Remembering Your Pet - Review and Giveaway

Note: This post will remain at the top of my blog for the duration of this contest. Scroll down for updates and other contests. Thank you!


When my beloved beagle Copper passed away in August, I was beyond devastated. I wanted some way to keep her close to me...close to my heart. I came across Ashes to Ashes Urn Keepsake and Jewelry Company and I knew I'd found what I was looking for.

The company was gracious enough to send me this gorgeous paw print Semper Memoria cross pendent:



Isn't it lovely? It's one of many in their line of paw print keepsake jewelry. Here's the description of the Semper Memoria Cross from their site:

"Our cross design is purposefully designed to resemble both a Latin cross and a crucifix. For most ancient peoples the cross was a metaphor for the four
indestructible elements of creation (air, earth, fire, and water), thus
symbolizing permanence. The crucifix is a symbol of faith and remembrance. The
design of this pendant provides a symbolic gesture for the Latin: Semper Memoria or always remembered."

The most amazing thing about this jewelry is that you can place a small amount of your pet's ashes inside so that you have a part of them with you, close to your heart, at all times. I can't begin to tell you how comforting that is to me.

The jewelry is VERY high quality, too, with intricate detailing and gleaming silver. The back is engravable (Ashes to Ashes does not do the engraving, however), and complete instructions for filling the jewelry are included, as well as all of the supplies that you will need.

It's a very easy process and I now wear my necklace all the time. When I find myself missing Copper, I just rub the cross between my fingers and even give it a little kiss from time to time.

Ashes to Ashes has so much to offer those who have lost a pet, from burial caskets and urns to numerous resources on coping with your loss.

Here are a few other items that caught my eye:



Pet Loss Care Package to comfort someone who has lost their pet. Something like this would've meant a lot to me when we lost Copper. It includes:

• Celebrating Love Booklet - Experiencing the Loss of a Pet
  
• Celebrating a Life - Remembrance Journal
  
• Programs: Guidance for a Farewell Memorial Service, & Candlelight Vigil
  
• Four vigil candles

I also like their line of wooden pet urns. The cedar urns are lined in satin and have a lock and key. The oak urns hold photos or plaques, and the mausoleum urns can hold a plaque as well.

But take a look at their laser engraved pet urns:



Here is a description from the site:

"With laser and computer equipment we can preserve your favorite pet photo or words of remembrance for an eternity in polished black or white marble. Simply send or email us your favorite photograph (scan to e-mail) and we will reproduce that image onto a marble plaque ideal for in-home or office display in the included oak pet urn. The result is a laser engraved picture with astonishing detail."

What a truly beautiful way to remember your pet.

Ashes to Ashes has generously offered to give away one of their exquisite pieces of jewelery in any style (except gold) to one of you!

Contest details:

Deadline: Enter by 11:59 p.m. EST on Wednesday, October 31. Any entries after that time will NOT be accepted. Winner will be drawn at random using Random.org on Thursday, November 1 and announced that day.

To Enter: Simply link to this post and to Ashes to Ashes. Then, leave a comment here with your link.

Non-bloggers are welcome to enter by emailing three of your friends about this contest and cc'ing me at: ablondeandherblog AT yahoo DOT com.

Remember that if you have won a contest of mine in the past month, you are ineligible to enter. Sorry!

Good luck and happy entering!

Merry Christmas, America! Giveaway

UPDATE: Bruce just informed me that USA TODAY has named MERRY CHRISTMAS, AMERICA the "Critic's pick" for gift books of 2007!!!!!! How cool is that?!!! Congrats, Bruce!

Can you believe that Christmas is right around the corner?!! Neither can I. I LOVE the holidays, and one of my favorite things about Christmas is the colorful, magical display of lights that pop up all around our town.

It's one of my favorite memories as a child, too. There was just something about driving with my family at night and seeing all of the colors and displays....it would just light up my heart.

So I was unbelievably excited when I found out that my friend Bruce Littlefield, author of the hugely popular Garage Sale America, has come out with a brand new book on my favorite part of Christmas!



Merry Christmas, America! is filled with gorgeous photos of Christmas displays across America, and the stories behind them.

Bruce captures the who, what and why behind the most spectacular Christmas displays across America. Want to know who lives in that house with the yard covered in elves, snowmen, reindeer and lights? You'll find out in Merry Christmas, America!.

Bruce's adventures cover small towns and big cities from coast to coast. You'll meet people for whom Christmas is a year-round labor of love. You know the types. The kind who go all out, spending tons of time and money creating unique fantasylands, some of which attract visitors from far, far away.

