Season of Surprises American Express Surprise Giveaway
November 30, 2010 By 1,199 Comments
This Holiday Season American Express is all about the surprises. They have so many promotions going on it’s INSANE! You can win a trip home to see your family through their Home for the Holidays Giveaway. American Express supported small businesses with a twitter giveaway earlier this month, and you can Do Good. Gift Great with American Express’ Children’s Health Fund Gift Card.
For every card sold, American Express will donate the $3.95 purchase fee to Children’s Health Fund, a leading pediatric provider of mobile-based health care for homeless and low-income children and their families. Children’s Health Fund is dedicated to bringing health care directly to those in need through the development and support of innovative medical programs, response to public health crises, and the promotion of guaranteed access to health care for all children.
Now the big surprise is HUGE! $100,000 HUGE!
Every new American Express Gift Card purchased is a possible winner for the 100,000 grand prize. What do I mean? Log on to American Express Holiday and enter in all of your information, including your American Express Gift Card number and you will be entered into the sweepstakes. Each American Express gift card even has the chance winning one of 2,000 $25 Gift Cards or ten $10,000 instant win prizes.
Now for the most Fun!
I’m giving away 20 25.00 gift cards in total! I’ll draw 10 winners on December 13th and then 10 more winners on December 20th. You can win more than once. Let me say that again, you can win more than once!
Enter to win:
At least 1 gift card valued at 25.00 from American Express
To Enter:
Leave a comment telling me about the biggest surprise someone has surprised you with.
Extra Entries:
Tweet: RT @MomStart: Season of Surprises American Express Surprise #Giveaway http://bit.ly/ehC5Ct
Subscribe to my blog and Follow me on twitter
Follow me on Google Friend Connect
List this giveaway on any giveaway site, dig or stumble or use any of the share methods below facebook included (just leave a link to this post)
Blog About this Giveaway (linking to the giveaway (3 extra entries))
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This giveaway ends December 20th. All rules can be found under giveaway rules.
Active Life Explorer Explore the Lost City Sweepstakes & Wii Giveaway
November 30, 2010 By 283 Comments
Chiquita Banana’s Explore the Lost City Sweepstakes is almost over. Your chance to win a trip for 4 to the Bahamas and stay at the Atlantis Paradise Resort, Wii™ console, Active Life Explorer™ game, and a Chiquita Bananas Sports Package ends on December 5th. The Explore the Lost City Sweepstakes is Chiquita Bananas way of celebrating the launch of the new Active Life Explorer™ game for Wii™. At ChiquitaBananas.com you can also watch the game trailer preview video, or test your explorer skills in the exciting Gem Catcher Game.
About the Game Active Life Explorer for Wii:
· Active Life Explorer™ is a great new video game adventure for Wii™ where you can run, jump and slide your way through 24 exotic locations in search of treasure. Play alone, with a friend, or let the whole family join in the fun.
· Play with the Wii™ remote or Active Life Mat Controller to step up the action.
· Recommended for ages 6 and older, this game tests skills and enhances endurance, and makes a great gift for the holidays! Available in stores now!
You can increase your chances of winning the sweepstakes by inviting your friends to join you. Oh and when you enter the Explore the Lost City sweepstakes, you’ll have a chance to subscribe to the monthly recipe email newsletter which is free! Get tasty recipe ideas and nutrition tips from Chiquita delivered straight to your inbox.
I love games that are all about getting up and exercising. I’m supposed to be participating in a weekly progress report on how my health and nutrition is going and it’s not going well, not well at all. Could be ‘cause I’m always on my butt blogging and on twitter. So get active with me and get off that couch with a chance to win Active Life Explorer here on Mom Start.
Enter to Win:
Active Life Explorer for the Wii by Ban Dai
To Enter:
Visit Explore the Lost City Sweepstakes and tell me why you did or didn’t enter the sweepstakes.
