PlayStation®Move: Top on My Wish List

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

PlayStation has taken motion gaming to a whole new level with the recent launch of PlayStation Move, which combines the PlayStation®3 system, the PlayStation®Eye camera and the PlayStation®Move motion controller. What sets the new product apart from the other gaming systems is that its simple, ergonomically designed, easy-to-use controller can capture a full range of motion and give you ultimate control over how you play the game.

PlayStation®Move has something for players of all levels. Whether you’re experienced, casual, or somewhere in between, PS Move offers a wide variety of games including sports, action, party, family, and shooters. Even if you’ve never played video games before, you can pick up the motion controller and start playing right away. Gameplay is made more intuitive and under control as PS Move transforms your movements on screen. Plus, the PS Eye camera allows you to see yourself holding an object in your television or interact with a character right inside your living room.

Everyone in our family loves to play games. If a little genie appeared and gave us the PlayStation® Move, we would sure have a lot of fun with it during family game nights. We'd also like to invite our close friends over to try out this cool new product. PS Move would allow us to compete or cooperate with one another in an intensive multi-player game in the comfort of our home or to see ourselves interact with game characters. Sounds exciting, doesn't it?

Among the games currently available for PS Move, I'm most interested in trying Start The Party!™ . Based on the game description and customer reviews, it looks like a great fit for the entire family. With over 20 highly interactive mini-games inside the package, I'm sure we would find some that we could enjoy playing for hours. I can hardly wait to start the ghost-hunting game for Halloween!  Plus, I could personalize gameplay by using the PlayStation®Eye to capture my own voice and face and keep the fun rolling by watching the photo slide show that the Eye camera would capture during the game.

If you already own a PlayStation®3 gaming system, then you can upgrade it to the new motion gaming system for only $99 with the MOVE bundle package! Don't miss the great deal!

Crest Pro-Health Complete Rinse Test Drive

The Crest Pro-Health line has recently welcomed a new addition to its family: Crest Pro-Health Complete Rinse. As one of the lucky participants in the Crest Pro-Health Complete Rinse Test Drive organized by Mom Central, I was among the first to try out this amazing new product! I was provided with one month supply of Complete Rinse, which I can use to take better care of the teeth of my entire family.

Crest Pro-Health Complete Rinse is designed to provide a more complete way to get a better dental checkup versus brushing alone through its six benefits:

• Rebuilds Teeth Enamel
• Helps Prevent Cavities
• Cleans Teeth & Gums
• Kills Bad Breath Germs
• Freshens Breath
• Without the Burn of Alcohol

Coupled with brushing, the Complete Rinse provides comprehensive dental care through the use of fluoride, which helps prevent cavities and strengthens enamel. It's completely alcohol-free, so you don't have to worry about the burn of alcohol while cleaning your mouth and fighting bad breath.

Mouth rinse has already been part of our oral care routine for a long time. It has been recommended that you use mouth rinse twice a day after brushing your teeth with a toothpaste. I like to use it also for a quick cleanup after meals or before meetings and appointments. Besides strengthening my teeth, I deem it highly important to keep a neat smile and fresh breath when conversing with other people.

Upon receipt of my bottle of Crest Pro-Health Complete Rinse, I was first impressed with its nice packaging the purple color of the liquid. Having a mouth rinse in my favorite color is a great incentive for me to use it on a regular basis. I love the Clean Mint flavor it comes in and the refreshing effects it has on my mouth. I will provide a more detailed review of the Complete Rinse at the conclusion of my test drive.

For now, you may start trying out the new product yourself. It has a suggested retail price of $4.59 for a 500mL bottle or $5.89 for a 1L bottle.

Disclosure: This post is written as part of the Mom Central Crest Pro-Health Complete Rinse Test Drive campaign. I received free product and a gift card to facilitate my honest review. Thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Watch Entourage On Weeknights!

Entourage fans love the show not only because of Vince,  the charming lead character, but also because of his unique circle of close friends, who make up his entourage. Do you have anyone in your life that resembles any of Vince's men: his older half-brother Drama, also his chef, trainer and bodyguard; Turtle, his childhood buddy, also the assistant and driver; Eric, Vince's best friend, also his manager; or Ari, his abrasive yet lovable agent?

In my earlier post, I described briefly my dream celebrity life as well as my ideal entourage including three of my best friends since childhood: Linda, Abby and Jenny. Honestly, I can't think of anyone in my life that looks exactly like any of Vince's buddies. My friend Abby would be a rough equivalent to a hybrid of Eric and Ari. She's mature, rational, dependable, and quick witted. She's the one I often turn to for advice before I make any significant decision. She's been one of my major sources of inspiration and encouragement. She's also very good at negotiating and making both parties happy. If I became a pop star as I wish, I'd certainly have her as the top candidate for both my manager and agent. I'm confident that she'd be capable of handling both roles in a handsome fashion.

