Queen Mother Blog

I'm so excited to host a giveaway especially for readers here in my area! Sesame Street Live is coming to the Philadelphia area March 4-7 at the Susquehanna Bank Center Indoor Theater!

If you're not familiar, Sesame Street Live is a larger-than-life, musical touring stage production featuring your favorite Sesame Street characters: Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Bert & Ernie, etc! Each performance is 90 minutes of singing, dancing and audience participation, including a 15-minute intermission to get the wiggles out! :)

This particular show is called "Elmo's Green Thumb":  "When Elmo’s sunflower, Sunny, outgrows his flower pot, Big Bird’s garden seems to be the perfect place for Sunny to flourish. An excited Abby Cadabby, Sesame Street’s fairy-in-training, casts a spell to make Sunny grow faster. The spell does just the opposite and, instead of growing, Elmo and his friends shrink! As Abby tries to reverse the spell, Elmo, Zoe, Telly and friends explore Big Bird’s garden from a smaller perspective and learn some big lessons about patience, overcoming fears and appreciation of nature."

I think that sounds like such a fun show! There are lots of show times and different price ranges for seating.  Click here for more details on the show dates and times.  I'm giving away a FREE family 4-pack of tickets that you can use towards whichever date and time works best for you!

Here's how to enter:
Just leave a comment letting me know which Sesame Street character is your favorite! Be sure that you leave a valid email address either in your profile or in your comment so that I can contact you if you win. You can enter it like queenmotherblog(at)gmail[dot]com if you are worried about spammers.

Optional:  If you'd like additional entries you may:
Subscribe to my blog (either by feed or email)
Follow the blog (see "My loyal subjects" :)
Follow me on Twitter
Tweet about this giveaway (leave link to your tweet, 1x per day, max. 3 tweet entries)
Blog about this giveaway (leave link to your post) = 5 extra entries!
***Just be sure to leave a separate comment for each extra entry, so that you get all the chances you've earned when I do the number generator***

Looking to purchase tickets right away?
Click here to purchase from LiveNation and use passcode: ERNIE to receive $3 off tickets!

This giveaway is for the Philadelphia show only, therefore this giveaway is US only.  Contest will end by 8PM on February 8th and will be a random drawing.  Good luck!

Disclosure:  This giveaway is sponsored by The VEE Corporation & Sesame Street Live.  I was not compensated in any way to host this giveaway.

My blog-friend (and Martha Stewart excursion roomie!) Kelly of The Censtible Life is celebrating her one year blog-iversary with a bunch of giveaways (including cash) totaling over $600!

Click here to go right to her giveaway post and starting entering!  Good luck!

...She's so much better than me, who forgot my blog-iversary ;o)

As usual, I have been busy-busy lately and I've been wanting to catch up on a few posts that I just need to blog about. So here is the first! The winner of the "If Your Kid Eats This Book..." giveaway is....Sarah!

Congratulations Sarah =) You should have an email from me, if you didn't receive it then please let me know.

Thanks to everyone who entered!

The random-number winner of this giveaway is #27...that is...(this is my drumroll)....Michelle!  Congratulations Michelle and you should receive an email from me asking for your mailing information.  If you didn't, contact me.

At the very end of my pregnancy with Rayna, I went to the ob-gyn to get the usual non-stress tests and the like. Before the tech got started with me, she asked if I had used any cocoa butter on my belly that day. I told her that I hadn’t, and she said that was good because caffeine from the cocoa butter could enter my bloodstream and give the baby an erratic heartbeat, thus causing mixed test results. I went home and tried researching this and I didn’t find anything to indicate that it was true, but it did get me thinking.

When I was pregnant I went through great lengths to stay away from paint fumes, lunch meat (the hardest for me, since I craved Italian hoagies every day, lol), possibly unpasteurized cheeses, etc, but I never really gave too much thought to what items I was slathering on my body multiple times a day. Belli Skincare is the #1 recommended pregnancy skincare brand by OB-GYNS and is the only skin care line in the world that is teratology screened. That means that every product and ingredient is safe, even for pregnant mommies. I wish I had heard of Belli when I was pregnant, because I definitely would have confidently used their products (and possibly even saved myself a few stretch marks in the process).

Well when Belli Skincare asked if I would review their products I was pretty excited. You know all about my frugality and I have to say that I don’t buy cool stuff for me very often. They hooked me up with some awesome products and I’m going to go over a few of my favorites here. They also are so generous to give a special discount to my readers and one lucky reader will win a Motherhood Essentials Kit (valued at $38.99)! Keep reading to get all the details.

The Motherhood Essentials Kit contains:

-Pure Comfort Nursing Cream- Now, I am not currently nursing, but I do have SUPER dry skin, so I used this thick lanolin balm to moisturize really dry spots (like elbows and knees).
-Eye Brightening Cream- This one really was awesome. It revives puffy and tired eyes and must contain some type of light-reflecting property, because instantly my dark circles looked much improved. Not that I'm traveling anywhere these days, but I think this would be great to perk your face up after those long, dry flights.
-Body Firming Serum- I don’t know if there is a product under the sun that could firm my stretch-marked stomach. My husband was VERY concerned that I was going to post before and after pictures…seriously! What could he really have been thinking?! Anyway, I have tried all of the stuff I could think to try, like Bio-oil, PreferOn, etc. and nothing has helped. I can honestly say that I have seen some improvement in my saggy belly skin since using this product. Now according to the Belli website, you can use this product all over as “a multi-vitamin for your skin”, but so far I have exclusively used it on my stomach. You won’t see any after pictures, but you can take my word for it.
-Moisturizing Hand Sanitizer- Pretty straight-forward. Moms are constantly sanitizing their hands and those Purell-types leave skin pretty dry. This hand sanitizer actually leaves them softer than they were before. The size that comes in this kit is perfect for the diaper bag.

