Winners of the FEBREZE Giveaway!

#38 Karin and #62 Courtney were the winners picked by using Random.org for the Febreze Giveaway!!!
THANKS all for entering!!
Check out FEBREZE.com for coupons and give their new products a try! Please follow @Febreze_Fresh on twitter!

WINNER of Katie and Kimble Giveaway!

Comment #43 via Random.org which was Anna!

The Vaagen 6

Thanks all for playing! Please don't forget to check out KatieandKimbleblog.com to still get a copy of the book! Very worth your money and support!

House Of Gems Bejeweled Giveaway

ResourcefulMommy is throwing a Site Warming Twitter Party for House of Gems! This is what she has to say from her blog-

"About the House of Gems: House of Gems, Inc. was established to provide quality beads, pearls, findings, pendants, chains and other jewelry making accessories at wholesale prices, directly to the consumer. The people behind Houseofgems.com have been in this business since 1992 and have an extensive network of designers, manufacturers and other direct suppliers to draw upon. Since they have their own factories,craft shops and import directly, they have the best prices on quality products. Now, with the power of e-commerce they have eliminated the 'middle men', bringing their quality products at low wholesale jewelry prices, directly to your doorstep. This contest was brought to you by Momfluence: Rocking the cradle and shaping the world."

I'm very excited to know about this Company! I have a jewelry business in "real life" and I'm slowly getting it expanded into the Internet world! I will have jewelry and other crafty items. I live in a small Rural town so it isn't easy to sell in a small town. It is also difficult to get the supplies I need in my area. I too often spend time on the internet just trying to find the right products to make my jewelry. I love the products at House of Gem!

I've set up my account at Silk Fair! Soon I'll post my jewels! I"m SusieQTpie (The Crafty Cafe).



Of course what is a Twitter Site Warming Party by ResourcefulMommy without prizes? Who knows but I do know that their are prizes including an iPhone 3GS!!! To enter all you have to so is get on Twitter and tweet with the hashtag #HouseofGems between 12:00 noon eastern Monday, June 22nd and noon eastern Saturday, June 27th will be entered to win an iPhone 3GS! U.S. residents 18 years and older are eligible. The winner will be announced during the #houseofgems SiteWarming party Saturday, June 27th at 9 p.m. eastern.

GOOD LUCK and SEE YA THERE!!!!

Smart Mama's Green Guide Book and Site Warming

Smart Mama's Green Guide: Simple Steps to Reduce Your Child's Toxic Chemical Exposure

Product Description

Parents often feel overwhelmed and defenseless against a never-ending recall list of toys and baby products. Deciphering unpronounceable chemicals they encounter every day can be daunting if not impossible. With environmental exposures being closely linked to 70 percent of birth defects, new parents faced with the overwhelming responsibility for their babies' health frequently turn to organic products. But they quickly find they don't have the time to practice a completely green or natural lifestyle.

THE SMART MAMA'S GREEN GUIDE delivers the information busy parents want and the tools to make informed, individual choices without the demand to go all-out green. Packed with practical tips on eliminating or reducing the hidden dangers of toxic chemicals that lurk everywhere, this book will empower readers to control what comes into their homes and make informed decisions instead of relying on government regulation of harmful chemicals.

About the Author
Jennifer Taggart practices environmental law, focusing on consumer product labeling and compliance and litigation. She lives with her husband and two children in Los Angeles, California.

(Sorry party is over!) ResourcefulMommy is throwing her world FAMOUS Site Warming for Parties for The Smartmama!!!!

Please join us this Friday from 9 to 10 p.m. eastern on Twitter as we help Jennifer Taggart - The Smart Mama - launch her new book!

Go to ResourcefulMommy to enter the giveaways and RSVP for the educational twitter party!!!

Are there positive aspects of Youth Sports???

TwitterMoms just put out a post asking us if "As a parent, how do you encourage and reinforce the positive aspects of youth sports?" This question is being sponsored by Liberty Mutual Responsible Sports.
I'm a mom of 3 girls. The twins started playing soccer when they were 3 and 4 years old. It was a non competitive team. The goal (so to speak) was to learn to play the game. To my husband and I that was what was important to us. Not seeing who you could score more against but to really learn to be a team player. They played soccer on and off in elementary school. When they said "we don't want to play anymore" and the season was over then we let them be done. As their parent I knew if their heart was not in it then they would not do their best. That is what we ask them to do in everything they try.... "Do your best."


Our youngest has finally settled into TaeKwonDo. She is also very non competitive. TKD has allowed her to get exercise, work with others, develop a skill and take responsibility for her learning. She has to "do her best" and she wants to do her best.