Linda is the most humorous among my buddies. She can keep me entertained for hours on end with funny stories, crazy ideas and wild imaginations. She's far less sophisticated than Abby, but she's equally trustworthy and attentive to details. She would make an awesome assistant for me if I got famous. What she has in common with Turtle is that she's quite optimistic, frequently finding the good in bad situations.

As I mentioned before, Jenny is very fashion forward. Blessed with attractive appearance and a perfect figure, she's very popular among guys. She's talented and creative, magically turning ordinary-looking pieces of garments into bold fashion statements. I'd love her to be my stylist, who would make sure that I always look at my best. I wouldn't have any of my close friends to play the role of a driver, chef, or bodyguard. I'd hire people with specialty to fill those positions.

If I were a celebrity, I'd share all the luxury goods I might possess with my entourage, without whom I wouldn't have been able to achieve those material gains in the first place. If I had to choose one thing that I'd make sure to get everyone on the team, I'd give them my full trust and respect, my most valuable asset for my dearest friends. Now that I've told you more about my dream entourage, it's your turn. Please feel free to share your story in a comment below.

You can now watch "Entourage" five nights a week! Check your local listings here: http://www.entourageweeknights.com/ SP

Disclosure: I have been hired by Warner Bros WBWord division to raise awareness for "Entourage."

Mailbox Monday: September 27

Welcome to Mailbox Monday! A weekly blog hop to boost your subscriber count!

Hosted by This Mama Loves Her Bargains, A little of this A little of that… and Simply Stacie.

Here’s how to join in the fun:

* Add your blog link to the linky below
* Subscribe by email to the three hostesses. They will return the favor.
* Visit the other blogs on the list and subscribe by email to the ones that interest you. Leave them a comment with your blog link so they know you are subscribing from Mailbox Monday. Don’t forget to confirm your subscription!


Please make sure your blog have a place for people to e-mail subscribe. Or your link will be removed from the linky.

I'm very excited that icefairy's Treasure Chest has been selected as Mailbox Monday Blog of the Week, which takes the #4 spot on this week's linky. Everyone who participates this week will have a chance to be next week's Blog of the Week. So make sure you stop by every Monday to add your blog to the linky. Happy blog hopping!

The Many Colors of Poop: Book Excerpt from the Authors of Heading Home with Your Newborn

Pediatricians, moms and authors, Laura A. Jana, MD, FAAP and Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP offer a wealth of "parent-tested, pediatrician-approved" advice in Heading Home With Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality, Second Edition (American Academy of Pediatrics, September 2010). Available on the American Academy of Pediatrics official Web site for parents, HealthyChildren.org. Also available in bookstores nationwide.

The following is an excerpt to help you navigate those first crucial weeks of parenthood and caring for a newborn:

The Many Colors of Poop

Long after adjusting to parenthood and your role as principal poop watcher and wiper, you may still find yourself fretting over changes in the color of your baby's poop. In reality, once your baby has pooped enough to get rid of the tarry meconium, all the varying shades of yellow, brown, and even green are considered perfectly acceptable. Mustardy yellow is the color of choice for most breastfed babies, and yellow-tan with hints of green for those who are formula-fed. Being presented with a changing palette of colors is not uncommon, however, particularly later on down the road when your baby is introduced to such things as solid foods and snotty nose colds, both of which can add new shades and substance to the mix.

Black, White, and Shades of Red
There are a few colors of baby poop that, should you see them, always warrant discussion with your baby's doctor.

Red. Seeing red can mean blood, especially in the newborn period when your baby isn't eating or drinking anything red-colored that could be mistaken for blood when it comes out the other end. Blood should not signal you to panic immediately, but you should bring it to the attention of your pediatrician, who will be able to help you sort out the cause. It is possible for babies to swallow some blood during delivery that presents itself shortly thereafter--either in the baby's spit-up or poop--but, nevertheless, any amount of bloody poop should be evaluated because it can also be a sign of a problem.

Black. Black-colored poop sometimes represents old blood because blood is known to turn from red to black over time in the intestinal tract. Remember that this black color alert does not apply to your baby's first few meconium bowel movements, which you can fully expect to be black and tarry looking.

White. White poop is quite rare, but needs to be brought to the attention of a doctor ASAP because it can be caused by an underlying liver problem. The earlier it is addressed, the better--either for peace of mind or medical management.

*Book excerpt from Heading Home with Your Newborn (Second Edition/Copyright 2010/American Academy of Pediatrics).

The Heading Home with Your Newborn excerpts are sponsored by the Role Mommy Writer's Network.

Join Today's Live Chat in The Motherhood & Win Prizes!

