And the winner is? The Giving Tree Giveaway

The stories you all shared with me brought tears to my eyes. I think I have some of the most incredible followers a blogger could ever ask for. I wish I had a book for everyone. I hope that now the giveaway is over that you will remain a follower of this blog.

Although there were 72 comments, some people did not follow the directions and I had to delete their entries. The first pick from Random.org did not follow my blog and it would not have been fair for me to award them the book when others of you actually do...so guess what? Here is our new winner!

List Randomizer
There were 69 items in your list. Here they are in random order:
Doré(Who am I?) said...

Congratulations Doré - she has the cutest blog - check it out here.

I still have 2 Giveaways and you are welcome to enter! I'll have more soon because I'm doing some exciting reviews over the next couple weeks...

Winners must email me their addresses within 48 hours or new winners will be drawn. lisa(dot)samples(at)gmail(dot)com

The Winner of the Uni-Ball Pink Ribbon 207 is...

The winner of the Uni-Ball Pink Ribbon #207 was chosen by Random.org from 72 entries. There were actually 73 comments, but one of them was mine - therefore I took it out of list.

Winners will be emailed later today, but I know you are all waiting, so here it is:

List Randomizer

There were 72 items in your list.

Here they are in random order:

1. Shel(Who am I?) said...

List Randomizer

There were 72 items in your list.

Here they are in random order:

1. Dina(Who am I?) said...

Winners must email me their addresses within 48 hours or new winners will be drawn. lisa(dot)samples(at)gmail(dot)com

Congratulations - don't forget there are 3 other giveaways right now and The Giving Tree giveaway ends tonight! Enter now...

Little One Sick? EarCheck Review and Giveaway

When my children were very young they were plagued by ear infections. As you know, there is nothing more pitiful then a baby with a fever who cries out in pain. Unfortunately there are many times when you miss the symptoms of what is going on until it is too late. Each of my children ended up getting tubes in their ears by age 3. Before their surgeries I spent many evenings (including Christmas Eve) in the emergency room with them.

When I first saw @EarCheck on twitter I thought they were a digital ear thermometer company, but when I realized they actual sold a device that checked for ear infections I contacted them for more information. Honestly, I was somewhat skeptical that their product would work and when they agreed to allow me to do a review I was afraid of how I would approach the write-up if I was dissatisfied with the product. Well, the product sample arrived yesterday and I was SOLD!

Although both my boys are healthy right now, my husband and best friend (BF) have been sick. As many of you know, my DH went to the hospital 2 days ago and not only did he have bronchitis, but he also had a fluid buildup in his right ear. Not that I was glad he was sick, but this proved to be a great opportunity to find out if EarCheck was legit. DH and BF got to be my testers! Guess what? When I scanned their ears both of them rated: Monitor (which means keep your eye out - some fluid buildup has been detected). I then tested my children and myself and all were Fluid Unlikely. Wow! If I had this when my children were experiencing all those problems there would have been no chance that their ear infections would have gotten as bad as they had.

The best part is that this was so easy to use and caused no discomfort. You simply put it in the child's ear and hit Scan. There are three chirps and your results are immediate! It even comes with batteries...

Here is how it works: The chriping sound is sent into the ear canal, bounces off the eardrum, and travels back to the instrument's built-in microphone. The EarCheck Monitor analyzes the sound to determine if the eardrum is working properly or may be restricted. Great idea, isn't it?
Now...EarCheck wants you to have a chance to own an EarCheck Monitor and has agreed to give one of my followers their own, for free! How do you win?

The giveaway:
In order to win the EarCheck monitor you must visit EarCheck and leave a comment telling me something about the device not mentioned in my review. (US Only)

Bonus entry:
1. Follow @EarCheck on twitter and tweet about this giveaway. (leave comment for each tweet)
2. Blog about this amazing device and link to this post. (leave 5 comments for this blog post providing link)
3. If you follow my blog give yourself another 2 entries. (leave two comments stating you are a follower)
Winner will be chosen by Random.org on March 8th. Contest closes at 3 p.m. EST.

