Welcome to the Hoppin’ Halloween Giveaway Hop hosted by MamaNYC! We’re celebrating Halloween with an amazing event that’ll feature ALL sorts of prizes, which means there is going to be plenty of prizes you’ll want to get your hands on! With over 90 blogs participating, Hoppin’ Halloween is surely going to be a BLAST! This event will run from October 25-31st so you will definitely have plenty of time to enter all of our giveaways. Good luck and Happy Halloween! So what can you win here? A Nightmare on Elm Street Blu-Ray Box Set and a $50 Amazon Gift Code for more spooky movies! To enter, simply use the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of this post. When you're done, be sure to visit all of the other participating sites to win more ghoulishly fun prizes!
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Before we moved from Virginia to Ohio, my husband and son had a pending baking date that took a back seat to packing and preparing to relocate. They were supposed to bake a cake or some cookies together, and my preteen has been rather upset that his Step-Dad hadn't delivered on this promise yet. We've been so busy trying to settle into our new home and a whole new routine that we honestly just plain forgot all about this baking date. (Parenting FAIL, I know!) You see, my husband loves to bake. He can't cook actual meals to save his life, but the man can make some killer desserts! He actually made a huge batch of cookies for my OBGYN and the entire maternity ward staff when we went to deliver our youngest child, Xander. (Yep, I got some extra special treatment during our stay in the hospital!) So when I heard that Cool Whip came out with a brand new frosting, I knew it was finally time for the boys to get some baking done together. Sure, this decision was partially out of greed since I simply had to try Cool Whip Frosting! Who doesn't love Cool Whip, after all?! But no one seemed to complain, and they were actually more eager than I was to rush to the store and get started. Before we headed to the store, we had to decide on what my guys would create. We finally decided on.... Decadent Coconut Cream Cake With Cool Whip Frosting We loaded everyone up and headed to Walmart to grab everything we needed. I love living in my town because they just finished transforming the local Walmart into a SuperCenter! This means I can grab everything I need 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and the drive is less than 5 minutes from my house.
The first thing we looked for was the star of the show...Cool Whip Frosting. It was very easy to locate, since it shares its home with traditional Cool Whip frozen topping. They even had special signs in the freezer section introducing this frosting. Cool Whip Frosting comes in 3 mouthwatering flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate, and Cream Cheese. Since we're making a Coconut Cake, we chose the Cream Cheese variety. Marvel’s “Iron Man 3” pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy's hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man? Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stephanie Szostak, James Badge Dale with Jon Favreau and Ben Kingsley, “Iron Man 3” is directed by Shane Black from a screenplay by Drew Pearce and Shane Black and is based on Marvel’s iconic Super Hero Iron Man, who first appeared on the pages of “Tales of Suspense” (#39) in 1963 and had his solo comic book debut with “The Invincible Iron Man” (#1) in May of 1968. “Iron Man 3” is presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures and DMG Entertainment. Marvel Studios’ President Kevin Feige is producing and Jon Favreau, Louis D'Esposito, Stephen Broussard, Victoria Alonso, Alan Fine, Charles Newirth, Stan Lee and Dan Mintz are executive producers. The film releases May 3, 2013, and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Visit the website: http://marvel.com/ironman3
“Like” IRON MAN 3 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ironman “Follow” IRON MAN 3 on Twitter:@Iron_Man Shopping for kids can be a rather disappointing experience, in my humble opinion. As the Holidays grow near, people flock to major mass retailers to buy the same, cookie-cutter gifts. (Which happen to be out of stock the vast majority of the time. Remember the whole Tickle Me Elmo fiasco?) Also, trying to get real help from the staff at these stores is like trying to find a Unicorn...Darn near impossible. I have noticed that at larger retailers, most of the staff has no real knowledge of their inventory and they're not overly eager to help. They're simply there to perform basic duties, earn their wages, and go home. Now I am certainly not knocking mass retailers. I shop at them often for groceries and household essentials. They definitely serve their purpose, and I am glad that they're around for late night toilet paper runs. But when it comes to buying unique gifts for my kids, I highly prefer smaller specialty stores. There's just something I love about these small businesses. Maybe it's the excellent, friendly customer service. Maybe it's the fact that the staff is passionate, cares about the customer, and knows their