For those of you who didn't know, I have been a Harlequin Ambassador for almost the last year. Sadly the Harlequin Ambassador program is coming to an end. I have loved my journey as an Ambassador, and I have loved sharing books with friends, family, and you readers. I also find it very fun to place the books at random places for people to find and enjoy. These places have included doctor offices, bus stations, and laundry mats. I love Harlequin romance novels, and they are perfect for a weekend read or just to read for fun. They are also very inexpensive which is just great, and you can find them to buy at many places such as your local Walmart, etc. This is really convenient for me since we tend to shop at our local Walmart often. There are so many varieties of Harlequin: Harlequin American Romance, Harlequin Blaze, Harlequin Desire, Harlequin Heartwarming, Harelquin Historical, Harlequin Intrigue, Harlequin Medical Romance, Harlequin Nocturne, Love Inspired, Love Inspired Historical, Love Inspired Suspense, Silhouette Romantic Suspense, Silhouette Special Edition, and SO MUCH MORE! You can visit their website, http://www.harlequin.com/, if you want to find out more.
A little tip: the Harlequin website has a really cool feature called Freebie Fridays so if you love free stuff, Harlequin, and romance novels don't miss out on it. :)
Recently I received some copies of:
Mass Market Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Harlequin; First Edition edition (September 6, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0373731205
ISBN-13: 978-0373731206
Here's the description via the back of the book: ""Have we met?"" Answer: a right hook! Because Bryony Morgan pulls no punches. Even when she's very pregnant and facing down the father of her unborn child. She fell for wealthy hotelier Rafael de Luca when he courted her for her beachfront real estate. Then he disappeared. Now, she's in New York for answers--and she won't accept a brush-off.
But selective amnesia after a crash has Rafael puzzled. How could he ever forget a combustible beauty like Bryony? Solution: return to the island where they met, and relive the unforgettable nights in question--until he remembers everything...
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I have yet to read this, but I can already tell it is going to be a good read. The cover alone is just so steamy I can't wait to get to this on my reading pile. As soon as I read it I will be posting a book review, and if you wish to do the same if you read the novel or if you are a lucky recipient of the giveaway come back and leave the link to your review. I love reading book reviews. I have found so many fantastic books and authors that way. :)
So this is the last giveaway sponsored by Harlequin and without further ado I will get to the details of that. As always I never like to require a lot of entries because it's just too time consuming. I like to keep my giveaways simple. There is only one mandatory entry method, and I added some extra tasks if you want to gain additional entries into this giveaway. The extra's are not mandatory but can increase your chances of winning. Just enter via the rafflecopter form below, and don't forget to leave your name and email address in your comment so if you win I can get all your details in order to get your book sent out to you. Good luck to all!
You have won the prize pack giveaway including: *Perrigo Nutritionals Store Brand Formula *8oz. Baby Bottle *Fleece Baby Blanket *Baby Bib
I have sent you an email with further information, and I look forward to hearing from you.
*Winner has 48 hours to respond before I will have to choose another. If you don't see my email in your inbox make sure to check your Spam or Trash folder depending on your email settings.
Thank you to all the participants who entered, and stay tuned for more upcoming giveaways! I have tons in store that I can't wait to share with you!
Sincerely,
Tori
*Winner was chosen via rafflecopter form which is powered by random.org
I just want to say a quick thank you to all of you out there who entered into my Howard B. Wigglebottom book giveaway. For those of you who commented and left me some suggestions as to good ideas for other Howard B. Wigglebottom books I will be passing along your comments. They were very thoughtful and wonderful. For those of you who left me your web url in a comment or are a new follower I will be visiting you sometime this week. I apologize for it taking so long, but you are not forgotten.
So now without further ado I want to give a big congratulations to...
Wrighty!
You won the Howard B. Wigglebottom giveaway!
I chose the winner via the rafflecopter form which is powered by Random.org. I am announcing the winner on this blog post as well as the rafflecopter form, and I will be sending an email out shortly, in which winner will have 48 hours to respond to before I will have to choose another.
