Remember how I told you I was part of a really fun project that could make two of my readers a big winner? Well, it’s time for one of you to get your chance!

One of our partners in the Fill The Backpack program is Classwish.org – a wonderful non-profit, dedicated to helping teachers fill their classrooms with the things that they need for a successful learning environment.

ClassWish.org unites teachers, parents and communities to provide the classroom resources children need to thrive.  Teachers create Wish Lists.  Visitors see exactly what’s needed and make tax-deductible contributions to help.  The result?  All of us are united in helping children meet their potential.  See how easy it is a http://ClassWish.org.

Teachers can sign up their classrooms and create a wish list of items that would help them to create a classroom that would enhance their students’ experience. Parents, alumni and other supporters can go to the site and donate the funds to the classroom of their choice or choose to purchase a specific item from the teacher’s list with their donation. It really makes helping out your child’s classroom a quick and easy process!

As a part of our Fill The Backpack campaign, we will also be giving away two Dream Classrooms from Classwish.org to deserving teachers. If you would like to enter your classroom or your child’s classroom to have a chance to win $500 toward the classroom of their dreams, visit our Dream Classroom giveaway and submit your essay.

I am pleased to have the opportunity to offer a $25 credit to Classwish.org, among the many amazing items in the backpacks that I am giving away!

What else will my winner receive? Take a look!

Sample tastes from Arizona Kids, Bear Naked, Cal Naturale Svelte, …

… and more to come! This list will grown as more products are added by our sponsors

To Enter to win a backpack overflowing with these great prizes:

Leave me a comment letting me know what YOU would like to supply for a classroom in your area if you were to win the backpack and the Classwish.org $25 credit.

For extra entries, you may tweet about the giveaway and leave the link to your tweet in the comment section. Please, no more than twice per day.
Giveaway ends on Thursday, September 9th at 11:59 PM EST. US entries only please. Winner will be selected by Random.org and will be notified by email. If prize is not claimed within 48 hours of email, another winner will be selected. One backpack per winner, across the campaigns.

Fill the Backpack is sponsored by Ziploc and 20th Century Fox. Our sponsors have generously contibuted to this campaign through products, monetary compensation, and have made The Dream Classroom Contest possible (cash prizes to be awarded through classwish.org). Participating brands have contributed products to all 8 bloggers and to all 16 backpacks.

If you haven’t been avoiding the calendar like the plague, I’m sure you’re well aware that Back to School is just around the corner or might even have hit you like a ton of bricks already. While we still have a few weeks of summer left around here, back to school prep is in full swing. We’re getting AJ ready for his sophomore year, J ready for another year of homeschooling and the little guys set up for some learning at home with mom.
But we want to help you get ready for another school year of fun and learning, too! I have teamed up with 7 other amazing bloggers for some fabulous back to school treats! We’ve been preparing for weeks and are so excited to share with you…

“Fill the Backpack”
The Parent. The Student. The Teacher.

“Fill the Backpack” is an exciting back to school online event taking place across 8 blogs from August 16th – September 16th . We have partnered with Volunteer Spot and this event will be sponsored by Ziploc Brand and 20th Century Fox as well as other brands that have contributed to filling the backpack!

We will be giving away 16 backpacks overflowing with back to school surprises and hosting a Dream Classroom Contest for teachers and parents to submit a 200 word essay describing their dream classroom. Two entries will receive $500 to classwish.org to help assist in the building of the classroom of their dreams.

Meet the Bloggers!

Tech Savvy Mama – Leticia Barr

Just Precious – Julie Meyers Pron

The Centsible Life – Kelly Whalen

Detroit Mommies – Courtney Valasquez

It’s My Life – Jessica Rosenberg

Savvy Sassy Moms – Andrea Fellman

From Crib to Car Keys – Shannan Powell

Clueless Mama – Laurie Cooper

VolunteerSpot’s free online signup sheets save time, eliminate reply-all email, and make it easy for more parents to get involved at school. Register at VolunteerSpot before October 1, 2010 using promo code ‘“TeachersSave” for a chance to win $100 in free classroom supplies for the teacher of your choice from ClassWish.org.

