Big G Curvy Straws - Giveaway

Did you know that simply drinking the leftover milk from cereal bowls may help kids work towards fulfilling their body’s daily dairy, calcium, and Vitamin D needs? And what better way to slurp down to the bottom of the bowl than with the new Curvy Straws, available in-pack of specially marked boxes of Big G cereal! With these collectable, connectable Curvy Straws, children of all ages can enjoy mixing and matching to build bigger, colorful straws all while helping them work towards stronger bones and muscles through increased calcium intake!

• Be sure to collect all six different colorful straws featuring beloved Big G cereal characters
• Participating Big G cereals include Cinnamon Toast Crunch® (17 oz.), Lucky Charms®(16 oz.), Reese’s® Puffs (18 oz.), Honey Nut Cheerios® (17 oz.), Trix®(14.8 oz) and Cocoa Puffs® (16.5 oz)
• Made with more whole grain than any other ingredient, Big G cereal, combined with a ½ cup of milk, can help provide a great start to your family’s day

Whether you use one or connect them all, the fun with Big G Curvy Straws doesn’t have to stop when you reach the end of the bowl. Simply grab another serving of ice cold milk, and slurp away! Need more cereal to go with your milk? Visit this link to download a printable coupon for $1.25 off of the purchase of (2) boxes of participating Big G cereal today!

Enter to win this cool prize package containing:

1 box of a participating Big G cereal

1 Curvy Straw

1 ‘spilt’ milk bowl

2 glow cups

2 tangle toys

To enter:

Head over to the Whole Grain Nation Website and try to beat my score in the Fast Lane for Whole Grain Challenge.  I collected 13 products and my score was 4250.  I know you can do better than that with your eyes closed.  Then leave a comment below telling me how many products you collected and what your final score was.  I also need your email address IN THE COMMENT or your entry won't count.

Contest ends April 4, 2012 and winner will be notified via email.

Disclosure: The prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Miracle-Gro® Expand ‘n Gro™ Concentrated Planting Mix

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Scotts® for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.


    Another beautiful weekend here on The Avenue.  I did some yard work to prepare my flower beds for planting.  I have some real troublesome spots that need extra attention.  The ground is hard and sometimes the plant roots just don't take well.  I could manually break up the soil to loosen it up, but that's too much like work and gardening is supposed to be my fun hobby.


    Fortunately I found  Expand ‘n Gro™.


   


    Expand 'n Gro is a mix of natural coconut Coir and Miracle Gro plant food.  Coir is the lightweight natural material derived from coconut husk.  When mixed in with soil, Expand 'n Gro™ helps loosen and aerate soil. It creates up to 90% more air space, so moisture and nutrients can reach plant roots. If you have heavy, compacted soil in your garden, like I do,  Expand 'n Gro™ will make your work much easier and it will improve the soil for multiple years.  Plus it's concentrated and will expand up to 3 times when water is added.  So no more lugging those heavy bags from the home improvement store and it feeds up to 6 months, so add it once and enjoy your beautiful garden all summer and into the fall.


   


   

Free Blogger Event Sign Up - Rainy Day Facebook Frenzy

This is my first time participating in a Blog Hop like this.  Join Rainy Day Facebook Frenzy for FREE!  It's a cash giveaway that bloggers can sign up for at no cost. Find more information over at Cute-Ecakes :)

Sign up HERE!

Preserving School Memories with the Shutterfly Yearbook

When TOF was born six years ago I took so many pictures.  Pictures for his scrapbook.  I have pictures of his birth, his homecoming, all his firsts.  Hundreds of pictures, maybe even thousands.  Any guesses as to how many actually made it into a scrapbook?

Mema Fail!

Then TC came along three years later and I vowed to be more organized.  He would have a most splendid scrapbook.

Mema Fail Part Deux!

Now that TOF is in kindergarten, this year will be different.  Shutterfly has just introduced a new product - a photo yearbook.

They promised it will be super easy to make with specially designed templates to capture school activities, classroom pictures and teacher pictures.  I can scan his best art work and his report card.  Pictures that were taken at his class parties and whatever else I want him to remember.  The award-winning photo books are printed in color and professionally bound and prices are as low as $5 per yearbook.  Plus, your Yearbook is saved forever and you can re-order it at any time.

For more about Shutterfly, follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

Disclaimer:  This post was sponsored by Shutterfly.  All opinions are my own.

Stonyfield Yogurt, the Lorax and My Awful CRS or ADD or Something

Saturday was my fun day and when Sunday rolled around I had serious catching up to do.  I made a list, because that always helps.

Dishes, vacuum, pull weeds, groceries, headboard (more on this in a later post) and watch movie.

