No rest on Sunday, if you're entering blog contests!

Another rash of giveaways are ending in the days leading up to Christmas. It's crazy how many prizes are out there to be won! Hopefully my good fortune will continue, as I've just about realized my goal of not spending any money for Christmas presents this year (even my son's car repairs are almost covered by gift cards I've won!). I've even been able to help on Bloggess' post. Reading some of those stories, my heart breaks - that could have been me. Heck, for a few years that WAS me. I forget sometimes just how fortunate I really am.

Here's what I've entered that are ending over the next few days:

Familylicious Reviews is giving away a pair of MiracleBody jeans. Since I've been losing weight, I'm a lot more "jiggly" than I used to be so this would be a nice win. Who wouldn't want to look 10 pounds lighter, just by putting on a pair of jeans! I wish they had a 100 pound version LOL Also, they're one of Oprah's Favorite Things, so they must be fabulous.

Songberries is also offering a pair of MiracleBody jeans. The great thing about Songberries' giveaways is there's no penalty for entering late - everyone can earn the same amount of entries. There's over 40 possible entries available for this giveaway, which makes for some great odds! This giveaway ends Wednesday at midnight.

Sammi's Blog of Life is giving away The Chef's Stir Pan by KitchenStir. This is an ingenious little appliance! It has a built-in stirer, so it's like having an extra set of hands in the kitchen! Plus it had a temperature range of 0-400 degrees, so you can set it to the perfect temperature for what you're cooking (I'm thinking making caramels, custards or jam, where the temperature is critical). This would be a great appliance to own!

The Fashionable Housewife has taken giveaways to a whole new level - I've entered FIVE that end today! She's offering a $100 instant gift card to ShopBop.com, a $100 gift card to Beso.com, a $150 gift card to for jewelry from DiViene.com, a pair of shoes or boots from Shoeline, and a $50 giftcard to one of Coinstar's retailer partners - I'd pick Amazon but there are several others. Coinstar is also running a promotion right now to help with your holiday shopping. Not only will Coinstar waive the fees on your transactions, but they've teamed up with five national retailers to kick off the Cash in $40, get $50 promotion. Through December 31st, if you cash in $40 worth on change, you'll get a $10 bonus on your receipt!

Blommi is giving away a set of Moziak disposable dinnerware (service for 8 which includes utensils, plus a covered serving bowl, serving utensils & pair of serving platters). I haven't seen these in my local CVS, but service for 8 for only $10 makes this a VERY affordable option the next time I have a party! I like that you can choose to wash and re-use these, or dispose of them if you don't want to be bothered!

The Mommy-Files is giving away a NESTLÉ Family Holiday Brunch Package, which includes a host of NESTLÉ products, and a $50 VISA gift card. We always do brunch on New Year's Eve so this would be a great win!

MomSpotted is sponsoring a giveaway by JoeShopping.com for a $100 Amazon gift card! JoeShopping.com is a shopping comparison site, but with a social media twist. Not only can you compare prices, you can review products, share finds with your friends and solicit their feedback, and so much more! I recently joined and I look forward to exploring the full functionality of the site. Not sure about the badges they have (they look a bit too Nickelodeon for my taste) but it's a nice idea.

Cat at 3 Kids and Us is giving away a Eureka Whirlwind Vacuum Cleaner (black), including Filtrete vacuum accessories. I would love a new vacuum. Even though I have mostly hardwood floors, I do have a couple of large area rugs, and they seem to attract dirt like crazy!

Two of a Kind is picking FOUR winners for some awesome prize packs from Alouette or Chavrie. I'm secretly hoping for the Alouette myself, but either would be great! We love their cheeses year-round but especially over the holidays - quick, easy and delicious party food!

Two of a Kind also has another giveaway, this one for a fabulous Jif prize pack that includes several jars of peanut butter and a Calphalon Gourmet Roaster! If I'm lucky enough to win this, it's going to my ex's mom. I figure with all the kids she works with, getting lots of free peanut butter would be a blessing! Every little bit helps.

Real Moms, Real Views is giving away a Logitech Wireless Illuminated Keyboard K800! I'd love to win a new keyboard, and the fact that it's lighted would definitely be a bonus when I'm trying to work on the laptop in the living room, but my son has the lights off watching a movie. The laptop screen just doesn't throw off enough light (and I HATE the keyboard!).

Shannon at The Mommy-Files is offering a NESTLÉ Christmas prize pack filled with Stocking Stuffers, including WONKA Fun Dip books, a CRUNCH/Paul Frank Basket and a $100 VISA gift card!

Mom Start is giving away a Kodak Playtouch HD Video Camera! This would be great to capture all those special moments (like my son's graduation from college, I think he's gonna make it after all!!).

A Nut in a Nutshell and McCormick are promoting a virtual cookie swap, and in conjunction with that they're offering a great prize package, including McCormick spices and extracts, Martha Stewart cookie cutters, the book Cookie Swap! by Lauren Chattman and more!

The Bragging Mommy is offering one lucky reader an Orient watch of their choice from Orient's Standard Line! I'm not sure which one my son would pick if I won - I think one with a black face and silver/gold band is sexy (plus, he could wear it with anything) but he might go for an all gold one for that ultimate blinged-out look. This giveaway ends on Wednesday and she's offering tons of extra entries so even if you're late to the giveaway, you can really maximize your chances of winning.

Lastly, Sweeps4Bloggers is giving away a Tortuga Carribean Rum Cake (the large 33 oz one)! I love these things. They are seriously one of the best things I've EVER put in my mouth. I know I'm trying to lose weight but the lure of the moist deliciousness of this cake is calling my name :) If I win, I don't know which flavor I'd pick. Chocolate? Pineapple? Original (with walnuts!!)? Key Lime? Blue Mountain Coffee? or Orange? They also have Coconut, Banana and Cinnamon Raisin.

Kitchenaid Mixer Giveaway - 3 Kids and Us

3 Kids and Us and KitchenAid want to make your holiday wish come true and offer you the chance to win a brand new KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer, in your choice of over 20 colors, valued at $349.99!



Enter the KitchenAid Stand Mixer Giveaway and check out the Homemade Holiday Feast recipes that show all the ways the KitchenAid Stand Mixer and attachments can be used to create unique family dishes and save you counter space with one appliance that can be converted to meet your every need.

If I'm lucky enough to win this I'd be a cooking and baking machine! Cat's blog posts and recipes have given me a lot of great ideas :)

Frantic Friday - more wins, more giveaways ending today

TGIF! I'm ready for the weekend - this week has been exhausting!

I did pick up a few more wins over the last couple of days which was nice. I also redeemed my points from the Marlboro Outwit the West game for a Fuji Mountain bike, so I'm looking forward to getting that - not sure what happened the last week, I fell just short of the netbook *sigh*. My son is hoping it's a mistake, he's waiting a couple of days to see if they correct it - otherwise, he'll get the digital camera.

LOTS more blog contests are ending today, I think this is the last big wave before the holidays. There's literally thousands of dollars worth of prizes up for grabs!

Piera at Jolly Mom is hosting a giveaway for a Hoover® MaxExtract77 Multi-Surface Pro™ Carpet & Hard Floor Deep Cleaner! From Hoover's website: MaxExtract® deep cleaners are designed to clean a variety of surfaces from carpets to couches and sealed wood floors to tiled floors. This versatile, easy-to-use machine removes water, dirt and grime with pressurized cleaning, and has heated drying for a fast dry time. Doesn't this sound amazing? I have mostly hardwood and tile flooring, but I do have several large area rugs (as well as upholstered pieces) that I could use this for. Whoever wins this will be very lucky indeed.

A Mom's Balancing Act and Thanks, Mail Carrier have THREE sets of giveaways ending today! The first is for a $100 gift card to Hayneedle. I love winning items like this, so I can shop for things for the house... I still need a few things, like lighting for the living room (and I'd LOVE to replace the lighting in my kitchen and dining room). Hayneedle has so many nice things, and their prices are VERY reasonable!