Meet the “Fill the Backpack” Official Sponsors

Stay tuned to find out how you can enter to win a backpack or how you can enter your favorite teacher for a chance to win a dream classroom…

Sending cards is something that I always have great intentions to do, but something always goes terribly wrong with the execution. I either buy them early then forget to send them, or completely forget about it until the special date has passed and I am left apologizing for overlooking someone or something.  I really do try…I just forget. It’s not you, it’s me.

Tiny Prints has just launched a new line of greeting cards that just might make me look a little more thoughtful. Their personalized cards offer customers the chance to personalize their cards with names, photos and even write their own greetings. You can send grandma a Mother’s Day card with a picture of all the grandkids, or remind your best friend of her most embarrassing moment by personalizing a fun birthday card.

Even if you don’t care to personalize the card, there are tons of great styles for just about any occasion that may come along. If you’d like, Tiny Prints will even mail the card for you, preventing the embarrassing problem that I have of leaving the cards sitting on the kitchen table for weeks on end.

And the best part? Tiny Prints also offers a reminder service that will email you and grab your attention to let you know that someone in your life has a birthday or anniversary coming up. Forgetful oafs like me won’t get caught unaware when someone’s birthday rolls around! Genius!

I have yet to physically put my hands on one of the new greeting cards, but have received cards from people using Tiny Prints before, I am confident that they will be of the same high quality that we’ve come to expect from the company. They simply produce beautiful work.

Want to learn more about the new Tiny Prints Greetings line? Join us tonight (Friday, April 23^rd) for their first ever Twitter party! Head on over to ResourcefulMommy to find out the details and RSVP.

If you would like to try out Tiny Prints Greetings for yourself, you can sign up for a subscription plan and get 3 free cards right now.

OR

You can win 25 cards from me! That’s right! I am giving away 25 greeting cards to one lucky reader.

Main Entry: Leave me a comment, telling me what your most embarrassing “Oops I forgot” moment was. Did you forget a birthday? Leave a kid at daycare? Come on, we want to laugh at with you!

Bonus Entries: Please leave a comment for each entry!

• Visit Tiny Prints and let me know which of their fantastic new greeting card designs is your favorite.
• Tweet about the giveaway.
• Subscribe to my RSS feed
• Follow me on GoogleConnect
• Blog about this giveaway

This giveaway will close on Saturday, May 1 at 11:59 PM. Winner will be chosen by Random.org and notified by email. If the winner cannot be contacted by email, a new winner will be chosen.

Disclosure: I will be receiving product from Tiny Prints in exchange for posting this giveaway. Any stated opinions on the product belong to me.

I’ve said before that we are all gamers in this house, from the littlest who are just learning how to hold a controller or maneuver a mouse, to A and I who take turns with fight over the PS3. Not to mention the two teen boys who are constantly talking about and playing the latest games on the market.

It can be tough to know what games kids have, so gift cards are usually the best way to go when buying these gifts. This can be a bit problematic for those who play computer based games, however.

I was recently contacted by One Power Up, a company that has created a game card that can be used to purchase credits for a number of online games. They offered me a card to try out, so that I could see the variety of games that can be purchased with their cards.

I visited their website and found that there are a number of games available with the One Power Up card. At the moment, you can purchase credits for 21 games, and I am sure that number will increase in the future. There are a variety of genres available, from sports to adventure to RPGs, appealing to a wide variety of gamers.

Loading an account is simple, all you need to do is create an account and add the funds from your card to your desired game. When you are ready for more, simply purchase more credits from participating retailers, such as RiteAid, Freds, or FYE.

My only initial concern about the One Power Up cards were that there are games available on the site that wouldn’t be appropriate for a younger audience. However, they have recently released a Safe Card, which can only be used for family friendly games appropriate for children under the age of 13.

I have been given FIVE $10 One Power Up Game Card PINs to give away to five lucky readers. All you need to do to enter is visit the One Power Up website and come back and let me know in a comment which of the games available would be the most appealing to you or your favorite gamer.

For additional entries (main entry must be completed first)

• Tweet about the giveaway on Twitter/Share on Facebook (Limit 3 entries)
• Subscribe to my feed (email or RSS)
• Friend me on Google Friend Connect
• Blog about this giveaway.

