Giveaway: Celebrate Father's Day With Dale and Thomas Popcorn

Did you know that Dale and Thomas Popcorn has a new Father's Day gift collection to choose from? They have a wide variety of popcorn samplers, gift boxes, and popcorn tins that are available for Father's Day this year. I have been blessed by being sent a Dale and Thomas Popcorn Father's Day Four Pack Sampler to review. I am also happy to say that one of my readers will win a Father's Day Four Pack Sampler from Dale and Thomas Popcorn so that they may try it for themself too!

The Father's Day Four Pack Sampler comes in a dark brown gift box that is tied with a beautiful blue ribbon. Attached to the ribbon is a "Dad Happy Father's Day! #1" gift tag. The box is very pretty and perfect for gift giving. There is no need to wrap it, you may just present it as it is to the lucky recipient. If you choose to have your gift delivered then you may have a personal message written on the shipping notice so that the recipient knows that the gift is from you. This is a great way to put your personal touch on a gift that you have delivered.

In the Father's Day Four Pack Sampler there are 4 bags of amazing popcorn: Hall of Fame Kettle Corn, White Cheddar & Black Peppercorn, Dale's Caramel, and Cinnamon Sugar Swirl. I have tried the Hall of Fame Kettle Corn and it is light, crunchy, sweet and salty all rolled into one. The next flavor on our to try list was Dale's Caramel. Dale's Caramel is buttery and it has a rich caramel coating. It is deliciously addictive and left us craving more, more, more. At Dale and Thomas, they pop daily and guarantee freshness. All of their popcorn is gluten free and kosher OU-D. They even have a 100% satisfaction guarantee policy that you are gonna love it! And yes, we love it! Dale and Thomas Popcorn is definitely a treat that our whole family can agree upon and enjoy together.

You may find Dale and Thomas on their website or on facebook.

Giveaway Time: One of my readers who enters this giveaway will receive a Father’s Day Four Pack Sampler from Dale and Thomas Popcorn. Please remember that Dale and Thomas Popcorn is not able to ship to P.O. Boxes, Hawaii or Alaska. Please enter this giveaway on the rafflecopter form below:



a Rafflecopter giveaway Congrats to Denise Morse entry #1566! She is our lucky winner.

 Disclosure: I have received a Father’s Day Four Pack Sampler from Dale and Thomas Popcorn so that I may try their products and provide an honest review for them. These opinions are my own.

Tiptoe Tuesday Blog Hop Week of 5/29 to 6/4 Linky

Welcome to Tiptoe Tuesday Blog Hop!!This is a fun hop to break up your week just a bit. Bloggers can list a current giveaway that is running on your site this week. Then come back later and find more giveaways to enter for yourself!! Please only put one giveaway per blog and make sure to put the ending date in your title, if possible. Also please link to the actual giveaway and not just your home page. Have fun and I hope you all win something :)Please take a minute to say hello to Maria of Close to Home who is my cohost for this hop. 

You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Google +.You can find Insights by April onFacebook, Twitter, Google+, Email, LinkedIn and Pinterest
This week, we have a spotlight cohost- Crystal of Trying New Products. My family friendly blog is called Trying New Products.  I enjoy trying new products through reviews and I share my finds with people both online and in person.  You might even find a giveaway or two on my blog!You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter. 
We would love if you would click on spot 1 and 2 of the linky and enter our giveaways, but it is not mandatory. We ask that you also visit our spotlight cohost's giveaway in spot number 3. If you have entered our contests, just leave a comment below so we can come enter yours as well. We hope you all spread the love with everyone today and check back often to see what the new giveaways on the list. Thanks and Happy Tiptoeing :)
We are looking for bloggers to feature each week and be our Spotlight Cohost. We will write a little intro about your site and link back to you as well as be #3 on the linky list. If you would like to be considered please email me april (dot) ockerman@yahoo.com

Pirate Costume Review & A Giveaway From Anytime Costumes CLOSED

Ahoy Matey!  I am excited to bring you this fun review and giveaway that I have found for Anytime Costumes through tomoson.  I am super happy to be able to work with Anytime Costumes on their Pirate review program because our school is the Collinsville Pirates!  At school, we often celebrate with "dress like a Pirate day" and "talk like a Pirate day".  I can see us both wearing and sharing our costume with others in our town for years to come.

