Barbara’s Bakery All Natural Puffins Products GIVEAWAY

Back at the end of September, Barbara’s Bakery – a company that specializes in making scrumptious all natural products,  you  might know them better as the makers of the Puffins cereal line – invited the whole family to our local zoo for a special Barbara’s Puffins All-You-Can-Eat Blogger Breakfast!

I am not quite sure how I was lucky enough to get invited to this intimate event [there were maybe 6 other families in attendance], but I am not complaining in the least bit.

Not only did they treat us to a most delicious breakfast where we ALL contentedly sat and ate [which if you know my picky kids is a feat in and of itself!?!], but they then sent us on our way to enjoy a free adventure day at the zoo … after they gave us plenty of free cereal, snack bars, tote bags, cute Puffins stuffed animals for the kids and yummy Snackimals for us to munch on.

Eli and Cory enjoying their afternoon at the zoo after
fueling up on Puffins cereal.

One of the reasons I have fallen in love with the Barbara’s Bakery products is because they are 100% natural and they only use wholesome ingredients.

What does that mean?

It means they use no refined sugar, no hydrogenated oils and no artificial food additives, flavors or preservatives.  Sometimes when companies make products like this, though, their food tastes like cardboard.  You won’t have that problem here.  Their foods are so tasty you will still have to practice portion control and moderation.  Another added bonus is kids love their products as well. They are wonderful snacks to keep in the diaper bag and in that emergency stash in your car.

Many of their products are also:

• Dairy Free
• Low fat
• Wheat free
• Gluten Free
• Cholesterol Free
• No sodium
• Low sugar
• Kosher
• Vegetarian
• Vegan

My all time favorite cereal flavor was the original Puffins.  It has the perfect crunch and just the right amount of sugar – not much atat all – which helps keep my chronic headaches away.  Keri savored this one as well.

Randy loved the Honey Rice and the Peanut Butter flavors while the boys clamored for the Peanut Butter and Chocolate variety.

The Barbara’s Bakery product line also has the following:

• Granola Bars
• Multigrain Cereal Bars
• Fruit and Yogurt Bars
• Fig Bars
• Snackimals [Sweet natural cookies in the following flavors - Double Chocolate, Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter, Vanilla, Snickerdoodle and Wheat Free Oatmeal]
• Cheese Puffs

Trust me, you will find it hard to stop munching on the double chocolate Snackimals and the White Cheddar Baked Cheese Puffs.  And plain cereal right out of the box is also quite fabulous!

But onto the good stuff.  How can YOU win your own free Puffin Appreciation Kit?  

Here’s how:

• Simply leave a comment on this post before the end of November 8th and tell me which one of Barbara’s Bakery products you would like to try.
• One winner will be selected and they will have 2 days to respond to the email I will send them.

For further entries, you may do one or all of the following.  However, for each item you do, please leave a SEPARATE comment.

• Tell me something you are GRATEFUL for … anything … after all, this month is all about Thanksgiving.
• Tweet about this giveaway with a link to this specific blog post.
• Make a status update on your facebook page with a link to this specific blog post.  This will earn you 3 extra entries.
• Write a blog post with a link to this specific blog post.  This will earn you 5 extra entries.

I can’t wait to  share the Barbara’s Bakery products with you!  Puffins rule !!

AWOL, MIA and CA

I suppose after publishing 500 posts, one is entitled to a bloggy break.

Even if it was a bit unintentional.

It has been so long since I wrote a post, that I find I am struggling with writing. How do I form a sentence?  What voice do I normally write in?  How does this work again?  My brain is stuck in Facebook status update mode.  I have a feeling I am going to have to break myself back into blogging kind of slowly.

I definitely have missed writing.  It is therapeutic for me.  It keeps me grounded. It helps me process things. It gives me a broader perspective.  It reminds me of the purpose of life.  And lately I feel like I have needed a lot of reminding in that department.  (Perhaps the lack of blogging has made this problem worse?)

Our summer has been an adventurous one … boating, tubing, swimming, going to a “real” beach in California, hanging out with lots of friends and family, consuming way too much chocolate and calories in general [the new Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake, the red velvet one, packs in a whopping 1500+ calories a slice!], playing games galore, losing a laptop in the airport security lines and not realizing it until we landed at our destination [thankfully it was found and is in the process of being returned] … but I think my love affair for summer is coming to an end.

