In The Mind of A Thirtysomething Mom

Mail Time IV + A CONTEST!!!!

Yesterday was a great mail day!  I received two packages; one from the favorite things swap I'm in and the other was an ornament from my own swap.

I so love this time of year!

I'll be posting about the favorite things box on Monday, so be sure to come back then for that post.  Trust me, I got so much in that box it'll take me until then to get the post finished!

So this is the other package:

And when I removed the brown paper I found this:

Ooooooooooo, shiny! 

I ripped open the wrapping paper (I am so NOT a methodical present opener like, ahem, a certain Mr. Smoochiefrog I know) to find the cutest ornament and handmade card.  See:

Thank you so much Katrina!  I LOVE it!  Have a Merry Christmas!

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Now, I promised you a contest and here it is!

I sent my swap partner the following items in a package:

I left it full sized so you can click on it to see it better. 

This contest is to see how well you know me!  Each item guessed correctly is worth $5.  The person who gets the most correct will earn a gift card to Starbucks (or whichever store they choose if they hate coffee like I do)!  Some items are worth $10 if you get both parts correct!  Here is what is written on the wrapping and some hints:

1. My favorite gum
2. My favorite thing to do to kill time
3. My favorite cookies (3 & 4 go together)
4. A recipe that goes with said cookies-guess it for an extra $5
5. My favorite fun ornament this year
6. My favorite nail polish (6 & 7 go together)
7. Earn an extra $5 if you can tell me the specific color
8. My favorite Christmas CD (8 & 9 go together) (HINT: Christian artist)
9. Earn an extra $5 if you can tell me my favorite song from it
10. My favorite movie watching snack (10 + 11 go together)
11. Earn an extra $5 if you can tell me my favorite movie of all time (HINT: It's a Christmas one)
12. My favorite candy

So there you go!  You can possibly earn a $60 gift card for doing nothing other than paying attention about what I write about on this blog.  :)

Some rules:

1. Immediate family is excluded from this contest.  Besides, Mr. Smoochiefrog would swear the movie was Heathers and it would just be a nasty fight.
2. Contest not open to my swap partner.  Sorry.
3. Contest open to anyone who has a Starbucks near them.  If you don't like coffee, you must be in the U.S. or Canada to participate.
4. Cheaters suck!  Don't be a dink and cheat.  Most every answer can be found on my blog.  Try searching here first!
5. Please EMAIL your answers to me!  If you would like to post ideas in the comments, go ahead but I will only accept emailed answers for the prize.
6. Contest closes Sunday at 12 midnight EST
7. Good luck!

Need Another Reason to Vote?

How about FREE food?  Details below.

 

Free Doughnut for showing your I Voted sticker at Krispy Kreme.

 

Free Starbucks Coffee with your doughnut.

How about free Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream for after dinner?

  

 

Enjoy and remember to vote! 

If my absentee ballot doesn't show up by then, I really won't be voting.  ACK!

Maybe I Should Buy a Lottery Ticket

Earlier this month, I entered a drawing on another blog for a prize I really wanted to win.

Well, I didn't win.  I chalked it up to my winning streak being over and went on about my business.

This morning I checked my email, and lo & behold there was an email about the prize.

Seems winner #1 never claimed her prize (don't know why, it's great!) so Trish drew another name.

IT WAS MINE!!!!

WOOT!!!!

Wanna know what I won????

Huh, do ya????

It's a good one!!!!

Really it is.

It's a Jawbone, valued at almost $130!

I've been entering contests for this product for months, and I finally won one (by default, but still)!

Here are a couple of videos showing how it works.

Is that awesome or what?

Woot! Now to go buy that ticket!

Bloggy Birthday Prize Winners

Below is a list of all the Bloggy Birthday Prize winners.  For all the intimate details, you can go here.  I'd like to thank everyone for participating!  I couldn't have done it without you.  You guys are the best and I hope everyone had fun playing along!

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Prize #1:

The winner of the $20 Starbucks gift card is Ginny.

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Prize #2:

The winner of the 10 blank links and 10 image links is Joanna (she's having lots of giveaways this week, so stop by!).

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Prize #3:

The winner of the box of school supplies valued at almost $50 is Melzie.

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Prize #4:

The winner of the $25 Applebees gift card is Bridgette.

