Category — GIVEAWAYS

Today is the official SkinnyKidz website launch!  In 2008, I started working on developing a toddler belt that was both functional AND adorable, since traditional belts are a hassle and completely impractical for infants/tots in diapers, potty training, or newly potty trained.  I often get about a 30 second warning to get my toddlers on the potty before I have to change their clothes; if I had to fiddle with a belt buckle in order to get pants down, I’d be doing a LOT more laundry.

Instead, I needed something that didn’t cross the midline, and because I’m SUPER lazy busy, I also wanted it to be completely machine washable, adjustable, and durable!  On top of that, I wanted a cute, boutique-type look.  After a lot of experimenting with different materials and closure mechanisms, my business partner and close friend, Jena, perfected the prototype.  For all those moms who share our plight, we present to you the solution for your young plumber: the SkinnyKidz belt.

What is a SkinnyKidz Belt?

It is fabric-lined elastic that uses buttons as closures to cinch the pants snuggly around the child’s waist without crossing the midline.  Because the belt does not cross the midline, it does not have to be “unfastened” in order to pull the child’s pants down for diapering or potty training.  There are 2 button holes, making the belt adjustable.  Because the belt’s elastic is lined with preshrunk fabric and it uses buttons, rather than other closure mechanisms, it is completely machine washable and very durable!  We believe once you put a SkinnyKidz belt on your child’s pants, you’ll never want OR need to take it off!

SkinnyKidz belts come in 2 sizes: 9mo-2T and 3T-6.  They are comfortable, easy to use (click here for picture and video demos), and ridiculously stylish with the funky prints and coordinated buttons.  Please check out our many adorable girl, boy, and unisex prints and be sure to check out our charity belt too, as 100% of proceeds from that will go to this month’s charity sponsor, Giving it Back to Kids.  SkinnyKidz is guilt-free shopping since 10% of our overall monthly proceeds, in addition to 100% of charity belt proceeds, goes to our charity partner that month.

We are starting up affiliate and wholesaler programs, so if you are a SAHM looking for a way to make some money, this is your gig!  Every single time I go out with Jack, Shane, or Finley in a SkinnyKidz belt, I end up answering “what is that and where can I get one?”

PROMOTIONS:

• Orders over 3 belts receive free shipping
• The GIBTK Charity Belt print is in limited quantity, so hurry and order now!  If we run out, we will replace it with a new print.

WHAT’S UP FOR GRABS IN THIS GIVEAWAY:

• Winners’ choice of a SkinnyKidz belt (excluding the Charity Belt)

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

• Drop us a comment by May 7th telling us your favorite print from the SkinnyKidz Girl Belts or Boy Belts page
• Winners will be drawn at random and announced May 8th
• Earn 1 extra entry for each of the following: follow us on Twitter, fan us on Facebook, blog about our giveaway, facebook our giveaway, tweet our giveaway, or sign up for our SkinnyKidz newsletter (on our website) – please link to this post and www.skinnykidz.com
• Earn another 2 entries for adding our avatar button or logo button to your sidebar (just copy the text in the box below & paste it into a text widget on the sidebar of your blog):

<a href=”http://skinnykidz.com” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://i379.photobucket.com/albums/oo234/lauriegood/skinnykidz-boy-web.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”SkinnyKidz”></a>

<a href=”http://skinnykidz.com” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://i379.photobucket.com/albums/oo234/lauriegood/skinnykidz-web-1.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”SkinnyKidz”></a>

• Remember, each entry requires a separate comment to be counted…so don’t forget to come back and tell us (in individual comments) how you earned all your entries!

I was lucky enough to score this awesome painting set for my son, Jack, and we have been very impressed with it.  Ever since we got this Faber-Castell art set in the mail last week, Jack has requested painting as his art project every single day.  The set says ages 5+, but at 3.5yrs old, it’s perfect for Jack, and even Shane (2.5) and Finley (22mo) love to paint with the fun brushes included.  The set comes in a great little clear, zipper case with handles that Jack calls his “art bag.” 

