Welcome Wonderful Weekend Hop

Thanks for coming over!

Let's have a Weekend Blog Hop!

This week I've sorted media accounts into categories

and expanded the categories.

Have fun and meet some new bloggers!

While you're here you can enter my

8000 Facebook Fan Fiesta down comforter giveaway!

Blog URL Follow *** (Remove the s from https:// or your link won't work.)

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Facebook Page Follow *** (Remove the s from https:// or your link won't work.)

Twitter Account Follow *** (Remove the s from https:// or your link won't work.)

Stumble Upon Profile Follow *** (Remove the s from https:// or your link won't work.)

Pinterest Profile Follow *** (Remove the s from https:// or your link won't work.)

Winner of $50 Friday 1/20

Group A Winner - Gianna

Group B Winner - Lindsie M.

Planet Weidknecht was in Group B's giveaway this week.

Watch for next Friday's event!

PetCakes Winner Announcement

The winner was very excited to find out 

she won the PetCakes Giveaway!

Thanks to everyone who entered

and check out my newest giveaways HERE!

Sweep of the Day

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My 2012 in Pictures - Day 21

There is a teenager party in the house tonight

and Johnathan is making dinner for five of his friends.

I wonder who will end up cleaning up the mess?

Forget The Resolutions - Libre Tea Glasses Review

Forget The Resolutions Giveaway Hop

January 21 - 26, 2012

Hosted by Planet Weidknecht and
Going Crazy!!Wanna Go??

It's been three weeks since you've made all those resolutions. It's said that it takes 21 days to make a new habit, so you've probably already broken your New Year's Resolutions. I say - FORGET THE RESOLUTIONS! Let's have a giveaway hop instead!

The Forget The Resolutions Giveaway Hop runs from January 21 @ 12:01 a.m. EST to January 26 @ 11:59 p.m. EST. Each blogger is hosting their own giveaway of at least $20.00. After you enter my giveaway, be sure to visit the other blogs and enter theirs too!

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My giveaway is sponsored by Libre Tea Glasses, so you can relax and forget about your resolutions anywhere, anytime! 

These amazing Libre Tea Glasses are made of glass and poly with a built in filter so you can use loose leaf tea steeped right in the glass. You can also use tea bags if you prefer. It's an excellent choice for health-conscious, eco-friendly individuals. I received their fabulous Libre Glass'n Poly Mug (arv $32.50) and am intrigued by the design and the idea. The concept is like nothing I've ever seen before.

It comes in a beautiful box, which is perfect for gift giving! The Libre mug comes with a screw-on lid that sits upon a screw-on metal steeper. The design allows you to make your on-the-go tea two different ways (you can see a video here). I love that you can throw the water and tea leaves together and just head out the door.

The Libre Collection includes the 9oz Original Glass, the 14oz Large Glass, and the 10oz Mug. I absolutely love my new Libre Tea Mug and have even discovered chocolate tea! Who would've thought? Life is good!

One lucky winner will win their own Libre Tea Mug right here during the Forget The Resolutions Giveaway Hop! To enter to win, just fill in the Rafflecopter form below. You must be a Planet Weidknecht reader, at least 18 years old, and have a US address. This giveaway ends at 11:59p.m. on January 26, 2012. The first entry is the only mandatory one; all other entries are bonus entries so you can increase your chances to win. Good luck, my friends!

Disclosure: I received this product at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

My 2012 in Pictures - Day 20

Two of my daycare children have big sisters who are Girl Scouts.

It's a good thing I have teenagers or I'd have to eat all these!

Sweep of the Day

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8000 Facebook Fan Fiesta - Down Comforter Giveaway

I was so happy when I got to 80 readers.

I was very excited when I got to 800 readers.

Now that I've reached 8000 Facebook Fans,

I'm screaming with joy and jumping up and down!