That's How I Roll: Pay It Forward

Have you seen this? It is such a good idea. I wish I knew where it originated because whoever thought of this would be someone I would want to know. I heard about it from BooBearsPlace and it is called Pay It Forward.
(UPDATE: Comments that did not link to post have been deleted - please read directions.)
The first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive a gift from me some time during this year. When and what will be a surprise to the winners! Isn't that the coolest?

There's a small catch though....Post this same thing on your blog and then come back and leave a comment telling me you're in. Remember, only the first 3 comments receive the gift. *Don't forget to post this on your blog first, then come back and leave a comment on this post!*

I love giving to others. I hope my gift to you comes when you need it most. So, who is still reading this? Why aren't you making your post? Go already.

TimetoPlayMag.com Brings Families Back Together

Gone are the days when the family sat around the table to play Monopoly. Susie and Jimmy are busy with their Playstation and X-box. Dad is kicked back in his recliner watching football while Mom is Tweeting. Sound familiar? Well TimetoPlayMag.com is bringing back Family Game Night at http://new.timetoplaymag.com/gamenight/.

You need to check out the site because there is great game recommendations and chances to win. Don't forget to take poll of your favorite game while you are there.

To get the party started TimetoPlayMag.com's editor in chief and toy expert, Jim Silver will be answering all your toy questions on February 27th with a Site Warming Party. Make sure to check out #timetoplay and the Goody Bag Contest directions at Resourceful Mommy.

Money Savings Monday: Review of Uni-Ball Pink Ribbon #207 and Giveaway UPDATE: CLOSED GIVEAWAY

Okay, you are asking what does Uni-ball have to do with saving money? Well, turns out there is this thing called "check washing" where criminals are intercepting checks in the mail and bleaching the ink. They can do this with common household materials, such as bleach. What they do is take off the name under Pay To The Order of and write in their name. Another thing they do is change the amount of the check. I never heard of this before I received my Pink Ribbon #207 pen from Uni-Ball. You can read more about this process here. The video is very informative.

Well, Uni-ball has designed a pigmented gel pen that makes it is impossible for people to steal your money because the ink can not be removed with acetone or bleach. One of the things I love most about this pen is that not only is it stylish (Pink! My favorite.), but Uni-Ball is donating money to "City of Hope" for breast cancer research, treatment and education each time a Pink Ribbon #207 is purchased. It is part of their Pink@Work program, too. Check out that program here.

I have long been a fan of Uni-Ball's Onyx pen, but when I saw this one I really wanted to try it. However, I was very leery because I do not normally like gel pens. I used it all weekend and I did several tests to see how it would hold up. First, I wrote on a pad on my fridge and it never "ran" out of ink. I used it outside in the cold. I used it on different kinds of paper. All tests passed and it was really enjoyable. The reason I don't like gel pens? They smear all over the place and get on my hands. I was thrilled when I tested the Pink Ribbon #207 because it didn't smear.

Uni-Ball is giving 2 of my readers a set of Pink Ribbon #207 pens of their own. If you want to be stylish, yet safe, here is what you have to do to enter:

Uni-Ball Pink Ribbon 207 Giveaway:

1. Visit Uni-Ball and tell me what pen is your favorite (mandatory - 1 entry).
2. Follow Uni-Ball http://twitter.com/UniBall_USA and me http://twitter.com/lisasamples on twitter and tweet either:
a. Don't be a victim of fraud. Win a Uni-Ball Pink Ribbon 207 pen set at http://bit.ly/6QpQy @lisasamples @UniBall_USA
b. Be stylish and support Breast Cancer. Win a Uni-Ball Pink Ribbon 207 pen set at http://bit.ly/6QpQy @lisasamples @UniBall_USA
Every tweet is an entry, so be sure to leave a comment for each tweet!

Last day to enter is 2/28 at 1:00 pm EST, US Only - sorry.
UPDATE: GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED - WINNER TO BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY!

Are you following my blog? You have to read this...

There is a Blogger glitch and in 5 minutes I lost over 10 followers. Apparently Blogger switched some of my followers over to "anonymous followers". Please, check to see if you are still following my blog publically. This is especially important for those of you who entered The Giving Tree giveaway.

