Celebrate Carmex’s New Flavors of Lip Balm with This Great Giveaway!

I hate having dry lips, so I’m always pulling lip balm out of my purse and applying it on-the-go. It’s also a “must” before I climb into bed to keep my lips soft while I sleep! So, I was really excited to be given the opportunity to try new ultra moisturizing Carmex Lime Twist and Carmex Vanilla click sticks! I love that these products are super-moisturizing, plus they also contain sunscreen (SPF 15), which is very important in the warm climate where I live. Both go on clear and are long-lasting. I love the flavors, too. They’re subtle, so I’m not tempted to lick them off, but just flavorful enough to be fun. If you’ve tried Carmex lip balms previously, you might want to know that these two new flavors have three additional moisturizers that aren’t found in the original line.

If you like your lip balm unflavored, you’ll want to try Carmex Moisture Plus! It comes in a sleek silver tube, similar to a lipstick, and you can even get it in a sheer color: Sheer Pink, Sheer Peach, Sheer Berry, or Sheer Plum. I really like this product, too. Like the click sticks, it’s super-hydrating to keep your lips from feeling dried out. And it has a little more “elegant” look to it so I can use it when I’m dressed up!

You can find Carmex products at Walgreen’s, Walmart, CVS, and other stores. Visit them online through the links below.

LINKS

Website: www.mycarmex.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/CarmexLipBalm
Facebook: www.facebook.com/carmexlipbalm

GIVEAWAY

Carmex is generously donating the following very cool kit to one lucky reader! It consists of:

1 Carmex Lime Twist click stick
1 Carmex Vanilla click stick
1 Carmex Moisture Plus clear satin gloss finish
1 Certified Awesome Picnic Blanket

The blanket is adorable! It folds up into a little rectangle for easy toting, and then folds out into a really nice-sized blanket for the picnic or beach. (The underside is plastic-coated to keep it dry and clean.) As you can see below, my son and one of our cats love this blanket!

MANDATORY ENTRY: To enter, visit www.mycarmex.com and check out Carmex’s amazing products. Then leave a comment on this post with the name of another product you’d like to try besides those mentioned in this review. You must do this to enter the giveaway.

After fulfilling the mandatory entry above, you can earn optional, additional entries if you:

- Like Carmex on Facebook. (1 entry)

- Like Susan Heim on Parenting on Facebook and/or follow on Networked Blogs. (1 entry for each)

- Follow @CarmexLipBalm and @ParentingAuthor on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway. You may tweet up to 3x a day. (Please space them at least an hour apart.) Leave a separate comment with the URL of each tweet. (1 entry per tweet) Tweet

- Subscribe to Susan Heim on Parenting via email, RSS, Google Friend Connect and/or Kindle. Leave a comment for each subscription method. (1 entry for each subscription method for up to 4 entries)

- Place a button for Susan Heim on Parenting on your blog and/or a text link on your blog roll. Post a comment with your blog’s URL. (1 entry for button; 1 entry for text link)

- Enter another current giveaway on Susan Heim on Parenting. (1 entry per giveaway entered)

One winner will be randomly selected from the qualified comments received by Saturday, September 3, 2011, at 11:59 PM ET. Please leave an email address on one of your comments if it’s not available on your Blogger profile. Winner must respond within 72 hours or another winner will be drawn. Contest is open to US residents only.

CONTEST CLOSED. Congratulations to the winner: Natalie A.!



DISCLOSURE: I received product samples to facilitate my candid review, but no financial compensation was provided.

Enter to Win One of the Hottest Toys on the Market: FyrFlyz! (GIVEAWAY)

Have you ever marveled at a product that was brilliant in its simplicity? FyrFlyz is that kind of product. This simple toy made of plastic and strings looks like nothing special when you first take it out of its packaging, but when you bring it to “life,” it’s amazing! You control a FyrFlyz simply by swinging it on its strings and applying tension or slack to perform tricks and create a light show! It’s kind of difficult to explain, so please watch the brief video below to see what I mean:



[Email subscribers, please click on the title of this post to view the video online.]

