Thanks to Zoe for this wonderful new look and for sponsoring this giveaway. And thanks to all of you who commented and entered!
Showing posts with label contests. Show all posts
Showing posts with label contests. Show all posts
Mar 4, 2009
Chic and Sassy Designs Winner
Congratulations to Dapoppins! Her name came up in Random.org as the winner of the $25 gift certificate to Chic and Sassy Designs.
Thanks to Zoe for this wonderful new look and for sponsoring this giveaway. And thanks to all of you who commented and entered!
Thanks to Zoe for this wonderful new look and for sponsoring this giveaway. And thanks to all of you who commented and entered!
Feb 26, 2009
Homeschool Mom Steps Outside the Box—and Dances on Top
Note: Please give a warm welcome to my hilarious friend, author Annette Fix! I love her even more after reading her following guest post on homeschooling. She totally gets me when it comes to trying to fit into the two most distinct camps in the homeschooling world.
It's not easy finding someone who is from the same Truck Masters School of Language as Annette puts it (I'm the fellow graduate *giggle*), and who is fun-loving, laid-back and non-judgy. But Annette is all of the above and that's why I adore her.
Be sure to read to the end to find out how to win an autographed copy of Annette's hilarious book The Break-Up Diet. (It's one of my favorites now)
Also don't forget about my giveaway for a $25 to Chic and Sassy Design. Enjoy!
*********
My sensibilities have always been more “Dallas” than “Little House on the Prairie”—so, when I decided to homeschool my son through junior high, I quickly discovered that my assimilation to the homeschooling culture would be as easy as shampooing and blow-drying a cat.
I started by attending my first conference, eager to take notes in all the sessions and absorb the wisdom packed into the phone-book-sized manual. During a break, I sat at a table filled with other homeschooling mothers, and began flipping through the binder. I came across a page of sample math word problems. Example: If Eve gave Adam 6 apples in the Garden of Eden and he ate 4 of them, how many sins were left?
Um…seriously? Math sins? I looked around to see if I was on a candid camera show. Unfortunately, I was not. However, I was the only mother at the table, laughing like a deranged witch, and ripping pages out of the binder. By the time I tore out every page I didn’t agree with, the content of the remaining pages wouldn’t have filled a prayer card. When I turned around from dumping the harvested pages into the nearest trash bin, the other mothers at the table had formed a hand-clasped circle and were praying for the salvation of my misguided soul.
Note to self: Not my scene. Run. Run far away. Very fast.
Next, I decided to attend a different type of homeschooling conference—someplace where I’d be less likely to be struck by lightning or burned at the stake. At my second conference, I was embraced by granola-crunchy moms who make organic pasta, name their children after indigenous plants, and don't own shoes. The environment felt much more inclusive and welcoming, even if it was a circus of free-love and Bobby McFerrin unschooling.
Out of the two choices, it seemed like the most suitable fit—until I could locate an organization of college-educated, homeschooling, exotic dancer/single moms. But I wasn’t going to bet my brass pole on that ever happening.
Unlike the first conference, children were allowed to attend, and my son enjoyed meeting kids who reinforced what I told him—homeschooling would be an adventure. He could blow up a bottle of Mountain Dew and Mentos in the backyard. Study the mating habits of the North African gerbil. Or learn to play the “Star Spangled Banner” on a xylophone. Lack of imagination is the only limit in homeschooling.
At this conference, I was introduced to the concept of multiple intelligences and their related learning styles. That’s when I realized my son’s problems in public elementary school were the result of his kinesthetic learning style, not A.D.D. as his teachers claimed. A light came on for both of us and it helped me guide my son to his current success as a professional photographer at the age of 20.
Though my homeschooling days have come to an end, a recent conversation with a like-minded mom (and fellow graduate of Truck Masters School of Language) caused me to reflect on my experience. I’ve always been a little outside of the box, and because of it, I’ve become a keen observer of human nature and an armchair quarterback of social psychology.
I found that although the utmost care is given to making the decision to homeschool their child/student, many homeschool moms try to conform to rigid expectations—outside expectations—of who they should be, how they should behave, what curriculum they should use and how they should teach. This was especially true in the conservative homeschooling culture.
All the posturing and Mary Kay façades seemed so counterproductive to the end goal—preparing the children for attaining success in the world—teaching real life skills: financial independence, social and environmental consciousness, development of aspirations and a sense of purpose, strong communication abilities, emotional maturity and an understanding of their sexuality, interpersonal relationship skills, the ability to reason and overcome challenges, and most of all, to have a solid sense of self to embrace and be authentically who they are.
That’s a big job that goes far beyond teaching algebra and U.S. history. But how can a child/student learn those valuable life skills if their homeschool mom is not teaching by example?
