Winner announcement and some other stuff...

The Cash  Cow group giveaway has ended and a winner was chosen.  She has replied and claimed her prize, that winner was Krystal Larson, Yay Krystal.  Oh but don't be sad people I got some good giveaways coming up, one that has to do with flying,  so stay tuned.

The winner of the $25 Gift card is Lisa Brown!  Yay Lisa, you will be getting an email from me shortly. 

Hot Coupons for Baby and Kid Items

Print these coupons while they are available because they won't last long!  Click on the link below the picture to get the coupon!

$5.00 off Fisher-Price Kick & Play Piano Gym

$5.00 off Laugh & Learn Love to Play Puppy

$10.00 off Fisher-Price Musical Table

$20.00 off any Fisher-Price babygear swing

$5.00 off any Little People toy

Get them while they're hot!



Yester Year Soap Review and Giveaway

Every morning when I take my son to pre-school, we (the parents) are required to take our kids to the bathroom and wash their hands prior to them going into the classroom.  Although I think that this is a GREAT idea, and helps with preventing the spread of germs, the soap in the bathroom is horribly drying to their skin.  Not only that soap, but it seems like the soap in all of the schools is very harsh, drying, and chemically smelling.  I worry about all the stuff that their skin is absorbing throughout the day each time they wash their hands.  Since I know I can't control the soap that the schools, or any other public bathroom use, at least I can control what we use at home.  Yester Year Soap Company makes natural, mild soap the old fashioned way.  They add no artificial substances like dyes, parabins or preservatives to their soap.  They opt for organicall grown products and do not add detergents, alcohol, propylene glycol or any other chemicals either.  Just typing all those words made my skin itch, I don't even know what some of them are, so why would I want them on my children's, or my skin. 

My daughter has very sensitive skin, when she comes home from school her hands are very dry.  When she tries to moisturize with lotion, her hands get these red, burning, hive-like patches.  I hate that she has to use such harsh chemicals on her delicate skin.  Yester Year soap is so much more moisturizing and feels great on your skin, I might just have her take her own soap to school.  That's not all, their soaps smell amazing and look beautiful too. 

There are many scents to choose from, like mango, lavander and lilac.  You can buy one bar or a gift box, or even a year of soap gift. 

If you are wondering why these soaps are a little more pricey that what you would find at the store, it because each bar is hand made, by people not machines.  You are getting great quality ingredients made into a great product, the old fashioned way.  The Yester Year Soap Company is in Tennessee, so their products are made right here in the U.S.A.

One of my readers will win some wonderful soap from Yester Year Soap Company, just follow the directions on the the Rafflecopter widget below for your chance to win:

How We Do Cookies....

As some of you may know, I'm a Girl Scout troop leader....and its cookie time.  Well the initial sales are over and the cookies were available for pick up by us on Valentine's Day.  So we went to pick them up....

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And now the girls have to deliver them all....sheesh!



Help a Child be Ready for an Emergency #EnergizerCFK #CBias #ChampionsForKids

The Holiday season has long since passed, and with it our spirit of giving.  The winter months are long and cold (depending on where you live of course) and many people, especially children, are in need of the necessities that we sometimes take for granted.  Did you know that over 9 million kids suffer from non-fatal injuries every year, and that accidents are the leading cause of death for children.  Dangerous weather can cause hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries every year.  The Center of Disease Control recommends having a kit ready in the event of an emergency.  This kit should include things such as food and water, a flash light with extra batteries, medicine, a first aid kit, sanitation and personal hygiene items.  The kits don't have to be super fancy and most of these items can be purchased for a very small price.

There are some ways you can help provide such necessary items to children in need in your community.  Get together with your friends, family or co-workers to do a simple service project.  Put together some care kits that can be donated to schools, religious organizations or shelters in your community.  The care kits can include things like wipes, band aids, tissues, flash lights and batteries and some bottled water.  Get creative!  If you are not sure what to include, talk to some teachers or social workers to get ideas about what the kids in your area really need.

When you complete your project, report back to www.championsforkids.org/simple.  I will be participating in this project and will be donating my kit to Hand in Hand, a local organization that helps people in need. 

Remember that the Holiday Season is not the only very important time to step up and help out, necessities and emergency items are needed year round.  This is also a project that would be great to do with a Girl or Boy Scout troop!


This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias all opinions are my own

Tassimo Recall on Brewers and T-Discs

A While back I did a review of a Tassimo single cup brewer, well there is a safety recall on some of the brewer and T-discs.

In some of the brewers the T-discs can explode during brewing which can spray hot water and coffee grounds out.  I can tell you from experience that this is true, our first brewer did exactly that.  Fortunately Tassimo's great customer service did replace our brewer.  Right now what they are doing is sending out a replacement part for the recalled brewers.  For more information or to check if your brewer or t-discs are being recalled you can visit http://tassimosafetyrecall.com/



Flash Giveaway! Free Tickets to Today's Motorcycle Show in Chicago

The Progressive International Motorcycle Show is your #1 place to see get the latest Motorcycle news, products, and custom bikes. Already the largest motorcycle show around, this year is going to be bigger than 2011. More bikes, more products, and more learning opportunities.
The best thing about all the Motorcycle Shows is that they’re open to everyone - and a perfect opportunity to families together for a great weekend. Kids are more than welcome to the event, and children under 6 get in free anytime while kids under 11 are free on Sunday. Dads are sure to love the show, and Moms will enjoy all of the cool looking bikes.

There are several show features for you to enjoy, such as the Dream Pavilion,  Smage Bros Stunt Show, Ultimate Builder Custom Bike show with a $90k prize, and Kawasaki Design-a-Bike (perfect for kids). The Marketplace is a showcase where you’ll find the latest aftermarket parts and accessories for bikes, and the main exhibit floor features what’s new with your favorite motorcycle manufacturers.