Alison Gopnik, the author of The Philosophical Baby: What Children's Minds Tell Us About Truth, Love and The Meaning of Life, is leading a live chat in TheMotherhood.com today. We'll chat with Alison about our kids, her research and the implications for our parenting. All participants will be automatically entered to win some nice prizes. Here are the details:

Date: September 23, 2010
Time: 1:00pm-1:30pm ET
Location: The Motherhood
Prizes: A super-stylish diaper bag from London designer Pink Lining, a copy of Alison's book, and a copy of the fully-updated second edition of Heading Home with Your Newborn.

I'll be co-hosting the chat. Hope some of you will be able to join us today!

Mark Your Calendar for Child Passenger Safety Week & Twitter Party

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that nearly 3 out of 4 car seats are not used correctly. Are you confident that your car seat is properly installed? Whether or not, I'd suggest you have it inspected by a professional. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 3 and older. As a parent, you should take positive measures to prevent that kind of tragedy from happening to your precious kid.

A great way to start is to join NHTSA's Child Passenger Safety Week from September 19-25 and the National Seat Check Saturday on September 25, during which communities nationwide will have certified technicians available to provide hands-on child safety seat inspections and advice for free! You may use this convenient locator to find nearby car seat inspection stations on National Seat Check Saturday and throughout the year. Instructional videos, handy informational flyers, and links to product ratings and recall lists are available at childcarsafety.adcouncil.org 

In addition, there will be a Child Passenger Safety Twitter Party on Wednesday, September 22 at 2 pm EST. NHTSA experts will be available to offer information about car seats and how to travel safely with children. Just follow @childseatsafety on Twitter and use the hashtag #CPSweek to join the conversation.

Don't forget to check out NHTSA's 4 Steps for Kids recommendations via the embedded widget.



Disclosure: By writing this post, I'm entered to win a gift card drawing as part of a Global Influence public service campaign.

5-Day Giveaway: $25 Starbucks Gift Card

~~The giveaway is now CLOSED~~

Have you noticed my cute new badge? It's official--I'm a Juno Baby Mom Ambassador! I will be representing Juno Baby online and offline for their upcoming promotions and PR campaigns. How exciting!

Juno baby is known for their Emmy Award-winning children products that intend to fuel the passion for beautiful, original music among children 12 months and up. Their full line of DVDs, CDs, Toys, and Books are now available in buybuy BABY stores nationwide. Be sure to check out Juno Baby products when you shop at buybuy Baby. They are fun and engaging. I'm sure your kids will love them.

As part of the program, Mom Ambassadors are expected to encourage their family, friends, and readers to sign up for the Juno Baby Newsletter. Upon signup, you will automatically receive a code for FREE iTune downloads. The mom with the most referrals each week will be awarded a $25 Starbucks gift card. To help kick off the promotion, I'd like to pass the prize on to one of my dear readers, who I believe are capable of helping me win the first weekly contest. So here's how you can win.

The Giveaway

This is another if I win you win type of giveaway. If I end up with most newsletter referrals by the end of the week, I will give away a $25 Starbucks Gift Card to one of my readers who helped me win.

Required Entry: Sign up for Juno Baby Newsletter and put icefairy as the referrer. Then leave a comment telling me that you did. (Please leave a valid email address in your comment or make sure one is visible in your blogger profile).

Extra Entries (optional): please make sure you do the required entry first! Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry, i.e. 1 comment=1 entry.

• Vote for me here by 9/15 (1 extra entry)
• Sign up for the Savvy Savings email and leave the email you used (3 extra entries)
• If you own a blog or website, sign up as a Savvy Savings Partner via this link (1 extra entry) Please leave your site url so that I can visit you.
• Use the store locator on buybuy BABY website and tell me the store near you if applicable (1 extra entry)
• Follow Me on Twitter AND tweet the following message (1 extra entry per day) Yes! You may tweet once daily to increase your chances:

RT @luckytoddler Coffee break #giveaway! Win a $25 @Starbucks Gift Card! http://bit.ly/stargc #fbz  
Please leave the link to your tweet in your comment.

Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm Central Time on 9/20/10

Open to US Residents Only

Winner will be chosen using random.org and will have 72 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.

Thanks for entering and good luck!

Watch Entourage Five Nights A Week!

Entourage, an Emmy® Award-winning series from HBO, had its all-star season finale last Sunday, leaving fans looking forward to the eighth and final season next summer. With themes of male friendship and  Hollywood lifestyle, the show follows the skyrocketing career of Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier), a hot young actor whose career is just taking off. To share the fun of the ride and keep him grounded, Vince looks to the entourage he's brought with him from his hometown of Queens, NY, including Eric (Kevin Connolly), Vince’s best friend/manager, Vince’s half-brother Johnny “Drama” Chase (Kevin Dillon), Turtle (Jerry Ferrara), and Ari Gold (three-time Emmy® winner Jeremy Piven), Vince’s aggressive, high-powered agent. Vince and his boys have Los Angeles at their fingertips, and they frequently indulge in all the the spoils that come with celebrity. Their life is hard work and ultimate play!.

