Congratulations to the following reader for winning a copy of Pulse Yoga II DVD:

Jen #5

Please claim your prize by verifying your email address and providing your shipping address using the Contact Form here. If any of the prizes remain unclaimed by 12th January 2010, I will be doing a replacement draw.

Thank you to everyone who participated

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

Don’t have time to go to the gym? Has the same fitness routine left you in a rut? Pulse Yoga offers you the intensity of Pilates, Weight Training, and Yoga combined in one structured class that can be done at your own convenience!

Argie L. Tang, founder of the Pulse Yoga DVD, designed Pulse Yoga to build strength, stamina and power, while improving balance and flexibility. According to Argie, it is possible to combine completely different exercise philosophies to get the most out of your workout.

This workout has been proven to provide positive results in the form of decreased body weight, hip/waist circumference, and cholesterol. Pulse Yoga has also been found to be as effective as functional training when it comes to total body fat loss, and aerobic fitness levels.

In this 60-minute DVD balance in motion is emphasized by connecting standing balancing postures in order to master control over the body in any position. The DVD emphasis is on:

• Applying the use of free weights in novel ways to basic yoga postures.
• Strengthening and toning key areas such as the abdominals, lower back, upper arms and gluteus.
• Teaching core awareness.
• Stretching chronically tight areas such as the hamstrings and hip flexors.

Price $14.99

WIN IT!  Who can deny that “Keeping Fit” is always on the top of our new year resolution list? Pulse Yoga is here to help by sponsoring a copy of their Pulse Yoga II DVD for giveaway to a lucky reader. Here’s how you can enter for a chance to win:

• One mandatory entry – Tell us why you want to win this DVD
• Two additional entries – Visit http://pulseyoga.com  and tell us one fact about the founder of Pulse Yoga
• Three additional entries – Add this blog to your blogroll and leave your blog url in the comment section here.
• Giveaway is open to US shipping address only.
• Giveaway closes on 4th January 2010 and a winner will be picked using Random.org. We will not be emailing winners, so please make sure you subscribe to our feed or check back here for the winner announcement post.

Disclosure of Material Connection : Giveaway courtesy of www.pulseyoga.com

Toys are an essential component of a child’s developmental years. Not only do they form an important component of early education for the child, they are also highly prized and desirable objects for the child, who can often spend hours together in the company of his or her favourite toy. The importance of toys in a child’s life is thus underlined by the large amount of time that a child spends in physical and emotional contact with these. Therefore, while buying toys for children; two major aspects should be thoroughly looked at – the physical safety of the toy, and the emotional and cerebral impact of the toy on the child.

Talking about the physical safety of toys, it is important to look at the material, design and construction of the toy in question. Materials like cheap plastics, lead paints and brittle plastics should be avoided at all costs. The design of the toy should be age appropriate. That is to say that small components and parts should not be present in the toys of younger children. These obviously constitute a choking hazard, and the child tends to lose these small components quite easily, rendering the whole assembly worthless. Look out for allergies to synthetic fur used in stuffed toys. The construction of the toy should not have any sharp edges or vertices. These can hurt the child.

Children tend to put toys inside their mouth quite often, so if your child is below approximately six years of age, avoid buying toys like putty, clay and paints unless you are absolutely able to supervise playtime. The educational aspect of any toy is perhaps even more important than the physical aspect. It is a proven fact that children learn through play, and also gather information about things as mundane as touch, smell and taste to more complex aspects like social expectations, gender roles as well as natural instincts. Do not force your male child to discard playing with dolls if he likes to play with them. Also, it is advisable to look out for features that can be counter productive to a child’s development. These include spelling mistakes on board games, utilization of retrograde and antisocial language and/or violent components.

Look out for the age specifications given on the toy by the manufacturer. Most importantly, do keep your child’s interests in mind.

Congratulations to the 5 lucky readers:

 1. kathy pease

2. Audrey B

3. Andrea H

4. Larry (cakeblast)

5. Wehaf

 for winning a copy of

 A Century of Flavor Cookbook each

Please claim your prize by verifying your email address and providing your shipping address using the Contact Form here. If any of the prizes remain unclaimed by 5th December 2009, I will be doing a replacement draw.

Thank you to everyone who participated

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

Christmas is just a month away and I am sure some of you have already written your shopping list and  started planning for your Christmas meal menu. However, if you are still looking for suggestions on both, you might want to have a look at Nielsen-Massey Vanillas A Century of Flavor cookbook.

Here’s a peek at this cookbook through it’s press release:

A Century of Flavor is filled with 50 of the most tantalizing recipes, highlighting the intricate, yet delicate flavors of pure vanilla and is written for the novice cook as well as the seasoned chef. Exquisite photography and helpful cooking tips accompany each easy-to-follow recipe. Delicious Nielsen family favorites include: Fresh Basil-Tomato Soup with Vanilla; Crab Cakes with Vanilla Rémoulade; Vanilla Lobster Supreme with Pasta; Vanilla-Mocha Café Cake; and Crème Brûlée French Toast.

The cookbook also introduces recipes using some of Nielsen-Massey Vanillas new pure flavor extracts: Pure Chocolate Extract, Pure Almond Extract, Pure Orange Extract, Pure Lemon Extract, Pure Coffee Extract. Extracts add flavor, complement and enhance other flavors as in the Hearty White Bean Chili recipe, which calls for chocolate extract. Each variety of pure flavor extract has its own particular attributes, flavor notes and aromas, adding their own intensity and character to the foods in which they are used.

BUY IT :  Delight mom with this tantalizing new cookbook this Christmas!  A Century of Flavor can be purchased online at CookBookMarketPlace.com, Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.

