Monday, April 30, 2012

Mission CurrentChoice #Giveaway Win $50 for you and $50 to share at Walmart!

Go Green with CurrentChoice. They have a program that allows you to offset your carbon footprint by purchasing wind power for a year! You know you want to tread lighter on our Earth. So Find out what Goodwill Industries and others are doing using CurrentChoice.
Read this great post by Madame Deals to see how it's possible to Go Green with CurrentChoice! Then enter to WIN some green at Walmart!

Grand Prize: $50 Walmart Gift Card to WIN and $50 Walmart Gift Card to GIVE a friend!


About Our Sponsor: CurrentChoice



CurrentChoice is an online marketplace that helps residential and small business customers get the best deal by comparing offers from multiple energy suppliers. CurrentChoice lets you shop, compare plans, and sign up in one easy process.

Find out more about how Current Choice works on their website, blog or Facebook.


Here's How You Enter:

The Giveaway will open up on Tuesday 5/1 at 12:01 am EST and Close on Friday 5/4 at 11:59 pm EST.

1) Start at the Rafflecopter Giveaway form.

2) Complete the Mandatory entries.

3) Work your way through the links, entering contests at each blog as you go. These contests each have their own rules and end dates.

4) Complete additional entries towards the bottom and come back for additional daily entries!



Side note...It's not mandatory that you enter all the giveaways at each blog. However, doing so not only increases your chances of WINNING the other prizes, it increases your chances of WINNING the Grand Prize!



Mission Giveaway started with the $100 Story where with $100 several people received the help they needed. We are on a mission to help people! We have gathered a group of bloggers that want to make a difference. Together we are the Mission Giveaway Group!

To inquire about becoming a sponsor, please contact Amee or Dawn at missiongiveaway@yahoo.com for details. Take a look at our Media Kit to see what Mission Giveaway has to offer.

Are you a blogger that would like to participate in Mission Giveaway? Find out how you can join us.

The amazing Blogs participating in the event this week are:

My UnEntitled LifeSlop Swap, Madame Deals, Wheel n Deal Mama, Tammilee Tips, Moms Saving Money, Coupon Savings In The South, Couponing to be Debt Free, My Mommy's World, A Mom's Take - Reviews & Giveaways, The Centsible Family, Put A Little Umbrella In Your Drink, Organic Mommy Today, Stretching Your Budget, The Interrupting Cow, MyCouponLady, Go Momma Coupons, Klippin' Krazy Koupons, Insights by April, Planet Weidknecht, Utah Coupon Deals, CEO of Me, More 4 Mom's Buck, Meg's Moxie, Have Kids Will Coupon, Mystery Shopping Teacher, Deal Hunting Diva, Momondealz, Makobi Scribe, Mama Bee Does, Colleen's Book Nook,  Living At The Whiteheads Zoo, Money Savvy Michelle, Money Saving Michele, Susan's Disney Family, Taking Time for Mommy

Check out how entrants would pay it forward this week and enter your own comment:

.

Summer amazon blow out! 3 $200 amazon gift card giveaways




Oh yeah! We did it again! This time Acadiana's Thrifty Mom has teamed up with SaleCamel to bring you a super-D-duper giveaway for 3 amazon.com gift cards! Yes, 3 lucky winners will each win a $200 Amazon gift card! Be sure to finish all the entries so you increase your chances of winning! This giveaway runs from April 30 until May 21. This giveaway is sponsored by SaleCamel and hosted by Acadiana's Thrifty Mom and Baby Coupons & Stuff. Enter the simple rafflecopter form below.

GOOD LUCK!
This giveaway will be open to U.S. residents only. You must be 18 years old to enter to win. This giveaway is, in no way, affiliated with Facebook.