Extra Entries:
Tweet: RT @MomStart: Active Life Explorer Explore the Lost City Sweepstakes & Wii #Giveaway http://bit.ly/fxZFkM
Subscribe to my blog and Follow me on twitter
Follow me on Google Friend Connect
List this giveaway on any giveaway site, dig or stumble or use any of the share methods below
Blog About this Giveaway (linking to the giveaway)
Add my blog button to your sidebar.
This giveaway ends December 20th, I received a sample as compensation. All rules can be found under giveaway rules.
A Barbie Girl In A Billion Dollar World Barbie: A Rare Beauty
November 30, 2010 By 3 Comments
I was a Barbie fanatic growing up. I never wanted to let go of my Barbie dolls and grow up but thank goodness my parents knew what was best for me. Or did they? No, they did, I didn’t need a Barbie Doll Dream House at age 8 a mirror was a much better choice, but now I can relive the Barbie dream through my daughter. She has a Toy Story Barbie, and so does my son, so they can play Barbie together. She is getting new Barbie clothes for Christmas from her aunt, she’s making her some home made Barbie clothes. Isn’t that awesome? We can dress her and change her clothes and, wait, this is supposed to be about a book I think.
Oh and I think dh picked out a new Barbie for her in a purple dress. WINNER!
Ok, now onto Barbie: A Rare Beauty! When Sandi Holder met the 11½ inch tall American icon, Barbie was turning heads in her Red Flare outfit, a rich red velvet tent coat, and sporting the brunette Bubblecut she donned in the early 60s. Now owner of Doll Attic in Union City, CA, the celebrated Barbie doll expert is presenting her incredible collection in BARBIE: A Rare Beauty. I’m thinking Sandi made her fantasies into a profession. She used her dolls, “collection” have you.. to create the glamorous guide to Barbie’s first 50 years. In her book she showcases stunning vintage dolls, classic fashion sets, one-of-a-kind rarities, store displays and many never-before-seen items—all acquired by Holder during two decades of Barbie doll collecting.
Three Barbie dolls are sold every second according to Mattel and I would believe it. These staggering statistics, especially in today’s economic times, prove that Barbie is ageless, even after celebrating her 50th birthday in February 2009. Born Barbie Millicent Roberts, the doll first appeared at the New York Toy Fair on March 9, 1959. The 
sly, side-staring Ponytail Barbie doll wearing a black and white striped, one-piece swimsuit appeared seemingly out of nowhere amongst the era’s one-dimensional paper dolls and chubby baby dolls, selling for a mere $3. That same Barbie doll, shown in BARBIE: A Rare Beauty, earned Holder a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records in 2006 after it sold for more than $25,000 at a Doll Attic auction. Holder’s biannual auctions continue to be a mainstay of her business, offering some of the rarest Barbie dolls and accessories.
Reading Barbie: A Rare Beauty made me reminisce of my little collection of dolls that I had. I still love Barbie and everyone does. So Barbie: A Rare Beauty is the perfect coffee table book. It’s going to start conversations and you’ll have people looking at it never wanting to put it down. You’ll see them smile as they come to a page that reminds them of the doll they used to have. Holder’s book is fun, informative, fabulous to look at and is a great read. The novice collector won’t be lost and the seasoned collector can find plenty to look at, including some never before seen items. It’s great for everyone!
About Sandi Holder:
Unlike the plastic megastar, Holder’s road to prominence wasn’t paved with pink boxes, pilgrim heels and ponytails. Two decades ago when her son fell seriously ill and Sandi suddenly needed to generate income while staying at home, she and Barbie got down to business. With such an impressive resume of over 100 positions, from fashion designer to school teacher to three-time presidential candidate, Barbie was the perfect silent partner in Holder’s plan. Immersing herself in all-things Barbie, she began attending doll shows, buying duplicates and assessing the market and was soon selling vintage dolls from two plastic milk crates in her garage. In 1989, she opened her Doll Attic in a storefront in the San Francisco Bay area.
Holder was named Mattel’s first Dealer of the Year in 2004 and was the 2006 recipient of Barbie’s Best Friend Award given by Mattel designer Carol Spencer at the National Barbie Convention. She has appeared on The Today Show and the Doll Attic has been featured in The New York Times, CNN.com, Newsweek, and others.
