No Keyboard? The horror!

Do you all KNOW how hard it is to be a blogger with a messed up keyboard?  I'm just sayin'...it means a few days of no posts!  It means a little bit of agitation and a lot of clean house!  I haven't been able to transcribe OR post, so I mean, what's a girl supposed to do??  Anyway, I promise, you new, awesome Voiceboks followers, I will be following you back as naptimes permit, and I'll get some good posts up here soon!  For now, I need to work on the transcribing stuff, but I CAN TYPE AGAIN!  All my keys are working fabulously!  (You really don't know how many times you use the "backspace" button until it decides not to work anymore!)

Some #Winners!

Congratulations to a few recent winners!

The winner of the "Win Win" DVD...

Shelley!!

The winner of the My Baby Clothes Boutique GC...

Diana R!!

The winner of the Batman Brave & The Bold DVD...

Hotsnotty2!!

Winners have been emailed and have 48 hours to respond!

Bright Starts: Having a Ball Get Rollin’ Activity Table Review

Little Miss Princess is growing up and getting big right before my eyes!  She loves to play with whatever toys she can get her hands on and especially loves it when big brothers play along with her.  We were given a chance to check out the brand new from Bright Starts Having a Ball Get Rollin' Activity Table™ which fits perfectly with her age (and Tiny Man's) and will grow with her!  I love baby toys that can capture their attention for more than a couple of months.  This activity table has easy to remove legs so you can play on the ground for a sitting baby or, with the legs on, use it for an early stander/cruiser and beyond!

This, my friends, is what I call a toy for all ages.  The box says 6-36 months, but in our house it can clearly go upwards of 55 months ;)  As soon as I pulled it from the shipping package, Tiny Man said, "Whoa!  Look!"  I couldn't get a picture sans kids, so here we go!  They were playing with it before I could get the packaging off!

I left it down at floor level for a bit so they could all play together.  I like that EVERYTHING on the table did something.  The alligator you can see has a mouth that opens and closes and it says, "Open, closed" and "Up, down" when you open it.  Very cute.

The balls were a HUGE hit with all of them.  The younger babies just love balls period, but Talker Man was having fun trying to guess which hole it was going to come out underneath.  When the table legs aren't on, the balls just fall out the holes and you can get them by lifting the table, but when the legs are ON, they fall down the chutes to be played with over and over.

Features:

There are over 60 different songs and activities across 8 play areas:

*Unique ball ramp swirls balls around the table before dropping them down one table leg
*Electronic book features fun phrases and melodies and flipping the pages changes from Play mode to Learn mode
*Open and close peek-a-boo gator features fun sounds
*Merry go round spins balls around while playing melodies
*Press and pop “1,2,3” teaches numbers and animal sounds
*Cute caterpillar piano plays music while teaching colors and shapes
*Turtle gears play the ABC song and other melodies when turned
*Fun fish bead spinner plays melodies and sounds
*Develops and encourages motor skills, while teaching colors, shapes, numbers, opposites, and animal names
*2 modes: Play Mode or Learning Mode
*Legs are detachable for floor play
*Bilingual learning for toddler: English or Spanish

So much fun, it's the toy getting the most attention around here at the moment.

Buy It!

You can purchase the Bright Starts Having a Ball Get Rollin' Activity Table™ in-store at Toys R Us on ToysRUs.com for $44.99.

Win It!

Today, August 25, 2011 through September 16, 2011, Bright Starts is hosting a giveaway on their Facebook wall and 5 entries will be chosen to win a Get Rollin’ Activity Table™!  Hop on over to "like" their Facebook page and enter for your chance to win!

Disclaimer: I was sent product from the above company in return for my honest opinion and review. No other compensation was received.

Baby Bottle Evolution and @NukUSA Bottle #Giveaway!

I found this pretty interesting because I sometimes wonder what moms may have used before modern day bottles!  I've breastfed all my babies, but sometimes a bottle is handy and helpful if you need to leave your little one or for whatever reasons you may have, so I wanted to post about it for all the mamas that read this because I thought it was pretty informative!

Win It!

Giveaway Prize: One NUK TrendLine bottle from the "Dots" collection.

Entries: I must be able to easily find an email address for the winner. If it isn't in your visible profile, please include it in your comment. If you're chosen and I can't find an email address, I'll be forced to choose another winner. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email before another winner is chosen.

This giveaway will run from today, August 24, 2011 until Wednesday, September 7, 2011.

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

Mandatory:
1) Tell me which "evolution" you found to be most interesting in the picture above!

