Simply faBOWlous Review and Giveaway

Simply faBOWlous® began with a mom's need for organization. In 2006 Co-Founder Cheri White started designing unique hair bow holders to turn her baby's hair bow collection into a chic work of art while putting an end to cluttered drawers and lost or damaged hair bows. She soon started taking request from friends and family... and Simply faBOWlous® was born.

In 2007 a full line of accessories for mini divas was added. This line includes infant, toddler & child headbands, crochet flower hats and Petal Poof Tutus.

In 2008 hair accessories for that ever evolving 'Tween-ager were added. This line includes several Ribbon Covered Arch Headband styles: Glitzy, Flowers & Dots.

In 2009 Simply faBOWlous® introduced Rock Wear Accessory which includes Tattoo Art Baby Hats.

Whether you prefer their Boutique Line for your Mini Diva or our Rock Wear Line for your Lil' Dude (or dudette) Simply faBOWlous® can outfit your little one with something for every age and every style.


The great people at simply faBOWlous sent me the Arch Glitzy Headband in Black and a Red Sequin Hair Clip to review.
My tween daughter loved the Arch Glitzy Headband. It was of good quality and felt sturdy. It did not hurt her head.
The Red Sequin Hair Clip was very cute, and appeared to be well made. But my daughter would not consider wearing it because she thought it was too "girly, girly". It would look very nice on a younger child.

Great news! You can win the Arch Glitzy Headband in Black and a Red Sequin Hair Clip just like I reviewed. To enter go to Simply faBOWlous and tell me what you would love to get. Then leave a comment with your email address. You need to do this first.

Bonus entries: Leave an extra comment for each one.
1. Follow my blog
2. Subscribe by email.
3. Post my button on your blog
4. Post this giveaway on your blog (You get 2 entries for this, so leave 2 comments please.)
5. Follow me @donnak4 and tweet about the contest. Then leave the link or your twitter ID.
6. Follow Simply faBOWlous on twitter here.
7. Fave me on technorati. Then leave a comment with your user name.

Open to US.
Expires 9/15 at 11:59 PM CST.

Elder care tips and Care4hire.com Giveaway

Alot of people are in the "sandwich generation" where they have to take care of their aging parents while caring for their young children. It can be very difficult to do it all by yourself. A good option is to hire some outside help.

Tips for hiring an elder/companion care provider:

1. It gives the parents the independence of living at home while being well cared for by a caregiver.

2. It also gives the baby boomers a well deserved break and a sense of security knowing their parents are well cared for when they cannot be there.

3. A elder/companion care provider can help with meal, laundry, housekeeping duties, transportation, etc.

4. A provider can also do activities with the elderly such as playing cards, provide conversations and keep them good company.

Do you ever need help child care, housekeeping, or someone to stay with an elderly relative?

Care4hire.com is an online database for families and caregivers to search babysitters, housekeepers, tutors, elder/companion care, pet sitters and other miscellaneous services.

The great people at Care4hire.com has agreed to give one winner a gift certificate for a free month of use to contact caregivers. ($29.99 retail value). To enter please go to Care4hire.com . Then leave a comment to tell me what type of caregiver you want to hire and leave your email address also. You need to do this first.

Bonus entries: Leave an extra comment for each one.
1. Follow my blog
2. Subscribe by email.
3. Post my button on your blog
4. Post this giveaway on your blog (You get 2 entries for this, so leave 2 comments please.)
5. Follow me @donnak4 and tweet about the contest. Then leave the link or your twitter ID.
6. Fave me on technorati. Then leave a comment with your user name.

Open to US. Expires 9/14 at 11:59 PM CST.

Winners

I have some winners to announce. Thanks for all the entries. The winners have been emailed.

Yoplait Giveaway
Kathy Pease and JoeyfromSC
Random Integer GeneratorHere are your random numbers:
140 59
Timestamp: 2009-08-28 13:26:33 UTC
#140 kathy pease said... http://twitter.com/klp1965/status/3443765901
#59 JoeyfromSC said... I follow your blog

Layers Giveaway
blueviolet
Here are your random numbers:
131
Timestamp: 2009-08-28 22:34:39 UTC
blueviolet said... I like the Erica top!