Bloggers sign up to win an iPad 3~~



Here is another great opportunity for bloggers, to participate in aniPad Giveaway for FREE!
Details are simple 
  • Create a post about the sign ups for this event, and link back to the form here.  http://www.mvmgroups.com/2012/04/blogger-sign-ups-for-ipad-and-tuxedo.html
  • Get a Facebook entry for FREE
  • Don’t want to post? Send $1.00 to contact@mvmgroups.com for your first Facebook link
  • Additional links are available: Twitter and Email Sub for $1 ea.
  • Event goes live on May 6 at 12:01 AM EST and ends 5/20 at 11:59 PM EST
  • You will find a link to all posting information in your form confirmation, so you can schedule right now!

Free Louis Vuitton Purse Giveaway Bloggers Invited


Bloggers You are Cordially Invited To Join this Free Event!

This will be an event to build our following. The hosts are going to vote on the social media option so will it be Facebook, Twitter, Blog Frog, Email, Pinterest. So you can bid to be the host and then you'd get to decide what link!

Follow the Rules:

1) You need to sign up in the form below
2) You need to promote this event sign up starting on NOW I want time to make sure the bloggers in the Mission Giveaway group and the Madame Deals Free event group get in first.
****** You will need to  grab this button and code to put it in a post and/ or your side bar ASAP. The blogger that brings in the most people will get a space after the folks that bid to sponsor the flash giveaway prizes and blogger prizes. (We will have a spreadsheet set up for your links in the document section of the madame deals events group) in case you forget to click on the link for the form HERE
Madame Deals Free Events
Grab our button:




Here is the page you need to link it to so they (bloggers) can sign up
http://wp.me/P1WZPw-oZs
3) The prize is a  Louis Vuitton Purse  because I recently bought a Louis Vuitton and well now I want to give one away.
4) The Event will take Place May 12- June 12th <————————
5) If you would like to be a host. I am accepting 5 others you may bid on the honor. Your name and blog link will appear in the html and you will hold one of the first five spots. (not required)
6) The money will be used as prize money for the bloggers and flash giveaways for the  event. I (Madame Deals) will cover the cost of the purse. I will also have my team manage the event and advertise the event.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/184006161717989/

JOIN the Facebook group to receive your html
You must be a FAMILY friendly BLOG
Fill out the Form make sure you scroll to the bottom to submit. If you are not sure if it worked do it again. Tell them My UnEntitled Life sent you!

Mother's Day Diamond Earrings #giveaway

Coupontrade.com and My Jewelry Box are offering an AMAZING giveaway in honor of Mothers Day! Mom is a such a girl, so who is her best friend? That's right, DIAMONDS!



CouponTrade.com is your new source for discount gift cards and NAME brand coupon codes. Now you can combine these discounts in ONE place to save more than ever before!



CouponTrade Diamond Earring Giveaway


For the most exquisite and wide selection of jewelry gifts this Mother's Day, MyJewelryBox.com is your number one of all jewelry stores that guarantees the best in quality, service at the most competitive prices. A Style for Any Taste; A Price for Any Budget; The Perfect Gift for Mom's Everywhere! Save 20%!

This stunning pair of 1/2 carat (ctw) diamond earrings boasts the luster of over five dozen round, brilliant cut blue and white stones and is delicately carved from 10 karat polished white gold. Fourteen luminous blue diamonds glimmer alluringly among a bed of fifty-two pristine white diamonds.



CouponTrade Diamond Earring Giveaway




Make this Mothers Day like NO other- Entry is simple! Just fill out the Rafflecopter Form Below!



