Kid-Tested Mother Approved Cereal Giveaway! (CLOSED)

What does your child eat for breakfast?  If you have a child like my little boy, your serve a lot of cereal in your house.  My son loves cereal.  He will eat eggs every now and then, but cereal is our number one breakfast choice. 


A must in our house has always been Kix!  We like the original Kix and Honey Kix.  This way I know my son is getting wholesome food with nutrients he needs to grow.  Being a cereal eater he consumes less cholesterol and more fiber than a non-cereal eater.


The "Kid-Tested Mother-Approved®"cereal is made with whole grain corn and is an excellent source of iron. It also is a good source of calcium, fiber, and Vitamins C and D. Original Kix has no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.


Kix and My Blog Spark asked me what I  thought of Kix and Honey Kix.  My response is that we love it.  They sent me a box of each the original Kix and Honey Kix, 24-piece counting-themed floor puzzle, fun learn-to-count flashcards, a sippy cup, and a portable snack container.  We had so much fun with the floor puzzle and my son really liked the flashcards.  The snack container and sippy cup where items he had to try out right away.  We loved everything in our package!  Here is a picture of Will putting together his new floor puzzle.

Giveaway!(CLOSED)

Kix and My Blog Spark has given me an additional Kid-Tested Mother Approved Prize Package to giveaway to one of my lucky readers.  You will get the same things I received!

Mandatory Entry! (This entry must be done for any of the other entries to count!)

Tell me what your favorite breakfast is!

Extra Entries!

1.  How do you make your busy morning routine special for your family?


2. Be a current follower or become a follower of my blog for 3 extra entries! (make 3 separate comments. One for each entry!)


3. Blog about this giveaway for 5 extra entries! ( make 5 separate comments!)


4. Enter any of my other giveaways. Let me know which one and you get 1 extra entire per giveaway! (make 1 separate comment for each giveaway you entered!)



That's it! Easy!!!! Kix and My Blog Spark provided me with the products, information, and giveaway. All opinions are mine and mine alone. I was in no way payed. This giveaway ends 12/10 at 11:59 p.m. I will choose a winner using random.org. The Winner will have 48 hours to respond after I send the email or another winner will be chosen. Good Luck!

Saturday Giveaways

Saturday is normally the day I post about giveaways going on, but life is a little crazy right now.  So, You get them today, on Sunday!


First, don't forget about my giveaways!


Enter to win an Old El Paso Prize Pack-Ends 12/5


Enter to win a $45.00 CSN Store Gift Card-Ends 12/6


Kelly's Lucky You is giving away a Moon Dough Barn-Ends 12/2


At The Fence is giving away a Prize Pack from Premier Pet Toys-Ends 12/7


The Cartoon Lovin' Mama is giving away a Tonka Strong Arm Garbage Truck-Ends 12/2


Team Discovery is giving away a beautiful pair of handmade emerald rhinestone earrings on 24K gold vermeil earwires-Ends 12/5

Good Luck Everyone! Be on the lookout tomorrow, I have another giveaway coming up!!!!

Thankful Thursday

WOW! Its has been two weeks I missed Thankful Thursday!  My computer has been acting up (still is) and I have been getting nothing done.


Today I want to thank Laurie over at Women Taking A Stand for hosting this month!

On this beautiful Thanksgiving day, I want to write about family.  Not everyone has much family.  Not blood family anyway, but friends are family too! 

Family can drive you nuts and make you feel loved all at the same time.  Family makes you want the holidays to hurry and be over with, yet when you think of Thanksgiving and Christmas you think of family. 

Isn't it crazy how it all works.  You work so hard to make everything just right for your family, when all that really matters is being together.  Who cares who's house your at, or who cooked dinner, or who got the perfect gift.  What maters is that we are all together.  Where it be over the phone, over the computer, or over the table.  We are all together. 

That is what I'm thankful for this week.  What are you thankful for?

