Participation

How many of you participate in blog giveaways? I've been blogging for a while now so my list of daily reads is a tad long. A few of the regular ones I read have really gotten into the blog giveaway realm of free goodness. I am jealous as I would love to get on that bandwagon, but I do my best to support those I consider fellow blogger friends.

One rule of thumb I personally go by is that if I don't really like the item in the giveaway or it's something I can't use? I don't enter. Why would I? Someone out there really needs or wants that particular item and I'm not going to enter, because if I won? I wouldn't appreciate it as much. It's just a personal thing and how I roll.

A few weeks ago, I mosey'd on over to my friend, I am BoyMom's blog. She had a right nifty giveaway going on with pest control. You could choose between indoor and outdoor. Being a new homeowner, I SO wanted one of those...especially the outdoor deal. I'm more cautious about what we use outside since we now have our Prissy Girl. Bless her Shih Tzu heart, she's close to ground and to be honest, I've got way too much money invested in her 7 lb. butt to let her get poisoned by yard chemicals. This product is eco-child-pet friendly and right up my alley.

I was contacted and told I won! Woo hooo!!! This past Saturday, I received a box in the mail full of my prize winnings. My family was here and my Dad was way impressed with the products I received. I tried to explain to his computer illiterate self the blogging world and giveaways and such. He kind of zoned out on my explanation, I think, but told me to keep up the good work!

I snapped a quick picture with the handy dandy cell phone (admit it, you've missed my cell phone pictures). I emailed Miss Boymom to tell her I "got the goods" and thank her yet again for a cool giveaway. (Proper manners dictated that, you know.)

You really need to stop by and visit her if you get the chance. If you are my friend on facebook, I try to post in my status now and again if there's a good giveaway going on. Take a chance and enter! What have you got to lose. My kids can now recite my mantra, "Someone is gonna win..why not me?" You can't win if you don't take a minute to say, "Hey, this is cool!" I'm not saying there's a giveaway every single day. Some times you gotta appreciate the real life posts (and they're good!).

Thanks again, Miss Boymom! Keep those cool giveaways coming, girl!

I don't know about you, but I always look in the background of pictures. It's like peeking into someone else's life. Let's see. First, admire the awesome goodness of the prize received. Second, that's my glass of sweet tea to the side. Third, those are Scoop chips we were eating to enjoy some dip I made. You can see Makenna's cute pink purse to the left and back. I believe that was my Mama's sonic cup over there. Way in the back is the nail station Paige set up. She was doing everyone's nails all weekend long. Yep, that should do it. Oh, and I'm debating on what to do with that table. The hue of the wood doesn't match my kitchen and I've received threats from some people when I mention maybe painting it black. How about that? A picture is worth 148 words!

** You can click on Miss Boymom's name anywhere in this post and be taken to her blog!

A Little Dove Love

I was given a great gift through the mail last week. Dove sent me a FULL size sample of their new product. Add in quite a few coupons for $2.00 off and I do believe I've scored big time. Most of you know I am all about free samples and especially the coupons.

It was perfect timing arriving as I was finishing up one deodorant and was ready for another one. I figured why not? At first I was skeptical because I'm not a "roses scent" kind of gal. I was pleasantly surprised, Internets. The scent is not bad at all. I'm not a gal who wears sleeveless a lot in life. I'm a little leery of showing these upper arms of mine, you know. I'm really pleased, though, with how this product is performing. I highly suggest you giving it a try, especially in time for summer!

Now, I could be stingy (and it's right tempting!), but I won't be. If you're interested? I got quite a few of those $2.00 of coupons left I'd love to share with you. In fact, today at the post office, I got a bunch of .03 stamps to finish this book of stamps I got in my wallet. I'm itching to use them and would be happy to mail you a coupon! You can email me at hope_greatamerican (at) yahoo dot com. I won't go selling your address and I'm too unorganized to keep it. I can give a character reference or two or three if need be. Hey! I'm cleared to live in military housing so it's all good, right?

Don't be shy now. I surely don't mind putting one in the mail for you and you can't beat $2.00 off! Go check out their site and be sure to become a fan if you're on that face of the books page!

Thanks, DOVE! You rock!

Check this out!

Normally, I don't blog on Saturday evenings, but sometimes you have to make an exception.

If you're bored and have a minute, skip on over to I Am Boymom, would you? She has a giveaway going on that might be beneficial to all...especially those with kids. I know after having viruses going through our home lately, I was right interested in this product.

Boymom is right nifty (I can hear her laughing over that word now!) and knows her stuff.

Good luck all of those who decide to enter!

