Arm & Hammer Toothpaste and Spinbrush Sonic (Giveaway)

Arm & Hammer is a household name. Their products have been around for a long time and they're famously known for their baking soda. Baking soda has many uses, one of them being to whiten teeth. Arm & Hammer oral care products have the cleaning power of baking soda for whiter, fresher, cleaner teeth.
I tried the Arm & Hammer Advance White Brilliant Sparkle toothpaste. Although my teeth will never be pearly white due to habits that cause discoloration, I did notice a difference in color after using this for a while. My teeth looked whiter and felt cleaner. The toothpaste has a unique baking soda and peroxide formula and contains fluoride to prevent cavities and strengthen teeth. As with most toothpastes, it is mint flavored but it is not overpowering. I like mint but not in strong levels. This has just the right amount and the contained micro-polishers made my teeth look and feel clean for hours. Advance White Brilliant Sparkle is clinically proven to remove up to 5x more plaque in hard to reach places.

Another product that I had the opportunity to try is the Arm & Hammer Spinbrush Pro Clean Sonic. I've never owned anything other than a regular manual toothbrush. While those are fine, I am now hooked on the Spinbrush Sonic. Spinbrush Sonic delivers up to 16,000 brush strokes per minute. That's a lot and you can definitely feel the power when brushing your teeth. It has a multi-functional head design that includes angled, multi-level, high density bristles. I no longer have to worry whether I'm reaching all areas and getting them clean. This thing doesn't play around. It was made to clean teeth and does it well.

Buy It!

All Arm & Hammer products can be found nationally at most food and drug chains and mass markets.

Win It!

One person has the opportunity to win a tube of Arm & Hammer Advance White Brilliant Sparkle toothpaste and the Arm & Hammer Spinbrush Pro Clean Sonic.

Mandatory Entry:

Visit The Power of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda and comment with something you learned.

Extra Entries:

Visit the Health Info page and comment with something you learned.
Comment with another Spinbrush product you think you'd like to have.
Follow my blog.
Add my button to your blog.
Subscribe to my blog by email.
Blog about this giveaway, leave a link to the post (+3 extra entries).
Follow me on Twitter, partymix25.
Tweet about this giveaway, leave a link to the tweet.

Leave a separate entry for each comment and leave an email address you can be contacted at. Giveaways is open to residents of the US and ends 10/15/09 at 8 pm CST. Winner will be randomly drawn and will have 48 hrs. to respond to email notification or another winner will be selected.

I received products for review. I was not otherwise compensated and the opinions within this post are of my own. Please do your own research before purchasing any product.

Wordful Wednesday - Her First Homecoming

My teenage daughter's first Homecoming was last weekend. These are a few pics of the occasion:

This is the Sophomore float that was in the Homecoming parade. Shelby worked hard all week helping with it. The float placed 1st in the parade.

There was a snafu in the hair styling. I had set her up a hair appointment at a beauty salon but apparently got the time wrong. I had just gotten out of the shower when I got a call from the hair stylist that Shelby was almost half an hour late to her appointment. I had it wrote down wrong in my date book. (What good's a date book if you don't write the times down right?) So we improvised and I did her hair myself. Although it was not a salon professional look and it took me forever to do, it worked out fine.

This dress did double duty. We bought this dress for Shelby earlier in the year for a local pageant. At a great price, might I add. It's gotten its money's worth.
This is Shelby in front of my husband's 1965 Impala. She's been begging him to give it to her for her 16th birthday. The car's not very girly but it's the one she wants.

Shelby went to Homecoming with a few of her friends. She was asked by a couple of boys but declined. She said she didn't want a date because she wanted to have a good time without being tied down and worrying about somebody else's feelings. I prefer it that way. Her and her friends went to a local park to have their pics taken. Unfortunately, we didn't have a lot of space to take pics in. Apparently the park we chose is the same park that a hundred other Homecoming teens and three weddings chose as well.

If you'd like to take part in Wordful Wednesday, link up at 7 Clown Circus.

Great Blog Giveaways #27

Enter and win, then do it again. Blog giveaways are great, don't hesitate. Here's a list of just a few that are going on around the blogosphere.

