Mission Mommy: Chronicles of a Mom Blogger

Fun with French's Giveaway!

Today is the last day to enter an original recipe using French’s mustard or any of the other French’s products. Recipes will be evaluated on appearance, creativity and overall deliciousness and must be submitted by October 31, 2009 online at: http://frenchs.com/Login.php?redirect=/Contest/SubmitRecipe.php. Five finalists, determined by online voting and a judging panel, will compete in a LIVE Cook-Off event to be held in New York City for a chance to win the Grand Prize of $25,000!

Each Recipe Should:

Be original, unpublished, and created by you;
Include at least one French's product;
Include no more than 8 ingredients(with the exception of salt, pepper and water…those are freebies);
And be prepared and ready to serve in no more than 1 hour.
For recipe inspiration and giveaways, check out the French’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Frenchs/129122660682?ref=ts

GIVEAWAY

To keep the contest going, I've got a giveaway here at my blog for you. You can win a prize pack filled with French’s products – from mustard to Worcestershire Sauce, and an apron! This giveaway is open to all US residents and will end November 10. To enter, do any of the following. Leave a separate comment for each one.

Submit a recipe to the contest. (3 entries)
Enter the GE Appliance giveaway.
Add my button to your blog
Subscribe to Mission Mommy by email or RSS.
Blog about this giveaway.
Follow me on twitter @bkkihega and tweet about this giveaway ( can be done once a day)

There was no compensation or product provided to me for this giveaway. This post and giveaway is for the sole purpose of promoting this contest for French's to my readers.

Frugalicious Friday

Here's the deals, samples, and freebies found this week. I hope everyone has a safe, Happy Halloween. And, kids, get tons of candy, but don't let mom and dad eat it all! :)

::Halloween Goodies::

Last Minute Halloween Craft Guide: Free Projects for a Homemade Halloween featuring 31 crafts for cards, party favors, decorations and more

Taco Bell: Free Black Taco on Halloween

Sonic: 50¢ corndogs from 5 to 10 PM on 10/31

FREE Mattel Toy from Sears on Halloween

Kids 12 and under, IN costume can receive a FREE Kids Meal for Lunch or Dinner at Applebee’s! The offer is valid with the purchase of one adult entree on Halloween only (10/31/09).

Kids can get a FREE Pizza at Papa Murphy’s on Halloween (must be dressed in their costume).

::Food::

Click Here (IE) or Here (FF) to print a $1.60 Printable Coupon for Nature Valley Clusters

Click here to print a $ .50/2 Hunts Tomato Products

Denny's: FREE burger and fries with the purchase of a burger and fries and two drinks! Expires 11/23/09. Thanks Deal Seeking Mom!

PowerBar Gel Blasts free sample

::Babes and Kids::

Click here (IE) or Here (FF) to print a $2.00/1 Coupon on any regular size Huggies Diapers

Free printable flash cards

::Moms and Daddies::

Free Bath & Body Works PocketBac Hand Gel with any purchase.

Click here to print a coupon for 50% off you entire in-store purchase at Payless Shoe Store. This coupon is only good through October 30, 2009.

Glade BOGO Free 2oz. soy based candle. Sign up to be a member at Right at Home to print your coupon!

Arm & Hammer coupons:
$1.00 off any Arm & Hammer Premium Vacuum Bag and Filter
$1.00 off Arm & Hammer Whitening Booster
$1.oo off any Arm & Hammer Total 2-1 Dryer Cloth
$0.50 off any Arm & Hammer Carpet and Fabric Odor Eliminator Power
$0.50 off 2 lb or 4lb Arm & Hammer Bakind Soda or Fridge Fresh Refrigerator Air
$1.00 off Arm & Hammer Toothpaste (4 oz. or larger)

Special K will send you a $10 voucher toward the purchase of a new pair of jeans. All you have to do is collect 5 tokens and submit this form.

Thanks to Deal Seeking Mom, Free Sample Freak, and My Springfield Mommy for some of the deals featured!

PTPA Twitter Contest with Tons of Goodies!

Have you ever heard of PTPA Media? I'm a blogger for the Panel of Moms and I'm excited to tell you about the awesome twitter contest PTPA is having! Tell everyone you know that PTPA is the place to go! We will keep you posted on the latest and greatest Parent Tested Parent Approved winning products that you and your family MUST have!

As a thank you, they will be giving away loads of goodies.

How can you WIN?

It’s easy! Just spread the word to your friends to follow PTPA on Twitter. The goal is to reach 2000 followers by Christmas! Each time they gain an extra 100 followers, PTPA will be giving away a prize by random draw.

What can you WIN?

That’s the fun part! Check out some of the Winning Products from the sponsors listed here - they’ve generously offered fantastic prizes for PTPA followers!

Funky Monkey Snacks Giveaway

Funky Monkey Snacks are just what you need for your growing monkeys! Funky Monkey makes snacks that are delicious and all-natural, real fruit featuring a proprietary freeze-drying process that creates “Fruit That Crunches!” while retaining fruit’s natural goodness.

Funky Monkey Snacks are 100% fruit with no added sugar, colors, flavors or preservatives. Each 1 oz. bag contains three servings of fruit, providing a delicious and nutritious snack choice that helps support healthy living.

Varieties include:
• Bananamon® (freeze-dried banana and cinnamon),
• Carnaval Mix™ (freeze-dried banana, pineapple, apple, papaya and raisins),
• Jivealime® (freeze-dried pineapple and lime juice), and
• Purple Funk® (freeze-dried banana and açai – pronounced ah-sigh-EE)

They've also got a cute website geared towards kids to make snacking healthy even more fun. Kids can create their own funky monkey creation at the Loony Lab. You can also download silly wallpaper for your computer, or submit your own recipe using Funky Monkey Snacks.

