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Just a Few Last Minute Easter Basket Ideas

March 31, 2010 By 3 Comments

If you are like me you have not purchased your Easter Baskets for your kids yet and you probably won’t do anything about it until Friday or Saturday. So where are the sales and what are you getting?

 

HEXBUG Micro Robotic Creatures would make a great addition to an Easter Basket!

We received one of these little creatures to use as a donation. We gave it to the Eastside Domestic Violence Shelter. I hope that they are able to find a child to give it to or use it in their upcoming auction. The HEXBUG creatures come in 5 different colors and 5 different creatures. We have also tried out the nano. The nano is 9.99 and the HEXBUG’s are 11.99. 

Toy Story 1 & 2 Blu-ray Combo Packs, if you can wait until Easter. We couldn’t wait, we purchased them the week they were released. Best of all, they come with movie tickets to see Toy Story Three!

Toy Story BD art smToy Story 2 BD art sm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My daughter requested these (Hide ‘Em & Find ‘Em Eggs) and I had an offer to review them, but I just didn’t think I would have the time to play with them before Easter arrived and give them their own post. But according to friends that are reviewing them, they are worth mentioning in an Easter Basket Roundup.

Last spring, parents hunted for Techno Source’s Hide ‘Em & Find ‘Em Eggs™, which sold out by Easter.  These popular electronic eggs that talk, giggle, and make silly noises are back and available at even more retailers nationwide.

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Hide ‘Em & Find ‘Em Eggs put a super fun twist on the standard egg hunt game.  Simply press the on/off button on the eggs and hide them in creative places to start the egg hunt fun.  For up to 30 minutes, or until the eggs are found, they will shout phrases such as, “Yoo-hoo, I’m hiding!” and “I’m Over Here.”  Once they are found, open them up to see the cute bunny or baby chick inside and hear them say, “Surprise, You Found Me!” Eggs come in six different colors: pink, blue, purple, yellow, green and orange.  They have enough room inside to hide candy or small prizes and can be hidden indoor or outdoor for year-round fun.  Batteries included.

Hide ‘Em & Find ‘Em Eggs will be available for purchase at Kmart, Rite Aid, ShopKo, Target, Toys “R” Us, Walgreens, Wal-mart, and Wegmans stores nationwide, as well as online at Amazon.com.  Eggs are sold individually ($4.99) and as a 4-pack ($14.99).  Appropriate for children ages 2 and up.

Zhu Zhu Pets are lots of fun as long as you don’t let your children put them on their head. My daughter got her hair stuck in one and we had to take it apart to get her hair out.

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Last Year Zhu Zhu pets sent us the entire set so that we could through a Zhu Zhu Pets party. It was a lot of fun and everyone went home with a pet and one lucky mom went home with the entire playground.

zhuzhu

 

Now For a Sale Round-Up

 

At ToysRUs, Zhu Zhu Pets are decked out for the spring season and kids can collect them all, choosing from Chunk with Bunny Ears, Jilly in a Ballerina Dress, as well as the rest of the hamsters, sought-after accessories and exciting play environments!

Following are examples of deals valid Sunday, March 28 through Saturday, April 3 in Toys“R”Us stores nationwide:

· 30% OFF ALL Pre-Filled Easter Baskets priced at $19.99 – Now $13.99*

· $1.99 for ALL 7 oz – 13 oz Easter Bagged Easter Candy – Was $3.49*

· FREE $5 Gift Card with ANY Hasbro Board Game Purchase of $20 or more*

· Select Preschool Games ONLY $2.99 – Was $8.99 – $12.99; Now $4.99; Final price of $2.99 after with $2 rebate.

· ALL Star Wars 3 ¾ Basic Action Figures – Was $6.99 each; Now 2 for $10.99

· Toy Story Buddy Pack Action Figure 2-Pack – Was $9.99 each; Now 2 for $12.99

· BUY ONE GET ONE HALF OFF ALL Thomas Wooden Railway Engines – Was up to $29.99 each; Now

· FREE Barbie Beach Tote ($19.99 value) with ANY Barbie Doll, playset and accessory purchase of $40 or more

Following are examples of deals valid on Friday, April 2 and Saturday, April 3 in Toys“R”Us stores nationwide:

  • 30% OFF ALL Easter candy, fillers, dye kits and pre-filled baskets – Prices Vary *
  • FREE $25 Gift Card and Bonus $15 iTunes Gift Card with the purchase of any iPod Touch*
  • 50% OFF Select Crayola arts and crafts sets – Was $19.99; Now $9.99
  • 50% OFF Riptunes 2GB Digital MP3 Player – Was $29.99; Now $14.99
  • 50% OFF Webkinz Lil’ Kinz Combo Pack – Was $17.99; Now $8.99
  • Buy One, Get One Free on ALL Club Penguin Plush Toys – $9.99 each
  • Buy One, Get One Half Off ALL video games – Prices Vary
  • Buy One, Get One Half Off ALL Disney Princess dolls and accessories – Prices Vary
  • Buy One, Get One Half Off ALL Might Beanz – Prices Vary
  • Buy Two, Get the Third FREE on all books – Prices Vary