Thank you all again for entering, and stay tuned as I have much more giveaway's to come.
As you all know I am a breast-feeding mama. I breastfed my oldest until he was around 17 months old. (He had a lot of difficulty weaning), and I am getting ready to wean my youngest son who turns one year old next week. I love the bond from breastfeeding, and I love knowing that I can supply my children with all they need. But when we are out and about I have difficulty breastfeeding. Our errand days are always hectic, and because we are involved in a lot of activities outside of the home it isn’t always easy to breastfeed. Especially when a trip to Walmart can sometimes take us 2 hours! So we buy formula to supplement. The problem with this is my youngest has a BIG appetite! He always has. He was over 10lbs when he was born. He is always hungry, and so far he hasn’t taken to well to whole milk. The only thing we can get him to drink right now is breast milk and formula. He of course eats some regular food, but when it boils down to it he just wants his milk! LOL. Sometimes it’s hard for me to pump breast-milk. I have always had trouble with this and it just tears me up. I can’t hardly do it. Both of my sons have sensitive stomachs, with my first son we would spend a fortune on formula. I would supplement him while I had to be away at class and such. (at the time I was taking college classes still). I have always been reluctant to buy store brand formula. As mothers we all want the best for our children no matter what the cost. When I first looked in the formula isle I felt so overwhelmed that I just mainly paid attention to the name brands.. I didn’t even want to look at the others, this was my baby and he deserved the best. What if the store brands weren’t as good as the name brands? But what we often don’t realize is ALL infant formulas made in the U.S. must provide complete nutrition for growing babies and meet FDA requirements for safety, nutrition, and quality. The store brands are nutritionally equal to national formula brands and yet cost HALF the price. Studies show that this can roughly save you around $600 a year! I use other store brand items such as baby soaps, sometimes baby diapers, I always use store brand wipes, not to even mention the tons of other store brands we use regularly such as foods, products, etc., so why not do a bit more research on the store brand formula? I was pleased with what I found out.
Outlined below are intriguing statistics generated from a recent study* conducted among new moms like yourself:
*Baby-related advertisements strike an emotional chord with moms – nearly one in four feel overwhelmed (23%) and one in five feel anxious (20%) or confused (20%) *53% of moms admit thoughts of their baby product budget plague them on a daily basis *37% of moms feel guilty if they cannot afford a specific product for their babies *Moms are willing to purchase store brand over the counter medicine for their baby (42%) and store brand pharmaceuticals (44%), but only 21% of moms are willing to buy store brand infant formula.
Perrigo Nutritionals store brand infant formulas, available at retailers, such as Walmart (Parent’s Choice), Target (Up & Up), Kroger (Comforts) and Sam’s Club (Simply Right), adhere to the highest quality standards, so you can feel confident that you have made a smart choice for your baby and save money for the family.
*All results are taken from the Perrigo Nutritionals “Brand” New Mom Study
Needless to say my little Levi took very well to the store brands, and as he is a picky eater at times this came as a relief. With two small boys I am always eager to save money here and there. lol
Here’s a little video from one of the country’s leading pediatricians, Dr. Jennifer Trachtenberg:
One lucky reader has the chance to win a Perrigo Nutritionals Infant Formula Prize Pack which includes:
*Perrigo Nutritionals Store Brand Formula *8oz. Baby Bottle *Fleece Baby Blanket *Baby Bib
Disclosure: Prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by Perrigo Nutritionals through MyBlogSpark. All opinions expressed however on my personal thoughts and experiences are solely my own.
Planning the perfect family vacation can be ghastly. You spend hours trying to find a good location, nearby festivites, accomodations to fit your whole family, and not to even get into the painful details of cost! With prices through the roof on just about everything these days, taking a vacation can sometimes be more dreaded than exciting.
