5 Day Giveaway - Western Union Love In Any Language - $50 Prepaid Gift Cards(TWO WINNERS)

Do you know that Mother's Day is just over a week away! Don't have that perfect gift yet? That's OK, because Western Union has a campaign called Love In Any Language. It is designed to help express their love for mothers, family, friends and loved ones, who have all provided so much throughout the years.

The campaign takes the approach of using music, which is universally used to express love towards others in any language, as a way to empower consumers during the Mother’s Day season. The cards being utilized for the giveaway are available on the Western Union Website in amounts up to $100 and include a customizable printed greeting card and a personalized voice message.

Consumers had the chance to upload videos where they creatively expressed their love. That contest is now over, but Western Union wants to continue to help you give the perfect Mother's Day Gift.

Here are some survey stats from a survey that was conducted by Western Union with Wakefield Research.
-It’s not so easy to find mom that perfect Mother’s Day gift. 52% of Americans report their top gripe for gifting to mom is they don’t know what she wants, and 43% say they can’t afford what they really want to purchase. This May, give a gift mom wants and stay within your budget by giving cash.

-Sometimes the most traditional Mother’s day gift can fall short. A recent survey by Western Union found that 74% of adults admit their mother would rather receive $50 cash than a $50 bouquet of flowers.

Win It

Western Union is giving TWO of my readers $50 Prepaid Gift Cards.

To enter, Tell me what you think the Perfect Mother's Day Gift is. This is required and must be done before the extra entries count!

Extra Entries

You can do any of these things for an extra entry. Make sure to leave a separate comment for EACH thing you do.

1- For TWO extra entries, subscribe to my blog via email.

2- Follow my blog via google friend.

3- For THREE extra entries, blog about this giveaway and link it back to this post and Western Union.

4- Follow twoofakind AND Western Union on twitter and tweet about this giveaway. You can Tweet once a day for an extra entry every day! You can copy and paste: 5 day #giveaway - #WIN 1 of 2 $50 @WesternUnion Gift Cards @twoofakind http://tinyurl.com/6glc33d TWO WINNERS
Leave a link to your tweet in a comment.

5- Place my Surviving Summer Event Button on your blog(only one entry - even if you had it on there before the event started).

6- Vote For me on Top Mommy Blogs or Picket Fence Blogs. You can do either or both daily for an extra entry each day.

7- Include a link to this post in your facebook status letting your friends know you entered this giveaway. Leave your first and last name(or initial) in a comment below. If you tag me (@Dee Twofakind or @Two Of A Kind, Working On A Full House), I can actually see your status on facebook. You can do this 1x per day for an extra entry each day.

8- Become a fan of/like Western Union on Facebook. Leave them a comment while you're there.

9- Follow me on Networked Blogs.

10- For TWO extra entries, enter the HearthSong Giveaway.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on May 4th when I will draw a winner at random. PLEASE leave your email address if it is not visible on your profile. I will notify the winner and they will have 24 hours to respond!

Open to US Only.

I was provided with a Western Union Gift Card for writing this post and honest opinions were used. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others. Thank you to the company and/or pr agency who supplied the products for giveaway.

 

HearthSong - Cosmic Pool Slide Review + Gift Card Giveaway

As you can tell by all the pictures that I've been sharing, warm weather has officially arrived. We were able to start swimming in the pool recently and were so excited when HearthSong sent us a Cosmic Slide for even more water fun.

Turn your backyard into a wet and wild wonderland with this inflatable slide. Simply connect any garden hose to create a slippery mist on the slide and slip on down!

Features handles to hold onto as you climb up the step in the back. Inflates and deflates quickly so you can set it up in a jiffy and store it quickly between uses. Works great on grass or poolside for kids to slide into the pool. Holds up to 170 lbs.
59"W x 37-1/2"H

We were able to get the slide blown up(with our air compresser) in a matter of minutes.

To keep the slide weighed down, you fill the two sides up with water.

After that, we were all set to slide! Since the weight limit is 170lbs, we were all able to get in on the fun. This is my sister.

We hooked the water hose up to the sprayer at the top which made the slide extremely slippery. There are handles on each side to help you stabilize yourself while getting on the slide.

Evan was very hesitant at first, so we turned off the water.  The bottom flat part slowed him down when he got to the bottom and also makes it where you're never in danger of getting hit on the side of the pool.  I confess to sitting on the bottom part while the kids play in the deep end of the pool.

As with most things, Isabella was fearless and had to try it as soon as she saw Evan on it. I laugh when I see this picture - can you imagine how big this slide must seem to her?

We have already spent so much time on the Slide and the adults love it as much as the kids.

