Read. Write. Mom!

Play Town My Story Maker Apple iPad Giveaway

Posted on December 8, 2013January 10, 2016 by Mandy

Did you happen to catch my first post about the Play Town My Story Maker, the fun children’s story-making app that lets your child create their own stories and bring them to life? If not, your child is missing out on a fun, creative app that lets them be as imaginative as they want to be and share their creativity with anyone they choose. Well, hold onto your hats, because Play Town has a fantastic giveaway going on right now where you could win an Apple iPad and other great prizes!

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

Grand Prize: An Apple® iPad

Apple iPad with Retina Display 64GB with Wi-Fi (Black or White) Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”): $700. The ARV of electronic prizes is subject to price fluctuations in the consumer marketplace based on, among other things, any gap in time between the date the ARV is estimated for purposes of these Official Rules and the date the prize is awarded or redeemed.

Second Prize: An Apple® iPad mini

(Apple iPad mini with Retina Display 32GB with Wi-Fi (Black or White) Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”): $400.

Third Prize: $250 Visa Gift Card

HOW TO ENTER

1. Download the free Play Town app.

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/app/id473909588

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=kr.co.tk.skt.playdoll

2. Have your child select their favorite character and dress them up how he or she wants! Have fun!

3. Take a screen shot of his or her character dressed up and share your screen shot on the Play Town Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/playtownforkids)

4. Go to http://bit.ly/PlayTownContest to submit your link and enter for your chance to win an iPad, iPad Mini or $250 Visa Gift Card!

The contest ends on December 16, 2013.

Wishing all of my readers who decide to enter good luck!

I am participating in a compensated brand ambassador campaign for Play Town. All opinions are my own

Energizer Bunny Birthday Giveaway

Posted on December 1, 2013January 10, 2016 by Mandy

Happy Birthday Energizer Bunny! Can you believe this American icon is 25 years old? How many times have you compared you or someone you know to the this tenacious bunny who just keeps going and going? If you’ve read my blog for any length of time, you know I refer to my own son on here as E.B., short for Energizer Bunny, because of how he stayed on the go when he was younger.

The Energizer Bunny drummed his way off his first commercial set in 1989, and hasn’t looked back. Energizer’s motivational mascot has shared the stage with characters such as Darth Vader, King Kong and the Wicked Witch. He has traveled from outer space to the bottom of the sea, and entertained millions at community events and through social media. Advertising Age named the Energizer Bunny to its list of top 10 Ad Icons of the 20^th Century.

The Energizer Bunny believes birthdays are about celebrating with those around him. In stores now, consumers can collect Bunny Bucks to turn into money, via a check or deposit into their PayPal accounts. And, with the holidays just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to start stocking up on batteries for all of those holiday gifts you will be giving. The Energizer Bunny will also dole out party favors in the way of coupons throughout the year.

CELEBRATE THE BUNNY

Everyone is also invited to join the fun on Facebook by, stopping by to wish the Energizer Bunny a “Happy Birthday” on his Facebook wall. You will also have the chance to enter a special Energizer Bunny Birthday Sweepstakes through December 5 , where you can enter for a chance to win one of 25 birthday prize packages, worth approximately $75, filled with Energizer batteries and portable lighting solutions, as well as a gift card.

GIVEAWAY

I have 2 specially marked packages of Energizer batteries with Bunny Bucks codes to give away to one lucky winner. The winner can choose either AA or AAA sized batteries!

Giveaway ends Monday, December 9 at 12:00 AM CST. US ONLY. Void where prohibited. Winner must respond within 48 hours of winning email being sent or prize will be forfeited and another winner drawn.

To enter, use the Rafflecopter form below. All entries are optional.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was provided with a promotional item as a thank you for facilitating this post. All opinions are my own.

How To Prepare Your Vehicle for Winter- WaterSavers Giveaway

Posted on December 1, 2013January 10, 2016 by Mandy

Most people take special precautions when the weather turns cold to make sure they have winterized their homes. We make sure we have the basics we need in case of a power outage due to cold weather and I’ve organized our closets, putting the warmer clothing to the front since we’ve had to adjust our wardrobes to stay warmer. We don’t have much to do in the way of exterior jobs, but I make sure we are as prepared as we can be.

But what about your vehicle?

Since buying our car in March, I have taken special precautions to make sure it’s also prepared for the change in temperatures. Since I was off work this past week for the holidays, I went and got the oil changed and made sure the tires and fluids were checked. We also always keep an emergency kit in the trunk in case of a break down.