Though I am sure I will be longing for it again real soon.

I certainly love the warm rays and the plentiful sunshine it offers, but I am fondly looking forward to school starting up in a couple of weeks.  I think my body, heart and mind are craving a more predictable routine and schedule.

But I am grateful for the summer that has been.  Grateful we have had a good summer, even though I haven’t been the nicest or quietest mom lately.

I am especially grateful that just a few weeks ago, my precious daughter was able to celebrate her 8th birthday.

And on that very same day, she was able to get baptized.

In the same font I got baptized in.

And her loving Grandma, my mother, made her gorgeous dress.  She even made the sash by sewing lace onto the ribbon.

A Heartfelt Thank You

I just want to say …

THANK  YOU

to all those who humored me and left me a birthday comment.  (And if you didn’t leave a comment, feel free to still do so .)

You definitely made my day that much more special.  Thanks for helping me celebrate.

The Re-Entry Process

We are back in Western Washington.  Back to real Winter, not Winter Southern California style.  **Sigh.**

It’s now time to officially begin what I have dubbed the “re-entry process” – attempting to get back to a somewhat normal routine of daily life.  It typically takes a week or so.   I just can’t believe school starts up on Monday.  Yikes!

I wish there weren’t so many pressing things needing to get done.  Hopefully my headache and the nasty colds my kids just came down with yesterday go away soon.

At least I was able to sleep in this morning!

I hope everyone had a happy, healthy and safe holiday season. I have LOTS of blog reading to catch up on.

Happy New Year!

Reasons To Celebrate

Soccer season is coming to an end.  As much as Keri and I have loved it, it will be nice to have more down time on our hands.

445 posts later, with nearly 238,000 views and just under 8,800 comments this here blog is celebrating its 2 year mark on the 24th of October.

I am so glad I took the plunge two years ago to start writing on this site.  The friendships it has brought my way and the relationships with “real life” friends and family members it has strengthened have been a blessing in my life.

And of course I can’t forget to mention that blogging is also an excellent and cheap form of therapy for me.  Now I just need to find more time so I can start posting “regularly” again.

One of the biggest reasons of all to celebrate is Cory is finally … yes, F.I.N.A.L.L.Y. potty trained!

He is even staying dry at night. (But don’t get me started about how he wakes up at 5 in the morning to use the bathroom and then refuses to go back to bed.  Baby steps here.)  He has been working really hard on this big boy feat for the last 2 weeks.  He has received many lollipops and hot wheel cars as incentives and every single penny we spent on these rewards was worth it.  Let’s all breathe a big, collective sigh of relief and hope this new ability of his only continues to get better.

And you can’t post pictures of the other two kids without posting a shot of this little one.

Thank goodness he is cute, because his lack of sleeping long stretches at night is driving me a bit batty.

(And I apologize to the 300+ posts I have neglected to read while I have been out of town at my grandpa’s funeral.  I am slowly making my way through my feed reader … slowly, but surely.  Thanks for the patience .)

Meanderings For A Target Gift Card

As I wandered into Target today to purchase that $12 gift card I am going to give away in just a few moments, I also snagged a few other items that went immediately on sale after October 31st came and went.

1. A Halloween costume for Keri next year which I will give to her for Christmas this year as dress-up … I love being frugal and killing multiple birds with one stone.

2. A Halloween shirt for Keri next year.

3. A spider shirt for Cory. He adores arachnids right now, although he will also get this for Christmas and it should still fit him next Fall.

4. Two orange 18 gallon storage bins with black lids. When they are sitting in a shed or garage, who cares what color they are?

5. Another clearance shirt for Keri for Christmas. Can you tell we are into practical gift giving? If my kids need new clothes, I might as well wrap them up and give it to them for a holiday or birthday present.

However, I did manage to pass up splurging on a few other clearance items:

6. Some darling Fall, not Halloween, decorations. Apparently once Halloween has come and gone stores pull out all their Christmas merchandise and get rid of their Autumn things even though there are still two months left to go.

