Getting Cheesy with Weight Watchers {GIVEAWAY}

The other day Weight Watchers sent me an awesome snack basket so that I could try their new cheeses that are now available at local grocery stores.

Check it out.

I got Kashi TLC crackers, Back to Nature nut mix, Emerald dried fruit mix, a Frisbee, a cheese spreader, all 4 kinds of cheese wedges, and one block of the reduced-fat cream cheese all packaged in the Picnic Time collapsible picnic basket. It was sweet!

Once I unpacked the basket the family got busy sampling the new Weight Watchers Gourmet Cheese Wedges.  The package immediately make you think of Laughing Cow cheese as they are packaged in the wheel with the wedges inside.

There were four varieties to taste test: Original Swiss, Garlic and Herb, Parmesan Peppercorn and Jalapeño Pepper.  After tasting them all, the Jalapeno Pepper wedges was the one we thought had the most flavor with Parmesan Peppercorn running a close second.  We enjoyed spreading the cheese on crackers for afternoon snacks and the Jalapeno Pepper was fantastic on a grilled burger!  The Original Swiss was somewhat bland, but it worked for me when I spread it on an apple and on celery sticks.  I have to admit that I am not a big garlic fan though so I left that one to hubby who said it was good although not exactly bursting with flavor.

I did find that all the wedges were creamy and easy to spread and since each wedge only has 30 calories it definitely made for a low cal snack.  Weight Watcher Cheese wedges also contains more fiber than the leading competitor I mentioned above and comes with a POINTS® value of 1.  The wedges seem to cost between $2.99 and $3.99 at my local markets.

My basket also came with a package of the new eight-ounce Weight Watchers Reduced Fat Cream Cheese Spread.  Now I love cream cheese, but have to say I'm not really a cream cheese snob like some and seriously can't usually tell the difference between low fat and full fat cream cheese.  I found the cream cheese to be very smooth and creamy allowing for easy spreading on my bagels and celery.  In a taste test I honestly don't think I could pick which was Weight Watchers.  I do like knowing though that the spread boasts 40 percent less fat than regular cream cheese with a POINTS® value of 1 per serving. Finally I can feel a little less guilty about consuming my cream cheese.  The cream cheese spread is also comparable in price with my grocery stores selling it between $1.69 and $1.99.

Now for the best part of my whole review...I get to give one of my readers A SNACK BASKET JUST LIKE MINE! You get the picnic basket with all the goodies!!  All you have to do to enter is leave a comment telling me what you like to spread your cheese on. That's it. But hurry and enter because the winner will be chosen next Friday, August 27th. Good luck!!

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Safeway Supports Box Tops for Education {GIVEAWAY}

Being a teacher, I realize the importance of the Box Tops for Education program.  It's neat to see our school earn money for turning in box tops found on products we buy on our normal shopping trips at the grocery store. Did you know that Box Tops for Education has already given away over $320 million to help more than 69 thousand participating schools?  This year earning Box Tops is even easier with four new brands participating in the program: Progresso Soup, Totino’s Pizza, Betty Crocker Cake Mixes and Gold Medal Flour.

I was excited to hear that the Safeway family of stores (which includes Dominick’s, Tom Thumb, Randalls, Vons, and Genuardi’s) supports the program and is making it so simple to earn even more money for our schools with “2 Ways 2 Earn” cash for your schools, Box Tops for Education and the “10% Goes Back to Schools” program.

Earn money by collecting your box tops from the products you buy at Safeway and then to help your school earn even more money look for the “10% Goes Back to Schools” yellow school bus tags on over 2,000 of your favorite items throughout Safeway from August 11th – September 14th. When you purchase those participating products with your Club Card, Safeway will give 10% of the purchase price to the local school of your choice.

Here’s how it works:

• Check your receipt from August 11 – September 14. The total will be updated each time you shop.
• Beginning on September 18, a redemption code will be printed at the bottom of your receipt.
• Visit backtoschools.escrip.com before October 13 to choose your favorite participating local school, then simply enter your redemption code to make your donation.

