A New Era for Smartphones: LG Optimus 7

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


LG Electronics recently launched its first Windows® Phone 7 device, LG Optimus 7!  Building on Microsoft's new operating system, LG Optimus 7 is bound to usher in a new era for smartphones with lots of cool features that will revolutionize your mobile life.


LG Optimus 7 series offers the glance and go experience of Windows Phone 7 combined with unique features only available on LG devices. For instance, Play To, the DLNA-based multimedia sharing technology, allows users to share multimedia files with other digital devices from the picture, video or music Hubs without having to access other menus. Users may display videos and photos captured on their phones on a TV or enjoy music on their phones through their favorite speakers without wires.

ScanSearch, an augmented reality (AR) application, lets users access real-time information about shopping, dining, weather, entertainment and banking, bringing together one's online and offline worlds for a more enjoyable life.

Voice-to-Text enables convenient, hands-free communication for users, who can transcribe their voice into text for updating Facebook and Twitter status, composing emails, or taking notes.

In addition, LG Optimus 7 helps users obtain direct access to their favorite games and music through the introduction of Microsoft's popular Xbox LIVE® and Zune® services.


LG Optimus 7 is designed to be highly versatile, bringing all entertainment devices together.  Here are some examples:

• 720p HD video resolution offering recording and playback of stunning visual quality, ideal for sharing online through social media and offline on a TV through Play To;
• 16:9 aspect capture and playback for shooting and viewing movies in cinematic style;
• 5MP camera featuring a host of technological enhancements from LG, such as Intelligent Shot, which lets users take the perfect photo without having to adjust camera settings, and Panoramic Mode for stitching together a full 360-degree landscape scene;
• 3.8 inch WVGA LCD display that can capture every detail in a photo with its 800x480 pixels, a screen size large enough for convenient web surfing but svelte enough to fit in any back pocket;
• 16GB internal memory, enough to store hundreds of MP3 files, hours of video and hundreds of applications; and
• 1500mAh removable battery good for hours of internet browsing, e-book reading or game playing, or for simply talking.

I wish I could be a proud owner of this most desirable phone in the new year, don't you?

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, everyone! We will be traveling again, so you may not "see" me online for the rest of the week. A lot of giveaways are set to start in the new year. All current giveaways remain open until comments are disabled. Please feel free to score a couple extra entries even after the deadlines *wink*. Wish you all a fairy lucky and rewarding new year!

Happy Me Skin Care Review

An important part of my daily routine is to take good care of my skin. I strongly agree with Helena Rubinstein that there are no ugly women, only lazy ones. Having beautiful skin will make me happy and more confident. I am therefore open to trying new skin care products with the latest technology or unique benefits.

Happy Me Skin Care is a newly launched brand, which combines spa quality ingredients with natural aromatherapies and time-tested skincare remedies in its products. Thanks to Mom Bloggers Club, I was given the opportunity to try out three products from its anti-aging line before they hit the store shelf! How cool is that?

The products I received for review include Pore & Fine Line Perfector and Primer, Hand Repair SPF 30, and Neck & Chest Repair SPF 30. All of them are natural, paraben-free, sulfate-free, and animal-cruelty free, offering healthy solution to aging skin. I've been using each product for about a week. While it's a bit too early to prove their anti-aging effects, I do love how they feel on my skin.

My favorite from the trio is the Hand Repair SPF 30. My hands are usually dry and miserable during cold weather. The Happy Me hand cream helps moisturize my hands and leaves a pleasant fruity scent. I also enjoy the added sun protection.

Using a combination of Sweet Almond Extract, Rosewood Oil and Apple Fruit Extract, the Neck & Chest Repair SPF 30 is designed to smooth wrinkles, lift lines, stimulate new cell growth, as well as providing all day sun protection. It leaves my skin feeling soft, gentle, and rejuvenated.

The Pore & Fine Line Perfector and Primer is matte finishing liquid powder intended to create foundation for makeup. I don't really wear makeup on a daily basis, but I tried the product anyway, without applying makeup afterwards. I like that it's not irritating and tightens my skin without overdrying it.