Thoughts? Questions? Comments? I’d love to hear them.
***
Annette Fix was a single mom, sole support and care of her son for 15 years. She has been happily married for 5 years and is adjusting to an empty nest. She is a freelance editor, a publishing industry and single parenting speaker, Senior Editor of WOW! Women On Writing, and the author of The Break-Up Diet: A Memoir-the heartbreaking and hilarious true story of a 30-something homeschooling single mom and aspiring writer who is working as an exotic dancer, searching for Prince Charming, and trying to find the perfect balance between her dreams and her day-to-day life as Supermom.
You can email her directly at annette[at]annettefix[dot]com.
For the length of her blog tour, Annette will be giving away free digital copies of her memoir. If you’d like a copy, send an email to promo[at]thebreak-updiet[dot]com, please put “So a Blonde Walks Into a Blog” in the subject line.
To win an autographed copy of The Break-Up Diet, simply leave a comment here (Haloscan or Blogger) with your thoughts on Annette's post above.
For bonus entries, you can do one or all of the following (one bonus entry for each method):
~Twitter a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with the link to your Tweet.
~Write about this giveaway on your blog with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with a link to your post.
Deadline to enter is 11:59 p.m. ET, Thursday, March 5, 2009. Winner will be selected at random through Random.org and contacted by email (so be sure there's an email address to be found in your comment or profile).
Good luck!
It's not easy finding someone who is from the same Truck Masters School of Language as Annette puts it (I'm the fellow graduate *giggle*), and who is fun-loving, laid-back and non-judgy. But Annette is all of the above and that's why I adore her.
Be sure to read to the end to find out how to win an autographed copy of Annette's hilarious book The Break-Up Diet. (It's one of my favorites now)
Also don't forget about my giveaway for a $25 to Chic and Sassy Design. Enjoy!
My sensibilities have always been more “Dallas” than “Little House on the Prairie”—so, when I decided to homeschool my son through junior high, I quickly discovered that my assimilation to the homeschooling culture would be as easy as shampooing and blow-drying a cat.
I started by attending my first conference, eager to take notes in all the sessions and absorb the wisdom packed into the phone-book-sized manual. During a break, I sat at a table filled with other homeschooling mothers, and began flipping through the binder. I came across a page of sample math word problems. Example: If Eve gave Adam 6 apples in the Garden of Eden and he ate 4 of them, how many sins were left?
Um…seriously? Math sins? I looked around to see if I was on a candid camera show. Unfortunately, I was not. However, I was the only mother at the table, laughing like a deranged witch, and ripping pages out of the binder. By the time I tore out every page I didn’t agree with, the content of the remaining pages wouldn’t have filled a prayer card. When I turned around from dumping the harvested pages into the nearest trash bin, the other mothers at the table had formed a hand-clasped circle and were praying for the salvation of my misguided soul.
Note to self: Not my scene. Run. Run far away. Very fast.
Next, I decided to attend a different type of homeschooling conference—someplace where I’d be less likely to be struck by lightning or burned at the stake. At my second conference, I was embraced by granola-crunchy moms who make organic pasta, name their children after indigenous plants, and don't own shoes. The environment felt much more inclusive and welcoming, even if it was a circus of free-love and Bobby McFerrin unschooling.
Out of the two choices, it seemed like the most suitable fit—until I could locate an organization of college-educated, homeschooling, exotic dancer/single moms. But I wasn’t going to bet my brass pole on that ever happening.
Unlike the first conference, children were allowed to attend, and my son enjoyed meeting kids who reinforced what I told him—homeschooling would be an adventure. He could blow up a bottle of Mountain Dew and Mentos in the backyard. Study the mating habits of the North African gerbil. Or learn to play the “Star Spangled Banner” on a xylophone. Lack of imagination is the only limit in homeschooling.
At this conference, I was introduced to the concept of multiple intelligences and their related learning styles. That’s when I realized my son’s problems in public elementary school were the result of his kinesthetic learning style, not A.D.D. as his teachers claimed. A light came on for both of us and it helped me guide my son to his current success as a professional photographer at the age of 20.
Though my homeschooling days have come to an end, a recent conversation with a like-minded mom (and fellow graduate of Truck Masters School of Language) caused me to reflect on my experience. I’ve always been a little outside of the box, and because of it, I’ve become a keen observer of human nature and an armchair quarterback of social psychology.
I found that although the utmost care is given to making the decision to homeschool their child/student, many homeschool moms try to conform to rigid expectations—outside expectations—of who they should be, how they should behave, what curriculum they should use and how they should teach. This was especially true in the conservative homeschooling culture.
