Studio Wars $50 Visa Gift Card Giveaway

Yes, I have another giveaway coming straight at you!! I love being able to offer these giveaways to you!

Studio Wars is a new interactive online game that allows teams to compete through box office predictions – think Fantasy Football goes Hollywood, but much cooler.

To celebrate the launch of Studio War’s new online Fantasy Movie League, we have teamed up with them to offer one lucky reader a free $50 Visa Gift Card!

Who couldn’t use a little extra Visa cash to see the latest blockbuster movie? Just enter using the easy Rafflecopter form below.


Giveaway open Worldwide. Ends August 10, 2012.

mod Crimson Victorian Large Laptop Sleeve

Not too long ago, as in…June…I was still dreaming of my first laptop! Yes, my daughters both had laptops before me. I think nearly everyone had one before me.
I’m laptopless no longer!

mod. was actually the catalyst to me getting a laptop. I was online chatting with a friend about mod. having new laptop sleeves and telling him how I really wanted a laptop of my very own one day. lol

Well, he’s one of those guys who if you say something, he’s searching for the answer before you finish the question. Within moments, he’d gone to the Best Buy website and found a laptop he thought would be exactly what I needed as a blogger.

He and I went back and forth for about an hour, meanwhile, I’m talking to mod. about their laptop sleeves thinking I’d get one for my daughter’s laptop. Sometimes my kids get the best stuff!

Yes, I’m jealous!

Believe it or not, when I went to place my order, Best Buy was down! lol Could NOT believe it!
So, the next morning, right away, I raced upstairs to place my order and to tell mod to send me the large laptop sleeve cuz Mama got a laptop!!

I was so excited when my laptop arrived and then my mod Crimson Victorian Laptop Sleeve.
The sleeve is absolutely gorgeous! See for yourselves!

I unzipped it because I wasn’t sure it would fit my huge laptop.

Sidenote, a 17” laptop is HUGE! lol I had no idea.

I opened up the mod. sleeve and what did I find? Velvety lining!! Soft enough to make you wish you were sliding into it with your laptop.

Ok, so here’s a funny. I put my laptop into the sleeve and then looked at my cords. Um, where do I put those? YES, I’m a laptop newbie! What can I say? So, I emailed mod. and asked this very question. hahahaha
They were kind enough to explain that you bring the cords along separately in either a messenger bag or something similar, say one of their accessory bags? The sleeve then slides into whatever you’re carrying. heh heh heh Gotcha!

My 17” laptop fits perfectly into the mod. sleeve and when it zips shut, it’s perfectly snug around the entire thing!

 

Now’s your chance at a $35 mod. Gift Certificate AND they are offering a special promotion code - 1FREECS - Buy 1 Premium strap, get 1 cap saver for free (expires August 31, 2012) Nice, right?!

I’m Looking Forward to…#BlogHer12

So, I’ve taken a couple of weeks off from Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop because quite honestly, life has taken over. Summer has become insane. I can’t wait for school to start again for some normalcy…but I’m thoroughly enjoying summer.

That said, I’m participating this week in Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop because next week I won’t get around to it cuz I’ll be in NYC!!!

Yes, you read that right! NYC baby!

I’m going to BlogHer ‘12 a humongo blogging conference.

How am I getting there?

{insert vomiting}

I’m flying…GULP…flying. I haven’t flown in 11yrs because the last time I did I had a panic attack. Oh my gosh, can NOT think about it. Seriously, I’m starting to sweat and feel queasy…

Let’s talk about things of BlogHer that DON’T make me want to hurl!

Meeting bloggers. I know that sounds “duh”, but if I had only one reason to go to BlogHer it would be to meet the bloggers I’ve followed and connected with, some for years like Melinda and Liz.

Then there are a few new ladies that I’m going to explode with joy to meet like Vanessa who is dragging me from one party to the next. This chick knows what she’s doing! Amy is a Bestie on FB and a great blogger who I’ve grown super close to and Megan who I recently found on Facebook thanks to BlogHer and who has taken the blogging scene by storm! She’s brilliant btw.

