Radio Shack Auvio Bluetooth Speaker and Amazon GC Giveaway

Welcome to our Giveaway!

Coolestmommy is pleased to participate in this giveaway being hosted by Tammie's Reviews, Giveaways and More and sponsored by RadioShack.

I'm thrilled to participate with Tammie in this giveaway because while I find many giveaways that appeal to younger children, teens are often overlooked. If you have someone in your life who is heading off to college or even a teenager who is really into music, then this is the giveaway for you.

I know Andrew would love to get his hands on the Bluetooth Speaker (or the Amazon Gift Code because he likes to download music, too). When I was reading about the Auvio Bluetooth Speaker, I discovered that it works with your smartphones, too, so you can have a better speakerphone. Awesome! Andrew (and I) would probably fight over who gets to use this one!

1 winner will win an Auvio 1.5 watt Bluetooth Speaker (US only) and 

1 winner will win a $5 Amazon Gift Code (open World Wide).

You can read Tammie’s review of the product HERE.

This giveaway runs from 9/26 to 10/10, starting and ending at 7 p.m.

Winner must be 18 years of age or older.

The winner will be chosen by Random.org. 

All entries will be verified.

Winner will be notified by email.

Winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email. 

Complete terms and conditions are on the Widget.

Please enter using the easy Giveaway Tools widget below and Good Luck.

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Disclosure- Coolestmommy is not responsible for prize fulfillment.

Grace Unplugged and Own It Review and #Giveaway

Grace Unplugged Movie releases October 4

Do you ever just 'know' you are going to love a book before you open it up. Well, that's how I felt about the book Grace Unplugged. First of all, the author, Melody Carlson, is one of my favorite authors. Every novel she writes is fresh and new. I never feel like she is rehashing an old storyline. I appreciate that a lot in an author because I don't enjoy cookie-cutter books. Melody Carlson is an author who also makes me think and evaluate how I see things and how I do things and what my beliefs really are. And the story Grace Unplugged is no different. To me, it was a novel that I couldn't put down. When I did put it down, I was constantly thinking about the characters and their situations. I was making comparisons to events in my life. I was hooked from the first page to the last.

Own It is a companion book to Grace Unplugged.  It asks some of the same questions that the characters in the novel are asking and working through. I did not read it with Grace Unplugged, but I'm reading it now. It's a slower read for me as I'm spending time really thinking about the questions raised. It's a terrific faith builder without being too preachy. Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed both books and recommend them to everyone. In fact, keep reading to learn about your chance to win a set of these books for yourself. 

From the publisher:

About Grace Unplugged the Novel

Grace Trey is an 18 year old singer as passionate about her Christian faith as she is her phenomenal, God-given musical talent. Both traits come from her father, one hit wonder Johnny Trey who found Jesus after losing his chart success two decades ago. 

When Grace encounters her own music break of a lifetime, the sudden dive into the "real world" puts her deeper beliefs to the test. Pop superstardom is just within reach but appears to require some spiritual compromise. Will Grace reject her faith, or will she own it? 

Grace Unplugged is based on the motion picture of the same name starring AJ Michalka (Super 8) and Kevin Pollak (A Few Good Men) with performances by award-winning artists Chris Tomlin and Jamie Grace. 

About Own It, Discover Your Faith in God

The movie Grace Unplugged tells the story of Grace Trey, an ideal Christian teenager who is also a phenomenal singer. But when she is pushed into the “real world” at the tender age of eighteen after getting the music break of a lifetime, her faith is put to the test.

Own It mirrors the film by asking what it means to really “own” your personal faith rather than just automatically following in the footsteps of parents, friends, or other influencers. Best-selling authors Hayley and Michael DiMarco help readers understand what to do when faith meets real world challenges.

Without solid beliefs, poor choices are likely to follow. You must take the time to really know who you are, who you are becoming, and who God made you to be. It's your personal faith . . . own it! 

About the Grace Unplugged Author

Melody Carlson has sold more than five million books. A professional writer for twenty years, she recently received the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award. Melody has two grown sons and lives with her husband in the Pacific Northwest. 