All the posturing and Mary Kay façades seemed so counterproductive to the end goal—preparing the children for attaining success in the world—teaching real life skills: financial independence, social and environmental consciousness, development of aspirations and a sense of purpose, strong communication abilities, emotional maturity and an understanding of their sexuality, interpersonal relationship skills, the ability to reason and overcome challenges, and most of all, to have a solid sense of self to embrace and be authentically who they are.
That’s a big job that goes far beyond teaching algebra and U.S. history. But how can a child/student learn those valuable life skills if their homeschool mom is not teaching by example?
Thoughts? Questions? Comments? I’d love to hear them.
Annette Fix was a single mom, sole support and care of her son for 15 years. She has been happily married for 5 years and is adjusting to an empty nest. She is a freelance editor, a publishing industry and single parenting speaker, Senior Editor of WOW! Women On Writing, and the author of The Break-Up Diet: A Memoir-the heartbreaking and hilarious true story of a 30-something homeschooling single mom and aspiring writer who is working as an exotic dancer, searching for Prince Charming, and trying to find the perfect balance between her dreams and her day-to-day life as Supermom.
You can email her directly at annette[at]annettefix[dot]com.
For the length of her blog tour, Annette will be giving away free digital copies of her memoir. If you’d like a copy, send an email to promo[at]thebreak-updiet[dot]com, please put “So a Blonde Walks Into a Blog” in the subject line.
To win an autographed copy of The Break-Up Diet, simply leave a comment here (Haloscan or Blogger) with your thoughts on Annette's post above.
For bonus entries, you can do one or all of the following (one bonus entry for each method):
~Twitter a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with the link to your Tweet.
~Write about this giveaway on your blog with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with a link to your post.
Deadline to enter is 11:59 p.m. ET, Thursday, March 5, 2009. Winner will be selected at random through Random.org and contacted by email (so be sure there's an email address to be found in your comment or profile).
Good luck!
Feb 24, 2009
Like My New Outfit? Win a Gift Card to Get One For Your Blog!
Sooooo....notice anything different? This blonde gets to walk into a brand new blog! Woo!
And it's all thanks to the very talented Zoe from Chic and Sassy Designs. I LOOOVE this template SO much!!!
I had been tired of my old design for some time and I know the border didn't match up properly in some browsers. I was also on Classic Blogger and couldn't add any fun widgets like the "Follow this Blog" feature (feel free to click on that by the way *grin*).
Zoe came to my rescue and prettied everything up and pulled me out of the blogging dark ages. Working with her on the design was a breeze! She puts a lot of heart into her work and it shows.
The very best part of my new diggs? I get to share the fun of a new look with one of you, because Zoe has graciously offered to give one of my friends a $25 gift certificate toward any of her premade designs for Blogger! Even if you're not in the market for a new design yourself, the gift certificate makes a great gift for someone you know (and the "to" field can be filled in with their name instead).
Take a look at some of the work Zoe has done for others:
And get this...most of those gorgeous illustrations? Zoe does them herself! (she uses a mixture of her own as well as purchased art). In fact, she's ventured into selling her illustrations at VectorStock.com. Check them out here.
Usually you have to search high and low for illustrations like hers and they can be quite expensive. But all of Zoe's templates come with her gorgeous, personal designs!
Click here to see the available premade templates at Chic and Sassy Design. Here are a few of my favorites:
The gift certificate does not expire, and Zoe is always adding to her premades collection, so if you don't see something you like right now, you can always keep an eye out for another design later.
And as she says in her blog, she is always open to suggestions for designs. While she can't take any custom orders at this time (because she's very booked up...which is no surprise!), she will take your suggestions into consideration when she works on her premades.
To enter to win the $25 gift certificate toward a premade template for Blogger, just leave a comment on this post (Haloscan and Blogger entries both accepted).
You can receive additional entries by doing one or both of the following:
~Twitter with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with your Twitter link. (One bonus entry)
~Blog about this contest with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with the link to your post. (Five bonus entries)
Deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Tuesday, March 10, 2009. Winner will be selected at random using Random.org. Good luck!
Feb 6, 2008
Bet You Didn't Know This
Did you know that you can change the size of your staples? I know! How important is this?! And people are going around using their staplers not knowing this information! (I'm assuming most of you don't know....and if you already did know, then just lie so I won't feel stupid, k?)
I have been on this earth for 35 years, and I just learned this today. See the little metal plate that looks like it has a smiley face on it:
Well, there's a reason it has that smiley face. You can actually turn that plate around and have it face the other way:
Which, in turn, will make your staples larger/wider or smaller/narrow, depending on which way the plate was already facing.
