Featured Post

Always great giveaways at Peanut Butter and Whine 2016

Always great giveaways at Peanut Butter and Whine Holiday Contest and Sweeps  is proud to bring you the 4th Annual Holiday Giveaways t...

Monday, April 30, 2012

Winning money for May (the merry month of May)

 Another month, more chances to win money.

Win: One lucky winner will receive a $100 VISA gift card from StudioVox and Sage & Savvy. ends 5/28


3 winners will win FREE product coupons to try out all THREE of the new Trop50 teas. One winner will also receive a $25 VISA gift card. From Our Ordinary Life. ends 5/28

Robyn's Online World.Says: Stop Sleeping Around!
The Giveaway: One lucky reader will win a Sleep Sanctuary Prize Kit which includes a $100 Visa Gift Card, Sleep Sounds CD, Mineral Bath Salts, Lavender Oil Reed Diffuser, Sleep Mask, Package of Ear Plugs, and a Better Sleep Guide!  ends 5/22

Mama Lvs Books  and Sara Lees Deals & Steals is offering $30 cash and a bag of peas. ends 5/13


 First Class Fashionista says: win a Dove product package, which includes the Dove Clear Tone Skin Renew, Dove Clear Tone Clinical Protection and a $25 Visa gift card to purchase a razor and shaving cream! ends 5/10

Children Teaching Mama is offering a $300 Pamper Mom Paypal Cash. ends 5/9


The Mommyhood Chronicles.is offering: $50 Visa Gift Card and Aquaphor Products! ends 05/06



The Mommyhood Chronicles.is offering: $100 Visa Gift Card. ends 5/1

Sweeping Me is having a blogoversary party and is giving away a Kindle or $100 AmEx Card. ends 5/2



Sunday, April 29, 2012

I'd Like an iPad 3

I'd Like an iPad 3
I think it would be fun to have.

The Prairie Eco-Thrifter Giveaway Extravaganza: 2nd Anniversary with an iPad 3 and over $200 Cash To Be Won Plus a Bonus Prize. ends 6/6

Check out their post Save Money on Food Costs.



To celebrate Mother’s Day, Reeves, Aiken, & Hightower – Injury & Criminal Attorneys, are giving away an iPad 3!
You can enter into the giveaway directly from mommy of two little monkeys blog and the winner will be announced on the pages of Reeves, Aiken, & Hightower – Injury & Criminal Attorneys Blog, Facebook, & Twitter

Friday, April 27, 2012

New Sumer Wardrobe for me

2 Kids and a Coupon and other bloggers are giving away a $500 GC to Old Navy which will buy me a new summer wardrobe. ends 4/29



Saturday, April 21, 2012

Amazon is Awesome!

I like winning Amazon GCs because there is always something there that I need/want. (like the Fire)


APCodes is giving away a $25 Amazon GC. ends 5/30

To The Motherhood is giving away a $25 Amazon GC. ends 4/30

Mommies with Cents is giving away a $25 Amazon GC. ends 4/26

A Novel Affair is giving away a $25 Amazon GC. ends 4/25

Give oh Giveaways is giving away a $20 Amazon GC. I set a goal to reach 1,000 fans by Give oh Giveaway's 2 month anniversary April 24th and am pleased to say that it is a week early and we've reached 1,000 fans!!!  ends 4/24

Win Camera or Fandango GC from BlogHer

“The Lucky One” will be in theaters on April 20; watch the trailer now!
Inspired by the movie’s plot, BlogHer asked bloggers to share a serendipitous love story. Click on the links below to find out how they were lucky in love and enter for a chance to win a camera or tickets to see "The Lucky One"!  One grand prize winner will get a Canon EOS Rebel T2i DSLR Camera with accessories.  Three second prize winners will get a Canon PowerShot Digital Camera.  Five third prize winners will receive $30 Fandango.com gift certificates. ends 4/22

