Savory Summer Event Giveaway : #Win 2 Prize Packages

Welcome to the Savory Summer event hosted by Measuring Flower & Graphoniac! There are 61 other blogs participating, so be sure to use the Linky below to hop over to another blog after you enter here. The event ends at 11:59pm on May 30th, so you have plenty of time to enter.

What is the Savory Summer Event?

Each participating blog (found on the Linky) has food-related giveaways worth at least $25 and many are worth much more!

Our incredible grand prize sponsors for this decadent event are Nostalgia Electrics and Ella's Kitchen, who are offering prizes worth over $100 each! You can enter to win one or both grand prizes HERE!

We have worked hard to get 2 awesome giveaway packages for our readers at Children Teaching Mama and I'm so proud to work with these companies! 

So are you ready to see what our giveaway packages include? 

Mother's Day Gift Guide: Thirty-One Gifts $31 Gift Card Giveaway

I heard about Thirty-One Gifts a few months ago and absolutely love looking at the catalog. All of the items make such wonderful gifts and I could see pretty much all of the items in my own home. I especially love personalized items like baskets, bags and lunch totes. Thirty-One Gifts has those and much, much more!

Long-time reader, Stephanie K., now sells Thirty-One Gifts, so I couldn't wait to actually receive a few items to review. They are on their way, so look out for our review in the near future. For now, I'll tell you about the items I am receiving as well as some awesome sales and opportunities!

The All-In-One Organizer

A portable sized organizer for you to take on the go or use around the house by Thirty-One Gifts! There are so many cute designs, too, including this one. The All-In-One retails for $20.

Mini Utility Bin

This mini bin is the perfect tote for smaller items around the house. We use ours for toys in the living room! It is made of durable laminated nylon with side handles. It is also collapsible when not in use!

Let's Party!
Now that you've seen some of the products from Thirty-One Gifts, did you know you can schedule a party? Stephanie throws in-home parties in the St. Louis area. If you aren't local, she can even throw parties via Skype or through the Catalog. Speaking of which, Children Teaching Mama has a party going on right now! To join the party, just Click Here and then click "Shop"!

Buy It & Mystery Winner

Make your purchases through the party! If we get to $200+ in sales, one person will receive 50% off one item! The winner will be chosen at random from those who have made purchases during the party.

May & June Sale Specials

May's special: For every $31 spent, you can purchase an All-In-One Organizer for only $5 (a $15 savings)!
June's Special: For every $35 spent, you can purchase a Large Utility Tote for $10 (a $25 savings)! Plus, you can purchase the all-new Top-A-Tote that fits on the Large Utility Tote for only $10.

Become A Consultant

Has seeing all of these wonderful products made you interested in becoming a consultant for Thirty-One Gifts? If so, you can purchase a starter kit for only $99! Plus, right now Thirty-One is offering the O.J. Incentive. Anyone that signs up by May 31st can earn a $100 rebate if they make $1,000 in sales within the first 30 days! There are also other incentives applied during a consultant's first 90 days. You can earn your kit for free and much more. Click here and then click "Join My Team" to read more!

Ready For A Giveaway?

One Lucky Reader Will Win a $31 Thirty-One Gifts Gift Card! Just use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. This giveaway will end on Tuesday, June 19th at 12:01am. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Little Cosmetics Children's Play Make-Up Review & Luxury Kit Giveaway

Little Cosmetics is play make-up that looks and feels just like real make-up. But it doesn't show up on skin or rub off on fingers. Pretend play at its best - all the imagination and no mess! Little Cosmetics is the perfect solution for the little girl that always wants to use mom’s make-up, but won’t be fooled by fake plastic make-up. And the perfect choice for mom’s that want to keep their little girls mess-free and safe from toxins.

Little Cosmetics is different than most pretend make-up for four reasons: 

1) It actually looks like real make-up. Each pretend make up piece is packaged in realistic looking compacts and jars with vibrant shades, it can even fool adults!

2) It feels real! It is not fake hard plastic or dried nail polish. It is soft and smooth, just like real make-up.

3) They do not show up on skin at all. Little Cosmetics is not a chemical free make up that is safe for kids like what is sold in stores. It is 100% pretend make up.

4) The pretend make-up in Little Cosmetics products is safe and non-toxic.

The Luxury Kit Includes:

- One Pressed Powder Compact

- Two Iridescent Lip Glosses with roller ball applicator

- One Pink Blush Compact

- Two Eye Shadow Palettes

- One Glitter Shadow Pot

- 5 Piece Brush Set (real make-up brushes!)

 The entire kit comes packaged in a pink organza draw string bag so your little girl can tote around her make up easily! Please not that Little Cosmetics are a choking hazard because they contain small parts. They are not intended for children under 3.

