Fireplace In A Jar

I love candles. I love the soft flickering (flattering) glow of them. I love the gentle aroma given off by yummy scented ones. I've loved candles since I was in middle school, I think. I had a candlelit wedding. Love.

Sadly, we don't have candles going nearly as often as we once did around here. Three babies in less than five years made candles an unsafe lighting option around these parts. With a one year old currently underfoot, it's still not the greatest option.

Nonetheless, I simply could not say no when given the opportunity to try the new Febreze Home Collection Wooden Wick candles. The theory behind the wooden wick is that it will create the ambiance of a fire with its warm glow and crackling sound.

And it does! Albeit, a very small fire. :) Still, when my sister comes to share a cup of coffee while the baby naps, I love to light one of these candles and enjoy the fragrance and the soft crackle noises. So homey!

Would you like to experience this new line for yourself? They're available at Walmart and I have a $15 gift card for one of you so you can choose a scent and bring these new candles into your home!

To enter:

Leave a comment and tell me which of these yummy scents you'd love to try:

• 
  

• Green Tea Citrus
• Pomegranate Mango
• Cranberry Pear
• Orange Honeycomb
• Rosewood Plum
• Willow Blossom
• Anjou Pear Spice (seasonal)
• Gingersnap Vanilla (seasonal) <--this would be my pick!!!
• Yumberry Sangria (seasonal)

For up to two additional entries, please feel free to share about this giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter and leave an additional comment(s) letting me know you have done so.

This giveaway will end Sunday night, November 21st when a winner will be selected via Random.org. Good luck!

Febreze provided me with the candles to try, information about the product, and a Walmart gift card to give away though MyBlogSpark. Now aren't they nice?

This post is linked to TILT at The Diaper Diaries.

Progresso Prize Pack Winner

Congratulations, Colleen! I hope you enjoy your Prize Pack. Thanks to all of you for entering!True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:1Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Mmmm... Soup! A Giveaway From Progresso

Brrr... an autumn chill is in the air and with it come two fabulous things- gorgeous New England foliage and major cravings for SOUP! I simply love soup, most often for lunch but sometimes supper, and I love that it is so simple and can also be a great, healthy way to fill up.

I make some of my own soups and I am famous for my "Souped-Up Tomato Soup", but sometimes I also like to just open up a can and enjoy it, as is. Soup is so easy! How fantastic that it can also be a really healthy choice.

According to the folks at Progresso (and relying on information from the American Heart Association, 2008):

• Choosing select Progresso Reduced Sodium soups may help lower cholesterol when eaten with other heart healthy, soluble fiber containing foods.
• Progresso provides the "May Help Lower Cholesterol" banner and the Hearth Healthy logo on certain varieties of Reduced Sodium soups to make it even easier to stick to a heart healthy diet.
• There are five Progresso Reduced Sodium favorites that contain enough hearty veggies and legumes to provide 1 g of soluble fiber in every bowl, my favorite of which is the Italian Style Wedding!

To me, that means that these soups can be a part of a healthy diet. Being conscientious about cholesterol and sodium intake is part of responsible eating, in my opinion!

Just as important as healthy eating? Exercise and staying fit! I've always been proud of my abs (though they could use some additional toning these days!) and my very favorite way to keep them strong and tight is by using a balance ball. I have always been very open about the fact that I think part of why I tend to bounce back easily after pregnancy is because I start out with a tight tummy. I am a believer in the balance ball! I am so excited to be able to give one away!

Here's what's included in this great prize pack:

• 2 cans of Progresso Reduced Sodium soup (I'm not sure if they're all the same or not, but I received the new Tomato Parmesan Reduced Sodium variety and it was fantastic!)
• A Progresso soup mug
• A fitness ball (which I refer to as a "balance ball"... but it's the same thing!)

Sound good? Fabulous!

To enter:

Please leave a comment letting us know which variety of Progresso Reduced Sodium soup you are most looking forward to trying. (Reminder: the varieties are- Italian Style Wedding, Minestrone, Garden Vegetable, Beef and Vegetable, Chicken Gumbo, and Tomato Parmesan) If you choose to share about this giveaway on Twitter or Facebook, please leave an additional comment letting me know you did so for additional entries! Thanks and best of luck!

This giveaway will end on Monday, November 1st, when a winner will be chosen via Random.org.