For my review I chose and was sent the adult Cutthroat Pirate Costume for my son.  I chose an adult size large so that my son can grow and still wear the costume comfortably and my husband can even wear it too.  The shirt with the Cutthroat Pirate Costume  is a real shirt that you can put on and it covers you up completely.  There is no open back to the shirt and it isn't made like a typical halloween costume.  This is a shirt that you can wear alone or with a tank top underneath.  Either way, you will be covered.  I like that the pants are complete also.   There are no ties to the pants, they are made with elastic in the waist band so that they will fit you nicely and not fall off.  Our costume came with a shirt, pants, head tie, boot tops, belt and wrist cuffs.  All we need is an eye patch, peg leg or parrot and we are complete for our next Pirate Day at school!   

I am very pleased with the selection of Pirate gear at Anytime Costumes.  I also like the customer service at Anytime Costumes.  We received our order quickly and unharmed during delivery.  I can see me using the site again in the future and I will definitely pass along the website link to my local Pirate parents also!

Giveaway Time:  One of my readers who enters this giveaway through the rafflecopter form below will win a $25 gift certificate to Anytime Costumes so that they may try them for theirself.  Good Luck bucaneer!





a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclosure:  I have received a Pirate costume from Anytime Costumes free of charge so that I may provide an honest opinion of their online store.  The opinions are my own.
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. 

   

Introducing Style United

Being a member of SheSpeaks definitely has perks!  One of those perks is being able to try new websites like StyleUnited while they are still in beta format.  StyleUnited  is a new website that is powered by P&G.  There you will find expert beauty and fashion tips, news, and personalized recommendations tailored just for you.  

In order to use StyleUnited you must first create a free account.   Once you have created your free account you are ready to get started!  On the home page you may start your style profile.  Once your profile is in process you may  choose from 3 options to create your look.  They have the Style 360, 1:1, and Inner Circle to choose from to help you complete your appearance.

When you build your profile at Style 360,  you will get personalized, head to toe, style recommendations that are right for you.  StyleUnited knows that all hair, skin and body shapes are not the same.  In Style 360, you will answer questions that will allow you to find the best makeup, skin care products, hair treatments and even fashions so that you will look and feel your best!  

With the Style 360 I choose to find out more about my specific hair care needs.  I was asked 11 questions about my hair type and how I currently care for my hair.  The questions were fun and easy to answer and I loved that I was given beauty tips specific to my answers and needs along the way.  Not only did I find out how to care for my hair better but I learned some trivia along the way.  Did you know that before people used hairdryers, they used vacuums to dry their hair?   I also learned that you can blot your wet hair with an old T-Shirt to sooth cuticles and add shine.  How cool is that!  I am excited to continue on with StyleUnited and see what else I can learn from them.

My overall opinion is that StyleUnited is fun, useful and easy to navigate once you get the sign up completed.  I can appreciate that the 1:1 program will allow you to meet with a live beauty expert for a one on one beauty consultation.  I also think that The Inner Circle will be fun as it will allow you to invite your personal friends to join StyleUnited too. 

If you decide to join StyleUnited  be sure to enter the StyleUnited: New View, New You Giveaway by June the 8th on the SheSpeaks website.  Through this giveaway, two lucky winners will be chosen at random to take home a $500 gift card for a shopping spree at Macy’s or Nordstrom courtesy of StyleUnited.
 
Please let me know if you are going to sign up for Style United.  Right now I am off to buy a natural bristle brush to help increase the shine of my hair!    


Disclosure:  I will be receiving a beauty gift from P&G through SheSpeaks for sharing this post with my readers.  The opinions are my own.

Tiptoe Tuesday Blog Hop

I am sharing the Tiptoe Tuesday Blog Hop with you in hopes that you will add your giveaway to the linky and perphaps you will find a few giveaways to enter too! Good luck and please let me know if you win! Disclosure: These opinions are my own. This is an uncompensated post.

Beneath The Daisies Book Review & Giveaway CLOSED

It has been my pleasure to meet a new online friend, Miss Jayne-Marie Barker, who happens to be a published author! I would love to introduce both Jayne and her book "Beneath The Daisies" to you through this review and giveaway. I have received two copies of "Beneath The Daises" so that I may enjoy one and pass a copy along to one of my readers. Yay!

Jayne and I thought that it would be fun to do a one on one interview so that my readers could get to know the author as well as her work.

 Me: What did you want to be when you were a little girl?

 Jayne: When I was little I always wanted to write stories. Initially I wanted to work in a bank, until I discovered that words were much more interesting to me than numbers. From my early teens I had decided I wanted to be an author but knew I would need another career to support me whilst I worked on attaining my 'dream job'.

Me: Who are the most important influencers in your life?