Bummas giveaway
Saebbe
Here are your random numbers:
16 Timestamp: 2009-08-28 22:43:04 UTC
Saebbe said... I love the Calm Ones, I want to try these so bad!! my baby girl is due any second!! LOL

Please Help our School

There is a contest that a school can win 25,000 My Rewards Points for school equipment. All you have to do is tweet this:

Please RT to Vote for Evansville Christian School get 25K MyCoke Rewards for SchoolsPoints. #spritebts http://bit.ly/4e5cXS

You don't have to vote anywhere. The tweet itself is the vote. Please, help our school. It ends 8/31. The tweeting is unlimited.

Healthy Home Guide

I know we are all looking for ways to make our homes more healthy. Clorox and the What to Expect Guide have brought you a free copy of their Healthy Home Growth Chart. The What to Expect Guide to a Healthy Home Growth Chart is available for free download here. It is nice with alot of good information to keep our families healthy. This is particularly timely info since the H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic is expected to worsen this fall.

There is alot of helpful information such as

"Hands down, there is no better way to help stop the spread of viruses and other germs than hand washing…In fact, research shows that simple hand washing with soap and water can reduce the number of infections in children under the age of 5 by more than 50 percent."

"Water vapor (plus the toilet contents–yes…anything in there) erupts from the toilet like a mini bacteria volcano every time you flush, landing on whatever is nearby (including that toothbrush you left on the sink). Closing the lid before you flush will help prevent you—and your family—from brushing their teeth with toilet water."

Yikes!!!

"Your children aren't the only ones playing with the bath toys. [Bacteria and other germs] are having a party with them too, a party that keeps getting bigger and bigger as the guests multiply. To keep those bugs from breeding on tub toys let them dry in a net or basket after the bath. Toys that trap water (that rubber ducky comes to mind) need to be cleaned regularly with a diluted [disinfecting] bleach solution, [as directed], then rinsed well and left to dry."

It also gives tips for keeping your children healthy as they grow through the years. Check it out here.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Clorox and the What to Expect Guide and will receive a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

One Hour Parties

I am always looking for good opportunities for moms. I found one you might want to check out.

"One Hour Parties is seeking savvy, fun female entrepreneurs across the country who want to work from home and have their own One Hour Parties party planning business.

Do you love planning parties? Are you the party planner in your office, kid’s school or the resident party diva in your neighborhood? Isn’t it time you got paid for making people happy and doing what you love to do? With One Hour Parties, now you can! One Hour Parties is the most exciting and fun franchise concept on the market today. They provide easy, creative and affordable party planning solutions for corporate celebrations, kid’s parties, weddings and more. If you live in a major metropolitan area, let them train you on their unique form of party planning and how to capture your own piece of the $500 billion event planning industry worldwide. The company has just been named Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Hot New Franchise” and the founders were just named the “Top 25 Innovators and Entrepreneurs” by Seattle Business Magazine. Check them out online at http://www.onehourparties.com/ or link directly to their franchise page at http://onehourparties.com/index.php/franchise."

This sounds like an interesting opportunity, but I haven't tried it. I posted about it as part of a contest.

Lauren Nicole Personalized Jewelry Review and Giveaway

I recently found a store that has really cute gifts. It is called Lauren Nicole. They sell personalized jewelry and monogramed gifts. You can get a variety of jewelry including earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. You can also get many other nice accessories including belts, key chains, wraps, and more. I found so many things I want!

They sent me a pair of Fine Silver wax seal heart earrings to review. The earrings arrived quickly after she hand made them in her studio. The earring disks measure 1/2" in diameter. Fine silver is a slightly higher grade than sterling silver. Sterling silver is .925 silver and fine silver is .999 silver. They are really pretty. I just love them!

The great people at Lauren Nicole have agreed to send one winner the same type of earrings as I reviewed! I am sure you will love them too.

To enter go to Lauren Nicole and tell me what you would love to get. Then leave a comment with your email address. You need to do this first.

Bonus entries: Leave an extra comment for each one.

1. Follow my blog

2. Subscribe by email.

3. Post my button on your blog

4. Post this giveaway on your blog (You get 2 entries for this, so leave 2 comments please.)

5. Follow me @donnak4 and tweet about the contest. Then leave the link or your twitter ID.

6. Fave me on technorati. Then leave a comment with your user name.

7. Subscribe to the Lauren Nicole mailing list here.

Open to US.Expires 9/12 at 11:59 PM CST.

Back to School-Another Teaching Opportunity

We all know about the current problems with the economy. Most of us try to save money by buying less and using coupons. But have you thought about using your back to school shopping as a time to teach your children about saving money? It is a great time to teach them that "Money doesn't grow on trees."