Extras: (Please leave separate entries for each, each extra is worth 1 entry unless otherwise stated.)
2) Follow Cars, Trucks and Teething Rings via GFC.

3) Follow Cars, Trucks and Teething Rings on Twitter.

4) Follow NUK on Twitter.

5) Tweet this giveaway (1 extra entry per day, please leave the tweet link) To make it easy, feel free to use the Twitter button at the bottom of this post!

6) "Like" Cars, Trucks and Teething Rings on Facebook.

7) "Like" NUK on Facebook.

8) Subscribe to my blog feed.

9) Grab my button and display it on your blog.

10) Enter any of my other giveaways (1 extra entry for each giveaway entered, post separate comments)

11) Blog about this giveaway (5 entries, please post 5 comments)

Disclaimer: This giveaway prize is being sponsored by the above company. I received no compensation.

A Blogtastic Extravaganza 2.0! #ABE2

*** Please note that this post is a sticky post and will remain at the top of my blog for the duration of the event. All new posts can be found below! ***

If you tried to enter and the form wasn't working, please see the new entry directions!

I'm so excited to be a participant in the fabulous A Blogtastic Extravaganza (2.0)!!  I have a couple of fabulous prizes for you and simple, one method entry to make it possible for you to make it to all of the blogs on the list!

This event is only live for a short time, all entries must be in by August 21, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. EST.  There are 100 blogs on the Linky below and every single one of them has an awesome prize package just waiting to be won!  The total value on ALL of these prize packages is well over $10,000, so this is a giveaway extravaganza you DON'T want to miss!

Both of these prizes will go to ONE winner (hopefully you!!).

First is an amazing back to school package in the winner's choice of design from Lovable Labels!

This package (valued at $44.95) includes:

•15 Regular Sticker Labels
•80 Slimline Sticker Labels
•48 Press n'Stick Clothing DOTS
•12 Shoe Labels
•2 Mini-Metal Tags (two 4" silver ball chains included)
•12 Square Labels

The second part of this ABE prize is a $25 Amazon.com gift certificate to use for back to school or however you please!

Ready to enter?? Just complete the mandatory entry as a comment to this post, include your email address and you're good to go! Good luck and thank you for stopping by!

Win It!

Mandatory entry: Follow Cars, Trucks and Teething Rings via Google Friend Connect!

Click below to see the rest of the linky!

Heelys: Not Just For Kids!

You know you've seen them, whether it be the kids whizzing past you on the sidewalk or on a certain doctor in a certain television show (that I happen to love) -- they're Heelys, the shoe with wheels!  You may think they're "just for kids," but they're definitely not!  They can provide an amazing leg workout for adults too!

Now, I'm a little on the clumsy side, so my Heelys usage isn't superior, but I can say that in watching the tutorial videos and practicing, I'm getting better!  I can also say that my 4-year-old is completely jealous of mommy's new shoes, and I'm not sure how often THAT will happen.  The Heelys are super comfortable and built well.  I like a good pair of shoes for chasing the kids around and these can do double duty: Exercise AND practicality!

I really like that the wheels are removable.  I love the shoes, but I know that when I'm carrying kids around, I definitely DON'T want to be on wheels.  If I had the wheels in all the time, I'd likely be posting from a hospital bed ;)

As you can see, each shoe has a black "plug" of plastic that keeps random gunk from ending up in the hole and preventing your wheels from being able to do their job.  All you do is utilize the handy tool that's included with your shoes, (the tool is backwards in the picture, my apologies!) pop out the plug and pop in your wheel!

Nice and simple!  When you're done with the wheel, you can just take it out and put the plug back in.  It's a great feature for kids too.  If they walk to school, they can use the wheels to get there a little faster and take them out while they get to the building without having to bring an extra pair of shoes along.

You can get more information about Heelys by checking out the website or Facebook!  Let's not forget the Twitter either!

Buy It!

Whether you want to try a pair of Heelys for yourself or for your kids, Heelys is throwing a Labor Day/Back-to-School special in a couple of weeks!! Between Sept 2, 2011 and Sept 5, 2011 you can buy one pair of Heelys, get the second pair for only $30!

Disclaimer: In working with Business2Blogger, I was sent product from the above company in return for my honest opinion and review. No other compensation was received.

dENiZEN Jeans: Finally! Comfortable Jeans!

Jeans have been an issue for me lately.  Mostly since Little Miss Princess came to be, she did crazy things to my body, lol.  I'm having trouble finding jeans that really fit correctly.  Thanks to Team Mom, I had the chance to try the brand new dENiZEN Jeans (made by Levi Strauss) exclusively for Target!

