Posted inBeauty Giveaways Health

Spring Skin Care with Aquaphor plus Giveaway

Since I am affected by Hay Wells Syndrome, weather changes (of any sort) often spell disaster for my skin.  Add to that the fact that the blooms in the air have yielded snotty nosed kids, and I’ve been washing my hands A LOT.   Which makes my skin crack and peel.

peeling skindry cracked skin

I know, right? Ouch.

Fortunately, I learned a long time ago, that Aquaphor Healing Ointment is my friend.  Our dermatologist recommends it for both me and Mister.  When my skin starts peeling and cracking, as it often does, I reach for my skin care ally.

When Mister was younger, I would literally apply Aquaphor Healing Ointment from the top of his head to his itty bitty toes.  Back then, we went through it so much that we bought the Aquaphor 14 ounce jars.

With Spring blooming everywhere, it is time to get ready for warmer weather.  Which means you, too, may want to consider fine tuning your skin care regimen.  More time outdoors, whether running, cycling, gardening, camping, or swimming, can wreak havoc on your skin.
Using the right skincare products is crucial.

It is also a key time to focus on lip care.  Aquaphor has you covered with their Aquaphor Lip Repair.

Aquaphor Healing Ointment  – Dermatologists trust this product to protect and relieve dry, cracked skin. It is also used by athletes to help prevent friction burns, blisters and chafing that intense physical activity can often cause.

Aquaphor Lip Repair – Enriched with shea butter, vitamins C and E, and soothing chamomile essence, Aquaphor Lip Repair provides immediate and long-lasting relief, and seals in moisture – perfect for soothing chapped lips after extended time outdoors or whenever your lips feel very dry.

Aquaphor products are available wherever skin care products are sold, as well as on Amazon.

Because healthy skin is in, Aquaphor would like to give one lucky TBC reader a $50 Visa gift card, Aquaphor Healing Ointment and Aquaphor Lip Repair.

Posted inBooks Giveaways

Beckon- A Book Giveaway (4/29)

I recently read Beckon, by Tom Pawlik, which I received from Tyndale and shared my review here.   image

As I said in my review, it was my first Pawlik novel, and despite the heebie jeebies that spider like creatures gave me, I simply could NOT put it down.  The book was pure literary adrenaline, and convinced me that I should read more Pawlik.

More frequently than not, when I post a review of a book I receive from one of the book blogging networks, that is the end of said review.  Imagine my surprise, then, when I received an email from Mr. Tom Pawlik himself, thanking me for my review.

(not to mention my surprise that he was familiar with Hay Wells Syndrome!!!)

Anyway!  He graciously offered four signed soft-cover copies of Beckon for giveaway.  Squee!  I think that’s awesome!

About Beckon… Some things are better left undiscovered.  Three people—an ex-cop investigating the mysterious disappearance of her cousin; a business genius looking to retire AND looking for a miracle cure;  an anthropologist researching a legend in hopes of finding closure—all find themselves in Beckon, a small town in Wyoming.  All three discover, one by one, that the town they hoped held their answers has a ghastly secret that the residents will protect at all costs… will any of them survive?

See for yourself…

Posted inGiveaways Jewelry Reviews

Custom Locket Review plus Giveaway- US & Canada (5/8)

Have you looked at any lockets lately?

I have, because I have wanted a locket with my kids pictures in it for a while now, but had yet to find just the right one.  I have a pendant locket that I have my parents photo in, and I love it.  It is one of those that you have to cut the picture to fit inside.

Before I started looking for a locket, I was having a hard time trying to decide which picture, of my kids, I was going to cut down to fit into a locket.  I hate cutting pictures (my Mom taught me that pictures are memories and should never be destroyed, hence the extra external hard drives with countless photos).

Anyway, I’ve been web browsing, and came across PicturesOnGold.com, a company that does custom lockets in 14K gold or Sterling Silver.  Can I just say lockets are not made the same as they were before?  Oh my!  Now they can laser engrave photos into the inside of the locket!  I decided to try my hand at a custom locket.  Check this out…

How cool is that?

I can have custom photo jewelry without cutting a photo!! My Mom would be so proud!

