Giveaway - Harbor Sweets Gather Chocolates

What's better than hand-crafted chocolates? Harbor Sweets is working with Pollinator Partnership to aid in their efforts to preserve and protect honeybee pollinators. Now you can indulge in gourmet chocolate delicacies and help raise awareness of the plight of the honeybee. A portion of the sales from Gather (2.5%) will be donated to the Pollinator Partnership.

In each "flight" of Gather Chocolate (similar to how you sample beer or wine), there are six varieties of honey-infused dark chocolate. A six-piece box is $12.50 and 12-piece box is $18.50.

• Caramelized Honey
• Pomegranate Molasses
• Sesame Crunch
• Cashew Caramel
• Coconut Cluster
• Sour Cherry

We split the chocolates amongst my family members and each of us enjoyed them, even the milk chocolate lover. Each chocolate has a rich and distinct flavor, without being too sweet. Harbor Sweets is located locally in Salem, Massachusetts and sold in high-end grocers, gift shops and online. Check out the story behind Gather.



*** If you'd like to win a six piece box of Harbor Sweets Gather Chocolate, check out the easy entry methods in Rafflecopter below (click read more if necessary) . The giveaway ends on September 22th at 12:00am and is open to residents of US and Canada. All entries are verified, good luck! ***

I received samples of the Gather chocolates for this review and giveaway. Yum!

Giveaway - Propel Zero Gift Pack (10 Winners)

Through April 24th, Propel is giving away more than 3 million samples of the new Propel Zero at participating Walmart stores. Propel Zero has no calories while keeping the same great, natural fruit flavor. Propel Zero offers a great way for active women and men to replenish (vitamins C & E), energize (B vitamins) and protect (antioxidants) their bodies.

Propel Zero is also holding an online sweepstakes where one lucky winner and their referring blogger will each win a year’s supply of Propel Zero. The winner will be selected at random from their Facebook page.

Here is what you need to do to enter their sweepstakes:

• Find Walmart sampling locations and dates here
• Snap a photo of yourself with your favorite Propel Zero flavor at a sampling event (or wherever you happen to be)
• “Like” Propel Zero on Facebook
• Upload your photo to the Propel Zero Facebook wall and answer the question: “I stay active by… ” (running, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, taking my dog for a walk, etc.)
• Tell us the name of the blogger you heard about the sampling from – (in this case “Stretching a Buck”)
• Check back on April 29 for the lucky winner 

In the meantime, I have 10 Propel Zero gift packs to give away!  The gift packs consist of:

• Two 20 oz bottles of Propel Zero
• A Propel Zero t-shirt 
• Three coupons for a free single-serve Propel Zero 
• All in a drawstring backpack.

*** If you'd like win one of the 10 Propel Zero Gift Packs, like Propel and mommy bytes on Facebook and leave a comment below. Please include your email address in your comment. ***

For extra entries, promote this contest by tweet (using @mommybytes and #propelzero), Facebook, StumbleUpon, or other social media and leave a separate comment for each with the URL or username. Up to five entries per person.

This giveaway ends April 15, 2011 at 11pm EST and is open to US residents.

Special thanks to Propel Zero for sponsoring this contest.

Giveaway - Check out MasterCard Marketplace and Win a $100 MasterCard Gift Card from BlogHer

This is a sponsored review from BlogHer and MasterCard MarketPlace.

Have you heard of MasterCard MarketPlace?  It is a one-stop place to get up to 50% off on top brands and stores.  Brands you and I trust like Barnes & Noble, Children's Place, Home Depot, Scholastic Store or even upscale stores such as Brookstone, Saks and Sephora. If you're into travel, you can get discounts from  Expedia and Priceline, as well as many cruises and rental cars.

My husband would love to receive some Omaha Steaks.  For me, maybe it's time to get that Shiatsu neck and shoulder massager from Brookstone (hint hint).  With deals like that, you can afford to splurge a little.

For this holiday season until December 24th, MasterCard MarketPlace is offering Holiday Overwhelming Offers that you can register for every day at 1pm EST (excluding holidays). Overwhelming Offers are year round, but this holiday season is a great time to get started.

Signing up is easy, you simply register with your email address and add your MasterCard number. If you've missed the Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals, there are plenty of deep discounts still available at MasterCard MarketPlace.

Check out MasterCard MarketPlace - A smarter way to shop online.  