Sorry for the inconvenience,
Lisa
It is happening everywhere: http://sweeps4bloggers.blogspot.com/2009/02/fyi-blogger-follower-glitch.html

Awards: What Made You Think of Me?

First, let me begin by apologizing to my nominators for taking so long to post these awards. My excuse? Pure laziness and the fact that I wanted to be sure of who I passed these on to were worthy.

Let me begin with my first award. It is the Passionate Blogger award presented to me by Kathleen from Katydid and Kid. She is an amazing person. You need to read her blog. Once you are her friend, she is passionate about making you a part of her life. Did I mention that my new banner and button were made by her? Why, do you ask? Because that is just who she is – she did it because she wanted to. I love it too, she captured who I am and I will be forever grateful.

The rules of this award:

• Put the award logo on your blog.
• List 5 things you are passionate about – other than blogging.
• Tag 5 people on your list and let them know you tagged them (pass on this award).

Here are my 5 passions:

1. My family and Pups
2. Cooking
3. Learning
4. UFC (now you know something very different about me – I love MMA)
5. Making people step out of their box – encouraging/motivating others

Now, who do I think deserves this award…it was pretty easy:

1. Georgie from Decisionally Challenged – I love her blog and she is passionate about leaving me comment luv.
2. Priya from Random Thoughts – She is just so incredibly sweet and her blog is awesome.
3. Virginia from Frugalicious Mom – Sweet. She has a huge heart and she shares it on her blog.
4. Pierette from The Wiseman Conspiracy – I love that she blogs her heart out, but not because she wants a billion followers – but because she loves it.
5. Erin from Mrs. Cox's Slice o' Heaven – Erin is another one of those bloggers who is a friend forever. She is also a repeated commenter on my blog. Thanks Erin.

As mentioned above, Virginia from Frugalicious Mom is has a huge heart and she is awarded me The Love Ya award. The qualifications for this award are as follows:

These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

I wanted to make sure I passed these awards on to people who truly deserved them, therefore I named only 6 people as of yet…

1. Kathleen from Katydid and Kid – She is someone who I truly believe would be my BFF if she lived nearer.
2. Jamie from Totally The Bomb – I adore her personality. She is simply charming.
3. Veronica from OF MICE AND raMEN – I can always count on Veronica to leave me a comment about something and her blog rocks.
4. Lady T from A Lady & Two Men – She is very genuine and I adore her family via her blog.
5. Dette from MammaDawg – Down to earth. She is not afraid to be who she is and I love it. She actually is having a contest right now and volunteered to donate a $20 GC for my post on depression. Selfless…
6. Debbie from I am NOT Superwoman – Debbie just started blogging, but her posts reflect a genuinely charming person. Life outside of blogging – she is my BFF. Give her a try.
   

I hope you all have the time to check out these blogs and incredible women. Thank you all for nominating me for awards…it makes me feel so good that someone is reading and enjoying!

Love,

Lisa

Friday's Free Samples: Delayed because of laziness

UPDATE -Read below for Friday's Free Samples!
I started the Friday freebies, but just haven't written it all out. I will try to have it up before midnight so it is still a Friday free sample.

I'm feeling lazy...........

Okay, better late than never...10 minutes left for Friday Free Samples

Okay, had to throw some stuff up here for you real quick before Friday ends!

Huggies is giving free samples away over at Walmart.

Gain is offering a coupon for $1.50 off!

Viva paper towels has samples available.


Magic Eraser is a mom's best friend...grab their sample of the Mini.

Sorry list is so short today....working on a couple reviews right now for you. I might even throw in a giveaway from our sponsor!

My Wordless Wednesday

Sorry, didn't feel much like posting today, so I thought I would share some pictures from my life this week. I hope you enjoy...

Kisses for Daddy from Brindie

Happy 5th Birthday to "Bubba"

Doesn't he have incredible eyelashes?

