Thursday, August 26, 2010

Hampton Hotels – Chain of Friends Sweepstakes

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hampton Hotels. All opinions are 100% mine.

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Hampton Chain of Friends Sweepstakes


Living in a small town in the middle of nowhere has caused many overnight stays at hotels (I'm not complaining!!)  Some of the best memories I have are of staying overnight at a hotel with my family.  I hope to create many of these same memories with my own children.  I also enjoy a nice short getaway minus the kids.  Sure they are missed but sometimes it is nice to get away with friends or my husband for a night or two. 

Hampton Hotels is currently offering a daily giveaway for a free weekend stay at any Hampton Hotel.  This giveaway includes a daily chance (100 winners) to win a weekend stay for you and three friends.  The grand prize is for the ENTIRE hotel for a weekend (100 rooms, 2 nights).  It is very simple to enter- Simple visit the Hampton Chain of Friends Sweepstakes page and fill in your information.

So of course I entered!!  If I won I would choose from the many Hampton Hotels located in Vegas and take my husband and sister.  It would be so nice to go stay somewhere relaxing a nice and have no responsibilities for a night or two ;o)  I love the fact that there are quite a few located there so we would be able to choose the best one for our location. 

You know you could use a nice weekend stay so go enter!!! :o)

Visit my sponsor: Win a free Weekend Stay

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Only The Good Spy Young- GG4 *Review & Giveaway*


Publisher: Hyperion
Release Date: June 29, 2010

When Cammie Morgan enrolled at the Gallagher Academy, she knew she was preparing for the dangerous life of a spy. What she didn’t know was that the serious, real-life danger would start during her junior year of high school. But that’s exactly what happened two months ago when she faced off against an ancient terrorist organization dead set on kidnapping her.


Now the danger follows her everywhere and even Cammie “The Chameleon” can’t hide. When a terrifying encounter in London reveals that one of her most-trusted allies is actually a rogue double-agent Cammie no longer knows if she can trust her classmates, her teachers—or even her own heart.



In this fourth installment of the New York Times best-selling series, the Gallagher Girls must hack, spy, steal, and lie their way to the truth as they go searching for answers, recognizing that the key to Cammie’s future may lie deep in the past....

Cammie is never without major security-  as a Gallagher Girl she is always in immediate danger and this is just a normal part of her life.  She is attending school at the Gallagher Academy for girls training to become a spy.  When her favorite teacher gives her a special message she is heart broken to find out he is considered to be "the enemy".  Not sure who to trust or believe, Cammie turns to her friends and finds her inner strength.  She fights to the very end never backing down, never giving up.  Who is really against her?  Who can she really trust?

This is such a fun book!  I honestly read it all in one afternoon.  Cammie is a great role model for young girls (the book is for ages 10 and up).  She has a boy "friend" but that is kept to a minimum and their relationship is never the main topic of the book.  I cannot wait until my daughter is old enough to read this & I really enjoyed it myself.

I am so happy to share some Q & A's from the amazing author of the Gallagher Girls Series- Ally Carter.  She is an amazing author and I really enjoyed her answers :o)

1) What are some trends in the type of female role models seen in recent YA fiction? Do you think that there is an adequate amount of YA fiction that encourages girls to be ambitious like The Gallagher Girls?

I have been talking a lot lately about the "Golden Age of Young Adult Fiction" that I think we're currently going through. Really, truly, I think the YA books that are making waves right now will be studied and read for many, many generations to come. There's just so much good stuff out there-and that, of course, includes great heroines.

It's almost impossible to talk about the fabulous books published within the last couple of years without mentioning the trend of smart "warrior girls" like Katniss from HUNGER GAMES or awesome masterminds like Frankie from E. Lockhart's brilliant THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU-BANKS.

These are the strong, ambitious female characters that are grabbing all the headlines, but beyond strong and ambitious I think it's important that all types of teens be depicted in teen fiction and not all teen girls want the same things-nor should they. Some want to take on the world and earn a place in history. Some teens have far more personal goals (finding love, being a good person, figuring out who you are).

Neither type is right and neither type is wrong. To me, what's important is that fiction features characters that want something and work toward some goal, and I feel that the breadth of teen fiction being published today covers that span quite nicely.