*** If you'd like win a $100 MasterCard gift card provided by BlogHer, visit MasterCard MarketPlace and leave a comment below with an offer that you'd take advantage of.  Please include your email address in your comment. ***

Rules:

No duplicate comments. You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry
methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment
on this post

c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on
this post

d) Read the official rules for alternate form of entry.

Sweepstakes ends 5 PM PST on December 31, 2010.  This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.  Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.  You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here. There are 19 other chances to win located on the BlogHer round-up page.

For more offers check out the BlogHer.com exclusive offers page.


Note:   Overwhelming Offers (OO) are limited in quantity, reservation only and limited in time. Participating merchants and offers are subject to change. The OO discount is provided as a statement credit. See www.mastercardmarketplace.com for restrictions and complete terms and conditions.

Giveaway - Zodiworks Book and Story Bag

Zodiworks publishes early reader books that were designed to meet a need for the Montessori classroom - books with entertaining stories, easily decodable vocabulary, and that looked like books so children would feel like they were really reading. With beautiful artwork by co-founder Jenn Howard, aka Montessori Mama, Zodibooks appeals to children, and their parents.

With Zodibooks, children have more than just books to read, they have books to play with. Each book has a companion story bag of the key objects in the book, so the child can act out each story. Each bag also contains word cards for every word in the book (including punctuation) so children can reproduce any page, match words to objects, create their own sentences, or other activities with the book and objects.



Check out this video which shows exactly how Zodibooks helps children learn to read through the variety of tools that come with the books.



Co-founder Robin Jettinghoff is a personal friend in real life.  She is also seeking funding through PeerBackers to publish the next set of books.

*** If you'd like win a Zodiworks book and story bag, visit Zodiworks books and leave a comment below with your choice of book.  The accompanying story bags can be seen at the Zodiworks store.  Please include your email address in your comment. ***

For extra entries, promote this contest by tweet, blog post, StumbleUpon or other social media and leave a separate comment for each with the URL or username. Up to five entries per person.

This giveaway ends December 24, 2010 at 11pm EST and is open to US and Canadian residents.

Review - V8 V-Fusion + Tea, $100 Giveaway

This is a sponsored review by BlogHer and V8 V-Fusion + Tea.

I have been drinking V8 for years and when the V8 V-Fusion juices came along, my family got on board as well. Now, V8 has a new variety of V8 V-Fusion + Tea.  My whole family loves this juice beverage!

Where regular juices have quite a bit of sugar, we usually cut juices with water.  The V8 V-Fusion + Tea gives a better alternative by diluting the juice with the benefits of green tea.  What a great combination!  The taste is light, not too sweet and so very healthy. 

V8 V-Fusion + Tea combines fruit and vegetable juices with green tea, at only 50 calories per 8 ounce serving and only 10 grams of sugar.  Besides delicious fruit juices such as Pomegranate, Raspberry or Pineapple Mango, you also get the vegetable juices from sweet potatoes, purple, yellow or orange carrots and yellow tomatoes, as well as antioxidants from the green tea.  It's a win win win drink all around.

V8 V-Fusion + Tea is available in 46-ounce bottles in stores nationwide.  Twelve ounce bottles and 6-packs of 8-ounce slim cans will be available in early 2011. Try it yourself with this $1 off coupon.

*** If you'd like win a $100 Visa gift card provided by BlogHer, visit V8 V-Fusion + Tea and leave a comment below with your favorite V8 V-Fusion + Tea variety.  Please include your email address in your comment. ***

For extra entries, tweet or blog about this post with a link to it (and put your tweet or blog post URL in a separate comment below).   Read the official rules for alternate forms of entry.  There are 9 other chances to win located on the BlogHer.com V8 V-Fusion + Tea round-up page. The promotion ends on December 10, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. PST.

For more offers check out the BlogHer.com exclusive offers page.

Giveaway - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Are you ready for the final installment of Harry Potter?  In honor of the movie premiere  of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 on November 19, here is a contest for these promotional Harry Potter items: a hat, t-shirt, and a horcrux USB flash drive.



Harry Potter is full of symbolism from Greco-Roman and Egyption mythology to Biblical symbolism.  But did you know that there is also Asian symbolism embedded within the Harry Potter series?  Here’s a quiz to test your knowledge of the Asian symbolism within Harry Potter.




*** To enter the contest, fill out this form with your answers (REQUIRED). *** 

For extra entries, promote this contest by Twitter, StumbleUpon or other social media and leave a comment with your for each with the URL or username (please leave your Blogger or comment name in the form).  Up to 5 entries per person.  Three winners will be selected randomly from the most correct answers.