5 Tips for Teaching While Saving on Back to School Shopping:

1. Have a back to school budget
A budget is a must. Set a reasonable amount to spend and stick to it. This teaches the kids about the importance of having a budget and planning ahead.

2. Create a back to school shopping list
Get a supply list for what your child needs for school supplies. Before you shop, check to see what you still have available at home. Many times you still have paper or notebooks or other things that can be used. Do the same thing for your child's school clothes. Of course they want some new clothes, but take inventory of what they currently have. For example if your child has plenty of jeans, focus on other clothing items to purchase. You child can be actively involved in this step.

3. Shop the back to school sales
You can shop the sales before leaving home by reviewing the sale ads. You can make it kind of like a scavenger hunt to find a certain item at the best price. For example have your child look at the various sale ads to see where crayons are on sale and what is the best price.

4. Compare prices
This goes together with the tip above. When you shop, purchase only the items that are on sale at that store, then go to the next store on your list. Show your child what the regular price of an item is, so he will see how much you saved. It would be fun to write the regular price along with the sale price on your shopping list. When you are done shopping you and your child will be amazed when you add up the savings.

5. Use coupons
Around back to school time you can find coupons for school supplies. Also don't forget about shopping online especially for school clothes. Frequently you can save alot of money by shopping online when you combine sales with online coupons and cash back offers.

Capital One and national consumer advocacy group Consumer Action sponsor the Moneywi$e eLearning tool, which includes a section all about talking to kids about money. Plus, check out @TeachingMoney on Twitter to get bite-sized family-focused financial tips.

We can make the most of these challenging financial times by using this as an opportunity to teach our children about saving money.

This article was written as part of a Parent Bloggers Network Blog Blast.



Free Signature Generator

Giveaways on other blogs

Fall in love at first “spray” with Kinesys Spray Sunscreen! The simple solution to sun protection for the whole family. Read about the experience mom blogger Kalisha at UV Skinz had with this fast, simple and effective sunscreen. Enter for your chance to win a Kinesys prize package at UV Skinz. Giveaway ends August 23. Open to U.S. only.

Sid the Science Kid -3 DVD Review & Giveaway

One of the top new shows for kids to premiere this past year is “Sid the Science Kid,” the hit, Emmy-nominated PBS series that is produced by The Jim Henson Company and KCET-LA. The first two “Sid the Science Kid” DVDs, titled “Change Happens” and “The Bug Club were available in stores on August 4.

There is another new DVD called “Dive Olly Dive,” the Emmy-nominated, 3D-animated underwater series that airs on PBS Sprout. Not only will preschoolers have fun under the sea with Olly and Beth, two young submarines-in-training – the DVD also teaches kids fascinating facts about ocean life and some important life lessons, too. The “Dive Olly Dive: Ship Shape Sub” DVD became available in stores on August 4.

These are cute DVD's for younger kids.

The great news is that one peson will win all 3 DVDs! To enter please tell me what who would love to get these DVD's. Then leave a comment with your email address. You need to do this first.

Bonus entries: Leave an extra comment for each one.

1. Follow my blog

2. Subscribe by email.

3. Post my button on your blog

4. Post this giveaway on your blog (You get 2 entries for this, so leave 2 comments please.)

5. Follow me @donnak4 and tweet about the contest. Then leave the link or your twitter ID.

6. Fave me on technorati. Then leave a comment with your user name.

Open to US. Expires 9/11 at 11:59 PM CST.

Shelf Reliance Cansolidator Pantry Review and Giveaway

As you know I am very interested in emergency preparedness. There are alot of things that could happen given the current political and financial climate. Also we never know when there will be a natural disaster.

I found a great company called Shelf Reliance who specialize in emergency preparedness products. The have alot of items for food storage. They sent me a Cansolidator Pantry. It was easy to assemble. It is a front loading system that automatically rotates up to 40 cans. You just feed the cans in through the top and take them out from the bottom to use them. Your canned items are automatically rotated so you use the older items first. The Cansolidator Pantry holds both small and medium cans. I really like it.

* Rotates cans on a first in first out basis
* Holds up to 40 cans
* Holds over 100 pounds
* Stores small and medium cans (from tuna size all the way to medium 30 oz. cans)
* Adjustable width (20" at its widest)

I really want the The Harvest 72" which is on sale now. Click on the link to check it out. They also sell a large variety of Thrive brand food storage products that are reasonably priced. I haven't tried that brand yet, but I want to.