The next set of giveaways are sponsored by EatSmart. A Mom's Balancing Act is offering a Precision Pro Digitial Kitchen Scale, while Thanks, Mail Carrier is offering a Precision Digital Bathroom Scale. Either of these would be great for my diet (excuse me, weight management plan.... it's a lifestyle, not a diet). I wonder if I can win them both? LOL

The last set of giveaways from A Mom's Balancing Act and Thanks, Mail Carrier are for $75 ATG Stores gift certificates (one awarded from each blog). ATG Stores has a lot of great products perfect for you or anyone on your gift list! I mentioned earlier I needed lighting for my living room and these sconces would be PERFECT for one wall. If I win this one, I'm getting those sconces!

My Wee View is giving away a $100 gift certificate to CSN Stores. There's several things there I like, or I could use this to purchase a gift for someone on my Christmas list! So many possibilities....

Cocktails with Mom is giving away a Honeywell 360° Surround Heater. I would love to win this for my office. Now that it's just me in the house, I could keep the thermostat even lower than I already do, and use this in my office (which is where I spend most of my time when I'm home after work). Think of the money I'd save on heating bills!

The Mommy-Files is giving away a NESTLÉ Baking Package, which includes either coupons or product for CARNATION Evaporated Milk, TOLL HOUSE Morsels, TOLL HOUSE Refrigerated Cookie Dough and a $25 Visa gift card for other baking supplies. Although these won't be here in time for Christmas, this prize package would be great for any winter afternoon. Nothing like coming in from the cold and warming up with some freshly baked cookies!

Baby Loving Mama and Barefoot Mommies are each sponsoring a giveaway from JoeShopping.com. One lucky reader from each blog will win a $100 Amazon gift certificate! JoeShopping.com is a shopping comparison site, but with a social media twist. Not only can you compare prices, you can review products, share finds with your friends and solicit their feedback, and so much more! I recently joined and I look forward to exploring the full functionality of the site. Not sure about the badges they have (they look a bit too Nickelodeon for my taste) but it's a nice idea.

Flying Giggles & Lollipops has TWO $500 gift card giveaways ending today! One gift card is from Kmart, the other from Sears. Either gift card can be used at the other store, and they can also be used at Roebuck and Co., Lands’ End, and The Great Outdoors! Can you imagine the shopping spree you could have with either of these? I would stock up on items for the house like sheets, towels, curtains, new drinking glasses, socks and underwear (because at my house, you ALWAYS get socks and underwear at Christmas!) but I could also afford to pick up a video game or two for my son, some tools I need to work around the house, or maybe a Foodsaver or hardwood floor cleaner!

Amanda at My Life with Rats and More is giving one of her readers a Samsung 22" Class 450 Series 720p 60Hz LCD HDTV! Yes, a flatscreen TV! Honestly, I don't know how she does it. She's not working with a sponsor either - she paid for this herself. If I'm lucky enough to win this, I think I'll give it to my mom to put in her kitchen. She spends a lot of time in there, and there's not a TV in that area. She can mount it on the wall so it'll be out of the way :)

The Fashionable Gal is offering one lucky winner a Wanchai Ferry dinner kit, a Macaroni Grill dinner kit, and a $25 Visa Gift Card so you can enjoy a date night or 2 at home with that special someone. Use the gift card for a special dessert, a bottle of wine, maybe some candles or whatever would make your date night memorable! I wonder if there's a giveaway for a special someone? LOL

Mommy PR is giving away a $50 gift certificate from Novica. If you're not familar with them, they sponsor artisans from around the world and make their crafts available through the Novica website. You can find everything from jewelry and clothing to masks, wall art, rugs and more! I've gotten a pair of earrings from an artisan in India once, and I gave my mom a gorgeous brooch. I also got my son an African drum that is one of his most favorite possessions. If I win this, I think I'll get him either a mask, or another African drum.

my aspirations and plans for 2011 - my weight loss journey #OWNtalk

I've mentioned it before, but I'm overweight. Morbidly overweight, according to my BMI. Morbid.

mor·bid (môrbd) adj.

1. a. Of, relating to, or caused by disease; pathological or diseased.
   b. Psychologically unhealthy or unwholesome: "He suffered much from a morbid acuteness of the senses" (Edgar Allan Poe).
2. Characterized by preoccupation with unwholesome thoughts or feelings: read the account of the murder with a morbid interest.
3. Gruesome; grisly.

I'm diseased. Gruesome. Grisly. Unwholesome. Well... isn't THAT special?

I can't pinpoint the exact moment when my weight spiraled out of control. There have been factors my whole life.... I was a chubby kid, a curvy teen (I was probably 150-160 pounds, and a size 14). In college, I packed on the freshman 10, and a couple more besides. Every year at my checkup, I was 2-5 pounds heavier than the year before. Never a big deal, it's only a few pounds, right? Other than the weight I was healthy. The doctor always said so. They weren't concerned, so neither was I.

When I was pregnant with my son, I was sick. VERY sick. I couldn't eat. It literally made me vomit to use toothpaste to brush my teeth. I saw my doctor regularly, and he told me not to worry about not eating - he made sure I was getting plenty of vitamins and minerals, and that I was well-hydrated. He said it was worse to be sick than not to eat, so not to force it. So for the better part of 6 months, I ate very little, maybe a piece of toast and yogurt, or a little cottage cheese. That wasn't breakfast - that was what I'd eat in a day!

I was also under a tremendous amount of stress (my father died unexpectedly when I was carrying my son, plus there were issues with his father). All of this put my my body under tremendous stress. My metabolism basically shut down.

Fast forward to the birth of my son (I actually weighed 5 pounds less the day I delivered him than I did the day I got pregnant), and I resume eating. Only I have no metabolism at this point, so now I'm gaining 5-10 pounds a year.

My son turned 21 this year, so you do the math. Oh, I've lost weight at times - but it comes back. It ALWAYS comes back. When it comes back, it brings along even more weight. I can't escape it. Amazingly enough other than the weight, I've been fairly healthy my whole life; but in the last few years, I'm developing issues that are either caused by, or exacerbated by my obesity. Sleep apnea. Insulin resistance. PCOS. Asthma. Degenerative arthritis in my knees. My kidney function is compromised. I retain a lot of fluid in my feet/ankles/legs - at times I can't even wiggle my toes, and it feels like my skin is going to split. My hormones are soooo far out of whack it's not even funny - I hate to think what'll happen when I go through menopause! At times, I have been hypertensive. I'm severely anemic. Stress incontinence. Depression.

Then there's the non-medical issues.... like finding clothing that fits. BRAS that fit. Going out to eat with friends, and having to check that the restaurant offers tables as well as booths (I don't fit comfortably in most booths). Flying.... dear God, FLYING. Don't get me started. I just don't travel anymore - it's easier. I don't do a lot of things I used to do anymore.

This is the year that I've decided enough is enough. I've spent (probably) the first half of my life carrying not only extra weight on my body, but extra weight on my soul... emotional, mental, spiritual and (at times) psychological weight that is killing me as certain as the extra pounds on my body. I want to be free of the proverbial monkey on my back - although in my case, the monkey is now the size of a full-grown man, and I've literally been carrying it.

I've always told myself once I lost the weight, I could reclaim my life.... until I realized I needed to reclaim my life in order to lose the weight. I had to do this. Doing nothing was killing me - one french fry, cheeseburger, soda at a time.

So, I took the plunge - I admitted the problem more than I could handle, and I asked for medical help. I'm now working with a nutritionist, who has me on a medically supervised diet, as well as prescription medication to help control my appetite. I'm reading food labels, I've cut out all drinks except water (I will occasionally have a small glass of juice or unsweetened tea). Turkey bacon instead of bacon. At least 1 fruit or vegetable at every meal. Whole wheat pasta, quinoa or couscous. I have to keep a food journal, and right down everything I eat. I do. I write down EVERYTHING. I figured out how many calories were in a slice of pepperoni (10). A Dot (12). I exercise. Not as much as I should, but I try.