It has 5 different types of texture paint brushes that are varied in color and rubber based, so they’re super easy to use and just as easy to clean (a plus for Jack AND his mama!).  It also includes a bowl for mixing paint, paper, and 5 colors of non-toxic tempera paint.  Jack has been experimenting with mixing the paints to generate secondary colors and his own unique color concoctions.  He loves mixing different amounts of red and blue to alter the shade of purple, etc., so that has been very educational.  The textured brushes are really neat, and Jack has used them to make things he calls “waves, flowers, fireworks, tire tracks,” and other designs he wouldn’t have been able to create with the standard paint brushes that just glob color onto paper.  I love the Faber-Castell kits because they make arts & crafts so easy for parents and so fun for kids.  Their website also has a craft of the month page that provides creative ideas for little projects parents can do with their kids.  I highly recommend this painting set, which retails for $17.99. 

I have 1 Young Artist Texture Painting Set to giveaway.  GIVEAWAY winner will be announced Tuesday, February 16th.  Here are the giveaway entry rules:

• Must be 18 or older and a resident of the US or Canada
• Drop a comment on this post telling me a product you like from Faber-Castell’s Creativity for Kids website
• Earn extra entries (up to 3): blog about this giveaway, tweet it, or facebook it; don’t forget to leave an additional comment for each extra entry. 
• Total of 4 entries per person.  Winner will be selected by random.org and announced on 2/16.

A few months ago I was lucky enough to take my kids to the circus, and after the show, flyers were being handed out for the next big family event.  Jack accepted one, took one look at it, and you would have thought someone slipped the kid some speed.  He was bouncing around excitedly because Lightning McQueen and Mater were on the flyer for Disney on Ice Worlds of Fantasy.  That flyer has been enshrined on our refrigerator and I have one very eager 3 year old dying for the month of December to roll around!  The show will be at the Pepsi Center, then the Coliseum in Denver.  Don’t miss it!

So here’s what I’m giving away, thanks to Mom Central and the Feld Family Activator program: a 4 pack of tickets to see Disney on Ice Worlds of Fantasy at the Pepsi Center in Denver on opening night, Dec. 4th at 7:30pm! 

How to Win:

• Drop a comment here before November 22 at midnight telling me the Disney character with whom you MOST identify and your child’s all-time favorite character
• Blog about this event / giveaway to earn an extra entry (drop another comment linking to your post)
• Tweet about this event / giveaway to earn an extra entry (drop another comment with your Twitter ID)
• Facebook / My Space it / chat about it on a yahoo group to earn an extra entry (drop another comment for doing that)
• Enter my Creativity for Kids giveaway to earn an extra entry (drop a comment on that post and this one to let me know you’ve entered)

Max of 5 total entries per person.  WINNER will be chosen by random.com and announced here on November 23th.  You must be 18 or older to enter.  If you don’t live in Colorado, but know someone who does and would like to give your tickets to them, you are welcome to enter!!  I will just need to know the names and info of the 4 people who will receive the tickets.  You MUST claim your winnings within 24 hours or I will choose a new winner, so don’t forget to check back on November 23rd!  Also, if you don’t win, and want to buy tickets for your family, enter the promo code “MOM” in ticketmaster or tickethorse website and you’ll get 4 tickets for $44 for Monday-Friday shows, or $4 off weekend tickets!  Merry Christmas!

I am a HUGE fan of creative arts and crafts projects with kids.  The hardest part for me is coming up with a project idea, actually making it to the craft store, remembering everything I need for that particular project, and not overspending because I am forced to buy way more than I need (since everything comes in packages of a million).  Also, as an aside, it is a NIGHTMARE to take toddlers into Michaels, Hobby Lobby, etc.  We break at least 1 thing almost every time we visit…not so cheap.  SO, when I came across the craft kits by Faber-Castell’s Creativity for Kids, I JUMPED at the chance to check out one of their kits with my kids.  They have put together VERY creative arts and crafts projects with all the supplies you need into a neat little kit.  There’s no hot glue gun necessary, no sewing, and nothing labor intensive.  Stress-free, cute, fun, convenient, inexpensive, creative projects that take the pressure off having to come up with the ideas or collect the supplies yourself.  The hardest part for me was choosing WHICH kit we wanted to try first!  Here are just a few of MANY creative options (Pop Up Book kit, Wee Enchanted Garden kit, Mini Tea Set kit):

I let Jack help decide, and together we picked the sock puppets, which all 3 of my kids loved:

If you can’t tell from the pictures below, I saved this craft project for a snowstorm day!

