Holiday Contest with Sears!

Once a week for the next four weeks Sears will be giving away an appliance to one lucky person that either changes their twitter or profile picture to an image that can be found Here. This week one lucky person will win a 30 inch LG Range just in time for the Thanksgiving Holidays!

Once you add this graphic to your twitter profile or change your background, be sure to follow @SearsBlueCrewHa on twitter and tweet about the contest! All of the information you need can be found Here and be sure to check back here next week when I announce the next appliance being given away!

Disclosure: I am a Sears Brand Ambassador and am being compensated for spreading the word about this contest.

Pop On Pals

My son has a vivid imagination and loves to use it. He has collected ribbons and string from around the house and calls them his slippery snakes. He entertains himself with this stuff for hours! When Team Mom offered to send Pop On Pals for him to try out I was curious to see where his imagination would take him. Pop on Pals are small toys that have interchangeable rings so that the character can become a fireman, dancer, etc.

He has had a great time playing with the Amusement park play set. He uses the car for the roller coaster both on the play set and on any hard surface that he can roll hit. He also really likes the dragon ride. He hasn't gotten the knack of the ferris wheel yet but that is my favorite part of the playset. 

The only thing that is missing with the playset is another pal. With two pals we'd  be able to utilize the ferris wheel more effectively - you place a pal in a lever and push to make the wheel move so it'd be nice to see another pal riding the ferris wheel at the same time. Otherwise, we are happy with the toys. I'd actually like to purchase some of the vehicles that are available because I am sure that he'd love playing with them.

Disclosure: We were sent the Pop on Pals amusement park playset for review purposes and all opinions are 100% our own.

How am I better than ever?

This question posed by Dove and Twittermoms is pretty easy to answer for me. I am now 48 pounds lighter than I was 7 months ago and I have shared my journey with the world. I feel great about my accomplishments and am actually in better physical condition than I've been in in well over a decade! I have also shared my struggle with weight and depression  so that other women can understand that they are not alone and support is out there. It is my hope that sharing my story will help others to get the proper treatment that they need and truly take care of themselves, inside and out. 

I plan on entering the Dove goFresh contest because I believe all of my hard work is deserving of a spa vacation in Sedona. Of course you can enter too but I am hoping that I win!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Dove® gofresh™ blogging program, making me eligible to get a $25 gift card and some product. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Rayovac Powers Your Summer Contest!

Rayovc's website at www.rayovac.com/PowersYourSummer has a contest going on! To enter simply tell them how you'll power your fun this summer each day for a chance to win prizes ranging from Cameras and Bikes to Camping Supplies and a Summer Supply of Rayovac Batteries! No trick questions here! There is no correct answer to how you and your family add the Power of Fun to your summer! Must be a US resident and 18 or older at the time of entry to enter this Promotion, the Twitter Event or the Blogger Promotion.

Rayovac Powers Your Summer Twitter Event

Join Rayovac and 5MinutesForMom for a Twitter Event to support the exciting Rayovac Powers Your Summer Promotion. The Twitter Event will feature more than 20 fun giveaways from Rayovac ranging from a summer supply of Rayovac Batteries to $50 Target Gift Cards.

Rayovac Powers Your Vacation Summer Promotion Twitter Event
Date: Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Time: 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. CST
Location: #rayovac
Follow: @Rayovac_Battery, @5minutesformom, @CirclePRMary

Disclosure: The first 99 bloggers to post about the contest and event will receive a prize pack.

I love my modem!

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Sprint

I love being connected. I believe approximately 80% of my interaction with the world is virtual. My best friends live in my computer and although we don't see each other often we communicate on a daily basis, sometimes multiple times a day. I have an pda, a laptop, a netbook and a desktop. All of these devices are connected to the Internet.

I primarily stay connected by using WiFi. My husband and I have wifi in the house and this enables me to work from any room in the house while keeping an eye on my active toddler. The only problem is that sometimes I have difficulty with the wifi connection on my laptop. There have been times when I was so frustrated because the signal wasn't working properly and my husband was not around to investigate the problem. Please don't think we have the stereotypical gender roles going on in my household, we are both pretty tech savvy but the router is in my husband's office and I respect his space.

