Post-It-Note Tuesday... Trash-y

For more PINT, instead of heading over to the usual spot (SupahMommy), you'll be visiting That One Mom... no really, that's what she calls herself!

Win a FREE Weekend Stay at any Hampton Hotel

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hampton Hotels. All opinions are 100% mine.

This is the last week to enter for a chance to win a free weekend stay with Hampton Chain of Friends Sweepstakes.  Until September 4, 2010, they're giving away a weekend stay daily to the winner and three of their friends.  And if you're the Grand Prize winner you could win an entire hotel for a weekend!

How cool would that be?  With summer ending and the kids going back to school, this could either be a fun weekend trip with the kids or a mini-getaway for you and some friends.  If I won a weekend stay away from home, it'd be a tough decision between those two.  My kids may win out, but since I never get a mommy weekend I may just call up some girlfriends and hit the road.

I wouldn't go too far... but just far enough so that my hubby can't bring the kids and come find me.  There's actually a Hampton Inn right in the city where I live but I might just opt to go to the one in the next city over.  Short enough that it's a fun little road trip but lets us feel like we're getting away from all the stress for awhile.

I think having a weekend away from it all every once in awhile is a necessary thing for your sanity and for some rest and relaxation- a nice break from the humdrum of work and home life.  And having some good friends to share that with would be awesome!  Can you tell I already have this planned out in my head... I'd so love to win!

Pearista Pen to Paper Challenge Week #2

So it's week 2 of the Pearista Pen to Paper Challenge.  If you missed my week 1 post about sending a card to one of my best gal friend's, you can check it out here.  Unsure of what exactly a Pearista is?  It's a group of bloggers sponsored by Pear Tree Greetings that value the power of connecting through stationery.  Pear Tree Greetings is an online stationery company that loves to help people connect, whether it's via a personalized note card, party invitation, or birth announcement.

For the Pen to Paper Challenge I'll be writing a hand-written note once a week for four weeks.  I'll be sharing my experience with you by blogging about who the card was for, what writing a hand-written note means to me personally, how I felt when I wrote it, etc.  In addition, during the 4 week challenge, Pear Tree Greetings will be picking one Pearista post each week to win $50 to put towards Christmas Cards!

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For my 2nd hand-written note I decided to involve my girls in the experience as well, they're 5, 2, and 11 mos. old.  This card was for an older couple that have been in our lives for quite awhile and have become like grandparents to the girls.  They've made all 3 of my girls their baby blankets and have been there for birthdays and holidays...  they mean a lot to our family!

I let my 5 yr. old decorate the top part of the card- she drew a rainbow with a heart, and then wrote her name and put princess stickers around the rainbow.  She said there was 1 princess each for her and her 2 sisters.

On the bottom of the card I wrote a short note to tell them how much fun we had while we visited them over the summer (they live 2 hours away).  The girls love going there and seeing them and getting to feed the birds and fish.  I also shared how Angie was ready to start Kindergarten, and had gotten a new haircut and a new pair of shoes that she couldn't wait to wear.  And how we were excited to see them again soon and how much we appreciate them!  Then I helped my 2 yr. old & 11 mos. old sign the card along with my name and had my hubby sign it.

This card meant alot for my girls to be able to help me and for my 5 yr. old to put her own personal touch on it.  I'm happy for the opportunity to instill the importance of hand-written letters in a world of technology, and to share a great tradition of writing note cards, thank you cards, etc.  I want to teach my girl's proper etiquette and hope they always remember these lessons.

If you think about it, most of us send email & texts nowadays, but what about those people who aren't into the web or tech savvy?  For a lot of older people, including grandparents, a majority of their correspondence is still done by mail.  And even though it's jokingly called 'snail mail', it really doesn't take that long for someone to receive a letter or card... aren't all good things worth waiting for anyway?  Let's not forget too, there are unforseen times when the internet crashes or your computer gets a bug or virus (like mine did last week).

