I just received the following email from Jessica, the winner of the $50 Walmart giveaway I hosted last month…
After winning a $50 Walmart gift card on your site I felt the need to “pay it forward” so that’s exactly what I did. I decided to help out a needy family in our area by doing the 12 days of Christmas for them (it’s still a work in progress, obviously!) I blogged about it here and here and got my readers to donate their time, money, and items to the family. It’s been a great success and I wanted to let you know that I appreciate winning on your site and this family really does too. So please take a look at the great service that you’ve unknowingly had a hand in. And feel free to check back again for updates!
Times are tough and will continue to be so long after Christmas, but I think most of us forget that we are not the only ones effected by this horrible economy… You will always find someone worse off than you. I applaud Jessica for treating a family less fortunate than her own to a very merry Christmas!
As you are finishing up last minute preparations for the day we celebrate the birth of our Saviour, please remember those in real need… Those who have no roof over their head, no warm fire to toast their toes, and no hot food to fill their bellies. There are many families this year who will go without a tree decorated with bright lights, or presents filling their living room.
Have you been blessed this year? I encourage you to pay it forward.
To help one of you accomplish this mission, I would like to offer another $100 gift card, courtesy of Walmart. This time the winner must pay it forward. Find a family in your community who may need this more than you, or enter for a fellow blogger or friend who may be going through a more difficult time than you.
Giveaway Rules:
Visit the Walmart Holiday Gift Guide and choose three items you would purchase for a family in need. List them in the comments, along with who you may be blessing with this gift after the new year.
You may enter every day through December 31st, but you must leave a different scenario for each entry.
Please include your name and email address in every entry. Your entry will not be accepted if you do not leave me an email address.
The winner will be randomly selected of the eligible entries and notified on January 1st.
P.S. You can enter to win a $100 Walmart gift card for yourself by entering Katja‘s giveaway, but HURRY! You must enter by midnight on Christmas Eve.
Yes, I am going to co-host my very first show on BlogTalkRadio tomorrow morning at 8:30am (pst). I will be on with my friend, and fellow 11Mom, Monica of Mommy Brain Reports. We will be discussing real and uselful ways to take the headache out of Holiday shopping and preparations.
For those of you who know me well, the early morning time slot may be a big surprise, as you know all too well that I am not a morning person, but I wanted to sneak it in before I started school with the kiddos. Oh, and get this… I hardly have a voice, so I am gurgling warm tea and honey as I type. But, trust me, you do not want to miss this show! In fact, I would love it if you would call in, towards the end of the hour, to ask questions or just say hi. It would be nice to know someone is listening!
**You can still listen to our first show… Just hit play when you see the widget at the above link!**
Just recently my good friend, Lori, told me about the new lunch bag lines from Mario Batali and Elle. I was so impressed with the chic designs that I jumped on the chance to sample one of my choosing when Lori asked me.
I chose a large Elle tote from the myriad of wonderful designs, after much deliberation. They are just all so beautiful, it was hard to pick just one! Well, I received my bag today and I have to say I am anything but disappointed. This bag that I have sitting right next to me would become my new favorite handbag in a instant if it were such a thing. Honestly, it looks like one of the oversized bags I use quite often to fit all of the stuff needed for any outing with my kiddos. Do you think anyone would notice that I am carrying a lunch bag, if I chose to do so? Maybe I’ll try it!
Win it!
Would you like to win a chic handbag lunch bag from Mario Batali or Elle? I have the following three to give away. Which one do you want?
Here’s how to enter:
Leave me a comment on this post, by 9pm on December 12th, telling me which lunch bag you would like to win, explaining one of your favorite features.
For an additional entry, you can send out a tweet with a link to this giveaway (http://tinyurl.com/6brdty), telling me what you like about any of the above mentioned bags, and include the hashtag #lunchbags. Leave me a comment here with your Twitter handle, so I know to check it out.
Be sure you visit this post, to grab my Gift Guide button, for another extra entry!
Three lucky commenters will be chosen at random, each winning one of the above mentioned lunch bags. Winners will be notified via email, so make sure you leave a valid email address in your comment.
There are not many “toys” that my kiddos have that can keep them entertained for hours at a time. LeapFrog learning systems are such toys. You know what? As a mom, and my kiddos’ teacher, I am so happy that they can learn – I mean, play – so effortlessly. With games that help them learn how to read, solve problems, and practice their addition and subtraction, there are non that compare.
Win it!
Thanks to the fine folks at LeapFrog, I have one of each of my favorite Leapster products for you to win – the TAG and the Leapster 2. As a bonus, one of you will also win a Didj system – one we have yet to try! That means three of you will win a system for someone special on your gift list, just in time for Christmas!
Here’s how to enter:
Leave me a comment on this post, by 9pm on December 12th, telling me which system you would like to win, explaining one of the features of that system.
For an additional entry, head over to An Ordinary Life and/or Chic Shopper Chick and leave them a comment on one of the gift guide related posts. Leave me a comment here telling me about the post you visited.
Be sure you visit this post, to grab my Gift Guide button, for another extra entry!