"These portraits of Christmas range from tacky to refined, outlandish to poignant - and the reasons they are created vary, too — but all are dazzling in their own ways, and the passionate people who dream them up have entertaining stories and anecdotes to tell that will make this Christmas the brightest, merriest, happiest Christmas ever. Just follow the lights."

The book is also filled with decorating tips, Christmas trivia and fun ideas! There's a resource guide that will tell you how to find and wrap the perfect gift, how to repack lights and ornaments, and where to find the best Christmas decorations, movies and Christmas-themed towns and neighborhoods.



Check out Bruce's very impressive bio:

"Bruce Littlefield is a New York-based designer, writer, and restaurateur. Hailed as a "design and lifestyle guru" by Publisher's Weekly, he is the author of the recently published Garage Sale America and Airstream Living, and co-writer of the best-selling Use What You've Got and Other Business Lessons I learned from My Mom with real-estate magnate Barbara Corcoran. Originally from the south, decorating for Christmas is as natural as breathing to Bruce, and each December finds him attempting over-the-top mischief. His personal collection of Christmas treasures can be found displayed proudly every holiday season in a 1940s Catskills' farmhouse, which he renovated and decorated himself."

Now here is YOUR chance to revel in the spectacular displays featured in Merry Christmas, America! Bruce has generously offered to give one of you lucky readers an autographed copy of his new book!

And the best part? All you have to do to enter is leave a comment here! Isn't that easy? Deadline to enter is 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, November 3. Winner will be drawn and announced on November 4. (UPDATE: Click here for a second chance to win Bruce's book! And keep an eye on the main page as there will be a THIRD chance to win an autographed copy of the book PLUS a very special Christmas treasure from Bruce himself, coming the week of December 3!)

Good luck and happy entering!

Get Ready!

More to come soon!

Domestic Giveaway

The Domestic Diva is having an awesome giveaway on her site! You could win a gorgeous, $400 Pink Dyson Vacuum in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness.

Dyson is donating $40 to breast cancer research for every pink vacuum that is sold. How awesome is that?!



You have no idea how much I want to win this one myself! My vacuum sucks....or doesn't suck actually....that's the problem. And I LOVE pink. And breast cancer awareness is a cause that means a lot to me as I lost my aunt to the disease several years ago (she was very young).

Since Dyson is known for making vacuums that don't lose suction, this one is right up my alley!

If you would like to enter as well (and why wouldn't you?), head on over to the contest post right away! Deadline to enter is the end of October and the winner will be drawn on November 1.

From Birthdays to Giveaways!

Christine over at From Dates to Diapers is hosting a week-long birthday giveaway! Lots of neat prizes to be won, but hurry as the giveaway is already in progress. (One of the prizes is from yours truly! *wink*)

Head on over to Christine's blog for full details on how to enter. And be sure to wish her a happy birthday!

WhyDoWork.com's iPod Giveaway

WhyDoWork.com is hosting a giveaway where you have SIX chances to win an iPod nano in the color of your choice!

WhyDoWork.com's mission is twofold:

• To enable anyone who desires to obtain legitimate home based employment
  
• To become the Internets largest and most trusted telecommuting and work at home website

Head on over to the contest post for full details on how to enter. Winner will be announced on November 1. Good luck and happy entering!

Hanes' Halloween, Part II

As promised, here is another adorable costume from Hanes:



Isn't it so cute? All made from Hanes' tees (I even used some leftover red and black scraps from Hanes' tees for the buttons and bow-tie instead of felt).

These costumes are so easy, and QUICK to make, so if you've procrastinated and still are in need of a costume, head on over to Hanes and pick up a few, affordable and comfortable tees to make a costume for your child.

I've always wanted to be one of those moms who made her kids' Halloween costumes, and this year, thanks to Hanes and their extremely easy-to-make patterns, I finally am!
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Note: Stay tuned this week for an upcoming review/giveaway that is very special to my heart. Thanks!

Barefoot Books Winner

Congratulations to Andrea from The Laughs Will Go On! She has won a copy of Catch That Goat! from Barefoot Books.

Thanks to Rebecca from Barefoot Books for sponsoring the contest!

Andrea, I will have your book out to you soon. You will love it! :)

Hanes' Halloween

My daughter Amanda is having surgery today, so if you would kindly keep her in your thoughts and/or prayers, I would be so grateful. This, and a new puppy, have kept me very busy so I have not been able to update you with contests around the blogosphere. I promise to get back to posting those soon. And don't forget to enter my Barefoot Books contest below! Thank you!

