GIVEAWAY: Brugo Mug - Unique Travel Mug (Worldwide)

The Brugo Mug is the ultimate gift idea for a hot drink lover! Check out my review here.

Brugo has been nice enough to allow me to giveaway one travel mug (random colour) to one reader of this blog!

Enter using the rafflecopter form below. If you don't know how to use it or have any questions or problems, leave a comment or email me callista83 AT cogeco DOT ca.


A copy of the giveaway rules are below and on the rafflecopter form. Entering the giveaway means you have read and agree to the rules.

GIVEAWAY RULES:
One Person Per Household. Open Worldwide 18+. Giveaway open until Jan 14, 2012 @ 11:59 PM EST. Odds of winning depend on number of valid entries received. Duplicate (accidental or not) entries will be deleted before a winner is picked and winner's entries WILL BE verified. Winner will be selected using rafflecopter's random.org on January 15, 2012 and will be contacted by email. Winner will have 3 days to claim their prize or their prize is forfeit and another winner will be chosen. Contest Void Where Prohibited. This giveaway is not associated, nor sponsored by Facebook. We hereby release Facebook of any liability.

Click Read More if you can't see the widget.

REVIEW: Brugo Mug - Temperature Controlled Hot Beverage Travel Mug

Do you drink a lot of hot beverages like Coffee, Tea or even Hot Chocolate? Do you burn your tongue on the first sip and then half way through have to dump the rest because it's gone cold? Not anymore!

The Brugo Mug is a uniquely designed mug that controls the temperature of your hot drink so that each sip is the perfect temperature.

There is a special chamber at the top of the cup and when you have it set to tip/sip, you can tip the cup to put a bit of the drink into the chamber, then swirl a few times to cool it, and then sip it! The more you swirl, the cooler the sip will be. Then when the rest of the drink is cool enough (less than half left), you can set it to sip and just sip normally.

There are three settings on the lid:

1. Lock - Makes the cup spill proof, lock it when say it's on your desk and you aren't drinking from it or it's in your cup holder in the car.
2. Sip - You use this when your drink is less than half and cooled enough that it won't burn you anymore. This makes it act like a regular mug.
3. Tip and Cool - What makes this mug unique - allows the drink to enter the special cooling chamber.

The cups are well designed, heavy enough to not tip over easy but not so heavy it hurts to hold it. They come in a wide variety of colours and even in some muted darker colours in the executive collection.

See how it works:





I don't drink coffee or tea but I tried it with Hot Chocolate. It took me a little while to get the hang of how much to tip and how much to swirl to get the desired temperature of drink but I figured it out. At one point when the drink was about half full, I figured I didn't need to swirl anymore because I had forgotten about my drink for about 20 minutes. So I switched to regular sip and took a drink and burned my mouth! I'm not used to a drink staying so hot for so long!

If you drink a hot beverage every now and again and usually always in a house or building, you may not need the Brugo but this is definitely great for those who drink coffee while in the car or on the go in any other way or who love their drinks very hot. My mother loves her tea hot so she has to drink it really fast or it will cool down and she won't like it. I will be giving her my Brugo Mug so she can enjoy her tea and still drink it hot.

The Brugo Mug would make an AWESOME gift for a coffee or tea lover in your life. A belated Christmas gift, birthday gift, upcoming Mother's or Father's Day gift, or just an anyday gift!

Check out Brugo Mug on Facebook and Twitter.

Check out the website for specials like 25% off when you buy 2 or more and Free Standard Shipping on orders over $75 (these specials are Canadian but you can click to your countries website to find your own specials)

*Disclosure: I received the product(s) mentioned above free of charge by the company or PR representative for evaluation purposes. No other compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

GIVEAWAY: Rachel Rene Bath & Body Gift Set

You can see my review of Rachel Rene Bath and Body.

The founder Christine has offered up a sampler pack like the one I reviewed for a giveaway.

The winner will receive one of each of the following (in random scents):

Bath Bomb
Body Mousse
Body Polish
Lip Butter
Handmade Soap

Enter using the rafflecopter form below. If you don't know how to use it or have any questions or problems, leave a comment or email me callista83 AT cogeco DOT ca.

Also Christine has offered 15% off your order if you decided to order within the next 2 weeks with code "Callista".

A copy of the giveaway rules are below and on the rafflecopter form. Entering the giveaway means you have read and agree to the rules.

GIVEAWAY RULES:
One Person Per Household. Open to US/CAN 18+. Giveaway open until Jan 6, 2012 @ 11:59 PM EST. Odds of winning depend on number of valid entries received. Duplicate (accidental or not) entries will be deleted before a winner is picked and winner's entries WILL BE verified. Winner will be selected using rafflecopter's random.org on January 7, 2012 and will be contacted by email. Winner will have 3 days to claim their prize or their prize is forfeit and another winner will be chosen. Contest Void Where Prohibited. This giveaway is not associated, nor sponsored by Facebook. We hereby release Facebook of any liability.

Click Read More if you can't see the widget.

REVIEW: Rachel Rene Bath & Body (Christmas Gift Guide)

Rachel Rene Bath and Body is a business started by a mom (Christine) when she discovered her knack for homemade products after making a milk bath for her daughter (Rene.)

She sells such products as bath bombs, lotions, handmade soap, body polish, body mousse and body mists, plus she has a men's line and gift sets and she can do wholesale orders too and large orders such as for a Bridal Shower.

I was sent a few products to try out, here are my thoughts.


Bath Bombs

I have not had a chance to try the Bath Bomb yet (what mom has time for a bath!?) but it's a very large size compared to what I was expecting so I'm sure it would be great in a bath. Some small ones often feel like they aren't even there in a full bath, but this one wouldn't have that problem. It smelled very strongly too so it should be just the right strength of fragrance in the water.