2) Your characters in The Gallagher Girls series seem relatively mature for their age, especially in how they handle their crushes on boys. What message do you think Cammie and her friends send readers in terms of how to prioritize and judge relationships with boys?

For the Gallagher Girls, the world is both very big and very small. Big in that they are being prepped for a global profession, so their interests and abilities extend far beyond the walls of their school and the borders of their town. When you spend most of your waking hours learning how to prevent nuclear war and overthrow dictators then whether or not you have a date to the big dance is an easy thing to keep in perspective.

But the flipside of that coin is that the girls are also very sheltered behind their stone walls and the physical world they live in is very small.

Boys are very much a mystery to them-something that has never appeared on any midterm. And one of the lessons that the girls have to learn is that boys are a part of life. Relationships are a part of life. And those are lessons that even the best school in the world can't teach you.

I hope that readers of the books take away both of those lessons: that relationships matter, but they are far from the only thing that does.

3) Now that you are a New York Times bestselling author of two hit series, what influences do you believe were most important in leading you to write for the YA genre? Why do you love what you do?

It seems as if once a week someone will ask me how I'm able to get into the mindset of a teenager-as if teens are some mythical creature and I'm on a scientific exploration to study them in their native habitat. The truth is, I'm a firm believer that teens and adults have the same basic fears, concerns, wants and needs the only difference is that, hopefully, as we age we become better at dealing with those same issues.

Teen writers, as a whole, I think are just people who get that on a deeper level. We're also, largely, teens at heart. We get to write about emotions that are the most raw, feelings that are the most intense. Time is like water, I really believe, and teens are just people.concentrated. It's a great blessing to get to write about life when it's the least watered-down.

4) How can parents instill a love for reading in their tweens and teens, and what can they do to position reading not just as important or required, but also a fun pastime?

First of all, parents who want to instill a love of reading in their children really have to walk the walk. That means making books available, first and foremost, and leading by example. There's nothing more frustrating that hearing a parent complain that their teen isn't a reader and then asking the parent "what's the last book you read" and hearing them say "well, I don't have time for reading."

Perhaps the greatest compliment I receive is when parents and teens tell me that they both enjoy my books-that they're able to talk about them and come to signings and have that shared interest. That, for me, is easily one of the best parts of the job.

Buy It:  Only the Good Spy Young can be purchased on Amazon.

Win It:  One lucky winner will win a Gallagher Girl Prize Package!!  This includes a signed copy of Only The Good Spy Young, a Gallagher Girls tote bag, a Gallagher Girls Hair Pin, a Signed Heist Society book, and a pair of Heist Society Sunglasses with a total package value of $60.97

~Rules~
1. Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above
2. You must do the mandatory entry
3. Leave 1 comment for each entry including e-mail and/or link (ie if you blog about this for 3 entries you need to leave 3 comments)

~Mandatory~:  Tell me your favorite thing about this book/series or author

~Additional Entries~:
1."Like" The Simple Things on Facebook (1 entry-leave a comment with your fb id)
2. Follow The Simple Things on Twitter (1 entry-leave a comment with your twitter id)
3. Subscribe to The Simple Things (2 entries-must verify email)
4. Blog, Facebook, and/or Tweet about this giveaway (2 entries each)
5. Follow me on GFC (1 entry)
6. Enter one of my other giveaways (2 entries per giveaway entered, past giveaways do not count)

This contest will end Saturday, September 4, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. PST. The winner will be chosen using random.org. Winners will have 48 hours to respond to my email. If the winner(s) do not claim their prize in the 48 hour period, a new winner(s) will be chosen at random

Disclaimer: I did not receive any form of cash for this review and this is written based on my own honest opinion (other people opinions may vary). I was provided with the GG4 book to be reviewed but this does not affect my review and opinion of the product(s)

Miss Oops-Pedicure In A Bottle Review


I love wearing flip flops (or going barefoot ;o)  but my feet always get so rough.  I was super excited to try Pedicure in a Bottle from Miss Oops

Miss Oops was created by Jennifer Higgins, a mother of two.  Miss Oops products help to solve the everyday "oops" problems women run into.  They want to save us from our beauty/fashion problems leaving more time to concentrate on the important things.