Halloween is fast approaching! Still haven't gotten a costume for your kids yet? Tired of spending $25 or more for cheap costumes that fall apart after one night of trick or treating?

Hanes has the perfect solution! If you missed my previous article with tips on creating costumes (and other topics) from Jacquelyn Mitchard (in an exclusive interview with Hanes), be sure to click here.

Now on to the adorable costumes you can create with simple and affordable Hanes tees!

This is the one I created tonight for Natalie in about an hour or so:




You can find the instructions for making this oh-so-cute gypsy costume here. (Click on "Family Fun Zone" once you're there).

Now don't let the instructions turn you away! I am VERY blonde and I was able to figure it out easily once I put my blonde mind to it. *grin* And it was super fast and super easy!

I'm a VERY busy homeschooling mom with tons on my plate and no sleep because of my newborn new puppy. And it was still easy enough to fit it into my hectic schedule, as well as relaxing and fun to make.

I am so kicking myself for purchasing a Fiona from Shrek costume for Natalie before I found out about this! ($25) Natalie loves the gypsy costume so much that she doesn't want to be Fiona anymore, and I can't return the Fiona one because, of course, she's worn it all over the house and applied all of the tattoos that came with it, lol.

Natalie said that the store-bought Fiona costume was itchy and uncomfortable. The gypsy costume is made with all Hanes comfy t-shirts and that was her favorite part about it.....that it was so comfortable.

I'll be making the other two costumes from the Hanes site soon and will post photos of those as well. They require less t-shirts than the gypsy costume, but I'm telling you....it's SO worth it to purchase the tees for the gypsy one. It's our favorite and it really is adorable. And the tees are affordable (and high quality) so you'll still save money over a store bought costume!

I was also thinking that these costumes would be perfect for a school play! I've participated in a few plays produced by our homeschool group and I'm going to be sharing these instructions with my fellow homeschool moms. I'm sure we could get creative and come up with some of our own using Hanes' tees, too.

Keep an eye out for the other two costumes, one of which I might offer as a giveaway if I can convince my kids to part with one, lol.

Barefoot Books Giveaway

There are children's books, and then there are children's books. If you haven't read anything from the Barefoot Books collection, then you are missing out on the latter!

I was sent a review copy of Catch that Goat! and was astonished at the bright colors, beautiful illustrations, and cultural and educational teaching.

How many books have you read with your kids lately that teach you how to say "hello" in Yoruba?! See what I mean?

Barefoot Books are designed to challenge young minds and "extend our children's horizons with a focus on our global community." And I can honestly say they really do all of the above!

I have an extra copy of Catch that Goat! for one of you! Just leave a comment here telling me which Barefoot Book you like from their site. Also, include a way for me to contact you should you win.

Contest will end on Sunday, October 22 and 11:59 p.m. A winner will be picked at random using Random.org and announced on Monday, October 23.

Good luck and happy entering! And be sure to keep an eye out for other contests coming up!

Island Baby and ScreamFree Winners

I am typing this post with my new furbaby in my arms. She is permanently attached to me! Which means I've had no sleep...ugh! Read all about her on my other blog.

Now on to this week's contest winners!

The winner of two items of their choosing from Island Baby Boutique is AreWeThereYetMom.

The winner of a copy of ScreamFree Parenting is Christina from Mustard Seed.

Congratulations to the winners and thanks to Island Baby Boutique and ScreamFree Parenting for sponsoring these great contests!

Don't put off teaching your baby to walk. Toddler shoes can help your toddler learn to walk. Soft baby shoes make a great baby gift for a family raising children. So if you know a toddler getting ready to learn to walk, toddler shoes makes a great gift.

Island Baby Boutique Giveaway

Note: This contest will stay at the top of this site for one week. Be sure to scroll down for other contests and updates. Thanks!


As the leaves begin to turn colors and fall quickly approaches here in Virginia, I long for the long, summer days that went so quickly by. I'd love nothing more than to escape to an island.

Since I can't, what's the next best thing? Kailani's blog,Island Life, and her tropical Island Baby Boutique.

So for this contest, I will be your tour guide and will show you all the wonders that Kailani has to offer in her boutique!

Our first stop will be Island Baby's Hawaiian Print Reversible Bibs:



Made of 100% cotton, these adorable bibs are "lightly padded for extra comfort and absorbancy. Reversible with a one snap closure."

