Winner Wonderland Giveaway Hop

 Winner Wonderland Giveaway Hop

November 27 - December 4

Welcome to the Winner Wonderland Giveaway Event. This event is hosted by Put A Little Umbrella In Your Drink, Seeds of Life, And The Little Ones Too and Taking Time For Mommy. This event features giveaways with a value of $25 or more at each of the participating blogs! Check out all of the great Winner Wonderland Sponsors being featured in this event! Be sure to visit each blog from the linky below and enter for your chance to win! This event will close on December 4th at 11:59 pm EST.

These awesome Planet Weidknecht sponsors

will help you fix up your house and fix up your computer!

One lucky winner wins both prizes!
What great gifts for DAD too!

Click here to enter!

Sponsor Spotlight - System Mechanic

System Mechanic is the number #1 Bestselling PC tune-up software. It can fix and speed up your PC automatically so that it will run like new again. It cleans up the clutter that slows down your system and fixes registry errors, crashes and freezes. Would you like to boost your start time and web speed up to 300 percent? System Mechanic is the winner of over 100 Editor's Choice Awards!

Honestly I figured I didn't really need it, but it's kind of hard to review a product if you don't actually try it. So I loaded the disc and installed the program. Immediately I got a note there were updates I could download. I was rather impressed by that because that means that even though they are considered the best, they are still working on improvements.

After the updates installed, I ran the deep scan on my laptop. It took a good 20 minutes to go through all my files, which was a bit longer than the program estimated, but my husband said that's normal with a first scan. He is my resident computer geek and he says this program is definitely a good one. He's used it in several capacities in the past.

System Mechanic completed the scan and showed me that I apparently DO need it. The analyzer rated my file organization as FAIR and my security as GOOD (thank you to my husband for that). As I stared at a list of seven items that needed to be repaired, I was glad System Mechanic would take care of all this for me. At the push of a button, I was able to fix them all and I now have green lights on my desktop analyzer widget. Now that it's installed on my computer, I will have ongoing monitoring of my system and can optimize my system whenever I want. Hooray!

Thanks to System Mechanic, I get to give away a copy to one of my readers! You can win a copy (either a disc or a download, winner's choice) of System Mechanic in the Winner Wonderland giveaway hop, from November 26 through December 4th.

Sign Ups OPEN: Lets GIVE-AWAY a MEGA Blog Ad Campaign

What is The MEGA Blog Ad Campaign Giveaway?

The MEGA Ad Campaign Giveaway is a FREE event in which, in lieu of CASH or PRIZES, we are offering publicity! Each participating blog agrees to the following: 1 Promotional POST for the winner, Weekly Facebook shouts and Tweets for one month for the winner, and sidebar button space for one month for the winner. Participants MAY enter! This MEGA campaign is hosted by Cindy of Cute-Ecakes, Mariah from Formula Mom, Lisa from Planet Weidknecht, and Christine from Why We Love Green.

Win a Kindle Touch from Clean Teen Reads and Planet Weidknecht (11/26-12/12)

Would you like to win a Kindle Touch to give as a Christmas gift—or to keep for yourself? Cleanteenreads.com, a website that provides detailed reviews of books for teens and tweens, has connected with nine great blogs to promote its updated site and give away a Kindle Touch!

Prizes: Win a $99 Kindle Touch or one of five subscriptions to Clean Teen Reads.

Please enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Comments on this blog post will not count as entries. You only need to enter on one of the sites, as the form is the same on all sites. See the Official Rules at the end of the Rafflecopter form.

Read MY REVIEW of Clean Teen Reads

I'm the Weekends with Lucy and Sam Spotlight

Let's link up...Everyone is welcome, there are only two rules rules. 
1) Follow your hostesses Have Sippy Will Travel and Closer to Lucy and our guest spotlight Planet Weidknecht
 2) Family friendly blog links only.
If you would like to our spotlight co-host mail Lucy at [email protected] please include Weekends with Lucy and Sam in the subject line
If you're new...leave a comment in this post after linking up so we can return the follow. If you aren't new and know one of us isn't following leave a comment for that too (we wanna follow you back), and if your not new and just wanna link up...MUAH!

