Right in time for Mother's Day 2010, Things Remembered has a long list of Mother's Day gift ideas to offer. One of my favorite gifts to receive is personalized sterling silver jewelry, so I was very excited to be able to review the Sterling Miracle of Life Necklace, which is adorned with CZ crystals and comes with a free keepsake box.

This sterling silver pendant comes on an 18" box chain and retails for $55. If you'd like to order this necklace online, make sure you check the shipping estimates which are shown on the bottom left of each product page. You can also visit your local Things Remembered store to make the purchase.

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Thank you to Things Remembered for sending us a sample necklace free of charge to base this review upon and for providing a second necklace as our contest prize.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive a personalized Sterling Silver "Miracle of Life" Necklace (ARV $55).

Limitations:

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing. You are not eligible to win this contest if you have won another Things Remembered giveaway in the past 90 days on this or another website.

How to Gain Entries:

Brows the Mother's Day gift ideas available from Things Remembered. Then leave a comment telling me what item you would love to give as a Mother's Day gift (other than the necklace reviewed in this article) AND tell me how you would have it engraved. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2) For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) For 2 extra entries, "Like" Things Remembered on Facebook AND post the answer for your mandatory entry on their Wall. Then leave a separate comment with the direct link to your post or to your Facebook profile.

4) Friend me on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Facebook profile.

5) For 2 extra entries, follow Things Remembered on Twitter AND Tweet the following:

“I'm following @Tremembered thanks to @_Karen of 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires.”

Then leave a separate comment with the direct link to your tweet.

6) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9) Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

10) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

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(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Monday, May 10th, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

If your household is as busy as mine, then you know that it is difficult to make sure each member of the family drinks enough water and eats the recommended servings of fruit everyday. It is nearly impossible to keep track of how much I consume myself, never mind four other people. Fruit2O Essentials flavored water seems to be the perfect solution to this problem. This product could easily replace sugary juices for my children, which I usually reserve for a treat, only my children will be able to drink this beverage daily.

Cranberry Raspberry

Strawberry Kiwi

Peach Mango

Citrus

Blueberry Pomegranate

Cherry Acai

Everyone in my household was surprised at the taste of this flavored water. It did not taste like water with a hint of fruit, but rather it was sweet and tasted like a punch. We received all six flavors to try. I am lucky I got a sip of two of the flavors because my husband and 6yr old son drank all the bottles of Fruit2O Essentials so quickly. I really should not complain because each bottle gives my family several of the vitamins and minerals found in two servings of fruit plus 1g of fiber. This product also contains no calories or sugar.

Adding Fruit2O Essentials to the grocery list is something I can easily commit to if it means helping my family be healthier. Here are some other small changes you and I can make according to celebrity fitness trainer and wellness expert Desi Bartlett . . .

1) Start your day off with water instead of coffee, juice, or another beverage

2) Keep yourself hydrated throughout the day with low-calorie fluids

3) Sweat once a day

4) Stretch or do yoga for 30 minutes twice a week

5) Leave yourself encouraging notes to stay active

6) Consume fresh, clean, foods and lots of water

7) Plan out the portions for your own meals and snacks ahead of time just as you would pack your child's school lunch

Fruit2O has partnered with the American Diabetes Association to help women make small changes such as these to better their health. Beginning May 14, 2010 Fruit2O will donate $1 to your local American Diabetes Association chapter in exchange for each pledge made to make a small change for the better. You can read the details on the Fruit2O Facebook page.

Thank you to Fruit2O for providing us with samples free of charge to base this review upon and for providing additional product for our contest prize. This article was written as part of a campaign for MomSelect.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive a one-month supply of Fruit2o Essentials water.

Limitations:

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:

Leave a comment telling me what small change you could make to take a baby step towards a healthier life. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2) For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND Fruit2o.com . Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

4) Friend me on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Facebook profile.

5) For 2 extra entries, share the link to this contest post on Facebook. Then leave TWO separate comments with the link to your Facebook profile.

6) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9) Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

10) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

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(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Monday, May 17th, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

When VoIP was first introduced and we owned our first expandable cordless phone system, my husband and I were impressed. Then when our old Uniden handsets stopped holding their charge and started dropping intercom calls from the first floor to the third floor of our house, the honeymoon was over. What use to be a major convenience turned into a huge inconvenience, especially when you had to run up to the 3rd floor to make an important phone call because that was the handset that performed the best. This is why I was thrilled to be able to review a VTech expandable phone system with DECT 6.0 technology.