About the Own It Authors

Hayley DiMarco is the best-selling author of more than thirty books including Dateable, Marriable, Mean Girls, and The Woman of Mystery. She has been a featured speaker at Women of Faith, Precept National Women's Conference, and MOPS Intl. among others and has consulted on the creation and enhancement of some of the largest stadium events for teens and young women in North America.

Michael DiMarco is a skillled communicator and teacher who has authored more than a dozen bestselling books including the 2010 Christian Bookof the Year for Youth, B4UD8 (Before You Date). He and his wife, author Hayley DiMarco, have one daughter and live in Nashville, Tennessee. 

Want to win a set of the books Grace Unplugged and Own It for yourself? Use the Giveaway Tools entry form below. And if you haven't used Giveaway Tools before, remember to click on the settings at the upper right side. You can select to open all entries at one time which makes entering faster and easier for you. Good luck!

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Disclaimer: I received one copy of each book to review and share my honest opinions. I was given no other compensation for this post. 

Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze at #CampFontanelle

Are you looking for a family friendly and fun outing for fall? Like pumpkin patches? Corn mazes? Zip lines? 

If so, check out Camp Fontanelle, located just north of Fremont, NE. Their pumpkin patch and corn maze are now open from September 15 through November 3. And NEW in 2013 is a zip line--a 350' zip line--wowza!!

Some of the things I'm most looking forward to when our family goes to visit are the zipline (of course...I don't know that anybody but me wants to try it), the freewill donation pumpkin patch and the MAiZE. I love the freewill donation pumpkin patch. The donation boxes are all around so you can go get your pumpkins anytime--even if the patch isn't officially open--there are signs posted with suggested donations. The money made with the pumpkin donations are used to help fund camper scholarships--what an awesome way to get pumpkins and support a good cause. Now the corn maze, it looks incredible. I've never gotten to go through a corn maze before, so I'm excited to see if we can manage to make it in and out. 

From Camp Fontanelle's website: 

A Place To Grow With God In Any Season

Come and enjoy God's beauty on 183 acres of wooded hills.

Located in Nickerson, Nebraska, Camp Fontanelle is a facility of the Nebraska Conference of the United Methodist Church camping ministries working as partners with Comeca and Camp Norwesca. The Camping Ministries of the Nebraska Conference of the United Methodist Church provide unique settings for INTENTIONAL CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY where persons may deepen their Christian experience, grow in understanding, and respond in faith joyfully.  Our camps offer opportunities for intentional Christian Community through hosting retreats, reunions, community events, group activities, and summer camps for all ages.  Camp Fontanelle invites you to visit Camp Fontanelle, "A Place To Grow With God In Any Season".

Check out their website at http://www.campfontanelle.com to see videos and other things they have to offer!

Good news for Coolestmommy's readers:

Since this is part of the US Family Blogger network attractions, my readers get a special discount for their visit. Head here to get your coupon. 

Disclosure: I will be given passes for my family to go to Camp Fontanelle in exchange for this post and a review. No other compensation has been given. 

Wordless Wednesday - Backwards Night

Life is not measured

by the number of breaths we take,

But by the moments

that take our breath away. 

AWANA Tonight - Rebekah is dressed and ready to go.

 Wait--what is this?

OH--It's Backwards Night. 

Tricked you, didn't we??

Tips on Tuesday: Happy Fall Y'all (and a Blog Hop)

It's Fall...or Autumn...but I like Fall. 

Fall has gotten a little more challenging for us as our kids have gotten older. With a high schooler in marching band, our Friday nights are filled with football, but Saturday ends up being a homework-filled day. Then as soon as marching band season ends, we're into Indoor Winter Drumline. And THAT is 8-10-14 hours of rehearsal and performance every Saturday! 

So things like pumpkin patches and orchard trips have taken a bit of a back seat to bleachers and bands and drums and the mighty Frontline Marimba (that Andrew plays). 