Great Deal Surprise

One of my college friends just scored a really cheap condo in Houston. In this economy, there are so many foreclosures and she said it’s in a good area. She told me she was a bit nervous about it though, because she bought it at an auction, without ever seeing the property. Since I’ve owned two homes, I am not so sure I’d buy sight unseen, because I really appreciated having the home inspection done as part of the purchase. She was able to pay cash for it, since she cashed out some investments and she’s hoping to flip it, you know, fix it up while she lives there and then re-sell it.

So she got the keys to the condo and she called me on her way over there to see it. Her first words to me as she unlocked the door and stepped inside the condo were, “Uh oh” followed by “Wow” and then “This is going to take a while.” Apparently the people who moved out of the condo never really moved out. Well, they left, but they left the condo full of junk. She told me to get online and find someone to help her clean it up. So while she’s practically crying over the phone, I’m searching for Houston Junk removal on the internet. Luckily I found the perfect company to help her out! They’ve been in business since 1989 and do furniture and appliance removal, as well as mattress removal and a whole lot more. They service lots of cities in addition to doing Houston Junk removal and they give you upfront pricing too. She was so happy with the service she received from the guys at 1-800-Got-Junk and said she was already looking at another possible purchase. I have a feeling she’s going to need more Houston Junk removal soon!

Heelys Special through Cyber Monday

expired

12 Days of Gifts Galore giveaway hop

 It's time for the 12 Days of Gifts Galore!

hosted by Tales From the Nursery, Formula Mom, 

and Mama on a Green Mission

This is a giveaway hop,

which means you can enter to win prizes

on ALL the blogs participating!

Planet Weidknecht is offering

12 Prizes from 12 Sponsors in Two Prize Packs

Choose which prize pack you want to win!

Click on the prize name to see pictures and read the reviews.

Children's Dream Prize - Happy Hybrid from North Star Toys, Winner's Choice of any Rock N Learn DVD or CD, $25 Gift Code to Melissa and Doug Toys, Tangoes Jr. from Mindware Toys, Ruff's House Teaching Tactile Set from Learning Resources, and a copy of the I Like Book.

Mom's Dream Prize - Aurora Candle Warmer and Lamp plus Christmas Day Scent Candle from Candle Warmers Etc., Choice of Charm Factory Bracelet, Winter Warmer Gift Collection from Dancing Deer Baking Company, Lenox Holiday Charm, All Four Flavors of Extravagonzo Gourmet Olive Oils, and a Cut Crystal Glass Lotus Candleholder from Wind and Weather.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER!!!!!

Winner Announcement for $50 DaySpring Code

And the lucky winner who will get to shop at DaySpring.com is....

Jennifer Short!

A huge thanks to all who enter my giveaways!

I appreciate you all!

Enter more Planet Weidknecht giveaways HERE.

Nutrisystem Update End of Week Two #NSNation

Nutrisystem is definitely changing the way I am thinking about food. My week overall was sadly a gain of one pound, but that includes having Thanksgiving dinner with my family. I had a few bites of everything we made, but didn't overeat anything. I also had a few alcohol drinks, which are empty calories. All the other days I followed my Nutrisystem plan, drank lots of water, and moved as much as I could. Last night Johnny read a quote to me of a doctor to a patient..."Which do you prefer? An hour a day of exercise or 24 hours a day of being dead?" Funny, but true. Even after Thanksgiving dinner, I took a half hour walk with my dog. On Saturday, a personal trainer is coming to the house to give me an assessment and suggestions for improvements.

My Nutrisystem goals for Week 3:

Walk more.

Ride bike more.