Anytime Costumes has thousands of costumes and costume accessories. Enter to win your choice of infant, toddler, child, or teen costume at these blogs:
Minnesota Mama's Must Haves. Ends 10/11.
Loving Heart Mommy. Ends 10/4.
Loving Heart Designs. Ends 10/4.
Me and My Boys! . Ends 10/11.
Kiddies Corner Deals. Ends 10/9.

Halloween Express is another site with thousands of costumes and costume accessories. You can enter to win e-certificates to pick out your own Halloween costume at The Mommy-Files. One person will win a $100 e-certificate and another winner will receive a $50 e-certificate. Ends 10/8.

Zhu Zhu Pets are realistic, interactive, plush hamsters that talk, move, and navigate their way around their own habitat playsets. Enter to win a Zhu Zhu Pets hamster with a spiral slide and ramp accessory at Just A Mom's Take On Things. Ends 10/7. You can also enter to win at Mommy Niri. Ends 10/11.

Paisley Pineapple is an Etsy shop that offers boutique-quality coordinating accessories for baby and mom. Enter to win a $25 gift certificate to spend at Paisley Pineapple at A Kindred Spirit's Thoughts. Ends 10/5.

Barbar offers a line of superior, durable, and eco-friendly hair products. Enter to win a Barbar Black Ceramic 1800 Cordless Flat Iron at Potamus Prefers. Ends 10/12.

Mor beverages are a light refreshment with an invigorating, nourishing lift. Enter to win a case of Mor beverages at Sweeps4Bloggers. Ends 10/5.

PlanToys are innovative educational toys made from non-toxic natural materials. Enter to win a Plan City Airport at Misadventures In Baby Raising. Ends 10/13.

Random Tuesday Thoughts - Sell Enough To Get A New School?

Courtesy of The Un Mom, I am participating in Random Tuesday Thoughts. Here are the current thinkings inside my head:

I'm so glad that magazine sales are over. Three of my kids were selling magazine subscriptions as a fundraiser for their school and it was a lot of work finding suckers people willing to buy magazines. And with all the incentives given to the kids, they focused more on that than they did their schoolwork. Too bad fundraising didn't count as a grade. They would've gotten an A.
One of my step-daughters is selling chocolate candy bars as a fundraiser for her school and we've had no problem getting rid of those. They've disappeared faster than Houdini. Family, friends, and total strangers are swooping them up like there's going to be a chocolate shortage in the near future. Note to schools: Magazine subscriptions are a flop. Keep up the chocolate bar sales. They're pretty popular in this neck of the woods.

How is it that I've got a closet full of clothes and still have nothing to wear? I've owned a lot of the same clothes for years. A fashion guru I'm not. But I don't think it'd hurt to wear something different once in a while. Speaking of closets, I may just clean mine out this evening and donate what I no longer wear to charity. It's time to find the Halloween decorations and get them set up. Can't do that until I wade through the other piles of useless junk in my closet.

How is it that two pre-teen boys with not an ounce of fat on them can eat you out of house and home? My boys, Logan and Adam, must have tapeworm because they want to eat from sunrise to sunset. Lunch can be over and they're immediately asking what's for supper. I've seen my grocery bill skyrocket just from those two alone. You couldn't tell it by looking at them. Must be their endless energy that keeps them from gaining an ounce.

Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters (Giveaway)

Nature Valley has come out with a new line of snacks called Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters. They are a bite size blend of 100% natural ingredients that include select roasted nuts, whole grain oats, and a touch of honey. New Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters come in four flavors: Nut Lovers, Roasted Almond, Roasted Cashew, and Honey Roasted Peanut.

I did not have a preference of one over the other. I liked the taste of all four. They are a bit on the crunchy side so they may not be easy for some people to eat. They come in a resealable pouch which I particularly like because it's easier to take somewhere and helps keep in the freshness. I left one bag on the kitchen table at work to get feedback from co-workers. I left the Roasted Almond ones and the bag was gone in less than one shift. They are an easy, tasty, healthy, mess-free snack. I noticed my local grocery store had these stocked on an end shelf. I'm not sure if this is the average price for them everywhere, but they were advertised at $3.59 a bag.

Win It!