This giveaway ends on the night of the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 movie premiere, November 19, 2010 at 11pm EST and is open to US residents.



Special thanks to IW GROUP, INC. for providing the questions and promotional items for the contest.

Giveaway - Shrek Forever After Collect-A-Bands

Have your kids caught the Silly Bandz fever? Collect-A-Bands have character bands for your favorite characters such as Looney Tunes, Scooby Doo, Star Wars and more.  They come in a 24 pack with 8 different characters, which makes it easy to share (unless you're my 6-year-old daughter).

*** If you'd like 24 pack of Shrek Forever After Collect-A-Bands, leave a comment below.  Please include your email address in your comment. ***

For extra entries, promote this contest by tweet, blog post, StumbleUpon or other social media and leave a separate comment for each with the URL or username. Up to five entries per person.

This giveaway ends September 24, 2010 at 11pm EST and is open to US residents.

Special thanks to Bulls-i-toy for providing samples for the giveaway and review.

Review - Newman's Own Thin & Crispy Pizza, Giveaway - Newman's Own Gift Basket

This is a sponsored review by BlogHer and Newman's Own.

OK, I admit it. We love pizza. Even frozen pizza. When I heard that Newman's Own was offering a new line of thin and crispy pizza, I loved the thought of all natural ingredients in a brand that I trust. We love Newman's Own salad dressings, salsas and fig newtons, I mean Fig Newmans™!  And don't forget that all profits go to charity. Newman’s Own Foundation continues Paul Newman’s commitment to donate all profits to charity. Over $300 million has been given to thousands of charities since 1982.

Newman's Own Thin & Crispy pizza definitely delivers. We tried the uncured pepperoni pizza and in 12 minutes were treated to a delicious meal.  Uncured means no sodium nitrites, something we definitely look for.  The full taste was four thumbs up from our family of four!  The thin crust means 25% less carbs compared to rising crust pizzas, but we did need two pizzas to feed four of us for dinner.

Newman's Own Thin & Crispy pizza can be found at the following stores:

• East Coast - Shaw’s, Big Y, Price Chopper, Demoula’s Market Basket, Hannaford, Foodmaster, Roche Bros, Stop & Shop, Harris Teeter, Giant (MD), Giant Foods (PA), Giant Eagle, Kroger, Shoprite, Key Food, King Kullen, Food Town, Kings, Grand Union, D’Agostino’s, C-Town, Bravo, Met Food
• Midwest - Piggly Wiggly, Woodman’s Markets, Copps, Sentry, Byerly’s, Lund’s, Kowalski’s, Kroger, Hy-Vee
• West & Southwest – Albertson’s, Gelson’s, Lucky/Save-Mart, Raley’s, Fry’s, Bashas, King Soopers, Haggen’s, QFC, Fred Meyer, Kroger, HEB

*** If you'd like win a Newman’s Own Gift Basket valued at $75 (contents may vary), visit Newman's Own and leave a comment below with your favorite pizza variety.  Please include your email address in your comment. ***

For extra entries, promote this contest by tweet or blog about this promotion and leave a separate comment with the URL. Up to three entries per person.  Please see BlogHer.com Newman’s Own official rules.

This giveaway ends October 31, 2010 at 5pm PST and is open to US residents.

Giveaway - Tyson Grilled & Ready Chicken

Want an healthier alternative to the ubiquitous chicken nuggets that's just as fast?  Tyson Grilled & Ready Chicken Breast Fillets are 98% fat free, contain no preservatives, and pass discerning kid's taste buds.

We tried the Chicken Breast Strips in a variety of uses, from salad toppings, to ramen noodles to quesadillas.  Here's my simple recipe for quesadillas that takes 5 minutes to prepare.

2 whole wheat tortillas
shredded cheddar and part-skim mozzarella cheese
Tyson Grilled & Ready Chicken Breast Strips
frozen corn
baby spinach

Lay a tortilla on a plate and sprinkle a thin layer of shredded cheese.  Arrange frozen Tyson Grilled & Ready Chicken Breasts Strips over the cheese, leaving some space between strips.  Add frozen corn between the chicken strips.  Top with a layer of baby spinach.  Sprinkle a little more shredded cheese on top of the spinach.  Lay the second tortilla on top.  Microwave for one minute.  Flip the tortilla over (easiest by placing another plate on top and flipping both plates over).  Microwave for another minute.  Flip one more time and microwave for a third minute.  Cut in quarters and serve.  Even my pickiest eater loves this!