To learn more about Box Tops for Education and Safeway’s “10% Goes Back to Schools” program, visit www.2ways2earn.com. And while you’re there, don’t forget to enter the Safeway Bonus Box Tops Sweepstakes for a chance to win 1,000 Bonus Box Tops for the participating school of your choice! 



Also, check out Box Tops for Education on Facebook today! Visit Box Tops for Education on Facebook to “Like” the program and keep up with the latest news from Box Tops.

GIVEAWAY - Want to get started earning money for your school right away.  I have a $25 Safeway gift card (also valid at Dominick’s, Tom Thumb, Randalls, Vons, and Genuardi’s) that I get to give one lucky reader to use to purchase your favorite Box Tops items. Along with the gift card you will also receive a Bonus Box Tops certificate with a value of 50 Bonus Box Tops!! To be entered to win leave a comment below telling me your system for collecting box tops.  At our house, we have a ziploc baggie attached to our fridge so we just drop the box tops in there as soon as we remove them and then send the baggie to school every few weeks.



Good luck with the giveaway and happy earning for your school! 


DISCLOSURE:  I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by MyBlogSpark on behalf of Safeway and General Mills. I received a Safeway gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

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Muvin and Gruvin {Giveaway}

One of the things I looked forward to at FitBloggin was the opportunity to try out the Gruve.  

I had a heard talk about it on Twitter and was excited to be able to wear one at the conference.  I got hooked using it while I was there, but knew I couldn't afford the price so I was beyond thrilled when they made the big announcement that we could keep them!!!

What's the Gruve you ask? Here's what their website has to say about it:

Our Gruve is an amazing piece of technology!! This little device provides you with a personalized, quantifiable measure of your activities and the calories you burn throughout your day.

The Gruve uses an omnidirectional accelerometer to measure activity intensity and duration. Synchronizing your Gruve device with our Gruve web site gives you the ability to view your own daily calorie burn and track your weight loss progress.

Now it is not a weight loss program, but rather a tool to use to increase your activity, which in turn should assist with weight loss.  During the first week you complete an assessment trial where the gruve records your normal activity rate.  It then sets up a personal activity goal and you use the Gruve to track your progress in meeting this goal each day.  The gruve uses color codes {red, orange, yellow, blue, green} which provide a visual for your activity progress throughout the day.  You want a green day everyday because that means you met your fitness goal! When you meet your goal so many days in a row the fitness goal then adjusts to push you to increase your activity level even more.


The colors are a huge motivation for me as I strive to meet my green goal.  There have been some evenings when I was on blue that I would make myself move so I could get it on green before bed.  Before I would have just given in and hit the sack.  Oh and I can't forget to tell you about the vibration!  The Gruve vibrates when you become still for too long, telling you to get your butt up and moving.  I find this very helpful and its so annoying that you do get up and move just so it will be still!


I've been wearing my Gruve ever since Fitbloggin and you may say I'm slightly addicted to it as I feel nekkid if I leave the house in the morning without it.  My daughter is a huge help with reminding me to put it on though as she loves to see what color I'm on and is always encouraging me to get it on green!  I give the gruve two enthusiastic thumbs up!!


Want a chance to win your own Gruve?  Well my fitness friend Jenn has her 
hands on two new gruves and is giving them away to two lucky readers.  So go visit, say hi, and enter to win your Gruve today {the contest ends on the 12th so hurry!!} 

Disclosure: I received a free Gruve for attending FitBloggin, but was not required to provide any advertisement.  The review and opinions are strictly my own because I thought some of my fellow fitness bloggers may be interested. This post does contain affiliate links.

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Five {+3} Point Friday - Shrimp LoMein from BJ's Wholesale

The other day I received an email from BJ's Wholesale Club sharing about how in an effort to help families save money, they have developed recipes that serve four people for less than $12. As I was looking through the recipes I found this one that sounded delicious.  Chinese takeout is a favorite at our house so I knew it would be a hit.

Please note the point value.  
Trust me though that the extra points were worth it!

