Children’s Book #Giveaway-“I Love You Just Because!” #FlyBy

As parents we often try to convey to our children how our love for them is unconditional. It will not end or be less if they spill their milk, forget to pick up their toys or stay up too late. Donna Keith’s, I Love You Just Because!, let’s even the youngest kids know, that our love does not need to be earned.

I Love You Because Book

This good-sized, board book will not suffer rips as little ones try to read it themselves or turn the pages. It is sturdy and is sure to be a favorite. The adorable artwork of a teddy bear family captivates kids and parents alike. If you have read Donna Keith’s first 2 books you will be delighted to know this is the same bear family.

Along with the story there are applicable Bible verses like: I prayed for this child. The Lord answered my prayer and gave him to me. 1 Samuel 1:27

Throughout the story the 3 cubs who are very different (panda bear, polar bear,brown bear) learn they are loved for just being themselves.

If you would like to try to win a copy of this great book, you are in luck because we are having a giveaway. Just enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. You must not have won another FlyBy giveaway in the last 30 days to qualify on this or any other blog. Approval of the winner is at the discretion of FlyBy Publishing. Open to US residents. Good Luck!!!

 

I Love You Just Because! Book Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings:

 

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Discover A Safer Baby Wipe & Enter To Win 1 of 5 Babies “R” Us Gift Cards!!! #WaterWipesBRU

“This post was sponsored by WaterWipes as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. I received complimentary products to facilitate my review.”

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Anyone that know me, knows that I try to live as naturally as possible. I do not use harmful pesticides in my yard or garden, do not use toxic cleaners or detergents in my home and try to find more natural ways to do most everything. I truly believe the amount of harmful chemicals in our everyday products are the reason cancer, infertility, autism, miscarriage and Alzheimer’s rates have risen so dramatically. As the mother of a cancer survivor getting rid of toxic products is of paramount importance to me.

I really have an issue with chemicals in baby and children’s products, so I have replaced the ones we use with non-toxic options. Baby wipes are something most parents use every day with little ones and did you know that most are filled with dangerous chemicals? They are, and so are hand and face wipes and towelettes.

As a mother of 5 and with my youngest child having a dirty face or hands about 100 times through the day, I know that baby wipes are useful way beyond the diaper stage. I keep baby wipes on me at all times. Seriously they are in my car, in my purse, in my tote bag, in the house and they come on vacation. I would never travel without them. They are so handy for so many little emergencies we parents face on a daily basis.

There is no questions that I need baby wipes, it is just the toxic chemicals in them that I don’t condone. Short of making my own, I was stuck. That is why I was so glad to find WaterWipes when shopping at my local Babies “R” Us recently. WaterWipes are a thick, durable wipe that is great for diaper changes, hands and faces. Best of all WaterWipes contain only two ingredients, 99.9% pure Irish water and 0.1% grapefruit seed extract.

water wipes graphic

I picked up a couple of he 60-count resealable packs and have to say, I am very impressed. They work great and I just put them through the paces on our recent vacation. Since they are in soft resealable packs they are easy for me to pop in a tote, my purse, backpack or beach bag.

waterwipes

With eating in the car, hiking, going to the beach, hanging around the pool and in our hotel they got a workout and worked perfectly. They are gentle and effective, do the job I need them to and I don’t worry about spreading nasty chemicals all over my kids. WaterWipes are a safer, natural option and one we will be using from now on.

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Do WaterWipes sound like a better option to you? If so, check out where you can buy them. You can stay in the loop with WaterWipes on their website, Facebook and Twitter.

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Enter To Win a $100 Babies “R” Us Gift Card

I also have some other good news, you can enter to win a Babies “R” Us gift card below! Enter to win one of 5 $100 Babies “R” Us gift cards. Contest ends August 18, 2016 so enter now! Good Luck!!!

WaterWipes Babies”R”Us Giveaway

“I-C will randomly select winners from all program entries and will facilitate fulfillment of the winning prizes (5 winners).”

 


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Check Out This Lovely Candy & Enter The Giveaway To Win Some!