#Win a Kate Spade Purse! #giveaway


What an amazing purse!! Are you ready to own this Kate Spade?
This Navy Kate Spade purse is valued at $425!
One lucky reader will WIN it!Everyone is able to enter to win!
**Powered by Madame Deals and Slop Swap**
Thank you to our hosts for helping run this great event:
I would love to win a Kate Spade purse. I've never had one! If you're like me, or even if you're not...enter for a chance to win this great bag. 
Giveaway will run April 30 12:01 am EST - May 10 11:59 pm EST
You have a lot of chances to WIN! Complete the mandatory entry and unlock the bonus entries.
Bonus entries are Facebook likes.
Wait for the Rafflecopter to load and enter below:

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Kitchen Aid Mothers Day #Giveaway



WELCOME TO THE KITCHEN AID MANIA GIVEAWAY!
We want you to win a white KitchenAid KSM150PSWH Artisan Series 5-Quart Mixer that we are giving away to one lucky reader! This would make a great Mother's Day gift to every one who loves baking or simply just being in the kitchen! This was made possible by Bay Area Mommy, American Family, My UnEntitled Life and some of the greatest bloggers!

I own an older version of this one. I love it. It makes my life so much easier. I can make bread, or mix brownies, it can even be a meat grinder. We get a lot of use out of this mixer!


KitchenAid KSM150PSWH Artisan Series 5-Quart Mixer
- Retail Value: $349.99
- Color: White
- 325-watt mixer with 10 speeds; 5-quart stainless steel bowl
- Tilt-back head for easy access to mixture
- 1 piece pouring shield with large chute for adding ingredients
- Includes flat beater, dough hook, and wire whip
- Measures 14 by 8-2/3 inches by 14 inches; 1-year warranty

Giveaway will run from April 29 at 12AM EST to May 9 at 11:59PM EST. Open to the US only. Must be at least 18 years old to be eligible. Enter below on the rafflecopter to win!


Friday, April 27, 2012

Date night at Chili's...Yes please! #CoronaRita

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Chili’s Grill & Bar for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
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My hubby and I have not had a date night in a while. We have 3 kids. Who has the time? We're making time next week. I. Can. Not. Wait. Our plan is simple. We are going to go to Chili's for dinner and drinks and then a movie (Hunger Games!).  I'm going to see if our couple BFF"s can go with us. The more the merrier for a couples night out, right?
Chili's has this new drink called a Coronarita that I want to try. Margaritas are one of my favorite drinks to order. If I have their Coronarita Margarita then I can buy my margarita a beer! lol CoronaRita at Chili's is taking a margarita made with Jose Cuervo Especial Tequila and adding to it the Coronarita. It will go well with most any meal you can get at Chili's. My plan is to have it with their grilled salmon, baked potato and salad. That would be a great meal!
CoronaRita sm.jpg
What could be better? Celebrating love, long marriages, great friendships and hanging out with best friends at Chili's. Trying out their new CoronaRita is just a bonus. When you are celebrating does your family go out to eat like ours does? It is a really nice way to bring the family together for those graduations, girls night out, birthdays, etc.  Chili's is a great restaurant to go to for family gatherings. They have something for everyone.
My kids love to go there. My young daughter loves their chicken tenders. My two sons love their hamburgers or steaks. My hubby hasn't found a dish he didn't like and I haven't either. Make Chili's the place you celebrate your special occasions with your family. Leave me a comment telling me which item you want to try from their menu and why you want to try their new Coronita Margarita? Won't you buy your margarita a beer?

**Please always drink responsibly and  remember you must be 21 years or older to drink alcoholic beverages.



Visit Sponsor's Site

SEO problems? #Rankfixer is there.



As a website owner (and amateur constructor) I know how hard SEO is. You can work for days and if you do one thing wrong you can get penalized and have that rank fall. That is not what a website owner wants. Let me tell you we cringe and scream when it happens. Everything depends on our rank. Everything!

If you are wanting to improve your rank I know of a site that will help you. Rankfixer, for better search engine ranking, when you have to be on page one. It will allow you to see a side by side comparison of your website against another in your genre. Then it will show you what the other site is doing right and what you may need to fix. Want to rank higher in the search engines? Then this is the site for you.

Check out Rankfixer and try it for a free trial. You can't go wrong with free.


Thinking of Going to College?