I chose a pair of the Totally Shaping Mid Rise Boot Cut hoping they would help me out in the muffin top department.  Help they did!  Bye bye icky muffin top!  I do have a little bit of an issue with them rolling down under my funky leftover belly pooch thing.  As long as my shirt isn't too tight it's not noticeable, so not too big of a deal, but something I felt I should mention.  Overall, I really like them.  I'm not used to the mid rise, so it's taking some getting used to, but it's a change I need to make so I should probably try to get used to it a little more quickly!  I could definitely see myself purchasing another pair in a different wash, they're so comfortable and they fit well! 

I took a little bit of a guess in ordering jeans without trying them on first, but the size I ordered fit just perfectly!  With the stretchy, comfortable material they felt like they'd already been broken in and had no stiffness to them at ALL.  Since the wash is so dark, make sure you wash them alone or with similar colors, otherwise you may end up with some color bleeding issues.

Here's a bit more about the new dENiZEN Jeans:

Launched in the U.S. in 2011, the dENiZEN™ brand offers high-quality, fashionable jeans from the original jeansmaker Levi Strauss & Co. at affordable prices and exclusively to consumers who shop at Target. The dENiZEN ™ brand is outfitting a new generation of on-the-go families with a modern range of great-fitting jeanswear for men, women and kids.

dENiZEN™ jeans feature premium craftsmanship and on-trend styles for the entire family.
 

Buy It!

You can find dENiZEN jeans in your local Target store or on Target.com!

Disclaimer: As a member of Team Mom, I was sent product from the above company in return for my honest opinion and review. No other compensation was received.

Straight Talk

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Straight Talk for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
 
I love the idea of prepaid phones and we've had several that I've been happy with.  I keep hearing about Straight Talk on the radio and thought I'd look into it a bit more.  I love that with Straight Talk you really have everything you need, from text messaging and internet to the number minutes you choose.  The unlimited monthly service (including all those features!) is only $45!  I also like that you can purchase a whole year all at once for $499.  That would be perfect for tax time or whatever, you've managed to pay your phone bill for the whole year and now you don't need to worry about not having enough money to pay it or forgetting to pay it before your month is up.  Straight Talk makes it easy to call a friend, even if they're international!

Check out this real testimonial to see how much you can save each month by switching to Straight Talk!




Straight Talk phones have come a long way from the "crappy" prepaid phones you may be thinking of.  You can get reconditioned smart phones that have touch screens, app capability, voice navigation, cameras, music players, instant messaging and more!  Like they always say, mom knows best, and when it comes to saving money that's generally true, so mom's, go check out these great options in cell phones!

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Just For Teenagers #Giveaway

My favorite things to read as a teenager were the Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul books.  Now Chicken Soup for the Soul has a brand new version with 101 new stories, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Just for Teenagers!   

Teenage years are tough, but this book will help teens as they journey through the ups and downs of adolescence. Chicken Soup for the Soul: Just for Teenagers provides support and inspiration for teenagers as they grow up, reminding them they are not alone, as they read stories from teens just like themselves about the problems and issues they face every day. The stories in this book serve as a guide on topics from the daily pressures of life and school to love, friendships, parents, and much more. This collection will encourage, inspire, and amuse teens, showing that, as tough as things can get, they are not alone!

Buy It!

You can find this new release in hard copy at your local bookstore for about $14.95 or on Amazon.com for your Kindle for about $9.99!

Win It!

Giveaway Prizes: One (1) copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Just for Teenagers will be given to three (3) individual winners!

Entries: I must be able to easily find an email address for the winner. If it isn't in your visible profile, please include it in your comment. If you're chosen and I can't find an email address, I'll be forced to choose another winner. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email before another winner is chosen.

This giveaway is open to the U.S. and Canada.

This giveaway will run from today, August 19, 2011 until Friday, September 2, 2011.

Mandatory:
1) Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect and tell me who you'd like to win this for (yourself, friend, neighbor, etc).

Extras: (Please leave separate entries for each, each extra is worth 1 entry unless otherwise stated.)

2) Follow Cars, Trucks and Teething Rings on Twitter.

3) Follow Chicken Soup for the Soul on Twitter.

4) Tweet this giveaway (1 extra entry per day, please leave the tweet link)

5) "Like" Cars, Trucks and Teething Rings on Facebook.

6) "Like" Chicken Soup for the Soul on Facebook.

7) Subscribe to my blog feed.