It's been about 2 months, and I've lost weight. It's not coming off as fast as I'd like, but I tell myself it's coming off faster than it went on! I'm not 100% compliant - I do cheat a little here and there (otherwise, I wouldn't know that a Dot has 12 calories!). I'm probably 75-80% complaint... this isn't a diet, this is a lifestyle change. I won't spend the rest of my life not eating chocolate cake, or fried chicken. I just have to learn HOW to incorporate them into my diet. It's about moderation. Choices. Cheese in my eggs, or butter on my toast - not both. A Dot (or 6, in a small box) isn't the large box I used to eat. 2 or 3 slices of pepperoni in my salad are OK (better than 8-10x that amount). One tater tot isn't an order. Turkey bacon isn't that bad.

Even though I've been working with a nutritionist, I plan on having WLS. I was all ready to go, but then the doctor's office told me that my medical history notes weren't complete - my doctor hadn't completely documented my dieting attempts. So, I have to do a 6-month medically supervised diet before I can re-submit (which I'm doing with the nutritionist). Although, I did find out a couple of weeks ago that although my insurance carrier requires the 6-month MSD, my company's specific plan doesn't have that requirement in it.... so I could re-submit again and get approved.

But, I'm going to wait and stick with the nutrionist for a bit longer. I've seen too many cases of people who have WLS but don't change their eating habits, so they either don't lose as much weight as they could, or they end up gaining some, or all of it back. I don't want that to be me. So, I'll keep with the nutritionist for now (although I may not do a full 6 months). I can learn how to eat post-surgery (yes, there are guidelines you need to follow to be successful). Every pound I lose prior to surgery means that much less stress on my body (not to mention it makes it easier for the surgeon when we re-engineers my insides!).

Plus the extra time will allow me to work on other things, like getting my anemia under control (which will be harder to manage post-WLS), getting rid of all this excess fluid I'm retaining, improving my overall fitness. A healthier me pre-surgery means an easier recovery, and I'm all for that.

I'm looking forward to little things. Not needing a seat belt extender on an airplane. Not needing to sleep with a mask on (for my sleep apnea). Shopping for clothes in the "regular" stores. Fitting comfortably in a regular chair (with arms). Walking up stairs. Riding a bike. Wearing heels. Crossing my legs. Touching my toes.... heck, SEEING my toes!

I'd like to ride the rides at the fair next year, or fit through the turnstiles at the train station. To be hugged and have their arms reach ALL the way around me. Heck, maybe even swept off my feet, literally... and not by a forklift!

So, that's my story.... where I came from, how I got to where I am today, and where I'm going. I'm looking forward to the New Year - more so than I ever have before. Because now, I have a plan, and the tools to make that plan a reality. I have people who will help me, but more than that I'm helping myself. I'm looking forward to seeing how much weight I can lose on my own pre-surgery, and then post-surgery how close I can get to my goal weight. I'll keep you posted on my progress :)

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network blogging program, for a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner - and lots more giveaways to win today

I had another amazing day yesterday!

From MyCoupons, I won a Harry & David Twelve Days of Christmas Triple Discovery Gift! It's currently sold out on their site, but I googled it and it looks AMAZING! I know my son and his friends will devour this in no-time flat!

From Pretty Pink Momma, I won a necklace from PearlParadise.com. I picked a white pearl, 18" length with a yellow gold clasp - I wanted something classic. :)

Lastly, from EveryCarListed.com I won another $50 gas card! I won 2 two weeks ago (I was a Twitter and Facebook winner). I didn't realize you could win multiple weeks until I noticed a few others did, so I decided to play again this week - I'm glad I did!

There's another plethora of giveaways ending today..... here's a few of the ones I've entered.

Bridgette at The Not-So-Blog is doing a 24 hour giveaway for an AMAZING Blu-ray Prize Pack which includes a Blu-ray Player AND an year’s worth of rentals from Redbox! With the cold weather we've been having lately, staying home and wating Blu-ray movies sounds like just the thing (and with the Harry & David prize I won, I've already got plenty of snacks to go with it!).

The Mommy-Files is giving away a Craftsman prize package including a Craftsman Hooded Shirt Jacket, a Craftsman Workwear Tee, and a set of Craftsman Long Sleeve Coveralls, as well as a $25 Sears Gift Card! My son has ruined more clothes working on his car or doing work on the house (especially in the crawlspace) so these Coveralls would be PERFECT for that. Plus with the weather we've been having lately, he could really use a Hooded Shirt Jacket - the wind just whips around campus and he's miserable right now. :(

Mommy Mandy and Our Ordinary Life have teamed up to offer 1 reader an great prize - a Dyson City DC26! You need to check it out - it's the cutest thing I've ever seen, with the power of a Dyson! This would be perfect for my son's dorm, where cleaning is a necessity but space is at a premium. Plus, it's multi-floor, so it'll work equally well on the bare floor as well as the area rug in his room. I entered on both sites to maximize my chances on this one.

Outnumbered 3 to 1 is giving away a $100 gift certificate to ATG Stores as part of her Holiday Palooza! I love shopping there - every time I look at their site, I find another 27 things I want. They're the first place I look for anything now - they're my Amazon for home items.

Head over to Eighty MPH Mom where you can win a $175 GameStop Gift Card! I don't need to tell you that this would be great to win - there's several games on my son's wish list, and I'd love to pick up a few things for the Wii for my workouts.

A Review and a Giveaway and JoeShopping.com are giving away a $100 Amazon gift card! I don't need to tell you how much I get from Amazon - heck, I even order grocery items from them for me, my mom and my ex's mom (she's addicted to some rice I got her once)! LOL

What a Day! Wins, More Wins, and Even More Giveaways!

Holy Moly, yesterday was AMAZING! I received SEVEN different winner's notifications.

From Two Southern Girls, I won the Old Orchard prize pack.

From Piera at Jolly Mom, I won the Nestle prize pack which includes a copy of the Southern Plate cookbook (written by the blogger at SouthernPlate.com). I've been wanting this cookbook for awhile now.

From Jennifer at MomSpotted, I was 1 of 5 winners who each won $100 American Express gift card! It'll get added to the offspring's car repair fund. Another $100 I won't have to come up with!

From Dove Chocolate, I won some DOVE Chocolate Snowflake PROMISES. I'll share these with my friends at work - someone's always looking for chocolate!

From Familylicious Reviews, I won a $25 American Express gift card. I'll be sending this one to mom, along with some of the coupons I get. She's funny - she won't take $100 gift card from me, but I can send her $25-$50 a month and those she'll accept. Go figure. LOL

From MyPleasureBlog, I won a Form 3!!!! No need to tell you what this will be for :)

...and last, but certainly not least, I won a $100 ThinkGeek gift certificate from Mommy Living the Life of Riley! I see a Star Trek pizza cutter in my future :)

Insane, right? I KNOW!

Lots more giveaways are ending today, maybe my luck will hold out :)

Baba's Farm Life is giving 3 of their readers their own copy of the book Bed & Breakfasts and Country Inns (courtesy of I Love Inns) with a Free Night Certificate inside! There's several B&Bs in Asheville that I'd love to spend a weekend at, so this would be a great prize to win!

Sweeps4Bloggers is offering a Himalayan Salt Lamp from Shop Natural Ways. I've never heard of these before - I think it would be not only a cool conversation piece, but it would improve the air quality in my bedroom. I've heard about the benefits of negative ions for awhile now, and this is a unique way to do it!

Cincinnati Coupons is giving away a $100 gift certificate to EyeBuyDirect.com. I just got my first pair of glasses this year, and they were unbelieveably expensive! I'd love another pair to keep at work, so I'm hoping I win this one.

Heck of a Bunch is giving away EatSmart Precision Pro Digital Kitchen Scale in your choice of color. I think I'd pick the silver one. This would really help me on my diet, because I sometimes struggle with portion sizes - this would take all the guesswork out of it.

Sammi's Blog Of Life is hosting a giveaway for a Barilla prize pack (the reviewer got a 10-pound box of different shapes and types of pasta - both regular and whole wheat). Pasta is definitely a go-to meal in our home so this would be great to win.