One of my readers has the opportunity to win a Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters "Snack Pack". Included in the prize pack is all 4 varieties of the Granola Nut clusters, a sling backpack, a stainless steel water bottle, a flashlight, and a pair of binoculars. (the same items as shown in the above picture)

Mandatory Entry:
Comment with one of your favorite elements of nature.

Extra Entries:

Comment with which variety/flavor of the Granola Nut Clusters you think you'd like best.
Comment with another product that you'd like to try from Nature Valley.
Follow my blog.
Subscribe to my blog by email.
Add my button to your blog.
Blog about this giveaway, leave a link to the post (+3 entries).
Follow me on Twitter, partymix25.
Tweet about this giveaway, leave a link to the tweet.

Leave a separate comment for each entry and please leave your email address with your comments. Giveaway ends 10/13/09 at 8 pm CST and is open to residents of the US. I will randomly draw the winner and they will have 48 hrs. to respond to email notification or another winner will be drawn.

I received product for review from My Blog Spark. The opinions within this post are of my own and I was not influenced in any way. Please do your own research before purchasing products.

Blog Hop - Three Things Every Parent Should Teach Their Kids

The blog hop theme for this week is Three Things Every Parent Should Teach Their Kids. With six kids I'm trying to raise to be decent civilians, this theme is interesting and relevant to me. I'll never claim to be the perfect parent and sometimes I just downright mess up when it comes to parenting. I doubt I'd get an A+ if parenting had a grade, but I think I'd get an A for effort...or maybe a B. Without further ado, here are three that come to mind:

1. Teach your children manners. Please, thank you, yes sir, and yes ma'am are rarely heard anymore. My two boys hold the door open for people and you'd be surprised how many people are in utter amazement that 10 and 11 year old boys are nice enough to hold a door open and let a person through. Man or woman, it doesn't matter. All of my kids are expected to say please and thank you when wanting or getting something. It's a matter of respect and politeness to the other person.

2. Teach your children the value of a dollar. Make them work for it sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I'm all about buying an "I love you" or "just because" gift for the kids. But I also feel the value of a dollar should be ingrained in their heads. One of my pet peeves is ungratefulness. Be grateful for what you've got and working for it helps instill that value. We live in a me, me, me, society and there are kids being raised to believe that the world owes them. If there's something that one of my kids really want they know they need to work towards buying it. They get a small amount of money for doing chores and save it up to buy said item.
My kids also know that I'm a tight ass (oops, I mean frugal) . Unless something is on sale, I rarely give it a second glance. Brand name clothing doesn't get worn unless it's bought from a yard sale, bought at a thrift store, or given to us. Games and toys are usually bought second-hand as well. I rarely pay full price for an item and I have carried that on to my children. They get as excited as I do when they find a great bargain at the store. They ask the cashier just how much money they saved that day. They know that if they want an expensive item that can't be afforded, they either have to wait until it's on sale, a special occasion, or they have to work for it and save up the money. Believe it or not, my kids don't go without. They wear brand names, have the latest gadgets, and the coolest toys. It's just done by the way of teaching them the value of a dollar.


3. Teach your children that being a bully is being a coward. I say this because some people are very one-sided and only have one point-of-view. They pick on those who don't fit the norm or don't jump on the bandwagon. For instance, at my daughter's high school during Homecoming this last week, one of the girls who was chosen for the sophomore Homecoming court found out after being chosen that it was all a joke. Along the lines of Stephen King's movie, Carrie. The girl and her mother were very upset. What was supposed to be a special, memorable occasion turned out to be a nightmare for this poor girl. It's not cool to pick on other people or make fun of them because of their differences. It's not cool to be the big bully on the outside because you're a coward on the inside.

What are some things you think every parent should teach their children?




Special thanks to Purell Hand Sanitizer for sponsoring this blog hop.

And The Winners Are...

Two of my giveaways have ended and I have randomly drawn the winners, for one of them anyways. For the Cystex giveaway only one person entered so she is the winner. Congrats to Alexis AKA Mom of Running Away? I'll Help You Pack. She has an awesome blog that you should check out if you haven't already.

For the 18x24" Poster Print giveaway, there were 20 entries and #10 was the random number drawn. Congrats to alwayshopeful. She has won a couple of my giveaways before and she seems to be a kind soul.