Drink more (water, that is)

I also have to say the Nutrisystem food is just awesome. I still have not found anything I don't like. I did find some favorites...Chicken Pasta Parmesan, Fudge Swirl Sundae, and the Steak and Cheese Melt. The online community tools are helping to keep me focused on my goals and the handy meal planner booklet keeps me on track.

FTC Disclosure: In exchange for blogging my progress, I am receiving Nutrisystem products and services at no charge.

Want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling 1-888-853-4689 or by visiting http://www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog.

Blogger Signups Open for Have a Heart Valentine's Hop

I love Valentine's Day, so to get in the spirit we would like to bring you the Have a Heart Hop! This hop is hosted by Cindy of Cute-Ecakes, Mariah from Formula Mom, Lisa from Planet Weidknecht, and Christine from Why We Love Green, and we would love to stick to the theme- of love!

The Have a Heart Valentine's Hop, from January 27 @ 12:01 a.m. EST to February 4 midnight (February 5 @ 12:01 a.m. EST). Each blogger is responsible for getting a sponsor package (or self-sponsor) of at least $25.00, setting up and running their own giveaway on their own blog for the time above.

Bloggers can host a Giveaway for something....red, pink, gifty, sweet, or in some fun twisty way, LOVE appropriate! 

Enter Money Mania $295 Cash Prize

Planet Weidknecht has teamed up with dozens of other

bloggers to bring you Money Mania Holiday Edition,

where you can win a $295 cash prize.

Enter HERE from Nov 25 to Dec 10.

Good luck!

Sponsor Spotlight - Rock N Learn DVDs and CDs

Rock N Learn DVDs are one of my favorite weapons of mass instruction in my home daycare. I love them because they are the most captivating learning DVDs I've ever seen. The kids love them because they are fun, full of music and entertaining characters, and teach the kids tons of easy-to-remember songs. Rock N Learn just came out with their new and improved version of Letter Sounds DVD and I'm so excited to be one of the first to see it.

The kids absolutely adore this one! My group is ages 2-5 years old and this DVD is perfect to help them learn the letter sounds. With awesome graphics and rocking music, plus fun games, little seeds of reading skills are planted. This award-winning educational DVD has been used all over the world in classrooms and homes to help children learn to read.

Lenox Holiday Gift Charms

I am so excited that it's time to decorate for Christmas. I just adore this time of year! Tomorrow I will get out all my Christmas decor and put away all the orange and brown and gold. It's time for red and green, silver and gold, sparkles and shimmers! One brand name I turn to again and again is Lenox. In business since 1889, they have been America's leading tabletop and giftware brand. Their passion for design is evident in their beautiful Holiday Gift Charms.

This gorgeous Snowflake Charm by Lenox is just breathtaking! I love the intricate detail on this charm and it's made of a solid silver-plated metal. It measures a whole 2 1/2" in diameter and even includes the charming red ribbon. Can't you just see these glittering all over a Christmas tree? Or tied to the top of a Christmas gift?

It arrived here well-packaged in lots of bubble wrap, enclosed in a protective plastic envelope. It's a beautiful gift for friends and family, that will remind them of you year after year when they take out their Christmas decorations. It would make a darling stocking stuffer or Secret Santa gift too. I love my new snowflake charm and can think of lots of people who would like to have it! Order yours now!

Lenox.com has graciously offered a Holiday Gift Charm to one of my readers! You can enter to win one in the 12 Days of Gifts Galore, starting November 25, 2011. Get a headstart on your entries by following Lenox on Facebook and Twitter. Be sure to visit their website too and enter their sweepstakes. Merry Christmas!
FTC Disclosure: In exchange for my honest review, I received this charm at no charge.

North Star Toys - Review

Thanksgiving dinner is over, the kitchen is cleaned up, the second of three dishwasher loads is running, and I got to wave at Santa Claus in the parade. Now it's time to get ready for Christmas! It's my favorite time of year and I have so many wonderful memories. One of my favorite all time gifts was a dollhouse from my mom and dad. I wish I still had it, but few toys survive year after year.