You can thank my daughter for your newfound stapler enlightment. She figured it out in a fit of boredom and curiosity one time and decided to share this secret with me today. (there's a reason she's called "The Brilliant Brunette!")
In looking for photos to accompany this post, I discovered that we're not the only ones onto this secret. But I bet YOU heard it HERE first! :)
*****************************
I have a new contest going on at So a Blonde Walks Into a Review. My celebrity-lovin' self had a blast with this one. Head on over and enter!
And don't be surprised if you get a surprise when you visit here soon. I'm just sayin'. :)
I have been on this earth for 35 years, and I just learned this today. See the little metal plate that looks like it has a smiley face on it:
Well, there's a reason it has that smiley face. You can actually turn that plate around and have it face the other way:
Which, in turn, will make your staples larger/wider or smaller/narrow, depending on which way the plate was already facing.
You can thank my daughter for your newfound stapler enlightment. She figured it out in a fit of boredom and curiosity one time and decided to share this secret with me today. (there's a reason she's called "The Brilliant Brunette!")
In looking for photos to accompany this post, I discovered that we're not the only ones onto this secret. But I bet YOU heard it HERE first! :)
I have a new contest going on at So a Blonde Walks Into a Review. My celebrity-lovin' self had a blast with this one. Head on over and enter!
And don't be surprised if you get a surprise when you visit here soon. I'm just sayin'. :)
Dec 5, 2007
Christmas Giveaway
Ugh....I can't believe how busy I get this time of year! Okay, once again, I'm behind on responding to comments. And blog visiting? I forget what that even is. I have NOT forgotten you guys and I still stand by my promise to get around to see you all as soon as I can. I really, really, really miss you all!
If you're still here reading me, first of all THANK YOU! Secondly, I have a giveaway going on that's close to my heart over at my other blog.
It's for my friend Bruce Littlefield so I'd appreciate any and all shout-outs you can give it. Not only is his latest book a blast, but Bruce himself is just the sweetest guy you'll ever meet so I really want to get the word out on this for him.
And, get this. He's offering something from his very own tree along with an autographed copy of the book! (Bruce, if you have any extra pickles, I'll take them! LOL)
All the details can be found here. Thanks and good luck in the contest! Oh and here's a video of Bruce's latest appearance on The Today Show:
If you're still here reading me, first of all THANK YOU! Secondly, I have a giveaway going on that's close to my heart over at my other blog.
It's for my friend Bruce Littlefield so I'd appreciate any and all shout-outs you can give it. Not only is his latest book a blast, but Bruce himself is just the sweetest guy you'll ever meet so I really want to get the word out on this for him.
And, get this. He's offering something from his very own tree along with an autographed copy of the book! (Bruce, if you have any extra pickles, I'll take them! LOL)
All the details can be found here. Thanks and good luck in the contest! Oh and here's a video of Bruce's latest appearance on The Today Show:
Nov 4, 2007
No-Slip Hair Clips Winners!
Congratulations to Paige from Superpaige's Pad who won a set of 7, no-slip hair clips! I'll be getting your clips out to you as soon as I make them.
For those who entered but didn't win, I'm offering a special deal. Normal price is $5 per clip (which includes shipping), but you can purchase 5 for $20 and 10 for $40. I'm including close ups of the patters I had posted, plus pictures of a couple of new patterns.
Orders will be on a first-come, first-served basis, and if I run out of materials for a particular pattern you are interested in, I will do my best to get more of that material to make that pattern for you. I will also be adding patterns on a constant basis, so be sure to check back.
For now, here is what I have to offer:
In honor of the Fall Y'all Giveaway, I'll call this one...."Fall Y'All!"
This is from my new collection (ha!...don't I sound so designerish?). These we'll call "Christmas Clips." You can select a floral topper, or the jingle bells (and they really do jingle!)
Okay, I'll give these names after the girls in my life. From top to bottom: "Amanda," "Natalie," and "Sophie."
From top to bottom: "Chocolate Rose," "Candy Stripe," and "Diva Dots."
These are also new and are from my "Pastel Princess" collection. You can choose a floral topper, or the sequins.
All clips feature a small piece of velcro inside of the clip that prevents slippage. Ends are heat-sealed to prevent fraying. Clips measure 3/8" wide and a 1 3/4" long. They are two-pronged alligator clips.
If you would like to order, simply email me at ablondeandherblog AT yahoo DOT com And if you would like to be put on a mailing list to be notified when new patterns are available, send me an email at that address with "mailing list" in the subject line.
Thanks!
For those who entered but didn't win, I'm offering a special deal. Normal price is $5 per clip (which includes shipping), but you can purchase 5 for $20 and 10 for $40. I'm including close ups of the patters I had posted, plus pictures of a couple of new patterns.