WHAT’S UP FOR GRABS:

• Winner’s Choice!!  Faber-Castell is sponsoring this awesome giveaway and allowing the winner to pick any kit from their Creativity for Kids website’s collection.

HOW TO ENTER:

• Browse Creativity for Kids website, come back and drop a comment on THIS post before midnight, November 22, telling us which kit you will choose if your name is drawn by random.com as the winner (something other than the ones I’ve mentioned)
• Check back on November 23rd to see the winner.  You’ll have 48 hours to claim your prize, so don’t forget to check!

EARN EXTRA ENTRIES (up to 3 extra entries):

• Earn 1 additional entry by tweeting about this giveaway with a link to this post – drop another comment here with your twitter ID
• Earn 1 additional entry by blogging about this contest and drop another comment here linking to your blog post
• Earn 1 additional entry for post about this giveaway on a chat group, Facebook, My Space, etc. and drop a comment letting us know which of those you did

You may enter up to 4 times total if you do all of the above for additional entries.  Enter before midnight, November 22rd.  Drawing will be done at random, and the winner announced November 23rd.

My Creations makes personalized stories for unique families, like mine and all others that have been formed through adoption and/or reproductive technology.  Recently, I had been looking for books that could begin introducing the concept of adoption to my kids, and Jack especially since he is starting to talk about these things.  It’s not that we haven’t told him his adoption story already, but books help kids grasp things at a different level and give us a springboard for our adoption-related discussions.  Having a physical book about HIS personal story will also allow Jack to flip through pages and revisit his history over and over again, as often as he wants to, and at his own pace.  The illustrations in the My Creations book are so cute and captivating, they alone would make the book fun to read again and again!

When I came across My Creations, I was really excited to learn that each story is customized both in its illustrations (ie: skin, hair color), as well as its text.  The illustrations are ADORABLE, and the level of detail in the storytelling is appropriate for a baby, toddler, or child (I’d venture to guess 0-11) but could probably be tailored beyond that age if you made a special request (the owners are just awesome like that!).

My Creations personalized books serve a separate purpose from a lifebook, which would typically go into more detail about the child’s pre-adoption circumstances, first family, life in foster care or an orphanage, birth country, and any other known relevant information.  The biggest distinction, in my eyes, between a ‘lifebook’ and an ‘adoption story’ is the point of view from which each is told – a lifebook is soley your child’s early story, told from the child’s perspective such that his/her adoption is not the first chapter nor the main focus of the book.  An adoption story, like the ones created by My Creations, is about the child’s entry into your family, told from the parents’ perspective.  I see the necessity to have both, but Jack’s My Creations story is much more age-appropriate now and tells him how he joined our family and became our son.

I realize there are a ton of children’s books out there that try to help us tell our kids about adoption, and while some of them are wonderful resources to have in our collections, none replace a book like this that “stars” YOUR unique child and tells HIS/HER unique story.  Our kids love to hear stories about themselves, over and over again, and a customized book with precious character depictions of each of us is a gift we can all treasure.