But there’s a secret out there that many of us don’t know about. It’s something that’s been used for years, except now it has become much more easier. It's as easy as a timeshare rental! What is a timeshare?: A timeshare is a form of ownership or right to the use of a property, or the term used to describe such properties Timeshare rentals are a great way to save money. You can save up to 50% versus a cramped hotel room. Plus most of the timeshares come with a kitchen so you can save on meals if your vacationing on a budget. Most of the amenities that come with the resort such as water parks, arcades, children’s play areas, etc., are included in the price.
Now the only problem remains is how to find a timeshare rental. If we go to a search engine and type in timeshare’s in Hawaii it’s going to pull up all kinds of things which could possibly take hours to sort through! And how do we know if they are even legit? But, again I have to tell you about a secret that other’s are finding quite useful. It’s a website called:
RedWeek! RedWeek is a do-it-yourself timeshare site where owners can advertise their timeshares for rent and/or resale. Individuals can contact the owners directly to arrange vacation set up, and for further transaction. And since RedWeek doesn’t control the transaction they do NOT charge additional fees or commisions for the transactions. When you go through an owner of a timeshare you will find you’ll save a significant amount vs. going through a hotel or resort personally. Here's another great feature for RedWeek: 1. Go to the homepage 2. Click on Find a Timeshare 3. On the right hand side of the page you will see a list of Features & Attractions (all inclusive, beaches, kid friendly, pet friendly, casinos, golf, theme parks, etc) Click on the one you want. 4. And it will load a page where you can pick the destination you want to look in, and it will them all up for you. That simple, easy, and quick. Such a time saver, and planning a family budget friendly vacation should be fun, not cause a headache.
Right now we are in the process of planning a family vacation. We don’t have all the details down pact because we haven’t decided where we want to go yet. We have been thinking along the lines of Orlando, FL. I mean there is just SO much to do there aside from the obvious Universal Studios! With RedWeek I instantly found a resort we could stay in to accommodate all 8 of us for 7 nights for $1,200. Then I went to the resorts website and they wanted $1,724 for 7 nights for the same features and amount of people! With RedWeek we would save roughly about $520! That is a huge amount of savings that we could use for entertainment, souvenirs, etc.
It's great for those who own a timeshare and want to list theirs for rent. If you can't use it yourself why do you have to lose your money to? You can just list it on RedWeek, and get it rented. Your saved! A RedWeek membership is just $14.99 which allows you to contact timeshare owners directly, read and post reviews, etc. You can try it out for free also by becoming a guest.
RedWeek is so awesome that they are even going to give one of you lucky readers the chance to win a 2 YEAR membership! Enter below in the rafflecopter form to enter. Even if you don't see yourself taking a vacation right away you may change your mind within the next two years.
As embarrassing as it is to admit I have always suffered from bad breath. I never quite understood this as I brush my teeth three times a day (plus I even scrape my tongue), and yet an hour or so after brushing it’s back to the normal yuckiness. Needless to say it has caused some confidence issues my entire life.
I have always kept mints and mint gum with me to help aid in my trials, but they are only a temporary fix to my problem. Frankly they just do not work. I hate the fact that I have to constantly chew gum or eat mints so my bad breath goes undetected. Unbeknownst to me I just found out that I was actually making my bad breath worse by using mints and gums because the sugar in the breath mints and gum feeds the bacteria found in bad breath! So it’s actually quite ridiculous to use candy to fight oral/medical conditions. I didn’t really ever even think to use non-sugar gum or mints which is actually the way to go if your trying to help bad breath. I have tried so many toothpastes and mouthwash products that I had basically given up my search. Until now…
Thankfully I’ve discovered TheraBreath and I can honestly attest that my life has officially changed!
TheraBreath is a premium oral care system that was created by Dr. Harold Katz at the California Breath Clinics. He wanted to help his teenage daughter who suffered from bad breath, and with his background in Bacteriology he found Anaerobic Sulfur-Producing Bacteria which breed WITHIN the tongue's surface and throat causing bad breath. The original formula went on the market in 1994 and has been used by over 1,000,000 people world wide to solve their bad breath problems. Over the years they have refined the original formula and it is now the most complete and effective solution to the embarrassing problem of halitosis.The TheraBreath system not only treates bad breath and dry mouth, but a myriad of other things we suffer from on a regular basis: Canker Sores, Tonsil Stones (which you may not even realize you have), Halitosis, etc.