Orders will be on a first-come, first-served basis, and if I run out of materials for a particular pattern you are interested in, I will do my best to get more of that material to make that pattern for you. I will also be adding patterns on a constant basis, so be sure to check back.
For now, here is what I have to offer:
In honor of the Fall Y'all Giveaway, I'll call this one...."Fall Y'All!"
This is from my new collection (ha!...don't I sound so designerish?). These we'll call "Christmas Clips." You can select a floral topper, or the jingle bells (and they really do jingle!)
Okay, I'll give these names after the girls in my life. From top to bottom: "Amanda," "Natalie," and "Sophie."
From top to bottom: "Chocolate Rose," "Candy Stripe," and "Diva Dots."
These are also new and are from my "Pastel Princess" collection. You can choose a floral topper, or the sequins.
All clips feature a small piece of velcro inside of the clip that prevents slippage. Ends are heat-sealed to prevent fraying. Clips measure 3/8" wide and a 1 3/4" long. They are two-pronged alligator clips.
If you would like to order, simply email me at ablondeandherblog AT yahoo DOT com And if you would like to be put on a mailing list to be notified when new patterns are available, send me an email at that address with "mailing list" in the subject line.
Thanks!
Oct 29, 2007
Fall Y'all Bloggy Giveaway
Remember the awesome Bloggy Days of Summer giveaway this past summer, hosted by Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer? It was such a huge hit, that I wanted to take part in it again.
I have one contest going on over at my review blog, but wanted to host one here, too.
So, I'm offering a set of 7, handmade (by me), no-slip hair clips, pictured here:
The colors don't come through very well because I need a new memory stick in my camcorder, but you get the general idea.
If you don't win the contest, but are in the market for adorable AND affordable no-slip clips, you can purchase them from me for only $5 (includes shipping and handling). Just email me at: ablondeandherblog AT yahoo DOT com I will have new patterns coming soon.
To enter the contest, just leave a comment on this post. Deadline will be 11:59 p.m. EST on Saturday, November 3. Winner will be drawn at random and announced on Sunday, November 4.
Good luck!
Jul 28, 2007
Name Your Tune Winners!
Oh my goshness! Can you believe how many comments are down there on the Name Your Tune Giveaway? Thank you to Shannon from rocks in my dryer for hosting such a fun event! It was like Christmas in July..weee!
I LOVE her idea and I think rumor has it that she may do this again in the fall. She's VERY brave because I know this was very hard work for her. It was hard for me just to manage my own little corner of this whole party! There were over 100 entries into the contest!
And that was nothing compared to some of the other contests that had 300 to 400 entries!
What? Oh, yeah! The winners. Like you all cared about anything else I had to say, lol. Okay...the winners for the Name Your Tune giveaway, for a personalized children's CD, are...
Congratulations winners! I will be emailing you to get your contact information. Enjoy the CDs and let us know how you like them!
I LOVE her idea and I think rumor has it that she may do this again in the fall. She's VERY brave because I know this was very hard work for her. It was hard for me just to manage my own little corner of this whole party! There were over 100 entries into the contest!
And that was nothing compared to some of the other contests that had 300 to 400 entries!
What? Oh, yeah! The winners. Like you all cared about anything else I had to say, lol. Okay...the winners for the Name Your Tune giveaway, for a personalized children's CD, are...
- Dawn from Coming to a Nursery Near You
- Kristie from Life With My X-Men
Congratulations winners! I will be emailing you to get your contact information. Enjoy the CDs and let us know how you like them!
Jul 27, 2007
Name Your Tune Giveaway
~Note: This post will stay at the top of my blog until the end of the contest on Friday evening, 11:59 p.m EST. Scroll down for my latest posts. Thanks!
Also, if you have an anti-spam function on Blogger, I was most likely at your blog this weekend but unable to comment. For some reason, a good majority of the anti-spam codes would not show up for me no matter how many times I hit "refresh" or "show picture." (Shelli, I had the same problem with your blog even though it's not on Blogger) Sorry!
I was recently contacted by Name Your Tune, which makes personalized CDs for children. They offered to send me a CD for Natalie and we LOVE it!
The CD has 14 children's songs, like "If You're Happy and You Know It" and "Wheels on the Bus," all with Natalie's name sung to the tunes. Our favorite is "Little Natalie Had a Farm."
In every CD, the child's name is repeated more than 80 times! How cool is that?!
The CD cover and the CD itself are so cute, too. You can even have the writing on the CD personalized. Ours says "Special Songs For You Natalie, Love, Mommy."