Sabris - 2 Different Colored Eyes

and a very long tongue

Depression Awareness and Giveaway

I've noticed a lot of Mom bloggers are feeling blue lately. I'm not sure why, but I know I have been witnessing some posts that make me worry. I am not a doctor, but I have had my share of mental health issues in the past. My first experience with depression came after having my son 15 years ago. It was both the best and worse time of my life. I had never experienced depression before and it took a while before I realized something was wrong.

My husband, at the time, was a manager of a restaurant and worked from 4 pm until 4 am – almost every night. I had a tough pregnancy and was on strict bed rest for almost 6 months. By the time I had my son I had gained over 100 lbs. and my muscles had atrophied. I was miserable. I could barely walk. I was tired and overwhelmed by becoming a parent. Although I didn't want to hurt myself or my son, I did want to go to sleep and never wake up. I cried. I cried more. And finally, when my son was two weeks old I couldn't stand it anymore. I walked into the restaurant/bar where my now ex-husband worked with my baby, put him down in the middle of the aisle, and turned around and walked out. I was tired. I was sad. I was overwhelmed. I couldn't care for myself or my son. I went home and slept.

The next morning when I woke up I immediately called the doctor and explained what happened the night before. He had me come in right away. I started on anti-depressants that day and SLOWLY life became more bearable. No one in my family recognized my symptoms. It wasn't until I couldn't function that I realized I needed help. (side note: My son was fine when I left him in the middle of the restaurant. One of my friends was a waitress there and a mom. She got the night off, paid – and took the baby home so I could get some sleep. Thank you Tammy, wherever you are.)

I was able to get off the meds by the time my son turned 1, but 4 years later when my husband left me I had another attack. This time I realized the symptoms right away and although things were tough – I muddled my way back to "normalcy" two years later.

Some of my personal warning signs:

I felt lazy and tired.
I would go all day with no shower (yes - that is so gross!)
I was tired.
Did I mention that I was tired?
Did I mention that I got really lazy?
And yes, I cried.

Here are some other warning signs:

Loss of interest in normal activities
Feeling hopeless
Problems sleeping
Trouble focusing or concentrating
Difficulty making decisions
Unintentional weight gain/loss
Easily annoyed
Loss of interest in sex
Unexplained physical problems – headaches/backpain

Three years after meeting my New and Improved DH we decided to have a baby. My doctor recommended I go on anti-depressants as soon as my son was born due to my history. SMART! Although I felt mildly depressed after birth the meds kicked in quick and it was a relatively easy time for me.

Depression and Manic Depression are very serious. They can be life threatening in some cases. You may know someone who needs your help and might not even realize it. There are some great resources out there and I encourage you to click on some of these links, if not for yourself – for someone who might need your help.

Depression.com
National Institute of Mental Health
MayoClinic

I want to note: symptoms of depression in small children can be very different from that of an adult. For instance, children might have bouts of anger. Please consult your physician if you think you or your child may be suffering from depression.

Now, on a lighter note:

Giveaway:

1^st Place: Zebra Tote from Sweet Boutique, "Joy for a Woman's Soul Promises to Refresh Your Spirit" book from Momonamission, Necklace from Sweet Boutique

2^nd Place: $20 Giftcard from Bath & Body Works from Mammadawg and Necklace from Sweet Boutique

3^rd Place: Pimpernal coasters from maryambro1 and Necklace from Sweet Boutique

There are 5 possible entries per person. The first entry requirement is to visit any one of the following sponsors: Sweet Boutique, Mammadawg, Momonamission, or Maryambro1 then come back here and tell me something that caught your eye. You can gain up to 4 entries doing this but you must visit a different sponsor for each entry. The 5^th possible entry is selfless. You can enter the name (first name is fine) of a friend you feel could use some cheering up. If that name is chosen, they win! Please leave a way for me to contact you!

You don't have to follow me on twitter. You don't have to follow my blog. You don't have to rate me on technorati. You don't have to do anything for me. This is for you, because you are special and I care about you! Winner will be chosen by Random.org. Giveaway closes on March 7^th at Noon, EST.Giveaway is now closed...winner to be posted later...thanks. You are all so special.