While we haven't tried it, I'm sure this slide would be a ton of fun even if you didn't have a pool. Think slip and slide - only taller! You could have them slide down on a small float-I bet it would be a blast.

Visit HearthSong to view their full selection of products. While you're here, read my other HearthSong reviews.

Win It

HearthSong is giving one of my readers a $50 Gift Card.

To enter, visit HearthSong and tell me what you would get. This is required and must be done before the extra entries count!

Extra Entries

You can do any of these things for an extra entry. Make sure to leave a separate comment for EACH thing you do.

1- For TWO extra entries, subscribe to my blog via email.

2- Follow my blog via google friend.

3- For THREE extra entries, blog about this giveaway and link it back to this post and HearthSong.

4- Follow twoofakind on twitter and tweet about this giveaway. You can Tweet once a day for an extra entry every day! You can copy and paste: WIN a $50 @hearthsongtoys Gift Card during #SurvivingSummer @twoofakind http://tinyurl.com/3wr8slj #giveaway open to US AND Canada!
Leave a link to your tweet in a comment.

5- Place my Surviving Summer Event Button on your blog(only one entry - even if you had it on there before the event started).

6- Vote For me on Picket Fence Blogs. You can do either or both daily for an extra entry each day.

7- Include a link to this post in your facebook status letting your friends know you entered this giveaway. Leave your first and last name(or initial) in a comment below. If you tag me (@Dee Twofakind or @Two Of A Kind, Working On A Full House), I can actually see your status on facebook. You can do this 1x per day for an extra entry each day.

8- Become a fan of/like HearthSong on Facebook. Leave them a comment while you're there.

9- Follow me on Networked Blogs.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on May 23rd when I will draw a winner at random. PLEASE leave your email address if it is not visible on your profile. I will notify the winner and they will have 36 hours to respond!

Open to US and Canada!

This was not a paid post and honest opinions were used. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others. Thank you to the company and/or pr agency who supplied the product for review and giveaway.

 

Melt In Your Mouth Doughnut Recipe

I love doughnuts just as much as the next sugar loving woman-probably a little too much. When I saw this recipe in my Southern Plate Cookbook, I had to try them. Can you believe they started as a can of biscuits?

They are incredibly easy to make and are a total crowd pleaser! Warning - once you start eating this warm, yummy, goodness - you won't be able to stop!

Ingredients:
-1 ten count can Texas style biscuits (or your preference, just not flaky layers)
-1 Cup Sugar
-1 1/2 Tablespoon cinnamon
-1 stick margarine, melted
-Vegetable Oil For Frying

Pour oil into skillet to the depth of a little less than 1/2 an inch and heat on medium to medium high for about five minutes. In a bowl, melt margarine. In a separate bowl, combine cinnamon and sugar.

Using a plastic bottle cap, cut the center out of each biscuit.

Drop dough into hot oil, watching carefully and turning when golden. Once doughnuts are golden on both sides, remove to paper towel lined plate. Repeat until all dough is cooked, including doughnut holes.

Dip both sides of each doughnut into melted margarine, then press both sides into cinnamon sugar mixture. Serve warm.

These are best when they're still warm. They aren't good as leftovers, so gobble them fast - now!

 

Dress Up Clothes Or Halloween Costumes At HalloweenCostumes.com Review + Giveaway

I know its probably a little early to start thinking about Halloween, but I found a pair of red sparkly shoes on clearance for $3 and all I could think about was our Halloween "theme" for this year and grabbed them. When HalloweenCostumes emailed me, I decided to go ahead and get Isabella's Child Tutu Dorothy Costume.

Dance and twirl down the Yellow Brick Road in this child tutu Dorothy costume! The exclusive costume includes a white leotard that has short sleeves and is made from a polyester and spandex blend. Polyester also lines the top of the blue, mesh tutu that has an elastic waist band for a secure and comfortable fit. A checkered apron is worn over the leotard and tutu for a signature Wizard of Oz look. The apron ties behind the waist and is trimmed with lace on the bottom. Matching checkered hair bows are also included. A cute Dorothy costume also available in toddler and teen sizes!










Includes:
- Apron
- Leotard
- Tutu
- 2 Hair Ribbons

I know that The Wizard Of Oz theme is popular, but I couldn't resist. There are so many cute costumes out there and HalloweenCostumes.com has a huge selection of Dorothy and other Wizard of Oz costumes in all sizes. I was a little worried about the sizing, but the extra small should fit her fine by halloween(the shoes were not included in the costume).

The apron part ties in the back and is not attached to the shirt, so I could use a long sleeve shirt if it is cold on Halloween.  The tutu can also be used for several years when I put it in her dress up clothes collection.  The child is very girly and loves to dress up.

