$100 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

Welcome to the $100 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway from Everything Mommyhood and MommyPolls!  

Cummins Life and Everything Mommyhood has teamed up with MommyPolls to offer our wonderful readers a chance to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card! We have some other great bloggers helping us out to promote this great event! Special thanks to our co-hosts A Spectacled Owl, Budget Earth, and Jenn Unplugged.

Seriously, who couldn't use an extra $100 with the Holidays coming up?  And of course, Amazon is the on-line store that has everything!

What Is MommyPolls? MommyPolls main focus it helping parents answer even the trickiest of questions and find out the opinions of other Moms and parents quickly and easily. They know that busy Moms have lots of questions to answer, parenting really is a language all of its own, but they also know that busy Moms don't have the time to sit researching each topic for hours, they want reliable help and answers, and they want them now.  

How Does MommyPolls Work? At MommyPolls.com you can vote on any poll you choose, follow any polls which are of particular interest to you, and comment on any of the polls. The choice is yours. Got a question? Sure you do. Well MommyPolls.com is the place to ask – it doesn't matter whether your question needs a quick "yes" or "no", or whether there's a whole variety of potential answers, just ask! All parenting related questions are welcome at MommyPolls.com. A visit to the open questions in our website might be all it takes to find the answer to your latest parenting conundrum. Questions are continually being added to our site but it's easy to keep abreast of the updates, just click to "follow" and whatever you are following will move to your personal page making it simple to see any updates without having to scroll down through the remainder of the website. Creating a personal page at MommyPolls.com gives you the chance to follow any polls or questions which are of particular interest to you, making it even quicker and easier to get rid of those nagging doubts and find the answers. Your personal page is a one stop shop to store any polls you choose to follow, the polls you yourself have added and any questions which you are created or need to learn the answers to.

When you get a chance or have a question, I recommend checking out MommyPolls for all of your parenting questions or concerns.

Now for the giveaway! MommyPolls is giving one lucky reader a $100 Amazon Gift Card to use however they wish!

US Residents 18 and up. One entrant per household. Void where prohibited by law. Winner will be chosen randomly via the Giveaway Tools entry form and will be emailed. Winner will have 48 hours to claim prize before a new winner is chosen. Giveaway begins 10/15/2013 at 12am EST and ends 11/5/2013 at 11:59pm EST.

GOOD LUCK!!!

Entry-Form

Disclosure: This blog was not compensated for promotion of this giveaway. All opinions are 100% our own and were not influenced in any way. The sponsor will be responsible for prize shipment. Everything Mommyhood is not responsible for prize fulfillment. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google, and any other social media are not affiliated with this giveaway. This disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Fun at the Zoo

Last week we took a field trip to the San Antonio Zoo.  We were actually hoping to meet some friends at SeaWorld homeschool day but they sold out of tickets so we headed to the zoo. 

 Check out C as a Butterfly - love the A's hat!

 Check out those eggs.

 D on a hippo.  They have a great hippo viewing area.  I enjoyed watching them swim.  E was fascinated by the hippos.

 E enjoying the view with Daddy.

Tree house fun

Surprisingly I didn't take as many photos as I would have liked.  I am officially into my third trimester of pregnancy and fatigue has set in again and I think this played into it.  I cannot believe that in a few more months we will have a newborn again - so exciting!  The San Antonio Zoo currently has lots of baby animals so it was a sweet reminder.  We saw baby tigers (2 months old), a baby monkey (4 days old) and the famous two headed turtle, Thelma and Louise, born earlier this year.

A Christmas Gift for Rose Book Review, Blog Tour & Giveaway

It is no secret that I am a Tricia Goyer fan.  I find her Amish stories intriguing and fascinating.  A Christmas Gift for Rose is no different.  Goyer weaves a true tapestry as Rose Yoder discovers the truth about her past, who she is and who she is to become.  I love that the main plots and subplots reveal that not everything is what it seems and there is more beneath the surface than just what you see.  I loved the twists and turns and finale of this book.  I found this to be a quick, sweet and inspiring read - perfect for Christmas time!

Read more about this book and the author below.  And check out the full blog tour here!

About the book: Rose turned her back on the man she loves after he assisted the Englisch during World War II---only to discover she's an Englischer herself. Born in the midst of the hardships of The Great Depression, Rose grew up in Berlin, Ohio, in the arms of a loving Amish family. But she is overwhelmed by self-doubt when she learns that she was born Englisch and abandoned when her family moved West in search of work. Was she meant to be Amish or would she have been better off growing up with her own kind---Englischers? When the man she loves leaves her behind, Rose is certain he left for good. Yet Rose discovers sometimes our greatest gifts are the ones we fear.

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/pfhBl

About Tricia: USA Today best-selling author Tricia Goyer is the author of over 35 books, including the three-book Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series and "Lead Your Family Like Jesus," (co-written with Ken Blanchard). She has written over 500 articles for national publications and blogs for high traffic sites like TheBetterMom.com and MomLifeToday.com. She is the host of Living Inspired, a weekly radio show. Tricia and family live in Little Rock, Arkansas. They have six children.

You can find out more about Tricia at www.TriciaGoyer.com.

Keep Reading to enter to win a Double Kindle HDX Christmas Gift Pack from @TriciaGoyer below - and good luck! 

Tricia Goyer is celebrating the release of her first Christmas novella, A Christmas Gift for Rose, with a Christmas Gift giveaway! 

Enter to win a NEW Kindle Fire HDX for you AND one for a friend!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A brand new Kindle Fire HDX and one to give away to a friend!
• A Christmas Gift for Rose, by Tricia Goyer for you and your friend!

Four second place winners will receive:

• A Christmas Gift for Rose Christmas pack (includes a recipe card, bookmark, a signed book plate, discussion questions, and a Gathering & Giving handout!)

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on October 19th. All winners will be announced October 21st at Tricia's blog.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to visit Tricia's blog on the 21st to see if you won one of the great prizes! (Or better yet, subscribe to her blog and have the winner announcement delivered to your inbox!)

Disclosure:  Thanks so much to Litfuse Publicity Group for allowing me to be a part of this tour and providing me with this book to facilitate my review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

Nuby Sea Scooper Review & Giveaway

The Nuby Sea Scooper

I have been reviewing a lot of Nuby bath toys so I thought I would end this round of reviews big with the Nuby Sea Scooper!  Oh, and there will be a giveaway so keep reading :).

 E and D couldn't wait to open their new whale.

D helped us determine where to install ours in the bath tub.

 

Here is the back of the installation hook.

 Just remove the backing and stick onto desired location - easy peasy.

 And here is the front, the Sea Scooper just hangs on the hook.

 Installed!

 Our empty Sea Scooper

Our full Sea Scooper

 Another view.

My thoughts:  The Sea Scooper is colorful and fun.  Not only is it a great place to store bath toys but it is a toy itself!  My kids love having a whale pal in the bath with them.  The Sea Scooper makes clean up time easy and fun and everyone wants to do it!  Simply scoop up your toys and hook your whale on the tub - it really could not be easier.  I love that the Sea Scooper is sturdy and durable.  We have tried bath toy holders in the past that attached via suction cups - this was a no go - constantly falling down and not getting the job done.  This is not the case with the Sea Scooper - the hook attachment is strong and it holds with the Sea Scooper full to the brim!  Way to go Nuby for yet again designing a functional and fun addition to our baths.

Read more about the Sea Scooper below.

According to Nuby
- Fun and interactive
- Scoop all of the toys and keep them together in one place
- Clean up time is fun
- Allows toys to dry quick and easily
- BPA FREE

Nuby Sea Scooper is available for purchase at the following retailers: www.BuyBabyDirect.com, www.amazon.com, www.bedbathandbeyond.com, www.buybuybaby.com, and Bealls.

Alright, ready for a giveaway?  One of you will win your own Nuby Sea Scooper.  Just enter the form below and good luck.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
Thanks Nuby for another awesome product!  Remember you can connect with Nuby on facebook, twitter, instagram, and pinterest as well. 

Disclosure:  I did not receive any compensation for this post, although as part of this program I may receive items to sample or review.  All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

E's Winnie The Pooh Party - Happy 2nd Birthday!

The Birthday Girl

Yesterday we celebrated E's 2nd birthday!  It is always fun when you can throw a party on your actual birthday!  Her theme was Winnie the Pooh.  She loves Pooh and Friends.

 I found some fun Pooh plates and napkins on-line.

The Food Spread - Pinterest has some great ideas.  David helped me make some cute signs and we used cut wood for card holders.

 Bee Honeycombs (cereal)

Owl Cupcakes - I am super pleased with how these turned out.

Piglets in Blankets with "Hunny" Mustard Dipping Sauce

Tigger Tails - puffy Cheetos

Rabbit's Garden - Fruit and Veggies

The drink station - Pooh Punch, Water and Juice Boxes

Winnie The Pooh Cake - again, David did awesome!

 I made this Pooh Banner for E.

Eeyore's Party Favors - Bear containers filled with Gummy Bears or Teddy Grahams

(These were a hit!)

 Birthday Girl with her cake!

 And Tigger D made an appearance!

We had so much fun!  Thanks to everyone who was able to come and celebrate our sweet E.  I tried really hard to get photos of all the adults and kids playing (we had a great turn out) but I didn't think my candid photos came out very well - sorry everyone.  Last night when E went to bed she was singing herself the Happy Birthday Song - I think she had a great day :).

Rufus and Ryan Go to Church Book Review & Giveaway

Disclosure:  I was provided with this book to facilitate my review.  All opinions expressed are 100% my own.  Thanks so much to FlyBy and the sponsor for providing this information and giveaway.

   

I have a fun children's book to tell you about, Rufus and Ryan Go to Church!  I love that this story is simple and that kids can focus and engage right away.  It is short but really packs a punch - it tells the story of Ryan and his experience at church on Sunday morning.  Of course, he takes along Rufus, his stuffed monkey.  As he explains to Rufus what is going on we in turn get his view of church.  The illustrations are fun and add to the story line - D and E had a great time playing find Rufus (the monkey) throughout the book.  It is a great to have an additional tool to talk to the kids about going to church - asking them what they think, finding out about their experiences and how they view service, worship, prayer and more.  I am so excited that this is just the beginning of a series of inspirational books for younger children!  Count me in :).

D was super excited about Rufus and Ryan.

 D checking out the book.

 E loves to find Rufus.

Reading Rufus and Ryan

Read more about this book, author and illustrator below!  Oh and there is a giveaway too.

Rufus and Ryan Go To Church!

In Rufus and Ryan Go to Church!, four-year-old Ryan explains to his stuffed monkey, Rufus, what is happening as they attend church on Sunday morning.  He lets Rufus know when it’s time to sing and to pray and to be quiet.  Author Kathleen Bostrom brings a delightfully light touch to the text as she provides an introduction to an experience that most children are exposed to long before they understand why.  And children everywhere will relate to the idea of explaining their surroundings to their favorite companions as they go about their daily activities.

This is just one of the first titles in a new series of inspirational books for preschoolers.

About the Rufus and Ryan

Rufus and Ryan is a new series of books for preschoolers, featuring Ryan, an energetic little boy, and his stuffed monkey Rufus.  Basic Christian and church concepts serve as the foundation of the series, with an additional focus on character traits and development.  The text is presented in young Ryan’s voice as he teaches Rufus about the concepts he is learning himself.  Each story is about 150 words, using age-appropriate vocabulary and themes.

Also available now, Rufus and Ryan Say Their Prayers

WHO is this book for?

- Children ages 2 to 5 and their parents, grandparents 

- These faith-based board books make great gifts during any season: Christmas, Easter, baby

- Toddler birthday 

- Gift from grandparents

- Gift for your child's Sunday School teacher of children's minister

- Perfect for church nurseries, Sunday school classes, preschools, and church worship settings

About the Author

Kathleen Long Bostrom is a published children’s author in both the Christian and trade markets.  She has a Master’s in Christian Education and a Doctorate of Ministry in Preaching, and she has worked in children’s ministry for many years.  Kathy and her husband, Greg, have three grown children and live in Illinois. 

About the Illustrator 

Rebecca Thornburgh began illustrating children’s books full-time in 1996 and today has almost 100 books to her name.  Rebecca’s vibrant watercolors have been showcased in previous Ideals titles, including the new edition of The Story of Christmas.  She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and two daughters.

Ready for a giveaway?  One person will win a copy of Rufus and Ryan Go to Church!  Just enter the form below and good luck.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ladies Home Journal Subscription Giveaway from Purex

Great news!  Purex just launched a fabulous giveaway in which you could win a Free subscription to Ladies Home Journal.  No tricks this Halloween, just a treat for you!  Limited supplies, so go here and enter today for your chance to win!  This sweepstakes will end on October 31st.

Disclosure:  Thanks so much to the Purex Insiders program and Purex for allowing me to be a part of this campaign and providing information about this Sweepstakes!  As part of this campaign I am eligible to win prizes!