I quickly decided not to waste the sunshine and that the first two and last two would be best done after dark.  So I poured myself another cuppa coffee and read the paper a little longer.  Well the sun got so hot that I decided it was too hot (yes too hot in Chicago in MARCH) for weed pulling and took the dog for a walk instead.

TOF had a classmate's birthday party to attend that was near Costco and Meijer so I tagged along to do my grocery shopping.

Stonyfield had recently sent me some coupons to try out their newly launched YoKids Greek yogurt and since the boys are both huge yogurt eaters I was eager to try it out.  YoKids Greek is the first organic Greek yogurt specially crafted for kids’ choosy palates, eliminating the mouth puckering tang Greek can be known for.  With 6 grams of protein and an excellent source of calcium made with low-fat organic milk, YoKids Greek is perfect for meal or snack time. And, as the only organic Greek yogurt available for kids, YoKids Greek provides families a quality product produced without the use of toxic persistent pesticides, antibiotics, growth hormones, genetically engineered ingredients, or artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners.

I stuffed the coupons into my front pocket and off we went.  With Whynot out of town I didn't need much, milk, strawberries, hotdogs and the yogurt.  Surely I could remember those few things.  You see where this is headed right?

Yup!  I bought three of the four items!

CRS strikes again!

Tonight I'll be heading back to the store to pick up the YoKids Greek yogurt.

Would you like to try some Stonyfield YoKids Greek yogurt for your kids?  Fill up the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win 2 coupons for 1 FREE 4-pack of Stonyfield YoKids Greek organic yogurt and 2 coupons 1 FREE Yogurt 6-pack or Squeezers 8-pack of Stonyfield YoKids Organic Yogurt!

Fun on the Road with the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic

This is a guest post by Tom Noel, husband of Lisa of Oh Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy.

Tom was much more detailed in his review than I was in mine here.

     As the gas prices rise and the ability to go out and about becomes more and more expensive, Chevy has come up with an answer that I believe is a hit. The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic is a great solution to affordable travel. I was given the opportunity to have one of these great little cars for a week and I have to say it was one of the most fun times I’ve had behind the wheel in a long time.  The Sonic I drove was a Hatchback model (this car is also available in a sedan model). With the LTZ trim package.

Fun and performance in a small affordable package.

     The Chevy Sonic did not disappoint at all on fuel economy. At a rating of  25 miles per gallon/city and 35 miles per gallon/highway, this car exceeded expectations on both ratings. In town I was pleased with the 26.7 miles per gallon that it delivered. On the highway it did better than expected by getting 36 miles per gallon. This was achieved with the 1.8 liter dual overhead cam motor and 6 speed automatic/manual transmission. There is also a 1.4 liter DOHC turbo with 6 speed manual transmission available.

     Not only did the car exceed its expectations in fuel economy, but the performance didn’t disappoint either. The Sonic will accelerate from 0 – 60 miles per hour in about 8 seconds and stopping is incredible as well. It took 125 feet to stop the car from 60 – 0 m.p.h.  This is crucial in an emergency situation. Needless to say the kids had a blast riding in this peppy little machine.

     Speaking of kids, the Chevrolet Sonic will take 3 kids and 2 adults quite easily with its 5 passenger capacity. The front seats have more than enough leg room for someone over 6 feet tall. And the head room is amazing. The kids did not complain at all about the rear seat leg room either. The driver's seat is very comfortable and at 5 feet 7 inches tall, I could not reach the pedals with the seat positioned all the way back. Meaning this car has leg room to spare in the driver’s position.

     Safety is not a problem with the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic either. With its 10 airbags this car comes with a 5 star IIHS(Insurance Institute on Highway Safety) rating, which is the best a car can get. It’s nimble handling with the electronic speed sensitive power steering make it easy to avoid road hazards as well as to avoid collisions.

     The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic is filled with features. With its 6 speaker sound system w/ CD player, XM radio (3 month subscription), AM/FM, and Auxiliary plug for your MP3 player there is never a lack of options for your listening enjoyment. There is also Bluetooth capability for your cellular telephone. A 1 year subscription to On Star is also standard with the Sonic.

     If you are looking for a fun and affordable vehicle that will take you where you want to go comfortably, the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic is a hit with this test driver.

     For more information go to http://www.chevrolet.com/sonic-small-cars/, or visit your local Chevrolet dealer.

     This is a fun car, packed with features and is well worth a test drive.

Curious George Dance Contest

Calling all parents! Does your child love Curious George? Do they love to dance? Have them show off their best monkey moves and exercise their creativity in the first-ever Curious George Dance Contest! During its sixth season on PBS KIDS®, the Curious George television series is featuring a special focus on the arts, including dance. Dance is a great way for kids to express themselves, and a fun way to exercise! Parents and guardians are NOW invited to enter a video of their child dancing to the Curious George theme song for a chance to be featured on a Curious George DVD! You might even win a visit from George himself! Whether your child likes to bop, shake, jump, twirl, or spin, we want to see how they boogie along with Curious George.