Happy Me Skin Care products will be available soon in the new year at drug stores and mass retailers. If you "like" Happy Me Skin Care on Facebook, you could win a year's supply of their products by entering their sweepstakes. Good luck!

Disclosure: As a Mom Blogger Club reviewer, I received free products to facilitate my honest review. No monetary compensation was provided. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

New Year Shopping: Home Entertainment

Home entertainment is one of the major ways for us to have quality family time and to keep our guests engaged at house parties. We love watching movies, singing karaoke, and freestyle dancing together. All these can be done in the comfort of our home with a functional and affordable home entertainment system.

If you plan to upgrade your home entertainment system, you may find great post-Christmas sales at many online retailers like CSN stores, which offer a wide variety of stylish designs for tv stands, media shelf towers, entertainment centers, and more. Not only will you enjoy the ease and convenience of online shopping, you will also get free shipping and deep discounts for most items. Plus, all CSN stores honor their 100% satisfaction guarantee. Happy New Year Shopping!

Have The Talk & Chance to Win $100!

To encourage parents to have "The Talk" with their teens about financial responsibility, iVillage and Pass from American Express have recently joined forces for a Facebook campaign to raise money for the Junior Achievement Scholarship Fund. It's really easy for you to help them out. Simply go to The Talk tab on iVillage's Facebook page and share the "I Had The Talk" badge with your Facebook friends. For every shared badge iVillage will donate $1 to the Junior Achievement Scholarship Fund, for up to $5,000.

The holiday season is about gifting and giving. It's also the perfect time to teach our kids about saving and sharing. I didn't really have "The Talk" with my son primarily because he is way too young to comprehend it, but also because I believe action speaks louder than words. Instead of telling him that we should give back during the holidays, I took him to shop for the toys we were donating to Toys for Tots and had him put those toys in the donation box. He was excited to know that someone out there would receive a Christmas gift from him.

I also got him involved in choosing and wrapping gifts for his grandparents, his preschool teachers and his best friends. He seemed to entertain the idea that Christmas is gift time for everyone, including himself. He enjoyed being treated like a big boy and helping mom prepare stuff for people he loves.

Do you have any tips about teaching kids the spirit of giving? You could win 1 of 2 $100 American Express gift cards if you share them in a blog post and leave your link at Good N Crazy. But you'll need to hurry because the giveaway ends midnight today. Don't forget to help iVillage reach their donation goal while you're on Facebook!

Disclosure: By writing this post, I'm entered to win a gift card. Thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Win 1 of 20 $20 Amazon Gift Cards!

If you haven't joined Parents Insight Network already, you may want to consider signing up now. They are giving away fabulous prizes in their last projects of 2010. The signup survey is short and sweet. Please kindly include "icefairy" or my FB name at the end of the survey so that I may receive credit for being an active ambassador for the panel. Thank you!

Even if you don't want to join now, you can still participate in the following surveys and be entered to win 1 of 20 $20 Amazon gift cards or 1 of 5 Contours strollers!

• Swing Survey: For parents of 0-3 year olds. 5 respondents will win a brand new Contours stroller!
• Homeowner's Survey:  20 respondents will win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

Again, I'd greatly appreciate it if you put "icefairy" or my FB name at the end of each survey. I could win $100 with most referrals. I will give away a portion of that prize should I win with your kind help!

In addition, if you're a new or expecting mom from Denver and Bay Area, you may qualify for a shop-along project in January and receive $150 in cash. Interested? Apply here.

Good luck! Happy Holidays to you all!

Holiday Gift Giveaway: $25 Kroger Gift Card & Chex Party Mix

~~The giveaway is now CLOSED. Congrats to winner Gina!~~

Kroger® and Chex® Cereal have joined forces to help you whip up recipes for your holiday entertaining that are easy on your time as well as your budget! From now through December 25th, Kroger Family of Stores are offering Chex cereal at their lowest prices of the year. If you want to stock up on Chex cereal, this would be the best time to do so.

Would you like to impress your guests with some delicious, homemade holiday treats? Try Chex Party Mix recipes like The Original Chex® Party Mix or Chex® Ginger-Honey Crunch. You can make them in the microwave in only 15 minutes!