I have a hunch that all relationships are slightly skewed in favor of one person or the other, that a perfect balance, where each person contributes (and receives) evenly, rarely occurs. In our marriage, this balance is skewed in my favor. I ended up with the better end of the deal.
When I look back, I wonder if it wasn't a mistaken identity at all but more of that stroke of destiny and knowingness you feel when something is just meant to be. It was truly electric. Do you believe in soul mates? 
Mr. Sparks shines again with The Lucky One. I don’t know exactly what it is about his storytelling that pulls at my heartstrings and tear ducts. I guess his tales feel so personal and yet so universal at the same time. I jokingly vowed not to read his books or watch his movies on an airplane because I turn into a crybaby….What can I say, I love a good love story. I was tearing up at the trailer for The Lucky One. No joke. The Lucky One makes me think of my own first (and only) date with my husband 13 years ago. I met my husband, Eddie, a few weeks before our first date at work.
Do you like lovey-dovey movies? I certainly do. I'm the biggest sucker for them! They make you feel wonderful and happy, like you want to be in love with butterflies in your stomach for the rest of your life. My husband does not share this same view, probably like most men. Here's the thing about me and movies: I put myself in the characters' story. This is sometimes fun to do, but when I watch scary/thriller/action/pee-your-pants kinds of movies, it gets old real quick and I have nightmares. {And I hate nightmares, just for the record.} So I stick with my happy-go-lucky love stories...  
My husband and I were high school sweethearts. I’m pretty sure we were in the same science classes (and lots of other classes) every year of high school, which gave us lots of chances to chat and get to know each other. In 10th grade, we were biology lab partners, and I developed a huge crush on him. In chemistry, we were partners again, and we began to have study dates at each other’s houses to get ready for tests. In physics, we got to spend lots of out-of-class time together to work on projects like mousetrap cars.
This picture was taken last summer. Yep, he's tall, dark, and very handsome, and he still makes my knees weak 7.5 years later! Our love story is a little serendipitous. {Is that word?} If we both had not applied and been chosen to be on the planning committee for a service club at Brigham Young University-Idaho, we probably would not have met. We didn't have any classes together, let alone even in the same buildings. And our apartments were not very close to each other either. So it was definitely meant to be!  
Kevin and I will be celebrating our 10-year wedding anniversary this August (just 10 days after Baby #3 is supposed to make its debut!). I thought it would be fun to take a little walk down memory lane and reminisce about the early days of our relationship. Kevin and I started officially dating in September 2001. We had been hanging out all summer. (I had graduated from college in May 2001.) We both grew up in the same town, but he was a few years older.
I admit it. I am a romantic! My summers are typically filled with watching the kids play on the beach while I indulge in a good “beach read.” And seriously, who makes better beach reads than Nicholas Sparks? Although my husband, Matt, doesn’t share my same level of enthusiasm for romance novels, he is a good sport and patiently listens as I retell a book’s storyline and analyze the plot and characters. Matt has watched The Notebook with me (more than once) and even passed me a tissue or two when needed. I am so incredibly grateful to have a husband who is also my best friend!
I met my husband while I was still in college. I had met some other friends online and headed to visit one of them on a long weekend. He also knew the girl I was visiting and had come up to visit as well. Though he had been part of the same general group, I had minimal knowledge of him, besides his name. But so much of this traces back to a series of what-ifs, several decisions made along the way that led to meeting him in June of 1996. I graduated high school in June of 1994 in southern Ontario.

In order to comply with the FTC Endorsement and Testimonial Guidelines (available at http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/endortest.shtm), entrants who choose to blog about this Promotion as a method of entry will also need to disclose in such post that they are receiving an entry into a sweepstakes for posting such blog. 

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

A New Bed for Me

My current mattress is 20 years old. It's just a bit (OK, a lot) saggy.  Sometimes my cat slides toward me when we're sleeping because of the dip.  What I need is a new, comfortable

plushbeds :: botanical bliss natural latex mattress

I will sleep better and never again get a back ache from my worn out mattress. 

