Yippee! It's time for the annual Mothers Day Giveaway from 5 Minutes For Mom!

It's time for one of my most favorite bloggy events of the year! Yup, 5 Minutes For Mom is hosting their annual Mother's Day Giveaway, and this is a party not to be missed! I've faithfully attended each 5 Minutes For Mom Mother's Day giveaway event since I began blogging, and I wouldn't miss 'em!

'Thanks a Million' from Banquet

Last Saturday was a crazy one: We had an Easter party to attend in the morning, shoe shopping to be done for my toddler right after that, and a little fishing trip planned for the afternoon into early evening. I knew I'd have zero time to throw anything together for dinner - and I knew I'd hav ea hungry family to feed, so I turned to a trusted friend. I hauled out the crock-pot, emptied in two packages of Banquet Crock-Pot Classics Hearty Beef and Vegetables, and stopped worrying about dinner. Ten hours later our family sat down to a delicious, healthy, filling meal. Such tasty food, so little effort, just one pot to clean - it doesn't get any better!


For over 50 years, Banquet has created home-style frozen dinner meals for those days when there's just no time to create something delicious and nutritious from scratch and this year, Banquet has been giving away thousands of dollars as a way of saying "Thanks a Million" to their customers. Packages of Banquet frozen meals with the "Thanks a Million" logo each contain a special thank you gift, either one of over 16,000 redeemable cash prizes, worth anywhere from $10 to $100,000, or a Banquet coupon. The promotion has been a huge hit so far and it looks like all of the special packages will have been purchased in the next few weeks. This month will likely be the last chance you'll have to win, so get out there and buy your Banquet products, it could be your lucky day!

"I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Banquet and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate."

Sign Kids Up For Summertime Fun With Custom Camps

One childhood memory which will forever stand out for me was a week-long adventure at 'Lone Star' ranch, a sprawling ranch near the area where I lived. This week out in the bush was my version of today's summer camp. I grew up in Africa, so when I say 'the bush', I mean the kind with lions, elephants, crocodile-infested rivers, unfriendly snakes (actually many unfriendly slithering things) - it was an adventure!

We camped in tents along the banks of a river, we 'showered' behind a makeshift curtain, with buckets of ice-cold water from the river, we would huddle together and "shine fangs" (brush teeth) by flashlight each night, we ate around a blazing campfire, and we drank warm tea sweetened with condensed milk . Breakfasts were always epic: there is nothing like the smell of bacon and eggs sizzling over a campfire at dawn to bring sleepy-eyed teenage girls out of their tents! During the day we went on all kinds of adventures in the bush, we learned to track animals; we studied indigenous plants; we climbed rocks and we swam in croc-free waterfalls (at least that's what they told us . . .) At night we talked around the campfire until our camp counselors hustled us off to bed, and then we'd lie sprawled on the tops of our sleeping bags whispering, giggling and listening to the sounds of the night: distant grunts, calls, splashes, and the not-so-distant rustles, slithers, scuffles.

I shudder now at how rudimentary things were, but I also envy that teenage girl who so gamely entered into this adventure and learned not only about animals and plants but also about herself. Most of all though, I remember the camaraderie of a group of teen girls on this rite of passage together.

My daughter is still too young for camp, but the time will come when she'll be ready and I'm determined that she will have the chance to experience her version of what I had. KinderCare is going to help me achieve this goal: here is an organization that recognizes how important it is to help fulfill our childhood need for adventure and fun!

To fiure out how our children would like to spend their summers, KinderCare surveyed nearly 3,000 kids! They found out that what kids want is adventures, arts, crafts, and trips. They responded by partnering with teachers to design a nationwide summer camp program to provide kids with activities pertaining to their interests. They developed 12 unique week-long day camps with themes including Wild, Wild West, Wilderness 101, Dig Ancient Egypt, You've Got Talent!, Puppeteer Road Show, Gross & Gooey Science, Spectacular Sports, Animal Antics, Science Adventures, Art Expo, Kids' Kitchen, Splish Splash, Surfs Up!, and Everyday Heroes.