Entourage is known for having at least one celebrity guest per episode; such as actors, film directors, film producers, musicians and professional athletes such as Mark Wahlberg, Jessica Alba, Gary Busey, Larry David, Scarlett Johansson, James Cameron, Dennis Hopper, Martin Scorsese, Matt Damon and many others, appearing as themselves or in character roles.

I secretly dreamed of becoming a pop singer when I was a teenager. I would have three of my best friends to be part of my entourage: Linda, Abby and Jenny (Fictional names are being used due to concerns for privacy). Linda appears to be an introvert in front of strangers, but she's very open and funny when with close friends. Abby is the most mature and sophisticated among us. She shares my passion for music and remains calm and resolute in urgent situations, an ideal candidate for my agent. Jenny is an avant-garde fashionista, who may work as my stylist.

My dream celebrity life would be as colorful as that of Vince, but definitely less dramatic. I'd try my best to stay clear of scandals and focus on building my singing career. I'd care more about popularity and reputation than money and luxury goods. I'd be super happy as long as I kept a solid fan base and was widely recognized as a great singer and hopefully a role model for young people. Do you have a celebrity lifestyle you aspire to? I'd love to know.

Watch "Entourage" five nights a week! Check your local listings here: http://www.entourageweeknights.com/

Disclosure: I have been hired by Warner Bros WBWord division to raise awareness for "Entourage."

The author of Does This Make My Assets Look Fat shares her tips on how to manage your finances and invest like a pro!

For all the women out there who struggle to balance their checkbook along with their lives, we've got easy to understand financial advice from corporate executive and money expert Susan Hirshman. Susan is the author of the brand new book "Does This Make My Assets Look Fat." A former financial executive, Susan breaks down the concept of money, investing, budgeting and puts it into terms any woman can understand.

As Susan sees it, the rules of successful dieting are the same rules that apply to successful money management. In her new book, Susan offers women a 3-phase personalized plan that follows common dieting programs to help them understand their finances.

Susan's program completely removes the intimidation factor that often accompanies the words 'personal finance' and 'investing' and provides women with all the information they need to take control of their financial situations once and for all.

We've asked Susan to answer our readers burning financial questions and here's what she had to say:

Question: How do I set aside funds to invest when I never know how much money will be brought in by my next project? Can you still invest even if your budget is tiny?

Susan: I am so glad you asked this question; because it is a common concern amongst entrepreneurs. The best way to answer this question is to ask you a question: how do you deal with your basic fixed expenses when you never know how much money will be brought in by your next project? If you think of investing for retirement as a fixed expense, it becomes part of your overall cash flow management.

The questions you should be asking are: What is the lifestyle I will require in retirement? What is my time frame? What do I have saved currently towards that goal? What is my risk tolerance? Once we answer these questions you will be to determine how much you need to save on a monthly basis to achieve your retirement goal. Many websites have calculators to help you do this (see smartmoney.com for example.) Now, the question becomes - Is this a realistic amount to be adding to my fixed expenses?

If you feel comfortable, that you will be able to manage it within your fixed expenses, bravo - you are on your way to meeting your goals!

If you feel uncomfortable adding that amount to your fixed expenses, I will say bravo as well. Bravo? Yes, because now you know what your situation looks like and are able to make more educated, conscious decisions between your needs versus your wants. You are the only one who can make the choice between your long-term goals and your current spending.

Furthermore, the amount you invest should not be an all or nothing situation. Here, something is definitely better than nothing. Keep in mind that many mutual fund companies allow you to contribute a minimum monthly amount (typically $50 or $100) as long as it is a direct wire from your bank account. Take advantage of one of the key drivers of success - time and the power of compounding. Albert Einstein is quoted as saying, "The most powerful force in the universe is compound interest." The longer your money has to grow the less hard it has to work in the future.

Do what you feel comfortable with today but know that you are making a choice about tomorrow. Plans and goals are dynamic and change as your business changes, so review your "retirement fixed expense" at least annually.

Susan L. Hirshman is a former managing director at JP Morgan. She holds an M.B.A. from Baruch College and is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Financial Planner, a Chartered Life Underwriter, and a Chartered Financial Analyst. She currently lives in Manhattan.

If you have a money question for Susan, email us at beth@rolemommy.com.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by the Role Mommy Writer's Network.

24 Hour Giveaway: Good Earth Dinner Kit

~~The giveaway is now CLOSED~~

Providing healthy meals for the family is of top priority to me. I cook from scratch almost every day. It saves money, ensures quality, but consumes a considerable amount of time, which I'm seriously in need of to fulfill my multiple roles in life. Thanks to MyBlogSpark, I was recently introduced to Good Earth dry dinner kits, which offer a change of pace to my cooking routine with wholesome, restaurant-quality food ready in minutes.