Saving Money at Walmart

Walmart’s unbeatable savings on family favorite Easter candies and holiday meal solutions include:

· Spiral-sliced ham – $1.48 per pound

· Fresh asparagus – $2 per pound

· 12-count Great Value Brown ‘n Serve rolls – $0.88

· Fresh strawberries – $1.50 per pound

· Angel food cake (10 ounces) – $2.50 each

· 12-count Easter cupcakes – $5

· Carrot cake with crushed pineapple, golden raisins and cream cheese icing with pecans (33 to 40 ounces) – $9 each

· Egg lollipops (2.99 ounces), cotton candy (1 ounce), mini gumball machines (2.47 ounces) or Easter gummy candies (2.1 ounces) – $1 each

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Sneak Peek: You can win this Tomorrow

March 31, 2010 By 3 Comments

 

 

 

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Filed Under: Announcement

Everything Mom is giving away 6500.00 in prizes

March 30, 2010 By 3 Comments

I just finished registering for The Spring Sweepstakes at Everything Mom.

 

spring_sweepstakes

 

They are giving away a $1,000 T-fal kitchen appliance makeover to one reader and a Velas Resort Getaway valued at $5586 to another reader. The T-Fal Giveaway is only open to Canadian citizens but the Velas Resort is open to us US people. I entered! It takes three easy steps to enter and it took me less than 5 minutes to finish all three steps.

Join the Everything Mom Community

Subscribe to the Everything Mom Newsletter

Complete a very easy and quick survey about what you want to see on Everything Mom.

So Simple!

I’m quite excited about Everything Mom it is free to join; providing a community, support and information for just about any topic.

 

This is a sponsored post, what I wrote is my opinion and I did join the community, explore the site and enter the contest. All content is my own.
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Wordless Wednesday – Fun In The Sun

March 30, 2010 By 39 Comments

 

Funinthesun

 

 

 

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Pledge to Read to your Children 20 minutes a day with Laura Numeroff #giveaway

March 30, 2010 By 99 Comments

I was introduced to a new children’s reading program with New York Times best-selling author, Laura Numeroff of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Laura has partnered with Sleepy’s and First Book, a non-profit organization working to provide new books to children in need, to promote family bedtime reading. Research shows that reading at least 20 minutes per night with your child can improve child literacy by 10 whole school days per year. We don’t read to our children at night but this initiative has inspired me to make doubly sure that I read to my children for at least 20 minutes a day. We’ve been reading Dr. Seuss and our reader books that we have. It’s been great for all of use and a good time for me to unplug completely.

 

There are two days left for Live Story time with Laura. Laura will be conducting in-store readings and signing complimentary copies of her latest book, The Jellybeans and the Big Book Bonanza.

Here is the pledge:

Laura would also like to encourage parents to make a pledge to read to their children at least 20 minutes per night. Each pledge will support Sleepy’s corporate contribution to First Book to provide new books to families in need so more children have access to read. Parents can take the pledge at http://www.sleepysbedtimestories.com and enter for a chance to win lunch with Laura Numeroff in New York City

I’m giving away one copy of her new book: Jellybeans and the big book Bonanza.

 

 

 

To Enter:

Tell me what you read to your children.

Extra Entries:

Follow me on twitter tell me your twitter ID

Tweet:
Pledge to read to your children for 20 minutes and #win http://bit.ly/8Xl850  #Giveaway  @momstart  #contest

Advertise this giveaway on any giveaway site, your blog, or your facebook page and tell me where you advertised it (include link to giveaway). 5 Extra Entries for each one you do
Subscribe to my blog
Comment on any other non-giveaway post
Use any of the share options below, digg, stumble…2 entries each

The contest will run until April 12th 11:59 pm Pacific. All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

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Show your mom appreciation with Chicken Soup for the Soul – Thanks Mom – #giveaway

March 30, 2010 By 99 Comments

The Newest installment to Chicken Soup for the Soul has arrived on my door step. Chicken Soup for the Soul Thanks Mom. I received a copy and I get to give away a copy. I get to give away three copies.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Thanks Mom

A mother’s job is never done, but in Thanks Mom, she gets the praise she deserves. Children of all ages share their words of gratitude and appreciation in this new collection of stories for moms. Daughters and sons retell tales of love and learning, celebrating moms, their wisdom, and all that they do. These stories of special memories, loving and hard lessons, unforgettable moments, laughter and tears, support and encouragement will bring any mom joy, inspiration, and amusement. Mothers of all ages, whether new moms, experienced moms, or grandmothers, will feel good about the recognition they receive. Expect plenty of celebrity contributors!

