Pampers Diapers is introducing their new line of Pampers Cruisers and Pampers Swaddlers with Dry Max, which Pampers says is their biggest innovation to their brand in 25 years.  Pampers new Dry Max technology is a “game changer” – it allows the diaper to be even more absorbent and keep your baby dry for even longer, all while making the diaper even thinner than before.  Pampers Cruisers are known for their flexibility and comfort for your active little one and now that they’ve made them more streamlined and dry, these diapers are the Gold Medal in their category.

So, it’s only fitting that Pampers has teamed up with Team USA to make a special, limited-edition Team USA diaper for these world-class babies to keep up with their high-performance family members! Two of these athletes are Olympic gold medal speedskater Chad Hedrick and his family, and skeleton (forward-facing luge) World Champion and Olympic Hopeful Noelle Pikus-Pace and her family.  Both will share their Olympic experiences (through their baby’s point of view!) via photos and videos on Pampers.com.

While you won’t be able to buy Pampers Cruisers or Swaddlers with Dry Max at a store near you until March, Pampers is running a fantastic promotion where you can request a free sample 3-pack starting tomorrow morning (January 29th)!  Even better?  If the sample you are sent includes a diaper stamped Team USA (randomly inserted in select sample packs), your baby will win a year’s supply of Pampers diapers!

So, not only do you get a 3-pack sample of new Pampers Cruisers or Swaddlers diapers with Dry Max technology, but you can even win a years supply of Pampers!  What could be better?

Don’t forget to head over to Pampers.com tomorrow morning for your sample!  These will go fast, so don’t forget!

We’ve all heard those stories about the mythical woman who actually “works from home” and “makes money online”.  You may have even tried to find some of the more reputable companies out there, but likely got completely frustrated with the amount of spam and lack of real money.

Over the past year or so I’ve tried numerous sites and wanted to share again some of my favorites.  This is the time of year when holiday credit card bills are rolling in and you’re trying to figure out how you can afford to take a vacation in the fall.  So, set up a new email address to use exclusively for these survey and shopping sites and get started earning money today!

I was recently introduced to Rue La La, a “exclusive” online boutique that features 2 day sales of premium designer fashion, vacations, home goods, accessories, etc.  You have to be “invited” to get in, but I was pleasantly surprised once I did.  They were featuring a good deal on nights at W Hotels around the country – a night in a Spectacular (their words, not mine) room with breakfast for 2 in Boston was $239 (not including taxes), which is a pretty good deal!  They also have designer fashion and accessories at some really incredible prices!  Click HERE to sign up – it is invitation only, but since I’m a member I can invite all of you!

Designer duds not your thing?  Yeah, I usually find that when I shop it’s for either my daughter, my husband or our house!  So where do you go to find those same really great deals as Rue La La, but for kids?  I give you Totsy!  Totsy is the same kind of setup, with upscale kid and baby clothing, furniture, art, accessories, etc.  I’m always reluctant to buy the more expensive clothes for my daughter because she’ll either ruin them with a ketchup spill five minutes after I put it on her or she’ll grow out of it in a month.  But with prices like this set from Kiwi Industries at 60% off you’ll feel great about buying the designer threads for your messy toddler!  Click HERE to sign up and start saving mega bucks on the cutest and greatest brands out there!

But enough about shopping – what about making money?!

First off, Swagbucks.  If you don’t have the Swagbucks toolbar installed and use it every time you search for something, you are seriously missing out!!  Swagbucks is a website that allows you to earn points (in the form of Swagbucks) that can be used towards prizes and gift cards.  Earning points is easy, but it’s even easier if you download and use their toolbar!  What I usually do is search using their search box first – sometimes you earn Swagbucks, sometimes not – and if that search hasn’t worked, then I use Google.  But I’ve already earned over 100 Swagbucks just in the last month!  Before Christmas I cashed all of mine in and was able to get $40 or so in Amazon gift cards!  There are other ways to earn, too, so go and check them out and sign up to start earning Swagbucks today!  If you start now and don’t cash them in until Christmas you’ll have lots of points to use to buy gifts – it’s free money!  Click HERE to sign up!

The other site that has been my biggest earner over this past year has been Opinion Outpost.  Opinion Outpost is a survey site where you can earn points to be cashed in for either checks or can be instantly deposited in your Amazon account (both check and Amazon redemptions need a minimum of $5 earned).  Do a couple of surveys while you’re watching tv at night and earn a few extra bucks every single week.  You can deposit them directly into Amazon and use them for household things, like diapers, or to save up for gifts or for when you need a new book!  The Amazon redemption is instant and I used this one a few times when I needed a gift for someone!  Click HERE to sign up and start doing those surveys! HINT:  In order to get the most surveys, complete the profile surveys first!!!  This may take a few minutes to do, but once you do it you don’t have to do it again for a long time.  This is how they know what surveys to send you!  If you don’t do this you won’t get anywhere near the same amount of survey opportunities!

Those are a few of my favorite places out there!  I’m sure there are others that you’ve found and I’d love to hear about them!  I wish you all success and lots of extra money!

Don’t forget to enter to win some yummy organic snacks and cookies from Late July Organic Snacks (prize valued over $25)! This giveaway ends on February 2nd (Tuesday).

And the Select Comfort giveaway of a Classic Plush Blanket (valued up to $90) is open until February 6th (Saturday).  Enter now!

