Birthday Wishes for Super Hubby

What do you say to a man who holds your heart? What do you do for a man who gave you the world wrapped up in one little bundle of boy? Whatever it is, it just isn't enough to express my love and devotion to Super Hubby. Happy Birthday, my sweet!

Kiddo and I love you dearly, respect you immensely, and cherish you like crazy. There won't be a big party, expensive gifts, or 45 balloons, but there will be love. Love is all we need!

I love you and consider myself the luckiest girl in the world! Happy birthday to my best friend. 

And, since it is a day of gifts, congrats to apham17! You are the winner of the Jack and the Giant Slayer Blu-Ray Combo Pack! Just shoot me an e-mail with your address and it'll be sent to you! Congrats!

What? It's Thursday! and a Giveaway

How did Thursday happen? I thought the catalyst for Thursday coming was What I Made Wednesday. Oops, sorry! What happened? Summer happened. 'Nuf said.

Check back next Wednesday for the conclusion of the Lord of the Rings/Minecraft birthday party. To catch up, you can click here and here.

To make up for my lack of post, please accept this giveaway as a peace offering. Winning is easy! Just leave a comment and you'll be entered to win this awesome blockbuster movie, Jack and the Giant Slayer. You have until Monday, midnight to leave an entry! Winners to be announced Tuesday, June 25 (Super Hubby's birthday!).

The Giveaway: The Official Blu-Ray Combo Pack

Warner Bros. is proud to announce the arrival of Jack the Giant Slayer released on DVD & Blu-ray on June 18!

Unleashed on the Earth for the first time in centuries, the giants strive to reclaim the land they once lost, forcing Jack (Nicholas Hoult), into the battle of this life to stop them and rescue the princess!

The question is... are you courageous enough to rescue the princess? Are you brave like Jack?  Take the quiz to find out!

 

The prize will be sent via FedEx or UPS. No P.O. Boxes please.
 
Disclosure: Please note that the assets included within this message were delivered in promotion of the Warner Bros. release of the Jack the Giant Slayer Blog App. I am working with Warner Bros., and Warner Bros. supplied these materials to me for this giveaway.

Chick-fil-A Giveaway

Who doesn't love Chick-fil-A? There are fresh flowers on every table and in the bathroom at their restaurants. They sell chicken that actually looks like chicken (and the taste is always fresh)! They are closed Sunday so their employees are encouraged to spend family time together. They give boat-loads of scholarships to kids. And, they were the first to offer the brand new Heinz ketchup packaging (squeeze or dip)!

With summer break lurking next week, Kiddo and I will be out and about during the day exploring sites in the city. A tweener (especially a male) can get very hungry, very quickly. That's when I'll be stopping by a Chick-fil-A to check out the new salads and wrap. With swimsuit season already here, it's time to change the diet a bit. Just because I choose fast food, doesn't mean I have to choose fried foods. Chick-fil-A has introduced 3 new salads and a wrap all under 430 calories. With Chick-fil-A's new menu, I don't have to compromise my healthy choices for taste! With Chick-fil-A's new menu options, I can have both.



I want you to try the new menu, too! Chick-fil-A has provided me with a 2-pack of salad coupons to give away to one of my readers. All you have to do is take the "Starter" quiz found below and tell me your results by leaving a Comment! How easy is that? You have until Thursday, May 23, midnight EST, to enter! A winner will be selected using Random.org and will be announced on Friday! Be sure to check back to see if you won.

The prize will be sent via FedEx or USPS. No P.O. Boxes please.
Please note I am working with Chick-fil-A, and Chick-fil-A supplied these materials to me.

Giveaway Winners!

We interrupt the Series: Elements of Happiness to take care of some important business. I'd like to announce the winners of our two giveaways.

 

The winner of The Bible giveaway is Michele from The Great Read.

The winner of the Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack of Return to Nim's Island is Suzan from Pocketful of Memory Cards.


Congrats, ladies! I don't know any people more deserving. Thanks for playing. Please e-mail me your home address (no P.O. Boxes, please). Your winnings will be sent to you via FedEx or UPS. My e-mail address can be found on my blog's Profile page to the left. I need your address by Friday morning (that's tomorrow)!

The final installment of the Series: Elements of Happiness will conclude next week. If you'd like to catch-up, please click here for the latest post, that also links you to previous posts.