My boys love playing with their FyrFlyz! They caught on to how to use it right away, and of course they’re now better than us grown-ups at doing tricks with it! FyrFlyz come in three different styles: Cyclone (green and white); Nytfyr (red and white); and Blue Angel (multicolor and blue). And they sell for under $10! That’s an amazing price for all the hours of fun this toy provides.

On their website at www.fyrflyz.com, kids can learn how to spin their FyrFlyz, visit the trick gallery, and even submit their own videos of their amazing FyrFlyz feats! The holidays are coming up: FyrFlyz would make a great stocking stuffer! Pick one up today, and let the light show begin!

LINKS

Website: www.fyrflyz.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/fyrflyz
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/fyrflyz
YouTube: www.youtube.com/TheFyrflyz

GIVEAWAY

One lucky winner will receive their very own FyrFlyz toy! To enter, leave a comment sharing who you would give this toy to if you win. (It’s okay to say you’d keep it for yourself, too!) You must do this to enter the giveaway.

After fulfilling the mandatory entry above, you can earn optional, additional entries if you:

- Like FyrFlyz on Facebook. (1 entry)

- Like Susan Heim on Parenting on Facebook and/or follow on Networked Blogs. (1 entry for each)

- Follow @fyrflyz and @ParentingAuthor on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway. You may tweet up to 3x a day. (Please space them at least an hour apart.) Leave a separate comment with the URL of each tweet. (1 entry per tweet) Tweet

- Subscribe to Susan Heim on Parenting via email, RSS, Google Friend Connect and/or Kindle. Leave a comment for each subscription method. (1 entry for each subscription method for up to 4 entries)

- Place a button for Susan Heim on Parenting on your blog and/or a text link on your blog roll. Post a comment with your blog’s URL. (1 entry for button; 1 entry for text link)

- Enter another current giveaway on Susan Heim on Parenting. (1 entry per giveaway entered)

One winner will be randomly selected from the qualified comments received by Wednesday, September 14, 2011, at 11:59 PM ET. Please leave an email address on one of your comments if it’s not available on your Blogger profile. Winner must respond within 72 hours or another winner will be drawn. Contest is open to US residents only.

CONTEST CLOSED. Congratulations to the winner: Amy O!



DISCLOSURE: I received a product sample to facilitate my candid review, but no financial compensation was provided.

6 Things Teens Wish Their Parents Knew

Guest Post by Vanessa Van Petten
Creator of RadicalParenting.com
and author of the parenting book,
Do I Get My Allowance Before or After I’m Grounded?

When I was 16, I thought it was my dad’s goal in life to make me miserable. I was convinced that he had a running list of all the ways he could embarrass me in front of my friends, trick me into doing more chores or make my curfew earlier. Our relationship would have continued to fracture until one day I saw my dad reading a parenting book. I flipped through it while my dad was in the bathroom and realized a lot of the things he did that drove me crazy he was getting right out of this book! I looked at the other parenting books on our shelves and realized that they were all written by adults. I wondered -- has anyone ever asked teens to write to their parents?

I decided to build a website where teens could answer questions and write to parents called RadicalParenting.com. I couldn’t believe how quickly it grew and how happy both teens were to get their voices out and parents were to have a new outlet for connecting with their kids! We now have over 120 teen writers who give advice. Here are the six things they wish their parents knew:

1. Don’t Ask ‘Answer-Questions’

An Answer-Question is a question that already has the answer in it. For example, moms love to ask, “Don’t you think that girl Sheila is mean?” or, “Do you think you should do something about that very important extra-credit assignment?” Sometimes Answer-Questions drive us crazy because it makes us feel like our parents don’t think we know what to do or belittle our opinions.

2. Comparing Us Hurts More Than You Think

Whenever a parent starts a sentence with, “Why can’t you be more like…” teens automatically cringe. Fill in the blank with perfect best friend, older sibling or a younger, more obedient version of Mom. Many parents don’t realize that comparing us to others makes us feel bad about ourselves and sends us the message that we should be less like ourselves and more like someone else -- never a good feeling.