  That bed up there is the Plushbeds Botanical Bliss Latex Mattress.   It is made of 100% natural latex, which provides a buoyant sensation, relieves pressure, and leaves you feeling rejuvenated.  All while giving you support and density without sagging.  

 

Simple Mom Reviews and Plushbeds are giving away one of these great beds. ends 4/19

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Win $50 Visa from Olay & BlogHer

BlogHer invited a group of bloggers to try Olay Ultra Moisture Body Wash to see how soft and smooth it made their skin feel. Did you know that every bottle of Olay Ultra Moisture Body Wash has more than a jar of Olay Moisturizers? Sounds good to us!
Click on the links below to read their reviews. Each blogger is also giving away a $50 Visa gift card so be sure to read them all for your chances to win!
This BlogHer sweepstakes runs from March 20, 2012 to April 17, 2012 and is only open to individuals who, at the time of entry deadline, are legal residents of the United States and are 18 years or older.  Winners will be randomly selected from all eligible entries.

Olay Body Wash Review & $50 Gift Card Giveaway

I have a dirty little secret ... I hate lotion. Like, despise lotion with a passion. I hate the way it feels. How sticky it gets. How it literally melts off in the Houston heat. Basically I hate everything about it. However I was cursed blessed with dry skin, especially on my legs and arms, making lotion a necessity in order to look presentable. Add in the crazy Houston weather (hello 80 degrees one day and 40 the next this winter) and my skin craves a great moisturizer. 
Where have you been all my life? I’m not one of those people who generally buys into marketing hype. When a product says it will make your cellulite disappear, I roll my eyes. When I’m told that a certain herb will make me lose 10 pounds in a week (and I don’t have to stop carb loading!) I guffaw. And when I read where people go have liposuction on their lunch breaks (surgery free!) I think: what a bunch of idiots.
So let's speak honestly here - when is the last time you slathered lotion on yourself after a shower in the morning? Do you even have time? Anyone raising their hands? Yeah, me neither. If I am lucky enough to grab a shower before packing my son's lunch and then taking him to school I am doing it at the speed of light. The key to existing without alligator skin is to find some kind of body wash that has multi-tasking Mamas in mind.
True fact: I had to go out and buy a loofah to review this Olay Ultra Moisture Body Wash because I haven't owned one in years. I subscribe to the "meh, my shampoo sort of dribbles down and gets the rest of me clean enough" school of Shower Techniques. "But Suzanne!" absolutely no one just asked, "What about when you shave?" I don't want to alarm you, gentle reader, but I used regular old soap. 
Cracked! I'm cracked. No, no, not in my head. My feet. Someone stole the feet I remember BEFORE kids and replaced them with those of a ninety-year-old called Nana. Seriously. I think Betty White's feet must look better. It all started with the quick mommy shower. You know what I mean. Wash all vital parts quickly while kids nap.
You know how it is. You're a busy mom, you barely take time for yourself outside of a shower every other day and the daily toothbrushing and then one day you decide to put on a dress or a skirt instead of your usual mom uniform of jeans and T-shirt. Everything is fine and dandy, you feel good about yourself and then you're at the soccer field or sitting at a fancy restaurant and you glance down at your legs. And that's when you notice that you have three inch green scales growing off your legs.
I use body wash instead of soap. There, I said it. After 40 years of lathering up, I have finally realized that soap isn't the best thing for my skin. Maybe it is for you, but not for me, especially during the winter months. Increased water intake and constant slathering with lotion just wasn't enough to compete with the cold, dry Midwestern air I battle with from October to May. Not long ago, I realized that while my arms, legs and hands were always very dry, my face wasn't. 

My Skin Felt So Amazing!