If there is one thing that I have learned from being born and bred here in New England, it is the importance of a good blanket.

It sounds rather droll to put so much significance and gravity on something as silly as a blanket, but anyone who has lived through a good ol’ fashioned Noreaster – or, for those of you down South, a 50 degree day – knows that when Mother Nature is throwing everything she has at you, your only recourse is to retreat to the sofa with a good book and a good, warm blanket.

The problem is that while there are blankets that claim to keep you warm – some go as far as to do so electrically – there aren’t many that actually succeed.  I know it would be warm to sleep next to my furnace but I’m not in the habit of doing that either, so no electric blankets for us.  I think all of us have experienced taking a nap under one of those old crocheted blankets that Grandma made and how inexplicably toasty it was, in spite of all of the holes that are inherent in the design.  On the flip side, I’ve purchased lots of blankets because they feel soft and squishy under my hand in the store and I assume that will translate nicely to the couch, only to get it home and be freezing halfway through a movie rental.

So, suffice it to say that I am a pretty tough customer when it comes to blankets.  When Select Comfort offered to send one of their Classic Plush Blankets I was excited to test out the quality of a blanket from such a prestigious brand.  And, I’m thrilled to report, that I wasn’t disappointed!

First, I have to say that I really loved the different colors that are available.  While we went with the Cocoa blanket (pictured above), Select Comfort also offers a nice selection of other rich colors such as Sage and Cranberry (to name a few).  What’s great about that is that this makes a great gift, too!  I love to get friends a housewarming gift when they move somewhere new and a new blanket in a coordinating color for their living room or bedroom is always a very thoughtful and appreciated present!

You can tell from the minute you pick up the Classic Plush Blanket that it is a quality product.  Have you ever picked up a blanket that looked warm and durable, only to be able to separate the stuffing under your fingers as you hold it in your hand?   Thankfully, this Blanket is nothing like that!  It feels sturdy and has a nice medium-weight to it.  It’s the perfect blanket to keep on the back of your couch or at the foot of your bed – it’s heavy enough to certainly keep you warm, but it’s not so substantial that you’d feel smothered in the spring.  The Ultra Plush 100% microfiber fabric is quite soft and smooth and the finishing touch of a 2-inch sateen binding on all four sides adds just enough personality to make it interesting.  Plus, if you have a Sleep Number bed (in which case I am bitterly, hideously jealous.  Seriously.) they have this really cool Logic Label system where all of their blankets, sheet sets, etc all line up easily to make making your bed even easier than it already is.  What more can you ask for?!

Select Comfort’s Classic Plush Blankets retail for $49.99 to $89.99, depending on the size needed.  But from now until January 30th, they’re on sale for $37.49 to $67.49!  Select Comfort also carries a range of sheet sets, pillows, mattress pads – not to mention their incredible, life-changing, splendiferous Sleep Number beds (sigh)!

WIN IT! One lucky winner will win a Classic Plush Blanket from Select Comfort (ARV up to $90)!!!  To enter, please tell me another Select Comfort product you’d love to have AND become a subscriber of this site (if you aren’t already)  You MUST confirm your subscription for it to count!  I check all entries and if you are not a subscriber, your comment will be deleted.  That’s it!

***PLEASE NOTE!!  It is Select Comfort’s policy when sponsoring a giveaway to ask for the names and email addresses of all who enter in order to add them to their marketing database.  It means that you will receive periodic emails with sales, deals and sleep tips from the people who know sleep best!  They promise not to ever sell, rent or otherwise disseminate your information and they won’t clog up your inbox with daily emails or anything crazy.  As they are the sponsor of this giveaway, please do not enter this particular contest if you do not wish your information to be given to them.  Again, all names and email addresses will be given to Select Comfort to be added to their email list.  If you aren’t comfortable with this, don’t enter this particular giveaway!  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me!

I have received compensation in the form of Select Comfort’s Classic Plush Blanket in exchange for this post, but the views and opinions expressed are solely my own and no other compensation – monetary or otherwise – was received.

Comments will close on February 6, 2010 at 10 PM EST.  One comment per person, please (unless you do the extra credit). Open to US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement of the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Extra Credit:

Become a fan of Select Comfort on Facebook!  Leave your username for verification.  One extra entry.

Comment on any non-giveaway post.  Leave link or name of post that you commented on.  One extra entry.

Grab my button!  Post it on your own blog and leave me the link to find it.  Two extra entries!

Follow me on twitter AND tweet about the contest. – You may do this daily for an extra entry.

Follow me on google friend connect. One extra entry.

Blog about this giveaway. It doesn’t have to be a separate post. Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.  You may have 3 entries for this.

Click on one of the very cute buttons below and digg, stumble, fav, etc. Just let me know what you did in the comments!  One extra entry each.

When you think of quality children’s toys on the market today, there are a few brands that come to mind.  But when I try to think of the brands that I remember from my own childhood – the ones that have sustained and grown in the past two decades – that list gets even shorter.  So, when PLAYMOBIL contacted me to review a few of the toys from their new Nautical Expedition Line I was thrilled to be able to introduce them to my own child!

The seeds of PLAYMOBIL were planted back in 1876, but it wasn’t until 1958 that they found their footing as a toy manufacturer and never looked back.  From 1974 over 2.2 billion PLAYMOBIL figures have been manufactured!  With a current assortment of over 250 different toys, there is something for everyone.  From the Fire Rescue Starter Set to the My Take Along Farm, you can find a toy for any interest or occasion!