Now I'm off to watch Harry Putter ....again.....with the family.

Take a Gander

A fellow Navy wife is doing a give away on her blog. I think its worth your while to go check it out! It's a family crest and I know she leans towards the military, but my thinking is she's so talented, she can whip up anything you can think of!

Check out Lovely Yellow Ribbons!

Bringing to Notice

I must apologize to my friend, Pikes Pickles. She's got ten kinds of excitement going on over at her blog this week. With all that's been going on the past couple of days, I didn't get to compose the eloquent post where I tell you to get on over there and be a part of it. Head on over to the East Coast, would you? She's doing a week of give aways that are just awesome. She's cool like that, you know.

Tell her I sent you.

The coolest week of give aways!

And the Winners Are......

MISS KRYS AND JAIME!!!!

Congratulations, you two! Miss Anne has offered all my readers a 10% discount on Paknaks. Just enter the code BTS10 at checkout. Thanks, Miss Anne, for letting me do something so fun! Head on over, Internets, and grab some Paknaks for your very own!

Because this is my first give away, I want to show you how seriously I took the job.

I used my very best yellow salsa bowl with every one's name on a separate piece of paper! Hand written by my very own left hand.

I employed the help of The Boy to hold that bowl up high. As usual, the television has more interesting things going on. This was drawing name one.

Drawing name two. The bowl almost tipped over, but was saved.

Congrats again to the winners and thank you each and everyone for playing along!

Last Chance!

Last chance to enter to win some Paknaks! Scroll on down a couple of posts and enter while you can. The Man will be drawing two names when he gets home from work (usually around 4:00-5:00 p.m. EST). I'll even take a picture of him doing so and make sure he wears his uniform. Why the uniform? So he will be true and because I think he looks good in it.

Good luck everyone!

I Love it When Everyone Plays Together!

Keep those comments coming, Internets! You have until The Man gets home from work on Thursday for a chance to win your very own....

PAKNAKS!

As you can see....regular programming will resume around this awesome event.

Edge History!

I am just tickled to say that you are a part of Edge history, Internets!


Last week I was contacted by Miss Anne of Paknaks fame and was offered the chance to do a give away. Me? A give away?? I immediately emailed her back and told her I would be thrilled to share the love with my people.


Miss Anne went on to say that she would do TWO sets of five for you guys! How cool is that? Two winners? Who each get to pick out five a piece? Get out of here!

You've seen The Boy's favorite PakNak in a previous post. So many different things can be done with these cuties.


Please go check out the PakNak Gallery and see what you can do! Headbands, back packs, lunch bags, bicycle helmets, and on and on. I have the dolphins I'm saving for just the perfect thing for my Submariner hubby.


How can you score your very own set of PakNaks, you ask? Well, let me tell you how! (I'm feeling like an infomercial right about now. I knew that insomnia would pay off one day!)


Take a stroll on over to the PakNak site and pick out five of your favorite ones. I know, it's hard. I already see a couple more that are new that I might just have to have. I have the vision of doing Makenna a headband or two or three. Miss Anne has also informed me that some PakNaks are made from recycled plastic. I'm all about recycling. Drives my family nuts how I have things sorted into their proper bins.


Pick out five of your favorites and leave a comment here on this post listing your favorite five. I'm going to run this giveaway until Thursday so the winners will know before the weekend to expect a package in the mail of their very own! I'll have an unbiased party (prolly The Man) pull two names on Thursday evening. I'll be contacting you to let you know you've won and so will Miss Anne. Please make sure I have a way to contact you-preferably by blog and/or email.


What have you got to lose? All you lurkers? If you know a child or you are a child at heart? Go for it! Pick your five and comment!


I am very excited and thrilled to be doing this and hope you enjoy playing along. Everyone who knows me personally will agree this particular one fits me perfectly! I think everyone representing the U.S.A. overseas right now should have one of these. Miss Anne's daughter has done a cute little Tube demo'ing the coolness.

Now, go visit PakNaks and enjoy yourself. Tell your friends to come visit The Edge and give it a shot. Be a part of Edge history!

Unless I come back and state otherwise, this is open for United States and Canada addresses.





P.S. I did not tell any of my friends about this so as to keep it all a fair playing ground. That, and the fact that Carla held my birthday party plans a secret for MONTHS makes it all the sweeter. It was a good weekend.

Visual reminder of how The Boy's turned out. All the kids at 4K think it's cool. He was all over that green frog when I opened the envelope. If it's green? It's his. The oldest was out the door this morning before I could get a picture of her peace sign on her backpack. I'll have to make sure I get one for you!