PicturesOnGold.com agreed to allow me to review a beautiful 2 photo Sterling Silver Heart Locket, along with an 18 inch Sterling Silver Box Chain, so I send them my pictures and the text that I wanted… Locket_Designand two days later, I received this…

Pictures on Gold LocketPictures on Gold LocketPictures on Gold Locket

The locket came beautifully boxed and ready to give.  The front says, “With Love.”   The back says, “From God” on the first line, and “James 1:17” on the second line.  James 1:17 is one of my favorite verses, and it says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father…”

My children are two of my most treasured gifts, and now I have the perfect locket to showcase them!  Here’s a look at the inside of the locket…Pictures on Gold LocketPictures on Gold Locket

Isn’t that gorgeous? While the photos are flipped from what I designed, I think it looks better with them both staring out at me (and zoomed up close) when I open it.  I know this is one piece of jewelry that I will treasure it for years to come! I will have to be careful, though, because the bale on the locket bends easily.

For a limited time, you can visit http://www.picturesongold.com/ and use discount code Patty32 to save 5% on your custom photo jewelry purchase. 

And now, PicturesOnGold.com would like to give one lucky TBC reader a beautiful 2 photo Sterling Silver Heart Locket with a Birthstone on the Bale, along with an 18 inch Sterling Silver Box Chain of their own.  Locket is valued at $200.00.

The contest runs from April 16 –May 7, 2012 11:59pm EST.  (Rafflecopter will not allow me to set it to end at 11:59 p.m., so you get two extra minutes to enter by 12:01 a.m. May 8th).  I am posting the review before the contest starts to give you a heads up, so you can set your calendar reminders to enter!  Wouldn’t this be an awesome Mother’s Day gift?

Contest is open to residents of US and Canada-contestants must be over 18 years of age.

Posted inFood Giveaways

Big G Curvy Straws Giveaway- MyBlogSpark (4/22)

Breakfast should be fun.  And Big G, as in , wants to make sure it is with Big G Curvy Straws!  There are six different collectable colorful straws featuring beloved Big G cereal characters, available in specially marked boxes of participating Big G cereals—participating cereals include Cinnamon Toast Crunch® (17 oz.), Lucky Charms®(16 oz.), Reese’s® Puffs (18 oz.), Honey Nut Cheerios® (17 oz.), Trix®(14.8 oz)  and Cocoa Puffs® (16.5 oz)—to make morning milk slurping all the more fun.  One straw per box, though, so stock up on Big G.

imageMade with more whole grain than any other ingredient, Big G cereal, combined with a ½ cup of milk, can help provide a great start to your family’s day.

    Whether you use one or connect them all, the fun with Big G Curvy Straws doesn’t have to stop when you reach the end of the bowl. Simply grab another serving of ice cold milk, and slurp away!  I always encourage my kids to drink the milk from their cereal, and this makes it fun!
    Need more cereal to go with your milk? You can visit

this link

    to download a printable coupon for $1.25 off of the purchase of (2) boxes of participating Big G cereal today!I LURVE coupons!  Especially on things I use anyway!  How about you?

Big G Curvy Straws

    Now, Big G and My Blog Spark would like to give one lucky TBC reader a prize back that includes:

  • 1 box of a participating Big G cereal
  • 1 Curvy Straw
  • 1 ‘spilt’ milk bowl
  • 2 glow cups
  • 2 tangle toys

 

 

I received the same, and trust me, the bowl is cute, and the straws are fun!

What are you waiting for?  Enter!

Posted inGiveaways

Wilton Cookie Prize Pack Giveaway (4/21)

You know all those fun filled Wilton cookie making goodiesWilton Logo I’ve been working with lately?  If you haven’t seen them, check out my Easter Cookies and Vanilla Spritz Cookies posts.  Wilton would like to offer the same goodies to one lucky TBC reader.

Squee!

So, let me tell you what all was in my box (and what will be in yours, if you win)…

I know, right?

I know, now, that I can bake cookies successfully.  Thanks, Wilton!  So, what Wilton baking and candy tools should I add to my arsenal next?

So, be sure you like Wilton on Facebook and follow Wilton on Twitter, then enter away!

Posted inGiveaways

Big G Goes Retro

Big G, as in , has pulled a throw back to the 80s. Think Atari.  Thing leg warmers.  Think big hair (for the oh so less fortunate) and moonwalking.

Ah… those were the days!

Did you ever play Frogger? I LOVED that game.  I wasn’t any good at the rest of them, but I loved that little frog!