Your baby will be in style with a matching, personalized burp cloth:



The bibs are made from Gerber 100% birdseye cotton cloth diapers. They can be personalized with your baby's name and accentuated with a print to match the bib (or mix and match!)

Save money by purchasing matching sets like the one below:



Our next stop is to the 100% diaper shirts:



These shirts can be worn as they are for warm days, or over a long-sleeve shirt for cooler days.

Next is the stylish selection of nursing pillow covers:



Made of 100% cotton, you too can take a fantasy tropical vacation, all while nursing at the same time! (pillow not included)

Our last stop is my favorite of all! Check out Island Baby's adorable personalized tooth fairy pillows:



Keep your child's teeth safe until the tooth fairy arrives with these 9" x 9" pillows with front pocket.

When personalizing either the burp cloths or tooth fairy pillows, choose from several cute fonts.

You can also choose from a wide variety of Hawaiian prints when ordering your other products. Your baby can be stylish with matching prints, or a little on the wild side with mix and match patterns!

Island Baby offers a flat shipping rate of $3.50 in the US, no matter how many items you order! You can't beat that!

Now you have the chance to win TWO products of your choosing from Island Baby Boutique!

Contest details:

Deadline: Enter by 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, October 14. Any entries after that time will NOT be accepted. Winner will be drawn at random using Random.org on Monday, October 15 and announced that day.

To Enter: Simply link to this post and to Island Baby Boutique. Then, leave a comment here with your link.

Non-bloggers are welcome to enter by letting us know what your two favorite items from Island Baby Boutique are.

Remember that if you have won a contest of mine in the past month, you are ineligible to enter. Sorry!

Good luck and happy entering! And keep an eye out for another contest to come this week.

We all know how expensive diapers can be. Most parents who buy baby
supplies like diaper
bags and baby clothes don't realize how much money you can save with cloth diapers.

Lil' Sugarplum Winner

Congratulations to "contestant" from Blog Contest Central! You've won your choice of two no-slip hair clips from Lil' Sugarplum!

"Contestant" wanted to win this for his wife and daughter. I'm sure they will love their clips!

Please send me your email address: ablondeandherblog AT yahoo DOT com and I will have Monique contact you. Enjoy!

And thanks to Monique from Lil' Sugarplum for sponsoring this fun contest!

ScreamFree Parenting - Review and Giveaway

Of all the reviews I have ever done, this is one that I could least relate to. Because I NEVER scream at my kids.

Yeah, right.

I think every parent has screamed at their kids, at least if they're human. So, if you're looking for a way to handle your frustration and anger in a more healthy way, ScreamFree Parenting by Hal Edward Runkel is the perfect solution.

Here's the definition of "ScreamFree from the book:

"learning to relate with others in a calm, cool, and connected way, taking hold of your own emotional responses no matter how anyone else chooses to behave; learning to focus on yourself and take care of yourself for the world's benefit"

Sounds good, doesn't it? The book will guide you through the steps you need to take to live this definition, from learning about self-control, creating space, consequences, and more to putting what you've learned into practice.

To get the most out of the book, the author urges you to read each chapter consecutively, rather than skimming from topic to topic.

Each chapter ends with a real-life story that all parents can relate to and it sums up the lesson in each chapter in an easy, relatable fashion.

From the beginning, your conventional thinking on parenting will be challenged. For example, Runkel says the number one myth about parenting is that "we are responsible for our children."

He instead says we have a responsibility to our children. What's the difference? You'll find out in chapter one.

One section that stuck out to me the most was "Launching Our Kids Into Adulthood" since my oldest will be turning eighteen in a couple of months (*heart skipping beats*)

Runkel teaches you what to do and what not to do in order to successfully let go of your child and give them their space and independence as they "launch" into becoming adults.

Runkle states that "ScreamFree Parenting is not a problem-solving or behavioral modification model; it is a growth model."

That sums up the book perfectly. Read his advice and watch yourself grow into a ScreamFree parent! And check out the ScreamFree website here.

I have one book to giveaway to my readers. Simply leave a comment here if you'd like to enter. Deadline is 11:59 Sunday, October 14. I'll choose a name at random with Random.org and announce it here on Monday, October 15.

Good luck and happy entering (and parenting!)

What are the most expensive baby supplies to buy? Of course baby
clothes and diapers. With quality cloth diapers and a cheap diaper bag, you can save a lot of money in the long run!