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Prize #5:

The winner of the package of Popr's is Sherri.

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Prize #6:

The winner of the Sugar Drop Charm from Bonbon Charms is Laura (no blog).

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Prize #7:

The winner of the $20 Starbucks gift card is Kristinia.

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Prize #8:

The winner of the Flaky Friend valued at $35 is Gina.

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Prize #9:

The winner of the On Tray is Michelle.

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Prize #10:

The winner of the custom made wristlet from Deana's Sew Crafty is Stacey.

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Prize #11:

The winner of the $25 Papa John's gift card is Ronnica.

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Bloggy Birthday Prize #11

Comments for this entry are closed.  Winners will be announced Monday July 28th.  Thank you for entering and good luck!

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Well peeps, this is the end of the road.  We've had a great week together and I'm so happy you all choose to spend time trying for prizes at my humble abode.  I wish you all good luck and pray that you'll still visit me even after the afterglow of prize hope fades.

For the last prize, we're going back to food.  Just about every Friday, we eat pizza here at the Smoochiefrog abode.  The tadpoles (hey, that's new.  I may just have to stick with that one!) love it, and we of course pair it with salad to make it both healthier and to provide leftovers.  :)

Our favorite by far is simple; Cheese or Pepperoni.  Now if you want to get into from where, you'll have a fight on your hands.  We've tried tons of local pizza joints, mom & pop places, roadside stands, major chains and we all have differing opinions.  I for instance love Papa John's and Pizza Hut, but different crusts and toppings from each place.  We ALL loved Imo's when we lived in IL.  Ledo's is a great bargain pizza here in MD.  We hadn't had Little Caesars since we lived in MS, but we got it again recently and really like it.  Plus, it's also a good bargain.  Most of the mom & pop places we've tried, as well as the roadside stands are just too greasy.  Blech!

This is once again an answer the question giveaway.  Enjoy!

The Prize:

One lucky winner will receive a $25 Papa John's gift card!

So here's the deal....

1. Leave me a comment telling me what your favorite kind of pizza is and from where.  Mine is a toss-up between Papa John's Original Crust BBQ Chicken & Bacon and Pizza Hut's Thin Crust Pepperoni.
2. On Sunday the 27th at 12 noon EST, the comments will be closed and I will do a random.org drawing for the winner.

Formalities:

1. Contest open to anyone who has a Papa Johns near them.
2. Commenters need not have a blog to enter, but a valid e-mail address is necessary.
3. Contest closed to immediate family members (Mr. Smoochiefrog, D, Dad this means you).
4. Winners will be announced on Monday, July 28, 2008. 

Happy commenting and good luck!

P.S.  Don't forget to come back on Monday for the announcement of the winners!

Bloggy Birthday Prize #10

Comments for this entry are closed.  Winners will be announced Monday July 28th.  Thank you for entering and good luck!

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What is it about us women and our purses?

Image courtesy of Deana's Sew Crafty

Why do we feel the need to buy another one when we've got a perfectly good one in the closet or on our shoulder?

Do we really need it or are they like shoes and we just get them because we might one day need one to match something we don't yet have?

I think that's it!

But really, who cares?  It's a reason to shop, and I'm all for that!  :)

I have a friend I've known for years who started a little business making bags.  She started just doing them for those of us on the message boards we were on, but it's blossomed from there.  When I was pregnant with K, she made me a diaper bag.  I picked out the color, told her I wanted gingham and monogramming and this is what I got:

Edited to remove K's real name and some of the fact that I need to wash it.

Here's the inside, again edited to try and make it look like it was cleaner than it is. :)

Now, keep in mind that this bag is 3 years old.  When I first got it, it stood up nicely and was spotlessly clean.  I love this bag, and would you look at all those pockets inside!  There was room for EVERYTHING you could possibly put in a diaper bag.  The bottom has little metal feet to keep the material off the ground.  Mine has a magnetic closure, but she's since graduated to zippers (ya'll are lucky!) for complete closure.

Deana has an online shop set up and you should see all the goodies she has to offer now!  She has branched into so new things, but the bags are still my favorite!  They kind of remind me of Vera Bradley stuff in a way, only more personal. 

I contacted Deana about a prize for the giveaway and she so graciously agreed. 