Appetizing entrées from Good Earth may turn dining in into the new dining out. The dinner kits currently are available in four varieties: Mediterranean Chicken with angel hair pasta, Spicy Citrus Glazed Shrimp with angel hair pasta, Herb Crusted Chicken with mushroom risotto and Tuscan Chicken with penne pasta. Each variety includes vibrant and flavorful sauces along with specialty ingredients like sweet basil, white wine and dried tomatoes. They are perfect for whipping up a no-fail, five-star cuisine in the comfort of your own home.

I love that Good Earth dinners allow us to keep a healthy lifestyle without sacrificing taste. The pasta is made with 100% whole grain, with no trans fat, no artificial flavors, no artificial preservatives and no MSG.

I had the opportunity to try out the Mediterranean Chicken with angel hair pasta from Good Earth. The dinner kit includes 100% whole grain angel hair pasta, creamy sauce with olive oil, Mediterranean Seasoning with tomatoes, and seasoned whole wheat four. All I needed to do was to add chicken and follow the step-by-step instructions on the back of the packaging. You may see how it turned out via the picture. I was amazed by the portion size, enough to feed my hubby and son, who actually competed to finish up the entire plate. I was only able to have two bites before everything was gone :(

When I saw the dinner kits at Walmart, I bought one with the $1 off coupon attached to the box. This time I tried the Spicy Citrus Glazed Shrimp with angel hair pasta. It was very delicious!!! I look forward to trying the other two varieties. I strongly recommend you to give Good Earth a try if you haven't already.

The Giveaway

Now here comes the more exciting part. MyBlogSpark has generously offered to give one of my lucky readers the same Good Earth Gift Pack as I received for review ! The gift pack includes a Good Earth Mediterranean Chicken dry dinner kit, two sets of bamboo flatware, two bamboo dishes, a bamboo utility board and a 100% recyclable grocery tote.

Required Entry: Leave a comment telling me which flavor of the Good Earth dinner kit you'd like to try first if you were to buy one for your family. (Please leave a valid email address in your comment or make sure one is visible in your blogger profile).

Extra Entries (optional): please make sure you do the required entry first! Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry, i.e. 1 comment=1 entry.

• Vote for me here by 9/15 (1 extra entry)
• Sign up for Juno Baby Newsletter and put icefairy as the referrer (1 extra entry)
• Sign up for the Savvy Savings email by 9/17 and leave the email you used (3 extra entries)
• Follow my blog publicly (1 extra entry)
• Subscribe to my feed via email and leave your email address (1 extra entry)
• Follow Me on Twitter AND tweet the following message (1 extra entry per day) Yes! You may tweet once daily to increase your chances:

RT @luckytoddler Yummy #giveaway! Win an 11-piece Good Earth Dinner Kit Gift Pack! http://bit.ly/gdddt #fbz #ecofriendly #green 
Please leave the link to your tweet in your comment.

• Join Crowtap via this link and leave your registered name (1 extra entry)
• "Like" me on Facebook and leave your name (1 extra entry)
• Follow me on Networked Blogs and leave your name (1 extra entry)
• Add me as your friend on Facebook and leave your name (1 extra entry)
• Grab my button and tell me where to find it (1 extra entry)
• Add icefairy's Treasure Chest to your blogroll and leave the link (1 extra entry)
• Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post. Then leave the link in your comment (1 extra entry for mentioning this giveaway on your blog; 3 extra entries for a separate blog post).

Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm Central Time on 9/16/10

Open to US Residents Only

Winner will be chosen using random.org and will have 72 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.

Thanks for entering and good luck!

Disclosure: The product sample, prize pack and giveaway have all been provided by Good Earth through MyBlogSpark. No monetary compensation was offered. Thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. MyBlogSpark will send the prize directly to the winner.

Win A Kodak Digital Camera and a $25 Gift Card!

~~The giveaway is now CLOSED~~

SwimTownPools.com has just kicked off their Pool Family Fun Photo Contest on Facebook. You may win a Kodak EasyShare C182 digital camera by sharing your favorite poolside family picture. I bought my mom this camera in blue for Mother's Day and she loved it very much. If you haven't heard about SwimTwonPools before, you may want to check it out. It has a large selection of pool equipment in various price ranges. For those who don't have a pool of your own, I suggest browsing the pool accessories section, where you will find a lot of useful swim gear costing only a couple dollars and most of them qualify for free shipping!

The submission phase of the photo contest ends at midnight EST on October 7, 2010. The photos will be judged by the sponsor while the winner will be determined by public voting. Please follow the rules closely. I'd appreciate it if you could tell the sponsor that you heard about the contest from this blog (referrer required by the rules). If one of you win the contest, I could win a prize too.