Now through April 2, 2012, parents and guardians of kids aged eight and under can send in videos of their child’s moves to CuriousGeorgeDanceContest.com. A panel of judges will choose ten finalists based on their creativity, enthusiasm, and originality. Then, starting April 16th through April 30th, George’s friends and fans–the public–will vote for the winner. All finalists will receive a Curiosity Kit, filled with a Curious George book, game, DVD, and other fun George merchandise. Contest entries will be accepted through April 2, 2012. For complete rules and regulations, and to submit your child’s video, visit CuriousGeorgeDanceContest.com

For more Curious George fun, tune in weekdays to PBS KIDS (check local listings). Also, check out the Curious George website at pbskids.org/curiousgeorge which encourages kids’ creativity through games, printables, and video clips.

Couch Potato

I can't believe it's been almost a week since I posted.  Usually I have so much to talk about.  Well I do have a lot to talk about but I've been preoccupied and haven't been able to sit and write.  Whynot left Saturday for his big Spring Training trip and I'm a vacation widow.  But please don't pity me, because I'm having a wonderful time.  Usually when Whynot leaves I make huge plans to overhaul the house.  You know...clean closets, declutter, deep clean.  I got as far as the planning stage this year and instead decided I'm just going to kick back and do very little.

I still have this nagging cough and now with this crazy warm weather my allergies are starting to kick in.  I made the mistake of sleeping with the bedroom window open last night.  Allergy mist to the rescue.

TOF has been sick, latest diagnosis strep.  Poor guy missed 3 days of school.

I went for a pedicure on Tuesday night.  What an awesome feeling to wear flip flops in March...in Chicago.  After my appointment I stopped over at Augie Dawgs, she mentioned something about a Red Velvet cupcake and I barely heard any of the conversation after that.  Mmmmm Red Velvet.  She could have said she was going to shave my head bald and I wouldn't have cared.

Augie Dawgs has XFINITY by Comcast and surprisingly there wasn't much on TV.  All reruns in preparation for March Madness, but as she was channel surfing something caught my eye.  Soap Operas!  Oh how I love(d) thee!  So we stopped to watch General Hospital which I haven't watched since...hmmm....well I can't even remember what the plot was when I last saw it, but it had to be almost 2 years.  I read that Robin had died in an explosion and I wanted to catch up.  There's a new Maxie (didn't like her)  There's a new Kate, with a split personality (didn't like her either)  Sam and Jason are married and she's pregnant!  Only on TV.  Monica is still getting too much botox, Tracy is married to mobster Anthony.  Johnny still makes my heart throb.  Luke is still alive and kicking, or should I say getting his butt kicked as he's sporting a nice big shiner.  Oh, Ethan is not his son afterall...he's Scorpio's.  And Sam's baby...yeah possibly not Jason's but Franco's instead.

It was like catching up with long lost friends on Facebook.  So now I'm taping episodes to watch when the dreaded insomnia hits.

Do you have a favorite soap opera you can just pick up on where you left off?

Disclaimer:  This was a sponsored post.  All commentary is my own.

Saturday Ramblings - VLOG version

This is what happens when you make me wake up too early and drive to the airport and back.

Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairy Tales

Prepare to step into a world of wonder where wishing is only the beginning and dreams really do come true in Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairy Tales. Join Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy as they bring the timeless fairytale adventures of Cinderella, Beauty and The Beast, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to life right in your hometown. Featuring dynamic storytelling, award winning music, stunning costumes and glittering special effects, audiences will be captivated by the humor, fun and adventure of these spellbinding stories. Dream with the princesses, cheer for the heroes as they conquer evil villains, and marvel as these classic tales are brought to life in a theatrical experience that’s pure magic.

Save $5 on tickets with code MOM
Playing at the Rosemont Theatre

Valid for March 16 10:30 am, March 17 11:00 am & 5:00 pm. 

Discounts not valid on VIP or $47.50 Seating. 

No double discounts.

One lucky reader will win a family 4 pack of tickets for either of these performances: Friday, March 16th @ 6:30 pm or Saturday, March 17 @ 5pm   This is a super quick giveaway!  Winner will be notified Sunday morning March 11.  Leave a comment telling me who your favorite Disney Princess is and who you'd like to take to the show with you.  Winner will be notified by email, so be sure to leave one.

Disclaimer: Feld Entertainment supplied tickets for me and the winner.

I'm a Lousy Wife

-9 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Poor (Failure) Take the test!

I think it was either the vulgar and risque stories or the amount of profanity in my vocabulary.