I love North Star Toys because they make high quality, wooden toys that will last a lifetime. Their timeless, classic toys are simply beautiful. These open-ended toys are perfect for stimulating young minds and encouraging creative play. I received the Little Rollie Horse, the Little Rollie Helicopter and the Rainbow People Mover.

I am so impressed by the quality craftsmanship! The Little Rollie Horse is 3"x3" which is just perfect for a child's hand. The wood is beautiful, the cuts are precise and smooth, and the natural look of the toy is just charming. The wheels on the horse are made from wood dowels and wood discs, secured with glue, but free spinning and ready for years of play. It's detailed and lovingly made with tiny little dots drilled out for eyes and even a smooth cut in the wood for a tail. North Star Toys makes a whole set of Rollie Animals or you can purchase them individually.

The Little Rollie Helicopter is just as beautiful and charming. It's a tiny bit smaller than the horse, but packs just as much fun. The helicopter has the same wonderful wheel construction, plus it has a propeller on top that can be rotated. These toys are pocket sized joy and perfect travel companions. There is a whole fleet eight different Rollie Vehicles to entertain your children!

Ever stood in the checkout line for a half an hour, waiting for your turn while your child screams and reaches for everything in sight? These toys are the solution! Toss one in your purse, one in the car, one in the diaper bag, one in their backpack, and one in your coat pocket. Always keep one nearby so if your child ends up waiting, you can keep them quiet and busy. The natural look and feel of these classic toys make them an excellent choice for children with autism and special needs too.

The Rainbow People Mover has to be one of their best-loved toys. A full eight inches long and made from a single solid block of hardwood, with free rolling wheels, ten removable people decorated with non-toxic colorful paints. As a preschool teacher, I see opportunities here for matching, counting, and sorting. This is a wonderful cooperative toy too - more than one child can play and interact with this because ten people are too many for one pair of little hands to hold all at once. I can already envision the many future preschool-led conversations between these passengers about who sits where.

North Star Toys make perfect gifts and you can be sure children will reach for these simple timeless toys over and over. I LOVE all their toys and I'm excited to announce that North Star Toys is sponsoring Planet Weidknecht for the 12 Days of Gifts Galore giveaway hop! It starts tomorrow so get a jump on your entries by liking North Star Toys on Facebook. Visit their website and order Christmas gifts your children can pass down to their children. If you collect nativity sets, be sure to check out their Wooden Nativity Set! They also have a darling wooden train that would look awesome under the Christmas tree.

You can enter to win the Happy Hybrid toy in the 12 Days of Gifts Galore giveaway hop!
FTC Disclosure: I received these products at no charge in exchange for my honest review. 

Blessings in my Life

I received this in an email from my mother-in-law this morning and it really blessed me, so I wanted to pass it on to all you, hoping it will bless you too. Love you Mom!

As you go through your day
Look for tiny treasures
Strategically placed along the way.


Jesus goes before you and
Plants these little treasures
To brighten your day.


Look carefully for them and
Pluck them one by one.


When you reach the end of your day,
You will have gathered a lovely bouquet
Of great treasures.


Then offer it up to Jesus with a
Grateful heart.

Giving Thanks on Thanksgiving

Dear God,

Thank you for my life.

Thank you for the people you've put into my life.

Thank you for sending your son to give me eternal life.

In Jesus' name, Amen

Wedne$day Wealth - Giveaway Linky

What are you giving away?

Link it up!

While you're here, enter to win a few prizes for yourself!

Trust Norton for Small Business Security

This post brought to you by Norton Small Business by Symantec. All opinions are 100% mine.