Chex Party Mix can make a unique holiday gift as well. Try wrapping your favorite Chex Party Mix in a colorful tin or bag and personalize it with your own recipe card. Be sure to like Kroger and Chex on Facebook to keep up with recipes, news and their latest promotions. Hint: click on the "Sweepstakes" tab to see how you can win $10,000!

MyBlogSpark sent me two boxes of Chex cereal to try and a $25 Kroger gift card to buy more. My son really loves the Corn Chex we received while hubby and I like Rice Chex & Corn Chex about equally. We made the Chex Ginger-Honey Crunch, as all the necessary ingredients were readily available in our home. The recipe was so easy to follow and it turned out to be a great hit at our family movie night last week. My son creatively added Chex mix to the lyrics of  "Party in My Tummy", his favorite song from Yo Gabba Gabba!

The Giveaway

MyBlogSpark has generously offered to give one of my lucky readers a $25 Kroger Gift Card plus 2 Boxes of Chex Cereal! The gift card is valid at the Kroger Family of Stores.


Required Entry: Visit Chex.com and leave a comment telling me your favorite Chex cereal. (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.

• 1/4 ONLY: "Like" my comment on this Facebook page (3 extra entries)
• Follow my blog publicly via Google Friends Connect (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 #Win a $25 Kroger Gift Card & Chex cereals! http://bit.ly/kcpm25 #fbz #xmas #myblogspark #sweepstakes #contest #giveaway
Please leave the link to your tweet in your comment.

• Join JoeShopping via this link and leave your user name (1 extra entry)
• Join the Parents Insight Network and put icefairy as the recruiter (1 extra entry) New signups only.
• Join Beyond The Rack via this link and leave the email you used (1 extra entry) New signups only.
• Join Crowtap via this link and leave your registered name (1 extra entry) New signups only.
• "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)
• 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 1/4/11

Open to US Residents Only

Winner will be chosen using random.org and will have 24 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.

Thanks for entering and good luck!

Disclosure: Chex and Kroger provided me with free product, information, and giveaway prize pack through MyBlogSpark. Thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Hot Deals Plus Free $10 from Gaggle of Chicks

All smart shoppers desire products that provide the best value for their money. But the search process can be so time- and energy-consuming that it may turn shopping into an intimidating chore, especially during the holiday season. To put the fun back in shopping, Gaggle of Chicks has recently launched the nationwide edition of their website offering deep discounts on quality products and services carefully selected by the team. You can save time and money by having the daily deals delivered to your inbox as soon as they become available.

Never heard of Gaggle of Chicks before? It is an innovative social shopping site, where a deal "hatches" after several members make the same purchase. Each deal lasts for a limited time only or while supplies last, so speed matters. They once offered 65% off Box Creations playhouses and the deal was sold out well before it expired. As most deals are the in the form of e-coupons, you don't have to worry about shipping charges.

It's completely free to join Gaggle of Chicks. But wait, it's even better than free. You will get $5 credit immediately after confirming your membership. That amount will double if you sign up through a friend. If you'd like free $10 to jump start your account, please feel free to sign up using my referral link. You can then invite your friend to join and receive $10 for free. You will get $10 after she makes her first purchase. One of the current deals is 40% off the I Like Book Keepsake Journal (Original: $19.95). Coupled with the signup bonus, the deal can get you a journal for just $2! That's an incredible amount of savings!

If you live in New York City, you can take advantage of local deals in addition to national ones.

Gaggle of Chicks is more than a shopping site. It also creates a community of moms who love to shop. You may connect with them via Facebook, Twitter, Blog & Forum. Let's help spread the word about this wonderful website and hatch the deals sooner!

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Gaggle of Chicks and received a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Holiday Gift Giveaway: $50 Bank of America Visa Gift Card!

~~The giveaway is now CLOSED. Congrats to winner Jen!~~

While you're busy with last-minute gift shopping, party planning or trip arrangements, I'd like to share with you some great holiday time-saving tips offered by Bank of America.