The product, information, and prize packs needed for this giveaway were provided to me from Progresso through MyBlogSpark. All opinions, from the love of soup to the desire for tight abs, are mine and mine alone.

This post is linked to Things I Love Thursday!

Lawry's "What's Your Flavor?" Winner!

Well, you all must really love Lawry's! After 68 entries (a record for this here blog!), the winner was lucky number 12- Andrea. Like most of you, as it turns out, she prefers her food spicy! Congrats, Andrea... hope you enjoy it!

Lawry's "What's Your Flavor?" Giveaway

Here's something I'm not sure if you know about me- I do NOT like plain meat. If a recipe involves the use of only salt and pepper or, heaven forbid, suggests baking the meat (*gag*), I can pretty much guarantee I will not be trying it. Herbs, spices, and sauces are my friends!

I feel like I have good natural instincts when it comes to adding flavors and I absolutely LOVE finding new marinade ideas around the blogosphere! I've had great success with the suggestions of my bloggy friends. I'm blessed to have some very wise brains to pick whenever I need something new to try.

When I'm not near a computer, am running low on ingredients, or just want something super simple to add flavor to my meat, I've long relied on Lawry's. I usually have a bottle of their marinade somewhere on the top shelf of my pantry. My fave? Sesame Ginger. Yum!

This is why, even though I do the lion's share of my cooking from scratch, I was so excited to receive a fun Lawry's prize pack in the mail! In it?

• 2 Bottles of Marinade- Szechuan Sweet & Sour BBQ and Tuscan Sun-Dried Tomato (mmm... tomato...)
• 4 Seasoning Mixes- Asian Style Beef & Broccoli, Chimichurri Burrito Casserole, Mediterranean Sundried Tomato & Garlic Chicken, and Tuscan Style Chicken Marsala with Garlic and Basil (If you know me at ALL, then you know I have a passionate love of Chicken Marsala!!)
• Marinating Dish- I don't know what I was expecting here, but I was so impressed with the size and quality of this covered Pyrex dish!
• Set of Skewers- These are metal skewers- not bamboo- so you will not need to be soaking them.
• Bottle of Lawry's Seasoned Salt (I'm excited to use this when making Amy's Breakfast Burritos!)

I love the idea of having some quick meal fixes on hand! Would you like to have some too?

Here's what you need to do:

• Leave a comment letting us know what your flavor preference is- tart, spicy, sweet, or savory. (For the record, I like all those flavors, but my top Lawry's pick is a sweet one... which apparently means I'm a "Sweet Lifer"... "As a Sweet Lifer, home and family are close to your heart. You are the kindest and most loyal, although you probably wouldn’t admit that as you are also the most modest. As an individual that prefers sweeter flavors (honey and fruit-infused), you are influenced by your parents, enjoy family entertainment, and consider yourself spiritual." Does that sound like me?)
• If you choose to share about this giveaway on Twitter or Facebook, please just leave an additional comment letting me know you did so!
• A winner will be chosen on Wednesday, October 6th.

Note: I was provided with a prize pack for myself and one to give away by Lawry's through MyBlogSpark. All opinions about the products are, as always, my own, and I received no further compensation.

This post is linked to Things I Love Thursday.

Totino's and Box Tops for Education Winner

The winner of the Totino's coupons, Box Tops, and school supplies is...

#32, LaVonne!

She became lucky #32 because she tweeted. :)

I've sent you an email already... I hope you enjoy your prize-pack, LaVonne!

Totino's and Box Tops for Education Giveaway!

Guess what? I haven't purchased Totino's Pizza Rolls for over a year. I used to pick them up occasionally when they were part of those "10 for $10, get $3 off instantly" promotions at Kroger but, alas, we no longer live anywhere near a Kroger. While my family hasn't suffered as a result of not having these snacks around, I will say that my middle child- my former micropreemie- absolutely adores the things. I think she prefers the little bits of meat in these snacky-size rolls to the bigger chunks I'm apt to put on my homemade pizza.

Convenience snack foods aren't typical fare around here, but I'm also not above taking a hand when I get it! I'm practical and easy-going enough to know that a couple of pizza rolls are not an indication that my children aren't fed a balanced diet.

I was excited to learn that Totino's is now helping to support our schools!