The prize:

Deana has offered one lucky winner a free custom made wristlet similar to the one seen here (only not blurry :P):

You'll get to pick your choice of fabric.  Your wristlet will come with a zippered closure, monogramming and scotchguard (so you won't have to worry about yours getting dirty like my bag did).  Retail value: $45

To win, all you have to do is the following:

• Visit Deana's Sew Crafty and have a look around.
• Come back here and leave a comment telling me which product is your favorite.
• On Sunday the 27th at 12 midnight EST, the comments will be closed and I will do a random.org drawing for the winner.

Formalities:

1. Contest open to U.S. residents only.
2. Commenters need not have a blog to enter, but a valid e-mail address is necessary.
3. Contest closed to immediate family members (Mr. Smoochiefrog, D, Dad this means you).
4. Winners will be announced on Monday, July 28, 2008.

Happy commenting and good luck!

P.S. Bloggy Birthday Prize #11, the final one, will be up at 12 Noon EST.  Don't forget to come back!

Deana has offered one lucky winner a free custom made wristlet similar to the one seen here (only not blurry :P):

Bloggy Birthday Prize #9

Comments for this entry are closed.  Winners will be announced Monday July 28th.  Thank you for entering and good luck!

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If you have small children this prize is a must have!  Totally!

I was visiting my bloggy friends sites when I came across a giveaway Joeprah was having.  As I'm all about the freebies, I was totally stoked.  It was for this product called OnTray.  Once I watched Joe's video I knew I HAD to have one, and you my dear readers had to have one too!

If you've ever been to the grocery store with a small child sitting in the basket, you know you need something to entertain them.  Usually you bring a snack cup filled with Goldfish or some other small snack that ALWAYS ends up spilled in the cart or on the floor.  Then you lose the lid, or it falls onto the floor and lands just right so you can't put it back on the cup as floor germs will contaminate the food inside.  Maybe you get flustered at something and spill the snack yourself.  Regardless, there has GOT to be a better way.

There is.  There totally is.

Introducing OnTray, a fantabulous product invented by an Ohio mom who was frustrated by spilled snacks and lack of free hands to shop with.

This product is so awesome and easy to use.  You pick your favorite snack and fill the OnTray;

Slide the lid on and away you go!  When you arrive at the store, you just clip the OnTray onto the cart handle like so:

and shop while your little one munches away.  They're kept happy and you get 2 free hands to shop!  When you're ready to check out, you get this:

A still happy child!

What's that, you don't have children?  Well you can still use this product!  Check it out! It's perfect for holding coupons or a calculator!

Photo courtesy of OnTray2go.com

This product is perfect for everyone and you can win one today!

The Prize:

You will be receive one OnTray in your choice of color: blue, green, pink or yellow!

What you have to do to win:

1. Visit OnTray and have a look around. 
2. Come back here and tell me which color you like best and what you'll use OnTray for.
3. On Saturday the 26th at 12 Noon EST, the comments will be closed and I will do a random.org drawing for the winner.

Formalities:

1. Contest open to U.S. and Canada residents only.
2. Commenters need not have a blog to enter, but a valid e-mail address is necessary.
3. Contest closed to immediate family members (Mr. Smoochiefrog, D, Dad this means you).
4. Winners will be announced on Monday, July 28, 2008. 

Happy commenting and good luck!

P.S.  Bloggy Birthday Prize #10 will be up at 12 Midnight EST.  Don't forget to come back!

Bloggy Birthday Prize #8

Comments for this entry are closed.  Winners will be announced Monday July 28th.  Thank you for entering and good luck!

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If you have children or are a kid at heart, today's prizes will be perfect for you!  I promise, you'll love them!

When I first started blogging, one of the first blogs I found was Hollywood Flakes.  I've been reading her faithfully since then and she's a riot!

Back in January, Sarah decided to try her hand at making plush toys.  Her first attempts weren't too bad, but I just really didn't have a need for a manatee or chromosomes so I shrugged it off.  She kept at it, making some rather interesting things like this and this.  (No really.  You have to click on the links to get the full effect.  It's just not the same if you don't)  All of a sudden (much like my daughter K and her recent success at potty-training), something clicked and Sarah found her calling!  She started churning out things like look like this, and I fell in love!  Do you see how cute that frog is?  A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E!!!!

