Moms Own Words

2010-06-17T07:03:00.000-07:00

Hello!

Moms Own Words has moved! My new url is http://www.momsownwords.com. If you are entering a giveaway, please allow for 3 seconds to redirect to the new blog giveaway post. Also, rest assured that all comments from this blog will be accounted for! Currently some are not transferring over to my new blog. It is a work in progress and I thank you for your patience!

So come on over to Moms Own Words and stay a while! Thanks!

Cookware-Specialty.Com $50 Gift Card Giveaway

2010-06-17T05:22:00.000-07:00

I use my 6 quart covered stock pot all -the -time, week after week and year after year. When I took a look at it the other day, I noticed it was in rough shape and I thought for something that I use so often, it IS high time for a replacement!

What about you, could you use a nice new stainless steel cookware set? Is your flatware looking dull and boring after (that many) years of use? When it comes to these essential items, you deserve to treat yourself and your family to some new kitchenware! That’s just what cookware-specialty.com would like to offer one lucky reader of Moms Own Words.

Ted, owner of cookware-specialty.com, is generously offering a $50 gift card to spend at his online store. So whether it is flatware, or a new stock-pot, you will find a wonderful selection of cookware and kitchen essentials over at cookware-specialty.com. To enter is easy. There is just one mandatory entry.

PLEASE NOTE! You will be redirected to my new site in 3 seconds. please comment there at http://www.momsownwords.com.

1. Mandatory Entry - Visit cookware-specialty.com and check out the variety of cookware. Comment on which item(s) that you and your kitchen must have.

Extra Entries:

Additional optional entries: Eligible after completing mandatory entry above: You can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done and be sure to include your email.

2.--Subscribe to my blog and confirm your subscription. (see the right side bar to sign up) Current subscribers are eligible too.

3. --Follow my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Already a follower, just leave a comment saying that you are a follower.

4.--Follow me on Twitter . Current followers are eligible too. Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link to your tweet (Can tweet once daily).

5.--Post my button on your blog and leave a link to your blog.

6.--For 3 EXTRA ENTRIES - Enter my eShakti $15 gift card giveaway (2 winners) (7/1) Post 3 separate comments.

7. --For 3 EXTRA ENTRIES - Enter my Jesus Career Counselor Book Giveaway (6/28) Post 3 separate comments.

8. --FOR 5 EXTRA ENTRIES - Write a blog post about this giveaway, with a link to my blog. Come back and leave the link to your blog post. Post 5 separate comments that you've blogged about this.

Giveaway ends on July 6th at 11:59 PM EST. Open to US only. Winner will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. Please respond in 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, comments not meeting requirements will be deleted.

Many thanks to Ted at Cookware-specialty.com for providing the $50 gift card.

The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by the author, the manufacturer, or representing PR agency. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

Community Coffee Father's Day Gift Set Winner

2010-06-15T16:39:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for entering the Community Coffee Father's Day Gift Set Giveaway. The winner is #2 Miss Anita.

Congratulations Miss Anita! I will be emailing you shortly!

Thank you for reading and subscribing to Moms Own Words!

More Fun Exercise - It May Be Possible to Have Fun While Exercising

2010-06-14T17:02:00.000-07:00

A while back I asked some members of Twitter Moms to comment on what they thought were fun ways to get exercise. Based on many of their responses, I wrote the article Fun Exercise-Is it Possible to Have Fun While Exercising?

Since then, I've found some other new and unique exercises that just might be fun also. Have you ever heard of any of these?

Aerial Fitness - Learn aerial tricks that trapeze artists perform by swinging from trapezes, ropes and fabric suspended from the ceiling. The moves are a lot like Pilates because you use your own body weight as resistance. Aerial fitness is supposed to strengthen your entire body and core, and improve flexibility in shoulders, legs and back. Not sure I am going to run out and try this, but if you're interested go here for more info.

Aqua Zumba- Zumba is an aerobic fitness program that combines body sculpting movements with dance steps derived from Cumbia, Merengue, Salsa, Reggaeton, Hip Hop, Mambo, Rumba and so on. The routines feature aerobic interval training with a combination of fast and slow rhythms.The creator of Zumba teamed up with an aqua aerobics expert to create an underwater version. Aqua Zumba is a low impact exercise that is supposed to condition arms, hips and legs using water resistance. I would like to try just plain Zumba first, but if you're interested, go here for more information.

Bodycombat-While Tae Bo is the combination of martial arts, boxing, and dance, bodycombat is a mixed bag of martial arts - karate, tae kwan do, kung fu, kickboxing, muay thai, and tai chi. Bodycombat is like being in your own ultimate fighting challenge as you move through a fast series of punches, kicks, and moves. Bodycombat is supposed to improve cardiovascular fitness and coordination, while strengthening your arms, legs and core. I would try a Bodycombat class, for beginners. If you're interested, go here for more info.

Kangoo- Bounce your way through an aerobics class like a kangaroo! Kangoo requires that you strap on a pair of spring-loaded boot (mfrs. claim that the boots reduce impact on the joints up to 80 percent.) Kangoo is supposed to give you a cardio workout and strengthen your legs. While participating gyms provide the boots, you can buy your own pair (starting at $179) and start doing kangoo at home. This actually looks like fun, if you're interested, go here for more info.

New York City Ballet- Do the same stretches and strength-building exercises used by professional ballet dancers. Moves are performed to classical and other styles of music. Classes are designed to suit any experience level. Some classes are taught by professional dancers and choreographers. New York City Ballet is supposed to tone the legs and abs, improve flexibility, posture and cardiovascular fitness. I know this is probably the best way to tone up but....y-a-w-n..too boring....if you're interested, Go here for more info.

Parkour- Ever imagine what it would be like to move around like Spiderman or your favorite superhero? Parkour teaches you the most efficient ways to jump, run, roll, vault, balance and climb over and around benches, stairs, and other obstacles found in the city parks and streets. The moves are credited to French soldiers practicing ways to escape enemies, and now they get your heart pumping. Parkour is supposed to build strength and agility as well as improve cardio fitness. I would have tried this one about twenty years ago. If you're interested Go here for more info.

RealRyder- Turn this "stationary" bike's handlebars left and right and the frame responds by titling from side to side, mimicking the motion of a real ride. Work harder to maintain balance during climbs, sprints and turns. The RealRyder is supposed to boost cardiovascular fitness and tone upper body, core and legs. Adding this feature to a stationary bike seems like it would make riding slightly more exciting if not actually fun. I would try it. If you're interested, go here for more info.

Punk Rope- Jump-rope drills, relay races and conditioning move with names like "shark tag" make Punk Rope a fun exercise class with a grown-up edge. The soundtrack is a combo of ska, psychobilly, country, surf rock, samba and of course, punk. Punk Rope is supposed to improve cardio fitness, coordination, agility, balance and strength. Not sure I could keep up but, I would try it! If you're interested, go here for more info.

At the rate these exercises are evolving, you are sure to find something that is fun-for-you. I'm just wondering what they will come up with next?

eShakti Blouse Review and $15 Gift Card Giveaway - Two Winners

2010-06-10T13:09:00.000-07:00

Name of Product: eShakti cotton blouse w/ floral applique crochet trim top

Price of Product: $49.95

Where to Purchase: This blouse is available online at eShakti.

Description of Product: Blouse is available in the color lotus (shown above) or white (shown below), cotton satin with a light sheen, floral applique and hand crochet trim. Blouse is lightweight, has a scoop neck and gathered short sleeves.

Keyhole front with loop-and-button closure.
Front and back pin-tuck pleats that release at the waist.
Low hip length.
Cotton satin; hand wash.
Sizing - option of choosing from standard sizes or giving us custom size measurements.

About eShakti: "Apparel retailing has been unchanged for long. But customers have changed in shapes, sizes and style preferences. So, we give size selections from 0-26W and customization too. Just click to give body measurements or make style changes in neckline, sleeve or length. (Or choose standard size as is.) You have the choice. We design. You customize."

The Review: When clothing is custom tailored for a perfect fit, the results are impressive. That's why I was excited to review this blouse, custom-sized by eShakti.

I opted for custom-sizing and I simply took specific measurements and filled in the blanks. The company provides a picture for each measurement, so you know just where and how to measure.

I would prefer it if the blouse was more form fitting just below the bust, otherwise, it fits nicely at the shoulders and sleeves. Also, it is just the right length for me!

The blouse is very well made. For all of the detail - the crochet trim top, floral applique and pin-tuck pleats, it is flawless.

Win It: Jennifer, at eShakti is generously offering two $15 dollar gift cards for Moms Own Words readers to use at eShakti. To enter is easy, just one mandatory entry:

1. Mandatory Entry - Follow eShakti on Facebook. Not on Facebook? Just visit eShakti and come back and comment on what clothing item caught your eye.

Extra Entries:

Additional optional entries: Eligible after completing mandatory entry above: You can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done and be sure to include your email.

2.--Subscribe to my blog and confirm your subscription. (see the right side bar to sign up) Current subscribers are eligible too.

3. --Follow my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Already a follower, just leave a comment saying that you are a follower.

4.--Follow me on Twitter . Current followers are eligible too. Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link to your tweet (Can tweet once daily).

5.--Post my button on your blog and leave a link to your blog.

6. --For 3 EXTRA ENTRIES - Enter my GoToob Squeezable Travel Tubes Giveaway (7/1). Post 3 separate comments.

7. --For 3 EXTRA ENTRIES - Enter my Jesus Career Counselor Book Giveaway (6/28) Post 3 separate comments.

8. --FOR 5 EXTRA ENTRIES - Write a blog post about this giveaway, with a link to my blog. Come back and leave the link to your blog post. Post 5 separate comments that you've blogged about this.

Giveaway ends on July 1 at 11:59 PM EST. Open to US and Canada. Winners will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. Please respond in 48 hours or a new winner(s) will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, comments not meeting requirements will be deleted.

Many thanks to Jennifer at eShakti for providing the blouse and the two $15 gift cards.

The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by the author, the manufacturer, or representing PR agency. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

CSN Stores $60 Gift Card Giveaway

2010-06-08T16:45:00.000-07:00

With over 200 online stores, the shopping at CSN stores can't be beat. From brand-name clothing, to a new bathroom vanity, to Le Creuset cookware, you will find it all at CSN Stores.

CSN stores is AGAIN helping me to thank YOU for reading Moms Own Words! Enter right here for a chance to win a $60 gift card to use in any of the 200+ CSN stores!

1. Mandatory Entry: Subscribe to my blog and confirm your subscription. (see the right side bar to sign up) Current subscribers are eligible too.

Extra Entries:

Additional optional entries: Eligible after completing mandatory entry above: You can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done and be sure to include your email.

2. --Follow my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Already a follower, just leave a comment saying that you are a follower.

3.--Follow me on Twitter . Current followers are eligible too. Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link to your tweet (Can tweet once daily).

4.--Post my button on your blog and leave a link to your blog.

5. --For 3 EXTRA ENTRIES - Enter my GoToob Squeezable Travel Tubes Giveaway (7/1). Post 3 separate comments.

6. --For 3 EXTRA ENTRIES - Enter my Jesus Career Counselor Book Giveaway (6/28) Post 3 separate comments.

7. --FOR 5 EXTRA ENTRIES - Write a blog post about this giveaway, with a link to my blog. Come back and leave the link to your blog post. Post 5 separate comments that you've blogged about this.

Giveaway ends on June 29th at 11:59 PM EST. Open to US and Canada. Winner will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. Please respond in 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, comments not meeting requirements will be deleted.

Many thanks to Eileen at CSN Stores for providing the $60 gift card.

The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by the author, the manufacturer, or representing PR agency. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

Jesus Career Counselor Book Review and Giveaway

2010-06-07T09:22:00.000-07:00

About the Author- Laurie Beth Jones is an internationally recognized best-selling author, speaker, inspirational life coach, and trainer-offering small group, online, and one-on-one training. Previous titles have spent more than thirteen months on the Businessweek bestseller list and have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Time Magazine, CNN Financial, and more.

A business-development coach and consultant to CEO’s and organizations, Laurie Beth has conducted training or provided leadership products for major companies including Tyson Foods, Purina-Nestle, Neiman Marcus, Pfizer, Citi Financial, and American Express.

About the Book – Jesus Career Counselor – How to Find (and Keep) Your Perfect Work. Copyright May 2010. Published by Howard Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. ISBN – 978-1-43914906-5.

Written to help readers get, find and keep the work they love, Jesus Career Counselor weaves together practical self-help concepts, stories, statistics and Bible scriptures. The book is divided into four sections and is centered on the four natural giftings or personalities of peoples, this book explores twelve dreams that God has for each individual. It then instructs readers in how to realize each one of these dreams, no matter their natural inclination.

Readers will learn how to discover their four greatest talents and create their personal Talent Shield, which will help them choose a meaningful career based on their Life’s Mission Statement.

Each chapter serves as a free-standing career guidpost, and includes career exercises, pertinent word definitions, career choices, self quizzes, and reader study guides.

The Review - Jesus Career Counselor is a book that is based on what Jesus (the Holy Spirit) might dream for us when considering our life’s work. It is not about a job description, but rather “a way of living and being fruitful in the world.” According to the author, our life’s work is not our job description, but what is being poured into the world from our soul while we are working.

The author reveals the twelve words that flowed from her pen as she contemplated this idea. The words are: to rise, to risk, to roar, reflect, renew, restore, remain, return, regenerate, revive, release, rejoice. These are “The Twelve Dreams of the Holy Spirit.” Through the author’s research and exploration, she discovered that these dreams “flowed through the pages of scripture” and thus became the framework for this book about careers.

The author uses Fire, Water, Earth and Wind to define the four different personality types and she says that each of us must have some portion of the four elements in order to live a balanced, productive, dream-fulfilling life:

Simply put, fire translates to leadership skills, water becomes relationship skills, earth translates into good habits and character traits and wind becomes the creativity and innovation that are in high demand in every industry in the world. Each element is defined with three of the twelve dreams of the Holy Spirit, and a chapter is devoted to each dream.

Throughout the book, the author cites pertinent bible verses that reinforce that Jesus is the ultimate career counselor. For example, “When Jesus came up out of the muddy water of the Jordan, the clouds broke open and he heard, ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’(Luke 3:22). To me, this is the be-all and end-all of any good career counseling. As God loved and claimed his beloved Son, he loves and claims each of us as his special creation. We have been given a divine connection with our Creator, and in that connection we can find ultimate fulfillment.

As a strong “water” personality type, I certainly related to this three chapter section, especially chapter four: Reflect, which describes the Holy Spirit’s Dream that we take the time to reflect. In this crazy world where everyone and everything moves at lightning speed, how can we tap into our inner guidance if we don’t slow down to reflect? The author provides exercises to help us hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to us. The author also provides ways that we can seek God’s wisdom, for example, by reading scripture, biographies of others who have overcome difficult circumstances, studying history, attending worship and inspirational services and more.

In chapter one, the author asks that the reader begin the process of finding their perfect work by focusing on four main guideposts that -
1. Explore your mission
2. Assess you personality type
3. Identify your vision
4. Discover your four greatest talents

By the end of the book, after spending time on the career exercises and following the author’s suggestions, I know that for me, writing is the work that I do naturally and it is a career that is fulfilling and honors God. I was not surprised to see it in the list of water occupations at the end of chapter four.

This book is not written just for religious followers of Jesus Christ, it is written for all who understand that our spiritual life intersects with our earthly life in so many important ways. For those who seek an inspirational book that will coach, counsel and guide you toward the career you really want, be sure to check out Jesus Career Counselor.

Also, be sure to check out my earlier post of Laurie Beth Jones article The Top Five Rules for Finding Perfect Work. Here is a slideshow presentation of the same article.

Buy It: Jesus Career Counselor is available on Amazon for $13.59.

Win It - Julie from FSB Associates is offering one copy of Jesus Career Counselor to my readers.

To Enter is easy, just one mandatory entry.

Mandatory Entry:

1. Are you currently looking for work, stuck in a job you hate or just searching for what you want to do in life? Please comment.

--Include your email address (if not public in a profile) so I can contact you if you win.

Additional optional entries: Eligible after completing mandatory entry above: You can do any or all of the following for one entry each. Please leave a separate comment for each.

2. --Follow my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Already a follower, just leave a comment saying that you are a follower.

3. --Subscribe to my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Current subscribers are eligible too.

4.--Follow me on Twitter . Current followers are eligible too, just leave a comment saying that you are a twitter follower.

5.--Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link to your tweet (Can tweet once daily).

6.--Post my button on your blog and leave a link to your blog.

7.-- Follow me on Facebook.

8.--Follow me on Facebook Networked Blogs.

9. Enter my GoToob Squeezable Travel Tube giveaway.

--FOR 5 EXTRA ENTRIES - Write a blog post about this giveaway, with a link to my blog. Come back and leave the link to your blog post. Post FIVE separate comments that you've blogged about this.

Giveaway ends on June 28th at 11:59 PM EST. Open to US and Canadian addresses. Winner will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. Please respond in 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, comments not meeting requirements will be deleted.

Many thanks to Julie from FSB Associates for providing the review copy and giveaway copy!

The product(s) featured in this giveaway were provided free of cost to me by the author, the manufacturer, or representing PR agency. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

Prime-Time Health Book Winners

2010-06-05T16:30:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for entering the Prime-Time Health 5 book giveaway.

The winners are
1. # 22 Janet Faye
2. #35 One Frugal Lady
3. # 42 Robyn
4. #12 Cara
5. #30 Busy Working Mama

Congratulations! I will be emailing you shortly.
Thank you for reading and subscribing to Moms Own Words.

GoToob by Humangear Product Review and Giveaway

2010-06-03T08:16:00.001-07:00


GoToob by Humangear

Name of Product: GoToob

Price of Product: A 3 Pack of GoToob Humangear 3oz Silicone Travel Tubes is available on Amazon for $25.95.

Where to Purchase: The GoToob is available online and in-stores like Walmart and Target.

Description of the Product: “GoToob is the civilized, smart, squeezable tube for traveling, outdoors and more.

Typical travel bottles are hard plastic canisters that pay no attention to the human experience at hand.

The award-winning GoToob is made from soft yet rugged silicone, so it's easy to squeeze and dispense the product right away. A special, "no-drip" valve helps the cap stay clean.

A window in the collar identifies popular contents. Rotate the window to "Soap", "Lotion" and more - tighten the cap to lock in the setting.

A large opening means it's easy to fill and clean your GoToob. The small 1.25oz. size slips easily into pockets, bags, purses and other tight spots. The medium 2oz. size features a handy suction cup that can briefly attach to walls for moments when you need your hands free. And a large 3oz. size gives you maximum volume for longer times between refills.

All GoToobs are approved for airplane carry-on, they're Food-safe (FDA) and are 100% BPA-free and PC-free.”

The Review: I have all of these travel size containers of shampoos, conditioners and cleansers in my medicine cabinet, ready for our next camping trip. The problem is, I may end up using my cleanser to wash my hair and my shampoo to wash my face – because I couldn’t tell you what product is in which container!

