Monsters are Coming to the Sears Centre! (Plus Ticket Giveaway)

The MONSTERS are coming to the Sears Centre Arena March 9th and 10th!  From what I hear this is a show that no one should miss.  This year the Monster Truck Nationals is coming with their 2012 Knock-Out Tour.  I have been lucky enough to be given the opportunity to go check out this show next weekend and we cannot wait!  I will also be giving away a family four pack to one of my luck fans, so keep reading... 

This show packs more action and destruction than ever before.  There will be 60,000 pounds of monster trucks competing in racing, wheelie, doughnut and freestyle challenges all which are looking to take home a championship.  The line up consists of TWO trucks from the LEGENDARY team BIGFOOT with the E3 Spark Plugs BIGFOOT which will battle the brand new BIGFOOT Bessie! Also on the fight card will be Star Marshal, Lucas Oil Stabilizer, Ironman and Chalkboard Chuck – the truck that wants your autograph!

Aside from the monster trucks you will witness another kind of monster.  A Jurassic dinosaur that will breathe fire and crush cars right in his mouth, TRANSAURUS!

Another awesome set of monster trucks that will be at the show are driven by the WORLD’S YOUNGEST MONSTER TRUCK DRIVERS at ages 6 – 14! Kid KJ will pilot Monster Bear in racing and freestyle against Jake driving Sir Crush A-Lot and Cassie in Demolition Diva!

And finally at the Monster Truck Nationals anyone with a ticket is invited to come two hours early for the FREE pit party! At the pit party you can get autographs, take pictures, meet the drivers, and see the monster trucks up-close, even touch them!!! This is any monster truck fans dream come true.  This year at the pit party you will get to enjoy a Live Country Concert from rising county star Jason Sturgeon as he performs songs off his first debut album and the 2012 theme song for the Monster Truck Nationals Tour titled “Time Bomb”  My family is so excited to see this show, they have been talking about it non stop.

Right now you can purchase a Family Four Pack of tickets, 4 sodas, 4 hot dogs and 4 fries for only $99!  That is super affordable and a great family night out.

The Monster Trucks event is March 9^th & 10^th at 7:30 both nights, doors open at 5:30 for the Pit Party.  You can purchase tickets by visiting the Sears Centre website at www.searscentre.com or by clicking HERE or by calling   1-888-SEARSTIX (1-888-732-7784).

If you are not in the Chicagoland area and would like to see if this show is coming to a city near you, click HERE to see their calendar of events.

Like I mentioned before, one of my readers will win a family 4 pack of tickets to the Friday night show (pit party is included)  All you have to do is enter in the Rafflecopter widget below:

Energizer Light Up a Life Champions for Kids, #EnergizerCFK, #CBias #ChampionsForKids

About a week ago I shared with you that I was participating in a simple service project for Champions for Kids.  This is my second simple service project, and this one focuses on keeping kids safe in the wintertime.  The goal of the project was to create a winter care kit for a child in need and to donate it.  I am again donating mine to Hand in Hand, which is a local organization that helps people in many ways.  They have a food pantry, a clothing closet and also offer prayer sessions for anyone that may need it.

I went shopping at my local Wal Mart for the items for my kit.  I had made a small list of items that I was sure that I wanted to include.  The rest of the stuff I was just going to figure out while browsing.  The things that were on my list included

• Bottled Water
• Flashlight
• Rechargeable batteries
• Hats

There were a lot of winter items that were on sale already which was great for me!  There was a large display with hats on in right as I walked in.

These cute colorful hats were only $.64, so I grabbed three of them.  You really can't beat a price like that. I didn't see any kids gloves though, so I kept on going.

 

Every child loves getting new toothbrushes, so I picked up two of these sets of two.  Great price, less than a dollar for two brushes, plus they are fun and colorful.  If a family is in need, they might be struggling to pay their bills or provide food for their family so simple care items may not be the number one thing on their list.

I knew I wanted to include some flashlights in the kit, but the only ones my Wal Mart had were ones that already came with batteries.  I grabbed two but I knew I would have to get some rechargeable batteries to go with them.

I grabbed these Energizer rechargeable batteries but there was one more thing missing....

A charger of course!  This one was great, it just plugs into the wall and it came with some more batteries so you can interchange them and always have ready batteries near by.

I had to pick up something fun as well.  Some simple coloring books and crayons are great for any kid, at any age.  There were so many things that would be great to include in a winter survival kit.  I kept on browsing and adding things.  I added things like chapstick, hand sanitizer, and cough drops.  I was thinking about what kinds of things help me make it through the winter.

I knew that what every family needs to make it through cold weather is some fever reducer and some nice warm socks!  The socks were on sale too, woo-hoo!  I of course, got some water, granola bars and gloves, if you want to see my entire shop you can visit my Google + album by clicking here

After I got home we put every thing into a nice blue gift bag that the kids decorated with snowflakes, and its all ready to go get donated!

Here is the finished product, had to re-pack it twice because I kept forgetting to include some items lol.  Finally got everything to fit and ready to go!

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

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....