Jayne: Oh, that's a tricky questions! Most important influcencers, let's see... I'd say first and foremost is my Dad. He taught me lots of really helpful things about self-belief and working hard to achieve the best possible result. From a literary point of view I'd have to say Margaret Atwood. I studied Margaret Atwood's fantastic novel, 'The Handmaid's Tale', as part of my English Literature A-level and it really inspired me. Zadie Smith's 'White Teeth' was another book I read a long time ago that has stuck in my memory. From a mystery and plot viewpoint it has to be Agatha Christie; she is the queen of mystery crime for me. I have always loved murder mysteries and Agatha Christie's plotlines are second to none for the genre!

Me: What inspired you to write a mystery romance novel?

Jayne: When I started writing my first novel I pitched it at romance. There are many great romance books out there and some fabulous romance writers - people who can make a simple boy meets girl story amazing. Sadly, I'm not one of them! I found that my romance plotlines were too thin and even I wasn't enjoying them! Having been a fan of murder mysteries all my life I hit upon the idea of merging the two. I can't say anybody inspired me to write a romantic thriller, as my publisher calls it, it just sort of came about all by itself!

Me: What was the hardest part for you to write in Beneath The Daisies?

Jayne: I don't remember thinking one part was any harder than the other. I suppose the scene near the end when the poison pen writer is revealed was quite tricky. I spend quite a bit of time trying to get that right and even now I think I could tweak it endlessly!

Me: What do you hope your future holds?

Jayne: I think everybody likes to think their future will be glorious. In reality I just hope to remain happy and healthy.Oh yes, and if my novels sell well that would be a bonus!

"Beneath The Daisies" is Jayne-Marie Barker's debut novel. Jayne has added a little murder, a lot of romance and quiet a bit of mystery to her romantic thriller. I will admit that I am not a huge fan of murder mysteries but there was enough romance to keep me thoroughly involved in this story line.

I love how the events take place in England and in two different time eras. The novel is written so that it brings the two eras together nicely. The characters and settings are so well defined that I can see each in my mind as they happen. I have enjoyed reading "Beneath The Daisies" as it was an easy read, kept me very involved and I hope to see another book from Jayne-Marie in the near future!

You may find Jayne-Marie Barker on her website and on facebook. "Beneath The Daisies" may be purchased from in either paperback or in kindle editon from  amazon or from the links on her website.

Giveaway Time: One of my readers will win a copy of Jayne-Marie Barker's "Beneath The Daisies." Please enter the giveaway through the rafflecopter form below:



a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclosure: I have received a copy of "Beneath The Daisies" so that I may provide an honest review of it to my readers. The opinions are my own.

Tip Toe Tuesday Blog Hop

Hi readers and friends!  I have joined the Tip Toe Tuesday Blog Hop and hope that you will join in on the fun too.  Please feel free to enter any or all of the great giveaways below.  You may also add your giveaway to the linky also.  Good Luck and have fun!

Let Whitney Farms Help Your Plants To Grow The Organic Way

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Whitney Farms for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

 

I am a member of socialspark and they have teamed up with Whitney Farms® for this blogging opportunity.  I have been sent some information about how Whitney Farms can help my family maintain a beautiful organic garden and I thought that I would share this useful information with you.

Our garden 2012

 
 
This is the third year for my family and I to have a garden.  We live in a small city, with a 3/4 of an acre lot and this year we have tried a raised garden bed.  I like that a raised garden bed will allow us to bring in our own "new" soil so that our plants will only grow in the kind of dirt that we want them to grow in.  This is why I am happy to learn about Whitney Farms organic soil.   With Whitney Farms organic soil, I am assured that I am using 100% natural soil with no additives or artificial fillers.  I am just using natural dirt from the Earth and this will help me to raise natural fruits and vegetables for my family to enjoy.   I also appreciate that Whitney Farms  makes organic plant food.  I feel that if I paired the organic soil with the organic plant food then I would achieve a wonderful end result:  big beautiful plants that would produce nice and healthy organic food for my family.



While I haven't personally used Whitney Farms organic products yet, I have learned that the company has over 25 years of leading gardening experience.  They assure their customers that their products have low to no dust, no manure odor and that it contains beneficial microbes that are specially designed with protein-based blends that will provide our plants with both macro and micronutrients that they need to grow and thrive.  Plus the best benefit for me is that it is easy to apply.



If you would like to try Whitney Farms for yourself, you may print a coupon for $3.00 off here.



 

 

 

 

 

Cheerios Giveaway CLOSED

I am a member of myblogspark and they have teamed up with General Mills for this fun Cheerios review and giveaway.  I have received two of the new 2 box Cheerios packages (four boxes total) so that I may provide an honest review of their product.  One of my readers who enters this giveaway through the rafflecopter form below will win the same prize package that I received!  Yay!

