make a difference in our lives. Dr. David Jeremiah explains that and more in "Captured by Grace."

My favorite part of the book is the chapter in which Jeremiah retells the story of the Prodigal Son. He describes the events of the story, then also tells a little history of the day. It gave so much more insight to the story and the implications of what was happening there.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who's looking for a little more grace in their life.


*This is not a paid post. I received a book in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.*