PLAYMOBIL’s Nautical Expedition Line is a selection of toys related to all sorts of water related exploits such as deep sea diving, fishing and underwater exploration.  If your child is into the ocean and exploring, this set of toys will keep them entertained for hours!

We started off on our deep sea diving adventure with the Deep Sea Diving Bell.  This toy is pure bathtime fun!  A watertight explorer cabin and its intrepid captain are ready to submerge and hunt for treasure with this adorable set.  While the set is super easy to assemble, it also offers enough of a challenge and variable pieces to keep your child entertained for years to come.  In fact, this Diving Bell is a partner toy with another PLAYMOBIL Nautical product (sold separately, of course), the Expedition Ship.

We also got to explore with the Divers in Tropical Reef set, which is the perfect set to complete the underwater effect!  This set includes two divers with scuba gear and fins, reef, stingray, lobster, seahorse, manta ray, and other accessories.  Anna had a blast playing with all of this stuff!  She has a lot of bath toys, but the majority of them are sort of baby-ish – you know, the rubber ducky and bath crayon sort of toys.  She still plays with those, but her tastes are maturing.   Now she gets more into her imagination, and so when she is pretending that her bath is the raging sea in desperate need of exploration this set of PLAYMOBIL Nautical toys are perfect.  Plus, I love being able to buy different pieces and coordinating parts from the same line – it makes telling people what to get Anna for gifts so much easier!  It’s great to have a manufacturer that I know and trust to be able to direct friends and family to for gift ideas, knowing that anything PLAYMOBIL makes will be sturdy, well-made and capture her imagination.  Perfect!

PLAYMOBIL’s Nautical Line, along with their entire line of wonderful toys, can be found at www.playmobilusa.com, Amazon.com and other toy retailers near you!

I have received compensation in the form of PLAYMOBIL products in exchange for this post, but the views and opinions expressed are solely my own and no other compensation monetary or otherwise was received.

I don’t know a single mom out there who isn’t on the constant search for great tasting, organic snacks for their kids.

These days, as we learn more and more about the chemicals and artificial ingredients in our environment, we are getting more savvy about our food and are being more careful about what products we bring into our home.  I don’t think it’s any big secret that some of the healthier options out there are some of the worst tasting, too!  As adults, we’re a bit more capable of choking down something that doesn’t necessarily taste good in the name of good health, but once you have kids all bets are off.  I know several women who swore up and down that their child would only consume the freshest, most organic and healthy foods out there – only their kids had other ideas.  When presented with the healthy snacks, no matter how appetizing Mom tries to make it look, the kids pushed their plates away and refused to eat anything other than McDonalds chicken nuggets.

Thankfully, the “health” food industry is rapidly expanding and, with its expansion, come some really incredible new products that are tasty, well priced and guilt-free.  One such marvel of deliciousness is Late July Organic Snacks!  This particular company is close to my heart (well, stomach really) in several ways: the company is on Cape Cod which is right near where I grew up and the company’s owner and creator, Nicole, is the daughter of the genius who created Cape Cod Potato Chips (and a mom herself!).  With a pedigree like that, Late July snacks are guaranteed to be yummy!  And, I’m happy to report, they live up to their hype!

I was thrilled to be able to try a couple of Late July’s Mini Sandwich Cookies.  I simply LOVE cookies, and for that precise reason we don’t often have them at our house.  But since I have such issues with food myself, it’s really important to me to emphasize to Anna that cookies and treats are things that can be a part of her healthy diet – just in moderation.   The same goes for the snack I put out at our weekly playgroup that I host – while the snack is usually something fairly healthy, sometimes I buy something sweet and fun for the kids.  What’s more sweet and fun than mini sandwich cookies?!

The size of these little cookies is perfect for little hands, and the kids didn’t seem to really have a favorite!  Both the Mini Milk Chocolate and the Mini White Chocolate cookies were gobbled up quickly – so quickly, that I had to hold the boxes hostage in order to share the other cool thing about these cookies with them!   Late July’s Mini Sandwich Cookies aren’t just a good source of calcium and whole grain, aren’t just tasty and delicious, but also help to support the efforts of the Jane Goodall Institute to help with endangered animal awareness.  On either side of each cookie is featured one of seven different endangered animals, which actually did the impossible – made the toddlers stop scarfing the cookies for a minute and check out the cool animals on them!  Then were so inspired that they had to identify each, then pretend they were each… so, not only were the cookies super yummy and organic, but they actually inspired the kids to play and use their imaginations.   Does it get any better than that?!

Late July not only makes the mini sandwich cookies but they make regular sized cookies, Classic Rich and Classic Saltine crackers, Cheddar Cheese crackers, and Peanut Butter crackers – all organic!  Late July products are available online at www.shoplatejuly.com, Amazon.com and Drugstore.com (complete list) as well as stores like Whole Foods and others near you (list)!

And Late July has an extra special offer just for my readers!  If you email your mailing address to offers@latejuly.com and ask for the coupons, they will send you over $5 in coupons that you can use at your local store!  How cool is that?!