I have been blessed in so many ways for this trip! I bought my ticket last year in hopes I’d be able to find a sponsor to get my hind end out to NYC. I didn’t really attempt it, so no sponsor for me. I’m actually staying with another blogger!! Yes, no hotel costs, but dang we’re gonna have a lot of parking fees. My daughter’s best friend’s mom is a flight attendant and got me a buddy pass. I’m flying (dry heave) for dirt cheap.

Speaking of flying…I’ve flown my whole life, starting when I was little. I flew every summer from CO to MD to visit my dad. Then I flew overseas for years when he lived in Saudi. It never phased me. Then I became a mom and became illogical.

I even attempted to connect with rental car companies in hopes I could do an awesome road trip in a rental car and blog/tweet/facebook my way to and from BlogHer. Guess I’m still not awesome enough. I even entered to win a road trip out there. lol Didn’t get that either. So, it looks like the only way I’m getting there next week is to get my keester on a plane. yay me.

As much as I’m looking forward to connecting with Big Brands, I’m more excited about the people and the experience! If you’re going to BlogHer, be sure to send me a Tweet at @MimiBakerMN and let’s connect. I’m all about the SOCIAL part of Social Media!

The Prompts:

1.) Share one good thing you’re looking forward to.
2.) List 10 things that make you angry.
3.) If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
4.) When was the last time you made something with your hands and what was it? (inspired by mindbump.com)
5.) Write a post or poem inspired by the word: dreams.

Bonus Vlog Option:

6.) Do you have a family pet? Introduce him or her to the internet in a video blog post!

Chevy's Girl's Night Out Sweeps

I have been a Twin Cities Chevy Girl for the past few months! I've really enjoyed sharing their questions, ideas and pictures on Twitter and Facebook! I love entering their giveaways because they're always to someplace fun! We have some great activities here in Minnesota and Wisconsin!

If I haven't mentioned it before, I'm hoping my next vehicle will be a Chevy Equinox. A friend of mine has one and I love it. Every time I see one, especially the newest ones, I start wishing and dreaming! One of these days I tell ya!

If you're a resident of Minnesota or Wisconsin, head over to the Twin Cities Chevy Girls Facebook page, Like them and enter to win!!

The best part, the sweeps are on-going! This week the sweeps is:
 a $100 gift card to Outback Steakhouse. The sweepstakes run  from 7/23/12-7/29/12

So what are you waiting for? Go enter to win!

Summertime with S’Mores #CampBondfire

As soon as the nice weather hits here in Minnesota, I have requests for the makings of s’mores! We have a great firepit area and we love getting the fire going, putting marshmallows on the grilling forks and melting Hershey’s chocolate on a graham cracker!

That screams summer, doesn’t it? We love having the neighbor kids over in the afternoons and evenings to make as many as we can! Even on the not so good days my boys will make s’mores in the microwave!

Kid you not, we’ve already gone through several bags of marshmallows and Hershey’s chocolate!

I called the neighbor kids to come over with the boys and have a HERSHEY’S CAMP BONDFIRE. I want my kids to have great memories with their neighbor friends to look back on these years with fondness.

Having moments like this, hanging out around a fire and just joking around is SO much fun! Too bad only the neighbor girl was home this week. The boys were hoping to have a big gathering. lol Thankfully we have the rest of the summer to enjoy more fires!

My boys love melting their Hershey’s chocolate with the browned, and occasionally black marshmallows. It was nice to hear my youngest say, “You like yours brown don’t you?” So wonderful to know they’re paying attention to what others like!

We were talking about how he kept making black ones last year. And yes, for the record, he ate them. Blech! Sounds so gross. lol

How do you like your s’mores? Are your marshmallows brown? Do you only use a few pieces of Hershey’s chocolate, a half bar or the whole thing? I like doing half because it fits so perfectly on the graham cracker.

Make sure to check out Hershey’s Facebook page and share how you like having “bond-fires”!

*This post is part of my participation in the HERSHEY’S CAMP BONDFIRE campaign. All opinions expressed are mine.