If you ever had the experience of showering at the facilities in a campground, you would know that the shelf (if there even is one!) for your shampoos, conditioners, etc… is about the size of a postage stamp. Where do you put all your stuff? The GoToob by Humangear, is a cool squeezable travel tube that solves these problems and more!

The GoToob has a clever dial that you can change to identify what product is in your travel tube – lotion, soap, conditioner, shampoo, sun (for sunscreen). Just fill your GoToob, twist to “sun” and you’ve saved yourself from accidentally applying shampoo to your skin at the beach!

The GoToob containers are easily cleaned and filled – just unscrew the flip top cap to fill them. The squeezable tubes allow you to squeeze out every last drop of the product. Try doing that with those hard plastic bottles!

One of the coolest features of the GoToob is the silicone suction cup on the 2 oz. bottles that allows you to stick them to the wall of the shower. Now I can use that tiny shelf in the campground shower for my bar of soap. Wow!

For the more sophisticated air-travelers, you’ll be glad to know that the GoToob is carry-on approved! The GoToob also has a “no-drip” valve and it is food safe. I have to say with the GoToob, humangear thought of everything!

The Giveaway: Humangear is generously offering one lucky Moms Own Words reader three of their GoToobs – a 1.75 oz. a 2.0 oz. and a 3.0 oz. To enter is easy. Just one mandatory entry!

Mandatory Entry: 1. Become a fan of humangear on Facebook and leave a comment stating that you follow.

Not on Facebook? Just comment on where the first place you would be taking your GoToob. Camping? Vegas?

Extra Entries - For the following entries please make sure to include your email and if appropriate your link.

2. Follow my blog.
3. Subscribe to my blog.
4. Follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/kristiannm) AND tweet about this giveaway (may be done daily).
5 Blog about this giveaway. (3 entries)
6 Grab my button for your site.
7 Post this giveaway on a linky or forum. (3 entries)

8 Follow me on Facebook.
9 Follow me on Facebook Networked Blogs.

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and the winner will be chosen by random.org. This giveaway is open until Thursday, July 1, 2010; at 12:00 pm Eastern Time and a winner will be announced soon thereafter. If the winner does not respond to my email within 48 hours then I will pick a new winner. Good luck!

The product(s) featured in this giveaway were provided free of cost to me by the author, the manufacturer, or representing PR agency. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

CVS Caremark All Kids Can Baseball Camp

2010-06-01T15:35:00.000-07:00

The CVS Caremark All Kids Can Baseball Camp is currently looking for baseball teams with kids who have diabilities to participate in one of nine FREE CAMPS being offered this season at Fenway Park in Boston, MA. This is a wonderful chance for New England children with disabilities to play baseball where the pros play at Fenway! Each camp provides New England children with disabilities an action-packed, dream-fulfilling experience playing ball and getting batting tips from Batting Coach Dave Magadan. It’s not to be missed!

From CVS Caremark All Kids Can -You can nominate your own team for a spot at one of the camps or you can nominate another team for a camp. If you have previously participated in an All Kids Can Baseball Camp at Fenway Park, you are encouraged to nominate another team. Coaches who nominate another team for a camp will receive a $50 CVS/pharmacy gift card to use for their teams. Coaches are only allowed to nominate one team, one time. Each team that is selected for a camp will receive the following for a total of 20 participants:

· Hitting tips and instruction in the batting tunnel with Batting Coach Dave Magadan
· On-field batting practice with Coach Magadan
· A walk around the Warning Track for a team photo with Coach Magadan in front of The Green Monster
· Photo and autograph opportunity with Coach Magadan in the Fenway dugout
· Boxed lunches and gift bags in the dugout · A VIP tour of Fenway Park
· Early entry to pre-game batting practice
· Tickets to game in the CVS/pharmacy Family section

Please Note: Transportation and lodging are not provided

The 2010 CVS Caremark All Kids Can Baseball Camps are scheduled for the following dates:
· Friday, June 18
· Wednesday, June 30
· Friday, July 16
· Saturday, July 17
· Saturday, July 31
· Tuesday, August 3
· Wednesday, August 4
· Wednesday, August 18
· Tuesday, August 24

Help CVS Caremark All Kids Can Baseball Camp spread the word about this wonderful opportunity. Click here to find out how you can nominate a team!

I wrote this post while participating in a blog campaign by Twitter Moms on behalf of CVS Caremark All Kids Can. Twitter Moms MAY send me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate otherwise no monetary compensation was received for this post.

Buy the Case Grocery Products $50 Gift Card Winner

2010-06-01T14:56:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for entering the Buy the Case Grocery Products $50 Gift Card giveaway.

The winner is #127 Tina Reynolds. Congratulations Tina! I will be emailing you shortly!

Don't miss all the great giveaways, informative articles and fun posts at Moms Own Words. Subscribe via email by signing up below. Thank you for visiting!

Thank you for reading and subscribing to Moms Own Words!

Community Coffee Father's Day Gift Set Review and Giveaway

2010-05-27T07:05:00.000-07:00

Name of Product: Community Coffee Private Reserve Father's Day Gift Set


Community Coffee Private Reserve Father's Day Gift Set

Price of Product: $22.95

Where the Product May be Purchased: The Community Coffee Company.

Description of Product: This gift set includes 12 oz. House Blend ground coffee, 2 oz. Breakfast Blend and French Vanilla coffees completed with a Vintage Cap Saurage Collector's Cap. Everything comes wrapped in a red gift box.

About Community Coffee: Community Coffee Company invites you to enjoy the unique taste of Louisiana's most distinctive coffee. We start with only quality, 100% Arabica beans selected by the Saurage family. Then, through generations of roasting experience, we have perfected a full-bodied yet smooth flavor that reflects the extraordinary culinary traditions of Louisiana. Today, Community® coffee is served in the best New Orleans restaurants and is shared in homes across the South. To understand why, simply sit back and enjoy a cup.

Community Coffee Company is steeped in tradition as rich as our coffee. As the largest family-owned retail coffee brand in the U.S., our company grew from a small country store in Baton Rouge where more than 90 years ago, founder Henry Norman "Cap" Saurage brewed his popular coffee.

The Review: I selected the Private Reserve Father's Day Gift Set with Dad in mind. He does get a cool hat! However, for the purposes of this review, I wanted the opportunity to sample different flavors of the Community House coffee. This set includes the house blend, the French vanilla and the breakfast blend.

Grant and I agree that the house blend is terrific. I was not surprised to learn that this medium-dark roast is served in New Orleans style coffee houses. He enjoyed it black and I added a little soy milk and sweetener. The house blend wasn't too strong like some darker roasts can be and tasted much better than our usual morning coffee.

I am the only fan of flavored coffees, so the french vanilla was all mine. It was delicious - on par (if not better) with the coffee that I get through a certain drive-through on occasion. We have yet to try the breakfast blend, but knowing Grant's taste for a nice non-flavored, medium to dark roast, I am confident he will like it. For all of those coffee drinking Dad's out there, this gift set will be a much appreciated Father's Day gift!

The Giveaway: The Community Coffee Company is generously offering either the Private reserve Father's Day Gift Set (shown above) or the Traditional Blends Father's Day Gift Set (shown right). This gift set includes the popular 16 oz. Dark Roast ground coffee, a Community Coffee-Fresh Canister, Logo Coffee Scoop and a Community Coffee Premium Tumbler. Everything comes wrapped in a wooden crate. The price of this gift set is $24.95.

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by!

Mandatory Entry: 1. Become a fan of Community Coffee on Facebook and leave a comment stating that you follow. While you are there, you may want to enter their New Orleans Great Taste Giveaway!
Not on Facebook? Just visit Community Coffee and comment on what coffee you would most like to try.

Extra Entries - For the following entries please make sure to include your email and if appropriate your link.

2. Follow my blog.
3. Subscribe to my blog.
4. Follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/kristiannm) AND tweet about this giveaway (may be done daily).
5 Blog about this giveaway.
6 Grab my button for your site.
7 Post this giveaway on a linky or forum.
8 Follow me on Facebook.
9 Follow me on Facebook Networked Blogs.

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by!

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and the winner will be chosen by random.org. This giveaway is open until Tuesday, June 15, 2010; at 12:00 pm Eastern Time and a winner will be announced soon thereafter. If the winner does not respond to my email within 48 hours then I will pick a new winner. Good luck!

The product(s) featured in this giveaway were provided free of cost to me by the author, the manufacturer, or representing PR agency. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

Blush Topless Undershirt Winner

2010-05-25T10:48:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for entering the Blush Topless Undershirt giveaway. The winner is #30 - madwoman-doing-cartwheels.

Congratulations! I will be emailing you shortly.

Thank you for reading and subscribing to Moms Own Words.

Eat, Pray, Love - A Book Summary, Review and Movie Trailer

2010-05-25T04:01:00.000-07:00

Eat, Pray, Love is Elizabeth Gilbert's very entertaining and enlightening book about her travels to Italy, India, and Indonesia. The much anticipated movie, starring Julia Roberts, will be released on 8/13/2010. If you haven't read the book and would like a brief summary (spoiler alert!) my 2 cent review and a peek at the movie trailer, read on!

Following her divorce, Elizabeth experienced a crushing depression resulting in panic, confusion, and weight loss. This is the story of her travels and explorations of three different cultures, in an effort to find balance in her life.

First, she experiences pleasure in Italy. She enrolls in Italian language classes and immerses herself in the beauty of this romantic language, and Italian culture. She has Gelati in the morning, discovers the best pizza in Italy, and shares Sardinian wine with friends. She experiences a soccer game in Italy, where the natives are the most passionate of fans, and deal with defeat by gathering at the bakery and eating cream-puffs. As she leaves Italy, she proclaims to be free from her gnawing depression, and not surprisingly, back to her normal weight.

She then travels to India where she practices hours of silent meditation at her Guru's Ashram. She does not reveal her Guru's name or the Ashram location, as to not publicize it. She especially thanks her Guru in the book's introduction.

Not claiming to be a theological scholar or the Ashram's official spokesperson, Elizabeth speaks of her experiences in India from her personal standpoint only. Her meditations start off in frustration, as her mind whirls with seemingly endless, cluttering thoughts. However, through hours of practice of silence at the Ashram, she has "seen" God in her meditations, and has learned that God is found within herself, and to find peace one must return-to-self. This is the most important account of her travels. Her time in India is described beautifully and honestly.

Elizabeth finds love in Bali, Indonesia. Elizabeth met Ketut, a ninth generation Indian medicine man, two years ago prior to this trip. She explained to him then that she wanted to learn to live in this world, and to enjoy its delights, but also to devote herself to God. He told her, "To find the balance that you want, you must keep your feet grounded so firmly on earth that it's like you have four legs, instead of two. That way, you can stay in the world. But you must stop looking at the world through your head. You must look through your heart instead. That way you will know God."

Ketut asks her to come to Indonesia to teach him English, and he, in turn, will teach her everything he knows. She fufills her destiny by living and learning with Ketut, in Bali, Indonesia, her final destination.

She meets Wayan, a Balinese healer, and Felipe, a Brazilian man who loves and adores her with "such single minded concentration." The reader can only share in Elizabeth's joy as her story comes to its conclusion with her finding a balance between worldly enjoyment and divine transcendence.

This is a wonderful book of self-discovery that will nourish your soul!

Street Hockey Now and Then - Meetup Monday

2010-05-24T08:38:00.000-07:00

Finally the beautiful New England weather is here! It was so nice to watch my son's street hockey game outside and enjoy a perfectly sunny day. This is the first year that my eight-year-old son James (#22)decided to try street hockey.

I remember playing street hockey in high school gym class and I loved it. I was pretty athletic way back then and dare-I-say a little aggressive! I remember constantly running after that ball with more intensity that a dog - banging into sticks and classmates along the way. My son James (although still young) is not quite as aggressive or intense, and as a matter of fact, he couldn't be more thrilled that he will play his last game on Wednesday. Here's the thing. The coaches do a lot of yelling and my sensitive guy is well.....sensitive, so the yelling was the deal breaker.

Here are some pics. of Saturday's game. His team (Saint Bernard's Saints) won 5-3. It was a great game.

Hello? 22? Where did that darn ball go? Notice the ball in mid-air and not one player appears to know where it is. Okay, I suppose those helmets do make it a little difficult to see the bright orange ball.

That poor goalie looked like he was dressed for a snowstorm and it was about eighty degrees. (I'll bet he is glad that Wednesday is the last game too.) Even Dad (Grant) helped out and did a little assistant coaching. A first!

Unfortunately, there was a little too much of this. Go get that ball 22!! (Opps...Sorry I yelled.)

I am so glad that I found Amy's blog Just Another Manic Momday. She has this great linky called Meet-Up Monday's. Here is her Meet-Up Monday's button. Go link up and check out some great blogs!

***The rules are simple!

1. Add a link to your main blog (or most current post)
2. Leave a comment on the blog above your name in the list.
3. Visit as many blogs as you can and leave comments and follow if you like.

Upcoming Reviews and Giveaways

2010-05-23T10:18:00.001-07:00

I am so excited about two upcoming giveaways at Moms Own Words!

The first great giveaway item is Jenna Scott's Bohemian Wrap Bracelet. The bracelet that I am reviewing is made with brown leather cord and white Swarovski crystal pearls. It is stitched with thread and the closure is a flowery decorated brass button. Jenna (iheartjenna) sells her handmade jewelry on her Etsy site and can also be found at Artfirestudio. Jenna is offering one lucky Moms Own Word's reader one of these bracelets, so stay tuned!

Leather Wrap Bracelet: White Swarovski Pearl

The next giveaway is a call to all coffee lovers...and Dad's. I will be reviewing a Private Reserve Father’s Day Gift Set from Community Coffee. For this giveaway, Community Coffee is generously offering one Mom's Own Words reader a choice of either the Traditional Blends Father's Day Gift Set or the Private Reserve Father's Day Gift Set.

Don't miss all the great giveaways, informative articles and fun posts at Moms Own Words. Subscribe via email by signing up below. Thank you for visiting!

Top Five Rules for Finding Perfect Work -Guest Post by Laurie Beth Jones

2010-05-20T12:08:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had one of those Ah Ha moments that Oprah (for one) is always talking about? I had mine as I was reading Jesus Career Counselor: How to Find and Keep Your Perfect Work by author Laurie Beth Jones. Here it is - While I may not be perfect at writing (I'm the only editor I've got!) writing is my perfect work. I am currently reading Laurie's book and it has helped me to officially come to that realization.

Stay tuned! Jesus Career Counselor: How to Find and Keep Your Perfect Work is one of my upcoming book reviews and giveaways. In the meantime, please enjoy this article by Laurie Beth Jones and good luck finding your perfect work!

Top Five Rules for Finding Perfect Work

By Laurie Beth Jones,

Author of Jesus Career Counselor: How to Find (and Keep) Your Perfect Work

Rule #1) Ask yourself "What did I come to this world to do?" What kind of daily work would excite you in the very marrow of your bones? In order to get true alignment, you must establish a clear, written-down mission statement.

For example, mine is "to recognize, promote and inspire divine connection in myself and others." I have 3 verbs, or action words, a core value, and a tribe. This begins the clarity process, and becomes a filter for everything you do.

Rule #2) Know your personality type. Do you love to take risks and take charge, like Fire? Do you bring order and structure naturally to everything you do, like Earth? Perhaps you are more like Water, going with the flow, and rushing to serve those in the lowest place. Or maybe you love to inspire others and bring in fresh ideas, like the Wind. The workplace needs all of these qualities, and you have been gifted especially in one or two of these elements. Find out which ones are most like you. For example, I am a Wind/Fire combination, specializing in Fast Results. Find your special elemental combination.

Rule #3) Sit down and draw a Talent Shield, showing your four highest gifts in symbol form. Ask your friends and family "What do I naturally do well?" My four greatest gifts are my love of God (heart symbol), my ability to speak (mouth), ability to write (pen) and freedom to do all of the above (wings.)

Use your Talent Shield as a filter for any job opportunity before you, asking "Will this work allow a 100% match in my gifted areas?"

Rule #4) Write down a vision of your ideal work day. If all things were possible, what would you be doing on a Monday morning, at 9 am? Who would you be talking to, about what, wearing what? What would your workspace look like?

Fill your vision with details that include not only what is sitting on your desk (if you have one) but also the feelings you are having as you go about your day. This becomes the model you work from as you begin to sculpt, identify, and create your perfect work.

Rule #5) Share all of the above with everyone you can. Network with those who are doing the kind of work you wish you could be doing. Research the industry. Read biographies. Attend workshops. Get educated. Put yourself in the arena of the work you want to have. Show up even to volunteer. Begin to live your mission every day, and you will indeed find, and keep your perfect work.

© 2010 Laurie Beth Jones, author of Jesus Career Counselor: How to Find (and Keep) Your Perfect Work

Author Bio
Laurie Beth Jones, author of Jesus Career Counselor: How to Find (and Keep) Your Perfect Work, is an internationally recognized bestselling author, speaker, inspirational life coach, and trainer; and she offers small group, online, and one-on-one training. Laurie Beth's books on the workplace have sold more than one million copies and been translated into sixteen foreign languages. Some of these titles have spent more than thirteen months on the BusinessWeek bestseller list and have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Time magazine, CNN Financial, and more.

Recently named one of the top thirty leaders in the United States by an independent research firm, Jones has been featured in major media outlets and been invited to speak in all pillars of society, such as business, education, health care, government, faith and service organizations, the mass media, and the disenfranchised.

A business-development coach and consultant to CEOs and organizations, Laurie Beth has conducted training or provided leadership products for major companies, including Tyson Foods, Purina-Nestlé, Neiman Marcus, Pfizer, CitiFinancial, and American Express.

For more information, please visit www.lauriebethjones.com and follow the author on Twitter: twitter.com/LaurieBethJones.

Usborne Jigsaw Puzzle Book Winner

2010-05-18T15:23:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for entering the Usborne Jigsaw Puzzle Giveaway. The giveaway ended today with 57 comments. The winner is #12 One Frugal Lady. Congratulations! I will be emailing you shortly.

Thank you for reading and subscribing to Moms Own Words!

May is National Foster Care Month

2010-05-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

May is National Foster Care Month

Each May, National Foster Care Month provides an opportunity to shine a light on the plight of hundreds of thousands of children and youth in the foster care system. The campaign raises awareness about the urgent needs of these young people and encourages citizens from every walk of life to get involved.

The following is a Guest post from Adopt Us Kids -

Did you know it would take less than 1% of the U.S. population to provide a family for every child in foster care?

May is National Foster Care Month and there has never been a greater need to bring attention to children waiting for forever homes. More than 463,000 children are currently in foster care and 123,000 children are waiting to be adopted.

Children in foster care are loving children. They are children like Shaquane and Edlina and Albert. Every child deserves to have a home with caring and supportive parents.

Help us spread the message this month to reach all Americans and teach them about the love and joy that foster care adoption can bring to your life.

Visit www.adoptuskids.org to learn more about fostering and adopting. You can also join our online communities on Facebook and Twitter.

