Wordless Wednesday - Merry Christmas 2013

Life is not measured

by the number of breaths we take,

But by the moments

that take our breath away. 

Merry Christmas from our house to yours. 

May you bask in the true joy that comes from knowing the true meaning of Christmas.

Tips on Tuesday: From Peanuts

On this Christmas Eve, I wanted Linus to share Tips on Tuesday with you.

$200 Visa Gift Card #Giveaway

Hosted by:

NYSavingSpecials

Co-Hosted by:

Barbara's Beat, Quick Tattletails, 

Romania and Missions, Rainy Day Pennies, Thriftymommastips.com and  Simply Sherryl

Could you use a little post holiday cash? Have something on your wish list that you didn't receive. Want to have a fun night on the town? 

If you answered yes to any of those questions, be sure to check out the giveaway below. 

One lucky winner will win a

$200 Visa Gift Card

Details:

Dates: Dec. 21 to Jan 4

US. Resident only

All entries are optional

We appreciate the support of our co-hosts and bloggers promoting, please show your support by following them on their social medias pages.

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Disclaimer: Coolestmommy's Coolest Thoughts is not responsible for the awarding of the prize.  If you have any questions about this giveaway, please email the host at nysavingspecials@gmail.com.

Monster Jam Discount Code - Shows at the Mid-America Center Jan 2-5

I don't really think of myself as a "Monster Jam" kind of a girl. Nor do I think of my family as "Monster Jam" fans. But when I asked my kids if they wanted to go to the monster truck rally, the teenager said, "Go without me" (he's 16--we get this a lot), the 7 year old wanted to look at a video and when she saw pink trucks, she was all in. 
The one who surprised me the most was the 11 year old--the one with autism--where the conversation went like this:
Nathan: Is it a Monster Truck show?
Me: Yes, it's called Monster Mash or Monster something...
Nathan: Do you mean Monster Jam?
Me: Yes, that's the right name.
Nathan: Well, that's the most famous one, if you can get tickets for us, we should go. 

Since then, he's told me we need to take his earplugs (no kidding!!) and he asked if we can give away our tickets if it's too scary to go. I told him no, we have to go for at least a little bit so I can post a review of the day. He's deemed that he must attend for 30 minutes and then we decide if he's handling the noise well or not. If not, we agreed to leave. I'm stunned that he's going to give this a go. I never thought of all the kids that NATHAN would say yes. Just a testimony to how much he has worked to overcome and how hard he tries to do everything (and more) that any other non-autistic person would do. I think once he's there he's going to love it...I'm a little more worried about me. So we're going to give it a whirl and see what the kids think. 

About the show:  Mid-America Center, Jan. 2-5 Welcome to Monster Jam, an incredible family-friendly experience starring the biggest performers on four wheels: Monster Jam monster trucks. These twelve-feet-tall, ten-thousand-pound machines will bring you to your feet, racing and ripping up a custom-designed track full of obstacles to soar over and smash through. Monster Jam provides massive entertainment tailored perfectly for your family's budget, and these colorful, larger-than-life beasts are sure to capture the hearts of both young and old.


If you want to go, too, I've got a discount deal for you. Save $4 off per ticket - Click here to Use code: UFG4OFF. Not Valid on Premium Seating. Not Valid on Kid's tickets. Not Valid on Opening Night. No Double Discounts. 6 ticket Limit. Additional Fees May Apply


Disclosure: I will receive free tickets in exchange for a review of the Monster Jam. 

Save 50% at Babo Botanical's with Promo Code

Looking for a last minute gift for anyone on your list? Are you down to that 'hard to purchase for' person? Why not get 50% off of terrific products that are all natural and good for you to use? Check out Babo Botanicals where every available gift is 50% off. Use the promotion/coupon code: HOLIDAYBABO

You will find lots of products for everyone on your list. And their products are natural and safe--gentle enough for newborns and safe for anyone of any age. I appreciate products that are safe to use, natural (and a bonus here--organic, too), and still get the job done. In a world where chemicals are used in everything, it's nice to find a company with natural products. Enjoy your discount! Just make sure you note the expiration date is 12/18/13. 