I recently discovered a lovely candy company, actually it is the Lovely Candy Company and all of their confections are consciously crafted with the best ingredients available! When you indulge your sweet tooth with Lovely Candy you are making a smart choice. Their candy is kosher, gluten-free, non-GMO, has zero trans fats and no high fructose corn syrup or artificial ingredients.

The lovely Candy Company Asst

Their natural caramels use real butter, sweetened condensed milk and pure vanilla to create a decadent treat.

The Lovely Candy Co 4

Fruit chews are a very popular candy but the Lovely Candy Company makes a fruit chew with the purest, all natural ingredients and real fruit bits to make a deliciously chewy candy treat loved by kids and adults alike.

The lovely candy co 3

Their all natural Fudgee Rolls have a rich “fudge” flavor profile in a soft, chewy bite-size piece that will remind you of one of your childhood favorites.  A smart indulgence when you want a chewy, better-for-you treat that won’t stick to your teeth.

Hula Chews

Last but not least, their gluten-free licorice that started the company. These bite size candy treats combine natural flavors and ingredients with true licorice extract for a lovely flavor experience.

The Lovely Candy Co Licorice

I was amazed at how great the candy tasted and I tried it all, I had to, how else could I tell you all about it? Everything was so good, I especially love the dark chocolate coconut rolls called Hula Chews and the sea salt caramels. You have to try some yourself.

Giveaway:

Would you like to win some of this Lovely Candy? I thought you would. Enter the using the Rafflecopter widget below to win a variety box that will include: sea salt caramels, cashamels, juicy chews, hula chews, and cherry licorice.  Open to US residents in the contiguous 48 states. Good Luck! Cannot have won this on another blog.

Lovely Candy Co. Assortment Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings:

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Get Your 7 Day Trial of The Lifetime Movie Club Now!

Do you have any guilty pleasures? I am sure you do, we all do. One of mine is watching Lifetime Movies. I bet I share that with some of you. Did you know you can start a free 7 day trial of The Lifetime Movie Club. You can watch all the commercial free Lifetime movies you want, anytime you want. You will also love that a new movie is posted every day

Lifetime Movie Club

You can watch on many platforms like iPhone, iPad, iPod, Roku Player with additional platforms being added soon.

Speaking of Lifetime Movies I think the most bizarre Lifetime Movie I ever watched was Invisible Child staring Rita Wilson (wife of Tom Hanks). That was just the most crazy movie from start to finish. She really believed she had an invisible child. I would love to know the most bizarre or best movie you have watched on Lifetime. Please share it with me in the comments. Also let me know if you start the 7 day trial and how you like it.

Lifetime Movie Club 1


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Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie Sundae Recipe

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #WhatMattersToU #CollectiveBias

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I love being a woman, I cherish so many incredible experiences like; feeling my children grow inside me, giving birth, nurturing my child from my own body and so much more. We can experience all that and be amazing, successful women on a professional level too!

I embrace all aspects of being a woman except that time of the month. I know it is essential to our fertility and serves a purpose but that does not mean it is pleasant.  I tend to spoil myself a little during that time, let myself indulge on those chocolate cravings my body is demanding.

Chocolate cravings are something many women have right before or when they have their period and it is probably because chocolate makes us feel better as it releases serotonin to our brains. It has been said that eating chocolate can produce the same type of euphoric feelings that falling in love does. So does that mean we have a love affair with chocolate? I know I do and since I believe in moderation in diet, I don’t beat myself up for eating it. I eat healthy, so if I have a special chocolate dessert or candy bar during my period, I don’t feel guilty.

The changing hormone levels associated before and during our period can trigger all kinds of cravings. Some women crave carbohydrates, meats, high fat food and more. Anyway, back to chocolate, I want to share a recipe that will not only satisfy your chocolate cravings but will make your whole family happy.

Chocolate chip cookies are one of my favorites but you know I love a good ice cream sundae. I love a sundae with vanilla bean ice cream, hot fudge, caramel, fresh whipped cream, chopped nuts and a cherry. This dessert combines my two favorites, so I can have my cookie and ice cream sundae!  Below you can follow the video tutorial and print the recipe to make this yourself. It is guaranteed to satisfy everyone’s chocolate cravings!