I promised you an awesome giveaway

at 8000 fans, so let me first say THANK YOU

to all of you for reading and then let's start the

8000 Facebook Fan Fiesta!

The prize sponsor is a wonderful company

called MaggiesDirect.com
and the prize is a gorgeous
Queen-Size Down-Feather Tranquility Comforter!!!
Read my review HERE of this fabulous product.

What is MaggiesDirect.com? 

"Maggies provides you a wonderfully unique shopping experience. We combine an amazing selection (always changing) of high quality products at fantastic prices, with the fun and power of social network shopping (learn more about this here). If you like saving money on high quality items you’ll love Maggies. Our product mix is always growing. Right now you can find fantastic deals on the finest products for you and your home, some of which we manufacture ourselves. We make wonderfully cozy comforters, pillows, and featherbeds, in our own factory in Maine. Check out our bath category for amazing towels, our sleepwear section for super soft pjs, and our new gift and decor area. Next month we are even adding cookware!"

How can you enter to win?
Enter via the Rafflecopter form below. To be eligible, you must be a Planet Weidknecht Facebook fan, be at least 18 years old, and have a US address. The first entry is mandatory. Any additional entries are bonus entries to increase your chances to win. Contest ends 12:01 a.m. on 1/28/2012. Good luck!

My 2012 in Pictures - Day 19

Loose-leaf Tea on the Go?

Tomorrow I'll tell you what I think!

Win Fifty Bucks on Friday

Everyone loves cash, right? How would you like a chance to win $50 EVERY FRIDAY? Well, I am very excited that I have joined with an amazing group of bloggers to offer you a WEEKLY cash giveaway! Cool, yes? 

Well, there is only one catch, the giveaway begins THIS FRIDAY and is ONLY opened from 12:01 am  and will close at 12:01am on Saturday, so it is only OPENED ONE DAY!

$500 Target Gift Card Winners

Four very lucky winners!

Enter more giveaways HERE!

Blog Makeover Winner

So happy to announce the winner!! Way to go!!

Valentine's Day FREEBIE

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Preschool Ideas: Hungry Caterpillar

A simple, fun way to learn about caterpillars. First, read The Very Hungry Caterpillar together and talk about the book (what it ate, the days of the week, the counting of the foods, the change to a butterfly, etc.). Then with the caterpillar worksheet (from confessionsofahomeschooler blog), discuss: caterpillar starts with c, this caterpillar's body is the shape of a C, the dotted words on the page, the shapes that make up the caterpillar (circles). Encourage coloring freehand or similar to the book cover. Encourage tracing of letters on the page. For snack, still pretzel antennae on a banana caterpillar and eat!

Sweep of the Day

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My 2012 in Pictures - Day 18

Mail Call

Five Tips for Identity Theft Protection

If you know someone who has been a victim of identity theft, you probably know what a huge hassle it is to repair your credit. I have a friend who is still dealing with the fallout from it and it's been over three years since it happened. She had no idea to to prevent thieves from getting her information. Unfortunately many people are oblivious to the risk and don't protect themselves. You don't want to wait until it's too late!

Here are five tips for identity theft protection:

1. Don't throw away anything with your information on it. Use a shredder to shred the information or burn it in the fireplace. Make sure you securely file documents like pay stubs and completed tax forms. You don't want your social security number stolen.
2. Monitor your mail more closely. Most companies offer e-billing and e-payments. Your bank may also have online bill payments. By using a secure online connection, your bills (and account numbers) aren't laying around in your mailbox. Thieves love to go through mail.
3. Be careful with your passwords. Be creative, change them often, and use a combination of letters and numbers. You'd be surprised how many people have the password 12345!
4. Don't fall for phishing scams. If you "win a prize" that requires you to send money somewhere, it's no prize. Never give out your personal information to a stranger over the phone. Even if the high school glee club calls you to buy a coupon book, get a number to call them back. Make sure anything you buy online is on a secure SSL website.
5. Consider using a company like IdentityHawk that offers a comprehensive solution to protecting your identity. Their program benefits include social security number protection, $1 million identity theft insurance, identity health score, monitoring of your credit scores 24 hours and so much more. Identity theft protection is much smarter and easier than identity theft recovery! They'll help you identify the areas you may be at risk and show you how to be proactive to reduce risk. Start a free 30 day trial now! Safeguard your assets, your property, and your good name.