Babo Botanicals offers a full range of natural and safe skin, hair and suncare products for newborns, babies, kids and the entire family! Babo products are made on a certified organic farm in upstate New York and are ultra-rich in vitamins A, C and D delivering maximum nutrients, protection and moisture to your child's hair and skin. Babo's mission is to provide the perfect balance between optimum results, natural ingredients and family fun.

ENTER PROMOTION CODE : HOLIDAYBABO at check out to benefit from this amazing offer: 
Offer available through Dec 18th. Coupon does not apply to VIP Gift Basket.

Disclosure: I will be receiving Babo Botanical products to try in exchange for a review of their products. 

Zike Z100 Scooter #Giveaway

Welcome the the Zike Z100 Scooter Giveaway!

Sponsored By: Zike

Hosted By: Mami's 3 Little Monkeys

 

Have you seen a Zike? They are amazing contraptions to watch in use. This is one of the scooters that is recommended for children like my son when he was going through OT. It helps develop BOTH  leg muscles and stamina. I'm very happy that I get to be a part of this giveaway to encourage other families to get fit and have fun at the same time.

Zikee LLC is a revolutionary company that has a passion for creating the next generation of revolutionary human powered products! They have combined an innovative new scooter and bicycle creating their freestyle hybrid scooters. Their scooters are unlike any others on the whole planet. They hope to make a positive difference in people's lives by combining fun and fitness as well as environmentally friendly transportation. As you may know mainstream bikes have basically been the same for over 100 years, but with 27 patents pending, Zike has pioneered a radical rethink of these bikes. 

Read Mami's 3 Little Monkeys review here.

Giveaway! 

One lucky reader will win their own Zike Z100 Scooter ($249ARV). The Z100 is recommended for children from 5 to 8 years of age and can support up to 150lbs. This giveaway is open to residents of the Continental US whom are at least 18 years of age at the time of entrance. Giveaway will end on December 28th at 11:59pm CST. For your chance to win, simply complete how ever many entries in the Giveaway Tools entry form below, the more you complete, the better your odds of winning! The winner will be chosen at random, winning entry will be verified and winner will be notified via email in which they have 48 hours to respond to or a new winner will be chosen. Good Luck!

Entry-Form

Disclosure: Coolestmommy's Coolest Thoughts is not responsible for the fulfillment or shipment of this prize nor have I received any form of compensation for this post. If you have any questions or would like to see your product/brand/etc promoted similar to this one please contact Sarh at mamis3littlemonkeys@yahoo.com. 

Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar #Giveaway and Review

I was so excited when I saw this box in the mail. Have you ever used Fels-Naptha before? I have!! This has been my go-to bar for making laundry detergent and as a stain remover. It really does a nice job of cleaning clothes when I use it in my detergent recipe. I can use the bar to remove greasy stains by wetting the bar and rubbing it into the fabric where the stain is. 

If you would like to learn more about my economical laundry detergent, please see my Making Laundry Detergent post. My homemade detergent is better for our clothes, better for our skin and only costs between $0.03-0.06 per load. Fels-Naptha is a Purex Product. 

The Giveaway

Enter to win two coupons. Each coupon is good for one free bar of Fels-Naptha. 

And remember, if you click on the top right of the Giveaway Tools box, you can select to open all entry options. 

Entry-Form

Disclaimer: Purex provided me with a sample of Purex Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar in exchange for a product review. However, all the opinions expressed here are my own. 

Are you watching #SoundofMusic Live on Thursday night? #faithandfamily

Did you hear about the new Sound of Music--done Live. Carrie Underwood is starring as Maria and Stephen Moyer will be Captain von Trapp. I love "The Sound of Music" and have watched it repeatedly over the years. I'm excited to see how Carrie Underwood portrays Maria. I think she will do a marvelous job--and I love listening to her sing. 