Disclosure: I am working with History Channel in providing this Giveaway and History Channel has supplied the Prize materials for the winner.

Disclosure: I am working with Walden Media & Hallmark Channel, and Walden Media & Hallmark Channel supplied these materials to me to give away.
   

Goodbye Week. Hello Weekend. Lessons Learned: Take 86.

Goodbye spending some "quality time" at the BMV, renewing my license, buying new tags, and getting an E-check for my car - oh the burdens of life.
Goodbye melting snow and wondering how amazing the ground is to soak up so much water. 
Goodbye thinking about organizing my home room by room ("thinking" being the operative word). 
Goodbye Joan of Arc trial at Kiddo's school (he was a French juror and still found Joan guilty of treason, but not guilty of herecy). 
Goodbye school schedule, school work, school commitments, because we're saying...


Hellooooo to SPRING BREAK; two-plus weeks of glorious rest and recuperation.
Hello checking out the new digs at the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Hello taking some day trips to explore some surrounding towns we've never been to.
Hello welcoming another beautiful J. Peterman Company catalog into the house (melt).
Hello seeing where the wind takes us each day and making sure we don't "schedule" much.

The Lesson Learned this week is a simple one: the reward is so much sweeter when you had to work your tush off for it! Kiddo has been burning the candle at both ends this past week. With getting to school a half hour early for play rehearsal, to studying for 5 tests in 5 days, to still keeping up with the homework and trumpet practice, as well; I can say that this Spring Break is one that has been EARNED by this Kiddo (I'd include myself in that). So, time to rest the mind, slow down the body, and recharge the soul. If he had to work this hard for 2-weeks off, what's involved in 2-months off? Something tells me when we start school again on April 2, it's full-speed ahead until summer vacation!!!! Whew!

Have a safe and happy St. Patrick's Day! And, check out the giveaway below!!!

 
Giveaway
Announcing the movie Return to Nim’s Island premiering on Hallmark Channel March 15th 2013 at 8/7C!

Return to Nim’s Island, the sequel to Walden Media’s 2008 box office hit Nim's Island, picks up the story a few years later with 14-year-old Nim (Bindi Irwin) more determined than ever to protect her island and the animals that call it home. With ruthless resort developers and greedy wildlife poachers threatening the existence she loves, Nim realizes she and her animal pals can’t defend their home alone. To save her island, she is forced to combine forces with an outsider: Edmund, a runaway from the mainland. Only with his help does she stand a chance of stopping the villains from dismantling her world.

Return to Nim's Island marks the debut of Walden Family Theater, presented by Walmart and P&G.  The new destination for family entertainment, exclusively on Hallmark Channel. 

What You Can Win!
To be entered, all you have to do is leave a comment at this post. That's it! If randomly selected, you'll win a Return to Nim's Island Blu-Ray Combo Pack!

Winner selected on March 21!

Disclosure: I am working with Walden Media & Hallmark Channel, and Walden Media & Hallmark Channel supplied these materials to me to give away.

Goodbye Week. Hello Weekend. Lessons Learned: Take 84.

Goodbye to Super Hubby taking Kiddo to school almost every single day this week - what a treat and luxury.
Goodbye 2 more lost pounds; that makes a total of 4 pounds and 6 more to go.
Goodbye searching for the perfect coffee mug to hold my addiction, story to follow soon (thanks, Grammie).
Goodbye month of February - you were so sweet and loveable!
Goodbye spending some precious time visiting with my parents and wishing for more days like it.

Hello March - lion or lamb?
Hello "date night" with Kiddo, enjoying dinner at Abeulo's and attending the Middle School play, Grease. It is the word!
Hello popping in The DaVinci Code as I'm suddenly in the mood for some Conclave Conspiracy theories.
Hello sweet sister-in-law's birthday; I hope it's a nice one.
Hello anticipating an epic 10-part miniseries on The History Channel, with Executive Producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey: The Bible. Click here to preview!

 

My Lesson Learned this week involves The Bible miniseries from The History Channel. The Bible is filled with so many life lessons and Mark Burnett and Roma Downey are taking Its teachings to a whole new level; a level more relatable to the youth of today. They are using media to portray many teachings that a person of today may have missed in their hustle-bustle lives. I have high expectations of this miniseries and look forward to learning more about living through the stories they have chosen to recapture on the small screen. My lesson learned is no matter how the Message is delivered, whether in a church, a book, or on a television screen, what's important is that the Message is received.