 

 

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Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie Sundaes

Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie Sundaes

Ingredients

  • 2 Sticks of Butter, Softened
  • 1 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 2 Eggs
  • 2 Cups of All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 Heaping Teaspoons of Instant Coffee
  • 1 1/2 Teaspoons of Baking Soda
  • 1 Teaspoon of Salt
  • 2 Cups of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
  • Whipped Cream:
  • 2 cups of heavy whipping cream
  • 6 tbsp. of sugar
  • 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 175°C | 350°F.
  2. Cream together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar with an electric mixer.
  3. Add the vanilla and eggs, mixing well.
  4. Combine the flour, instant coffee, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.
  5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little at a time mixing well after each add.
  6. Stir in the semi-sweet chocolate chips.
  7. Spread the mixture into a 12" cast iron skillet and bake until colden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.
  8. Remove skillet from oven.
  9. Let cool 10 minutes and cut into 16 slices.
  10. While cooling pour the heavy whipping cream into a bowl, add sugar and vanilla and beat with electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
  11. Cut it into sixteen slices and top slices with vanilla bean ice cream, hot fudge, caramel sauce, chopped nuts, fresh whipped cream and a cherry.
  12. ENJOY!
https://www.mommyramblings.org/2016/08/08/whatmatterstou/

When I was shopping at Walmart for the ingredients I picked up a couple U by Kotex® NEW Style ‘N Store Packs in the feminine care aisle. Have you seen these? I was impressed, they are really fun and different. The pads or liners store in these little drawers and they don’t stand out the way typical packages do because they come in 4 unique designs. If your husband or significant other feels awkward picking up these types of products, the packaging on these should not cause him to be embarrassed.

kotex shoppertunity instore

I selected the U by Kotex® Cleanwear® Ultra Thin Pads that feature a 3D Capture Core* with Xpress DRI* cover for crazy fast absorption to help stop leaks because leaks are not pretty. These pads stay secure thanks to the unique shape of the Tru-Fit® wings. The super soft sides are comfortable not irritating as can be the case with other pads.

kotex

I also picked up a box of U by Kotex® Barely There® Liners. These liners are made to feel just like your underwear and they really do! They work great everyday or when my period is light. I love that they come in  Style ‘N Store packs because the bold designs and colors look great in my linen closet. I know it is a small thing but Kotex’s NEW Style ‘N Store Packs make me smile along with the savings I find at Walmart.

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What matters most to you when you have  your period? Get up to $25 in rewards just for you by purchasing U by Kotex® at Walmart! Now through 9/30/16 purchase 2 packs of U by Kotex® products at Walmart (Any Variation) and text UbyKotex to 811811 and upload a photo of your receipt. Go to UbyKotexrewards.com register to choose your customized reward. How cool is this, I did this as soon as I got home and was amazed at the available rewards. I hope you check out this SNIPP offer yourself.

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I hope you try the recipe, let me know in the comments if you do. Also, share #WhatMattersToU during that time of the month.


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Snack Smarter with Balance-#CraveFreely #Giveaway

This post is sponsored by the Mom It Forward Blogger Network and Balance Bar. As always my words and views are 100% my own. #CraveFreely

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Are you a chocolate lover? Do you crave a delicious snack every now and then? If you are like me, it may be a daily craving. We live in a world that makes us feel guilty if we indulge in those cravings. When we do, we can end up feeling bad and wishing we had not eaten whatever it was. I have always said the key to a healthy diet is moderation. I think we have all seen those who overdue it in one way or another. I am talking about those individuals that go on extreme diets not allowing themselves one grain of sugar and those that just indulge way too much and do not make any healthy choices.

balance bars

If we balance our choices, it won’t leave us with the feeling that we have to deny ourselves any foods or treats we truly enjoy. This is why I was so happy to see Balance. Balance lets us enjoy those snacks we crave, savor the sweetness we love but also give us the nutrition our body needs. With Balance I can snack smarter and still indulge my sweet tooth  in a way I don’t feel guilty about. Balance bars are a snack option with the perfect balance of great taste and energizing ingredients.  Available in four new flavors like Chocolate Caramel Peanut Nougat, Chocolate Peppermint Patty, Dark Chocolate Pecan Turtle and Dulce De Leche & Caramel. These flavors are so good, they don’t’ taste like you are sacrificing anything, they are full of the decadent taste I crave along with the protein and fiber I need.