My family and I enjoy a quick breakfast together daily.  My daughter and I enjoy cold cereal and milk while my son prefers oatmeal.  I often choose Cheerios as our cereal because it is made from whole grain oats and it only has 100 calories and 1 gram of sugar per 1 cup serving.  We enjoy the toasted taste of Cheerios and they are good whether you enjoy them wet or dry.
    
Another one of my favorite ways to enjoy Cheerios is in a snack mix.  I will take a baggie and add 1 cup of Cheerios, 1/4 of a cup of dried fruit such as raisins or craisins, 1/4 a cup of nuts and 1/4 of a cup of marshmallows and then "mix" it up in the baggie.  My kids and I will enjoy this as an afternoon snack and I feel good knowing that they are getting a nutritious yet fun snack.



I am happy that Cheerios is now available in the new 2 box Cheerios packaging format at wholesale clubs such as Costco, Sam’s Club and BJ’s.  I can appreciate that the new 2 box Cheerios contains two individual boxes of cereal.  This will make the cereal boxes easier to store and easier for me to use. I am a Sam's Club member and I will be looking for the new 2 package format there on my next shopping trip. 

You may find out more about the new 2 box Cheerios packaging here and you can find Cheerios on facebook also. 

Giveaway Time:  One of my readers will receive 2 of the new 2 box Cheerios packages.  This is a total of 4 big boxes of Cheerios.  Please enter the giveaway through the rafflecopter form below.  Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway







Disclosure:  The Cheerios® cereal, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Purex: Let’s Be Honest Campaign

I am a member of the Purex Insiders and I have been asked to share some information with you regarding their new Let's Be Honest Campaign and sweepstakes.  You may find out more about the campaign and sweepstakes by visiting the Purex website.

Purex started the  Let’s Be Honest Campaign on April the 30th.  This campaign features a Second City Comedian, Molly Erdman.  They have created a funny series of short video vignettes that shares honest moments that reflect the ironic truths of everyday life, such as laundry and everything else.  There will be funny new videos uploaded every few days at www.purex.com.  This fun campaign even offers a sweepstakes and everyday one entrant will win a year’s supply of Purex detergent.  This daily sweepstakes will run through July 24th.  Be sure to stop by and enter their giveaway daily.  Good luck!

Disclosure:  I am a Purex Insider and I will receive Free product coupons for sharing this information with my readers.  I will be able to keep 1 of the coupons for myself and share 2 with others.

How I Save Time In The Kitchen

I am a member of socialmoms and they have teamed up with Dawn for this fun blogging opportunity.  For this opportunity I have been asked to share how I create an efficient and time-saving daily kitchen routine in my home as well as my thoughts on the new Dawn Power Clean dish soap.  I have received a free Dawn Power Clean kit worth $15 so that I may try this product and provide an honest opinion on how well it works for me.

As a busy at home mom I pride myself in running an efficient household.  I find that if we have a daily schedule, our day will run smoothly and we will have less bumps and bruises along the way.  One of the ways that we do this is by making the most of every minute of our day.  We start at 7:10 each week day morning and I prepare breakfast while the kids are getting dressed for school.  Our breakfast routine is cold cereal, milk and a drink for my daughter and hot oatmeal and a drink for my son.   While they enjoy their breakfast I put together their lunch box.  This task is pretty easy since I usually send them leftovers from the night before and the meals are already packed in their containers and ready to go.  I simply put the meal, drink, napkin, silverware and a fruit in their lunch box.  Once the kids teeth are brushed and hair is combed, we hurry out the door and it's off to school for us!

Once the children are safely at school and I am back home, I start my breakfast clean up routine.  Since trying the new Dawn Power Clean my routine has changed a little bit.  I add a little bit of Dawn Power Clean to my dirty breakfast bowls and let it sit for 5 minutes while I make my coffee and rinse out the kids glasses.  Once the 5 minutes has passed my dishes wipe out easily and I have fresh coffee made also!  I call it a day in the kitchen and I move on to the rest of the house.

My children are out of school at 3:30 each day and that automatically means snack, homework and then a little bit of play time.  Our snack is easy.  We pair a fruit and small protein such as nuts, peanut butter or cheese with milk and crackers.  I love that our snacks are quick and nutritious, plus there is very little preparation or clean up involved!  I find that if we wash our fruit when we bring it in from the store that it makes it easier and quicker to enjoy it when it is needed.  We also have a drawer in the fridge for the cheese and the nuts and crackers are on a low shelf in the kitchen so that the kids can reach for them theirself.  This not only helps me out time wise but it also teaches the children how to be independent and how to make healthy choices in the kitchen.