8) Grab my button and display it on your blog.

9) Enter any of my other giveaways (1 extra entry for each giveaway entered, post separate comments)

10) Blog about this giveaway (5 entries, please post 5 comments)

 

Disclaimer: I was sent product from the above company in return for my honest opinion and review. No other compensation was received.

ABE2.0 Sponsor Post

It's that time!  There's really nothing like getting a preschooler ready for school...everything needs to be labeled!  Every.single.thing.  Every crayon.  Every marker.

We had the AWESOME opportunity to check out this amazing back to school package from Lovable Labels.

This package (valued at $44.95) includes:

•15 Regular Sticker Labels
•80 Slimline Sticker Labels
•48 Press n'Stick Clothing DOTS
•12 Shoe Labels
•2 Mini-Metal Tags (two 4" silver ball chains included)
•12 Square Labels

Love it!  We have a metal tag on his backpack and labels stuck on all of his stuff!  He can visually tell which things are his because of the sticker design and not just by looking for the first letter of his name (because it's the easiest for him to recognize).  It's a fabulous idea and a fabulous set!

Lovable Labels is one of our ABE 2.0 sponsors, huge thanks to them for the prize package to be announced!!

Disclaimer: I was sent product from the above company in return for my honest opinion and review. No other compensation was received.

Schick Limited Edition Intuition #Giveaway

Personalize your shave routine with Schick® Intuition Limited Edition handles. These razors allow you to personalize your everyday beauty routine with three hydrating and stylish designs including Pomegranate Extract, Naturals for Sensitive Skin and the Moisturizing Care Pack with Soothing Milk & Honey and Shea Butter. Schick Intuition is making smooth moves!

Schick® Intuition® is the only razor that lathers, shaves and moisturizes in one easy step. In fact 91% of women consider smooth, shaved legs as part of their year-round beauty routine, so why not make this experience unique to you! The four-blade enhancement allows for a precise shave and keeps your skin protected from nicks and cuts, while its enhanced skin moisturizing sold eliminates the need for shave gel, soap or body wash. Additionally, its slim design and rubber grip offers comfort and precision while shaving.

What I thought:

I first discovered Schick Intuition razors when I was pregnant -- it made it relatively easy to shave once the baby bump got to the point of "I can't see my feet, let alone try to shave my legs and hope I don't leave big hairy spots".  Now I like them because they're convenient and save me a little time in the morning.  I'm loving the new handles, they bring a bright punch of color into the shower or tub!

Win It!

Giveaway Prize: Two winners will each receive one (1) Schick Intuition Limited Edition razor!

Entries: I must be able to easily find an email address for the winner. If it isn't in your visible profile, please include it in your comment. If you're chosen and I can't find an email address, I'll be forced to choose another winner. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email before another winner is chosen.

This giveaway will run from today, August 18, 2011 until Monday, September 1, 2011.

This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S.

Mandatory:
1) Tell me why you want to try Schick Intuition!

Extras: (Please leave separate entries for each, each extra is worth 1 entry unless otherwise stated.)

2) Follow Cars, Trucks and Teething Rings via Google Friend Connect.

3) Follow Schick Intuition on Twitter.

4) Follow Cars, Trucks and Teething Rings on Twitter.

5) Tweet this giveaway (1 extra entry per day, please leave the tweet link - feel free to hit the tweet button at the bottom of this post!)

6) "Like" Cars, Trucks and Teething Rings on Facebook.

7) "Like" Schick Intuition on Facebook.

8) Subscribe to my blog feed.

9) Grab my button and display it on your blog.

10) Enter any of my other giveaways (1 extra entry for each giveaway entered, post separate comments)

11) Blog about this giveaway (5 entries, please post 5 comments)

Disclaimer: I was sent product from the above company in return for my honest opinion and review. No other compensation was received.

Batman: The Brave and The Bold Season 2 Part 1 #Giveaway

Batman wings into an exciting new era, teaming with a mighty honor roll of DC Comics Super Heroes in this action-packed series. Through the show?s season two 12 Animated Adventures in this 2-Disc Collection, the Dark Knight allies with Aquaman, Plastic Man, Blue Beetle, Red Tornado, Green Arrow, Wildcat, Deadman, Bronze Tiger and Atom to take on an array of evildoers ranging from mad scientists to intergalactic crooks, from power-mad dictators to out-of-control teenagers. 