WIN IT! One lucky winner will win an incredible selection of Late July’s Organic Snacks including single serve packs of snack crackers, full boxes of the new cookies and over $5 in coupons (total value over $25)!!!  To enter, please tell me which variety of Late July’s snack crackers or cookies that you’d love to try AND become a subscriber of this site (if you aren’t already)  You MUST confirm your subscription for it to count!  I check all entries and if you are not a subscriber, your comment will be deleted.  That’s it!

Comments will close on February 2, 2010 at 10 PM EST.  One comment per person, please (unless you do the extra credit). Open to US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement of the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Extra Credit:

Become a fan of Late July on Facebook!  Leave your username for verification.  One extra entry.

Comment on any non-giveaway post.  Leave link or name of post that you commented on.  One extra entry.

Grab my button!  Post it on your own blog and leave me the link to find it.  Two extra entries!

Follow me on twitter AND tweet about the contest. – You may do this daily for an extra entry.

Follow me on google friend connect. One extra entry.

Blog about this giveaway. It doesn’t have to be a separate post. Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.  You may have 3 entries for this.

Click on one of the very cute buttons below and digg, stumble, fav, etc. Just let me know what you did in the comments!  One extra entry each.

Dear Breast Cancer,

I don’t recall anyone asking me whether or not I wanted to lose my grandmother or have to watch my mother suffer terribly with breast cancer.  It seems that everyone understands your language – doctors talk about stages and margins, nurses are well-versed in discussing peripheral veins and IV pumps.  But there is no language for the family members, the ones who have to bear witness to your terrible strength and ruthlessness.  You get to say and do whatever you want to do and we are at your mercy.  Well, it’s my turn.  This is how I’ll get my say.

You ripped my grandmother from my life when I was four years old – not even old enough to know what a tragedy that truly is.  It wasn’t until I was older and into my teenage years that I looked around my life and realized that I had no one other than my mother.  I didn’t know how much I had missed out on but watching television and movies taught me that my grandmother dying when I was four was the emotional equivalent of losing a limb.  See, I think of life as if you’re climbing a ladder – your parents are the arms that help to pull you up, but it’s your legs – your grandparents – that do the heavy work to give you the solid foundation from which you can push forward.  When you take away a limb, a person can certainly learn to live without it but they always feel the pain of what isn’t there.

When I was little I lived with constant fear, incessant worry and anxiety.  I was worried that I would find my mother dead when I got home, fearful of what kind of mood my father would be in when he walked in the door – always scared, always worried.  Back then my fear was that my mother would be permanently, irrevocably hurt by my father.  But when I think about it, I realize that my old fears have returned – it’s just the villain that has changed.

The passage of time had lulled me into complacency and for awhile, I was able to keep you out of my mind.  But when the phone call came and my mother breathed life into my deepest fear by saying “I have breast cancer”, the words sounded so hollow and small, offensive in their simplicity. When my mother got sick it meant that my odds of getting sick skyrocketed.   And it meant that I could no longer ignore the fact that my own body is a ticking time bomb.

After a long and difficult journey, my mother’s breast cancer is currently in remission and I am thankful every day for that. I believe that in order for a fight to be fair, both sides need to know their opponent.  Consider this letter an introduction.  I will not go quietly and I won’t let you take my family without a fight.  There is nothing I can do to 100% guarantee that you won’t darken my doorstep – even a double mastectomy isn’t a certainty.  But I can promise you that your time of tormenting people is drawing to a close.  The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter and together we will defeat you.  I can only hope that when that day comes, I will be able to stand arm in arm with my mother and my daughter and know that the people we lost added fuel to the fire of hope that prevailed in the end.

With hope and determination,

Courtney

I’ve never been much of an accessories person.  I only have a few pairs of very simple earrings that I rotate wearing, same with necklaces and bracelets.  I never paid much attention to it, but I’ve become aware in recent years that this makes me just plain strange.

I couldn’t care less about shoes.  My only concern about footwear is whether or not they’re comfortable.  If you can find me a pair of heels that don’t make my feet bleed after thirty minutes, maybe then I’ll reconsider.  Until then, I’m a sneakers kind of girl.  That brings me to the last accessory, the one that makes many women drool and knock each other over at sale tables.

Handbags.  Purses.  Pocketbook.  Bag.  Call it what you will, but most women I know are totally nuts over these things.  Personally, I just need something that’s going to hold my stuff so that it’s not on the floor.  So, even though I’m not exactly a purse expert, even I can recognize a good thing when I see it.

Check out this very cool Orvieto by Estel Park Leather Soleil Handbag!  If you’re looking for a last minute holiday gift for that purse-crazy woman in your life, this is an instant winner.  This bag comes in the most beautiful shade of carmine red and it is made of soft, shiny, calf-skin patent leather.  It has an inside zip pocket, a 7″ key hook and a easy access cell phone pouch which all make this a versatile and fashionable choice in handbag.  But the best part is the price!  You can get this Orvieto Leather handbag for only $98!!  That’s a steal!

But you have to hurry!  This bargain price of $98 for the Orvieto by Estel Park Leather Soleil Handbag is only good for today, Sunday December 20th.   You’ll be guaranteed to make her smile when she opens this gift!

If you haven’t already, don’t forget to sign-up for Sam’s Club Special Buy of the Day email reminders so that you don’t miss a single great deal!