Money Savings Monday: Buy The Warranty

Last year we bought a used Saturn from CarMax as a second car. We only paid $6,000 for it and decided to buy the extended warranty. I am so extremely thankful because 18,000 miles later my brakes went out, my air conditioner broke, my engine blew, the sunroof stopped working and my seat stopped moving. My mother said I have a black cloud that follows me! I think she is right.

Well, there is a $50 deductible on each breakdown so when my air went out last summer I decided to wait to bring it in. I thought I would wait to see if anything else broke to save on the deductible. About 2 months later the seat broke, but it wasn't until the sunroof stopped working that I decided to bring it to the shop. Unfortunately I got busy that week and before I knew it the wheel cylinder went out and I lost my brakes as well.

It worked out that I was going to get everything fixed for $50. I was so excited until the tow truck showed up. I started the car to drive it to the truck and guess what? The engine blew! No problem, I thought, I had 2,000 miles left on the warranty.

Always read the fine print

I did not realize there was a clause in our contract that read:
5. Limit of Liability Our liability is the cost oto repair or replace any covered breakdown; but in no even shall this cost exceed the average retail value of your vehicle as determined by the NADA at the time of loss.

Damages were around $9,000 - what did they cover? $3,700! So, I get a new engine. I get my seat fixed. I get my brakes fixed. The rest is my loss!!! If I had brought it in for each thing as it broke down it would have been covered, but because I saved up all the problems to save on my $50 deductible I have to eat $4,300 worth of breakdown!

Moral of the story - sometimes it is better not to be so cheap. I don't regret buying the warranty, but I should have been fixing things as they broke.

Hope it isn't a hot summer,
Lisa

...and now this! Baby Bubba

Yesterday was Valentine's Day and I decided to keep the kids away from candy as much as I could. So, I bought them this for lunch...
It was a good day, overall. I went to see My Bloody Valentine in 3D with my hubby and then we ventured out to an early dinner. We were home by 5:00 PM and decided to spend some time with the kids. We did get to watch My Best Friends Girl with Dane Cook (love him!) and Kate Hudson. It is a good movie, by the way. Daddy and Bubba took a bath before bed and we spent the rest of the night watching Man vs. Wild. Sound romantic?


What did you do yesterday?
Today's drama? Baby Bubba is sick. He has an upset belly and spent the morning - yep, throwing up. Lucky me!

Review: Out of the Box Sampler – February Valentine

I got my box today. It was so exciting. I love getting anything in the mail that isn't bill related. To get a bunch of small surprise presents in one big box - I'm in heaven.

Needless to say, I'm not one to just take my time with everything. I ripped the box open, took a couple pictures, and dug right in.

Pretty Wrapped Up (Personalized Wrappers w/tootsie rolls and 15% off purchase)

Deborahs Candle Magick (Tarts and Yellow and Purple candle – which I used for my Valentine)

Magick Moon Soapworks (Heart-shaped Soap that smells great)

Adrienne Mason (Chocolate Pretzel)

Park Avenue Creations (Body Butter)

Lainey's Pawtique (Doggie Cookies and boy did my pups devour these…)

FunkTionAl (Lavender Bath Salt – waiting for the kids to go back to school so I can enjoy this in private)

Primitive Baking, Inc (Valentine Sugar Cookie that melted in my mouth)

Willow Lake Scents (the yummiest chocolate covered cherry lip balm ever and the coolest lip scrub. I immediately scrubbed and moistened then kissed my hubby to death, thanks!)

Angel Made Scents (Sugared Shortbread tart that I had to burn immediately. It even tricked my kids because they ran downstairs to see what I was baking.)

The Best Damn Granola Co. (fig n' nuts granola – added it to some yogurt, delicious!)

Fizzy Bubbles (Cupcake Bath Bomb that is the cutest thing you ever saw. My son turns 5 in a couple days and I'm saving it for his bath.)

The Sweet Jelly Bean (Chocolate Covered Oreo Cookie that my kids fought over – the older one won and LOVED it.)

M-D Candles (Asian spice tarts)

Mary Rudakas (Cupcake Cutout Bookmarker that I put in my current reader)

I also got a pink take-out box filled with Chocolate Covered Cherry Tarts that I burned yesterday. Incredible, but I don't know who to credit – so sorry.