Good, you need to go and obtain that degree. In this economy a college education will help you get that next better job. At a smaller community college you get as good of an education as you would at the big named colleges. You also get smaller classes. Flexible schedules? Yes, they have that too for us older students. If you need help to get money to go to college you can check out FAFSA.gov

If you have a family there are many community colleges in Miami. You can find one that would have the degree you are looking for. Make sure you check them all out before you pick your community college. They all have different campuses, different degrees and online classes. One will be perfect for you, your lifestyle and your stage of life.

Having a college degree doesn't make you a better person. But it does give you better opportunities in life. So before you dismiss college completely think long and hard. If you're graduating high school and just want a break take some online classes. Don't close the door on college, you can take a class or two and keep your opportunities open and your horizon expanding.

You never know until you try. If you're too scared to go back to college then try the online courses. I promise it will come right back to you. You will soon have the confidence that you can go to college and obtain that degree that you have longed to have. You can take all the time you need to finish a degree. Take one class per semester while you work full time and have a family. Do whatever it takes to finish college and get that degree.

A degree is something that can not ever be taken away from you. It does open doors to more possibilities that you were not even open to before. If I had never gone to college I would not have had the courage to be my own boss and work from home building my blog, my reader base, and learning html on my own. You can do anything you put your mind to it. Just have the courage to believe in yourself.

This is a sponsored post all opinions are 100% mine.

Seneca Oatmeal Review and #Giveaway

I received 2 2 pack samples of Seneca oatmeal for a review and giveaway. The flavors I received were Vanilla Peach and Apple Cinnamon. I'm not a big fan of the instant type of oatmeals. Especially not the peach ones.

However, because Seneca Farms is not instant oatmeal that makes a lot of difference for me. It's real oats with nice big chunks of peaches and vanilla flavor. The fake flavors from the other instant oatmeal does not have a good taste to me. The Seneca Farms oatmeal is full of real flavor and taste. They are 6 oz premade containers of real oats. They are made to just heat and eat. It would be perfect for my hubby or my children as they are starting their day at work and school.

I love that you do not add anything to the containers. No milk, water or anything else has to be added. Just vent the container and microwave for 45 seconds. Here are a few ways to get in touch with Seneca Farms.


Seneca Farms was kind enough to do a giveaway for my readers. Just enter the rafflecopter below to win. Good luck!

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Avengers are coming! #Giveaway #Avengers products

Marvel Comics is releasing the Avengers on May 4th. Are you ready? My boys want to go to see this movie so bad. To get us all pumped up we are able to give away a prize package. In this prize package you win: t shirt, 6 buttons and a pair of 3d sunglasses.






You have to enter to win. Good luck and let's get this giveaway going!



Hot Tub Mama #spacap



As a mom of older kids it's time to focus on me more. With Mother's Day coming up I'd love to talk to my hubby about getting a hot tub. If you have a hot tub maybe you can give me some tips. Because of the age of my house I want to tear my deck out first. I can't stand it and my 26 year old deck is in bad shape. With my deck torn down and a new patio put in then that would be the perfect place for my hot tub. (hint, hint...honey)

I noticed a lot of my friends have some of the older hot tubs. As I was doing my research I came upon SpaCap and they have all kinds of great replacement hot tub covers. One thing I observed is that they are custom made in the USA. How many products can actually say that? Their covers are very lightweight because they are made using air to insulate instead of foam. Foam can become heavy, saturated and break. These light covers are flexible and you can customize them to fit your hot tub.

I'll let you know if I can talk him into getting me a hot tub for Mother's Day. Check out SpaCap for all your hot tub cover needs.

This is a sponsored post for a hot tub cover company. All views and opinions are 100% my own.

Testing in our public schools

It's that time of year. My kids are taking the state tests this week. I'm a former educator and I'm appalled that they have now decided to make the tests part of their final 6 weeks grade. It's great for the kids that are good at taking tests. It stinks for everyone else. I just don't get it.