I was supplied with Barbie: A Rare Beauty in exchange for my unbiased opinion.
I feel Inspired…Great Wolf Lodge Eco Moms Event
November 30, 2010 By 5 Comments
I can’t believe it’s almost been a full week since Kristin (Our Ordinay Life) organized and put on The Great Wolf Lodge Eco Moms Event. I’ve been working on a small local event and I’m not even the point person like Kristin was for the Eco Mom event and I can’t imagine how she stayed organized and on top of things. Yes, first I have to tell you how amazing Kristin is.
Kristin is a mother to two adorable girls, a wife to a husband that cares about her very much, a college student almost ready to graduate with a business degree, and a full time blogger making a business out of what she does. But on top of all of that she is Passionate, very passionate about everything organic and teaching others how to share in her passion. She took her passion and made a Mommy Blogger Event out of it, that just amazes me, She amazes me.
The first night there we went out to eat at a local restaurant and everything they served was organic. OMG, the chocolate dessert was to die for. I shared it with my son, and my husband shared his with our daughter and it was gone in seconds!
Day 2 we were mostly on our own. Great Wolf Lodge provided each of us with a Magic Quest adventure, I finished one quest. Yeah, it’s tough taking a two year old and a 3 your old up and down the stairs, but it was so much fun anyways. They got wands at the Howl O Ween event that we attend the month before and the great thing about Magic Quest is that once you have the wand you can just have them re-activated whenever you return. Little kids use demo mode and everything still interacts with the wands.
That night, Kristin had an organic wine tasting party. That was lots of fun too and she handed out door prizes and tons of organic swag. As I said before, I can’t imagine the hours she spent organizing this event.
It isn’t often that you can attend an event where the whole family can attend. It makes sense though, that organic companies and Great Wolf Lodge (a family resort) would be invested in families and I’m very grateful for the opportunity and relationship I gained at this event.
On Day 3 we had the actual conference. I wasn’t able to stay for very much of it. It started off with learning from Great Wolf Lodge about all of their efforts to go 100 percent green. It’s taking a lot of time because it is a lot easier to be 100 percent green when you start with building the building that way, but I’m still very impressed with everything they are doing to get there. The water park can not be green certified because there are no green certifications for water parks. Check out Project Green Wolf to learn more about Great Wolf Lodge and it’s efforts to be green.
There is no waste in their water park and all water in the resort, even the water in the hotel rooms is heated in the same location. The only water loss is splash out by guests and they are using as many LED lights as they can making it very cost efficient to have rides that light up!
Then came all of the fun stuff that I’m sad to say, I missed out on like making butter, eating Nature’s Path Samples.
Gardening 101
Making Home made soap
making home made cleaning supplies
Special Thanks to : Great Wolf Lodge, Nature’s Path, and Organic Valley. There were many other organizations that helped with the Great Wolf Lodge Eco Event, they are all listed on Kristin’s site.
I feel inspired to start being green around my house. I’m going to be taking baby steps but I invite you to take them with me. I have a friend that is going to be sharing a green tip with us once a day for the month of December.
Be red and Green this Holiday Season!
What Are You Whipping Up Cool Whip Giveaway
November 29, 2010 By 6 Comments
It’s the Holidays and baking is a big part of the Holidays for us. Holiday baking becomes a family event in our house. I bet it is for all of you too. Kraft, Cool Whip, especially feels the same way. You know, a picture is worth 1000 words and I want to see your photos so in addition to the Cool Whip Dessert Contest I’m hosting, I’m also hosting a Cool Whip Kraft Twitter/Social Media Giveaway.
Show us your creations that you made using Cool Whip! If you visit CoolWhip.com you will find many fun recipes of things you can make extra delicious using cool whip. Like the Cool Whip Chocolate Ganache ready in 10 minutes. MMM.
Here is the whole process of Zoe, Miles and Andrew whipping up some Fantasy Fudge. (my excuse for not using cool whip is that thanks to that winter storm we had, yes it is gone, we haven’t made it back to the store yet) So we made Fantasy Fudge and I can’t keep my hands off of it. It was YUMMY! And Yes I feel it making an impact on waist but that’s not the point.