I LOVE Pedicure in a Bottle.  The first thing I noticed was the adorable, elegant packaging.  It does not contain a harsh smell and unlike many other products, this does not require you to wash it off.  This was a major plus for me as I don't have time to rub something on and wait to wash it off.  You simply rub it on your feet and it is absorbed into your skin- No greasy feel!  The combination of glycolic and salicylic acid, shea butter, peppermint, menthol, and lavender leave your feet feeling smooth and smelling pretty – just like you had a pedicure! This wonderful product will become your new best friend!!  No more time sanding, exfoliating, messy Vaseline at night etc. 

I was so happy when I realized this product actually worked.  After using it for just a couple days I noticed a difference and my feet actually felt soft after about 4 days.  I never knew this was possible.

To get this great product (& many more from Miss Oops) you can order online or click here to find a retailer near you

I was supplied with a complimentary Pedicure in a Bottle in order to provide an honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation, and I was not required to write a positive review. Any opinions expressed are my own.

Little Green Books/Glee Gum Candy Kit Winners!!

Sorry I am so late on posting these :o/  I have been doing some serious cleaning/decluttering that was a major necessity!!  I am hoping to be posting quite a few new giveaways in the next couple weeks :o)

LITTLE GREEN BOOKS









krstrpp said...I tweeted at: http://twitter.com/krstrpp/status/20428121025

Alisha L. said..#2 Subscribed via Email

mutchkin21 said...I love these books. Very educational, kid friendly and make great gifts (what I will do if I win).

Glee Gum Candy Kit- (sorry, I couldn't get this one to post right!)

True Random Number Generator

Min: 1
Max: 58
Result:
32
Powered by RANDOM.ORG

✿Heαther✿ said...I follow you on twitter as hell_0kitty

Thanks to everyone who entered and to the wonderful sponsors!!  Winners have been emailed- please respond within 48 hours.  Thanks!!

Monday, August 23, 2010

New Blog Design

I won a blog redesign package from Designer Blogs awhile back.  It took me quite awhile to figure out what I wanted as I was still very new to blogging.  I finally got everything figured out and had the opportunity of working with Lara.  She did an amazing job!!  She e-mailed me many times to make sure everything was just how I wanted it & I LOVE IT!!  I have a new button if you are interested in swapping them out (This one is way better!!)   If you are looking for someone to redo your blog or even for something simple like a new button I would definitely recommend checking out Designer Blogs.  They also have monthly giveaways for their followers (how I won my blog makeover!)

Thanks again Lara :o)

Let me know what you think......

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Miracle Suit *Review & Giveaway* look 10 lbs lighter


After my third baby (who is now 1) I have had no desire what so ever to go to the pool.  It hasn't been so easy to lose the extra weight this time around.  This is a problem as my other two children are always wanting to go.  I felt like throwing on some long shorts and a T-shirt until I found Miraclesuit.

Miraclesuit shapes and slims your body using a fabric that has three times the spandex of traditional swim suit ware.  Miraclesuit has something for everyone.  They work not only to hide what needs to be hidden but to accentuate the good.  They offer one piece, separates, cover ups and bottoms in regular or skirt.  The tops have various types of bust support to give you the support you need.

One thing that really stuck out to me (besides the obvious of looking slimmer ;o) was the fact that they also offer separates.  I am not proportionate at all!  I have next to nothing up top :o( & carry all of my weight in my butt and thighs.  It is hard for me to find a one piece that fits good and many places sell a two piece together.  It was so nice to be able to pick different sizes for the top and bottom.


I received the above pieces (the top had a different pattern but same style).  I really enjoy this bathing suit.  I could feel it holding everything in without being uncomfortable.  I love that Miraclesuit has something for everyone- whether you don't really need any help, need a little or need a lot they have a suit for you.  They offer size 8 to 24W.

BUY IT:  Click here to see where you can purchase Miraclesuit products online and in stores and catalogs.

WIN IT:  Miraclesuit has generously offered to give one of my readers their own Miraclesuit (bathing suit season isn't over yet ;o)!!  You will receive the black bottoms and the Malibu top pictured above.

