Discovery Girls Magazine Review & Giveaway!

Times have certainly changed since I was a young girl.  There is so much that kids nowadays have to deal with, including technology, fitting in, being confident and assertive, etc.  I can see how my daughter is so similar to me and I wish I could use osmosis to show and teach her everything that I have learned since I was her age.  I want her to feel comfortable talking to me about anything and everything, but I know there are times when she doesn’t want to hear it from her mother. 

There were no magazines for girls when I was younger.  No advice.  No tips.  I would have given ANYTHING to have a magazine like Discovery Girls Magazine!  Discovery Girls is for girls aged 8 through 13.  It features many real-life girls talking about their real-life situations, which I think is more meaningful and will have more of an impact than a movie/TV show.  The magazine discusses advice for problems, such as friendship, beauty and fashion tips, decorating ideas, surveys and quizzes, and more. 

My daughter and I were able to review an issue of the Discovery Girls magazine, the Fab Girls Guide to Friendship Hardship (which is only one of the books of a whole set), as well as the 10^th Anniversary Survival Guide Collector’s Edition.  I can’t even tell you how excited my daughter was to receive this in the mail!  She read and read and was thrilled with the articles.  Early one Saturday morning, I found her reading the magazine in bed instead of watching television, which was wonderful! 

I cannot say enough positive comments about Discovery Girls.  I love the content, the advice, and the fact that it features real-life girls and not celebrities.  My daughter loves the content as well, particularly the fashion and decorating tips and the quizzes and survey results.  She is a “fashionista” if there ever was one and she is thrilled that she has fashion advice just for her!  She has asked for a full-year subscription for Christmas.  I am thrilled that she is being independent in her reading and I do not have to force her to go pick out a book.  She wants to read this magazine!

We also received the Fab Girls Guide to Friendship Hardship, which is one of the books from a whole book set.  This book contains friendship advice, which I would have loved when I was younger.  It discusses “mean girls”, cliques, the issue of popularity, evaluating your friendships, and how to be the best friend you can be.  This book contains quizzes as well!  I think quizzes are a wonderful way to have kids evaluate their own behavior and think about how they would react in all types of situations. 

Discovery Girls also has a fabulous website that contains a ton of great advice, as well as "Fun Stuff"!  Check it out HERE!

Thank you so much to Discovery Girls for allowing my daughter and I to review the magazines and book!
Discovery Girls magazine has very generously offered to sponsor a giveaway!  This prize pack includes a 1 year subscription to Discovery Girls, a copy of the 10 year anniversary Survival Guide Collector’s Edition, and 1 set of the Fab Girls book sets!!

Please complete the Rafflecopter form below for this giveaway!

Book Review: Creatively Ever After

I have attempted to teach problem solving skills to students and families for years.  It is not always an easy task.  Students are often impulsive decision makers.  I do not mean to imply that adults are not impulsive with their decision making at times as well!  I learned recently that the average person’s brain, particularly the region that controls impulsive thinking, does not form completely until they are 25 years old.  This is amazing to me!  All people learn better when you help them create a personal and meaningful connection to the information. 

Creatively Ever After, written by Alicia Arnold, teaches creative problem solving to adults through the use of a nursery rhyme.  Basing Creatively Ever After upon the nursery rhyme “Jack and Jill”, Arnold teaches the CPS model.  The CPS model stands for Creative Problem Solving.  Six steps are involved in the model, including identify a goal, gather data, clarify the problem, generate ideas, develop a solution, and execute a plan of action. 

In Creatively Ever After, Jack and Jill fall down the hill every single day.  They are on a mission to change their destiny before their eighteenth birthday.  They attempt to retrieve water in different ways and through taking alternative paths; however, the result is always the same.  They fall down the hill.  Through the assistance of King Cole, Greta, Humpty Dumpty, and other characters, Jack and Jill learn the CPS model and are able to think creatively to solve their problem.