Body Mousse

The Body Mousse is HEAVENLY. If you have extremly dry or itchy skin, this is the ultimate moisturizer. It was like caking my skin in butter but it wasn't too greasy afterwards. It just took a few rubbings to have it soaked all the way in. The one I tried was Oatmeal, Milk & Honey and it has a pleasant, but not overpowering smell in the jar and on your skin for a while after application.


Body Polish

Body Polish is for use in the shower. It's a grainy scrub used to exfoliate with. It's great for sloughing off that dead skin, especially on those rough patches such as your elbows and knees.  I have always loved using these types of sloughing products in the shower but they often leave you feeling grainy, greasy or just not quite clean. RR Body Polish is designed to leave you refreshed, smelling nice and clean.

Lip Butter

Lip Butter is just a fancy way of saying lip balm. I was sent the Margarita fragrance and let me just say, YUMMY! I am not a drinker but this lip butter smells DELICIOUS! I could smell it all day. It goes on smooth and lasts a while and you can STILL SMELL IT when it's on your lips! MMMM. If you like lip balm, you will LOVE the Rachel Rene Lip butter. I wonder if the other scents smell as good as this one! Lip butters are available in tubes or pots.

Handmade Soap

I'm not a soap person. I usually use body wash. However I know many people love the look of handmade soaps. They can add whimsy to your bathroom. I mean just LOOK at the options! They are so pretty, some look good enough to eat! (BUT DON'T!)

You can find Rachel Rene Bath and Body all over the web at her main website and store, Facebook, Twitter and her blog.

COUPON CODE: 15% off your order within the next 2 weeks with code "Callista".

*Disclosure: I received the product(s) mentioned above free of charge by the company or PR representative for evaluation purposes. No other compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

REVIEW/GIVEAWAY: My Friendship Bracelet Maker and My Ribbon Barette Maker (Christmas Gift Guide)

I have the COOLEST toy for the school age girl on your Christmas list!

What girl doesn't like to make friendship bracelets or wear pretty barrettes? Well okay I'm sure there are some girls not interested in this but my girls sure are!

Now your child can make friendship bracelets with ease and without putting a hole in her pants by pinning the thread with a safety pin to her knee (how I made bracelets when I was younger.)

The Friendship Bracelet Maker has a clip to hold the bracelet in place, spaced out slots for each of the strings to keep them untangled and a slide out tray with multi coloured threads and instructions. The instructions tell you how to do a basic bracelet but you can check out the website for more patterns via video or pdf.

My girls are a bit young for friendship bracelets at 4 and (almost) 6 but they were able to do it with lots of help. I still want to try making one myself. Just by helping them though I was able to see how nice it was to have the strings all separated instead of all jumbled up! No more pinning it to your pants either.

My Ribbon Barrette Maker comes with 8 metal clips that you can turn in to a beautiful 2 colour hair decoration with beads that hang down. It comes with many different coloured ribbons and beads and the 8 clips. The top part has the spacers to hold your ribbons in place when they are not in use and a barrette holder for the barrette.

My girls loved the barrette maker and even at ages 4 and (almost) 6, they were able to make their own barrette with a bit of help. My only qualm is that the barrette don't stay put in my girl's hair but then they have very thick crazy hair and they roll all over the place when the play. I suppose if it was in their hair during an event where they would be sitting nice the whole time, it would stay in better. 

*Disclosure: I received the product(s) mentioned above free of charge by the company or PR representative for evaluation purposes. No other compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

GIVEAWAY: Iams Gift Basket for Dogs and Cats RV $100

To help raise awareness of the Iams Home 4 the Holidays Campaign, Iams had donated a great gift basket for one lucky Canadian winner!

The basket is a cute dog bed filled with:

• Iams cat and dog food coupons
• Two picture frames (one says Woof with paws and the other says Meow with paws
• Dog food bowl
• Towel to wipe pets feet after a winter walk
• Poop bag dispenser with tons of baggies
• Poop scooper

The value of this prize is $100!!!!

Enter using the rafflecopter form below. If you don't know how to use it or have any questions or problems, leave a comment or email me callista83 AT cogeco DOT ca.

A copy of the giveaway rules are below and on the rafflecopter form. Entering the giveaway means you have read and agree to the rules.

GIVEAWAY RULES:
One Person Per Household. Open to Residents of Canada 18+. Giveaway open until Jan 3, 2012 @ 11:59 PM EST. Odds of winning depend on number of valid entries received. Duplicate (accidental or not) entries will be deleted before a winner is picked and winner's entries WILL BE verified. Winner will be selected using rafflecopter's random.org on January 4, 2012 and will be contacted by email. Winner will have 2 days to claim their prize or their prize is forfeit and another winner will be chosen. Contest Void Where Prohibited. This giveaway is not associated, nor sponsored by Facebook. We hereby release Facebook of any liability.

Click Read More if you can't see the widget.

Iams Home 4 the Holidays - Finding Orphan Pets Forever Homes

Iams Home 4 the Holidays Campaign is one of the world's largest pet adoption campaigns. They have helped 5.8 million pets find homes across the globe to date (The campaign is in it's 13th year.)

Canadians can visit the Iams Facebook page and click to "like" the page or the content (messages, photos, videos, etc.) For every “like” that is posted Iams will donate meals to participating animal shelters

The page also allows you to easily search for adoptable animals using the Petfinder app to find a local Iams Home 4 the Holidays shelter location near you.

Some other ways to help:

• The Iams Facebook page encourages fans to create a custom adoption announcement or holiday card to share the news of their new pet with their friends and family. For every card created and shared, Iams will donate meals to participating animal shelters in Canada.