Funky Monkey Snacks are available at Whole Foods Market, Winn-Dixie, HyVee and other grocery stores, as well as through Amazon.com.

GIVEAWAY

One Mission Mommy reader will get to try a sampling of all the Funky Monkey Snacks. To enter, do any of the following:

Follow Funky Monkey Snacks on Twitter tweet about this giveaway with a direct link back to this post.
Become a fan of Funky Monkey on Facebook and write about this giveaway on your wall
Enter the GE Appliance giveaway.
Add my button to your blog
Subscribe to Mission Mommy by email or RSS.
Blog about this giveaway.

This giveaway is open to all US residents and will end November 9. The product(s) featured were provided free of cost to me for the sole purpose of this review. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

It's almost here! The Santa's Picks: 2009 Holiday Gift Guide Kickoff Party is just around the corner. The party starts on Monday, November 9th and runs through Thanksgiving at least. It actually looks like we will be featuring Holiday Gift Guide products and giveaways throughout most of the holiday season! The party is being hosted by me of course, but also my good friends Angie at My Four Monkeys and Angie at A Simple Kinda Life.

There will be tons of swag to be had that would be great for stashing away for Christmas gifts, products for our little ones as well as us grown-ups. You can visit Santa's Picks at www.SantasPicks2009.com and see the products that we've already started adding.

All the giveaways for the Holiday Gift Guide will be hosted there, but I will post them here as well with a link to the post at Santa's Picks. Just be sure that you comment there to enter! I promise it won't be confusing. To get a jump on entries for these great giveaways, just grab our Santa's Picks button and post it on your blog sidebar and/or blog about our Holiday Gift Guide before November 9th. You can have 3 extra entries for each HGG giveaway through the holiday season! Just be sure and leave me a comment here to let me know you did and where you did (url) before November 9th.

If you blog about our Holiday Gift Guide, leave a link to where it's posted and you'll get 5 extra entries for each giveaway!

So get busy and start racking up those extra entries! Only 11 days left!

CLOSED! Smile Squad Card Game Giveaway

Delta Dental Plans recently released Smile Squad, group of young heroes created to educate children about the importance of good oral health through fun games and educational activities online.

Each of the four Smile Squad heroes – Sparkle, Glint, Pearl and Chomp – represents an important aspect of maintaining good oral health. The heroes utilize good habits and smart actions to combat Captain Cavity and the efforts of his malevolent Mouth Marauders to wreak havoc on children’s oral health.

“In line with our mission to promote good oral health, we developed the Smile Squad to provide a fun way for children and parents to learn how to take care of and improve their oral health,” said Kim Volk, president and CEO of Delta Dental Plans Association.

The Web site features illustrations and bios of all heroes and villains, serves as the headquarters for the Smile Squad heroes and offers a variety of activities for children and parents to enjoy while immersing themselves in positive dental health information.

A few of the activities include:

Smile Squad Card Game – A downloadable version of the Smile Squad card game teaches kids important oral health tips and techniques. By matching hero and villain cards with oral health action cards, players score points toward the goal of 32 points – the number of permanent teeth in a healthy smile.

Join the Smile Squad – An invitation to join the Smile Squad allows kids to create personal characters and playing cards. To join, kids must download and print out a pledge card, declaring their commitment to practice good oral health habits as an honorary member of the Smile Squad.
Adventures – A series of comic-book style adventures quizzes children throughout and then rewards them f or making good oral health choices by advancing the story.
Color Me Happy – Parents can print downloadable coloring pages f or their kids as a reward f or demonstrating good oral health habits.
Online Games – A variety of games from simple shooters to card-matching time trials convey critical oral health information.

Parents and children can also sign up to receive e-mail alerts when new adventure episodes and other exciting features become available. With trick or treating right around the corner, now is the perfect time to remind your kids of excellent dental health.

CARD GAME

The fast-paced “Smile Squad” card game gives parents and children a way to have fun in the dental office waiting room and at home while learning important oral health tips and techniques.

By matching Hero cards and Villain cards with specific oral health Action cards, players score points toward the ultimate goal of reaching 32 points (i.e. the number of permanent teeth in a healthy smile).

Intended for children ages 6-11 but suitable for kids of all ages, the game encourages players to learn by reading the oral health and hygiene lessons out loud when playing each card.

GIVEAWAY

2 Mission Mommy winners will win the new Smile Squad Card game. This giveaway is open to all US residents and will end November 8. To enter, do any of the following:

Visit the Smile Squad and tell me something you've learned about this new evil fighting team
Enter the GE Appliance giveaway.
Add my button to your blog
Subscribe to Mission Mommy by email or RSS.
Blog about this giveaway.
Follow me on Twitter @bkkihega and tweet about this giveaway with a direct link back to this post.

The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me for the sole purpose of this review. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

Giveaway Winners We Take The Cake and Halloween DVDs

Here are the winners of the giveaways that ended yesterday 10/28. Congrats to...

We Take the Cake Giant Cupcakes
Comment #161
clallen at ntin dot net

Shaun the Sheep and Trick or Treat Tales DVDs
Comment #33
Katie ktfereva22(at)aol(dot)com

All winners are chosen by Random.org. You have 48 hours to contact me to claim your prize.

Giveaway Winner Announced-Finally!

