Kaskey Action Figures Toy Sets Giveaway

Too many of my kids' toys require batteries, and little to no imagination. It always has bothered me that many of the "gotta have" toys of the moment are fun only while the batteries last, and/or the novelty of the battery-powered action wears off. Which is not very long in both cases.

I remember when I was growing up and just about everything I played with required only my imagination. Play-doh, Barbie Dolls, Hula Hoops, you know... those fun toys that you could spend hours playing, and each time made a different game out of them? Simple pleasures.

When I was asked to review the award-winning action figure toys for kids imaginary play from Kaskey Kids (or rather, when my munchkin boys were recruited for the task), I couldn't wait! My boys do not have army soldiers ... (one of my "things"...drives the hubby nuts)...but I really did want them to experience something similar in effect to that type of toy. The "Soccer Guys" set they received fits that void perfectly! Btw, the soccer set is also available with "Soccer Girls."

The Soccer Guys Set arrived in a container that moms will appreciate. Sturdy and roomy so all pieces fit in even when being packed in by small eager hands! The set itself contains --

• 24 2" players
• 1 referee
• 2 goals
• 1 2" plastic ball
• 24" x 36" washable felt field
• 10" x 6" x 5" stackable container with attached lid and handle

I love this toy! It is so easy for my kids to set up, and to pick up the pieces and put away. But what I love most is that they can use their imaginations and set up all kinds of scenarios. They control the figures and the ball, and can move the players around however they want. No batteries, no annoying noises, no breaking parts. Just simple fun and laughter.

About Kasey Kids:

"Kaskey Kids was founded by Bruce and Christy Kaskey in 2001 with the purpose of creating simple sports action figures.

As a mother of four sports-loving children, Christy saw that her children and their friends were happiest and most enthusiastic when sports were involved. Playing in the park, in the backyard or at the beach kept everyone active and occupied, but when playtime was brought inside, none of the traditional toys held the Kaskey Kids' interest.

Following an exhaustive search and realizing that the perfect sports guys did not exist, Christy and Bruce went about designing and marketing a boxed set of sports action figures that their children and friends could be enthusiastic about. The main design goal was to keep their children's attention and encourage more creative and imaginary play. The result is the line of toys we have today!"

Kasey Kids was the 2009 Mom's Best Award Winner. This award reflects real moms valued opinions and I think is an outstanding statement of the value of Kaskey Kids Action Toys. They also were honored with the Creative Child Magazine Preferred Choice Award in 2008.

There are several sports figures collections offered by Kaskey Kids: Football, Hockey, College Football, and Soccer (Guys and Girls available). The College Football sets offer choices of favorite college teams to choose from, which could make these a very cool collectible item as well.

BUY IT

You can buy a Sports Action Figures Set online and use the special Promo Code: "GoGuys" for 10% discount that they are offering Happy Healthy Families Readers!

WIN IT!

Visit the Kaskey Kids website, and choose the set you would most like to receive if you won. Leave me a comment here telling me which set you would choose, and you are entered!

For Extra Entries:

Blog about this giveaway, linking to Kaskey Kids and this post.

Tweet this giveaway and receive an entry for each day you tweet it.

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Become a Follower of the Happy Healthy Families Blog.

Enter another ongoing giveaway on Happy Healthy Families. Leave me a comment letting me know which other giveaway you entered.

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Contest will end September 20th @11:59 EST.
Winner will be chosen by Random.org
Winner will be notified by email and will have 36 hours to confirm or new winner will be drawn.
Please leave valid email address in comments if you do not have a blog.
Please leave a separate comment per entry.
Open to US Addresses only, sorry.

Sleepy Bear Review and Giveaway!