As a Bank of America customer for almost 10 years, I really appreciate the tools and features available that have helped me save time and money. Here are a few examples:

• Online Banking: This is my favorite. You can check balances, transfer money, schedule bill payments in the comfort of your home. It saves you a trip to the bank and You no longer have to worry about missing its business hours.
• Bank on the go: Mobile banking allows you to access your money wherever you go. Download the mobile banking app and you can check balances, transfer money, pay bills, and locate ATMs. Sign up for text banking and you’ll be able to send a text message to get your balance instantly in a reply.
• Deposit Image ATMs: You can make quick and easy deposits with Bank of America’s Deposit Image ATMs, which let you feed checks or cash into the ATM with no envelopes or deposit slips required. You get images of your checks and a list of cash deposited on your receipt as proof.
  

Besides these banking-related tips, you may also like these general time-saving tips:

• No more backtracking! Try the “route planner” feature on MapQuest, which helps you save time and money by mapping out an entire journey – with multiple stops – all in one convenient step. You can add up to 25 destinations along any route, and be advised with the fastest route. Since launching in July, it has saved North Americans more than 2.7 million miles!
• When gifting, go green: Go green with your gift-wrapping by reusing paper products around the house, like newspaper, leftover wallpaper, or reusable gift wraps. When sending gift cards, choose electronic cards over plastic ones.
• Road trip rules: Seasoned holiday road-travelers live by three simple rules: 1) invest in a quick pass to whiz past hour-long lines at the tolls, 2) plot out where to get the cheapest gas along the way by using the “gas prices” feature on MapQuest, and 3) pre-pack energy-boosting snacks and beverages to avoid crowded rest stops and fast-food joints.
  

For more useful tips, please follow @BofA_Tips on Twitter or visit Bank of America website.

The Giveaway

To help you save even more this holiday season,  I have the pleasure of giving one of my lucky readers a $50 Visa Gift Card issued by Bank of America!


Required Entry: Leave a comment telling me one of your favorite holiday time-saving tips. I can't wait to learn more tips from each of you! (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.

• Follow my blog publicly via Google Friends Connect (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 #Win a $50 Visa Gift Card for #holiday #shopping! http://bit.ly/boav50 #xmas #sweepstakes #contest #giveaway
Please leave the link to your tweet in your comment.

• Join JoeShopping via this link and leave your user name(1 extra entry)
• Join the Parents Insight Network and put icefairy as the recruiter (1 extra entry) December signups only.
• Join Beyond The Rack via this link and leave the email you used (1 extra entry) New signups only.
• Join Crowtap via this link and leave your registered name (1 extra entry) New signups only.
• "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)
• 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 12/28/10

Open to US Residents Only

Winner will be chosen using random.org and will have 24 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.

Thanks for entering and good luck!

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Bank of America and received a Bank of America preloaded gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate. This contest is hosted and fulfilled solely by icefairy's Treasure Chest.

Infant Formula: Store Brand Vs. Name Brand

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

As parents, we always want to provide our children with the best things in life as much as we can. It is important to be aware however, that a higher price tag doesn't automatically translate into higher quality. The recent recall of Similac Infant Formula signals to us that it's time to switch to generic formula. We should stop paying twice as much on something that has no added value or even of inferior quality.
All infant formulas are subject to the same exacting standards of the FDA pursuant to the Infant Formula Act of 1980, which requires that all infant formulas sold in the United States provide the necessary levels of identified nutrients required for the growth of healthy babies. Store brand formulas are nutritionally equivalent to name brand formulas like Enfamil® and Similac®, but cost up to 50% less for a savings of $600 a year per baby!

The Money Watch article linked above suggests that many parents prefer name brand formulas simply because they are exposed to them first at the hospital and it may take their babies a week or so to switch to the cheaper equivalent. Name brands cost more not because of higher nutritional value but because of all the marketing and advertising expenses associated the products. Just think about the free formula samples, diaper bags, and other goodies you may receive at the hospital, the doctor's office or in the mail. Are they truly FREE?

Store brand formulas are being offered by quite a few retailers that we are familiar with, such as Walmart, Sam’s Club, Target, Kroger, Walgreens, CVS, and Babies “R” Us.  Take Walmart's store brand formula for example. You can compare the nutrition labels of Parent’s Choice Advantage™ Infant Formula to Similac Advance and feel comfortable knowing that these formulas are nutritionally equivalent and offer the same benefits:

• Prebiotics to help support baby’s immune system
• Milk-based nutrition containing all nutrients, vitamins and minerals for growth and development
• DHA & ARA, which may support brain and eye development
• Available in 23.2 oz and 12.4 oz sizes

Please consider trying a store brand forumla if you haven't made the switch already. Take advantage of the huge savings to bring more nice stuff to your baby.