MY CREATIONS has offered all Pho for Five readers a 20% discount on regularly priced products now through the end of July!!  Just enter the code “TWIT20” in the comments section of the personalization form on their website.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

• What’s up for grabs: 1 My Creations ring-bound personalized story book ($38.95) with the modifiable pdf version so you can print it out as coloring book pages, revise it as often as you’d like, and see it before it goes to print ($12.99)
• Rules to enter: answer this prompt in a comment below- what was the first thing you noticed about your child when you first set eyes on him/her?  I’ll go first with my answer - Jack’s HUGE, dark eyes, Shane’s button nose, and Finley’s head of hair (and girl parts, since we were totally anticipating a boy!).  You must have a US or Canadian shipping address or be willing to pay shipping costs!
• Deadline to enter: July 13th at midnight
• Earn up to 3 extra entries (leave a separate comment for EACH additional entry): blog about this giveaway, twitter with a link to this giveaway, facebook it, chat about it on a yahoo group, or mention it on any other social networking site!

First, I want to tell you what an honor it is to work with Ana, the owner of The Pretty Peacock.  I first saw her stunning artisan jewelry a few months ago and fell in with this piece:

Then she showed me this piece made of eco-friendly fine silver (99.9% pure silver composition as opposed to 92.5% in sterling silver) she is offering to the winner of THIS giveaway, and I fell in love a second time:

When Ana found out my boys were adopted, she mentioned her interest in creating a few pieces of jewelry to celebrate adoption.  So, in a post a few weeks ago, I asked for some input on a piece of adoption jewelry Ana could design to honor adoption, first parents, and our children.  We got a lot of awesome feedback and Ana has created an INCREDIBLE collection of jewelry called “celebrate adoption,” with pieces just as unique as our families.  For my family, I really wanted something that incorporated Nature and Nurture, which speaks to me and also makes room for all my kiddos (adopted & bio)  Those 3 words, “Nature & Nurture,” on this piece Ana created is just perfection in my eyes.  I had goosebumps when I saw it; just look at the detail:

The other side of the heart says “Nature & Nurture,” and each ornate silver tag has a birthstone on the front and the child’s name hand-stamped, oxidized, and polished on the back:

But my absolute FAVORITE piece of jewelry, EVER, is a “Nature & Nurture” piece Ana created to go with a poem I wrote.  My poem is based on an analogy I came up with that uses the sun, moon, and sea to represent the birth parent, adoptive parent, and child.  I wanted to make sure I was not making any assumptions or speaking for a birth parent in the analogy or poem, so yesterday I wrote this:

Nature and Nurture, by Laurie Good

I the moon,
And you the sun,
We, together, shape the one

The one that will grow,
The one that will be,
Vibrant and strong, he is the sea

The sun gives him life,
The moon helps him glow,
One presence he’ll feel the other he’ll know

The sun gives him warmth,
The moon guides his tide,
Nature creates what nurture will guide

I the moon,
And you the sun,
We, together, shape the one

Ana thought out every detail when she created this jewelry to match the poem.  She used citrine for the sun, sapphire for the moon, and aquamarine for the sea.  The necklace has a subtle, but eye-catching toggle closure and you’ll notice all the circles Ana used in this piece – fitting with the Circle of Life, interconnectedness theme.  Tasteful, elegant, unique.  How gorgeous is this piece:

The sun, moon, sea piece of adoption jewelry will be packaged with the poem insert – I think this would make an amazing gift for anyone who is adopting or has adopted a child.  Here it is altogether:

We also LOVED Jme’s explanation of “Forever Family,” which was also the theme for HeatherM.’s and Jena’s great ideas for an adoption jewelry piece.  Jme said:

We use Forever Family, but in 3 ways.
1. Our son’s birthmother is his family forever through birth. They are forever connected.
2. Our family is a forever family connected through love.
3. We (birthmother, bio sibs, me, hubs, son, etc.) are a forever family through an incredible journey of love and sacrifice.