Visit Halloween Costumes to learn more. They have a huge selection of Halloween costumes for kids, adults, and carry all sizes. They would be perfect to visit if you plan on doing a group themed family outing for Halloween.

Win It

Halloween Costumes is giving one of my readers a costume/dress up outfit of choice.

To enter, visit Halloween Costumes and tell me which one you would choose. This is required and must be done before the extra entries count!

Extra Entries

You can do any of these things for an extra entry. Make sure to leave a separate comment for EACH thing you do.

1- For TWO extra entries, subscribe to my blog via email.

2- Follow my blog via google friend.

3- For THREE extra entries, blog about this giveaway and link it back to this post and Halloween Costumes.

4- Follow twoofakind AND Halloween Costumes on twitter and tweet about this giveaway. You can Tweet once a day for an extra entry every day! You can copy and paste: WIN a @funcostumes Halloween Costume/Dress Up Outfit Of Choice @twoofakind http://tinyurl.com/3swvxcw #giveaway ends 5/16
Leave a link to your tweet in a comment.

5- Place my Surviving Summer Event Button on your blog(only one entry - even if you had it on there before the event started).

6- Vote For me on Top Mommy Blogs or Picket Fence Blogs. You can do either or both daily for an extra entry each day.

7- Include a link to this post in your facebook status letting your friends know you entered this giveaway. Leave your first and last name(or initial) in a comment below. If you tag me (@Dee Twofakind or @Two Of A Kind, Working On A Full House), I can actually see your status on facebook. You can do this 1x per day for an extra entry each day.

8- Become a fan of Halloween Costumes on Facebook. Leave them a comment while you're there.

9- Follow me on Networked Blogs.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on May 16th when I will draw a winner at random. PLEASE leave your email address if it is not visible on your profile. I will notify the winner and they will have 36 hours to respond!

Open to US Only!

This was not a paid post and honest opinions were used. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others. Thank you to the company and/or pr agency who supplied the product for review and giveaway.

 

Handmade Mother's Day Gift Idea - Coasters

I had photo coasters that my kids had all but destroys. When I saw some old tiles in my parent's garage, I immediately decided to make some new ones. With my recent discussion about what to do with children's artwork, I knew my mom and aunts needed more to add to their collections. My little helpers and I created these Coaster.

You'll need:
-art work(or whatever you want on the tiles)
-tiles(I used old bathroom tiles)
-Mod Podge
-Sponges
-Acrylic Spray(not pictured)
-Cork or whatever you want to put on the backs(not pictured)

Using a tile as your pattern, trace the outside and then cut paper to fit on top of tile. With a sponge brush, wipe a thin layer of Mod Podge over the paper and tile. Paper will stick to the tile and at first it will have a creamy appearance, but will dry clear.  Be sure to smooth out any bubbles. After about 15-20 minutes, apply another thin coat. I did about 5 coats.

When they were all dry, I sprayed with an acrylic spray because they will get wet. After that I bought some cork sheets from a hobby store and cut them to the size of the tiles. I put them on the back so that the tiles wouldn't scratch the tables(I forgot to take a picture of them with the cork.

Any mom loves gifts that their children make and this is also very practical!

 

Our Pedigree Ambassador - Darla

I don't talk about the fourth member of our family very often, but she is very much a large part of our life. Darla is our 1 year old Black Lab. We bought her when she was just a few weeks old - this is a picture of her on the day we brought her home.

I'll be sharing more pictures with you over the next month because Darla was selected to be a Pedigree Ambassador. She is my husband's "duck hunting dog" and he began training her when she was really young. One of the guys he was learning from suggested a more expensive brand of dog food and I felt like we should make the transition to Pedigree.

My husband has been hesitant to switch her over, but since Pedigree has such a good reputation, he's willing to try. The food she's on now has done very well because she has an extremely shiny coat and clean teeth. I'm not sure how many stools she has per day, but she is *ahem* regular. She's also been a very healthy dog with no problems or illnesses to speak of.

We are still on the first few days of the program so she's at a 50/50 mixture of her old food and the Pedigree brand. So far she seems to be doing well and is chowing on it just like her other food(and my kids toys-but that's another story).

Be sure to follow Pedigree on Twitter @PedigreeUS and Facebook:  Pedigree Adoption Drive Facebook page to learn more. Tomorrow Pedigree is having a twitter party with Amazon Gift Cards up for grabs!

I wrote this review while participating in an Ambassador campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Pedigree and received dog food to facilitate my reviews and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

 

Funrise Toys - Gazillion Bubbles Machines Review + Giveaway

Evan and Isabella love bubbles just as much as the next kid(maybe more), so we've bought our fair share of bubble products. When Funrise Toys contacted me about Gazillion Bubbles, I knew my kids would be so excited to try them out. We were sent the Gazillion Bubble Typhoon and Gazillion Bump-N-Go Bubble Bug.