With such a diverse range of camp options, you'll be able to find something cool within KinderCare's Summer Camps to keep your child happily occupied, No matter what their interests are. The weeklong timeframe of the camps also gives parents the flexibility to sign their kids up for as few or many sessions as they'd like.

With approximately 1,700 centers located in 39 states and the District of Columbia, KinderCare Learning Centers, an accredited early childhood provider, offer a range of educational programs and after-school care for infants as young as six weeks old to school-aged children through age 12. Run by specially trained, passionate teachers who fully embrace a balanced approach to learning, KinderCare Learning Centers aim to educate and entertain children within nurturing environment, and encourage strong communication between families and teachers.

For more on the KinderCare Summer Camp Program, visit KinderCare’s website: http://www.kindercare.com/summercamp.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of KinderCare and received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Sing-Along Fun For The Whole Family

The day we received our Sing Along with Barbie DVD in the mail, Pudding Pie squealed with anticipation - we couldn't get the DVD into the player fast enough and, when we hit 'play', she wasn't disappointed. Sing Along with Barbie is a compilation of 12 songs from the popular Barbie movies, and Barbie lovers can join in karaoke-style.

Well, Pudding Pie is not old enough to read yet, but she listens intently and is fast catching on to the lyrics of her favorite tunes: "I Am a Girl Like You" (Barbie as The Princess and the Pauper), "Connected" (Barbie and The Diamond Castle) and "All For One" (Barbie & the Three Musketeers). Plus, she gets mom and dad to join in, and, with the on-screen lyrics being so easy to follow, we put on quite a family show!

Last week, we took our new DVD to a playdate at a friend's home and it was too cute to watch a four-year-old, a three-year-old and a two-year-old earnestly singing along, while executing all kinds of fabulous dance moves! I have a feeling that we're going to get a lot of mileage out of this Barbie DVD.

At only $9.99, the Sing Along with Barbie DVD is a great gift to give any Barbie fan.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Mattel. In addition, I received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

The Crimson Rooms: Intriguing Mix of Love and Mystery

If you're in the mood to curl up with a good read, Katharine McMahon's latest novel is one I recommend. Evelyn Gifford is the unconventional heroine in The Crimson Rooms, a novel set in post World War I England. As a woman struggling to establish herself as a female lawyer in a distinctly chauvinist society, her career challenges are laid out for her. We meet her as a 30-year-old, unmarried woman, resigned herself to a life without romantic love, and heartbroken over the death of her beloved brother, James.

Late one night, her world is turned upside down by the emergence of a woman with a child whom she claims is the son of the deceased James. The twists and turns of this novel make for a plot filled with drama and suspense; we are kept guessing to the last pages as we discover that things are not all as they seem. McMahon does not tie all ends off predictably, but rather concludes her novel with a beginning for the courageous Evelyn; the beginning of a true sense of self.

The Crimson Rooms is on sale from February 18th and the book will be available at the following online retailers: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders, and Indie Bound.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by MotherTalk on behalf of G.P. Putnam's Sons / Riverhead and received a copy of the book to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Mom Central's Valentine's Day Gift Guide and Giveaways

It's February already and that means its time to celebrate the one you love! Before you start scratching your head and wondering what on earth you're going to get for that special person this year, click over to Mom Central and check out their second annual Valentine's Day Gift Guide and giveaways. Week one is currently underway, and they have some great gift ideas - I am loving the sassy lingerie from Frederick's of Hollywood!

"I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central. Mom Central entered my name in a random drawing to win a gift to thank me for taking the time to participate."

Enter to Win a Sealy Posturepedic Mattress Set!

Over at From Dates to Diapers, Christine is hosting a great giveaway! Click over and enter for your chance to win your very own, utterly fabulous Sealy Posturepedic mattress set! Deadline for entries is February 14th - wouldn't this be an amazing Valentine's Day surprise?!