CSN STORES $45.00 GIVEAWAY! (CLOSED)

OK, you all know I like to shop!  I am getting so good at this shopping on the Internet thing!  Last year I found the CSN Store.  I found Rachel Ray cookware, Fisher Price toys, leather messenger bags, and even kitchen sinks!


Do you see know why I like the CSN Stores?  I myself have purchased a crock pot and a few other items from this store.  Everything I ordered I love still to this day!  Best of all, they are letting me give one of my fabulous readers a $45.00 gift card!

The Giveaway (CLOSED)

Win a $45.00 one-time use promotional code to any of the CSN Stores 200+ sites!

Mandatory Entry: (must be done for any other entry to count and you must leave your email address for me to contact you if you win!)

Tell me what you would get with your $45.00 at the CSN Stores.

Extra Entries:

1. Tell me, would what you buy with your $45.00 at the CSN Stores would be a gift or for yourself.

2. Be a current follower or become a follower of my blog for 3 extra entries! (make 3 separate comments. One for each entry!)

3. Blog about this giveaway for 5 extra entries! ( make 5 separate comments!)

4. Leave a comment on any of my other posts. Let me know which one and you get 2 extra entries! (make 2 separate comments!)

That's it! Easy!!!! The CSN Stores provided me with the products, information, and giveaway.  All opinions are mine and mine alone. I was in no way payed. This giveaway ends 12/6 at 11:59 p.m. I will choose a winner using random.org. The Winner will have 48 hours to respond after I send the email or another winner will be chosen.  Good Luck!

Old El Paso "Family Taco Night" Giveaway! (CLOSED)

My family loves tacos!  Really loves them.  I make tacos for my family once a week, so when My Blog Spark asked me to try the Old El Paso's "Family Taco Night" I was so happy to accept!

I got my package in the mail that contained a packet of original Old El Paso Taco Seasoning, a Cactus Chip & Dip Serving dish, a Fiesta Chili Pepper serving dish, and a $10 gift card to purchase your taco fixings.

I ran to the store to get all my fixings and couldn't wait for taco night.  I made my taco family night last night.  Hubby had a gig to play later and I thought it would make a good family activity before he had to go.  I set up all my food like a buffet and we made our own tacos.  Hubby made traditional tacos, while Will and I made taco salads!  It was soooo good.  We ate, talked, and spent family time together. 

Here are recipes for Double Layered Tacos and Chicken Ranch Tacos.  You can also do as we did and just let our family members make their own.  You can also make it a real part night by downloading game cards and other items from www.ElTacodor.com.

For a coupon to get you started off right click HERE and get your $0.60 off any two Old El Paso products today!

The Giveaway (CLOSED)

WinYour Own Old El Paso "Family Taco Night" Prize Pack just like the one I got!

Mandatory Entry: (must be done for any other entry to count and you must leave your email address for me to contact you if you win!)

Tell me what you normally do for your family night! Do you cook a certain kind of meal or do you play games?  What do you do together?

Extra Entries:

1.  Tell me how you like your tacos? 

2.  Be a current follower or become a follower of my blog for 3 extra entries! (make 3 separate comments.  One for each entry!)

3.  Blog about this giveaway for 5 extra entries!  ( make 5 separate comments!)

4.  Leave a comment on any of my other posts.  Let me know which one and you get 2 extra entries! (make 2 separate comments!)

That's it! Easy!!!! Old El Paso provided me with the products, information, and giveaway through MyBlogSpark.  All opinions are mine and mine alone. I was in no way payed and only received the package to review.  This giveaway ends 12/5 at 11:59 p.m.  I will choose a winner using random.org.  The winner has 48 hours to contact me after I send the winning email or another winner will be chosen.  Good Luck!

Holiday Giveaways!!!!

Oh my gosh! Have you seen all the giveaways going on right now! I have not had any time to enter them, but I am slowly trying!  I just entered some over at Kiddies Corner Deals!  I have so many more to catch up on. 

If you run across some really good ones please let me know!!! I will have some coming up soon too, so stay on the lookout!