And I don't know about anybody else, but we love getting mail around here!  I am way more excited to check my mailbox than I am my inbox.  The mail carrier brings all the good stuff- letters, cards, packages, magazines.  The first thing I check for is a hand written envelope, overlooking all the bills and junk mail.  When you see handwriting it's familiar, comforting... something worth reading.  So take a minute and write a letter to someone you care about- I can almost guarantee it'll make their day, I know it does mine!

Sometimes the best way to say how you feel is to put 'pen to paper'.  The person receiving it will know how much you care that you actually took the time to hand-write a letter.

You remember right... like back in the good ol' days!

Thru the end of August receive 15% off ANY Baby related purchase at Pear Tree Greetings, no minimum purchase required. Use Discount Code PEARAUG10

WWD "13 Weekends of Summer" #10- Favorite Summer Memory

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Wanna link up? Here's how:

1. Become a follower of both hosts- Susie B. Homemaker & Marvelous Mommy
2. Write your blog post on the theme or copy and paste the question listed. Make sure the “Weekend Wind Down” Button is visible somewhere in the post
3. Link up your “Weekend Wind Down” post using the McLinky on Sat. or Sun. You will only need to link up once to be seen on all the Blog Hops. (Please link to your actual “Weekend Wind Down” post, NOT your main blog page)

When you link up you also get an entry into the giveaway contest at the end of the summer. We have 2 gift certificates for 2 lucky winners- 1 to CSN Stores & another to Whimsical Creations. Read full giveaway rules here.


This week's question:
What has been one of your favorite memories from this summer?


My Answer:
Well, we didn't do too much this summer, and even our 1 trip up north didn't turn out how it was supposed to- instead of being a family trip, it was me and the girls and my hubby had to work.

But I guess a fave memory is when we did 'Be a Tourist in Your own Town' day.  We went out on a tour boat- all the girls first boat ride (well my 5 yr. old went out in a canoe once before), we visited several museums, visited a park, ate ice-cream... ah, good times!

Another fave memory would have to be my daughter's 5th Birthday- though it's actually slightly before the official start of summer.  I can't believe she's 5 and is starting Kindergarten this Fall!

Scroll all the way down to link up your post and then use the form below for extra entries.

EXTRA ENTRIES (new ones coming next weekend)!!

• 
  
  Tell us something you'd get from either CSN or Whimsical Creations if you won
• Heart Whimsical Creations Etsy Shop
• Like CSN Stores on Facebook

Fill out a separate form below for each entry that you do.

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1. Lori 2. Shopper Gal 3. Have Sippy Will Travel 4. Schultz Family 5. Stanwood PlaySchool 6. Shining2Save

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Dr. Bloom's Chewable Jewels- Teething Jewelry {Review & Giveaway}

My youngest daughter is 10 mos. old and teething like crazy right now.  Everything goes into her mouth- whether it should or not!  That's why I was thrilled to be able to do a review of Dr. Bloom's Chewable Jewels.  It's teething jewelry that was invented by Dentist and mom, Dr. Helen Bloom Smith.

Check out these fabulous features of Dr. Bloom Chewable Jewels:

• Dentist Created and Endorsed
• FDA approved materials
• Phthalate Free
• Lead Free
• BPA, PVC, Latex Free
• Waterproof
• Dishwasher Safe
• Fashionable

... and best of all, my daughter loves it!

   
   We received the Pink Marble Translucent Rectangle Slide & Bracelet (pictured above left)- I think the bracelet was her favorite, though she also enjoyed chewing on the necklace while sitting on my lap.  The pendant comes with a latex-free cording that is made with elastic, so it stretches to allow baby to put it in their mouth.  You could also put the pendant on your own chain of choice but it looks and functions great with the elastic cord.

    The bracelets and pendants come in lots of great colors and you can choose which style pendant you want as well, and they even have chewable key chains!  I think this is going to be a great accessory for me and my daughter- cute & stylish for me and functional for her.  I'm excited to use it at home and while we're out.  I think this will be perfect for those family get-togethers, there's usually a lot of sitting and standing around and my daughter tends to get restless.  The necklace will be great for when the Aunt's hold her also, so she's not trying to chew on their jewelry.  And these would make an awesome baby shower gift for any new mom!