Ana incorporated those 2 words, “Forever Family,” in this meaningful bracelet I think a lot of families touched by adoption will appreciate.  The back of the tag will be personalized for your family and Ana used 3 bracelet circles to symbolize the 3 parts of the adoption triad.  Simple, elegant, and fittingly symbolic:

Understand that with Ana’s artisan work, if you can dream it, she can make it…and chances are, what she’ll create with your idea will be more unique and beautiful than anything you could have imagined.  So whether it’s “Hers. Mine. Ours.” “Three-way-tied,” “Born in Our Hearts,” “Ohana,” or any of the other thoughtful suggestions many of you made, Ana can customize it for you to honor your special family.  We appreciated all your ideas, btw, and would LOVE any more people would like to share!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

What’s Up for Grabs:

A personalized Sparklette Tag from The Pretty Peacock’s Eco-Friendly Good Karma Collection, with a hand-stamped initial and birthstone:

The Pretty Peacock is offering a 10% discount to all Pho for Five readers.  Just enter PHO as promo code!  Discount applies from now until 6/19/09, so get your orders in soon!

Who Can Win:

Anyone with a US or Canadian shipping address

How to Win:

Visit The Pretty Peacock and leave a comment here telling us your favorite piece from her collection by 6/12 at midnight!  Winner will be randomly drawn and announced 6/13.

To Earn Extra Entries (up to 5 total entries per person):

• Blog about this giveaway and drop your link in a separate comment
• Twitter about this giveaway and drop a link with your twitter id
• Facebook this giveaway or chat about on a group elsewhere and drop a comment telling us where you spread the word
• Give yourself an extra entry if you commented with a suggestion for a piece of adoption jewelry on my previous post – leave a separate comment on this post telling us you contributed previously!
• Give Ana another idea or suggestion for an original jewelry design in a separate comment below (1 extra entry per person for this)
• Post The Pretty Peacock button on your blog sidebar:

DON’T FORGET TO LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY!<–>

Thanks for entering DadGear giveaway – the winner was comment #42, Julie (I’ve sent her an email notifying her).  Please check back for the next giveaway, which will be coming up sometime by the end of the week; you’re going to love it!

So, Father’s Day…it’s right around the corner (June 21th), so what are you getting the dads in your life for Father’s Day?  How about a gift that keeps on giving?  The kids and I gave Travis his Father’s Day gifts early this year, and they were all huge hits.  Here are my suggestions if you want to his a homerun this Father’s Day:

I have to say, the best gift Travis has ever received in his life was the kegerator conversion kit (best seller is $116) from Kegman.  David, the Kegman, sponsored a keg conversion kit giveaway around the holidays and is a super helpful, awesome guy.  Just contact him if you have any questions about what you should buy, or what he would suggest on your budget.  Have an old fridge laying around?  If not, they’re super cheap on Craigslist!  All you need is an old fridge or chest freezer and the conversion kit, and you too could enjoy draught beer in your home.  Here are some pictures of what a kegerator looks like after you’ve used installed something like the kit I linked to above:    

Just ask Travis, they are very easy to install and you can have beer on tap the same day!  If you (or your husband / partner) has any trouble with the installation, David has been very willing to help…just call and ask your questions or see his website for trouble shooting.  We aren’t “just any beer” lovers.  We love our local microbrews and they taste even better on draught!  The great thing is, we never have to buy a full keg; “kegs” come in all different sizes, so we can sample different brews in 8 gallon sizes and are able to host friends and have awesome beer on tap when we do.  Also, did I mention beer is MUCH cheaper when you buy it kegged than bottled (or even, God forbid, canned…depending on how shitty the canned beer you buy really is).  Anyway, that’s the best gift out there and the one that truly keeps on giving (so long as you keep your keg full;).  Cheers!

My next Father’s Day gift suggestion is a Flip Video Camera.  We have been lucky enough to receive the Flip Ultra HD for review and have LOVED this new video camera.  I can’t even believe the quality of the videos; they are SO MUCH higher quality than the big Sony video camera we got for Christmas for ~5 times the price just a few years ago!!  WOW, technology has come a long way.  Our new Flip Ultra HD has 2 hours of recording space, 8GBs of memory, uses rechargeable AA batteries, turns on almost instantly so you’ll never miss that moment waiting for your camera to power on, has a pop-out USB so you can plug it right into your computer without any wires needed and upload directly to YouTube, and is tiny enough to throw in your regular camera bag or your pocket.  This thing is bad ass.  He will LOVE it, I assure you.  Flip has a few lines of cameras – the least expensive is the Flip Ultra, which goes for $149, then there’s the Flip Mino for $179, then the HD versions of those at $199 and $229.  Of course, you can search around and find them for quite a bit less if you’re savvy. 