Enter to Win:
25.00 Visa and a one-year subscription to Food & Family magazine (both prizes provided by Kraft)
To Enter:
Tweet your photo @momstart using the hashtag #coolwhipislove
Ex: @momstart upload photo #coolwhipislove
Extra Entries:
Any use of the share options below, facebook, dig, stumble..you name it.
Then leave the link to how you shared your photo!
Kraft Foods is providing the prize for this program at no cost to me. This program is not administered or sponsored by Kraft Foods or its affiliates, but solely by Mom Start.
Morton Safe T Pet Ice Melt
November 29, 2010 By 155 Comments
Did you see we got a dog?
She is my early Christmas present. She’s also one of my newest reviewers here on Mom Start. Now that we have a dog we have to remember to buy products that are safe for her. I was invited to test out Morton Safe T Pet Ice Melt, and low and behold it showed up in the middle of SnOMG for Washington. If you’re on twitter then you’ll know what I’m talking about. Perfect Timing Morton!
Morton® Safe-T-Pet™ Ice Melt was developed with veterinarians to be safer for your furry friends. It’s completely salt and chloride free – so it won’t irritate pets’ paws or stomachs. Morton® Safe-T-PetT Ice Melt is also non-toxic, and it won’t irritate skin, so it’s better for people and plants, as well as paved surfaces.
Here are the Before Photos:
This is an after photo:
You can see how the ice melt is leaving behind holes. It continues as it spreads.
Then it makes the ice very easy to scrape off the sidewalk. I just moved some of it aside with my shoes as we don’t have an ice shovel.
Morton Safe T Pet Ice Melt Features:
Pet and people friendly: Veterinarian approved, chloride-free, non-toxic
Safer for environment: Better for plants and concrete than regular salt
Easy to see: Colored pellets provide clear visibilityMelts below 15º F
Available Sizes
8 lb. easy pour jug with resealable lid
What was really nice about using this was that when I went to walk the dog later that night the ice on our sidewalk and driveway was pretty much gone. So when I stepped out into the street I had forgotten that there was ice everywhere and I almost landed on my rear. Then the next day it snowed a lot, and our driveway was still really easy to walk on because there was not a layer of ice underneath the new snow. I’m really glad that I used it and liked that it worked.
It’s also nice to feel that Abby was safe from the ice melt. We’ve had dogs that ate chemicals before and saving their lives at the animal hospital was extremely expensive and worrisome.
When using the Morton Safe T Melt, you should wear gloves and wash your hands after usage. It is really easy to spread the ice melt because of the resealable container and the way you can just shake it out of the container, but you still need to take all safety precautions.
Enter to Win:
Morton Safe T Melt
Moton Swag Bag
Ice scraper
And a few other extras from Morton!
To Enter:
Visit Morton Salt and tell me what your favorite use of any Morton Product is..
Mine is making home made ice cream.
Extra Entries:
Tweet: Morton Safe T Pet Ice Melt #Giveaway http://bit.ly/gE8i13
Subscribe to my blog and Follow me on twitter
Follow me on Google Friend Connect
List this giveaway on any giveaway site, dig or stumble or use any of the share methods below
Blog About this Giveaway (linking to the giveaway)
Add my blog button to your sidebar.
This giveaway ends December 13th, I received a sample as compensation. All rules can be found under giveaway rules.
Would You Take A Walk In My Shoes with Walmart and P&G
November 27, 2010 By 95 Comments
I often wonder why people jump to conclusions and judge each other. Like me, yeah, I’m guilty of judging other’s and when I do, I stay up all night worrying about how cruel what I said was. Being a blogger, it’s reversed too. People don’t know anything about me other than what I write on this blog. But they are so quick to judge and write cruel comments. I know, I’m putting myself out there, but it still hurts. You should take a walk in My Shoes before you make a comment that could hurt! That’s advice that you should use on anyone you know, even strangers. Especially strangers, talking about the way people are dressed, or how they talk or look is just wrong!