Manic Monday - even more giveaways!

They say things come in threes, and I think they're right! It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas with all these Holiday Gift Guides and associated giveaways.... it's incredible the amount of prizes being given away. Tons of giveaways I entered ended this weekend, and here's another list of ones I've entered that end today.

Our Ordinary Life has partnered with Underwriters Laboratories (UL), in an effort to get parents, specifically moms, to set aside one minute a day this holiday season to teach their kids safety. To help promote this effort, they're offering 1 reader a $100 Visa gift card. Also, readers have posted tons of safety tips, so there's a lot of great info on her post.

I entered to win a $300 gift card from Dear Crissy & Bare Necessities! Since I've started losing weight, I've got clothes in smaller sizes, but bras/panties? That's another story. Considering how much weight I have to lose, I will be going through several sizes of bras/panties on my way to a healthier weight, so winning this would really help me with this unexpected expense!

MomStart has 2 giveaways ending today - one is for an amazing Kraft gift pack (lots of Kraft products, free Cool Whip coupons, and even some stuff from Williams Sonoma!). The second is for a Alouette and Chavrie cheese (free coupons), along with some additional items. We go through a lot of Alouette and Chavrie cheese all year long, but especially over the holidays!

Dina at Just Another New Blog is giving away the most GORGEOUS Diamond Journey white gold pendant from Kranich's Jewelers ($299 value). Seriously, it's STUNNING. What an amazing gift for yourself, or that special someone!

Girl Gone Mom is giving one lucky reader a Special Edition Keurig Brewer. I love my Keurig, and I'm still holding out hope that I can win one to take to work.

Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House is giving away a Bissell Steam & Sweep Hard Floor Cleaner. I would love to win this - I'm finding it almost impossible to keep my kitchen floor clean (especially the grout lines). This would be great for that - and I'm probably going to have my son seal the grout lines while he's home on Christmas break so they don't stain.

Sweeps4Bloggers is giving away a $50 gift card to FragranceNet.com. They have pretty good prices on the cologne my son likes, and they offered a 15% coupon as soon as I loaded their site so that makes it a great deal. I like that they're all genuine brands (no imitations).

TONS more giveaways ending this weekend!

There are a ton of giveaways ending this weekend that would be great for the holidays! Here is a small sampling of the ones I entered.

Sweeps4Bloggers is offering a 3 Month “Cheesecake of the Month” Club membership from Cheesecake.com to one lucky reader (ARV $179). Can you imagine, ringing in 2011 with THREE months of cheesecake?

Fab Find Foodie has 2 giveaways ending - one for a SodaStream Limited Edition Gold Pure machine (1 of only 500 made!), 2 reusable carbonating bottles, a sample pack of flavors, and 3 full-sized flavors (winner's choice). The other is for 2 free Chavrie coupons, a bamboo serving dish, cookbook (For the Love of Goat Cheese) and craisins to make their signature dish. In addition, 2 runners-up will each receive 3 free Alouette coupons!

Survey Junkie is offering a Community Coffee Private Reserve Gourmet Holiday Gift Basket ($79.99 value).

Momspective is giving away TWO $20 Chili's gift card to TWO winners! So, you can do a Chili's two for $20 meal deal, and then pass one along to a friend to do the same!

Half-Past Kissin' Time is giving away a $100 CSN gift card.

Mrs.4444 Cooks is giving away a $50 CSN gift card.

OMG, there are a TON of blog giveaways ending today!

I think half my list of blog giveaways are ending today - there's literally tens of thousands of dollars in prizes up for grabs.

Here's a sampling of all the ones I've entered- don't judge me. LOL Some are for me, but some of these would make great Christmas gifts! My goal this year is to try and win all my Christmas gifts - I've done OK so far. The Serta bed I won from Survey Junkie I gave to my mom (she's beyond thrilled!), and I've won a few things for my son (who's main gift this year will be $400 worth of tires, and $600 worth of tie rods for his car *sigh*). I've still got a few other gifts to button up, but hopefully I'll do that after today :D

A Mom's Balancing Act and Thanks, Mail Carrier are each offering their readers a $75 CSN Stores gift card.

A Nut in a Nutshell is offering a $20 Cold Stone Creamery gift card.

At the Fence is offering a Christmas Gift Basket Classic from Gourmet Gift Baskets.

Baba's Farm Life is offering THREE of their readers The Weight Loss Mindset, as well as a $50 IGIGI gift certificate.

My Wee View is offering a $150 Burt's Bees gift pack.

The Not-So-Blog is offering a $100 gift card to Cracker Barrel (country fried steak, anyone?)

I entered to win $100 from Dear Crissy & ATG Stores! One of her readers will win, why not me?

Eighty MPH Mom has 3 giveaways ending today that I entered.
Head over to Eighty MPH Mom, where you can WIN Pyrex-Corelle-Chicago Cutlery – World Kitchen Grand Prize giveaway (1 winner takes all!)!

Don't need kitchen items? Head over to Eighty MPH Mom, where you can win a $75 ATG Stores Gift Certificate! Pick out what you want!

STILL not your thing? Well then, Head over to Eighty MPH Mom, where you can win a Mr. Beams Anywhere Ceiling Light ($39.99 ARV)!

The Mommy-Files is offering a Nestle Family Holiday Celebrations Gift Pack, which includes a cookbook (Southern Plate: Classic Comfort Food That Makes Everyone Feel Like Family, from Christy Jordan @ Southern Plate), as well as free coupons from Carnation® Evaporated Milk, Toll House® Morsels, Toll House® Refrigerated Cookie Dough, Juicy Juice® and Stouffer's®. Sounds great, doesn't it?

Jolly Mom is also offering a giveaway for this same Nestle Family Holiday Celebrations Gift Pack!

Pretty Pink Momma is offering a freshwater pearl necklace from PearlParadise.com. I'd pick the white, 18" length with a white gold clasp for a classic look.

Sammi's Blog of Life is offering a Butterball Indoor Electric Turkey Fryer by Masterbuilt. Since it's meant to be used indoors, I could use it for so many things other than turkey!

The Queen of Swag! is offering a $75 Sears gift card.

Our Ordinary Life is offering a Flip UltraHD.

Mom Spark is offering a $75 shopping spree at Jockey.

MommyPR has 3 ending today - one for a great gift pack full of wonderful P&G products, one for another great gift pack filled with Nestle products, and the last one is for an Infinity Towel Warmer from WarmlyYours (perfect for these cold winter days/nights).

American Express Gift Cards spreading their Seasons of Surprises to the blogosphere!

“This year, the American Express Gift Card that you give your friend or loved one may be worth more than you think. American Express Gift Cards is introducing the “Season of Surprises” promotion. Those who receive an American Express Gift Card can go online at www.americanexpress.com/holiday2010 to enter their Gift Card number and see if they have won one of 2,000 $25 Gift Cards or ten $10,000 instant win prizes. Once online, consumers will also be entered into a sweepstakes for a chance to win the grand prize of $100,000.”

To get the word out about this great promotion, American Express Gift Cards has teamed up with several bloggers to sponsor giveaways of $25 American Express gift cards. Below is a list of the ones I know of, but I'm sure there's others!

If I win, I'll share these with my mom and my ex's mom - both are retired, and living on a fixed income there's no room for those little luxuries that we take for granted. Even $25 would be welcome, especially at this time of year! Plus, it's like also giving them a lottery ticket for the grand prize of $100,000!

The Bragging Mommy is giving away ten $25 gift cards on her blog on Dec 9th, and a SECOND set of ten $25 gift cards on Dec 16th!

Our Ordinary Life is also giving ten of her readers $25 gift cards. The giveaway ends Dec 9th.

If that wasn't generous enough - Our Ordinary Life will do a SECOND giveaway on Dec 13th, where five of her readers will get two $25 gift cards EACH! So, $50 worth of gift cards to five lucky readers!

Jennifer at Mom Spotted is doing it a little differently - FIVE of her readers will each win $100 gift cards!!

Rockin' Mama is giving ten of her readers $25 gift cards.