WIN IT : Want to win a FREE copy to cook up a storm this Christmas? Or simply to give your love ones a copy? Here’s your chance! I’m giving away a copy of A Century of Flavor to 5 VERY LUCKY READERS! Here’s what you need to do:

•  One mandatory entry – Head over to the sponsor’s site, Nielsen-Massey Vanillas and let me know one fact about the company.
•  Two additional entries – Tweet this giveaway and leave your twitter thread/id in the comment below
•  Five additional entries – Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post. Please leave your post url in the comment section.
•  Giveaway is only open to US shipping address and closes on 25th November 2009. Please remember to subscribe or check back here for the result as we will not be emailing winners.

Disclosure : Giveaway copies of A Century of Flavor, courtesy of Nielsen-Massey Vanillas.

Take ONE peek into our bathrooms and you will know that we are a family of Dove supporter.  From the body wash to hair shampoo and conditioner, our whole household uses Dove because it’s gentle on our sensitive skin. I was very suprise when asked to review Dove’s New Body Wash With Nutrium Moisture. I mean, we’re pretty happy to stick with the current Dove Body Wash but surprisingly, Dove has come out with yet another new BREAKTHROUGH FORMULA?  Could it possibly beat the one we’re using right now? Read on to find out…..

I received the Dove Body Wash With Nutrium Moisture collection which comes in three different formula. If you have sensitive and dry skin, you might want to try the Sensitive Skin Body Wash first as it is unscented. I am not a fan of  body wash with strong fragrance so, this is a plus for me.  I also noticed that it does not lather as much since this is a soap free product.

Next, I tried and tested the Gentle Exfoliating Body Wash. As compared to the Sensitive Skin Body Wash, this formula actually gave a wonderful luxurious lather.  It is also infused with tiny exfoliating beads to gently buff off dead skins. If you’re running short of time in the shower but do not want to miss out on your exfoliation regime, this is like a two in one product that can definitely save your time.

Finally the Deep Moisture Body Wash was given a three days trial. I like that the smell is light and pleasant and after each wash, it left a nice fresh smell on my skin. This formula has a smooth creamy texture which worked well on my skin. I didn’t see any significant difference in my skin after the first usage. However, after three days of continuous usage, I was pleasantly surprised that there’s noticeable smoothness to my feet  which are always very dry and flaky. Having said that, I personally feel that the regular step to apply moisturizer to my skin should not be skipped. Though these Nutrium Moisture Body Wash will help improve the smoothness of your skin, it is not meant to replace what our regular moisturizers can do for our skin.

Overall, my favourite is the Deep Moisture Body Wash, which I have alraedy added to my shopping list. All the three formulas are available at drug stores as well as local retail outlets like Target and Walgreens for about $9 per 12 oz. bottle.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/2

Hey everyone, here’s a heads up that Scholastic is currently running a really neat essay contest through their site for young readers to enter. The prize is a visit with Winter the Dolphin at her home in Clearwater Marine Aquarium! You can either download the contest details here (PDF) or read on for more details below:

ABOUT THE CONTEST

Winter the Dolphin has been an inspiration and hero for children and adults alike. When Winter was just three months old, she was rescued from a crap trap which had seriously damaged her tail. It wasn’t clear that she would survive but she did. However, the damage to Winter’s tail was so extensive that it fell off. To everyone’s amazement, a prosthetic company stepped in an fitted Winter with a prosthetic tail. Now Winter is using her new tail and thriving.

Scholastic wants to hear about an animal that has most inspired your children by having them tell us about their favorite animal hero in 200 words or less.

One grand prize winner and his/her guardian will receive a trip to visit Winter at her home in Clearwater, Florida, one night’s stay at a hotel, $500 travel voucher, a Winter prize pack and a Nintendo DS Game system! 10 runners up with receive a copy of Winter’s Tail, a Winter’s Tail Nintendo DS game and a Winter plush doll!

HOW TO ENTER

Send entries to:
Scholastic’s Meet Winter the Dolphin Contest
557 Broadway
New York, NY 10012

 
Each entry must include student’s name, age, and grade; teacher’s name; and school name, address, and phone number.

All entries must be received by November 30, 2009. Winners will be announced on or around December 14th. No purchase necessary. Open to legal residences of 50 United States and D.C. ages 6-14 as of November 30th 2009. Void where prohibited. Click here for complete contest rules.

I am super excited to partner with Yoplait Fiber One to run this giveaway.  In conjunction with the launching of their microsite, 50 readers of this blog will be rewarded with a coupon for a FREE four-pack of the new Yoplait Fiber One 50-calorie yogurt. All you need to do is sign up on the Fiber One mini microsite. Now, how cool is that!

Trust me, the Yoplait Fiber One 50-calorie yogurt is definitely a guilt-free, good-for-you snack for moms, in portion sizes, flavor variety and nutritional profiles perfect for kids! It’s also the only leading national nonfat yogurt with 50 calories and 5 grams of fiber. You can choose from  four flavors – Strawberry, Vanilla, Peach and Key Lime Pie. Fiber One 50-calorie yogurt also features a ‘Hungry Girl Seal of Approval’, the first nationally distributed yogurt to receive this endorsement.

Now, here’s your chance fo enjoy a tasty treat that is good for you and a snack your kids will enjoy, for FREE.  The first 50 readers to sign up via the microsite below will be sent a coupon for a FREE four-pack Yoplait Fiber One yogurt. You can also obtain useful weight management tips from best-selling author and food expert Lisa Lillien, a.k.a. Hungry Girl, additional product information about Fiber One yogurt as well as downloadable $1.00 off Fiber One yogurt coupon!

 This giveaway is made possible by Yoplait Fiber One who provided the information, product giveaways as well as coupons.