Anyway, back to is channeling their Retro roots and to help celebrate, they have partnered with ®, bringing classic 80’s games like Asteroids, Missile Command and Centipede to your breakfast table.

You can collect all 5 different packages that include totally radical Atari Activities on the back of each box; available exclusively at .  Participating Big G cereals include: Cinnamon imageToast Crunch® (17 oz.), Lucky Charms® (16 oz.), Honey Nut Cheerios® (17 oz.), Cheerios® (18 oz.) and Cocoa Puffs® (16.5 oz.)

    To celebrate, Big G wants to give one lucky TBC reader a prize pack to include:

  • (2) boxes of participating Big G cereals
  • $10 Target gift card
  • A free download for “Atari 80 Classic Games In 1”So, who’s ready for some Big G?  Our favorite is anything Cheerios.  How about yours?”

    Breakfast. YUM!

Posted inEntertainment Giveaways Homeschool

Rock N Learn Letter Sounds (4/6)

rocknlearnlogoI’ve told you before about how much Mister and Sister enjoy the Rock ‘N Learn educational DVD’s.  We’ve recently added the Rock ‘N Learn Letter Sounds to our video library, and I wanted to tell you about it.

Rock 'N Learn Letter SoundsThe Rock ‘N Learn Letter Sounds DVD is filled with  energetic music and fun games to build excitement about learning to read. The Letter Sounds DVD covers the most common sound that each letter makes.  The Letter Sounds DVD, which is all new, with its “on-screen mouth” shows how to form each sound. Ages 4–7.

Approx. 62 minutes

Mister and Sister adore all of our Rock ‘N Learn DVD’s, and this one is no exception.  In no time at all, they were both running around making the letter sounds at random.  I love that the DVD reinforces the lessons I try to teach.

Check out this clip and you’ll understand why…

Sister recently had her 3-year DIAL exam, given by our parent educator with “Parents as Teachers.”  Our educator was absolutely floored that Sister could identify her letter sounds, and said that children aren’t even scored for letter sounds until at least age five.  I was one proud mama!

Rock ‘N Learn would like to offer TBC readers 25% off with coupon code JQ7711 at www.RockNLearn.com.

They would also like to give one lucky reader a DVD of their own choice from the Rock ‘N Learn collection.

Posted inFood Giveaways Health

What Color is Your Smoothie plus giveaway (4/5)

Did you know that March is National Nutrition Month?

National Nutrition Month

We all know that eating a variety of foods, colored like the rainbow, is one of the best ways to make sure that you are getting a full range of nutrients in your diet.  In truth, we should eat a rainbow every day.  But seriously, it’s not always easy to eat a rainbow everyday.  Who has the time?

I know I don’t always have the time to eat as healthily as I would like.  Which is one reason I started making smoothies.  I discovered that I really enjoy making and eating smoothies.  I mean, I REALLY enjoy smoothies.   I typically have a smoothie at least 4-5 days a week, if not everyday.  After about two weeks of smoothie making, though, I ran out of ideas.  what color is your smoothie

Then I received the What Color is Your Smoothie? book for review, from Adams Media.  It is a veritable treasure trove of smoothie recipes and ideas.  I would have NEVER considered putting cauliflower in a smoothie.  Or green tea.  Or spinach.  And yet, they are DELICIOUS!  With recipes like Strawberry Guava Smoothie, Clever Carrots with Spice, Pineapple Banana Cream, Spicy Spinach Smoothie, and Blueberry Blast Smoothie you are sure to find a few you love.  I know I have!

Here’s a few of my recent smoothies…

smoothie recipessmoothie recipessmoothie recipeswhat color is your smoothie

Aside from discovering Kefir, I’ve also learned that I enjoy a savory smoothie just as well as a sweet smoothie.  Of course, the kidlets and Hubs prefer the sweet ones.

What Color is Your Smoothie? contains over 300 smoothie recipes, divided into chapters by color.  That’s nearly enough for a different smoothie every day of the year!  It also has an “At-a-Glance Produce Chart” that details the serving size, proper color, main nutrients, and main benefits of a variety of produce, from acorn squash to zucchini and everything in between.