There is no name I trust more with my computer security than Norton. I personally have owned Norton 360 for my home computers for years. My daycare is a small business, employing just one person, but when my computer crashed it was nearly devastating. Because of the nature of my business with a regular monthly tuition income, I was fortunately able to recreate my income records for that year. I cannot image what I would do if I lost records for a business much more complicated than mine! What would you do if you lost all your data?
Every small business needs to be aware of the dangers that lurk in cyberspace. An entire year of bookkeeping could be wiped out in a single second if the computer user accidentally downloads malware. Did you know that 59 percent of small business owners admitting to doing that in the past three years? Of those, 51 percent had to pay someone else to take care of the problem for them! Luckily my husband knows computers, but even he was unable to bring back the data that was lost. Norton Small Business by Symantec is designed for small businesses, even with up to 10 users on a network! Norton is ranked number one in internet security so you know your computers are protected from online threats.
Norton 360 and Norton Internet Security 2012 both launched just this past September, with all the updated features you'll need. Which Norton product would work best for you? Leave a comment below telling me which one would benefit you most and why! 2012 Norton Small Business products now available for 30% off so give yourself the gift of peace of mind this Christmas. With automatic backup and 24/7 internet security that won't slow your computer speed, your home office or small business data stays safe, so you can focus on what matters most to you.

Bucks 4 Black Friday Winner

Here is the winner for Bucks 4 Black Friday!

Way to go Fe!

Enjoy your shopping!

Working on my Bucket List

I've been working on my Bucket List lately. I'm finding that it's really therapeutic to dream about things I want to do and see before my life is over. I think it would be amazing to travel to every state in the US. I'd love to take a trip to all fifty states, take photos all along the way, and blog the entire journey. I'd love to stand among the towering trees in the Redwood Forest in California. I'd love to see an erupting volcano on the Big Island in Hawaii. I want to see Mount Rushmore, Ellis Island and Niagara Falls. I want to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in person, after having watched it on television for over 40 years. I'd love to helicopter over the Grand Canyon, and have a picnic on a lookout point. I want to learn to ride a surfboard and swim with dolphins. I want to hike up a mountain and learn to ski.

Travel accommodations would vary as I traveled, from a tiny bed and breakfast in Arkansas to a cozy log cabin in Montana to deluxe disney hotels in Florida. Oh, that reminds me, I want to see Disney World too! I've never been there, although I did go to DisneyLand in California. I've seen television commercials for deluxe disney hotels right next to Animal Kingdom and Epcot Center. I once used an online map to find satellite photos of the area and the resorts are just gorgeous! My sister has taken her family to Disney World a couple times and I know they stayed in the deluxe disney hotels but I'm not sure which ones. She travels a lot with her family. Our family vacations have mostly been trips to see family.

I've won a couple of vacation package trips in sweepstakes, but they weren't for the whole family. Johnny and I have traveled together to a couple places, but there is just so much to see in the US. I think it's awesome that we can just drive right across state lines and visit a whole new place. You can't do that while going around the world. You have to mess with passports, visas, foreign languages and money exchanges. Right here in the USA, there is enough to see and do to fill an entire bucket list!

FREE Office Demo - Tassimo Professional

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Tassimo. All opinions are 100% mine.
Every morning my husband fills a coffee cup and thermos of our coffee from home to take to work. Then at lunchtime, he comes home and refills both to take back for the afternoon. He says the coffee at work tastes like mud and he just can't drink it. I told him he needs Tassimo Professional in his office! With this single-cup specialty hot beverage system everyone in the office can make their own drink combination. Since taste is everything, Tassimo Pro can create high quality, delicious coffee-house style beverages right in the office.
Get a FREE DEMO in your office! Sign up now for a Tassimo Professional free demo and learn how to make specialty beverages in less than two minutes with one-touch activation. Tassimo Pro has real-time LCD instructions for easy prep, cleaning and maintenance. Imagine yourself taking a Cappuccino or a latte (made with real GEVALIA espresso and real milk creamer) to that boring meeting. Listen to your coworkers ramble on about monthly sales quotas while you sit and sip on Euro-style GEVALIA espressos and coffees, rich and creamy SUCHARD hot chocolate or delicately-steeped TWININGS tea.