Rubbermaid Bathroom Cleaning Tools Giveaway

I’m all for honesty, especially when I blog. So honestly, I’m not a great cleaner. I’m easily distracted by any squirrel passing by! I’d rather blog, weed my garden, etc than do domestic chores inside the house.

c’est la vie

We’re not all the same, right? Well, let me tell you what? Having tools to make the jobs easier is what I’m always looking for. I actually having duplicates on each floor. It’s actually something that helps me with my ADD. I don’t always remember to bring my cleaning stuff up and down stairs.

Rubbermaid has made my life SO much easier with their Bathroom cleaning tools! This line has:

Extendable Scrubber
Flexible Scrub Brush
2-in-1 Scrubber
Switchable Pads

Some of the jobs, like cleaning around the bathtub can be tedious, and getting down on the ground to do them…I’d rather pass.

I really liked the Extendable Scrubber because it made those low to the ground jobs easier. Also, reaching up into the corners of the bathroom was a lot easier. No more chairs needed!
I don’t know if you’re like me, but you have toothbrushes for those nooks and crannies. Well the 2-in-1 Scrubber has a nifty little detail brush! That is going to get a lot of use when I’m cleaning!
I think my favorite feature about this line is all the interchangeable pads. They velcro securely to the bottom of each tool so that you can work with them on whatever the surface calls for.
The Flexible Scrub Brush lets me me go around the curves in the sink, tub, or toilet easily. Click the little red button and it slides forward to that when I'm scrubbing, it contours. When the red part is locked into place it's a firm brush!

Be sure to follow Rubbermaid to keep up with all their new products on

Facebook and Twitter

U.S. readers can purchase these Rubbermaid products directly on their website:
http://www.rubbermaid.com -- Or you can purchase them at The Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Meijer or Target.

You can also check out other bloggers who reviewed these same products and enter to win at their sites as well!

Chubby Cheeks Thinks    http://www.chubbycheeksthinks.com
The Tuckers Take Tennessee    http://www.thetuckerstaketennessee.com
I'm a Lazy Mom    http://www.imalazymom.com
Diary of a Stay at Home Mom    http://www.diaryofasahm.com/
Our Goodwin Journey    http://www.ourgoodwinjourney.com
Woven by Words    http://wovenbywords.com
Simply Stacie    http://www.simplystacie.net
Bargain Briana    http://bargainbriana.com
SusieQTPies Scraps of Life    http://cafescrapper-scrapsoflife.blogspot.com/
Sweep Tight    http://sweeptight.com

*I received the bathroom tools from Rubbermaid for review. The opinions expressed are my own and are never influenced by the company.

Hershey’s Simple Pleasures

I happen to be fan of chocolate! What I’m not a fan of the calories that can come with those snacks of chocolate can have. lol
Well, Hershey’s has come along and given us Hershey’s Simple Pleasures. Hershey’s Simple Pleasures chocolates have 30 percent less fat than the average leading milk chocolates.
Instead of keeping all 3 bags to myself, I took them with me to the family reunion and had everyone taste test them with me!! We had a great time trying each kind:

• Dark Chocolate with Chocolate Creme
• Milk Chocolate with Vanilla Creme
• Milk Chocolate with Chocolate Creme

So, the adults started out with the taste testing, but once one of the kids saw we were eating 3 bags of chocolate without them, we were inundated with children wanting to be part of the sampling panel!
Aunt Liz made sure each one got a chocolate from each bag and they had to come back to me and report what their favorite was. The one that received the most votes was the Dark Chocolate with Chocolate Creme as the overall favorite. The other two were close!!
Sure, the kids don’t necessarily need chocolate with 30% less fat, but if we’re eating it, you can guarantee our kids will be getting into the bags as well.
Liz made a comment that I hadn’t thought of and said there was more in the bag than she expected! These 3 bags were good for 15 people! And there were some left over.
I like knowing if I need a bite of something sweet, I can grab a few of these Hershey’s Simple Pleasures chocolates to snack on. No guilt and satisfied taste buds.
We did quite a bit of sampling and I can tell you, there’s no way to tell it has less fat by the taste. Smooth, creamy chocolate and that’s all that matters when you pop one into your mouth!
It’s time to Declare your Sweet Independence! What will you say you’re declaring your independence from? I’m still considering mine. I think I’m going to declare mine from time sucking activities that are fruitless. I want to spend my summer soaking in all the spare moments I have with the kids!
*This is a paid post from The Motherhood. All opinions are mine and never influenced by the company.

