Back to School with Frito Lay ($25 Gift Card Giveaway)

July 27, 2011 By

Back to School time. Ahhh… those are words that many frazzled parents look forward to each year, much to the dismay of their children (ha ha). After many weeks of being bombarded with “Mom… I’m bored” and siblings driving each other batty, it’s time to get back into a more normal routine.

We’ve already started to pick up some back to school items. Even though my kids don’t go back to school until after Labor Day it’s never too early to get started picking up supplies and outfits. We also have the master supply list as far as classroom supplies are concerned. That is very helpful to have.

I’m already fretting over what to send my kids to school with as far as lunch is concerned. They seem to only want to eat the same thing over and over again – PB&J, low sodium bologna, or cheese. My kids really need to mix it up a bit.

One staple in their lunch boxes is snack packs, most especially Doritos, Fritos and Sun Chips. Frito Lay also has their Chili Cheese flavor Fritos and Spicy Nacho flavored Doritos as snack packs too. I L♥VE the Chili Cheese Fritos (they are addicting!) and the Spicy Nacho Doritos are really spicy but I can’t keep away from them either, even though they make my mouth feel like it’s on fire. Ha Ha.

Frito Lay has teamed up with Choose Your Own Adventure for a special back to school promotion. For a limited time when you purchase specially marked Frito Lay variety snack packs you will get three FREE downloads for Choose Your Own Adventure digital books. You can check out the available books at ChooseYourFamilyAdventure.com. The recommended reading level is ages 8 and above, but you could certainly help younger children by reading to them and asking them to choose what course to take.

If you are unfamiliar with Choose Your Own Adventure books they are really fun. Frito Lay sent me a copy of one called Journey Under the Sea. There are 42 different possible endings for this book. With each page you can to choose from two different options in order to see how the story progresses. The options ask you if you want to do this or that and then tells you what page in the book to turn to in order to see what happens next.

I read the book a few times and each time the story was totally different. The whole story changes depending on what path you decide to take. As an adult I had a lot of fun with it. My almost 12 year old son enjoyed the book too. It’s a book that can actually be read over and over again because it’s different every time.

You can also enter to win a fabulous prize of a cruise for you and three of your guests to the Galapagos Islands, or $50,000 (winner’s choice). That is a tough call. I always wanted to go on a cruise and visit the Galapagos Island (thanks to Charles Darwin). But $50,000 would come in very handy too.

All you need to do to download the free books from Choose Your Own Adventure and/or enter the fabulous sweepstakes is to pick up variety bags of Frito Lay chips.

For more information about Frito Lay please visit www.FritoLay.com. Check out their yummy recipe section too!

To learn more about Choose Your Own Adventure please go to www.ChooseYourOwnAdventure.com.

Frito Lay has generously offered to give a lucky reader a $25.00 gift card that you can use to buy plenty of Frito Lay variety packs (if you want) or anything else you might need/want for back to school. Thank you Frito Lay!

To enter please comment on your favorite Frito Lay snack. To view all the brands visit their website (FritoLay.com).

For extra entries you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done. Extra entries are optional.

- Subscribe to She Scribes and/or Connect with Google Friend Connect. Both options are found on the right side bar. 

- “Like” She Scribes on Facebook, www.Facebook.com/SheScribes.

- “Like” Frito Lay on Facebook, www.Facebook.com/FritoLay.

- Follow Frito Lay on Twitter, www.Twitter.com/FritoLay.

- Follow She Scribes on Twitter (www.Twitter.com/She_Scribes) and tweet about this giveaway and/or the special Frito Lay/Choose Your Own Adventure promotion. Please include @She_Scribes in the tweet so I may see it too. This is limited to three tweets per day.

- Leave a thoughtful comment on a non-giveaway post on She Scribes and please let me know which post you commented on. Limit one comment per post, but you are welcome to leave an unlimited number of comments and receive an extra entry for each one.

- Share this review/giveaway with others (Facebook, Digg, Technorati…). Be sure to tell me what you did and please provide a name and/or URL so I can verify.

- Add my button (found on the right side bar) or a text link to She Scribes to your site or blog roll. Please provide the URL.