Check out "Children in Foster Care" - This video is from The Road to Adoption and Foster Care, a film produced by Rich Newman in association with AdoptUsKids.

For more information and to find out how you can get involved click here.

Join Adopt us Kids on May 27 at 2 p.m. EST on Twitter for an #AdoptUsKids one hour chat to get the message out about National Foster Care Month.

I wrote this post while participating in a blog campaign by Global Influence on behalf of Adopt Us Kids. No monetary compensation was received and opinions expressed are my own.

Playtex Bra Makeover in New York 10 Winners!

2010-05-18T13:29:00.000-07:00

Playtex is offering you a chance to win a bra makeover!

Info on the Playtex Bra Makeover from Mom Select-
Do slipping straps, riding up backs, or not enough support have you ready to write a Dear John letter to your old bras? Apply for a Bra Makeover from Playtex! Seven out of 10 women are wearing the wrong size bra, which can result in an ill fit for the rest of their outfit, back and shoulder pain, as well as bruising and digging.

We know that busy moms don't always have time to update their bras or even check to make sure they are wearing the correct size. That's why we wanted to let you know about this contest from Playtex! Playtex recently launched http://www.playtexbramakeover.com , a site where women can go to apply for a bra makeover or nominate a friend. If chosen, the winner will be flown to New York to receive a Bra Makeover with style expert Alison Deyette. Deyette is a fashion and trend lifestyle expert who has been featured on Bravo's Millionaire Matchmaker and TLC's Ten Years Younger, as well as in print publications including Good Housekeeping, The Washington Post, and O Magazine. Apply for your chance to win a Playtex Bra Makeover today. The last day to apply is Friday, May 21st, 2010.

The 10 winners selected for a Bra Makeover will also star in their very own webisode wherein a makeover candidate will receive a fitting with Deyette and walk away with the perfect Playtex products. A new webisode will premier on www.PlaytexBraMakeover.com every two weeks.

For more information, please visit http://www.PlaytexBraMakeover.com.

Full Disclosure - By posting this information, I am entered into a contest to win a free bra from Playtex. I did not receive any compensation for this post and thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Our Impossible Dream – Selling Our House

2010-05-17T13:24:00.000-07:00

Today was a first. Not only did we entice one potential buyer to come and look at our house, but we managed to get two interested buyers to take a tour of our four bedroom two bath, w/ garage, w/ pergola, w/ privacy home at exactly the same time! This alone is nothing short of a miracle. I can hardly wait to get the feedback from my real estate agent. Actually, I am wondering what new reasons these buyers will come up with for not liking our house.

Our for sale sign says, “impressive” - but so far, no one has really been too impressed with our impressive house. After three seasons on the market, I am starting to take offense with what some of these buyers are saying. In this crazy real estate market, buyers expect perfection at bargain prices. Sellers like us might as well be wearing a big "L" for loser on our foreheads.

Last summer, we finished our basement adding a bathroom and a fourth bedroom – no not for us, for the buyer! We also finished our laundry room and finished a little workshop area that is attached to the garage. One buyer liked our open concept upstairs but didn’t like the downstairs. She expected more of the same open concept as we have upstairs. My advice to her is this - Bedrooms and a bathroom don’t lend themselves to the open concept concept. Impossible. Next!

One couple was divided over our house. She really loved it - loved the yard, loved the layout of the house – loved it, loved it, loved it! We made special arrangements (special arrangements!) to be out of the house that evening so she could bring her boyfriend for a second showing. According to my real estate agent, “He did not like the house at all.” Apparently, when they left the girlfriend was sulking. My advice to her is this - Girl, it’s all about you and what you want and if you’re not getting what you want then kick him to the curb. Next!

One older gentleman, who recently had a hip operation, came for a tour of our house. He and his wife would like to move to Ashburnham to be in the same town as their grandchildren. Awe! How nice! It sounds perfect doesn’t it? It turns out because of his “bad hip” he doesn’t feel he could manage to get up the driveway and up the stairs into our raised-ranch (code for split level). My advice to him is this - Well sir, you drove by so you knew about our driveway, and you’ve seen pictures, so you knew about the stairs to get into the house. Next time, try to make your decision based on this type of criteria before you waste my time! Getting this place ready for a showing is torture! Next!

One single mom came for a house showing a few weeks ago and really liked the house! She liked the upstairs. She liked the downstairs. She had no hip issues so getting into the house is not a problem. Here’s the big but. B-U-T…. she felt the house location is too remote. Hello? This is our major selling point! (Or so we thought.) Privacy! My advice to her is this - You can run outside buck-naked and no one would see you! My husband did it! I’m not kidding! Don’t you want to be able to do that? Next!

We thought we would sell this house easily. We’ve had the house staged and we finished our basement. What is left?

I think only Oprah can help us now. She could ask Nate Berkus to do a total interior re-design. People would flock for miles just to see our home. We would have bidding wars! I would have all of these buyers on the hook and I would tell my real estate agent, “Sorry, we decided to keep the house!”

(Oprah, if your reading this, I’m kidding. We would still sell the house and hopefully be able to borrow Nate to help us design the interior of our new house. Our lot is right next-door, so it would be pretty convenient. Thanks!)

Update! Just heard from our real estate agent. One of the two buyers canceled. I knew it was too good to be true. The good news, that one buyer did like our house, but I'm not holding my breath....yet.

Feel free to tweet this post with "Oprah she needs your help to sell her house."

Walmart Gift Card ($25) Winner

2010-05-14T13:00:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for entering the Cascade/Walmart Gift Card ($25) Giveaway. The winner is #78 Imurley2000.

Congratulations! I will be emailing you shortly!

Thank you for reading and subscribing to Moms Own Words.

Prime-Time Health (Dr. William Sears, Dr. Martha Sears) Book Review and Five Book Giveaway

2010-05-13T04:53:00.000-07:00

About the Book – Prime-Time Health. Copyright 2010. Published by Little, Brown and
Company - Hachette Book Group. ISBN – 978-0-316-03541-5.

(From the Book’s Dust Jacket) About a decade ago, renowned family practitioner Dr. Bill Sears was diagnosed with cancer. Like many people, he wanted –and needed to take control of his life, so he created the Prime Time-Health plan, which he and his wife, Martha (co-author) follow to this day. Now, in perfect health, they share this program with you so that you can make your prime time the healthiest and happiest time of your life.

Prime Time-Health uncovers the secrets to aging well. Whether you are a fifty-year-old in the prevention mind-set or a prime timer already in repair mode, with the Prime-Time Health plan you will:

Understand how your body changes during prime time.
Prevent disease and help each body system – including the heart, brain, gut, lungs, joints, eyes and skin – age more healthily.
Stay lean and healthy with sixteen super-foods….and more.

Based on twelve years of scientific research and a lifetime of medical expertise, Prime-Time Health is your road map to a prime time filled with health, happiness, and vitality.

About the Authors – (From the book’s Dust Jacket) William Sears, MD, one of America’s most trusted pediatricians, received his training at Harvard Medical School’s Children’s Hospital and Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children. He has practiced pediatrics for thirty years and is an associate clinical professor at the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine. Martha Sears is a registered nurse, childbirth educator, and parenting and health consultant. They are the authors of more than thirty books and live in South California.

The Review - Prime-Time Health is a comprehensive plan for living a longer, healthier life. Dr. Sears’s guidelines for Prime-Time Health cover everything I would need to know (literally from head to toe) to feel younger and to be in the best of health as I approach (gulp) middle age.

Much of the healthy aging program recommendations are similar to what I’ve heard, read and seen throughout the years – eat healthy real foods like fruits and vegetables and lean proteins, move more via exercise and reduce stress and get enough sleep. However, I learned quite a bit of new information, such as ways to improve my Eye-Q, my hearing, improve my joint function and have smoother skin. (Turmeric is a healthy anti-inflammatory for the skin! Who knew?)

Here is a list a partial list of his “Prime-Time” plan at a glance.

Have a healthy heart, page 31
Stay smart, page 61
Be good to your gut, how to eat, page 85
Improve your Eye-Q, page 107
Tune up your hearing, page 114
Enjoy super foods: what to eat, page 189
Be good to you gums, page 132
Cut your chances of getting cancer, page 321
Enjoy better sex, page 259

Prime-Time Health is thoughtfully set-up for quick reference. At the end of each chapter, Dr. Sears gives his Rx (prescription for Prime-Time Health.) For example here is his Rx for prime-time skin health:

Drink lots of liquids
Don’t smoke
Humidify the air
Use mild soap
Don’t scrub harshly
Get the right amount of sun for your skin type
Eat fish
Eat fruits, vegetables and spices
Strengthen underlying muscles

Dr. Sears made the analogy that many of us are concerned about saving money, but not enough of us are concerned about saving our bodies. He talks about his friend Jim who watched too much TV, smoked cigarettes, ate lots of red meat, drank a lot of booze and thought exercise was a waste of time. Here is how Jim’s life turned out: At 50, he got diabetes, at 55 he had a coronary bi-pass; at 62 knee replacement surgery. He has to take pills for his highs – high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar; and also for his lows, depression. For Jim, prime time is sick time. Reading about Jim was a wake up call for me to improve upon the healthy eating and exercise habits that I already have and to take Dr. Sears’s new information, recommendations and prescriptions and put them into practice.

Dr. Sears sums up longevity with his acronym LEAN:

Lifestyle: how we live
Exercise: how we move
Attitude: how we think
Nutrition: how we eat

Putting Dr Sears’s practical, easy to understand 8-week healthy aging program into practice, would benefit anyone’s health in the years to come. His plan is scientifically proven - how could I not recommend such an important book?

Check It Out -

Buy it - Prime-Time Health is available on Amazon for $14.25.

Win It - Anna from the Hachette Book Group is generously offering five copies of Prime-Time Health to my readers.

THE RULES:

--U.S. and Canadian residents only. --NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
--One comment is needed for each entry.--Include your email address in your comments.

To Enter is easy, just one mandatory entry.

Mandatory Entry:

1. Name one thing that you already do that you believe will lengthen your prime time.

--Include your email address (if not public in a profile) so I can contact you if you win.

Additional optional entries: Eligible after completing mandatory entry above: You can do any or all of the following for one entry each. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done.

2. --Follow my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Already a follower, just leave a comment saying that you are a follower.

3. --Subscribe to my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Current subscribers are eligible too.

4.--Follow me on Twitter . Current followers are eligible too, just leave a comment saying that you are a twitter follower.

5.--Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link to your tweet (Can tweet once daily).

6.--Post my button on your blog and leave a link to your blog.

7.-- Follow me on Facebook.

8.--Follow me on Facebook Networked Blogs.

--FOR 5 EXTRA ENTRIES - Write a blog post about this giveaway, with a link to my blog. Come back and leave the link to your blog post. Post FIVE separate comments that you've blogged about this.

Giveaway ends on June 3rd at 11:59 PM EST. Open to US and Canadian addresses. Winner will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. Please respond in 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, comments not meeting requirements will be deleted.

Many thanks to Anna at the Hachette Book Group for providing the review copy and giveaway copies!

The product(s) featured in this giveaway were provided free of cost to me by the author, the manufacturer, or representing PR agency. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

Prevention's Picks for Healthy Pre-packaged Foods on the Today Show

2010-05-10T12:55:00.000-07:00

As a busy mom of two, I can appreciate the convenience of pre-packaged foods. After all, who has the time to cook from scratch every-single night? Not me. I also like the fact that many of these foods come in single-serving packages, which helps me stick to the correct portion sizes. However, figuring which pre-packaged foods are the healthiest options can be a challenge.

Prevention magazine has evaluated several brands of pre-packaged foods based on fat, sugar, sodium content, taste and price. After a thorough evaluation, Prevention has determined their top picks for the healthiest pre-packaged foods. Prevention highlights the winners in the following Today Show video clip.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I have never seen the Mann's sweet potato spears nor the Hagen Daas mango puree - two items I will certainly be looking out for. According to Prevention, these pre-packaged foods are reasonably priced as well.

Coincidentally, you could win a case of the Campbell's Select Harvest chicken and vegetable soup from Buythecase.net (if that's what you would like, it is your choice!) This is my current $50 gift card giveaway! Enter to win here and good luck!

Buy the Case Grocery Products $50 Gift Card Giveaway

2010-05-10T09:09:00.000-07:00

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by!

Buying grocery items in bulk from warehouse stores can have cost saving benefits, but it has its drawbacks too. Big warehouse stores require membership fees. They may not be conveniently located, costing you extra time for that extra trip and money in gas just to get there. Once you’ve shopped, you have to lug big bulky items from the store to your SUV and once you've packed it all in, you realize you have no room for the kids!

BuytheCase.net is a service that delivers cases of products to household’s businesses, government agencies, community groups and US diplomatic and military personnel living abroad. Buythecase.net offers great savings on brand name groceries and so much more. Browse paper and plastic goods, pet needs, office and school supplies, arts and crafts, toys, books and more. What about the shipping costs? While BuytheCase.net charges a small handling fee, for many ship to zip codes there are no delivery fees!

From BuytheCase.net - “Our name really says it all. When you buy products by the case, you get the benefit of lower prices, plain and simple. In addition, by shopping online, you avoid all the hassles of dealing with the large discount warehouse stores. There are no club membership fees, no mammoth aisles to get lost in, and no endless checkout lines. Best of all, we deliver right to your doorstep, helping you to put a little extra time back into your life.”

Giveaway – Danielle, from Buythecase.net is offering one lucky Moms Own Words reader a $50.00 “gift card” to use toward the purchase of one case or more of any product you choose!

Please note that the winner will be given a promo code worth $50, which he or she will apply toward their purchase. A credit card is required for checkout.

Mandatory Entry-

~~1. Follow BuyTheCase on Facebook or Twitter. Please leave a comment telling me which one and your email address. (Follow both for two entries and comment twice!)~~

Extra Entries - For the following entries, please make sure to include your email and if appropriate your link.

~~2. Follow my blog.~~
~~3. Subscribe to my blog.~~
~~4. Follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/kristiannm) AND tweet about this giveaway (may be done daily).~~
~~5 Blog about this giveaway.~~
~~6 Grab my button for your site.~~
~~7 Post this giveaway on a linky or forum.~~
~~8 Follow me on Facebook.~~
~~9 Follow me on Facebook Networked Blogs.~~

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and the winner will be chosen by random.org. This giveaway is open until June 1, 2010; at 12:00 pm Eastern Time and a winner will be announced soon thereafter. If the winner does not respond to my email within 48 hours then I will pick a new winner. Good luck!

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by!

The product(s) featured in this giveaway were provided free of cost to me by the author, the manufacturer, or representing PR agency. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

Honored on Mother's Day

2010-05-09T08:01:00.000-07:00

I was honored when I caught this on the news. I guess I am quite the celebrity!

Want to surprise your Mom? Click here to create your own customized video, courtesy of momsrising.org.

CSN Stores $50 Gift Card Winner

2010-05-07T13:03:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for entering the CSN stores $50 gift card giveaway.
The winner is link # 14 sphinx63 -
14. possibilitiesandponderings.blogspot.com/2010/04...
I will be emailing you shortly. Congratulations!

Thank you for reading and subscribing to Moms Own Words!

Stay tuned for another $50 giveaway for buythecase.net. At BuyTheCase.net you can purchase top brand grocery products in case quantities - and they ship right to your door!

Scandle Body Candle Winner

2010-05-06T10:27:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for entering the Scandle Body Candle Giveaway. The winner is #58 Janet Faye. Janet also won the Beyond Blue Book Giveaway! True Randomness! How lucky! I will be emailing you shortly Janet. Congratulations!

Thank you for reading and subscribing to Moms Own Words!

Blush Topless Undershirt Review and Giveaway

2010-05-04T15:49:00.000-07:00

Name of Product: Blush Topless Undershirt

Price of Product: $15.00

Save:You can save 20% when you purchase two or more blush undershirts by using the coupon code: “welovebloggers” at checkout.

Where can the product be purchased: The blush topless undershirt is available in many stores and online.

Description of Product: “Blush Accessories welcomes you to a product that helps adjust the clothes you already have to fit you perfectly. This is a shirt that is to be worn like a tube top, but around the waist. Our product is made of a poly/rayon/spandex blend, allowing a huge amount of stretch and great support."

"For Everyone - If you love the look of layering without adding the extra bulk and straps, this is a product for you. Unlike a tank top or long shirt, it does not have straps, which cause your undershirt to constantly ride up."

"For Maternity- Make any shirt a little long with a Topless Undershirt. As your shirts start to fit smaller over your growing belly, you can add this layer to keep covered."

Review of Product: I can’t tell you how many t-shirts that I have that are too short for me to wear comfortably. Imagine my surprise when I read about the blush undershirt! Rachel sent me a chocolate brown topless undershirt for this review and coincidentally, I wear a lot of browns, so the color is perfect for me. (Check out the Blush website to see the eight available colors.)

This topless undershirt looks like a tube top. I put it on, over my head and placed it so it covered my hips. I put my lighter brown, short t-shirt over it and the results were impressive! The poly/rayon/spandex fabric blend is perfect for this application. The topless shirt stayed in place, with just the right amount of stretch, and it did not create a bulky look.

If only I had this product when I was pregnant - I could have used it to keep my expanding tummy covered! This is one of those clever products that makes me wonder, why didn’t I think of that?

Giveaway: Rachel from Blush is generously offering one (1) lucky Moms Own Words reader their own Blush Topless Undershirt.

Mandatory Entry – Follow Blush Undershirt Twitter and become their fan on Facebook. Please leave a separate comment for each (2 entries!)

Extra Entries - For the following entries please make sure to include your email and if appropriate your link.

2. Follow my blog.
3. Subscribe to my blog.
4. Follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/kristiannm) AND tweet about this giveaway (may be done daily).
5 Blog about this giveaway.
6 Grab my button for your site.
7 Post this giveaway on a linky or forum.
8 Follow me on Facebook.
9 Follow me on Facebook Networked Blogs.

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and the winner will be chosen by random.org. This giveaway is open until May 25, 2010; at 12:00 pm Eastern Time and a winner will be announced soon thereafter. If the winner does not respond to my email within 48 hours then I will pick a new winner. Good luck!

Free Online Tools for Bloggers

2010-05-03T09:42:00.000-07:00

Image: Andy Newson / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

There is this saying - why buy the cow, when you can get the milk for free? This little saying is easily applicable to online tools. If your searching for online tools to improve your blog or website, put your wallet away, make sure you plug in that four letter word “free” in the search box, sit back and enjoy your “free milk”.

Free Email Marketing Software

When I worked with Jane at Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, I helped her to set up her email marketing software. She used 1shoppingcart.com and then made the switch to Benchmark.com. Both email marketing software programs charge a monthly fee for use. I assumed all of this type of software would require a monthly fee. When I did a search for “free email marketing,” I was pleasantly surprised to find mailchimp and email marketing pro, each are free email marketing software solutions.

Email Marketing Pro

“Email Marketing Professional 2.0 is free email marketing software that allows you to create and send promotional emails in seconds. Seconds after installing, you will be able to send promotional ads, newsletters, coupons, and more. This powerful software has all the features of the top commercial email marketing software on the market today.”