Creatively Ever After teaches the CPS model in a clever way.  The book is advertised as a great book that helps business professionals and managers take their businesses to the next level.  I do believe this is true, but I think that this is a good book for any adult to read, regardless of your occupation.  I am wondering whether this book would work with high school students as well.  Personally, I am definitely a rational thinker.  However, as I read the book, I realized how much more I could be doing to develop creative strategies for both my personal problems and my small business.  The CPS model appears to have concrete steps and is comprehensive in nature.
About the Author:

Alicia Arnold holds a Master of Science in Creative Studies from the International Center for Studies in Creativity at Buffalo State College and an MBA in Marketing from Bentley University.  She is a certified facilitator of the Osborn-Parnes Problem Solving Institute.  Alicia has published on the topic of creativity with Bloomberg Businessweek, The National Association of Gifted Children , and iMedia Connection.  Her utilization of nursery rhymes in workshops was the catalyst and inspiration for this book. 

Creatively Ever After can be purchased at Amazon.com HERE!

 

*Disclaimer: I did not receive monetary compensation for this post.  I received a free copy of the book for the purposes of the review.  The opinions expressed here are my own.

Tuesday Hops!

Designerliners: Stylish Biodegradable Trash Bags - Review & Giveaway!

Sponsored by Tomoson.com




I typically try to hide my trash baskets and buckets.  I don't like looking at them.  My baskets are ugly and I usually have plastic grocery store bags in them.  Preparing myself for my new office this week, I did purchase a brand new trash basket to replace my old one.  However, it is still made of a hard mesh plastic. 

Designerliners are decorative trash bags that add style to a plain basket. They allow you to “Dress the Mess” – what a perfect motto! These bags are biodegradable; therefore, eco-friendly! Why aren’t more trash bags biodegradable??

The print of the Designerliner is on the inside of the bag. When you insert the bag, you will see the print when you fold the bag over the basket.

I was able to review the Gold Gingham print bags. I received 12 bags in 7 gallon 21 x 24 inch size. I took out my brand new trash basket that I bought for my new and I was so pleased to see how the Designerliner looked in it. I definitely think it will add style and flair! Designerliners are SO much better than using a grocery bag!




Designerliners come in ten colors/prints, including Pink, Orange, and Navy Blue Polka Dots; Blue Leopard, Black Leopard, Red Gingham, Gold Gingham, Red Toile, Blue Toile, and Black Tattersol. Depending upon the print, there are three size bags – 5-6 gallon 17.75 x 19 inches, 7 gallon 21 x 24 inches, and 7-10 gallon 24 x 24 inches.

Designerliners are available for purchase at designerliners.com, Ebay, Amazon, and Alice.com. The cost is $9.95 for 12 bags. Discounts may be available. Ebay and Amazon have 100 packs for sale. Ebay and Amazon also have 7 gallon Green Gingham and Brown Leopard prints for sale on their sites only.

Follow Designerliners on both Facebook and Twitter!

Designerliners, Inc. has very kindly offered to sponsor a giveaway! One winner will receive a pack of 12 Designerliners of your choice!

Here are the details of the giveaway:

Win It: One winner will receive a pack of 12 Designerliners of your choice!

Mandatory Entry: Please leave me a comment telling me what print you think you would like to have.  Please leave your email address as well.

Bonus Entries:
1. Follow Tidbits From A Mom publicly on Google Friend Connect. (1 entry)
2. Leave a comment on any of my non-giveaway reviews on my blog and leave a comment and let me know which review you commented on. (2 entries)
3. Follow me on Facebook or Twitter. (1 entry each)
4. Enter any of my other giveaways (1 entry each)
5. Share this giveaway on your facebook page and leave me the link. (2 entries)
6. The following may be tweeted daily: (1 entry each day)

#Win a 12 pack of Designerliner Biodegradable Trash Bags!  Ends 9/12!

@tidbitsfromamom #giveaway

7. Grab my button and let me know where you placed it (3 entries)

8. Subscribe to Tidbits From A Mom through RSS feed or email (3 entries for each)

This giveaway ends on September 12, 2011 at 9:00 pm EST.  *Giveaway is open to U.S. residents.  The winner will be chosen through Random.org. The winner will be notified through email and will have 48 hours to respond.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Photo sharing with FotoBounce: Have control over what is seen and who sees it!

I love taking pictures of my children and sharing them with family and friends. I typically do this on Facebook. However, there is a little voice in the back of my mind that says I shouldn’t be placing the pictures on Facebook because I have so many people that are my “friends”. I would love to be able to pick and choose who I show pictures to without a great deal of hassle. 