I'm so sorry for being late in announcing the winners for these giveaways. My husband came down with bronchitis, then I got it, and now DJ has been sick vomiting. But, here they are! I will email you this evening, but you can contact me before then if you are one of the lucky winners. :)

Yoplait Promise to Make a Difference
Comment #10
Stephanie thegrants(at)live(dot)com

Yoplait Kids Prize Pack
Comment #113
Naddez sam94son05{at}sbcglobal.net

Dora Saves The Crystal Kingdom
Comment #74
Terra partymix25(at)hotmail(dot)com

Kidorable Umbrella
Comment #12
plb8156{at}aol.com

All winners are chosen by Random.org. You have 48 hours to contact me to claim your prize.

Healthy Halloween Treats

My family was recently given the opportunity to try out two of Yummy Earth's organic candies, Gummy Bears and Lollipops. Yummy Earth was created by two dads who wanted to share treats with their children with no chemical colors, artificial flavors, corn syrup or anything a parent wouldn't be proud to cook with at home for their families.

Everything Yummy Earth makes is USDA and EU certified organic, gluten-free, peanut-free and tree nut-free, and has no type of corn syrup, just fabulous award winning taste! Yummy Earth organic lollipops and drops are kosher parve as well. YummyEarth was even
recognized by Harvard Medical School for their organic mission.

I wanted my kids to try the gummy bears first. They are a little sour, so I didn't know if my youngest, Allie, would enjoy them. Let's just say after one mini bag, she requested more! My boys love gummy bears and anything sour, so naturally they were a hit with them as well. I also enjoy Yummy Earth's gummy bears. As I've gotten older, I've lost the taste for regular gummy bears. But, these are different. The hint of sourness really gives them a kick.

Yummy Earth Gummy Bears come in three flavors: Pomegranate Pucker, Sour Apple Tart, and Strawberry Smash. You can purchase Three 5oz bags of gummy bears for less than $10 online.

Yummy Earth Lollipops come in 8 yummy flavors: Pomegranate Pucker, Too Berry Blueberry, Mango Tango, Strawberry Smash, Blood Orange Cocktail, Very Very Cherry, Sour Apple Tart, Wet Face Watermelon. A bag of 60 organic lollipops can also be purchased online for $7.99.

With Halloween drawing near, why not give kids a yummy candy that is actually healthy? These are good for any occasion, and with the holidays coming, these are a must have to have in your candy jar.

Where to buy: Available at Toys R Us, Babies R Us, Whole Foods, buybuyBaby,
Marriott hotels, Disney World, Wegmans, Amazon.com, Harry and David, Smoothie King, Sprouts, Borders Books, health food stores, and supermarkets.

Wordless Wednesday-Allie Discovers Lipstick!

Allie loves to dress-up in costumes and put on make-up. One day, while mommy was busy, this is what happened!

According to The Humane Society of the United States and Maddie’s Fund, of the eight million pets that enter animal shelters and rescue groups every year, approximately three million of these healthy and treatable pets are euthanized due to a lack of adoption. While there has been steady progress on the issue (in the 1970s approximately 24 million pets were euthanized), the continued euthanasia of our best friends and family members is a national tragedy.

Adopting a pet is a life-changing and enriching experience. When adopting a pet, people are obtaining companions that give them unconditional love, affection, and attention. Adopting a pet from a shelter not only saves an animal's life, but is also good for our own well-being as research shows that owning a pet has many positive psychological and physical health benefits. The animals rescued from shelters know you’ve saved their lives, and they typically treat their rescuers with lifelong loyalty and affection.

In an effort to stop the killing of innocent animals the Shelter Pet Project was formed.There you can find out more information about how to adopt a pet from a shelter. The Website also includes a "Pet Personals" section, where users fill out a questionnaire and are then matched with potential pets from a local shelter or rescue group.

It is estimated that 17 million people will acquire a pet within the next year. Help save shelter animals by finding your next pet at an adoption agency. To save all the healthy and treatable pets that are euthanized, we just need 3 million of these people to adopt.

DJ And His Biological Father: All Hell Breaks Lose

I've mentioned before that my middle child, DJ, has a different father. Well, yesterday, we were at the court house all day to deal with custody and child support for him from his father. I feel he needs to help support DJ. He hasn't seen him in almost 2 years.

My lawyer thinks it would be best to set up standard visitation. That means every other weekend and once for 2 hours during the week he'll have DJ alone with his family. It's temporary, to see how things work out. I've also mentioned before what a psycho this guy is. My family could go on and on about all the terrible things he's done to us, but I'm not going to go there...yet. I'm waiting until he screws up again. That's really all I can do.

My husband is DJ's dad. No matter if he's not the biological father, he's been there for him through good and bad these past two years, and always will be. Brandon sat down with DJ and told him what was going to happen. Naturally, he became upset and bawled. Now this morning, he's home sick vomiting.

This is going to be very traumatic for him. His father's family has put him through hell. After not seeing them for so long, they shouldn't allow him to just have to leave alone with them. It should be a gradual process in my opinion.

I know many separated parents can not get along. This is not the case. During DJ's lifetime, he's been through hell. He was taken into the woods by this family during the wee hours of morning with his mother's drug addict husband when he was an infant, but since they were married it wasn't kidnapping. He was left with a number of his mother's "men" friends while she was at "work".

Then, with his father, I had to get a restraining order because of his stalking and vandalizing our house. He broke into our home several times. At one point, he would visit DJ, but it would only be during his nap time. It was his obsession with me. And, he pulled a knife on me, and Caleb ran into the house to call 911, but he ran in to unplug the phone.

Now, if this were you and your child, wouldn't you be irate? I feel so badly for DJ right now, I know he is terrified. But what can be done? He's got a happy, stable home here in this family. The father's family is either addicted to drugs or alcoholics. I don't think this is the right thing.

