Uprinting Online Poster Printing Giveaway

Wow - I love Uprinting. They are offering my readers a free 16x20" Gallery or Museum Wrapped Canvas Print!


About Online Poster Printing:
Uprinting's Online Poster Printing specializes in printing high-quality posters using premium materials. We offer a money back guarantee on all our products, such as photo canvas prints, vinyl banners, wall stickers, and rolled or mounted poster prints.


Wouldn't this make a great poster :) Miss E. loves to go Fishing (and posing for the camera)!





Main Entry: To enter the giveaway, leave a comment describing what summer photo you would have printed.

If this rule is not followed your entry will be deleted or removed from consideration.
* US entries only
* Giveaway starts Monday 07/13/2009 and ends Friday 07/24/2009 at 11:59pm EST

Blog Winner Canvas Prints will be awarded by coupon code on Friday July 31, 2009. Shipping of prizes is not included and must be paid by winner. Online Poster Printing reserves the right not to print obscene or offensive materials.

Please submit an additional comment for each extra entry. For extra entries you can do any of the following:

- Follow me in Twitter @misaacmom and tweet about this giveaway
- Follow me in blogger, current followers eligible
- sign up for my feed - this is in the top right hand corner of my page, current subscribers eligible

- Winners will be contacted via email. WINNER MUST HAVE A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS IN THEIR BLOGGER PROFILE, IF NOT, PLEASE INCLUDE IN YOUR POST OR ANOTHER WINNER WILL BE DRAWN. If a winner does not respond within 3 days another winner will be selected.

UPrinting.com is responsible for prize fulfillment.

Horizon Organic Eggs

Horizon Organic Eggs are Certified Organic. What does this mean? The hens, their feed, and the eggs are not exposed to added hormones, antibiotics, or pesticides. The hens are even fed an organic vegetarian feed.

Horizon Organic Eggs eggs are produced on small family farms across the country - these are not caged hens. The hens are not confined to cages and are provided with access to the outdoors. You can learn more about Horizon Organic and their eggs at www.horizonorganiceggs.com

Want to learn more about Organic? Horizon has some useful and educational information posted about their commitment to organic. Why Organic? No pesticides, no hormones, no antibiotics. I truly wish I had started giving my kids organic products when they were little. I only recently started to research the advantages of a more organic diet. I have slowly started buying less processed foods and more natural ones, including more organic fresh foods. Horizon provides a nice summary of Health Benefits.

Have questions about organic eggs? Horizon has some great FAQs that are posted HERE.

Yes! to Carrots - Review

Yes to Carrots is a line of Paraben free bath and beauty products. Yes to Carrots has lines of facial, hand, body, lip and hair care that are created from organic fruits and vegetables.

There are actually 3 main product lines:

For Normal to Dry Skin - Yes To Carrots

For Oily / Combination Skin - Yes To Tomatoes

For Normal to Sensitive Skin - Yes To Cucumbers

I had the opportunity to try out 2 products:



Melon Lip Butter - This product is one of the best lip balms I have tried, if not THE best. I cannot stand when lip balms go on waxy and pull and tug at the lip. This went on smoothly and was light and silky in texture. It was nicely scented. I am very, very picky about my lip products and was extremely impressed with this product.



C Today or C you in the Morning Moisturizing Day Cream I really liked this product. It is light and smooth in texture. It has almost a whipped consistency but is heavier than most whipped lotions. Since I have switched to organic skin care I have noticed that I have less problems with my skin. My skin is very oily and acne prone, but I also battle the signs of aging. This is not irritating, moisturizing and did not make me break out. I also love that this lotion is enriched with Vitamin C which protects the skin.

If you are interested in finding out more about Yes to Carrots, check out their FAQs. While you are there, make sure to join the Carrot Club for up to date information on promotions, new products and other news!

Paint your Appliance Pink!

PartSelect.com, an online appliance parts retailer is hosting a special sweepstakes to raise awareness for Breast Cancer Research. Their goal is to raise $10,000 for the cause. The sweepstakes runs from July 1, 2009 – September 30, 2009.

How do you enter? If you would like to enter you simply have to paint a pink ribbon on any major household appliance and send in a photo of the artwork. For each entry received, PartSelect will donate $25.00 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, up to a maximum of $10,000.