WIN IT! One winner will win $75 in Sam’s Club gift cards! As this is my last of the Sam’s Club giveaways for this holiday season, I’d like to have the mandatory question be a little different.  To enter, please tell me one of your favorite holiday traditions in your family AND become a subscriber of this site (if you aren’t already)  You MUST confirm your subscription for it to count!  I check all entries and if you are not a subscriber, your comment will be deleted.  That’s it!

Comments will close on December 30, 2009 at 10 PM EST.  One comment per person, please (unless you do the extra credit). Open to US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement of the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

This post is a part of a Sam’s Club Holidays Made Simple blogger campaign. I may have received compensation in exchange for my participation, but the views and opinions expressed are solely my own.

Extra Credit:

Visit Sam’s Club’s Holiday Helper section and contribute a comment, recipe, link, suggestion, etc.  Two extra entries!!

Become a fan of Sam’s Club on Facebook – Leave your username for verification.  One extra entry.

Follow Sam’s Club on Twitter – Leave your username for verification.  One extra entry.

Enter any other giveaway on my site.  TWO extra entries per giveaway!

Comment on any non-giveaway post.  Leave link or name of post that you commented on.  One extra entry.

Grab my button!  Post it on your own blog and leave me the link to find it.  Two extra entries!

Follow me on twitter AND tweet about the contest. – You may do this daily for an extra entry.

Follow me on google friend connect. One extra entry.

Blog about this giveaway. It doesn’t have to be a separate post. Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.  You may have 3 entries for this.

Click on one of the very cute buttons below and digg, stumble, fav, etc. Just let me know what you did in the comments!  One extra entry each.

One of the winners from the Prince Lionheart Holiday Party Silicone Bottles giveaway hasn’t responded to my emails, so let’s redraw a winner!

Drumroll please…the new winner of a 3 pack of Prince Lionheart Silicone Bottles:

And, if you haven’t already, check out my latest review and giveaway for one of my favorite products this year – the OnTray.  Trust me, if you ever put your child in the front seat of a cart at any store ever – you NEED this product.  Head over and check it out - and good luck!

Let me first say that this is the first year since Adam and I have been together (almost seven years) that he has purchased any Christmas gifts for me any earlier than December 23rd.  Each and every year I can count on spending a chunk of Christmas Eve day by myself while Adam runs around like crazy and tries to do all of his shopping at once.  And, you know what?  He still manages to blow me away with the things he comes up with for me every year.  So, who cares if you’re just starting to shop or if you’re only halfway done?  The date that you buy the gift doesn’t matter – the well thought-out gift bought on December 21st is just as good as the one purchased on Black Friday, right?

So quit dragging your feet and finish (or start, for that matter) your shopping already!  See, the trick is to go to a store (or website) where you can get gifts for everyone on your list.  Whether it’s jewelry for your mother-in-law or a toy for your niece’s first Christmas, you can find it all at Sam’s Club!  And their Holidays Made Simple website really lives up to its name.  Why does gift giving have to be difficult?  Let the Sam’s Club Gifter Stress Lifter do its thing and find you the best gifts for everyone on your list.  Read my post about it or head over there and plug in some information to get some personalized gift recommendations for even the most difficult person on your list.  Or if you’d rather look at a bunch of ideas all at once, take a peek at Sam’s Holiday Gift Guide!

But if you haven’t already, hurry over and sign-up for Sam’s Special Buy of the Day!  One really great product at a really great price every day up until December 24th.  For instance, for today’s Special Buy of the Day (December 17th) Sam’s Club has a HP G71-347 CL notebook for only $649!  But you have to be quick and check back daily (or at least sign-up for their daily reminder emails) to make sure you don’t miss out on an amazing deal!

Or, if you’re on the flip side and you have your fingers crossed that you’ll find your dream gift under the tree this year, don’t set your husband or wife be set up to fail by having to guess at what you want.  Drop some subtle hints using Sam’s Club’s Dear Santa wishlist (see previous post)!  You just head over to the Holiday Gifts Galore section and start checking out the “Gifts Under” section.

When you click on any of the items under those “Gifts Under” headings, a tiny Santa appears next to the price –    – if you click this Santa it’ll add that particular item to your Wish List.  It’s that simple!  Then you can email it to everyone who might need it, or just a few select people – whoever you think could use some help and guidance!

In other words, Sam’s Club is still ready, able and waiting to help you with anything you may need to get your holiday shopping taken care of.  Let them help you get quality, meaningful and thoughtful gifts for everyone on your list – hey, you can always give everyone a membership to Sam’s Club!

This post is a part of a Sam’s Club Holidays Made Simple blogger campaign. I may have received compensation in exchange for my participation, but the views and opinions expressed are solely my own.

Have you ever stepped back and really looked at how much stuff we moms carry around with us everywhere?  Of course, there are exceptions, but the majority of mothers carry giant bags, knapsacks and totes that are the size of refrigerators.  You would think that having all of that stuff with you everywhere it would be easy to grab an extra diaper or some wipes when your kid smears chocolate all over the shopping cart but these enormous bags are just black holes.   I know mine is – everything you can think of is in there, but if I need to quickly locate Anna’s favorite snacks in an effort to prevent a complete meltdown in the grocery store I’m usually out of luck.