Mom Start is giving away ten $25 gift cards on Dec 13th, and then another ten will get $25 gift cards on Dec 20th!

Familylicious Reviews is giving ten of their readers $25 gift cards on Dec 5th, and another ten $25 gift cards on Dec 12th!

Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House will pick five of their readers to each receive a $100 gift card on Dec 17th.

Live, Love, Laugh with Leslie, MiracleBody Jeans and Emile Henry

Live, Love, Laugh with Leslie has 2 great giveaways ending today that I've entered.

The first one is for a pair of MiracleBody jeans. They were one of Oprah's Favorite Things, and after reading about them I can see why! I would love to own a pair for myself (Samantha style, boot cut in Mystic wash, please). Now that I'm losing weight things are getting a little "jiggly" so it would be nice to have these jeans suck me back in. LOL

The second one is for a prize pack from Emile Henry, containing a pizza stone in black (LOVE this), a Rosle Collapsible Colander in red, and lastly a Flame Top Dutch Oven/Stewpot 4.2 quart. I was lucky enough to receive an Emile Henry Stockpot earlier this year but I sent it to my mom, and she LOVES it! With her arthritis, the fact that it's ~30% lighter than a comparably-sized cast iron pot is important to her, especially when it's full of beef stew or greens. I'm so glad I could do that for her, but I'm secretly envious because I really wanted to keep it for myself!

Both of these giveaways are part of Leslie's Holiday Goodies Event, and she offers tons of entry opportunities.

Millstone Coffee and Folgers Gourmet Selections K-Cup (and Keurig Brewer) Giveaway

Keurig is sponsoring a giveaway on The Mommy-Files for a Keurig Single-Cup brewing system (model isn't specified).

Anyone who knows me knows I love my Keurig, and I hate not being able to drink coffee at work. If I'm lucky enough to win this, it's going in my office, along with a case of Donut Shop coffee! I've had to cut waay back on my caffeine on the recommendation of my nutritionist, but I can still indulge (just not as much!)

This giveaway 12-7.

Several great giveaways from Being Alison - You can eat, drink, watch movies and then get back into shape!!

It seems like I haven't entered one of Being Alison's giveaways in a looong time, now all of the sudden every day there's a new one I've entered! Right now, I've entered into these great giveaways:

Your Shape: Fitness Evolved for the Xbox Kinect. I need something else to add to my exercise routine - my weight loss is going a lot sloooower than I'd hoped.

$50 Visa gift card, as part of Swanson's Great Stuffing Debate that I blogged about here. There's TONS of bloggers running these giveaways right now!

A Roku HD Player. I've been reading about these all over, and I can't wait to own one. Maybe I'll get lucky!

A $100 e-GC to MyWinesDirect - just in time for all those holiday parties! The best part is everyone who enters the giveaway will get a $20 e-GC!

I'm wondering what goodie today's blog posts will bring?

Fun Saving Money - 2 great grilling giveaways end today

Funny, we had our first snowfall yesterday and today I'm trying to win 2 grilling giveaways from Fun Saving Money!

The first one is for a Steak Station Digital Meat Thermometer. Even though this would be great for the grill, I can definitely use it year-round for chickens, roasts, steaks, etc.

The second is for a Steven Raichlen Creme Brulee Kit and his Dessert Barbeque Rub. I love Creme Brulee, desserts, and I love Steven Raichlen, so this is a match made in foodie heaven!

Each giveaway offers several different entry options, so do any (or all!) to maximize your chances of winning.

Let it snow!

Home Constuction & Improvement - Expert Home Improvement Advice

Home Construction & Improvement is a website providing expert advice on every aspect of home construction and home improvement. The site was created by Todd Fratzel, who is a a licensed professional engineer in several states with a background in civil engineering, structural engineering and residential and commercial building construction.

He started the site to share his wealth of knowledge, not only from an engineer's perspective, but from the DIYer who also owns his own home, is raising a family and knows about construction and and contractors.

I like the site because it allows me to ask questions about the growing list of projects I want to do around the house, and I can search their forums to see discussions on everything from porches to basement insulation.

Paslode is offering one lucky reader of Home Construction & Improvement the chance to win a CF-325 Cordless Framing Nailer!

Todd did a review of this nailer and it sounds like a great item to have - especially since I'm looking at rebuilding both our front and back decks in the next year or so :( Having a tool like this would make the difference on whether I would attempt to do it myself (with my son, of course - make him earn his car insurance) or hire it out. I'd also be able to use it to build that storage shed that I need :)

5 Minutes for Mom Christmas Giveaway - look at all the one I entered!

5 Minutes for Mom, as part of their Christmas Giveaway is offering their readers a chance to win a wide variety of prizes! I entered a few:

BISSELL Steam & Sweep.

Epson Stylus NX625 photo printer.

Keurig Single-Cup brewing system. This prize will also include a sampling of Millstone and Folgers Gourmet Selections K-Cup portion packs to get you started.

Celebrity Gift Basket with a huge selection of products, valued over $470!

8 piece Oven Fresh Ceramic Baking Set from Oneida.

This is only a small sample of what they're offering, so check it out for yourself!

Lenovo IdeaPad U460 laptop computer giveaway from Dear Crissy

Dear Chrissy is giving away An IdeaPad U460 14″ Laptop from Lenovo! If I win, I'm sending it to my ex's mom - she doesn't even own a computer, so this would be a blessing for her! There are several ways to enter so you can increase your odds of winning. It ends today so don't delay!

I entered Crissy’s Can’t Wait til Christmas Lenovo Laptop Giveaway and hope to win a $799.00 IdeaPad!

eBay Love To Give Unwrap Attacks and Giveaways

An Unwrap Attack is when you get an unexpected gift and you lose it. The Ebay Love To Give page has lots of unwrap attacks posted.

I've never had an unwrap attack, but if I ever got a 2011 VW Eos LUX, I'd be unwrap attacking up and down the block!

In conjunction with the eBay campaign, several bloggers are offering giveaways to spread the word.

Two of a Kind is offering a $100 eBay gift certificate (note, it will be sent as a paypal deposit, so you must have both an eBay and PayPal account to accept.)

The Divine Miss Mommy is also offering a $100 eBay gift certificate on New Year's Eve - what a great way to ring in 2011!

dab's Holiday Wishlist

TodaysMama and GameStop are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What is your holiday wish for your family? Health and Happiness :)

2. What is your Christmas morning / Hanukkah Nightly tradition? Open presents, and a big breakfast - pancakes or waffles, bacon, coffee, fruit. Or it could be homemade bread (I'll set the breadmaker) with omlettes, bacon, coffee, fruit.

3. If you could ask Santa for one, completely decadent wish for yourself, what would it be? 2011 Volkswagon Eos Lux in Salsa Red :) plus enough $ to cover the taxes on it. LOL

4. How do you make the holidays special without spending any money? I enter a lot of sweeps/contests/giveaways, so most of my Christmas shopping is covered by items I win. But we also spend time volunteering and donating to various causes, especially around the holidays. It serves as a reminder of how blessed we really are.

5. What games did you play with your family growing up? Monopoly.

6. What holiday tradition have you carried on from your own childhood? Decorating the tree on Christmas Eve. It used to drive my son bonkers, but that's when we did it when I was little, so that's what I still do today.

7. Where would you go for a Christmas/Hanukkah-away-from-home trip? I think NYC. To me, it's the most magical place to be over the holidays.

8. Check out GameStop and tell us, what are the three top items on your GameStop Wish List this year?

Kinect

Wii Red - because well, it's red!

PS3 Holiday Bundle - we don't have a PS3 yet

Mom Rocks the Holidays with Rayovac and Paper Jamz sweepstakes

I posted about the Mom Rocks the Holidays with Rayovac and Paper Jamz sweepstakes before, but it bears repeating!

Rayovac has launched an exciting sweepstakes where 3 Lucky winners will win $1,000 cash from Rayovac. In addition, 20 First Place Prize winners will receive a Rayovac Jam kit including a Paper Jamz guitar, drum, amp and guitar strap as well as 2 packs of Rayovac Alkaline AAA 24 packs (prize package valued at $90).