I will be emailing the winners shortly and they have 48 hrs. to respond. I have other giveaways going on right now. You can find them at the top right hand side of my blog. The competition is a little fiercer for them, but you can't win if you don't enter.

Great Blog Giveaways #26

These may not be my giveaways, but they're still worth giving a shout out to. Go check them out and enter to win.

Step2 is the nation's largest toddler toy manufacturer and marketer of high quality plastic products. Enter to win a Modern Lines Kitchen at The Dirty Shirt. Ends 10/8. Also, you can enter to win a LifeStyle New Traditions Kitchen at Coffee With The Mrs. Ends 10/12.

Kate Quinn Organics features stylish organic products and apparel. Enter to win a Short Sleeve Lounge Dress for your child in choice of color and size at Piece of ME. Ends 10/3.

Beaute de Maman offers health and beauty products for pregnant women. Enter to win one of three facial scrubs at The Not-So-Blog. Ends 10/6.

Check out the Back 2 Blogging Bash headed by Jabbering Jessi. She has lots of giveaways going on as part of this bash. For one of the giveaways, you can enter to win a pair of shoes of choice from Must Have Shoes, a shoe boutique, at Jabbering Jessi. Ends 10/9.

Baby Step Designs is an Etsy shop with custom pillows, blankets, and diaper wipe cases. For another of the Back 2 Blogging Bash event giveaways, you can enter to win a custom diaper wipe case of your choice at Jabbering Jessi. Ends 10/9.

The Boy's Store is an ultimate online shopping destination for boy's clothing and accessories. Enter to win a $25 gift certificate for The Boy's Store at Fun and Funky Mommy. Ends 10/14.

Little Fit has custom-sized cool kids hats especially designed for infants and toddlers. Enter to win a hat of choice at Jamie's Precious Peas. Ends 10/7.
Eco-Handbags specializes in chic, unique, and fashionable handbags created from recycled or eco-friendly materials. Enter to win a Celia Bag at Mkokopelli. Ends 10/9.

This Winner Will Be Money Savvy

My Money Savvy Pig Bank giveaway has ended and I have randomly drawn the winner. Out of 30 entries the winner is #25, alwayshopeful.

alwayshopeful said...
i like the Money Savvy Cow®A Cow Bank For Your Moolah...the boys would like one of these.
September 25, 2009 7:30 PM

I am emailing the winner now and the winner has 48 hrs. to respond to notification. Many thanks to those who entered. Don't forget to enter my current giveaways posted at the top right hand side of my blog.

Blog Hop Friday - Giveaways

I have quite a few giveaways going on right now. You can find my list of current giveaways at the top right hand side of my blog. While you're at it, enter the giveaways listed below as part of the Giveaway Blog Hop.

Great Blog Giveaways #25

Who likes to win stuff? I do, I do! You can enter to win at these blog giveaways too.

Moving Comfort is an all-woman company that sells sports bras and fitness apparel. Enter to win a sports bra of your choice at The Mom Buzz. Ends 9/30.

My Sweet Baby Jane offers adorable accessories that will look darling on any little girl. Enter to win $25 worth of My Sweet Baby Jane products of your choice at Pretty Pink Momma. Ends 10/5.

Zhu Zhu Pets are plush, realistic, interactive hamsters that move around in their own play sets. Enter to win a Zhu Zhu Pets hamster with slide and ramp at Mommy MoMo. Ends 10/3. You can also enter to win at Momma In Flip Flops 2! Ends 9/30.

Red Envelope is the place to go for unique and personalized gifts. Enter to win a $50 Red Envelope gift certificate at 1 Stop Mom Giveaways and Reviews. Ends 9/28.

Make soda and sparkling water at home in 30 seconds with SodaStream. Enter to win a Fountain Jet Starter Kit at I Like It Frantic. Ends 10/6.

Beau-coup is your home for unique favors, party supplies, and wedding decorations. Enter to win a $25 Beau-coup gift certificate at Playground for Parents. Ends 10/9.


Anytime Costumes offers thousands of costumes and costume accessories. Enter to win choice of infant, toddler, child, or teen costume at Barefoot Mommies. Unknown end date. You can also enter to win at The Mud Bug. Ends 10/5.