This winter has been relatively mild – hardly any snow and few frigid days. However, my skin feels otherwise. While I have been able to spend some days this winter walking through Washington, DC, with only a light jacket, my skin has been as dry and flaky as it was during last year’s Snowpocalypse. I have been trying a variety of body lotions and creams, but nothing really seemed to do the trick. When I was asked to review Olay Ultra Moisture Body Wash, I jumped at the chance, hoping it would help make my skin happy again.  
The other day I was having a conversation with a friend about something I do in real life that I don’t blog about. “That’s surprising," she said, because you write about a ton of other stuff that I would never ever put on the internet!” Like how I’m writing this post about showering. Don’t get too excited, though, this is a G-rated mommy blog. Okay, PG-rated. Fine, PG-13. Sometimes I use pseudo curse words. Oh, crumb. 
If you haven't noticed yet, this has been one of the strangest winters in recent memory. Mother Nature has never been quite this fickle and it's been difficult to plan what to wear around these parts. We never packed away our shorts, flip-flops and sweatshirts. In California, we've had very little rain - and our front lawn is very dry.

Olay Ultra Moisture Body Wash is Luxurious Stuff

OK. I have been a DEVOTED soap, and ONLY this one specific soap, user for the last 15 years, at least. Maybe more. So when BlogHer was looking for bloggers to try Olay Ultra Moisture Body Wash, I sort of hesitated. Well, wait. Back up a bit. I live in Las Vegas - the land of hard water, dry skin and GOBS and GOBS of chap stick, lotion and moisturizer in your bedside table, car console, purse, office desk and diaper bag.  
After the public humiliation I created for myself by bearing my mustache for all the world to see, Olay figured they owed me one and passed along their new body wash to try. This was a much, much easier assignment. Instead of parading around all my unwanted hair, I get to shower with luxurious soap. Not such a bad deal. What makes Olay Ultra Moisture Body Wash so luxurious is the amount of moisturizing it does for you. 
If you heard a body wash had a jar of moisturizer in every bottle, would you be intrigued? I sure am. And as my 33rd birthday approaches this month, anything that helps this Mamma’s skin feel more moisturized is my new BFF! I want to feel refreshed, moisturized and energized when I shower--but not filmy or oily. I think we can all agree: body wash products that tout extra moisturizing but make you feel like you’ve bathed in baby oil are not happening.
I was one of the lucky women asked to review Olay's Ultra Moisture Body Wash, and I'm excited to tell everyone what I thought about it. I have used Oil of Olay products for years, including Oil of Olay body washes, and my experience with this product was just as great as my experiences with other Olay products. 
As illogical as it may be, somehow I have become that woman who took better care of her skin at 21 (when it probably would have glowed even if I'd washed it with Lava soap) than I do at 35 (when I should probably be paying more attention). Do I have lots of excuses for this? Yep. Of course I do! I have three kids. We're on a tight budget. I'm lucky to squeeze in a shower, let alone do anything fancy for my skin. I'm too busy reading kids' books to read articles about what's new and great. 
Winter in these parts has turned out to be a big wash so far this year, as we haven't really had any bitterly cold weather or snow to speak of. But we've still used the heat in the house and have taken hot showers, and that can really dry out your skin. While I'm not plagued with severely dry skin, I'm often annoyed by dry, tight skin, especially on my legs. I've got a whole set of different lotions that I use for different reasons, but I've really never found "the one" that cures everything.

I'm Sold on this Stuff.

It's 's confession time! Like many moms out there, I hate, hate, HATE going to the grocery. To make the onerous deed a little more bearable, I create little treats for myself in order to get through the trip, and one of those treats involves carefully choosing a new body wash each time I have a bottle that's running low.
In the winter, the weather can be very harsh. I live in Colorado at an altitude of 7,000 feet, and the winter brings colder temperatures, a lower level of humidity, and violent winds completely that void my skin of any moisture. When it is cold outside, the heat is cranked up inside, also depleting the moisture from my skin. 
Time to give a big shout-out to a product that has changed my life. It's the simple things, right? Well this body wash has simply been a life-changer! Like most women, it seems I have a cream for every part of my body -- a daytime moisturizer, a primer, a toner, an eye cream, night cream, you get the idea, the list goes on. I am all about saving a little time and energy where I can, especially since I need to cater to a newborn and busy two-year-old these days!  
Last summer I started a little series called Shower Shakeup. I found that I was using the same products in my shower, continually repurchasing the same things over and over. The horror! This is hard for most beauty bloggers to imagine. The reason? These products worked for me. They worked really well. I forced myself out of the box for a week, and I've (sometimes) written about new items in my shower since that time.