• By purchasing a specially-marked bag of dog or cat food during the duration of the campaign, from October 1, 2011 through January 3, 2012, Iams will donate one bowl of food to a participating shelter through Iams Home 4 the Holiday Bags for Bowls program

*Enter to Win a $100 Pet Gift Basket from Iams*

*Disclosure: No  compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

GIVEAWAY: HP Mini-Note - Win a HP Mini Notebook

Win an HP Mini Netbook
(Dec 20/11 - Jan 1/12 - US/CAN)

Small and compact

Our Mini 110 packs all the essential technology you need on the go. Features include:

• Genuine Windows 7 Starter
• Fast, easy, trusted Web browsing with Windows Internet Explorer⁴
• An Intel Atom N455^‡ processor with energy-efficient performance (or upgrade to dual core Atom N570)
• Color choice of black (standard), pacific blue, or sonoma red
• A 10.1" diagonal LED display
• 1GB system memory (user upgradeable to 2GB)
• A 250GB^§§ hard drive for storing photos and songs, or upgrade to 320GB
• Three USB ports
• Integrated Wireless-N for wireless access within range of a hotspot (Bluetooth is optional)²
• An optional external CD/DVD drive for installing software (the Mini has no internal optical drive)
• ENERGY STAR^® qualification

Mobile and connected

It's easy to stay in touch via your HP Mini 110, which comes with:

• A built-in webcam for chatting with friends and family⁴
• HP QuickWeb, a fast way to connect to the Web, e-mail, and favorite apps in seconds⁴
• An integrated multi-format digital media card reader that supports SD/SDHC/SDxC, MMC, and mini versions of SD/MMC/MS adapters (adapter not included)
• A built-in VGA port for connecting a monitor
• 5 free HP games, already loaded on your PC

NOTE: This is a group giveaway so I didn't create the rafflecopter form. If the links aren't working, try again soon, the host is having problems. If  you don't know how to use it or have any questions, leave a comment

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REVIEW: Mr. Popper's Penguins (Christmas Gift Guide 2011)

I finally got the chance to sit down and watch Mr. Popper's Penguins and it's pretty good. It's not one of those movies you will watch over and over but it's a fun family movie.

Jim Carrey stars as Mr. Popper, a father whose family is disjointed and needs help to get back together as a true family should be. When he is gifted a penguin (and then later, 5 more) he takes care of it and along the way his whole family learns important lessons that bring them together.

There are a few parts that are what I call "Stupid Funny" and which I don't find particularly funny so I was worried I wouldn't like the movie but it got better after that and got more to a heartwarming movie and less away from a toilet humour type of movie. I really wish they omitted those parts though (poop parts.) They didn't contribute to the movie.

Mr. Popper's assistant is funny. Her name is Pippi and she loves the letter p. She talks with as many p words as possible. At one point she is supposed to be reading aloud part of a book and every other word starts with P. Mr. Popper asks if it really says that and she says she's paraphrasing.

Overall the movie could have been better but it could have been worse. I'd say 3/5 stars.

*Disclosure: I received the product(s) mentioned above free of charge by the company or PR representative for evaluation purposes. No other compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Burt's Bees Products (Christmas Gift Guide 2011)

Any of the products from Burts Bees would make a great stocking stuffer because they are the perfect size! Here are some ideas.

Lip Balms - especially Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil.

Eye Creams - refresh your eyes with these creams. Softens skin.

Men's Collection - for the men in your life, Burts Bees has Aftershave, Cologne, Deodorant, Soap and Shavecream.

If you are looking for something for yourself, you might need this foot cream after all that shopping!

If you don't need any more stocking stuffers, you may be interested in one of these kits of more than one product together.

*Disclosure: I received one of the product(s) mentioned above free of charge by the company or PR representative for evaluation purposes. No other compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Shalom Sesame - Chanukah: The Missing Menorah DVD (Hanukkah Gift Guide 2011)

NOTE: You may notice the different spelling of Hanukkah throughout this post. That's because in translation of the word from Hebrew, many possible spellings emerged and so they all correct.

What is Shalom Sesame?

"What happens when you combine the lovable Sesame Street Muppets with a visit to Israel to learn more about Jewish culture and the Hebrew language? You get Shalom Sesame! Created by Sesame Workshop over 25 years ago, the first edition of Shalom Sesame became the most popular Jewish video series ever. Twelve new episodes were released in 2010, and they have already been enjoyed by millions of families across the United States."

Some of the characters are the same (such as Grover) and some are different as as Oofnik the Grouch.

I was able to review Chanukah: The Missing Menorah, Volume 2 in the Shalom Sesame Series.

"It's time to celebrate Chanukah in Israel! Grover is bringing the latkes, and all is well until Anneliese gets caught up in a game of tag with a chicken and loses her special menorah... Can her friends find the missing menorah in time to celebrate Chanukah?"

Our family celebrate three Jewish holidays a year (Passover, Rosh Hashanah and Hanukkah.) We also celebrate Christmas. My immediate family doesn't speak Hebrew and we don't go to temple. However I love Chanukah and am glad to share it with my children.

We watched the video together and for the most part they liked seeing other children light a menorah and play dreidel. We did have a hard time understanding some of the children when they were explaining what Hanukkah is about because of their accents and because the words were unfamiliar to my children but they reexplained it in other ways later on so it worked out okay. There was a fair bit of Hebrew too.

My girls: "I don't understand what they are saying."
Me: "That's because they are speaking Hebrew."
Girls: "Aboo?"
Me: " No, HE-BROO, it's another language"
Girls: "But I don't understand what they are saying when they speak in Hebrew."
Me: "You watch Dora and Handy Manny and they speak Spanish."
Girls: "But we know what they are saying."
Me: "That's because you've watched it a lot and you learned what they meant. You can learn some Hebrew too if you keep watching this."

I definitely think watching this video will become a Hanukkah tradition and will help the girls understand the meaning of Hanukkah as they get older and are better able to understand.

Check out the Shalom Sesame website for more information, games, videos, printables and more.

