The Winner Is...

Abbey!

I'm still not able to post that random number generator, so if anyone can tell me how to do it for next time, I'd appreciate it!

Abbey, send me your address, and I'll have your camera shipped out to you!

P.S. More to come!

The Great Flood & Giveaway

Remember the flood?  I think of it every time when I sit down to watch tv on an old 19" tv with no HDTV, and I am either on the floor or sitting in a lawn chair.  (On the bright side my lawn chairs are comfortable!)

My kitchen as they started sucking up the water and I could get in there.  Apparently my house is lopsided and the water ran into the kitchen.  It couldn't possible run into the bathroom located on the other side of the house where the hot water heater was located and a drain!

Imagine all the little paint pockets you see below, filled up with water and squirting all over your stuff.  There were hundreds of them, which just made the whole thing worse, because with the squirting streams of water, it was able to destroy even more.  Plus, this is one section.....the whole living room was covered and the water was about 4" deep.  A mess I tell you!  The water was gushing out the front and back doors, leading to a sheet of ice at both places.

I have to give housing kudos for putting us up at The Hampton Inn (whose beds and pillows I love), and for getting our house done in just under two weeks.  While I loved the Hampton, even with two adjoining rooms, it was tight quarters for the 4 of us.  Every day after carting children around, I would go check on progress and document it....just in case.

I was contacted by the someone related to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, to check out their new FREE iPhone app related to creating a home inventory.  Something I SHOULD have done before I ever had a flood occur.  Unfortunately mother nature doesn't follow my time schedule.

I did have to download this on to Gunner's phone since my software wasn't upgraded, and I just have the 3G.  It's super easy to use, take pictures, and you can even email it to yourself and have it backed up on your computer.  During the claim process, they wanted before pictures of the furniture and electronics, which I didn't have unless they were in use.  They got a picture of Junior jamming on the wii guitar, a random picture Abs took of the tv, and a picture of me sleeping on the couch.  I was not thrilled about sending any of them!

The NAIC also has instructions on how to create a home inventory.

To help you create a home inventory, the NAIC is offering a FREE Kodak Easyshare digital camera (retail value $49) for one lucky reader!  (It takes amazing pictures as you can see below!)  All you need to do is leave a comment telling me what is the most loved item in your home is, that you would capture first on your home inventory!

I will draw a random winner on Monday April 25th!

Sammy the dog after he was rescued, kept by a friend for a while, and finally groomed.  

Disclaimer--I was provided a digital camera to use for my review, but all opinions are my own, with no outside influence from the three little kids that live here.

The Winner Is...

Eve!  (I don't think she has a blog, because I didn't see one, but she does follow a lot of blogs!)

Congratulations Eve!

General Mills & Hot Wheels Giveaway!

I should have had great pictures to put with this post, but when you take them and forget to include the memory card, you end up with not much.

Anyway, General Mills and My Blog Spark hooked me up with 5 boxes of General Mills Cereal-Lucky Charms, Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cookie Crisp, and Reese's Puff Cereal.

(Imagine Junior surrounded by the cereal while sitting on the stairs)

First, my kids were over the moon excited, because I rarely by those types of cereal.  Included in each box of cereal was a hot wheels pullback racer.  Junior was ecstatic with the first one I gave him, and Abs was upset because he put the stickers on wrong.  (I kept the stickers away for the next 4 cars!)

(Imagine Junior and Abs playing fighting over the cars)

Soon my children had polished off all 5 boxes of cereal.  Junior's favorite was Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Abs loved the Reese's Puffs, and Em preferred the Cookie Crisp.  My favorite????  Lucky Charms, hands down!

A couple of things I like about these cereals, is that they aren't tiny pieces so I can put the cereal in a bag and we are off and running.  It's a quick easy breakfast, since we are constantly on the go.

General Mills and My Blog Spark would like to provide you with a cereal prize pack!  All you need to do is comment below and let me know your favorite cereal!  I will draw for the winner tomorrow, so make sure to get your name in right away!

All cereal and prize packs were provided to me by General Mills, via My Blog Spark.  All opinions are my own and only my own.  