Dry Skin Relief in One Easy Step

f you need to know what season it is, you don't have to look at a calendar or even out your window. You can just look at Alexis' hands. She of short stature perpetually battles dry skin in the winter. While she gets it everywhere, the back of her right hand is the most reliable means of figuring out the season. If there is a rough patch of very dry skin there, welcome to winter! Now please dip my kid in a vat of lotion! 
Whenever I'm asked to review a body wash, my reason for saying yes is purely based on the fact that I am most probably out of or almost out of my current body wash and, being in the middle of finishing writing my book, I'm not leaving the house much these days...most specifically, my home office. In fact, I have to include "shower" on my to-do list as of late or it just may go un-done. No, I'm not proud. But what enticed me most about this product, given my very limited free "me time," was that it claims to have "Over a jar of Olay Moisturizers" in every bottle.
When I became a mother, I learned that a lot of things had to give. Particularly when it came to my beauty routine. I'm fortunate if I get a shower, put on clothes that have no holes, and get to run a brush through my hair. In fact if I actually wear something that matches I'm greeted with "WOW Mom! Are we GOING somewhere?" My morning beauty routine is where the most valuable time has to be shaved away. 
Recently I was approached by BlogHer to do a review of Olay Ultra Moisture Body Wash. I jumped at the chance because I live in a dry climate and am always slathering on lotion, so I'm always interested in products that will keep my skin hydrated. Most enticing to me is the more than a jar of moisturizer that is in every bottle of this body wash. The first time I used it I found it to be thick and emollient. A small bit lathered up easily on my bath poof. 
I have dry skin. I could soak myself in a giant vat of baby oil and somehow leave with dry flaky skin. Sounds appealing, doesn't it? The weird thing is I didn't used to have dry skin. Among other things, I'm blaming my dry skin on my mother and recent 30th-28th-26th-25th birthday. Now that I’m in my mid-thirties, I’ve noticed some major changes. The most annoying of all is that my skin has a newfound love of drying out fast

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Some Things for my Cat



My cat, Gigi:


Bella Savvy is giving away a Sleepypod Mobile Pet Bed which is the perfect travel solution for my cat. ends 4/14 

 Bella Savvy is giving away a Lean On Me™ Scratch Post which is the perfect fun solution for my cat. ends 5/11 

Whirlwind of Surprises is giving away 3 great packages.  ends 5/1
  • Prize Pack 1 -$180 (US): 1 lucky WOS reader will win a Black Sleepypod Air ($160) and 1 Fur Code ($20)
  • Prize Pack 2 -$150 (US): 1 lucky WOS reader will win a $50 Mr. Chewy GC and Soggy Doggy Doormat, Shammy ($60), 1 Trainer Leash $20, and 1 Fur Code ($20)
  • 8 Runner Up Prizes -8 x $20 (WORLDWIDE): 8 lucky WOS readers will win 1 Fur Code ($20) for themselves.

Time Out for Truffles is giving away a KatKabin Original
ends 5/18 

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Picture Keeper for my Photos

Picture Keeper is the world’s first all-in-one USB device with embedded software to protect pictures and other irreplaceable files. Picture Keeper is currently available in over 4000 U.S. retail locations including Walgreens, Archiver’s, Hobby Lobby, RadioShack stores and many independent Photo retailers and Scrapbooking stores.

I plan to win one from Deal Finder Dad who says:
 Win It: Picture Keeper has offered a Picture Keeper PK4 for one lucky Deal Finder Dad reader! Thanks Picture Keeper!