~Rules~
1. Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above
2. You must do the mandatory entry
3. Leave 1 comment for each entry including e-mail and/or link (ie if you blog about this for 3 entries you need to leave 3 comments)

~Mandatory~:  Check out MiracleSuit or Cyberswim and let me know your favorite style

~Additional Entries~:
1."Like" The Simple Things on Facebook (1 entry-leave a comment with your fb id)
2. Follow The Simple Things on Twitter (1 entry-leave a comment with your twitter id)
3. Subscribe to The Simple Things (2 entries-must verify email)
4. Blog, Facebook, and/or Tweet about this giveaway- leave links to The Simple Things & Miraclesuit (2 entries each)
5. Follow me on GFC (1 entry)
6. Enter one of my other giveaways (2 entries per giveaway entered, past giveaways do not count)

This contest will end Tuesday, August 31, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. PST. The winner will be chosen using random.org. Winners will have 48 hours to respond to my email. If the winner(s) do not claim their prize in the 48 hour period, a new winner(s) will be chosen at random

Disclaimer: I did not receive any form of cash for this review and this is written based on my own honest opinion (other people opinions may vary). I was provided with the product(s) to be reviewed but this does not affect my review and opinion of the product(s)

Monopoly 75th Anniversary Giveaway


Monopoly is one of my favorite games ever!  I remember playing it as a little girl- My dad, sister & I would have so much fun.  It is still one of those family favorites that gets pulled out first.  One of the funnest parts was being the banker- dreaming of what I would do with that much money.


Monopoly is going to make that dream a reality for ony lucky person!  That's right, to celebrate the 75th anniversary they are giving away the bank.  To enter, simply describe what you would do if the money in the Monopoly game were turned into real money, $20,580 to be exact ;o) —in 75 words or less.  Enter by September 2nd at www.monopoly.com to be considered. From September 3rd to September 27th rally people to vote for your entry! Vote often and you can influence who wins the cash.  The overall 75 top stories will then be considered for the grand prize.

Hasbro is giving one reader of The Simple Things their own Monopoly Game!

~Rules~

1. Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above
2. You must do the mandatory entry
3. Leave 1 comment for each entry including e-mail and/or link (ie if you blog about this for 3 entries you need to leave 3 comments)

~Mandatory~: Let me know what other Hasbro game you would love to play

~Additional Entries~:
1."Like" The Simple Things on Facebook (1 entry-leave a comment with your fb id)
2. Follow The Simple Things on Twitter (1 entry-leave a comment with your twitter id)
3. Subscribe to The Simple Things (2 entries-must verify email)
4. Blog, Facebook, and/or Tweet about this giveaway (2 entries each)
5. Follow me on GFC (1 entry)
6. Enter one of my other giveaways (2 entries per giveaway entered, past giveaways do not count)

This contest will end Monday, August 30, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. PST. The winner will be chosen using random.org. Winners will have 48 hours to respond to my email. If the winner(s) do not claim their prize in the 48 hour period, a new winner(s) will be chosen at random

Disclaimer: I did not receive any form of cash for this review and this is written based on my own honest opinion (other people opinions may vary). I was provided with the product(s) to be reviewed but this does not affect my review and opinion of the product(s)

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Wash Your Hands

My aunt tried calling me a few times yesterday but I didn't have my phone with me.  I texted her back to see what she needed and then spaced it.  I got home and got the kids fed and started working when I hear a knock.  Immediate thought- "Oh Great, This can't be good" as my house was a mess!!  Ok so honestly there aren't many times when it isn't but I still don't like people to see it!  Thank goodness it was my aunt so I didn't have to feel quite so bad.  She had a wonderful surprise for me :o)


An adorable sign for my bathroom.  That is a picture of my little boy's hands which makes it even more special.  I have seen some cute things on the blog world and this has me thinking-  I really want to make a Home Rules sign along with many other things.

You can check out her blog Insanity or Real Life?  She only has a couple posts but plans on blogging more and I am sure she would love more followers!

What projects are you dreaming about working on?  How do you make time to work on projects??

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

5 important lessons your children should know

My kids are the most important thing in the world to me and along with this comes teaching them-  There are many lessons they need to learn to be the best person they can be.  This seems like a big responsibility but most of this comes with love.  These are five of the things I think are most important.