I'm working to choose to find new ways to celebrate fall instead of lamenting what doesn't work right now. One thing I've found that enchants my youngest is anything doing with arts and crafts. As the leaves start to turn, we will be collecting our favorites to do some leaf rubbings. Even Nathan had an assignment in art class that dovetails perfectly into my leaf plans. He created this:

I found the best ideas for creating leaf rubbings and different ideas on how to save them on the Camping-Field-Guide website.

Photo credit: Camping-Field-Guide.com

What are some of the ways you celebrate Fall? Please share--I love new ideas. And be sure to check out other great fall ideas, recipes, places to go and more by checking out some of my local blogger friends on this blog hop. 

Discover many more ways to enjoy Fall in Omaha by visiting these other great local blogs!

Oh My! Omaha - Fall Foods in Omaha Restaurants
Yellow Mango Life - The best places for a fall run and fall fun runs in Omaha
Liv, Laugh, Love - Apple Jack Festival
The Walking Tourists - Vala's Pumpkin Patch offers fun for all ages
Family Fun in Omaha - FREE Fall Family Activities in Omaha
Bolton Carley's Blog - What's your favorite season? quiz
LPO Beauty - Changing Up Your Look for Fall

Baby Embellishments Etsy Store $15 Giftcard Giveaway

 Remember how Sugar & Spice and Everything Nice...

That's what Little Girls are made of?

Well, I think one of the biggest plusses to having a little girl after my two boys is the clothes. Girls clothes are just more fun than boys--even though I had the best dressed boys in town! It's all the bows, the ruffles, the lace, the tutus, all of the fun and frilly things that are girly. 

That’s where Baby Embellishments comes in!

Krista makes t-shirts and onesies for your little girls and boys. She also creates tutus, dresses, and bows for your girly girl! You can see the original review at Liv, Laugh, Love, but they got to try out the pumpkin embroidered girls’ shirt, perfect for the Pumpkin Patch and other fall fun. Plus she got a matching barrette.

Not only does Baby Embellishment make perfect items for Halloween, designer Krista also creates Husker (and Iowa) gear (including adorable tutus)!

Don’t miss the Chevron inspired items for Fall!

Order from Etsy before Sept. 30, and get FREE SHIPPING! Use the code FREESHIP. Don’t forget to check out the items on Facebook as well!

Enter to win a $15 gift voucher to Baby Embellishments! There are several ways to enter on the Punchtab below!

Disclosure: Coolestmommy participated in a group review and is not responsible for giveaway fulfillment. All fulfillment questions need to be directed to Liv, Laugh, Love. 

Wordless Wednesday - Andrew is 16

Life is not measured

by the number of breaths we take,

But by the moments

that take our breath away. 

My first baby isn't so little anymore. While he made fun of me getting him a 'kid cake' (come on--it was Angry Birds!), he always get happy and embarrassed as we sing Happy Birthday to him.

More on his birthday bash to come, but wanted to share this taste (get it?? cake....taste) of his special day with you. 

Game Truck - Nebraska & Iowa

THE ULTIMATE VIDEO GAME PARTY

The complete video game party brought to your doorstep. 

My family was so excited to hear that because I blog for the US Family Blogger Team, I got us invited onto the Game Truck. We've seen ads, we've talked about it, we have been itching for a chance to party with it---and now, we get to review it. What a night!

Every console in use.

We arrived at the party spot (my friend's home) where the Game Truck was up and running. We were a little 'fashionably' late by about 10 minutes. It was a hot summer night and I couldn't believe how cool the Game Truck stayed--for the entire 2 hours. There are 4 TVs and 4 players can play on each screen. So a total of 16 gamers can play (plus 1-2 on the new portable Wii U gamepad). More people than 16 fit very comfortably in the truck. And wow, you can't believe the games. They have every system and every game we could think of. Bonus points for Game Truck--they display their games on the walls. The Teen and Mature Rated games are kept in separate areas from the rest of the games. As the parent (host), you can choose what walls games can be selected from. Since there were kids ranging from age 5 to 17, the mom in charge said no Teen or Mature games for this evening. 

