Sep
27
This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Febreze NOTICEables
When I was given the opportunity to review Febreze NOTICEables, I did have one question. Have the people at Febreze been to my house?! Seriously. I have a twelve year old and fourteen year old son, and a very large dog, and a husband. Can you think of anyone who might need help with ODOR more than me? No. You can’t.
Nothing says “homey” more than a fresh smelling house, and I rarely never have that. Remember when your kids were babies and you loved to sniff their cute chubby necks and breathe in their baby deliciousness? Well, that does not last, let me tell you. I am constantly trying different things to eliminate odor all over my house, and until recently, I never found anything that really worked. Candles do not really help, they’re just not strong enough. Sprays only last a short time, and believe me, we need something long lasting. So I was thrilled to get my box of Febreze NOTICEables in the mail.
Before I ever opened the box, all three of the men in my house commented, asking “What smells so good?”. Before I even opened the box, people! Febreze NOTICEables is a scented oil warmer that you simply plug into any outlet and enjoy for thirty days. Instead of one fragrance, NOTICEables alternate between two complimentary scents. I tried Autumn Spice/Harvest Festivities, Warm Celebration/Pumpkin Harvest and Morning Walk/Cleansing Rain. They are all so yummy, but my personal favorite is Morning Walk/Cleansing Rain. I just love that crisp clean scent.
Now, how did they work? I put the Warm Celebration/Pumpkin Harvest to the true test of odor elimination – it went in the boys’ bathroom. Two times the boy, two times the smell. I had given up on that room and resorted to keeping the door closed. But no more. Febreze NOTICEables worked wonders in that room and in my bedroom by the dog bed. I was able to keep their bathroom door open; in fact, I purposefully walked by there more often to catch a whiff of the lovely fall scent.
Febreze NOTICEables will freshen your air for thirty days, so I am still enjoying my sweet smelling home. If Febreze NOTICEables can work in my house, they can work anywhere!
And now for more awesomeness! You can enter to win a $100 Visa gift card and a Febreze gift basket!
To enter, leave me a comment below and tell me what is the most important thing you do to maintain a clean, fresh home – or you may leave a link to your post on your own blog in the comments below.
The contest will begin on Monday, September 28, 2009 and will end Tuesday, October 27, 2009. Make sure that the e-mail address you leave is correct. This giveaway has ended, thanks for entering and check back soon for more great giveaways!
Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive an additional entry by linking on twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
This giveaway is open to US Residents, aged 18 and older
Winners will be selected via random draw and will notified by e-mail.
You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
Check out more Febreze NOTICEables reviews for nine more chances to win!
Good luck!!
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Aug
28
This is a compensated review from BlogHer and AT&T FamilyMap
Don’t we all know moms or parents who said “My child will NEVER have a cell phone”? I do. In fact, I was that mom. I was sooo amused listening to parents complain about their teenagers and cell phones. I was convinced that no kid needed a cell phone. In fact, I didn’t have a cell until just a couple of years ago. Well, let’s just say that I will never say NEVER again.
My son got a cell phone last year. Not because he was begging for one since all his friends had one. They do, but he didn’t care. No, the reason he got a cell phone was because of me. He was going off to band camp at a large, out of state university. I became obsessed with the fear that he might get separated from his friends or get lost on the large campus. Or that he might miss the bus that took them back to the dorms at night. I was just worried, and a cell phone seemed like the best solution. Which it was. So avoid saying never, because you never know.
Even though I wanted him to have the cell phone, I didn’t want him to have free reign with it. We have AT&T, and I absolutely love it. I’ve used their Smart Limits program to set restrictions on time of use, how many texts, and more. I can log in anytime and change the limits if I want or just view what he’s been doing. I have made many phone calls to AT&T with questions about adding or removing services, and the reps have always been patient with this non-techie mom. AT&T is extremely family friendly. In fact, when we first got the cell phone I made some mistakes that resulted in a higher than normal bill. When I called in, the rep looked at our account and immediately said, “You have a teenager, right?” She knew exactly why the bill was higher and fixed it right away for me, and explained so that I wouldn’t make the same mistake.
Since I have had such great results with the Smart Limits program, I was really excited to see the new AT&T FamilyMap service. I don’t want to spy on my son or know exactly where he is every second of the day. But he is a teenager. He is notorious for saying he’ll call me when he arrives at his destination then forgetting to call for hours. He has also been know to call me to come pick him up at a friends house and have no clue how to tell me how to get there. I have spent hours lots of time driving around neighborhoods trying to find houses that didn’t map correctly on mapquest. So this seemed like a great service.