Win a Deluxe Emergency Kit from MomViews.net and Asioo.com

MJ over at MomViews.net is hosting a giveaway for a Deluxe Emergency Kit from Asioo.com

Our family doesn't even have a first aid kit! I know, I know. I need to get one ASAP. But just as important as a first aid kit is a survival kit, especially in the light of terrorist threats and natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina.



Asioo.com offers several different survival kits, including a 150-piece Highway Emergency Kit and an Outdoorsman Kit. All of their food and water have a 5-year shelf life! Impressive!

"Be prepared, not scared" is Asioo.com's motto, and you can be sure to follow that wisdom with the Deluxe Emergency Kit up for grabs at MomViews.net:



Head on over to the contest post for full details on how to enter, and check out Asioo.com's preparedness blog as well.

Deadline is TODAY, October 7th, has been extended until Thursday, October 11....so hurry over to enter! Good luck!

An Interview with Jacquelyn Mitchard Brought to You by Hanes

Remember the moving novel The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard? I will NEVER forget it. It was one that haunted me for a long time after I read it. So very powerful!

Well, not only is Mitchard a talented writer, she's also a mom of seven! Hanes.com shared with me an exclusive interview (under "Parent News") with Mitchard and now I am sharing it with all of you!

Some of Mitchard's tips will be used in an upcoming review I'll have on the adorable...and affordable...costumes you can make using Hanes t-shirts! (Click on "Make Fun Crafts" towards the left to see the costumes and instructions) Genius!



Here is the Q & A interview from Hanes and Mitchard:

Jacquelyn Mitchard rose to fame as the author of the first book in Oprah Winfrey’s Book Club -- the number one New York Times bestselling novel, The Deep End of the Ocean. She subsequently wrote five other bestselling novels and most recently published ‘Still Summer’ (released in August 2007).

Mitchard is also a syndicated columnist for Tribune Media Services, a contributing editor for Wondertime magazine and a blogger on her personal Web site. She now lives in Wisconsin with her husband and their seven children.

On Halloween...

One of the joys of living in a small town in a small state is that the kids don’t have to go trick-or-treating on a Sunday afternoon two weeks before the actual date. We go out when the cold wind rattles the skeletal tree limbs which makes for an authentic and ghoulishly delightful Halloween night. This also, however, means trick-or-treating becomes not just a race for the biggest chocolate bars, but a race against hypothermia.

The main issue with dressing kids who’ve grown up in the great up-north, is that they often ignore coats until the temperature is less than 20* F. So, on the night that kids actually have an excuse not to wear a coat (as coats aren’t very scary), it’s the layers underneath a costume that count the most – at least to this mom.

On Halloween costumes...

Simple costumes work best. Kids love to have the chance to wear one outfit to school and another costume for a party or Halloween night. Hanes lets us mix and match – after all, it’s not a big sacrifice to transform a tee-shirt into a tux! They can have two or three different looks for a fraction of what store-bought costumes would cost for a fun and easy Halloween.

On issues concerning moms these days...

We’re all wondering about rationing TV and computer time, and about the hours of homework and huge numbers of books our kids carry all day long. It seems that our children are little executives with day books and lunch dates, and that the blissful unplanned space of childhood is being squeezed out of existence. We worry that media idols are encouraging the idea that it’s okay to grow up too fast and become a parent too young.

On advice for parents...

Stay calm and do more listening than talking in a crisis. Most things that you fear come to pass if you have the patience to wait out a child’s “phase” rather than rush to panic. This goes for anything from tantrums to tattoos.

On how the Internet is affecting parenting...

It’s [the Internet] very important to ME. I can look up anything from a series of symptoms and find out if my child needs rest and juice or antibiotics. I can get ideas for creative projects and play. I can talk with other moms about their own experiences and issues with toddlers and teens, which is very reassuring.

On favorite sites...

Zappos.com, amazon, eToys, Hanes.com, MomSense, About Parenting.com and Mom’s Café on MySpace.

On dressing kids affordably...

Since I have seven children, affordable quality is a must-have. Clothes from Hanes are stylish and comfortable and I love that I’m able to rely on Hanes, for my children, my husband and myself, for comfortable, well-made stylish clothes that don’t give out after numerous washings.

On what’s going on and coming up...

Writing and working with Hanes.com/kids to help spread the word about the brand’s new site just for moms and kids! My novel, “Still Summer” about four friends fighting to survive after a pleasure cruise turns into a nightmare was just published, as well as my second young adult novel, “All We Know of Heaven.”