Free Black Taco on Halloween at Taco Bell

On Halloween night, be sure to grab your free black taco at participating Taco Bell's. This deal is available from 6:00 p.m. to midnight!

Thanks Deal Seeking Mom!

Free Sam's Club Day Pass

Have you ever been to Sam's Club? Want to see what all the fuss is about? Right now you can print a one day pass good through November 7.

There is an applicable 10% service fee if you make a purchase.

Thanks Deal Seeking Mom!

CLOSED Progresso Panko Giveaway

If you’re looking for some helpful cooking tips and exciting new recipes, visit Progressofoods.com and Progressobroth.com for celebrity chef Michael Chiarello’s expertise on casual weekend entertaining, preparing a holiday feast or inspiration for a weeknight meal - all using Progresso panko bread crumbs and Progresso broth.

If you’ve never cooked with panko before, now is your chance because it’s never been easier. Progresso’s panko is a flaky bread crumb which adds a light crispiness to your food and is available in two flavors, plain and Italian.

Progresso broths are 100% natural and use high quality ingredients to achieve a great homemade taste. They are fat free, gluten free, contain no preservatives, no added MSG and no artificial flavors. Progresso broth is available in chicken and reduced sodium chicken and beef flavors.

Chef Michael Chiarello appears daily on the Food Network and can also be seen on Top Chef Masters. In addition, he runs and owns Bottega Restaurant in Napa Valley, CA. Below are just a few of Chef Chiarello’s tips to help you create quick, flavorful meals you and your family will enjoy.

Panko Tips:

Breading 1-2-3: Panko adds the perfect light crunch to fish fillets, chicken breasts and pork chops. Dip in flour, then beaten egg and coat both sides in Panko before frying or baking

Faux Fried: Instead of frying, bake Panko-coated chicken in a 400F oven for 20 minutes to get the same crispy crunch without the fat

Broth Tips:

New Life to Leftovers: Time in the fridge can steal moisture and flavor; drizzle a little broth over last night’s pasta or casserole before reheating

Better than H20: Water adds moisture, not flavor; replace water with broth when you cook potatoes, rice and grains

At the Progresso websites you'll find additional tips, recipes and videos from chef Chiarello.

Also available on ProgressoFoods.com is a coupon for $1.00 off any two Progresso products. At ProgressoBroth.com you’ll find a coupon for $.50 off a package of broth.

GIVEAWAY

One lucky reader will win the Progresso panko and broth prize pack which includes a baking pan, cooking utensils, and measuring cup. This giveaway is open to all US residents and will end November 3. You may enter by doing any of the following:

Q&A: How do you make home entertaining easier?
Q&A: What tips do you have for cooking with panko or broth?
Enter the GE Appliance giveaway.
Add my button to your blog
Subscribe to Mission Mommy by email or RSS.
Blog about this giveaway.
Follow me on Twitter @bkkihega and tweet about this giveaway with a direct link back to this post.

The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me for the sole purpose of this review from My Blog Spark. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

Shaun the Sheep, Barney, Bob the Builder, and Thomas Celebrate Halloween DVD Giveaway

What’s black and white and goes bump in the night? Don’t be scared – it’s your woolly friend, Shaun the Sheep! Join Shaun as he leads his fearless flock through six adventures that mix the spooky, the kooky, and the just plain funny. A troublesome tractor, freaky farm noises and sleepwalking sheep are only a few of the weird and wonderful surprises waiting for Shaun and his barnyard pals as they creep, sneak and make mayhem in this laugh-filled collection.

“Little Sheep of Horrors” - Intrigued by a horror film on TV, Timmy wanders into the Farmer's House, and Shaun's rescue mission wreaks panic.
“Abracadabra” - When the Farmer decides to throw out his magic set, Shaun decides to put on a show - but things get out of hand when the flock start disappearing!
“Things That Go Bump” - On a dark and stormy night the flock cannot sleep - Shaun discovers the culprits.
“Heavy Metal Shaun” - The farmer inspects the lawn with a metal detector. When Shaun and Bitzer try it, they discover a metallic threat behind a hedge.
“Troublesome Tractor” - The tractor seems to be ready for the scrap heap and the farmer wishes he could afford to buy a new one. So the sheep overhaul it...
“Sheepwalking” - It is a peaceful night at the farm, until Shaun starts to walk in his sleep. The Flock cannot resist their natural instinct to follow, and chaos soon ensues.

TRICK OR TREAT TALES

The thrills start with Thomas & Friends™ in a ghostly adventure. Bob The Builder™ and Spud put on scary faces to protect a giant pumpkin pie from hungry crows. Barney™ and Fifi learn that there’s more to a costume than just dressing up. Angelina Ballerina™ sneaks into a costume ball and Fireman Sam™ saves a furry friend from a chilling experience.

GIVEAWAY

One reader will win both Shaun the Sheep: Little Sheep of Horrors and Trick or Treat Tales DVDs. THIS IS A 48 HOUR GIVEAWAY! Giveaway is open to all US residents and will end Wednesday October 28. You can enter by doing any of the following:

Enter the GE Appliance giveaway.
Add my button to your blog
Subscribe to Mission Mommy by email or RSS.
Blog about this giveaway.
Follow me on Twitter @bkkihega and tweet about this giveaway with a direct link back to this post.

The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me for the sole purpose of this review. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

What Happened to My Baby?

Sometimes, I feel like I've lost connection with my oldest, Caleb. He's now 7 years old and we have nothing in common. He's all boy, he likes to shoot bb guns with his dad, play football with grandpa, or spend the weekend riding 4 wheelers. He doesn't like to spend time with mom anymore. I'm not the "cool" parent.

I keep trying to find something we like to do together, but he isn't impressed. I knew this would happen eventually, but at 7?! He talks like I did when I was 13 with his favorite response to everything, "whatever." Why do they have to grow up so fast?

I cherish the moments he wants to spend time with me. He loves a good board game with mom and dad. And, he loves to whoop my butt in a game of Wii bowling. But, my little boy is growing up. His dad and Papa are his idols now, and wants to spend as much time with them as he can.

I do great with the baby and toddler age. It's a whole new journey now that I've got a pre- preteen. I'm learning how to communicate with a moody, "I need my space" 7 year old. And, sometimes when I look at him, I see my little chubby baby I played Army with all afternoon. It became tiring at times back then, but I wish for once he'd want me to be the "bad guy" again just for one day.

PicClick Offers a New Look At Ebay

Have you waited until the last minute to get your kids their Halloween costumes? Err...no. I'll admit it, Allie is the only one who has one so far. I put it off until the last minute this year. If you did, I'd like to introduce you to PicClick.com. It's a visual Ebay browser where you can see up to a hundred products on one page compared to a handful in the standard eBay view. It's a great new way to explore and discover new things on eBay.

PicClick provides a very clean and simple interface, devoid of marketing distractions. Here's a few cost saving Halloween tips:

Shop for Halloween costumes on eBay through PicClick to buy discounted or once-used costumes
Hunt thrift stores, garage sales and dollar stores for affordable decorations
Buy candy in bulk from warehouse store like Sam’s Club
Get creative and make your own costume
Start shopping right after Halloween for next year to get deep discounts
Buy Halloween decorations last minute for big savings

Michael Buble’s New Album Crazy Love

Micheal Buble has just released his newest album Crazy Love, collection of passionate songs that embodies the deep mysteries of love sung by one of the most exciting, young performers today.

I had never heard of Micheal until One 2 One Network sent me his latest cd to review. What?! I didn't know what I was missing!

The multi-Grammy winning artist hunkered down in recording studios in LA, Brooklyn, New York and his hometown of Vancouver for the last six months to make his "ultimate record about the inevitable roller coaster ride of relationships." ---I love to listen to music that I can relate to. My husband has put me on some wild rides throughout our short marriage. :)

Tracks in the album:

1. Cry Me A River
2. All Of Me
3. Georgia On My Mind
4. Crazy Love
5. Haven't Met You Yet
6. All I Do Is Dream Of You
7. Hold On
8. Heartache Tonight
9. You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You
10. Baby (You've Got What It Takes)
11. At This Moment
12. Stardust
13. Whatever It Takes (bonus track)

You can watch the "Haven't Met You Yet" video on Micheal Buble's website. If you find your liking his style, you can purchase his newest album online here.

Frugally Yours Friday

All the yummy goodness of a sweet deal wrapped into one giant post. Here's this week's best deals, samples, and freebies floating around the web. And, if you like to hunt for freebies, be sure to enter the giveaways here at my blog. You could win some yummy cupcakes from We Take the Cake, a Dora DVD for your little one, or items in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness.

The Real Meal Deal

Buy five participating products now through November 9 and get a $5 rebate check by mail. Submit this rebate form, UPC codes for qualifying products and their receipts, and your set.

$5 Coupon for Infiniti Cord-Keeper by Conair

Halloween Made Easy: Free Crafts to make with your kids

On October 31st, kids can get a free Mattel Toy at Sears. Just bring them by all dressed up in their Halloween costume to the new Sears Toy Shop. Go here for more information.

Free Baby Bath Toy Frog Gift Set by mail when you purchase one Johnson’s Baby Bath or Lotion product by 12/01/2009. You can find all the details here.

Hot Nestle Candy Coupons:

Bare Naked Granola $2 off printable coupon

KFC Free Grilled Chicken! Visit KFC on Monday October 26th for your free chicken. No chaos this time!! :)

Cooking with Stock recipe booklet. It's free to grab! Thanks My Dallas Mommy!

CLOSED PinkTogether.com Breast Cancer Support Giveaway

With Breast Cancer Awareness in full swing, we at My Blog Spark and Mission Mommy want to introduce you to an online community on MySpace where those touched by breast cancer can connect and provide support, comfort, and encouragement to one another.

On PinkTogether.com everyone can share hope by posting and reading inspiring stories of breast cancer survivors and supporters within the community.

The site is part of Pink Together®, a national campaign to support those impacted by breast cancer and to help raise awareness of the disease. To support Pink Together, General Mills is donating $2 million to Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and is turning the packaging pink next month on an assortment of its most beloved brands. General Mills will also donate $1, up to $20,000, each time you post a comment of encouragement, send a virtual flower bouquet or share a story on PinkTogether.com in October.

There's not much time left in October, and it only takes a moment to post a virtual flower or share your story and help raise money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure®! We had our annual run in town last weekend.

As part of this program I received an Inspiring Hope gift basket that includes a sleeved travel mug, a running ribbon charm bracelet, a pink leather strap keychain, a pink cinch bag, and a set of inspirational note cards. All of the gift basket items are from ShopKomen.com, where 25 percent of the merchandise purchase price benefits Susan G. Komen for the Cure® in the fight against breast cancer. Now one of you will win this great gift basket!

GIVEAWAY

One lucky reader can win the Inspiring Hope gift basket from ShopKomen.com. All US residents can enter, and this giveaway will end October 30. Here's how you can enter to win.