To enter:

1. You must “Like” Rayovac on Facebook: Facebook.com/Rayovac
2. Log on to Rayovac.com, complete the entry form and at their option, tell Rayovac in 120 words or less how you (or your mom) rocks the holidays.

5 Minutes for Mom is also giving away a $250 Visa Gift Card to one lucky reader, and 5 runners-up will each win a Paper Jamz Guitar, and one 24-pack of Rayovac Alkaline AAA batteries! Rayovac is the Official Battery of Paper Jamz

Visit 5 Minutes for Mom to enter.

DISCLOSURE: Followers who promote the Rayovac Mom Rocks the Holidays Sweepstakes may receive gifts from Rayovac.

Holiday Gift Giveaway Blog Hop

Almost 250 bloggers are participating in this Blog Hop! The prizes are gift cards or cash/paypal only. I've entered a few:

My Organized Chaos is offering a $25 gift card to your favorite online shop (Amazon, please!!)

Health, Beauty, Children and Family is offering a $25 Jasmere & $25 Starbucks to 1 winner, and a $10 Visa, $25 Zazzle & $20 Panda Express gift card to a second winner.

Our Kids Mom is offering a $100 Dell gift certificate to one winner.

Millstone and Folgers Gourmet Selections K-Cups Giveaways

Ho ho ho! Here Comes Santa Claus, and he's bearing caffeine!

As part of her holiday giveaways, Jolly Mom is giving away a Keurig Single-Cup brewing system (model isn't specified). Also included is an assortment of Millstone and Folgers Gourmet Selections K-Cups! This giveaway ends 12-6.

In addition, The Mommy-Files is running a giveaway for the same prize package on her blog, so there's another chance of winning this fabulous prize! Her giveaway ends 12-7.

Anyone who knows me knows I love my Keurig, and I hate not being able to drink coffee at work. If I'm lucky enough to win this, it's going in my office, along with a case of Donut Shop coffee! I've had to cut waay back on my caffeine on the recommendation of my nutritionist, but I can still indulge (just not as much!)

Moms Rock the Holidays! Rayovac & Paper Jamz Giveaway! {5 winners-$250 Visa Gift Cards!} (ends 12/05)

Rayovac wants to power your holidays with fun new contest. To enter, just visit the Mom Rocks the Holidays with Rayovac contest tab on Facebook, like them and tell them how you or your mom makes the holidays rock for a chance to win the Grand Prize of $1,000 cash! There will be 3 Grand Prize winners and 20 Runner Up winners will take home a Paper Jamz guitar, amp, drum kit, guitar strap, and two Rayovac Alkaline AAA 24 packs of batteries.

Also, be sure to visit Mommy Goggles ‘Moms Rock the Holidays with Rayovac & Paper Jamz Giveaway!‘ where you can win 1 of 5 Mom Rocks the Holiday prize packs that include a $50 Visa Gift Card, Paper Jamz guitar and Rayovac Alkaline AAA 24 pack of batteries.

Disclosure – Followers who promote the Rayovac Mom Rocks the Holidays Sweepstakes may receive gifts from Rayovac.

Swanson’s “Great Stuffing Debate" giveaways from BlogHer

As part of Swanson’s “Great Stuffing Debate" promotion this holiday season, several BlogHer blogs have teamed up to offer up their debates, as well as a $500 Visa gift card to help with your holiday shopping! You can enter at any, or all of the following blogs:

Taste and Tell

Big Mama

Feels Like Home

Eclectic Recipes

i am mommy

Gourmet Gift Baskets Giveaway - 3 blogs, 3 winners!

Survey Junkie, Little Yaya's and Review Retreat have teamed up with GourmetGiftGaskets.com to offer a Nutcracker Drum Gift Basket to 3 of their readers! There are lots of ways to enter.

From the sponsor's website:

Another exclusive addition to our collection of Christmas baskets, this stunning red and gold Nutcracker drum will delight for years to come. Overflowing with decadent festive treats, your recipient will rejoice in holiday cheer when they receive this stunning holiday gift basket.

We’ve selected classic nutcracker cookies in both red and green, chocolate peppermint cookie brittle, peanut brittle, butter wafers, white chocolate amaretto wafers, English toffee caramels, peanut roll, and praline pecans to star in this jolly gift. While the multifunctional keepsake drum will last a long time, the snacks will not! When you send one of our holiday gift baskets, you can be confident that you will receive rave reviews.

Xtrema Giveaways on Thanks, Mail Carrier and A Mom's Balancing Act

Xtrema is sponsoring 2 giveaways, one on Thanks, Mail Carrier and the other on A Mom's Balancing Act. This is part of their "Checking Our List" Holiday Gift Guide 2010.

On Thanks, Mail Carrier they're offering a 10" Ceramic Skillet 3-pc Set.

On A Mom's Balancing Act, they're offering a 6-piece 1.25 Quart Steamer Set.

Both giveaways end today.

Holy Stuffing! Swanson Giveaways across the blogosphere

As part of Swanson’s “Great Stuffing Debate" promotion this holiday season, TONS of bloggers have teamed up to offer Visa gift cards to help with your holiday shopping. Here's just a small sampling of the ones I've found:
Head over to Eighty MPH Mom, where you can win a $150 Visa Gift Card from Swanson’s!

The Divine Miss Mommy - Stacie is offering the chance for 5 of her readers to each win a $50 gift card. That would buy a lot of Christmas goodies!

The Mom Buzz is offering one of her readers a $150 gift card, to purchase all your holiday dinner ingredients and more!

As They Grow Up is also offering one of her readers a $150 gift card!

Baby Loving Mama is also offering one of her readers a $150 gift card!

Blessings Abound Mommy, A Mom’s Impression and Being Alison are each offering one of their readers a $50 Visa gift card to help with the holiday meal!

Shop with me Mama is also offering one of her readers a $150 Visa gift card.

MomStart is also offering 1 of her readers a $150 Visa gift card.

I told you - stuffing, stuffing everywhere! Lots of blog readers will have some much-needed financial help for their holiday meals this season, thanks to the generosity on Swanson!

In my house, there is no debate - my son is the stuffing eater, so I make it how he likes it :)

Do you make your stuffing with bread or cornbread? both, about 50/50
Meat or vegetables? again, I use both. sausage, onions, celery, mushrooms
Fruit or nuts? neither - we save those for the pies :)
Chicken broth, turkey drippings or water? chicken broth to start, I baste part-way through with turkey drippings, finish with melted butter to crisp up the top.
In the bird, or on the side? out - in a separate casserole dish. It's not so mushy that way, and it gets a crunchy top.

Mom Rocks the Holidays with Rayovac & Paper Jamz

Rayovac wants to power your holidays with fun new contest. To enter, just visit the Mom Rocks the Holidays with Rayovac contest tab on Facebook, like them and tell them how you or your mom makes the holidays rock for a chance to win the Grand Prize of $1,000 cash! There will be 3 Grand Prize winners and 20 Runner Up winners will take home a Paper Jamz guitar, amp, drum kit, guitar strap, and two Rayovac Alkaline AAA 24 packs of batteries.

Also, be sure to visit 3 Kids and Us mom blog where you can win 1 of 5 Mom Rocks the Holiday prize packs that include a $50 Visa Gift Card, Paper Jamz guitar and Rayovac Alkaline AAA 24 pack of batteries.

You can also enter on momdot's blog, where you can win a Rayovac Jam Pack (including one Paper Jamz guitar and one pack of Rayovac Alkaline AAA 24 pack batteries), or the Grand Prize of $250 in Visa gift cards!

Disclosure – Followers who promote the Rayovac Mom Rocks the Holidays Sweepstakes may receive gifts from Rayovac.

Win a kleenex cold defense kit for the entire office from Shoplet

Shoplet is giving THREE people the opportunity to win a CASE of Kleenex (27 boxes!) and a CASE of hand sanitizer (12 bottles!!). Considering everyone who works around me cough, sneeze, etc. all day long... I need to win this!! There are lots of ways to get entries into this giveaway.