The Giveaway

To encourage participation in the contest, SwimTwonPools has generously offered to give one of my lucky readers a $25 Gift Certificate to their online store! The winner could get several pool accessories coupled with the free shipping offer. The $9.95 one-time handling fee will be waived for the winner as well.

Required Entry: Visit SwimTownPools, and leave a comment telling me what you'd like to order if you won the $25 gift certificate. (Please leave a valid email address in your comment or make sure one is visible in your blogger profile).

Extra Entries (optional): please make sure you do the required entry first! Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry, i.e. 1 comment=1 entry.

• Like SwimTownPools on Facebook and leave your name (1 extra entry)
• Enter the photo contest and leave my blog name as the referrer (3 extra entries) 
• Vote for me here by 9/15 (1 extra entry)
• Sign up for Juno Baby Newsletter and put icefairy as the referrer (1 extra entry)
• Follow my blog publicly (1 extra entry)
• Subscribe to my feed via email and leave your email address (1 extra entry)
• Follow Me on Twitter AND tweet the following message (1 extra entry per day) Yes! You may tweet once daily to increase your chances:

RT @luckytoddler Swim gear #giveaway! Win a $25 gift card to SwimTownPools.com and a chance to win a digital camera! http://bit.ly/stpool 
Please leave the link to your tweet in your comment.

• Join Crowtap via this link and leave your registered name (1 extra entry)
• "Like" me on Facebook and leave your name (1 extra entry)
• Follow me on Networked Blogs and leave your name (1 extra entry)
• Add me as your friend on Facebook and leave your name (1 extra entry)
• Grab my button and tell me where to find it (1 extra entry)
• Add icefairy's Treasure Chest to your blogroll and leave the link (1 extra entry)
• Blog about this giveaway and link back to SwimTownPools and Me. Then leave the link in your comment (1 extra entry for mentioning this giveaway on your blog; 3 extra entries for a separate blog post).

Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm Eastern Time on 10/7/10

Open to US Residents Only

Winner will be chosen using random.org and will have 72 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.

Thanks for entering and good luck!

Disclosure: I did not receive any form of compensation for hosting this giveaway. Thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. The sponsor will be solely responsible for sending the prize directly to the winner.

Winners and Last Day to Vote!

It's hard to believe we're already in the middle of September. Are you surviving the first weeks of school along with your kids? I'm still looking for the perfect preschool for my DS. Hope we'll get settled soon.

There are quite a few winners to announce today. First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who have actively participated in the Dean's Dip Cheesy Friday promotion, especially those who have shared their original recipes in week 3. I'd also like to welcome all the new followers from BlogFest event. Thank you for supporting all my giveaways!

Here's the list of latest winners:
Dean's Dip Grand Prize: Deb, very lucky lady chosen from 400+ entries over the 3-week period.
Spanish Word-A-Day: Jennifer (comment #1)
ToiletTree Fogless Shower Mirror: Kathy (comment #13)
BlogFest Giveaway: Kim@Chubby Cheeks Thinks (#18), Chantel (#48), librarypat (#106)

Congratulations! All of the winners have been notified by email and most have already responded. Great job!

September 15 is the last day of the Kozy Shack contest. I'd greatly appreciate it if you could take a few seconds to vote for me. I'd sure share the wealth with you should I win any of their prizes. Plus, for every vote cast, Kozy Shack will donate ten cents to WomenHeart. Thank you in advance!

George Foreman Evolve™ Grill Review

Our family is a huge fan of grilled food. We love to order grilled dishes when we eat out or to grill meat and vegetables together with our friends when we have a house party. I was really excited to have been selected by Family Review Network and George Foreman Healthy Cooking to review a George Foreman Evolve Grill for free. In fact, my husband was more excited, since he's the primary grill chef in our house. He started planning on the big meal even before our new grill arrived.

As the newest addition to the George Foreman family, the Evolve™ Grill boasts a modern, sleek design and impressive versatility. The one we received for review comes with a 4-plate starter set, including 2 grill plates, 1 deep-dish bake pan and 1 mini-burger insert. The collection can be expanded with 7 additional plates good for cupcakes, muffins, waffles, omelets, panini, and more.

We used the Evolve Grill on three separate occasions and it's proven to be a reliable time- and space-saver. My first impression was that it's lightweight, compact, and portable. We don't have a big kitchen nor a big counter. The size of the grill fits our needs perfectly. When hubby started to cook with the grill, I was deeply impressed with its unique and user-friendly features. The digital time and temperature control makes it really easy to grill to the desired degree and to create or modify a recipe. The angle of the cooking surface can be adjusted so that excess fat and grease may drain along the patented slope into the drip tray located below the grill plate. This unique design is expected to facilitate healthier and oil-free grilling.