If you've been a reader of mine for any length of time, I'm sure you've noticed by now that Talker Man is an absolute Batman JUNKIE!  He loves anything and everything Batman and we're slowly accumulating a large collection of Batman DVDs, action figures, books and more.  He very much enjoys watching Batman: The Brave and the Bold when we happen to catch it on TV, so when we had the chance to review season two, part one on DVD, I knew he would be excited!

Buy It!  

Batman: The Brave and the Bold Season Two Part One came out today so it's available on DVD now for your own little Batman!  Check it out at your favorite place to shop for movies!

Win It!

Giveaway Prize: One (1) copy of Batman: The Brave and the Bold Season Two Part One on DVD!

Entries: I must be able to easily find an email address for the winner. If it isn't in your visible profile, please include it in your comment. If you're chosen and I can't find an email address, I'll be forced to choose another winner. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email before another winner is chosen.

This giveaway will run from today, August 16, 2011 until Tuesday, August 30, 2011.

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

Mandatory:

1) Tell me who you would be winning this for!

Extras: (Please leave separate entries for each, each extra is worth 1 entry unless otherwise stated.)

2) Follow Cars, Trucks and Teething Rings via Google Friend Connect.

3) Follow Cars, Trucks and Teething Rings on Twitter.

4) Follow Warner Bros Entertainment on Twitter.

4) Tweet this giveaway (1 extra entry per day, please leave the tweet link)

5) "Like" Cars, Trucks and Teething Rings on Facebook.

6) "Like" Warner Bros Entertainment on Facebook.

7) Subscribe to my blog feed.

8) Grab my button and display it on your blog.

9) Enter any of my other giveaways (1 extra entry for each giveaway entered, post separate comments)

10) Blog about this giveaway (5 entries, please post 5 comments)

Disclaimer: I was sent product from the above company in return for my honest opinion and review. No other compensation was received.

Everwood Season 4 - On DVD Now!

The final season of the series set in a welcoming town in the Rockies is all about finding oneself?and finding each other. Here, in the 5-Disc, 22-Episode Season Four, the unforgettable people of Everwood test the ties that bind them together in joy and tears, friendship and love. Drawn by his feelings for Amy, Ephram returns home and mentors a troubled piano prodigy. When Nina chooses Jake over him, Andy struggles to remain friends with the woman he loves. Bright and Hannah make their unlikely romance work. The Abbotts open their arms to a new child. Intriguing characters arrive and beloved characters depart. Say goodbye to the place and the people that won your heart and discover how everything turned out!

Buy It!

Everwood Season 4 is available now on DVD!  You can find it at your favorite local store or online through Warner Brothers!

Disclaimer: I was sent product from the above company in return for this post. No other compensation was received.

A couple of #winners!

Congratulations to a couple of our latest winners!

The winner of the John Deere Roll 'n Go flashlight:

Amy W!!

And the winner of The Help prize package:

Anonymous!!

Winners have been emailed and have 48 hours to respond :)

@MyBabyClothes.com Review and $25 GC #Giveaway

I love, love, LOVE finding new little shops to check out for the kids!  Especially now that I have a girl ;)  When I was introduced to My Baby Clothes Boutique, I browsed for hours!  I have to say, I got hung up for quite awhile looking at the baby headbands.  Love them!  Little Miss Princess has quite the collection, but one more never hurts.  I found a good size selection of baby hats too, winter is coming up and a girl can never have too many hats!!

They have a fabulous selection of baby clothes, both boy and girl.  I found a few adorable things that Tiny Man would look adorable in, and, of course, TONS of things for Little Miss Princess.  I was allowed to pick out an outfit and I chose this super cute cow playset.  I adore the little pants!  Oh, I think I forgot to mention the shoes!  THE SHOES!  I have a little bit of a baby girl shoe addiction too, I have to say.  When I found these, that match the cow outfit, I was uber excited!  Unfortunately her size isn't in stock, so I'm keeping an eye out in case they come back in!

If I can rave a little more, I've started looking for her "perfect" first birthday outfit.  I've been eyeballing baby tutus and trying to decide whether I want to make my own or purchase one.  They have some super cute ones that match perfectly with little birthday shirts and onesies!  Big, poofy and gorgeous! 

Win It!

Giveaway Prize: One (1) $25 gift certificate to My Baby Clothes Boutique!

Entries: I must be able to easily find an email address for the winner. If it isn't in your visible profile, please include it in your comment. If you're chosen and I can't find an email address, I'll be forced to choose another winner. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email before another winner is chosen.

This giveaway will run from today, August 15, 2011 until Monday, August 29, 2011.