inventory. Or perhaps it's because specialty stores carry products that you simply won't find on the shelves of larger retailers. Honestly, I think it's a combination of all of these reasons. Nonetheless, there is just something magical about shopping at specialty stores. One of my favorite specialty stores this Holiday season is Brilliant Sky Toys & Books. This is a small chain of 15 stores (and growing!) that take shopping for kids to a whole new and exciting place. Here's a bit more about this great company and what they stand for: In an era where customer service is often a computerized telephone voice or find-me-if-you-can cashier, imagine walking into a specialty shop where the sole mission is to not just assist but delight the shopper! That's the true story inside every Brilliant Sky Toys & Books store, an enchanting place where shoppers, toy manufacturers and franchise owners wake up every day ready to play. They've even coined their own annual best of show, the Brilliance Awards, where a handful of specialty toys rise above all others. The first Brilliant Sky Toys & Books® was founded in 2002 in Lansing, Michigan with the singular goal of being the finest upscale specialty toy store in America. Based on the belief that the right playthings give children a gateway to physical, emotional and cognitive development Brilliant Sky Toys & Books provides the highest quality products in an atmosphere that is both active and interactive. Its unique aesthetic approach is vibrant yet warm, exciting yet comforting and exploratory yet safe. From rich colors and woods to low sightlines and custom fixtures the Brilliant Sky sensory experience is unlike any other. Now based in Okemos, Michigan and featuring more than 10,000 high-quality specialty products, Brilliant Sky Toys & Books is truly the place where everyone can find their way to play. With the Holiday season coming up, parents have a lot to get done. There's decorating, making travel plans, visits with Santa, and bribing older children so they won't tell younger siblings that Santa is in fact Mom and Dad. (Yes, I have to do this. I suppose that comes with having a teen and toddlers in the house!) Another thing parents need to do to prepare for the Holidays is shop for all of those must-have gifts. With kids, it seems that more and more of them require batteries. And many of these gifts aren't clearly labeled "Batteries Not Included", so it's easy to miss when you're in a shopping frenzy. There's nothing worse than seeing a kid's delight turn into sorrow when they open a present and realize that "Santa" forgot to include batteries. This is a parenting fail than I have been guilty of in the past. It's definitely not a good feeling at all, and no way to start off Christmas! That's why this year, I am making sure I'm prepared. I am stocking up on batteries of various sizes, and usually buy a package or two each time we go shopping. This way, there's no possibility of being without the batteries required to power our gifts this Christmas. When it comes to batteries, not all are created equal. Sure, there are bargain batteries out there, but they don't seem to last as long as they should. I always choose Duracell products because they're dependable, long-lasting, and are always a good value. Duracell batteries have been a household name for decades, and as technologies change, they come out with new innovations that make lives easier. Dreams do come true, especially for women who grew up dreaming of a fairy tale wedding modeled after their favorite Disney Princess character. Alfred Angelo and Disney debuted their first collection of bridal gowns, Disney Fairy Tale Weddings by Alfred Angelo, at the National Bridal Market in Chicago on October 2, 2010. This marked their first collaboration, the bridal gown collection is inspired by the essence, style and personality of seven iconic Disney Princess characters: Ariel, Aurora/Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine, Snow White and Tiana. Since then the collection has extended to Disney Maidens and Disney Blossoms allowing for a full bridal party in fairytale style. The Disney Fairy Tale Weddings by Alfred Angelo wedding dress collection is available in sizes 0 to 30W, at all Alfred Angelo Signature stores and select Alfred Angelo wholesale Partner Bridal Boutiques. Gowns are priced $599 to $1,199; so well within most bridal budgets. The Disney Maiden collection is available in sizes 0 to 26W and Disney Blossoms in sizes 4–16 and 2T-4T. Acclaimed Alfred Angelo designer Michael Shettel designed the Disney Fairy Tale Weddings by Alfred Angelo gowns. Michael has a keen eye for trends and the ability to translate that vision into beautiful gowns. As a result, Michael sought to capture every girl’s fantasy of feeling like a princess on her wedding day, while being inspired by the magic and identity of each of the seven Disney Princess characters. With each gown, brides can showcase their personal style. The collection includes classic, grand ball gowns in layers of tulle and sparkle net, updated fit and flare styles to highlight curves and movement, and pleated and wrapped bodices to flatter the bride’s figure.