The History Channel writes:
"Breathtaking in scope and scale, The Bible features powerful performances, exotic locales and dazzling visual effects that breathe spectacular life into the dramatic tales of faith and courage from Genesis through Revelation. This historic television event is sure to entertain and inspire the whole family! Where will YOU be 3.3.13?"

To celebrate, The History Channel is sponsoring a giveaway. All you have to do is visit this site, click here. You can take the Bible quiz, if you'd like, and you can see if you recognize the characters and stories The Bible plans to tell. The site is counting down to 3.3.13!

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on my site sharing your Bible quiz results, your favorite Bible story or character, or just tell me what you're doing on 3.3.13. Enter as often as you'd like. Winners will be chosen by March 21, 2013.

What you can win: a copy of one of the official The Bible companion books! (Prize will be chosen randomly from the book titles below)
        A Story of God and All of Us (HARDCOVER)
        A Story of God and All of Us (REFLECTIONS)
        A Story of God and All of Us (YOUNG READERS)

Prize will be sent via FedEx or UPS. No P.O.Boxes, please!

When leaving a comment, be sure to leave an e-mail so I may contact you, the winner!

Disclosure: I am working with History Channel in providing this Giveaway and History Channel has supplied the Prize materials for the winner.      
 

Winner of a LOVD {Giveaway}

Using random.org, the winner of last week's LOVD giveaway for the Halloween Decor Pillow is...

Comment #5 from aunt K...

aunt K said,
I also look forward to this blog. Love the cool air that brings us into the Halloween season.

September 20, 2012 4:36 PM

Congratulations!!!! Privately send me your home address using lilanaslater@earthlink.net and I'll send you the pillow before the candy corn starts to turn stale! You have 48 hours or we'll have to pick another winner, so HURRY!!!!

Thank you to everyone that participated. I really appreciate the time you took to enter. 

A LOVD {Giveaway}: The Perfect Halloween Pillow

I'm celebrating the start of my favorite season with a giveaway that's just perfect for Halloween. The generous owners of Chagrin Valley Antiques, Tom and Diana Colucci, were so tickled with the "Going Local" post I wrote last year, they wanted to offer this fantastic, and hilarious, Folk Art pillow ($30 value) to a lovely LOVD reader! If you missed it, you can catch that post by clicking here.

Win this American Folk Art pillow! Rick rack trim, embroidered words, USA-made.

Rules are simple this time around. All you have to do is leave a comment to be entered to win. Also, for extra entry, Follow Me and leave a comment saying you already are a Follower or you've just become one! Each comment will be considered as an entry. If you don't leave an e-mail address, check back next Tuesday to see if you are the WINNER! You have until Monday, September 24, noon, to leave your comments for entry.

Not sure how to leave a comment if you don't blog? No prob.

a. Click "Comment" at the end of this post

b. Type your comment in the "Leave your comment" box

c. Choose "Name/URL" as your identity if you don't know what the other choices are

d. Just put your name (or what you want to go by) in the Name Field

e. Don't have to put anything in the URL field - when the winner is picked, you'll have to check back on Tuesday, September 25 if you didn't leave an e-mail

g. Then click "Publish your comment"

Not sure where the FOLLOWER button is? Click refresh and look to the right column where it says Join This Site.

Giveaway is for USA and Canadian residents for free shipping. You must check back on Tuesday, September 25 for the winner announcement. Winner must privately e-mail me their home address within a 48-hour period from time of announcement to claim their prize or another entry will be chosen.

Thanks for participating and good luck!


And in case you missed yesterday's W.I.M. Wednesday, click here!

Root Beer Wars...and We Have a Giveaway Winner!

My family takes great entertainment in blind taste-testing our favorite food categories and determining a hands-down winner. We've put various popcorn varieties head-to-head. We actually made 6 different hamburger recipes and declared a winner before the coals cooled in the barbie! Do you not remember the French Fry post? Hey, if you're going to try to live a life of excellence, you might as well find the best tastes for your buds, right?
Root beer. I've never been a fan growing up but Super Hubby had me hooked a few years back as he used it as a vehicle for vanilla ice cream, introducing me to root beer floats. Our son's palate is more sophisticated, as he cracked his first crab leg at the age of 3 and insists lobster is his favorite meal; I had more mac-n-cheese tastes back in my toddling years. So yes, our son's a fan of the root beer.