Winner!

Sorry, due to the flood and everything else I forgot to draw a winner, but the winner is HMB over at Table for Two:  Me & You.  

Congratulations HMB!

Stella and Dot Giveaway!!

Stella and Dot Giveaway

With

Army Blogger Wife

When Tracy contacted me about hosting a giveaway, I checked out her items, and fell in love with these earrings.  

Then I looked at the girls section and found this cute necklace that "screams" Abs.  

Thankfully, Tracy has provided a beautiful necklace for my readers to have a chance winning!  

Avery Chains and Pearls Necklace (Retail Value $69)

(Pictured Left)

5 antiqued silver plated chains dripping with freshwater pearls.  The combinations of pearls with chain in this necklace updates the classic pearl for a rocker chic look.  Approximately 18 ½” – 24"

TO ENTER:

 Visit http://www.stelladot.com/tracyt and browse around, then come back here and leave a comment on this post telling me what OTHER favorite piece of jewelry is on the website

EXTRA OPTIONAL ENTRIES: (Leave 1 comment for each entry on this blog)

·         Become a fan of Stella and Dot on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stella-and-Dot-Independent-Stylist/144453258946980

·         Follow Stella and Dot Stylist Tracy T Hall on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/tracythall

·         Follow Army Blogger Wife on Twitter:  ABW26

·         Tweet about this contest.  Leave 1 comment for each tweet with the link to the tweet.  Copy and paste the following:  GIVEAWAY!  I entered to win #Stella&Dot Jewelry from @ABW26 and @TracyTHall http://www.stelladot.com/tracyt 

·         Blog about this contest and link back to this post and http://www.stelladot.com/tracyt

You must leave 1 comment per entry.  Extra entries will not be counted unless you leave a comment for each one.  Contest runs until Monday, January 31^st, 2011.  Winner will chosen with random.org and notified by email on or before 1/31/11  and asked for full name, address.  If no response, a different winner will chosen.  Must be 18 or older to enter.  Contest open to USA or APO/AE.  Prize will be shipped directly by Tracy T Hall, an independent stylist for Stella and Dot.

You Know When the Men Are Gone--Winner!!!

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:8Powered by RANDOM.ORG

The winner is:

JMBROOKS89 at While You Were Gone

You Know When the Men Are Gone--Giveaway!!!

I was shipped a copy of the book You Know When the Men Are Gone by Siobhan Fallon, for review recently.

I had it sitting in my pile of books to read, and I picked it up one night when I was missing Gunner.

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G

Really, seriously, I loved it.  I've actually read it two times since then.

"There is an army of women waiting for their men to return in Fort Hood, Texas. Through a series of loosely interconnected stories, Siobhan Fallon takes readers onto the base, inside the homes, into the marriages and families-intimate places not seen in newspaper articles or politicians' speeches."


After spending over 6 years at Fort Hood, meeting my husband while he was stationed there the first time, and having our son there, Fort Hood will always hold a special place in my heart.  Many of the places that she mentions I have been, which made the stories seem even more real.  


You can watch a preview of the book here:

After each of the stories, I would have to put down the book and think.  Some of these stories I have seen played out in real life, which made it hard, because I could think of Soldiers and their families that lived these "fictional" stories.  


The back of the book reads:  "There is an army of women waiting for their men to return to Fort Hood, Texas.  As Siobhan Fallon shows in this collection of loosely interconnected short stories, each woman deals with her husband's absence differently.  One wife, in an attempt to avoid thinking about the risks her husband faces in Iraq, develops an unhealthy obsession with the secret life of her neighbor.  Another woman's simple trip to the PX becomes unbearable when she pulls into her Gold Star parking space.  And one woman's loneliness may lead to dire consequences when her husband arrives home.  In gripping, no-nonsense stories that will leave you shaken, Siobhan Fallon allows you into a world tightly guarded by gates and wire.  It is a place where men and women cling to the families they have created as the stress of war threatens to pull them apart."


Siobhan Fallon is an Army Wife, who has been through two deployments of her own.