Since I'm the one who does the cleanup, I love in particular the nonstick cooking surface and the removable plates, which help me save time and trouble of cleaning the grill after use. In fact, the plates could be easily cleaned with a wet towel, depending on what you grill.

My husband experimented with his favorite grilled salmon recipe on the Evolve Grill. It took only 5 minutes to have a large chunk of salmon fillet done. The fish remained juicy and tender, and tasted similar to what could have come off a luxury grill. We also tried shrimp and a variety of vegetables (asparagus, zucchini, green pepper, red pepper and onion), all of which turned out great on the grill. Honestly, we didn't go with the suggested oil-free option, but we only applied a thin coating of canola oil and it seemed sufficient. The only regret is that we didn't receive the muffin pan for review. It would have been more fun cooking with the grill.

The Evolve Grill is available for purchase on the George Foreman website at $129.99. It qualifies for free ground shipping. You may choose the plate combo that best fit your cooking preferences.

Thanks again to Family Review Network and George Foreman Healthy Cooking for this awesome review opportunity!

Disclosure: This post was written for Family Review Network & George Foreman Healthy Cooking who provided the complimentary product in exchange for my honest review.

Join The Aladdin Do The Reuse Challenge

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Aladdin. All opinions are 100% mine.

Aladdin, the maker of eco-friendly, portable food and beverage containers, is inviting everyone to join their Do The Reuse Challenge, a 30-day commitment to give up disposable paper cups, water bottles, or food containers. You may take the challenge on the website and follow the nine featured families, who have accepted the challenge and will be blogging about their experience.

By accepting one of the Do the Reuse Challenges, you will not only start making a positive impact on the environment, but will also be able to get discounts and free shipping on selected Aladdin products available at www.shopaladdin-pmi.com

Here are some astonishing facts that may help you understand the significance of joining the challenge:

● Seven million barrels of oil are used to produce the disposable bottles Americans go through in one year.
● In the United States, 50 billion disposable water bottles are consumed per year; 137,000 per day; 1,585 per second.
● It costs about $165 a year to make drip coffee at home versus $636 to buy drip coffee at your local café.
● Unless we change our habits, 23 billion paper coffee cups will be thrown out in 2010.
● Nine dollars will generally cover a decent lunch out. If you buy rather than pack a lunch five days a week, you shell out about $2,350 a year.

Giving up disposables is the right thing for us do from both an environmental and an economic standpoints. Reusable food and beverage containers are convenient, easy on the wallet, good for the planet, and usually with nicer designs.

I'm planning on accepting all three challenges. In fact, our family has been using reusable water bottles and lunch boxes for quite a long time and we seldom drink coffee. So I find it really easy to be part of this meaningful campaign. I hope all of you will join the challenge and help save our planet. Remember, using reusables will also save you money! So why not?!

If you don’t already have a reusable water bottle, a coffee mug, or a food container, feel free to browse Aladdin's website and chose your favorite design to get started. You may also support the challenge by following Aladdin on Facebook.

Join Weight Watchers Lose-A-Palooza Tomorrow!

Earlier this month, Weight Watchers launched a new campaigned called Lose For Good, during which Weight Watchers will help fight world hunger by donating up to $1 million to Share Our Strength (70%) and Action Against Hunger (30%) through various consumer activities.

To help raise awareness of the Lose For Good campaign, Weight Watchers is hosting a one-day social media event, Lose-A-Palooza, on September 14, 2010. We could all be part of this charitable endeavor by taking simple actions like blogging, tweeting, updating Facebook status, or checking in via foursquare. For each approved social media activity related to “Lose For Good” made on September 14th, Weight Watchers will donate $1, up to a maximum of $60,000 to Share Our Strength and Action Against Hunger.

Here are more details about how to participate:
1. Blog
* Post: include the phrase “Lose For Good” in a post about the Lose For Good campaign, and encourage your readers to get involved by visiting WeightWatchers.com/LoseForGood.
* Comment on a blog post about Lose For Good. Also, ask your friends to show their support by commenting on your post. Don’t forget to include “Lose For Good” in your comment.
* Community: write a post including “Lose For Good” in the Community on WeightWatchers.com.

2. Facebook
* “Like” Weight Watchers, Share Our Strength or Action Against Hunger pages
* Comment or "Like" any of the Weight Watchers “Lose-A-Palooza” updates posted throughout the day
* Accessorize: add a Lose-A-Palooza twibbon to your profile picture (available 9/14)

3. Twitter
* Follow @WeightWatchers, @sharestrength or @acfusa
* Tweet or Retweet using the hashtag #LoseforGood. Let people know how they can join you in the fight against hunger
* Accessorize: add a Lose-A-Palooza twibbon to your profile picture (available 9/14)

4. Foursquare
* Check-in to a Weight Watchers meeting room to help contribute to the good. Only one check-in per user will be counted.