This weekend, I had the opportunity to watch preview A Walk In My Shoes this weekend and it was really good. What a thoughtful way to enter the lives of a triangle of people. In A Walk In My Shoes Trish (Nancy Travis) a mother that is way to busy to pay any attention to her family becomes Cindy Kremer (Jana Lee Hamblin) a doting mother not able to make ends meet. When Trish becomes the mother of Mikey (Jackson Pace, a really cute kid with a lot of spunk) and Justin (Cameron Deane Stewart, who has family local to me) they are kicked out of their house with an eviction notice. To help Trish out, a crazy lady Molly (Yara Martinez) and a Marine Jake (Philip Winchester) trying to adjust to civilian life. Family movies always make me cry and this one had me crying in the first five minutes. It was a great movie of a family finding out how to deal with the death of their father, and finding a way to get back on their feet with the help of another family. This is not your typical “Freaky Friday” type of movie. Here only one person makes the trade as she learns not to judge someone before taking A walk in their shoes.
Filmed in Portland Oregon, A Walk In My Shoes is the next installment of Proctor & Gamble and Walmart’s Family Movie night. A Walk In My Shoes premiers December 3 at 8/7c on NBC. I was on the movie set of A Walk In My Shoes in Portland and I learned a lot about how Walmart and P & G plan on bringing Movie Night Back.
While there, I had the opportunity to meet the cast and some of my piers as we were on the set of A Walk in My Shoes.
MommyQ, Me, Actor Nancy Travis , EightyMPHMom, Betty Confidential, The Spohrs are Multiplying, and Our Ordinary Life
I was amazed at how it seemed like each person on the project felt like they have a stake and it is there personal responsibility to bring quality television back.
Me and Actor Nancy Travis
Philip Winchester and me
For family night to truly return to television, it is up to the viewers, the viewers are going to have to demand it. Unless we want to watch quality TV and refuse to watch crap, it won’t change. Help Family night make a come back and watch A Walk in My Shoes December 3rd 8/7c on NBC. You know, A Walk In My Shoes could become a great TV Series, tell me what you think?
Enter to Win:
A Walk In My Shoes DVD and CD (soundtrack)
To Enter:
Leave a comment on this post about your idea of quality television.
and/Or
Tweet: Would You Take A Walk In My Shoes with Walmart and P&G on NBC Friday, December 3 at 8/7C http://bit.ly/eP1RPm
and/Or
Share on any of the sharing methods listed below (1 entries for each one for each day) using
Would You Take A Walk In My Shoes with Walmart and P&G on NBC Friday, December 3 at 8/7C http://bit.ly/eP1RPm
I received a preview kit and I will receive a DVD and CD in exchange for this post. I’ve worked with Walmart and P&G in the past, they sent me to Portland to be on the set of this movie, but no other compensation has been accepted.
Work on Those Arms with Riiflex Dumbbells for Wii
November 27, 2010 By 1 Comment
Riiflex by powerplay is a great addition to any Wii video game, especially for any of the workout games. Riiflex is a dumbell set that weighs 2 lbs each. One of them is made just the right size for the Wii mote to fit inside. It is a perfect fit and with the sleeve of the Wii mote it’s actually just a tad bit tight. There is no worrying about the Wiimote falling out of Riiflex. The riiflex dumbbells interact with the sensor bar with no issues.
I let Miles help me out with this review and he told me that they were a bit heavy but he is only 2. I found them heavy after a while too but I’m quite a bit out of shape. I have no upper body strength. By using weights with any workout you are increasing your activity level and I’m all about that. I’m also very happy that gaming systems are getting people off of their buts and exercising.
Here are a few different angles of the Riiflex dumbbells.
Riiflex dumbbells retail $29.99 for a pair.
Riiflex Features:
- Adds 2lb. of resistance to your Wii workout
- Allows full functionality of Wiimotes
- Compatible with Wii Motion Plus and many aftermarket Wiimotes
- Durable, gym-quality construction
- Try it with Wii Fit Plus, EA Sports Active, Fitness Ultimatum, Golds Gym Cardio, Your Shape, My Fitness Coach, and more!