• Totino's Party Pizzas will now carry Box Tops for Education.
• Through September 14, Totino's is offering TWO Box Tops for Education on every Totino's product.
• Totino's is giving away 10,000 Bonus Box Tops, school supplies, and free Totino's snacks to eight lucky schools through the "Make School a Better Place Sweepstakes!"

To enter the sweepstakes, please visit here.

Want even better odds? Stay right here for a chance to win a prize pack containing:

• A backpack (it's a cool backpack too... no big logos or anything that would turn your kid off.;))
• School supplies (including glue sticks, highlighters, a calculator, and more!)
• Coupons for Totino's Party Pizza and Pizza Rolls Snacks
• 25 Bonus Box Tops (that's money for your school!!!)

To enter, simply leave a comment letting us know:

What is your best tip to make surviving the back to school season easier?

(If you choose to share about this giveaway on your blog, Twitter, or Facebook, please just leave additional comments letting me know you did so!)

(General Mills provided me with information, a prize pack, and the opportunity to offer this giveaway to you, my readers. All opinions are my own.)

A winner will be selected via Random.org on Friday, September 17th.

Yoplait Frozen Smoothie Giveaway Winner

We have a winner!

Congratulation, Hallie- you've won the Yoplait Frozen Smoothie gift pack. Enjoy! If you could email me or leave me a comment with your contact info, I would really appreciate it!

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:9Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Lightning Fast Yoplait Smoothie Giveaway!!!

I was pretty excited when My BlogSpark contacted me a while back to review Yoplait’s new Frozen Smoothies. Can I be totally honest with you all? I had actually NEVER had a smoothie before in my life. Isn't that shocking? I'd just never bothered! So I was happy about the opportunity to try it out! I used the free product coupon provided to me to try the Triple Berry flavor because my store did not carry the Strawberry Banana and, well, the only one in the family who likes mango is the baby and she hasn't been introduced to yogurt just yet.

Since, as I mentioned above, I'd never had (nor made, obviously) a smoothie, I was really glad to see how easy these Yoplait Frozen Smoothies are to put together. All I had to do was dump the contents of the bag and 1 cup of milk (I used 1 %) into the (super cute and oh-so-fun) mini blender that My Blog Spark provided to me.

Easy-peasy. And the resulting purplish drink looked mighty tasty indeed!

Did you know that 7 out of 10 Americans do not consume the recommended amount of fruit each day? We're not BAD fruit eaters around here... well except for one of us (but I won't mention any names, my darling husband... *cough*)... but we could still do better. Each Yoplait Frozen Smoothie contains a full serving of fruit. Always nice to be able to "sneak" in another serving! The blend of frozen fruit and yogurt pieces results in a yummy drink that looks more like a milk shake than a serving of fruit- great news if you have picky eaters.

So... you may be wondering... "What did you think of your first smoothie, JessieLeigh???"

Well...

I couldn't tell you.

Because when my darling preschoolers awoke and walked into the kitchen to see "milkshakes" being whipped up, I quickly realized I would not be getting any of it.

But they loved them! So much so that I went out and bought another bag of Yoplait Frozen Smoothies on a subsequent shopping trip-- using a high value coupon matched with a sale of course because, well, if you know me at ALL then you know I don't pay full price for many things. ;) If you want to print a coupon of your very own, you can head here to do so!

Or, if you'd rather just try your luck at winning your very own mini blender and coupon, you can enter this lightning-fast giveaway I have going on today. That's right-- only TODAY.

Here are the ways you can enter:

1. Leave a comment telling me how you like to sneak extra fruit in your diet. (Required)

2. Follow @micropreemies on Twitter and let me know in a comment. If you already follow me, just leave a comment to that effect.

3. Tweet about this giveaway. Please include @micropreemies in the Tweet.

4. Get other people to enter. That's right. For each person YOU manage to get to enter this giveaway, I'll give you an extra entry. Just have them mention your name somewhere in their comment and I'll credit you with another entry... there's no limit to how many bonus entries you can earn this way!

This giveaway will only run for 24 hours! Act fast and rack up as many entries as you can! Good luck! (Oh, and hey, if you happen to want to come over and make me my very first smoothie, I'll throw in a few more entries for you too. *wink*)

(The fine print: I was provided with a free coupon, gift pack, online coupon link and giveaway from Yoplait through MyBlogSpark. I was also asked to tell you all the TRUTH, which I have done and promise to continue to do in the future!)

This post is linked to Things I Love Thursday.