FotoBounce is a downloadable software that enables private sharing. It allows you the ability to create a private network for family members and friends to view your photos. FotoBounce is unlike the public websites out there. It is a software program, which means all of your information and photos stay local to your comptuer. You have all the control over what is shared and with whom.  FotoBounce users, also known as Bouncers, can import contacts from Gmail and Yahoo into their Private Network.   

I believe one of the best aspects of FotoBounce is the built-in face detection feature. Once you upload the photos, you tag them, which ultimately trains the software. The software will then automatically recognize people! You no longer have to spend time tagging each person in a photo. So cool!






On most photo websites, you save photos to a folder by date or title. I often end up with a massive folder that I need to sift through when searching for a particular picture. FotoBounce has multiple organization options. You can organize photos by Event, Place, Collection and Keyword as well as Date and People.

The software also allows you to log in to Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr straight from your desktop. You can upload your photos with tags and descriptions included. This is another huge timesaver!

If you would like to read more about the features of FotoBounce, visit HERE!

Download Fotobounce here today!

 

*Disclaimer: I was compensated for this post.  The opinions expressed here are my own.

My Husband's Medical Miracle

My husband’s health began to fall apart in the Fall of 2005. I remember it so clearly. It was my 30th birthday. He felt so sick and had to tell me that he had planned a surprise birthday party for me in order to have my help. My husband began years of tests and medications in order to try and understand what was happening to his body. He quickly lost fifty pounds and we did everything in our power to keep what little weight was on him.

After years of pain and trying different meds that were meant to simply mask the symptoms, we requested for a referral to a specialist in Boston. Our primary care physician denied the first request. She actually said that she didn’t feel this would help! We demanded the referral and she finally relented.

My husband’s new doctor happened to specialize in the pancreas. Although this was one of the only organs that had never been considered, we were not concerned. The doctor gave my husband a CT scan and everything was found to be normal. Several months later, my husband began to notice that our black lab would continuously rest her head on his abdomen. She would rest it on the same spot every night and when told to “go lay down”, she would refuse and rest her head back down in the same spot.

At my husband’s six-month follow-up appointment, he mentioned casually to the doctor that our dog was behaving this way. His doctor immediately arranged for a repeat CT scan that very day. This time, it was a deeper scan. They found a spot in his pancreas and had his biopsy that afternoon.

He received his diagnosis almost immediately. It was pancreatic cancer. As most people know, when someone receives a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, it is typically too late because there are no symptoms initially. My husband’s physical problems were completely unrelated to this cancer. However, they saved his life because he was pushed to search out a specialist rather than deal with local doctors who simply wanted to overmedicate him. Also, he never would have received the second CT scan if he had not mentioned our dog’s behavior to his doctor. Ultimately, our little black lab saved his life. My husband received six months of chemotherapy and is doing well.

*Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post for a gamma camera company. I participated in a campaign sponsored by Bucks2Blog. The views expressed here are my own.

Save Money on your cell phone with Tracfone!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TracFone for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

There isn’t a family out there that doesn’t pay attention to the amount of money they spend each month on bills.  Well, a typical family I should say.  Celebrities are excluded.  The cell phone bill is just another bill in a long list that you need to pay attention to, particularly what you are receiving for services for the money you are spending.

Tracfone enables you to provide your entire family with phones at an extremely low cost.  You can feel comfortable knowing you are receiving great service for connectivity and coverage with no contracts, activation or cancellation fees, or credit checks.  There are a variety of phones to choose from, including Samsung, Nokia, Motorola, and LG to name a few.  You may choose from “Candy Bar” phones to “Smart Phones”. 

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There are a variety of plans available.  You can purchase phone service cards through retail stores across the country or pay online in advance.  The second option is a one-year service card.  You can receive double minutes for the life of your phone and 800 minutes for $119.00.  For $19.99, you can purchase the “double minutes for the life of your phone” feature; however, many of the phones have this feature included in it.  There are also monthly plans for less than $30 per month for 200 minutes and $9.99  for 50 minutes.  These are great plans for kids and teens!

There are so many features to this phone, you should check it out!

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You can make international calls for the same price as a domestic call with Tracfone!  You can call up to 60 different international destinations at no additional cost straight from your phone!  Tracfone has a program called the International Neighbors Program.  This program allows your friends and family in Canada and/or Mexico to have a local number to reach you on your Tracfone. 