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Each bar has 190 calories or less and contains 5-7 grams of protein along with 5-6 grams of fiber. The new flavors come in a pack of 2 mini bars which make it feel even more like a candy bar to me. They even have single mini bars to help you snack easily on-the-go.

Balance is available at CVS, Walgreens, Amazon and select Walmart stores nationwide. You can stay in the loop with Balance Bar on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Giveaway:

Would you like a chance to win a box of one of these new Balance flavors? If so, just enter below using the Rafflecopter widget. Open to US residents 18 years and older. Good Luck!

Enter to win One 6-pack box of Balance in  Chocolate Caramel Peanut NougatChocolate Peppermint PattyDark Chocolate Turtle orDulce De Leche & Caramel varieties. We cannot guarantee flavor preference.

 

 

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Kitchen Renovations-What You Should Know

Kitchen renovations are much different today than they ever have been before. It used to be that when someone did a kitchen renovation or a remodel the only real options they had were the design and architectural features of the room such as arches/doorways, walls/ceilings, and flooring or additional space options.

These days, though, you have many other elements you can add such as smart appliances and products for a smartly designed kitchen. If you are curious about the different smart kitchen ideas available, consider reading the article below for some cool and technology driven ideas to make your kitchen more forward friendly, convenient and comfortable.

smart appliances

Smart Appliances For A Smart Kitchen

Most appliances in the kitchen are already pretty darn smart in terms of timers and knowing when to stop cooking a product. But, you also have a lot of other different “smart” options available to you, such as:

– Touchscreen Stove Tops: Not only is this a really cool type of cooking technology, but it can also be used in a kitchen with children as well, since it’s a very safe product to use. Essentially the cook top uses conduction to heat things like pots and pans. But, the other parts of the stove stay cool – to the touch. You can actually use the touch screen to browse the internet, look up recipes to make, check out cookbooks in digital format and more.

– Home Chat: This cool little app is meant for specific things like the fridge. It will essentially keep track of items and ingredients inside the refrigerator and you can ask it questions such as: Do we have butter and it will reply back via text yes two sticks or no we do not. This is really efficient because you can use the app even out of the house.

Smart Fridge

This is a really cool option but in the near future, we will also have an even cooler option (it’s a concept right now) that will actually order food, keep track of what’s in the fridge and alert you when you are running low, and do a plethora of other cool options. For now, though, you have these smart refrigerators. The LCD display allows you to watch TV, listen to the radio, check the news, leave memos for yourself or other family members, check out the calendar and leave notes on specific days and more. It’s quite expensive, at around $3600 but if you want a tech driven kitchen, this might be the addition for you… for now anyway, until that higher tech fridge comes along!

Pair 3D Design Application

Okay, this is a really cool app and unlike any other smart application above. It’s only an Apple App right now, though. Essentially what you do is you bring up the camera on your iPhone and the app will give you different furniture options for that camera viewer. In the camera viewer, you can see how that piece of furniture or an appliance would fit in your space, what it would look in a 3D manner and more. The app can also be used by brands and businesses as well. But it’s also a great design tool for home owners that allow you to set up a room in real-time.

Radiant Flooring

In a lot of cases, you see radiant flooring done in a bathroom. But, since more and more people are also using porcelain in the kitchen as well (its durable, budget friendly and beautiful) some manufactures have started to make radiant flooring options for the kitchen too. This is a perfect option for any flooring in the kitchen, but especially stone or tile like porcelain because even though it does have a lot of benefits, one of the disadvantages are that it can get quite cool to the touch in the winter. In order to fix this, you can use radiant heating underneath the flooring to warm it up before you ever set foot on it.