Don't overwhelm by choosing too many to taste.

In keeping with tradition, we began our search for competitors. We ventured out to our local grocery store and World Market, in order to get the variety we were hoping to sample. FYI - our son's teacher loves root beer and we gave him his own collection to sample as our end-of-the-year teacher's gift.

We are very familiar with A & W Root Beer, as well as Mug Root Beer, so we left those out of the competition. We gathered our paper bags to wrap each bottle ensuring a "blind" taste-test, labeled each bag with a number, and started pouring into our little sample cups. Each sample got its own cup. With pen and paper in hand, we began rating our sips like a Sommelier analyzes wine. We smelled, we swished, we swallowed and we each came up with our own favorite. Super Hubby's fave: Virgil's. Kiddo's fave: Jones. My fave: Natural Brew. But favorites does not a winner make; we needed consensus. And the winner is...Jones Root Beer. Congrats!

Speaking of winners, the winner to LOVD's Etsy Shop $20 gift card according to Random.org is:

Ashley who said...
"I have never actually bought anything from Etsy, but I do have plans to when my best friend finds out what she is having today!"

Ooo, Ashley, I created a "Nesting" necklace you may want to consider for your best friend after I open up the shop!!!!
 

I'll be sure to e-mail you so we can stay in touch...and you can bug me about finally opening up the shop!

See you tomorrow for a fascinating What I Made Wednesday. Follow Me, Like Me, or Subscribe so you're sure not to miss it!

You Know You're a Blogger When...and {A Giveaway!}

Source

You know you’re a blogger when…

10. You’ve attended more Linky parties in one week than you have cocktail parties all year.

9.  You watch the weather forecast for sunshine and schedule those days to take photos of your latest craft or recipe to get the best natural light.

8. “Just give me 5 minutes, son” turns into 45 minutes because you’re visiting other blogs and commenting.

7. You look for scrap pieces of paper to jot down a random thought you just had in line at the grocery store because you don’t want to forget it for a future blog post.

6. You save tons of cool recipes but never get around to making any of them.

5. You don’t look at everyday items the same way anymore because you think, “How could I use that in a craft project?”

4. Your family thinks every time you whip out the camera it’s only to take pictures for the blog.

3. A lot of your pictures in your photo library are close-ups of inanimate objects.

2. You’ve been late picking up your child from school because you couldn’t tear yourself away from Pinterest.

1. You know in your heart bloggy friends are real friends.

The Giveaway

This giveaway is going to be a bonus for me as much as for you, so thank you in advance. Here's the prize: $20 gift card to my LOVD Etsy Shop. It's not even open, yet? Yes, I know! But having a $20 gift card floating around out there in some one's hot little hands will force me to list my wares!!!! Above is a small sampling of what I'll be listing. Tons more from where this came from, trust me!

How to Enter

Be sure to leave a comment for each activity you do:

1. Leave a comment telling us if you've ever shopped on Etsy.

2. Become a LOVD Follower via GFC, Linky Follower, or "Like" LOVD on Facebook - be sure to leave a comment saying you did so or if you are already!

Comment entries deadline: Monday, July 2 at midnight! Check back on Tuesday for the winner announcement!

Winner will be chosen using random.org. Good luck!  

A LOVD {Giveaway}: Official LEGO Star Wars T-Shirt

My birthday is tomorrow and it's a biggie. I believe giving really is better than receiving so what better way to celebrate than with a giveaway for all my LOVD readers.

Moms, grandmothers, babysitters, girlfriends, if you win this T-shirt for your LEGO/Star Wars fan, they'll love ya to pieces! The T-shirt is a size Medium adult and is pre-shrunk cotton.

It's so easy to enter, just leave a comment. Not sure how? Keep reading. Not sure what to comment? Just tell us who you want the shirt for or who your favorite character is, or why George Lucas is a genius. It doesn't matter what you comment, just leave a comment for entry! You have until Thursday, April 19, midnight, to leave your comments for entry.

