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Holiday Gift Idea Use BookSmart to create a Blurb Bookify Giveaway (10 Winners)

October 22, 2010 By 171 Comments

Bookify - A Mothers Album bookWhen Zoe was born in 2007 I knew that Christmas that the best gift I could give would be lasting memories to the whole family. So I created a book on-line and sent one to all of the parents and grand parents I have. I still feel that photo books make excellent gifts and am happy to bring you Bookify. Blurb created Bookify to meet the needs of the parents like me, because creating books can also be a great way to save all of those school projects over the year. Winking smile I’ll be making a book this year at Blurb!

BookSmart® is Blurb’s award-winning software that’s perfect for richer projects. The free, downloadable bookmaking app delivers the ideal mix of pre-designed layouts and text support with the ability to fully customize your book.

Blurb’s PDF to Book tool gives professional users full creative control over the bookmaking process by enabling them to use Adobe® InDesign® or their preferred design software. Blurb offers blank Adobe® InDesign® templates tailored for use with all of the company’s book sizes, papers, and cover types.

Blurb Bookify - A Day with Dad bookAll Blurb customers have access to Blurb’s free suite of tools to share and sell their books, including Blurb BookShow®, which enables bookmakers to let friends and fans flip through their book on their blog, website, or Facebook page.

Bookify offers users a streamlined experience by presenting a selection of Blurb’s most popular layouts, themes, and fonts in an online bookmaking tool that requires no download.

Online Ease and Portability

  • No need to download anything
  • Work on your book from more than one computer
  • Use images stored on Flickr® or on your computer

A Range of the Most Popular Book Styles and Layouts

  • Pre-designed layouts to edit and personalize – or just drag and drop images onto the page and it will design itself
  • Elegant, fun, or classic themes – you choose the look you like
  • Multiple background colors and borders
  • Make books up to 160 pages

Creative Options

  • More than 20 fonts to choose from
  • Autofit, zoom, crop, or rotate images; supports JPEG images up to 10MB
  • Full-bleed and multi-image layouts
  • Five trim sizes available

AutoCreate Your Book

  • By selecting the AutoCreate feature, your book will be created automatically from your selected set of images. You can then order as is, or add, move or delete images as you see fit.

Professional Quality

  • Superb image quality and highest quality printing
  • Three bindery types available: Softcover, Hardcover with dust jacket, or ImageWrap
  • Premium and Standard papers available

Save:

Be sure to enter BOOKIFY at checkout to receive 25% off your product total. Discount offer valid through November 2, 2010 (11:59 p.m. PST). A 25% discount is applied toward the product total of one order with minimum amount of US $12.95. Maximum discount is US $200.00 off product total. This offer is good for one-time use and cannot be combined with other promotional codes, offers, gift cards, or used for adjustments on previous codes.

Enter to Win:

1 of 10 25.00 Gift Cards to create your own book.

To Enter:

Tell me who you would make the book for in the comments.

Extra Entries:

RT this post and include the link to the post (make sure that the link shows up or it won’t count)

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This giveaway ends November 8th, I received a product as compensation! All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

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Christian Movie Night #Giveaway Rust, The Way Home, Upside, and Bringing Up Bobby

October 22, 2010 By 182 Comments

I’m so happy to be working with a new PR company that represents Christian movies. Over the last ten years I’ve watched the decline in the quality of family entertainment. There is hardly anything that we can watch as a family. I’m all for bringing back family entertainment and was excited to promote their movies. The first four that I have received are, Rust, The Way Home, Upside and Bringing Up Bobby.

Rust:

imageRust is about a journey home and a faith renewed. As a crisis of faith rocks his life’s calling, former minister Jimmy Moore (Corbin Bernsen) returns to the place he called home half-a-lifetime ago.  Very little has changed in this small farming town … except for everything that he’s ever known. A unique story of friendship and calling, RUST may well be Corbin Bernsen’s most personal project to date. Funded by and set in the real-life Canadian town of Kipling, Saskatchewan (and featuring local citizens in prominent roles), RUST was inspired by the spiritual journey that Corbin has been traveling since his father’s death in 2008.