I am a huge fan of baby wearing. Even to this day when I see a mom with her baby snuggled up against her in a wrap, my ovaries start twinging. Sigh. So when Sleepy Bear arrived at our house, my kids had to wait for MOM to snuggle with this adorable toy first, and of course unwrap and re-wrap the baby bear, hehe. But then I played fair and shared. The boys, being boys, I assumed might lose interest quickly. But to my surprise, my five year old especially loves Sleepy Bear. He is constantly unwrapping the baby bear, and then doing his best to wrap him back in with his mommy. My son just started Kindergarten. One day after dropping my son off at Kindergarten, I arrived back home with my two year old in tow and started picking up the morning toy flurry. I found sleepy bear on the couch....but no baby. I searched everywhere...found the snuggly wrap...but no baby. My two year old helped with the search, calling out, but we did not find the baby. Later that day, when I was checking my son's backpack for school papers...voila! There was the baby bear...snuggled into a small pocket of the backpack! Aw. That touched my heart and so I left him where he was..a hidden comfort for my Kindergarten boy!

So some days I will see mommy bear with her baby snuggled tight...and other days, the baby will be missing (but now I know where to look!). So cute. Perfect timing for my son to receive a new "friend."

Sleepy Bear, introduced by NAP, Inc., is the very first stuffed toy to help promote babywearing, and is intended for children ages 3 and up. There are NO removable parts that could be potential choking hazards – the eyes, nose, etc. are all stitched on so that curious little hands won’t have anything to pull off.

And Sleepy Bear is made from the softest 100% organic cotton ever! The wrap itself is an Organic Khaki wrap, which is also available in full size for mom’s who love the color at: www.sleepywrap.com/organic.

The Sleepy Bear is available exclusively through the fine retailers listed here:

Tadpoles & Butterflies Sherwood Park, Alberta CANADA info@tadpoles.ca www.tadpoles.ca 1.888.312.6554	The Extraordinary Baby Shoppe 1131 Wellington Street W, Ontario CANADA 900 King Street West, Ontario CANADA spearso@bellnet.ca http://www.extraordinarybabyshoppe.com 613.321.7249
USA
Heavenly Hold 510 Briarfield Crossing| Marietta, GA amber@heavenlyhold.com www.heavenlyhold.com 404.849.5394 Supermommy’s Superstore 2411 Ring Road, Suite 105 Elizabethtown, KY info@supermommyssuperstore.com www.SupermommysSuperstore.com 270.769.6693 Sweet Infant 1007 S. Country Club Rd. Lovington, NM support@sweetinfant.com www.sweetinfant.com 575.441.3005 Oregon Soap Shoppe 91C South Daysville Road Oregon, IL glcamling@aol.com www.OregonSoapShoppe.com 866-411-6614	Nurtured Family 8525 Jackrabbit Rd., Suite B Houston, TX support@nurturedfamily.com www.nurturedfamily.com 832.239.5140 Baby Carriers-n-More 265 W Cimmarron Way Erda, UT robyn@babycarriersnmore.com www.babycarriersnmore.com 801.671.5740 Attached to Baby Seattle, WA sara@attachedtobaby.com www.attachedtobaby.com 800.887.1461

WIN SLEEPY BEAR!!

To enter the giveaway, leave me a comment telling me what your child's favorite cuddly friend is right now, OR Visit the SleepyWrap site and leave me a comment telling me your favorite wrap color they offer.

FOR EXTRA ENTRIES:

Follow Happy Healthy Families on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway. ** Each Daily Tweet gets you an Extra Entry**
Blog about this contest, and link to HappyHealthyFamilies and The Sponsor. (Five Entries)
Grab a Blog Button from my sidebar and put on your blog.
Add Happy Healthy Families to your Blog Roll.
Favorite Happy Healthy Families on Technorati.(Five Entries)
Subscribe to Happy Healthy Families.
Become a Follower of Happy Healthy Families' Blog.
Enter the "Teddy Wolf" Giveaway!(until Sept. 3rd)(Five Entries)

Contest Ends September 15th @11:59 EST.
Winner will be notified by email and will have 36 hours to confirm or new winner will be drawn.
Winner will be chosen by Random.org
Open to US Addresses only.



Review Policy: The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by Parent Reviewers for the sole purpose of product testing. Opinions expressed are my own.