3. The Issues Are the Same, but the Circumstances Are Different

We know that every parent was a teenager once -- although it is sometimes hard to believe it. Even though all teenagers have some of the same issues, like dating, curfew, pressure at school and bullying, we want parents to know that the circumstances are different. Colleges are more competitive, and technologies like Facebook and texting add a new layer of complication to teen relationships. Please don’t assume things are the same as they were when you were a teenager and talk to us about what is different.

4. Risk Is Tempting

Risk is much more appealing to us, and this is backed by science. Researchers at University of Texas found that there are parts of the teen brain that are more tempted to take risks. Teenagers want their parents to know this so that parents can encourage positive risk-taking. Extreme sports, running for student government, going to a theme park -- these are all positive adrenaline-producing activities that scratch that risk itch.

5. Just Because We Are Rolling Our Eyes Doesn’t Mean We Aren’t Listening

We often pretend to not listen to our parents or care what they think, but we do. Don’t let our eye rolling, lackadaisical attitude fool you. We are often listening, and what you say matters to us more than you think.

6. Social Rejection Is Actually Painful

Many parents do not understand why we care so much about what our friends think. Two researchers at UCLA discovered that social rejection actually registers as bodily injury or pain in the brain! There might not be that big of a difference between a punch and a catcall. For us, when our friends disapprove or we feel socially rejected, it can feel worse than a punch in the gut. So have patience with our obsession with friends and help us find great ones and balance social time with family time, work time and alone time.

In conclusion, ask your own teens what they wish you knew about them -- they might surprise you. All of these tips come from my book that I wrote with my teen interns for parents. It’s called: Do I Get My Allowance Before or After I’m Grounded? and it offers a totally radical perspective for parents to connect with and build relationships with their teens and tweens. Please check it out!

Increase Your Bicycle’s Visibility with a BikeGlow Safety Light!

I must admit that I get more than a twinge of anxiety when my boys are going out on their bikes. Even though I make them stick to the sidewalks whenever possible and wear their helmets, they’re vulnerable when they cross roads and entrances to office and apartment buildings. Therefore, it’s important to do whatever I can to make them visible to cars.

I recently learned of a product designed to do exactly that. It’s called the BikeGlow Safety Light, and it’s a slender tube of lights that you can wrap around the frame of the bike. The lights can glow constantly or flash. This product is especially valuable for older kids who are more likely to be out at dusk or after dark, or perhaps riding their bikes to school on a dark or foggy morning. If you’re an adult bike rider, this is a great product for you, too! And BikeGlow is waterproof, so it stays lit even when it rains. The battery pack contains 2 AA batteries and can be attached with a Velcro strap under the bike seat, on the side of the bike frame or on the handlebars. BikeGlow even comes in eight different colors to match your bike’s color or satisfy your personal style preference.

Did you know that the most common vehicle-to-bicycle collision scenario is a car hitting a cyclist from the side? Reflectors on a bike’s pedals or the front or back of the bike aren’t going to illuminate a bike from the side. Nobody can guarantee complete safety on a bike, but the BikeGlow Safety Light gives a little added peace of mind to parents in knowing that your precious little one is more visible to cars. Visit www.bikeglow.com to learn more and place an order or locate a store near you. Like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BikeGlow.

DISCLOSURE: A product sample was provided for review, but I received no financial compensation.

Enjoy Three Fantastic BEN 10 Games in a Triple Pack for Nintendo DS!

If you’ve got boys in elementary school, chances are they’re fans of BEN 10 and/or BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE on Cartoon Network. Besides exciting shows, BEN 10 fans are in for another treat: the new release of the BEN 10 Triple Pack for Nintendo DS! Value priced at $29.95, it contains three classic, top-selling BEN 10 games: BEN 10: Protector of Earth; BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE The Game; and, BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE: Vilgax Attacks! All are rated “E” for Everyone. Here’s what you can expect with each game:

BEN 10: Protector of Earth
Ben uses the power of the alien Omnitrix device to defend the world from evildoers from Earth and Space. This game is an exciting adventure that BEN 10 fans will adore as they embark on a quest to stop Vilgax and save the world!

BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE The Game
This fast-paced, action adventure offers eight playable characters, an unlimited combo system, and puzzles and challenges that will engage players of all levels for hours at a time.

BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE: Vilgax Attacks
Players take control of Ben and ten of his most popular alien forms: Echo Echo, Goop, Brainstorm, Chromastone, Big Chill, Humungousaur, Spidermonkey, Swampfire, Jet Ray, Cannonbolt, and Upchuck to manipulate fire, harness electricity, freeze enemies and more.

The hardest part of these games for my 7-year-old boys was just deciding which one they wanted to play first! They were highly entertained, and I love that they’re getting three times the fun for the price of a single game. If you’ve got a BEN 10 fan in your household, these games are a must-have for their video game and/or BEN 10 collection. Visit http://ben10thevideogame.com/ or www.facebook.com/ben10 for more BEN 10 news!





DISCLOSURE: I received a product sample to facilitate my candid review, but no financial compensation was provided. The Amazon link in this post is tied to my affiliate account.

Product Review: One Baby Products

I love bath products, but I love baby bath products even more -- especially ones that are free from all kinds of “nasties” and that I feel are safe to use on my daughter night after night.

I had the opportunity to try out two baby bath products from One. The first was the One Baby Hair & Body Wash. It is 99.4% natural and comes in a non-plastic, recyclable can with a screw top. There are two scents to choose from: Natural Snow Leopard and Panda Berry. We received the Panda Berry scent, and it smelled really nice -- not too strong, but enough to be fun. I used it all over as a body wash. It had a rich lather (which sometimes I find you don’t get with natural products), and it was easy to rinse off. It was great as a shampoo, too, and worked really well in my daughter Sadie’s long, thick hair. I was very happy with the One Baby Hair & Body Wash!

The other product I tried was the One Baby Lotion, which was amazing. It was like silk coming out of the tube, and it absorbed quickly so we didn’t have a hard time putting jammies on over it. It is 99% natural and also comes in two scents -- not a strong scent (which is good), but enough to want to give some extra kisses at bedtime!

I am very impressed with these baby products from One. Check out these and other bath and body products from One at www.onebathandbody.com. CLICK HERE to purchase the One baby products I tried.

LINKS

Website: www.onebathandbody.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/One-Bath-Body/310248214356
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/OneBathandBody

DISCLOSURE: Complimentary products were provided to facilitate this review, but no financial compensation was received.

Product Review: Davines Products for Hair and Skin

I can’t believe that summer is almost over. How fast did that go?!?! Thanks to two Davines products, though, I was able to keep my skin and hair looking like I didn’t enjoy the hot sun, beaches and summer weather at all. The SU/Sun Oil was amazing to take to the beach. It is for sun-exposed hair, as well as for exposure to sea water and chlorine. It’s also great for your body! It was so easy to just spray some on throughout the day, and I never got that salty-water, sun-crunchy hair that I usually get! It felt very nice, and my skin was like smooth silk after using it. I loved the smell of it, too!

The SU/Creme is wonderful, as well. This rich, thick cream was perfect after a day in the sun. It absorbed very quickly, which surprised me because of its thickness, and it had a nice light scent. I shared some with my mom, and she really enjoyed it, too.

The SU products from Davines are “must-haves” in your beach bag and easy to use on the go. I was very happy with both of these products! Visit www.davines.com to learn more about Davines’ product line and locate a salon near you that carries these products.

DISCLOSURE: Product samples were provided for review but no financial compensation was received.

Monday Meet and Greet: Coupons Are Great

Your name: Leandrea

Where do you blog? Coupons Are Great



How did you decide on what to name your blog? When I started using coupons, I was so excited. I really liked the “I Heart” sites, but I knew that was someone else’s idea. Since my site was about saving with coupons and I thought coupons were great ... the name was born. It seems like three-word names are pretty popular. However, if I could redo my name, I would. Since my site contains the word “Coupons,” my emails get sent to spam on a regular basis. It is very frustrating!