The CD case is environmentally friendly and made out of recyclable materials. And....I think this is the best part....a portion of each sale is donated to Hear, Here, a non-profit charitable foundation that purchases hearing aids for children, and is administered through The Hospital For Sick Children.
All of my blogging friends know how much I love celebrities. So imagine how excited I was to see the list of celebrities who have received these CDs! They include:
Holla!!! That REALLY caught my attention, lol! Here's a quote from Eric McCormick from Will and Grace on Name Your Tune CDs:
AND, Name Your Tune has been invited to include their CDs in the "O is for OSCAR" gift baskets - "an exclusive bundle of must-have swag for celebirity parents and their children!"
Now, YOU have the chance to win a personalized CD from Name Your Tune for your child, and join the ranks of Brangelina! :)
Candace and Eric, the husband/wife team who owns Name Your Tune, is offering TWO prizes so there will be two winners!
They are also offering a discount for readers of my blog (they are so generous and wonderful to work with). Anyone wishing to place an order at Name Your Tune can just enter the code "NNHOL2005" (without the quote marks), and you will receive $5 off your order.
The contest for a free personalized CD (again...two winners), will run from today until 11:59 EST on Friday, July 27. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment here and I will put your name into the drawing.
If you're worried about protecting your identity, you have the option of contacting Candace or Eric directly with your information, rather than sending it to me. They will only use your information for sending your prize and will not share it with anyone.
As before, I'll be using Random.org to select a winner. First name or blog names are the only information I enter, and none of it is stored at or used by Random.org.
Have fun and good luck! :)
*******************
This contest is part of the "Dog Days of Summer Bloggy Giveaway". There are LOTS of contests going on, so be sure to click on the picture of the doggy to find out where they are and enter away!
Also, if you have an anti-spam function on Blogger, I was most likely at your blog this weekend but unable to comment. For some reason, a good majority of the anti-spam codes would not show up for me no matter how many times I hit "refresh" or "show picture." (Shelli, I had the same problem with your blog even though it's not on Blogger) Sorry!
I was recently contacted by Name Your Tune, which makes personalized CDs for children. They offered to send me a CD for Natalie and we LOVE it!
The CD has 14 children's songs, like "If You're Happy and You Know It" and "Wheels on the Bus," all with Natalie's name sung to the tunes. Our favorite is "Little Natalie Had a Farm."
In every CD, the child's name is repeated more than 80 times! How cool is that?!
The CD cover and the CD itself are so cute, too. You can even have the writing on the CD personalized. Ours says "Special Songs For You Natalie, Love, Mommy."
The CD case is environmentally friendly and made out of recyclable materials. And....I think this is the best part....a portion of each sale is donated to Hear, Here, a non-profit charitable foundation that purchases hearing aids for children, and is administered through The Hospital For Sick Children.
All of my blogging friends know how much I love celebrities. So imagine how excited I was to see the list of celebrities who have received these CDs! They include:
- ~Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie
~Matt Damon
~Reese Witherspoon
~Gwenyth Paltrow & Chris Martin
~Adam Sandler
~Colin Firth
~Gwen Stefani
~Liv Tyler
Holla!!! That REALLY caught my attention, lol! Here's a quote from Eric McCormick from Will and Grace on Name Your Tune CDs:
- "Thanks so much for the 'Finnigan' CD, although it just confirmed his belief that the entire world revolves around him. It's great fun and I wish you well with the whole venture. Cheers!"
AND, Name Your Tune has been invited to include their CDs in the "O is for OSCAR" gift baskets - "an exclusive bundle of must-have swag for celebirity parents and their children!"
Now, YOU have the chance to win a personalized CD from Name Your Tune for your child, and join the ranks of Brangelina! :)
Candace and Eric, the husband/wife team who owns Name Your Tune, is offering TWO prizes so there will be two winners!
They are also offering a discount for readers of my blog (they are so generous and wonderful to work with). Anyone wishing to place an order at Name Your Tune can just enter the code "NNHOL2005" (without the quote marks), and you will receive $5 off your order.
The contest for a free personalized CD (again...two winners), will run from today until 11:59 EST on Friday, July 27. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment here and I will put your name into the drawing.
If you're worried about protecting your identity, you have the option of contacting Candace or Eric directly with your information, rather than sending it to me. They will only use your information for sending your prize and will not share it with anyone.
As before, I'll be using Random.org to select a winner. First name or blog names are the only information I enter, and none of it is stored at or used by Random.org.
Have fun and good luck! :)
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This contest is part of the "Dog Days of Summer Bloggy Giveaway". There are LOTS of contests going on, so be sure to click on the picture of the doggy to find out where they are and enter away!