The Ugly Duckling (Tarts)

If you are interested in review great samples from awesome companies please visit Out of the Box Sampler. Each month they feature various samples from vendors to share with others. It is a great idea and I boxes sell out fast, so get on their mailing list.

From their website: The Out Of The Box Sampler caters to finding YOU the best etailers who offer handmade goodies in business today! We pack our boxes full with 13-15 different samples from our contributors each and every month. You'll find tarts, scrubs, soaps, candles, jewelry, gourmet food, primitive designs, as well as discounts, coupons, free shipping offers and much more! BOXES GO ON SALE THE THIRD FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH!

Lisa

Happy Valentines Day!

Sorry, today belongs to my darling husband.

Friday's Free Samples: From Me to YOu

It's Friday the 13th!!! Well, my week hasn't been so good – did I tell you my engine blew in my car? Good news: I bought an extended warranty and still had 2,000 miles left. Bad news: They are doing everything in their power to figure out a way NOT to pay it. Why do you ask? The repairs are going to cost twice as much as I paid for it 2 years ago! Hopefully I will get a call today and things will work out. Now, what does this have to do with Friday's Free Samples? Nothing.

Dog Food:
Yappy Treats – can't forget my doggie friends.

Health and Beauty:
Maybelline is offering free samples of their air-whipped liquid makeup. It comes in 12 different shades, pretty cool.
Do you have a bedwetter? Well UnderJams is the answer for the older bedwetter from 38 lbs – 85 lbs!
Spring is here, almost. If you are going to be traveling, protect yourself with Airborne.
Itchy eyes? Alaway from Baush & Lomb has a $4 coupon for you!

Food and Beverage:
Did you know Glucerna made cereal? I didn't either.
Quaker True Delight bars look upscale yummy. I sent for mine…gotta try 'em.

Miscellaneous:
Save the Earth! Pick up your doggie's pooh using the Flush Doggy flushable doggy poop bags.

Hope you enjoy this week's freebies! As always, let me know what you're looking for and I'll try to find it for you……

Lisa

Reminder: Friday Night LIVE Blog Party with MomDot

I have never taken part in the FNL Blog Party - this will be my first, but it sounds like so much fun! There are LOTS of great prizes and a bunch of awesome moms to meet!

From their site:
If you have never been, every Friday night we meet at 830PM and run a LIVE webcam show. Sometimes we have a subject we are talking about, sometimes we interview someone, sometimes we just chat. This week, its GAME NIGHT! You need to have an account with www.Stickam.com/MomDot and be listed as our “friend” to be able to view the LIVE Show. You meet up HERE and we will have a post ready to talk to you while the show is going on. Basically, if your confused, be here, the girls will help you!
Lots of people show up every week and its a fun, interactive way to win prizes and be a part of a true community.
This week, because its the day before Valentines Day, we wanted to bring you a bit of a treat, celebrate the opening of our new online Social community, and hang out. We have a LOT of great sponsors that support our blog and they wanted to make sure you were rewarded for showing up, as well as, given a chance to learn about their company.
Sponsors include:
Macy's
Things Remembered
and
Casio - unbelievable watch giveaway featuring a Casio Wave Ceptor in Black
...to name a few!
Please visit MomDot.com for more details. See you there!

My Mom is “The Giving Tree” & Giveaway UPDATE: CLOSED

This is for you Mom, because I love you.

Dear Mom:
Have you ever read The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein? It is my all-time favorite children's book. I'm going to mail you a copy because I want you to know that you are my giving tree and I love you. The story is about a little boy (yes, I'm a girl, but work with me here) who is loved by an apple tree. The tree will do anything for the child. "Every day the boy would come to the tree to eat her apples, swing from her branches, or slide down her trunk ... and the tree was happy." When the child needs money the tree tells him to sell her apples and so the story goes... "When there's nothing left of her, the boy returns again as an old man, needing a quiet place to sit and rest. The stump offers up her services, and he sits on it. And the tree was happy."