5 WAYS TO WINTERIZE YOUR VEHICLE

· Check your tires. Before the roads get slick, check your tires to be sure they aren’t worn and that they are properly inflated. You should be able to find the proper tire pressure on the inside of your driver’s side door. Cold air will cause the air in your tires to compress and may cause your tires to lose pressure, so make a note to check again later in the winter.

· Wash and wax your car at a professional car wash. Putting your car through the car wash during the sloppiest season of the year may seem a strange idea but a thorough wash can remove harmful compounds that may cause damage when mixed with sand and road salt. Experts from the International Carwash Association also recommend a coat of wax for an extra layer of protection from the elements. Besides protecting your car, you’ll also be protecting the environment. Professional car washes can save up to 20 percent of the amount of water you’d use by washing your car at home. They do this by treating and reusing their water, rather than releasing toxic chemicals and grime into the storm drains, which can often occur when you wash your car yourself. You can learn more about the environmental benefits of a professional car wash at washwithwatersavers.com.

· Check your brakes. Your brakes will work harder once the icy conditions of winter set in. Make sure they are up to the task by bringing your vehicle in to your mechanic for a thorough brake inspection.

· Check fluids. In the winter, no fluid is more important than your coolant because, if you’re out of coolant, you’re out of heat. Your owner’s manual will tell you how much coolant you need as well and provide the correct blend. It’s also never a bad idea to keep an additional bottle of coolant in your car for emergencies.

· Winter emergency kit. If you find yourself stranded by the side of the road, a winter survival kit can be very helpful. Include an ice scraper/brush, extra blankets or clothes – including hats and gloves – snacks and bottled water and a first aid kit. A small shovel can come in handy if you get stuck and a bag of cat litter can be used to provide needed traction for your tires.

By planning ahead, you can help insure that you and your family are in for a smooth ride all winter long.

GIVEAWAY

Need to get your vehicle ready for the winner? Check out this awesome prize pack!

I have one WaterSavers Cold Weather Survival Kit to give away to one lucky reader! Here’s what’s inside:

* First aid kit, flashlight/signal torch, 2 AA batteries, 2 emergency candles, box of safety matches, 2 hand warmers, emergency water bag (1 gallon capacity), survival compass, emergency blanket and cotton gloves. All items are packaged in heavy-duty, water and puncture resistant carry case made of 600D polyester

* WaterSavers Tote bag

* $20 VISA Gift Card

Giveaway ends Saturday, December 7 at 12:00 AM CST. US ONLY. Void where prohibited. Winner must respond within 48 hours of winning email being sent or prize will be forfeited and another winner drawn.

TO ENTER

Enter using the Rafflecopter form below. All entries are optional.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I am working with the International Carwash Association to share these tips. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.

Do You Prefer the Book or the Movie? Bring Books To Life! #StreamTeam

Posted on November 26, 2013January 10, 2016 by Mandy

I suppose it’s naturally just the librarian in me, but I have always encouraged books over movies. I often find that the movie is so much different from the book. However, there are some exceptions, and as part of National Young Readers Week, my son and I watched a couple of movies that were books first. This is a practice I normally do in my own library at work, because I love giving my students the chance to see their favorite books come alive. It’s a fun learning experience for them to be able to contrast and compare the book and the movie.

OUR FAVORITES

The Magic School Bus

My son just recently became interested in the Magic School Bus series. We were excited to see The Magic School Bus offered as part of Netflix streaming lineup. We snuggled in on the couch and watched Ms. Frizzle and the gang explore outer space and the human body, titles we had recently read. The books were interesting, but seeing it come alive really thrilled my son.

Scholastic Tall Tales: The Man Who Walked Between the Towers, The Snowy Day, I Stink! and Trashy Town

I big puffy heart the Scholastic Video series, and I firmly believe these videos are a solid investment. Hands down, each and every one of these videos completely portrays the book and I use their books and videos as often as possible at work.

The Polar Express

Although the movie is definitely longer than the actual book, this is the very first movie my son became enchanted with when he was 2 years old and I swear I can recite every line from having to watch it over and over and over. The animation is fabulous and the movie just really adds so much wonder and excitement. The songs are fun to sing and even at 8 years old, my son will still stop when we happen to catch it playing anywhere. Definitely a must-see during the holidays.

There are quite a few other movies that would be great for comparing and contrasting with the original book. Here are a few titles below you could share with your kids to get them excited about reading and watching.

On the go or snuggling on the couch at home, families can watch storybook pages come to life, anytime, anywhere with Netflix.

I wrote this post as part of my participation as a member of the Netflix Stream Team. all opinions are my own.

