$100 Summer Cash Giveaway

I am so excited to be participating in this Giveaway! It is my very first one and I think it is a great one. Who could ask for anything better than cash? Hope that you enjoy.

This giveaway is hosted by Empowered Mommy along with their blogging friends.

It's Summer Time! We are giving away $100 Cash to one lucky winner. Wipe the sweat!

Blogger Opportunity:

- Participation is free with announcement post or $5 without announcement post.

- Get 1 free link (Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest) on rafflecopter if you agree to promote the giveaway.

- Host pages, secret word, comments to your blog post available for $11 each. Grab your places now and get those Alexa numbers down! Limited places - first come first serve basis!

- Extra links $2 each (No referral links allowed)

- Co-host spots available for $20 - get a link back to your blog on each giveaway post as well as 3 free additional links.

Referral prize: Those who refers the most bloggers to sign up gets a link back of their blog on each giveaway post for free! All payments received goes towards the giveaway.

Questions goes to: admin@empoweredmommy.com

Sign ups: May 7, 2013 to June 7, 2013
Giveaway dates: June 9, 2013 to July 9, 2013

READY TO SIGN UP?

FILL OUT THE SIGN UP FORM HERE

GRAB ANNOUNCEMENT POST HERE

Shopcaster iPad mini facebook entry

I just found a new contest for an iPad mini that is available to Canada (except Quebec) and the US. It is offered on Shopcaster's facebook page. You can enter at http://bit.ly/13U1xw8 .

Once I entered the contest, I became curious about what Shopcaster was all about and did a little exploring on their website https://shopcaster.com/invite/c13983f0 . I was pleasantly surprised. They allow you to shop from all kinds of independent retailers from all over Canada and the US and they have some beautiful things. What else is great?  They not only offer women's clothing but they also have stuff for men, kids, pets, your home and they have a vintage section that I love (you have to check out the cute dresses and shoes).  You can even shop from different retailers at the same time and Shopcaster will have the items shipped directly from the retailer to you. I will certainly be back to their website again, hopefully using a new iPad mini.

I guess I should say that I decided independently to review this site and it is not a sponsored post.  All opinions expressed are my own and I have not received anything from Shopcaster to say it.

Found local bloggers and some great resources and a giveaway

I am so excited to say that I found some great bloggers that are in the Ottawa area, like me! It was because I found a wonderful giveaway for Little Ray's Reptile Zoo, one of my family's favourite local activities, (http://canadianbloghouse.com/lets-go-to-the-zoo-giveaway/) which is being hosted by a number of local bloggers. Canadian Blog House is a great site where you can share your posts and giveaways and find links to all kinds of Canadian blogs. Journeys of the Zoo, which I actually found a few days ago but didn't have much of a chance to explore, is written by an Ottawa mom who had triplets and lost one. It is a very inspiring site. Ottawa Mommy Club has all kinds of information for families in the Ottawa area as well as opportunities for local bloggers. I cannot believe that it took me so long to find this site! Shannon's View From Here has some great Reviews and Giveaways and Recipes. Finally, there is Tales of Mommyhood which is written by a Canadian stay-at-home Mom and features lots of interesting reviews and giveaways and, as the name indicates, tales about being a mommy.

On a side note, my good friend Angie has a blog where she has been tracking the progress of her son as he goes through many surgeries for a double cleft palette, brain infection and heart surgery. She and her family, especially little Charlie, are truly inspiring and we love them all very much. You can find their story at http://www.smileyguycharlie.blogspot.ca/ .

New giveaways for Canadians

I found some new giveaways including one for $80 in Canadian coupons (until April 23) on Journeys of the Zoo at http://www.journeysofthezoo.com/2013/04/coupon-extravaganza-80-giveaway-can-423.html?showComment=1364918465273#c5420531116726279563 . There is also a great giveaway hop that features quite a few giveaways available in Canada and Internationally. The Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop is hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer at http://www.iamareader.com/2013/03/hoppy-easter-giveaway-the-waiting-booth-necklace-gift-card.html and Read Now Sleep Later http://www.readnowsleeplater.com/2013/03/hoppy-easter-eggstravaganza-giveaway.html until April 5.

Choose a chip flavour for Lay's

Lay's Canada is having a great contest to choose their next chip flavor. You can win $50,000 and 1% of the sales. My hubby saw the ads on tv and decided that he could win with Roasted Garlic and Parmesan. He doesn't have a Facebook account and so I have entered it for him.  While I was at it, I had to add my own flavour which happens to be Taco.

Chips are a treat at our house but we all really enjoy them when we get them. My husband prefers the hot and spicy kind - jalapeno or habenero. I like Salt and Vinegar, Dill Pickle and sometimes Ketchup. The boys are with me although my Doodle will sometimes try the spicy chips because my husband is eating them and then he'll make a funny face and try to tell us that he likes them. Lay's are usually our chips of choice when we get them.

I would appreciate any votes that I can get. If you think that Roasted Garlic and Parmesan sound delicious you can vote at http://bit.ly/14urDVD and if you prefer Taco you can vote at http://bit.ly/ZtePal . While you are there, add your own flavour and let me know and I will be happy to vote for you!

Canadian and WW Giveaways I Entered

I love blog giveaways and that is what actually gave me the idea to start blogging.  I have come across a few great ones that I have entered and hope to pass that information on. The first is for 3 books from Chapters Indigo, ending April 2. It is on The Knit Wit by Shair and you can find it at http://www.theknitwitbyshair.com/2013/03/chapters-indigo-comes-to-my-rescue.html?showComment=1364520339034#c8872199299341431385 .  She also has a giveaway for Uglee pens (ends March 30) at http://www.theknitwitbyshair.com/2013/03/ergonomic-pen-uglee-pen-giveaway.html?showComment=1364522489265#c8838500834240194463 another one for pets from Biovea (ends April 10) at http://www.theknitwitbyshair.com/2013/03/biovea-pet-giveaway.html?showComment=1364522966805#c6006658923991149393 and one for Lays potato chips (ends April 15) at http://www.theknitwitbyshair.com/2013/03/lays-dousaflavour-giveaway.html. The second blog has, at this point, a low entry giveaway for Everyday Signs online baby sign language classes on 1 Heart, 1 Family (ends  April 12) at http://1heart1family.blogspot.ca/2013/03/sign-goodbye-to-frustration-with.html . I will try to post any great giveaways when I come across them. Hopefully, one day soon I will have one of my own!

Figuring out this Blogging Thing

I have realized that while I love other people's blogs, I might not be as good at blogging as I thought I would be. My problem is getting into the habit of getting on here regularly and organizing my thoughts and posts into relevant categories. My home page currently contains all of my posts and there is no rhyme or reason to them. I have not written a single review of anything and still have not gotten myself organized enough to post any kind of giveaway even though I have come across some really great free giveaways hosted by others that I just needed to sign up for. Easter is this weekend and I am sure we will be super busy and I really do not know whether or not I will get around to being on the computer without my kids trying to play games and push buttons but starting next week I am going to start committing myself to a post a day for at least a one week period. I will take this weekend to jot down a few ideas and maybe if I make blogging a part of my daily routine it will become easier to remember to commit the time. Wish me luck!