It's been 7 months since she first started, but Sarah is on a roll!  She's participating in outdoor markets, plush shows and now a store in Cali even carries her stuff!  Best of all, I get to say I knew her when.  :)

I contacted Sarah about offering a prize for the birthday bash, and she was more than willing to participate in the fun.  Lucky ya'll!  Since I didn't already own a Flaky Friend (what she calls her critters; isn't that adorable?), she sent me the following guy so I could speak of them first hand:

She sent me a frog!  How freaking cool is that?!

When the package arrived, I wouldn't tell B or Mr. Smoochiefrog what it was.  I wanted to see if they could figure it out for themselves.  There were some interesting ideas tossed around, including Mr. Smoochiefrog saying it reminded him of one of these guys:

Yeah, he's a little strange.

Sarah's creations are entirely handmade.  There's no pattern she goes by, just doodles she draws from ideas in her head.  That means all her critters are one-of-a-kind originals!  She also does things to make them even more unique.  As you may have noticed from the picture, one of my froggy's legs is longer than the other, and he has some really short little front legs.  Sarah told me that asymmetry is her signature.  I loved that! 

Some of her critters come with button eyes, so those aren't recommended for infants.  The "fur" on these animals is so soft and fuzzy.  I thought it might be a little scratchy, but it's totally not.  Some have jingle bells inside "so you can find them when they're grazing on leftovers under the kitchen table" or whatever trouble they're getting into.  Now she can even add sounds/music to the critters.  Trust me, you'll love her creations!

As I said before Sarah has graciously offered a prize for the bloggy birthday, but she's also offered something else too!  From now until the end of July if you order a Flaky Friend from Sarah's shop, you will receive FREE shipping to U.S. addresses...AND if you enter the code Smoochiefrog upon check-out, you'll get an additional 20% off!  (This is my first official time to be a discount code.  I'm so excited! The 20% off code is only good until midnight 7/26/08)  Now on with the prize!

The Prize:

You will be receive a store credit for $30 to spend as you wish on a Flaky Friend from Sarah's Etsy store.

What you have to do to win:

1. Visit Sarah's Etsy store and look around.  Make sure you click on the actual animals to read the great descriptions!  They're too funny!
2. Come back here and tell me your favorite Flaky Friend.  Mine would be this little guy here:

  3.  On Saturday the 26th at 12 Midnight EST, the comments will be closed and I will do a random.org drawing for the winner.

Formalities:

1. Contest open to U.S. and Canada residents only.
2. Commenters need not have a blog to enter, but a valid e-mail address is necessary.
3. Contest closed to immediate family members (Mr. Smoochiefrog, D, Dad this means you).
4. Winners will be announced on Monday, July 28, 2008. 

Happy commenting and good luck!

P.S.  Bloggy Birthday Prize #9 will be up at 12 Noon EST.  Don't forget to come back!

Bloggy Birthday Prize #7

Comments for this entry are closed.  Winners will be announced Monday July 28th.  Thank you for entering and good luck!

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Sunday I started the Bloggy Birthday prize giveaways after talking about the movie (which really wasn't that good-and not b/c of the acting) I went to see starring my other husband, Mark Wahlberg.  Some of you were disappointed that he wasn't the prize *snicker*.  (Trust me people, if I had him he certainly wouldn't be given away!)  Some of you claimed you were too old to know who he is *gasp!*.  Some of you just wanted me to get on with the prizes, and that's fine too.  :)  For those of you who like a little eye candy with your coffee, here ya go:

Sorry, where was I?  Nope, not going there yet.

Anyone who doesn't have a clue who Mark is, get thee to a video store and rent either The Departed or We Own the Night.  If really bloody movies/bad language offend greatly, skip those and rent Invincible instead.  Oh, he's also been in The Perfect Storm, The Italian Job (and if The Brazilian Job doesn't get filmed soon, I'm gonna scream!) and 18 other movies since 1993. 

Now where was I again?  Oh yeah, coffee.

Now on Sunday, I offered a $20 Starbucks gift card for the simple task of telling me what your favorite drink when it's hot or cold is.  That drawing is over, but guess what?  I've got another $20 Starbucks gift card up for grabs!  Woot!  Let's hear it for the caffeinated people of the world!

So here's the deal....