You can buy Dr. Bloom's Chewable Jewels online here, plus right now receive 15% off with coupon code 2010H.

WIN IT:  1 lucky reader will win their choice of any item from Dr. Bloom's Chewable Jewels.

Mandatory Entry (must be done in order for extra entries to count): Visit the Dr. Bloom website and leave a comment with which item you'd get if you won.

Extra Entries- optional (leave a separate comment for each one that you do, or already do):

• Follow my blog publicly via Google
• Subscribe to my feed via email
• Like my Facebook page +2 entries
• Like Dr. Bloom's Chewable Jewels on Facebook +2 entries
• Follow me on Twitter +2 entries
• Follow Dr. Bloom on Twitter +2 entries
• Post about this giveaway +5 entries, leave 5 comments
• Enter any of my other current giveaways (1 entry for each giveaway)
• Tweet, use button at bottom of post or copy & paste the following (can be done daily, leave link in comment)-

RT @susiebhomemaker Win Teething Jewelry from Dr. Bloom's Chewable Jewels #Giveaway http://bit.ly/cHUqyH (ends 9/10) Open to ALL

OPEN TO ALL

This contest ends on 9/10/10 at 11:59 pm EST.  The winner will be drawn via random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification email before I draw another winner. Please make sure I can find your email on your profile or leave with your comment(s).

Disclosure: I received a product for the purpose of this review but no other type of compensation was received. This has no bearing on my completely honest review above. The opinions and experiences I’ve shared with these products are 100% my own and yours may differ.

ERROR: Does not compute!!

So our laptop decided to go on the fritz, making it impossible for me to do anything on it.  I spent the better part of a day cleaning up files, deleting over 125,000 temporary internet files (say what?!), and trying to get Norton Antivirus to do it's job.... thankfully everything is back in working order (for now anyway).  But I missed my PINT post and Wordless Wednesday (*sniffle).  At least I'm back online now... time to catch up on emails & posts from my favorite blogs.

On a more positive note, it did give me time today (while Norton was doing all it's scanning and updating) to focus on my family.  I actually noticed my oldest two (5 & 2 yr. old) playing nicely together... I could hear giggles and laughter coming from upstairs.  They were playing with their Backyardigans and stuffed animals.  So frequently all I notice is the yelling, screaming, and crying that this was a nice change of pace to see them getting along.  Did it last- well of course not, but it was amazing to see for that short period of time and knowing that they can actually get along... when they want to.

Pearista Pen to Paper Challenge Week #1

I'm excited to say, I've accepted the Pen to Paper Challenge as part of being a Pearista with Pear Tree Greetings.  What is a Pearista, you ask?  It's a group of bloggers sponsored by Pear Tree Greetings that value the power of connecting through stationery.  Pear Tree Greetings is an online stationery company that loves to help people connect, whether it's via a personalized note card, party invitation, or birth announcement.

So what is the Pen to Paper Challenge?  I'll be writing a hand-written note once a week for the next four weeks.  I'll be sharing my experience with you by blogging about who the card was for, what writing a hand-written note means to me personally, how I felt when I wrote it, etc.  In addition, during the 4 week challenge, Pear Tree Greetings will be picking one Pearista post each week to win $50 to put towards Christmas Cards... YAY!

The first official week was 8/16-8/22 so I'm a little late with this first one and missed the weekly giveaway, but still wanted to share my card.  For my first card I wrote to Mel, one of my best friends, who I unfortunately haven't seen in quite awhile.  She recently celebrated a birthday and I had really wanted to be there but it just didn't work out.

We both have kids- me with 3 girls, her with 3 girls & 1 boy.  We also used to work together and share lots of laughs and stories over our job.  So my card started out with my regret of not being able to make it to her birthday party and how I hoped we could get together soon.  I also added in tidbits of what was happening with my girls- Kindergarten, potty training (sort of), and almost walking.  And what my husband and I have both been up to and how we're keeping busy.  Whenever I write, I almost always try to include a picture of our family too, so this time I printed one of the recent pics of the girls from this summer.

My beauties all dressed in yellow!