Table Manners by Mia King

I just finished reading Mia King's latest novel, Table Manners, and I loved it! I had not read Mia King's books before receiving Table Manners (thanks to Family Review Network,) but I am delighted to now be a bonafide fan of hers.

Reading is one of my all-time pleasures. Always has been. But since my reading opportunities are very limited these days, I really appreciate reading a book that makes me forget my own troubles and daily grind, and escape to another place. The kind of book that has you feeling like you are right there, in the midst of the story--like a fly on the wall almost. This is what Table Manners did for me. I fell right into the story....no slow start or boring build-up that would make reading on an effort. Nope! The main character, Deirde McINtosh, grabbed me right from the start. And once I started reading, it was so hard to put down!

Deidre McIntosh finally has all the ingredients for a perfect life. She has her own line of cakes and cookies, and the perfect boyfriend, Kevin Johnson, one of Seattle’s top bachelors. Creative, energetic, and loving, Deidre is the person friends go to when they need a helping hand.

But when Kevin’s ex-fiancée, the sultry and successful magazine publisher Sabine Durant, suddenly appears in Seattle, it’s Deidre who needs help. Already intimidated by Kevin’s glamorous, moneyed world–and his sister, who wants Deidre out of Kevin’s life–she knows she’s no match for Sabine.

Deidre turns to her friends for advice, but finds they’re having crises of their own. When her business begins to slip from her fingers, Deidre knows she must to do something to keep her career and her love life from imploding. Can everyone’s favorite go-to person save herself?

Table Manners is actually a sequel to a former Mia King book, Good Things, which introduces Deirde to readers, but you do not have to read it first to enjoy Table Manners. Deirde is a very believable character. I saw in Deirde traits that probably all women respect, admire and want to have. I enjoyed watching how she dealt with life's "surprises" and disappointments. And when I was done with the book, I so wished there was more pages to turn!

Mia King also shares recipes with readers that are used in the novel. Very cool. I have yet to try any, but they do sound delicious!

If you are like me, and love to read books with likable, realistic characters and fall in love with them, you will most definitely enjoy Mia King's Table Manners. I now have a new favorite author to look for next time I am in a book store.

Nakano Seasoned Rice Vinegar

I love a certain salad my hubby makes sometimes....it is a chopped cabbage/sliced cucumber/thinly sliced onions salad (believe me it tastes way better than it sounds!) He always makes a dressing of olive oil and vinegar. It is delicious, and low calorie.

So when I heard about NAKANO Seasoned Rice Vinegar I definitely was interested in it. It is all natural, fat free, low calorie, gluten free and has 50% less sodium than other rice vinegar brands. Now since we tend to go through alot of vinegar in our salads, less sodium would be a good thing!
It is made from whole grain rice and naturally brewed in a traditional manufacturing process that began in Japan more than 200 years ago. The naturally brewed process gives it a subtle, distinctive taste. It is alos available in lots of flavors like Original Seasoned, Roasted Garlic, Basil & Oregano, Red Pepper, Balsamic Blend and Italian Herb.

I imagine those flavors would be excellent splashed on just about anything, like chicken, vegetables, rice, salads of course, and baked potatoes. With less sodium and zero fat, this would make a great alternate seasoning for salt, butter and sour cream.

If you are interested in trying out the Nakano Seasoned Rice Vinegar, they have a $1.00 off coupon online right now. Plus, they have some delicious sounding recipes and ideas on the website as well. And you can sign up for free for the SPLASH Recipe Club. Members receive an e-newsletter called SPLASH that features the latest delectable creations from the Mizkan kitchens, as well as tantalizing tips that show you even more ways to enjoy their natural and seasoned rice vinegars, wine vinegars, and cooking wines.

Meet Teddy Wolf !

Isn't he a cutie?? Teddy Wolf is a soft, plush, toy that is made for "LOTS OF HUGS." He is 16-inches tall, and made from safe, non-toxic materials. We received a Teddy Wolf for my kids to enjoy and cuddle with, and the makers of Teddy Wolf would like to give one more Teddy Wolf away to one reader of Happy Healthy Families!