The only thing I would change about the book is the index, which isn’t nearly as comprehensive as it could be.  For example, the benefits of Vanilla bean are described on page 56 of the book.  Several recipes, including the Very Cherry Vanilla (p 98) include vanilla bean pulp.  HOWEVER, the only thing referenced in the index under vanilla is the description of the benefits of vanilla (p. 56).  I would love to be able to flip to the index and see a comprehensive list of places to find vanilla bean (i.e. p. 56, 73,74,84,98, …).  Of course, doing that may cause the index to be longer than the book itself, since there are so many recipes.

Overall, I have really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to anyone that enjoys smoothies, wants to broaden their smoothie horizons, or wants to be creative in eating the rainbow (or getting their kids to do so)!

In honor of National Nutrition Month, Adams Media Bookstore would like to give one lucky TBC reader their own What Color is Your Smoothie? book, to help you eat a rainbow a day!

Posted inFitness Giveaways Reviews

The Fat Chick Works Out (3/30)

Jeanette DePatie is a plus-sized, certified fitness instructor, also known as The Fat Chick.

the fat chick logo

In the The Fat Chick Works Out book, she tackles the question, “what if I stopped obsessing The Fat Chick Works Out bookabout my weight, and started living as if I already had lost weight?”

The result?  A compelling book aimed at helping others do what she has done, unlink her definition of happiness from her pant size.

As Jeanette points out, in her book, exercise “is the easiest, most direct way to have a major impact on long term physical, mental, and spiritual health…” When Jeanette first contacted me about reviewing her book and her The Fat Chick Works Out DVD, I was intrigued.

“What is a fat fitness instructor going to teach me?” I thought as I read her email ( I know, it’s the same sort of the mentality that my brother expressed when I was a kid and said I wanted to become a hairdresser… “Why would someone with hair let someone WITHOUT hair style it for them?”  Then I visited her site, and the question, “What’s the MOST fun you’ve had with your clothes on?” leapt off the screen at me.  I imageimmediately thought, “this chick is funny.”  So, I agreed to review the DVD and book she offered.

When the book and DVD came in, I started reading the book and popped the DVD into the player.  While I can’t say that I agree with everything written in the book, I do have to say that I found the book to be enjoyable and encouraging with over fifty exercises and great tips. The book is divided into twelve “bite sized” weeks.   The first five weeks tackle self image and get you moving.  Week six briefly addresses healthy eating habits, although it doesn’t really get into nutrition.  Weeks seven through twelve help you avoid procrastination, encourage you to change your environment up, celebrate your successes, and plan for breaks.

I think my favorite part of the book is her analogy of pigeons and  peacocks.    “Some of us are peacocks and some of us are pigeons… there are a lot of business out there trying to convince us that of all the birds out there only peacocks are acceptable.  And not so coincidentally, a lot of those businesses happen to sell “peacock plans…”   I know, right?

Okay, now the DVD… the first DVD I received was defective and kept sticking.  I returned it, for quality control analysis, and received a replacement.  The second DVD works beautifully.  My kids, and I, enjoy working out with this DVD.

The Fat Chick Works Out

Since I am recovering from my knee injury, and still in physical therapy, I appreciate that the exercises are geared more toward getting you moving than toward completing an intricate dance.  I am a klutz and have two left feet.  I’ve never been able to do the electric slide, rumba, or zumba.   The exercises are simple and fun, and the routines are easy to follow.  Easy enough that my four year old routinely asks, “Mom, can we exercise with the fat chick today?”  LOL.

Unlike many “get thin quick” exercise programs, The Fat Chick doesn’t promise a load of crap that 1)she cannot deliver and 2) wouldn’t last if she could.  Instead, she delivers what she promises in a guide to help get you moving, motivation to do it, and tips on how to avoid injury and failure along the way.  It is a great introduction to fitness and beginner workout video, and I would recommend that it be used as a launching pad into healthier living.

To learn more about The Fat Chick and The Fat Chick products, visit http://www.thefatchick.com/.  The Fat Chick Works Out DVD is available on The Fat Chick website and on Amazon.  The Fat Chick Works Out Book,  available in softcover and digital format (Nook or Kindle), can be purchased on The Fat Chick website, on Amazon, on the Barnes & Noble website,  as well as at independent local retailers.

Jeanette would like to offer one lucky TBC reader a The Fat Chick Works Out DVD/Book combo of their own, as well as five additional digital books for giveaway.