  1. Do your best-  I think children need to try their hardest at everything.  They can feel good about themselves whether they succeed or fail as long as they know they have done their best.
  2. The Golden Rule-  I always talk to my children about being nice to everyone.  This is something they learn at home with not fighting with their brothers or sister and also friends at school.  I talk to my daughter often about being nice to everyone- especially the kid everyone else picks on. 
  3. Be honest-  Never tell a lie and do not steal.  This seems like such a big thing for younger kids but when they are little is the best time to teach them this value. 
  4. Take care of the Earth and our home-  We talk about not littering and why we need to protect our Earth and ways to do this.  The main way I teach this is by implementing this at home.  We grow our own garden every summer and try to find ways to be less wasteful.  We work on little things such as turning lights off and not wasting water.
  5. Work Together-  Everything we do in our family is done together.  We work to lift each other up and support each other.  It is important to have family support.
I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Nanny McPhee Returns blogging program, making me eligible to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here

SavvyCents Wallet Winner!


The Lucky winner of the SavvyCents Wallet giveaway is Stephanie from Ten Talents!

#118- allthingsnew said... "One of my fave things is that it can also hold my shopper cards...I always forget those!"  Congrats to Stephanie and thanks to everyone who entered and the wonderful sponsor :o)


If you haven't checked out Stephanie's site yet you definitely should!  She keeps updated lists of low entry giveaways, posts about great deals, offers reviews and giveaways and has a new really cool linky- "This For That" where bloggers can post something they are in need of such as a contest that needs entries, needing more followers, etc.  They then help out the three people before them and in return the next three people can help them out!  Such a cool idea!!  I love how we can help each other out :o)  Thanks!!


Sock N Boots Share *Review & Giveaway*


I recently had the opportunity to review this awesome book- Sock 'n Boots share written by D.K. Smith.  My children begged me to read this over and over to them.  The goal of this new series of books is not only to teach children valuable lessons but to also provide valuable boding time between the child and parent/teacher.  Each Sock n’ Boots story begins with a question and is then answered throughout the story.

Sock 'n Boots share is the heart warming tale of best friends- mischievous Sock is the emotional one while Boots is wiser balancing out the friendship.  During the story, Sock's lunch is eaten by birds.  He is very upset and Boots offers to share his lunch which in turn makes them both happy.  This book has wonderful rhyming words and beautiful vivid pictures.  It kept my children's entertainment and was a good discussion starter.  This book really helped them understand why it is important to share.  I cannot wait to be able to purchase more Sock 'n Boots stories.


BUY IT:

WIN IT:  I am happy to be able to offer a copy of Sock 'n Boots Share to a reader of The Simple Things!!

~Rules~
1. Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above
2. You must do the mandatory entry
3. Leave 1 comment for each entry including e-mail and/or link (ie if you blog about this for 3 entries you need to leave 3 comments)

~Mandatory~: Tell me why would would like to win this book

~Additional Entries~:
1."Like" The Simple Things on Facebook (1 entry-leave a comment with your fb id)
2. Follow The Simple Things on Twitter (1 entry-leave a comment with your twitter id)
3. Subscribe to The Simple Things (2 entries-must verify email)
4. Blog, Facebook, and/or Tweet about this giveaway (2 entries each)
5. Follow me on GFC (1 entry)
6. Enter one of my other giveaways (2 entries per giveaway entered, past giveaways do not count)

This contest will end Sunday, August 29, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. PST. The winner will be chosen using random.org. Winners will have 48 hours to respond to my email. If the winner(s) do not claim their prize in the 48 hour period, a new winner(s) will be chosen at random

Disclaimer: I did not receive any form of cash for this review and this is written based on my own honest opinion (other people opinions may vary). I was provided with the product(s) to be reviewed but this does not affect my review and opinion of the product(s)

The Penguins of Madagascar: Happy King Julien Day & New to the Zoo Review


We enjoyed watching Madagascar and could not get enough of the penguins.  We were so excited to learn that Nickelodeon and DreamWorks were releasing two new DVD's starring the penguins (They definitely deserve their own show!!)  They also have a few new friends!  Both DVD's- The Penguins of Madagascar: Happy King Julien Day & New to the Zoo were released on August 10th so you can purchase them now :o)

Starring the madcap pack of Penguins and everyone’s favorite lemur King Julien from DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc’s (Nasdaq: DWA) phenomenally successful MADAGASCAR franchise, each DVD includes eight outrageous episodes from Nickelodeon’s Emmy and Annie Award-winning* series. Happy Julien Day features eight Julien-filled missions in tribute to the wacky king of the jungle and New To The Zoo showcases eight episodes that each introduces a new character to the zoo.