The great people at Shelf Reliance have agreed to send one winner The Cansolidator Pantry. To enter go to Shelf Reliance and tell me what you would love to get. Then leave a comment with your email address. You need to do this first.

Bonus entries: Leave an extra comment for each one.
1. Follow my blog
2. Subscribe by email.
3. Post my button on your blog
4. Post this giveaway on your blog (You get 2 entries for this, so leave 2 comments please.)
5. Follow me @donnak4 and tweet about the contest. Then leave the link or your twitter ID.
6. Subscribe to the Shelf Reliance Newsletter. Click here. It is on the top left.
7. Fave me on technorati. Then leave a comment with your user name.

Open to US.
Expires 9/10 at 11:59 PM CST.

Winners

I have some winners to announce.

Fancy Fortune Cookies Winner:
Gianna said...
I love Dark Chocolate with Pink & White Hearts :)

Here are your random numbers:
153 Timestamp: 2009-08-16 06:50:59 UTC


Tropical Traditions Winner:
LoisS said...
I follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter ljshores

Here are your random numbers:
60 Timestamp: 2009-08-16 06:57:46 UTC

The winners have been emailed. Congrats!

Spotlight on PR

Feels Like Home and Adrienne’s House are doing a project about connecting with PR professionals. I am interested in doing reviews and hosting giveaways particularly for the following:

items for tweens (such as video games and other games/toys or clothing)
food
beauty and products
jewelry
other items for women

Those are a few things that I could list, but it is not all inclusive. Any PR professionals or business owners who are interested in me doing a product review and/or hosting a giveaway, please contact me at donna444444@yahoo.com

For my readers-What types of things would you like me to review or giveaway? If you leave me requests, I can look into it.

Sibu Beauty Site Warming Party

From Resourceful Mommy:

Join us this Friday night on Twitter as we SiteWarm the new nutrient rich beauty line, Sibu Beauty. Be prepared to be pampered with products made from the powerful Himalayan fruit, Seabuckthorn, the basis of all Sibu Beauty products.

When: Friday, August 14th from 9:00 to 10:00 p.m. eastern time.
Where: Join us on Twitter, Tweetchat, or TweetGrid with the hashtag #sibubeauty

Click here to RSVP and enter for the grand prize.

The Complete Swagbucks Tutorial!

Check out this great info about swagbucks.
The Complete Swagbucks Tutorial!

What Does Purity Mean?

1.the condition or quality of being pure; freedom from anything that debases, contaminates, pollutes, etc.
2.freedom from any admixture or modifying addition.
3.ceremonial or ritual cleanness.
4.freedom from guilt or evil; innocence.
5.physical chastity; virginity.
6.freedom from foreign or inappropriate elements; careful correctness: purity of expression.
7.cleanness or spotlessness, as of garments

Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime Seasoning Blend

As you know I am dieting and trying to get in better shape. Our family is trying to eat better overall. When you diet the foods can become boring. Sometimes you need to "spice them up". Mom Central sent me a sample of Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime Seasoning Blend to try.

Mrs. Dash seasonings are salt free and MSG free. I liked the flavor of the Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime Seasoning Blend. It tastes good as taco meat seasoning. There was a recipe on the bottle for Mango Salsa that I hope to try soon.

Now you can search hundreds of delicious, low-salt recipes on the Mrs. Dash site. I must admit I don't try new recipes frequently. But I do have an excuse because my children usually won't try anything new. Then I have to eat it all or throw it away. That doesn't help my diet. But I will try substituting Mrs. Dash instead of salt to season some foods. That way I can have flavor without the sodium.

Bummas Review and Giveaway

The nice people at Bummas sent me a set of Bummas in the Wild Ones color. They are very soft and absorbant. You can wash babys' bottom with one and use a second one to dry him off.

Eliminates the use of talcum powder.
• 100% Cotton - Woven Velour Terry Cloth.
• Variety of color combinations for nursery themes.
• Handy 5” x 7” size.
• Durable. Just throw them in the washing machine and use them again.
• Won’t pill, shrink, or fade.
• They will last until your little one is out of diapers and beyond!

They have agreed to send one of my readers a set of their choice. To enter go to Bummas and pick the set you would like to win. Then return here and comment with your choice and email.

Bonus entries: Leave an extra comment for each one.

1. Follow my blog

2. Subscribe by email.

3. Post my button on your blog

4. Post this giveaway on your blog (You get 2 entries for this, so leave 2 comments please.)

5. Follow me @donnak4 and tweet about the contest. Then leave the link or your twitter ID.

This is a global giveaway!