Thank you to Chicken Soup of the Soul for sending us a copy of this book for me to relax too. All of your books add humor, laughter, tears, and smiles to my life. I hope that they are giving my readers the same.

3 Winners:

To Enter:

Leave me a comment telling me about being a mother.

Extra Entries:

Follow me on twitter tell me your twitter ID

Tweet:
Three Winners for Chicken Soup for the Soul Thanks Mom http://bit.ly/9frPT2 #Giveaway  @momstart  #contest

Advertise this giveaway on any giveaway site, your blog, or your facebook page and tell me where you advertised it (include link to giveaway). 5 Extra Entries for each one you do
Subscribe to my blog
Comment on any other non-giveaway post
Use any of the share options below, digg, stumble…2 entries each

The contest will run until April 12th 11:59 pm Pacific. All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

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Late Monday Moment – Life gets in the way sometimes

March 30, 2010 By 51 Comments

Last Monday I posted my first Monday Moment and yesterday, life got in the way of all of my plans and I didn’t get a lot of posts posted that needed to go up. I ended up going to bed crying because of how stressed I was about getting behind, my blog design isn’t going well, and my daughter yelling at me all day. Yesterday I needed a Mommy moment for sure.

Here is my desired Monday Moment!

monday moment

 

Starbucks is sending me a 10.00 Gift Card and a sample pack of Vanilla Light frappuccinos.

Every comment on this post is an entry to win the same thing. Comments will be collected over the next three weeks starting today.

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Charity Programs Worth Mentioning!

March 29, 2010 By 4 Comments

Kotex Empowering Girls:

 

U by Kotex* LogoU by Kotex, a new line of feminine care products from Kotex, launched the Declaration of Real Talk Campaign today to help empower girls and women to take control of their health and bodies. Youcan join the campaign by signing the declaration at www.UbyKotex.com. For every person who joins the movement, U by Kotex will make a $1 donation to Girls For A Change, a non-profit that empowers girls to create and lead social change

Con Agra and Dates to Diapers:

ConAgra Foods, in partnership with Feeding America, the nation’s leading hunger-relief organization, has launched the Child Hunger Ends Here (CHEH) Neighborhood Rally campaign. Through this effort, we can help feed kids at risk of hunger by coming together to host and attend events that support Feeding America.

Together, we can turn a bake sale, church rummage sale, food drive, or any other event, into a CHEH Neighborhood Rally, simply by donating a portion (or even all) of the proceeds from the event to Feeding America. They’ve even given us tips and ideas on how to host our very own neighborhood rallies, specifically for this cause.

You can also help by tweeting:

Fight child hunger alongside @youngmommy http://bit.ly/dsQYMN Pls RT & spread the word, so we can make a difference. #fightchildhunger

Bumble Bee Foods Breast Cancer:

Bee Well Miles from Bumble Bee Foods- BeeWellMiles.comBumble Bee Foods rebranded its interactive health and wellness program to promote a healthy lifestyle to more people. The program, formerly BeeWell Miles, is now BeeWell for Life. Through the program Web site www.beewellforlife.com, other online communities and on-the-ground events, BeeWell for Life provides resources and tools to encourage consumers toward a healthy, active lifestyle.

Participants in BeeWell for Life who log the miles they walk, run or bike are eligible for various prizes and help make a difference for Breast Cancer Network of Strength. For each mile logged through www.beewellforlife.com between now and October 31, 2010, Bumble Bee will donate 15¢ per mile. When one million miles are logged, the company will make an additional $50,000 contribution, for a total donation of $200,000.

In addition to the rebrand, this week marks the start of the “Bee at the Walk” contest on www.beeatthewalk.com or www.beewellforlife.com. Now through April 9th, interested participants can submit their story related to breast cancer (via a text entry, personal photograph or video) explaining why they should attend the Breast Cancer Network of Strength Mother’s Day Walk to Empower as a BeeWell for Life National Ambassador in Chicago. Users can vote for their favorite submissions and based on those votes 5 finalists will be chosen. A panel of Bumble Bee & Network of Strength judges will then make a final review of the finalists and select the winner. The grand prize will include:

· All expense paid trip for 4 to Chicago

· Meet and greet with the NOS team

· Tour of the FTD corporate location

· Bouquet of roses provided by FTD

· Flip camera (or similar video recorder) to document the experience

In addition to the grand prize trip to Chicago, entrants can also select if they would like to be entered to become a Team Captain for the remaining 12 cities. If selected as a team captain, they will be sent a branded Flip camera to record their experience at the walk.

Crystal Light Water Conservation:

Crystal Light powdered beverages help women enjoy drinking water every day, which is why they are collaborating with The Nature Conservancy to protect America’s rivers and lakes, our sources of clean, fresh drinking water.