Please leave a separate comment for each form of entry.

This contest will close on Sunday, December 28^th at 11:59 PM and codes will be distributed to winners selected by Random.org as soon as is possible.

Product was provided for this review.

Family meals are a big part of the holiday season, but having a complete holiday dinner can get a bit pricey. Our family has a Christmas Eve tradition of a big sit-down meal of either ham or turkey, at my father’s house, and I know that just bringing a couple of sides can add up to quite a few bucks. Even when you aren’t feeding a dozen people, holiday dinners can cost a pretty penny, depending on where and how you shop.

Save A Lot has put together a holiday meal menu for 4, which can be purchase for under $20. The dinner includes a 9 lb Sugardale Shank Portion Ham, 2 Lbs Fresh Jumbo Sweet Potatoes, Fresh Express Garden Salad Mix, 16 ounce bottle Portman’s Salad Dressing, 2 Cans Wylwood Canned Vegetables (corn, peas or green beans), 20 ounce can of Libby’s Pineapple, So-Cheezy Shells and Cheddar, Grissom’s Brown & Serve Rolls and a Mrs. Smith’s Apple or Cherry Pie all for $19.31.

In addition to this, they are also offering a downloadable $5 coupon off a $20 purchase, bringing the cost of this meal down to $15. At a time of the year when most of us need to stretch our dollars as far as they can go. You can visit http://bit.ly/8FEm55 to see their menu and to download and print your $5 off coupon.

Save A Lot has also given me the opportunity to provide a holiday dinner for one of my readers. One winner will receive a $20 gift card to Save A Lot, which they can use toward their own holiday dinner! This is a short-notice giveaway, so you only have 24 hours to enter!
Please leave a comment on this post, telling me your favorite part of your family’s holiday meal, then fill out the form below to enter.

For an extra entry, you may tweet about this giveaway (up to three times) then return here and enter again through the form.

The winner will be drawn at 3 PM EST on Friday, December 18. US entries only, please. Winner will be posted here and will not need to contact me to claim.

Only winner information will be passed along to the vendor for prize fulfillment, all other information collected will be deleted after the close of the contest.

Disclosure: I will also be receiving a gift card, as a thank you for hosting this giveaway

Skateboarding, snowboarding and other “extreme sports” have been the in thing for awhile, especially with teen boys, and mine are no exception. Every year brings another request for a skateboard or some other paraphernalia.

It looks like this year’s “skateboard” is the Shred Sled, which we have been given the opportunity to review. This is a dual-deck board with four inline wheels that combines the feel of skateboarding, snowboarding and surfing. This ain’t your daddy’s skateboard, by any stretch of the imagination.

Check out the demo video to see the Shred Sled in action:

I love anything that gives the kids an excuse to get out from in front of the TV and video games, and outside moving their bodies, so on that alone, the Sled gets a thumbs up from me. You need to use your entire body to propel the board, so it is definitely a workout!

According to the boys, getting on the Sled and getting your balance is a bit challenging at first, but once you get the hang of the balance and motion, it’s pretty easy. Just like any similar activity, practice makes perfect, so don’t expect to jump on and take off down the street on the first try! The four inline wheels do give a bit more stability than other boards will. (I wish I had some pictures of them trying it out to share, but alas, the camera has died.)

I personally have not tried to get on the Shred Sled, so I’m taking the word of the others on this one. I have plates and screws in one ankle and let’s just say a fall might not be pretty. Even without extra hardware in your body, I highly recommend wearing pads and helmets for safety’s sake.

The Shred Sled can be purchased at the Shred Sled website and it retails for $119.99. It is recommended for ages 8 and up, and is available in 3 color choices.

One of my readers will have the opportunity to WIN a Shred Sled this holiday season!

MAIN ENTRY: Leave me a comment telling me what your family’s favorite extreme sport is! Don’t forget to leave a valid email address so that I can contact you if you are the winner.

For extra entries: (MAIN ENTRY MUST BE COMPLETED FIRST)

• Tweet about the giveaway on Twitter (no more than once per day, please)
• Share the link on Facebook
• Blog about the giveaway
• Subscribe to my feed (Reader or email)

Please be sure to leave a SEPARATE comment for each entry.