To Enter:

Visit the Teddy Wolf site (some pages are still under construction), and read about Teddy Wolf some more. Then come back here and let me know something about Teddy Wolf not mentioned in my post. Please leave a valid email address in your entry.

For Extra Entries:

Follow me on Twitter, and Tweet this contest (leave me a comment with your tweet url)
Blog about this contest, linking to Happy Healthy Families and the sponsor
Add the Happy Healthy Families Button to your sidebar.
Subscribe to Happy Healthy Families
Become a Follower of Happy Healthy Families Blog
Favor Happy Healthy Families on Technorati
Enter the Dreyer Family Band CD Giveaway


Please remember to leave a separate comment for each entry.
Get an extra entry for each daily tweet.

Open to US addresses only, sorry.

Contest ends September 3rd. Winner will be randomly drawn and notified by email. Winner will have 36 hours to confirm or new winner will be drawn.

Zuma Insulated Picnic Backpack Winner!!

Here are your random numbers:
35
276
210
55
2
325
61

Timestamp: 2009-08-17 17:47:28 UTC

Congratulations to: NSMOM !!

Please watch for your email--you will have 36 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn.

Wendy's New Boneless Chicken Wings

A tempting review came my way...for Wendy's Boneless Chicken Wings! But since I myself do not eat chicken ( I am vegetarian,) I passed this review on to dear old hubby. Hehe..I knew he would be thrilled and very happy to step in for me!

When he went and picked up his treat from Wendy's, he was under strict orders to return home without a bite taken out of any of them. He is a good guy....he followed the rules as hard as it was, hehe. So when he walked in the door, I must admit that the bag he was carrying from Wendy's smelled sooooo good! Then he took out the container of the chicken wings, and they looked delicious. Yes, this from a vegetarian. What can I say?

Let me tell you a bit about Wendy's new chicken wings-- see if I can get anyone salivating over their keyboards (yea...I am being mean, sorry.) The chicken wings are boneless of course, and made with 100% whole chicken breast. They are hand tossed in one of three flavors: Bold Buffalo, Honey BBQ, and Sweet & Spicy Asian Chicken. The aroma was amazing, I kid you not.

So back to the hubby and his review. He eagerly started eating, and once started, barely stopped to take a drink. He loved them, and the guy is actually very particular about chicken wings. They happen to be one of his favorite things to eat, and he has his very favorite places to order them from, and places where he has ordered them from in the past and vowed to never do so again. He said the sauce was amazing...and that the chicken itself was moist, not dry, and plentiful in each wing. And his final verdict: two thumbs up, and a guarantee that he will be ordering Wendy's boneless chicken wings again (and again.)

I wrote this review while participating in a blog and giveaway campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Wendy’s and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Veggie Tales: Minnesota Cuke and The Search For Noah's Umbrella

We love the Veggie Tales at our house. My five year old and my two year old do not always agree on what to watch, but whenever I pull out a Veggie Tales DVD, they are both satisfied.

So when Family Review Network sent us a new Veggie Tales movie to review, I knew my boys would be excited and eager to be of service for this task, hehe.

This latest Veggie Tale adventure is set like an Indiana Jones theme...which was perfect for my five year old, especially. It is full of adventure (not wild and dangerous stuff like Indiana Jones, of course,) that had my son acting out the scenes the second and third time he watched it.

Minnesota Cuke (aka Larry the Cucumber) is a museum curator who sets out on a search for Noah’s Ark. During his search, he finds out about an umbrella that is very powerful. But a not-so-nice-guy is also is trying to take the umbrella for himself. Poor Minnesota Cuke is having self-confidence issues, that hinder his search for the umbrella. He is especially worried about what others will think of him. It all about self-confidence in this Veggie Tales DVD, and I love that, especially since my five year old is entering Kindergarten now and could certainly use a more confidence. I love the gentle lessons and the humor that is in all the Veggie Tales Movies, and this latest is no exception.