I really hope she enjoys getting it in the mail.  I had fun writing the card and it allowed me to reminisce about our last girl's night out, funny stories at the job, a day out with the kids.  I'd love to re-connect and I'm going to try my best to set up a day to visit (she's about an hour away) before the winter sets in.

How about you, when was the last time you wrote a hand-written note card or letter?  Who was it to?

Thru the end of August receive 15% off ANY Baby related purchase at Pear Tree Greetings, no minimum purchase required.  Use Discount Code PEARAUG10

EcoMom {Review & Giveaway} Ends 9/5

Do you like using Eco-friendly baby products- EcoMom has tons to offer, not just for your baby but for your home too.  From feeding products- organic food, high chair, lunch boxes... to cleaning products- all-purpose cleaner, laundry detergent, hand soap and so much more, they even have organic clothing for babies and kids.  Here is a snippet of their Vision statement from the website:

Founded to address the connection between the health of our environment and the health of our children, EcoMom is committed to making eco-conscious living easy, affordable, and rewarding. By helping women begin to take better care of themselves and their families – with education, support, tools and products - we empower them to take the all important first steps toward a healthier, more balanced, and sustainable lifestyle....

...Originally launched by a passionate and concerned mother, EcoMom.com has become a team of moms, dads, aunts, uncles, e-commerce veterans, business and finance professionals committed to making healthy decisions for our children and planet as easy, practical and affordable as possible.

They also have a new program now called EcoPass- it's a $99 annual membership which pays for itself in as few as 4 orders and costs only $8.25 per month. This allows you to save on every product they carry by giving you the following benefits:

• 15% Discount on every product                                      
• FREE shipping on every order (no minimum $ requirement)
• Advance looks at new products
• Exclusive offers and promotions

For my review, I received the Plum Organics Sampler & Boon Spoon and a Revolution Foods Sampler.  There was something for each of my girls- the baby, toddler, & my school-aged kid.  My 10 mos. old loved the different flavors of everything... the Pumpkin & Banana was her favorite (what a delicious combination).  My 2 & 5 year old split the Jammy Sammy (organic grape jelly & peanut butter bar) while we were out & about one day & both enjoyed it.  And it's tough pleasing two different kids at the same time! 

I loved the fact that all of these were not only super convenient & tasted great, but were also good for my girls.  Whether we were at home or on-the-go these are a simple solution for feeding my kids something healthy.  The Dispensing Boon Spoon is quite a unique feature as well- it attaches right to the pouch!  It comes with two spoons in their own carrying case.  Once again, great for being out & about, camping trips, visiting family & friends... anywhere!

BUY IT:  EcoMom is offering a 15% Discount good thru Sept. 31, 2010... Coupon Code SBBL553.

WIN IT:  EcoMom has also offered a $15 Gift Card to one lucky reader.

Mandatory Entry:  Visit EcoMom and tell me your favorite product.

Extra Entries (leave a separate comment for each that you do or already do):

• Follow my blog publicly via Google
• Subscribe to my feed via email
• Become a Fan of EcoMom on Facebook +2 entries
• Follow EcoMom on Twitter +2 entries
• Like my Facebook page +2 entries
• Follow me on Twitter +2 entries
• Post about this giveaway +5 entries, leave 5 comments
• Enter any of my other current giveaways (1 entry for each giveaway)
• Tweet about this giveaway, may copy & paste the following (leave link, 1 entry per day)-

RT Eco-friendly #giveaway- WIN a $15 Gift Card from @EcoMomCEO and @susiebhomemaker http://bit.ly/aqxknQ (ends 9/5) US & CAN

U.S. & CANADA ONLY

This contest ends on 9/05/10 at 11:59 pm EST. US & CAN Residents only. Winner cannot have won an EcoMom giveaway within the last 45 days. The winner will be drawn via random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification email before I draw another winner. Please make sure I can find your email on your profile or leave with your comment(s).

Disclosure: I received a product for the purpose of this review but no other type of compensation was received. This has no bearing on my completely honest review above. The opinions and experiences I’ve shared with these products are 100% my own and yours may differ.