Mailchimp offers a free service that allows you to store up to 500 subscribers, send up to 3,000 emails per month. There are no contracts or credit cards required.

Free Wordpress Templates

I’ve been toying with the idea of changing over from Blogger to Wordpress for months now. According to everyone in the blogging world, this is something that I must do for several reasons. Why pay for a template if you or I can find a versatile template for free? Check out these sites for free Wordpress templates.

Wordpressthemesbase.com

Top Wordpress Themes

Freethemelayouts.com

Free Photo Images

While the selection of images may not be as impressive as istockphoto.com, you may find just the image for your blog post or article at any of these free photo/image sites…did I mention that many images are absolutely free? I tested the sites myself. There is no sign-up required. Just navigate to the images and download!

freephotosbanks

stockvault free

openphoto free

turbophoto

freedigitalphotos.net

Freedigitalphotos.net requires acknowledgment of photographer.

Image: Michal Marcol / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Keep in mind free images are considered public domain. There are other images on these sites that are not free.

Free Tools for Improving your Writing Skills

I never claimed to be a genius when it comes to writing. I rely on my spell and grammar checker and still question whether or not I need a comma there, or not :)

The article by Vitaly Friedman - 50 Free Resources that will improve your writing skills -contains great free resources like the Grammar Girl - on her blog you will find quick and dirty little tips for better writing. Wordweb is a one-click English thesaurus and dictionary for Windows.

Free Virtual Notes

Now that every service/industry is going paperless, why shouldn’t I? Instead of having the clutter of post-notes and papers all over my desk, now I can have small virtual sticky notes neatly placed in my upper right corner to keep me organized and on task. Well organized anyway…To get your free desktop notes, check out Inbox.com.

Be the first to comment on your favorite online tools.

Nondyebo Art Hand Painted Apron Winner

2010-04-30T12:51:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for entering the Nondyebo Art hand painted apron giveaway. The winner is # 41 Bhav. Congratulations Bhav! I will be emailing you shortly.

Thank you for reading and subscribing to Moms Own Words!

Boutique On Feet Sunglasses and Wallet Winner

2010-04-28T10:22:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for entering the Boutique on Feet Sunglasses and Wallet giveaway. The winner is # 81 Mirfaye. Congratulations Mirfaye! I will be emailing you shortly.

Thank you for reading and subscribing to Moms Own Words!

Stay tuned for these upcoming giveaways.

Dr. Sears Prime Time Health (A Scentifically Proven Plan for Feeling Young and Living Longer.)
5 book giveaway!

Blush your topless Undershirt -

From Blush: "Blush Accessories welcomes you to a product that helps adjust the clothes you already have to fit you perfectly. This is a shirt that is to be worn like a tube top, but around the waist. Our product is made of a poly/rayon/spandex blend, allowing a huge amount of stretch and great support."

The Usborne Castle Jigsaw Book Giveaway

2010-04-27T08:17:00.000-07:00

Are there any moms out there in cyber space who haven't heard of Usborne Books? If so, you need to check them out! Usborne books are awarding-wininng children's books that make reading and learning fun. There are over 1500 titles to choose from! Do you have little ones that like castles and knights and puzzles? If you answered yes, then the Usborne Castle Jigsaw Book is for you!

The Usborne Castle Book Jigsaw Book
Author: Alice Pearcey
Illustrated by Dominic Groebner
Designed by Hannah Ahmed and Michelle Lawrence
ISBN - 0794511376

About the Book: In the Usborne Castle book, readers will discover what life was like inside a castle. The full-color pictures and diagrams help one "see" (for example) what life was like in the baily (yard), at a giant feast and when a castle was under attack. There are six colorful pages that contain jigsaw puzzles to develop problem-solving skills and improve comprehension. Each picture contains items to find.

From the Usborne book website: Usborne books have appeared in over 50 languages. The Smithsonian Institute highly recommends Usborne books. Usborne books have received numerous book awards: Learning Magazine's Teachers' Choice award, Dr. Toy's 100 Best Children Products Awards, Parents' Choice Awards; Approval Ratings, plus more.

Buy: The Usborne Castle Jigsaw Book is available on Amazon.com for $14.95.

Win: The Usborne Castle Jigsaw Book provided by Moms Own Words. There is just one mandatory entry.

1. Mandatory Entry - Subscribe to my blog via email and you must confirm your email and activate your subscription. Leave a comment telling me you are a new subscriber or already subscribe. :) Thanks!

Extra Entries - For the following entries please make sure to include your email and if appropriate your link.

2. Follow my blog.
3. Follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/kristiannm) AND tweet about this giveaway (may be done daily).
4 Blog about this giveaway.
5 Grab my button for your site.
6 Post this giveaway on a linky or forum.
7 Follow me on Facebook.
8 Follow me on Facebook Networked Blogs.

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and the winner will be chosen by random.org. This giveaway is open until May 18, 2010, at 12:00 pm Eastern time and a winner will be announced soon thereafter. If the winner does not respond to my email within 48 hours then I will pick a new winner. Good luck!

Full Disclosure: I purchased this Usborne Book for this giveaway. I am not affiliated with Usborne books and opinions expressed are my own.

She-Rain A Story of Hope (by Michael Cogdill) Book Review

2010-04-26T11:40:00.000-07:00

About the Book: She Rain: A Story of Hope by Michael Cogdill (Morgan James Publishing; March 2010: 978-1-6003770202.

In the early 20th Century, a pair of North Carolina mountain children sow the seed of a love that becomes their only solace in the hard yet beautiful world they know. They grow it from a steep ground of poverty, ignorance and violence.

Years later, bloodshed sends Frank Locke on the run, deep into the wilderness, abandoning his love, Mary Lizbeth. A whitewater river washes this desperate soul into the hands of Sophia. Frank discovers a luminous woman steeped in mystery, trapped in a tragically brilliant life. Sophia is far ahead of her time and secreted from the world. She awakens Frank’s mind and they rise to meet a love that binds three people for a lifetime.

She-Rain speaks of lives soaring beyond heartbreak, fundamentalism and self-destruction. Through the most graceful longing, two women in love with one man ultimately prove the power of human hearts to answer high callings.

About the Author: Michael Cogdill is blessed as one of the most honored television storytellers in America. His cache of awards includes 24 Emmys and the National Edward R. Murrow for a broad range of achievement, from live reporting to long-form storytelling. His television credits as a journalist include CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, and The Today Show, and Michael's interview history crosses a wide horizon: The Reverend Billy Graham, Dr. Mehmet Oz of Oprah fame, Dr. Henry Kissinger, Abby Hoffman, Senator Hillary Clinton, Senator John McCain, Howard K. Smith, James Brown, Keith Lockhart of the Boston Pops and many other newsmakers. His coverage credits include Presidents and Vice Presidents of the United States.

Michael spent ten years writing She-Rain, letting it evolve into a world of fiction drawn from his upbringing in Western North Carolina but reaching far beyond. His other writing credits are Cracker the Crab and the Sideways Afternoon -- a children's motivational book, and a self-help volume, Raise the Haze. Michael makes his home in South Carolina with his wife, Jill (a publishing entrepreneur), and their second-generation golden retriever, Maggie. He's currently working on his second novel.

Check out my post of one of Mr. Cogdill’s articles called The High Calling of Hard Times: Leadership, Hope, and Radical Love -- Even on the TV News.

The Review: For Frank Locke Jr., the protagonist of She Rain: A Story of Hope, it is all of the women who come in and out of his life who shine the light of hope through their passion, nurturing and undying love.

There is a strong, protective love shared between Frank Jr.and his mother.
The story begins with the drug-induced rant of Frank Locke Jr.’s father. His violence is taken out on Frank Jr., who suffers a hurt neck and a wound from a chair. In an effort to protect her son, his mother (Dovie) attempts to step in and gets beaten right in front of Frank Jr.

Dovie’s sister Mattie has a poor family, an unfaithful husband Ulysses, and is always depending on Dovie for help. More tragedy follows Frank Jr, as he and Ulysses end up in a fight over the neglect of his family, and Dovie, trying to protect her son, kills Ulysses with a log splitter. Now in an effort to protect his mother, Frank Jr.tells his mother to say that he killed Ulysses and he flees.

Frank Jr. had these thoughts about his grandmother as he was on the run through the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

“With it along the ridges came some of Granny’s she-rain, scattered like lace. Little scraps broken off the clouds to drift alone, wherever the day might take them. Seeing it propped me up with the thought of her. How I had never seen Granny truly afraid. Heartbroken, she had sometimes been – but always lighter than fear it seemed – never letting it gain a full grip to pull her down.”

Despite his father’s addiction, the physical and mental abuse, and the horrible crime his mother has just committed, Frankie, alone and on the run, is able to reflect on something his Granny had said to him. She had a strong faith in God and a mountain mystic view of things.

“As she saw things, no human scrap of this life is made for the trash. Even the most ragged are fit to beautify somewhere. Fit for some quilting into the finery of creation.”

It’s Granny’s faith, spiritual guidance and love that helps Frank Jr.to see beyond the sorrow and heartbreak within his life. He is able to find the hope and courage to keep going.

It was these words of his Granny’s that influenced him to defend a poor, bullied girl named Mary Lizbeth in the schoolyard. While on his journey, he recalls the time, years later, he comes to her aid again, and she confesses her undying love to Frankie.

“Frankie, ever since you thought enough to offer a piece off your mother’s bread makin’ to that little pile of filth I was in the schoolyard, I have chosen you, Frankie Locke. You had little choice in that. I chose you. Put you down into my bones. Made you every bit a part of me as the legs that grew under me.”

The love that Frank Jr.and Mary Lizbeth share seems to have a strong biblical theme. It reminds me of the story Jesus tells in one of the gospels. “Whatsoever you do for the least of my brothers, that you do unto me.” Despite the tragedies of both of their lives, they have found a love in each other that transcends their place in time.

Now that he is on the run, Frank Jr.has abandoned Mary Lizbeth to protect his mother, but with sorrow, as he is still in love with her.

It is no coincidence that Frank Jr.literally falls into the arms of Sophia Proctor. Sophia ends up rescuing Frank Jr. from drowning. As fate would have it, Frank Jr. came to the aide of Mary Lizbeth, now Sophia has come to his aide. She is nurturing and loving and believes it truly was fate that she found and rescued him.

Sophia, like Mary Lizbeth is an outcast, shunned by society for the color of her skin. She was adopted by the wealthy, mill-owning Proctor family, but lives in secrecy, secluded from society. She is alone, except for her ailing mother, until she meets Frank Jr.

Frank Jr.’s life changes forever after meeting and falling in love with Sophia. The love triangle between Frank, Sophia and Mary Lizbeth takes some amazing turns but in the end it is the love of these women that heals and prevails.

The women are intricately woven into Frank Jr.’s life. Just like a tapestry, each one, is connected somehow and part of the whole. The author not only brings the southern characters to life with his clever dialect, but the beauty of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge mountains shines through in his fine written prose. When I consider the characters, the plot and the interwoven themes, I would not be surprised if this book becomes a classic, it is that well written and highly recommended.

She-Rain a story of hope is available on Amazon.com for $16.47.

Thank you to Caitlin from FSB Associates for the reveiw copy of She-Rain: A Story of Hope.

The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by the author, the manufacturer, or representing PR agency. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

Cascade Complete Review and $25 Walmart Gift Card Giveaway

2010-04-24T12:21:00.000-07:00

Price of Product: Cascade Complete All-In-1 ActionPacs are $15 for a tub of 48 at Amazon. They are also available at convenient locations like Target, Walmart and most grocery stores.

Description of Product: "Make every load a complete load by putting Cascade Complete's advanced cleaning system with extra enzymes to work for you. Each All-in-1 ActionPac contains pre-treating, food dissolving, stain fighting, shine shield and rinse aid power. Put your pre-soaking days behind you, and lighten your load with Cascade Complete All-in-1 ActionPacs. They break down, dissolve, and rinse away tough food particles, leaving your hands free and your dishes sparkling."

Review of Product: As directed, I made a blueberry cobbler (which we all enjoyed!) I left the dirty, blueberry stained, white Corning Ware dish out for 24 hours. Without rinsing, I put the dish on the bottom rack of the dishwasher and put my Cascade Complete All-in-1 ActionPac in its little cup, closed the lid, closed the washer and set the dishwasher for a normal wash.

In a perfect world, I would say my dish came out sparkling white and stain free. It was very close. My dish, while very clean, had a slight ring around the edge. Here are the before and after pictures. There is a faint ring-a-round stain on the inside of the dish. I thought getting that dirty dish clean was a very tall order, so I was still pretty impressed with the results. I did wash it with other dishes and I only used a regular cycle. I will give the product another try. P&G is offering you a chance to try the Cascade Complete All-in-1 ActionPacs too! P&G has provided a $25 gift card to Walmart (through My Blog Spark).

Win: A $25 Walmart Gift Card, provided by P&G through My Blog Spark. Thank you to Laura from My Blog Spark for the chance to participate in this review and giveaway. There is just one mandatory entry.

1. Mandatory Entry - Comment on what meal leaves the most mess on on your dishes.

Extra Entries - For the following entries please make sure to include your email and if appropriate your link.

2. Subscribe to my blog (either via email using the box in the left sidebar OR via RSS feed). If you already subscribe fill in the form saying you do. If you subscribe by email you MUST confirm your email and activate the subscription.
3. Follow my blog.
4. Follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/kristiannm) AND tweet about this giveaway (may be done daily).
5 Blog about this giveaway
6 Grab my button for your site
7 Post this giveaway on a linky or forum
8 Follow me on Facebook
9 Follow me on Facebook Networked Blogs

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only, 18 years old or over, and the winner will be chosen by random.org. This giveaway is open until May 14, 2010, at 12:00 pm Eastern time and a winner will be announced soon thereafter. If the winner does not respond to my email within 48 hours then I will pick a new winner. Good luck!

The Cascade Complete All-in-1 ActionPac kit, the information and the $25 Walmart gift card to give away were all provided by P&G through MyBlogSpark. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

Winners of the Power of Middle Ground Book

2010-04-22T13:26:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all who entered the Power of the Middle Ground Book giveaway.

The winners are # 4 Steph and Brady and # 16 Robyn.

Congratulations! I will be emailing you shortly!

Thank you for reading and subscribing to Moms Own Words.

A Day at the Boston Children's Musuem

2010-04-22T03:27:00.000-07:00

If you are visiting the city of Boston with your young children, a trip to the Boston Children's Museum is a great way to spend your day. The museum is a private, nonprofit educational institution that has been entertaining and teaching children for over 90 years. It is located on Children's Warf, 308 Congress Street, Boston and is open every day from 10-5 (and until 9:00 pm on Fridays). We spent Tuesday of our April vacation exploring all of the interesting exhibits.

There is nothing like having an entire area devoted to making bubbles and the wetter, soapier and messier, the better! The boys tried to make a huge bubble by standing inside a ring, that was dipped in bubble solution, and hoisting up the ring by a pulley. No boy in the bubble here, it was harder than it looked! They had a blast using the large rings to make enormous bubbles. James was proud of his gigantic bubble that I caught in a picture moments before it met its demise.

One of Ryan's favorite exhibits was the New Balance® Climb. This is a 3-story climbing sculpture made of brightly painted curved platforms that rise “like a fleet of magic carpets up the new glass lobby of the museum." Ryan loved making his way through the 3D, full body puzzle. I was afraid he would never come out! Can you see him peeking out at about mid-climb?

Peep's Big Wide World is WGBH’s Emmy award-winning science program and one of only a few programs that my kids still enjoy. At the Peep's World exhibit "young explorers investigate the science of sand, the wonder of water and the amazing shapes in shadows." James and Ryan had a ball playing in the giant water and sand tables. Instead of wearing the protective water vests that the museum provided, they opted to get soaking wet! The waterfall at Catfish creek is shown in the picture below.

The kids were able to ride a real bobcat in the Construction Zone. Inspired by Boston's big dig, the Construction Zone is a kid-sized world of building. Ramps, tunnels, and bridges give children the tools to imagine a city in transition.

During the months of April, May and June the museum is featuring a Curious George Let's Get Curious exhibit. Based on the stories by H.A. and Margret Rey, this exhibit "inspires young children's natural curiosity as they explore early science, math, and engineering through hands-on interactive play." We see Curious George in his space-suit (hanging just below the exit sign). Ryan had fun climbing up, posing for a picture and sliding back down Curious George's space rocket.

Also part of the Curious George exhibit, the kids placed these foam cubes into a chute connected to a large conveyor belt that you crank to move them down the line. Finally our favorite three monkeys take a break for a photo.

Other fun exhibits include the Recycle Shop,
Arthur and Friends, and the Japanese House, (a real house set-up within the museum).

When planning a visit, check to see if your local library participates in the library membership program at the museum. When you reserve a museum pass at your local (participating) library, the cost of admission is only $3 per person! For a list of participating libraries click here!

CSN Stores $50 Gift Card Giveaway!

2010-04-21T10:16:00.000-07:00

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by!

I am so thrilled to have the opportunity to give one of my readers a $50 gift card to CSN Stores! CSN stores will email one lucky Moms Own Words reader a $50 gift card to use at any of their 200+ online stores. What do CSN stores offer? You can find tv stands, furniture, toys, home decor, and so much more! To view a full list of CSN stores, click here.

Check out these great CSN store offers on Le Creuset:
Le creuset stoneware 10.5” x 7” Baking Dish with free 7” x 5” Bonus Dish
Le Creuset 6-Quart Stock Pot

How to Enter

1. Follow my blog. AND

2. Post about this giveaway on your blog and link back using InLinkz below. Please enter the link to your post and not to your entire blog.

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by!

Winner to be announced soon!

Giveaway ended on May 7, 2010 at 11:59 PM EST. Open to US and Canada. Winner will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. Please respond in 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, links not meeting requirements will be deleted.

Many thanks to Elieen for the CSN Stores Gift Card giveaway.

The product(s) featured in this giveaway were provided free of cost to me by the author, the manufacturer, or representing PR agency. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

She-Rain Author Michael Cogdill Guest Post

2010-04-20T03:41:00.000-07:00

I am currently reading She-Rain A story of Hope by author Michael Cogdill.
The story takes place in North Carolina in the early 20th century. Frank Locke is the young main character who suffers family tragedy and sorrow and finds himself on the run deep into the wilderness. He abandons one love and finds another. It is very interesting and well written. I am really getting into the story now and will be posting my review soon.

In the mean-time, here is an article (provided by Caitlin Price at FSB Associates) written by the author Michael Cogdill that I found very moving. Hope and love are always present, it all depends upon one's perspective. Enjoy.