This giveaway is open to US residents and will end on August 7, 2011 at 11:59 PM (EST). The winner will be chosen using a random number generator form all eligibile entries. The winner will be contacted via e-mail and will have three days to reply with a name, mailing address (no PO Box) and phone number (shipping purposes only) or a new winner will be chosen. 

Other awesome giveaways can be found on the right side bar under “Win It”.

Kimberly

*I received free product samples in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own. Frito Lay will be providing the gift card.

 

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Soar Away on an Adventure With JetBlue and PBS Kids (Giveaway)

July 27, 2011 By

Summer time is the one time of year that many kids give up reading books in favor of lazy summer days playing in the yard or enjoying some fun in the sun at the pool. Summer time is actually the best time for a child to read. Not only does it reinforce that reading can be a positive life long habit but it also helps reluctant readers and it helps children to keep up with their skills (reading, spelling, grammar…). Many libraries across the country host special summer reading programs for children of all ages. Some schools, including our school district, make summer reading a requirement. My kids have to read two books and do two book reports that are due on the first day of school. While that may sound harsh I do think that it’s a great idea. It forces kids to focus on reading 15-30 minute a day instead of video games and the computer.

Traveling is another great time to get your child into reading, most especially long trips. Some kids can’t read in the car, but reading in an airplane is something most people can do. Personally I cannot read in a car but I can in a plane. When I traveled out to the West Coast earlier this year and I was on the plane for over 5 hours the magazines and book (The Help) that I took with me helped to pass the time and those five hours literally “flew by” (no pun intended…OK…maybe a little :-) ).

One airline company, JetBlue, has teamed up with PBS Kids to create the “Soar with Reading” reading program. The program aims to keep children reading wherever they go this summer – with a combination of in-flight and online literacy resources, community reading events and a partnership with First Book, a nonprofit organization that provides new books to children in need.   

Parents can download a FREE reading activity kit, among other activities, at the SoarwithReading.com website. Parents and children can also create a summer reading list and log their children’s reading minutes. I think knowing how many minutes a child has read, or how many books have been completed, actually encourages a child to want to read more. It’s like being in a competition with themselves. If you have multiple children in the family I’m sure they could have a friendly little competition too.

Additionally, for every reader who registers on SoarwithReading.com, JetBlue will make a book donation to a child through First Book, up to 10,000 books. That is A LOT of books!

At SoarwithReading.com families can also vote for their favorite library in the Soar with Reading Sweepstakes. The winning library will receive $10,000 worth of children’s books courtesy of Jet Blue and Random House Children’s Books. And if you are the lucky person who entered the winning library, you will have a chance to win a trip to Atlantis. Awesome!

JetBlue crew members will also be volunteering across the country at kid friendly events at local libraries. These “global guides” will read books to children and share stories about their job at JetBlue and their many travel adventures. My kids love it when I tell them about the places I have been and the things I have seen. I’m sure listening to the JetBlue crew members will get children excited about traveling and perhaps eager to read books based upon the countries and places they heard about. 

As a special bonus child passengers will also receive activity kits on JetBlue flights as well! Thank you JetBlue!

JetBlue has been kind enough to offer as a giveaway a special backpack filled with fun things for your child to do this summer whether they are flying across country or simply going on a backyard adventure.

The JetBlue drawstring backpack features a mesh pocket to hold a drink or snacks on the outside. On the inside you’ll find a music CD called Steve Songs: Marvelous Day! There is also a Magic Tree House book called A Good Night for Ghosts that comes with spooky stickers. There is also a special Soar with Reading activity booklet that features a drawing page, word find, crossword puzzle and more.

To enter please share a tip on how you encourage your child to read – or – what is the title of the book your child is currently reading or recently finished reading.

For extra entries you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done. Extra entries are optional.

- Subscribe to She Scribes and/or Connect with Google Friend Connect. Both options are found on the right side bar.

- “Like” JetBlue on Facebook, www.Facebook.com/JetBlue.

- “Like” PBS Kids on Facebook, www.Facebook.com/PBSKids.

- “Like” She Scribes on Facebook, www.Facebook.com/SheScribes.

- Follow JetBlue on Twitter, www.Twitter.com/JetBlue.

- Follow PBS Kids on Twitter, www.Twitter.com/PBSKids.

-  Follow She Scribes on Twitter, www.Twitter.com/She_Scribes and tweet about this giveaway. Please include @She_Scribes in the tweet so I can see it too. This is limited to three tweets per day.