I LOVE this product. For one thing it actually works! I can’t tell you how ecstatic I am to find a product that ACTUALLY WORKS! I don’t feel like I need to chew gum to kiss my hubby or try to put my hand nonchalantly by my mouth when I’m talking closely to someone in case they smell my breath. Not only has TheraBreath taken care of my bad breath (and tonsil stones), but it has boosted my confidence dramatically!
I got to test out three of their products: Toothpaste, Mouthwash, and Lozenges.
There is no overpowering minty taste at all! It is such a mild flavor that anyone could be comfortable using it. Plus I liked that the mouthwash really doesn’t have a taste at all! It didn’t burn my mouth or throat, and the toothpaste didn’t make me foam at the mouth or anything like other toothpastes. At first I was skeptical about this because I kept thinking “If I can‘t taste it how‘s it going to work?” and “If it isn‘t foaming how is it cleaning?” but oh does it ever! I actually even found out that the foaming ingredient is called: sodium lauryl sulfate, which is basically SOAP! It is even used in things such as shampoos! It only creates the illusion that the toothpaste is doing it’s job, but in reality it can be so harsh to your mouth that it can even damage the tissue inside your mouth in addition to drying out your mouth. Plus the toothpaste even helps fight cavaties.
The Lozenges are a great agent in helping with dry mouth. I only have to carry around a few a day with me and if I find myself getting dry mouth (which happens often since I chase around two little boys), it wets my mouth and stops the return of bad breath in it’s tracks. They are not overpowering like other mints I have tasted. My eyes don’t water, and my mouth doesn’t burn from them. Even my husband who is allergic to high levels of mint can take them with ease. Other mints he will continually sneeze and cough, but not with the TheraBreath Lozenges.
All three of these products have truly become a staple in our household, and I would recommend them for almost anyone. Here are some of their high points: safe for diabetics, pure natural ingredients, certified Kosher, NOT tested on animals, Vegan Approved, and Whitens Teeth! If your interested in trying out some of the TheraBreath product line you can purchase their products on their website OR at a number of local retailers near you!
You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter.
The good news doesn’t stop there. One lucky reader of Mommy’s Musings will receive the chance to win their very own tube of Therabreath Toothpaste PLUS a bottle of the TheraBreath Oral Rinse! Simply fill out the raffle copter form below to enter. *If you have already won a TheraBreath prize, please refrain from entering so as to allow others a chance to try out the products.
We received the wonderful opportunity to review one of the books in the delightful children’s series: Howard B Wigglebottom.
Howard B. Wigglebottom is a furry bunny in a series created by the We Do Listen Foundation. Among their book series there are songs, videos, games, coloring pages, and even animated books you can read for FREE online. There are games for age groups 4-8, and my son was able to do all of them with my assistance on the computer. This is a site dedicated to helping children learn important lessons about listening, bullying, anger management, moderation, truth, divorce, peer pressure, belonging, generosity, sportsmanship, attention, etc. There are printable posters that go along with each book which can be a helpful reminder to pin up on the wall to keep children motivated in their lessons. The books also have a feature online where you can review the lesson of the book and reflect. This would make a great tool for home schooling parents, and I plan on implementing it into our household.
We chose Howard B. Wigglebottom Blends in Like Chameleons: A fable about belonging
Joey is a kid who just can’t seem to sit still, follow directions, share or listen. Others get mad at Joey, and since he doesn’t feel like he fits in he does silly things that he knows he isn’t suppose to do. Howard comes to the rescue when Joey loses his two pet chameleons in school and gets in trouble. With help of a great friend Joey learns nothing is really wrong with him, and Howard helps him learn how to listen.