The High Calling of Hard Times: Leadership, Hope, and Radical Love -- Even on the TV News

By Michael Cogdill,
Author of She-Rain: A Story of Hope

The complaints sail almost daily into my professional life. People tell me they find the news so depressing they can't watch anymore. I understand their longing for hope, even as I say the news contains a mother lode of the hope they crave. We journalists and viewers have a way of missing it, even as we look straight at it.
My answer grows from having covered terrible news on television for more than twenty-five years. Holding what I deem the sacredness of human grief on my very breath -- as a television reporter and anchor -- has revealed to me the power of the news to inform some of the best of humanity. It forms a lesson in leadership, especially in the worst of times.

Aristotle believed "happiness depends upon ourselves." In the coverage of stories such as 9-11, the earthquake in Haiti, or a suffering child in America, we discover the joy of our dependency upon one another. Those stories contain a radical love -- the kind we feel for a stranger in whose eyes we recognize something magnetically familiar. News of human suffering clarifies what Mother Theresa meant when she said charity isn't about pity. It's about love. Too often we who cover and consume the news -- or write about any human events -- fail to see through the hardship to find the leadership. We miss the seismic love.

A few years ago, a tiny piece of television brought me to a man whose life forms a clear window on the power of both. When we met, he was chronically underestimating the potency of a heroism he had lived. This is the soldiering story of George Campbell.

I met Mr. Campbell on a steaming day in June. We shot a TV public service announcement together for a terrific charity, Meals on Wheels, whose volunteers bring hot meals and priceless company to the elderly and infirm. Mr. Campbell lived a small life in a tiny house in Greenville, South Carolina. Apart from the tick of a clock in his living room, it seemed a life of nearly constant silence. Having finished our quick work, we chatted a moment. I had noticed a shadow box on his wall, holding some of the noblest honors the U.S. Military can award. When I asked about those medals, he stood silent for a time, then replied, "You know, son, it was almost 60 years ago to this day I set foot on that piece of France they called Omaha Beach."

That small retired pharmacist had served as an unarmed U.S. Army medic on D-Day. He had climbed out of a boat directly into the savagery General Eisenhower knew awaited the men of that terrible time.

Mr. Campbell, in his courtly, humble, and gentleman's way, told me of running through the Nazi hell that rained onto the men of that beach. He spoke of expecting, any moment, to join the swelling tide of death before him.

It took little time for his well-kept memory to reach the first fallen man he had found.

"I rolled him and saw it," he said. "A spurting wound of the chest. And there was a girl, right there with him. He had a girl's picture in his hand."

In the din of battle, that anonymous U.S. serviceman lay with blood flowing across the hands of Medic Campbell, and he begged him. "Help me get home, Doc. Help me outta here to see her again."

With me at his kitchen table, those sixty years later, Mr. Campbell withdrew into another moment's quiet. Then he spoke of a hopelessness he still felt. There was no saving that boy. He could only kneel there with him until death came. One terrified man had simply knelt with his hand on the blood-sodden chest of another, whom he did not know. That became George Campbell's full experience of D-Day. From one broken body to the next, he had made his way across that jagged beach, and he carried a despair of it across those sixty years to our time and place together -- there in his little house and near anonymous life in America.

"They died on me," he said, thrusting down tears. "All of them."

Every boy Medic Campbell had reached during his D-Day service had died. And palpable in his voice was the feeling of failure. He, in his private sadness of war, felt he had failed as a soldier and, on some levels, as a man.

What followed stands among the most valued and sacred moments of my career. For I had the opportunity, such as I am, to remind that gentle veteran of what he had done -- how he had led, and deeply loved, strangers through the worst time of their lives. It had clearly never dawned on him that, because of him, not one man he reached on that beach died alone. Because of his mettle, those men died witness to the terrified love and hope of a fellow man. As he knelt with them, he feared with them. I'm quite sure he wept with them. Yet he became their living courage, their leader to the mercies of death, a mortal usher who helped shoulder them to death's veil. Without being able to save a single life, he proved to them how courageous leadership truly feels -- not the absence of fear but the presence of care.

Up in his eyes, in that storm of doomed Nazi horror, dying men saw the very best of humanity. He led them to a ground of peace, forged their final relationships on earth. With him they experienced an intimacy with hope.

We men tend to rattle a bit when we venture a try at love talk. As I write this I can but hope I managed to convey to Mr. Campbell the stunning force of the love I felt from him. I can only trust I convinced him, in some small way, of the priceless difference his life had made in the withering moments of the lives of soldiers barely out of boyhood. He had become a quiet hero of Omaha Beach -- one of its many great leaders. If I could, I would call and remind him of this even now. I long for the opportunity -- even to thank him again for his service. Not long after our time together, shared there in his home and in his memories, Mr. Campbell died.

Yet he lives in this reporter's memory, and in the ways he makes me a better man. Because of my time with him, I am led to become a more caring writer -- of journalism and, yes, even fiction as it draws from our deepest reality.

Before his death, I was blessed to report a TV story on Mr. Campbell for the 60th anniversary of D-Day. As with so many, that story cast forth a human tragedy. To this day it is a story of war's unstoppable grief. Yet within it, viewed through the lens of the soul as well as the mind, that story gives off the hope of what great leaders do. They move toward the people they lead. They carry on lives of extravagant caring. With a broadness of the heart, they bear another's hurt with beautiful humility.

In the next story of what seems boundless grief on the news, may we each hear that whispered call to lead with such a radical, generous form of love. May we look within ourselves for the leader who quietly scatters hope where it seems only hurt will live. To paraphrase and nuance Gandhi just a bit, may we become the hope we long to see in the world.

And to that end: Veterans out there -- this reporter says, THANK YOU! This writer of journalism and fiction owes you a debt beyond words. And to you, Mr. Campbell, peace to your spirit, sir, with gratitude for trusting, and loving, me enough to share that great triumph of your days.

© 2010 Michael Cogdill, author of She-Rain: A Story of Hope

Author Bio
Michael Cogdill is blessed as one of the most honored television storytellers in America. His cache of awards includes 24 Emmys and the National Edward R. Murrow for a broad range of achievement, from live reporting to long-form storytelling. His television credits as a journalist include CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, and The Today Show, and Michael's interview history crosses a wide horizon: The Reverend Billy Graham, Dr. Mehmet Oz of Oprah fame, Dr. Henry Kissinger, Abby Hoffman, Senator Hillary Clinton, Senator John McCain, Howard K. Smith, James Brown, Keith Lockhart of the Boston Pops and many other newsmakers. His coverage credits include Presidents and Vice Presidents of the United States.

Michael spent ten years writing She-Rain, letting it evolve into a world of fiction drawn from his upbringing in Western North Carolina but reaching far beyond. His other writing credits are Cracker the Crab and the Sideways Afternoon -- a children's motivational book, and a self-help volume, Raise the Haze. Michael makes his home in South Carolina with his wife, Jill (a publishing entrepreneur), and their second-generation golden retriever, Maggie. He's currently working on his second novel.

For more information, please visit http://she-rain.blogspot.com.

Living Proof No Frizz StylingTreatment for Healthy Hair - A Review

2010-04-17T10:39:00.000-07:00

Everybody strives to have healthy hair. I have coarse, naturally curly hair that I blow dry straight at least every other day. As I have gotten older, I have noticed my hair is not only getting thinner, it appears to be getting drier, duller, and frizzier than I ever remember.

Could it be the fact that I have color treated my hair for several years? Maybe it’s my hormones, choice of shampoos, damage from blow drying, or the salt and sweat from exercise. Most likely it is a combination of all of these things that have had a negative influence on my hair’s condition.

I am always in the market for hair products that can add more shine, straighten, eliminate my hair’s frizz caused by humidity and friction and overall, make my hair look healthy. That’s a tall order for a hair product!

Imagine my surprise when I discovered Living Proof – a no frizz styling treatment for thick, coarse hair. Thank you Ali for sending me a sample of Living Proof’s no frizz styling cream.

From Living Proof – “No Frizz styling treatment is part of a new collection of breakthrough, anti-frizz products which contain the first new frizz-taming technology in over 30 years. Invented by Living Proof scientists, PolfluoroEster is a new, proprietary material not found in any other beauty products that creates an extremely thin barrier on hair and eliminates the main cause of frizz. Humidity is prevented from penetrating the hair shaft and friction between hair fibers is reduced for the most effective anti-frizz action.

This rich, conditioning daily treatment provides optimum frizz-reduction and conditioning benefits for thick coarse hair, without weighing it down. The NO FRIZZ Styling treatment is available in two formulations: Straight Making for women who prefer straighter styles, and Wave-Shaping, Curl Defining for women who prefer to refine their natural curls and waves.

The Review: I really put this Living Proof product to the test. Let me set the stage. I usually wash my hair every other day. However, last night I was out with my best friend for margaritas and South-of –Border appetizers and naturally I blew my diet. This morning I had to jog on the treadmill to make up for it. My hair was wet with sweat and I was washing it for the second day in a row! When you already have dry, frizzy hair, this is a sin!

I used a dime-sized amount of Living Proof on my damp hair and really worked it in. I blow dried my hair and was pleasantly surprised with my results. My hair had a nice shine, little to no frizz and looked healthy. Here is how it came out.

Please note that I only used a dime-sized amount. The directions require using a dollop or at least a quarter-sized amount. Unfortunately, I read that after using the product. Now I know. Also, in all fairness, the air was not humid, which normally causes excessive frizz. I was impressed at how conditioned and shiny my hair appears. (I only used a blow dryer.) Next time, I will use a generous amount of the product and the result should be shiny, no frizz, healthy hair!

Living Proof No Frizz Styling Treatments are available at Sephora stores nationwide, Sephora.com, QVC.com and www.livingproof.com.

The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by the author, the manufacturer, or representing PR agency. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

Scandle Body Candle® (Body Massage Candle) Review and Giveaway

2010-04-15T11:51:00.000-07:00

This Giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by.

What is a Scandle Body Candle® you ask? This is a candle that burns at 2 degrees above body temperature and produces a soothing healing body oil. The Scandle may be used for massage, cuticle treatments for manicures/pedicures, or as an everyday moisturizer. A candle that can also be used as a massage oil? (They had me at candle.)

The Scandle Body Candle is another unique gift idea for you Mom! For Mother's day!

Thank you Charlie for sending me the Scandle Candle Travel Tin in the Uplifting Blend for this review and giveaway.

From abodycandle.com - Are you fond of body massage oil and fragrant spa candles? What if you could combine them both into a massage oil candle that combined the potent scent of a candle with the comfort of an essential oil massage lotion? Our Scandle body candles do just that, beginning as a delightful soy candle that melts into a wonderful body lotion suitable for skin care or as a soothing massage lotion. There is nothing quite like a body candle massage, with the wonderful aroma of our massage oil aromatherapy candles working equally well as a room-enhancing scent and as a aromatherapy soy lotion for your skin. Consider a soy body candle for massage purposes, or just use one of our massage candle varieties for aromatherapy purposes—our spa candles have many uses, and are sure to become your favorite body lotion candle.

The Review – The Scandle Travel Tin is 2 ½” x 2 ½” – a nice small travel size. The travel tin has a silicone band that reads Reduce – Reuse – Recycle, reminding the consumer to “think green”. According to the company, the candles are healthy for the environment - emitting less soot and toxins into the environment than parrafin candles.

I burned the Scandle Candle for thirty minutes, until it melted to the edge of the canister. This ensures an even burn each time. I extinguished the flame and touched the oil. I honestly expected the oil to be very hot to the touch, but as the company indicates, the candle burns at only 2 degrees above body temperature and the body oil simply felt warm. I massaged some of the oil into my arm and it felt nice. The aroma of Uplifting Blend was a subtle clean scent. After about twenty minutes, I checked my arm. It felt moisturized and smooth, not at all greasy.

I plan to burn the candle again and massage my dry cuticles. I foresee a nice body massage in my future as well! This candle will burn for up to 30 hours. That is a lot of massages! If you love candles like I do, you must add the Scandle Candle to your collection and get more use out of your candles (wink wink)!

But It: The Scandle Candle Travel Tin is available online at www.abodycandle.com for $13.95.

This Giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by.

Win It: The winner will receive the same aromatherapy Scandle Candle Travel Tin in the Uplifting Blend scent. There is just one easy, mandatory entry!

Mandatory Entry: Please visit abodycandle.com check out the products in their Scandle Store and leave a comment about which product caught your eye.

Additional (optional) entries: Eligible after completing mandatory entry above: You can do any or all of the following for one entry each. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done. As always, please include your email address in your comments!

1. Follow my blog.

2. Follow me on Twitter.

3. Tweet about this giveaway.

4. Grab my blog button and place it on your side bar. (Leave a link to your blog.)

5. Follow me on Networked Blogs.

6. Follow me on Facebook.

7. Mention this giveaway on Facebook.

8. Write a post about this giveaway on your blog. (Leave a link to your blog.)

Giveaway ended on May 6, 2010 at 11:59 PM EST. Open to US addresses only. Winner will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. Please respond in 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, comments not meeting requirements will be deleted.

Many thanks to Charlie for the review and giveaway Scandle Candle Travel Tins.

The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by the author, the manufacturer, or representing PR agency. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

Wordless Wednesday Signs of Spring in New England

2010-04-14T07:03:00.000-07:00

I am always amazed that my perennial plants and shrubs are able to survive our tough New England winters. Seeing the signs of new life is just as amazing to me as seeing the plant in full bloom.

I actually thought my Peony plant didn't make it. I brushed aside some bark mulch and this is what I found.

Last season, I added this Honeysuckle plant to one of the planters on my deck. I am thrilled to see signs of new life here!

And here we have my American Bittersweet - nothing short of a nuclear disaster would take the life of this hearty plant! You've gotta love perennials! Happy Spring!

Green Sewn 100% Recycled Vintage Silk Scarves/Saris Winner

2010-04-12T10:55:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for entering the Green Sewn Recycled Vintage Silk Scarves/Saris giveaway. The winner is # 92 Kat. Congratulations Kat! I will be emailing you soon.

Thank you for reading and subscribing to Moms Own Words.

The L Tote Sondra Roberts Eco-Friendly Handbag Giveaway

2010-04-12T07:43:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for a versatile handbag that is bright, bold and eye-catching? If so, the L Tote from Sondra Roberts fits the bill. In addition to the bright colors and shiny nickle hardware, the L Tote has intricate trapunto circle stitching, a large outside zipped pocket, an optional extended shoulder strap and amazingly, these handbags are eco-friendly - made of faux leather!

These bags retail for $124.00, but you have a pretty good chance of winning one! Visit Handbago.com and enter to win one of ten L totes!

I am sharing this information because I believe my reader’s can benefit from the opportunity. No monetary compensation or product was received for sharing this information.

WomenFreebies.com - Enter to Win Sterling Silver Heart Drop Earrings

Nondyebo Art Decorative, Hand Painted Apron Review and Giveaway

2010-04-09T11:11:00.000-07:00

This Giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by.
Mother's Day is fast approaching and you may be in the market for a unique gift for your Mother, a friend, your sister or better yet, something for yourself. While you may think an apron isn't a very exciting gift idea, these hand painted, cotton fabric aprons are certainly an exception. These aprons are decorative, hand painted originals made by Nondyebo Art. These aprons comes all the way from a small township in South Africa called Masiphumelele.

The Artist:
Nondyebo is a Xhosa artist who lives in Masiphumelele, which is near Cape Town, South Africa. Masiphumelele is a township with about 25,000 residents, many very poor, most living in shacks, all coping with the resultant economic and social deprivation and often difficult health problems. After training with another artist, Nondyebo established her own workshop. With the assistance of Jane Philippi and the Masiphumelele Corporation, Nondyebo has built a home and supports her mother and three children through her craft.

Nondyebo employs several other women who all work on the products. Nondyebo products are sold in Cape Town South Africa at the waterfront markets and are available in the US through Jane Philippi.

Jane Philippi and the Masiphumelele Corporation:
The Masiphumelele Corporation is a non-profit foundation dedicated to the housing, education and microbusiness development in the township of Masiphumelele, South Africa. Jane Philippi is a volunteer who supports and mentors the enterprise recipients like Nandyebo who are running their own small businesses. Jane, who lives in the US, visits Masiphumelele annually.

Nondyebo is the first entrepreneur to appear on the Masiphumelele Corporation website.

From Masicorp.org: Nondyebo Art products are made with a sturdy cotton fabric, hand-painted with acrylic paints and machine stitched. Most designs are available across a range of products for example; table cloths, aprons, table runners, placemats and pillows covers.

A heat process assures the materials are machine washable. We recommend machine-washing in cool or cold water, using a cool drying cycle to maintain colors. Placemats are double-sided and lined with a light batting. Pillow covers are best filled with 20 by 20 inch pillows.Tea and dish towel fabrics are softer than the other products.Table cloths are available in rectangular and round. Please visit masicorp.org to see all of the Nondyebo Art products.

The Review: I received two Nondyebo Aprons for this review courtesy of Jane Philippi. The aprons are 100% cotton fabric and machine washable in cold water. The tag states "Hand painted...Made in South Africa Cape Town."

The hand-painted zebra apron has four zebras painted on the front of the apron. The horizontal and vertical white stripes on the black sides are a nice compliment and add interest. I have never seen an apron quite like it.

The green apron with blue flowers is my favorite. The colors are bold and beautiful. The green and white stripes on the side are eye catching. The brush strokes give the fabric the appearance of having a different texture.

Buy It: Nondyebo Art Aprons are $30 plus shipping. Orders may be placed through Jane Philippi (janephil@aol.com). Please Note: Neither Masiphumelele Corporation nor Jane Philippi receive any compensation on sales of Nondyebo Art.

This Giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by.

Win It: The winner will receive either the zebra or green floral apron. There is just one easy, mandatory entry!

Mandatory Entry: Please comment on which apron you would like to win!

Additional (optional) entries: Eligible after completing mandatory entry above: You can do any or all of the following for one entry each. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done. As always, please include your email address in your comments!

1. Follow my blog.

2. Follow me on Twitter.

3. Tweet about this giveaway.

4. Grab my blog button and place it on your side bar. (Leave a link to your blog.)

5. Follow me on Networked Blogs.

6. Follow me on Facebook.

7. Mention this giveaway on Facebook.

8. Write a post about this giveaway on your blog. (Leave a link to your blog.)

Giveaway ended on April 30 at 11:59 PM EST. Open to US addresses only. Winner will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. Please respond in 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, comments not meeting requirements will be deleted.

Many thanks to Jane Philippi for the review/giveaway aprons.

The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by the author, the manufacturer, or representing PR agency. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

Kiss My Face Breath Blast Mouth Rinse Winner

2010-04-07T09:42:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for entering the Kiss My face Breath Blast Mouth Rinse giveaway. The lucky winner is #13, Roxy!

Congratulations Roxy! I will be emailing you shortly.

Thank you for reading and subscribing to Moms Own Words.

Boutique on Feet Sunglasses and Wallet Review and Giveaway

2010-04-07T03:24:00.000-07:00

This Giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by.

Do you ever wonder where people are getting their trendy looking sunglasses? Are they really spending hundreds of dollars for that look? Consider your wallet. Are you ready for a designer inspired change?