Part Of Growing Up

I know kids have to get booster shots as they grow to keep them healthy, but they are just so painful.  Not just painful for they kids, but even more painful for the parents. 

Yesterday was the day for Will's 4 year old boosters.  What a painful day yesterday was.  I didn't realize he would be getting 3 individual shots, his finger pricked, and the flue mist!  It was horrible! 

First we had an appointment at his Pediatrician for 1:30.  We got there early and signed in.  Then waited and waited.  Finlay we got in to see the Doctor.  She examined him and then we waited and waited again for the nurse that gives the shots.  Finlay we got to see her.  She did some normal 4 year old health checks on his eyes, ears, and all that.  He is now 42 inches tall and 43 pounds!  So Big!!!

Then came shot time.  I was so happy Hubby was there to hold him.  By the time all was said and done, Will was crying, screaming, yelling, and fighting!  I was also crying.  I couldn't help it!  When you see your child in pain and going through what seems like tourcher ...well you cry!  (It doesn't help that I'm a big emotional baby!)

The rest of the day was barley better.  We where all exhausted from the whole thing.  We ended up being at the Doctor for almost 3 hours.  Will hurt and then freaked out every time the saw the band aids.  For some reason he HATES band aids.  He acts like its the band aid's fault that he got hurt.  You should have been there when I gave him a bath and removed the ones on his arm.  Between the arm and finger band aids, he had 5.  Taking the band aids off was almost as bad as getting the shots!

My poor baby still hurts this morning.  Tylenol and Ibuprofen can only do so much.  He's sore.

New Coupon!

I have been given this great opportunity to share with you the Show Your Helping Hand campaign.  This campaign is to raise awareness about the national issue of hunger.  Hamburger Helper and GRAMMY® Award-winning singer, songwriter and actor, Tim McGraw have teamed up to help Feeding America deliver millions of meals to local food banks.

You can help to, by submitting codes from specially marked boxes of Hamburger Helper at http://www.showyourhelpinghand.com/ or by logging on to make a donation.  Hamburger Helper will donate 17 cents per code.  That's enough for Feeding America to deliver one meal to a local food bank.

You can Click here to see the Public Service Announcement Tim McGraw made for this campaign.  You can also have a chance to win an autographed copy of Tim McGraw´s "Southern Voice" CD by visiting http://www.showyourhelpinghand.com/.

I have a coupon that you can go HERE to print for 35 cents off of Hamburger Helper, Tuna Helper OR Chicken Helper Home Cooked Skillet Meals.  I have seen Hamburger Helper on sale from time to time for $1.00 a box.  Some stores will even double or triple your coupon, so you get a box for almost nothing.  Then go and enter your code at the site above to help a local food bank get a meal too!

A Hurricane In The Forcast!

Who could have guessed that a hurricane was going to hit our home in 24 hours?  I sure didn't.  I spent hours yesterday cleaning Will's room and preparing to put in his big boy bed, only to have it almost all destroyed!

Will's friend Karlie came to play today and destroyed his room.  They played for hours!  The only rule was that they didn't get on the bed!  Jumping on the bed was grounds for punishment.  And to my surprise the bed was never touched!

As promised here is a picture of Will's new Big Boy Bed!

And this is a picture of the room after the hurricane!

Yea, the room is small but this picture makes it look even smaller!


We did get the room in a better shape later today, but I was just so amazed that hours of hard work where gone in minutes.  That's live though.  They had a good time and everyone followed the no getting in the bed rule.  That sounds like a successful day!

Will did have a good nights sleep in his new bed.  It must be comfy, because he woke up at 3:30 am and wanted to know if it was time to get up.  When I told him it wasn't morning yet, and he could go back to sleep, he gladly went back to dream land. 

Big Boy Needs A Big Bed!

All Children grow up, but that is a hard fact for a Momma!  My little man seems to be growing at a high speed.  Not long ago I had to buy him new winter clothes.  He grew two sizes in one one year.  Shoes are the same way, but you don't often think of a child growing out of his bed.