Once homework is started then I start our dinner.  To help save time in the kitchen I have bought preplanned foods that I have paired into meals.  I will chose our meat and put it in the oven to bake.  While it is baking I will prepare our side dishes.  I always keep fresh veggies, such as carrots, salad, baby spinach, and tomatoes on hand for a quick side salad to go with our meal.  If we are low on fresh veggies then I will turn to frozen or canned options. 

My number one time saving tip in the kitchen is to learn to multitask.  I try to constantly think ahead and plan our meals as I write out our grocery list.  Then while the meals are cooking, I try to put together our sides and clean the dishes as I go.  I have found that with Dawn Power Clean, I can take our meat out of the baking dish and put it on our plates.  While I cut up our meat, the dish cools enough so that I can safely add water and Dawn Power Clean to it before we sit down to eat.  Once we are done enjoying our meal, the Dawn Power Clean has set in the baking dishes long enough so that I can quickly clean my dishes immediately after dinner.  In the past I would let the greasy or sticky dishes set a few hours or even over night and now I only have to let them sit 5 minutes and they are ready to be cleaned.  I know that this will definitely save me time at night.  Once we are done with dinner, I can be out of the kitchen in a matter of minutes instead of having to return to kitchen duty again before retiring for the night.


Disclosure:  I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Dawn blogging program, to earn My SocialMoms Rewards Points, and I received free product for participating. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own. To read more posts on this topic, click here.

Dale and Thomas Popcorn Review & Giveaway CLOSED

Mother's Day is right around the corner and if you are like me, you are probably trying to figure out what to get your mom for this occasion.  If she is anything like my mom, then she probably has all of the household items and techno gadgets that she needs.  Sometimes this makes it hard to get a gift for them and that is why I am excited about this review for Dale and Thomas Popcorn . I know that my mom would love to receive a gourmet gift from Dale and Thomas Popcorn's new Mother's Day collection.  At Dale and Thomas Popcorn, they have a wide variety of popcorn samplers, gift boxes, popcorn tins, and wonderful gift towers to choose from for this Mother's Day season.

For my review, I have received the Mother’s Day Four Pack Sampler from Dale and Thomas Popcorn.  The Mother’s Day Four Pack Sampler is beautifully packaged in a decorative brown box and it was tied with a bright pink bow.  Attached to the bow was a colorful "Happy Mother's Day!" card.  Inside of the Mother’s Day Gift Box are 4 bags of amazing goodness:  Chocolate Chunk N'Caramel, Peanut Butter & White Chocolate Drizzlecorn, Hall of Fame Kettle Corn, and White Cheddar & Black Peppercorn.  My family and  I enjoyed every bite of this review.  The popcorn is fresh, sweet, salty, crunchy and it satisfied our sweet tooth. Not only will your mom enjoy this great Mother's Day gift but it is a gift that the rest of the family can enjoy too.   

I love that when you order from Dale and Thomas you may choose to have your item shipped directly to the recipient or you may have it shipped to you if you plan on hand delivering the gift.  When you order you also have the opportunity to include a personal gift message to the recipient.  This gift message will help insure that your personal touch was put on the gift and the recipient will know that it is from you.

To learn more about Dale and Thomas please visit them at their website or on facebook. 

Giveaway Time:  One of my readers who enters this giveaway will receive a Mother’s Day Four Pack Sampler from Dale and Thomas Popcorn.  Please remember that Dale and Thomas Popcorn is not able to ship to P.O. Boxes,  Hawaii or Alaska.  Please enter this giveaway on the rafflecopter form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure:  I have received a Mother’s Day Four Pack Sampler from Dale and Thomas Popcorn so that I may try their products and provide an honest review for them.  These opinions are my own.

Yoplait Lactose Free Yogurt Coupons Are Available

I am a member of myblogspark and they have asked me to share the Yoplait Lactose Free Yogurt Coupons with you.  You may save .30 cents off  any flavor of  the Yoplait Lactose Free yogurt cups when you print and use the coupon found here.  This coupon offer for Yoplait Lactose Free yogurt is not valid in some states that include: Louisiana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota and Tennessee.

The Lactose Free Yoplait comes in four flavors such as:  Strawberry, Peach, French Vanilla and Cherry.  It contains 50% of the recommended Daily Value of calcium and has vitamins A and D in every cup.  I definitely appreciate that the Yoplait Lactose Free Yogurt contains no artificial sweeteners.


Discloser:  I have received this information and the coupon offer from Yoplait through MyBlogSpark.