My first son was an excellent test taker. He still does great at school without even trying. My second son does ok. This is his first year of taking this test. I don't look forward to it being part of his grade. He may do fine. He may not. As a mom I think this is just a bad idea.

As a former educator I think this is a bad idea. Who thought this would be a good idea? That's what I want to know? Because it wasn't educators! We have become a nation of teaching to the test. We teach all year stressing what the test deems important. What does this test do? Stresses out the teachers and the students. If the students are stressed out are they taking the time to do their best on the test? No. I wish someone could just explain to me the rationale behind this.

I know we need accountability. I know teachers should be able to show they have taught this year. Isn't that what the principals are for? If we don't trust our principals to do their job then why do they have a job? The test taking in our country has just gone too far.

There are many children who do well all year long taking tests orally, or being given more time to finish their test, or being pulled out so that they have a quieter environment so they can finish their test. What we have accomplished is to show who the great test takers are. It doesn't show us what kind of job the teacher did or the child. What about the child with a really bad home life? He's not going to test well and in his life who cares if he tests well.

I think we need to rethink the way we are testing our kids. I don't know what the answer is. But teaching to the test and stressing out the kids and the teachers is not worth it.

Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil Review and #Giveaway



I was given a huge jar of Tropical Traditions Coconut oil to review. I love to cook but had no idea what to do with the oil. I found so many great uses. The one we tried first was I fried some pork chops in the oil and we had them for dinner with broccoli and corn. I very rarely fry foods but the fact that the Coconut oil is so good for you I decided to go ahead and do it. It was so good. My dh, who is so unbelievably picky, loved it. It gave it a mild but exotic flavor.

I then decided to make a yellow cake mix using the coconut oil and added some lemon juice and zest to the cake mix. Then added lemon juice and zest into a powdered sugar frosting and stirred. I drizzled it over the still warm cake. Oh my. What a delicious cake this was. I make lemon cakes all the time for my family. It is a way to enjoy cake and not put a heavy frosting on it. So in my own mind it's a healthier cake. The kids and adults both love it.

They gave me some invaluable links to use my coconut oil. Here's their recipes page for chicken. Chicken and here's a how to use the coconut oil video.



Now here's your chance to win the Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil for you to try on your own. Just enter the rafflecopter and here's luck for you to win!


Wednesday, April 25, 2012

50 Shades of Grey

Have you read it? What are your thoughts? I'm reading it now. It's the most risque novel (about bondage) that I've ever read. But I am enjoying it. If you've not heard about it it's on Dr. Oz today. Here's where you can order the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy by E. L. James:

Or just the first one!



I love that a 40 something mom wrote a book and it's made her a huge success. She's going to allow a lot of women to find freedom in things once thought forbidden. Way to write E. L. James. I love that your first book is going to be a blockbuster!

If you are easily offended then you may want to look at the reviews first. I know it's a work of fiction and am enjoying every second! lol




IPad users can win $100 for watching American Idol



Do you have an ipad? This is the contest for you. We are going to chat online during American Idol. You will need to make sure that you fill out this FORM and show up one of the nights for a lot of fun. It make American Idol even more fun!

You have the chance to win $100 just by watching idol, using the TV Dinner app (easy to download and use) and you get to talk with former idol contestants! Get your iPad and let's do this. Sign up you can play and win. Just sign up for tonight or tomorrow night! I played the week before and it was lots of fun. Especially hearing what the other idol contestants thought.

Multi-generational living

A small prediction: with the rise of healthcare in this country families will be choosing to live together to save money as a multigenerational family. We are already thinking this direction. My mom is not getting any younger and she wants us to purchase a home together. It's got me thinking about the pluses and minuses of families living together.