And what would a Veggie Tales Adventure be without a new song? We were very entertained with the catchy “Silly Songs with Larry” tune called “Sippy Cup”.

Great DVD for you and the kids to enjoy together...if you are not a Veggie Tales fan yet, this latest movie is sure to make you one!

You and your family can get a feel for this latest adventure by watching the free trailer of the new Veggie Tales DVD here:
http://bigidea.com/other/SOM/CukeTRAILERLgPRE.mov

Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Noah's Umbrella retails for $14.99. You can purchase the DVD directly from the Big Idea website, or in stores near you.


This post was written for Family Review Network as part of a program for Big Idea, who supplied the DVD for review.

Summer Adventures Missed, Milestones Reached

I have stayed in denial as long as I possibly could. Sigh. My baby starts Kindergarten on Thursday, and my daughter starts...eeek.....Junior High. Double Sigh. I try to comfort myself with the knowledge that my two year old (yes, I say TWO, not Two and a Half, or almost Three...JUST TWO!) will still be home with me. But where the He** has the time gone? How can we be at these milestones already?

If I could flashback in time, I would go back to early summer days when time seems like it will meander along, not fly past like a freight train on a mission. And I would take all the family on a wonderful summer adventure. One where memories are made and treasured. Forget about a new washer, I would happily spend the money for such a dream vacation soaking up precious time with my kids and hubby.

Thanks to Mom Central, I became familiar with www.epicsummer.com and Vail Resorts, and as I read more about the summer adventures they offer, I envisioned my family right there.....enjoying the sun, the water, the fun and the carefree spirit that would undoubtedly envelop us all. No stress, no worries, no deadlines, no 'milestones' waiting to bring tears to my eyes and tugs on my heart. Just pure simple fun and togetherness. I reflected on how many family trips we have put off for work reasons, or simply did not have "time or enough money" to plan. Missed memories. Missed time with my kids. Sigh.

Yes, I have decided, as these precious days I take for granted go through another metamorphosis, that I don't do a good job at prioritizing. In fact, I think I suck at it. Nothing can stop my little guy from heading through the classroom doors come Thursday, with a backpack that is too big, and a nervous smile as he waves goodbye to me...his mommy that will be wearing very dark sunglasses and a watery smile on her face. And my daughter will eagerly albeit nervously, join her friends and proudly enter Junior High on Thursday...not realizing as I do, that she is pulling farther away from me all the time.....and that everyday I become less of a little girl's hero. These things I cannot change.

But there are things I can and will change.

We will spend more time together as a family. We will hike up glorious mountain trails together enjoying nature, we will go horseback riding and go to a real cowboy campfire dinner (omg...my boys would have smiles that would forever last in my mind ....no camera even needed!). I will prioritize better and plan family vacations and adventures. When a little annoying voice in my head tells me that I should save the money for a new washing machine, I will now tell that little voice exactly where it can go. A new appliance can't hug my heart, but memories of wonderful family vacations together can. Will I lay down at night in bed, regretful, knowing I have let precious family time slip out of my hands? Nope. Not again.

On Thursday, I will be sad. No doubt. I will be excited and happy and proud of my kids too. But sadness will rule. But I will remember my new resolve. I will be making the most of each and every day with my children, and planning memories that a family adventure will be bringing us, soon.


I wrote this review while participating in a blog and giveaway campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Epic Summer and Vail Resorts. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Burger King Does Not Like Baby Feet!

Wow--when it comes to "no shoes, no service," Burger King really means it! A mom carrying her six-month old baby was asked to leave Burger King when a manager noticed the baby was not wearing shoes. What the heck?? A baby, in her mother's arms no less??

The mom was nicer than I would have been. She put socks on her baby's feet.

Guess what? The manager was still not satisfied. Nope, he wanted shoes on those sweet baby feet. Period. His way or the highway.