 Listen to what these real TracFone customers have to say!

Want to hear more?  Here are even more real TracFone customers!

Create a Photo Book with Shutterfly!

I think I have become somewhat of a hoarder of photos  I love taking pictures, printing them, and creating photo albums. There is no denying that it’s wonderful to be able to save photos on the computer and showcase them on sites such as Shutterfly, but I love to see them in print even more. My kids and I like to snuggle up and look at pictures together. We laugh about special moments and I tear up when I see family members that are gone.

Each year, I have created personalized photo calendars as Christmas gifts for our family members. I love that they are personalized and unique gifts. Even though my family members love the calendars, I believe I would like to mix it up this year and create photo books instead. Shutterfly’s photo books have so many different layouts and designs that allow you to create a wonderful keepsake for you, family members, or friends. You can use the “Simple Path”, which creates the book for you or you can use the new “Custom Path”, which allows you to custom design your book. Not only are there multiple sizes of books from which to choose, but there are so many themes! It is so easy – upload your photos and start designing!



Shutterfly has a large variety of products available for all occasions, including invitations, birth announcements, and Christmas cards! Shutterfly has such a variety of designs and themes. No matter what you choose, they will be eye-catching and memorable!

*Disclaimer: I did not receive monetary compensation for this post. As compensation, I will receive a free product. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Book Review - The Girl with Three Legs

The Girl with Three Legs, a memoir written by Soraya Mire, is an account of her life and her experience of FGM (Female Genital Mutilation).   As a young girl from an upper class family in Somalia, Soraya was teased for being a “girl with three legs”.  Not understanding what this meant, she questioned her mother, who reassured her that she would soon receive her “gift”.  Soraya didn’t understand that her gift would cause excruciating pain and significant medical complications and emotional turmoil for years. 

Femal Genital Mutilation, also known as Female Circumcision, is a custom that involves surgically removing portions or a woman’s privates and sewing them together.  This can cause chronic urinary tract infections and painful menses.  It has been reported that anywhere between 60 to 140 women have experienced FGM. 

Soraya describes to readers the painful experience of the procedure and the aftermath.  Soraya, as a teenager, is then forced into an arranged marriage with a cousin.  Amazingly, she finds the courage and strength to escape her marriage and pursue her education.  I do not want to give away all the details of the book, but Soraya is able to receive help through various people to overcome her medical issues.  Soraya makes it her life mission to educate people about FGM, aid those who have experienced it, and help end the traditional practice.  Soraya created a documentary entitled, “Fire Eyes”, which educates the world on FGM and allows women who have experienced FGM to have a voice.

Soraya is such a strong woman.  I attempted to imagine myself in her position and the pain, anxiety, and anger she must have felt.  I wonder what I would have done in her situation.  Would I have fought back or accepted my fate due to the custom?  So many people, including her own family members, were against her creating her documentary.  Many Somalians turned their back on her, including her own mother.  She was viewed by many as threatening a tradition, not as improving the culture.  It is amazing to think that the practice still continues in some countries.  I wish I could have an ounce of the courage Soraya has displayed in speaking up for herself.  She is certainly an amazing woman and spokesperson for others. 

If you would like to listen to Soraya Mire speak about being an activist, here is a YouTube video link:

http://youtu.be/vgg9g3wrq50

Visit Soraya Mire's website HERE!

*Disclaimer: I did not receive monetary compensation for this post.  I received a free e-book for the purposes of this review.  The opinions expressed here are my own.

Friday & Weekend Hops!

Review of Totally Together: Shortcuts to an Organized Life

I have mentioned quite a bit on Tidbits From A Mom about my intense desire to have an organized household. I was on a mission this summer to organize my home and I am proud to say that we are doing pretty well. I really want to maintain this though after I go back to work next week. Will it be possible? Or will I start to lose ground again?...I guess we will just have to wait and see :)

I was very excited to be given the opportunity to review Totally Together: Shortcuts to an Organized Life by Stephanie O’Dea. Stephanie O’Dea provides wonderful advice for families on how to declutter the home and maintain the cleanliness. After this summer of decluttering, my home looks great, but I want to keep it up without spending a ton of time cleaning each day. I just don’t have the time.