Tell us a little bit about you: I am married to my high school sweetheart. My husband and I have known each other since the sixth grade. We have two little girls who are 15 months and 3 weeks apart in age. I am a former educator. My degree is in Special Education, but I taught a 1st/2nd combo at a charter school in Oregon. I now stay home with my daughters and attempt to have a clean house and prepare healthy meals. I love helping others, whether they are children or adults. I have a co-blogger on my site who I met on an online pregnancy forum. It was scary meeting in real life for the first time, but now we are the best of friends.

Tell us 5 of your favorite things, and 5 of your least favorite things.
Five Favorite Things: Tetris, Scrabble, Watermelon, Apple products, and running
Five Least Favorite Things: bad grammar, drama, heat combined with humidity, soggy cereal, beef

When and why did you start blogging? I started blogging three years ago. I wanted to share my deals with my friends. I believe that everyone should be saving money. If there is a coupon for a product, then it seems very silly to not use it! I hoped to motivate my friends when I started blogging.

What do you blog about? At Coupons Are Great, you will find many ways to save money, including coupons, mystery shopping, and online deals. We are a family-friendly site, and we share all sorts of family ideas. Each Tuesday, we have a Crafty post. We try to incorporate a broad range of posts.

When do you find the time to blog? I find the time to blog at night when my girls are in bed or during the few hours that my youngest is in preschool.

What is your favorite blog post ever? This is a tough one! My favorite posts are generally the crafty posts. My favorite posts are tied: Crafty Tuesday: A Care Bear Party and Crafty Tuesday: Sesame Street Birthday Party.

What is your favorite item you ever reviewed? My favorite item that I have reviewed is the Blooming Babies Personalized Stamp. I love personalized things. My wish list includes a personalized necklace with my daughter’s initials. Being able to support small businesses makes me very happy!

What brand or product would you really like to work with/review? I would love to work with Garmin to review their running watches.

What has been your biggest blogging challenge, and how did you overcome it? My biggest blogging challenge is finding the time to sit down and blog. I have too many tabs open on my computer, and I am easily distracted. I am working on focusing more.

What advice would you give a new blogger? As hard as it may seem, try to make blogging friends! I am a very reserved person who has a hard time getting past the “Hello, how are yous,” but the best thing you can do is introduce yourself and try to get into some blogging social circles. I am not the most active person in my social circles and I tend to learn more from others, but it is totally worth it. Blogging is much more fun when you have friends. Plus, the friends you make are always a wealth of knowledge.

My next piece of advice is to stay true to yourself. When you blog about the things that make you happy, you will be successful. As a frugal blogger, I sometimes have to remind myself that “just because everyone else is posting about it doesn’t mean I have to, too.”

What widget or feature could you not live without? My favorite widgets are Askimet (spam control), and the winner is (for giveaways), and Mile 51 (list maker).

What are your favorite blogs to read? My favorite blogs include:
Run Faster Mommy - http://www.runfastermommy.com/
Skinny Runner - http://skinnyrunner.com/
Skinny Taste - http://www.skinnytaste.com/
Eighteen25 - http://eighteen25.blogspot.com/

Where can we find you?
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CouponsAreGreat
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/CouponsAreGreat

It’s Raining Money! You Can Win Up to $100! (3 Winners; Rafflecopter Giveaway)

Hallelujah! It’s raining money! Oh, wait, that isn’t how the song goes. But, oh well, it is true anyway. The forecast over here is calling for a 100% chance of Big Cash Prizes! Sixteen awesome blogs are teaming up to bring you a big cash giveaway!

• Grand Prize will get $100
• Second Place will get $35
• Third Place will get $25

All prizes will be paid out via PayPal. Don't have a paypal account? Set one up now and enter to WIN!

Enter by completing the entries on the Rafflecopter form. This form makes entering very easy. You get a bunch of entries and don’t even have to leave the page you are on. Each task counts as one entry. Good luck!