\

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:

BabyGanics, Kills Germs Without Alcohol

Well, my daughter is home sick again.  I'm not surprised, there is so much nasty stuff going around right now that it was inevitable that one of the kids would be sick again.  The only thing I can do right now is try to de-germ the house and our hands, to keep the rest of us from getting sick.  I like to keep hand sanitizer out and handy for everyone to use, but I hate how dry it makes our skin.  I also don't like the alcohol in the stuff for other reasons....anyone else hear about young kids swallowing this stuff and getting admitted into the hospital with super high blood alcohol levels?  Yea, well they make it smell good, so duh, babies will try to eat it.  I was really excited to try BabyGanics Germinator, the foaming, alcohol free, hand sanitizer.

I love this stuff.  It is fragrance free (also available in tangerine scent), alcohol free, and still kills 99.9% of germs.  And its foam....which means its fun.  This also makes it last twice as long as the gel stuff.  If you are still not sure why you should choose natural anti-bacterial products, here is a little fact, there are 275 active ingredients in antibacterial products classified as pesticides....yup p.e.s.t.i.c.i.d.e.s.

I was really impressed with the bottle itself.  It has a wide base and larger pump which makes it easier for little hands to grip and use.  The Germinator can be purchased on http://www.babyganics.com/ for $6.99.  They also carry TONS of other natural baby/kid products such as hand soap, diaper creams and wipes, surface cleaners, laundry products and so much more. 

Right now they are also offering free shipping on orders over $28.  If you are not into shopping online, their products are available at most Walgreens locations and there is also a store locator tool right on their website.

I was sent free product for review purposes, all opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review

Hey Moms, Why so Frumpy?

Ladies, what is going on with us?  I can't take it anymore, everywhere I go I see the same thing....moms...in pajama pants, hair undone, no makeup, just bumming it, EVERYWHERE.   Why?  I guess I do understand, I have been there and done that.  You get up, throw your hair up, then ready, set, go!  Make breakfast, start the laundry, take kids to school, get the groceries...etc.  I get it, there is only so much time during the day to get everything done, and there is no time for us....right?  Wrong.  I lived that way too long and all it brought on was me feeling bad about myself, being in a bad mood, feeling sad and ugly.  I realized that no matter what I have to get done during the day, I have to take some time for myself.  Now I'm not talking about taking two hours and getting all done up, but enough time to get a quick shower, do my hair (girls, please, at least brush it) and maybe a little makeup.  It makes me look better which in turn makes me feel better.  I feel more confident.  As far as clothes, I do wear sweatpants sometimes but never pajama pants, plus I make sure they're clean....sorry ladies, too many of you that I see at the stores wearing things that need to be in the laundry.  I'm not trying to be rude or condescending, I just think we need to take some pride in ourselves, for our mental health.  Plus, what message are we sending to our kids when we roll out of bed then go run errands in our Hello Kitty pajama pants?  Geez, at this point even good 'ole mom jeans look better than dirty, ripped at the bottom velour pants, at least you took the time to put on some jeans.  Yes, I know beauty is not the most important thing, that our kids and our lives make us super busy, but really its not that time consuming to take a 10 minute shower and get dressed.  Am I wrong?  I know its not the 50's and we don't wear skirts and heels to clean our homes but at least back then women took care of their appearance, now its like no one cares anymore....Does anyone agree with me, or am I off my rocker?

Cash Cow Giveaway Event! Win $235....Cash!

Woot Woot!  Who needs a little moo-la? Well, welcome to the Cash Cow PayPal Giveaway! I have teamed up with some fellow bloggers to bring you a giveaway where you can win $235 PayPal cash! The contest is open worldwide, and anyone with a PayPal account can win. 

Enter on the Rafflecopter form below, and good luck!

Cirque du Soleil Presents Quidam, at Sears Centre

A few years ago, I caught a special presentation of Cirque du Soleil on PBS.  I had never heard of them before (I swear I don't live under a rock) but I knew that I really wanted to see them live.  Well I finally have an opportunity because Quidam, one of their spectacular shows, is coming to the Sears Centre.  Sears Centre is located in Hoffman Estates, IL, so its not that far away from me.  I have seen this show on DVD, but nothing compares to seeing it live and in person!

Quidam had its world premiere in Montreal under the Big Top in April 1996. Since that time, the production has toured on five continents and been experienced by millions of people. The international cast features 52 world-class acrobats, musicians, singers and characters.  I'm so excited to be going, the show opens on Wednesday the 8th and runs through the 12th of February, so there are plenty of nights to go see it.   The story plot is about a young girl named Zoe who is bored and her parents are distant and ignore her. Her life has lost all meaning. Seeking to fill the void of her existence, she slides into an imaginary world – the world of Quidam – where she meets characters who encourage her to free her soul.

Some of the acts in Quidam include Aerial silks, diabolo (Chinese yo-yo), German wheel, Aerial hoops, juggling and statues. 

If you would like to see this spectacular performance, you can get tickets by visiting http://www.searscentre.com/ or by calling  1-888-SEARSTIX (1-888-732-7784).