We started homeschooling 3 years ago. During these past few years of not being in the school system we have found that we have more flexibility in choosing sports and activities for them that offer more than the hard core competitive drive. They have been taught to learn the sport that they are playing. They have been exposed to numerous sports. When they want to try something new then we try it. So hula hooping, bowling, tennis, golfing, soccer, swimming,etc As with everything they do we want them to "Do your best".

Twitter moms and ResponsibleSports is running this contest. They want you to blog about "Are their positive aspects of Youth Sports?" The contest officially ends July 7. All participating bloggers will be contacted by a representative from Liberty Mutual the week of July 13.

Prizes:
• 20 bloggers to post about positive aspects of youth sports and include a link to ResponsibleSports.com will be randomly selected to receive a $15 pre-paid AMEX gift card
• The blogger with the most comments will receive a $50 gift card
• The blogger who generates the most Twitter discussion using the hashtag #responsiblesports will receive a $100 gift card (Twitter discussion is defined as tweeting questions, comments, thoughts on the topic of positive aspects of youth sports).

About the Liberty Mutual Responsible Sports Program:
Created by Liberty Mutual in partnership with Positive Coaching Alliance, US Youth Soccer, USA Hockey and the Amateur Softball Association, the Liberty Mutual Responsible Sports program provides resources for parents and coaches at www.responsiblesports.com to help children reap the full benefits of playing a team sport. The online community incorporates blogs, videos, and best practices on youth sports topics that provide practical, real-world advice. Parents and coaches also can complete coursework on positive sports mentoring that offers best practices for handling challenging sports scenarios.

Healthy Pantry Whole Grain Oatmeal Cookies

My dear daughter, Anna, (almost 15) made cookies for her dad for Father's Day! He loves oatmeal cookies. Instead of using the tried and true Grandma B's recipe, she used The Healthy Pantry's Whole Grain Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Mix. This Kit is one of their bestsellers.

Guess what? After eating them we have to agree! This is our 3rd kit. I'm still amazed at how healthy these pre packed product kits are for you! They Healthy Pantry states this claim, "We do the "prep" and provide wholesome, nutritious, and tasty ingredients to mix with an item or two from your fridge. Enjoy a delicious, fresh & healthy dinner in just 10 minutes." They have lived up to this statement in everything that we have made.


The packaging is usually very clear in instructions. Anna found a few errors in this labeling! I'm sure The Healthy Pantry knows about them but just in case they don't this is what she found out.

• According to our label, we were to provide 6 T of butter yet in the instructions it stated to add 12 T of butter. She added the 12 T.
• Also according to label we were to provide one egg and the instructions also stated to mix in one egg. The problem was when she was reading the nutritional label it stated 2 eggs. So she added 2 eggs.
  

• The only other problem was the applesauce. The Kit included the 1 container of applesauce. The instructions stated to use "1/2 cup of applesauce" and so she wasn't sure if that meant half of what was provided or actual 1/2 cup measurement. She did measure out the container and it was over 1/2 cup but not quiet a 1 cup. She used the entire container.
  

The richness of the Turbinado sugar was wonderful!

Accordingly to Wikipedia:
"Turbinado sugar, is made from sugar cane extract. It is produced by crushing freshly cut sugar cane; the juice obtained is evaporated by heat, then crystallized. The crystals are spun in a centrifuge, or turbine (thus the name), to remove excess moisture, resulting in the characteristic large, light brown crystals. It is similar in appearance to brown sugarbut paler, with larger crystals, and in general the two can be exchanged freely in recipes. Turbinado sugar differs from refined white sugar in that it is obtained or crystallized from the initial pressing of sugar cane....In the U.S., most turbinado sugar is produced in Hawaii and is often sold as an organic product. The popular Hawaiian product sold in the U.S. is produced on Maui and marketed under the name brand "Sugar in the Raw."Other dry ingredients included Rolled Oats, 100% Whole Wheat Flour, Flax Seed Meal, Sea Salt, Baking Powder and Nutmeg.
The Healthy Pantry states this about their ingredients "It also has fewer calories per teaspoon, and when combined with our whole grains significantly reduces the sugar rush which is always followed by a crash! And because we use a 100% whole grain wheat flour and nutritious rolled oats, the higher fiber in these cookies will tide you over until your next meal as well as provide other digestive benefits. The Whole grain benefits with nearly 3 grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein and Flax seeds for Omega-3 fatty acids to protect against heart disease, promote bone health, control high blood pressure, and balance hormones."