Monday, April 9, 2012

Denver Botanic Gardens Summer Concerts


We are proud to bring you another year of spectacular talent to the UMB Bank Amphitheater, Denver’s premiere music venue. Situated in one of the nation’s top botanic gardens, these concerts offer an unrivaled ambience of thousands of blooming plants and crystal clear music of some of the world’s most sought-after acts.

Tickets on-sale May 1, 2012, with exclusive member pre-sales April 23-30.
To take advantage of the special pre-sale, become a member of the Denver Botanic Gardens by April 16, 2012. To become a member, click here.
THE B-52s + Squeeze

THE B-52s + Squeeze

Wed Jul 4

6:30 pm

Denver Botanic Gardens - Chatfield

More Info

Nanci Griffith with special guest Greg Brown

UMB Bank Presents

Nanci Griffith with special guest Greg Brown

Wed Jul 11

7:00 pm

Denver Botanic Gardens - York Street

More Info

Marc Cohn with special guest Joan Osborne

UMB Bank Presents

Marc Cohn with special guest Joan Osborne

Mon Jul 16

7:00 pm

Denver Botanic Gardens - York Street

More Info

Natalie Merchant with the Colorado Symphony

UMB Bank Presents

Natalie Merchant with the Colorado Symphony

Tue Jul 17

7:00 pm

Denver Botanic Gardens - York Street

More Info

Al Green

UMB Bank Presents

Al Green

Mon Jul 23

7:00 pm

Denver Botanic Gardens - York Street

More Info

Mary Chapin Carpenter

UMB Bank Presents

Mary Chapin Carpenter

Wed Jul 25

7:00 pm

Denver Botanic Gardens - York Street

More Info

Diana Krall

UMB Bank Presents

Diana Krall

Mon Aug 6

7:00 pm

Denver Botanic Gardens - York Street

More Info

Ladysmith Black Mambazo and The Johnny Clegg Band

UMB Bank Presents

Ladysmith Black Mambazo and The Johnny Clegg Band

Thu Aug 9

7:00 pm

Denver Botanic Gardens - York Street

More Info

Shawn Colvin and Loudon Wainwright III

UMB Bank Presents

Shawn Colvin and Loudon Wainwright III

Fri Aug 10

7:00 pm

Denver Botanic Gardens - York Street

More Info

Kenny Loggins with Blue Sky Riders

UMB Bank Presents

Kenny Loggins with Blue Sky Riders

Thu Aug 16

7:00 pm

Denver Botanic Gardens - York Street

More Info

Gipsy Kings

UMB Bank Presents

Gipsy Kings

Tue Aug 21

7:00 pm

Denver Botanic Gardens - York Street

More Info

Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers

UMB Bank Presents

Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers

Thu Aug 30

7:00 pm

Denver Botanic Gardens - York Street

More Info

Buddy Guy and Robert Randolph & The Family Band

Buddy Guy and Robert Randolph & The Family Band

Sat Sep 1

6:30 pm

Denver Botanic Gardens - Chatfield

More Info

Pat Metheny Unity Band

UMB Bank Presents

Pat Metheny Unity Band

Fri Sep 7

7:00 pm

Denver Botanic Gardens - York Street

More Info

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Win Camera or Fandango GC from BlogHer


  “The Lucky One” will be in theaters on April 20; watch the trailer now!

Inspired by the movie’s plot, BlogHer asked bloggers to share a serendipitous love story. Click on the links below to find out how they were lucky in love and enter for a chance to win a camera or tickets to see "The Lucky One"!  One grand prize winner will get a Canon EOS Rebel T2i DSLR Camera with accessories.  Three second prize winners will get a Canon PowerShot Digital Camera.  Five third prize winners will receive $30 Fandango.com gift certificates.
The Timeless Love Story sweepstakes run from 4/4/12 through 4/22/12 and are only open to individuals who, at the time of entry deadline, are legal residents of the United States and are 18 years or older. Click here to read the official rules Winners will be randomly selected from all eligible entries. Good luck!