Mission Winner and New Mission Giveaway

The Mission Clean Air Giveaway winner has been selected!

Congratulations to Camiele!

When asked who she would like to give the 2nd prize to, Camiele said: "I chose to give the humidifier to my sister because she has little ones, and uses a humidifier for them. And my coworker has indoor allergies and does not currently have an air purifier, so I thought it would help him. I didn't need either one, because I already have a humidifier that I don't use, and only have seasonal allergies that I can manage with Benadryl! Camiele"

There's a new Mission Giveaway HERE called Mission Get Fit.
Don't miss it!

Tell Congress NOT to Censor the Web

If ████ ██████ SOPA ██████ ██████ passes ██ ████ ██ ████ ██ ████ the Internet ██ ████ ██████ ██ will look a lot like this.

Please take a second today and tell Congress NOT to censor the web - http://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/

Millions of Americans oppose SOPA and PIPA because these bills would censor the Internet and slow economic growth in the U.S.

Two bills before Congress, known as the Protect IP Act (PIPA) in the Senate and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House, would censor the Web and impose harmful regulations on American business. Millions of Internet users and entrepreneurs already oppose SOPA and PIPA.

The Senate will begin voting on January 24th. Please let them know how you feel. Sign this petition urging Congress to vote NO on PIPA and SOPA before it is too late.

http://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/

Winner of Weatherproof Dog Bed

Toast to 2012 is now over!

Thanks to all who participated!

The winner of the Weatherproof Dog Bed is....

Jennifer D!

(more giveaways listed here)

$50 Friday Coming

Everyone loves cash, right? How would you like a chance to win $50 EVERY FRIDAY? Well, I am very excited that I have joined with an amazing group of bloggers to offer you a WEEKLY cash giveaway! Cool, yes? 

Well, there is only one catch, the giveaway begins THIS FRIDAY and is ONLY opened from 12:01 am  and will close at 12:01am on Saturday, so it is only OPENED ONE DAY!

My 2012 in Pictures - Day 17

This is one of my preschoolers, my littlest actually.

He kept me laughing all day, running around yelling,

"Soopaman to dah weskew!"

Sweep of the Day

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Mega Blog Ad Campaign Giveaway

Are you looking to increase your exposure and following for your blog?

25 blogs have joined together to offer you a chance to win a MEGA ad campaign!

The lucky winner will receive:

A promotional post on ALL 25 blogs

Premium Sidebar advertising for the entire month of February on ALL 25 blogs

Weekly Facebook Shout-outs from ALL 25 blogs

Weekly Tweets from ALL 25 blogs

With the heavy hitter blogs we have participating, this would mean HUGE exposure for you and your blog for the entire month of February! Do you want to sponsor this giveaway next month? Participation is FREE! 

Find out more HERE.

Entry is simple! Just follow us all using the Rafflecopter form below, and be sure to come back for your daily entries too!!

Mission Get Fit Giveaway

Mission Giveaway started with the $100 Story where with $100 several people received the help they needed. We are on a mission to help people! We have gathered a group of bloggers that want to make a difference. Together we are the Mission Giveaway Group!

This week is Mission Get Fit!

 

The Grand Prize is the Striiv: Personal Trainer in Your Pocket by Nintendo! (ARV $99) And the great thing is that we have 2 of them - one for you and one for you to give a friend!