These are the ways you can enter this giveaway. Please leave a seperate comment for each entry method. Leave your email in your comments if it's not on your profile. Thanks!

Visit Pink Together and post a comment of encouragement, send a virtual flower bouquet or share a story! ( one entry for each thing done)
Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway with a direct link back to this giveaway.You can copy and paste this: Send a virtual flower or post a message of hope at PinkTogether.com and raise money for Breast Cancer Awareness!
Enter the GE Appliance giveaway. (once daily!)
Add my button to your blog
Spread the word about this review by: email, forums, blogging, twitter, Digg, or putting the link in a meme. (one entry per thing done)
Follow my blog.
Subscribe to Mission Mommy by email or RSS.
Fave me on technorati
Blog about this giveaway.

The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me thanks to My Blog Spark for the sole purpose of product testing. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

Giveaway Winners This Week!

EDEN FANTASYS Gift Basket
Comment # 46
hollow_sins{at}yahoo.com

Arm & Hammer Laundry
Comment # 4
sunela at gmail dot com

My Little Pony Halloween Playset

Comment # 150
letessha{at}yahoo.com

Wubbzy Goes Boo! DVD (4 winners)

GRAND PRIZE: Comment # 222
ladyt64{at}gmail.com

3 Additional Winners:

mishiareads{at}gmail.com
wolfbayou{at}yahoo.com
jellibeenz1978{at}hotmail.com

Congratulations! I'll be sending you an email shortly. Please respond within 48 hours to claim your prize.

Sick Day

Last night, Caleb's troop went on a hay ride. It was a bit chilly, but we all had a blast.

I woke up this morning not feeling the best. I went back to bed with Allie and we didn't wake up until 10 AM. You know you have some days where you just don't feel right? You can't pinpoint what it is, but you just feel blah.

And, yesterday my husband went to the ER and he has bronchitis. I'm hoping none of us get it.

My grandmother was released from rehab this morning. Her doctor wants her to stay in a nursing home to be evaluated for 20 days to see how she goes. Then, if all goes well, he'll release her to go home. She's very pissed right now. She thinks we did this, but the doctor wants to make sure she can handle living alone. It's something we've questioned for a while, so now we'll know for sure if she's capable of day to day living on her own.

New Home Made Simple Coupon Booklet

Get the newest Home Made Simple Coupon booklet loaded with these valuable coupons on brands you use everyday.

Swiffer Sweeper Vac Starter Kit save $5.00
Buy a Swiffer Sweeper and Get a Free Refill
Swiffer Dusters Starter Kit or Refill save $1.00
Swiffer Dust & Shine Furniture Spray save $1.00
Buy a WetJet Starter Kit and Get a Free Refill
Febreeze Air Effects save $0.50
Febreeze Candle save $1.00
Febreeze Fabric Refresher, save $0.50
Febreeze Luminary Starter Kit, save $3.00
Febreeze Reed Diffuser/Home Collection Soy Candle, save $1.00
Febreeze Noticeables Kit/Dual Refill/2 Refills, save $1.00
Dawn Direct Foam Pump, save $1.50
Dawn Direct Foam Refill, save $2.00
Dawn Hand Renewal, save $1.00
Cascade Pure Essentials ActionPacs or Gels, save $1.00
Dawn Pure Essentials save, $0.50
Cascade ActionPacs or Gel, save $1.00
Cascade Complete All-In-1 ActionPacs, save $0.50
Cascade Rinse Aid, save $0.50
Mr Clean Multi-Surfaces Spray, save $0.75
Mr Clean Multi-Surfaces Liquid, save $0.75
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, save $0.75

Thank you My Dallas Mommy!

Halloween Candy Sale!

Are you handing out Halloween candy this year? Or, do you buy candy to stock up for a treat for the kids? Coupons.com just released two valuable coupons for Nestle and Willy Wonka. You can print both coupons twice.

Thanks for the heads up Saving Everyday!

Domino's Customer Appreciation Week

Busy tonight? Don't have time to cook dinner? Domino's has a special for a large one-topping pizza for only $5.99. Carryout only. This is good all week until October 25. Thanks My Frugal Adventures!

Edible Arrangements Free Dipped Fruit Box

Last night on Facebook I saw this offer that looks yummy.
Edible Arrangements is offering the first 100,000 Facebook fans a free 6-piece chocolate dipped fruit box. Then you'll get a coupon code by email to order your free fruit online and pick it up at your nearest store. You can also use it online, but you'll have to pay shipping. You'll have until November 21 to use your coupon.

Last Minute DIY Costumes

Halloween is almost here! If you don't have a costume by now, you might be in panic mode. Buying costumes in town or online can sometimes be too expensive for you, but iVillage has some great videos that give you DIY costumes that cost $10 or less!

iVillage has created simple, easy to make videos for you to make your own costumes on a tight budget. Check these videos out. You might want to make these costumes this year.

Tiger Lily
http://video.ivillage.com/player/?id=1166708

Bunch of Grapes
http://video.ivillage.com/player/?id=1166705

Bathing Baby
http://video.ivillage.com/player/?id=1166687

Dora Saves The Crystal Kingdom Giveaway

As I've mentioned before, my daughter loves Nick JR. Dora and Diego are her favorites. I was so excited when we got the opportunity to review Nickelodeon's newest Dora film, Dora Saves The Crystal Kingdom.

The Greedy King has taken the crystals and drained all the colors from the Kingdom. It's Dora's job to help save the Crystal Kingdom, and she'll need help from you to face the knights, dragons, and magicians.

Also included are two exciting adventures featuring Dora's pal Boots.