Hope you'll be able to take a few minutes of time out of your busy schedule and help raise funds for the world's over one billion people in hunger. Thank you in advance for your support!

Disclosure: By writing this post, I'm entered to win a gift card from One2One Network, who has also provided information for this campaign.

Bella Bejeweled Jewelry Review and Giveaway

~~The giveaway is now CLOSED~~

Hey Twilight fans, fashionistas, and handmade jewelry enthusiasts! I'm very excited to announce that Sarah from Bella Bejeweled has once again offered to sponsor a review and giveaway on this blog! As some of you have already known, Sarah is a passionate and highly creative artist, who has designed and handmade all the beautiful pieces in her store, Bella Bejeweled. As the Twilight Saga continued with its third movie sequel, Bella Bejeweled expanded its widely acclaimed Twilight-Inspired Collection, along with other new additions to the store catalog.

You may read from BB website that "All items from BellaBejeweled arrive beautifully wrapped and ready for gift giving or safe keeping." The review package I received can fully attest to that claim. Take a look:

And here are the gorgeous Secret Treasures Necklace with Embossed Heart Locket and matching earrings Sarah sent me for review.

Do I need to say more about how lovely they are? This new BB collection has been inspired by the heart locket necklace Alice was wearing in Eclipse (2010). It symbolizes the wearer's secret treasures, such as  cherishable memories, wild dreams, and talents yet to be discovered. In addition to the Embossed Heart locket, Sarah has also designed three other locket options: Heart Filigree, Round Filigree, and Oval Floral. You may see their pictures here.

These "Way Leads On to Way" Hand Forged Stacking Rings are inspired by Robert Frost’s "The Road Not Taken". Their unique design symbolizes the individual journey we each take. The side of each ring is left open to represent the paths we have left to travel and the pieces of ourselves left to uncover.

Inspired by the Santa Ana winds that sweep through the West Coast of the US each year, this adorable Santa Ana Bracelet can be worn "open" or "closed," and is available in a smooth or hammered finish.

Not only does Bella Bejeweled offer various ways to customize your favorite piece of jewelry, it also provides Lifetime Quality Guarantee! With its exquisite designs and premium quality, Bella Bejeweled has already attracted jewelry lovers from 37 countries in the world and the number is still on the rise. Don't miss out this awesome place to build your fall wardrobe!

The Giveaway

Sarah, owner and creator of Bella Bejeweled, has generously offered to give one of my lucky readers her favorite jewelry from the following selection: Secret Treasures Locket (her choice of shape and length), Set of 2 Stacking Rings (her choice of color), or Santa Ana Bracelet (her choice of finish)!

Required Entry: Visit Bella Bejeweled, and leave a comment telling me the name of your favorite piece from the store. (Please leave a valid email address in your comment or make sure one is visible in your blogger profile).

Extra Entries (optional): please make sure you do the required entry first! Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry, i.e. 1 comment=1 entry.

• Like Bella Bejeweled on Facebook and leave your name (1 extra entry)
• Follow Bella Bejeweled on Twitter and leave your Twitter handle (1 extra entry) 
• Follow Bella Bejeweled publicly (1 extra entry)
• Add Bella Bejeweled button to your website and tell me where to find it (1 extra entry)
• Vote for me here daily by 9/15 (1 extra entry per day)
• Sign up for Juno Baby Newsletter and put icefairy as the referrer (1 extra entry)
• Follow my blog publicly (1 extra entry)
• Subscribe to my feed via email and leave your email address (1 extra entry)
• Follow Me on Twitter AND tweet the following message (1 extra entry per day) Yes! You may tweet once daily to increase your chances:

RT @luckytoddler #Fashion #giveaway! Win your choice of beautiful @BellaBejeweled #jewelry! Open to all! http://bit.ly/bbjewld #Twilight
Please leave the link to your tweet in your comment.

• Join Crowtap via this link and leave your registered name (1 extra entry)
• "Like" me on Facebook and leave your name (1 extra entry)
• Follow me on Networked Blogs and leave your name (1 extra entry)
• Add me as your friend on Facebook and leave your name (1 extra entry)
• Grab my button and tell me where to find it (1 extra entry)
• Add icefairy's Treasure Chest to your blogroll and leave the link (1 extra entry)
• Make a purchase at Bella Bejeweled (5 extra entries) 
• Blog about this giveaway and link back to Bella Bejeweled and Me. Then leave the link in your comment (1 extra entry for mentioning this giveaway on your blog; 3 extra entries for a separate blog post).

Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm Central Time on 9/18/10

Open to ALL!

Winner will be chosen using random.org and will have 72 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.

Thanks for entering and good luck!

Disclosure: I received free products from Bella Bejeweled to facilitate my honest review. No monetary compensation was offered. Thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.