*** If you'd like one of two full-value product coupons for Tyson Grilled & Ready Chicken, leave a comment below.  Please include your email address in your comment. ***

For extra entries, promote this contest by tweet, blog post, StumbleUpon or other social media and leave a separate comment for each with the URL or username. Up to five entries per person.

This giveaway ends September 10, 2010 at 11pm EST and is open to US residents.

Special thanks to Tyson for providing coupons for the giveaway and review.

Giveaway – Ice Box Bakery Cookie Dough

If there’s one thing I love to bake for my family, it’s cookies.  But working full-time outside the house doesn’t afford me much time to indulge in making homemade cookies.  Store bought cookie dough is usually full of trans fats, artificial ingredients and preservatives.  Fortunately, Jen of Ice Box Bakery has an answer to this problem. 

Ice Box Bakery offers a line of cookie with all natural ingredients including butter.  We all know that only butter cookies taste homemade.  The cookie dough is offered in easy to use slice-and-bake chubs.

But the proof is in the tasting.

Thumbs up from both my kids!  Ice Box Bakery is available in finer grocery and natural food stores across the country.  Check their store locator for a store near you.

*** If you'd like one of three chubs of Ice Box Bakery cookie dough, visit Ice Box Bakery and leave a comment below with your choice of cookie dough flavor.  Please include your email address in your comment. ***

For extra entries, promote this contest by tweet, blog post, StumbleUpon or other social media and leave an separate comment for each with the URL or username. Up to five entries per person.
This giveaway ends July 23, 2010 at 11pm EST and is open to US residents.

Special thanks to Ice Box Bakery for providing cookie dough samples for the giveaway and review.

Giveaway - Squeeballs Party

Squeeballs Party by Performance Designed Products (PDP) is a fun family-oriented game featuring Squeeball toys that are relentlessly abused. The Wii game features 11 party games including bowling, cannonball, painting by Squeeball and cooking with - you guessed it, Squeeballs.

My kids immediately loved the Squeeball plush toys (available separately).



But in keeping with the spirit of the game, they would much rather throw the Squeeballs at me.



In terms of the game, it does have silly cartoon violence and is rated E10+ (everyone 10 and and older).  Some parents may feel that is is too violent for younger kids (although my kids didn't flinch when grinding and chopping up Squeeballs).  The game play is fair, and much better on the Wii than the Nintendo DS.  Some of the games were too difficult on the Nintendo DS making it more frustrating than fun.  Although the game play is nothing phenomenal, the silly antics were enough to keep my kids laughing.  I would recommend the game for kids who enjoy games such as Rayman Rabbids.

*** If you'd like a copy of Squeeballs Party, leave a comment below with your choice of gaming platform, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS/DS Lite/DSi or the Apple iPhone/iPod Touch. ***

For extra entries, promote this contest by tweet, blog post, StumbleUpon or other social media and leave an separate comment for each with the URL or username. Up to five entries per person.

This giveaway ends December 15, 2009 at 11pm EST and is open to residents of US and Canada.

Special thanks to Performance Designed Products for providing the Squeeballs Party games and plush toys for the giveaway and review.

Book Giveaway - Firsts: Origins of Everyday Things That Changed the World

Ever wonder about the first e-mail (1971 at BBN in Cambridge - I interviewed there once) or about the first roller coaster (1600s in Russia)?  Firsts: Origins of Everyday Things That Changed the World provides an amazing collection of the origin of over 500 topics.  This paperback is a light-hearted read into the history of everyday things which is entertaining as well as informative.  It would make an excellent gift for your trivia fan.

*** If you'd like a copy of Firsts: Origins of Everyday Things That Changed the World, leave a comment below. ***

For extra entries, promote this contest by tweet, blog post, StumbleUpon or other social media and leave an separate comment for each with the URL or username. Up to five entries per person.

This giveaway ends December 15, 2009 at 11pm EST and is open to residents of US and Canada.

Special thanks to Alpha Books for providing copies of Firsts for the giveaway and review.

Book Giveaway - No Small Matter: Science on the Nanoscale

Looking for the perfect gift for your technology-loving friends?  No Small Matter: Science on the Nanoscale combines stunning photography by Felice Frankel with fascinating discussions about nanotechnology by chemist George Whitesides.  From nanotubes to ribosomes to Eleanor Rigby, this substantial hardcover book will be sure to captivate.  As an engineer in the biotech field, it was a breath of fresh air to see these advances in nanotechnology beautifully rendered in an easily understandable format.