Check Out Rust on-line.

Rust on facebook 

thewayhomeThe Way Home:

 The Way Home stars Dean Cain. and he’s a great actor and just watching the previews of this inspirational movie made me cry like a baby.

Dean Cain (“Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman”) stars as Randy Simpkins, a husband and father torn between the demands of his job and commitment to his family. Asked by his wife Christal to watch their two-year-old son Joe for a few minutes, Randy is distracted by work and Joe disappears. Racked by guilt, Randy joins Christal in a desperate search for their missing son alongside hundreds of others from their church and community. Randy and Christal’s strained marriage must now weather the ultimate test—the potential loss of a child. THE WAY HOME is the story of Randy’s powerful spiritual journey back to love, faith and a Godly understanding of what must always take first priority in a man’s life—his family.

The Way Home on facebook

Upside:

upsideIt’s all how you look at it From the looks of things, Solomon White has a well-mapped future. Finish his senior year of high school, select an elite university, continue his lacrosse career, and reap the rewards of success on whichever road life takes him. But a devastating hit on the lacrosse field leaves his world literally turned upside down. Will he be able to gain the perspective needed to face his new reality? UPSIDE provides a fresh look at life through the eyes of Soli (Randall Bentley, "Heroes"), a young athlete struggling to discover where he’s headed, both figuratively and literally. Viewing the world upside down is a challenge few will ever face, but that hardly is the extent of Soli’s pressing concerns. He has trouble at home with his mom, he’s trying to end his relationship with his girlfriend, and he has to come to grips with a teacher that thinks he can be much more than he wants to be. Suddenly, Soli’s senior year looking nothing like he imagined it would be. Add in Wren (Leah Sims), an unlikely love interest with a strong faith in God, and Soli must take a new look at everything he believes in. Can Soli win the heart of Wren, who happens to be blind? Can he believe in something he can’t see? Will he find a new direction for his life, even if his eyesight never returns to normal? When you can’t trust your eyes, you still have your voice. This unique story is an inspiring reminder that when life gets you down, there’s always an UPSIDE.

Bringing Up Bobby:image

When 20-something filmmaking brothers Chris and Nick Staron were told it’s impossible to make a Christian comedy, they laughed … and then got to work. Bringing Up Bobby is the result, and the madcap antics of the entire Wyler family  will convince you that the Staron Bros. have created comedic dynamite! Destined to be a favorite of families and youth groups, Bringing Up Bobby is a quirky exploration of what it means to live out your faith … and to find humor in whatever comes your way!

Enter to Win:

Rust
The Way Home
Bringing Up Bobby
Upside

To Enter:

Leave a comment telling me how you feel TV and movies could improve in quality!

Extra Entries:

RT this post and include the link to the post (make sure that the link shows up or it won’t count)

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This giveaway ends November 8th, I received a product as compensation! All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

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A Disney Playhouse, Imagination Movers, Villains Listening Giveaway

October 22, 2010 By 195 Comments

As a parent you can never have too much children’s music, well I mean,  you can listen to too much, or get tired of something, and that’s why I say you can never have too much. A large collection of children’s music can keep you from losing your mind. I myself, never get tired of listening to Disney music. We have quite a selection of Disney music that we have purchased and try to stay up to date on our CD collection for the kids. It’s a selfish thing really.

This isn’t our absolute favorite in the playhouse Disney CD collection. I would have to say that the second CD was better, but Let’s Dance is still fun to listen to in my opinon. I love singing the songs with Zoe and Miles in the van while we’re scooting around town.