Snugfits has toddler tees for every expression, among other things. Enter to win a tee or onesie of choice at Fun and Funky Mommy. Ends 10/17.

The Boy's Store is a premiere site for boy's clothing and accessories. Enter to win a $25 gift certificate to The Boy's Store at Serendipity Mommy. Ends 9/30.

Carved Solutions is a Vermont based company that makes handmade soaps, candles, and embroidered items. Enter to win a personalized soap trio at Life With 5 Monkies and 1 Ape. Ends 10/2.

The LashFood Winner

I have randomly drawn the winner of my LashFood giveaway that ended tonight at 8 pm. Out of 89 entries, the lucky winner is #11. Congrats to ApachesPrincess! I will be emailing you shortly and you have 48 hrs. to respond to email notification.

ApachesPrincess said...

The Lash Food was featured on CBS 2 News!

September 9, 2009 9:50 PM

Many thanks to LashFood for sponsoring the giveaway and thanks to all those who entered. I currently have 7 giveaways going on at this time. The odds of winning are good so far. You can find my current giveaways at the top right hand of my blog.

Mayfair Lane Review & Giveaway - 10/9

Don't settle for boring when you can have fresh and modern. Mayfair Lane offers list pads, photo frames, clippers, note pads, and more with a stylish and practical approach. Their Happeez product line contains a material that protects surfaces from scratching and will not leave a residue.

The clippers work great on a fridge to hold papers or photos. I have some of the clippers on my fridge. Not only are they cute, they are also functional. I use them to hold important reminders. I have yet to have one fall off the fridge like some clippers do. They hold well and have a backing material to help them stick. I can easily remove it with water or window cleaner if I need or want to.
The Happeez Mini Photo Frames have different designs to fit your preference. I have this cherry blossoms frame on my fridge and it sticks well. The colors are vibrant and the backing material helps keep it in place. The Happeez backing material makes it easy for the products to stick where you want them to, including stainless steel and glass refrigerators.

I received this large journal and gave it to my teenage daughter. She was thrilled with the design, as she is a fan of skulls, and noticed that there was plenty of room in it to write her thoughts. Each journal contains 50 blank pages.

Overall, I am quite pleased with the line of products Mayfair Lane has to offer. There are designs to fit every person's tastes and they are made to last. Mayfair Lane products are great for any home or office.

Win It!
Mayfair Lane is generously offering one of my readers the chance to win a basket of assorted frames, notepads, journals, and clips. This is a $75 value!

Mandatory Entry:

Visit Mayfair Lane and leave a comment with one of your favorite products.

Extra Entries:

Leave a comment with another product that you really like.
Sign up for Mayfair Lane's email newsletter to receive exclusive offers.
Leave a comment with something you learned from the Mayfair Lane FAQs.
Name one of the retailers that carries Mayfair Lane products.
Follow my blog.
Subscribe to my blog by email.
Add my button to your blog.
Blog about this giveaway, leave a link to the post (+3 entries).
Follow me on Twitter, partymix25.
Tweet about this giveaway, leave a link to the tweet.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry and leave your email address in the comments. Giveaway ends 10/09/09 at 8 pm CST. Winner will be randomly drawn and will have 48 hrs. to respond to email notification or a new winner will be drawn.

I received products for review. The opinions within this post are of my own and I was not influenced in any way. Please do your own research before purchasing products. Many thanks to Mayfair Lane.

Wordful Wednesday - Wedding Rehearsal

My husband and I were in a wedding over the weekend and here's some photos of the wedding rehearsal and dinner.

This is me and my husband. Sometimes we do clean up nice.

The groomsmen look oh-so-thrilled.

This is just a few of the people that were at the rehearsal dinner. The dinner was held at a shelter house in a park. Everyone brought a covered dish and my husband brought his sound system to play music.

The bride passed out gifts to the wedding party. The females received champagne classes and the males received beer mugs. They were engraved with our names on them.

This is how everyone felt by the end of the night. My two great-nieces couldn't take it any longer and fell asleep in the church.

Wordful Wednesday is for those who like to explain their photos. Go to 7 Clown Circus if you'd like to participate.