My son is four years old, and he loved this book. One thing he was just tickled about was the book was signed! He tells everyone that Howard the bunny signed his book. He can identify with Joey in many ways when it comes to sharing, and having trouble following directions. He has been getting so much better at this, and it made him feel really good to read about Joey who can be so much like himself. This is a wonderful story about fitting in and letting others help you succeed in the process. It was very heart warming, and most children can identify easily with this book. Not only is it full of compassionate lessons children can learn easily from, there is a fun feature that makes this book uniquely interactive. On all the pages where the chameleons are hiding you can help spot them. This keeps children absorbed in the book, and teaches great focusing skills. We also really loved the the illustrations are plentiful, colorful, and very well detailed. We lingered over each page with my son pointing out all the different features.
All the Howard B. Wigglebottom books are entertaining, and educational. They focus on helping young children learn how to listen while teaching them important life lessons and help them feel good about themselves all at once. Every child is different and with Howard B. Wigglebottom there is something for each unique child. I urge you to check out the website: http://wedolisten.org/
It is a great tool for parents and children, and it is completely FREE. There is no registration process to play the games (plus they are non-violent), or read the animated books, so no sign in process is required. If your interested in purchasing a Howard B. Wigglebottom book you can CLICK HERE. For those who prefer hardcover books, they offer them on their site at a 50-66% publisher direct discount.
And thanks to author of the Howard B. Wigglebottom, Howard Binkow, you can WIN your very own signed hardcover book! You can pick whichever book you would like from the series. My giveaways are always simple and I like to keep my requirements low. I have enlisted the help of rafflecopter to simplify things so now without further ado I will let you get to it! And don’t forget to check out the website: http://wedolisten.org/ You can also find Howard B. Wigglebottom on both FACEBOOK and TWITTER
Your kids will absolutely love it! And stay tuned because I have an interview with Howard Binkow from The We Do Listen Foundation coming up this weekend!
Here's a list of the Howard B. Wigglebottom books: Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen (about how to be a better listener)
Howard B. Wigglebottom Listens to His Heart (lesson: be yourself)
Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns About Bullies (how to deal with bullies)
Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns About Mud and Rainbows (about when parent's fight)
Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns It's OK to Back Away (dealing with anger issues)
Howard B. Wigglebottom and the Monkey on His Back (a tale about telling the truth)
Howard B. Wigglebottom and the Power of Giving: A Christmas Story (the importance of sharing)
Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns Too Much of a Good Thing is Bad (the importance of moderation)
Howard B. Wigglebottom Blends in Like Chameleons (a fable about belonging)
Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns About Sportsmanship (lesson: winning isn't everything)
Check your email for my message. If you don't find it in your inbox don't forget to check your spam or trash folder. You have 48 hours to respond before I will have to choose another winner, however since it is the holidays I will wait until 8:00pm EST on Monday 12/26/2011 to hear from you. Congratulations on your win and I hope the UGLee Pen will benefit you as much as it has me. I hope you enjoy, and thank you for entering this giveaway!
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*For those who didn't win this contest stay tuned to my blog for others. I have some great upcoming reviews and giveaways.
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Happy Holidays to everyone, and thanks to all who entered!
Sincerely,
Tori
* I used the random number generator to choose the winner of this giveaway.
~THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED-WINNER HAS BEEN CHOSEN & WILL BE ANNOUNCED~
The holidays always leave everyone a little strapped for cash. No matter if your money is going for gifts, a big Christmas dinner for the family, or bills in general it is never enough around the holidays. Now your in luck… Straight North, a Chicago marketing company, is giving one lucky reader of Mommy’s Musings the chance at winning a $50.00 gift card!