Everyone who sends in a photo will be entered to win 1 of 3 Pink Prize Packages valued at $369.97, which includes a Pink KitchenAid Stand Mixer, Pink Mixer Cover and much more.

If you would like to help PartSelect.com reach their donation goal of $10,000, just check out the Paint Your Appliance Pink page for more sweeps details and enter for your chance to win!

warmwhiskers.com - Review

WarmWhiskers.com carries fun but functional animal shaped products that dually serve as herbal warmers/heating or cooling pads. From their website, "Warm Whiskers is a company dedicated to improving the quality of life of individuals by providing a product line that promotes relaxation, stress and tension relief, and comfort for the body and soul".

The heating pads and heating pad inserts are made with premium grains, herbs, and fabric. These give off a lovely lavender aroma - their products are also designed to retain heat longer.

My was Miss C. thrilled. My kids Love, Love, Love animals! Miss C may be too old for toys and blanket sleepers but she still loves anything cute and cuddly. We received the Polar Bear heatable Slippers - these were ADORABLE. They came packaged in a iridescent, transparent drawstring sack. The first think I noticed was the high quality construction.

Although I was tempted to keep them, I knew the right thing to do was offer them to Miss C. She has worn them every single day since I gave them to her last week. I asked what she thought of the slippers - she said they are "favorite slippers ever". She actually has been wearing them without the heating insert (very easy to remove and insert back in). The slippers come in sizes small (6-7), medium (8-9), and large, (10 - 11).

For your pampered princess (or yourself!), WarmWhiskers.com offers:
Neck Wraps
Slippers
Body Wraps
Eye Pillows
Pocket Critters
Body Pillows

And the fun doesn't stop there! They also carry items for Pampered Pets. If you are looking for a great gift for the gal (or kid or pet) that is hard to buy for, check out Warm Whiskers! From 4/11/2009 to 03/31/2010, 5% of sales will be donated to the Arthritis Foundation.

eyeglassholders.com - Review

I am new to wearing eyeglasses and keep forgetting to put on my glasses. I was thinking of making my own eyeglass holders from my bead stash but never quite got around to it. Thus I was more than willing to try out the eyeglass leashes offered at eyeglassholders.com

What I really liked was the variety of styles - romantic, earthy, vintage, contemporary, whimsical and more! I was able to try the Crystal Eyeglass Chain (pictured below) and Confetti Eyeglass Leash (pictured above).

In addition to eyeglass leashes, eyeglassholders.com also carry eyeglass necklaces, eyeglass pins and eyeglass cases. One of my favorite necklaces is the sterling silver and amethyst contemporary necklace.

These are both functional and a great accessory. The best part is the prices - thes eyeglass leashes start at only $12! Flat rate shipping is also only $2.95.

East Coast conference for Mom Bloggers

Visit Type-A Mom Conference



I have had disappointment over missing a blogging conferences due to timing or location. I was thrilled to find out that Type-A Mom is hosting one here in my home state of NC in late September. (in Asheville)

What are the benefits of attending a blogging conference?:
- The opportunity to network with other bloggers
- The opportunity to meet and potentially partner with companies interested in using social media to promote their brand.
- Opportunity to share resources, practices, and dilemmas.
- Find out what companies want (and don't) when working with bloggers
- Take what you have learned and use it! Increase readership, revenues, partnerships and your personal blogger network.


Posted below is a modified agenda for the Type-A Mom Conference.

Thursday Sept. 24th

9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Sign In and Welcome
Conference attendees can sign in to get their badges and swag bags.

4-6 p.m.
Company-to-Blogger Speed Dating
Companies meet bloggers. Both can brainstorm on how to best reach out to one another and work together, forming mutually beneficial partnerships. Great Networking opportunity!

6:30-9 p.m.
Type-A Mom Conference Welcome Reception
Relax, enjoy refreshments and appetizers while mingling with other attendees.


Friday, Sept. 25th

8 a.m.-9 a.m.
Food and Fuel
Light breakfast with coffee.

9-10:30 a.m.
General Panel
General conference panel, topic TBA.

11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Power Breakout Sessions
small, intimate power sessions - Power Blogging, Power Networking, Power Marketing and Power Earning.

12 -1 p.m.
Work-It Boxed Lunch
working lunch - box lunch provided. A great way to catch up on tweets, email and posts.