Working out is always better with a friend right? A friend can help you stay on track, keep your goals and keep you motivated! Or maybe you know someone that could really benefit from a great workout tool like the Striiv and you'd love to pay it forward. Start thinking of who the best person is to share the Striiv with if you WIN! Take a look at this great review of the Striiv to find out what an awesome prize this is!  

Here's How You Enter:

The Giveaway will open up on Tuesday 1/17 at 12:01 am EST and close on Friday 1/20 at 11:59 pm EST.

1) Start at the Rafflecopter Giveaway form below.
2) Complete the Mandatory entries.
3) Work your way through the links, entering contests at each blog as you go. These contests each have their own rules and end dates.
4) Complete additional entries towards the bottom and come back for additional daily entries!

That's it! You have successfully entered this awesome giveaway! Side note...It's not mandatory that you enter all the giveaways at each blog. However, doing so not only increases your chances of WINNING the other prizes, it increases your chances of WINNING the Grand Prize! Good luck!!


To inquire about becoming a sponsor, please contact Amee at [email protected] for details. Take a look at our Media Kit to see what Mission Giveaway has to offer. Are you a blogger that would like to participate in Mission Giveaway? Find out how you can join us.

My 2012 in Pictures - Day 16

Today I took a picture of my favorite kitchen piece to share with you.

This is one of my all-time favorite gifts from my husband.

One year for my birthday, he bought me the stainless steel pot-rack

plus the entire set of Pampered Chef Stainless Steel cookware.

Hey, Back Off! Book Review

There has been so much in the news recently about teen harassment. I think it's so sad that some of these young persons have felt so desperate to be free of teen harassment that they've taken their own life. Jennie Withers, with Phyllis Hendrickson, has authored a fabulous resource for teen and their parents called "Hey, Back Off! Tips for Stopping Teen Harassment." This is more than just a book. It's full of activities and questions to help parents and teens set goals, brainstorm how to deal with situations, and offers fabulous coping strategies. There are dozens of tips on becoming more assertive and using protective techniques to appear less of a target to bullies.

Did you know that at least one in three teens is harassed every month? If you are a parent of a teen or preteen, I encourage you to have a copy of this book in your home because your teen may not even tell you if they are experiencing harassment. By having this book around, you're providing an outlet for your teen to do research on their own, as well as leaving the door open for your teen to come talk to you about it. Jennie Withers is a straight talker and the book is written in a way that speaks to young people. I was especially impressed that each chapter has a section for teens and a section for parents. I honestly think teachers should read this book too since most bullying takes place in the schools. The book covers physical harassment, sexual harassment, verbal harassment, and even text messaging harassment and cyberbullying. On the other hand, if your teen is a bully, perhaps this book will shed some light to that teen who isn't aware their actions are illegal. I highly recommend this book! You can buy your copy online here.
Disclosure: I received this book at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

Sweep of the Day

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Current Giveaways

• Weatherproof Dog Bed - Toast to 2012 - Ends Jan 17
• Total Blog MakeOver Giveaway - Ends Jan 18
• $500 in Target Gift Cards - Ends Jan 18
• PetCakes Series 2 Forest Animal Plush - Ends Jan 20
• $25 Gift Certificate for pet supplies at www.mrchewy.com - Ends Jan 21
• Wholesale Keychain giveaway - Ends Jan 21
• $50 Barnes and Noble GC and The Gift Giver by Jennifer Hawkins - Ends Jan 23
• Giant Foam Pattern Blocks from Learning Resources - Chinese New Year hop - Ends Jan 23

Craftsy Block of the Month

The Craftsy Block of the Month is a completely free, year-long online class instructed by expert quilter, Amy Gibson. There are 12 installments, each one posted on the first day of every month. The first 10 months/installments teach our students two new exciting blocks (brand new designs or funky spins on traditional blocks). The last two months are dedicated to finishing the quilt. At the end of the class, our students will have full-size and one-of-a-kind quilts. Like all of our classes, students can view it whenever it’s convenient for them, and can watch them however many times they’d like. It’s filmed in high-definition, and it’s fully interactive---students can ask Amy questions as they go.