This is a new service, and right now you can get your first thirty days free. With the FamilyMap, you can locate your child’s phone, or any phone in your plan. You can track phones from the internet or from your own phone. In addition to random location checks, if that’s what you want to do, the service includes a Schedule Check option which I am most excited about. With that, you can specify a time of day to automatically locate a particular phone. In my case, this will be very helpful when my graduate classes start in a few weeks. I can’t count on my son to call me when he gets home from school, but I also can’t call him during my class. With the Schedule Check, I can set it to check his location at 3pm on the days that I’m going to be in class. Then at 3pm on those days, I will get a text message letting me know if he is home. Since I would spend the entire class time worrying if I didn’t know where he was, that will be a big help.
There are some parents who might prefer that their child not know that they can track their location. When I signed up for AT&T FamilyMap and selected my son’s cell phone for mapping, he immediately got a text message saying that my phone number was tracking his location. Since I hadn’t explained it to him first, I got a not too happy text message asking why I was doing that. But we’ve talked and he understands now. He does not get a text every time I locate his phone, unless I go into my account and set it up that way. He will get periodic notification, about once a month. I’m really not using it to spy on him 24/7, so it’s fine with me that he knows I can track his phone.
However, if he turns off his phone, I can’t track it. If you have a teenager, you’ll understand why I’m not too worried about this 
Unless the battery is dead, his phone is on.
Now for the downside, if you can call it that. The mapping service works best with phones that have Assisted GPS. My phone is ancient and does not, so FamilyMap uses cell towers to give me the most accurate location when I track my own phone. It states right on the AT&T website that without the Assisted GPS phone, it can be within a few hundred yards to a few miles of the phone’s actual location. It also will depend on the location itself, if there are lots of trees or tall buildings it may not be as accurate.
Because I am so technologically impaired, I have done quite a bit of reading on the FamilyMap. It doesn’t say so in the FAQ’s or at least I haven’t found it, but through reading the AT&T forums, it seems like phones with internet accessibility will track better. My son’s phone is newer, and he has a media package on his phone, so he can browse the internet, but the media package is not required for FamilyMap. I have tracked my son’s location and my own location, and it has been right on target with my son’s phone. I do not have a media package on my phone, so no internet. The tracking is a little off for my phone, probably by only a couple miles. That’s ok with me, since I don’t really need to track my own phone.
I’ve been happy with the FamilyMap service so far. It was very easy to register and get it started. The mom (that would be me) who said her kids will NEVER have cell phones is probably going to be getting a cell phone for the younger son soon, so I’ll have more phones to track. I’ll be honest, if I stayed home and didn’t work or go to school, I might not think I needed the FamilyMap service, at least not until my kids are driving (let’s not talk about that!). But as busy as they are and as busy as I am, I think it’s going to be a lifesaver. You also can’t beat the free 30-day trial to see if it’s going to be helpful for your family. To learn more, and sign up and get your first 30 days free, check out the Family Map site.
Now for the giveaway! You know you were waiting for it.
To enter to win a $100 Visa gift card, leave me a comment below and tell me what gives you peace of mind -specifically with regards to kids/teenagers, but if you don’t have kids, please enter anyway!
The contest will begin on August 27, 2009 and will end on September 20, 2009. Make sure that the e-mail address you leave is correct so I can contact you if you win.
- No duplicate comments
- You may receive an additional entry by linking on twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
- You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
This giveaway is open to US residents, aged 18 and older
The winner will be selected via random draw using the Random Number Generator, and will notified by e-mail. You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
Check out how the rest of the BlogHer Reviewers explored AT&T Family Map – you have 10 chances to win a $100 Visa gift card.
The giveaway has ended and I will be emailing the winner soon, thanks for entering! Check back soon for more giveaways!
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Apr
5
The winners in the Cheerios Circle of Helping Hearts giveaway are Judy B, Karen L, and Tamara B. Congratuations! Your information has been forwarded to the sponsor.
Thank you everyone who entered this one.
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Mar
22
Do you know your cholesterol number? High cholesterol is one of the major controllable factors for coronary heart disease, which is the number one cause of death for women. A recent study conducted by Harris Interactive for Cheerios found that more than one-third of adults (37 percent) have not had their cholesterol checked within the past year.*
Those with limited access to adequate healthcare may not get regular cholesterol screenings and thus are at an even greater risk for heart disease.
Wondering how you can help? Now through January 31, 2010, for every code entered at www.cheerioshelpinghearts.com, Cheerios will donate $1, up to $200,000, to raise awareness for heart disease and provide free cholesterol screenings for women in need, through its partnership with WomenHeart. Codes will be featured inside specially marked boxes of Cheerios cereal.