PS - you don't even wanna know what the etc. is! Trust me on this.

Folgers Gourmet Selections K-Cup & Keurig Giveaway

Keurig is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Mandy for a Keurig Single-Cup brewing system (model isn't specified).

Anyone who knows me knows I love my Keurig, and I hate not being able to drink coffee at work. If I'm lucky enough to win this, it's going in my office, along with a case of Donut Shop coffee! I've had to cut waay back on my caffeine on the recommendation of my nutritionist, but I can still indulge (just not as much!)

This giveaway ends today.

Skip Black Friday LCD TV Giveaway

LCDTV.net is giving away a FREE 40" Samsung LN40C630 in their "Skip Black Friday LCD TV Giveaway" (an $899 value) along with a copy of your favorite movie on Blu-Ray or DVD. You have until the 23rd at midnight ET to enter.

Holy Moly, I won!

THREE Great Giveaway from Serendipity Mommy - Le Cordon Bleu, Keurig, and GoFlex - OH MY!

It's been a loooong time since I've posted about a giveaway from Serendipity Mommy, but she has THREE that close over the next 2 days that I've entered (crossing my fingers, toes, eyes, arms, legs...heck, I'll braid my hair!)

1. Le Cordon Bleu is sponsoring a giveaway for a gift set that includes two books (Le Cordon Bleu Cuisine Foundations and Le Cordon Bleu Cuisine Foundations Classic Recipes), and a branded tea towel. Serendipity Mommy reviewed the books last month. I knew then they'd be perfect for a gift, or to keep for me!! My mom would love these books and I don't think she has either one yet. This giveaway ends today.

2. Keurig is sponsoring a giveaway for a B60 Special Edition Brewer. Anyone who knows me knows I love my Keurig, and I hate not being able to drink coffee at work. If I'm lucky enough to win this, it's going in my office, along with a case of Donut Shop coffee!

I love that this model allows you to brew 6, 8 or 10 ounces so I can vary the strength if I decide to bring other coffees to work, and the reservoir allows you to brew several cups of coffee before refilling. This is actually the same Keurig I have at home and I love it! This giveaway ends today too.

3. Seagate is sponsoring a giveaway for a 500GB GoFlex drive and a copy of Roxio Creator 2011. I thought the offspring might like this to store and edit all the videos and photos he takes (and free up space on his laptop, which is supposed to be for schoolwork!). I also love that the GoFlex is PC and Mac compatible, so he can also use it with the computers at school (if necessary). This giveaway ends tomorrow.

Mom Rocks the Holidays with Rayovac & Paper Jamz (redux)

I posted about the Mom Rocks the Holidays with Rayovac and Paper Jamz sweepstakes before, but it bears repeating!

Rayovac has launched an exciting sweepstakes where 3 Lucky winners will win $1,000 cash from Rayovac. In addition, 20 First Place Prize winners will receive a Rayovac Jam kit including a Paper Jamz guitar, drum, amp and guitar strap as well as 2 packs of Rayovac Alkaline AAA 24 packs (prize package valued at $90).

To enter:

1. You must “Like” Rayovac on Facebook: Facebook.com/Rayovac
2. Log on to Rayovac.com, complete the entry form and at their option, tell Rayovac in 120 words or less how you (or your mom) rocks the holidays.

Mom Spark is also giving away a $50 Visa Gift Card, Paper Jamz Guitar, and one pack of Rayovac Alkaline AAA 24 pack batteries to 5 winners! Visit Mom Spark to enter.

DISCLOSURE: Followers who promote the Rayovac Mom Rocks the Holidays Sweepstakes may receive gifts from Rayovac.

Toshiba Helios Black 17.3" Satellite Laptop Review & Giveaway from One Savvy Mom!

As part of her Holiday Gift Guide 2010, One Savvy Mom! reviewed the Toshiba Helios Black 17.3" Satellite Laptop, and is offering a giveaway to one VERY VERY lucky reader. This is one sweet laptop! Here are the specs: •AMD Athlon II dual-core P320 processor 2.10GHz, 1MB L2 Cache
•4GB DDR3 system memory gives you the power to handle most power-hungry applications and tons of multimedia work
•320GB SATA hard drive. Store 213,000 photos, 91,000 songs or 168 hours of HD video and more
•DVD SuperMulti drive with Labelflash technology Watch DVD movies on your computer; read and write CDs and DVDs in multiple formats
•10/100 Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi. Connect to a broadband modem or a wired broadband router with wired Ethernet, or wirelessly connect to a Wi-Fi signal or hotspot with the 802.11b/g/n connection built into your PC
•17.3" diagonal HD+ TruBrite LED-backlit TFT LCD widescreen display. ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250 graphics with 256MB-1405MB dynamically allocated shared graphics memory

Additional Features:
•Built-in Webcam and microphone
•Digital media card reader
•3 x USB 2.0 ports (1 x eSATA combo port), 1 x RGB output, 1 x headphone jack, 1 x microphone jack, 1 x RJ-45 Ethernet port
•6-cell lithium-ion battery pack
•Built-in stereo speakers with Dolby Advanced Audio

Software:
•Genuine Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit Edition (To learn more about the features of Windows 7, click here)
•Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 Edition (60-day trial)
•Microsoft Works 9
•Norton Internet Security 2010 (30-day trial)
•Microsoft Windows Live Essentials including Photo Gallery & Movie Maker
•Toshiba PC Health Monitor; Toshiba Online Backup (30-day trial)

This would be great for my mom! The large screen size, full-size keyboard would be easy for her to use, and I love the built-in webcam so we could Skype and I could actually SEE how she's doing rather than rely on what she tells me (lies, all lies I'm sure. She's not as well as she claims to be). The processor is powerful enough to handle anything she'd do with it (church bulletins, spreadsheets, watch video) as well as work well when the kids are there, working on their homework or surfing the internet.

As always, One Savvy Mom! offers a TON of entry options, so do them all to maximize your chances of winning (or don't - better odds for me. HA!) Giveway ends 12-08

Preserve your Halloween Memories with Kodak Gallery -$50 AMEX Giveaway

KODAK Gallery is offering TWO The-Not-So Blog readers each a $50 AMEX gift card, so they can create their own photo books and help preserve those precious Halloween memories.

My son had so many great Halloween moments over the years, I really wish I'd gotten more pictures than I did - you can't get those days back. Trust me.

Giveaway ends today

Home Renovation Event-ATGStores Review & Giveaway!

One lucky Kiddies Corner reader will win a $75 ATG Stores gift certificate.

ATG Stores has 500 websites throughout multiple home furnishings categories, offering close to 3 Million products from over 1000 name brand manufacturers. Whatever you're looking for, you'll find it here!

This giveaway is part of their Home Reno Event that I posted about here.

Giveaway ends today

Don't forget today is Daylight Savings Time!

Just a reminder that today you were supposed to set your clocks back an hour (so, 3am became 2am).... which means daybreak occurs earlier in the day (YAY!) and by 6:30pm it's dark out *grumble*

Most newer phones, computers, etc. will do this automatically, but my cellphone needed to be manually updated (it's still on the old DST schedule), as well as the microwave, stove, clock radio, etc.

I can't believe how dark it is outside already. It REALLY makes me wish I win the Fireplace being given away from FindOverstock.com that ends tonight. Instead of putting it in my bedroom, I could put it in the office, so while I'm on the computer at night I could enjoy the warm glow of a crackling fire. Plus, with 2 variable settings (750 & 1500 watt) and a flame dimmer, I could control the amount of heat and light provided. Heck, I might NEVER leave my office! LOL

Seriously though... I've got the wall of bookcases, I could add the fireplace, and turn it into a study/library. I spend more time in here than my bedroom, so I'd enjoy the fireplace more.... plus, since it's wall-mounted, it wouldn't take up any floor space. I can see it now... snow falling outside, me curled up in my fav chair with a book and my comforter, with the fireplace going, a cup of hot tea on the sidetable (next to the remote for the fireplace, so I can adjust the light and heat). What a lovely way to spend an afternoon :)

Here's a thought - I might win it and love it so much that I buy a second one, then I could have one in both my office AND my bedroom! SCORE!!