New Coupons to Print

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Welcome Weekend Blog Hop

Welcome Weekend!

I'm so glad to see you again!

I missed you so much!

The time has come to stay up late, sleep in, hang out in jammies,

and avoid housework. Let's do a blog hop instead!

Link up your blog, google+, facebook, and twitter accounts,

then hop around the bloggyworld and meet my awesome friends!

My 2012 in Pictures - Day 15

Now that my daughter has returned to college

the guest room has become the gym again.

No more excuses!!!

Houzz.com for Home Design Ideas

If you love looking at home design ideas, interior decorating examples and landscaping photos, you are going to love browsing at Houzz.com. The website is jam-packed with hundreds of thousands of high quality photos of homes, inside and out, taken by professionals, homeowners, home enthusiasts, designers, and more. If you like pinning pictures, wait until you see what's here! Gorgeous backyard landscapes, beautiful kitchen remodeling ideas, romantic master bedroom makeovers, and decorating ideas for every single inch of your home! More than 25,000 professionals have uploaded photos, written informative articles, and interact daily with homeowners on this site.

Homeowners can collect their favorite photos and make new idea books to add to the already existing 800,000 idea books on Houzz.com. Homeowners can upload photos of their own homes and design ideas, swap tips with other members, and find design professionals in their area. This is the largest online database of design and decorating ideas. Check out the amazing backyards, beautiful gardens, exquisite bathrooms, and cool kids' rooms. I love the "storage and organization" and the "small and affordable" sections when looking for ideas for my house, but I love browsing through the fancy homes and dreaming!

You can filter and browse by style, like modern, tropical or contemporary. Or you can browse by the space you're wanting to remodel or decorate, like laundry room, living room, media room, or pool. There are so many options and it's really easy to navigate around the site. It's also very addicting! I just opened my own account today and I love it already. Open your account for FREE in less than two minutes!

Sweep of the Day

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ecoSTORE USA Body Wash Review

I don't consider myself "crunchy." I don't go out of my way to make sure the products I buy are "green" or "ecofriendly." I don't pay extra for products that are organic. What I want is the best product I can afford. I want products that work. I want products that do what they claim. If they happen to be ecofriendly, I think that's a fabulous bonus. I use a body wash every day instead of bar soap and I struggle constantly with dry skin. It's even worse in the winter time. Lotions rarely make a difference for me. I recently received two ecoStore USA Body Wash products to review, one is an orange and patchouli scent and the other is coconut and vanilla scent.

The first thing I noticed was that it is a plant based body wash. There are NO NASTY CHEMICALS in their products. The second thing I noticed is their products are made in the USA. I poured a bit of the Orange and Patchouli in my hand and discovered the consistency is very thin. The scent is natural, with no dyes or synthetic perfumes, so it's a light scent which is something I prefer. I lathered it up in my hands and was pleasantly surprised that it suds up so well.

When I rinsed, the soap rinsed off easily and left my hands feeling clean and soft. Then I washed my hands with the Coconut and Vanilla scent and found it had the same characteristics and benefits. The real test of course would be in the bathtub. I filled up my tub with nice hot water and I decided to give ecoStore Body Wash the ultimate test. I shaved my legs with it. And then when I got out of the tub, I did not put any lotion on my legs.

This is the best body soap I have ever used. I am clean, soft, and sweet-smelling. I had no itchies and no dry skin anywhere on my entire body. I absolutely, positively love ecoStore USA Body Wash! The fact that it's made in America thrills me. The fact that it's plant based and has no chemicals is a wonderful bonus. If you are "crunchy" or not, you will love this body wash! You can buy their products at their online website and connect with them on Twitter and on Facebook, where they'll be giving away a year's supply of products to three winners when they reach 10K FB fans.
Disclosure: I received these products at no charge in exchange for my honest review.