Random Tuesday Thoughts - 9/22

For a while now, I have been delving into other people's thoughts and, WOW, some of them are more messed up than mine! I thought I'd give it a try and let people into the thoughts that occupy my brain.

What is it about boys and their toys? My husband bought a gas-powered RC car a couple months ago and he's worked on it more than he's played with it. More money has gone into this toy car than the actual truck that I drive to work every day. One day it's parts, the next day it's fuel, the day after it's grease. Guess he's not a mechanic for nothing!

I hope the girl who's making the Halloween costumes for my boys knows how to sew. I'm grateful for the opportunity to have unique one-of-a-kind costumes for them, but I have yet to see any of her projects that she's done. What the heck, it's a costume, not a wedding dress. I'm sure they'll turn out great.

I'm bummed that camping season is almost over and I will soon have to winterize my camper. I've had it just a few short months and it's been my home away from home. What am I supposed to do with my life in the winter?

Good gosh, my left foot itches! Does that mean I have money coming my way?....Oh wait, that's another body part!

Now I've suddenly gotten tired and am contemplating whether to clean the house or take a nap before I go in to work. Sleep's funner.

CSN Mirrors Floor Clock Mirror Review & Giveaway - 10/9

A while back I posted that I would be doing a review and giveaway for CSN Mirrors.com. I had posted a pic of what I would be reviewing and giving away; unfortunately, that product was out of stock. However, I was able to choose another item and I'm happy with my choice. It took me a while to choose what I wanted because of the vast selection of mirrors available. From wall mirrors to floor mirrors, CSN Mirrors has it all. Not only do they carry all makes and models of mirrors, a large selection of home decor is also available.

This Copper Art Round Capiz Candle Wall Sconce is just one item of many offered in their home decor selection.

CSN Mirrors.com offers free shipping on most items and is very comprehensive in their description of each item. Customers are able to write reviews on the products they've bought. You are able to know right off if an item is available or out of stock and when the expected date is for it to be available. There's also construction quality and shipping damage meters that rate how well constructed an item is and what the likelihood is of it getting damaged during shipping. Manufacturer details and specifications are also easily located for each item. There's very few companies that are as comprehensive in details of their products such as this one.

I received the Adesso CH4201-22 Floor Clock Mirror to review. It was received with no damage and was easy to assemble. It is set up in the teenage girls' room and they particularly like it because there's a mirror on one side and a clock on the other. It easily fits in the corner of their room without taking up much space and is of good quality. It does not wobble like some floor models do.
This is what the mirror side looks like on the Floor Clock Mirror.


This is the clock side view of the floor clock mirror.

Buy It!

You can purchase the Floor Clock Mirror here.

Win It!

CSN Mirrors has generously offered one of my readers the chance to win an Adesso Floor Clock Mirror just like the one I received.

Mandatory Entry:
Visit CSN Mirrors and leave a comment with your favorite mirror.

Extra Entries:

Leave a comment with your favorite piece of home decor.
Sign up to receive the CSN Mirrors Deal-Alert Email.
Follow my blog.
Subscribe to my blog by email.
Add my button to your blog.
Blog about this giveaway, leave a link to the post (+3 entries).
Follow me on Twitter, partymix25.
Tweet about the giveaway, leave a link to the tweet.


Please leave a separate comment for each entry and leave your email address in your comments. Giveaway is open to US residents and will end on 10/09/09 at 8 pm CST. Winner will be randomly drawn and will have 48 hrs. to respond to email notification or a new winner will be randomly drawn.

I received product for review. The opinions within this post are of my own and I was not influenced in any way. Please do your own research before purchasing any product.

Blog Hop - Why Read My Blog

This week's blog hop theme is Why Read My Blog. It gives others the opportunity to get to know you and get insight on why they should read your blog.

There are an infinite number of blogs out there. I should know, I follow and subscribe to A LOT of them. I enjoy reading about other people's lives, finding out about great deals, and entering giveaways.

Without further ado, here's a list of reasons why I think you should read my blog:

1. I do PR product reviews and giveaways and there's a chance to learn about new products and enter giveaways. I'm not quite sure why, but it seems the odds are pretty great at winning one of my giveaways. It might be because my blog is fairly new or it might be because I'm not cross promoting in all the right places, but my numbers are somewhat higher at winning than others in the giveway chance department.