These by far are the best cookies I have eaten that were not from our own recipe. They recipe included raisins. Anna did not add the raisins but added chocolate chips!!! We like to eat raisins but just not cooked. I wondered if carob chocolate chips could be an option with the kit? I don't personally bake with them but I know people who do. They were very yummy and moist. Best bet would be to put them in an air tight container when they have fully cooled.

The next morning I caught Anna eating them for breakfast. She said "but mom they are oatmeal and are healthy!" I totally agreed and ate one myself!

Please go check out The Healthy Pantry. They just came out with 5 more kits. We are wanting to try the Mac and Cheese and Chicken Tenders with Cheese and Shells. For more of our Healthy Pantry reviews please visit my other blog, Scraps of Life, and check out Gourmet Turkey Asian Burgers and Wild Salmon Patties with Quinoa!

Don's Mexican Salad

Easy summer salad to make and take to any picnic. This is one of our favorite summer meals. Quick, easy and everyone loves it. 

Time to post a salad recipe! Our friend, Don, makes this salad. Every time we eat it I say to him, "Don, I need your recipe!" Here it is! It is super quick and yummy!

DON'S MEXICAN SALAD

1 can corn

1 can red beans

1 can sliced black olives

2 c. shredded lettuce

1/2 c. mayo

1/4 cup minced green onions (I used the entire green onion)

2 T Chili sauce ( I used 5 T)

2 tsp cider vinegar (I used 3tsp)

1/2 tsp chili powder ( I used 1 tsp)

Shredded Cheddar or Mexican Cheese (optional but we use it)

Doritos or Taco chips (optional and we used Doritos)

*Combine corn, beans, olives and lettuce. Stir together mayo, onions, chili sauce, vinegar and chili powder. Add to lettuce mixture, toss and serve. Make it a heartier meal by adding shredded cheese and crushed tortilla chips or Doritos

Site Warming with ResourcefulMommy on The Online Mom

Are you concerned about your children surfing the internet? Do your children know more about the internet than you? NO? Well have you ever heard of Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, Stumble, Digg, Technorati, etc? How about Wiki, sexting, LOLcat, hot spot, interface, ipn, pos, youtube and tweet? Chances are your teens know what these things are and you don't!



According to ResourcefulMommy "Online codes for everything. Heck, even my children's kids meal toys from fast food restaurants come with a code. Technology's infiltration of all things has occurred, so it's our job as parents to stay on top of what is happening in this brave new world. There are tons of sites to be found to learn about protecting your tween online and even sites that tell you about interesting new technology for kids. "

ResourcefulMommy is having a Site Warming Party tonight (Friday June 19th) to introduce her viewers to, The Online Mom: Tech Tools for Parents! I had fun surfing around there today! Amy at ResourcefulMommy interviewed Monica Vila of The Online Mom about her site and posted this on her site--

"No matter the economic landscape, there remains one constant - good parents will put nothing above the well-being of their child. A parent's role is to nurture, protect, teach, and empower their child as they grow and explore the world. For today's parents, that means learning about and embracing technology.

Kids are attracted to and at ease with technology, while parents are left to marvel at how quickly kids pick up technology and seem to grasp it immediately. Parents are often racing to keep up with the latest thing - IM'ing, Facebook, Twittering, Wii - but what does it all mean?

The Online Mom bridges the gap between what kids know and what parents need to know to stay head in the ever-evolving world of technology. We are a one-stop, interactive organization providing clear information, product reviews and advice about the technology our kids interact with on a daily basis - from cell phones to internet to gaming systems. Whether online or in person at a grassroots level, we help parents understand what is right for their family, what is safe and hot to use technology resources to help their kids thrive in a digital culture."

The Online Mom is a website, an online newsletter, a forum for discussion, a network of certified experts, and a community devoted to promoting a healthy understanding and appreciation for the positive role technology can play in a child's life."
*************************************************************************************

Join us tonight with ResourcefulMommy @Resourcefulmom from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. eastern as we tweet using the hashtag #theonlinemom with @theonlinemom herself! Have your questions ready about anything from educational computer games to protecting your teens from sexting.

And don't forget the prizes...

FIFTY people will win a copy of Gold's Gym Cardio Workout for Wii. It is a great exercise routine giving a complete body workout and providing a personal trainer to help keep you motivated. It's cardio, boxing, and strength...AND lots of fun! You have the option to use the Wii balance board with this program, but it is not required.





So go check out The Resourceful Mommy and RSVP for the party!!! Tweet ya there! I"ll be tweeting as @susieqtpies (normally i'm @susieqtpie)

Febreze Exotic Destinations Collection Giveaway!

