As previously promised, my review of an amazing arrangement from 1-800-Flowers. Their signature floral birthday cake may look good enough to eat, but it's actually crafted from fresh pastel flowers such as pretty mini carnations and cheerful poms. It arrived in a bakery box with a set of six candles and was one of the most beautiful flower arrangements I’ve ever seen. I showed it off to several people before giving it to my mother-in-law for her birthday and everyone was absolutely in awe of this unique, gorgeous arrangement. My mother-in-law thought it was gorgeous and was thrilled to take it home with her. It really brightened and her day and delivered birthday smiles, for certain.
1-800-Flowers’ Deliver Birthday Smiles campaign is underway and you’re encouraged to visit 1-800-Flowers on Facebook and on Twitter and to get involved. Send a smile to someone today and make sure and tell them about it on Facebook or Twitter along with telling them your favorite products. They would love to hear from you!
Thank you to 1-800-Flowers for sending us a complimentary sample arrangement to base this review upon and for providing a Savings Pass for our contest prize.
What you can win: One lucky reader will receivea $40 Savings Pass (which is similar to a gift card).
Limitations:
This giveaway is open toU.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:
Visit the 1-800-Flowers Birthday Center. Then leave a comment telling me the name of one arrangement or gift that you would love to send to a friend or loved one for their birthday.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.
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.
Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.
(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)
Random Drawing:
This contest will be closed onMonday, November 15th, 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.
For the past several years, we have taken the children trick-or-treating at a mall located in a nearby town. This year, dear friends of ours invited us to go along to trick-or-treat in their neighborhood. We even skipped passing out candy this year, since there were so few children out last year.
We had three very excited children. One wore a race car driver costume, another a red Jungle Fury Power Ranger costume, and the third wore a Disney Princess Mulan costume, complete with a headdress and light-up princess slippers. Although big brother was an old pro at Halloween etiquette, the twins have been practicing their "Trick or Treats" for days now.
Many people left large baskets or bowls of candy on their porches so that they could accompany their children out for Halloween festivities. Now why didn't I think of that?
I think our choices of costumes were almost perfect. All three children wore fitted pajamas under their costumes for extra warmth. Our little racer car driver turned out to have reflective stripes, which really made him easily visible. I do not think our little Mulan was warm enough and, although her shoes were darling, they had a very low heel that our 3-1/2 year old was not use to walking in.
The twins' little legs had no chance of keeping up with the big kids, so we ended up walking with them separately.
After an hour of walking, both big brother and the twins were ready to go home. Of course, once we were home, they got their second wind. All in all, it was a great Halloween and I think we created some very happy memories for the children.
I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Happy Halloween! Remember to have fun, but to be smart and stay safe!! I made these two Jib Jab videos a couple of weeks ago and wanted to share them with you. They are lots of fun to watch and I think our youngest son bears a strangely strong resemblance to Eddie Munster in the first one.
Enjoy! . . .
Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!
Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!
I made the attempt to take portraits of our three children for our Christmas cards last week. Let's just say that they are more suitable for Silly Monkey Stories than they are for Weekly Winners. Luckily I had a couple of other photos I can offer you this week . . .
"I'm Melting!"
"Time For a Nap"
Thank you for taking the time to view my photos this week! If you'd like to play along or see more great photos, stop by to see Lotus a.k.a. Sarcastic Mom.
We have been using a 2-gallon freestanding countertop water filtration system for almost exactly one year now. We have actually been very happy with it, but my husband and I have to remember to unplug it when it is not in use in order to reduce usage of standby power. That is why the Filtrete Water Pitcher is a near-ideal solution. It does not use any extra electricity to have room temperature or cold water since the pitcher easily fits in the refrigerator. The only thing it does not offer is instant hot water like our filtration system does, but that is just a minor inconvenience.
The pitcher comes with one Filtrete Fast Flow Filter plus a lid. Each filter last for 3 months and does an extremely good job at filtering out the chlorine and other things that make tap water taste metallic. When it comes time to change the filter, you can even recycle the used one.
It is amazing how quickly the water filters through. It only takes seconds to fill the 12-cup pitcher. My countertop filtration system takes minutes to filter that much water.
You can take advantage of Filtrete's knowledge by signing up for the Clear Advantages newsletter to have filter change reminders, tips for a healthier home, and special money-saving offers delivered right to your inbox. You can find more of the same by visiting Filtrete Water on Facebook and on Twitter.
I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Filtrete and received the water pitcher to facilitate my candid review.
As weird as it sounds, my boys love bracelets. Avery (9 years old) wears a plethora of silly bands every day, along with a slap bracelet, a Bakugan arm band, and a watch and Quinn (3 years old) wears just about the same. No, they are not girly boys. They just like boyish bracelets to fit their mood. When I heard about Ladybugs & Lullabies’ bracelets for boys, Cool Cuffs, I was thrilled to let my boys try them out. We had the opportunity to try out the Ring of Fire and Circle of Skulls printed Cool Cuffs in the smaller size, which fit Quinn, but were too small for his big brother Avery.
I was really impressed with the quality of the bracelets. They are thick and sturdy and I have doubts that they would ever break. They are definitely worth the $8 price tag on them, if your child will wear them. Quinn really, really loves his, and alternates them daily to fit his mood of the day. They’ve also been quite a topic of conversation among him and other kids and between me and parents. Most of the boys in his preschool class and in my daycare have been jealous and wanted one of their own. In my opinion, if your kid is a fan of bracelets, they would love these Cool Cuffs.