Plus:
Saves families money
Multiple families can share accessories/appliances/etc ie: freezer, lawn mower, food processor
allows for all members of the family to help care for the children (it takes a village, right)
Saves gas (run errands together, store, pharmacy etc)
Allows for more interaction with family members
Take turns cooking (yay me!)

Minuses
You have to get along.
Not everyone always lives the same way (one cleans and the other does not place importance on cleaning)
Personalities can clash

Well it looks like I have more pluses than minuses. We are seriously considering moving this direction. But I do worry about being in between my husband who has some OCD tendencies and my mother who could care less about cleaning anything. If anything happens I will be the one in the middle. So I'm not sure how/if we can work it out. We've talked about putting it all on paper and agreeing to terms. But you're not going to think of everything are you?

Anyone else got any pluses, minues, or ways they've dealt with being a multigenerational home? Please chime in and tell me your story!




UPrinting Giveaway


Before I went to Blissdom Bloggers Conference this year I made sure to order my business cards. I ordered them from UPrinting and these are my favorite business cards! If you're in need of business cards make sure you check them out. They come in lots of different colors, different fonts and you can even use your own pictures.

When I ordered my business cards I received them within 2 weeks of ordering and was very happy with the colors/fonts and the cards I had made myself. I love that you are able to make your own business cards on their site. If you are a blogger and will be going to conferences you must order some for your blog. It makes you look so much more professional.



Here's a few restrictions for the giveaway.


Restrictions:
1. This giveaway is open to US residents only, 18 years old and above.
2. No prize substitutions allowed.
3. Winners are allowed to win once over a six-month period.
4. Only email addresses used for the giveaway will be eligible to claim the prize.

Enter the rafflecopter below. Good luck and happy business card shopping!


Tuesday, April 24, 2012

One Less (think Sex Trafficking isn't happening here...think again)

Sex trafficking in the US is on the rise. In our county alone in the last two years we "know of" 50-100 cases that have been reported. You think about that. But we live in a nice area. It can't happen here. But it can. And it does. Think back to all the reported attempted kidnappings we've experienced in the last 4 months. There's been a lot. But you're just one person. What can you do? There's a lot you can do, even as just one person. Watch this video and we'll talk more.




Doesn't that give you chills. To hear the way they bring them in. It's like drawing a moth to a flame. Someone showing them love.
One less orphan, one less victim of human trafficking, one less victim of sexual exploitation, and one less victim of poverty.~One Less Ministries
To help get one less out of their bad situation won't you think about joining the One Less Latte Club. Donate the price of one latte (or ice cream, or eating out, etc) per month to give to One Less Ministries. This money goes to work here in the US as well as abroad. Lots of times when one is rescued she has no where to go. One Less is working on a plan for her. One less has many goals for this year. Goals that are very doable. Here's One Less Ministries goals straight from their site: 

  1. OLM plans to aid twenty children rescued from human trafficking in the Middle TN area, by providing them with food, housing, and court fees to prosecute their traffickers.
  2. OLM plans to award twenty five $500 adoption grants to families who have met the criteria and been approved for the grant by the selection committee.
  3. OLM plans to begin the process of creating a permanent safe place for recovery in the United States for children rescued from human trafficking located in Middle TN.
  4. OLM plans to aid ten girls once rescued from the sex trade in Southeast Asia by providing funds for their aftercare and housing expenses as a part of our global efforts to fight human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
  5. OLM plans to begin the process of starting an orphanage in Southeast Asia.
If we can keep one child off the street we can keep them from being trafficked. If a child runs away that child has the likelihood of being trafficked within 48 hours. If they are trafficked they're life expectancy is 7 years. Think about that. Let that sink in. 

How can I help? One thing I heard when I went on Saturday to listen to this ministry is that I have wanted to do foster care for a while. What if your home because you opened it to teenagers and foster care kept 1, 3, 6 kids off the street because of the love that they feel at your home. The most commonly trafficked age is 12-14. My son is 15 years old. That just sickens me. My husband and I are in talks to get prepared to open our home to another child. But I don't have the room for another child. They just need a bed to sleep in and a plate at the table. 