One lucky reader will receive a $50 Alfred Angelo Gift Certificate!Read more about Disney Fairy Tale Weddings by Alfred Angelo at Mom to Bed by 8 Giveaway ends October 30th at 11:59pm, open US Residents, ages 18+. To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck! The Graco SnugRide® Click Connect™ 40 – the first and only newborn to two-year infant car seat that actually grows with your baby from four pounds all the way up to 40 pounds. The car seat is designed for a parent on the go. The infant car seat can be easily removed from the base and used as a carrier when the infant is small, providing portability and convenience so you can easily move your infant in and out of the car without disturbing them. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently made the recommendation to keep all children in rear-facing car seats until the age of 2. Graco set out to make this product so parents can keep infants rear facing longer while still keeping them comfortable. Features:
For more information on the SnugRide Click Connect 40, please visit http://www.gracosafety.com/. One lucky reader will receive a $25 Babies R Us e-gift code!Read the more about the GracoSafety Event in Orland Park on Mom to Bed by 8. Giveaway ends November 1st at 11:59pm, open US Residents, ages 18+. To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck! Halloween is only 11 days away! Can you believe it?! This month has passed by so quickly. We still need to go get our candy for the Trick-Or-Treaters, but we've got our costumes ready to go. Sophie is going to be a pretty, pink princess, Xander will be a garden gnome, and Kyle is going to create his own costume, which will be unveiled on All Hallow's Eve. I can't wait to see what he came up with! Dan and I are dressing up, too. I am not entirely sure which of my many costumes I will choose to wear, but it will probably something that won't cause me to freeze to death in this Ohio cold. Dan is going to be a ninja. (What else?!) Thanks to the awesome folks at PetSmart, our pups will be all decked out this year, too! That's right...Even fur-babies can get into the spook-tacular festivities with their very own Halloween costumes for pets from PetSmart. We love PetSmart and go there often to get supplies for our Shih-Tzu, Bear, our Yorkie, Trouble, and even our new addition, a sweet Lab/Shepard mix named Snickers. (Yes, Dan finally got his big dog! She may be small now, but not for long!) PetSmart carries all of our favorite toys, foods, grooming supplies, and so much more. The thing I love the most would have to be the fact that we're welcome to bring our furry friends shopping with us while we shop. It just doesn't get much better than that! What would YOU do with $500 CASH? Many of you would buy Christmas gifts. (Or whatever Holiday you observe!) Unfortunately, I would put it toward home repairs. Our new house is almost 100 years old and needs some work. We knew that when we bought it, though. So all of our extra cash will be going towards renovations. Glamorous? Not really. Welcome to the joys of being a home owner, right?
Anyway, a great event is now accepting blogger sign-ups! The Christmas Cash Event hosted by Mom Powered Media will be giving one lucky winner $500! Just in time for the Holidays! Prize: $500 Visa Gift Card OR $500 Paypal Cash OR $500 Amazon Gift Card Event dates: 11/7 - 12/5 Interested in participating? Be sure to let them know Brandy at NCMO3 sent you! Sign-up HERE! |
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I'm Brandy, a happily married, proud Mom of 3 amazing kids. If you're interested in building a working relationship, please feel free to e-mail me at: NewlyCrunchyMamaOf3@gmail.com Links We Love :Archives
June 2023
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