Not sure how to leave a comment if you don't blog? No prob.

a. Click "Comment" at the end of this post

b. Type your comment in the "Leave your comment" box

c. Enter the word verification

d. Choose "Name/URL" as your identity if you don't know what the other choices are

e. Just put your name (or what you want to go by) in the Name Field

f. Don't have to put anything in the URL field - when the winner is picked, they'll have to claim the prize by e-mailing me by next Monday

g. Then click "Publish your comment"

MORE ENTRIES, more chances to win...

2. "Like" feelLOVDeveryday on Facebook

3. Become a Linky Follower of feelLOVDeveryday

4. Become a GFC Follower
5. Subscribe via e-mail AND verify your subscription

For every entry activity, be sure to leave a comment!!!!!!

1 winner will be randomly chosen by computer. You must check back on Friday, April 20 for the winner. Winner must privately e-mail me their home address within a 48-hour period from time of announcement to claim the prize or another winner will be chosen.

Thank you to the local LEGO store at Beachwood Place for donating this great shirt from a recent LEGO Club Meeting event (a paid event). For more LEGO store events like this one, click here. There are FREE events also hosted by LEGO like the monthly mini build sessions. Find out more from this earlier post!

 
On a sidenote, thank you, thank you to Jenna Burger from Daily Do It Yourself! for featuring my What I Made Wednesday Melted Crayon Project. Go check it out - woo-hoo!!!
 

Winner, Winner, Chicken (McNuggets) Dinner

Immense appreciation goes out to all who took the time to participate in the McDonald's Giveaway from last Thursday. Thank you!!!

 Comment #4: Amy, who said, "My fave is the Shamrock shake too."

MARCH 8, 2012 6:24 AM

Congratulations, Amy, looks like the luck of the shake worked for you! Go ahead and send me an e-mail with your mailing address and I'll get out the goods ASAP. Thanks for participating, everybody!

And, thank you to McDonald's for such a generous grab bag. Winner was chosen using random.org, a computer-generated random number selector.

McDonald's Takes the Lead and {A Giveaway}

McDonald's once again earns the title of industry leader in providing even better, healthier choices for our littlest eaters. The Happy Meal has been revamped and parents are likely to be pleasantly surprised. Remember when you had to argue with your kids to choose the apples over the french fries when ordering their Happy Meal? Do you also remember the disappointment you felt when your girlfriend's kids ordered the apples and your kid walked up to the counter and adamantly answered "Fries!" so loud the people in the drive-thru could hear him? Embarrassment no more, my friends! Now, when your child orders a Happy Meal, expect the apples to be standard fare. Whew, right? Well, there's more!

McDonald's genuinely cares about our kids and their health and anything McDonald's does causes a huge ripple effect in the industry. The societal impact made by McDonald's and its actions are monumental. So much so that others in the fast food industry soon follow their lead. When redesigning the Happy Meal, McDonald's also looked at portion control and how children perceive a single serving size. The fact is, even the small fries are too much of a good thing for our kids. McDonald's reduced the size of the fries to "kid size", appropriately proportioned to tiny tummies. Learning about portion control starts young so as McDonald's spearheads this campaign, I say BRAVO! Other changes include the fat-free chocolate milk.

McDonald's is all about options. Over the years they have adjusted their menu to accommodate the public's desire for healthier choices. McDonald's should be commended for their menu updates. Is it their fault I still order the Big Mac value meal when I could be ordering the delicious chicken salad don't you have Big Mac days with balsamic vinaigrette? The same philosophy is behind the new Happy Meal. If your child prefers, and you approve, you can still get your Happy Meal with the original, small fries option. But say nothing and you'll get the kid size fries and apples on the side automatically. Not a bad way to manipulate the situation, huh? Heck, you could even make McDonald's the scape-goat as your kids open their Happy Meal to find the changes a bit unnerving. I can hear you saying it now, "Can you believe it? McDonald's changed their Happy Meal. Well, it's there, you might as well eat those apples," as you grin ear to ear on the inside.