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1. Rock ‘N Ride ‘N Rally – Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
2. Super Goof – Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
3. I’m A Friend, You’re A Friend – Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
4. Rolling – Handy Manny
5. Hey Manny – Handy Manny
6. One Step At A Time – Handy Manny
7. Somebody Somewhere – Handy Manny
8. Can You Teach My Alligator Manners? Main Theme – Can You Teach My Alligator Manners?
9. Beat Box – Choo Choo Soul
10. Veggie Dance – Choo Choo Soul
11. The Birthday Song – Choo Choo Soul
12. Do The Octopus – Dance-A-Lot Robot
13. Race Car Song – Dance-A-Lot Robot
14. The Dinosaur Dance – Dance-A-Lot Robot
15. The Flower Dance – Dance-A-Lot Robot
16. Tasty Time With ZeFronk Main Title Theme – Tasty Time With ZeFronk
17. The Italian Way – Happy Monster Band
18. London Town – Happy Monster Band
19. Siesta, Siesta – Happy Monster Band
20. Boing Cluck Cluck – Imagination Movers
21. Try Again – Imagination Movers
22. Jungle Junction Theme – Jungle Junction
23. Wolfie And Dottie (One Unique Pair) – Special Agent Oso
24. Shutter Bug Time – Special Agent Oso
25. Oso (Oso’s The One) – Special Agent Oso

 

DisneyVillians

Disney Villains: Simply Sinister Songs features original villain recordings and includes music from eight time Academy Award winning composer Alan Menken  (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and the King of Thieves, Home on the Range), Grammy® Award winner Sting  (The Emperor’s New Groove),  Academy Award and Grammy® winning composer Randy Newman, Grammy® winning composer Danny Elfman, plus Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Tony Award and Grammy® Award winner Sir Elton John (The Lion King) and lyricist Sir Tim Rice (The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast), and many more.

Disney Villains: Simply Sinister Songs track list:

1. Pink Elephants on Parade: Dumbo
2. Siamese Cat: Song Lady and the Tramp
3. Cruella De Vil: 101 Dalmatians
4. I Wan’na Be Like You (The Monkey Song): The Jungle Book
5. Every Little Piece: Pete’s Dragon
6. Poor Unfortunate Souls: The Little Mermaid
7. Gaston: Beauty and the Beast
8. Oogie Boogie’s Song: The Nightmare Before Christmas
9. You’re Only Second Rate (The Return of Jafar): Aladdin and the King of Thieves
10. Be Prepared: The Lion King
11. Snuff Out the Light (Yzma’s Song): The Emperor’s New Groove
12. Yodel-Adle-Eedle-Idle-Oo : Home on the Range
13. Friends on the Other Side: The Princess and the Frog

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We’ve been listening to Imagination Movers for quite a while. We purchase their first two cd’s and when they came out with a third and Disney offered to send us a copy to listen to, I said sure. It saved us a little money because we would have purchased it anyways. So as a family I have to say that we really enjoy Imagination Movers In a Big Warehouse.

1. Getting Stronger
2. Bounce
3. My Friends and Me
4. Up, Up, Up
5. Sunrise Sunset
6. Slip Sliding
7. When You Grow Up
8. Luck of the Irish
9. Let the Sun Shine In
10. On My Way Home (Hawaiian Lullaby)
11. Riding the Waves
12. Butterfly
13. Friendly Guy
14. Get Serious
15. The Sensible Life of a Pirate
16. Easy Come, Easy Go
17. Caribbean Rhapsody
18. Springtime

Enter to Win:

one of each CD

To Enter:

Leave a comment telling me about your favorite Disney Playhouse Show

Extra Entries:

RT this post and include the link to the post (make sure that the link shows up or it won’t count)

Follow/Like Mom Start on Facebook
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This giveaway ends November 8th, I received a product as compensation! All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

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Madeline’s Christmas & Other Wintery Tales #Giveaway

October 22, 2010 By 147 Comments

The newest addition to the beloved Madeline arrived in stores just this week. Madeline is celebrating Christmas in her newest DVD lineup,Madeline’s Christmas And Other Wintery Tales . We haven’t had a chance to review this one and I’m not sure we’re actually going to. So I wanted to share it with all of you. You guys like to enter giveaways. Shout Factory Kids sent us a copy and you can enter to win!

imageSnow! Santa! And holidays galore! From Ludwig Bemelmans’ best-selling children’s books comes little Madeline and her wintery adventures with her dog Genevieve, her loyal friends from Miss Clavel’s class and next-door neighbor Pepito!