The wide array of games was impressive. They also had almost every Skylander known to man. My kids had a hay-day with those because I haven't wanted to purchase them. I'm afraid we'd lose them! Game Truck does a nice job of hanging onto them for my kids. Also, everything was incredibly clean and I noticed our Game Truck Rep cleaning remotes as we went and giving the truck a good cleaning when the party ended. I thought it was the newest truck, but he insisted they just keep them that clean. Nice--I don't want my kids picking up germs from the remotes!

I also like the idea of the party coming to you. And it's all contained so no mess for you, no cleanup. They park and open the door and you've got an instant party. 

Each video game theater is equipped with HDTVs and a wide selection of games for Xbox360, Wii, PlayStation3 and a GameCoach to manage the party so you can relax. All we need is a place to park and people to play.  

Guess what?!!? You get a special deal, too--just because you know me. You can use this coupon for free giftbags and t-shirt! 

If you book your party, make sure you tell them that Robyn from Coolestmommy.com sent you over!! And when you book, make sure you go to US Family Guide and get your coupon too!  Click HERE!

If you think you'd like Game Truck, be sure to go to the Game Truck Facebook Page and like them.  and like their facebook page!  You can also find them on the web by going to the Game Truck Website.

Here are some photos of my family playing games on the truck. 

Dad watching Nathan race. 

Andrew & Nathan racing each other

Rebekah and Minecraft

Disclosure: I was given the opportunity to attend a Game Truck event in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was given and all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Bash & the Pirate Pig Review and #Giveaway

If you know me at all, you know I love to read. As an adult, I've discovered I'm no longer discriminating about the 'suggested ages' for the books. I love many of the new Young Adult books as much as (or more than) books written for adults. It seems like YA books are different than when I was a kid. There's a lot more freedom to have a unique story. I felt like YA books when I was a kid were stilted and stuck into one basic pattern.

I was asked to review Bash & the Pirate Pig by Burton Cole. I'll admit that we've had the book for a couple weeks and I haven't finished it yet. That's because we are reading it each night as a family. Some nights, we don't get to read if it's too late by the time we get PJs and teeth brushed. Some nights we read 10 pages, some nights only 4-5. Nathan could read it on his own, but the words are too difficult for Rebekah to read. But kids have a much higher auditory vocabulary than written vocabulary so she understands everything in the story. 

So far, we are LOVING the story. It's so funny. Bash lives on a farm, has a pig, and gets everyone he meets into crazy situations and all sorts of trouble. Raymond (called "Beamer" by Bash), is Bash's cousin. He is 'getting' to spend the summer with Bash's family so he can get some fresh air and exercise. His parents think he's too involved with computers and electronics and needs to spend some time in the great outdoors. (This mimics my own life and those of my own children.)

The situations Bash talks Beamer and his friends into just make me roll. I laugh so hard when we read the story. Looking forward to see how it ends--I'm sure it will be a doozy with Bash around. 

From the Publisher:  About Bash and the Pirate Pig:  Bash and the Pirate Pig, by Burton Cole, is the story of a cranky city kid named Raymond "Beamer" Boxby who must spend summer vacation at his younger cousin, Bash's, farm. Beamer prefers air conditioning and video games. He can't see what good can come of this so-called country fun that includes riding cows, river rafting with a pig, or playing with skunks. But hang tight, Beamer, because Bash's zany adventures with his "Fishin' and Farmin' book" (The Bible) just might lead to the coolest discovery of all. 

About the Author:  Burton Cole is a Pulitzer Prize nominated journalist with thirty years of experience and more than fifty humor writing awards to his credit. He grew up on a farm in northeast Ohio and attended a small-town church with a slew of cousins and buddies. That same boyhood inspires his colorful stories today. 

About the Illustrator Tom Bancroft has more than twenty years of experience in the animation and illustration industry and worked with Disney on films including Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and Aladdin. Other clients have included DC Comics and Big Idea Productions. 