Stephanie O’Dea discusses the Daily 7 for a Highly Successful Household, which are seven chores that can be done daily in a minimal amount of time. The Daily 7 include the following:
• Make Beds Right Away
• Do One Complete Load of Laundry
• Empty All Garbage Cans
• Keep Your Kitchen Sink Empty
• Clean Up After Yourself and Help Your Children Do the Same
• Bathroom Wipe-Down
• Before Bed 10-Minute Clean-Up

I am pleased to say that I am doing fairly well with these. I do all of these chores everyday with the exception of #3 and #6. However, I need to tweak #7 a bit. Instead of cleaning for 10 minutes before bed, I clean up constantly. My husband tells me to sit down and relax constantly, but I’m not able to do this. My OCD kicks in and I immediately start cleaning. I should take Stephanie’s advice and wait to clean prior to bed and just enjoy being with my family.

Totally Together discusses so many tips for the family, including holding family meetings, planning meals and using a slow cooker, and taking time for yourself each day to help relieve stress and maintain your sanity. I have to admit these are things that I am not doing well. I look forward to using the journal for each of these tasks!

In addition to the advice provided, Totally Together includes a journal where you can keep track of doing the Daily 7 and weekly chores. In addition, there are also suggestions for chores that are specific in maintaining organization and cleanliness that do not have to be done very often. For example, “Purchase all birthday/anniversary cards and gifts for the next six months”. This really is one of my favorite features of the journal because everything is laid out for me and I don’t have to think about it! Lastly, the journal also contains tips for you for decluttering, recipes, and crafts!

After reading Totally Together, I know now where my strengths and weaknesses are in relation to organization and cleaning. At this point, I’m optimistic that I can maintain all the work I have done this summer. In order to remain optimistic, I know that I also need to make my daughter more accountable for her chores. Instead of automatically picking everything up after her, I need to make sure she is participating. Fingers crossed that we can keep it up….

*Disclaimer: I did not receive monetary compensation for this post. I received a free copy of this book for the purposes of this review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Wednesday Hops!

MathBlaster Review & Giveaway!

The creators of JumpStart have created Math Blaster, an online game comprised of cool graphics, characters, arcade games, and math! The Math Blaster curriculum is structured for children in Kindergarten through 6th grade and is meant to promote the development of math skills and critical thinking skills. The premise of the game is that your child has become a Blaster Cadet. As your Blaster Cadet participates in math training activities in the Academy, they earn merits and higher ranking, which allows them to participate in more activities.

There are certain areas of the game that promote math skills:

Math Facts (Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division)
•Zapper Turret Training
• HyperBlast Training
• Alien Wrangler
Fractions, Decimals and Percents
• Bolt Cruncher
Money
• Oozami
Place Values
• Ooozami
3D Figures
• Bolt Cruncher











Children do have the ability to chat with other children using two different modes. The first includes using predetermined words or phrases. The second allows children to write a message as long as the words are included in Math Blaster’s database. Parents are required to turn on this form of chat.
Math Blaster also has a blog called appropriately, “The Math Blaster Blog”. Students and parents can visit this blog to learn “Space Secrets and Sneak Peeks”!

I have been trying to motivate my daughter to participate in educational games and activities throughout this whole summer. There have been times that I have been successful and sadly, there have been many times when she can see right through me and I completely struck out. My daughter is what I refer to as a “smarty pants”!

My daughter performs pretty well in math for her age, but as with many kids, there are certainly skills on which she needs to work, such as using mental math and not her fingers. Attempting to motivate her to do math problems in the summer was virtually impossible – I tried! However, my daughter became an instant fan of Math Blaster. She loved numerous factors about the game including the ability to personalize her character, create a pet, play arcade games, and she loved the fact that I was encouraging her to play a computer game and not trying to usher her off quickly. I spent time playing the game myself to get the hang of it and I kept thinking, “What I would have given to have had this when I was her age!” I was a horrible math student and I could seriously have benefitted from having a game such as this. I love that this game has great graphics and isn’t hokey – it really is entertaining. I love the fact that this game makes learning and practicing math skills fun. Working in an elementary school, I witness students struggle with math every day. I will definitely be informing parents about this game!
I was also given access to the Jumpstart.com! JumpStart is for children ages 3-10 years of age. If you purchase a membership to MathBlaster.com, you also receive a membership to JumpStart.com. This is a great deal!