The Best Gift Ever!

SWAGG is a free mobile app (download here) that lets you shop smarter using your mobile phone. Buy, send or swap SWAGG GIFTS and organize your old school plastic gift cards.
For every download of the app between now and Dec. 31, 2010, SWAGG will donate $1 to Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) , up to $125,000.

Clever Girls Collective and SWAGG are sending a pair of movie fans to the Sundance Film Festival! Download the SWAGG app and then visit the Ultimate SWAGG Getaway Sweepstakes site to enter to win a trip for two to the Sundance Film Festival. Entry deadline is January 3, 2011, 11:59pm, PST.

Dedicated to making holiday shopping and gifting a breeze, SWAGG would like to find out the best gift ever given by some of the Clever Girls. My first reaction to this question was to scratch my head. Geez, this is a hard one. When I choose a gift, I try to imagine myself as the recipient and anticipate if she will like it or not. To me, a crappy gift is worse than no gift. In the last couple years, gift cards have become the best and easiest option when it comes to shopping for holiday gifts. People love to have the freedom of choice at their favorite stores. Since a lot of gift cards don't expire, they can shop whenever they want.

I have never sent any gift cards to those that I feel close to. I prefer to gift them something that can last longer, something they can use in their daily life and something that shows that I care about them deeply. The best gift isn't necessarily the most expensive gift. I think the best gift I've ever given to my mom is a foot spa massager I bought at Walmart. It really helps warm her up and relax before going to bed. She's been using it almost every day for over a year. She told me that she thinks of me every time she uses it.

The best judge of the best gift I ever gave may be one of the recipients. So I asked my husband what he thinks is the best gift I gave him.Guess what he told me? While he loves all the thoughtful gifts I carefully chose for him, his favorite is the handmade Valentine's Day card I sent him years ago, before we got married. I'm quite surprised that he still remembers that small gift. He explained that the gift is truly unique and priceless for him because it's the only one you can find in the world and it's filled with love. I was speechless.

Have you ever thought about the best gift you ever gave? Feel free to share your story with us!


Learn more about the coolest new app that revolutionizes the whole shopping, gifting, and gift card-organizing experience and Download the SWAGG app to your iPhone or Droid. I was selected for this sponsorship by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity.

Holiday Gift Giveaway: $50 Amazon Gift Card from JoeShopping!

~~The giveaway is now CLOSED. Congrats to winner Jenny!~~

We love to be smart shoppers, especially during the holiday season, when we have to buy tons of stuff within a tight budget. But deal hunting on your own can be stressful, as one single person can only have a limited amount of time and resources available each day to spend on shopping. A huge difference will be made if we shop as a community by sharing our best findings with one another, including deals, coupons, product reviews and so much more. To my delight, this is exactly what JoeShopping.com is trying to accomplish!

JoeShopping is a newly launched social shopping site, which combines the best elements of shopping and social networking. It creates a vibrant community of savvy shoppers who love to share and interact for everything shopping-related. Users can upload pictures and videos, write product reviews, share coupons and hot deals, update their status, post in the forum, and blog about their favorite topic. Plus, you may comparison shop and place an order without leaving the site. It's like having Amazon, Twitter, Facebook, FourSquare, YouTube, and Ning all in one place.

Membership is completely free on JoeShopping.com. Better yet, you can earn JoePoints for participating in the community, such as updating your shopping status, rating a product, adding a friend, writing a blog post, or leaving a comment. You are automatically rewarded with 10 points upon registration and there are 3 free points up for grabs each day you log in. What do I need all those points for, you may ask. JoePoints can be converted to entries into prize drawings. The more points you get, the higher chances of winning you have.