Are You Ready for #NCAAFootball13 Giveaway #Cbias

My boys love their NCAA Football 12 from EA Sports, so last week when the newest release came out on July 10th, I wanted to have them check out some of the new features. So after work I ran to Walmart to pick up the video game. Perfect to add to our list of EA sports.
No problem finding it. lol You should see the displays showing that the game is in for Xbox and PlayStation 3. I bought the game, brought it home and left it for the boys to find in the morning. Yah, I was the awesome mom when they found it!Right away we decided to try out the Facebook app called You’re Covered. Such a cool feature. So, you go into Facebook and allow the app to run. You pick which system you have, what college team you want and then a picture. After you’ve done those 3 easy steps, you (or whoever) becomes the newest cover to your NCAA football case!
Thankfully I have several close-ups of Doodle and I was able to make one of him. I have an idea. The boys like taking their games to their friends houses. I figure, they can change out their You’re Covered game picture each time one of them wants to take it from the house.


We went over that afternoon to our friend’s house because I knew their son was going to want to play with the boys. I brought over some snacks since I wasn’t sure how long we were going to be there.
They got the game going and it was pretty amusing. My boys are naturally competitive and I tell you, it was game on once they sat down with the controllers. HB tried to get into the game, but Doodle wasn’t satisfied how he was playing the team so he took the controller back. Dang, right?
They loved the new features like Reaction Time and and all new Passing Game. We went through the whole list talking about how those would work. Trying to figure out new games to me is like learning a new language! lol Hopefully the more the boys play it the more they’ll understand how to put these pieces into action!
NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND NECESSARY, A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. NCAA Football 2013 You’re Covered Sweepstakes (the “Sweepstakes”) starts on July 10, 2012 at 12:00:00 A.M. EST and ends July 31, 2012 at 11:59:59 P.M. EST. Click on Official Rules for details on entry instructions, odds of winning, prize details, restrictions, etc. Open only to legal residents of the 50 U.S./D.C. and 18 years or older as of time of entry. Residents of P.R. are ineligible. Void in P.R. and where prohibited. Sponsor: Electronic Arts, Inc., 209 Redwood Shores Pkwy., Redwood City, CA 94065.
Be sure to follow EA Sports on:

Twitter and Facebook

You can also check out my Google + trip buying the game.

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Electronic Arts #CBias #SocialFabric” all opinions are my own and never influenced by the company.

iCandy Stroller Giveaway

It's time for another fabulous group giveaway! I realize strollers aren't typically given away on my blog, but this stroller sounded so amazing I wanted to make sure everyone who visits my blog had an opportunity to win!

Megan, who blogs at Behavioral Child and Megan Blogs, was a guest of the CBS TV show The Talk when Dr. Gadget was on, and among other things, she was given the iCandy Cherry stroller, in the liquorice color. She is giving it away to one lucky, random winner.

This British-made stroller is very popular in Europe and is sold only in exclusive stores here in the US. Its retail value is $400.

{Disclaimer/Disclosure: I have not used this stroller so I can’t vouch for it. I have it in its original/new packaging and will ship it to the winner in the exact same condition. So essentially, I’m re-gifting it The Talk has no idea what I’m doing with it, nor would it probably care. By entering this giveaway, you agree to indemnify me, The Talk, and iCandy from any responsibilities of all issues arising from the receipt and use of this prize. Thanks for participating and good luck! - Megan Broutian}

The Bounciest Giveaway Event Ever

The Bounciest Giveaway Ever Event hosted by Mom Powered Media is now open to bloggers!