Widescreen with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, English 2.0 Surround, French 5.1 Surround and Spanish 2.0 Surround and with English, French and Spanish subtitles. The titles run 88 minutes each with a suggested retail price of under $14.00 U.S. each.



New to the Zoo has 8 episodes about each of the characters from the zoo. 
The episodes include:

  • In the Line of Doody

  • The Big Squeeze

  • Out of the Groove, Skorca

  • The Red Squirrel

  • Jiggles

  • Untouchable 

  • Cat’s Cradle


This DVD includes 8 Julien-Filled missions.  It teaches lessons on topics including friends, sharing, anger and jealousy. 

The episodes include: 

  • Happy King Julien Day

  • Assaults and Batteries, Kingdom Come

  •  Operation: Plush and Cover

  •  Crown Fools

  •  Jungle Law

  •  The Helmet

  •  All King-No Kingdom
Each of these DVD's are 88 minutes long and have a suggested retail price of under $14.00 U.S. each.   We really enjoyed watching these movies as a family (and my husband and I actually weren't bored).  I love how these are split up into episodes.  It makes it easier for younger kids to sit through and it is also great if you don't want your children watching too much TV or need something short before bed.

These are perfect for family night or would make a nice surprise for your kids!!  You know you can't resist the penguins ;o)  Purchase yours now!!

I was supplied with a complimentary copy of each dvd in order to provide an honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation, and I was not required to write a positive review. Any opinions expressed are my own.


Saturday, August 14, 2010

Organize World & Hippie Clippies Winners!


Two really fun giveaways ended last night and the winners have been randomly chosen-

Organize World-

#129 SolDucky said... Twitter follower duckybunny


Hippie Clippies-
 
#45 Frugal Science Gal said...I like the Bloomin' Bobby Pin- Hot Pink!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I will be emailing the winners shortly- Please respond within 48 hours.  Thanks to the awesome sponsors and everyone who entered.  
 
Bummed you didn't win the organize giveaway??  I have a couple giveaways for some fun organizing products coming up soon so be on the lookout!  (If you are a subscriber you get daily emails :o)

Glee Gum Make Your Own Candy Kit *Review & Giveaway*


"Glee Gum is all-natural, gluten-free chewing gum with no artificial coloring, flavoring, sweeteners nor preservatives. Glee Gum is the only gum in North America made the old-fashioned way, with chicle! Chicle is a natural tree sap harvested sustainably from the rainforests of Central America. Once all chewing gum was made with chicle, but today most gum is made entirely from synthetic stuff. Not Glee Gum! Glee Gum uses chicle because it is an eco-friendly way to help conserve the rainforest. Chicle is also what gives the gum such great, long-lasting chewing texture! Glee Gum is a “green” gum right down to the packaging, which is made from biodegradable, recycled cardboard. So chew with Glee, naturally"

My daughter and I got to spend quality time together making our own gum using a kit from Glee Gum!  We had so much fun during the whole process and it tasted great.  It came with directions and everything needed and was surprisingly easy to make.


I really was impressed with the ingredients.  On gum today there ingredients I am not always sure about.  This kit uses only chewing gum base (containing natural chicle), confectioner's sugar, corn syrup, natural cinnamon and cherry flavors.  I felt fine with my kids and myself chewing this.  It was really easy to make.  I did get very sticky but was able to get it off super easy.  This kit made a ton of gum!

The kit also contained the story of Eduardo, a chiclero.  It tells of how his job is to collect the sap (chicle) that is used to make Glee Gum.  By purchasing their gum & gum kit we are making sure these workers continue to have a job.  My daughter really enjoyed the story and it was really
neat to find out where the chicle comes from. 