Why Riiflex over the competition?
- Compatibility: Most competitive products on the market today are not compatible with Wii Motion Plus, the latest motion-sensing attachment to the Wii controllers.
- Durability: Competitive products are made from cheap plastic and filled with sand or concrete for weight. Because they’re manufactured like toys rather than fitness equipment, these products typically crack or break with only moderate use.
- Usability: The most popular designs on the market require cumbersome installation that includes feeding cables through the end of the weight and attaching extra pieces to secure the controllers.
More About Riiflex:
The Riiflex 2lb. dumbbells are ergonomic, gym-quality weights that securely fit your Wii controllers to provide calorie-burning resistance while you play! Molded of tough polycarbonate, with cast-iron weights and a durable soft-touch rubber overmold, these weights won’t slip out of your hand and can withstand the rugged abuse of any household.
For even more information on Riiflex:
- Join Riiflex on their Facebook Fan Page:
- Follow Riiflex on Twitter
I received the products mentioned above free to me from the company mentioned above to facilitate this review, all opinions are my own.
DreamWorks How to Train Your Dragon Double DVD Pack
November 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment
We’ve been excited about How to Train Your Dragon since it came out in theaters. It was even exciting what Walmart and other companies did in honor of the movie How to Train a Dragon going out to theaters. The McDonalds toys put out for How to Train Your Dragon were so much fun to play with. How to Train Your Dragon Double DVD pack is an adventure and more. It is the first adventure of the Dragon training with Hiccup and the continuation that your family is sure to love.
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON Synopsis
A winner with fans and critics alike, DreamWorks Animation’s HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON rolls fire-breathing action, epic adventure and laughs into a captivating and original story. Hiccup is a young Viking who defies tradition when he befriends one of his deadliest foes – a ferocious dragon he calls Toothless. Together, the unlikely heroes must fight against all odds to save both their worlds in this “wonderful good-time hit.” (Gene Shalit, Today).
LEGEND OF THE BONEKNAPPER DRAGON Synopsis
Set sail for an all-new dragon adventure in DreamWorks Animation’s LEGEND OF THE BONEKNAPPER DRAGON. Hiccup and the Viking gang are back to battle Gobber’s archenemy – the legendary Boneknapper dragon – in this full-“scale” action-adventure. Shipwrecked on a mysterious island, the courageous kids devise a plan to capture the cagey creature…if he even exists!
DVD and Blu-ray
The DreamWorks Animation’s Dragon Double DVD Pack and Blu-ray/DVD Combo boast a wealth of Viking-sized extras. The Blu-ray includes the Animator’s Corner featuring Picture-in-Picture storyboards, behind-the-scenes footage and insightful interviews; a chance to uncover more dragon fun facts through pop-up trivia, build 3D Dragons, a race for the gold in the Viking Winter games, deleted scenes, a tutorial on drawing Toothless, a Viking personality test and much more fiery fun. The DVD includes filmmakers’ commentary and featurettes on the Viking-sized cast and the technical artistry behind the dragons. Offering tremendous value and hours of entertainment for the whole family, the Dragon Double DVD Pack and Blu-ray/DVD Combo will be available as low as $19.99 and $24.99 respectively.
DreamWorks Animation’s HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON Double DVD Pack
The HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON Double DVD Pack delivers more high-flying fun with bonus features including the following:
Disc 1:
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
• Filmmakers’ Commentary
• The Technical Artistry of Dragon
• Viking-Sized Cast
• DWA Trailers
Disc 2:
LEGEND OF THE BONEKNAPPER DRAGON
• Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes
• The Story Behind the Story
• Racing for the Gold
• How to Draw a Dragon
• Your Viking Profile
• DWA Video Jukebox
• Dragon Activity Center (DVD Rom)
o Build Your Own Dragons
o Viking Zone
o Links
I received a sample from m80 on behalf of Paramount Home Entertainment to use for my review, my opinions are my own.