Because I LOVED this book so much, I have ONE book to give away!  Just leave a comment below and let me know how you deal with the stress of war. (Limited to US addresses, APO and FPO as well)


My way of dealing with stress?  The last two deployments it has been working out.  For one or more hours a day, I can focus on myself, what I need to do, and the stress of everything disappears.  Not that it doesn't come back afterwards, but I have a reprieve.  How do you handle the stress of deployments?


I will draw for the winner on Wednesday January 19th!

Change of Plans--WINNER!!!

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:6Powered by RANDOM.ORG

I once again wasted time trying to figure out how to get the picture installed on this page, and this is the best I can do.  Maybe in a few years I can actually figure it out!

So, the winner is McMgrad89 at So I Was Just Thinking!

Enjoy your movies and new blanket!

Family Movie Night--Giveaway!

Goodness knows with the military there is a change of plans around every corner.  Heck, I emailed a bike ride I wanted to do with Gunner, and he told me it looked great, and maybe we could make it in at least ONE of the cities, but who knows which one.

Anyway....

It's Family Movie Night on Fox, this Saturday, January 8th, at 8/7CST.

“CHANGE OF PLANS” SYNOPSIS

Up to this point, Sally Danville’s life has played out just as she hoped it would.  As a beautiful and free-spirited musician, she and her fighter-pilot husband, Jason, live life on the go, free of domestic responsibilities.  But with a single phone call from Child & Family Services case worker, Dorothy (Phylicia Rashad, “The Cosby Show”), she learns that things don’t always go according to plan.  Sally (Brooke White, “American Idol”) is met with the news that her best friend from college has died in a tragic accident on a Peace Corps mission and has named Sally the legal guardian of her four kids – 3 of them adopted from third-world countries.  Now Sally and Jason (Joe Flanigan, “Stargate Atlantis”) must quickly learn to parent this instant family and help the kids deal with the culture clash of life in America.  The story is both humorous and heartwarming, revealing how fulfilling life can be when you look beyond your own plans and invest in the lives of others.


I'm a sucker for a movie that pulls at your heartstrings, like all those Hallmark made for tv movies.  Surely I'm not the only one!

Now for the good stuff!  I'm allowed to offer to my readers, a giveaway of a cute fleece blanket, like the one shown here (ummm....the cute but dirty dog is not included, and they are sending you the blanket, so yours would be clean whereas mine will be washed tonight after Abs tucked it around Sammy.  Forgive the blurry picture as I still have not found my camera charger.  I'm convinced it is around the next corner!).

In addition to the blanket, you get THREE movies that have previously been P&G/Walmart movies for Family Movie Night--Secrets of the Mountain, Jenson Project and A Walk in My Shoes.  (I linked to the trailers, and wish I had seen them all, they look great!)

All you need to do is leave a comment, and let me know what you do for Family Night at your house!  I'd love the ideas!  I will draw the winner on Sunday, January 9th, 2011!  Good luck!

The Winner Is....

The TWO winners of the Hallmark Recordable Storybooks are......

Charity at A Day in the Life of 5 and Casey at The Ever-Changing Life of a Military Wife.

I loved hearing all your stories, but I used the random number generator, which I still can't figure out how to post on here.  I should probably ask my daughter and she would be able to do it in no time at all.

If these two can please send me an email, I'll forward your information on so that your books can be on their way (although I don't know about delivery to Turkey before Christmas!).

Twas the Night Before Christmas...(Giveaway!!!)

I didn't even know that they had recordable story books, but then the thought of venturing out to the mall, with three children in tow, just seems overwhelming before it even begins.

Hallmark sent me a sample of The the Night Before Christmas, recordable story book, to try out.

My original intention was to send the book to Gunner to tape for the kids.

The problem with this were:
   1.  He doesn't get his mail in a timely manner, in fact on post on fb was "Gunner thinks the Taliban is stealing his mail."
   2.  It would have to be relatively quiet.
   3.  I would have to go to the post office.  (This is yet another one of those overwhelming tasks for me)
   4.  Would I get it back from Gunner?

I decided to bypass Gunner this time, and wait for him to do one when he gets home.  (Sorry babe!)