I have discovered a traveling boutique that offers trendy sunglasses, wallets, handbags, clothing and other must-have accessories all in one online place for bargain prices. The sunglasses that I am reviewing are called "Santa Cruz" and the wallet is simply called "Mandy". Thank you to Erica and Shelley, founders of Boutique on Feet, for these review and giveaway gifts.

From Boutique on Feet: Boutique on Feet was started by two moms who happen to love fashion, NYC, celebrity trends and great bargains! After dipping in to a few "purse parties", they decided to take their parties a step further. After doing some research and finding the looks and prices that fit their vision, they decided to launch "Boutique on Feet".

Boutique on Feet is just that . . . a traveling boutique. The ladies of Boutique on Feet wanted a fun way to bring shopping and friendship together. . .in the comfort of your own home or office. Their parties are relaxing, fun and always a hit among the guests who attend.

Now, realizing they wanted to expand and offer their great products to ladies outside the NC area, they went ahead and launched their online boutique . . . another way to shop trendy pieces at reasonable prices, in the comfort of home. Boutique on Feet's online parties bring the same concept as their home parties . . .without leaving the home.

Boutique on Feet is constantly growing and adding new merchandise. Many styles you see are often similar to what is seen on celebrities ... without the high price tag. You do not have to pay top dollar to look good and stay on top of the current trends . . . it's all about putting the right pieces together that fit your style and personality.

The Santa Cruz Sunglasses: The sunglasses are black plastic with the words "Italian Design" stamped the inside frame as well as "Made in China". The frames have an interesting design which looks like two silver horseshoes that attach the frame arms. The frame arms have the same horseshoe design, giving it almost an animal print appearance. I like the size of these glasses, the lenses aren't too big. I will certainly wear them and I'm sure people will wonder if they are an expensive designer pair of sunglasses.

Buy Them: The Sant Cruz Sunglasses are available online at Boutique on Feet for $14.00.

The Mandy Wallet: This wallet is made of a dark chocolate brown faux-leather and measures 7" x 3.75". As you see in the picture is has a cute ruffle design. There are ten silver rivets placed between the ruffles. The wallet opens by pushing down on the top silver button. The wallet is actually more of a case and once opened, it lies flat. There is a pocket for cash and a zippered pocket for change. The opposite side has a long pocket and on top of the long pocket are six slots for credit cards, license etc... I like the unique look and feel of this wallet.

Buy It: The Mandy Wallet is available on Boutique on Feet for $14.00.

This Giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by.

Win Both: Enter to win the Santa Cruz Sunglasses and the Mandy wallet! There is just one mandatory entery.

Mandatory Entry: Please visit Boutique on Feet and browse! Come back on comment on an item you really like.

Additional (optional) entries- Eligible after completing mandatory entry above: You can do any or all of the following for one entry each. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done. As always, please include your email address in your comments!

1. Follow my blog.

2. Follow me on Facebook.

3. Mention this giveaway on Facebook.

4. Grab my blog button and place it on your side bar. (Leave a link to your blog.)

5. Follow me on Networked Blogs.

6. Follow me on Twitter.

7. Tweet this giveaway, may be done once daily!

8. Write a post about this giveaway on your blog. (Leave a link to your blog.)

Giveaway ended on April 28 at 11:59 PM EST. Open to US addresses only. Winner will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. Please respond in 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, comments not meeting requirements will be deleted.

Many thanks to Shelley and Erica for the review and giveaway sunglasses and wallet.

The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by the author, the manufacturer, or representing PR agency. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

A Little Advice for Sandra Bullock

2010-04-06T06:50:00.000-07:00

Apparently Jesse James has thrown in the towel as far as rehab is concerned. The Huffington Post reports that a week after checking into an Arizona rehab facility, multiple reports say Jesse James has checked right back out.

Radar reports that he left when estranged wife Sandra Bullock wouldn't take his phone call as part of group therapy on Sunday:

Jesse desperately wants to put the marriage back together and his lawyer recently described him as a "broken man." He went into rehab for sex addiction treatment on his own, without Sandra requesting he get help.

But when she refused to take his call, he took off, a source familiar with the situation told RadarOnline.com exclusively.

Is Jesse James a sex addict or does he have an ego the size of California? I am impressed that he actually lasted one entire week in therapy. Wasn't that about how long he waited after their marriage before playing the field? Some people just aren't the marrying kind.

I thought I would chime in and offer some words of advice to Sandra Bullock.

Robert Pattinson

Birth Name Robert Thomas-Pattinson

Nickname Rob

Height 6' 1" (1.85 m)

Mini Biography: Robert Pattinson was born on May 13, 1986, in London, England. He enjoys music and is an excellent musician, playing both the guitar and piano.

or......how....about

Taylor Daniel Lautner

Height 5' 10½" (1.79 m)

Mini Biography: Born on February 11th, 1992 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Taylor Daniel Lautner has shown he was destined for a successful life from a very young age. Although, he wants to continue acting into adulthood, he wouldn't mind becoming a film scriptwriter and director. Certainly, this is one young boy who is bound to do well in whatever he sets his mind to!

Hey, it works for them!

Just a thought.

Ann-Made Art Eco-Friendly Bracelet Winner

2010-04-01T14:54:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for entering the Ann-Made Art Eco-Friendly Bracelet giveaway. The lucky winner is #28, One Frugal Lady, her comment read...

I follow you!
onecheaplady@yahoo.com

March 12, 2010 7:41 AM

Congratulations, I will be emailing you shortly! Thank you for reading, following and subscribing to Moms Own Words!

Stayed tuned for these review/giveaways:

Boutique on Feet.

Scandle Candle

April Fools

2010-04-01T11:33:00.000-07:00

April Fool's Day is nearly over and I hope you survived! When my son figured out it was April 1st, he said, "Oh Mom! There is a bug in your coffee!" I'm glad he didn't put much more thought into it than that....you know like putting cellophane over the toilet bowl (under the seat).

Jamie Kennedy's Show, "The Jamie Kennedy Experiment" is pretty funny for one of those "Candid Camera" "Punked" type of shows. On his show people get "x" ed. (I don't think the show airs anymore.)

Both short videos have some pretty funny moments - and that's no April Fools! Enjoy!

Weighted Hula Hoops for Weight Loss

2010-03-30T07:37:00.000-07:00

Just when I thought I was on a roll with my exercise routine, I found out that three hours on the treadmill and about an hour of weight training (per week) just isn't enough to shed the pounds! According to Lindsey Tanner's article "Daily Hour of Exercise Needed to Stay Thin", new research indicates, "At least an hour of moderate activity a day is needed for older women at a healthy weight who aren't dieting. For those who are already overweight -- and that's most American women -- even more exercise is called for to avoid gaining weight without eating less, the study results suggest."

When I saw the weighted Hula Hoops, for weight loss, I thought this might be a fun way to add additional exercise to my workouts. Check out this one weighted set available on Amazon. One reviewer indicates losing 5 lbs. in a week by just adding 10 minutes of hooping a night.

There is just one problem. I don't know how to Hula Hoop! I was under the impression that it is an ability that super thin and perky people are just born with. Maybe if I study videos like this one, I could learn to "feel the hoop".

The good news is that weighted hula hoops (about 3 -5 lbs.)may be easier to twirl than a regular hula hoop because of greater resistance. Peter McCall, a spokesperson with the American Council on Exercise says, "The bigger and heavier the hoop, the easier it is to keep the hoop going - and the more likely you'll be able to hoop for longer periods of time."

Apparently, the size of the hoop matters! McCall says that the hoop should reach somewhere between your waist and your chest when it is resting vertically on the ground. Any type of Hula Hooping can be an aerobic activity - especially if you're able to hoop for 10 minutes. (Let's try 10 seconds first!)

If she can do it......

Check out my other post on fun forms of exercise.

Can you hula hoop? What you think of hula hooping for exercise?

Beyond Blue Book Winners

2010-03-29T14:41:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for entering the Beyond Blue Book Giveaway. The five lucky winners are:
12 Time4Mommy
42 Jaime
23 Janet Faye
64 Perfect Blue Moon
9 Busy Woring Mama.

I will be emailing shortly!

Thank you for reading, following and subscribing to Moms Own Words!

Apple Ipod Touch 8 GB Third Generation

2010-03-29T03:19:00.000-07:00

Enter to win an Apple Ipod Touch 8GB Third Generation over at the Savvy Coupon Mommy.

For details on this giveaway item and to find out how you can enter to win, Go there now!

Friday Follow March 26 w/ " I LOVE TOOTH SOAP®" CASH Giveaway!

2010-03-26T03:22:00.001-07:00

Friday Follow March 26th with cash giveaway!!

Sponsored by:

Welcome to a SPECIAL edition of Friday Follow celebration hosted by One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families and Midday Escapades! Visit any of these wonderful blogs to find out more about Friday Follow.

THREE one hundred dollar cash prizes up for grabs from Toothsoap.com as a thank you for your Friday Follow participation! Don't miss Friday Follow this week!

The Power of the Middle Ground A Couple's Guide..Book Review and 2 Book Giveaway

2010-03-25T09:30:00.000-07:00

A US marriage in the 21st century has about a 50% chance of failing. The Americans for Divorce Reform predicts that, "Probably, 40 or possibly even 50 percent of marriages will end in divorce if current trends continue.”

The divorce rate is Switzerland is about half that number at 25%. What is the Swiss secret? A group of Swiss researchers claim to have the formula to increase a couple’s chances of acquiring a happy marriage. The wife should be five years younger, come from the same cultural background and be 27 percent smarter than her husband.

While here in the US the ages and cultural backgrounds of couples do vary, ladies, it is not your fault that every last one of you is more than 27 percent smarter than your husbands!

So if our marriages are on shaky ground what do we do? One thing that is sure to help is reuniting with our partners back on the more stable, middle ground.

About the Book: The Power of the Middle Ground: A Couple’s Guide to Renewing Your Relationship by Marty Babits, LCSW, BCD. Prometheus Books. ISBN- 978-1591026624. December 2008.

The Power of the Middle Ground teaches couples how to achieve a much greater impact in solving difficult interpersonal problems. Couples envision a place that brings their potential for love and compassion alive - the Middle Ground. Each partner learns to approach problems productively and neither can dominate.

The Power of the Middle Ground details a series of exercises that equips couples to appreciate and actualize what is positive and possible in their relationship. The Power of the Middle Ground empowers partners to negotiate differences, emphasize the positive, see the issues from the other’s point of view, defuse anger, and rekindle warmth and love.

About the Author: Marty Babits, LCSW, BCD (New York, NY) is a psychotherapist in private practice and a member of the Executive Supervisory Committee of FACTS (the Family and Couples Treatment Service) of the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy.

The Review: Babits admits to having had his own difficulties communicating with his partner, and had come to see that they were fighting with themselves in each other’s presence. I connected with what he states (in the introduction): “I realize now that the problem was that neither of us had evolved to the point where we felt secure enough within ourselves to risk giving up even one iota of personal prerogative, for fear that not only would that iota never be recovered, but that it would precipitate an avalanche of chaos within each of our fragile self-systems.” When I read that, I knew he was speaking about us and probably so many other couples.

Conversation can become an extension of a power struggle and as a result can frustrate, and distance partners. Babit’s three-step communication formula provides a solution that is meant to bring both partners together. Here is his simple formula:

1. You state what you feel.
2. You state when you feel it (the circumstances under which it usually occurs).
3. You invite your partner to respond and join you in talking about what is bothering you.

According to Babit, you-statements are perceived as an attack, with the basic three-step communication formula, you are not using “you” statements but “I” statements.

Babit reveals that some of his patients protested to trying to talk this way, as it required too much thinking. He also says that improving a relationship is hard work and learning new ways to talk to each other is a big part of it. I couldn’t agree more.

The chapter on parenthood is divided into two sections, the first half focuses on problems that may arise when parenting a child with “special needs”. The second half focuses on the relationships of those parents who focus all of their attention on nurturing their children at the expense of neglecting their partner.

The book includes case examples of different types of couples, heterosexual, homosexual and senior couples. In each case, the couples work through the three basic communication exercises. The couples experience a conversation in which they take turns and express themselves fully without making accusations or implying blame. The listener explicitly acknowledges the speaker’s feelings.

Chapter seven is a review of the seven guidelines for middle ground communication. This chapter gives a condensed overview of the seven guidelines and is convenient for quick reference.

An entire chapter is devoted to letting go of anger. The chapter includes exercises to help determine your anger profile as well as an exercise to develop an anger genogram (family tree) to explore (anger) traits that may have been inherited.

I enjoyed reading this comprehensive couple’s guide and look forward to applying some of the principles regarding communication that I’ve learned. If couples take the time to read this book and honestly work on the exercises together, rekindling warmth and love within their marriage is very possible.

Buy It: The Power of the Middle Ground is available on Amazon.com for $14.02.

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by!

Win It: Julie from FSB Associates is generously offering two copies of The Power of the Middle Ground to my readers.

To Enter is easy, just one mandatory entry.

Mandatory Entry:

1. How is the communication between you and your partner? Comment on whether it is perfect or needs improvement. (We could personally use some improvement!)
--Include your email address (if not public in a profile) so I can contact you if you win.

Additional (optional) entries- Eligible after completing mandatory entry above: You can do any or all of the following for one entry each. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done.

1. Follow my blog.

2. Follow me on Facebook.

3. Mention this giveaway on Facebook.

4. Grab my blog button and place it on your side bar. (Leave a link to your blog.)

5. Follow me on Networked Blogs.

6. Follow me on Twitter.

7. Tweet this giveaway.

8. Write a post about this giveaway on your blog. (Leave a link to your blog.)

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by!

Giveaway ends Thursday, on April 22st at 11:59 PM EST. Open to US addresses only. Winners will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. Please respond in 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, comments not meeting requirements will be deleted.

Many thanks to Julie for the review and giveaway copies of The Power of the Middle Ground!

The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by the author, the manufacturer, or representing PR agency. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

CyberCube Giveaway Winner

2010-03-24T10:18:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for entering the Cybercube giveaway. The winner is #50 Misty! Congratulations Misty. I will be emailing you shortly! Thank you for reading and subscribing Moms Own Words!

Green Sewn 100% Recycled Vintage Saris Silk Scarves and Wraps Review and Giveaway

2010-03-22T05:51:00.000-07:00

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by.

One of the quickest ways to dress up an outfit is to add a colorful scarf or wrap. This simple accessory can turn a plain outfit into an "OMG" outfit in a snap.

While many traditional silk scarves consist of a few colors, one simple pattern and fabric, Green Sewn scarves and wraps are unique in that they are "green sewn" from 100% recycled vintage Indian Saris. A 35" wide silk wrap consists of at least eight different patterns recycled from a variety of vintage saris. Thank you Dan from Green Sewn for sending my the 35" wide wrap for this review.

From Green Sewn - GreenSewn is an eco fashion design company that creates unique eco-chic one of a kind scarves by recycling old vintage saris. If you don't know what a sari is, it's a long (usually 15 feet or more) garment worn by women in India. Our recycled vintage sari scarves are colorful, intricately patterned, and sometimes have intricate gold "zari" work hand woven into the borders. We collect the softest and prettiest old saris and lovingly recycle them into luxurious, authentic, ultra limited edition and gloriously colorful green fashion creations that are both sexy and sustainable.
Our designs are made from upcycled materials, and each piece is unique, with it's own special history and charm. Slight imperfections and signs of wear from a past life are normal and we believe they add to the beauty and authenticity of the product. To make selection easier, we group colors together into families and the colors shown on our site are representations. You will get close to, but not exactly what you see on this site. We are confident that you will love your one of a kind item.

The Review - The wrap I received is similar to the one shown in the picture above, with colors in the red family. The colors are so vibrant and will certainly make this wrap the focal point of any outfit. This accessory can either be worn as a wrap or a scarf.

Upon close inspection, the slight imperfections only add character, just enough to make me wonder about the "past lives" of this wrap. Notice the different patterns that all come together to make this one-of-a kind wrap.

The wrap measures approximately 6 feet long, 35" wide and is made from a minimum of 75% recycled silk saris. The balance is made from other assorted, recycled materials. As a fragile, silk item the wrap is dry clean only. The Green Sewn scarves and wraps are made in India.

While red is not for everyone, I am able to wear tomato red shades and love the patterns and colors that make up this "green" item. I tried it on with a white top as a wrap, and tied it into different configurations and wore it as a scarf. I tied the ends together, wrapped it around my neck and wore it as an "infinity" scarf also.

For all of us that believe in recycling and eco-friendly products, Green Sewn accessories like this wrap are a beautiful way of going green.

Buy It: Wraps of all different colors are available on Green Sewn for $65.00 each.

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by.

Win It: Dan from Green Sewn is offering one of my readers one of these 100% recycled vintage saris wraps. To enter is easy - There is just one mandatory entry.

Mandatory Entry: Since the winner will be able to choose their favorite, what better way to enter than to go to Green Sewn and take a look at the wrap's color choices and come back here and comment on your favorite.
Additional (optional) entries- Eligible after completing mandatory entry above: You can do any or all of the following for one entry each. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done. As always, please include your email address in your comments!

1. Follow my blog.

~~2. Follow me on Facebook.~~

~~3. Mention this giveaway on Facebook.~~

~~4. Grab my blog button and place it on your side bar. (Leave a link to your blog.)~~

~~5. Follow me on Networked Blogs.~~

~~6. Follow me on Twitter.~~

~~7. Tweet this giveaway.~~

~~8. Write a post about this giveaway on your blog. (Leave a link to your blog.)~~

Giveaway ends on April 12st at 11:59 PM EST. Open to US addresses only. Winner will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. Please respond in 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, comments not meeting requirements will be deleted.

Many thanks to Dan for the review and giveaway Green Sewn Wraps!

The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by the author, the manufacturer, or representing PR agency. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

Donna Simpson Making Six Figures From Having Six Figures

2010-03-20T09:30:00.000-07:00

Donna Simpson is becoming a household name. She is being talked about on broadcast news, on the Internet and on talk radio.

In case you haven't heard, Donna Simpson is a 41-year-old New Jersey mom who weighs 600 lbs. She has announced to the world that she is going for the Guinness Book of World Records by gaining another 400 lbs., so that she will tip the scales at 1,000 pounds - a four-figure weight.

The talk radio show hosts want to know what you and I think of this. So I thought about it for a bit.

Way back when, circuses used to have these side-shows where you could pay extra to take a look at the shortest woman in the world, the tallest man in the world, and of course, the fat lady. As I recall, I think the shortest woman and the tallest man got married. I just remember as a kid flipping through the Guinness Book of World records to find all of these mesmerizing photos (and I remember reading about the marriage there.)

In the age of the Internet and video cameras, Donna Simpson doesn't have to join the circus, she can "perform" for us from the comfort of her own home. We are curious about the abnormal and it is hard to look away.

But what about the people that pay to watch her eat on the Internet? Who is more abnormal? While she is feeding her face, she is feeding society's dysfunction and laughing all the way to the bank. (But I'm not sure how she actually gets to the bank.)