Now for the best part, the giveaway. Enter using the Giveaway Tools form below. I'm trying out this new entry method because I'm learning that it's easier to use for you than Rafflecopter. Under the Options at the top, select "Open all at once" and it gives you all the choices for entries. You do the ones you want. Once I learned that little trick, it's saved me lots of time in entering giveaways.

Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Nationwide Discounts on Fall Festivals, Pumpkin Patches, and More

Are you ready for fall? Do you enjoy visiting a Pumpkin Patch or a Fall Festival? Would you like to save money when you go? I know I love a good deal so I hope you are ready for some Fall Festival Deals! We are looking forward to taking a day away from home to explore and enjoy the change of seasons. In the Midwest,  I love the crisp, cool days of fall--not that we've had many just yet! But when we do, I've got my list below to check out some fun places near me.   

Below is a NATIONWIDE list of Corn Maze Coupons and Fall Festival savings. Click to Download valuable coupons for Corn Mazes, Pumpkin Patches and Fall Family Activities. And keep checking here for more deals and coupons as they are added.  

Arizona   Schnepf Farms - Queen City
Tolmachoff Farms- Glendale

California   Forneris Farms - Mission Hills

Colorado
Anderson Farms - Erie
Flat Acres Farm - Parker
Fritzler Maze - La Salle
Sunflower Farm - Longmont
Mile High Farms - Bennett
Wishing Star Farm - Calhan
Harvest Farm - Wellington 

Florida  Harvestmoon Farm- Masaryktown

Georgia
Lane Southern Orchards - Fort Valley
Poppell Farms - Odum 

Indiana
Amazing Fall Fun - Waterloo
Harvest Tyme Pumpkin Patch - Lowell
Hobson's Fun Farm - Rockville 
Guffey Acres- Kokomo

Illinois
All Seasons Orchard - Woodstock
Kuipers Family Farm - Maple Park
Odyssey Fun Farm - Tinley Park
Siegel's Cottonwood Farm - Lockport 

Louisiana    CM Farms - Dry Creek 

Maryland/DC   Summers Farm - Fredrick County 

Massachusetts   Sauchuk Farm - Plympton 

Michigan   Farmer Charley's Corn Maze Adventure - Monroe 

Minnesota   Afton Apple Orchard - Hastings 

Missouri/Kansas
KC Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze - Gardner 
Shuck's Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch - Pleasant Hill 

Mississippi   Seward Farms Maze - Lucedale 

Montana    The Maize at Grandpa's Farm - Billings 

Nebraska    Camp Fontanelle - Nickerson 

New Jersey
VonThun Farms - Monmouth Junction
Sahl's Father Son Farm - Egg Harbor City 

New York
Wright Family Farm - Warwick
Harbes Family Farm - Mattituck 

North Carolina   Patterson Farm Market and Tours - Mount Ulla 

Ohio
The Corn Maze at the Sharp Run Market - Millersburg
Meadow View Growers - New Carlisle
Triple B Farms - Pittsburgh
Reillys Summer Seat Farm - Pittsburgh
Confreda Greenhouses & Farms - Hope (Western Cranston) 

Oregon The Maize at The Pumpkin Patch- Portland

Pennsylvania
Hurricane Hill Farm - Coatsville
Triple B Farms - Pittsburgh
Reillys Summer Seat Farm - Pittsburgh

Rhode Island
Confreda Greenhouses & Farms - Hope (Western Cranston) 

Texas
Devine Acres Farm - Devine 
Fiesta Farm - San Antonio
Yesterland Farm - Canton
South Texas Maize - Hondo
Dewberry Farm - Brookshire
Brazos Valley Maize- Brenham

Virginia

Cows-N-Corn - Midland
Wayside Farm Fun - Berryville
Belvedere Plantation - Fredericksburg 

Utah
Cornbelly's Corn Maze & Pumpkin Fest - Spanish Fork

For Daily Updates on these coupons and coupons for other family attractions please visit and bookmark: http://www.usfamilycoupons.com