2. I like variety. You never know what I may blog about. It may be about my mundane day, a great deal I found on the Internet, my latest vent about the lack of common sense that I observe day to day, a product review and/or giveaway, or the latest thought that has popped in my head. I can't categorize my blog into one mold because it's all over the place (just as I am).

3. Why NOT read my blog? Chances are, I read yours. And if not, I'm more than willing to.

4. You get a chance to peek into the life of a blended family with six kids, two adults, four hermit crabs, one beta fish, and a lot of crazy relatives.

5. I'm been pretty good so far at updating my blog, keeping it current. I also make an effort to post at least every other day. There's no staleness here.

Thanks for reading this post and while you're at it, become an email subscriber and/or follow my blog (pretty please with a cherry on top).





Special thanks to Grace Jacobsen for sponsoring this blog hop.

PlumbPretty Butterfly Scrabble Tile Necklace Review & Giveaway - 10/5

A couple of months ago I had the opportunity to offer a review/giveaway to my readers for a pair of Rainy Day Dangle Earrings from PlumbPretty's Etsy Shop. Since then Tina, the creative mastermind behind PlumbPretty, has added many new items to her shop. She specializes in crafting handmade jewelry, soaps, and beauty items.

All soaps are made to order so that you get the freshest product possible and they are available in six scents.

This beautiful Silver Spoon Pendant would complement any outfit.

Buy It!

You can purchase any of PlumbPretty's creations through her Etsy shop here.

Win It!

Tina of PlumbPretty is generously offering one of my readers the chance to win a Butterfly Scrabble Tile Necklace as shown below.

Mandatory Entry:

Leave a comment here with your favorite item from the PlumbPretty shop.

Extra Entries:

Follow PlumbPretty on Twitter, plumbpretty

Follow PlumbPretty's blog

Follow me on Twitter, partymix25

Tweet about this giveaway, leave a link to the tweet

Blog about this giveaway, leave a link to the post (+3 entries)

Follow my blog

Subscribe to my blog by email

Add my button to your blog

Purchase any item from PlumbPretty's Etsy shop (+5 entries)

Please leave a separate comment for each entry. Leave your email address in your comments. Giveaway is open WORLDWIDE and ends on 10/05/09 at 8 pm CST. I will randomly draw winner and they will have 48 hrs. to respond to email notification or another winner will be randomly drawn. The opinions within this post are of my own and I was not influenced in any way.

This Oughta Scare 'Em

*Be forewarned that there is a pic of a scary Halloween mask in this post. If this is something that disturbs you or your children, please don't look.*

Fall is my favorite season and Halloween is my favorite "holiday" of the year. I enjoy attending Halloween parties, picking pumpkins, decorating the house and camper, taking the kids trick-or-treating, and dressing up in costume.

The first Saturday in October the campground where we stay will host their last official shindig of the year. There will be a live band, trick-or-treating, hayrack rides, a Poker stand, a soup supper, and a haunted trail. My husband is volunteering to be a part of the haunted trail. After searching for Halloween masks on Amazon this is the one we settled on, the Scary Tortured Ugly Man Adult Halloween Costume Mask.

My husband wanted a mask that would scare the socks off someone. What do you think, will this one work?

Dove Nutrium Moisture Body Wash Review & Giveaway - 10/5

I'm somewhat obsessed with bath and body products. I like to try different ones out for their cleanliness, texture, and smell. I've always been a fan of Dove products. I feel they are of high quality and affordable. The new line of Dove Nutrium Moisture body washes has added to my high opinion of Dove products. This new line is created with a breakthrough formula that cares for surface skin ten layers deep.

I was not aware that regular body washes cause dry skin damage due to loss of critical moisture. That is probably part of the reason why I have very dry skin. I've never been picky about my body washes because I did not know they could be damaging my proteins and lipids on the outer layer of my skin.