1) The handsets on these phones are compact, sleek, and shaped so that they fit naturally in the hand.

2) I was pleasantly surprised that, in spite of it's thin body, the handsets still stand upright independently on a table or desk.

3) This phone has Bluetooth capabilities that allows you to answer incoming and make outgoing calls for up to two mobile phones from your VTech handsets. This is great for households that do not subscribe to a phone service and only use their mobile phones.

4) One of the most convenient features is being able to transfer the mobile phone book data for up to 4 mobile phones onto your handsets. VTech could not have made the transfer process any simpler. The one thing I would like to have seen is the ability to add entries into the mobile phone directory after it has been transferred. Instead it is a separate directory from your home phone directory, so if you want to manually add a contact, it can only be added to the home directory.

5) Normally, I would prefer to have all my phone numbers in one directory, but having a separate home directory is a must for this phone. The reason is because these handsets do not have speed dial. This is a basic feature I am having trouble adjusting to living without. Having a separate home directory at least allows me to keep the handful of important and frequently dialed phone numbers that I use to have on speed dial in a separate directory.

6) The sound quality of the DECT 6.0 technology is too good. The sound is crystal clear and the phone picks up every sound no matter how small.

7) The handset to handset intercom is a feature we cannot live without. I think my husband and I call each other within the house more than we make outgoing calls. I only wish I did not have to go into a menu to access the intercom and that there was a button to access it directly on the handsets' keypads.

8) Our previous phone system did not have a built-in answering machine, so we have voicemail included in our phone service. At first I tried to continue to use our voicemail, but there is something about this VTech phone system that makes it inconvenient. First, I need to dial our voicemail number to check it without the convenience of speed dial. Second, after I check the voicemail, the indicator that reads "new voicemail" does not disappear. You have to go into a menu to manually clear the alert. This might be fine for offices, but for home use, it was a lot of extra work. So I've switched us over to using the digital answering machine.

9) Since I was use to listening to my voicemail messages in my ear, I was surprised when I proceeded to check our answering machine messages and the messages played out loud through speakerphone. If you are concerned about privacy, then you will have to remember not to check your messages while having company.

Here are some other great features of the VTech DS6321-3:

• This cordless phone system is ENERGY STAR qualified
• You can set the incoming calls to the home and mobile phone numbers to all have distinctive rings
• Your handsets can be programmed for English, Spanish, or French
• Digital security makes your line more secure
• Wireless computer networks will not get interference from this WiFi-friendly phone system
• The handsets have a large easy-to-read screen display

This 3-handset phone system retails for $99.95 . The quality of the equipment as well as the sound technology is outstanding. If you can get past not having the convenience of speed dialing, then I would recommend this phone for a busy household. I am looking forward to possibly trying out a Bluetooth headset with this phone system.

You can purchase this phone right on VTechPhones.com where you can receive Free Shipping on all orders of $50 or more.

Thank you to VTech for sending us a sample phone system free of charge to base this review upon.

We have three contests to determine the winners for today! Let's see who the lucky readers are.

Welcome to our first Play To Learn Diner activity, where my 6yr old son demonstrated to me how much he actually knows about basic multiplication, division, and fractions by playing pizza parlor. I was reluctant to start off with this topic, but he proved my concerns to be unfounded.

Pizza Parlor Math Problems:

1. There are two people at the pizza parlor sharing one pizza. IF one person ate 3 slices of pizza and the other person could only eat 2 slices of pizza, THEN how many slices of pizza are leftover? (6-3)-2=1
2. IF 6 people want to share 1 pizza equally, THEN how many slices does each person get? 6 divided by 6 = 1
3. IF 2 people want to share 1 pizza equally, THEN how many slices does each person get? 6 divided by 2 = 3
4. IF 2 people want to share 1 pizza equally, but also would like to bring 2 slices to their friend who is sick at home, THEN how many slices does each of the 3 friends get? (6-2)/2=2
5. There are two people at the pizza parlor sharing one pizza, but they cannot agree on what kind of pizza to order. One person wants plain cheese, while the other wants pepperoni. IF they order one cheese pizza with pepperoni on half the pizza, THEN how many slices will have pepperoni on it? 6 divided by 2 = 3
6. There are two people at the pizza parlor sharing one pizza. IF the first person can only eat 1 slice of pizza and the second person can eat twice as many as the first person, THEN how many slices will be leftover? 1 + (2x1)=3, 6-3=3
7. There are 12 people at a pizza party. IF each person can eat 1 slice of pizza, THEN how many pizzas would they need? (12x1)/6=2
8. There are 9 people at a pizza party. IF each person can eat 1 slice of pizza, THEN how many pizzas would they need exactly? (9x1)/6=1.5

I was in awe that my 6yr old son did not get even mildly stumped until the very last question. Even then, he figured out the correct answer after 3 attempts. I completely under-estimated him.