*Disclosure: I received the product(s) mentioned above free of charge by the company or PR representative for evaluation purposes. No other compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

GIVEAWAY: Mega Blog Ad Campaign

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

22 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 22 blogs

Premium Sidebar advertising for the entire month of January on ALL 22 blogs

Weekly Facebook Shout-outs from ALL 22 blogs

Weekly Tweets from ALL 22 blogs

What better way to bring in new visitors than to have bloggers tell their readers to check your blog out! 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!! This is exciting.

Just click read more if you don't see the widget and give it time to load. If you have any problems using the form, leave me a comment or email me at callista83 AT cogeco DOT ca

GIVEAWAY: Family Pass for 4 to see Beauty and the Beast (in Disney Digital 3D) in Waterloo, ON

My favourite disney movie of all time is coming to theaters in 3D in January!

I was given the option of which city to give away tickets in and since my hometown wasn't an option, I decided to honor my brother who is visiting from his hometown of Waterloo, ON and give away tickets to a show in Waterloo.

Details:

The prescreening is Saturday, January 7th at 10:00 AM at the Galaxy Cinemas Waterloo Ontario. You will get a family pass which includes tickets for 4.

Once the winner is confirmed, I will send you the e-tickets and will forward your name to my contact to be put on the guest list.

GIVEAWAY

NOTE: Rafflecopter has changed how it's form works. You can log in via facebook or with your email so you won't have to enter your name and email each time. If you have any problems, let me know via comments or email callista83@cogeco.ca and I'll try to get it figured out.

A copy of the giveaway rules are below and on the rafflecopter form. Entering the giveaway means you have read and agree to the rules.

GIVEAWAY RULES:

One Person Per Household. Open to Canadians who can be in Waterloo, ON on event date. Giveaway open until January 2, 2012 @ 11:59 PM EST. Winner once confirmed will be sent e-tickets and name will be taken to be put on guest list. Odds of winning depend on number of valid entries received. Duplicate (accidental or not) entries will be deleted before a winner is picked and winner's entries WILL BE verified. Winner will be selected using rafflecopter's random.org on January 3, 2012 and will be contacted by email. Winner will have 2 days to claim their prize or their prize is forfeit and another winner will be chosen. Contest Void Where Prohibited. This giveaway is not associated, nor sponsored by Facebook. We hereby release Facebook of any liability.

NOTE: If you can think of some other way to reach citizens of Waterloo or the rest of the surrounding area to notify them of this giveaway and you can send proof, comment below and I'll add in an extra 5 entries for you! Something like being posted in a forum for local citizens (with permission from forum owners - send screenshot for proof) or putting up a flyer in a local bulletin board in Waterloo area (send photo) etc... I want eligible people to be able to enter!

Also if you are a mom in Waterloo, check out Waterloo Moms Forums (you can get bonus entries for being a member!)

Click Read More if you can't see the widget (give it a few moments to load)

REVIEW/GIVEAWAY: Milk Nursing Wear

It's possible to breastfeed in any shirt of course and with practice you can be pretty discreet when nursing but it's nice to have a shirt designed for nursing, at least for when you are will be nursing in public. Even if you are able to keep most of your breast covered during feeding, often your side is hanging out.

Milk Nursing Wear sells fashionable tops designed for nursing. The company was started when Elisa was looking for nursing wear and didn't like the unattractive styles that was available. The company prides itself on excellent customer service and dedication to moms and women entrepreneurs.

Their products are available in a few US States and a few other countries but as of yet isn't available in stores in Canada. However you can order online. See list of stores.

In addition to nursing shirts, Milk also sells nursing pajamas, nursing bras and some other fun accessories.

I received the Empire Scoop Neck Nursing Top to test out. It lifts up at the breast while a second layer slides down to allow access to the breast. Check out the photos to see how.

The shirt is comfortable. I don't usually wear fitted shirts, opting for box t-shirts. I felt very pretty in the shirt, and could see myself wearing it even when I'm done nursing. The thin layer is only on the breast section so the shirt wouldn't be to warm, even in the summer.

The colour didn't run when I washed it and the shirt didn't shrink (two common problems.)

Visit Fresh Milk: Blog, Milk on Facebook and Twitter.

GIVEAWAY

Milk Nursing Wear has offered one of my readers a $40 GC to use at the online store.

NOTE: Rafflecopter has changed how it's form works. You can log in via facebook or with your email so you won't have to enter your name and email each time. If you have any problems, let me know via comments or email callista83@cogeco.ca and I'll try to get it figured out.

A copy of the giveaway rules are below and on the rafflecopter form. Entering the giveaway means you have read and agree to the rules.

GIVEAWAY RULES:

One Person Per Household. Open Worldwide 18+. Giveaway open until December 30, 2011 @ 11:59 PM EST. Odds of winning depend on number of valid entries received. Duplicate (accidental or not) entries will be deleted before a winner is picked and winner's entries WILL BE verified. Winner will be selected using rafflecopter's random.org on December 31, 2011 and will be contacted by email. Winner will have 4 days (I'm giving you more since it's New Years) to claim their prize or their prize is forfeit and another winner will be chosen. Contest Void Where Prohibited. This giveaway is not associated, nor sponsored by Facebook. We hereby release Facebook of any liability.

Click Read More if you can't see the widget.

GIVEAWAY: $100 Amazon Twitter Blast Giveaway - US/CAN

As previously mentioned, Makobi Scribe and Madame Deals have created a Twitter giveaway. One winner from US/CAN 18+ will win a $100 Amazon GC for following bloggers on twitter.

The more you follow, the more chances you have.

If you aren't on twitter, don't worry, there will be other giveaways coming up that have different entries. If you follow me on twitter (callista83) and you are a fellow blogger, mention me so I can follow back.

Have fun and Good Luck!