Mandatory:
1) Head over to the My Baby Clothes Boutique website and tell me what you would choose to spend your gift certificate on!

Extras: (Please leave separate entries for each, each extra is worth 1 entry unless otherwise stated.)

2) Follow Cars, Trucks and Teething Rings via Google Friend Connect.

3) Follow My Baby Clothes Boutique on Twitter (2 entries).

4) Follow Cars, Trucks and Teething Rings on Twitter.

5) Tweet this giveaway (1 extra entry per day, please leave the tweet link - feel free to hit the tweet button at the bottom of this post!)

6) "Like" Cars, Trucks and Teething Rings on Facebook.

7) "Like" My Baby Clothes Boutique on Facebook.

8) Subscribe to my blog feed.

9) Grab my button and display it on your blog.

10) Enter any of my other giveaways (1 extra entry for each giveaway entered, post separate comments)

11) Blog about this giveaway (5 entries, please post 5 comments)

Disclaimer: Thanks to Mom Spark Media and the above company, I was sent product in return for my honest opinion and review. No other compensation was received.

Cutesie Blog Designs Giveaway!

The fabulous Leah, of Cutesie Blog Designs (psst, she did my design ;) ) is having a 1000 fan giveaway celebration!  She hit 1000 Facebook fans and wants to give away a Cutesie Package to one lucky winner!  Go give her some love and enter to win!

Express Jeans: Women's Styles

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Express for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I'm in need of some new jeans.  The baby weight is (finally) beginning to fall off and so are my pants!  I need to go down a size or two and was looking at the great new women's jeans from Express!  Now, I myself can't seem to pull off the jean leggings, kudos to those of you that can!  I think I'll be sticking with my favorite dark wash flare jeans.  I'm kind of liking the colored jeans (below) although, again, the legging thing doesn't work very well with my body at the moment!

 
What's your latest favorite from Express jeans?  Boot cut?  Flare, like myself?  Can you pull off the leggings?  Maybe you're liking the wide leg look?  I'm so excited to NOT be pregnant this winter, I'll probably have to try on a few styles to see what I like best! 

Now through Monday, Express has all their jeans on sale!  Buy one pair, get a second pair at $29.99, and if you sign up for their email list you can save 15% on your next purchase.  I love a good sale, especially on jeans.

I don't want to forget to share with you, there's a great Express giveaway going on now -- for a limited time you can enter to win free jeans!  Express is going to be giving away 50 free pairs!  Is there a better pair of jeans than a free pair of jeans?  I mean, REALLY!  So head over there to enter now!

Walmart Gift Card #Winner!

Congratulations to the winner of the $25 Walmart Gift Card...

ellie!!

Winner has been emailed and has 48 hours to reply :)

MoGro.com/$25 Amazon GC Drawing

I'm very much investment clueless.  REALLY.  I know it's something I should know about and should be able to understand, it just doesn't seem to click in my head.  I had the chance to check out MoGro.com, and I think a few things may be clicking into place!

MoGro.com was started by Brad Matthews because over the years of working for major financial firms like JP Morgan, Citi, Bear Stearns, and Barclays, he got tired of not having a good option for his friends and family who came to him with investment questions. Over and over, he heard statements like “I just don’t know where to start”, “I know I’m supposed to be investing, but who has enough money for $1000 minimums”, and “I just want someone to tell me what to do- make it automatic!”.

We want to prepare for our future and our children’s future, but mortgages, college savings, and retirement funds can be overwhelming. Not to mention that 59% of American workers don’t have access to 401Ks or other retirement savings plans, through their employer to help them save for their future (think about all the freelancers, part time workers, consultants, and self-employed).

I definitely fall into that category, being self employed at the moment, and I liked checking out the options on the upcoming MoGro.com website!

It may sound a little corny, but I really like the style and colors of MoGro.com.  It makes me feel comfortable and not like I'm somehow out of place because I don't have thousands of dollars or wear a stiff suit to work every day.  (Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's not me!)

In a nutshell, MoGro is an online investing company that helps people grow their money. With as little as 5 minutes and NO INVESTMENT MINIMUMS, their non-biased tools will help users pick the absolute best investments for them and automatically invest their money (through bank-level secure transactions) with long-established, SIPC insured investment companies.  Completely worth checking out, in my opinion!

Win It!

MoGro would like to offer to run a promotion for you, my fabulous readers. They will host a random drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card for any of you who sign up within the first 5 days after this post goes live! (So you must sign up by August 17, 2011.) All you have to do is send them an email at Hello@MoGro.com with "Cars, Trucks, and Teething Rings" as the subject, the phrase “I want MoGro”, and your name, in order to be eligible for the drawing.