To see the show, tune in on Thursday, December 5 at 8pm eastern/7pm central. It will be on your local NBC station. Great news--everyone can see it. You don't have to be on a certain cable company to be able to see this. 

I'm already humming "Edelweiss, edelwiss. Every morning you greet me..." I am really excited to share The Sound of Music with my children. We've seen it in the theatre, but I look forward to sharing this live production with them on TV (their preferred medium). Be sure to join me as I'll be tweeting during the show. Let me know what you think (be sure to join the fun by tweeting using #SoundofMusic and #faithandfamily).   

From the producers:
THE SOUND OF MUSICFrom executive producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron ("Smash," "Hairspray," "Chicago") comes an instant holiday classic: "The Sound of Music," based on the original Broadway musical. Carrie Underwood and Stephen Moyer star as Maria and Captain von Trapp in this beloved story of the young novice who falls in love with Captain von Trapp and his seven children, set against the backdrop of Nazi-occupied Austria. The jewel in the Rodgers and Hammerstein crown, "The Sound of Music" contains some of the most famous songs ever written for the stage, including "The Sound of Music," "My Favorite Things," "Do-Re-Mi," "Sixteen Going on Seventeen," "Climb Every Mountain" and "Edelweiss."

This new version of "The Sound of Music" will be a faithful adaptation of the original stage musical, to retell the story for a whole new generation. And more than that, it will be broadcast LIVE, adding a whole new level of immediacy and excitement. Get ready to reintroduce your family to the most joyful, most emotional and most musical family adventure of them all. 

Disclaimer: I will be provided a gift card to purchase food for a viewing party in my home and I may win a Sound of Music prize pack in exchange for my review. Receiving these items does not affect my review and all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

The Nativity Story App Review

The Nativity Story iPad/iPhone app is quite the hit in our house. Rebekah started playing with it and when Nathan saw it, he got right in on the action. Between the two of them, they figured out (without reading instructions) how to make the story go, make the characters speak and move different people/animals/objects all around. They are having a blast with the app and I'm happy to see them engaged in the Nativity Story. 

The app is available for iPad ($3.99) by searching the app store for: The Nativity Story - Popup DELUXE Edition https://itunes.apple.com/app/id579941573

The iPhone app ($1.99) is available by sarching the app store for: The Nativity Story - Popup MINI Edition https://itunes.apple.com/app/id681638132

Geared for ages 2-10, it's easy to use and boasts several languages. 

About The Nativity Story

Where will baby Jesus be born? At the market? At a restaurant? At the inn? Readers of this book app can follow Joseph and Mary on their search for a place to stay in Bethlehem. Along the way they encounter a variety of colourful local people and animals. This is a fun and engaging way to share the original story of Christmas with the young generation and remind them what Christmas is all about.

From the promoter:  Why Kids Love This App

•  It's like a vintage pop-up book, with classic woodcut-style illustrations
• By tapping and swiping, kids can help Joseph and Mary find a place to stay.
• Knock on doors... Pull on the rope... Ring the bell... Open windows... Make people talk...
• Create music! Help a band of angels play their instruments.
• Lots of characters to get to know: Innkeeper, Merchant, Shepherds, Chef, A Band of Actors, Neighbourhood Children, Mary's Donkey, Farm Animals and of course... Angels!
• Funny sound effects!

 Why Parents and Grandparents Love This App

• Nostalgia. It feels like a classic pop-up book, bringing back memories for parents and grandparents.
• Optional Narration: Listen to the old-timey narrator tell the story, or read the story yourself.
• EXTRA Feature: After the story, explore the original Bible text that tells the Nativity Story.
• Amazing Visual Quality: Support for retina display

How is This Christmas App Different?

• Production Values - It is a work of art: a rich visual and sound experience.
• Interactive - We use the touch technology and animation to engage the reader in the story in an enchanting and educational way.
• Age approach - The classic Bible story is retold here with an original and creative approach that appeals to young kids as well as adults.
• Original - The app is designed like a vintage popup book
  and includes unique features such as interacting with a band of angels and playing instruments like trumpet and harp.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the app in exchange for my review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.