Great Ideas From the FedEx Out of Office Blog

Have you checked out the new Out of Office blog from FedEx? It is a wonderful resource, full of neat ideas for projects, gifts and parties. Thus far, my personal favorite is the Parent Projects section; the placemats suggestion is an excellent way to creatively use original artwork from our kids and I will definitely be featuring this idea on my Grandparent gift list!

One of the features of this blog that I'm most excited about is the "coming soon" Templates and Tools section. This promises downloadable templates and instructions for some projects - great! I'll be checking back for this feature!

Visit the FedEx Office Out of Office blog and check it out for yourself; you're in for a treat. The many tips and suggestions will get your own creative juices flowing - I'm planning a party at the end of this month and I just discovered an awesome way to display place cards in the Excellent Events section. Yes, I am absolutely going to steal this idea!

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of FedEx Office. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Jazz Things Up With Rosarita

We're a family that takes our nachos very seriously; there's something about the combination of tortilla chips, cheese, fresh jalapenos, beef (or chicken!), and refried beans that gets a mouth watering. In fact, I blame nachos for the 15 extra pounds that have been lingering around my waistline for the last decade or so! My husband has turned gourmet nacho making into a science and he's always insisted on the Rosarita brand of refried beans in his nacho concoctions. His nachos are sublime, so I've never questioned his wisdom.

Recently, we had the opportunity to try a new Rosarita product: their salsa line. Knowing how tasty their refried beans are, I was keen to test the three flavors offered, but the big afficionado on authentic Mexican-style cuisine in our home (afore-mentioned nacho-loving hubby), was delighted to be the salsa taste tester. He pronounced the Mild Salsa Mexicana "very pleasant"and he loved the zing of the Medium Salsa Verde. (I had to curb his 'sampling' of this one because I plan to use it in a chicken dish for our New Year's Day lunch.) His favorite is the Hot Salsa Taquera - his first choice for eating with tortilla chips. I most enjoyed the Salsa Mexicana; it really does have a classic taste - not too zippy for those with a lower tolerance in this area, but still plenty of flavor.

Rosarita salsa is not just for use with Mexican dishes, kick things up a notch at the dinner table by adding any of the three sauces as a topping or ingredient to standard fare.

*The new Rosarita Salsa line is currently available in the west and southwest U.S. in four cities - LA, Dallas, Phoenix, and Denver - at select Walmart and grocery stores.

"I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Rosarita and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate."

A Chance for Dreams to Come True

When I hear about a program designed to empower young women, I am always anxious to spread the word! Read on because I'd like to tell you about an incredible opportunity for aspiring women photographers. The world-famous photographer and award-winning celebrity, Me Ra Koh, has created the SOAR! Scholarship; a great program with the potential to empower and enlighten young women nationwide.

Me Ra has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, VH1's Fabulous Weddings and Martha Stewart TV shows. Her SOAR! Scholarship breathes hope and encouragement into people around the nation. The scholarship allows three women to have their photography dreams come true by helping them build their own photography business - wow!

The three winners will receive camera equipment from SONY, as well as software from Adobe, ShootQ, and SHOWIT. SmugMug, a photo sharing site, will design websites and blogs for the winners, while these women will also receive mentoring from Me Ra and other industry leaders on launching a successful photography business.

In the 12 months following the announcement of the winners, each woman will document her journey through photos, blog posts, videos, etc. All of these wonderful tools and advice provide three deserving women the opportunity to pursue and achieve their photography dreams!

Each SOAR! Scholarship applicant must complete a brief online application, which requires personal & family information, a summary of what makes photography your passion and your time and travel commitments. Applicants must also submit a two-minute video explaining why they are worthy of receiving the SOAR! Scholarship. The entire application process proves fast and easy, and all information can be found within the SOAR! Scholarship website, http://www.soarwithmera.com/

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of the SOAR! Scholarship and Me Ra Koh Photography. In addition, I received an Amazon gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.”