You could win BIG this holiday season by being an active member in the community. JoeShopping is running a monthly sweepstakes with $1,000 in cash prizes. Each point you earn by the end of the month counts as an entry into that month's drawing. If you love the site and invite all your friends to join, you may enter the Refer-a-Friend contest, where the top referrer will receive $3,000 and 20 runners up will each receive $100. The odds of winning are really high right now. For each friend you refer, you will earn 10 points, which means 10 more entries into the monthly sweepstakes!

Besides the chance to win prizes, you may also earn some cute badges (as picture above) for doing various activities and proudly show off your achievements in the community.One way or another, you are sure to have lots of fun on JoeShopping!

The Giveaway

To celebrate its launch, JoeShopping has generously offered to give one of my lucky readers a $50 Gift Card to Amazon.com! Start planning on what to get with that nice prize!


Required Entry: Join JoeShopping.com via this link*, and leave a comment telling me your user name. Please remember to confirm your membership for your entry to count. Current JoeShopping members are also eligible to win. Simply add icefairy as a friend and leave your user name in the comment. (Please leave a valid email address in your comment or make sure one is visible in your blogger profile).

*Note: The link is used solely to track entries into this giveaway, NOT for the referral contest.

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" JoeShopping on Facebook and leave your FB name (1 extra entry) 
• Follow JoeShopping on Twitter and leave your Twitter handle (1 extra entry)
• Do something in the community (examples are in my post) and tell me what you did (1 extra entry)
• Follow my blog publicly via Google Friends Connect (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 Join @JoeShopping #Win a $50 Amazon Gift Card & a share of $6,000 cash!  US/CAN http://bit.ly/jsh50 #sweepstakes #giveaway
Please leave the link to your tweet in your comment.

• Join the Parents Insight Network and put icefairy as the recruiter (1 extra entry) December signups only.
• Join Beyond The Rack via this link and leave the email you used (1 extra entry) New signups only.
• Join Crowtap via this link and leave your registered name (1 extra entry) New signups only.
• "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)
• Blog about this giveaway and link back to both JoeShopping and 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 1/3/11

Open to US & Canadian Residents

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 was not compensated in any way for running this giveaway. The sponsor will be solely responsible for sending the prize directly to the winner.

Holiday Gift Giveaway: Juno Baby Prize Pack ($100)!

~~The giveaway is now CLOSED. Congrats to winner Cakeblast!~~

While holidays are in full swing, the Juno Company has brought us some awesome gifts, including freebies, hot deals, and exciting giveaways. As a mom ambassador for Juno Baby products, I can't wait to share these great news with you and offer you the chance to win a Juno Baby Holiday Prize Pack exclusively on my blog!

From now through December 31, you can enter to win a Grand Holiday Prize Pack valued at $400 or one of 10 Holiday Prize Pack valued at $100! The Grand Holiday Prize Pack includes an iPod Touch and assorted Juno Baby products.  All you have to do is enter your name and email on this page. You will be subscribed to their newsletter and receive a discount code instantly.

From now through December 20, you can purchase a $40 online store credit for only $20 via my affiliate link. That's 50% off everything in store!

Plus, you can use code JUNO40 to receive 40% off any order placed by 12/18 3pm ET! You can also use code HOLIDAY10 to receive free shipping on orders over $35. Be sure to follow Juno Baby on Facebook and Twitter to keep informed of their latest offers.

But that's not all, you can get something free too. Until December 31, you can download quite a few award-winning PlayFirst games, including  Diner Dash, 100% free here.

The Juno Company also invites you to join their "Share the Music" charity campaign. For every shout out, they will donate a special music education DVD to a child in need! You can help out by tweeted with #ShareTheMusic, liking them on Facebook, or forward their holiday cards to friends. The donation is completely free for you. So why not?

The Giveaway

Besides all those sweet holiday offers, Juno Baby has generously offered to give one of my lucky readers a Juno Baby Holiday Prize Pack! It's a $100 value!

The prize pack includes the following:

• 1 Juno Plush Doll
• 1 Juno Jr. DVD 
• 1 Juno Baby DVD 
• 1 Juno Jr. CD
• 1 Juno Baby CD

Required Entry: Enter the Juno Holiday Sweepstakes, and leave a comment telling 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.