**Please note that this drawing is being done by MoGro and not by this blog, so I will not have the winner information, you will be contacted by MoGro if you're the one chosen!**

Disclaimer: I received a gift card from the above company in return for my honest opinion and review. No other compensation was received.

Win Win Movie #Giveaway

GET INTO THE RING WITH

Win a DVD copy of Win Win available August 23rd

Win Win comes to Blu- Ray and DVD from twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment on August 23.

Win Win is the story about a struggling lawyer and suffering high school wrestling coach Mike Flaherty (Paul Giamatti) delivers an amazing performance showing that in the game of life you can’t always lose them all. Mike struggles through life as a lawyer who in his spare time is a wrestling coach for the local high school where they can’t seem to win a single match. One day Mike comes across a teenage runaway named Kyle (Alex Shaffer), who through some investigating finds out he is a champion wrestler and the team begins to win. With allot of nagging he finally gets Kyle to join the team but his mother who is fresh out of rehab and flat broke looks to mess everything up.

Win It!

Giveaway Prize: One (1) copy of Win Win!

Entries: I must be able to easily find an email address for the winner. If it isn't in your visible profile, please include it in your comment. If you're chosen and I can't find an email address, I'll be forced to choose another winner. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email before another winner is chosen.

This giveaway will run from today, August 12, 2011 until Friday, August 26, 2011.

This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada residents only.

Mandatory:

1) For a chance to win your very own copy of this fun summer film, simply answer the following question:

What sport was Kyle a champion of?

o Boxing
o Football
o Wrestling
o Basketball


Extras: (Please leave separate entries for each, each extra is worth 1 entry unless otherwise stated.)

2) Follow Cars, Trucks and Teething Rings via Google Friend Connect.

3) Follow Cars, Trucks and Teething Rings on Twitter.

4) Follow Fox Home Entertainment on Twitter.

4) Tweet this giveaway (1 extra entry per day, please leave the tweet link)

5) "Like" Cars, Trucks and Teething Rings on Facebook.

6) Subscribe to my blog feed.

7) Grab my button and display it on your blog.

8) Enter any of my other giveaways (1 extra entry for each giveaway entered, post separate comments)

9) Blog about this giveaway (5 entries, please post 5 comments)

Disclaimer: I was sent a screener in return for this post.  No other compensation was received.

*Win Win* Printable Grocery List

"Win Win" is a "for adult eyes only" (a.k.a. rated R) movie coming to Blu Ray and DVD on August 23.  To celebrate the upcoming release, I have this super fun grocery checklist done up in the movie's theme!  In the movie, Jackie Flaherty (Amy Ryan) takes Kyle (Alex Shaffer) to the grocery store so he can pick up some items for his grandpa. This outing also  bonded the two a little closer as Kyle had never had a real mother figure in his life until then.

(Click on the grocery list to make it larger and printable!)

Come back tomorrow to enter to win a copy of this new movie for your very own!

The Days They Were Born #thedaybabywasborn

Baby's birth day is so full of memories we'd both like to forget (the pain!) AND remember (everything else!).  Unfortunately, it's hard to recall details from the day's events if you don't write them down.  That new baby makes you so tired you easily forget the little things!

Tommee Tippee has come up with a fabulous new free service/app called, "The Day Baby Was Born" which can help you keep those memories intact!  It creates a storybook for you to share with your child as he/she grows.  You can start during pregnancy to remember all the things you may want to remember and progress on through birth and beyond!  You can see a sample storybook at the link provided above, it's AWESOME!  I wish this had been around last year, or the year before, or the 2 years before that. ;)

Having the 3 kids so close together makes it really hard for me to remember individual things.  I try my best to write things down, usually on the calendar, sometimes on Facebook, but it would be so nice to have an app right there to record with while you're in the hospital!  The app lets you pull from Facebook too, so you can include all the well wishes that your friends have for your new little one.  I think that would be awesome to share with them as they get older!  People don't send cards as much anymore, so what a great way to show your baby how they were welcomed into the world!

Some of my memories from each of the kids being born:

Talker Man: He took forever to come up, my little face up/"I don't wanna leave mommy" dude!  I remember the first thing I said when he finally came out was, "He's OURS!"  LoL, the nurses all laughed, but it was such a relief that he was finally there and safe!
 

Tiny Man:  He was smaller than Talker Man was, so the first thing I said was, "Is he okay?  He's so small!"  (He was only a pound smaller, lol!)