The generous folks of Knowledge Adventure, creators of MathBlaster.com and JumpStart.com, have generously offered to sponsor a giveaway for a 3 month membership to MathBlaster.com, which also includes access to Jumstart.com!

Here are the details of the giveaway:

Win It: One winner will receive a 3 month membership to MathBlaster.com!

Mandatory Entry: Please visit MathBlaster and then leave me a comment letting me know something you learned or something you found interesting.  Please leave your email address as well.

Bonus Entries:
1. Follow Tidbits From A Mom publicly on Google Friend Connect. (1 entry)
2. Leave a comment on any of my non-giveaway reviews on my blog and leave a comment and let me know which review you commented on. (2 entries)
3. Follow me on Facebook or Twitter. (1 entry each)
4. Enter any of my other giveaways (1 entry each)
5. Share this giveaway on your facebook page and leave me the link. (2 entries)
6. The following may be tweeted daily: (1 entry eaach day)

#Win a 3 month membership to MathBlaster.com! Ends 9/5!

@tidbitsfromamom #giveaway http://tinyurl.com/3uxav9a

7. Grab my button and let me know where you placed it (3 entries)

8. Subscribe to Tidbits From A Mom through RSS feed or email (3 entries for each)

This giveaway ends on September 5, 2011 at 9:00 pm EST.  *Giveaway is open to U.S. residents.  The winner will be chosen through Random.org. The winner will be notified through email and will have 48 hours to respond.

Disclosure: I was provided with a membership good for MathBlaster and Knowledge Adventure at no cost by Knowledge Adventure in order to test the products’ abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.

Get Organized for Back to School with AboutOne.com: $500AMEX gift card & free subscription giveaway!

Back-to-school time is ridiculously busy for most families – I am definitely not an exception. My daughter returns to school, I return to work, and my son returns to daycare full-time all on the same day. In two weeks, I want to feel as though I have “all my ducks in a row”, which to be honest, hasn’t happened before. Even though my husband helps out tremendously with taking care of the kids, I am the one primarily responsible for making phone calls, scheduling appointments, speaking to schools, planning schedules, taking the kids to extracurricular activities, etc. The responsibilities fall on me completely when my husband travels for work. Even though I am at work, I am constantly thinking about what has to be done at home. I often need to make phone calls from work or talk/text my husband to remind him of something that he needs to do as well. It never fails that I do not seem to have the right document with me at work and I find myself saying, “I will have to check when I get home…I will have to leave a message for them when I get home”.

I do not want to just organize the family for returning back to school. I want to remain organized for the year. This is a hefty goal. However, once I learned about AboutOne.com, I did not feel as though it was an unattainable goal. AboutOne.com is a digital filing system and more, enabling people to become organized and access important information in a moment’s notice. I was able to create profiles for every family member and upload important documents to each page. For example, my daughter has particular paperwork for her extracurricular activities that details dates and places where she needs to be. I was able to upload the documents so I can log on at work and view it all from there. I look forward to being able to upload my daughter’s school paperwork so that I can keep track of important dates and homework deadlines. This feature is one of the best for me so that I don’t have to carry around every important piece of paper! Also, instead of having loads of plastic containers in the basement that contain every piece of my children’s artwork, I can upload pictures of them to keep.

Learning how to get organized and how to declutter can sometimes be a daunting task, but I think that the features of AboutOne.com will make it effortless. In addition to helping me prepare for back-to-school, AboutOne.com can assist me in my ultimate goal of remaining organized year-round. Staying on top of maintenance for the cars and house, keeping a comprehensive address book, and remembering to schedule routine doctor’s appointments can be achieved.



AboutOne.com has a 17 day Free Passport that provides you with 17 full days of services with no expiration date (requires no credit card information). Use each of your 17 days whenever you like. Their Yearly Plan gives you a full year of access to AboutOne for $30 per year.

Here is some exciting giveaway news! AboutOne.com is sponsoring a giveaway - One grand prize winner will be awarded a $500 AMEX gift card and an upgrade to a free subscription + a $250 donation to the school of their choice! All other entries will receive an email with a code for 25% off a one year subscription to AboutOne.com.