- Share this review/giveaway with others on Facebook, Digg, Technorati and so forth. Be sure to tell me what you did and please provide a name and/or URL so I can verify.

- Leave a thoughtful comment on a non-giveaway post on She Scribes and tell me which post you commented on. There is a limit of one comment per post, but you can comment on as many posts as you want for an unlimited extra entry option.

- Post about this giveaway on your site and please link back to this post. Please provide the URL.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only and will end on August 6, 2011 at 11:59 PM (EST). The winner will be chosen at random using a random number generator from all eligible entries. The winner will be notified via e-mail and will have three days to reply with a name and valid e-mail address or a new winner will be chosen in their place.

Other GREAT giveaways can be found on the right side bar under “Win It”.

Kimberly

*I received a free sample backpack in order to do this review/post. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own.

 

 

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Keeping Your Pet Safe in the Summer Heat Wave

July 27, 2011 By

I hope that most people know by now that it is very unsafe and possibly deadly to leave a pet in a car when it’s hot outside. I get VERY livid when I see a pet in a car when I stop at the grocery store or a similar place. I leave notes on people’s cars too, reminding them that they are going to KILL their pet leaving it in the car like that. Some people might think that is a bit obnoxious to do that, but I don’t care. The pet can’t speak for it’s self so someone has to stand up for it.

Yesterday I had to take our kitten to get her vaccinations. I also had to go to the bank to get something notarized. I could have easily taken the kitten to the bank with me and left her in the car with the windows cracked while I got the paper signed. It only took about 10 minutes. But I didn’t. I went back home and took our kitten back into our home and then went back out to the bank. Even leaving her in the car for 10 minutes seemed like a cruel thing to do.

I won’t get on my soap box about leaving pets in hot cars. Let’s just say it’s a sore subject with me. That doesn’t mean that pets cannot go outside and enjoy the sunshine and nice weather. Just like you would with children or the elderly you need to take some precautions to make sure that your pet does not suffer any ill effects from the heat and humidity.

Here are a few tips from Heidi Ganahl, CEO and Founder of Camp Bow Wow, the nation’s largest pet services company with 200+ franchises across the nation, in 40 states plus Canada. Thanks Heidi!

Pets Need Sunscreen

Just like humans, cats and dogs can get sunburned, especially if he/she has light-colored hair. Animal sunburns can cause the same problems as that of humans: peeling, redness and even cancer. As skin cancer in pets is a serious concern, purchasing pet-friendly sun screen can go a long way in protecting the health of your pet when the heat kicks in. Places that are easy to forget, but prone to burning are: inside the nostrils, tip of nose, around your dog’s lips and the inside of ears for dogs with stand up ears. 

Summer Style

Giving your dog a lightweight summer haircut helps prevent overheating. Shave down to a one-inch length, but never to the skin, so your pet still has some protection from the sun. Brushing cats more often than usual can prevent problems caused by excessive heat.

Pets Need Extra Water….But don’t let them drink just anything

Give your dog extra water during the summer, but be sure not to leave the water out for too long. Change the water often to prevent your pet from getting sick from bacteria that can grow in hot water. Also, when dogs are thirsty, they are bound to drink something they shouldn’t. Puddles of what may look like water on the ground can be mistaken for dangerous chemicals, so keep an eye out when your dog is looking for something to sip on.

Make a Safe Splash

Buy a kiddie or dog swimming pool and fill it with water for your pet. But, do not leave pets unsupervised around a pool – not all pets are good swimmers. Introduce your pet to water gradually and make sure they wear flotation devices when on boats. To remove chlorine or salt from the fur, rinse your pet after swimming. Be sure to also keep your dog from drinking pool water, which contains chlorine and other chemicals that could cause stomach upset.

Pets at Outdoor Summer Events

Warm temperatures and outdoor fun go hand-in-hand, but when the temperatures hit record highs, refrain from taking your pet to crowded summer events like concerts or fairs. The loud noises and crowds, combined with the heat, can be stressful and dangerous for pets.

Exercising in the Heat:

Pets need exercise even when it is hot, but show extra care to older and overweight pets that are more at risk from high temperatures. Limiting exercise to early morning or evening hours can help. Extra caution should also be taken with short-nosed dogs, and those with thick coats.