I'm in awe of this ministry and all they do. Won't you at least contemplate their goals, needs, and their One Less Latte Club? Thank you One Less for being there to help the ones who have been recovered and get them on their feet and well again.




Food Fights Review and #Giveaway



I was given a copy of Food Fights by Laura Jana and Jennifer Shu. I knew right away it was going to be a funny, smart book giving parents insightful information about feeding their children and yet they would arm themselves with humor and stories along the way. The byline is: Food Fights: Winning the Nutritional Challenges of Parenthood Armed with Insight, Humor and a bottle of ketchup! Oy, only a mom would write that. When my 2nd son was born the only way we could get him to eat meat was with ranch dressing. Oh, and telling him that every single meat was chicken. Roast beef, nope chicken. Hamburger, nope chicken. Moms of children all get the food fights that go on when your children are very young. Here's a how to book on handling it with the grace and dignity of a mom.

What the book Food Fights does it teaches you to pick your battles. Is it worth it to fight over x? These smart doctor moms know. How do you handle throwing food? Should you give heaping helpings? (uh...no!) How to eat out with your small kids or grocery shop! Should your kids go to nap with a bottle? (not unless you want them to have cavities) They even give us the what to do with a child who has lactose intolerance. Oh how I wish I had this book when my first born was a baby! I have lactose intolerance and never diagnosed it til my son was in the 7th grade and noticed he had issues too. Doh!

This is a must have book for any new parents. So in addition to What to Expect When you're Expecting they should also have a book on how to handle Food Fights. Want to win one? Enter the rafflecopter below and good luck on winning it! Here's a short excerpt:


WHAT’S LACKING IN SNACKING
What’s Not Lacking in Snacking
One of the biggest problems with snacks is, quite simply, that they typically
consist of high-calorie, unhealthy foods rather than nutrient-dense,
healthy foods. With fresh fruit all too frequently replaced by juice and
other sugary drinks, more candy, less milk, and the prize for the largest
increase in snack foods over the past 30 years going to chips and crackers,
what’s clearly not lacking in snacking is salt, sugar, and fat.
Smart Snacking
So now that you know what not to serve for snacks, we wanted to make
sure to impress on you the fact that snacking can and still should play an
important role in your child’s daily diet. Simply put, the right approach
to snacking can help keep kids from getting hungry and cranky while
also giving them added energy and (if you plan it right) added nutrients.
By following simple, smart snacking advice like the tips below, you
can ultimately help your child grow better, think better, and stay active
throughout the day and throughout childhood.
• Snacks should not be the exception to the rule that food, in general,
should have nutritional value. Make sure you commit to applying the
same noble goals in choosing your snacks as you (hopefully) do for
your child’s meals.
• Keep finger foods on hand. Finding foods that are quick and easy to
grab and serve is actually quite easy. Simply cut up some fresh fruits
or veggies; keep whole grain crackers, pretzels, or ready-to-eat (and
preferably low-sugar/high-fiber) cereals on hand; and then let your
toddler or older child handle the feeding part independently.
• Don’t be fooled by packaging. Labels on snack foods for kids, along
with sugary children’s cereals, seem to be the most commonly misleading
when it comes to nutrition. Don’t let creative labeling such as
“fruit snacks” or “low-fat” lead you to believe that sugary treats are
necessarily healthy.