One of the biggest shows is in Chicago this weekend.  I am offering a discout of $3 off with the discount code “MOTOINF”.  I am also doing a super Flash Giveaway for a Family Pack of tickets to todays show.  All you have to do is leave me a comment below with your email address and I will choose a winner at 9 AM.  Your name will be on a free entry list!  Please ONLY ENTER IF YOU KNOW YOU CAN ATTEND TODAY....if you are not sure then please let someone else have a chance.

The show is at

Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
 5555 North River Road
 Rosemont, IL 60018

Saturday, February 11 9:00am - 9:00pm

Sunday, February 12 9:00am - 5:00pm

For more details and to purchase tickets click HERE

Hurry, you have one hour to enter!

So Many Winners!!

Happy Friday everyone!  I have a whole list of winners to announce today.  I do have more giveaways coming up so if you did not win this time, don't get all down in the dumps, just try again!

Ok, so the first winner is for the Keurig prize pack which was a group giveaway sponsored by a group of us bloggers.  The winner has claimed her prize but just in case anyone wanted to know who it was, her name was Marjery Gail Jones, so a big congrats to her.

Next I have the winner of the Little Caesars Hot and Ready gift card, the winner is #49 Denise.  An email has been sent and Denise has 48 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

The winners of the Purex giveaway are #78 Vicki and #47 Allison, ladies check your email, I have sent you notifications.

And finally I have the winner of the $50 American Express gift card and Slim Fast coupons, but before I announce the winner I just wanted to let you know that I will have another giveaway just like this one in the near future.....Ok the winner is #108 Michael.  An email has been sent!

Thank you everyone for entering and congrats to the winners.

More than a Show its an Experience, #Quidam

If you checked in a few days ago, I posted that I was going to see Cirque du Soleils Quidam, right here in Chicagoland.  They are currently at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates and will be there through Sunday the 12th.  We have seen the show on DVD but were so excited to finally see this, one of Cirque's classic shows, live and in person.  I was really thrilled that I was also offered a chance to check out rehearsal and the backstage area prior to the show.  Jessica, the publicist for Quidam, gave me a behind the scenes tour and some really interesting facts about the show and it's performers. 

I apologise that some of my pictures are a little blurry, for the safety of the performers I could not use my flash in some areas.  The above pictures are of a rehearsal on the actual stage.  What I noticed is that most of the actors and performers are quite young.  Jessica later told me that there are over 22 different languages spoken within the group and the performers come from different backgrounds.  Some are former athletes, some come from generations of circus performers and some went to circus school.  The show is always touring with 10 weeks on and 2 weeks off.  I'm not sure I could handle all that, but I guess that is why the cast is so young, they probably don't mind all of the traveling.

Diversity on Demand and $25 Visa Gift Card Giveaway

Throughout the month of February, Black History Month, digital cable customers are just one click away from experiencing programming that portays the beauty and struggles that are such an important part of the African-American history and culture.  This experience is part of cable's Diversity on Demand.  Diversity on Demand kicked off on February first, focusing on Black History Month and will wrap up following Hispanic Heritage Month which is September 15 through Ocober 15th.  This special programming is part of cable's ongoing commitment and support of multiculturalism.  I think this would be great programming for families to watch together, with their children.

“The cable industry recognizes its responsibility and privilege to use the reach, power and influence of television, Internet and mobile apps to spotlight important issues,” said Char Beales, president and CEO, Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM). “In this case, cable companies and cable nets are bringing together rich resources over multiple platforms to provide customers with the opportunity to experience multiculturalism through history, drama, and fine story-telling. This February, Black History Month comes alive in the home with a click and cable looks forward to sharing the Hispanic experience with customers later this fall.”

Customers can head on over to the Diversity on Demand Facebook page, and by clicking "like" will receive programming updates.  You can visit the page at www.facebook.com/DiversityOnDemand. 

Black History Month programming for Diversity On Demand includes:

Milestones in Black History: 

A look at the history of the struggles and strife, the tragedies and the triumphs of African-Americans in the U.S., including programming on the Civil Rights era. Everyone in the family can get in on the learning with documentaries like “The Black List” examining some of the reasons for Black History Month. And kids young and old can take a trip back in time understanding the importance of historical events with “Seizing Justice: The Greensboro 4,” “On the Shoulders of Giants” and “Birds of a

Feather: Tuskegee Airmen.”

Profiles in Courage:

The biographies of influential African-Americans come to life with dramatic profiles and stories of acclaimed leaders and others who are not so well known—but perhaps should be, such as that of Lena Baker in “Hope & Redemption: The Lena Baker Story.”

Dramas:

Programs and movies like “Independence Day” showcasing award-worthy performances from notable African-American actors such as Will Smith. You can also explore and share real-life family relationship dramas like “Braxton Family Values.”

Hearth & Home: 

Savor shows like “Down Home with the Neelys” that provide a look at food and other aspects of modern African-American society.

Of the People:

Program content that exemplifies the contributions made by multicultural talent, shows written by, starring, directed or produced by African-Americans, like Morgan Freeman in “Million Dollar Baby.”

Powerful Portrayals: 

Storytelling has always been an important part of African-American culture. Drama fans can enjoy Black cinema offerings, which chronicle the challenges of African-American protagonists in a variety of ways.

That’s Entertainment:

Laugh along with comedy specials such as “Chris Rock: Bigger and Blacker,” while romantic comedies warm the heart. If music is your thing, there are shows and movies such as “Ray,” the remarkable story of one of America's true musical geniuses, Ray Charles, that look into the past, present music-making of African-American artists

One of my readers will win a $25 Visa Gift Card, all you have to do is follow the directions in the Rafflecopter widget below: