Category Archives: Contests

Hurry, the Add Up the Savings Event at Kroger Family of Stores ends August 21st!

Contests, Food and Drink, New posts, ,

As summer winds down, it’s time to start picking up new supplies for the upcoming school year.

Both of my kids had school supply lists this year that included things like tissues, hand sanitizer, copy paper, notebooks, etc.. and as I’m sure you are aware, all of those items add up.   That’s why I was thrilled to learn about Kroger’s Add Up The Savings Event going on through August 21st.

While you’re out and about, be sure to stop at your local Kroger Family of Stores (which includes Kroger, Ralph’s, King Soopers, City Market, Dillons, Smith’s, Fry’s, QFC, Baker’s, Owen’s, Jay C Food Stores, Hilander, Gerbes, Food4Less, Pay Less Super Markets and Scott’s Food & Pharmacy) to take advantage of their “Add Up the Savings” Event and stock up on your favorite General Mills & Kimberly Clark brands.

From August 8 through August 21, when you buy 8 participating items from any Kroger store, you’ll receive $4 off of your purchase. Some of the great participating brands include: Cheerios, Yoplait Yogurt, Pillsbury Cookies & Biscuits, Kleenex, Huggies, Betty Crocker Brownies, Cottonelle, and Lucky Charms.

You’d better believe that I stocked up on Kleenex, Cottonelle, and Lucky Charms in the last couple of weeks.. and I even ate Lucky Charms this morning.. gasp!

In addition to these great savings, be sure to take advantage of the special Bonus Box Tops Offers and get a jumpstart on helping the participating school of your choice this year.  I have to divide our Box Tops up into two piles so both kids have some to take to their schools.

All you have to do, if you haven’t already, is register at www.RewardYourSchool.com. Once you register, you will automatically receive 5 Bonus Box Tops just for signing up! You will also receive custom offers for Bonus Box Tops for purchasing participating products.

These great offers are:

  • Buy any 4 Box Tops products and get 10 Bonus Box Tops
  • Buy any 8 Box Tops products and get 25 Bonus Box Tops

The offers you select will then load onto your Kroger Shopper Card to be redeemed once you purchase the items – you don’t have to do anything but buy participating products. It’s extra easy because there’s no clipping and cutting Box Tops! Just remember to scan your Kroger Shopper Card and the Bonus Box Tops will automatically go straight the participating school of your choice.

$25 Kroger Family of Stores GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY

To enter to win, do any number of the following:
1) Leave a comment below telling us 3 things on your child’s school supply list
AND/OR   2) Follow us on Twitter (@mommyinsider – link opens in a new window or tab) and Tweet about this giveaway and use this link: http://ow.ly/2qwsh
AND/OR   3) Subscribe (link opens in a new window or tab) to our newsletter or RSS feed – be sure to leave a comment using your subscribed email address telling us you subscribe!

Entries accepted through August 31st, 2010.

Disclosure: The Kroger Family of Stores gift card, information, and giveaway we received were all provided by The Kroger Family of Stores, General Mills, and Kimberly Clark through MyBlogSpark.  All opinions are my own.


Balance is a Crock, Sleep is for the Weak – A Book Review and Giveaway

Books, Contests, , , , ,

If I had to say just one thing about this book it would be – confidence booster.

I often feel like I’m the only mom in the world that’s overwhelmed.  I’m constantly trying to balance work and family life.  More often than not I’m dissapointed in myself at the end of the day because there’s still a pile of laundry on the floor, my 4 year old’s bedroom is a mess, one of my kids didn’t bathe, or I fed the kids macaroni and chicken nuggets.. for the 2nd time that day.  Lucky for me, I recently read Balance Is a Crock, Sleep is for the Weak by Amy Eschliman and Leigh Oshirak and have a different outlook on things.  I now know that other moms.. that’s you.. yes you!, suffer the same mental challenges that I do every day and it’s OK that we feel challenged and overwhelmed.  This book made me realize that it’s normal to feel overwhelmed and stressed out and that I don’t have to put on a show.  Ever since reading Balance is a Crock, Sleep is for the Weak, I’ve asked moms I meet what their stress level is on a scale of 1 to 10.  I often get a strange look, then a very quiet, whisper-like answer of either 10 or 12.  It’s always as if it’s a secret.  Why don’t moms feel like we can tell other moms that we are stressed out and overwhelmed instead of putting on the June Cleaver show and holding all of our stress in?  Reading this book provided a release of some serious tension.. I felt it and you’ll feel it too.

Amy and Leigh are veteran working moms who share their un-censored survival secrets and personal experiences with readers.  Amy and Leigh’s funny, honest stories and useful advice cover topics ranging from quick and easy cooking and organization, to work travel and doctor’s appointments. I found Balance is a Crock, Sleep is for the Weak to be a very easy read and actually looked forward to sitting in my reading chair (not used often) after the kids went to bed, to read this book.

Balance is a Crock, Sleep is for the Weak is an indispensable guide for working mothers and the perfect gift for expecting and new moms.

Buy the book.

Like Balance is a Crock, Sleep is for the Weak on Facebook.

Disclosure: The Mommy Insider received a copy of Balance is a Crock, Sleep is for the Weak for purposes of this review, free.

Book Giveaway!

We are giving 3 lucky readers a copy of Balance is a Crock, Sleep is for the Weak!  To enter, leave a comment telling us what your biggest daily challenge is whether it’s work, working out, exercise, your husband (ha!), or your kids.  Don’t want to leave a comment?  Also, follow @mommyinsider on Twitter and @theofficemoms for an extra entry per follow.  Be sure to leave your Twitter ID in your comment so we can confirm that you follow and give you 2 or 3 entries!

Entrants must live in the U.S. and be over 18 years old.

Entries accepted through August 24th, 2010.

Or you can fill out this form to enter to win:

JumpStart Online 3D Virtual World + 3-Month Membership Giveaway!

Computers & Software, Contests, Games, New posts, , , ,

I’ve known the brand JumpStart since my 10 year old was about 4.   At about 4 years old I thought Sebastian was ready to play computer games so I went out to buy some and didn’t have much luck finding a game that he could navigate and play without having to use a mouse.. until I found JumpStart at Target.  I loved that Sebastian didn’t have to use the mouse to play JumpStart games.   I’ve been a fan of JumpStart games ever since.

JumpStart 3d virtual world

My 4 year old daughter recently started playing in the JumpStart.com 3d virtual world and has a blast.  She loves the character we created for her and is very proud of herself for using the keyboard to move through JumpStart’s virtual world.  Sebastian’s playing in the JumpStart online virtual world, next to me while I’m writing this and is saying things including “that was awesome”, “this is so cool”, and “mom you’ve got to look at this”.  Yes, those three things over and over.  Oh, and he just found another way to fly in the virtual world.  It doesn’t get more exciting than that!

He’s about to check out the Dragon Sanctuary, a place where kids can hatch, raise, train, then release their dragons.  Update: It’s the 2nd day Sebastian’s been playing JumpStart.com online virtual world games and he’s very excited that his dragon hatched.

Sebastian playing JumpStart online 3d virtual world game

JumpStart.com has online games for preschoolers to upper elementary grade kids.  JumpStart’s StoryLand is aimed at 3-5 year olds and for children in kindergarten to 2nd grade, there is AdventureLand and MarineLand, an underwater adventure.   FutureLand is for kids from 3rd to 5th grade.  Both of my kids have fun on JumpStart.com and best of all, I can keep up with what they are doing and how they are progressing.  I don’t have to keep up with much for my 4 year old but Sebastian, 10, will play games for hours if I let him and it’s nice to see how and what he’s doing via a progress report area on JumpStart.

JumpStart Math Blaster CD game

JumpStart Mathblaster CD

Sebastian loves JumpStart’s Math Blaster CD game which is geared for kids ages 6 to 12.  Math Blaster: Master the Basics is a fast-action, futuristic adventure that adds up to total math success. From addition and subtraction to multiplication and division, children will build confidence, speed and accuracy in basic math skills that will stay with them long after their mission is complete.  Math Blaster: Master the Basics combines exciting, fast-action game play and state-standard math content, making it a fun game for kids but educational at the same time.  Who knew learning math could be fun? Sebastian learned a lot from Math Blaster last school year.  He was in need of some help with math during 4th grade and Math Blaster’s fun and entertaining games made learning math fun for him.. when I couldn’t.  I was having a hard time trying to figure out how to get him to learn more complicated math facts that he needed to learn and wasn’t picking up on but Math Blaster did the job.

JumpStart online games can be played on PC’s and Mac’s!

Where to find JumpStart

JumpStart.com website

JumpStart on Facebook

Follow JumpStart on Twitter

JumpStart.com Membership Giveaway!

JumpStart is offering a lucky reader a 3-month JumpStart membership!  To enter to win, leave a comment below telling us why you want to win.

Entries accepted through August 26th, 2010

Open to U.S. residents over 18 years old.

Disclosure: I was provided with a JumpStart membership and Math Blaster: Master the Basics CD game at no cost by Knowledge Adventure in order to test the products’ abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.

You can also fill out this form to enter to win a 3 month membership for JumpStart

TeleNav GPS Navigator review and giveaway

Contests, Gadgets, iphone, New posts
TeleNav GPS Navigator

Did you know that your cell phone can be used as a GPS device?

TeleNav GPS Navigator (also called AT&T Navigator and Sprint Navigation) is a GPS navigation application that I’ve been using on my iPhone for a few weeks.  It’s just like having a GPS device but it runs on your mobile phone. It provides GPS-enabled turn-by-turn directions, more than 12 million business listings, traffic rerouting, restaurant reviews, speech recognition, online route pre-planning and more. As we head into the summer travel season and the kids’ school year wraps up, TeleNav GPS Navigator is great for finding locations and providing directions to soccer fields, parks, restaurants and summer road-trip destinations.

The application works on more than 500 GPS-enabled phones like the iPhone, BlackBerrys and many Android phones and is free.  You just pay your cell phone carrier a monthly fee for the service and you’re ready to trave far and wide with TeleNav!

What I love about TeleNav GPS Navigator:

  • I don’t have to keep up with a GPS unit.. as long as I know where my iPhone is 😉
  • I’m not nervous about going to new places anymore
    The directions have been PERFECT so far.  I used AT&T Navigator to get me to several places in and around metro Atlanta that I’ve never been before and was directed to each location without a problem.   I love when the voice tells me “your destination is on the right”.  Like I can’t see the big sign for where I’m going but that’s what’s great about TeleNav GPS Navigator is the attention to detail.  If a take a wrong turn TeleNav will reroute me automatically and quickly.
  • It gives me traffic updates!
    Wether I’m starting a new route or inroute TeleNav GPS Navigator / AT&T Navigator will give me a verbal and icon alert if there is traffic coming up.  It even tells me which lanes are closed.  If only it would make my Nissan Quest hover over the traffic.. wouldn’t that be great?  When I’m given a traffic alert, I can push the traffic alert icon to get a new route if one is available.
  • TeleNav iPod controls

    Keep listening!
    There is an iPod icon on the GPS Navigator screen that when clicked brings up my iPod music controls so I can listen to music while getting turn by turn instructions.

  • I won’t get busted by the police for going too fast.. if I listen!
    The speed limit alerts are sure to let me know verbally and with an icon on the iPhone screen, when I’m going  a little too fast.  I am not a big speeder but I have been ‘busted’ as my 10 year old calls it, twice on the highway, by TeleNav.  Ooops.. sorry!
  • Finding places is EASY!
    If I am in an unfamiliar area, I can find the closest ATM, Wi-Fi hotspot, gas station, miniature golf, specific restaurant and more with the click of a button.  What’s really funny is that I learned about a few parks and roller skating rinks that I didn’t know existed near me, just by clicking on the Amusement Parks button in the Search!  Thanks TeleNav!
  • I can shake it to get home!
    All I need to do to get home from somewhere is shake my iPhone and directions back to my ‘Home’ location come up.

One thing that I would like to see change about TeleNav GPS Navigator is the way the turn-by-turn voice prompts are heard over the iPod music.  The music fades down in volume when the voice prompts come on but I think it would be nice if the music paused and then start back up where it left off when the voice prompt is done.  Most of the voice prompts are just a few seconds long so it’s not a big deal, but if I’m not familiar with where I’m going then I would like for the music to stop while the GPS is telling me what to do.

TeleNav GPS Navigator is a must have for summer road trips.  Gosh, it’s on your phone, it’s affordable, it’s simple to use, TeleNav is extremely comprehensive (jam packed with information), and gives parents much needed peace of mind while travelling.

Here is a 5 minute demo video I shot explaining how I use TeleNav GPS Navigator on my iPhone.
Sorry about the shaky video and the darkness.  I think I need some new video equipment!

Disclosure: The Mommy Insider was given a free trial for TeleNav GPS Navigator subscription to use for purposes of this review.  The opinions featured here are our own and were not influenced by free product or service.

TeleNav GPS Navigator Giveaway

We are giving two lucky readers a free one-year TeleNav GPS Navigator subscription!

To enter to win:

1. Mandatory – follow @telenav on Twitter
2. Mandatory – Leave a comment below telling us why you want to win OR fill out the form below.

Entries accepted through August 24th, 2010.  Winners will be chosen randomly and will be contacted by TeleNav’s PR via email, with details on how to set up the free one-year TeleNav subscription.  Winners must already own and have carrier service for a supported device.  Click here to see TeleNav supported devices. The TeleNav contest is open to U.S. residents 18 and older only.

Fill out this form to enter to win if you do not want to leave a comment

Giveaway: DROP DEAD DIVA Season One box set!

Contests, Music & DVD,
Drop Dead Diva: Season One box set giveaway

To celebrate the June 1st release of Drop Dead Diva: Season One on DVD we are giving a lucky reader a two-disc DVD set!

Enter to win an Official DROP DEAD DIVA: SEASON 1 Two-Disc DVD Set (with exclusive bonus content including short films, deleted scenes and all-new behind-the-scenes featurettes)

  • Winner must be in the US and have a non PO box shipping address
  • Winner must claim the prize within 14 days of contest end date

DROP DEAD DIVA: SEASON 1 DVD hits streets on June 1, 2010!

Lifetime’s quirky comedic drama series, Drop Dead Diva, is about a fateful accident that brings one joyous woman into a whole new world of love, life, and career adventures through a new set of eyes.
Drop Dead Diva is the story of a beautiful-but-vapid model wannabe Deb (Brooke D’Orsay) who has  a fatal car accident and finds herself in the body of the recently deceased Jane Bungum (Brooke Elliott), a brilliant plus-size attorney.
By a twist of fate and a bolt of divine intervention, Deb can no longer rely on her fabulous looks to pull her through.  Now, the new Jane must confront the challenges of her adventurous new life, love and career — as well as her curvier frame — in the ultimate showdown of brains and beauty.
Life can really throw you curves — especially in this breakthrough Lifetime TV comedy!

Watch a trailer here.

DVD Special Features:

  • Dreamisodes, Deleted Scenes, Rosie’s Rap, Dropping in with Drop Dead Diva, and Cho and Tell

Starring:

  • Comedian Margaret Cho, Brooke Elliott, and Brooke D’Orsay

Guest Appearances include:

  • Rosie O’Donnell, Paula Abdul, Tim Gunn, Liza Minelli, …and many more!

To enter answer any or all of these questions in the comments below:

  • Which was your favorite Drop Dead Diva episode and why?
  • Who was your favorite guest star?
  • Never watched?  That’s OK.  Just tell us why you want to win.

Hurry, entries accepted through June 1st!