• Figure out some “free foods” that your child can eat at any time. It’s
entirely appropriate to agree on some healthy “free foods” (such as
fruits, vegetables, yogurt, or hard-boiled eggs, for example) that your
child can sit down and eat whenever he’s hungry. Remembering that
your ultimate goal is to help your child learn to eat when he’s hungry
and refrain when he’s not, your role is to simply make very sure that
the criteria you use for creating this list is based squarely on the food’s
nutritional value.
• Keep junk food out of sight and out of mind. This means not
only limiting the amount of junk food you buy and allow into your
pantry, but also the amount of television your child is allowed to
watch. With literally thousands of television ads designed specifically
to make your child’s mouth water over unhealthy snacks and cereals,
turning off the television—not just when you’re eating but keeping it
turned off throughout the day—can go a long way toward preventing
unhealthy eating habits




Great tips for keeping the little ones eating healthy and now to enter the giveaway:

Monday, April 23, 2012

Mission Autism Awareness #Giveaway #missiongiveaway

Mission Giveaway started with the $100 Story where with $100 several people received the help they needed. We are on a mission to help people! We have gathered a group of bloggers that want to make a difference. Together we are the Mission Giveaway Group.

Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that typically lasts throughout a person's lifetime. People with ASD have problems with social and communication skills. Many people with ASD also have unusual ways of learning, paying attention, or reacting to sensations. It is part of a group of disorders known as Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). In most cases its causes are unknown. Today, 1 in 110 individuals is diagnosed with autism.

April is National Autism Awareness Month. Join with us to help create awareness for Autism.


Grand Prize: Special Ed. Mother's Day TOM Shoes to WIN

and a $50 Kohls Gift Card to Give




About Our Sponsor: Autism United



Here at Autism United we are dedicated to raising Autism Awareness world wide. We work to help educate and bring information, research and specialist studies to one location giving you a highly researched, resourceful website for your Autism Awareness needs. While working hard, we also dedicate ourselves to speak out and reach others in need of assistance and help them be heard. Autism United will also work to stay on board with other Autism Awareness sites and resources reaching out and fundraising to help with research and those in need of some help.

Please check back often to see our rapidly growing site that will hopefully become a recognized source for Autism Awareness. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Autism, please feel free to contact Autism United and share your stories, information or just to say hello. We’d love to hear from you!




Here's How You Enter this week's Giveaway:

The Giveaway will open up on Tuesday 4/24 at 12:01 am EST and Close on Friday 4/27 at 11:59 pm EST.

1) Start at the Rafflecopter Giveaway form.

2) Complete the Mandatory entries.

3) Complete any bonus entries by entering giveaways at each of the blogs participating (each giveaway will have its own rules and end dates.)

4) Come back for additional daily entries!



That's it! You have successfully entered this awesome giveaway! It's not mandatory that you enter the giveaways at all the blogs participating but doing so not only increases your chances of winning the grand prize, you could win tons of other cool prizes!

Good luck!!

Check out how entrants would pay it forward this week and enter your own comment:

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The amazing Blogs participating in the event this week are:

Slop Swap, Madame Deals, Wishful Thinking 24/7, Stretching Your Budget, Moms Saving Money, And The Little Ones Too, MyCouponLady, Melissa's Bargains, My UnEntitled Life, Makobi Scribe, Put A Little Umbrella In Your Drink, iSave A2Z, Klippin' Krazy Koupons!, Clippin 4 A Cause, Couponing to be Debt Free, Organic Mommy Today, Taking Time for Mommy, Money $aving Michele, Money Savvy Michelle, Planet Weidknecht, The Centsible Family, More 4 Mom's Buck, A Savings WOW!, Living At The Whitehead's Zoo, Coupon Savings In The South, Meg's Moxie, Mystery Shopping Teacher , Deal Hunting Diva, Coupon Crazy in Kentucky, The Adventures of J-Man and MillerBug, Couponista Queen, Deals in Heels, Heavenly Savings, Mommy's Money Saving Obsession, Insights by April, Go Momma Coupons, My Mommy's World, Colleen's Book Nook



To inquire about becoming a sponsor, please contact Amee or Dawn at missiongiveaway@yahoo.com for details. Take a look at our Media Kit to see what Mission Giveaway has to offer.

Are you a blogger that would like to participate in Mission Giveaway? Find out how you can join us.