NOTE: Rafflecopter has changed for the better. You can now log in with facebook or name and email and it will remember you from blog to blog. If you have any problems with the form, leave a comment below or email callista83  AT cogeco DOT ca

REVIEW/GIVEAWAY: Pop Cap Games (Plants vs. Zombies, Bejeweled 3, Peggle and Bookworm)

I have a new addiction. Plants vs. Zombies. If you have a computer gamer in your life, one of these games would make a great gift this season!

One of the earlier levels

Plants vs. ZombiesI must admit I thought this game sounded silly when I first heard of it but I agreed to try it. Boy am I glad I did, I LOVE it!  You plant the plants in your yard to defend your house against the zombies.  If the zombies get into your house, they eat your brains and the game is over. You start in your front yard with two plants. After each level, you get another plant and another type of zombie will start to come. Each plant does something different. e.g. Peashooter shoots peas, Wallnut acts as a temporary wall against zombies, Chomper eats a zombie whole. After Level 1-9 you progress to Level 2-0 where it's night time and you must use mushrooms such as Puffshroom which shoots a purple puff and hypnoshroom which hypnotizes the zombie and makes it work for you. More suprises await you on furthur levels such as a pool and even the roof! There are mini games and challenges to unlock as well.

Peggle
This is my second favourite of the games. It's a type of strategy game in that you have to decide what to do as each turn affects your future turns. You shoot balls at a bunch of pegs (orange, blue, purple and green.) You must get rid of all the orange ones to complete the level before you run out of balls. The balls bounce off of each peg and you score points as you go. If you hit a purple peg you get a points boost and the green pegs do different things depending on which character you are playing with. You must complete all levels with a character before it introduces a new character. One you've unlocked levels and a character, you can play those levels with any character you want in a sort of practice mode. There are special bonues you can earn such as Long Shot (when you get one orange and then another orange right after that is far away.)

Bejeweled 3

I think most people might be familiar with Bejeweled. You get a block of jewels and you can switch any two that are adjacent to try to get three in a row. If you do, they disappear and the jewels in those rows move down to make room for more. You try to rack up the points and get special combos that are worth more points (such as 4 in a row or 5 in a row or special jewels.)

There is a whole challenge section that I have not tried yet but it looks like fun. Great for hand eye coordination! If you get stuck, try a hint which will flash the ones you can move. Sometimes after staring at the screen for a while your eyes just don't see what's right in front of you!

Bookworm

I've played different versions of this one before. You connect the letters to form words but the must be adjacent to each other and in the order of the words. You can only use each specific letter once. Make longer or rarer words for more points. Also sometimes you are given a specific word to try to make for points. Great for the word game lover.

I haven't gotten that far yet so who knows if something else awaits me in later levels.

GIVEAWAY

2 Winners will receive their choice of Plants vs Zombies, Peggle or Bejeweled 3 for PC or Mac

NOTE: Rafflecopter has changed how it's form works. You can log in via facebook or with your email so you won't have to enter your name and email each time. If you have any problems, let me know via comments or email callista83@cogeco.ca and I'll try to get it figured out.

A copy of the giveaway rules are below and on the rafflecopter form. Entering the giveaway means you have read and agree to the rules.

GIVEAWAY RULES:
One Person Per Household. Open Worldwide 18+. Giveaway open until December 21, 2011 @ 11:59 PM EST. Winner will be sent link to download the game on PC or Mac and will be given the code to make it a full version.  Odds of winning depend on number of valid entries received. Duplicate (accidental or not) entries will be deleted before a winner is picked and winner's entries WILL BE verified. Winner will be selected using rafflecopter's random.org on December 22, 2011 and will be contacted by email. Winner will have 2 days to claim their prize or their prize is forfeit and another winner will be chosen. Contest Void Where Prohibited. This giveaway is not associated, nor sponsored by Facebook. We hereby release Facebook of any liability.

Click Read More if you can't see the widget.

$100 Amazon Twitter Blast

If you are a blogger reading this post, you have 1 hour left to sign up for a FREE Twitter Boost event hosted by Amee from Madame Deals and Jen from her blogs (Makobi Scribe, Kobiso, Sason & Pobi)

You post about the event and sign up by Dec. 14 9am to be apart of the event.

If you are a twitter follower reading this post, come back starting Dec 16 to enter!

Shopping with Centrsource

Shopping sure has changed.

When I was a kid (not even that many years ago really) you did all your shopping in the store. If a store wasn't in your city, than you couldn't shop at it. You scoured the weekly flyers for the specials so you knew what store to go to and that was about it.

Now many stores allow you to shop online so that if there isn't a specific store in my area, I can shop online and the products shipped to my door. Even if I do have a local store, I can do all my shopping online, even grocery shopping. Plus there are daily deal sites and sites that help you find what you are looking for like Centrsource.

Centrsource is a Canadian site, run by Canada Post. It shows you deals around Canada in different categories. You can search by topic and/or by location to get offers that are relevant to where you live.

When you click on an offer, you are given more information on the product and store it comes from and you are shown how much time you have left to take advantage of the offer. It's not like daily deal sites where you only have one or two days and a certain number of people have to want it first. The deals I looked at today were good until Dec 19, November 2012 and March 2020!

There are ebooks and magazine subscriptions, electronic, home appliances, toys, pets, gifts even vehicles. You can search by seller too.

*Disclosure: I received compensation for this post. All content was written by me and is honest. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

REVIEW/GIVEAWAY: Twooth Timer (Christmas Gift Guide)

You are supposed to brush your teeth for 2 minutes...did you know that?

Getting your kids to do that is a whole other matter. I tell my girls (ages 4 and 5) to brush for two minutes and they say

"How long is 2 minutes? Am I done yet? Now? Now? Now!?"

It just doesn't work. I tried to tell them 2 minutes is as long as the song Happy Birthday but they can't sing in their head yet and they can't sing while they brush. So I try to tell them when two minutes is up and I get side tracked and forget to tell them to stop until 10 minutes later they are still brushing.

