Saturday, August 29, 2009

Free Horse Safety DVD!

Here you can get a 50-minute DVD that will help you learn the basics of horse safety. This is great if you already have a horse.

Thanks Freebie Blogger!

FREE box of FruitaBu!!!


Remember FruitaBu, that delicious healthy snack for kids? Well here is your chance to try it out if you haven't already. If you have, I am sure you are a fan and you might as well collect a free box.
Go here to sign up and join the "FruitaBü Smoooshed Squad". If you do this you will recieve a coupon for any FREE FruitaBu product. Mmmm!

Friday, August 28, 2009

Some current deals!

REI has super deals going on as they are taking 50% Off of already reduced prices. What sweetens the deal even more is you can get Free Shipping if you have your package sent to your local REI store. All you have to do is pick it up.


Also Crocs are but 1 get 1 FREE plus 10-25% off. Oh, and did I mention Free Shipping! Go to Crocs.com for this offer. The codes are below.

25% off none-sale items: slx8797 - exp UNKNOWN
10% off any order: customerloyalty09 - exp UNKNOWN
Free Ground Shipping on all orders. No code required.

Mr. Linky

Wow, that week flew by. I cannot believe it is already Friday. We had so many things take place as we had family in town, mother in-laws 70th birthday and my youngest is now in a big girl bed. This was not by our choice, but it is working out... ok.

So let's see what giveaways are going on in the bloggersphere this week. Be sure to also enter the Maddison Avenue Soy Candle giveaway, which closes next week 9/1. There will be new and exciting giveaways next week, so be on the look out for those. Also I am going to share a cute decorating idea for a girls room that I think is fun.



Thursday, August 27, 2009

Piggy Paint IZEAfest Sponsor!!!


IZEAfest is just around the corner and I am already starting to prepare for the event. To help me I have some great sponsors. Recently, "Piggy Paint" jumped on board and will be sponsoring "Catch the Drift..." as well. I am really excited to be representing such a wonderful company. Being a mom of a little girl, makes me aware of all the toxics and chemicals in products. This especially concerns me when I know my little girl loves pampering herself. I was so happy when we were introduced to "Piggy Paint" kid friendly non-toxic fingernail polish.

Photobucket


"Piggy Paint" has been wonderful to work with and I am excited to have the opportunity to work with them more during this event. I want to give a big "Thank You" to "Piggy Paint" and their support!

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

"Back to School Contracts" by Stefani Mullen (Guest Post)

Guest Post by Stefanie Mullen of "Ooph"

With just two weeks left until school starts, I will begin the mad dash of getting the paperwork filled out, school supplies and clothes purchased, wrangling my kids back into a decent bedtime and MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL, the Back to School Contract. Hear angels singing?  You will soon.

If you don’t have a BTS Contract or as I like to refer to it, a Zip It Contract in your house, you are in for a treat. The sole purpose of the contract is to say ZIP IT to your sanity sucking kids when they start to get feisty.

For example, one of my children might say, “I can’t believe we have to go to bed, it’s only 9:30.”

I will point to the contract hanging on our family board and with a June Cleaver smile say, “Remember sweetie, you signed the contract.”  In other words, “Zip it.”

If we DIDN’T have the contract, the conversation would have gone like this.  “I can’t believe we have to go to bed, it’s only 9:30.”

I would begin with, “It is a school night, you need to get in bed.” 

He would say, “But why, all my friends stay up until 10:30?”

I then something so awful so disgustingly my mother would come flying out of my mouth, “IF ALL YOUR FRIENDS JUMPED OFF A BRIDGE”...you get the point.  Gross.

Thirty minutes later we would still be arguing and the whole thing would end with an eye roll, some comment about what an uncool mom I am and him slamming his bedroom door in my face.  Good times.

After dealing with that all summer, I am looking for some good old fashioned Zip It during the school year.

Below is a copy of our Back to School Contract: 

Bedtime:

Bedtime will be 9:30 p.m. for Noah every night.  You may read until 10:00 p.m., then lights out.  Bedtime will be 10:00 p.m. for Keenan every night.  You may read until 10:30 p.m., then lights out. This time is not to be spent on school reading, only extracurricular reading as your school reading will be done during homework time.

Chores:

Noah is to take the trash out as needed.  He is also to empty one drawer of the dishwasher per day. Your bed must be made and teeth brushed before we leave for school. Keenan is to mow the lawn as needed.  He is to empty one drawer of the dishwasher per day.  Your bed must be made and teeth brushed before we leave for school.

Television: 

We will flip The Switch on downstairs for the television after dinner and only after all homework has been checked and all chores completed.  No television before dinner.  Any extra time before dinner is to be spent outside practicing sports.

Xbox:

No xbox during the week. PERIOD.  On the weekends, you may play two hours per day. 

Computer:

You may use the computer instead of watching television. See “Television” for rules. If you are in compliance with the above rules, WITHOUT ARGUMENT all week, you may spend time over the weekend chillin’ with your friends.  If you are NOT in compliance, you may spend time chillin’ with your mom.