Will has been sleeping in his crib for 4 years now.  It's a convertible crib that turns into a toddler bed and then into a double bed.  He has been sleeping in it as a toddler bed.  He is growing so tall that he is almost to long for it now.  Instead of turning it into a double bed, we decided to go ahead and get Will a twin bed. 

We shopped for a twin bed for a few weeks now, and saw a lot of bunk beds, but not many normal twin beds.  Will wanted a bunk bed but is afraid of heights, so that was out.  The last think I need is a top bunk bed filled with toys or kids coming over to jump off the top. (I so see an ER visit in the future if we would get a bunk bed.)

I finally found a bed at a garage sale of all places.  It had the sticker still on it from the furniture place it was purchased form and all.  The bonus was that they only wanted $20 for it!  Yesterday we went and got a Serta twin mattress for it from Big Lots.  $99 and it was ours. 

Today I will be taking down the crib/toddler bed so Hubby can put up the Big Boy Bed when he gets home from work tonight.  Pictures to come tomorrow!

Saturday's Giveaways!

Here are a few giveaways that I entered this week.  Good Luck! Don't forget, you can't win if you don't enter. This week I won a gift card to Home Depot from Kiddies Corner Deals.  What have you been winning?


At The Fence is giving away a very nice Carmex Kit-Ends 11/16


Moms Wear Your Tees is giving away a pair Umi Children's Shoes up to an $85 value-Ends 11/30


Moms Wear Your Tees is also giving away a free t-shirt from Coy Clothes Funny T-Shirts for the Whole Family up to a $55 value-Ends 11/26


Moms Wear Your Tees is giving away a $150 electronic Gift Card to Oh! Toys!!!!!-Ends 11/25

The First 5 To Comment Get A Free 20-page 7x9 Photo Book (CLOSED)

(CLOSED I Reached the 5 I needed. Thank you everyone who entered)

 

I have the opportunity to invite 5 people to get a free 20-page 7x9 photo book* — a $15.99 value! From Shutterfly and House Party! 

The first 5 people to leave me a comment saying they want it (with their email address) will get a special invitation with a code attached.  Hurry! This will be gone fast!!!

Spoiled!

Conversations with your children can sometimes be enlightening. 


Will goes through a bad spell every few months, where he does everything in his power to not listen, disobey, talk back, and downright ignore.  Yesterday I put him to bed early and begged my peach Avon bubble bath to take me away!!!!


This is how my day started going down hill.  I was in the kitchen cutting up chicken for dinner when Will walks in the house and tells me Charlotte is stuck on his tractor.  I look out the window and sure enough, he rolled over her tie out she was on (to keep her from investigating the neighbors yard when I'm not out side with her) and it was wrapped around the back tire of his John Deer Tractor.  I tell him I'll be right out.  While I'm washing my hands, he decides to take maters into his own hands, and try to back up and go forward on his tractor until he wraps her so tight she is getting sucked under his fenders.  By the time I rescue her she has cuts on her nose and blood on the top of her head.  Poor Baby Girl! She wasn't even crying. 


When I asked Will why he's so mean and bad he tells me he can't help it if he's spoiled.  "You are the one who spoiled me." he said, with his hands firmly on his hips.  Like it's all my fault he just hurt Charlotte.  When I tell him I can solve that problem and make sure I NEVER spoil him again he starts to whimper, "But I want you to spoil me! Don't stop!"  A lot of crying followed that little meltdown!

Well lets just say he was punished really good, (talking under his breath the whole time about being spoiled) and then had to explain to his Daddy what happened later that day. That was another punishment in itself. 

The rest of my day didn't get any better.  The disobeying and talking back got him punished again.  I can only hope today is better.  I have a bad feeling it's not going to be.  The spoiling may not stop entirely, but a lot of things will be changing.  I only pray I don't fall for his sweet little face and love takes over my judgment.  That's my downfall.

I'm Back!

We had to wipe out our computer and start all over, but now its working fine and I ready to start blogging again.  I don't think I had a virus after all. I don't really know what made it act crazy and freeze up so much. It works now though! 