Shrimp Lo-Mein

Recipe courtesy of BJ’s Wholesale Club

 Serves 4 - 8 points per serving

• 8 oz. Barilla® Whole Grain Spaghetti
• 1 Tbsp. Kikkoman® Soy Sauce
• ½ tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp. Domino® Cane Sugar
• 1 Tbsp. fresh Ginger, grated
• 2 tsp. Argo® Cornstarch
• 1 lb. Berkley & Jensen® 21/25 Frozen Raw Shrimp, defrosted
• 2 Tbsp. Berkley & Jensen® Peanut Oil
• 2 stalks Celery, finely sliced
• 1 ½ cups Fresh Express® Cole Slaw (undressed)
• 1 Green Onion, minced

1. Cook spaghetti until al dente and drain immediately. Rinse with cold water and drain thoroughly. Set aside.   
2. Mix soy sauce, ginger, cornstarch, salt and sugar in large bowl. Add shrimp and let marinate for 20 minutes.
3. Heat wok or large, straight-sided skillet over high heat until very hot. Add 1 Tbsp. of oil. Using slotted spoon, carefully add shrimp to hot pan. Reserve marinade. Stir-fry until shrimp is just opaque. Immediately remove from pan and set aside. 
4. Add remaining oil. Stir-fry celery, slaw and green onion until just tender, about 5 minutes. 5. Add shrimp to ingredients in pan, along with reserved marinade. Stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes, or until sauce boils and thickens.
5. Add spaghetti to pan and toss to mix. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Buy your ingredients at BJ's and save more than 30% off supermarket prices. They estimate the ingredients for this recipe would cost $2.74 per serving. A delicious and cheap dinner! Oh and don't forget that your coupons are also always welcome at BJ's to save even more.

Right now BJ’s Wholesale Club is offering a Free 60-Day Trial Membership which can be activated between now and July 5.  The risk-free, trial membership includes full member benefits including savings and no surcharge. Just print the pass and take it to the nearest BJ's club by you.

Happy Shopping and Cooking!

Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation for sharing the information in this post, well except for printing out my own trial membership pass to use at the BJ's that just opened around the corner!

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Merry Christmas Little Monkey **GIVEAWAY**

This Christmas, that adorable little monkey, Curious George, is getting into the holiday spirit.


In the brand new Curious George holiday special, Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas, finds George and The Man with the Yellow Hat having a very merry time counting down the days until Christmas. There’s only one puzzle: neither of them can figure out what to give the other for a present. The Man is having trouble reading George’s wish list and George doesn’t have a clue about what to get for The Man who has everything. Maybe you can help!

Thanks to 360 Public Relations we got our very own copy of A Very Monkey Christmas along with a party pack so we could host a movie premier party. The kids had a blast monkeying around with games, puzzles, tattoos, and of course snacking on popcorn while watching the movie.

If you have a toddler/preschooler (shhh, but my 8 yr old also enjoyed watching it) they will be delightfully entertained by the curious monkey and his search for the perfect present.

In the spirit of the holidays, I've got one DVD copy of A Very Monkey Christmas to giveaway to one special little somebody. Leave me a comment telling me what holiday special you and your family enjoys watching together to be entered to win the copy. I will draw a random winner next Saturday, December 12th. Good luck.

Merry Christmas!!

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Disney on Ice Giveaway!

I know I've been missing in action for a bit lately so what better way to make a come back than with a giveaway!!

Disney on Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic this year and they're bringing the show to the Wachovia Center in Philly! If you haven't ever been to a Disney on Ice show then you must take the time to go see this one. We never miss an ice show when it comes to town as the whole family becomes entranced in the Disney Magic.

My family will be heading into Philly for opening night, October 14th and I have four tickets to giveaway so you and your family can go too! All you have to do to win is leave a comment right here. Just a single comment. That's it. Of course if you live in the Philly area and want to tell all your friends about the giveaway so they can enter to win too, that would be awesome. I'll be choosing the winner on Wednesday, October 7th so comment quickly!!

If you can't make opening night or aren't the lucky winner, no worries because you can still get a great deal on tickets when you use the coupon code "MOM" at www.ComcastTix.com. Enter the code in the promotional box to receive four tickets for $44 to see a Monday through Thursday show or Friday matinee. Or you can enter the code and receive $4 off each ticket for a Friday night or weekend show. Great deals for a family night out!