7. Cute Halloween socks – Keri loves to wear themed socks.

8. A Halloween costume for Cory. None of the boy costumes stood out to me, so why buy something just because it is a good deal?

9. Clearance clothes for the kids. I am getting tired of storing things for future use in our teeny apartment.

10. Kit-Kat Halloween candy

11. Butterfinger Halloween candy

12. Dark chocolate Halloween candy

13. Miniature Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

I know chocolate can make excellent food storage, but I think the amount Keri and Cory got this Halloween should last us for several months.

Now, without further ado, I will randomly choose the winner of the Target gift card … although I do want to say thank you to all the thoughtful people who left me such kind comments on my blogiversary post. You really know how to make a girl feel happy and special . Thanks for giving me some legitimate reasons to feed my blogging addiction. In fact, this post by The Great Mommy Diaries left me feeling rather flattered.

And the winner is ….

… the extremely talented writer and author, Candace Salima of Dream Just a Little More.

Congratulations!

The Last 12 Months

It is hard to believe that one year ago today I sat here fiddling on my computer attempting to write my very first post. What do I write? How should I phrase it? Is anyone going to read this?

347 posts later, with many more page views than I ever thought possible, I am still here and going strong. Crazy, I know.

Sometimes I cringe when I stop and think about all the other things I could have accomplished instead of feeding my blogging addiction. But then I think again of all the brilliant people I have met and the remarkable insights I have discovered while being a part of this vast blogosphere.

So happy 12 months to me.

And happy Target gift carding to you. One lucky commenter on this post will get a whopping $12 Target gift card sent to them in honor of this special day. It’s not much, but hey, it is better than nothing .

(Sorry, this little giveaway is for U.S. and Canadian residents only. Unfortunately my husband is still in grad school so therefore the budget won’t allow for much more than that. A winner will be randomly selected a week from today.)

I Clean Like A Mother

Do you fancy my new shirt?

It was given to me at the recent Method party I attended (no they aren’t paying us or even asking us to write a post about them) which was hosted by a few local bloggers. Until this happening get together, though … and I do mean happening … there was a lady there who taught us how to make organic and environmentally friendly cocktails, or in my case, mocktails. It is a good thing I don’t drink, because even these nonalcoholic drinks were way too bitter for my liking. Maybe it was the bark they put in it. At least the gourmet cupcakes they served were divine.

Anyway, as I was saying, before I went to this event I was a little clueless because I assumed Method was a Target brand. Not quite.

Thankfully the kind party throwers looked past my mistake and still hooked me up with an array of yummy smelling Method products. Now I can clean my house the “green” way. However, I think I spend more time cleaning my son’s messy bottom than I do cleaning my house. Maybe that is what their slogan means?!

Nevertheless, I am more than happy with my new French Lavender Hand Wash. And I truly am thrilled to have some safer cleaners to use.

What are you chatting about this Tuesday? Any news to share? Check in with Lara The Lazy Organizer to see what other people are gabbing about … and yes this is another stylish button my talented brother created.

I Have A Nice Smile?!?

 My brain is still a little mushy from the funk I experienced last week, so instead of writing something inspiring, witty or profound tonight, I am taking the easy way out by posting these awards that were so kindly bestowed upon me.

Dedee of The Quiltmaker’s Gift deemed me nice a few weeks ago. I am wondering if she is still singing this tune knowing that it took me almost a month to tell her thanks.

And just today, Aimee of The Mother Load gave me the “You Make Me Smile Award.”

I appreciate both Dedee’s and Aimee’s thoughtfulness. Now I am supposed to pay both of these awards forward, but I have no idea who already has received these honors.

So the winners are … everyone who leaves me a comment on this post!

Congratulations on being nice and thanks for making me smile !

One final sidenote. I also wanted to thank Jordan of Mamablogga for including me on her “Most Popular Parent Blogger” list. I was a bit shocked to see my name listed, but it was a pleasant surprise.

****************************************************************

I would love to win myself a pink Dyson.

Free Chicco Stroller Giveaway

**Keep Reading – my own stroller giveaway ahead!!**

Are you in need of a new stroller? Do the wheels on your current stroller annoyingly squeak every time they roll? Is the fabric falling apart on the one you use? Do you need an incredible baby shower gift? Do you know someone else who might benefit from a new stroller? Then you just might be in luck.