So I was happy to see the Twooth Timer. It's a timer in the shape of a tooth, designed to time only 2 minutes, just enough time to brush your teeth. Just spin it around till the arrow points to the 2 and let it go. It ticks until it reaches the 0 and then rings to tell you that you are done brushing.

I taught my kids to put toothpaste on their brush first and make sure they are ready and then to brush well during the whole 2 minutes. After the timer goes off, they are to rinse out their mouths and such.

It's a really cute little timer but we don't have any counters in our bathroom and I can't put it on the windowsill because it moves around when it ticks and rings and it would fall off and break. My younger daughter gets scared when it goes off anyways so now it sits on my computer desk and they can hear it from the bathroom but it's not too loud!


The Twooth Timer Company has a blog where you can read news and other posts on dental care. They also carry some other products like a booklet, tattoos and a stuffed tooth!

Check out the Free Downloads and find Twooth Timer on Facebook and Twitter.

BUY IT: You can purchase the Twooth Timer products at the store or at these online stores and dentists offices. (Twooth Timer is not currently available in Canadian Dental Offices but Twooth Timer would like to change that! If you know any Canadian distributors - tell them you want the product in Canada! - Canadians CAN buy online though.)


GIVEAWAY

To enter, please use the rafflecopter form below. If you don't know how to use it, see this rafflecopter guide. A copy of the giveaway rules are below and on the rafflecopter form. Entering the giveaway means you have read and agree to the rules. If you have any problems, email me callista83@cogeco.ca

GIVEAWAY RULES:
One Person Per Household. Open to US/Canada 18+. Giveaway open until December 16, 2011 @ 11:59 PM EST. Odds of winning depend on number of valid entries received. Duplicate (accidental or not) entries will be deleted before a winner is picked and winner's entries WILL BE verified. Winner will be selected using random.org on December 17, 2011 and will be contacted by email. Winner will have 2 days to claim their prize or their prize is forfeit and another winner will be chosen. Contest Void Where Prohibited. This giveaway is not associated, nor sponsored by Facebook. We hereby release Facebook of any liability.

Click Read More if you can't see the widget.

REVIEW: Paper Jamz Mic Series - Sing Like a Pro (#12DaysGalore Sponsor)

Paper Jamz by WowWee is a hit new toy you may or may not have heard of. The idea is you can sing or make music as if you were a pro, without the big expensive versions of the instruments.

You can choose from a guitar (regular or special artist ones like Justin Bieber!), drums or microphone.

I gave away a guitar for the 12 Days of Gifts Galore giveaway but I decided to review the microphone.

The microphone has room to hold 3 songs to play while you sing as well as fun options:

• Perfect Pitch (analyzes and tunes your pitch as you sing)
• Solo/Duet Mode (Sing with the artist or be the artist by turning it ON or OFF when using the songs)
• Auto-Harmony (Double or Triple singer's voice and shifts pitch to create harmony)
• Auto-Vibrato (adds vibrato (vibration) to singer's voice)
• Chorus (Multiplies singer's vocals to add depth)
• Auto (Recreates original sound of the song - makes me sound like the artist)

Check out the commercial for more information but be warned, it's pretty silly!

I videotaped my girls demonstrating the microphone. I apologize for the swear word in the song and my child picking at her nose LOL.



It's a lot of fun, even I play with it. When my girls cousins come over, they use it to change their voice too. My 12 year old niece hid the microphone in her shirt and the speaker in a pocket of a large blanket she was wearing so whenever she talked, it sounded scary. 

Where to Buy in Canada:

Zellers
Toys R Us
Home Hardware
Sears
Wal-Mart

Find Paper Jamz on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube!

*Disclosure: I received the product(s) mentioned above free of charge by the company or PR representative for evaluation purposes. No other compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

GIVEAWAY: Blogger With Benefits Cash Carnival - 12/8 - 12/22

I've partnered with some other bloggers again for another chance to win cash or an amazon code!

Here you have a chance to win $110 via Paypal or Amazon Code. 

You can enter to win $120 via Paypal or Amazon code here.


Click Read More if you don't see rafflecopter widget. Leave a comment or email me if you have any troubles but keep in mind the giveaway just went up, things are still being ironed out.

You can do one or all entries (we'd love it if you did all!) - there aren't really that many!

REVIEW: Bright Starts Roll & Chase Bumble Bee

When your baby gets to the stage where he or she is learning to crawl, they start to lose interest in toys that just sit there like rattles and blocks because they want to move. So they crawl around your house getting in to everything instead!

The Roll and Chase Bumble Bee from Bright Starts is the perfect type of toy for this stage. It doesn't really roll but sort of "walks" along and plays music to entice your crawler to chase after it.  There are three buttons to push on the front and two settings (ABC and Music.) It doesn't always move, sometimes it just plays the music so your child will have a chance to catch up to it if they are just starting out with crawling.

In my FIRST YouTube video, I demonstrate how it moves (without baby). Please excuse wiggly camera and foot as this was my first try.



My baby, while 8 months, cannot crawl yet so he doesn't use the toy much as it wiggles away from him, but we will keep showing up and maybe one day he'll scoot towards it!

My only recommendations for how it could be better is the buttons should be on top of the toy more, there should be more of them and they should be easier to push.

Find Bright Starts on Facebook and Twitter.


*Disclosure: I received the product(s) mentioned above free of charge by the company or PR representative for evaluation purposes. No other compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

GIVEAWAY: Winter Wonder Week ($500 Cash, Printer, $100 GC, Gaming Bundle, Kindle and iPad2!!)

Welcome to Winter Wonder Week! 100 bloggers have gotten together for a group giveaway with some great prizes for the winter holidays.