I hope to see you there!!

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Sam's Club and The Big Clip

Every year in our school we have a competition to see which class can raise the most money for their school by collecting Box Tops for Education. The best thing about this fundraiser is that nobody has to buy anything extra, but instead they can help schools just by doing their regular grocery shopping. All that is required is clipping those little pink "Box Tops" off the packages of foods we all buy.

This year Box Tops for Education and Sam's Club have teamed up to help schools earn even more money through the BIG CLIP campaign. From August 15th through September 4th, you can get even more Box Tops on your favorite back-to-school brands at Sam's Club. Be sure to check out products from Cheerios, Ziploc, Pillsbury, Fiber One, Nature Vally, Scott, Huggies, and Kleenex to find extra box tops for your school.

Not to mention that by being a Sam's Club member you will not only be helping out your school, but your savings on your favorite brands will practically pay for your membership!

Speaking of saving money, Sam's Club and Box Tops for Education have given me the opportunity to pass on some extra special savings to you through a super giveaway. I have 4 one day passes to Sam's Club to giveaway to some of my lucky readers. Plus 1 grand prize winner will receive a $25 Sam's Club gift card along with their own one day pass. All you have to do to win is tell me if you collect box tops for a school and if you don't why not? Easy right? The winners will be chosen next Saturday, September 5th.

Happy hunting for all the pink box tops!

DISCLOSURE: Thank you Sam's Club and Box Tops for Education for providing my family a one year subscription to Sam's Club where we can collect more money for our school.

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Rock of Ages Giveaway

As I was watching The View I was excited to see American Idol finalist, Constantine Maroulis being interviewed about his role in the new Broadway Show Rock of Ages. Did you know the show has been nominated for 5 Tony Awards?!

Rock of Ages is a show chocked full of rock extravaganza. Set in 1987, in a legendary Sunset Strip rock club, a small-town girl meets a big-city dreamer and they fall in love to the greatest metal songs of the 80's. The musical is an arena-rock love story told through the mind-blowing, face-melting hits of Journey, Bon Jovi, Styx, Reo Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Foreigner, Twisted Sister, Poison, Asia, Whitesnake and more.

It was great timing to see the interview as I recently received my own copy of the Rock of Ages Soundtrack from the One2One Network. I have had a blast teasing my hair, putting on my fluorescent green leg warmers, and jamming to my favorite rock hits from the 80's. Okay so I've skipped the 80's fashion statements, but the music has definitely taken me back in time. The kids think I'm a bit nuts as I turn up the volume and rock along, but I'm thrilled that they are listening to some of my classic rock favorites with me.

Some of my favorite hits on the album are: Sister Christian, I Wanna Rock, We're Not Gonna Take It, Wanted Dead Or Alive, I Want To Know What Love Is, Here I Go Again, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Every Rose Has Its Thorn, and Don't Stop Believin. Those are just a few of the songs you will find on the track list.

Check out the You Tube video with interviews from the cast members as they share their thoughts about the production of Rock of Ages soundtrack.

Now you want your own copy don't you???

Well the good thing is that I get to give one copy away to one of my fabulous readers. All you have to do is tell me your favorite song from the 80's. What song made you get up and dance or dream of your latest crush? I can't wait to see if it was one of my fave's too. Next Friday, August 7th I will use random.org to choose the lucky winner.

Not sure you want to wait that long? You can buy your own copy of the Rock of Ages soundtrack today for $11.49.

Rock on!!

Disclosure: I received a free copy of Rock of Ages Soundtrack to review thanks to the One2One Network.

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Trix Swirls GIVEAWAY

Both of my kids love to draw and color. They will spend a good hour sitting at the table coloring pictures or drawing their own. I'm always impressed with their artistic flair too considering I don't think I have one artistic bone in my body. Thankfully my husbands side is full of it and my grandmother was an excellent painter so the kids have a chance.

They were thrilled the other day when I let them open a package I received and they found this...