*** If you'd like a copy of No Small Matter: Science on the Nanoscale, leave a comment below. ***

For extra entries, promote this contest by tweet, blog post, StumbleUpon or other social media and leave an separate comment for each with the URL or username. Up to five entries per person.

This giveaway ends December 15, 2009 at 11pm EST and is open to residents of US and Canada.

Special thanks to Harvard University Press for providing copies of No Small Matter for the giveaway and review.

Giveaway - $10 iTunes Gift Card from Holiday Inn

When you think of Holiday Inn, do you think, "Oh yeah, there's one in every city." But did you know that Holiday Inn is a global hotel brand? Next time you have Paris on your mind, you can stay at one of several Holiday Inns in Paris:



Or if Bali Hai calls you, enjoy the tropics at a familiar yet exotic Holiday Inn.



One destination on my bucket list is Dubai. Check out the luxurious digs in this most opulent of cities.





Here are some other great, surprisingly affordable destinations:

• Malé, Maldives for about $199/night
• Lisbon, Portugal for about $107/night
• Papau New Guinea for about $224/night
• Christchruch, New Zealand for about $132/night
• Nairobi, Kenya for about $215/night 

Of course none of this destinations may be in anybody's budget, but you can rely on Holiday Inn for a great night's sleep if you're visiting relatives this holiday season, or planning a romantic getaway or a girls' escape weekend.

To help create a holiday music mix for your travels this season, Holiday Inn is offering several iTunes gift cards.

*** If you'd like win one of three $10 iTunes gift cards, visit Holiday Inn and leave a comment below with an exotic or not-so-exotic place you'd like to visit with a Holiday Inn. ***

For extra entries, promote this contest by tweet, blog post, StumbleUpon or other social media and leave an separate comment for each with the URL or username. Up to five entries per person.

This giveaway ends December 2, 2009 at 11pm EST and is open to residents of US and Canada.

Special thanks to Holiday Inn for providing the iTunes gift cards for the giveaway and myself.

Book Giveaway – Close Encounters of the Third-Grade Kind

Close Encounters of the Third-Grade Kind: Thoughts on Teacherhood

Close Encounters of the Third-Grade Kind by Phillip Done is one of those incredibly heartfelt, charming books that make you laugh and cry at the same time. Since my son is in third grade, it also provides me unique insight into his classroom through his teacher's eyes. Phil has 25 years of teaching under his belt and he knows that despite the changes in technology with computers and gadgets, kids are still kids.

Here's a short sample of why Phil Done remembers why he loves being a teacher:

When I asked the class where french fries come from (I was looking for potatoes) and Eric said McDonald's, when Ronny wanted to know if there is such a thing as a left angle, when Evelyn was shocked to find out that I get paid, when I asked the class to give me a synonym for laugh and Greg said LOL, and when Juan looked at my cuff links and said, "My dad wears handcuffs, too" - I remembered.

If you can't get enough of Phillip Done, check out his previous book, 32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny.

32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny: Life Lessons from Teaching

*** If you'd like your own copy of Close Encounters of the Third-Grade Kind, leave a comment below. ***

For extra entries, promote this contest by tweet, blog post, StumbleUpon or other social media and leave an separate comment for each with the URL or username. Up to five entries per person.

This giveaway ends November 21, 2009 at 11pm EDT and is open to residents of US and Canada.

Special thanks to Phillip Done for providing copies of both books for the giveaway and review.

Giveaway - Calypso Studios S.H.O.P. tote

Calypso Studios has a new line of Fall and Holiday S.H.O.P totes.





Aren't they beautiful? S.H.O.P totes are strong, lightweight reusable bags that roll up with a snap closure to take with you easily. They are made of polyester and can hold up to 20 pounds I have used a S.H.O.P tote for several months and it is strong and extremely convenient to carry.

Through the end of October, all Holiday S.H.O.P totes are 2 for $10 using promo code HSHOP1031.

*** If you'd like your own Fall or Holiday S.H.O.P tote, leave a comment with your choice of Leaf Toss or Jolly Santa. ***

For extra entries, promote this contest by tweet, blog post, StumbleUpon or other social media and leave an separate comment for each with the URL or username. Up to five entries per person.

This giveaway ends November 14, 2009 at 11pm EDT and is open to residents of US and Canada.