Buy It: You can purchase a Little Cosmetics Luxury Kit for 25.00 on etsy.com!

Win It: Little Cosmetics has offered one lucky reader their own Essentials Kit!

Mom Central #BananaBoat Twitter Party @ 3-4PM @MomCentral

Hi, everyone! It's 15 minutes until the Mom Central Banana Boat Twitter Party! Guess what? Children Teaching Mama is a co-host, so come on buy for some fun.The party is from 3-4pm ET. Plus, you can WIN 1 of 6 $50 AmEx gift cards!

I hope to see you there. Be sure to say hi if you stop by! :)

oin @MomCentral and @ChildrenTeach for the #BananaBoat Twitter Party today from 3-4PM ET and enter to win 1 of 6 $50 AmEx gift cards!

Westlake Dermatology : Love The Skin You Are In

As a teenager, I suffered from horrible acne and was miserable. I tried medication and other over-the-counter creams and cleansers, but nothing worked. So, years later I no longer had acne, but the damage was done to my skin and scars were left behind. A few years ago I started researching my options to ridding myself of the scarring and met with a dermatologist, which was the best decision I could have made!

Westlakedermatology.com offers a variety of services for patients with acne, skin cancer, or scarring to patients wanting cosmetic procedures! Their physicians have the experience and want to help patients achieve their treatment goals with the amazing procedures. You can find a list of the different services on their website, including acne treatments, breast enhancement, brow lifts, rhinoplasty and much, much more.

When I met with my dermatologist, I decided to have a variety of treatments, including a chemical peel and a form of microdermabrasion to help smooth out my skin. The results were amazing! My skin was soft and, after many years, I finally saw my face without scars. The best thing about having these procedures was that I felt better about myself, more confident and beautiful.

Have you considered getting a skin treatment or cosmetic procedure? Westlake Dermatology has 5 dermatology locations across the state of Texas, so you can see which location is closest and make an appointment today. The physician will go over your options and what they think would be best for you. 

eShakti Beautiful Custom Dress Giveaway

 We are huge eShakti fans and have worked with them a few times in the past on reviews. We most recently featured them in our Mother's Day Gift Guide and I will be writing a review in the near future. They have a huge variety of beautiful dresses that are perfect for the hot summer months! You can keep cool and look your best.

Besides the fact that the dresses are fabulous, eShakti offers custom-sizing and custom-styled dresses! You can give exact measurements to receive a dress that fits you perfectly. In addition, most of the dress styles can be altered in length and sleeve-style. This is what sets eShakti apart from other online stores and why they are one of our favorites!

Ready to see some of the new dresses? There are many new dresses, in all different styles, available on eShakti. I cannot resist showing you some of my favorites!

Floral Hem Stretch Cotton Dress

Forest Eyelet Shirtdress

Spanish Hacienda Sundress

Aren't those gorgeous! Look for our review of the Floral Hem Stretch Cotton Dress in the very near future.

Ready For A Giveaway?

Unique Investment Ideas For Your Family

Back when our first son was just a baby, we struggled to get by each month. I had a part-time job, we lived in an apartment and my husband was still in law school! We lived on my measly salary and student loans back then, just making it month to month. Times were tough, but thankfully, times have changed for our little growing family!

Unlike our life only five years ago, we are now able to save and put back a bit of money each month. With two boys quickly growing and one about to begin school, we have already started thinking about investing money for their future. College is not cheap, as my own parents learned, so I want to be prepared. I've been talking with my parents about the different options we have and he suggested checking silver bullion prices!

So far, we have been keeping our money in a savings account, but not earning much of a return. That's why we have decided we are going to buy silver eagles. The coins are collectable and usually maintain their worth over time. In fact, their value will most likely increase over time. What I like about investing this way is that it's so safe and I can keep the coins in-hand. I know they are with me if I should ever need to sell them.

I have to admit that when I was a child, I loved coin collecting! I had several from around the world as well as collectable US coins. I think that is why buying the silver eagle coins really appeals to me. Plus, they are affordable! I can purchase several, keep them in our social security box and by the time the kids are going to college, who knows how much they will be worth. That's part of the excitement!

In what unique ways to you invest money for your family? Do you buy silver bullion?

New & Improved Huggies Wipes & Diapers Experience @Huggies #MomCentral

As much as we love cloth diapering, we've come to realize that they just can't withstand an entire night with my son! Night after night, he was waking up crying with a leaking diaper and wet sheets, so I knew it was time to try some diapers. We have used Huggies diapers in the past, so I couldn't wait to participate with Mom Central and try out the new and improved Huggies Snug & Dry diapers and Huggies Wipes.