You can purchase gum and three different candy kits from Glee Gum.  They offer the gum kit, gummies kit and chocolate kit.


With school starting back up this would be a fun afternoon project or something to do for family time one evening or weekend. 

Buy It: You can purchase any kit from Glee Gum for only $13 along with gum and other products or try using their store locator.

Win It:  The nice people at Glee Gum have offered to give one of my readers their choice of make your own candy kit from the three I listed above!!

~Rules~
1. Limited to US-Continental residents; 18 years old and above
2. You must do the mandatory entry
3. Leave 1 comment for each entry including e-mail and/or link (ie if you blog about this for 3 entries you need to leave 3 comments)

~Mandatory~:  Look around on Glee Gum and let me know your favorite product or favorite thing about Glee Gum.

~Additional Entries~:
1."Like" The Simple Things on Facebook (1 entry-leave a comment with your fb id)
2."Like" Glee Gum on Facebook- Let them know The Simple Things sent you (1 entry-leave a comment with your fb id)
3. Follow The Simple Things on Twitter (1 entry-leave a comment with your twitter id)
4. Follow Glee Guy on Twitter (1 entry-leave a comment with your twitter id)
5. Subscribe to The Simple Things (2 entry-must verify email)
6. Tweet about the giveaway (1 entry-leave link) Feel free to use- Win a make your own candy kit! @ashlesmommy07 ends 8/24 #giveaway http://alturl.com/th8xv
7. Blog about this giveaway, include a link to The Simple Things and Glee Gum (3 entries)
8. Follow me on GFC (1 entry)
9. Enter one of my other giveaways (1 entry per giveaway entered, past giveaways do not count)

This contest will end Friday, August 24, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. PST. The winner will be chosen using random.org. Winners will have 48 hours to respond to my email. If the winner(s) do not claim their prize in the 48 hour period, a new winner(s) will be chosen at random

Disclaimer: I did not receive any form of cash for this review and this is written based on my own honest opinion (other people opinions may vary). I was provided with the product(s) to be reviewed but this does not affect my review and opinion of the product(s)

Friday, August 13, 2010

Giveaways ending tonight- Hippie Clippies & Organize World

I have two great giveaways ending tonight @ 11:59 PST.  The Hippie Clippies giveaway has less than 100 entries so pretty good chances :o)  I will choose winners over the weekend!

Hippie Clippies- http://www.wishnonstars.com/2010/08/review-giveaway-hippie-clippies-4-pk.html


Organize World- 3 tier spice rack and packet holder- http://www.wishnonstars.com/2010/07/organize-world-spice-rack-steppocket.html

Magic Marshmallow Puffs

I am not a big marshmallow fan unless they are melted in some form (s'mores, rice krispies, etc).  I knew I would love this recipe before we even tried it because gooey marshmallows are the best!!  We originally made magic marshmallow puffs (I have seen them called resurrection rolls/puffs) for Family Home Evening.  These are so tasty and fun to make, even my little ones were able to help.


You can find recipes online with more ingredients but I like fast and easy.  I use 1 can crescent rolls, mixture of brown sugar with some cinnamon mixed in, melted butter & marshmallows.


Cover your marshmallow with butter and then roll in your sugar/cinnamon mixture (fun for little kids)


Roll the covered marshmallow into a crescent roll pinching all ends together.


Bake according to the crescent roll directions.  My oven cooks too hot and my rolls were already brown so I took them out- My marshmallow wasn't quite melted all the way but they are SO GOOD.  A great after school snack or quick dessert.  You can also make a powdered sugar topping, drizzle it on and add some nuts.

Have you ever made these before??  Let me know if you try them and if you like!!! :o)

Enstrom's Almond Toffee review & GIVEAWAY


My whole family is big on chocolate, toffee and especially nuts so I was SO excited when Enstrom's agreed to send me a box of milk chocolate almond toffee for review.  I have had toffee on numerous occasions from a variety of places and was pleasantly surprised when I first tasted Enstrom's toffee.