Jul 22, 2007
The Treasure & Second Chances
If you're anything like me, get ready to be jealous. As you all know, Jane from Pinks and Blues Girls blog won a spice rack that Bruce Littlefield found for her at the Brimfield Flea Market as her prize for winning our Treasure Hunt contest. She also won an autographed copy of Bruce's book Garage Sale America.
So without further ado, here is the adorable 50's style alumnium spice rack that I want to steal from Jane:
Don't you love Bruce's sense of style? He's not only a garage sale expert, he's also a designer and he's decorated his adorable country farm house in this style. You can see gorgeous photos and get style ideas for yourself in his book Garage Sale America.
Now for the most exciting part for those of you who didn't win the last Treasure Hunt. Here is a note from Bruce with the details:
So there you have it! Another Treasure Hunt coming soon! Weeeee! So don't despair if you didn't win! A second chance will be coming soon. How cool is Bruce for doing that?!!
Thank you, Bruce! :)
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Note: Be sure to "tune" in tommorrow (I'm so good with these hints..haha!), for an exciting giveaway that you won't want to miss! And keep an eye out for the next Treasure Hunt contest, too!
So without further ado, here is the adorable 50's style alumnium spice rack that I want to steal from Jane:
Don't you love Bruce's sense of style? He's not only a garage sale expert, he's also a designer and he's decorated his adorable country farm house in this style. You can see gorgeous photos and get style ideas for yourself in his book Garage Sale America.
Now for the most exciting part for those of you who didn't win the last Treasure Hunt. Here is a note from Bruce with the details:
- dear blonde blogger dawn!
hey it’s me bruce littlefield at garage sale america back to my computer... after a week of adventure. i started out the week at the brimfield flea market near boston on a HUNT for a treasure for my favorite blonde blogger! (truthfully i was there because the boston globe invited me to boston for me to hunt for treasures and give tips on the hows, whats and whys.)
popular boston dj christopher muther is writing the piece. he’s fun and hilarious (and collector of lunchboxes, mcdonald’s toys, and such)...
anyway, my own personal mission for the adventure was to find something for your “garage sale america” treasure hunt. (thanks for doing that! and to everyone who went on our hunt.) i decided to see what fabulous find i could grab for five bucks.
and i found it! a fifties aluminum spice rack for five bucks. and i hear that jane at pinks and blues girls won. that makes me happy on several levels.
first, she’s obviously cool AND her parents happened to be at brimfield at the same time. i just wonder whether her parents would have bought the fifties aluminum spice rack or would of said “we had one of those.”
honestly, had jonathan (a boston globe cameraman, and incidentally, a hunky lester holt lookalike) not been following me around... i most likely would have kept it for myself and sent something else! she’s getting that and a signed book....
hey dawn... it’s so fun... let’s do it again....
everyone dawn and i will be announcing the next contest... SOON...(as soon as we decide what it is).
happy hunting everybody!
So there you have it! Another Treasure Hunt coming soon! Weeeee! So don't despair if you didn't win! A second chance will be coming soon. How cool is Bruce for doing that?!!
Thank you, Bruce! :)
**********************
Note: Be sure to "tune" in tommorrow (I'm so good with these hints..haha!), for an exciting giveaway that you won't want to miss! And keep an eye out for the next Treasure Hunt contest, too!
Jul 17, 2007
And the Winner Is.....
.....Jane from Pinks and Blues Girls Blog! Congratulations, Jane!
Bruce has been traveling for a Barnes and Noble book signing and has not had computer access. As soon as he gets back to me (which I'm guessing will be sometime today), I will announce what the secret treasure is.
If you didn't win, but still would like to own the book Garage Sale America (and who wouldn't?!), you can order it here.
My thanks to Bruce Littlefield for his generosity in sponsoring this contest and for making it so much fun!
He is such an awesome guy and he's lucky he doesn't live near me, or I'd stalk him until he agreed to be my best friend, lol.
Seriously, though, he's a great guy and I feel privileged to have worked with him for this contest. Thanks, Bruce! :)
Treasure Hunt Contest
NOTE: This post will stay at the top of my blog for the next week. Scroll down for my other posts. Thank you!
Update: If you tried to email me by clicking the link in this post and it didn't work, you can manually type in my email address instead: ablondeandherblog AT yahoo DOT com
Also, if you're worried about protecting your identity should you win, you have the option to send your mailing address directly to Bruce (who will not share it with me or anyone else), instead of to me. And I won't be the least bit offended because I am *extremely* protective of my identity as well.
A contest, a contest……yay! I’m so excited to offer this contest and I’m not even going to win anything myself, lol! But I think you all are going to LOVE this and have a lot of fun with it.