First Day of School: Boots and Tico are ready for their first day of school, and Dora's there to help Boots learn Spanish and Tico learn English on the exciting trip to get to school.

Boots Banana Wish: What monkey doesn't love bananas? In this short, Boots wishes bananas would magically appear every time he says so. Help Dora and the special Wishing Machine fix Boots demands.

Special Features:Your child can also learn colors by playing the Crystal Color Matching Game. For other Dora games, printables, and fun activities go to Nickjr.com.

Naturally, Allie loves this movie. We've watched it more than once, so my toddler must really enjoy it. Allie really gets involved in both Dora and Diego cartoons, helping them in their adventures. She also loves the Dora dolls, so she just might get one for Christmas. Allie really loved the cartoons with Boots, she just adores him!

GIVEAWAY

Dora Saves The Crystal Kingdom would make a great stocking stuffer this Christmas for your toddler. You can win this new Nick JR. video here today! Here's how to enter. This giveaway is open to all US. Contest ends October 26.

Visit Nick Jr., come back and share with me an activity you'd enjoy doing with your child.
Tell me what Nick cartoons your child likes.
Subscribe by email to Mission Mommy.
Fave me on Technorati.
Stumble my blog.
Blog about this giveaway. (4 entries)
Add my button to your blogroll. (3 entries)
Follow me on Twitter @bkkihega and tweet about this giveaway
Enter the GE giveaway on the sidebar(once daily, leave a separate comment each time)

The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me for the sole purpose of product testing. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

Spotlight Sunday Hot Giveaways

Every Sunday I like to feature the giveaways that I'll be entering this week. Be sure to enter the giveaways here at my blog too! :)

Oreck XL at Mud Bug (11/9)

Hoover WindTunnel T-Series at Words from a Busy SAHM (11/13)

Safety 1st Complete Air Convertible Car Seat at The Shopping Mama (11/16)

Wilton Halloween Baking Set at Baby Loving Mama (10/22)

Rubbermaid 20 piece set at Ice Fairy's Treasure Chest (10/18)

Day and Night Flat Screen Baby Monitor at J. Leigh Designz (11/4)

Price Pfister Water Faucet at TOAK Working on a Full House(10/23)

$150 Campus Quilt Gift Card at The Cloth Diaper Report(10/30)

Here at Mission Mommy:

Yoplait Promise To Make a Difference Gift Set(10/23)

Yoplait Kids Less Sugar, More Fun Prize Pack(10/25)

Kidorable Umbrella: Winner's Choice!(10/27)

We Take The Cake Giant Cupcakes(10/28)

Arm & Hammer Plus OxiClean(10/18)

My Little Pony Halloween Play Set(10/19)

Wubbzy Goes Boo! DVD Collection-4 Winners!(10/21)

Giveaway Winners This Week!

Seventh Generation Starter Kit
Comment #118
Traci tdfritz{at}gmail.com

Listerine Cool Blue & Smart Rinse Set
Comment #24
hollowsins hollow_sins{at}yahoo.com

Congratulations! I'm sending you both emails. Please respond within 48 hours to claim your prize.

Changing Seasons Fall Has Arrived

It's officially fall here in the south. After hot, humid, uncomfortable summer heat, the start of the new school year brings in cooler temperatures, football games, and also the flu virus. The flu bug has started spreading earlier than expected this year, leaving parents at a mad dash to get their children protected with the vaccines now available to prevent the flu and also the H1N1. (Not that I agree with any of the vaccines for the flu, that's another story.)

And with the FDA warnings of of traditional pharmaceutical decongestants, antihistamines and cough suppressants in children younger than 6 years of age, finding another form of treating cold and flu symptoms as come at the perfect time.

Boiron is a world leader in homeopathic medicine, and recently introduced three new medicines for children: Children’s Oscillococcinum®, Children’s Coldcalm Pellets®, and Children’s Chestal®. I've actually never tried homeopathic medications personally, but Boiron will be sending me samples of their medications to try out with my children.

I'd also like to discuss with you guys about preparing for the flu season and what to do about the H1N1 virus. What do you think of the new H1N1 virus? Will you be getting one? While I have my own opinions, I'd like to know what other moms are thinking. We personally have never gotten a flu shot in our household. I'm still a little iffy on that. I grew up, and had the flu several times. I toughed it out just fine.

As to the H1N1 vaccine, we will NOT be getting one. That's a definite. It is so new on the market, that there isn't any testing on how safe it really is, and with three young children, I'm not going to risk it.

My kids carry hand sanitizer to school with them every day, and for the first year, have not gotten sick yet. To me that is a huge progress from last year when Caleb missed a whole week of school in September from having a severe cold.

Tell me what your thinking. What are you doing to protect your kids this flu season? And what do you think about getting your kids vaccinated against the H1N1 virus?

Frugal Finds Friday

I've gathered all the best deals I've found this week and compiled them all here for you. Have a fun Friday!

Free Happy Baby Coupon: Happy Baby is a line of organic foods for babies, todders and preschoolers. You can buy at Target.

Free Arm and Hammer Fresh-Ins: For your free sample email armhammervac@speedymail.com.

Hot Toy Coupon: Print a $20/100 Fisher Price toy purchase. Perfect for the holidays!

Build A Bear Workshop: Go here to print a $5 off any animal priced at $10 or more at Build A Bear.

Zantec Coupon: Print a $5/1 Zantec coupon.

Hershey's Halloween Downloads: Spooky Halloween wallpaper, screensavers, and more available for free.

$5 Tractor Supply Coupon: Sign up and fill in your information to receive a $5 coupon.

Hussana Free Samples: Sign up here and receive your free sample after confirmation email.