Together, Crystal Light and the Conservancy hope to make a difference at five priority river and lake projects across the U.S., including: the Colorado River, Great Lakes Basin, Meramec River (part of the Mississippi river), Potomac River and Southern Rivers.

· Reduce your shower time by two minutes – save up to 150,000 gallons of water per month

· Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth – save 25 gallons of water per month

· Defrost food in the fridge instead of under running water – reduce water inefficiency and increase food safety

· Run your dishwasher and washing machine only when they’re full – save up to 1,000 gallons of water per month

· Share water conservation tips with your friends, family and neighbors – spread the word to others

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The Madeline Movie: Lost In Paris Giveaway

March 29, 2010 By 161 Comments

Description:

She’s captured millions of hearts and been adored by every generation — now Madeline stars in her first animated feature! Inspired by the beloved classic books that introduced us to a dozen delightful girls who live in an old house in Paris covered with vines, The Madeline Movie: Lost In Paris is full of spirited fun and five "fantastique" new songs.

When a long-lost uncle from Vienna pays a surprise visit, Madeline’s dreams of family life seem wonderfully fulfilled — until she finds herself in the middle of an unfortunate scheme. Madeline then must call upon all of her courage and cleverness to foil an evil plot to take her from the only family she’s ever known. Join Madeline, Miss Clavel, Pepito, 11 school friends, and her ever-so-smart dog, Genevieve, in a thrilling Paris adventure you won’t want to miss, where everyone learns the true meaning of family!

Screen legends Christopher Plummer (The Sound Of Music) and Lauren Bacall (The Big Sleep) costar in the animated feature the New York Daily News calls “delightful!”

Watching It:

The Madeline Movie: Lost In ParisMy kids prefer Ben 10 over Madeline, not sure why, maybe it’s because of all the action and colors in Ben 10; but they still watch it and ask me what is going on. Madeline is the story of a girl that is living with a bunch of other girls dreams of having a family. Then all the sudden her lone lost uncles shows up. It’s a story I recognize but placed into a cartoon. This uncle tricks Madeline into coming with him and then reveals that he is not really her uncle and dumps her off to do work for a nasty woman who treats children as slaves.

Miss Clavels discovers the plot and finds Madeline and reunites her with all of the other girls. Her friends, Her family. It’s a very cute story of love and friendship. I liked it and I hope that you will too.

I have two copies to giveaway.

Win It:

When did you first learn about Madeline?

Extra Entries:

Follow me on twitter tell me your twitter ID

Tweet:
Madeline Lost in Paris DVD #Giveaway http://bit.ly/9xSJgq @momstart  #contest

Advertise this giveaway on any giveaway site, your blog, or your facebook page and tell me where you advertised it (include link to giveaway). 5 Extra Entries for each one you do
Subscribe to my blog
Comment on any other non-giveaway post
Use any of the share options below, digg, stumble…2 entries each

The contest will run until April 12th 11:59 pm Pacific. All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

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Ben 10 Alien Force Volume 6 Giveaway

March 29, 2010 By 228 Comments

Description:

Ring in the spring with new alien-fighting action as Cartoon Network Enterprises and Warner Home Video release Ben 10 Alien Force Volume 6 to DVD on March 30th.  In this latest release, Ben Tennyson is up to some serious monkey business that results into an intergalactic war.  Along with containing the final four episodes from the series’ second season, the DVD also includes an Alien Database bonus feature.

Watching It:

Ben10 We received a copy of this DVD last week to review. Of course the kids are familiar with two of the aliens that Ben changes into. They love as we like to call them PM and Red Fred. (Chromastone and Jet Ray). The kids play with the action figures and Zoe says that PM keeps her closet safe from Monsters.

Volume six contains the series two part finally of the final battle. Not having seen very much of the series I didn’t feel lost, the two episodes that built up to it showed me enough to know what was going on. I was worried that it was too scary for the kids to be watching but it was cartoonish enough that they never complained about being scared.

I don’t follow it much, but it looks like they could start a new Ben 10 with a different set of 10 aliens.

Win It:

Tell me which alien you like the most?

Extra Entries:

Follow me on twitter tell me your twitter ID

Tweet:
Just Entered to win Ben 10 Alien Force Volume 6 the Final Battle @momstart http://bit.ly/arlrCM #giveaway #contest

 

Advertise this giveaway on any giveaway site, your blog, or your facebook page and tell me where you advertised it (include link to giveaway). 5 Extra Entries for each one you do
Subscribe to my blog
Comment on any other non-giveaway post
Use any of the share options below, digg, stumble…2 entries each

The contest will run until April 12th 11:59 pm Pacific. All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

Filed Under: giveaway Tagged With: , , , ,
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