$350 Value Nostalgia Electric Fireplace With Remote Giveaway

FindOverstock.com is celebrating having 100 followers by giving away a Nostalga electric fireplace with a remote.

Features (as listed on FindOverstock.com's blog post):
•Wall mounted mahogany effect wooden style electric wall fireplace (SAVE SPACE)
•Flame effect with under-bed glow
•750 and 1500 watt heat settings for maximum comfort
•Safety thermal cut-off built-in to prevent overheating
•Adjustable flame brightness
•Remote control with ON/OFF, 750 watt & 1500 watt selection, flame dimmer
•Mounting hardware included allows you to mount this incredible fireplace right to your wall
•Pebbles included
•Dimensions: 6.25 x 35.375 x 22 inches

I have ALWAYS wanted a fireplace in my bedroom, and I have the perfect spot for this! I think it would be amazing to just lay in bed and have the fireplace going :) It might even tempt me to start going to bed sooner. HA!

Giveaway ends today, and there are many ways to enter.

Win a 7 Day Vacation Stay from Global Resort Homes

Faithfully Frugal and Free is celebrating their 1 year blog birthday, and with the sponsorship of Global Resort Homes is offering one lucky reader a 7 day / 6 night stay in one of the beautiful Global Resort Homes properties located in Orlando, FL (note, you have 1 year to take advantage of the offer, and black-out dates are 6/15–8/15 and 12/15–1/8).

You really need to check out their website, they have 6 resort comunities, each with a variety of amenities that make this the perfect vacation destination.... even without everything else Orlando has to offer!

Two MomStart giveaways ending tomorrow

MomStart has 2 great giveaways ending tomorrow. The first one is for 3 free Johnsonville sausage coupons (up to $4.99 value each coupon).

The second is for a great Hormel prize pack, which includes the following:
· Lunch tote
· Water Bottle
· Product samples of CHI-CHI’S® SNACKERS® and Hormel® pepperoni minis snac pacs
· Coupons for Hormel® Natural Choice® deli meats and Hormel® bacon toppings

Just think, if you win them both you'd have meals covered for the entire week (or a weekend, if you eat like my son does!).

Jewelry Armoire Giveaway at Wholesale Furniture Brokers

I love the Deep Cherry Jewelry Armoire by Powell Company (pictured, right) from Wholesale Furniture Brokers. Although it's not the biggest one they offer (the Louis Philippe Jewelry Armoire by Powell Company (pictured, middle) comes to mind), for the amount of jewelry I own the Deep Cherry is the perfect fit. The styling and finish will blend well with my bedroom furniture, although I'm thinking I may store this in my walk-in closet.

I love the mirror on the flip-up top (especially important if I decide to put this in my closet), as well as the graduated sizing on the pull-out drawers. I also like the cord on the side doors that will hold your necklaces securely in place as the doors swing open and closed (a small detail, but you'd be surprised how many jewelry armoires don't offer this - then your necklaces swing each time the door is opened and closed and they invariably get all tangled up).

The Deep Cherry Jewelry Armoire by Powell Company will offer plenty of storage for my rings, necklaces, bracelets, brooches (yes, I still own brooches and I wear them from time-to-time) and I should be able to store my charm bracelet and all my loose charms in the bottom drawer.

There are over 40 varieties of Jewelry Armoires available at a variety of price points, colors, styles and finishes (check out the gorgeous vanity with a built-in jewelry armoire (pictured, bottom)), so you're sure to find one that you like to suit not only your style, but also your budget.

I also like that the price you see is the price you pay - shipping is free (prices include basic home delivery).

Feel Good in Naturalizer event Review and Giveaway from IndependentMami

One lucky IndependentMami reader will win a pair of shoes (up to $150, including shipping) from Naturalizer Shoes. Please note, Naya or MBT (other Brown Shoe brands) are not eligible. Giveaway ends today at midnight

2 great giveaways from The Fashionable Housewife ending today!

The Fashionable Housewife has two great giveaways ending today.

The first is for a gorgeous Pashmina Shawl from LaPurse (winners' choice). There will be 4 winners selected, so the odds are great!

The second is for a “Promise Pink” Inspiron M101z Laptop from Susan G. Komen for the Cure and Dell.

Here are the specs:
Processor: AMD Athlon™ II K125 (1.7GHz/1MB cache)
Operating System: Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium
Memory: 2GB DDR3 SoDIMM at 800MHz, 1x2GB DIMM
Chipset: AMD RS880M chipset with SB820 south bridge
Video Card: Integrated RS880
Display: 11.6 inch display (1366x768)
Audio and Speakers: SRS premium Surround sound standard, 2 X 1.5W speakers for total of 3W standard
Hard Drive: Up to 250GB4 SATA hard drive (5400RPM)
Optical Drive: External DVD+/RW
Power: 6-cell 56WHr Li-Ion Battery with up to 6 hours 36 minutes of battery life
Camera: Built-in 1.3M Pixel Webcam
Wireless: Standard Dell Wireless 1501 802.11 g/n
Bluetooth 3.0 802.11b/g/n combo card
USB 2.0 (3) with one USB Powershare to support sleep and charge
Integrated 10/100 LAN (RJ45)
15-pin VGA video connector
Audio jacks (1-line out, 1 mic-in)
7-in-1 Media Card Reader
AC adapter connector
HDMI

Dimensions & Weight
Width: 8.07" (205mm)
Height: 0.95" (24.3) front –1.38" (35 mm) back
Depth: 11.5" (292mm)
Starting weight of 3.44 lbs (1.56Kg)

Both giveaways offer a lot of different options for gaining entries, so take advantage of them all!

The BEST Guacamole recipe!

My favorite guac recipe is adapted from Alton Brown's recipe. Everyone RAVES about it.

Ingredients
3 avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
1 lime, zested and then juiced
1 small jalepeno, seeded and minced (leave the seeds in in you like it hot)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 medium red onion, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced

Directions
In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime juice and zest, toss to coat. Using a potato masher add the salt, cumin, and cayenne and mash to your desired consistency (I leave it a slightly chunky). Then, fold in the onions, tomatoes, jalepeo, cilantro, and garlic. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve.

Orient Watch Giveaway

One lucky reader of Baba's Farm Life will win their choice from a selection of Orient watches (selection by the sponsor). Since most are women's watches, and I'm trying to win it for my son, my choice is easy! I'd pick the CEM5J006U - Khaki Face.


Isn't it fabulous? This would make a great Christmas present - as would any of the ones available. You can see the full selection offered by the sponsor on the linked post.

Giveaway ends 10-21

Nestle Halloween Party

One lucky reader of Momma Findings will win a Spooktacular Nestle Toll House Prize pack, which includes:

• Coupons for two free packages of Toll House Refrigerated Cookie Dough
• NESTLÉ Toll House apron
• $25 Target gift card to purchase additional baking essentials.

You can enter the giveaway here. This online Halloween party runs all week, and is also being held on the following blogs: out The Not So Blog, A Daily Dose of Toni, This Full House, and Mom Spark so be sure to check out each blog for some awesome Halloween tricks and treats - the brain cupcakes are really cool, and would be a big hit at your Halloween party!

Day 2 of the Halloween party means you can win a Juicy Juice® prize pack that includes:

• $25 Target gift card to purchase party essentials
• Two bottles of Juicy Juice® punch

You can enter on Momma Findings blog.

Day 3 - they saved the best for last! Today's prize is a FABULOUS Nestle prize pack. It includes a $100 Walmart gift card - you could definitely cover all your costume, decorating and candy needs with this! As if that wasn't enough, you'll also get free item coupons for the following Nestle products:

• Stouffer’s
• NESTLÉ Pure Life
• Juicy Juice®
• NESTLÉ Toll House
• Nesquik
• Wonka
• Raisinets
• Crunch

You can enter at Momma Findings, The Not-So-Blog and A Daily Dose of Toni.