One talk show host thought that if Donna Simpson gets her reality show that viewers would be so disgusted that it would be incentive for them to lose weight. I disagree. I think those that choose to watch will say, "Oh, I am not that bad, just twenty pounds overweight, (ok maybe thirty)."

I don't think any good will come from Donna's venture to gain 400 pounds. I can't imagine any proceeds going to any charitable organizations. I can't imagine her children becoming well-adjusted, healthy adults. I can't even imagine Donna Simpson's quality of life at 1,000 pounds.

I realize how far gone she is when she says she doesn't, "Buy into all the diseases that come with being overweight." Sadly, I can imagine that some of the cash she makes from her reality show and Internet website will be paying for her extra large coffin.

Friday Follow A Celebration of Followers March 19

2010-03-19T03:48:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday Follow!

This weeks Friday Follow sponsor is Bea’s Gift Baskets.com.

To find out how to participate in Friday follow go here.

While you are here, link up your giveaways and check Moms Own Words current giveaways!

Thursday Giveaway Mclinky hosted by Moms Own Words and Make Ahead Meals

2010-03-18T07:27:00.000-07:00

Golden Giveaway Thursday!

We want to spread the word about your fantastic giveaways!
Moms Own Words and Make Ahead Meals are teaming up on Thursdays to promote all of your awesome giveaways. Anyone who is running an active blog giveaway during this week is welcome to leave the link to their giveaway post in Mr. Linky below.

Just leave the direct link below to the blog giveaway that you want everyone to enter! Please note, all links are for giveaways only. All others will be deleted.

Please leave your link name in the following format: Name/Blog name/Product Name – (end date month/date).

If you would like to join Golden Giveaway Thursday, grab the code and please link back to us!

We would love to hear from you! Comments, comments we love comments!

Kiss My Face Breath Blast Mouth Rinse Review and Giveaway

2010-03-17T06:40:00.000-07:00

This giveaway in now closed. Thanks for stopping by.

Picture this. You are out for a night on the town with your girl friends and your laughing about the good old days and then, speaking of the good old days, in walks (who you think is) your old high school flame. Let’s call him Mario. But it’s dark, so you aren’t quite sure. Oh-My-God, you think. You two love birds were “engaged ” all four years of high school and you haven’t laid eyes on him in fifteen years. Your heart starts fluttering.

He approaches and your eyes widen as you see he has put on weight, has a road-map on his face from all the tanning, and is that? Yes, clearly those are hair plugs. He comes over and gets right up in your face and says, “I thought that was you!” and proceeds to kiss you right on the mouth. You are horrified. It’s not the extra weight (but he is F-A-T) It’s not the wrinkles on his face (but he looks like your grandmother) and it isn’t even the hair plugs (well maybe it is the hair plugs). No. It’s his bad breath that leaves you speechless and teetering backwards in your chair.

While there is no quick fix to lose fifty pounds, erase years of sun damage or male pattern baldness, there is a quick fix for bad breath! Too bad Mario didn’t know about “Kiss My Face” breath blast, naturally healthy mouth rinse.

From Kiss My Face – Kiss My Face Breath Blast healthy mouth rinse is a natural and organic personal care product made by Kiss My Face, a company that has been feeding body and soul for over 25 years. Kiss My Face takes great care in utilizing the most potent and pure botanticals, (grown organically) natural vitamins and minerals. Properly formultated natural and organic personal care products are not only good for you, but are actually more effective than their commercially produced counterparts.

For the ultimate fresh breath and healthy mouth, the Kiss My Face Natural Formula Mouth Rinse is:

A natural formula that kills bad breath
Promotes healthy teeth and gums
Contains a super fruit antioxidant boost of goji berry, pomegranate and green tea
Contains natural Xylitol and no alcohol, or artificial sweeteners or flavors.

The Review – Kiss My Face healthy mouth rinse is available in four flavors – Spearmint, Spearmint anti-cavity with fluoride, Vanilla Mint, and Orange Mint. Thank you Sara for sending me the Kiss My Face Mouth Rinses for this review.

I have sampled each flavor and they all have an excellent taste. The taste isn’t overwhelming (like Listerine). It is very refreshing. I actually checked my watch a half hour later and I still had the fresh orange mint taste in my mouth. I especially like the orange mint and the spearmint with fluoride. Kiss My Face is another “green” natural and organic product that I feel good about using.

Buy It- Kiss My Face healthy mouth rinse will be available on the Kiss My Face Website in March 2010 for $9.95 each. Kiss My Face is offering 25% off of your online purchases and a free lip-balm as part of their "Kiss It Green" special offer which ends March 31, 2010.

This giveaway in now closed. Thanks for stopping by.

~~Win It- Kiss My Face is offering a gift pack of each of the four types of healthy mouth rinse, a total giveaway worth about $40. To enter is easy, just one mandatory entry:~~

~~Mandatory Entry- Visit Kiss My Face, check out their products and comment on anything that you would like to try.~~

Additional (optional) entries- Eligible after completing mandatory entry above: You can do any or all of the following for one entry each. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done. As always, please include your email address in your comments!

~~1. Follow my blog.~~

~~2. Follow me on Facebook.~~

~~3. Mention this giveaway on Facebook.~~

~~4. Grab my blog button and place it on your side bar. (Leave a link to your blog.)~~

~~5. Follow me on Networked Blogs.~~

~~6. Follow me on Twitter.~~

~~7. Tweet this giveaway.~~

~~8. Write a post about this giveaway on your blog. (Leave a link to your blog.)~~

This giveaway in now closed. Thanks for stopping by.

Giveaway ends on April 7st at 11:59 PM EST. Open to US addresses only. Winner will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. Please respond in 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, comments not meeting requirements will be deleted.

Many thanks to Sara for the review and giveaway bottles of Kiss My Face Breath Blast!

The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by the author, the manufacturer, or representing PR agency. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

Free Online Tools to Make Your Own Outfits

2010-03-15T10:22:00.000-07:00

There are so many great online tools available these days, you may already be using these free tools to print coupons, organize volunteers, and print recipes. Have you checked out the free online tools that allow you to make your own outfits? Not only can you make your own outfits, but sites like Wet Seal allow you to post your virtual outfits so users can browse through them, comment and exchange recommendations. In a way, it's like having your own fashion consultants!

Wet Seal – While Wet Seal's stores account for 80 percent of sales, the company’s online presence is growing in large part to the introduction of a Web feature called Outfitter, which allows users to put together their outfits online.

According to the New York Times Article, A Data Explosion Remakes Retailing, more than 300,000 user-generated outfits have been designed, generating millions of page views on Wet Seal.

Wet Seal has also created its own iPhone application, called iRunway. When in store, a customer can type an item’s ticket number and see how it has been used in outfits that other customers have created online.

Click here to enter the spring break outfit contest at Wet Seal. 1st place winner will receive a $500 gift card!

Polyvore- Polyvore is a fashion and social shopping platform that is revolutionizing how people all over the world are creating, experiencing and shopping for fashion on the Internet. Polyvore's virtual styling tool allows the user to mix and match products from any online store to create fashion collections called "sets".

Make your own outfits browsing by category, brand, price or website. You also have the option of importing your own items. It is as simple as drag and drop to create the look you want. Add text, photos, music and make-up to add the finishing touches to your display. Publish your outfit to get others opinions before spending your money. Purchase your items with just one click.

The Polyvore blog offers fashion advice, trend sightings and much more. Check it out here.

Shmotter- Shmotter is a fashion social network that allows you to design your own outfits from your own wardrobe or by a large selection of online retailers. Use the Top Outfits section to get ideas for your own outfits. Browse through the top brands and rate others' outfits. Click and purchase something you like in any outfit that has been created. Create your own looks with the drag and drop interface. Choose the main item you are looking for, such as a dress, top or jeans and then accessorize with jewelry, handbags, shoes, and so on. Save your favorites for later viewing by setting up an account. Shmotter makes it easy to mix and match items from different brand names and online stores. Like Polyvore, Shmotter has its own blog.

Shoppouri-At Shoppouri, users browse huge selections of top designer apparel for women and men at up to 50% off apparel, with clothing closeouts, and shoe discounts. Most items are available from Amazon.com, which is convenient for one-stop, discount shopping. Begin by choosing your favorite color to view Popular Fashions available on Amazon. Hover your mouse over the scrolling items to stop the scrolling and view items side-by-side.

Land's End My Virtual Model- Retail stores like Land's End have developed free online tools to make your own outfits on your own virtual model. Land's End was the first to offer this innovative shopping tool. Create a 3-D model of yourself by providing your measurements, which are applied to your virtual model.

Use your virtual model to "try on" items and outfits. Outfits can be stored and recalled for later reference. Once created, your model can also be used at other apparel Web sites in the My Virtual Model network and can be emailed to family and friends. Click here to see other companies that are part of the My Virtual Model Network.

These online tools are a convenient way to design, shop and interact with your own social fashion networks. Get creative by using these tools to make our own outfits. Express yourself!

Have you used any of these sites to make your own outfits? Be the first to comment!!

Friday Follow - A Celebration of Followers March 12

2010-03-12T03:12:00.001-08:00

Click here to find out how to participate in Friday Follow!

Check out the Friday Follow Sponsor!

No need to fear the dentist anymore. You can reduce the visits and make your dentist happy too. Brush with Tooth Soap®. Non-toxic, sustainable, organic and no need for a warning label. Created by a mom who has kids with no cavities. Get more information at: http://www.toothsoap.com/special-offers.

Thanks for your comments and follows!

Ann-Made, Handcrafted, Eco-Friendly Bracelet Review and Giveaway

2010-03-11T05:14:00.000-08:00

The next time you open up a can of soda, take a look at the soda can tab.
What do you see? I see a piece of aluminum that's only purpose is to help me open up a can. Period.

If you are Ann Skydell Harmon, of Ann-Made Art (Ann-Made LLC) you would see that soda tab's potential as a beautiful resource for handcrafted jewelry. The "Sweet Birch" bracelet shown below is hand-crafted using 22 soda can tabs along with elastic, wire-wrapping and a sea green glass bead with wood accent beads. Thank you Ann for sending me The Sweet Birch bracelet for this review.

From: Annmadeart.com (Ann-Made, LLC) The vision and passion behind Ann-Made's line of jewelry is Ann Skydell Harmon, a special education art teacher. She set out to design a unique and chic product to promote recycling, as well as to show that a business can "do good" for society and the planet in all aspects of its operation.

Ann-Made jewelry is Ann's unique creation made from recycled soda can tabs to remind us that a little creativity can put many discarded materials to new use. The bracelets were the first item in the line and were originally conceived as a project for her alternative school art students.

The popularity of the bracelets were immediately apparent as Ann, her daughters, and fellow teachers received numerous enthusiastic comments each time they wore theirs. Earrings and Pendants have now joined the bracelets in this unique line of jewelry.

The Review: The Sweet Birch Bracelet was nicely packaged as shown above. This bracelet is handcrafted from 22 recycled soda can tabs. Each tab is hand-selected, washed and polished and then woven into a one-size fits most design using either silver or gold elastic. I have a large wrist and the bracelet fits nicely, not too tight. I do wear green (note my green shirt) and tend to wear silver jewelry, so the color choices suit me perfectly.

I don't usually think about jewelry as making much of a statement, however, wearing this bracelet makes a variety of statements regarding creativity, resourcefulness, consciousness, uniqueness and it is a "beautiful conversation piece."

As past reviews on this blog indicate, I am fond of products made from recycled materials such as Rebagging It's recycled juice bag totes, the Up With Paper pop-up greeting cards, and the Say it With Vases, plastic reusable vases made from recycled materials. Going Green is the wave of the future and Ann-Made Art is along for the ride!

The recycled tabs Ann uses are purchased from a non-profit group in New Jersey dedicated to teaching students of all ages the importance of recycling. A portion of each sale is donated to environmental causes. I appreciate that Ann "set out to show that businesses have the power to 'do good' for society and the planet in all aspects of their operations."

Now, when I pop open my diet soda, that little tab will remind me of my Ann-Made bracelet, and how that one piece of aluminum has evolved into an eco-friendly jewelry with a global-sized cause.

Buy It: The Sweet Birch Ann-Made Bracelet is available on www.annmadeart.com for $18.50.

Win It: Win your own Ann-Made eco-friendly Bracelet right here! To enter is easy- just one mandatory entry.

Mandatory Entry: Please visit the Ann-Made, LLC website and check out all of the bracelets and comment on which one you like best. Please leave your e-mail address in your comment.

Extra Entries:

Additional optional entries: Eligible after completing mandatory entry above: You can do any or all of the following for one entry each. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done.

2. --Follow my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Already a follower, just leave a comment saying that you are a follower.

3. --Subscribe to my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Current subscribers are eligible too.

4.--Follow me on Twitter . Current followers are eligible too, just leave a comment saying that you are a twitter follower.

5.--Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link to your tweet (Can tweet once daily).

6.--Post my button on your blog and leave a link to your blog.

--FOR 5 EXTRA ENTRIES - Write a blog post about this giveaway, with a link to my blog. Come back and leave the link to your blog post. Post FIVE separate comments that you've blogged about this.

Giveaway ends on April 1st at 11:59 PM EST. Open to US addresses only. Winner will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. Please respond in 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, comments not meeting requirements will be deleted.

Many thanks to Ann for the review and giveaway bracelets!

The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by the author, the manufacturer, or representing PR agency. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

The Adventures of Harvey the Wonder Dog Book Winner

2010-03-09T06:01:00.000-08:00

Thank you for entering The Adventures of Harvey the Wonder Dog - Harvey the Hungry Dog Book giveaway.
The winner is #32 Kim.
I will be emailing your shortly Kim!

Thank you for reading and subscribing to Moms Own Words.

Beyond Blue Book Review and Five Book Giveaway

2010-03-08T02:22:00.000-08:00

This review is now closed. Thank you for entering!

If you are someone who is living with depression and anxiety you must read Therese J. Borchard's Book Beyond Blue. This book offers advice, inspiration, and an honest account from someone who has endured severe depression first-hand. Even for those not living with depression, Borchard's story is fascinating, you will find yourself chuckling on one page and deeply moved the next, and overall, the book will leave you with a greater understanding of the illness.

About the Author: Therese Borchard is the author of the hit daily blog "Beyond Blue" on Beliefnet.com, which is one of her most popular columns on the website. Her blog appears weekly on the Huffington Post and she is becoming a top go-to expert on pop psychology. Borchard's work has been featured in salon.com, Psychology Today, Real Simple, Redbook, Parenting, More, and Ladies Home Journal. She writes a syndicated column for the Catholic News Service and is a regular guest on Sirius Satellite Radio.

About the Book: Beyond Blue- Surviving Depression & Anxiety and Making the Most of Bad Genes. ISBN 978-I-59995-I56-0. Copyright 2010 Center Street, Hatchette Book Group.

Beyond Blue is Therese J. Borchard's book that was written based on her blog posts in her daily blog Beyond Blue. Borchard is a manic depressive, an alcoholic, an adult child of an alcoholic and (sadly) her list of disorders goes on. Borchard reveals her day to day struggles and honestly examines her own depression biologically, holistically, spiritually and gives the reader guidance based on her acquired wisdom and research.

The Review: The main reason I wanted to read Beyond Blue is because I live with mild depression and I was curious to read about someone else's experience with the illness. I couldn't have picked a better book, as I can relate to Borchard in so many ways. We are both moms; bloggers; writers; Catholics; people-pleasers; sugar addicts; hormonally imbalanced females; and highly sensitive people who live with depression. If I ever have the opportunity to meet her, we will certainly have a few things to chat about.

My book is marked with so many flags of interesting, moving and informative excerpts, I hardly know where to begin. I couldn't agree more with Borchard when she says, "And besides, 'wounded' people are so much more fun to hang out with than 'flawless' folks who deny their illnesses and object to prescriptions. "

I used to be one of those people that objected to taking a prescription for depression, because I didn't want to admit that I needed it. I thought it was a weakness or a cop-out. Thank God I got over that and thanks to medication, I am feeling a whole lot better.

Borchard experiences the same thing, but on a much, much more severe level. This is a woman who would cry and shake with anxiety at her son's karate class. She was obsessed with thoughts of suicide and spent her time thinking of ways to kill herself.

She attempts to overcome her depression and Bipolar disorder without medication and is unsuccessful. Borchard comes to understand that it is the combination of the right medications in the right quantities, the right doctor, the right therapist, exercise, meditation and diet that has enabled her to control her depression and anxiety successfully.

Borchard has the ability to reveal something so painful (and shameful) as her alcohol abuse and yet brings levity by writing, "I woke up in between trash cans on the lawn of a classmate (or) in a friend's closet- my mom subsequently told me that my dad used to pass out in closets, too, so I guess it runs in the family..." At just the right moments, she is very funny throughout the book.

In the chapter From the Maternity Ward to the Psych Ward, Borchard describes how having her first child disrupted her biochemistry and literally landed her in the psych ward in four simple steps. This made me think about my own depression (which not surprisingly showed up after having my first child). Borchard cites Ruta Nonacs, MD, PHD who explains in her book A Deeper Shade of Blue that, "one of the most challenging aspects of caring for a young child in our culture is social isolation.... Today most women are left to care for their baby alone." HELLO?! How many moms can relate to that?

In the Chapter Work It, Girlfriend! Borchard reveals her 12-Step Program. Find the right doctor. Find the right cocktail (medication). Exercise. Eat well. Sleep. Light up. (get sunlight). Reach Out! Get Involved (service to others). Keep a Mood/sleep/gratitude journal. Therapy and lots of it. Pray and Meditate. Fake it Til You Make It.

Borchard thoughtfully describes her recovery from severe depression as being "much like the metamorphosis of a caterpillar to a butterfly. Butterflies are stonger and more beautiful than caterpillars as a result of their struggle."

My eyes got misty when I read, "My sincere intention for Beyond Blue is that anyone who struggles with anxiety or depression-even in the slightest way-might find a companion in me, some consolation in the incredibly personal details of my story, and a bit of hope to lighten an often dark and lonely place." Once you read the details of her story, you know that these words are written with compassion and humility, (no question) coming straight from her heart.

This book is a valuable resource for overcoming depression recommended highly by fellow authors, licensed clinical phychologists and me.

Buy It: Beyond Blue is available on Amazon.com for $14.95.

This review is now closed. Thank you for entering!
Win It: Anna from the Hachette Book Group is generously offering five copies of Beyond Blue to my readers.

THE RULES:

--U.S. and Canadian residents only.
--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
--One comment is needed for each entry.
--Include your email address in your comments.

To Enter is easy, just one mandatory entry.

Mandatory Entry:

1. Comment on why you would like to read this book. If you would rather not say why, just comment "I would like to read this book."

--Include your email address (if not public in a profile) so I can contact you if you win.

Additional optional entries: Eligible after completing mandatory entry above: You can do any or all of the following for one entry each. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done.

2. --Follow my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Already a follower, just leave a comment saying that you are a follower.

3. --Subscribe to my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Current subscribers are eligible too.

4.--Follow me on Twitter . Current followers are eligible too, just leave a comment saying that you are a twitter follower.