Special thanks to Calypso Studios for providing S.H.O.P. totes for the giveaway and review.

Giveaway - Copper-Infused SkinGlow Towel

The SkinGlow line, produced by London Luxury LLC, includes copper-infused towels that have natural deodorizing properties to reduce bacteria, fungus and microbes on your skin as well as mildew on your towels.  The patented Cupron™ copper technology is infused deep in the fibers, ensuring it can never wash out or fade as long as fabric softeners aren’t used.  SkinGlow towels includes wash, hand and bath sizes from $7.99-14.99 at select Bed Bath & Beyond stores and bedbathandbeyond.com.

The SkinGlow towel I tried was luxuriously thick and still smelled fresh after one week without washing.  Less laundry is good for a busy family!  The material is 85% cotton and 15% Cupron™ polyester, so it doesn't feel completely like 100% cotton towels, although it is pretty absorbent.  I was impressed with the quality and the thickness of the towel and even ordered another set from bedbathandbeyond.com!

*** If you'd like a SkinGlow towel sample, visit the SkinGlow towel page at Bed Bath & Beyond and leave a comment with your favorite feature or color. ***

For extra entries, promote this contest by tweet, blog, Stumble or other social media and leave an separate comment for each with the URL or username.  Up to five entries per person.

This giveaway ends September 10, 2009 at 11pm EDT and is open to residents of the US.

Giveaway - $25 Gift Certificate to Threadless

My previous Threadless giveaway was such a hit, it's back!  This time, in honor of the Threadless Kid's line.  Here my daughter is wearing the Animals with Eyepatches! Yes! shirt.  Aren't those piratous animals awesome?



Threadless recently launched  Threadless Loves Childhood, a new partnership with Baby Center. Readers are encouraged to design a tee shirt inspired by the fascinating journey of childhood for a chance to win $2,500 in cash and gift certificates. You can enter before August 20th.

 *** If you'd like a $25 Threadless gift certificate, visit the Threadless Kids page and leave a comment with your favorite design. You can use your gift certificate for any Threadless products of course.***

For extra entries, promote this contest by tweet, blog, Stumble or other social media and leave an separate comment for each with the URL or username.

This giveaway ends August 20, 2009 at 11pm EDT and is open to residents of US and Canada.

Giveaway - Chicken Soup for the Soul books

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Like Mother, Like Daughter: Stories about the Special Bond between Mothers and Daughters

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Moms & Sons: Stories by Mothers and Sons, in Appreciation of Each Other

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Twins and More: 101 Stories Celebrating Double Trouble and Multiple Blessings

Chicken Soup for the Soul is great for everyone, but especially for overwhelmed, exhausted parents.  Here are three books that will fit all families.  Chicken Soup for the Soul: Like Mother, Like Daughter and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Moms & Sons are compendiums of 101 of their best stories. And if you're blessed with multiple births, you'll definitely need Chicken Soup for the Soul: Twins and More: 101 Stories Celebrating Double Trouble and Multiple Blessings.

*** If you'd like one of these Chicken Soup for the Soul books, leave a comment with your choice(s) of book. ***

For extra entries, promote this contest by tweet, blog, Stumble or other social media and leave an separate comment for each with the URL or username.

This giveaway ends July 31, 2008 at 11pm EDT and is open to US residents.

Giveaway - Sport-Brella Beach and Sports Umbrella

If you're headed to the beach this summer, check out the SKLZ Sport-Brella umbrella for beach or sporting events. The Sport-Brella gives you instant portable protection from the sun, rain, and wind and UPF 50+ quick shade protection. It sets up in just three seconds and opens to 7' wide for plenty of sun shade for the whole family.

We had the opportunity to try the Sport-Brella and found that it was well made and had excellent design details. The inner tube didn't descend immediately so the latch didn't catch well in the beginning, but as soon as we coaxed the tube down, it worked perfectly. The Sport-Brella can be used in the upright position as well as sideways as shown above.  It works better than a standard beach umbrella because of the ground stakes provided.

You can purchase the Sport-Brella from the SKLZ website for $69.99 with free shipping.

 *** If you'd like your very own SLKZ Sport-Brella, visit the Sport-Brella page and leave a comment with your favorite feature. ***

For extra entries, promote this contest by tweet, blog, Stumble or other social media and leave an separate comment for each with the URL or username.

This giveaway ends July 31, 2008 at 11pm EDT and is open to US residents.