A drawing pad, paint, paintbrushes, colored pencils, smock, and handy carrying case, they were in awe. Then when they saw it even had a box of cereal, well I suddenly became the best mom ever and they told me how happy they were that I blogged so I could get such cool stuff.

The box of cereal was Trix Swirls® which is a new twist on the Trix we all love as it combines two mouthwatering fruity colors into every puff. The kids loved how each piece had a swirl of color rather just one, sparking their creativity. I like how the cereal is a good source of calcium and vitamin D. Too bad for the Trix Rabbit because my kids gobbled up the the fruity combos that he can't resist.

Thanks to MyBlogSpark, I get to give away TWO Trix Swirls® Creative Kid gift baskets that includes a coupon for a free box of the cereal along with a colorful apron, a set of watercolor pencils, watercolor paints, brushes, a sketchbook, and an art supply box. Your child will have something to keep him busy and a snack to go with it!

All you have to do to win is leave a comment telling me what you or your kids like to swirl together. My favorite is chocolate syrup and ice cream, Zoe said she liked Mac n Cheese and ketchup (yeah I know), and Dyl's fave is peanut butter and fluff. I will choose two winners next Friday, July 31st.

I usually like to keep my giveaways simple with just a comment for entry, but I think this giveaway is too much fun to not share with as many parents as possible. So if you tweet about this giveaway including the link to this post you may leave an additional comment for every tweet to improve your odds of winning. Good luck!!

Disclosure: Thank you My Blog Spark for sending me a Trix Creative Kid Basket along with a free box of cereal to review.

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Here, There, and Everywhere

Today's post is kind of like one big advertisement for me!

As you know this here is my bloggy home (I even just celebrated my 1000th post and would beg of you to help me celebrate by commenting here), but I also write a little here and there. What can I say? I like variety.


Here is where you can currently find me,


First of all, I am so excited to tell you that I have been featured on Weight Watchers Online in an article about the Walk-It Blog It Challenge. I was interviewed awhile back for the article and submitted a picture, but was told that I may or may not end up making the cut. Well it seems that I made it!! I'm pretty excited about it and would love for you to check it out and tell me what you think.


Then, I have a new gig sharing some of my favorite product reviews and hosting giveaways at Reviewsings. I'm hosting my first giveaway this week for Recycled Post-It Notes, one of my all time favorite organizational tools.


Finally, over at Chic Critique I share my newfound love for nail polish pens. I just recently discovered these wonders and don't know how I survived without them. Have you heard about them? Used them? Come on over and see what I have to say and leave me a comment while you are there!!


That pretty much covers it for this week. It would be great if you visited me around the blogosphere as well as here. You know I can never get enough of my readers!!

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Sun and Earth - Another Part To Saving the World

You know how the other day I saved the world with my grocery bags?

Well now I'm saving it even more with some green household products I just discovered.

Sun and Earth is located in Philly, so somewhat local to me, and has been around for years. The company uses the latest technology to create cleaning solvents from plant, fruit and vegetable oils that are non-toxic & safe for the Earth. My favorite part is that you don't get that bleach or cleaning product smell, but rather a fresh, citrus smell.

I've enjoyed using the All-Purpose Spray because..well, it's all purpose so I've been cleaning just about everything. I really like how it doesn't leave a sticky residue behind! My other fave product is the instant stain remover pen. I've always carried those orange pens around everywhere and swear by them when trying to tackle stains on the go, so I was curious to see how this would measure up. It met the competition and worked perfectly. Sun and Earth has tons of other green products too and I can't wait to try them all.

Oh and the best part?

Now you can help save the world with me!

Sun and Earth is letting me give away the motherload of their green household products to one of my readers. When I say the motherload, I mean the motherload. You will get what you see in the picture above which includes:

• 50 oz. 2x Concentrated Laundry Detergent
• 22 oz. All Purpose Cleaner
• 22 oz. Extra Concentrated Dishwashing Liquid
• Automatic Dishwasher Detergent Packs (these are awesome!)
• Box of Unscented Dryer Sheets
• 40 oz. Ultra Fabric Softener Liquid
• 22 oz. Glass Cleaner
• Instant "On The Spot" stain remover
• Reusable Sun & Earth Shopping Tote

All of that green goodness is worth over fifty bucks!!