The mom told the manager that her baby did not even own shoes yet--

"I just looked at him and I said, 'that's my daughter. She doesn't own shoes. She's only 6 months old'... she doesn't walk. She's not touching the ground. So there's no reason for her to have shoes on."

You would think the manager would be ok with that. You'd think.

He wasn't. As a matter of fact, he threatened to call the police.

The police???!

The mom ended up leaving, but I wish she had let the guy call the police...while she called the local news station.

Burger King doesn't like baby feet apparently.

McAfee Family Protection

One of the things that makes me very nervous about my daughter getting older (there are a lot of things, btw!) is the fact that she uses the Internet more and more often. There are the school related reasons, such as reports, research, help with certain topics, etc., but there is also an increase in her "socializing" on the Internet with friends through email and social sites.

Constantly I am hearing things like, "but Mom....( a friend's name here) gets to go on Facebook! But Mom, everyone is playing this game (some latest virtual game...ugh.), and so on.

And all of this scares me. I admit it. There are so many news stories about kids being preyed on by Internet creeps, not to mention the 50 million viruses that seem to pop up everyday. And somehow we have had our share of "weird," shall we say, sites popping up from time to time. So whenever my daughter wants to get on the computer... I worry.

So I happily (very happily, ) agreed to try the McAfee Family Protection when I was given the opportunity. I downloaded the program in minutes and was ready to start implementing Internet protection measures that hopefully will give me some peace of mind when my daughter is online.

You can block certain types of sites (and we all know which ones those would be!) that contain topics you do not want your child near. You can even block via Key Word blocking even, so sites will be blocked when certain terms are entered on searches. I immediately did this -- and as I blocked sites, I felt so much better already! Then there is the option to monitor social networking sites...I can limit the sites my daughter can visit, if any. I can filter YouTube Videos my daughter can watch, or completely block them all, as well as other media players. Also, I can set up alerts that will tell me if any personal information has been posted from our computer to any social sites.

There are many other protection features, like usage reporting where I can monitor activities such as websites visited, programs used online and instant messenger conversations. Clicking on an icon will let me read reports on these activities. There are options to schedule Internet usage time, as well as an option for setting time limits. Family Protection can prevent programs on your computer from communicating with the Internet as well.

I am so thankful right now to have the McAfee Family Protection installed. I do try and monitor when my daughter is on the computer, but with my two munchkin boys, it is not always easy to keep on eye on her as well. Not to mention the fact that my daughter gets instantly offended if I am "loitering" around while she is online. So having these protection measures in place will absolutely make my life easier and make me feel so much better. I know it may sound intrusive to some, but I am so relieved to know I can monitor her online activities, and read reports and be alerted to any emails that contain worrisome text. In this day and age, unfortunately, I do not think we can protect our kids too much.

You can learn more about the benefits and options of the McAfee Family Protection software at their website, www.mcafee.com/familyprotection.

And I am pleased to share that McAfee is also offering readers of Happy Healthy Families a discount through August 31, 2009 to save $5 off the McAfee Family Protection. The promo code is: 5familyprotection. And if you have any questions regarding McAfee Family Protection, you can feel free to contact an expert: McAfee’s Chief Cyber Security Mom, Tracy Mooney! Tracy is available at cybermom@mcafee.com or at www.mcafee.com/cybermom.


I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of McAfee and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. In addition, McAfee sent me a blanket and care package to thank me for taking the time to participate.

The Dreyer Family Band Giveaway: "Family Photograph" CD

This is an amazing and unique CD in that the songs are beautifully written and sung by a wonderful family of twin brothers, their wives and kids. I was contacted by Annie Dreyer to review the collection of songs that her family lovingly created together. I fell in love with the songs, and I am so excited that a reader will also receive a free copy of this awesome collection of songs! Parents and Grandparents alike, I kid you not, this CD will touch your heart and grab your soul.

Let me tell you a bit more about the Dreyers: Matt and Annie are the "West Coasters," and have three children, Mac, Emmet and Silas. Then there is Craig (Matt's twin brother) and Cami, the "East Coasters" who have a daughter, Finley. Every song on the CD is about a very real experience with the Dreyer kids. Recorded in 11 days over two family vacation trips, this is a collection of songs coming straight from the hearts of these parents.