New Dove Nutrium Moisture body washes are clinically proven to significantly reduce dryness and improve moisturization. The body washes are available in sensitive skin, gentle exfoliating, and deep moisture. I tried all three body washes and felt a significant difference in how my skin felt. It is much smoother and softer. I was laying in bed with my husband the other night rubbing his back and noticed how silky smooth his skin felt. I asked what he had been using and he said that he's been using the Dove Nutrium Moisture body washes as well. Wow, what a difference it made on his skin too! I like all three of them quite well, but I'd say that the sensitive skin one is my favorite.

Win It!

One of my readers has the opportunity to win a bottle of 24 oz. Dove Nutrium Moisture Sensitive Skin Body Wash.

Mandatory Entry:

Go to the Science of Skincare article and leave a comment with something you learned.

Extra Entries:

Take the Skin I.Q. Quiz and leave a comment with your results.
Leave a comment with another Dove product that you like or would like to try.
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Blog about this giveaway, leave a link to the post (+3 entries).
Subscribe to my blog by email.
Add my button to your blog.
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Tweet about this giveaway, leave a link to the tweet.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry and leave your email address with your comment.
Giveaway ends 10/05/09 at 8 pm CST. Open to US residents.
I will randomly draw the winner and winner will have 48 hrs. to respond to email notification or another winner will be randomly drawn.

I received product for review. The opinions within this post are of my own and I was not influenced in any way. Please do your own research before purchasing products.

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A Rockin' Reception

Here are a few photos of the wedding reception I attended last night:

The bride and groom sharing wedding cake with each other

This was found under the bride's dress!

My sister and husband shaking a leg.

Me dancing with my oldest son.

Lots of food, lots of drinks, lots of friends and family, lots of fun!

A Wonderful Wedding

My nephew got married yesterday and it was a joyous occasion. I had some doubts because the preparation was somewhat chaotic and stressful. However, the day of the wedding went well and I had a great time. My body ached by the end of the night and we slept in a lot longer than usual (including the children!) today.

The wedding party endured many hours of having their photo taken. By the end of the night my face hurt and I posed for what seemed like an eternity. My daughter took over 200 photos of the event so I have a lot of pics to scrapbook and remember the event.

Here are a few photos of the occasion:

My husband served as best man and I was a bridesmaid.


My husband and I with my three children.

This is the photographer's van on my truck. He was afraid of parking in the yellow line so he decided to eat my bumper instead!


Jumping for joy!

The wedding party


The beautiful couple, Justin and Yolanda

They are a wonderful couple that have been together for six years. They're perfect for each other and I love them both dearly.

I'll post some photos of the reception soon.

Heartbreak Kid

My 10 yoa son, Adam, seems to always have a following of girls who have crushes on him. He just takes it in stride and shrugs it off. We attended a wedding reception last night and the funniest thing happened. A 9 yoa girl, a daughter of one of the groomsmen, approached my son and politely asked if he would dance with her. When asked why he declined, he told me it's because he's picky about his girls. In my mind, I'm thinking he better be picky because there's no girls he should be interested in at this age.

Adam proceeded to go outside with me and this girl followed. Let me tell you, she's a persistent one! She advised him that one dance would not kill him and there was no reason for him to say no. It was rather funny watching them two with their conversation. She was sure she could talk him into it, but he was not falling for it.

A little later, Adam was slow dancing with his sister and with me. Apparently this girl saw it and just started breaking out in tears. Her little heart was broke that he wouldn't have anything to do with her. The tears were flowing like waterworks.
After some consideration and promises that no one would make fun of him or give him a hard time, my son caved in and danced with her.

While dancing with her, my oldest daughter started crying. What the heck, is it estrogen night?? She's crying because she thought it was so cute to see her brother dancing with a girl and she realized that he's growing up to be a fine young man. Isn't that supposed to be the mother's job, to cry about stuff like that? Oh no, Shelby wouldn't stop crying because her little brother is growing up too quick.

Do you think the tears stopped there? Absolutely not. Shelby dances the next slow song with Adam and now the both of them are crying! Apparently Shelby was telling Adam how much she loves her little brother and how he'll always be special to her. So now Adam is crying along with her.

It does feel good to know that my handsome young man is protected by his sister and the sibling love is there. Now I've got to work on Shelby getting along with her other brother!



The one on the left is Adam, the heartbreak kid. Shelby's in the middle. My other son, Logan, on the other side.