Like most of my favorite products, OnTray was invented by a mom.  Laura was grocery shopping with her three boys and trying to look at her coupons, keep her kids contained, shop and hand her boys a snack one piece at a time.  By the time she got home, she had bought lots of junk, not used enough coupons and was completely frazzled.  She searched on the internet to try and find a product to buy that could at least take “snacks” off of her list of things to worry about.  Luckily for all of us, when she didn’t find one, she invented  it – and the OnTray was born!

Being a coupon fanatic myself, I can completely relate to Laura’s dilemma.  No matter how organized you are, when you get to the store you always need to sift through your coupons.  That activity alone takes both hands and then how do you hold the snack for your toddler?  Or if you’re in a mall stroller or an equivalent public transportation for kids, do you want to put their snack on the tray that is provided?

The OnTray is manufactured in the US, uses FDA approved plastic and is both dishwasher and microwave safe.  It attaches quickly and easily to shopping cart handles and can not only be used for snacks, but to hold those coupons, crayons or any other small item you need to bring with you.  Whether you fill it before you leave the house or keep it in your bag for unforeseen circumstances that may come up, the OnTray is the perfect companion for any shopping expedition with your child (recommended for ages 6 months and up!).

OnTray comes in True Blue, Going Green, Pretty in Pink or Mellow Yellow – all of which are translucent, so you can see the contents easily.  And with the bargain price of $7, you might as well get a few and pass them out to your friends.  Believe me, once you use the OnTray you’ll never understand how you made it through life as a mom without it!

WIN IT! One lucky winner will win their very own OnTray!  To enter, please tell me what you’d use your OnTray for AND become a subscriber of this site (if you aren’t already)  You MUST confirm your subscription for it to count!  I check all entries and if you are not a subscriber, your comment will be deleted.  That’s it!

Comments will close on December 28, 2009 at 10 PM EST.  One comment per person, please (unless you do the extra credit). Open to US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement of the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Extra Credit:

Follow On Tray on Twitter!  Leave your username for verification.  One extra entry.

Comment on any non-giveaway post.  Leave link or name of post that you commented on.  One extra entry.

Grab my button!  Post it on your own blog and leave me the link to find it.  Two extra entries!

Follow me on twitter AND tweet about the contest. – You may do this daily for an extra entry.

Follow me on google friend connect. One extra entry.

Blog about this giveaway. It doesn’t have to be a separate post. Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.  You may have 3 entries for this.

Click on one of the very cute buttons below and digg, stumble, fav, etc. Just let me know what you did in the comments!  One extra entry each.

This holiday season, Sam’s Club has featured one fantastic deal each and every day.  Instead of the other stores that have lots of mediocre discounts on many products, Sam’s has a single incredible deal on one product each day that will blow you away (and make your wallet happy!).

Today’s Special Buy of the Day is this HP G71-347 CL notebook!  It has 2.10 GHz, 17.3” Diagonal HD+ High-Definition HP LED BrightView Widescreen Display and 320 GB – all for the super low price of $649!

This elegantly polished top cover and silver keyboard surround make this HP notebook a chic and attractive design, while the hardware makes it a powerful and capable computer for anyone!

But you have to hurry!  This price is only good for today, Thursday December 17th!  So, if you’re in the market for a notebook computer this holiday season, head on over to Sam’s Club or www.samsclub.com/holidays and snag one of these great HP notebooks to put under your tree this year!

This post is a part of a Sam’s Club Holidays Made Simple blogger campaign. I may have received compensation in exchange for my participation, but the views and opinions expressed are solely my own.

First, the winner of $75 in Sam’s Club gift cards is:

Also, the winner never responded to my emails about winning the $100 Sam’s Club gift card.  So, let’s re-draw, shall we?  The new winner is:

Thanks to all who entered!  Congratulations to the winners – enjoy your prizes!

Whew!  This has been so much fun doing these holiday giveaways and I hope you’ve all enjoyed them, too.  It’s because of all of you wonderful readers that Adam and I are able to offer these great contests, so thank you and please keep coming back!

Winner of the Prince Lionheart Wheely Bug giveaway is:

Winner of the Medela Sleep Bra giveaway is:

There are FOUR winners in the Prince Lionheart’s Premium Wipes Warmer giveaway!

The winner of the ScareMeNots giveaway is:

Winner of the Babalu Inc. FeltTales giveaway is:

Prince Lionheart’s Silicone Bottles giveaway – FOUR winners:

Winner of the Admiral Road giveaway:

Winner of the Prince Lionheart Balance Bike is:

Winner of the Votre Vu ON HOLIDAY Gentle Body Scrub is:

Winner of the Maukilo Toys gift code giveaway is:

Winner of the Rockin Baby Sling giveaway is:

Winner of the CitiBlocs giveaway is:

Congratulations to all!  Winners have been emailed and have 48 hours to respond or I will pick a new winner.  Enjoy your prizes!

Here are the latest winners for our giveaways!

The Holiday Taste of Sams $100 winner is Stephanie!

Shelly has won the $25 Sam’s Club gift card:

GlammaTOYS giveaway – winner is Kerry:

Winner of the EcoStore USA giveaway is Erin!

Sam’s Club Holiday Blitz – Two winners, first is Charity: $25 GC

Second $25 Sam’s Club gift card winner is Jessie!

Holiday Blitz, first $25 Sam’s Club gift card winner is:

next $25 Sam’s Club gift card goes to:

Sam’s Club Gifter Stress Lifter giveaway! The $50 gift card goes to Betty!