We all sign the agreement and while it doesn’t alleviate every argument, it gets rid of most and shortens the others. A quick reminder that my smiling face is all they will see the whole weekend and let’s just say they empty that dishwasher with an enthusiasm that rivals a Kindergarten Room Mom.

For more tips on making the back to school transition smoother, click here.

Stefanie Mullen is the mother of three boys -- a teen, a tween and a toddler. She writes about living life in a locker room at www.ooph.com. Stefanie is a writer for The Examiner and is the coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Girlfriend’s Soul.

"Hot On The Range Winner"

The winner of the signed copy of "Hot On The Range" is.....
#85 amyinkamloops said...

"Kids love horses, love to read about them and even make up stories to play. Pretending to ride, whether on an old saddle or on a suitcase in the living room, those little cowgirls and buckaroos make us smile." My little grandson love to play horsey. He often rides around a broom and pretends he is a horse. He would love this book.

You have been emailed and have 48 hours to get back to me. Congrats!

I am on Facebook Now!!!

Finally I got "Catch the Drift..." on face book. I will update on giveaways, sales, deals, post and more. Follow me....
Ma Snow

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Thank You "Got Free Ecards"!



I want to send out a BIG "THANK YOU"! to "Got Free Ecards" for sponsoring me partially at IZEAfest 2009. I could still use one more sponsor to cover what is left of cost, but I am thrilled to be working with "Got Free Ecards" some more. "Got Free Ecards" has been wonderful to work with in the past and has been very supportive and appreciative to bloggers.

"GotFreeCards" is a great resource for Free Ecards and also Free Printable Birthday Cards. Not only are these ecards colorfully animated, but they are also FREE! With summer ending and the cool weather around the corner, you may just want to throw one last BBQ before it's too late. Why not send an Ecard to invite your friends and neighbors. There is the perfect one already waiting for you!



Thank you again Sam, from "Got Free Ecards".

Monday, August 24, 2009

Ebeanstalk and Plan Toys review...



Recently I was introduced to Ebeanstalk.com. This is a wonderful site that will help you find the right product for your child and their age group. What makes their site so unique is they combine toy experts and moms opinions to find the top educational toys. Ebeanstalk selected me along with several other bloggers to review one of their selected toys. I gave them the age of my two children and was sent the Acticity Bus from Plan Toys who makes not only safe, but green toys as well.

The Review:
I was immediately impressed when I opened up up the box and pulled the bus out. The make was fantastic and I loved the bright colors. Both my children love the Activity bus. Right away my son began playing school with the people and the tiny desk and books that were included. This toy has been great for both of my children's creativity. It is also nice to see them learn to play together. Because of the quality, I know this toy will be around for a long time.


Ebeanstalk is set up so that you can find the perfect toy for your baby or toddler easily. Off on the sidebar you will find everything categorized by age, brand and more. Ebeanstalk also offers a selection of baby gear and accessories for all of you moms to be. You will also want to visit this site when planning your child's birthday as it will help you with favors and lists. They even have a calendar where you can schedule all the important birthday dates you need to purchase gifts for. Ebeanstalk then will aware you days in advance of this date, giving you time to search and purchase the perfect gift for the child.

Visit Ebeanstalk and sign up for their newsletter. This way you can get advice from their experts and hear of their promotional offerings. If you like the Activity Bus from Plan Toys, you may want to become a fan of theirs on facebook.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Last chance to win signed children's book!!!

This is your last chance to enter the "Hot On the Range" giveaway (ends 8/25). This is a wonderful story about animals on the farm. Any child who likes animals or horses will fall in love with this story.

Go HERE to enter!

Shop for reviews and prices at Pebble.com!

I am already brainstorming about what to get my toddlers for Christmas. One thing I think both of them would enjoy is a play kitchen. Before I make any purchases though, I want to know what I am buying and know I am getting it for the best price. This can demand hours of research on my part. Even worse is the regret after purchasing the item. Have you ever bought an item and then learn later on that it is 30% off or more at another store?

I have a found a site to solve all of these problems and more. Let me introduce you to Pebble.com. Pebble.com is a wonderful resource to turn to when you are in search of a product and a great price. When I enter Pebble.com I first typed "Children's Kitchen". After hitting the search button, a list of kitchen playsets and their photo's pop up. I really liked the "KidKraft Prairie Kitchen".


I then select the kitchen (KidKraft Prairie Kitchen) I am interested in and get a list of stores and their prices. Here is where I learn that Amazon Marketplace offers the lowest price at $105.93 while list price os over $200.00. "It's that easy"!

Another great feature you will find on Pebble.com is their question and answer feature. Here you can ask any question about a product or a brand and people like you will give their honest opinion.

I have really enjoyed using Pebble.com. It is amazing how one website can offer you so much information saving you all the time and money. The variety of products you can search is endless. At pebble.com you can learn more on electronics, children's toys, health & Beauty, office supplies and more. Head on over and take a look at an item you have been wanting to purchase.