Bruce Littlefield, author of the book Garage Sale America (the book that I reviewed here a few weeks ago) has offered to give away an autographed copy of his book to one of you, PLUS one of his garage sale treasures.
Bruce will be hunting for the treasure in a garage sale this Tuesday, with all of you in mind. How cool is that?! I will udpate with information on what the "treasure" will be once he finds it.
(I previously said it was this past Saturday, but was wrong. Apparently, I'm calendar-challenged lately because I also thought his Today show stint for "the things America hoards" was this past Sunday. It's actually Sunday the 29th. Sorry if you Tivo'd the show on Sunday for nothing!)
The treasure will be worth far more than what Bruce pays for it, something he's very good at (as you'll see in the YouTube video below).
All you have to do to enter this contest is go on a fun and easy "treasure hunt" and answer three questions. In order to make this fair, PLEASE DO NOT PUT YOUR ANSWERS IN THE COMMENT SECTION! When you find the answers to the three questions, email them to me instead at this address. ( ablondeandherblog AT yahoo DOT com )
If you get the questions correct, I'll enter your name into Random.org, which I'll be using to select the winner (this is only a tool to make sure that selecting the winner is fair and random. Your name is NOT stored at Random.org).
And if you mention this contest on your blog, you'll get a bonus entry! Just put your link either in your email to me or in the comments section.
The contest will run for one week (ending at 12 a.m. on Tuesday, July 17.) I will announce the winner that Tuesday.
Okay, ready to play? Hint: The answers to question 1 and 2 can be found here. The answer to question 3 can be found in the YouTube video below.
Happy hunting! :)
Question #1: How did costume jewelry come to be called "costume jewelry?" (Answer found on the landing page of Garage Sale America's website. Place your cursor over the items pictured there and a box will pop up with fun trivia and tidbits of information).
Question #2: Where is the World’s Largest Garage Sale? (IMPORTANT: We're looking for the LARGEST garage sale, not the longest).
Question #3: In the YouTube video below, what is Amy Robach from the Today show wearing that Bruce says will get her a bad deal at a garage sale?
Update: If you tried to email me by clicking the link in this post and it didn't work, you can manually type in my email address instead: ablondeandherblog AT yahoo DOT com
Also, if you're worried about protecting your identity should you win, you have the option to send your mailing address directly to Bruce (who will not share it with me or anyone else), instead of to me. And I won't be the least bit offended because I am *extremely* protective of my identity as well.
A contest, a contest……yay! I’m so excited to offer this contest and I’m not even going to win anything myself, lol! But I think you all are going to LOVE this and have a lot of fun with it.
Bruce Littlefield, author of the book Garage Sale America (the book that I reviewed here a few weeks ago) has offered to give away an autographed copy of his book to one of you, PLUS one of his garage sale treasures.
Bruce will be hunting for the treasure in a garage sale this Tuesday, with all of you in mind. How cool is that?! I will udpate with information on what the "treasure" will be once he finds it.
(I previously said it was this past Saturday, but was wrong. Apparently, I'm calendar-challenged lately because I also thought his Today show stint for "the things America hoards" was this past Sunday. It's actually Sunday the 29th. Sorry if you Tivo'd the show on Sunday for nothing!)
The treasure will be worth far more than what Bruce pays for it, something he's very good at (as you'll see in the YouTube video below).
All you have to do to enter this contest is go on a fun and easy "treasure hunt" and answer three questions. In order to make this fair, PLEASE DO NOT PUT YOUR ANSWERS IN THE COMMENT SECTION! When you find the answers to the three questions, email them to me instead at this address. ( ablondeandherblog AT yahoo DOT com )
If you get the questions correct, I'll enter your name into Random.org, which I'll be using to select the winner (this is only a tool to make sure that selecting the winner is fair and random. Your name is NOT stored at Random.org).
And if you mention this contest on your blog, you'll get a bonus entry! Just put your link either in your email to me or in the comments section.
The contest will run for one week (ending at 12 a.m. on Tuesday, July 17.) I will announce the winner that Tuesday.
Okay, ready to play? Hint: The answers to question 1 and 2 can be found here. The answer to question 3 can be found in the YouTube video below.
Happy hunting! :)
Question #1: How did costume jewelry come to be called "costume jewelry?" (Answer found on the landing page of Garage Sale America's website. Place your cursor over the items pictured there and a box will pop up with fun trivia and tidbits of information).
Question #2: Where is the World’s Largest Garage Sale? (IMPORTANT: We're looking for the LARGEST garage sale, not the longest).
Question #3: In the YouTube video below, what is Amy Robach from the Today show wearing that Bruce says will get her a bad deal at a garage sale?
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