Then there’s also the super cool DadGear stuff, which is especially awesome for new daddies.  My personal favs are the courier bags ($62), the diaper vests ($82) and the diaper backpacks ($92).  Travis and I are both big fans of his diaper backpack.  If you missed out on winning this through the giveaway DadGear just sponsored on my blog, don’t give up on your hubby owning this product!  Go get him one now. 

So what are your Father’s Day plans?  Anybody else find any neat gift ideas for Dad? 

NOTE: single moms, dads, nannies, not-yet parents…EVERYONE is welcome to enter this giveaway contest!  It would make a great Father’s Day gift, but this gear is awesome for anyone with kids in their lives (or plans to have kids in their lives).

Ok, so a friend introduced me to one of the coolest companies ever, especially if you have a husband who despises wearing a flowery tote to carry his kids’ necessities.  This Colorado-based company is called DadGear and was founded by a couple of dads who wanted their own man gear that was functional and masculine.  Their product line is genius, and there’s something extra special that sets them apart from other companies who carry daddy diaper bags…the Extra Quick Access Wipes.  It’s basically a wipes container that is built into the diaper bag for easy access and prevents contamination of the other diaper bag contents.  Have you ever become even moderately grossed out by your bag of wipes?  You know me, I’m no germaphobe unless it involves poop…in which case I’m a total freak and I can’t stand the thought of touching the outside of the wipes bag, while my hands are filthy, then letting that wipes bag fall back into the diaper tote, where it is free to come in contact with the snack baggies, the sippie cups, and anything else I would like to keep E. coli free!  But that’s just me.  Check out the really cool video demos on the website to see how the Quick Access Wipes prevent diaper bag contamination.  Below are some of the awesome products DadGear carries, any of which would make a REALLY cool Father’s Day gift.

The diaper vest is ridiculously studly, especially if you’re into the Colorado mountain dad look…the vest has special pockets just for diapers, wipes, a slim changing pad, a bottle, a cell phone, and an MP3 player so Dad and kids can go hiking without carrying anything cumbersome!  Check out the video demo to see more.

There’s a backpack, satchel, courier bag, and messenger bag…all diaper bags, all available in super cool colors, patterns, and even college sports team themes.

Travis wears his diaper backpack all over, and I actually prefer it to the diaper bags I own as well because of the special wipes feature.  It also has a unique diaper pocket that is accessible from the top of the backpack and prevents diapers from getting lost at the bottom and mixed in with all the crumbs from half-eaten snacks.  The diaper backpack Travis is wearing below is the same one DadGear has generously offered up to the winner of this GIVEAWAY:

Win the Diaper Backpack by DadGear through a random drawing by following these GIVEAWAY rules:

1. Visit DadGear and drop a comment on this post telling me your favorite DadGear product and pattern (so I know you actually visited the site) by Tuesday, May 26rd at midnight.
2. Earn up to 3 extra entries through any of the following: blog about this giveaway and drop an additional comment linking to your post, twitter about this giveaway and leave a link with your twitter username, facebook it, etc.  Just don’t forget to leave comments for each additional entry telling us where you spread the word!
3. Please remember to use a valid email address.  Anyone can enter this giveaway, but if you do not have a U.S. shipping address, you must be willing to pay shipping charges if you win.
4. The winner will have 72 hours to claim her/his prize, so check back to see if you win!