I want you to know I appreciate all the things you have given me (and continue to give). I hope someday that I can give you a fraction of what you have offered me. I know I make you worry. I know I haven't always made the best decisions and choices; but you have always been there for me. As we both get older I miss you more and more. I wish you lived closer and could come over every morning for coffee like you used to do when I lived in New York. I miss those mornings. I wish my boys could spend more time with you and Poppy. They miss you too.

Anyway, I wanted to tell you just how much I love you and I wanted to share it with the world. It isn't Mother's Day. I don't need anything either, so don't worry that I am going to call and ask you for something. I am just thankful you are my mommy and I love you.

Lisa

Although this was a post for you mom, I hope that others will go to http://www.forallthewaysyoucare.com/submit/ and recognize their caregivers as well.

Giveaway:

Because I am in a giving mood as well I am offering 1 lucky follower a copy of The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. In order to win you must be a follower of this blog. I want to give back to you. This is required for this giveaway!

For additional entries:

1. Tell me what is special about your mom/aunt/or other female role-model. (1 entry)
2. Follow me on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway --"The Giving Tree Giveaway hosted by @lisasamples of Mom of 2 Boys, Wife of 1: http://bit.ly/3GmPNE". (1 entry per tweet)
   
3. Add me to your favs on Technorati. (1 entry)
4. Stumble my blog. (1 entry)
5. Repost this giveaway on your blog. (2 entries)

Please make a comment for each entry including the link of your tweet, blog post, and/or technorati/stumble info. Giveaway ends 2/28 at 9 pm EST. GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED, BUT COMMENTS ARE STILL VERY WELCOME. I HAVE BEEN ENJOYING YOUR STORIES.

Valentines Day: Men Don't Want Flowers - Baskin-Robbins Review

Baskin-Robbins understands that men don't want flowers. So, in honor of Valentines Day they are offering "Share The Love" Valentine ice cream cakes. What could be more sexy then a "Be Mine" Mini Valentine Cake or a decadent Chocolate Indulgence Cake?



From their website:
Sweetheart Cake
Share the love this Valentine's Day with our Sweetheart Cake decorated with adorable mini red icing hearts, a large red chocolate piece and a single rose. 1/4 Round serves up to 4.

"Be Mine" Mini Valentine Cake
Make any dinner more romantic with this tasty treat. This charming cake is adorned with hearts creating a beautiful and touching dessert. 1/6 Sheet serves up to 4.

Chocolate Indulgence Cake
You're sure to capture their heart with our chocolate frosted cake with a chocolate fudge border, topped with creamy rosettes and chocolate triangle pieces. So, go on, indulge them. 9" Round serves up to 16.

Show him you love him and stop by your local Baskin-Robbins today!

PR/Advertising Information

I am always looking for products to review that meet the needs of your typical family. The ages of my cast: boy (5), boy (16), husband (30), and me (43)

Reviews and/or Giveaways:

• Products can not be returned and must be FULL-SIZE (unless agreed to prior to review).
• You receive a thorough review of your product, complete with photos and/or video of your product being used.
• If a giveaway is incorporated the sponsor will be responsible for shipping item to the winner of the giveaway (unless agreed to prior to review).
• In return, all entries will require visiting sponsors website and commenting on a feature/or some other detail.
• The product will be tweeted in twitter daily until giveaway is completed (typically 7 days).

I will not review Adult Material, although my husband will be disappointed.

Advertising Space (when review/giveaway is not included):

I am offering a special for 125x125 ads under Sponsor sidebar.

• Please email me for price options

I think it is important that other consumers are able to hear honest opinions about services and products before spending money in this economy. I believe in full disclosure.

I am currently a PR4 blogger, but please email me at lisa.samples@gmail.com for other blog stats.

Thank you,
Lisa

My hubby sent me this...

Isn't he sweet?


Photo by: iamhomosquirrel

And the winner is? Reed & Barton Feeding Spoon Giveaway

Congratulations Kathleen!

Thank you for all your entries. I am so excited about all my new friends! I wish I had something for all of you. Great suggestions were made and I will make sure to keep them in mind for my next giveaway. Check back soon!!!