This contest will end on September 12, 2011 at 11:59 pm ET. Winners will be announced (and emailed) within 48 hours of the contest ending. Winners will have 48 hours from the time the email was sent to respond to claim their prize. Failure to do so will result in an alternate winner being chosen. The winning email will come from almostcrazycouponlady [at] gmail [dot] com, so be sure to add the address to your safe contacts to be sure it comes right to you and doesn’t get caught by an overzealous spam filter.

The bloggers hosting this event have put time and their own money into this giveaway opportunity. We would love if you would visit all the pages and check out all the great stuff they have to offer. We are all savings/giveaway bloggers, so you will be rewarded by finding out about great deals and more awesome giveaways.

This is a multi-blog giveaway, while we encourage you to visit all the participating blogs and take part in all their awesome giveaways, each contestant need only enter this contest on ONE blog. Extra entries from entering through multiple blogs will be deleted.

Meet Your Hosts



Now On to the Giveaway....

Celebrate Girls’ Night Out at Friday’s and Enter to Win a $25 Gift Card! (GIVEAWAY)

Girls’ night out has never been this fun! You and your girlfriends can be the first few to try Friday’s® newest Savor. Sip. Save. deals coming to Baltimore, Indianapolis, Chicago and West Palm Beach -- it’s rich with taste but light on your wallet!

Dinner and a Cold One for Just $10!

Offer Valid Only in: Baltimore (Sun-Thurs ONLY) and Indianapolis (every day)





Enjoy some of Friday’s® delicious entrees including a drink of choice:
• Indulgent Parmesan Crusted Chicken
• Jack Daniels Pulled Pork Sandwich
• Balsamic Glazed Chicken Caesar
• Mouth-Watering Black Angus Cheeseburger

For the full menus being offered in Baltimore and Indianapolis, please visit:
Baltimore: http://www.tgifridays.com/menus/dinnerColdOne.aspx
Indianapolis: http://www.tgifridays.com/menus/dinnerColdOne_everyday.aspx

Pick 2 for $10: Choose an Appetizer, an Entrée, or Dessert

Offer Valid Only In: Chicago (every day) and West Palm Beach (every day)





Enjoy two of Friday’s® delicious specials:
• Spinach Florentine Flatbread
• Savory Dragonfire Chicken
• Pan-Seared Parmesan Flounder
• Delicious Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

For the full menus being offered in Chicago and West Palm Beach, please visit:
Chicago & West Palm Beach: http://www.tgifridays.com/menus/pick2for10.aspx

GIVEAWAY

To celebrate the introduction of Friday’s® newest Savor. Sip. Save deals, I’ve been authorized to give one lucky reader a $25 gift card to Friday’s! To enter, share these deals on Twitter and/or Facebook. Just click on the buttons below to share! Get one entry for each site you share on. Leave separate comments with the direct link to your tweet and/or Facebook post. You must do at least one of these to enter the giveaway.





After fulfilling the mandatory entry above, you can earn optional, additional entries if you:

- Like Friday's on Facebook. (1 entry)

- Like Susan Heim on Parenting on Facebook and/or follow on Networked Blogs. (1 entry for each)

- Follow @ParentingAuthor on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway. You may tweet up to 3x a day. (Please space them at least an hour apart.) Leave a separate comment with the URL of each tweet. (1 entry per tweet) Tweet

- Subscribe to Susan Heim on Parenting via email, RSS, Google Friend Connect and/or Kindle. Leave a comment for each subscription method. (1 entry for each subscription method for up to 4 entries)

- Place a button for Susan Heim on Parenting on your blog and/or a text link on your blog roll. Post a comment with your blog’s URL. (1 entry for button; 1 entry for text link)

- Enter another current giveaway on Susan Heim on Parenting. (1 entry per giveaway entered)

One winner will be randomly selected from the qualified comments received by Sunday, September 11, 2011, at 11:59 PM ET. Please leave an email address on one of your comments if it’s not available on your Blogger profile. Winner must respond within 72 hours or another winner will be drawn. Contest is open to US residents only.

CONTEST CLOSED. Congratulations to the winner: Shelly Peterson!



DISCLOSURE: No product samples or financial compensation was provided.