LEASH THE BEAST!!  (photos of Jack taken pre-haircut)

I used to be one of those people that thought leashing a child was a human rights violation.  It was something I was expecting the ACLU to eventually take issue with.  But that was before I became Jackson’s mommy!  I averted a few crises by the skin of my teeth when he was my only kid.  But once I became mom to 3, I really began seeing the purpose behind this product, made by GoldBug - it’s a way to restrict a child just enough to keep him safe, while not confining him to a stroller constantly.  Kids need exercise and freedom to explore, but they also need to avoid getting run over or kidnapped…it’s all about striking that balance, ya know?!  Plus, the backpack leash is super cute and most kids love them.  I don’t have "most kids" though, and my wildman happens to HATE the idea of having anything buckled around his body to go anywhere (unless he and Finley are just playing).  Unfortunately, I don’t have it in me to potty train AND leash train him all at once.  Lately though, he and Fin have been playing with the harnesses around the house, and Jack seems to be warming up to it…I might make another attempt to use it in public soon, like in the parking lot on our way to the zoo/museum/gardens/etc.

It’s adorable, comfortable, and totally functional.  If only I could get all my kids to wear one, I’d look like one of those professional dog walkers - tangled in leashes while kids zigzag around and through my legs!!  Hahaha, picture that! 

So, as long as you promise not to do the leash jerk…you know, the one you do when your dog stops to smell and pee on every flower you pass…you’re eligible to de-stress your life through this GIVEAWAY!  You SO want one of these if you have more than 1 child.  Or just a Jackson.  Or possibly worse, a Finley.  Any of those scenarios might warrant a leashed beast.  But, if you have BOTH (a Jackson or Fin AND another kiddo), this thing might be your new best friend!  This is why I felt it was an appropriate Mother’s Day giveaway;)  And because the GoldBug people are so generous, I have 3 harnesses to giveaway: the doggie and 2 monkies.  Just drop me a comment telling me why you need this / who would be leashed.  1 winner will be chosen for the most compelling story – that winner will choose her prize (monkey or doggie).  The 2nd & 3rd winners will be randomly selected using a random integer generator.  You know the rules, but here they are again:

• Drop a comment by May 15 at midnight, winners will be chosen and announced May 16
• Blog, twitter, or chat about this giveaway for an extra entry (max 3 per person), just come back and drop a comment with the link where you spread the word.  Gain an extra entry in addition to the potential 3 entries above (for this and future giveaways) if you donate(d) ANY amount to Heather’s charitable giveaway to help build a home for a family in Vietnam and get the chance to win a double stroller!
• Must have a US or Canadian shipping address, or be willing to pay shipping, to enter

Back by popular demand (and Melissa’s generosity), Tiny Tag Designs is sponsoring another awesome giveaway just in time for Mother’s Day, May 10th.  Melissa from Tiny Tag Designs hand stamps names, initials, dates, words of hope or inspiration on a sterling silver disc, oxidizes, buffs and polishes them, then puts them on a sterling silver ball chain that is durable, casual, but elegant enough it can be dressed up as well.  I just love this jewelry!  Here’s an example of an adult tag necklace:

Tiny Tags jewelry makes a great gift - Melissa packages everything beautifully and has a really pretty card she includes with a personal message.  Her jewelry comes in this cute little bag, along with a swatch of polishing fabric:

Tell your husbands…if you don’t want to have to buy it for yourself, Melissa has a little form on her website that allows you to DROP A HINT to your loved ones!  This jewelry is the perfect surprise for Mother’s Day, for you or your own mom.  What proud mom or grandma wouldn’t want to wear one?!  Melissa has generously offered the winner of this giveaway a Tiny Tags original disc necklace with 1 stamped disc, valued at $42 (additional discs will be a small charge - see website for pricing).

If you don’t win this giveaway but still want a piece of jewelry from TTD, use the promo code TTD006 and you’ll get 20% off your order, so hurry and place your Mother’s Day orders.

GIVEAWAY RULES:

• Drop a comment by May 4th telling me how you found this giveaway (bloglines/reader, http://momgiveaways.com, http://sweepsadvantage.com, another blog, etc.)
• Blog about it, twitter about it, or chat about it on a group for extra entries (max 3 per person) and drop a separate comment(s) telling us you spread the word (include the link to your post, tweet, etc.)
• Must have a US or Canadian shipping address (or be willing to pay shipping if you live overseas)
• Provide a valid email address so you can be contacted if you win
• Winner will be selected at random and announced on May 5th