I Knew He Was The One The Moment I Saw Him

When I look back, I wonder if it wasn't a mistaken identity at all but more of that stroke of destiny and knowingness you feel when something is just meant to be. It was truly electric. Do you believe in soul mates? 
Mr. Sparks shines again with The Lucky One. I don’t know exactly what it is about his storytelling that pulls at my heartstrings and tear ducts. I guess his tales feel so personal and yet so universal at the same time. I jokingly vowed not to read his books or watch his movies on an airplane because I turn into a crybaby….What can I say, I love a good love story. I was tearing up at the trailer for The Lucky One. No joke. The Lucky One makes me think of my own first (and only) date with my husband 13 years ago. I met my husband, Eddie, a few weeks before our first date at work.
Do you like lovey-dovey movies? I certainly do. I'm the biggest sucker for them! They make you feel wonderful and happy, like you want to be in love with butterflies in your stomach for the rest of your life. My husband does not share this same view, probably like most men. Here's the thing about me and movies: I put myself in the characters' story. This is sometimes fun to do, but when I watch scary/thriller/action/pee-your-pants kinds of movies, it gets old real quick and I have nightmares. {And I hate nightmares, just for the record.} So I stick with my happy-go-lucky love stories... 
I have a hunch that all relationships are slightly skewed in favor of one person or the other, that a perfect balance, where each person contributes (and receives) evenly, rarely occurs. In our marriage, this balance is skewed in my favor. I ended up with the better end of the deal. In fact, I can't remember the last time a week went by without the realization that this life of mine, and the husband I share it with, are far beyond what I could've asked for or imagined. "Lucky one" doesn't do it justice...Perhaps "luckiest one" is a better fit? 
My husband and I were high school sweethearts. I’m pretty sure we were in the same science classes (and lots of other classes) every year of high school, which gave us lots of chances to chat and get to know each other. In 10th grade, we were biology lab partners, and I developed a huge crush on him. In chemistry, we were partners again, and we began to have study dates at each other’s houses to get ready for tests. In physics, we got to spend lots of out-of-class time together to work on projects like mousetrap cars. 

It was definitely meant to be!

Celebrating our 10-year wedding anniversary this year!

I admit it. I am a romantic! My summers are typically filled with watching the kids play on the beach while I indulge in a good “beach read.” And seriously, who makes better beach reads than Nicholas Sparks? Although my husband, Matt, doesn’t share my same level of enthusiasm for romance novels, he is a good sport and patiently listens as I retell a book’s storyline and analyze the plot and characters. Matt has watched The Notebook with me (more than once) and even passed me a tissue or two when needed. I am so incredibly grateful to have a husband who is also my best friend! 
I met my husband while I was still in college. I had met some other friends online and headed to visit one of them on a long weekend. He also knew the girl I was visiting and had come up to visit as well. Though he had been part of the same general group, I had minimal knowledge of him, besides his name. But so much of this traces back to a series of what-ifs, several decisions made along the way that led to meeting him in June of 1996. I graduated high school in June of 1994 in southern Ontario

Winning Money for April

Extra money is always good.

The Review Stew is giving away a $50 Visa card so I could get wonderful Mother’s Day gifts found at Bradford Exchange. ends 4/29.

Finance Triggers is giving away a $50 Amazon GC. ends 4/19 

 $50 Visa Gift Card and Tone Gift Package Giveaway From Welcome To The Motherhood Prize: One winner will receive a package worth approximately $100, including a $50 Visa gift card, Tone Fruit Peel Body Wash product and spa accessories in a canvas market tote with handles. ends 4/25

 

Dnbuster and Pals $75 April Giveaway 2


  Dnbuster and Pals $75 April Giveaway
  April 1st thru the 15th
  2 winners ~1 $50 winner and 1 $25 winner

Contest Corner is giving away a $50 Visa card. ends 4/09