Watch for Heatstroke
Dogs can develop heatstroke fairly quickly. Signs of this include excessive panting, staring, anxious facial expressions, warm skin, refusal to obey commands by owner, vomiting, collapse and rapid heartbeat. If you suspect that your pet is suffering from this, lower the animal’s body temperature by applying towels soaked in cool water to the hairless areas of the body. Often the pet will respond after just a few minutes of cooling, only to falter again with his temperature soaring back up or falling to well below what is normal. If this happens, take the dog to the vet immediately – don’t try to solve this yourself.

If you have any other special tips for keeping your pet healthy during the hot weather months please feel free to leave them in the comments section.

Kimberly

*I was not compensated for this post. I posted this for the benefit of my site readers and their pets.

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For a Friend…

July 27, 2011 By

I am not one to post charity information UNLESS it’s something I feel strongly about. I have a huge heart and I want to do what I can to make this world a better place.

A few years ago a family friend passed away as a result of battling brain cancer. He was only 11 years old. He passed away days before his mom found out she was pregnant with his baby sister.

Kasey also left before a younger brother, Colbey. Kasey is pictured above.

In honor of his big brother Colbey is participating in a CureSearch Walk. Colbey already does the Relay for Life walk with his family (Kasey’s mom, dad, baby sister, aunts, uncles…). Colbey wants to do even more to help find a cure for this horrible disease so that other brothers and sisters don’t lose a sibling.

Colbey set a goal of $100.00. I am confident that he can meet that goal. I think it would make Colbey feel like he’s on top of the world if he can raise MORE then his goal.

If you have a dollar or two you can spare perhaps you could consider donating to the CureSearch Walk in honor of Colbey’s big brother Kasey? I realize that $$$ is an issue for a lot of families. My family too! But I can easily give up a sometime frivolous for a week or two for a great cause.

Here is the link, http://www.curesearchwalk.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=452646&supid=332080105.

 Thank you for your time and consideration. ♥

Kimberly

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My Summer Heart “Survival” Must Have – Brew Over Ice!

July 27, 2011 By

How many days until the fall season kicks in? Seriously! I am so over the heat and humidity. I don’t even want to see what our electric bill is going to be for the month of July. I think we’ll have to take out a second mortgage to cover it. Ugh!

I am NOT a hot weather person by any means. I rather close the curtains, crack the AC and hide away until the heat goes away. I also burn just at the mere thought of sun. The sun is NOT my friend!

It never fails. The moment the temperature rises I start to crave iced coffee. I REALLY crave ice coffee in the hot summer months. It doesn’t matter where I am or what I’m doing I NEED to stop for ice coffee to get through the day. My husband says I’m addicted to it. I won’t argue with him. I am addicted to ice coffee in the hot summer months.

If you also enjoy ice coffee you know that it can really add up ($$$$). I used to spend $2.39 a day on ice coffee. I wouldn’t go every day but I’d say at least 3 times per week. That adds up to $28.68 a month on average. Some weeks I would get ice coffee more then 3 times. Figure I buy ice coffee June, July and August that adds up to nearly $100.00. That is a lot of money.

My best solution for my ice coffee addiction AND to save $$$ is to buy Brew Over Ice K-cups so I can make ice coffee with my beloved Keurig. Have you tried them yet? They are so easy to use! Simply fill a cup with ice, pop in a Brew Over Ice K-cup, brew the coffee and you are done. If you want to use milk and sugar I would suggest you put that in BEFORE you add in the ice. Its harder to stire when the cup is filled with ice.

The Brew Over Ice K-cups cost roughly .75 cents each, plus milk and sugar (if you use it), which is mere pennies. Compared to $2.39 a cup that is a huge savings. My same monthly addiction using the Brew Over Ice K-cups saves me approximatly $20.00+ per month. Three Brew Over Ice K-cups cost about $1.50 per week (three times per week) or $9.00 per month compared to the nearly $30 a month I was spending buying ice coffee at the local coffee shop. Plus I can make it in the convenience of my own home. I don’t have to waste time and valuable ($$) gas to drive to town to get ice coffee. I can make it at home anytime.