This is a family project every step of the way. Everyone sings, even the babies (well....as the family puts it, maybe they cried and laughed more than sang, but were every bit involved in this work of love!). Even the art for the cover and the illustrations for the lyric book were created by family members...in crayon, of course! Long time friends and musical geniuses of the Dreyer family also lent their expertise to make this a truly unique and beautiful music collection.

This CD instantly became a favorite of mine, and I love to listen to it in the car most of all. The music is a wonderful mix of jazz, funky, and blue grass. I guarantee it will touch your heart, make you laugh, smile and probably cry a bit too.

Buy it!

You can buy the Dreyer Family Band Cd, "Family Photograph," at Amazon (starting $19.02, and also available as MP3 Download) or .....

Better Yet, Win a Copy!

The Dreyer Family Band would love to give a copy of their CD to one reader of Happy Healthy Families to enjoy as well!

Visit dreyerfamilyband.com, and listen to some of their heartwarming music (you'll fall in love...I'm telling you!). Then come back here and leave me a comment letting me know which song you loved the most.


For More Entries:

1. Tweet about the Dreyer Family Band and this Giveaway, and leave e a comment with the tweet url. You can tweet each day for extra entries as well.

2. Follow me on Twitter.

3. Blog about this giveaway, linking to dreyerfamilyband.com, and to this post directly.

4. Favorite Happy Healthy Families on Technorati. Leave me acomment with your Technorati name.

5. Follow Happy Healthy Families Blog.

6. Subscribe to Happy Healthy Families, or let me know if you are a subscriber already.

7. Put a Happy Healthy Families Button on your blog. Leave me a seperate comment letting me know.

Bits and Pieces:
Open to US Addresses.
Contest will End August 20th, 11:59 EST
Winner will be drawn by Random.org and notified by email. Winner needs to confirm within 36 hours or new winner will be drawn.
Must have valid email address in comments or in blogger profile.

iTunes Giveaway: "Wind In The Willows" Movie: Free Download

Did you know that the animated film adaption of the classic children’s book “The Wind in the Willows” by Kenneth Grahame is now on iTunes? The story of Mole, Water Rat, Badger, and the 'always in trouble' Toad is one of my all time favorite childrens' books. It is like a magical place to visit and imagine being there on the river with the characters. If somehow you never read this book as a child, you are missing out on a classsic. It is a great book to read with your children at night curled up in bed together. And there are now downloads that you can watch as well.

iTunes is offering one of my readers a free download of this great classic! To check it out, just click the itunes icon at the end of this post. After visiting the iTunes site, come back and leave me a comment telling me what your favorite childhood movie or book was and you are entered to win!

For Additional Entries:

Twitter about this contest and leave me your twitter info. You can twitter each day for additional entries!

Follow me on Twitter for Two Extra Entries.

Post about this giveaway on your blog for Two extra entries.

Grab my button on the sidebar, paste on your blog, for Two extra entries.

Follow Happy Healthy Families for Three Extra Entries.

Favorite Happy Healthy Families on Technorati, and leave me your Technorati name for Three Extra entries.

Subscribe to Happy Healthy Families, or let me know if you are a subscriber already, for Two extra entries.

Click here to check out The Wind in The Willows:

Please note:

The winner will need to have an iTunes account (so sign up now) in order to receive this free download.
Contest open to US residents only.
Contest will end September 6th at 11:59, EST. Winner will be notified by email and will have 36 hours to confirm or a new winner will be drawn.

Click here to check out The Wind in The Willows:

Crazy4Jigsaws : Review

Thanks to the Family Review Network and Crazy4Jigsaws.com, I had the fun opportunity to check out the Crazy4Jigsaws site....and I love it! I have to caution everyone right here though that it is addicting, LOL!! I am having so much fun solving (or trying to solve) puzzles on the site. I find myself taking breaks from work to go to the site and play around.