Lisa

Free Samples: From Me to You

It's Thursday!!! As promised I found some free samples online so you wouldn't have to. I try to get a good sample of things and always make sure I remember our Boxers – Brindie, Rocky, and Sabris!

 

Dog Food:

Cesar.com is offering canine cuisine for the discriminating pups.

If your pup has bad breath Breathalicious has the dog bone for you! Now, if they would just make some sort of anti-gas dog bone…Boxers are horrible!

 

Health and Beauty:

For those of you who made a quit smoking resolution, Nicoderm CQ is offering free samples plus a coupon for $7!

I don't want to forget my diabetic friends. GlucoBurst makes managing your diabetes a little bit easier.

Costco is giving samples to women (or men, but I don't want to know…) of Kotex Lightdays Pantyliners.

I thought I would help you out with your breath, since I offered something for your pups…so, Aquafresh is offering a free sample for humans!

 

Food and Beverage:

Yogi Tea is offering free samples of their green teas. You get the sample pack of Mexican Sweet Chili (sounds different), Meditative Time, and Berry Anti-Oxidant.

Member's Mark is offering free infant formula for all the new moms out there!

My favorite offer today is Bear Naked, Fruit & Nut granola. I love this stuff! I put it in my yogurt for a yummy and healthy snack…try it.

 

Miscellaneous:

I don't want to leave out cleaning supplies, so check out the free sample from Scotch-Brite!

And last, but not least – if you have a child in 6^th to 9^th grade here is an Afterschool Kit to help teach them to make the Right Decisions, Right Now.

 

Hope you enjoy this week's freebies! Let me know what you're looking for and I'll try to find it for you……

Lisa

Family: Do you only get 1 good child?

I remember when I was pregnant with my second child – everyone told me he would be a challenge because my first son was so easy. ET (not his name; but what my dad called him) was 10 years old at the time and he was the perfect child (and still is). So, the curse began…

When Bubba (also not his real name; but my mom calls him that) was born I was comforted by his mellow and sweet disposition. At 1 month he was pretty much sleeping through the night. I was blessed with 2 easy children.

And then I woke up!

Bubba quickly became a "spirited child" – so very different from his brother. He was full of life, wasn't entertained by Disney movies, music, or anything for that matter. He woke up EARLY every morning full of life and ready to go! He remained that way all day – with no breaks for mommy.

And so the story went…

As adorable as Bubba is, he is strong-willed, adventurous, and a lot of the time a terror! He keeps his Pre-K teachers on their toes and in tears. Do you know any 4 year old that has been kicked out of 3 daycares? Well, meet my little one!

 

So, back to the original question – do you only get 1 good child?

Having a little on at 42 years of age has proven to be a bit challenging, but I still love him. It isn't that you only get one "good" child; you just get two (or more) different ones! I love Bubba's inquisitive, quirky nature. I love his crazy, wild spirit. I love that he hasn't gotten kicked out of Pre-K!

Thank you Bubba, for making Momma proud!

(PS – Isn't he a cutie?)

 

My First Award: Life is Grand Award

First, let me begin by thanking Veronica from OF MICE AND raMEN for the nomination and honor. Please be sure to check out her great blog!

I have to name 5 reasons why LIFE is GRAND and then award 5 others...

So, here are my reasons:

1. We have a home, health (for the most part), food, friends, and each other.
   
2. My little one (I'll call him Bubba) has not gotten kicked out of Pre-K. – I will leave this for another post.
   
3. My mom is a breast cancer survivor.
   
4. I graduated from college last month at the age of 42 – but at least I did it!
   
5. My oldest son is 15 years old and has never done drugs, goes to school everyday, does chores around the house, has never been in trouble, and still loves on his mama!
   

Now, for my nominations:

1. Kathleen from Katydid and Kid
   
2. Silverhartgirl from Helping Mommys Win
   
3. Pierrette from The Wiseman Conspiracy
   
4. Betty from The Joe Review
   
5. Lee Ann from The Misadvertures of Lee Ann
   

Congratualtions Ladies on the Life is Grand Award! You have all been a great help to me…even if you didn't know it.

Lisa