1:30-3:30 p.m.
Power Breakout Session
breakout sessions continued

4-5:30 p.m.
Asheville Photowalk

Varying times
Speaker Dinners


Saturday, Sept. 26th

8 a.m.-10 a.m.
Mom Market
Enjoy an Ashville treat - the Saturday morning market, Type-A Mom rendition. This market will feature select local foods, but also provide attendee moms a chance to show off and sell their mom-made wares.

10:30-11:30 a.m.
Power Breakout Session
Final breakout session.

12 -1:30 p.m.
Power Lunch

1:30-2:30 p.m.
Blogger Town Hall Meeting
Blogging ethics, spokesblogging, reviews (paid or not), etc.

2:45-4 p.m.
Keynote Address
TBA

5:30 p.m. until 9 p.m.
Local Beer and BBQ, Local Wine and Cheese Bash


Interested? I know you are! Find out more HERE!

Back to School already.

A few updates.....

The girls are already in their new grades. Miss E is in 2nd, Miss N. is in third and Miss C is in her last year at middle school. Even though we have been on the year round schedule for years, I still cannot get used to starting school in July. We track out the end of July and will be traveling, having visitors, and moving right back into Fall schedules in the middle of August.

All of my girls are doing so good in school. Miss C. struggled through middle school - my parents even helped us get a tutor for her. it was not until we switched to middle school that she started to do well and even excel - I she responds less to sitting in one classroom all day. The structure of middle school is what she needed. I cannot believe in 1 year she will be in high school.

I hate the school year starting so soon - the good sales literally start 1 - 2 weeks after they are already back in school. I can wait on the clothes sales but not on the supplies ones. The kids had to have the supplies and sales had not started yet so we went to Walmart. We were not the only other parents that had this idea - it was a mob scene. It took three lists of supplies, three kids, 2 parents and 2 carts to get the job done. The majority of the list for my elementary school kids are items to share with the other kids because some families cannot afford supplies. We spent about $250 last year and spent the same this year.

A new year brings new schedules - new teachers, new activities, new plans, new struggles, new accomplishments. It also means I have to start preparing for the holidays. With three kids, 4 nieces and nephew, 3 sets of parents/grandparents and 4 grandparents/great grandparents it takes some planning and creativity.

Hope everyone is well and enjoying the weekend! Thanks for visiting. While you are here, make sure you check out the current giveaways posted at the right. There are also some great summer end / back to school sales posted.

UPrinting - Custom Sticker Review and Giveaway

Are you a blogger or business owner looking for a fun and inexpensive marketing tool? Are you someone who loves to keep in touch with friends and family through more through formal handwritten notes? Uprinting.com may be a great solution.

Uprinting.com offers customized printed products for your business or home. Stickers are a great way to market your business or add a nice touch to written correspondence. I created the following sticker for my blog - you cannot see the edges with the white background but it looks like a business card with my logo in the middle. I cannot wait to receive these!:

For more information check out Sticker Printing AND Custom Stickers.


Uprinting has generously offered one Blogmania reader 250 customized stickers of their product. Shipping of prizes is not included and must be paid by winner. Shipping costs can be calculated by zip code and may be different than the default shipping codes.



Main Rule: Go to Uprinting and tell me how you would use 250 stickers!
If this rule is not followed your entry will be deleted or removed from consideration.
* US entries only
* Giveaway starts Wednesday 07/08/2009 and ends Tuesday 07/14/2009 at 11:59pm EST

Please submit an additional comment for each extra entry. For extra entries you can do any of the following:

- Add my button to your blog!
- Follow me in Twitter @misaacmom and tweet about this giveaway
- Follow me in blogger, current followers eligible
- sign up for my feed - this is in the top right hand corner of my page, current subscribers eligible

- Winners will be contacted via email. WINNER MUST HAVE A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS IN THEIR BLOGGER PROFILE, IF NOT, PLEASE INCLUDE IN YOUR POST OR ANOTHER WINNER WILL BE DRAWN. If a winner does not respond within 3 days another winner will be selected.

UPrinting.com is responsible for prize fulfillment.

Skin Free Skincare Products - Review and Green Giveaway 2

Skin Free™ Skin Care Products recently contacted me for a review opportunity. As I am on a constant quest to "go green", I happily agreed. Although I have switched out my cleaning products in my home and laundry room, I am still working on skincare.