Of course you know I like my easy giveaways so all you have to do to win is leave me a comment telling me if you use green cleaning products. If so, what is your favorite product? If not, why not? Don't worry you won't get any judging from me...these are the first green cleaning products I've used! Please make sure you have an email address on your account or leave it with the comment because it makes me sad to draw a winner and find out I can't contact them.

The winner will be drawn next Saturday, June 6th (which just happens to be the day after my birthday, but that's neither here nor there)! Good luck.

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The Day's Finally Here

Guess where we will be tonight?

If you guessed there then you were right.

Tonight if you are looking for us, we'll be in Philly hanging out with clowns, tightrope walkers, acrobats, clowns, and other circus performers. We will be the family with the bucket of popcorn, bags of peanuts, paper cups overflowing with snowcones, and sticky cotton candy on our face. Mmmm....circus food.

I'm really looking forward to hanging out with some of my Philly Mom Blogger friends who will be there like JoLynne, Classymommy, Melissa, Beth, Amy, Sarah, and Kim. I can't wait to meet some new ones too.

Be prepared for picture extravaganza over the weekend!!

It's still not too late for you to join us!
Don't forget that thanks to Mom Central you can get a family 4-pack of tickets for just $44, with the coupon code MOM. What are you waiting for? Let's meet at the circus!

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Giveaways with a Catch

One extra entry for subscribing,
One extra entry for twittering,
One extra entry for sharing it on your blog,
One extra entry for becoming a Facebook fan,
One extra entry for blah, blah, blah.

Is it just me or does there seem to be quite a few catches to blog giveaways these days? I feel somewhat hypocritical for pointing it out though because I've been known to try to get some extra readers myself as I promised extra entries if they subscribed. Lately though it just seems like giveaways are being used to bribe readers rather than getting them to read purely because they enjoy the content on the blog. Are bloggers becoming so focused on their stats that they are resorting to coercion to get readers?

I want my posts to be able to connect to people whether it makes them smile or laugh, stop and think about something, encourage them, provide them with information, or just entertain them for a few moments of their day. I don't want my readers to feel that I must bribe them into a relationship by telling them they can get an extra chance at winning something if they subscribe to my blog or follow me on twitter.

Just my two cents.

With all that being said I welcome any new readers with wide, open arms. My motto is always, "The more, the merrier". Of course I relish in new subscribers, followers on twitter, and being able to talk through emails, but I'm not going to twist your arm to be my bloggy friend.

I'd love to hear what you think.
Do you get frustrated by blogs who offer "extra entries" if you jump through hoops?
Do you really not care either way?
I'm even more interested in knowing if you jump through the hoops or do you just enter a comment and move on?

What say you?

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Goody Green Bag GIVEAWAY

**UPDATED!! Congratulations Amy (commenter #5) for winning the reusable bag. Remember you still have a few days to receive the free shipping!!

Although I completely missed Earth Day here on my blog, I did write about my definition of crunchy over Philly Mom's. I pretty much laid it all out there including my ignorance on protecting the environment and intentions of becoming better. In my post I mention that, "Maybe I'll even eventually buy some of those re-usable grocery bags" so it was ironic when I received an email asking if I would review a Goody Green Bag.

Goody Green Bags are eco-trendy reusable bags for the style conscious & environmentally friendly shopper. Basically, they let you be "green" while staying stylish and trendy. They come in 6 super cute patterns that are sure to meet your fashion needs. These bags are so stylish that they were actually selected as the official celebrity gift bag for the 2008 American Music Awards, Obama's Celebrity & VIP Inauguration party, the 2009 Grammy "MusiCares" pre-party, and the Oscars pre-party. Now I know you want one!!!

The Goody Green Bags are the perfect size for browsing the farmers market, trips to the grocery store, mall shopping, picking up take out, and toting baby supplies! One of my favorite features is that it folds up into the size of a wallet so I can keep it in the compartments in my car or even in my purse until I need it. The compact size is perfect for travel and then it folds out to a full size tote, which is perfect for me to carry things to school or use as a gym bag, beach bag, or souvenir carry-on.