I missed the comments and reading other blogs.  I missed entering giveaways! I missed it all!

I will be working hard on getting some new post done and visiting every one I missed!  I will hopefully have a post ready everyday.  I still have a problem with my text on my computer being really small.  I tried making it bigger, but it only makes my screen really disproportionate :( 

Since I'm almost blind (not a joke, I have a hard time seeing even with contacts! It has been getting worse lately) it is taking me even longer now to type and read with this small print.  I take lots of breaks though.

I hope everything has been going good in your world and your computers are clicking along!

Still Having Difficulties

I haven't been posting much.  I missed Thankful Thursday and so much more.  As many of you know, my computer has been acting up.  I thought we had a virus, but I did every thing I could to find it and.....nothing.  Finally we figured that it must be something we did to our computer to make it act up. 

Today we wiped out our computer and made it back to "from the factory" style.  I spent so many hours trying to save my videos and pictures I had on my computer.  I was able to save some, but not all.  It was very difficult to save the ones I did and took hours of work.  My computer is working again for now.  I don't know if we solved our little problem or not.  Only time will tell. 

I will be back with more post for you all in time.  At the moment I will be testing my computer and getting everything back to working order.  Right now when I open the Internet all the text is so small I can hardly read it.  (I am almost blind you know!)  I will be working on it.  If anyone know how to fix this please let me know!!!

I pray all of you are well and doing better than me with your computers!

Beware the Toilet

How often to you clean your bathroom?  I clean my bathroom regularly and never get hurt.  I never expect to get hurt, but this week was different.

We had finally got a much needed new toilet seat.  We got one of those standard, sparkling white, made of wood ones.  I didn't want a soft one because they crack and I don't really trust that I can get them as clean as the wood ones. 

Anyway, I hadn't had to buy a new toilet seat in....well ever, so I didn't know they started making them a little different.  Now they have a "sanitary" feature, where when a person (boy) puts the rim down the lid comes down with it.  Well, being a lady and having no knowledge that other newer toilets have this, I lifted the rim to clean the toilet.  When I went to put the rim down the lid came crashing down onto my hand.  My thumb nail took all of the blow and let me tell you,  that sparkly white wood lid is HARD! 

I had my other thumb nail riped off by my son's car seat if you remember, now I have my other thumb bruised and bleeding.  This is the time that I wish we didn't need thumbs so much.  My nail didn't end up falling off, but you can see the bruising and blood under the nail very clearly. (Aren't you so happy I didn't include pictures! You are so welcome!)

So, how many more nails will I have hurt before new years?  Your guess is as good as mine.  Just a little extra info.  My big toe is also very bruised under the nail from Will dropping something on it.  That is where it all began.

Pumpkins and Computer Issues

This weekend was filled with good Halloween treats!  Will wanted to be a bat this year and I couldn't find a bat costume for anything. 

So, being the good Mom I am, made a bat costume.  I took a black shirt, some black material, red ribbon, some hot glue, black thread, and a pullover hat to make this cute little bat costume.  He was beyond excited!!!  He modeled it and flapped those little wings to his hart content.

The day before trick or treating, Hubby carved our traditional pumpkin for Will.  Will picked the pattern and Hubby carved.  Will carved his traditional apple while the pumpkin was being carved.  (I just love our traditions!!!!)

Here is a picture of the pumpkin and the apple!

Needless to say, we had a great Halloween.  We trick or treated here in town and had lots of fun.  I hope everyone had a good and safe time no matter what your Halloween was like.

On a different note: 

My computer is on the blink because of a virus or something it got.  I am trying to fix it, but it continues to freeze up on me.  If anyone has any advice, please pass it on.  I don't know what to do next.  I am just guessing on how to fix it.  So far nothing is working.  I have norton, and they are wanting me to pay $100 even though I already payed over that to have norton to start with.  I really don't want to pay them to fix my computer when I paid for the software to protect it (which it didn't do!).  Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!!!