On October 19, 2010, Shout! Factory will release Madeline’s Christmas & Other Wintery Tales.  The DVD contains five animated episodes, all making their DVD debut: Madeline’s Winter Vacation, Madeline and Santa, Madeline at the North Pole, Madeline and the Ice Skates and Madeline’s Holiday with Mr. Grump.

 

 

 

 

 

To Enter:

Leave a comment telling me about your favorite Christmas tradition.

Extra Entries:

RT this post and include the link to the post (make sure that the link shows up or it won’t count)

Follow/Like Mom Start on Facebook
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This giveaway ends November 8th, m80 contacted me on behalf of Macy’s and they are supplying the prize! All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

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Charitable Holiday Giving VTech V.Reader #Giveaway

October 22, 2010 By 443 Comments

vtech_thumbI give to charity about four times a year, sometimes more depending on how much of the review products have stacked up in my garage. The donations are usually around 1500.00 or more in value and it’s because of companies like VTech that I’m able to make a difference in my community. Most companies send me something to review and it is my decision to donate it at the end of the review, but some go the extra mile and send me something that I can review and something that I can giveaway to a charity. Hospitals and places that care for children will not take toys that have been opened so receiving something that I can give directly to charity always excites me. Even last year, VTech was one of my largest contributors for Charitable Giving. They provided me three cases of toys to give. Thank You VTech.

This year, they have starting the giving even earlier than last year. For every 50 entries (comments or trackbacks) on this giveaway post, VTech will donate 1 product to a charity selected in a poll by VTech Fans on our Facebook Page  the week of Oct. 25. (up to 3 for each review blogger hosting this giveaway) It may not seem like much but really any donation can make a difference in your community no matter how small.

 

imageEnter To Win:

VTech V.Reader

 

Just like the adult readers, the Vtech V.reader reads aloud but as it reads the words highlight so your child can follow along and learn word recognition. It helps with phonics, and word recognition. There are certain words that if they click on them then it takes them to a definition of the word. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention it has a touch screen that works really well. And with my daughter’s knowledge of the stylus she found it and started using it in no time. My kids are so used to touch screens that they think the TV should be a touch screen.

Read the full VTech V.Reader Review

To Enter:

Leave a comment telling me which charity you would consider making a toy donation to this Holiday Season.

Extra Entries:

Follow VTech on Twitter

Become a Fan of VTech on Facebook.

Leave a comment on VTech Facebook “I’m visiting from Mom Start! Enter to win a VTech V.Reader at .”

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This giveaway ends November 8th. I was provided a sample in exchange for this post! All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

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Change Your Clock Change Your Battery Energizer Smoke Alarm Safety

October 22, 2010 By 66 Comments

On November 7th it will be time for all of us to change our close for Daylight Savings Time. Oh boy I’m sure none of us are looking forward to that, but wait am I getting it mixed up. Isn’t it Fall Back and gain an hour and Spring Forward when you lose an hour. Yeah, I think it might not be so bad, but anyways back to the point at hand. Energizer has been working with the International Association of Fire Cheifs (I-A-F-C) and thousands of fire departments nationwide on Change Your Clock Change Your Battery. Change Your Clock Change Your Battery is a life-saving campaign encouraging everyone to be in the habit of changing and testing smoke alarms throughout your home. Having a working smoke alarm in your house and be the difference between life and death so make sure you test those batteries. Even though 96% of American homes have smoke alarms, many do not have one that works because of missing or worn-out batteries.

CYCCYB_logo_400Each year, Energizer donates 200,000 batteries to help local fire departments nationwide through Change Your Clock Change Your Battery.  This year we have the chance to help double the donations, up to 400,000 batteries. Participation in Change Your Clock Change Your Battery is easy. Visit the CYCCYB tab on the Energizer Bunny® Facebook page, , and pledge to change your smoke alarm batteries, share the life-saving Change Your Clock Change Your Battery message with others and create your family’s home escape plan so you have an exit plan in place.  Each action will trigger a donation of batteries.