This is mine...isn't it cute?

If you are still looking for a Mother's Day gift idea this could be perfect for your environmentally friendly mom. It could make a great gift bag when you fill it with items that a friend or family member enjoys or maybe you could put all the ingredients for a dinner with a recipe to surprise a friend. The bags would also make a great eco-friendly gift for teachers, hostesses, new parents, and friends and family members who just enjoy trendy totes!

Goody Green Bags sell for $8.95 each, or you can pay $39.95 for a 5 pack and have some for those last minute gifts! You can purchase your bags right online.

Now for the best part: A GIVEAWAY AND A DEAL

I am giving away a Goody Green Bag of your style choice. All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me 1) If you use reusable grocery bags or are still using the paper/plastic and 2) If you win what style you would choose by visiting the website. I will draw the lucky winner on Saturday, May 9th!

If you can't wait to see if you won or want to order some of your own bags right now, this minute, then I have something for you too. Now through May 15, Goody Green Bags are offering free shipping on all orders over $25 so take advantage of this special offer and give green for Mother's Day!

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Sunday Stars - Giveaway Edition

There's so many great giveaways around the blogosphere including right here at A Box of Chocolates that I thought I would highlight a few for my Sunday Stars.

• Hoping to spread awareness about Cornelia de Lange Syndrome after experiencing it with her son, Heidi is hosting a giveaway for a $25 gift certificate to Amazon and also making a donation to the Cornelia de Lange Syndrome Foundation in honor of the winner. Below is just some of the things that I learned from Heidi's blog about the syndrome.
  

  • CdLS is a congenital syndrome, meaning it is present from birth. Individuals with CdLS strongly resemble one another with common characteristics such as, low birthweight, slow growth and small stature, and small head size. Other frequent findings include excessive body hair, small hands and feet, partial joining of the second and third toes, incurved fifth fingers, gastroesophageal reflux, seizures, heart defects, cleft palate, bowel abnormalities, feeding difficulties, and developmental delay. Missing limbs or portions of limbs, usually fingers, hands or forearms, are also found in some individuals.

  Cornelia de Lange Syndrome Foundation exists to raise awareness about the condition, foster research about the syndrome and provides extremely valuable support and information to CdLS families. It is also the best place on the web to learn about CdLS.

Please visit God's Grace in Practice to lean more about the Cornelia de Lange Syndrome and its awareness day on May 9.

• Thinking summer and stressing about trying on those dreaded bathing suits? The Weight Watchers Momentum Plan is a perfect way to learn new eating habits and lose weight while you are doing it. They have also recently kicked off a new Walk-It Program to encourage regular exercise. When you sign up for a new membership you can join a walking team, receive an exercise plan, and get tips on how to make walking work for you. You can find more information on the Walk-It Program and enter to win a 3 month membership to Weight Watchers right here!!
• Ladies and Gentleman, Boys and Girls...you are all invited to THE CIRCUS! Ringling Bros and Barnum Bailey is coming to Philly and you can win a family four pack to opening night.
• Plus don't forget to go visit 5minutesformom and enter to win some of their many Mother's Day Giveaways!!
  

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The Circus is Coming, The Circus is Coming

**UPDATE Congratulations Jenn! You and your family are going to the circus.

Every year one of our favorite family activities is heading to the circus.

There is just something about the crazy clowns, magnificent elephants, tightrope walkers, and my absolute favorite...the trapeze artists. You can never get enough of sitting in the stands with the bright lights flashing and watching all the excitement taking place in the three rings down on the floor. It brings the kid out of anybody. Oh and did I mention the popcorn and cotton candy...definitely can't miss that!!

Well this year we're heading to Philly for Ringling Bros and Barnum & Baily's brand new ZING, ZANG, ZOOM circus. We are impatiently counting down the days till showtime.

You're invited to the circus too!