Cardstore Makes Holiday Card Sending A Snap! #TopoftheMantel #sponsored #MC

Posted on November 25, 2013January 10, 2016 by Mandy

I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Cardstore. I received complimentary cards and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Just a few weeks ago it seemed like the holidays would never get here. Guess what? They’re here! Between work and the everyday duties of home, things are really hectic right now. Probably the number one thing I dread about the holiday season is that it seems like there just isn’t enough time to get everything accomplished. I don’t go over the top with decorating or cooking, but with so many other things going on at this time of the year, the little extras do add a bit of stress for me. I’m thankful for the week off I get from work during Thanksgiving to give me a few days to clean our home and get our decorations up. It’s a tradition that we take our son’s picture on Thanksgiving day to use for our Christmas card. Once I get those ordered, I have to hurriedly try to get them all addressed and sent before it’s too late. I’ll admit, I have dropped the ball on that a time or two. Ahem.

Thanks to Cardstore, I no longer have to worry about obsessing over picking just the right card, addressing them, and mailing them. That’s right! Cardstore actually takes care of every detail for you. Simply visit Cardstore, create your custom cards with personalized pictures, messages, and signature, and Cardstore will print, stamp and send the cards for you. If you send out a lot of holiday cards, this is a service you will definitely appreciate.

I created a card to test things out using a picture of our son that I took last year. I was so pleased with how easy it was to create the card and how convenient it is to have the mailing taken care of. This is definitely the way to go if you are pressed for time to send our your holiday cards! Visit Cardstore today at http://po.st/PersonalizeYourCard, personalize your own holiday card, and have one of your holiday tasks crossed off your list in a matter of minutes!

Good news! From 11/21-11/26, Cardstore is offering 30% off holiday cards! Now is the time to create your very own holiday card and let Cardstore take care of sending them out for you.

Holiday Prepping with the Brother P-touch PT-H100 Label Maker #sponsored #MC

Posted on November 19, 2013January 10, 2016 by Mandy

I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Brother P-touch. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and promotional item as a thank you for participating.

I am so excited about the upcoming holidays! I love to decorate and have everything organized and easy for me to find. I love making lists and feeling accomplished as those holiday preparations get checked off. However, my system isn’t really so much a system but more like a big mess. Our decorations are scattered hither and yon, some in storage and some in closets. I constantly make notes for myself about things I want to remember to do, so there is a perpetual scattering of sticky notes all over my desk. Every year I declare I will not be so unorganized the next year, but the cycle just continues.

I am now a Brother P-touch Ambassador, and I am looking forward to using my new Brother P-touch PT-H100 label maker to help me get organized for the upcoming holidays.

I have big plans for this baby, and I know this will help me on my journey to finally become more organized when it comes to holidays preparations. I can’t wait to share how I use the label maker over the next few weeks. I already have a couple of major tasks I want to use it for. I’ll be gathering up storage supplies over the next week and diving into the great Christmas ornament/décor organizing job. We also celebrate the holidays at three different places, so this label maker will help me keep track of gifts and other items that have to be transported to three different homes. And to help with that sticky note problem, I purchased a small notebook to keep with me to jot down those ideas and personalized it with my new label maker.

Right off the bat, I was so impressed with how easy it is to set up this label maker. Installing the tape cassette was a breeze (which comes in several styles, by the way) and I love the variety of frames and auto designs already installed on the label maker. This guarantees your labels will never be boring looking. It also prints one to two lines of texts, has an automatic shut-off if not used in five minutes, and has built in memory to save up to nine of your favorite labels. That’s smart!

To celebrate their 25th Anniversary, Brother P-touch will be having special promotions and deals at office super stores and and other retailers.

Fresh Step Triple Action Cat Litter #plantpower Review & Giveaway

Posted on November 19, 2013January 10, 2016 by Mandy

I love our cats. Our male cat, Clyde, has been a part of our family for 13 years. We have had our female cat Pearl for 5 years. We are “cat people” through and through. They bring us comfort and companionship and are totally spoiled. Cats are pretty self-sufficient, and that’s why they are the perfect pet for our family. We’ve even learned how to cope with those 4 A.M. feedings that Clyde insists he needs. There’s only one downside to owning a cat, and that’s the constant battle with the litter box. We have two litter boxes that are scooped at least three times a day and thoroughly cleaned out and fresh litter added weekly. However, battling immediate litter box smells is a problem. If I am home, I scoop them out as soon as possible. Sometimes we may be away from the home a few hours, only to be greeted by those smells at the door. It’s frustrating to me because I am a neat freak and want my home to smell as clean as it looks.