1. Leave me a comment telling me what your favorite movie is.  If you happen to be a fan of my other husband, feel free to tell me what your favorite movie of his is.  Either will work.
2. On Friday the 25th at 12 noon EST, the comments will be closed and I will do a random.org drawing for the winner.

Formalities:

1. Contest open to anyone who has a Starbucks near them.
2. Commenters need not have a blog to enter, but a valid e-mail address is necessary.
3. Contest closed to immediate family members (Mr. Smoochiefrog, D, Dad this means you).
4. Winners will be announced on Monday, July 28, 2008. 

Happy commenting and good luck!

P.S.  Bloggy Birthday Prize #8 will be up at 12 Midnight EST.  Don't forget to come back!

P.P.S.  Please don't email me talking about how offensive it is for me to call Mark my other husband.  Mr. Smoochiefrog and I have an understanding about this.  He knows if Mark ever comes walking up, I'm gone.  He knows this as well as I know that if Angelina Jolie ever walks up to him, he's gone.  We also both know that neither will EVER happen, so we're good.  Thank you and have a nice day.  :) 

Bloggy Birthday Prize #6

Comments for this entry are closed.  Winners will be announced Monday July 28th.  Thank you for entering and good luck!

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Back in December, I had to purchase a Christmas present for a very special 6yr. old.  I wanted something original and I stumbled upon a giveaway BooMama was having.  I didn't win the prize, but I did end up ordering M's present from Bonbon Charms.  (If you're interested in the whole story, you can click here.)  For those of you too busy to click, this is what I got her:

It's an original custom made necklace, created by me!  I love it and I'm waiting for her to decide she's going to wear it all the time.  "I don't want to have to take it off every time I dance Mom...."

Bonbon Charms is a business based out of Oregon.  Erica is the owner and designer of some of the most beautiful pieces of jewelry I've seen in forever!  Here's Bonbon Charms in Erica's own words: 

Bonbon Charms are text and images on paper which is sandwiched between glass and framed with silver solder. These charms are similar to a picture in a frame, except that they
are two-sided.  This makes your options for creativity endless.

If I had the availability, I'd spend WAY too much money on her charms.  And since she does custom work, as in you design it and she builds it, the possibilities are literally endless!  No one will have something exactly like what you have, ever.  LOVE IT!

Anyway, I contacted Erica about a prize for the contest and she was happy to offer one!  Woot!

The prize:

Erica has so graciously offered one of her newest creations, a Sugar Drop charm to one lucky winner!

Image courtesy of Bonbon Charms

Description of the Sugar Drop Charms from the Bonbon Charms website:

Take two drops of glass, capture vintage images and paper in between, seal with a silvery band and that's how we've created our new sugar drops!

Choose an initial or an image for the front of your charm. All sugar drops come with vintage sheet music on the back.  Size is 3/4'' diameter.

Awesome huh? 

To win, all you have to do is the following:

1. Visit Bonbon Charms and have a look around.
2. Come back here and leave a comment telling me which product is your favorite
3. On Friday the 25th at 12 midnight EST, the comments will be closed and I will do a random.org drawing for the winner.

Formalities:

1. Contest open to U.S. residents only.
2. Commenters need not have a blog to enter, but a valid e-mail address is necessary.
3. Contest closed to immediate family members (Mr. Smoochiefrog, D, Dad this means you).
4. Winners will be announced on Monday, July 28, 2008.

Happy commenting and good luck!

P.S.  If you sign up for the mailing list at Bonbon Charms, you will receive a discount code for $5 off your next order!

P.P.S. Bloggy Birthday Prize #7 will be up at 12 Noon EST.  Don't forget to come back!

Erica has so graciously offered one of her newest creations, a Sugar Drop charm to one lucky winner!

Image courtesy of Bonbon Charms

Description of the Sugar Drop Charms from the Bonbon Charms website:

Choose an initial or an image for the front of your charm. All sugar drops come with vintage sheet music on the back.  Size is 3/4'' diameter.

Awesome huh? 

To win, all you have to do is the following:

1. Visit Bonbon Charms and have a look around.
2. Come back here and leave a comment telling me which product is your favorite
3. On Friday the 25th at 12 midnight EST, the comments will be closed and I will do a random.org drawing for the winner.