Three lucky commenters will be chosen at random, each winning one of the above mentioned LeapFrog systems. Winners will be notified via email, so make sure you leave a valid email address in your comment.
Tweet Whether you’ve got older kiddos for whom to buy or younger ones, We’ve got some ideas… Let’s talk about some of the hottest items, toys and otherwise, for the kids on our lists. You can see my picks below, Kristin’s here and Erika’s here! Happy Shopping!! I’m sure you’ve heard all the rage about [...]
Tweet I missed out on the virtual pet craze in the 90s (too old without kids of my own, I guess) and have a hard time spelling Tamagotchi even now! What I do know is that, for the first time ever, kiddos can raise multiple Tamagotchi characters in one egg with the Tamagotchi Connection V5 [...]
Tweet Prima Princessa Presents Swan Lake is sure to be a hit this Christmas. This magical dance adventure would make a wonderful gift for your little ballerina. It’s sure to mesmerize her, as it has mine, while it inspires and stimulates her young mind. (You can see my full review here.) Win it! Enter to [...]
Tweet Are you looking for a gift for a little guy who loves to play on the computer? Both educational and fun, Jumpstart 3D Virtual World is perfect for ages 3-5. In My First Adventure, your little explorer can run, jump and swim through an amazing 3D virtual world. Josh, my 4 year old, really [...]
Tweet I stayed away from the crowds and madness this morning, but in honor of Black Friday, I have posted a widget below, created by Megan Calhoun of TwitterMoms fame, that includes 250+ mom-powered alternatives to big box retailers. You’ll find literally hundreds of places to shop (and great gift ideas) here, all of which [...]
Tweet For each new morning with its light,For rest and shelter of the night,For health and food, for love and friends,For everything Thy goodness sends. For flowers that bloom about our feet;For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet;For song of bird, and hum of bee;For all things fair we hear or see,Father in heaven, we [...]
Tweet Share your Holiday Money Saving Tips and you can win BIG! Nickelodeon and the ElevenMoms want to know how you save money during the holiday season. To urge you to share your BEST holiday money saving tips, Nickelodeon has given all of the ElevenMoms a $500 Walmart gift card to give to our readers! [...]
Tweet Whether you are looking for games, CDs, or DVDs that tap in to your music loving senses, you are sure to find something that hits the spot with my suggestions below! Wii Music has us all moving our bodies and making music. Up to four of us jam together using the Wii Remote and [...]
Tweet Now it’s time to pull out those stockings, the wrapping paper, and gift baskets, and put together all of those gifts! Whether you are looking for gifts to fill the stockings, or one to compliment a larger gift, I’m sure you will find some ideas here. Give a special someone a sweet treat with [...]
Tweet Whether you are the one hosting the parties and the overnight guests, or the one being served, you will need plenty of ideas to make it through the holidays. Are you looking for the perfect gift to give your husband’s boss, or the hostess of your holiday neighborhood get-together? Look no further. I have [...]
Tweet I asked Ray if he would be willing to share with you a bit about holiday traditions in general, and ours in particular. The following is the result. (If you’re kiddos believe Santa is real, you may not want them to read this… You’ve been warned!) What’s more appropriate at the celebration of the [...]
Tweet Paper Shouts is run by mommy-preneur, Shannon Malliet, and is a great place to find unique posh notes for life’s big moments, including the holidays! At Paper Shouts you can find custom holiday cards and invitations, perfect for those Christmas cards and holiday party invites. In addition, Paper Shouts creates personalized note cards and [...]
Tweet For as long as I can remember, I have received (or even made or bought myself) a new tree ornament. The first year Ray and I were married, I purchased one with our names and the year etched on it. Each year my kiddos have each received a special ornament that revealed their character. [...]
Tweet Holiday baking has always been a huge part of the Christmas season. My mom, sisters and I get together once or twice before Thanksgiving, and again just before Christmas, throw on some aprons, and spend the entire day baking away! Of course, we must try everything as it comes out of the oven! So, [...]
Tweet Growing up, Christmas Eve was never really celebrated like Christmas Day… We would visit Grandparents and head home to go to bed early, thinking Christmas morning would come faster if we were sleeping. The on Christmas morning we would take time to remember what Christmas is all about. As Ray mentioned, I was a [...]
Tweet This week I will be rolling out my 2nd annual Christmas Gift Guide. I know, I’m a little early considering I was adamant about waiting until after Thanksgiving last year! This year, however, I have the privilege of teaming up with two of my favorite mommy bloggers. These hot mamas have become good friends [...]
Tweet Come chat with six of the ElevenMoms… We’re ready to answer your questions! Who? You, Tara, Jenn, Lucretia, Heather, Jessica, and me!When? Today at noon, CST. Where? At http://site.elevenmoms.com/chat, from the comfort of your own home! Why? Because we know you are dying to ask us how we save money around the holidays. Heck, [...]
Tweet With all that’s happening in the economy, we’re all a little anxious to make the up-coming holidays special for our families, while keeping our budgets in check. Well, right now is the perfect time for us moms to come together to share ideas about food planning, decorating, toys, shopping and travel — all the [...]