My mom was staying on a week after she got back from Japan with Emily (or Emily got back from Japan with my mom), so I asked her to record it one day while I was at crossfit.  (Yes, I am still hopelessly addicted)

Recordable Storybooks feature voice-capture technology that records the reader’s voice, which is then captured within the Storybook. When a page is turned, the book automatically plays the text on that page in the reader’s voice. It’s a great way to capture a special moment that can be shared with a child over and over again. And since the recording lasts for the life of the book, it can also serve as a lasting memento of a loved one who is away because of duty or other circumstances.

I didn't get a shot of her taping it, but she said it was easy, very user-friendly, and took no time at all.  After the recording is done, you have to use a screwdriver to remove the battery/speaker area, and "lock" the recording so the kids can't accidentally erase it.  A very nice feature, but meant I had to track down a screwdriver, which is no easy feat with one Abs in the house.

Junior got the first peak at it, and was hooked.

He was so excited to hear Grandma read him the story.  Let's be honest, at this age, he wants the same stories over and over and over again.

He kept reading it.

He continued time and time and time and time and time again.  Finally after about the hundredth time, my mom had him put it away till she left to go home.

They have so many different stories to choose from here.  My dad passed away 4 1/2 years ago, what I wouldn't do to have a recording of him for the kids.  The story Guess How Much I Love You is a favorite in our house, and I would have loved to have had that recorded by their dad before he left for Afghanistan.

So........

Hallmark has agreed to give TWO Christmas recordable storybooks out to my readers!!!  Imagine being able to have your husband record the story for this Christmas while he is home, and to have available to the kids next Christmas while he is overseas.

Entering is easy, and you just need to tell me about your favorite Christmas memory!  I'll randomly draw a winner on Monday, December 6th.  Good luck!

Also, be sure to check out the following video, and around the 2 minute mark is a military family from North Carolina that used the recordable storybooks in their family!

Air Force Giveaway

I'm Army.

We live on an Air Force Base.

Abs insisted on joining the deployment club at her school since she knew she wasn't returning.

So........

I have two copies of....

If more than two people want it, I'll have Abs pick a number since they are her books.  Very easy, just tell me you want them, so I know that they go to a good home.  

Thanks!

I want one of these!

The Mrs. is having a giveaway on her blog of a Blue Star Quilted Wall Hanging.

Head on over to her blog and checkout how you can be in the running for one of these!

When you give a mom a magic eraser...

I received this not too long ago.  

I finally had a chance to break it out when Junior colored all over himself....and his wall.

(Well, the magic eraser was not for Junior, but if you can see what he looks like, you can imagine what his wall looked like.)

I ran off to get my magic eraser, and scrubbed his wall.  Super easy, get it wet, wring it out, and scrub.  All the marker came off the wall.  I cannot say the thing about Junior.

Of course after I had opened the package, I was a mom on a mission.

I stopped off in the bathroom and removed the lipstick lines that Abs had drawn.  This led to me scrubbing the tub after bathing dirty kids that night.  (Have you read the book If you give a mouse a cookie?)

The dirty tub led to me checking out the baseboards, which reminded me that I needed to get the backdoor where Sammy had put his muddy paws on the door frame when he was a mess.

While doing the back door, I noticed that Gunner had not cleaned up dinner (homemade pizza, yum!), so I ran over there and scrubbed down the stove with the magic eraser.

By this time, my magic eraser is half gone.  I decide to use it on the front door, a couple of wall spots, and then I was tired and done cleaning.

My complaint about the magic eraser?  (Cause there has to be one!)  I don't like all the little pieces of the eraser that come off the product, that I then have to clean up.  

I was also sent disinfecting bathroom cleaner, which when used with the magic eraser took off all the mud left behind after this fiasco.  

It came in a lavender scent, which is the new scent that I try to be in everything.  (Did you know lavender relaxes you?  They have me bathe Abs in lavender essential oils, so maybe I am secretly hoping that she will sleep longer if I clean with lavender scents?  Hey, I have not slept well in 9 years, I am willing to try anything!)