You can see all the prints available and purchase Cool Cuffs on their website, LadybugsAndLullabies.ca . These boys bracelets come in 7 different designs and each are available in two different sizes (up to 4yrs and 4-7yrs). These would make a great stocking stuffer idea for a big brother and a little brother.
Thank you to Ladybugs and Lullabies for sending us complimentary sample products to base this review upon.
We have three contest to draw the winners for today, but that is seven winners in all! Click on this link if you are looking for the winner of the Teagan and Mack Pearl Bracelet.
Congratulations to our 7 winners! I will be sending out official email notifications shortly. Please respond within 48 hours to claim your prizes. Remember that I will always respond to confirm that I have received your information. Have a safe and happy Halloween everybody!!
If you are seeking an alternative gift to toys this year for a child in your life, I think I have found a wonderful candidate. This children's rocking chair from Guidecraft could not have been a bigger hit in our house. I told our three children that this was a reading chair, as we keep it right next to the bookcase in our living room. All three children have been fighting over who gets the next turn to sit in this rocker. We actually had to create some rules about taking turns and how long each turn would be. Best of all, our children have been reading books more than ever!
Out of the 78 different children's rockers available from Guidecraft, I chose the Papagayo Rocking Chair because, although it has a tiny bit of pink in the design, this chair works for households with both boys and girls. Also, the dark wood trim and the earth tones really allow this chair to blend in well with the rest of the decor in our living room.
This chair does require assembly and it took my husband about 20 minutes to put it together by himself. He said that the most challenging part was lining up the holes in the seat.
This chair is made out of hardwood and is very solid and sturdy. It definitely falls into the category of real furniture, as opposed to toy furniture.
In addition to the turned legs and the whimsical paintings, one other detail I love about this chair is the raised relief. This gives the three animals a slight 3-dimensional effect and adds to the charm of this piece of furniture.
(Click on any image to enlarge)
The seat height of this rocker is 14", which is another reason why I chose this particular chair. Our almost 4 year old twins can just touch the floor with their toes, so this chair should last them several years. It is also still a great fit for our nearly 7 year old son.
Thank you to Guidecraft for sending us a complimentary sample product to base this review upon and for providing a second product for our contest prize.
What you can win: One lucky reader will receivea Guidecraft Papagayo Rocking Chair (ARV $110).
Limitations:
This giveaway is open toU.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 children's furniture offered by Guidecraft. Then leave a comment telling me the name of a piece or set of furniture you would love to gift to a child in your life this holiday.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, sign up for the Guidecraft e-Newsletter (at the bottom of the website). Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments telling me you did so.
5)For 1 extra entry each, follow Guidecraft on Twitter and/or "Like" Guidecraft on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment for each with the link to your Twitter or 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.
Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.
(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)
Random Drawing:
This contest will be closed onMonday, November 22nd, 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.
The owner of Teagan and Mack would like to extend a thank you to all the 3G2S readers who supported their contest by offering a generous 20% off discount code for those who are getting a head start on their holiday shopping for eco-friendly infant/toddler clothing and accessories. Through November 4th, 2010 you can receive 20% off your purchase (excluding the "package deal") when you checkout with Code: 3G2S.
Congratulations to our winner! I will be sending out an official email notification shortly. Please respond within 48 hours to claim your prize. Look for more contest winners to be announced later on today!
I have wanted a networked video monitor for the house for quite some time. I was excited to try the SVAT Digital Wireless Baby Camera when I had the opportunity. Although not truly a “networked” monitoring system, the SVAT provides wireless PC and mobile phone monitoring capability.
The unit is compact and well designed. The camera is orb shaped and nestles in a clever magnetic cradle. The camera can operate on batteries or with the provided AC adapter. The SVAT uses a USB dongle style wireless receiver with a short extension cable to maximize range and reception. I have no problem receiving video two floors away in the basement. Although I only have one camera, the software and receiver can monitor up to 4 cameras.
The field of view is fair but not huge, about 90 degrees. The SVAT offers daytime and nighttime use with the press of a button located on the camera. The image quality is grainy but adequate in both lighting conditions. There is a slight sound delay but not so much that it makes a major difference. The software is intuitive and simple to use and allows image, video, and audio capture.
Overall I like the SVAT Digital Wireless Baby Camera and for the price it delivers as promised. I can clearly see my kids and that’s what it needs to do. There are a few features that could be improved upon however. Firstly, you cannot turn the night vision on or off from your PC, you must go to the camera and press the button, not always convenient when your kids are sleeping. Secondly, the wireless receiver must be attached to a running PC to function. This camera would be infinitely more useful and convenient if the adapter could connect to your router making it a truly networked device.
You can find this and other types of baby monitors online at CSN Stores, where this SVAT monitor sells for $99.99 with free standard shipping.
We purchased this product with a gift certificate we received from CSN Stores as a thank you for participating in a previous campaign.
As previously promised, my review of an amazing arrangement from 1-800-Flowers. Their signature floral birthday cake may look good enough to eat, but it's actually crafted from fresh pastel flowers such as pretty mini carnations and cheerful poms. It arrived in a bakery box with a set of six candles and was one of the most beautiful flower arrangements I’ve ever seen. I showed it off to several people before giving it to my mother-in-law for her birthday and everyone was absolutely in awe of this unique, gorgeous arrangement. My mother-in-law thought it was gorgeous and was thrilled to take it home with her. It really brightened and her day and delivered birthday smiles, for certain.