 

Enter to Win:

A First Alert smoke alarm, along with a 2-pack of 9volt Energizer® Max®

To Enter:

Do One of the Activities on the Energizer Facebook Page and tell me which one you did

Extra Entries:

Tweet: @Energizer and the IAFC remind you to change your smoke alarm batteries when you change your clocks on Nov. 7. #CYCCYB http://goo.gl/FHmC

Tweet: First Alert smoke alarm, and a 2-pack of 9volt Energizer Max #Giveaway http://bit.ly/ai1Dzv

Make the Pledge on The Facebook Page

List this giveaway on any giveaway site, dig or stumble
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This giveaway ends November 8th. I was provided a sample in exchange for this post! All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

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Giveaway Jingle Link Up Your Giveaways

October 21, 2010 By 10 Comments

Here is this week’s installment.

You’ve got a giveaway, I want to know about it! Oh, and if you list your giveaway on Mom Start facebook page it will tweet on my twitter account. How cool is that?

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How Preschool Turned Our Lives Upside Down

October 20, 2010 By 19 Comments

imageWho knew that preschool could change us so much? My day used to consist of getting up at 6AM to get the kids dressed in time to get my husband to the bus stop on the way to school and then come home and serve breakfast. Then the rest of the day depended on how tired we all were and if we wanted to go anywhere. Usually we would watch a movie and wait for the sun finish coming up. Then when it was warm enough we would go outside and play or go and find a park. After the park we would have lunch and naptime and play some more. We had freedom to go places, participate in MOMS Club and spend the day in Seattle. Now we are quite limited in what we can do in a day.

Three hours three days a week is all she spends in the classroom but I find now I can’t make plans during that time unless it’s something quick. I hope I’m not the only parent that does this but I have to remember that it’s a school day at get her to class on time. I get wrapped up in doing something and then look down and realize it’s time to take Zoe to school. Three hours just fly by way to fast. I turn around and find that it’s time to go and pick her up. Then we have all of the extra things that come with school movie night, field trips, plays, and open house, I had no idea that preschool was just as involved as I remember school being. I feel like a mad minivan mom and it’s only preschool.

It’s not only about the schedule, Zoe is growing up and an exponential rate since she started school. She is talking to more people and not that shy little girl anymore. One of the teachers even surprised me with news that Zoe is one of the leaders in the class. She answers all of the questions and keeps the conversation going. WOW, my little girl is way more outgoing than I am and I couldn’t be more proud. I just wish there was a slow down button in the growing department.

imageBut don’t count Miles out either, Zoe is teaching him everything that she is learning. I know he would love to be in school too but I’m enjoying the three hours I get to have every day with him. We go shopping, and out to places that are close enough for us to have some fun and get back to pick up Zoe in time. It is so much easier being able to go to the grocery store or Costco with only one child instead of two. Miles has also been a huge help in my reviews.  Check out him and the Dyson Animal. I’m very lucky to have to smart outgoing children who love to help me clean the house.

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Wordless Wednesday Picnic With Zoe

October 19, 2010 By 40 Comments

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Turn Art Projects into Fall Decorations

October 18, 2010 By 7 Comments

So far the best decorations hanging on the walls in my house are the art projects that Zoe and Miles have been doing.

Zoe’s favorite thing to do is arts and crafts. She has been into it for over a year now and it just seems that her love for art grows every day. We went to the Children’s Musuem up in Everett and she sat right down to create the art project for the day. On that day it was wreath making. Miles had to run around and at the last minute decided to make one so all of the other kids had to wait on him to finish, but he’s quick. Details aren’t as important to him as they are his sister. Anyways, these home made wreaths are my wall decorations for the season.

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We have another great project that Zoe did all by herself. This one she did at the Fall Festival that our church had. Her brother could not be convinced to leave the bounce house for his life, so we had to separate. Dad took arts and crafts with Zoe and I took Bounce House duty. So here are more of Zoe’s creations hung up on the wall!

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The leaves are hanging to the right of our fireplace. My husband wanted to hang them on the mantel and I’m not ready to put nail wholes in the mantle above the fireplace. I love looking at their work every day. It just reminds me how creative the kids are. So if you are wondering what to do with all of those school projects, use some of them as wall art.

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