Contest will close on Wednesday, December 9th at 11:59 PM. Winner will be contacted and will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.
Product was provided for this review.

Holiday shopping season is here again and the Global Influence network has some great gift ideas for you, tried and tested by real moms. Click on the links to check out what our team of reviewers had to say about each of these gift ideas, and then take a moment to enter our fun giveaway and take a chance at winning some of these fabulous products. Featured Reviews Pouchees -

Busy moms need all the help they can get to stay organized and keep life as simple as possible. The Pouchee is the perfect solution to keeping all those little things together, putting everything you need, right at your fingertips.

Duck Hunter -

Duck Hunter turns the excitement of the hunt into an activity the whole family can enjoy. Launch the duck in the air and try to hunt it down with the toy shooter as it flies freely in the air. A fun choice for those who love outdoor sporting.

CardStore cards

-Personalized holiday cards are an important item on everyone’s to-do list and often a hassle to create and print. Cardstore.com has everything from family photo cards to invitations for your big holiday party, simplifying your holiday season.

Great Holiday Gift Ideas

Things Remembered Custom Couture Jewelry

Just Elfin’ Around

Card Cubby

Harumika By Bandai

Harumika Runway Showstopper

Harumika Style Starter

Baby Alive Whoopsie Doo

Strawberry Shortcake Playset

Kota Monty Rex

Wall to Wall Basketball

Nerf Pocket Vortex

Busy Ball Popper

Talking Chuck Truck

Leapfrog My Pal Scout

Leapfrog Tag Jr

Leapfrog Scribble and Write

Animal Planet Polar Land Playset

Animal Planet Dinosaur Playmat

Onionhead Adult/Teen Feelings Pack

OnionHead Children’s Feelings Pack

Onionhead A-Z Feelings Magnet Set

FotoboxPlus

MeTime Tees

Tote Buddy

Fun Holiday Giveaway!

For this holiday guide, we want to share the love with the blogosphere! Some of our generous sponsors have donated prizes to be given away to lucky readers! To enter to win one of the following fabulous prizes, simply fill out the form here: http://tinyurl.com/y8t92rw

Prizes include:

Things RememberedCustom Couture Jewelry

Pouchee

Elfing Around

Harumika

Onionhead Feelings Pack

Nerf Wall to Wall Basketball

Baby Alive Whoopsie Doo

MeTime T-shirt

Entries will close on December 6, 2009 at 11:59 PM EST. Winners will be contacted by email after the close of the contest.

Global Influence Member Guides

Need more ideas for this holiday season? Check out the guides that some of our Global Influence members have put together on their own sites!

Thrifty Jinxy, Happy Healthy Hip , And Twins Make Five , Because Two People Fell In Love, Mommy Musings , Lipstick to Crayons , Bargain Briana , Mommy PR , Shop With Me Mama, Santa Picks, Rave and Review, Connected 2 Christ , 3 Boys and a Dog, The Classy Closet , Contest Corner, Lisa Reviews , A Giveaway Every Day, HulaHoopinMom, Spalibrations, High Impact Mom, From Cribs to Car Keys

All reviews listed in the Global Influence gift guide were product provided. Featured positions were purchased by sponsors. Member gift guides are not affiliated with Global Influence.

Oh my goodness! It’s just a few days before Thanksgiving and time for the holiday shopping season to really get rolling! Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing with you some of my own holiday recommendations that will be making an appearance under our tree this year. Some are items that were sent to me for review, others things that I plan on purchasing myself, and even more fun will be the recipes and ideas I’ll be sharing for food gifts.

There will even be a few fun giveaways that will give you the chance to win some of these great products!

While each review, recipe, and recommendation will be its own post, this will be considered my “home base” with links back to each of the holiday reviews. I hope you’ll keep checking back to see the fun unfold as we get closer and closer to the culmination of the holiday season!

Image courtesy Sxc.hu User – lusi

My favorite time of the year is fast approaching! It’s almost the holidays and I’ve been given the opportunity to kick things off in a big way here!