Enstrom's milk chocolate almond toffee contains only 5 ingredients- almonds, butter, sugar,milk chocolate and salt.  Their site states "This is the one that made us famous" and there is no question about that!  The toffee arrived in a beautiful box (perfect for a gift!).  It contained a slip telling you to place it in the fridge for an hour-  Ours lasted in the fridge about 5 minutes before I just had to try a piece.  When I opened the box, I was impressed with how much toffee was in the 1 lb box.  I was able to share with my husband, children, my parents, and nephew (and I ate more than my fair share ;o)  Everyone loved it!

This is the perfect blend of delicious milk chocolate with crushed almonds, buttery toffee and tons of fresh almonds inside- The finest toffee I have ever tried.  The box lasted 2 days, and only because I saved some to share!


Enstrom's also offers numerous other products I can't wait to try.  A few of the things they offer include dark chocolate toffee, toffee popcorn, gourmet chocolate, gift ideas and corporate gifts.




About Enstrom's

"Three generations ago, Chet Enstrom perfected the art of blending the finest natural ingredients to create batches of almond toffee as gifts for family and friends. By 1960, his almond toffee had begun to develop a reputation and, at the urging of family and friends, Chet and his wife, Vernie, founded Enstrom Candies in Grand Junction, Colorado.

Over the years. the business has grown and been passed down from generation to generation. The family still follows the same original recipe for the almond toffee that Chet perfected almost 60 years ago. The family has also created a delectable selection of fine chocolates, which like the toffee, is blended with only the freshest natural ingredients to create luxurious and unique creations that are shipped around the world."

Buy it:  You can purchase Enstrom's products off their site.

Win it:  Enstrom's has offered to give one of my lucky readers their own 1 lb box of milk chocolate almond toffee!!  ARV $18.95

~Rules~
1. Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above
2. You must do the mandatory entry
3. Leave 1 comment for each entry including e-mail and/or link (ie if you blog about this for 3 entries you need to leave 3 comments)

~Mandatory~: Look around on Enstrom's site and tell me which product you would like to try the most

~Additional Entries~:
1."Like" The Simple Things on Facebook (1 entry-leave a comment with your fb id)
2."Like" Enstrom's on Facebook (1 entry-leave a comment with your fb id)
3. Follow The Simple Things on Twitter (1 entry-leave a comment with your twitter id)
4. Follow Enstrom's on Twitter (1 entry-leave a comment with your twitter id)
5. Subscribe to The Simple Things (1 entry-must verify email)
6. Tweet about the giveaway (1 entry-leave link)  Feel free to use-  Win Yummy @enstroms toffee @ashlesmommy07 ends 8/28 #giveaway http://alturl.com/7kfr5
7. Blog about this giveaway, include a link to The Simple Things and Enstrom's (2 entries)
8. Follow me on GFC (1 entry)
9. Enter one of my other giveaways (1 entry per giveaway entered, past giveaways do not count)

This contest will end Friday, August 28, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. PST. The winner will be chosen using random.org. Winners will have 48 hours to respond to my email. If the winner(s) do not claim their prize in the 48 hour period, a new winner(s) will be chosen at random

Disclaimer: I did not receive any form of cash for this review and this is written based on my own honest opinion (other people opinions may vary). I was provided with the product(s) to be reviewed but this does not affect my review and opinion of the product(s)

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Silver State Turquoise/ Friday

I am super excited!!  First, it is FRIDAY!! :o)  Second, I added a link to my family's website, Silver State Turquoise (on right hand side). 

Photobucket

This is from their about me page

"Silver State Turquoise is a family owned turquoise mining business owned and operated by the Otteson family, Tony, Trenton, Tom, and Danny. Our family has been mining our own turquoise since the fifties and all us brothers grew up mining blue rock.

The company Silver State Turquoise was founded in January of 2001 and has been mining and selling wholesale turquoise ever since. We sell high grade cut turquoise cabochons and make beautiful handcrafted jewelry using sterling silver, turquoise, and other gems. We welcome the opportunity to make custom turquoise jewelry for you."



These are all stones mined by my brother, dad and uncle.  I remember mining turquoise ever since I was little.  It has always been a family tradition and some of my fondest memories are going out to mines with my Grandpa.  Silver State Turquoise has beautiful stones and jewelry listed.  They can work with you to make a custom piece and offer beautiful baby bracelets like this one-






My Wee View



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