Radiant flooring can be set on a timer so that it turns on every morning before you wake up to make the floor nice and toasty so when you come down for breakfast or coffee the floor is already heated up. You can also use Wi-Fi with a lot of radiant flooring systems so as soon as you wake up you can turn on your app – and have the floor heated so by the time you make it downstairs it’s warmed. Tile flooring like porcelain is a great conductor of heat. In fact, the two best materials to use a radiant floor on are porcelain and wood. Porcelain is a really good option though because it won’t expand as it warms and cools which means it won’t crack which means your flooring will last for longer!

radiant flooring

There you have it, kitchen renovation ideas that you should know before you start your project.


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Journey To Space Blu-ray #Giveaway-3 Winners

Last month the film Journey To Space that was so popular at IMAX theaters and science centers all over the country was released onto Blu-ray. This is such a great film, the footage is spectacular and the movie si family friendly. It is narrated by Sir Patrick Stewart.

Journey To Space blu ray

Journey to Space offers spectacular space footage and gorgeous views of Earth. This dazzling film shows the magnificent contributions made by daring space pioneers, and illustrates how exciting and ambitious NASA’s next era promises to be, including space travel to Mars and capturing asteroids.

You can view a clip of the History of the Shuttle Orbiter and Testing New Space Exploration , as well as the  trailer. If you want some hands on fun you can download Science Experiments HERE! These experiments are excellent if you are a homeschooling parent or teacher.

Giveaway-3 Winners!!!

Would you like to win Journey to Space on Blu-ray? I thought you would, we are not picking one winner but we will be drawing 3 winners! Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below and thanks to Shout Factory for sponsoring this great giveaway. Open to US residents.

 

 

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Share Your #LiveUnlimited Moment To Support The MDA

Do you live your life unlimited? I want to share a very special campaign to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Now through July 31st, a generous partner will donate $1 (up to $30,000) to the Muscular Dystrophy Association for every #LiveUnlimited moment that is created and shared via the web too. You can help this great cause by creating your own image and sharing. Get started now by clicking HERE!

Live unlimited

 

To celebrate the campaign launch, 18 artists (including X Ambassadors, American Authors, and James Dupre!) are sharing live performances throughout the day. You can see updates here. There are also amazing MDA family stories there.

In addition to the Endorphin Warrior bracelets (where $6 of each sale goes to MDA), there are also t-shirts, where $7 of each t-shirt sale goes to MDA.

Live unlimited bracelet

t shirt

I was generously sent an Endorphin Warrior bracelet and one to share that I gifted to my good friend and business partner who is also committed to #LiveUnlimited.

Please let me know if you created and shared an image via the MDA web tool. Thanks so much for your support of this great cause.

 


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Teaching Kids Empathy To Prevent Animal Cruelty-#TeachEmpathy

red rover logo

In 2012 a 17-year-old boy in West Sacramento took a can of lighter fluid, dumped it on a cat, and lit the cat on fire. When people in the nearby park saw the ball of fire moving across the grass, they had no idea that there was an animal in pain under all those flames.

The cat was rescued by a non-profit organization headquartered in Sacramento, California called RedRover. Sadly this did not have a good ending for the poor cat who had to be put down as the extent of the burns was too great. The child was caught, and later when the police asked him why he did it, his response was “I just wasn’t thinking”.

#TeachEmpathy

I hate sharing such a horrendous story,  but it was the moment that made Nicole Forsyth, CEO of RedRover decide that the only way to prevent animal cruelty, was to stop it before it ever happened, and to do that – they had to teach children empathy for animals. The RedRover Readers program was born, and has since trained hundreds of teachers and educated thousands of students in classrooms across the country through stories and games to have compassion for animals.

This past May RedRover launched an innovative app that is designed to help kids ages 7-11 practice empathy skills. The Restricted Adventures of Raja includes an interactive graphic novel e-book and a game, both with English and Spanish language options.

The app uses curriculum from the highly successful RedRover Readers program. Parents and educators can use questions woven into the story to help kids identify the behaviors and emotions of animal and human characters and imagine how the characters are feeling, skills necessary for empathy. The app is available on iTunes and Google Play.

The innovative  has already helped kids understand the behavior and emotions of animals and people and has developed empathy skills in classrooms across the continent. You can stay in the loop with RedRover on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and Instagram.
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I hope you check the app out and share this post so that we can help RedRover reach as many people as possible. Thank you for your support.

 


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