The Tassimo Pro even has unique double-bar brew codes to deliver precise brewing and consistent quality. Plus, the double bar codes help to prevent employee theft because they aren't compatible with home machines. I know my husband would love to have one of these at work! Maybe he could even get to work on time if he didn't have to stand around here waiting for a whole pot to brew. I'd probably be drinking hot chocolate all the time if I had a Tassimo Pro. Hurry and get your FREE office demo now by signing up at www.baristainside.com/workplace.

Crystal Lotus Candleholder

This is definitely one of my all-time favorite candleholders. Made of cut crystal, it glitters and reflects the candlelight in a beautiful and mysterious way. The lotus flower shape is universally pleasing and the clear crystal tends to take on the colors of whatever is nearby. I love crystal because it looks so elegant and delicate, but feels solid and heavy in your hand. Mine arrived packaged very well in this box filled with foam, taped up, wrapped with more paper, and placed in another shipping box.

This tealight candleholder is no tiny decoration. A full six inches across and three inches tall, it immediately draws attention and looks especially glittery in dimmed lighting. Each crystal used to form the lotus flower is multi-faceted to magnify the light.

One of the best things about crystal is that it is appropriate for every season and with a few simple changes, such as a different color candle, a ribbon, a placemat, a mirrored plate, it's a whole new look. A green tealight and bow turn it into an Easter decoration or a Christmas decoration. It is a perfect gift item!

With a peach colored candle, it becomes a harvest decoration. A tiny plastic spider added to the edge of one of the crystals would make a cute Halloween candle. This amazing candleholder is handcrafted in Turkey.

A white candle and a white doily tablecover, plus a Christmas book, makes the perfect focal point on a coffee table. Simple and beautiful Christmas decor. I'm so pleased with it and I'll definitely be finding uses for it year round. I love stretching my dollars by using home decor that spans several seasons!

You can purchase the Cut Crystal Glass Lotus Candleholder from Wind and Weather and you can also enter to win one in the 12 Days of Gifts Galore giveaway hop coming up very soon. Be sure follow Wind and Weather on Facebook and Twitter to get a jump on your entries!

Planet Weidknecht on Google+

Please add Planet Weidknecht to your circles

on Google+

http://www.gplus.to/PlanetWeidknecht

Giving Thanks - Day 23

Today I am thankful that my pastor at church is going to let me plan and organize our first annual neighborhood Christmas caroling event! So if you attend Pflugerville Community Church, be on the lookout for the announcement in the bulletin!

Black Friday Cash Winner

And the winner of $200 Paypal Cash for Black Friday is.....

The LG DoublePlay tops my Wish List

This post brought to you by LG DoublePlay™. All opinions are 100% mine.
I am drooling all over my laptop reading about the LG DoublePlay™. I now know what I want for Christmas! This phone has a full keyboard plus TWO screens. The screens can work independently or in tandem. I could update my blog while checking my Facebook. I could read my email while I watch videos. I could text my college daughter who lives three hours away while checking my son's grades on the school website. Do you text your kids alot? I probably would since they all already have phones; I'm sure they'd love to hear from me more!
The LG DoublePlay™ also has a camera and video camera so I could capture all the insane parts of my life as things happen, then upload it immediately to my Facebook blog page. I would love having the split QWERTY keyboard, and Swype, and dual touch screens - I could do so much more all at once! It features Android™ 2.3 (Gingerbread) with access to Android Market™ and offers complete user customization. Between blogging about reviews and giveaways, entering sweepstakes, and teaching eight precocious preschoolers, plus taking care of a husband and two teenage boys, this awesome toy (um, tool) could help me organize all the chaos in my life. You should check it out too!
I dream of having my blog on the go with me all the time and with the LG DoublePlay™, I could take all my social networks (and all my fabulous online friends) with me everywhere! Do you spend a lot of time on your social networks too? How many hours a month? I could do mobile couponing at the grocery store and blog about while I'm standing in line to check out. I could even send a photo to my daughter of the handsome young men bagging my groceries. I can think of so many ways the LG DoublePlay could change the way I can communicate. Can you think of more ways it would revolutionize the way you manage your social networking? This phone also has Cloud Text and Group Text too. I am amazed at all the things it does. There is just one thing on my wish list this year! This phone is available exclusively at t-Mobile. Santa? Santa! Are you paying attention?