Fresh Step Triple Action cat litter has plant based extracts added for even more odor elimination. It was hard to turn down an opportunity to conduct a sniff test with my cats to see if they could smell the difference, so I set out each container to see which smell our cats preferred. Each of these containers had a small sample of litter from three major brands (including Fresh Step) and some garlic extract added in the litter samples.

THE SNIFF TEST

Clyde is eager to help!

Clyde is pretty sure Container B smells the least like garlic.

Clyde chose Fresh Step!

Even smelling for myself, I could immediately notice the difference in the Fresh Step litter and the other leading brands. Naturally, I gave our cat litter boxes a good cleaning and filled them up with Fresh Step! I’ve been able to tell that the Fresh Step is definitely making a difference in how the litter box smells all throughout the day, whether it’s been scooped or not. I’m only sorry I didn’t try this brand sooner!

Fresh Step is revolutionizing cat litter by adding natural based plant extracts to its litter. The plant extracts in Fresh Step litter contain two main ingredients: chlorophyll and essential oils. Chlorophyll actively binds to odors and eliminates them from the air. Meanwhile, the essential oils act as a force field, blocking odors before they leave the litter box. Activated carbon and added plant extracts fight all three sources of odor: urine, feces and bacteria. The new and improved Fresh Step litter retails for $10.29 for a 20 lb. box and can be purchased at grocery, pet specialty, mass merchandise and drug stores nationwide.

SAVING THE WORLD ONE LITTER BOX AT A TIME

Do you love cute cat videos? C’mon, I know you do! Check out this cute Cat Galaxy video to see how Fresh Step is eliminating smelly litter box odors one litter box at a time!

CONNECT WITH FRESH STEP

Want more great information on Fresh Step’s line of products? Be sure to connect with them through these social media outlets:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/freshstep

Twitter: www.twitter.com/freshsteplitter

Tumblr: http://smartestcats.tumblr.com/

The official hashtag for all social media channels: #plantpower

GIVEAWAY

I have a Fresh Step Cat Litter coupon good for a FREE 14 lb. Scoopable litter to give away to 5 lucky blog readers! To enter, just fill in the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway ends December 8, 2013 at 12 AM CST. US ONLY. Void where prohibited. Winner must respond to winning email within 48 hours of being sent or a new winner will be chosen. Coupon for cat litter expires December 31, 2013.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Send Your Child On a Reading Adventure with Travels with Gannon and Wyatt (Review & Giveaway)

Posted on November 17, 2013January 10, 2016 by Mandy

It’s no secret that I love children’s books. Growing up, I was a big fan of chapter books and hated when they ended. Do you have middle grader who loves to read? If you’re looking for a series of books packed with action, adventure, and tons of learning along the way, you need to pick up the Travels with Gannon and Wyatt series. Travels with Gannon and Wyatt is a middle-grade adventure series written by Patti Wheeler and Keith Hemstreet.

Gannon and Wyatt are twin brothers who travel the world and log individual journal entries about their adventures from their own points of view. In these journal entries, the reader learns more about the places they visit, making this book not only a fun read but also an educational one. The Travels with Gannon and Wyatt series include:

Botswana (released May 2013)
Great Bear Rainforest (released October 2013)
Egypt (to be released January 2014)

My son and I read Egypt, which will be released in January. I thought the book was just wonderful and I love the diary-like style of the writing. I thought the character development was thought out really well, as the twin share a love for adventure, yet have their own unique way of expressing themselves through writing. I love how the book was packed with teachable facts and the pictures included were actual black and white pictures of people, historical places, and the animals of Egypt. My son is only seven, but I have started reading chapter books to him at bedtime. He loves learning about different countries and often seeks out this type of information on his own, so he enjoyed this book immensely. It gave us lots to talk about as we read and we can’t wait to dive into the other two books.

As a children’s librarian, I know it can often be difficult to get kids excited about reading, especially when it comes to reading a chapter book. However, I feel like the Travels with Gannon and Wyatt series would appeal to young readers more than the average chapter book, simply because it is packed with so much extra, like the facts and pictures dispersed throughout. I think the mark of excellence in a book is its ability to make you dream and be transported to another place. This series absolutely does both. I can’t wait to share these books with some colleagues that serve students in grades 5-8. I know they will want to purchase these to get their students excited about reading.

Be sure to head over to the Travels with Gannon and Wyatt Facebook page where three Kindle Fires are being given away in November and follow them on Twitter.

GIVEAWAY

I am so excited to be able to give away all three books in the Travels with Gannon and Wyatt series to one lucky reader! To enter, use the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway ends Sunday, November 24, 2013 at 12:00 AM CST. US ONLY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Winner MUST respond to winning email within 24 hours of email being sent.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.