Luckily, for the past few months problems with the Wifi have not had a negative impact on my ability to work and connect with my friends. As part of the Momspotters team at BlogHer, I was given the opportunity to try out the Sprint 3G/4G network with my own modem. Life has not been the same. Not only has having my own modem enabled me to always be connected in the home, when I am traveling (which is fairly often), I am always connected! No longer do I have to worry about paying for WiFi at the airport, at the hotel or in random places when I am on the road. If I need an Internet connection I simply connect with my modem. This year I've traveled to California, Tennessee, and New York. I always have a connection! If I want to take my son to the playground and need to catch up on some work - I have a connection! Not only do I have a connection but it is fast. I really cannot tell the difference between my wifi connection and my modem. For now, I only have experience with the 3G network, 4G is not available in my area yet but I am sure that when it is available the connection will be even faster!

My personal modem is truly my favorite bit of technology. And it was so simple to use. It is basically plug and play. I uploaded the software, plugged the modem into my USB port and with one click - connected! I love it.

I have had a few quirks with my modem. I've found that when my computer goes to sleep it takes several attempts for me to get the program working. Sometimes I have to remove the modem from the USB port and reattach it. This really isn't that big of a deal and if I wasn't such a lazy person I am sure I could get some tech assistance from customer service to alleviate it. Clearly, it is not bothering me enough to take the extra step of placing a call or sending an email.

The folks at Sprint have graciously decided to share the love with one of my readers. One of you will be the winner of a $300.00 Visa gift card. All you have to do is answer this question:

How would the power of the Sprint Now Network keep you organized and connected?

This contest is open from 3/10/10 -3/31/10 you can read the full contest rules HERE.

And if you'd like to increase your chances of winning, read the other bloggers reviews and enter their contests visit the BlogHer.com special offers page.

Giving Thanks

When I was six years old I had a very rude awakening. I'd sat down at the Thanksgiving table wearing the Pilgram outfit I'd so maticulously made in school. My aunt immediately gave me an education about the pilgrams and their role in the genocide of Native Americans, our ancestors. Heavy. The tears commenced and although I was forced to face the harsh reality of the origins of Thanksgiving, it was a lesson that I never forgot. Thanksgiving in my family is all about spending time with family and giving thanks for all of the blessings we have. This year I am going to my best friend's new home to enjoy food and spend some quality together.

I also keep in mind those that are facing challenges and in the midst of trails

still give thanks. Last week I had the opportunity to volunteer and learn more

about The Ronald McDonald House Charities.

From November 10-20th McDonald's all over the country held the Give A Hand fundraiser and asked each visitor if they'd like to contribute one dollar to RMHC.

I actually worked the drive thru window and asked for donations!

After our gig at Mickey D's we all visited the newest Atlanta Ronald McDonald

House which provides temporary housing and support services to families of critically ill and injured children being treated at Children's Healthcare of

Atlanta. The RMH Charities also provides grants to children's non-profits and supports education by giving scholarships to students entering college. I was really impressed with everything that I learned about the charity and the support it receives from the community.

All of the dinners at RMH are donated and although some families require

special meals, this is truly a blessing for the families that are able to enjoy

them.There are Ronald McDonald House's all across the country and they are

always in need of donations of household items, coffee, tea, frozen

dinners, and cleaning supplies. There are also volunteer opportunities. I

think this is a wonderful charity and having met a few of the families,

it is clear that RMH truly makes a difference in their lives.

This Thanksgiving I encourage you to give thanks for your blessings and also think about how you can help those that are in need this season.

A Great Giveaway

This giveaway is so good I really don't want to share. But, I will. My friend Mannequin is giving away a Wii Fit Plus and Jullian Michaels new game Fitness Ultimatum 2010. And although I am truly an EA SPORTS Active convert, I wouldn't mind having the Wii Fit Plus for some variety. They say variety is the spice of life right? So what are you waiting for? Head on over to Fractured Toy to enter!