This topic is near and dear to my heart, since heart disease runs in my family.
Thanks to My Blog Spark and Cheerios, I am giving away 3 beautiful freshwater pearl bracelets. Wearing this bracelet will give you a constant reminder of the importance of taking care of your heart. And it’s lovely!
To Enter:
Leave comment telling me what you do to keep your heart healthy, or share a story of women who have battled and overcome heart disease.
To earn extra entries:
- Subscribe to my feed. You can subscribe through a feed reader or you can also subscribe by email and have posts sent to your email address.
- Mention this giveaway on your blog with a link back here.
- Follow me on Twitter (leave your Twitter name in your comment)
- Send a tweet on Twitter about this giveaway-this can be done as often as you like, leave a new comment each time (leave your Twitter name in your comment)
- Stumble this post
Please leave 1 extra comment for each additional entry, telling me which you have done (ie 1 extra comment if you subscribe, 1 extra comment if you mention this on your blog, 1 extra comment if you follow me on Twitter, 1 extra comment each time you tweet about this giveaway, 1 extra comment for a Stumble.
This giveaway will end Friday, March 27 at midnight CST. One prize per household. The winner will be chosen using random.org and I will notify the winners via email. Make sure to include a valid email. The 3 winners will have 48 hours to respond to email with their mailing address so that I can forward that information to the sponsor. If that information is not received within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen. Good luck!
This giveaway has ended, I will email the winners and once I’ve received their information I will forward that to the sponsor. Thank you everyone who entered!
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Jan
26
To celebrate the Bloggy Giveaways Carnival at Bloggy Giveaways I am giving away a $50 Amazon.com gift card.
To enter:
Please leave a comment telling me a good book that you’ve recently read.
I will pick the winner using the random.org generator and will notify them via their email. Open to US addresses only. One entry per person, but you can also earn extra entries.
To earn extra entries:
- Subscribe to my feed. You can subscribe through a feed reader or you can also subscribe by email and have posts sent to your email address.
- Mention this giveaway on your blog with a link back here.
- Follow me on Twitter (leave your Twitter name in your comment)
- Send a tweet on Twitter about this giveaway-this can be done as often as you like, leave a new comment each time (leave your Twitter name in your comment)
- Stumble this post
Please leave 1 extra comment for each additional entry, telling me which you have done (ie 1 extra comment if you subscribe, 1 extra comment if you mention this on your blog, 1 extra comment if you follow me on Twitter, 1 extra comment each time you tweet about this giveaway, 1 extra comment for a Stumble.
This giveaway will end at midnight CST on Wednesday February 4. Good luck! This giveaway has ended, the winner will be announced as soon as I hear back with their information. Thank you everyone who entered!
Don’t forget to visit my personal blog for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card
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Jan
7
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, and best wishes for a Happy New Year! My year did not start off so great, I posted about my holiday “excitement“, which wasn’t so exciting. But I’m moving on and excited for the new year.
My birthday is January 31, and it’s a big one this year. I’ve got some fun giveaways planned to celebrate that coming up, and some reviews too. I can’t fight it so I may as well turn 40 with a bang! Keep checking back, the fun will start very soon.
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Dec
17
I adore my in laws, and I have 2 wonderful sisters in law. The adults don’t normally exchange gifts at Christmas, just the kids. But last year one of my sisters in law gave us each a very nice manicure set, and I’d like to get them both something this year. I don’t know what to get though. My back up plan is some scented lotion, but that I’d like some more ideas to choose from. Nothing expensive, no more than $25, but something thoughtful.
I need your help with this. Please leave me a comment with a gift suggestion. Something you’ve given or received, or would like to receive. And in return, a giveaway!
Enter to Win a $25 Target gift card:
Open to US addresses only. For this giveaway, you can enter as many times as you want, as long as each comment has a different gift suggestion. You can also earn additional entries.
- Mention this giveaway on your blog.
- For an extra entry, sent a tweet on Twitter about this giveaway. Leave your Twitter id in your comment. Leave a new comment for each tweet.
- Stumble this post.
- Add me to your blogroll or put my badge on your sidebar. Leave your url in your comment if you do this.
- Subscribe to my feed.
For each thing you do leave 1 comment ( 1 comment with each gift idea, 1 comment for each tweet, with your twitter id, 1 comment for mentioning this on your blog, 1 comment for a stumble, 1 comment for adding me to your blogroll)
This giveaway will end Sunday December 21 at midnight CST. Thank you for helping me with this, I’m looking forward to reading your suggestions.