You Could Win:

• $500.00 CASH paid via PayPal from all of the participating blogs
• Epson Artisan 837 all in one
• $100 Gift Card from Howard Computers
• 3pc. Gaming Bundle from Newbie Technology
• Kindle from Jolly Savers
• iPad 2 from a Super Secret Sponsor (they’re a nonprofit who have asked to remain anonymous – they just ask you remember the pets this holiday)

As you visit each of the different blogs you’ll find some may have a secret image. That image shows you have earned an extra 5 entries! Let's Go!

To enter, please use the rafflecopter form below. If you don't know how to use it, see this rafflecopter guide. A copy of the giveaway rules are below and on the rafflecopter form. Entering the giveaway means you have read and agree to the rules. If you have any problems, email me callista83@cogeco.ca

Click Read More if you can't see the widget.

REVIEW: Lovable Labels Holly Jolly Gift Pack (#12DaysGalore Sponsor)

 I reviewed the wire tags from Lovable Labels in September and this time I tried out one of their Holiday Packs.

The Holiday Packs are an assorted package of personalized clothing and shoe labels. They come in two sizes and each size comes in two "types." (basically "girlish" and "boyish" but they aren't marked as such so if your boy loves pink or your girl loves blue and red, go for it!)

So what do you get?

The Holly Jolly Gift Pack is $24.99 CDN

Wrapped in a pretty red foil package, the recipient will receive 15 Multi-Purpose Stickers, 40 Slimline Labels, 12 Shoe Labels, 24 Press N' Stick Clothing DOTS (6 Large, 6 Medium and 12 Small) and 2 Mini-Metal Tags.

The Santa Sampler Gift Pack is $14.99 CDN

Wrapped in a pretty red foil package, the recipient will receive 15 Multi-Purpose Stickers, 40 Slimline Labels, and 24 Press N' Stick Clothing DOTS (6 Large, 6 Medium and 12 Small).

 I reviewed the Holly Jolly Gift Pack which comes in Christmas Jewels or Santa's Pick. I chose Christmas Jewels and one of my daughter's names.

As with all Lovable Labels products, the stickers are made of a thicker material to stand up to use and washings and general wear and tear.

The clothing tags are meant to be put on garment tags or care labels, not directly on the fabric. They can also be put on the liners of windbreakers, snowpants, snow jackets etc. They are machine washable and Dryer and Bleach Safe.

The sticker labels can be used for any household items such as lunch pails, water bottles, toys, cups, anything. They are dishwasher and microwave safe.

Keep in mind if ordering for a very young child (18months or younger) in daycare or something that the shoe labels would not fit into a very small shoe. They should work from preschooler size 6 and up at least I'd guess.

Christmas Jewels

Santa's Pick

For a limited time only you will receive gift seals with your purchase of one of the holiday packs. Lovable Labels ships to US and Canada.

Find Lovable Labels on Facebook and Twitter.

*Disclosure: I received the product(s) mentioned above free of charge by the company or PR representative for evaluation purposes. No other compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

REVIEW: My Very Merry First Christmas Personalized Book (I See Me) #12DaysGalore Sponsor

Your child's first Christmas is always a special one. Videos of your baby either helping open the presents or laying quietly absorbing the surroundings (depending on age) is one of those moments you remember.

Many people get Baby's 1st Christmas Ornaments for the tree but I like this idea better.

I See Me has personalized First Christmas books. Your child's name is in the title and in the garland of the tree on the cover as well as throughout the book.

Here's an example using the sample name Jacob:

"Cardinal flapped and fluttered outside of Jacob's house. "Christmas is coming!" I have to tell Mouse!"

It's a small hardcover book with a shiny cover and thick pages. The best part of it is that although it's a Christmas book and Santa and the reindeer do make an appearance, they aren't the stars of the show. It focuses on animals and the Christmas Tree. It's secular too if that's what you are looking for.

Also I was able to personalize it more. His name is on the cover as mentioned and throughout the pages of the book. His full name is in the title page along with a dedication and the inside cover says This book was written especially for Liam. 

I See Me has other personalized books and products too like the My Very Own Name book that I reviewed on my other blog.

*Disclosure: I received the product(s) mentioned above free of charge by the company or PR representative for evaluation purposes. No other compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Low Entry #12DaysGalore Giveaways - Today is LAST DAY to enter

Sharing some 12 Days of Gifts Galore giveaways that could use some love!

Under 500 entries

Scentsy Buddy of Choice! Open to US only. Enter at One Busy Moma

Handcrafted earrings by Sharon Wei Designs! US Only. Enter at Amy Sue's Place

$80 Worth of Computer Games From PopCap Games! US Only. Enter at Making Time For Mommy

Coffee Cup Cozie, Scarf, and Chainmail bracelet. Open worldwide! Enter at Christa's Random Thoughts

Juppy Baby Walker, Lovable Labels, $50 Day Spring gift card. US only. Enter at The Ordinary Aunt

$25 Paypal Gift Card. US Only. Enter at Momndaughtersavings
__________________________________________________

Under 2000 entries

3 hardcover book package (1) Make the Bread, Buy the Butter by Jennifer Reese (2) BAKING WITH THE CAKE BOSS by Buddy Valastro and (3) HORSES NEVER LIE ABOUT LOVE by Jana Harris. US only. Enter at Still Blonde after these YEARS

Veggie Tales: The Little Drummer Boy DVD and Classic Christmas Collection Blu-rays to one winner. US only. Enter at Tethered Mommy!

Front Porch Reviews: 13 Prizes to be won. US & Some Canadian Enter at Front Porch Reviews

I See Me! Personalized Very Merry Christmas Board Book! Open to US. Enter at Maryland Momma's Rambles and Reviews!