5.--Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link to your tweet (Can tweet once daily).

6.--Post my button on your blog and leave a link to your blog.

--FOR 5 EXTRA ENTRIES - Write a blog post about this giveaway, with a link to my blog. Come back and leave the link to your blog post. Post FIVE separate comments that you've blogged about this.

Giveaway ends on March 29th at 11:59 PM EST. Open to US addresses only. Winner will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. Please respond in 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, comments not meeting requirements will be deleted.

Many thanks to Anna at the Hachette Book Group for providing the review copy and giveaway copies!

This review is now closed. Thank you for entering!

Chococoa Baking Company Mini Whoopie Pie Winners

2010-03-06T14:49:00.001-08:00

Thank you all for entering the Chococoa Baking Company Mini Whoopie Pie Giveaway. The winners are #122 Laura and #157 Scott. Congratulations! I will be emailing you shortly!

Thank you for reading and subscribing to Moms Own Words!

Friday Follow Week # 8

2010-03-05T04:53:00.001-08:00

Welcome to the eighth Friday Follow celebration hosted by One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families and Midday Escapades! We invite you to join us every Friday to get more blog followers and to follow other interesting blogs. It is all about sharing and having fun.

Here’s how YOU can join the celebration:

Link up your blog name and URL using the MckLinky below – Only need to on one blog to be seen on all the blog hops.
Follow the Friday Follow hostesses listed in the first 3 slots
Follow as many blogs as you’d like
Comment on the blogs telling them you’re from Friday Follow
Follow back when you get a new follower through Friday Follow

The Blog Hop is the same at each of our three hosts blogs so you do not have to add your blog at each site. Just one – but you can follow each host blog. Follow a few or follow them all.

This list is new each week. The links do not carry over. Please link up each week for new participants to find your blogs. This list is only open to add your blog links on Fridays. It will be visible all week to visit the blogs listed.

As hostesses, we realize the time required to participate in Friday Follow. Due to the overwhelming number of entries each week, we understand everyone may not be able to follow every blog including ourselves. To keep it fun, follow what you can at your own pace. We appreciate your understanding and thank you for your continued participation!

A Good Talk Book Winners

2010-03-03T11:25:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the five winners of A Good Talk book. The winners are:

19 One Frugal Lady
18 Busy Working Mama
30 Kjun
12 Jennifer
45 clmartin

I will be emailing you shortly!

Thank you all for reading and subscribing to Moms Own Words!

CyberCube Review and Giveaway

2010-03-01T16:36:00.000-08:00

What is it about magnets that can keep adults and kids alike busy "playing" for hours? Well, maybe not hours, but certainly minutes. Here my son and his auntie Gisele are enjoying a hands-on exhibit at the Children's Museum in NH that features magnets of all sizes.

The CyberCube is a very portable "mini-exhibit" of magnets that is meant to challenge with it's many puzzles. Thank you to Nicholas for sending me a CyberCube for this review.

From CyberCube: The CyberCube is a revolutionary new puzzle of the future that has an infinite number of solutions and guarantees amazement and hours of fun!

You will be astonished with the number of ways you can play with the CyberCube not only can you build, you can create fun games. Build anything you can imagine, from a simple square to a motorcycle. Continue to challenge yourself, If you see something, try to build it.

The flexibility and strength of the CyberCube is phenomenal, it will give you the whoa factor every time! Nothing will hold you back building and playing with the CyberCube. Once you get your hands on the CyberCube you will never want build with anything else. We guarantee you’ll love the CyberCube!

The Review: I received the 224 piece black CyberCube for this reivew. The CyberCube arrived in its little black tin in a perfect cube. I took a moment to admire it, thinking that we would never get it into a perfect cube again. Everybody grabbed for it, played with it, and played with it some more, and it wasn't until quite a while later that I finally got a chance to check it out.

CyberCube claims the strength of their product is phenomenal, and that is not an overstatement. The attraction is so strong, that manipulating the magnets took effort. Although we all tried, no one has been able to put the CyberCube back into its original cube! I think once we master that, we can attempt the Celtic Cross, the Hope Star and the Royal Neckwear designs shown on the insert.

In the meantime, I wonder if the folks over at CyberCube would be impressed with my two creations:

Hey, I have to start somewhere right?

Here is a short video demonstration of the CyberCube by my niece Marie.

The CyberCube isn't for children under three, due to its very small round magnets. It is certainly a challenge for those inclined to solve its many puzzles, and for the rest of us that just like playing around with magnets, the CyberCube is a lot of fun!

Buy It: The CyberCube featured in this review is available for purchase on the CyberCube website for$24.95.

Win It: Thanks to Nicholas at CyberCube, one of my readers will get to have some fun with their very own CyberCube! To Enter is easy. Just one mandatory entry:

Mandatory Entry:

1. Become a fan of CyberCube on Facebook and post a comment there stating why you would like to have a CyberCube and mention you are entering via Moms Own Words CyberCube giveaway. Please come back here and simply comment that you became a FB fan of CyberCube and commented.

Extra Entries:

Additional optional entries: Eligible after completing mandatory entry above: You can do any or all of the following for one entry each. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done.

2. --Follow my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Already a follower, just leave a comment saying that you are a follower.

3. --Subscribe to my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Current subscribers are eligible too.

4.--Follow me on Twitter . Current followers are eligible too, just leave a comment saying that you are a twitter follower.

5.--Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link to your tweet (Can tweet once daily).

6.--Post my button on your blog and leave a link to your blog.

--FOR 5 EXTRA ENTRIES - Write a blog post about this giveaway, with a link to my blog. Come back and leave the link to your blog post. Post FIVE separate comments that you've blogged about this.

Giveaway ends on March 24th at 11:59 PM EST. Open to US addresses only. Winner will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. Please respond in 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, comments not meeting requirements will be deleted.

Many thanks to Nicholas for the review and giveaway Cybercubes!

The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by the author, the manufacturer, or representing PR agency. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

Home Organization - How to Clean Up the Bathroom Clutter

2010-02-28T05:23:00.002-08:00

Take moment to assess your bathroom. Are your counter tops covered with toothpaste tubes, bottles of hair products, and various containers? Is your linen closet door ajar, because it is stuffed to overflowing with linens and bath towels? No problem! There are inexpensive storage solutions that can effectively tackle the clutter.

My bathroom, having limited space, used to look like that, but I sorted through those eighteen bottles of shampoo, the hair products, mouth rinses on the counter, the cleaning products crammed in the cabinet, and the towels falling out of the linen closet. I got rid of what I didn’t need and discovered some solutions for organizing the necessities.

Tub Storage Solutions

Shower Curtains with Pockets - Shower curtains with pockets are a great solution for storing my kids’ tub toys. While mesh bags are a storage option, I didn’t really like them, because I was the only one that would put the toys back in them!

I tried a plastic bin. The tub toys were piled in a bin that sat on the bottom of the tub in everyone’s way. While they were contained, I didn’t find this to be an ideal storage solution.

I thought the shower curtain with pockets looked like a great solution. Once I had the shower curtain hung, I took the toys that were keepers and put them in the lower pockets, where my youngest could reach them easily. The routine of putting the toys back in their pockets is a way of getting organized that he is happy to help with!

No more looking at or stepping on tub toy clutter. The toys aren’t visible, because this curtain acts as the liner and it is hidden by a decorative outer curtain. The pockets can be used to store anything like shampoos, razors, and soaps, not just tub toys!

Shower Caddies - Using the right shower caddy can make a big difference in the appearance of your bathtub. In the past, I tried those cheap caddies with the suction cups, but they never stayed in place. This can be maddening!

Fortunately, the shower caddy engineers came up with a great solution: the shower caddy floor to ceiling unit. The tension rod shower caddy organizes our entire family's bath and shower products neatly in the corner of the tub.

The adjustable tension rod fits floor to ceiling or tub rim to ceiling. The four baskets with convenient drain holes hold a lot of necessities, but not water.

While we certainly don’t need eighteen bottles of shampoo, we do have different needs: tear free shampoo for the kids, the overpriced salon shampoo for Mom, and the dandruff shampoo for Dad (ha). These are all neatly organized in the shower caddy, which in our bath extends from tub rim to ceiling.

The unit is very sturdy, easily staying in place, even when storing those heavy value size shampoos and conditioners. It is now easier to clean the bathtub without all those bottles of shampoo lining the sides!

Extra Linen Storage Solution

Storage Cylinder - When the kids were younger, they needed constant supervision while in the tub, so we put a chair in the bathroom to sit and watch them. Now that the kids are older, they are capable of independent bath-time, and the chair, seldom used, was simply taking up space.

The storage cylinder was the perfect solution for us because we have the room for it, it still doubles as a seat, and it allows for extra storage. We have several of our bath towels neatly stacked inside.

Now, my five-year-old can grab his own towel, and the linen cabinet door now closes the way it should! Now that's home organization in a snap!

Cabinet and Drawer Storage Solutions

Drawer Dividers - I’ll admit that my vanity makeup drawer was a disheveled jumble of foundations, eye shadows, eyeliners and eyelash curlers. You name it, it was in there… somewhere. This was not ideal. If anyone visiting peeked in there, I would have been mortified!

Thank goodness for drawer dividers. Drawer dividers are an inexpensive way to maintain order within your makeup drawer. You could even use a silverware tray to neaten things up, if it had enough dividers for your needs.

Simply go through your makeup drawer and determine if you will ever use the product again. If you haven’t applied that indigo eye shadow since the 90ies, do the right thing and just let it go! Sort and organize the items that you use on a daily basis neatly in their designated locations. No more searching for your eyeliner. Think of the time you’ll save in the morning!

Spice Racks – Spice racks are not just for spices. The right sized spice rack can be placed in your drawer and be a great storage solution for items like nail polish and makeup as well.

Magnetic strip placed inside of a Drawer –To store my small metal items, I installed a magnetic strip to the inside of my drawer. It is actually a magnetic knife bar. Your small metal items like nail clippers, files, and tweezers will always be there when you look for them. Make sure the kids know that the nail clippers are located here, they may be more inclined to put them away in this “cool storage place” when they are finished using them.

Specialty Pull Out Drawer Units - Before my organizational efforts began, if you asked me what was under my bathroom sink, only four or five items would come to mind. The rest of the stuff was several years old and utterly forgettable. I learned this is a good guideline for what you should pitch: those items that are so old you didn’t even realize that you had them.

After sorting and pitching, I determined I have two categories of items that made sense to store here: cleaning products and hair products.

Pull out drawer units are manufactured in various widths and heights, so finding one to fit your cabinet is easy. I used a two-tier unit on the left and a single pull out for the wastebasket on the right. For the two-tier unit, I stored hair products (that I do actually use) on the top shelf and cleaning products below. This system has worked wonderfully. In the process, I moved many of those hair products that were on the counters into their new spot, eliminating the counter clutter.

Counter Storage Solution

Acrylic Vanity Organizers – The various sized acrylic organizers are perfect for organizing those items that I use daily, and that I really need to have handy on the counter top. While my stuff is visible, it is organized in its pretty container! No clutter here!

There are many great options available for storing your bathroom necessities, and these are just a few ideas that have really helped me to tackle the bathroom clutter. Now onto the next room!

Amazon carries all of these great storage and organization solutions. Here are some quick links to the items featured in this article:

This post is based on my opinion and my experience using these products. I received no compensation for posting this article, however, I do maintain affiliate status with Amazon.com.

Friday Follow - A Celebration of Followers Week #7

2010-02-26T11:04:00.000-08:00

Just to clarify, the following info. is reprinted from the Friday Follow hosted by One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families and Midday Escapades.

Please join the Friday Follow Fun! Here's how:

****************

Welcome to the sixth Friday Follow celebration hosted by One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families and Midday Escapades! We invite you to join us every Friday to get more blog followers and to follow other interesting blogs. It is all about sharing and having fun.

Here's how YOU can join the celebration:

* Link up your blog name and URL using the MckLinky below. Only need to add to one blog linky.
* Follow the Friday Follow hostesses listed in the first 3 slots.
* Follow as many blogs as you like
* Comment on the blogs telling them you're from Friday Follow
* Follow back when you get a new follower through Friday Follow

The Blog Hop is the same at each of our three hosts blogs so you do not have to add your blog at each site. Just one - but you can follow each host blog.

As hostesses, we realize the time required to participate in Friday Follow. Due to the overwhelming number of entries each week, we understand everyone may not be able to follow every blog including ourselves. To keep it fun, follow what you can at your own pace. We appreciate your understanding and thank you for your continued participation!

Wordless Wednesday - Huge Snow Storm! 1.5 Feet At Least!!

2010-02-24T15:44:00.000-08:00

Only an Ariens Snow blower could handle this mess!

Check out how deep the snow is! Only in New England!

Hey, guys I'll be out soon.........(Their still waiting!)

James is still shoveling!

To participate in Wordless Wednesday or to find other Wordless Wednesday linkys and participants , go to Wordless Wednesday headquarters, MomDot, or Go Graham Go .

Green Spots I-Dog Amp'd Winner(s)!

2010-02-24T10:45:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to #81 Denise - the winner of the Green Spots I-Dog Amp'd. As a thank you to my readers, I am giving away four more I-dogs shown in the picture. I picked four more winners based on Random.org. I only wish I could afford to pick more of you! You guys are the best!

I will be emailing you all shortly. Thanks for reading and subscribing to Moms Own Words!

Sunshine Blog Award

2010-02-23T03:53:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much to Jane at Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms Blog. She gave me this beautiful Sunshine Award! If it wasn't for Jane's encouragement, I'm not sure if I would even have a blog.

Please check out her blog (and if you haven't already) her book Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms. You can read all about her book on her website and please stop by her blog for some scrumptious recipes. Her amazing photos will tempt your tummy!

The rules for accepting this award are simple, link to the person who gave it to you, and pass it on to 12 other people who bring you sunshine. So here you are! Please visit these wonderful women and their wonderful blogs!

Kim at Stuff Could Always be Worse
Stacie at Simply Stacie
Sandra at My Lipstick Jungle
Sara at On the Search for Hidden Treasure
Ann at Ann Crabs
Justine at A Half Baked Life
Aleksandra at Busy Working Mama
Mandy at Random Thoughts
Deborah at Baba's Farm Life
Kenna at Fibro Fog and More
Janie at Life Not Wasted or Lost
Lisa at Lisa's Gluten-Free Advice and Healthy Living

The Adventures of Harvey the Wonder Dog Book Review and Giveaway

2010-02-22T07:15:00.001-08:00

The giveaway is now closed. Winner to be announced on 3/9/10. Thank you for entering!

We have shelves and shelves of children's books because we enjoy reading great books to the kids. So, when Lise Dominique asked me if I would like to check out her new book – The Adventures of Harvey the Wonder Dog –Harvey the Hungry Dog, I said absolutely!

About the Book: The Adventures of Harvey the Wonder Dog – Harvey the Hungry Dog. Written by Lise Dominique and Illustrated by Chrissie Vales. Published in 2009 by State Street Publishing. ISBN- 978-09760216-7-4.

The Adventures of Harvey the Wonder Dog begin with Harvey’s first adventure in “Harvey the Hungry Dog”. Harvey is a lovable dog who is always (you guessed it) hungry! Throughout his daily adventures, Harvey indulges in a variety of tasty treats like snow, and icicles, his best friend Karma’s dinner, whatever falls on the ground from picnics, and sausages he snags from an unsuspecting person’s pocket. But when Harvey over-indulges, watch out for the consequences! Finally, find out what Harvey can do (that involves something that he hasn’t eaten yet!) and what Harvey hungers for more than anything else. Follow along as the author, Lise Dominique, narrates her story on the CD that accompanies the book.

About the Author: Lise Dominique was born in Lake Forest, Illinois and currently lives in the town Lake Bluff, Illinois. Lise spent 15 years in broadcast morning radio in the San Francisco Bay Area and Chicago. During this time, she also did on-camera commercials and voice-overs. Her career path later took a turn and she spent over 12 years in sales for a major pharmaceutical firm and Fortune 100 company. Inspired by her muse, Harvey (her wonder dog!) Lise began the process of authoring this book in 2008.

The Review: This book is age-appropriate for my two boys who are 8 and 5. Even though James (8) reads on his own, he still enjoyed having this book read to him. I think the story is great because you feel like you really get to know Harvey, as his personality comes to life, and you can’t help but love him. (We don’t own a dog due to allergies, but Ryan and I would love to someday.) Also, the author adds some subtle, clever themes about good behavior and hunger at the end of the book. I liked how the pages were different bright, colors and the illustrations were so much fun. But it doesn’t matter what I think, this book is most appropriate for Ryan (5) so I asked him what he thought of the book. Here is the conversation that we had:

Me: Did you like the book?

Ryan: Yes!

Me: What part did you like the best?

Ryan: I like the part where Harvey is dreaming about the food – that was the funny part.

Me: Did you like the pictures in the book?

Ryan: Yes. I like the pictures when Harvey was splashing in the water and dreaming about the food.

Me: Does reading this book make you wish that you had your own dog?

Ryan: Yes. If he was a white dog with black spots, I would name him Spots. If he was a black dog with white spots, I would name him Spotty.

Me: Would you like to read another Harvey the Wonder Dog Adventure?

Ryan: Yes!

Me: What do you think will happen in Harvey’s next adventure?

Ryan: Harvey will go to the beach.

Note: This morning when Ryan woke up, he put the book’s CD on and followed along. I think he would rather hear the author read than Mom. Oh well.

Buy It: The Adventures of Harvey the Wonder Dog - Harvey the Hungry Dog is available on Amazon.com for 19.95.

The giveaway is now closed. Winner to be announced on 3/9/10. Thank you for entering!

Win It: Lise Dominique is generously offering one copy of the Adventures of Harvey the Wonder Dog- Harvey the Hungry Dog to one of my readers. To Enter is easy, just one mandatory entry.

Mandatory Entry:

1. Comment by answering either question - What was the name of your favorite dog? -or- Who (in your family) would most enjoy this book?

--Include your email address (if not public in a profile) so I can contact you if you win.

Additional optional entries: Eligible after completing mandatory entry above: You can do any or all of the following for one entry each. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done.

2. --Follow my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Already a follower, just leave a comment saying that you are a follower.

3. --Subscribe to my blog (see the right side bar to sign up) Current subscribers are eligible too.

4.--Follow me on Twitter . Current followers are eligible too, just leave a comment saying that you are a twitter follower.

5.--Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link to your tweet (Can tweet once daily).

6.--Post my button on your blog and leave a link to your blog.

--FOR 5 EXTRA ENTRIES - Write a blog post about this giveaway, with a link to my blog. Come back and leave the link to your blog post. Post FIVE separate comments that you've blogged about this.

Giveaway ends on March 8th at 11:59 PM EST. Open to US addresses only. Winner will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. Please respond in 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, comments not meeting requirements will be deleted.

The giveaway is now closed. Winner to be announced on 3/9/10. Thank you for entering!

Many thanks to Lise for providing the review copy and giveaway copy!

The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by the author, the manufacturer, or representing PR agency. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.