Straight from the Febreze website: Experiencing new culture, cuisine and scenery for the first time is a breath of fresh air that can change you forever. Tropical getaways and international travels are the inspiration for our exotic scents!

The new Febreze Exotic scents are just that! Each scent gives you a unique breath of fresh air! Click here to read where my family gave the Brazilian Carnaval scent 10 thumbs up! The container states that it is a scent "inspired by the lush green groves of acai berry palms that billow in the wind deep within the Amazon". Febreze is confident that this scent "may just tempt you to dance the Samba or start a parade around your living room" and I agree!I was also given the Hawaiian Aloha & Moroccan Bazaar to try & review!

The Febreze Hawaiian Aloha states "inspired by ma o hau hele - the vivid yellow Hibiscus celebrated as the state flower of Hawaii". In Hawaii "aloha" means both "goodbye" and "hello" so Febreze wants you to wave aloha to odors and say aloha to freshness!!! What a great floal scent. I'm not a huge fan of flower/floral scent sprays but this one is not over powering at all! The Febreze Hawaiian Aloha is a soft spray of freshness!

The Febreze Moroccan Bazaar states "inspired by the fragrance of fresh-ground ginger that fills the air in the spice markets of Casablanca". No reason to fill your home with heaping barrels of brightly colored spices (although wouldn't that just be FUN!) so Febreze just wants you to give this a spray or two!!! I love the soft spicy fresh scent of Febreze Moroccan Bazaar.

I have two cans to giveaway!

So two lucky fans will win the Hawaiian Aloha or the Moroccan Bazaar.

To enter

1- Go to Febreze and come back and post which of these 3 scents you would want to try or have tried first.

For more chances to win

1- Go to my other blog, click here, The Homeschool Messenger and enter the giveaway I have posted there. (gives you 5 chances)
2- Follow me on twitter @susieqtpie and tweet giveaway ( 2 chances)
3- Follow Febreze on twitter @Febreze_Fresh
4-Follow my blog
5-Follow my other blog, The Homeschool Messenger
6- Stumble and /or Technorati (gives you 5 chances each)

Leave a seperate comment for each entry. Don't forget to leave email contact. US only. Contest runs June 16th-27th. You will have 48hrs to respond if you are the winner. IF not someone else will be chosen.

Book Review and Giveaway! Katie & Kimble

My 10 year old daughter read Katie & Kimble: The Magic Wish by Linda Thieman. This is Book 2 in an ongoing series. The first book was Katie & Kimble: A Ghost Story. Click HERE to read my review on that book. The author disclosed a secret on my last giveaway about the next book in the series that she is currently writing-

Katie & Kimble: The Golden Door

"In the third book, Katie & Kimble: The Golden Door, which I am in the process of writing right now, I am introducing a 10-year-old boy named Danny Garcia. Danny is full of life and a real people person (and he's quite a reader with a huge interest in ghosts!), and he soon becomes friends with Katie's whole family. Starting with the third book, Danny and his little brother and their dog will be in all of the books."
Author Linda Thieman

BOOK 2 kept my daughter's inquisitive attention from the get go! It started with a mysterious coupon found in a cereal box stating that it is "good for one wish." I always LOVED getting the goodie in the cereal box as a kid! The catch, however, is that the wish is good for only two days. If not used, the wish will no longer exist. Katie and Kimble must decide and agree on one wish! As a mom of 3 girls, I know that it isn't easy to come up with a quick mutual decision! Once they thought it through they did come up with the perfect one! What is it that they wish for and how will it forever change the girls' lives as well as Katie's family's life? You'll have to read the book to find out!!! I'm not a spoiler!

Go to The Katie and Kimble blog to find out more! You will discover the activity corner, interactive Katie, video, color and activity sheets as well as other fun surprises!!!

NOW ON TO THE GIVEAWAY! The author has one autographed book for me to giveaway to YOU!

This is for Katie & Kimble: A Ghost Story!

TO Enter:

1- Answer question "If I had one free wish it would be....." and leave contact information.

Extra changes to win:

1- Go to Katie and Kimble blog and come back and tell me something you learned.

2- Go to my other blog and enter The Febreze Giveaway. Come back here and tell me you did. (5 chances)
3- Follow Katie and Kimble blog RSS feed (5 chances)
4- Follow me on twitter as @susieqtpie and tweet contest (2 chances)

5- Follow author on twitter as @LindaThieman
6-Refer a friend to the giveaway. IF they comment to win, let me know by leaving a comment for an extra entry!

7- Follow my other blog.

Leave a separate comment with each entry!