Even though Luke is a little behind in his verbal skills compared to his twin sister, he definitely makes up for it with his expressions. You never fail to know what he is feeling by looking at him, whether it is excited, happy, or defiant.

Click here to learn how to participate in Silly Monkey Stories.

Click here to read all my Silly Monkey Stories!

If you have a Silly Monkey Story to share, sign Mr. Linky below with the link to your blog post (not the link to your main blog page). Please do not forget to visit the other participants and leave them comments to let them know you stopped by!

Our 6yr old has been a fan of yogurt since he was an infant. Now that he's a kindergartner, things have not changed. Yoplait Go-Gurt has quickly turned into a favorite of his and his friends. In fact, they opt for a Go-Gurt over a snack pack of cookies without hesitation. The special Spongebob summer edition containing Strawberry Riptide & Bikini Bottom Berry was a huge hit with my son and his friends. I am going to have to try freezing those for when the weather gets hot.

To celebrate the New Simply Go-Gurt line, which is free of artificial sweeteners, flavoring, and coloring, the first 30 readers to click on the widget below, will be able to try a box for free! After the first 30, any additional readers can snag a coupon to save $1.10 off a Simply Go-Gurt product. (The coupon for free product is not valid in California, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nevada, North Dakota and Tennessee.)

You should be able to find Yoplait Go-Gurt and Simply Go-Gurt products wherever Yoplait products are sold.

Thank you to MyBlogSpark for providing a product sample, information, and a prize pack free of charge for us to base this review upon and for providing another prize pack for our contest prize on behalf of Yoplait.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive a prize pack containing a coupon for a free Go-Gurt product, a pocket Etch a Sketch, a weekly planner and a seat back organizer.

Limitations:

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:

Leave a comment telling me how you simplify your life, especially on the days when your family is on the go. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2) For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND Simply Go-Gurt. Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

4) Friend me on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Facebook profile.

5) For 2 extra entries, share the link to this contest post on Facebook. Then leave TWO separate comments with the link to your Facebook profile.

6) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9) Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

10) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

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(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Thursday, May 6th, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

This year one of March of Dimes' March for Babies national sponsors is Famous Footwear. This popular shoe retailer is the only place where the Dr. Scholl's Inferno 2 walking shoes, the official shoe of March For Babies 2010, can be purchased. For every pair of Inferno walking shoes sold in-store and online, Famous Footwear will donate $5 to the March of Dimes up to $50,000.

The March of Dimes works towards reducing the number of premature births, infants born with birth defects, and cases of infant mortality. There are over 900 March for Babies events planned nationwide for 2010. To find an event near you, simply enter your zip code on the March of Dimes website.

For a limited time, the Dr. Scholl's Inferno 2 sneakers are on sale for just $39.99 in the color shown above.

If you would like to keep up to date on Famous Footwear's and March For Babies' progress, here are some useful links . . .

Famous Footwear on Facebook

Famous Footwear on Twitter

March of Dimes on Facebook

March For Babies on Twitter

Thank you to Famous Footwear for providing the prize for this contest and for sending me a gift card as a thank you for sharing this information with my readers.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive a $25 gift card to Famous Footwear.

Limitations:

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:

Browse the selection of shoes available for the whole family on FamousFootwear.com . Then leave a comment telling me what you would use the gift card towards if you won this contest. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2) For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND FamousFootwear.com . Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

4) Friend me on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Facebook profile.

5) For 2 extra entries, share the link to this contest post on Facebook. Then leave TWO separate comments with the link to your Facebook profile.

6) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9) Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

10) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

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(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Monday, May 10th, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

We took our children to Petsmart yesterday while running some errands. There were tons of cat toys reduced to sell, so I let the twins each choose one to give to our cats. Well leave it to my 3yr old daughter to choose the oddest catnip toy I had ever seen.