• Order a $40 store credit at $20 via my affiliate link (5 extra entries)
• "Like" Juno Baby on Facebook and leave your name (1 extra entry) 
• Leave a comment on Juno Baby Facebook wall saying "icefairy invited me here to #ShareTheMusic" (1 extra entry)
• Follow Juno Baby on Twitter and leave your Twitter handle (1 extra entry)
• Tweet the following message once and leave the link to our tweet (1 extra entry)  
RT @luckytoddler I just donated a @JunoBaby musical DVD to a child in need for the holidays! You should too, it's free! http://bit.ly/gMG9ac #ShareTheMusic
• Follow my blog publicly via Google Friends Connect (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 #ShareTheMusic @JunoBaby! #Win a $100 #Holiday Prize Pack! http://bit.ly/jbhpp #sweepstakes #giveaway #free
Please leave the link to your tweet in your comment.

• Join JoeShopping via this link and leave your user name(1 extra entry)
• Join the Parents Insight Network and put icefairy as the recruiter (1 extra entry) December signups only.
• 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)
• 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 12/31/10

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 received free products as a mom ambassador. No monetary compensation was provided for running the giveaway. The sponsor will send the prize directly to the winner.

Unique Holiday Gift Idea: NAVTEQ Map Update

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

The holiday season is the busiest time of the year not only for us, but also for our cars, which we rely on for pretty much everything: shopping, family reunion, friends night out, sightseeing...just to name a few.  A good in-car navigation system with an up-to-date map would be really helpful for us to get around with ease, comfort, and efficiency, especially in an area we are not familiar with.

For me, the best gift to give is something that the recipient can use in her daily life and that may consistently remind her of me. I'm very excited to discover a truly unique gift that fits my criterion well: NAVTEQ map update. If you have an in-dash navigation system in your car, chances are that it is powered by NAVTEQ, the company whose technology and maps drive most of the in-car navigation systems in the U.S.

I would love to give this gift to my mom, who never feels comfortable driving on her own without her navigation system. A map update from NAVTEQ could help her tremendously by directing her to the fastest or shortest route, showing her the closest gas station, restaurant, or grocery shop, avoiding tollways and road constructions, and saving her from the trouble of getting lost on a highway with few pedestrians. I'm sure my mom would appreciate such a thoughtful gift that keeps on giving all year long.

I also wish to get a gift like this for myself. We love to visit new places and take road trips quite frequently on weekends and during holidays. I still remember having trouble finding a restaurant highly recommended by online reviews because our in-car navigation system was using an outdated map. A map update would have saved us both time and gas while traveling away from home.

If you or someone you love uses an in-dash navigation system, you should definitely consider getting a map update from NAVTEQ and enjoy the convenience and confidence of knowing your way around wherever you go!

A New Way to GiveBack During the Holidays!

Are you in the mood of giving this holiday season? Let me introduce to you a brand new way to contribute to charity--GiveBack.org. Created by Oprah's Big Give Winner Stephen Paletta, GiveBack is a site where you can start your own personal giving foundation to help your favorite charities.

The site is completed free to use and easy to sign up, with the option to register through Facebook. Your account will be automatically funded with $5 from Serena Williams upon registration. You can use the free credit to support any charity registered with the IRS. You can donate money to your own foundation with your credit card and get an immediate tax deduction.

You can also fund your GiveBack account by shopping at any of GiveBack's merchant partners through your GiveBack link and earn a percentage of your purchase (up to 15%) as charitable dollars. There are hundreds of participating retailers in the GiveBack Shopping Mall, including Target, Walmart, Staples, Discovery Store, and many more! You may watch the video above to get a better idea of how this site works.

Another great thing about GiveBack is that 100% of GiveBack donations go to the charities of your choice. The cost of running the site is covered by sponsors. Each week you also have the chance to win $1,000 for your charity by submitting a story on how you’re giving back!

Isn't it cool to have your very own foundation for a cause you care most about? It's the perfect time to GiveBack and spread holiday cheer to families in need.