Expires 8/23 at 11:59 PM CST.

Layers Review and Giveaway

Have you heard about Layers Clothing? They have really cute clothes at reasonable prices.

According to company owner/designer Michelle Boley. "Originally, Layers was started to create pieces that could provide women with additional coverage and be layered underneath other articles of clothing. From there, it quickly evolved into a label which offers a much wider variety as I began designing dresses, swimwear, and other seasonal apparel. I wanted to bring women fashionable, affordable options that I wasn't finding in the stores."

I recently had the opportunity to review a swimsuit called Maisie. It is really cute, and the quality is nice. It was in my daughter's size, and she liked it. It was attractive yet not too revealing. I took some pictures, but unfortunately I can't get them to transfer to my computer. The picture above is one of their other great swimsuits called Katlyn.

The great people at Layers Clothing have agreed to send one winner a $25 E-gift certificate. To enter go to Layers and tell me what you would get if you won. Then leave a comment with your email address. You need to do this first.

Bonus entries: Leave an extra comment for each one.
1. Follow my blog
2. Subscribe by email.
3. Post my button on your blog
4. Post this giveaway on your blog (You get 2 entries for this, so leave 2 comments please.)
5. Follow me @donnak4 and tweet about the contest. Then leave the link or your twitter ID.

Open to US and Canada.
Expires 8/22 at 11:59 PM CST.

Yoplait Giveaway

I was recently sent a gift basket from Yoplait and My Blog Spark. I got to try Yoplait Thick and Creamy yogurt. Mmm. It is really good. Yoplait Thick & Creamy offers such an extra-thick texture that you can actually write in it with a toothpick and it will hold the design!



Yoplait and my Blog Spark have agreed to send two readers the same gift basket that I received which includes chic stationary, stylish pen - and of course a free coupon for any flavor of Yoplait Thick & Creamy.

To enter leave a comment telling me your favorite flavor of yoplait thick and creamy. Click here to see the options. Please leave your email address.

Bonus entries: Leave an extra comment for each one.

1. Follow or subscribe to this blog (feed)

2. Post my button on your blog

3. Post this giveaway on your blog (You get 2 entries for this, so leave 2 comments please.)

4. Follow me @donnak4 and tweet about the contest. Then leave the link or your twitter ID.

5. Subscribe by email.

Ends 8/20 at 11:59 PM CST. (USA only)

Precious Girls Club Winner

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:27
Timestamp: 2009-08-04 16:54:10 UTC

Carol EL said... Blog follower.

She was emailed. thanks for all the entries.

Coca Cola Store

I have collected Coca Cola products for many years. I particularly like their Christmas theme products. The Santa looks so jolly. The Coca Cola Store has many cute products.

On My Coke Rewards there was a code for 20% off.
MCR20CCS

Enjoy!

Protect a Bed Review

Recently I was given the opportunity to try the Protect-A-Bed mattress protector. I really liked it. I suffer from dust mite allergies, so I have to use a mattress protector and pillow protectors all the time. If you cough alot while you are in bed, you might be allergic to them also. You can read more about dust mites here.

The protector fit fine, and appeared well made. I slept well on it, and it wasn't hot. It is waterproof and soft to the touch. I would recommend it.

Protect-A-Bed carries a variety of mattress protectors including crib mattress and pillow protectors.

You can locate a dealer here or you can purchase online here.

Giveaway on Other Blogs

Zuvo Water – Win of Five Water Purator Systems ($300 value) and One of Twenty-Five Canteens! on She blogs.

"The new Zuvo Water Purator. Winner of the Summer 2009, Parent Tested/Parent Approved Award, the Zuvo Water Purator is a new point-of-use water treatment system that is not only more cost effective than pitcher filters or bottled water, but also helps people reduce waste and limit the environmental impact of bottled water. This compact, chemical-free water system attaches to a standard kitchen faucet or connects in-line with plumbing under the sink. Using a patented 5-step puration process, the Zuvo Water Purator mimics nature’s water cleansing process by exposing tap water to UV light and ozone, creating a harmful environment for water-borne bacteria and microorganisms, while trapping particles and dissolved solids in a carbon filter. This process not only preserves the valuable mineral content in the water, but it reduces bad tastes, potentially unhealthy contaminants, and cuts down waste. You can learn more about the Zuvo Water system and how it works here www.zuvowater.com"