Little Miss Princess:  Since she was our first little girl and the third little one in almost as many years, I'm pretty sure I said something along the lines of, "Hi baby girl!  I'm so glad you're finally here!"

I wish I could remember the smaller details, I wrote a short "birth story" after Talker Man was born, but he's the only one I really did that for.  I should try to do something similar for the other babies before those memories fade even more!  I think Little Miss Princess may like to hear about the day she was born when she gets a little older.  I don't know that the boys will care quite as much, but it'll be nice to have to look back on.

How about your baby/babies?  What do you remember most about when they were born?  Do you wish you could remember more?

Disclaimer: I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Tommee Tippee blogging contest for a chance to get a gift pack worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Diaper Adventures #SlipOnHUGGIES

Tiny Man is a hard one to get a diaper on.  Really, truly, DIFFICULT.  Tiny Man isn't his nickname "in real life" because he's just not tiny any more.  It WAS, when I first started blogging, but there we go, he up and grew. ;)  Now he has a few nicknames, but at diaper changing time it's usually "Come here run-around" for the obvious reasons.

Our daytime diaper changing routine typically goes like this:

1) Chase him down, diaper and wipes in hand.  He giggles the entire time, it's a big game don't you know!  If I'm lucky I can sort of corner him and tickle him (I'm sure I just add to the fun game of "Mommy can't get me to change my diaper!")

2) Keep the game going while I lay him down as a bit of a distraction.  (Yeah, right)

3) Hurry up, open the diaper, flip open the wipes so that everything is ready to go before he's diaperless.

4) It's a mad race to get his dirty diaper off, wipe him down and get a clean diaper back on him.  He's forever trying to roll away and likes to make it difficult.

First thing in the morning and right after/before nap time it's usually easier.  I change him in his crib so it's not as easy to take off and he'll generally lay there for me if he's tired/groggy.  He also likes it when I kiss his feet, so I'll kiss one foot, change his diaper, and then he's waiting patiently so I can kiss his other foot.  Funny, funny man!!

I'll give a quick example of the diaper change just prior to my sitting down to write this post.  I said, "Come here Mr. PeePee pants!"  He started laughing and took off running.  Around the living room we went.  He thought he'd be slick and take off behind the rocking chair where I couldn't fit, so when he popped out the other side I was ready in wait! 

I'm so glad Little Miss Princess is an easy change!  She's trying to make it difficult, rolling to the side to "talk" to whichever brother is trying to "help" me with the diaper duty, but she's not unmanageable yet!  I'm sure my time will come.

Now that I've shared my wiggle worm diaper changing adventure of the day, I'm sure you have one you can add as well! 

Disclaimer: I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Huggies blogging program, for a gift card worth $35. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

MAM Baby #Review

MAM has been making pacifiers since 1976 and we're one of their newest fans!  We were given the opportunity to try out a goodie box of MAM products for both Tiny Man (sippy cups!) and Little Miss Princess (pacifiers and oral care/teethers!).

Tiny Man has started pulling the 7 oz Trainer cup out of the cabinet whenever he wants a drink.  I think it's one of his favorite cups.  I like it okay, but he can make it leak when he wants to make a mess.  I like the Learn to Drink cup better for him, no leaks and a hard spout!  It's great to take in the car because I know it's going to be "safe" from spillage.

Here, Little Miss Princess is using one of the AWESOME MAM Perfect pacifiers, designed to help reduce the risk of misaligned teeth.  For that reason, this pacifier is very thin, but it works great and she loves it!  I generally keep this one in the diaper bag because it comes with a really handy box to keep it nice and clean, perfect for when I forget to toss a pacifier in her carseat before we leave the house!  She also got to try some of the MAM night pacifiers.  I'm a big fan of those too, they glow for HOURS making it really easy to find them in the dark without having to feel around or flip on a light!

This super cute Oral Care Rabbit is perfect for cleaning Little Miss Princess' mouth and emerging teeth!  It gets her used to an oral care routine and she doesn't mind it at all.  It's so much easier to use this than trying to use a washcloth wrapped around your finger, it's thinner and more comfortable for baby (in my opinion!) while getting the job done quickly and easily. 

Overall, we're enjoying the MAM products -- everything we got to try out was great!  I've just highlighted a few of our favorites for you here.  What are some of your favorite MAM items?  Have you tried them out recently?

Disclaimer: As a member of Team Mom, I was given the opportunity to review a selection of products from the above company in return for my honest opinion and review. No other compensation was received.