I recently learned about an amazing promotion Chicco USA is currently having. They plan on giving away one of their premiere Ct 0.1 strollers every day during the month of September. So if you do the math that is 30 strollers they are giving away. For free. No strings attached.

All you have to do is hop on over to their site and fill out the short survey to be entered and you might happen to win one of their $279.00 strollers. (Fine text contest rules can be found here.)

BUT, don’t just stop there. Chicco is also allowing me to have my very own stroller contest. The rules here will be relatively simple.

1. Visit the Chicco USA Ct 0.1 Stroller web page and tell me what you like about this stroller. (Note: There are four different color schemes available.)
2. Then come back to An Ordinary Mom and leave a comment on this post by Saturday September 15, 2007 at midnight Pacific Standard Time telling me what feature you like best. This will give you 1 entry into the contest.
3. If you would like to be entered into the contest 5 times, then you will need to write a post on your own personal blog telling your readers about this giveaway. Make sure you link to this particular post on An Ordinary Mom and make sure you also create a link for Chicco USA. Leave a comment on this post indicating you have written your own promotional blurb.
4. If you would like to be entered into the contest 8 times, then add a creative twist or personal touch to the promotional post you will write on your own blog. You could write a haiku about a stroller or post a picture of your child in the stroller you want to replace. The possibilities are endless. Don’t forget to also include your link to An Ordinary Mom and to Chicco USA. Just make sure you leave a comment here telling me you have written your own creative and/or personal promotional blurb.
5. Who knows, if your post is extra creative and eye catching you might just score a few extra entries.
6. Unless I am notified otherwise by Chicco USA, this contest is only open to USA residents. Sorry.

Reflections

Nearly 7 weeks ago Morning Glory of Seeds From My Garden bestowed upon me the Blogger Reflection Award. Even though it has taken me awhile to officially accept this kind gesture, it doesn’t diminish in any way the thoughtful words she wrote about me. In fact, she gave me this award at a time in my life when I needed a gentle reminder of who I really am.

As with most bloggy awards, I am now supposed to pass this forward to others based on the following criteria:

“This award should make you reflect on … bloggers who have been an encouragement, a source of love, impacted you in some way, and have been a Godly example to you. … Bloggers who when you reflect on them you get a sense of pride and joy … of knowing them and being blessed by them.”

1. Kimberly of Temporary? Insanity was the first bloggy friend I had the chance to meet in real life. She is even more remarkable in person than she is on her blog, and that is saying a lot. She is incredibly sweet, she has a huge heart and she possesses a fun, warm and witty personality. Kim is an extremely talented writer who has a knack for engaging her readers. She definitely knows how to paint stories with words … she really needs to work on that book she has floating around in her head!

2. One of these days I am determined to meet Dedee of The Quiltmaker’s Gift. I think we would be instant friends. Anyone who reads her blog can tell that she is smart, level headed, well balanced and compassionate. I thoroughly enjoy her insights into life and I admire the way she makes her readers think. But don’t think she is always serious, she has a hilarious side to her as well.

3. Jen of Lords of the Manor is another bloggy friend I would love to get to know in real life. She is kind, resourceful and very knowledgeable on a plethora of topics. I always seem to learn something new when I visit her site. I have enjoyed getting to know her better through exchanging emails.

4. I have had the privilege of knowing Liz of My Ice Cream Diary for four years now. She is one of the first friends I made in the Pacific Northwest and my life has definitely been enriched by knowing her. She is in her late twenties, has four kids, and she homeschools most of them. She is funny, she is inspiring, she is down to earth and she always tells it like it is. She is also full of wisdom which is probably why she has her own advice blog.

Enjoy your award and if you feel so inclined, pass it on.

Bumping Around

Keri just recently acquired her first pet, a betta fish given to her as a birthday gift by our good friend. She named it Kanea.

Watching her watch her prized fish reminded me of a conversation she and I had not too long ago.

Keri: “Why do fish live in the water?”

Me: “Why do you think they do?”

Keri: “Because if they lived on the land they would have to go bumping around on their tummies since they have no legs.”

I am glad that is not my mode of transportation.