Disclosure: I am a member of One2One Network

and this post is part of a member project where I am eligible to win prizes. Thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Holiday Gift Idea: TiVo Premiere

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

One of the most exciting things to do during the holidays is to unwrap the gift boxes under the Christmas tree. Now TiVo, known as the most advanced DVR ever built, has introduced TiVo Premiere, the coolest holiday gift you can find that has your cable box, movie box, web box and music box all in one single box.  With TiVo’s special holiday pricing offer, TiVo Premiere is available for only $99, when you sign up for a 1-year service plan of just $19.99 a month. Please visit Best Buy to learn more about this incredible offer.
The TiVo Premiere box goes beyond a DVR. With one remote and a stunning HD interface, it provides easy access to all of your entertainment — TV shows, movies, web videos and music, eliminates the need to switch inputs and remotes and avoids cluttering your house with multiple boxes.
Tivo Premiere connects to your existing cable subscription and your Internet service to let you find and record all your favorite programs. Plus, you can get convenient online features, like instant streaming from Netflix, downloads from Amazon Video On Demand, YouTube videos, music from Pandora and much more!
Tivo Premiere saves you money too. It allows you to return the old cable box to your cable company and remove those hidden DVR fees and sneaky HD surcharges from your monthly cable bill.
Wondering if there's enough time for your new Tivo Premiere box to arrive before Christmas? No worries. You have until December 22 to place your order for delivery by Christmas Eve. You'd better take action now to enjoy your exclusive HD DVR experience sooner!

America's Most Amazingly Energized Woman Contest

Do you know a woman who manages to stay healthy and energized and enjoy life to the max, even during the busiest time of the year? The makers of Centrum® multivitamins and Molly Shannon are in search of “America’s Most Amazingly Energized Woman” and you could help by nominating yourself or a woman you know for Centrum's "America's Most Amazingly Energized Woman" Contest.

To enter, simply Go to LoveFeelingHealthy.com and nominate someone by sharing her secrets to enjoying life and love to the fullest during the holiday season while staying healthy in 300 words on less. The deadline for submission is January 3, 2011.

Five finalists will be selected by a panel of judges and the public will vote for the “America’s Most Amazingly Energized Woman” between January 17-31,2011. One Grand Prize winner will receive a $3,000 XPERIENCE DAYS Gift Certificate while four runners up will each get a $400 XPERIENCE DAYS Gift Certificate (XPERIENCE DAYS offers thousands of unique gift experiences nationwide).

While on LoveFeelingHealthy.com, you can read tips from Molly Shannon and download a $3.00 coupon for Centrum® Women’s or Centrum® Men’s to help you achieve better health during the holiday season.

Disclosure: I am a member of One2One Network and this post is part of a member project where I am eligible to win prizing. I make no claims about Centrum as a product or it's effectiveness.

Celebrate the Holidays in Style with Pier 1

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Pier 1 Imports. All opinions are 100% mine.

The holidays are right around the corner. Is your home fully decorated with festive goodies? Are you done with gift shopping? Don't stress out if you have to answer "no" to either question. There is still time to shop and Pier 1 1 is here to help you celebrate the holidays in style!
One of the "must haves" for holiday decor is a nice wreath to hang on the door and tell everyone else that you are in holiday mode. To my delight, Pier 1 offers quite a few unique and beautiful wreaths at reasonable prices.

For instance, this colorful Sunflower Wreath is on sale for only $9.98 (original $39.95)
It is our tradition to celebrate Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve with an elaborate family dinner party. My #1 "must have" as a hostess would be a decent  dinnerware set to impress the guests. Pier 1 again surprises me with its large selection of stylish dinnerware at competitive prices.

I'm in love with the Robin Dinnerware, which is on sale for as low as $2.98 apiece.

Pier 1 carries a wide variety of highly affordable holiday gifts. Here are a couple of my favorites.

These adorable Beaded Photo Holders cost only $6 each.

These one-of-a-kind Glass Animal Figurines could be yours for $6-$7 each.

While shopping for your family and friends at Pier 1, you could lighten up some precious kid's day by donating a small gift. To make things easier for you, during the months of November and December, Pier 1 offers you the opportunity to support Toys for Tots by dropping off an unwrapped toy and/or making a cash donation at the register. In addition, you can help with charity by simply liking Pier 1 Imports on Facebook. For every new fan they get, they will donate $1 to Toys for Tots.

Happy holidays and hope you will find something you heart for while discovering what Pier 1 has to offer both online and in store!