I’ll be writing two more young adult mysteries and I HOPE they’ll become an enduring series! I continue to raise funds for MS, which affects the life of my best friend from childhood and am teaching a fiction seminary this spring in Fiji!

Lil' Sugarplum

Important contest update! Due to the low volume of entries, Monique and I decided to loosen up the rules on this one a bit AND to sweeten the pot! See rules and prize updates below (in bold). Thanks!

Natalie has been growing her bangs out and it's been so hard to get her hair clips to stay in place. Until Monique from Lil' Sugarplum sent me this adorable Chocolate Strawberry Swirl no-slip hair clip (#1 in the set):







Lil' Sugarplum offers a wide variety of adorable no-slip hair clips for babies, toddlers and even mommy/daughter sets!

Check out these too-cute-for words Dragonflies Baby Hair Clips:

The clips will work on even fine baby hair and the ribbon ends are heat sealed to prevent fraying.

Monique is offering a free clip TWO free clips of your choice from her collection (value up to $14) plus free shipping and handling to one of you! So head over to Lil' Sugarplum and see which ones you would like to win!

Contest details:

Deadline: Enter by 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, October 7. Any entries after that time will NOT be accepted. Winner will be drawn on Monday, October 8 and announced that day.

To Enter: UPDATED WITH CHANGE Simply comment here letting us know what your two favorite clips are. For those that have already linked to Lil' Sugarplum on your blog, you will be given a double entry (and those who want to link on your blog now will also be given a double entry...just be sure to give me your link in the comments).

Non-bloggers are welcome to enter by also letting us know what your two favorite clips are.

Remember that if you have won a contest of mine in the past month, you are ineligible to enter. Sorry!

Good luck and happy entering! And keep an eye out for another contest to come this week.

Contests Around the Blogosphere, October 3

Be sure to scroll down to check for other contests going on. There are a lot still up for grabs! And please help me in my efforts to fight Alzheimer's Disease. It's very easy! Just click here. Thank you!





Laura from Laura Williams' Musings is giving away a bundle of three educational ebooks. Click here for all of the details and to enter. Contest ends next Friday, October 5th at 11:59 pm.



She's also giving away a M.O.M.S. Recipes Cd with TONS of delicious recipes on it! Click here for full details. Deadline is Friday, October 5th at 11:59 PM.
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Head on over to enter to win a free template! Deadline is October 4th.
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Mama Luxe is having an awesome Halloween contest over at Mamanista.

Winner receives a $50 gift certificate to Half Price Costumes! Click here for complete details. Deadline is October 5, 2007, just before the "Witching Hour" (11:59 EST).


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Drea and Elizabeth over at DE Reviews are giving away a $50 gift certificate to Kangaroodle! Check out the contest post for full details. Deadline to enter is this Saturday, October 6.


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Scribbit is hosting a winter bazaar that runs from October through March, with a winner each month!

This month's prize is a choice of one of two costumes: a green dinosaur (or lizard) or a stinkbug, approximately a U.S. size 6.

Here's my Halloween idea for the contest: When I was a kid, I went to a haunted house where we were brought into a room blindfolded and had to "feel" into bowls of creepy things (that just sounds wrong, lol).

Anyway, they used spaghetti for guts and brains and olives for eyeballs. There were more, but I can't remember them now. So if you want to gross out your kids, go ahead and give it a try! :)
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Lisa from Lisa's Chaos is having a contest where you can win a beautiful cross-stitch like the one pictured here:



Click here for all the details. Deadline to enter is Wednesday, October 10.
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Camy Tang, author of Sushi for One is hosting a giveaway with TONS of prizes...books, Ipods...Amazon certificates...you must go see for yourself!

Click here for all the details. And if you enter, I would be so grateful if you could list my email address as the referral in the contest form: ablondeandherblog AT yahoo DOT com (only with the @ and the period, of course).

Deadline is October 31.
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Good luck and happy entering!

Please Help Me Fight Alzheimer's Disease

I have a post up on my other blog about my experience at this past weekend's Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk.

Now I need your help, and there's a chance to win free jewelry involved! (Who couldn't use free jewelry!)

Just click here for full details. Thank you!

Skimbaco and Beacon Street Girls Winners!

Thanks to everyone who entered to win a $100 shopping spree at Skimbaco and/or a free book from the Beacon Street Girls series.

And the winners are......

Doreen from Doreen's Place, who won the Skimbaco shopping spree.

Laura from Laura Williams' Musings who won the Beacon Street Girls book of her choice.

Congratulations winners, and thanks to the contest sponsors for their generosity!