The $25 gift card goes to Amanda!

All of our holiday giveaways end this weekend, so hurry over and enter before they’re over!  All winners have been emailed and have 48 hours to respond or new winners will be chosen.

One of the things I’ve been looking forward to the most about having a toddler around is having the excuse to play with kids toys - more specifically, board games.  You know, Chutes & Ladders, Candy Land – the kind of classic games that you automatically think of when you think of toddler toys.  Now that Anna is finally at a stage where we can begin to play some of those favorites, I hit the toy store intent on finding not only the classics, but some new favorites as well.  I found myself wandering around this huge aisle, completely confused and frustrated with trying to sort out the toys for a 3 year old from those for older kids.

So when eBeanstalk sent me the game Diggity Dog to try out, I was thrilled! EBeanstalk is not your average toy company – they are dedicated to providing learning and educational toys that are not only fun, but actually grow with your child’s development.  Their learning toys are packaged into Gift Series – every three months a new gift arrives that is specifically tailored to your child’s development.  Whether you’re looking for a gift for a newborn, toddler or preschooler – eBeanstalk is a unique and carefully selected present that is individually tailored to your child.

Diggity Dog has a target age of 39 months and it is eBeanstalk’s best choice for a first board game.  Made by International Playthings, Diggity Dog focuses on social skills such as taking turns as well as  listening skills!  The game is simple: the game features magnetic bones that stick to the noses of 4 dogs. The dog with the most bones at the end of the game is the winner.

The fun part is that the dogs bark and your child has to count the number of barks in order to move their puppy around the board!  This also helps to work on basic math skills, as your child needs to count the barks and then count the same amount of spaces.  But the fact that on every single turn Anna gets to make the dog bark and then pick up the bone with his magnetic nose – that kept her entertained and plugged in.  All of the “classic” games that I’ve tried so far haven’t kept her attention.

EBeanstalk has a fantastic selection of products that would make great gifts this holiday season.   And their Gift Series Service is truly unique and the gifts keep on coming for months to come!  Plus, Grandparents get an extra special discount!  Diggity Dog is $19.99 and available at www.ebeanstalk.com.

Lifefactory is a company that manufactures baby products that not only look cool but are worry-free (no BPA, phthalates or PVC).  You don’t have to sacrifice aesthetics for function or vice versa – not with companies like Lifefactory around!

Lifefactory’s founders are impressive in their own right.  Pam Marcus is a pediatric physical therapist and feeding specialist and her partner Daren Joy is an award-winning integrative designer.  With their combined passion and expertise, they have produced some truly unique and innovative baby products that even the most discerning parent would be proud to have in their home!

One of my favorite products at Lifefactory is their bottles.  They have such a wonderfully unique silicone sleeve that not only helps to keep the bottle from slipping out of little hands, but it also helps to prevent breakage during those ineveitable falls to the floor.  Both the bottle and the sleeve are both dishwasher and boil-safe, and it can even go into the freezer for easy breastmilk storage.  The bottles come in both 4 oz and 9 oz and retail for $12.49 – $15, or you can opt for a Starter Kit of two 4 oz and 2 9 oz (and some accessories).

I absolutely love Lifefactory’s silicone teethers!  They’re made of the same safe silicone material, which also means that its super easy to clean – very important when you have a teething baby!  These teething rings are multi-sensory in that they have lots of little nubs and ribbing for baby to chew and touch, which makes it a much more entertaining teething device than most.  But my absolute favorite thing about Lifefactory’s teethers is that you can wear them as a bracelet as well, ensuring that you always have a teether handy for when your baby starts whining.  Teethers are $7 and come in three colors: raspberry, sky and yellow.

Lifefactory products can be found at www.lifefactory.com, Baby Gap and Nordstrom (to name a few).  You can also find other online retailers here.

I remember the first time that I put in a pair of contact lenses.  I had been wearing glasses for awhile and was used to the fact that without them I was pretty much blind, but I was in no way prepared to see the world the way the rest of you see it.  I had no idea that things were so sharp, so focused and bright!  I was accustomed to the periphery being blurry since my world was seen through glasses and when I had the contacts in for the first time, I was blown away by how different everything was.

After that, I wore contact lenses all the time.  I wear my glasses now and then, or when I’m going to bed or that sort of thing, but I don’t like the feel of the glasses sitting on my face.  I prefer the freedom and anonymity of the contact lens – hey, when I’m wearing them you have no idea that I’m on the verge of needing a guide dog without them.

Over the twenty years I’ve been wearing contact lenses, things have changed dramatically and some things have stayed the same.  When I first had them in the late 80’s they were still something of a novelty and the idea of lenses that you put in your eyes to change their color was crazy.  Even cleaning them was different – we had to do this whole scary sounding thing called enzymatic cleaning.  It made it seem as though contact lenses were somehow unhealthy and foreign.  You often had the same pair of contact lenses for months and months on end – now daily disposable lenses are affordable for all.  Today, contact lenses are worn by an estimated 38 million people in the United States alone and the use and care of them is simple and common.

One of the few things that hasn’t changed is industry-leader ACUVUE.  ACUVUE was a premium vision care brand back then and they have remained so by consistently producing high-quality prescription contact lenses.  They continually search for new technologies and ways to improve their products and bring contact lenses to those who haven’t been able to wear them comfortably.