I have a four-pack of tickets to giveaway to one lucky commenter! You and your family can join in all the excitement of the circus' opening night on May 13 @ 7pm for FREE. All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me your favorite part of a circus. I will choose the lucky winner on Friday, May 8th. Good luck.

Oh and because I want to spread the fun to as many people as possible, if you don't win the free tickets you can still come to the circus at a great price. Thanks to Mom Central you can get a family 4-pack of tickets for just $44, with the coupon code MOM. So what are you waiting for? Get your tickets today and be prepared to be amazed!!

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You deserve to win something for Mother's Day...So do I!

The ladies over at 5minutesformom are at it again.

They want to honor moms like you and me by hosting a huge Mother's Day Giveaway. It's quite the giveaway too. There are tons of cool products you can win, like...

• An HP Mini 1000 PC
• Purses from Coach and Elliot Lucca
• A Kodak Wireless Digital Frame
• A Kodak Digital Camera
• A Blu-Ray player and Blu-Ray Pride and Prejudice gift pack
• Jewelry from Things Remembered
• Crock-Pot® Smart-Pot® Slow Cooker
• and more…
  

So what are you waiting for? You deserve something extra special this Mother's Day so visit 5minutesformom to sign up to win!

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I REALLY want to win this one

Our mattress is old, I mean really old.
It belonged to my in-laws actually for I don't know how many years before we received it and then we have had it for at least the past 10 years. It has been flipped numerous times, has had the egg carton cushion on it, and even has had the memory foam mattress on top, yet the body impressions are still deep pits. Both, hubby and I have been complaining about how our backs have been sore when we wake up and I would bet that the age of our mattress has something to do with it.

We were planning on using some of our tax refund to treat ourselves to a new mattress, but other items took priority and our budget just doesn't allow for the purchase right now.

However, maybe my luck will be strong enough to WIN us a mattress. Blissfully Domestic along with Select Comfort is giving away a new C3 Sleep Number Bed by Select Comfort to one of their readers. The bed fits everyone’s comfort level because each side can be adjusted to the exact level of comfort, support, and firmness you want at the touch of a button. So Dave can sleep on his comfy cloud and I can sleep on a slightly firmer mattress. See everybody wins!! Oh and the giveaway even includes a foundation and UPS delivery. I would be beyond thrilled if I won this!!

I know my chances are slim, but hey I don't have any chance if I don't try right?
What about you, do you need a new mattress? You can go try to win it too. But, if you don't enter it is really okay because I sure won't be complaining about the better odds.

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KIX Giveaway

**Update - Congratulations Shannon #10 commenter! You won the box of cereal and goodies!!**

Cereal is a popular entree served in our household.
We like to have it for breakfast, snacks, and yes, sometimes even dinner!

The other day when I opened the brown box that we had found on our front porch to discover this...


Zoe and Dylan were besides themselves.

Cereal and new bowls???
Of course first thing they did was put the cereal in the new container and then rush to fill their bowls to "test" out the new cereal.

Now for the kid approval...
"Mommy, can we have another bowl?"
Yep, two bowls up from each of the kids.

The cereal gets a passing grade from me too, as I enjoyed a bowl or two for breakfast and dinner a couple days. Oh and for lunch too, thanks to that cool, blue cup you see in the picture. It is actually a two piece plastic container so you can fill the one with the cereal and then the other has that ice stuff you freeze, then add your milk and it will stay cold till lunchtime.

Now I get to pass on the goodness of this KIX package to one of you.
All you have to do to win is leave me a comment and then on Friday I will use random.org to draw the lucky winner. That's right, it's as easy as opening a box of cereal!

Good luck!

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Drumroll Please...

Here are my 6 giveaway winners.

Weight Watchers Subscription

#109 - Live42day

Little Debbie Snack Box

#55 - elizabeth

#69 - Lisa P.

#117 - Nicole

$25 Gift Certificate to Created by Chel

#48 - Taylor

Twitter Custom Page by Pumpkin Patch Designs

#18 - Boo Bear's Place

Thank you to everybody who came by to play along during the Bloggy Giveaways. I hope some of you will stick around and keep on reading. See you around the blogosphere!

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