Crazy4Jigsaws is an online jigsaw puzzle website with puzzles over 800 beautiful jigsaw puzzles to play free online, with a new puzzle added daily. Players can solve puzzles ranging from 12 to 300 pieces and compete for fastest solve times. Members can upload their own photos to turn into jigsaw puzzles and send them to their friends as e-cards. Members may also compete to win real jigsaw puzzles in monthly contests.

You can sign up for a free membership or for $4.95 /month, enjoy the premium membership that comes with some extra goodies like being able to save a puzzle you are working on, full screen puzzles, personal user icons, rotating puzzle pieces, customized backgrounds and more!
But either way, it is a blast. Go on and take a peek at the site...I bet you stay and do some puzzles right on the spot. Relax for a few, and enjoy!

This review was written for Family Review Network as part of a program for Crazy4Jigsaws, who supplied the premium membership to their site.

Is it College Time at Your House?

This post was sponsored by Sears. All the opinions are mine.

So school is about to start once again. My daughter is going into Junior High School and my 5 year old son is starting Kindergarten. Am how am I feeling about all this? Nervous, sad, excited, worried, excited, anxious, excited...you get the idea, right?

But if I am so conflicted by Kindergarten and Junior High, I cannot imagine what parents with kids going to college must be feeling like. Shudder. But for those parents dealing with the milestone, Sears CampusReady is offering ideas for dorm living.

There are five areas to check out at CampusReady, each offering ideas and solutions for college life.

The first stop would be Dorm Room Furniture. I would guess that is where most college bound kids would love to start with. Lots of options are shown for bedding, furniture and more to make dorm rooms feel more like home (away from home..that is!)
The Interactive Checklist is cool-- everything needed for college and dorm living is listed here, so you won't forget anything. You can print it out as well to take shopping with you, or use it to check things off if online shopping. Very cool.
The Shop By Need section very practically divides kids needs into categories: eating, sleeping, studying, cleaning and even playing. Very easily helps you make sure you have the basics covered.
The Money Sense category was my favorite to check out. Great advice for college students to budget wisely and protect their credit.
And of course, the Fill My Closet section....perhaps more popular than the Dorm Room Furniture section....where fashion and accessories rule. Suggestions for college clothing necessities are given here as well.

Sears has also created CampusReady on Facebook, which offers college bound students a gift-getter application kind of like a wish registry--nice idea! There is also a Dorm Room Designer that lets students do a virtual design of their dorms. The ‘Roommate Matchup’ that lets them see what they have (or don’t have) in common with their roommate.

And best of all, parents can enter for your chance to win money toward your child’s college tuition from Sears and Upromise! A total of $25,000 will be awarded. Upromise members are automatically entered with a sears.com purchase through Upromise.com, or enter free at sears.com/campusready. See sears.com/campusready for full rules and complete details.

Meeting Other Moms is Wonderful Thing

One of the coolest parts of blogging is getting to meet some truly amazing women from all over the world. There is always a shoulder to cry on, someone to share a laugh with, someone to complain about your kids to, (and maybe the hubby from time to time..shhh!), and compare notes with.

I was introduced to a new networking community, Gather.com, by Mom Central recently, and I wanted to share about it here. Gather.com is a place where you can meet people that share interests, hobbies, passions, as you. There are groups and conversations on just about every topic you can think of--and if you don't find a group you'd like to see on Gather, or subject being discussed that you are interested in, go ahead and start it!

As a matter of fact, it can actually pay to start discussions and share on gather.com. Literally. You earn points for the content you contribute to the site, which can be redeemed for gift cards to stores like Home Depot, Gap, and Target, and even for PayPal cash. The more recipes, tips, stories and advice you share with others in the community, the more points you earn. That is exciting!

I am so happy to have been introduced to Gather.com....and to share about this network here with my readers. Take a peek, I bet you'll love it and feel right at home! And check out my profile when you visit, and add me as a friend!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog and giveaway campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Gather. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.