Contest runs June 16th-27th. If you are the winner you will have 48 hours to contact me. IF not i'll redraw! Good luck!

Launch of Schwinnjoyride.com and win a bike!

I'm so freaking out that Resourceful Mommy is having a Site Warming party of SchwinnJoyRide.com I am in a desperate need of a bike! I want to become fit by learning about bike fitness!!! We can't go bike riding as a family because I'm the one without a bike! I would love to blog our adventures!

According to Resourceful Mommy, the new site is Schwinn Joyride: The Ultimate Resource for Two-Wheeled Family Adventure. Users will be able to:

• Create a biking journal


• Check out the featured bike of the month

• Read blog articles about topics ranging from when to remove training wheels to deciding when your child is ready for a bike


• Find great trails for a short family bike hike or a long bike vacation


• Watch videos and read tips on how to teach your child to ride a bike


• Learn about bike gear from helmets to all the bells and whistles (literally!)


• Utilize biking safety checklists


• Discover the importance of proper bicycle maintenance


• Become fit by learning about fitness through biking

Be sure to follow our special guests for the night:

- @LoriHeimerl Lori's Twitter profile describes her as a "Single Mom, Cool Girlfriend, Bike Marketing Diva." Let her know any questions you have about what Schwinn Joyride can do for your family!

- @Kim Orlando Kim is the founder of the popular site, Traveling Mom.

Join us as we tweet about Family Biking - bring your questions, your stories, and your tips!

THREE winners will each receive one (1) Women's Beach Cruiser Bike from Schwinn, each worth more than $150!

This contest is open to all U.S. residents age 18 years or older. Winners entries will be verified before prize is fulfilled. One bicycle will be awarded during the event. The contest for bikes 2 and 3 runs from 11:59 p.m. Thursday, June 11th until 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, June 16th.

http://resourcefulmommy.blogspot.com/2009/06/sitewarming-for-schwinnjoyride-friday.html is the site to RSVP!

Grilled Veggie Confetti Pasta Salad

Quick and easy summer meal to make for your family. We love easy, healthy recipes like this one! How about you?
We call this Pasta Salad- CONFETTI PASTA SALAD. It is a colorful pasta salad! Very yummy and extremely easy! I first made this back in 1993 for my DH undergrad party from Purdue!

Confetti Pasta Salad

1 bottle Italian dressing

1 box Bow tie pasta

4-5 cups of your favorite veggies to be grilled!

(any variety of tomatoes, any bell peppers (especially red, orange,yellow) red onions, fresh mushrooms, fresh garlic are what we use the most of)

Clean and cut veggies into pieces. Put in large ziplock bad and pour in 3/4 bottle of dressing. Shake it all about and let marinate 2-8 hours. Then I grill the veggies on my George Foreman Grill. I grill for about 4-5 min. I like the veggies in between raw and cooked. (You can use an outdoor grill too!)

During the grilling I make the box of pasta according to box directions.

I then dump it all in a large bowl. I like the George Foreman Grill because the grilled juices run off into the drip tray. I take all the juice run off and dump it in the bowl too! If I cooked meat then I don't do that because I do not want fat drippings in the salad.

If I think the salad needs a little more dressing then I use the rest of the juices in the marinate bag and or the leftover in the bottle.

This salad last for several days! Sometimes I'll toss in grilled meats or cheese cubes.

Diane Birch Discover and Donate

Wow listen up! This is straight from Diane Birch website:

"Discover the critically acclaimed debut album from new artist Diane Birch. Donate $1 to charity. Automatically.

S-Curve Records and Diane Birch are proud to present Discover & Donate. You discover Diane Birch’s soulful debut album, Bible Belt,then you choose one of six charities to receive a $1 donation from your purchase.

PLUS, who ever raises the most money for charity through their widget by June 23, 2009, will win a FREE PRIVATE PERFORMANCE in the winner’s hometown!! (We’ll even throw in a few refreshments.) More albums sold means more money donated. How cool is that? Want to start sharing?"

So what do you need to do? Go to http://www.dianebirch.com/charity/ , choose a widget and post to your blog, website or social networking page! Let your friends know about Diane Birch and Discover & Donate! $1 per album sold from clicks on your widget will go to your charity in your name! How sweet is that????

So to make this an even sweeter deal for the Charities and Diane Birch, Amy over at ResourcefulMommy is having one of her "awesome" Twitter Site Warming Parties this Friday for Diane Birch!! Any tweet with the hashtag #music4good between noon eastern Friday and 10 p.m. eastern Friday is automatically entered to win the Shuffle and gift cards.

See you there! Come find me on TWITTER as susieqtpie !!!!!!