Cost: FREE with announcement post or 5.00 with no announcement post. See bloggers wanted post for more details.

Prize: Castle Bounce N’ Slide w/hoop

Giveaway Open to: US Lower 48 States Only.

 Event dates: August 13th – August 27th Free Link Option: Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.

Additional links: $2.00 each, up to 4 additional. Special thanks to Real Mom Reviews, Mom To Bed By 8 and Powered By Mom for coordinating this great giveaway!

Blogger Notes: Bloggers worldwide are welcome to participate as long as you have a large amount of US traffic to your website.

What is required to join?  Fill out this form with your information!

Shutterfly’s Long Live Summer Photo Contest

This time of the year is such a fun time to take photos. So many fun opportunities whether it’s a Twins game with my boys, a family reunion up North, or a day at the zoo!

Summer is here and that means you’ll be taking more photos of your family soon.  Between beach trips and BBQs, photographs are a great way to capture these summer memories.  Shutterfly’s Long Live Summer Photo Contest on Facebook is launched on Monday July 9^th
Long Live Summer – Facebook Photo Contest details - 7/9 – 8/12 Multi-week summer themed photo sweepstakes with instant win prizes.
Win a trip for four to The Bahamas and a professional photo shoot so you’ll remember your vacation forever.  All you need to do is upload your favorite photo and caption based on the theme of the week.  Get a gift from Shutterfly just for entering! You can enter at any point during the 5-week sweepstakes period.
PHOTO THEMES
•       Week 1(7/9): Americana
•       Week 2 (7/16): Great Outdoors
•       Week 3 (7/23): Water Fun
•       Week 4 (7/30): Sports & Activities
•       Week 5 (8/6): Parties & Celebrations
PRIZES
• Instant win prizes just for submitting a photo!
• Weekly prizes (contestants can enter one time/week)
• Weekly featured photos: up to 5 weekly entries will be selected from the gallery and featured on the Facebook fan page and awarded a $500 gift card on Shutterfly and a copy of the new Lonely Planet travel photography book.
• Grand prize: trip for 4 to Bahamas, 4 nights, family photo shoot
• Shutterfly Sweepstakes - Official Rules
*I have received product in exchange for this post.

Birthday Express Party Supplies

My oldest son became a teenager last month. I figured if he still wanted to have a party he could pick out whatever theme he wanted this year. I mean, he usually does anyhow, but I have my say in it, too.
Well, well, well, the punk my son decided to go with a Green Bay Packers theme. mmmhmmm We live in MN and he “should” be a Vikings fan. Apparently he has his own opinions.

Let’s back up a bit here to when my oldest daughters were little and we lived in WA. Where we went to church was right near where the actual Birthday Express store was. My girls grew up with us going to their store for their birthday party supplies. I have to admit, I loved that store, too!
So, when I was considering my son’s 13th birthday, I knew Birthday Express was the company I wanted to get our supplies from. I let him go through the entire site and choose what he wanted.
Since he was going with a Packers theme, it was decided to go with the package. Much easier than picking and choosing piece by piece. I thought it would be fun to try a football cake, too so I got the football pan as well! That was a surprise.
Buddy and I have been trying to get an idea of who he wants to come to a birthday party and he still hasn’t even decided what he wants to do.
Since the whole family from his dad’s side was going to be up in Minnesota for the 4th of July, we figured it’d be a great time to celebrate his birthday! And they love birthday parties!
Now, the funny part is, everyone that came from out of state is from Chicago, hence they’re Bears fans. lol There’s this lovely rivalry between Bears and Packers fans. When I pulled out the decorations there were numerous groans. hahahaha
The whole family got involved with the decorating an the kids, after getting the balloons blown up proceeded to have a whacking balloon fight. Well, they were put to use. =)

Birthday Express knows how to bring a birthday party together! And all of the supplies were around $40 so they’re affordable as well!

Be sure to keep up with them on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube!
*I received product in exchange for this post. The opinions expressed are my own and never influenced by the company.