The winner will be able to choose a gift card of their choice from icardgiftcard.com when you redeem the voucher. Here's a complete list of the gift cards you will be able to redeem for: http://www.icardgiftcard.com/gift-cards/default.aspx
Straight North is a Chicago based company that helps businesses grow through internet marketing, websites, and branding. They excel with middle market, growth-oriented B2B firms in need of a reliable partner that can support a full range of Internet marketing services. They manage programs that are local, national and global. They are also full service. Their teams include strategy, web design, web development, SEO, PPC, social media, email marketing, copywriting, and print design. And best of all is they give back to the community in so many ways. You can find them on Facebook and Twitter. The rules for this giveaway are simple and easy:
*You MUST be 18 years of age or older *Open to US residents only *Follow Straight North on Twitter or “Like” on Facebook. Leave me a comment telling me which one you did. If you choose to do both this will give you an extra entry into the giveaway. Be sure to leave your name, email address, and face book name and/or twitter handle in your comment.
If you can't click on the above links for Straight North's social media pages you can copy and paste these links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/StraightNorth Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/StraightNorth* I will be using a random number generator to allow everyone a fair chance at winning, and I will announce the winner on Tuesday December 20th, 2011 on Mommy‘s Musings. If you are chosen as the winner you will have 24 hours to respond before I will have to choose another winner. If chosen, when you receive your email from me, you will need to send me your contact information (e.g. Name, Address) so I can send the information to the company for you to collect your gift card. Winner will receive the gift card redemption code from Straight North within two days after contest closes.
*Again contest is open from today: 12/14/2011 - 12/19/2011 WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED 12/20/2011 so entries after 12/19/2011 will not be counted. NO PERSONAL INFORMATION WILL BE SHARED WITH ANYONE BESIDES MYSELF AND STRAIGHT NORTH
Disclosure: I received a $50 gift card from Straight North for hosting this giveaway.
I will admit that I'm not always "green". However I have two boys under the age of 4 and after they came along more and more I think about all the chemicals that are in our everyday items that we don't even think about. That's why I was more than pleased to get the chance to review:
Also let me apologize in advance for SOME reason blogger will not allow me to upload the picture, but if you follow that link you can check out more about it.
Generally I don't review e-books, but this one caught my attention, and I am always intrigued on how to make my very own anything particularly cleaners, etc. Let me just say that this book went beyond my expectations. I was honestly assuming hard to make cleaners with items that I would have to specially go out and buy in bulk, therefore spending more than actually buying something store-bought. But boy was I wrong. Most of the ingredients for most of the cleaners I already had in my home. There was a couple things I did have to go out and buy, but it didn't cost hardly anything and after researching the items a bit I can use them for so much more! There are over 30 cleaners in here for everything from laundry soap, stain removers, fabric softner, dish washing detergent, etc. My favorite in here is the Spray Stain Treatment. It is amazing! Let me just give you a hint on why this one is my favorite (without giving away any spoilers of course). We all know that diapers do not always hold in the wonderful number two blowouts that babies can produce. (Sorry if I'm grossing you out right about now, but my fellow momma's know what I'm talking about). Well while sitting in his carseat he had to go number two and not only did the poo blow out the side of his diaper but up his back as well. It was everywhere and it happened when he was wearing his new light blue overall outfit that grandma bought. He was so cute in it, and while I have usually been able to get these stains out by treating them right away this one was stubborn and wouldn't come out. So I tried the Peaceful Housewife's Spray Stain Treatment and my goodness it worked wonders! It came all the way out! I was so impressed! While I haven't tried all of the products in there yet, I have tried a few. It is brilliant to say the least. A few of the recipes I knew about but the ones that I didn't are proving to be so very helpful in my household.
So without me prattling on further The Peaceful Housewife is allowing the readers of Mommy's Musings to have a chance at winning this wonderful helpful ebook! I will be running the contest for a week. Winners will be chosen September 11th, 2011. I will be posting a blog congratulating the winners as well as e-mailing them with their confirmation. All you have to do is:
5) Leave a comment below letting me know that you did all of the above. After you have done all of this you can leave a comment on this blog post once a day. This will give you more of a chance to win. I will be using a Random number generator. 2 lucky winners will be chosen. Good luck!
AND...if you just can't wait for the giveaway to end and you want this ebook right away you can purchase it at The Peace Housewife's Shop.
DISCLAIMER: Opinions expressed are mine alone. I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