This giveaway has ended. I really appreciate all the gift ideas, there are so many good ones I’ll have options for years now. I’ll notify the winner by email and announce once I hear from them. Thank you all again.
You can also get a free sample of Fruit Rollups. As a mom with 2 boys who are always hungry starving, these are good to have around.
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Dec
16
I posted a new giveaway on my personal blog. You can enter to win a $50 Visa gift card.
Tech Savvy Mama is giving away an Xbox Elite. Enter by December 20.
Lands End is a great company, and they value moms’ opinions. Here is a quick survey to take about your sun protection habits. The survey consists of 22 multiple-choice questions. Upon completing the survey, your name will be entered to win one of five $100 Lands’ End Gift Cards. To be eligible to win, you must complete the survey by midnight (CST) on Friday, December 19th. Thanks!
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Dec
13
This is the season to win! Here is just a short list of some of the great giveaways going on.
Mom Central is having daily giveaways through December 17. Great prizes too!
Robyn at Robyns Online World is giving away a FUMI purse hook. Enter by December 23.
Robyn is also giving away $25 cash from Buzzillions. Enter by December 18.
At Champagne Living you can enter to win a copy of Il Divo The Promise. You have until December 15 to enter that one.
At Frugal Upstate you can enter to win a $500 Walmart gift card. Enter by December 15.
Design Mom is having a 12 days of Christmas giveaway event, with some lovely prizes. Enter through December 15.
Shutter Sisters is having a giveaway a day throughout December.
You can win $25 cash at Shopping Gems. Enter by December 16.
Scribbit is giving away your choice of a mom and me apron set, or dad and son apron set from Rick Rack Attack along with a Baby Dipper bowl and spoon set from Baby Dipper. Enter by midnight December 14.
A Cowboy’s Wife is giving away a pair of Ladybug shoes from Skimbaco. Those shoes are adorable, and they were on Oprah! Enter by December 19.
At From Dates to Diapers you can win one of two Nintendo games. Christine is giving away Zoo Vet for Nintendo DS, and Pet Pals: Animal Doctor for the Wii. Enter by December 27.
Her Bad Mother is giving away an iPod shuffle, and making a donation to a charity. Enter by December 17.
Still time to win some great gifts for the holidays!
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Dec
5
Thoughtful gifts
Sometimes it’s hard to find just the right thing, especially for the person who “has it all”. I have found the perfect gift for loved ones like that, who don’t need any particular thing, but maybe could use something from the heart.
These come in a coin size envelope in rich chocolate paper, with 25 unique messages that will nurture your spirit. They are professionally printed on 100# silk cover, each note is half the size of a standard business card and features the cover photograph on one side and a handwritten, digitally reproduced message on the other. Each pack of Trust Cards comes beautifully packaged in a organza drawstring pouch. What a great reminder of the blessings to come.
If you haven’t visited Jen’s blog, it is a treat for your spirit as well. She’s a nurturer, with a kind heart and a giving soul. This is another situation where I’ve admired someone for a long time, and getting up the nerve to email her took a couple of days. But the impression that you get from her writing is honest and true, she’s very kind and welcoming.
This is an excerpt from one of her posts:
That it doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, busy or bored, worried or blissed out, that everyone of us can give, that everyone one of us makes the world a better place when we give (and receive) with all the tenderness and compassion in our broken, hopeful hearts.
That was actually from a talk she gave on charitable living, and it really speaks to me, really inspires me. Jen is an inspiration. She’s made it her mission to take care of her good friend Odette, and Odette’s family in Rwanda. You can read that story here. And if you’re able and inclined to do a little giving of your own, to make the world a little better, you can do that too.
Jen was kind enough to offer a pack of her Trust Notes to give to 1 lucky reader. This would be a lovely gift for a dear friend, sister, mother, even a child. Or keep them for yourself, for those days when you need some inspiration.
To Enter to Win:
Open to US addresses only. One entry per person, but you can earn additional entries.
- Leave a comment here telling me how you’re feeling blessed right now. In this season of giving, sometimes we feel more stressed than blessed, but I’m sure we can all find a blessing today.
- Mention this giveaway on your blog.
- For an extra entry, sent a tweet on Twitter about this giveaway. Leave your Twitter name in your comment.
For each thing you do leave 1 comment ( 1 comment telling me how you have been blessed today, 1 comment for a tweet, 1 comment for mentioning this on your blog)
This giveaway will end Friday December 12 at midnight CST. This giveaway has ended, the winner will be announced shortly. Thank you everyone who entered.
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