Skin Free is distributed by Blue Ridge Gypsy Studio™. All of their products are designed and formulated by owner (and practicing pharmacist), Julie Hilton. Julie has over 30 years experience in compounding and natural skin care . She actually suffers from eczema herself and created a product line inspired by both her professional and personal life .

What Skin Free made from? Julie created formulations using naturally occurring vegetable oils and butters that contain indigenous nutrients, antioxidants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDS), and antibacterial agents. You cannot find these attributes in petroleum-based oils. Natural oils also come from replenishable sources, which is a great environmental concern. These products have:

• All Natural, Vegan Ingredients
• No Perfumes
• No Petroleum Products
• No Harmful Chemicals
• No Steroids
• No Colorants
• No Greasy feeling
• No Animal Testing, Cruelty Free

Skin Free is recommended for individuals with:

• Extreme Dry Skin
• Skin or Fragrance Allergies
• Psoriasis
• Dermatitis
• Eczema
• Pregnant Moms
• Babies
• The Elderly
• Diabetics
• Renal Patients
• After Radiation or Chemotherapy

I tried the following products.



Extra Moisturizing Soap & Shampoo Bar™ - 3.5 oz - $3.99
I tried this first. The density was somewhere between other natural soaps I have used and whipped commercial soap. Although it was lighter than other natural soaps in my collection, it had the same overall texture. The soap was soft and silky to the touch before running under water.
It lathered quickly and nicely and I felt confident using it on my face. This is also gentle and safe enough to use on my girls. Miss N. suffers from eczema in the winter and is VERY sensitive to bath bubbles, body washes, etc. We found that with proper treatment we can keep her skin healthy so she will also be receiving a bar of this for her own personal use.

* Tip - for facial use, carefully cut the bar into slices or cubes to stretch the life of the soap.

Super Moisture Body Balm™ - 8 fl oz - $12.99
I was surprised by this product - I was expecting a lotion but it was more of a lotion/body oil combo. I have switched from lotions to body oil in the summer so this actually worked well for me. The texture seemed greasy at first but was thick and absorbent. On the second application I found that a good shaking helped with the consistency of the product. My husband and I both tried it on our skin and were so confident in the results that we put it on our daughters after swimming. This actually worked wonders - the girls did not have the redness and dryness the day after that they have been experiencing all summer long after being in a chlorinated pool and the sun.

Niaouli Scrub for Blemish Prone Skin - 4 oz - $15.99
Again I was surprised by the consistency of this product - it was not a thick paste like most scrubs. Rather it was a thick gel like liquid and needed to be shaken before using. It immediately thickened upon shaking. Because these products are all natural and do not have chemical preservatives bonding the ingredients together the emulsifiers are natural and slightly separate upon sitting. A quick, firm shaking mixes the product effectively. (just make sure the cap is on tight!)

I have problem skin and am always struggling between fighting both breakouts and wrinkles. I cannot use anything too harsh for acne as it will dry my skin out. I also have to be careful with what moisturizers I use to eliminate clogged pores. This is sometimes hard to balance. This scrub was great. It had a slight menthol smell and was heavy on the granules. Huge plus! One of my pet peeves is a scrub with not enough "scrub". This left the skin faintly tingly, but not burning and did not dry it out the next day. My skin felt clean and refreshed after using and immediately looked clearer and healthier. I cannot wait to see what happens with regular use!

Skin Free has offered one Blogmania reader a $30 gift certificate.

Main Rule: Visit Skin Free and tell me what products you would use your gift certificate on. If this rule is not followed your entry will be deleted or removed from consideration.
* US entries only
* Giveaway starts Monday 07/06/2009 and ends Saturday 07/25/2009 at 11:59pm EST

Please submit an additional comment for each extra entry. For extra entries you can do any of the following:

- Add my button to your blog!
- Follow me in Twitter @misaacmom and tweet about this giveaway
- Follow me in blogger, current followers eligible
- sign up for my feed - this is in the top right hand corner of my page, current subscribers eligible
- Favorite this post or my blog in technorati, stumble it, kirtsy it, digg it or other.

- Winners will be contacted via email. WINNER MUST HAVE A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS IN THEIR BLOGGER PROFILE, IF NOT, PLEASE INCLUDE IN YOUR POST OR ANOTHER WINNER WILL BE DRAWN. If a winner does not respond within 3 days another winner will be selected.