4 Prize Packs for moms, babies, and kids including Lovable Labels, Juppy Baby Walker and more! Open to US. Enter at Simmworks Family Blog

4 Prize Packs including Lovable Labels, Fashion items, and Stuffed Toys. Open to US, one to US and Canada. Enter at Frugal Mom of Two

GourmetGiftBasket, GIANTmicrobes, and Loveable Labels prize package to one winner. US Only. Enter at Pretty Opinionated

8 Prize packs with lots of kitchen related stuff Prize fund is over $800! All open to US Way 2 Good Life!

$50 DaySpring GC, $25 MelissaandDoug GC, Get Fit Precision Scale, open to US. Enter at Di Doodlings

My Memories Digital Scrapbooking Program ($40 value), $40 Something About Silver Gift Card, Lovable Labels Holly Jolly Custom Label Pack ($25 value) & Custom Hand Decorated Clipboard ($10 value)! US 18+ enter at CEO of Me, Inc.

Baby Items, 2 winners: Amber Teething Necklace and Earth Mama Angel Baby Foaming Soap Package. Little Toader Toddler Pajama and Story Book Set. US/CAN, enter at Untrained Hair Mom

$40 GC to Something About Silver and ALL-ETT Original Leather Wallet. US/CAN. Enter at The Shopping Duck

Glorious Goodies Prize Pack - $25 GC to My Baby Clothes Boutique, babysuit or t-shirt from Cape Cod Baby Company, Gourmet Assortment of Marshmallows, Loveable Labels gift pack, Letter from Santa, Rudolph or Frosty! Open to US only. Enter at Nap Time is My Time

$25 Cash Via Paypal - Open Worldwide enter at Acting Balanced

$50 value Handmade Gold and Turquoise Necklace Open to US/Canada Being Tazim

12 Days Prize packs $25 Christmas Labels and $179 ZoneDiet food - Open to US and Canada. Enter at Long Wait For Isabella!

Prize Pack Valued at $160 includes Amazon Rain Skin Care, Douglas Cuddle Toys ($50 value), Personalized Christmas Ornament and Gyro Bowl. Open to US/Can. Enter at Mom Always Finds Out.

13 Prizes up for Grabs: Jumpin Jammerz, Hand Warmers, Bag, Labels, Book & Calendar, Open to US/Can. Enter at Front Porch Reviews

Croc purse (made from an upcycled placemat!) - valued at $74 - Enter at The Jolly Blogger

EdenFantasys $50 Gift Code - US Only. Enter at Staying Me!

One Winner: 3 Month Subscription to JumpStart.com, EcoFoil Prize Pack, Personalized Letter from Santa, Howard B. Wigglebottom and The Power of Giving: A Christmas Story Book - US only - Yummy Boy Mummy

One Winner: PlasmaCar, Personalized Santa Letter, Santa Video. Two Winners: Personalized Santa Letters. US/CAN Nickel-and-Diming with Nikki

$20 Target gift card & (new) Missoni For Target Scarf - 2 prizes for 1 winner. Open to US/Can. Enter at CHESTERRIFIC

GOOD LUCK

8 Days of Daily Flash Giveaways Galore - $5 Paypal - Today Only

Just when you thought the 12 Days of Gifts Galore Event couldn't get any better than this, we go and bring you something a little extra. From now through the end of the event on December 6th, a group of us are going to bring you daily flash giveaways! Think of these as stocking stuffers.

Here are the participating blogs and a direct link to their own 12 Days of Gifts Galore giveaway:

Spotlight: Live Call With Santa with SantaSpeaking.com - Sponsor for #12DaysGalore

Would your child like to talk to Santa on the phone? It's possible!

SantaSpeaking.com offers live, interactive, personalized phone calls with Santa Claus.

"When Santa calls, he's a kind, generous and "jolly old soul" who knows your child's name, whether they've been naughty or nice, who their best friends are, and for that matter - what kind of grades they got on their last report card, or how they did on their latest dance recital."

You can get the call for one child or more than one and you can purchase a mini CD or MP3 recording of the call as well. The mini CD doubles as a tree ornament.

The company ensures that your child's call is safe. You can read about their practices here.

A Bit About the Company:

"Bob and Linda have both experienced the magic of believing in miracles, each having survived individual diagnoses of cancer. Linda was cured of colon cancer, and Bob is currently in long-term remission from pancreatic cancer. It is their hope that bringing the magic of Santa to you may also help bring about an end to this tragic disease, and thus, a portion of all net profits will be donated to the STAND UP TO CANCER organization."

Send your kids to visit Santa's Wonderland, a site for kids with Fun and Games, a Santa Tracker and the ability to email Santa. (make sure your speakers aren't too loud before you go there!)

How much a call costs depends on a few factors.

The pricing is determined by 2 things:
1. Type of call (single, extended, cd, no cd, etc.
2. The scheduled date of the call (prices go higher as it gets closer to Xmas.

See all the details here.

Buy It: Order your personalized call now!

Win It: Hurry there are only two days left to enter to win a live call (Single or Extended through 12/22) and CD during the 12 Days of Giveaways Galore (ends Dec. 6 11:59 PM EST)

*Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Giving Back! A Christmas for Kids Giveaway - WW - till Dec 15

I'm a participating blogger in this giveaway over at One Busy Moma. Enter to win $125 via paypal! at

So what's this all about?

"Every year for the last 3 years I have adopted a family in need on this blog to help for Christmas. We have done really well in the past in raising money for these families. This year we thought we would add something else to the mix to help spread the word about what we are doing!

One Busy Moma & Miki's Hope teamed up with 27 other blogs to help raise the remainder of the money we need to send to this family. Each blog paid a $10 sign up fee and the money got split - $6 went to the donations for the family we adopted and $4 towards a cash prize for all of you. We ended up in total with a cash prize of $116 and then Miki's Hope pitched in an extra $9 to make the cash prize an even $125. We also ended up with a total of $440 to be donated to the family - but One Busy Moma has pitched in $25 more to make it $465. So we were only $35 away from reaching the total goal of $500."

ENTER NOW