Brew Over Ice K-Cups are available in regular coffee and French Vanilla ice coffee. I personally prefer the regular ice coffee. Brew Over Ice K-cups are also available in tea flavors including my ultimate favorite, Half and Half, which is half ice tea and half lemonade. I went through two boxes (44 K-cups) in two months last summer. That stuff is SO GOOD! It’s pre-sweetened so you don’t need to add to it like you do the ice coffee. It’s perfectly sweetened too. Not too sweet. Not too tart.

Another person favorite of mine which I didn’t get to try until this summer is Sweet Raspberry Ice Tea. It has just the right sweetness and a touch of Raspberry flavor. The Half and Half is still my #1 favorite but the Sweet Raspberry Ice Tea is a very close second.

Other flavors include Southern Sweet Tea, Sweet Peach, Sweet Lemon, Sweet Berry & Lime Ice Tea and Sweet Tropical Breeze White Tea, to name a few.

I know the Brew Over Ice K-cups can be purchased online at the Green Mountain Coffee website, www.GreenMountainCoffee.com. I do believe they are also available at local retail locations too.

I have an ice tea maker (I won’t specify the brand but I know it’s a popular ice tea maker) and it’s gathering dust on top of my cabinet. I prefer the ease and convenience of using a Brew Over Ice K-Cup. It’s much faster, easier, less of a hassle and clean up is a breeze. I just have to toss out the K-cup!

To learn more please visit www.BrewOverIce.com. There you will find videos on just how easy it is to make an iced beverage with your Keurig as well as the variety of Brew Over Ice K-cups, a great sweepstakes (Alaskan Cruise!) and more.

You might want to consider picking up one of the Brew Over Ice tumblers too. They are the perfect size and they come with a screw on lid to help prevent spills. The reusable straw is also a great touch.

Have you tried the Brew Over Ice K-cups yet? Do you have a favorite flavor? What do you think about them? Are you crazy about them like I am?

Kimberly

*I am a brand ambassador for Keurig/Green Mountain Coffee. I received free product samples in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own.

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Thomas Croissants – Great Anytime of the Day!

July 27, 2011 By

I love to make breakfast sandwiches for myself and my family. Usually I just make an egg (fried, poached or scrambled) and put it on top of a bagel or English Muffin with a slice of cheese. That is certainly very delicious but it’s nice to mix things up a bit.

Thomas, who makes the English Muffins, also makes Croissants. I recently had the opportunity to try some with my family.

Croissants have always had a special place in my heart because of my mom. When I was younger my mom used to always talk about how she would love to sit at a sidewalk cafe in Paris, France and nosh on croissants and sip tea or coffee. It was a dream of hers to do that. For her is was a perfect Paris experience (either that or she watched too many movies – ha ha). When I was 12 we finally had the chance to travel around Europe. True to her word my mom made a point of enjoying some croissants at a sidewalk cafe in Paris. From that point on every time I think of croissants I think of my mom and Paris, France.

When I first saw the Thomas Croissants I thought about my mom. I also remember how much she loved croissants. I do too. Croissants are something that I order at fancy restaurants. It’s not something you typically find in your home.

I made my kids the breakfast sandwiches using the croissants and they loved it. They said it tasted better then my sandwiches normally do. They tell me it’s because of the croissant. I just think it’s because I served them something different then what they were used to having.

My kids LOVED the Thomas Croissants with Nutella. They swear it tastes like a doughnut. They had it as an afternoon snack and loved it. I tried a bite and it was pretty good. I wouldn’t say it tasted like a REAL doughnut but I can see why they would think that way.

I think the Thomas Croissants would be ideal for any time of day from breakfast sandwiches to snacks and they would even go great along side your dinner in place of rolls or Italian bread. You could easily warm these up for a few seconds in the microwave and add some butter to it (mmmm…croissants with melted better…YUMM!). Or you can eat them plain.

I was only able to get one picture of the croissants because my kids gobbled them all up.

The croissant in the picture is in a regular size sandwich bag so you can see they are a decent size. They are not huge. They are about the same size as an English Muffin, give or take. They are also only 160 calories each. That is not bad at all. They also come pre-sliced and 6 to a package. The next time I get them I am going to get at least two packages because they went fast in my home.

For more information about Thomas products please visit www.ThomasEnglishMuffins.com. They are also on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Thomas-English-Muffins-and-Bagels/19485213631.

Kimberly

*I received free product samples in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own.

 

 

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