Win 500 Full Color Business Cards

ColorFX is the premier online printing company. Your business card is your company's first impression on a potential new customer or client, so ColorFX produces the highest quality business cards. Full color printing is eye-catching and memorable. Isn't that what you want for your business?

The other day we were in the store casually chatting with the guys in front of us in the checkout line. I commented on the large amount of cream cheese they were buying and they told me they make and sell cheesecakes. I told them I'd love to review it on my blog for them. Neither one of us had a business card, but luckily my husband's memory is better than mine and he remembered their website address for me. Imagine how professional it would have looked for me to pull out a full color business card!

ColorFX also specializes in high quality catalog printing at incredibly low prices. Catalog printing quality speaks volumes about your business! Imagine a cheap black and white catalog flyer arriving in your mailbox advertising cheesecake. Wouldn't you rather buy a cheesecake from a beautiful full color catalog where the photos actually make your mouth water because they look so delicious?

ColorFX and Planet Weidknecht have teamed up to help your business succeed! One lucky reader will get 500 customized full color business cards. Hurry and enter! The deadline is December 15, 2011. Winner will be selected and notified by ColorFX.

To enter just complete the form below:
FTC Disclosure: I will receive business cards at no charge in exchange for this post.

Digital Scrapbooking Tutorial

Nervous to try digital scrapbooking? I was too, but I'm so glad I jumped in. My Memories even provides tutorials - check out the video below for yourself how easy it is.

*Using PHOTO ONLY Template Albums & Pages* from Lisa Jurrens on Vimeo.

If you decide you would like to purchase My Memories Suite, you'll be getting the NEWLY RELEASED Version 3. And here is a $10 discount code you can also use to get your new digital scrapbook program at a discount: STMMMS93122

Follow Frenzy November Winner

Angela M. is the November winner of

Follow Frenzy!

Thank you to everyone who entered!

Happy Holidays from King Arthur Flour

You could win a $1,000 shopping spree through the King Arthur Flour Facebook page. Simply “like” their page (www.facebook.com/kingarthurflour), click on the sweepstakes tab, and fill out the registration information. Entry deadline is Nov. 30. Winner will be announced Dec. 15, as well as five runners-up winners who will receive $100 gift cards.


Check out the Holiday Products from King Arthur Flour

Exclusive Traditional Gingerbread Cookie & Cake Mix $6.50
One mix with endless possibilities. Fill your kitchen with nostalgic aromas and create whatever you crave - rolled cookies or a moist cake.

New Gingerbread Family Cookie Cutter Set $24.95
Ma, Pa, and baby area all there with this exclusive set of three sturdy copper cutters.

Gingerbread House Kit $16.95
Easy fun for the whole family!

New Sugar Wreath Decorations $7.95
Bright, cheery, delicate ½” royal icing wreaths, complete with a  red bow, put the favorite finishing touch of the season on cookies, cupcakes, gingerbread houses, and any baked goods. Set of 14.

New Snow Globe Cookie Cutter $7.95
Imagine your sweetest winter scenes and re-create them in cookieland.

New Cookie & Cupcake Decorating Set $24.95
Set includes: four bottles - two straight-sided and two wide-mouthed easy to fill, easy to squeeze accordions; six tips; lids and couplers to use any tip with any bottle; offset icing spatula; instructions, and recipes.

Peppermint Crunch $5.95
Add a sprinkle of holiday cheer to your chocolate peppermint cookie recipe and all your baking.

Complete Fruitcake Mix $19.95
Perfect for celebrating Fruitcake Fridays!