While I’ve certainly worn ACUVUE contact lenses in the past, the ACUVUE Oasys with Hydraclear Plus is a new product for me.  These lenses are particularly helpful for those who experience chronic dry eye conditions and the lenses can come in either two week or six consecutive night disposables.  These ACUVUE Oasys have the best UV protection of any lens on the market while still allowing 98% of available oxygen to get to your eye.

But perhaps the biggest advantage of the ACUVUE Oasys with Hydraclear Plus is the hydraclear itself.  While I’m not someone who has chronically dry eyes, I often find that when I’m tired or reading for awhile, my eyes start to burn and my contact lenses feel dry in my eyes.  When I blink, I can actually feel them in my eyes, which is precisely what you don’t want when wearing contact lenses!  But the ACUVUE Oasys with Hydraclear Plus is great at keeping my eyes dry for the entire time they’re in my eyes.  Even if I fall asleep on the couch for a little while, I don’t wake up and feel like my eyelids are stuck together with my contacts!

So, if you’ve been meaning to try contact lenses for the first time or maybe you’ve tried them in the past and they’ve felt uncomfortable, get to your optometrist and ask for the ACUVUE Oasys with Hydraclear Plus.  You can even get a certificate for a free trial pair at ACUVUE.com!  Your eyes will thank you!

I did a post earlier this year with some of my favorite sites out there to earn cash back and even do some surveys for money.  This time of year especially we can all save some money and I just cringe anytime I hear any of my friends out there buying gifts online and not earning cash back!  It truly is simple and the extra step is worth it when you get that check four times a year.  Even if it’s not a ton of money back, at least it’s something!

So, this is a re-post that I thought I’d run again to help out anyone who is looking to save this holiday season.  I’ve added in bold some new things I’ve learned, so if you read this back then you can just skip to those parts.  Feel free to email me anytime with any questions.  Happy shopping!

There are a ton of sites out there that claim to either save you money or help to make you money.  It’s hard to figure out which sites are truly legitimate and worth your time.  I’ve compiled a list of the sites that I personally use and a brief overview of what the site is and my experience with it.  I hope this helps anyone out there looking for a way to make a little extra cash on the side!  It’s a great thing to get started with now so that you’ll rack up some points/money/etc in time to shop for the holidays!

First up is Ebates.  I started to use Ebates about a year and a half ago and have had a great experience with the site – this is definitely one of my favorites!  The basic idea is that you would head to Ebates before you make any purchases online.  For example, say you were going to purchase a book from Barnes & Noble.  You go to Ebates first, type in Barnes & Noble and see that Ebates is offering 4% cash back on purchases from Barnes & Noble.  You click on the link on the Ebates page, which gives you a tracking number, and then you’re directed right to Barnes & Noble and you make your purchase like you normally would.   Four times a year you get sent a check with all of the cash back you’ve earned.  The more closely you pay attention and remember to visit Ebates first – like, before you do your online holiday shopping this year! – the bigger your check.  I remembered to visit Ebates and check before we booked our trip to Paris last year – they were offering 1% cash back.  Doesn’t sound like much, but we ended up with $100 cash back from that one transaction.  Don’t do the math on that one.  It’s painful.

Sign up here:  http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=TsDbEUYmDHd09ynaqq46VQ%3D%3D

Next, there’s Opinion Outpost.  Opinion Outpost is a survey site that uses a point system, but it’s a very simple one:  10 Opinion Points = $1.00.  When a survey arrives in your inbox, it tells you how many points are possible – typically, you have to do a short questionnaire to see if you’re the right fit for this particular survey.  If you aren’t, you’ll still earn a few points for doing the questionnaire.  But, if you are, you can earn lots more – often I see a survey with 5-35 points possible ($.50 to $3.50).  You need to earn $5 before you can cash out, but after that you can cash out at any time.  Make sure you take the initial battery of tests – the profiles – to maximize your earning potential.

Opinion Outpost has become one of my favorite sites out there.  They reward you with points instantly and you can cash in your points instantly to use at Amazon.com!  If Anna’s watching tv, I do a survey or two and in the past few months have accumulated a decent chunk of money in my account!

Sign up here:  http://www.OpinionOutpost.com/join/7500793

Next is another favorite – Swag Bucks!  Now, Swag Bucks has a ton of different ways to win, but the way that I do it is by having the Swag Bucks toolbar installed on my desktop.  The disclaimer here is that Swag Bucks isn’t going to give Google a run for its money any time soon – their search results are often totally strange – but the idea is that you plug your search terms into the box and sometimes when you hit search, you are gifted with Swag Bucks.  Sometimes it’s one, sometimes five…sometimes even ten Swag Bucks!  Or, sometimes none at all.  And, no, you can’t just sit there and plug in the same search term over and over.  There are other ways to earn Swag Bucks, but you’d do better to read on their site about those since I’m not very experienced in that area.  Perhaps the most exciting thing about Swag Bucks is their store – Swag Bucks can be redeemed for all kinds of fun toys, apparel, games, etc – but my personal favorite is the gift cards.  For just 45 Swag Bucks you get a $5 Amazon e-Gift Card.  Who couldn’t use that?!  We’ve added the Swag Bucks widget to the right hand side of my page – you can search through there, too so it’s not just for Swag Bucks.

Sign up here – start earning some points to redeem for the holidays!  Might as well earn something for all that searching!