Here are the contest details:
Mandatory contest entry: First, sign up for an AboutOne free trial (absolutely no credit card info required) HERE.

Then, you need to complete the entry form!






*Disclaimer: I was compensated for this post by the Global Influence Network. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Rizzoli & Isles on TNT Giveaway!

Based on characters created by best-selling crime novelist Tess Gerritsen, RIZZOLI & ISLES stars Angie Harmon as Jane Rizzoli, a tough-as-nails Boston police detective, and Sasha Alexander as Maura Isles, a smart, impeccably dressed medical examiner from a privileged background. Despite being complete opposites, the two women share an offbeat chemistry and strong working relationship that has helped them bust some of Boston's most notorious criminals.

Lorraine Bracco stars as Jane's demanding and intrusive mother, Angela. Lee Thompson Young is Detective Barry Frost, Jane's somewhat green partner. Bruce McGill plays Detective Vince Korsak, Jane's seasoned former partner who resents her being paired with Frost. And Jordan Bridges is Jane's brother, Frankie Jr., a patrol cop who hopes one day to become a detective.

Jane and Maura will take on a number of intriguing cases this season, including a murder carried out during a Revolutionary War re-enactment, a killing in a professional baseball team's locker room, a complicated case involving a surrogate mother and a case involving the Salem witch trials. Jane will also face the return of serial killer Charles Hoyt (Michael Massee � Flash Forward), who takes a special joy in tormenting her.

Among the guest stars lined up for the second season of RIZZOLI & ISLES are Ernie Hudson (Oz, Ghostbusters) as Frost's father, a Navy admiral; Matthew Del Negro (United States of Tara, Parenthood) as a mechanic who catches Maura's eye; and Bill O'Reilly (The O'Reilly Factor) as a potential murder suspect.

Mondays 10|9c on TNT

Learn more, get exclusive content, enter the sweepstakes and more at http://www.tnt.tv/series/rizzoliandisles

The Turner Network has offered to sponsor a giveaway! One winner will receive a Forensic Science Kit! The kit includes real evidence and real forensic tests - Dust evidence for prints to match against suspect prints! Test fabric samples for the presence of blood!

Here are the details:
Win It: One winner will receive a Rizzoli & Isles Forensic Science Kit, which includes real evidence and forensic tests!

Mandatory Entry: Leave me a comment letting me know what you like about Rizzoli & Isles and please leave your email address.

Bonus Entries:
1. Follow Tidbits From A Mom publicly on Google Friend Connect. (1 entry)
2. Enter any of my other giveaways. (1 entry each)
3. Leave a comment on any of my non-giveaway reviews on my blog and leave a comment and let me know which review you commented on. (2 entries)
4. Follow me on Facebook or Twitter. (1 entry each)
5. Share this giveaway on your facebook page and leave me the link. (2 entries)
6. The following may be tweeted daily: (1 entry eaach day)

#Win a Falling Skies Forensic Science Kit! Ends 9/4!

@tidbitsfromamom #giveaway http://tinyurl.com/4yjfgrb

7. Grab my button and let me know where you placed it (3 entries)

8. Subscribe to Tidbits From A Mom through RSS feed or email (3 entries for each)

This giveaway ends on September 4, 2011 at 9:00 pm EST.  *Giveaway is open to U.S. residents.  The winner will be chosen through Random.org. The winner will be notified through email and will have 48 hours to respond.

*Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post. This giveaway is sponsored by the Turner Network. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Falling Skies on TNT Giveaway!

I love science fiction and Falling Skies on TNT has become one of my new favorite shows. I was very happy to hear that Falling Skies has been renewed for a second season!

FALLING SKIES opens in the chaotic aftermath of an alien attack that has left most of the world completely incapacitated. In the six months since the initial invasion, the few survivors have banded together outside major cities to begin the difficult task of fighting back. Each day is a test of survival as citizen soldiers work to protect the people in their care while also engaging in an insurgency campaign against the occupying alien force.