Gazillion Bubble Typhoon

The NEWLY REDESIGNED Bubble Typhoon is the ultimate bubble fountain, blowing 5,000 bubbles per minute! Simply switch it on and watch in amazement as a Typhoon of colorful bubbles shoot upwards creating bubble blizzard. The Typhoon comes with 32 oz. of The one and only, Gazillion Bubble solution. Great for parties! Requires 8 “AA” batteries, not included. iParenting Award Winner!



Put the batteries in and fill the bottom with the provided bubbles. The bottom takes the whole bottle, but my kids left it on for a really long time before it ran out of bubbles.

I've witnessed a bunch of bubble machines in my time, but this is officially my favorite! I didn't like the fact that it takes so many batteries, but after using it, I understand why. This thing creates a ton of bubbles.

Gazillion Bump-N-Go Bubble Bug

Can you catch the Gazillion Bump-N-Go Bubble Bug? This cute motorized bubble bug will entertain children as it races along releasing hundreds of colorful bubbles! If this little bug bumps into something, it quickly turns and races in a different direction. Just fill with solution, push the button and watch as the wings pop open and it’s off to the races! Includes 4 oz. bottle of the One and Only Gazillion Bubble solution. 3 "AA" batteries required, not included.



The wings can be removed so that you can pour the bubbles in, but it isn't necessary to take them off.  The bug takes the whole bottle of bubbles that is included.

Seriously-Isn't this bug so cute?  It rolls along while blowing bubbles out and when it runs into something, it simply backs up and turns around!  My kids have an absolute blast chasing it around.  It sometimes gets stuck in the cracks between slabs of concrete, but they just pick him up and help him on his way.

They have played with both bubble machines everyday for the past week and still haven't had enough.  My mom made the comment that bubbles are so intriguing for every age, which is very true because we were all huddled around popping bubbles.

I have a confession to make.  When they ran out of bubbles, I refilled them with cheap bubbles and it wasn't the same.  The bubbles weren't near as colorful and a bunch of suds kept piling up.  None of these pictures were taken with the cheap bubbles, and I'll only refill it with Gazillion bubbles from now on!

Visit Funrise Toys to learn more and to view their other products.

Win It

One of my readers will receive the same products that I got.

To enter, visit Funrise Toys and tell me another product that you like. This is required and must be done before the extra entries count!

Extra Entries

You can do any of these things for an extra entry. Make sure to leave a separate comment for EACH thing you do.

1- For TWO extra entries, subscribe to my blog via email.

2- Follow my blog via google friend.

3- For THREE extra entries, blog about this giveaway and link it back to this post and Funrise Toys.

4- Follow twoofakind AND Funrise on twitter and tweet about this giveaway. You can Tweet once a day for an extra entry every day! You can copy and paste: WIN a set of TWO @Funrise_Toys Gazillion Bubble Machines during #SurvivingSummer @twoofakind http://tinyurl.com/3nuyoaf
Leave a link to your tweet in a comment.

5- Place my Surviving Summer Event Button on your blog(only one entry - even if you had it on there before the event started).

6- Vote For me on Top Mommy Blogs or Picket Fence Blogs. You can do either or both daily for an extra entry each day.

7- Include a link to this post in your facebook status letting your friends know you entered this giveaway. Leave your first and last name(or initial) in a comment below. If you tag me (@Dee Twofakind or @Two Of A Kind, Working On A Full House), I can actually see your status on facebook. You can do this 1x per day for an extra entry each day.

8- Become a fan of Funrise on Facebook. Leave them a comment while you're there.

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on May 16th when I will draw a winner at random. PLEASE leave your email address if it is not visible on your profile. I will notify the winner and they will have 36 hours to respond!

Open to US Only!

This was not a paid post and honest opinions were used. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others. Thank you to the company and/or pr agency who supplied the product for review and giveaway.


 

Wordless Wednesday - Easter

I shared a few of these on my 365 project post, but here are a few other pictures from Easter.

 

Winners

I'm about to announce the winners from the giveaways that ended on Monday, but first I wanted to remind you that the Step2 Roller Coaster Giveaway ENDS in 5 days. Be sure to enter if you're interested and get those last minute tweets and facebook updates in!

On to the winners...

The $50 GC For Hand Stamped Jewelry giveaway had 735 comments and the winner is:
Shawna

The Mother's Day Item of Choice from Things Remembered  giveaway had 365 comments and the winner is:
kelley