Neosporin Coupon: Click here to print a $3 off coupon for Neosporin Lip Health.

Huggies Enjoy the Ride Codes: Thanks Common Sense with Money!

BBQCX-GGQBX-SSPGB ( 1pt)

BCRXS-LGWCN-NKPGB ( 5pts)

BDHDN-FBJGH-CMPGB ( 5pts)

QWBZL-JFJLP-MDPGB ( 5pts)

Hershey's Cookie Exchange Party: Apply here to host everything needed to host this cookie exchange party in December.

Pink Nation: Join and receive a coupon for a free pair of pink panties. No purchase necessary.

Dentaburst Gum: Ge here and request a free sample.

Keebler's Toy Voucher: Receive a $10 Toy Voucher (in the form of a check) when you collect 5 Toy Cash Tokens on specially marked boxes of Keebler, Kellogg's or Cheez-it products and submit them along with this form.

Safe Trick or Treating

With Halloween right around the corner, I'd like to bring attention to safety hazards moms should be aware of when choosing costumes for their children and decorating their homes. As an organization dedicated to keeping families safe, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) writes safety standards and evaluates over 19,000 types of products - from Halloween decorations to hairdryers to digital cameras - for foreseeable risks.

Costume Safety

Purchase or make costumes from light-colored material. Light and bright fabrics will be clearly visible to motorists. If you do wear dark materials, decorate costumes with reflective tape or carry a flashlight for better visibility.

Look for flame resistant labels when purchasing costumes, fabric and accessories. Although this label does not mean these items won't catch fire, it does indicate the fabric will resist burning and should extinguish quickly once removed from the ignition source.

Costumes should be short enough to prevent tripping and falling. Avoid costumes made with flimsy materials and outfits with big, baggy sleeves or billowing skirts, which could increase the risk of tripping and is more likely to come in contact with candles or other ignition sources.

Use makeup instead of a mask. Masks can obstruct vision and children may find it hard to breathe when wearing them. If a mask is used make sure it fits securely and has eyeholes large enough to allow full vision.

Decorating Safety

Don't overload extension cords by plugging in electrical decorations that draw more watts than the rating of the cord. Use special, heavy duty extension cords for high wattage decorations such as fog machines and electrically-powered inflatable decorations.

Make sure walkways are well-lit and free of decorations. Decorations that obstruct a walkway could potentially cause eager trick-or-treaters to trip or fall.

Look for the holographic UL Mark on light strings, electrical decorations and extension cords before tacking up the skeleton and pumpkin lights. UL has been testing products for potential risk of fire, electric shock and other hazards for 115 years. The UL Mark means the product has been found free of foreseeable hazards and is safer for your family.

Keep candles away from items that easily catch fire, such as decorations, window treatments, and paper. Candles are the cause of approximately 15,000 reported house fires every year.

As moms, I'm sure most of you know that while Halloween can be one of the most fun and enjoyable holiday for your kids, any fun moment can be ruined with a freak accident. Be sure to take precautions before, during, and after your little ones candy hunting for the best time possible. Happy Halloween!

Join in the Battle Against Mouth Maruaders with The Smile Squad

Smile Squad Card Game – A downloadable version of the Smile Squad card game teaches kids important oral health tips and techniques. By matching hero and villain cards with oral health action cards, players score points toward the goal of 32 points – the number of permanent teeth in a healthy smile.

Join the Smile Squad – An invitation to join the Smile Squad allows kids to create personal characters and playing cards. To join, kids must download and print out a pledge card, declaring their commitment to practice good oral health habits as an honorary member of the Smile Squad.
Adventures – A series of comic-book style adventures quizzes children throughout and then rewards them f or making good oral health choices by advancing the story.
Color Me Happy – Parents can print downloadable coloring pages f or their kids as a reward f or demonstrating good oral health habits.
Online Games – A variety of games from simple shooters to card-matching time trials convey critical oral health information.

Bare Skin Debuts at Sephora

Legions of fans have known her as the inspirational, passionate beauty icon behind Bare Escentuals and the woman who put mineral makeup on the beauty map. Now, Bare Escentuals CEO Leslie Blodgett introduces her own collection of unforgettable fragrances created exclusively for Sephora. Channeling her most cherished childhood memories and life experiences, Leslie partnered with master perfumers from the finest fragrance houses in the world to create limited-edition scents, each one inspired by the pages of her own diary. From family vacations at faraway places to the ocean breezes of her youth, every spritz tells a story. This deeply personal line is a fragrant medley of moments and the ultimate sensory experience.

Bare Skin, the first scent in the series, is reminiscent of an experience during a trip to Mexico, where Leslie cart-wheeled fancy-free down a sunny beach while emanating true, unbridled joy. Glowing, gorgeous sun-kissed skin that just begs to be touched is at the heart of this limited-edition scent. The scent delivers top notes of black pepper, freesia and anise, heart notes of iris, vanilla orchid, plumeria and patchouli, and the dry down sizzles with sandalwood, labdanum and musk.

Bare Skin will go to market with an Eau de Parfum ($55), a Solid Perfume Compact ($35), and a Perfumed Body Cream ($30). The line will be available for purchase exclusively on Sephora.com on 10/08, and hitting store shelves shortly after on 10/15.

To celebrate the launch of Bare Skin, you can win a tropical vacation to Hawaii by sharing a solo photo and your most memorable vacation story on http://www.facebook.com/LeslieBlodgettPerfumeDiaries. To keep up with the latest news, you can become a fan on Facebook and follow Perfume Diaries on Twitter.

Leslie Blodgett Perfume Diaries on Facebook

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