Isn't this McDonald's absolutely stunning? It was a great event! Rockside Rd., Independence, Ohio

Last week I attended a mom blogger event hosted by McDonald's and they gave me some extra grab bag items that I wanted to share with a lucky LOVD reader. Here's what's included in the bag:

exclusive 1-GB McDonald's flash stick (so cool, and useful)

McDonald's Frisbee (fun, and your friends will be jealous, promise)

McDonald's band-aides (yeah, they do exist)
Recycled Journal (even the pen is recycled)

8 - coupons for FREE Happy Meals (did someone say FREE FOOD)

Giveaway winner will be chosen Tuesday, March 13, so check back then!

HOW TO ENTER?

1. Enter to win by leaving a comment telling us your favorite McDonald's menu item.

MORE ENTRIES, more chances to win...

2. "Like" feelLOVDeveryday on Facebook

3. Become a Linky Follower of feelLOVDeveryday

4. "Like" McDonald's on Facebook

Leave a comment for each activity you did. US Residents only (sorry).
Winner will be selected via random.org.

The flash drive is worth your time to comment!

Source

There is one more contest I want you to know about. McDonald's is giving away a trip to the London Olympics to 10 lucky, creative kids and their one parent/guardian. All you have to do is make a video having your child talk about how your family makes mealtime fun while making healthy eating choices. Click here for more information. Deadline April 18.

Full Disclosure: I was invited to the Mom Blogger Press Release Event sponsored by NEO McDonald's and was provided grab bags with indicated contents and a meal (which was delicious, by the way: did you know there are over 14 different lettuce varieties in their salads? Ooo, I'm lovin' it!)

Begin your entries and Good Luck!

A Tale of Two Giveaways

The tale has been told before; we're all too familiar with the premise. One is of victory, the other a tragedy. Yet, both stories have wisdom to offer the reader, at least those of us who want to be fed it...

There I sat yesterday afternoon assuming the all too familiar position: laptop atop my lap, legs crossed ankle over ankle stretched across a perfectly sized miniature version of a sofa we call a loveseat; positioned tangentially in front of my bay window to the world as it streamed sunshine through the glass, confused as to how brightly it wanted to penetrate the room.

The strange whir of the mail truck stopped suddenly outside my home. Normally, I would be excited about this sudden cessation of putter but I knew my husband was expecting a package consisting of a not-so-exciting computer battery thing-a-majig so I continued my own puttering amidst the keyboard keys without skipping a beat. The heavy thump of a package being plopped down on our front porch signaled Hubby to come bounding down the stairs. He opened the door, noticed it was not his much anticipated package, and responded with, "Are you expecting a package? It smells like...coffee?"

Take a look at that coffee bean t-shirt - love it!

 My mind raced, my fingers stalled, I remembered. My wonderful blog friend Michele had a giveaway on her blog recently at The Great Read and I had WON!!! I held the package in my hands and started fingernail scraping the tape right off, ending it's love affair with the cardboard. As I broke their union the sweet smell of coffee aroma wafted into my nostrils. I opened the box and found a mother load of goodies that just simply made my day. That is a giveaway with a happy ending.

I have, still, another tale to tell; one of tragedy and despair. My latest giveaway didn't go so well and, to be completely honest, it was doomed from the start. I posted a Going Local article, click here to read it, and was thrilled to hear the owners of the shop were willing to donate a little something from their shop as a giveaway prize to one of my lucky readers. I was so excited when I went to go pick-up their offer as I was convinced it would be one of their gourds they are so famous for selling.

I arrived and was generously,mind you, given the pillow you see in this post, click here. The minute I received the pillow it was like a heavy burden of an orphan's caretaker to whom I could not find a home. I figured beggars can't be choosers but in my heart I knew my readers well enough to know that none would probably want such a pillow, or for that matter, could live up to the pillow's phrase or if you could, wouldn't want to admit it. I'm about as Pollyanna as it gets and I have a pretty good sense of humor but when I wouldn't want the prize myself, then re-evaluation is in order. Not one entry for this pillow was cast not for lack of readers and so, it will find its way back to the shop from which it came. I appreciate the store's generosity but it just didn't resonate with LOVD readers, tongue in cheek or not. My apologies, dear readers. From now on, if I don't find the item a bit painful to give away, wishing I could keep it for myself, then it won't be part of a LOVD giveaway. My heart will, from now on, be the judge and I hope you continue to participate in future fun.

Handmade mugs by Jewel Pottery

Summit Coffee

Dear readers, do you accept my apology?