At the center of the series is Tom Mason (Noah Wyle), a Boston history professor whose family has been torn apart. His wife was killed in the initial attack, and one of his three sons has been captured. Determined to get his son back and to ensure the safety of his other two sons, Tom must put his extensive knowledge of military history to the test as one of the leaders of the resistance movement known as the 2nd Mass, because of their location in Boston, Mass. They are constantly trying to gain intelligence about the aliens in order to one day outsmart and overtake them and hopefully rebuild their lives.

Moon Bloodgood (Terminator Salvation) co-stars as Anne Glass, a pediatrician who works with the surviving children to help them cope with the traumatic upheaval in their lives. Will Patton (Armageddon, TNT's Into the West) plays a fierce leader of the resistance, Weaver. The series also stars Drew Roy (Secretariat) as Hal, Tom's oldest son and a growing fighter in the resistance movement; Maxim Knight (Brothers & Sisters) as Matt, Tom's youngest son; Connor Jessup (The Saddle Club) as Ben, Tom's son who was captured by aliens; and Seychelle Gabriel (Weeds) as Lourdes, an orphaned teenager who helps Anne in the group's makeshift medical clinic. Colin Cunningham (Living in Your Car) is John Pope, the leader of an outlaw motorcycle gang and Sarah Carter (Shark) is Margaret, a wary survivor of Pope's gang.

FALLING SKIES focuses on the resilience of the survivors and their determination to maintain their humanity when all else has been destroyed. It is a tale of endurance, commitment and courage in which everyday people are called upon to become heroes. They may be outmatched, outnumbered and outgunned, but nothing can beat the human spirit. Most of all, the series is about the ties that bind people together in the most difficult of circumstances.

The aliens in the series are mighty, mysterious and merciless. They are highly intelligent and use military-like tactics, which makes them an overwhelming force against the 2nd Mass. There are two types of aliens that the human survivors have named Skitters and Mechs. Combining live action and special visual effects, the Skitters have spider-like bodies and incredible strength and agility. The deadly, robotic Mechs stand upright and can shoot bullets from their arms. The aliens control captured children, like Tom's son Ben, through bio-mechanical harnesses but have yet to reveal their ultimate plan for them.

FALLING SKIES is executive-produced by Steven Spielberg, along with DreamWorks Television heads Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank, Graham Yost (Justified, The Pacific) and screenwriter Robert Rodat. Rodat, who earned an Oscar® nomination for his screenplay for Saving Private Ryan, wrote the pilot from an idea he co-conceived with Spielberg. Mark Verheiden (Heroes, Battlestar Galactica) and Greg Beeman (Heroes, Smallville) are co-executive producers. The pilot was directed by Carl Franklin (One False Move, Out of Time).

Learn more and join The Resistance at http://turnerinfluencernetwork.com/ct.php?sid=15

The Turner Network has offered to sponsor a giveaway! One winner will receive a Falling Skies Survival Kit! This survival kit includes a first aid instruction card; light stick with lanyard; emergency whistle with lanyard, blankets and wearables, emergency blanket, rain poncho bag, and pouch with Velcro strap. The pouch is adjustable to make a belt loop, wrist strap, etc. This is a pretty large survival kit!

Here are the details:

Win It: One winner will receive a Falling Skies Survival Kit.

Mandatory Entry: Leave me a comment letting me know what you like about Falling Skies and please leave your email address.

Bonus Entries:
1. Follow Tidbits From A Mom publicly on Google Friend Connect. (1 entry)
2. Enter any of my other giveaways. (1 entry each)
3. Leave a comment on any of my non-giveaway reviews on my blog and leave a comment and let me know which review you commented on. (2 entries)
4. Follow me on Facebook or Twitter. (1 entry each)
5. Share this giveaway on your facebook page and leave me the link. (2 entries)
6. The following may be tweeted daily: (1 entry eaach day)

#Win a Falling Skies Survival Kit! Ends 9/4!

@tidbitsfromamom #giveaway http://tinyurl.com/3enetoz

7. Grab my button and let me know where you placed it (3 entries)

8. Subscribe to Tidbits From A Mom through RSS feed or email (3 entries for each)

This giveaway ends on September 4, 2011 at 9:00 pm EST.  *Giveaway is open to U.S. residents.  The winner will be chosen through Random.org. The winner will be notified through email and will have 48 hours to respond.

*Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post. This giveaway is sponsored by the Turner Network. The opinions expressed here are my own.