Video games seem to be an item on nearly everyone’s list, especially handheld games. We’re a family of gamers, with even the little ones wanting to try their hand at playing with the big kids. However, finding games that are age-appropriate for younger children isn’t always easy, and finding games with an inspirational storyline – even harder!

Winter’s Tail is an interactive storybook, that includes mini-games and other fun features, soon to be released for the Nintendo DS. Based on the Scholastic book of the same name, this story features Winter, a young dolphin who lost her tail in a crab trap. The story shows how trainers helped her to overcome her injuries and learn to swim again. You can find out more about Winter at the Winter’s Tail website.

Here’s a little information about what the game has to offer:

Take an exciting journey on your Nintendo DS and learn about the real-life story of Winter, an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin who overcame incredible odds. Including fun mini-games and a fully interactive storybook based on the Scholastic Book Winter’s Tail, read by the authors Juliana, Isabella and Craig Hatkoff. The release date is set for November 24th.Rated E for Everyone!

Check the trailer out here:

I haven’t yet received my own copy of this game, but will post a full review once we have had a chance to play it. In the meantime:
Two lucky readers will have the chance to win a copy of Winter’s Tail for the Nintendo DS! (value $29.99)

Main Entry: Visit the Winter’s Tail website, then come back here and leave a comment telling me which of the activities there interests you and your children the most.

For additional entries: (MAIN ENTRY MUST BE COMPLETED FIRST)

• Tweet about the giveaway on Twitter (no more than once per day, please)
• Share the link on Facebook
• Blog about the giveaway
• Subscribe to my feed (Reader or email)

Please be sure to leave a separate comment for EACH entry.

Contest is open to entrants with US mailing addresses only. The contest will end Wednesday, November 25 at 11:59PM EST. Winners will be contacted by email and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn.

Good luck and keep checking back for loads more fun, as the holidays approach!

Disclosure: Product provided in exchange for this giveaway and future review.

WINNERS!

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

3
19

Timestamp: 2009-12-02 09:54:56 UTC

Congrats to Tara Hernandez and Jakell M!

Awhile back, I did a review and giveaway for Seventh Generation, whose products really impressed me. They recently contacted me and asked me to review some more products of theirs and to help them spread the word about a really cool contest they have going on at their site.

We all know what’s under our own sinks, right? But do you know what’s lurking under the sinks of your closest friends? If you do, you might be concered about the products that they are using. This contest gives you a chance to win for your friends an under-sink makeover that could change the way they clean.

(taken from the email sent to me about the contest)

The “Under the Sink Makeover Contest” is seeking nominations on www.SeventhGeneration.com/under-the-sink today through August 14, for under the kitchen sink areas that are in desperate need of organization and detoxification. Submit a photo of the area under a friend’s sink and a 250-word description on why they deserve an under the sink makeover (e.g., she’s concerned for the health of her family and the environment, the area under her sink a toxic wasteland, she’s overwhelmed by the chaos of motherhood and wants to change but doesn’t know where to begin, etc.), for a chance to win great prizes.

One lucky grand prize winner will receive a package that includes:

· An in-home consultation at the friend’s house with Dr. Alan Greene, practicing pediatrician and specialist in green living

· A one year supply of Seventh Generation products for both the entrant and the friend in need

· A trip to New York City for the entrant and her friend that includes a one-night stay at the W New York – Times Square hotel

· A day of pampering at New York’s Green Spa that will include a Body Polish, Wellness Massage, Ocean Vegan Spa Manicure/Pedicure along with a one hour make-up application and lesson

Four other finalists and their friends will receive a Seventh Generation Living Home Starter Kit containing a variety of home-cleaning products for their own under the kitchen sink makeover, in addition to a luxurious Lavera home spa kit containing Lavera’s customer favorite BODY SPA shower gel, body scrub and bath salts, and premium LAVERÉ Anti-Aging body lotion to pamper themselves.

Want to have an impact on what products your friends are using? Visit Seventh Generation and enter to win an under sink makeover plus a fabulous trip to NYC!

Look for an upcoming review here on some great Seventh Generation products that I didn’t get the chance to try out last time!