Another product that I was sent, was Mr. Clean with febreze (citrus & light).  Did I mention I am germaphobic?  I use this to clean the trashcan since it makes it smell good, also because Junior thinks that it is necessary to put his hands all over the trashcan and I get grossed out.  Is it a boy thing?

MS&L provided these products to me free of charge, for review, and would now like to send you a set of magic erasers.  Seriously, these things are the bomb.  I am hoping it keeps me (and now you!) off this website!  

So, just leave a comment and tell me about your messiest of messes if you want!  (Trust me, I'll understand!)

The winner will be chosen Wednesday, before I head out to Texas!

Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day! (& Winners)

Anyone doing anything special for Military Spouse Appreciation?  They had a program at the Y yesterday, but I didn't go because they were out of daycare spots for Junior.  


I tired to get all fancy and insert the drawing numbers, but after spending the last hour trying, I can't figure it out, which means it is something extremely simple.


But, the Grand Prize Winner of a $50 gift card and a copy of the book is Ashley at Raising Our Little DevilPup!


There are still two more books to give away, and they go to Sarah at Diary of a Navy Wife & MTM at My Front Porch Looking In!


Send me your addresses, and I'll have them send out your prizes!  Thanks everyone for playing!  I will have another giveaway soon, for something every parent needs if they have children, especially if they are like Abs!

The Ocean Between Us GIVEAWAY!! $50 Gift Card!

Want to win a copy of this book AND a $50 VISA gift card?????

I was recently sent a copy of The Ocean Between Us by Susan Wiggs to review for my blog via Big Honcho Media.

The book is a story about a Navy family and how they deal with deployments and the changes in the families over a period of time.  If you know me, you know that I LOVE any books about military life, and this one was no exception!

The Ocean Between Us is a powerful novel of love, duty and second chances.  Susan Wiggs deftly portrays the struggles and triumphs of an American family facing life’s greatest challenges as they come to understand the timeless lessons of the heart.

 

Grace Bennett has it all—three wonderful children, a devoted husband and a life of adventure and travel. But beneath the calm demeanor of an efficient Navy wife, Grace stands at the crossroads—of her life and her marriage. When she looks in the mirror, she doesn’t recognize the person staring back. She’s tired, out of shape and feeling invisible. Somewhere between her husband’s demanding career, raising a family, the constant uprooting and the Navy’s routine, Grace has lost her sense of self. Something needs to change. She needs to change.

 

Steve Bennett simply can’t understand the unraveling of his wife’s heart. He thought he was proving his love to her with each promotion. He believed he could still be a good husband and father while juggling an officer’s myriad duties. But he now realizes they were seeing their marriage through different eyes. And when a nearly forgotten secret resurfaces, Grace’s discontent comes into sharp focus. Now Steve must try to make their marriage right again before his next deployment. For himself. For his family. For the twenty years of shared history that have always anchored him to home.

 

Then duty calls.

 

Separated by an ocean of regrets and longing, Grace and Steve take a hard look at their faltering marriage, the love that brought them together and the family they cherish. They confront the choices they’ve made, the sacrifices they’ve rationalized and the dreams they’ve set adrift. 

 

But just as they come to grips with their marriage, the unthinkable happens—a disaster aboard Steve’s aircraft carrier shatters Grace’s world. As she gathers her children around her and waits for news, she faces a Navy wife’s worst nightmare—the cold truth that life’s biggest chances can slip away while you’re looking for guarantees.  (Synopsis provided to me)

I was provided a copy of this book for this review, but you too can win a copy and earn a $50 VISA gift card!  Who doesn't need a little pampering, especially as a military spouse?????

The Ocean Between Us

BOOK RELEASE + GIVEAWAY

One (1) Grand Prize winner receives:

• Get a little renewal in your life with a $50 VISA gift card
• Copy of The Ocean Between Us

Two (2) additional winners will receive a copy of the book!

In order to qualify:

    1 entry--leave a comment and tell me what your favorite aspect of military life is.

    1 entry--follow me on twitter  @ABW26 and leave a comment that you did

    1 entry--become a follower, of if you already are, then leave a comment!

I will  hold the drawing in two weeks on May 6th. 

Good luck!