When I say the Snug & Dry Diapers are improved, I really mean it! They have made their Leak Lock better able to pull wetness in and lock it away. It wicks the liquid away from the skin very well, which I can say from our own personal experience. I have been amazed at how much these diapers really can withstand because my son really puts them to the test at night and during nap time. Plus, they have some cute designs on them that my son just loves. He is a huge Mickey Mouse fan, so when he needs a new diaper, he doesn't hesitate to go get a new "Mouse Dipe" for me to change him into. It's so cute!

Here's Liam looking very proud in is Mouse Dipe:

I love, love Huggies Wipes! They are my absolute favorite and now they are even better. They are stronger and I can tell they are definitely thicker than they were. I've found myself using them for much more than just diapers. I use them to clean off sticky fingers, dirty faces and even small spills on our hardwood floor. They are always around, convenient to use and work so well! I need to start keeping them in every room.

Huggies Sung & Dry Diapers as well as the improved Huggies Wipes definitely were a hit in our home. I've already bought several more packs of wipes since receiving our review pack, so you can tell they are awesome! What are your favorite diapers and wipes? Have you given Huggies a try yet? 

Be sure to Like Huggies on Facebook to keep up with all the latest news, promos, coupons and more!

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central for Huggies. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

Receiving A Beautiful Gift Of Flowers

This year my birthday fell on a weekday! I was disappointed because it is so hard to wait for the weekend for a celebration! I was at home on March 19th with my kids, as usual, while my husband was at work. The day was pretty much just like any other, playing, eating lunch and having fun until the doorbell rang. Who could it possibly be? As I opened the door, I saw what was being delivered and a smile immediately spread across my face. Flowers! My husband had ordered Flowers from Interflora! This was such a nice surprise and something I never would have expected. Plus, they were freshly cut and absolutely gorgeous. I couldn't wait to display them out on our dining room table for everyone to admire!

There is just something about a gift of flowers for a special occasion that just spreads joy like no other gifts can. Not to mention, flowers can completely brighten up any room in the house. Our dining room looks so much brighter and I feel like summer really is here! I smile every time I catch sight of the flowers. Only a few days later, our extended family came over to celebrate my birthday and the flowers were still beautiful, lively and colorful. What flowers did I receive? Tulips are my absolute favorite, so I was sent a bouquet of different color tulips.

This month just happened to not only be my Mom's birthday, but also Mother's Day. After receiving such a beautiful bouquet from my husband, I was inspired to arrange flower delivery with Interflora. My Mom's favorite flowers are daisies, so I found a huge bouquet of Gerber daisies that I knew she would absolutely love. As soon as they arrived at her doorstep, she called to thank me and was actually crying. She couldn't believe how lovely they were and was so excited to receive them.

Now I know that flowers really do make perfect gifts, so I plan on sending many bouquets in the near future. It seems like over the next few months many of my friends and relatives are celebrating special occasions and, being summertime, I am very busy with my two boys, their activities and our vacations. After receiving my own flowers and my mom loving her own flowers, I've decided to go ahead and schedule flower delivery for my mother-in-law and cousin, too! It's so easy to do and actually fun deciding on bouquets for them.


Have you ever received flowers from a loved one? Leave a comment below and tell us about it!

Mother's Day Gift Guide: The Sunglass Man Online Review & Giveaway

My hubby has to have sunglasses…. for him it is an absolute necessity. However, he tends to lose and break them quite often which means I don’t want him spending tons of money on them. And so that is why I was pleased to find The Sunglass Man Online. Finally lots of options and at affordable prices too – makes for a happy wife.

The Sunglass Man Online was originally a walk in store located in the exclusive Siesta Key Village on the Gulf Coast of Florida. In 1999 they made the jump to the internet where they have been selling affordable and fashionable sunglasses ever since. Dustin was excited to pick out a pair of glasses from their huge selection which includes sunglasses for the entire family. He ended up choosing a pair of sunglasses very similar to Ray Ban Sunglasses, but at a fraction of the cost.

Dustin was very pleased when his sunglasses arrived. These Ray Ban replicas are semi rimless with a sleek classic style – especially the angular frame and arms. They also feature spring temples and wide wrapped lens coverage. Plus they are available in five different frame and lens colors. Dustin went with the grey metal frame and smoke gradient lenses. I think he looks pretty darn handsome in his new shades, hehe.

Plus as I mentioned at The Sunglass Man Online you will also find sunglasses for the women and kids in the family too. There are quite a few pairs that I would love to have… and with free shipping when you spend $25, why not? And I know sometimes ordering glasses online can be a little daunting, but there’s nothing to worry about because The Sunglass Man Online has a money back guarantee! If you are not 100% satisfied with your purchase just send them back for a full refund, doesn’t get much easier than that.

So what are you waiting for? Head on over to The Sunglass Man Online and check out their huge selection of glasses that are extremely affordable. Oh and guess what? You can enter to win a gift card here! Just fill out the Rafflecopter entry form below.