New Red Polka Dot Baker $26.95
Make your specialty extra special when you bake it, bring it, and serve it in this cheerful stoneware dish with convenient built-in handles. 1 ¼ qt. baker holds one 9” x 9” cake.

Snowflake Shortbread Pan $34.95
Durable, even-cooking cast aluminum lets you create delicately designed snowflake cookies.

Giving Thanks - Day 21 and 22

For Day 21, I was thankful that I can remember most things, even if I forgot to post my giving thanks posting. 


For today, I'm giving thanks for my wonderful housekeepers that are here today. They come once every two weeks and do all the deep cleaning that I just don't have time to do with daycare, plus blogging, plus family, etc. I use The Cleaning Authority out of Round Rock and highly recommend them! A clean house always makes me thankful, especially when I don't have to do it!

Christmas Letdown Giveway Hop Button

I'm so excited to debut the button for the Christmas Letdown Giveaway Hop! A huge thank you goes to Janet Krugel, blogger of Going Crazy!! Wanna Go??!!, for such a great design! Be sure to visit her blog and follow her. If you're a blogger and haven't signed up to participate in our hop you can sign up HERE.

Turkey Trot Winner of My Memories Software

Thank you to all who participated!

And congratulations to Trista Z!

Enter more of my great giveaways HERE.

Sponsor Spotlight - Learning Resources Ruff's House

As a preschool teacher, I know that Learning Resources is quickly becoming my go-to place for new, high quality educational supplies, also known as - toys that are so fun that the kids don't realize they are learning! I recently added Ruff's House Teaching Tactile Set to our classroom and there are few things more well-received by children than an adorable little puppy dog that fits in the palm of their little hands.

Even better, there are twenty bones included in this sturdy dog house o' joy! There are ten pairs of matching doggie bones that range from flexible bumpy rubber to squishy stuffed lamb fur fabric. Did you know that learning to sort items by characteristics is a skill your child will need to succeed in math and science? This toy helps meet that need through touch and sight!

Imagine you are four years old. Ruff's House is full of secrets from the minute you open the box. The ten rubber bones are perched on the doghouse roof. Remove the plastic from the ten bones and you discover that the bumps are different on each pair of matched colors. Remove the plastic wrap from the doghouse and you find a doggie door made of black flexible rubber. You must reach inside - it simply calls to you. Your hand touches softness and you pull out Ruff, the puppy you always wanted (that doesn't tear up shoes), plus ten more bones!

As the teacher, I'm looking at this toy thinking of all the different educational games I can play with the kids - sorting and counting and matching. Sorting by colors, counting by ones and two, and matching by texture. The kids on the other hand, want to know - is Ruff a girl or a boy? What do the bones smell like? Do the rubber ones bounce? The best comment was - How come you only got one doghouse?

All the bones finally found their way inside Ruff's House. Then the squeals of delight began - Miss Lisa, I matched two! Miss Lisa, I can do it! Miss Lisa, I did it! Miss Lisa, I matched all of them! The older children had so much fun using their fingers as eyes to pick out bones that match. They decided it was against the rules to peek inside so the game kept them busy for a good hour. The three of them took turns trying to get a match. I truly love this learning toy!

The younger children used their eyes to match the pairs, their hands to line up the pairs in two straight rows, and then even used their social skills to work together to make a bone fence around Ruff's House so Ruff would not escape. I have one child with special needs that thoroughly enjoyed just putting his hand inside to find bones. Another one of my kids loves soft sensory items and sat quietly in a chair at the table, rubbing the corduroy bone on his cheek. Yes, this is a toy that I know every preschooler will love playing with while they gain great benefits.Need a gift for a young child? This is it. My boys and my girls reach for this toy again and again.

Buy this and many other amazing toys at Learning Resources. Come back here this Friday so you can enter to win a brand new Ruff's House, sponsored by Learning Resources, in the 12 Days of Gifts Galore giveaway hop! Get a headstart on your entries by following them on Facebook and Twitter!
FTC Disclosure: I was provided this toy at no charge in exchange for my honest review.