I got to try a few other products, including the Belli Baby Bundle of Joy Gift Set which left Rayna soft and smelling faintly like honey. Yummy! ;) But my favorite product was the Skin Smoothing Body Exfoliator. Honestly, this was the first thing I tried because I love anything that smells minty. I used this exfoliator before I applied the Body Firming Serum, so that everything would absorb the way it should. I like that the consistency of the “scrubbers” is like a fine sand (instead of those ones that feel like broken shells, you know which ones I mean!) and doesn’t hurt or irritate you in the process. So combine the refreshingly minty smell and that it gently sloughs away dead skin cells and you have my new favorite scrub.

I think that Belli Skincare really fits the need for products that you can feel good about using and giving to others, knowing that they are both safe and effective. But I’m sure you’ve heard enough of my thoughts on them and are ready to try some out yourself or give to a loved one. Check out the Belli Skincare website here and shop around. When you place an order, you will receive a 20% discount for being a reader of mine. Just enter the code OTHERHOOD at checkout.

PS- The folks from Belli found my blog through my friends at Otherhood, a social event company for moms in South Jersey. -- If you are in this area and are looking to get out of the house (with and without your little one!) check out their website here for their awesome events. I have been to a few of them and they’re fun and worthwhile. You can also check out (and subscribe/follow) their blog.

Also ready to enter the giveaway? To enter: Visit Belli Skincare and then come back here and post a comment telling me which product you’d most like to try. Be sure to include your email address so I can get a hold of you if you win! If you are worried about spammers, type your email address something like this: queenmotherblog(at)gmail{dot}com and you're good! This giveaway is open to residents of the US only.


**Want up to FOUR extra entries?**
1. Add my button to your site! Look over to my right sidebar where it says "Grab this button!" and copy and paste the code somewhere on your site. Then come back and leave me the link to your page in a comment.
2. You can post about this giveaway on your blog and then leave the link to your post in a comment. Though I would love a fancy write-up, a quick link on one of your posts will do!
3. Subscribe to my feed and post a comment letting me know.
4. Follow my blog and post a separate comment letting me know.

Just be sure to post separate comments for each additional entry, as I will be using a random number generator to choose the winners from all of the comments.

I will be accepting entries until 5 PM EST on April 17, 2009. The winners will be notified by email and also a post here on the site. Enjoy, and good luck!!

Hooray! I stopped taking entries for the Yoplait prize pack giveaway yesterday at 5 PM and used a random number generator this morning to pick the winners!

Congratulations to:

jtmkcm@---.com
Jayfr
Jackie

I guess the luck went to the 'J's! I have sent you all emails, please contact me if you did not receive them. Congratulations and thank you to all of the entrants!

Have you heard of Yoplait Yo-Plus yogurt? This isn't just any low-fat yogurt: Yo-Plus contains probiotics (which aid your digestive health), vitamins A&D and fiber. Well, Yoplait has just introduced a new flavor of their Yo-Plus yogurt--Blueberry Acai--and they let little 'ol me be one of the first to try it! We all know that blueberries are a super-food (one that I almost never eat, shame on me!) and recently I have been hearing so much about the antioxidant properties of Acai. This new flavor combines both of these healthy berries into one creamy yogurt.

So what'd I think? I was honestly surprised that I really liked this yogurt! Blueberry is not my favorite flavor and I didn't know what Acai would taste like. To me, this new Yo-Plus tasted like a mixed-berry flavor, was creamy and delicious. We've all tried both those runny yogurts and those thick, custard-y ones and I think the consistency of Yo-Plus Blueberry Acai was perfect. It was smooth, but also had little pieces of blueberry mixed in. And, it doesn't have any artificial sweeteners, which I really don't like in my yogurt!

Since I am on a never-ending quest to eat better and keep my weight on track, I especially like that each serving has only 110 calories and 1.5 grams of fat. This is way more nutritious (and filling) than a 100 calorie pack!

Ready to taste it for yourself? Yo-Plus has offered a $1.50 off one printable coupon available here so you can try Blueberry Acai right away. My Acme has these for $2.50 this week, use the coupon and that's only $0.25 a serving to try it out! If you want more information on Yo-Plus and your digestive health, you can visit their website here.

Now are you ready to win an awesome prize?! I am giving away a Yo-Plus gift bag to three lucky winners! The Yo-Plus gift bag includes a coupon for a free 4-pack of Yo-Plus yogurt, a Yoplait cooler tote bag, a BPA-free water bottle and a little nutrition journal – great for keeping with you and journaling what you eat! The cooler tote bag is huge and I can't wait to use mine to carry healthy lunches and snacks to the beach this summer! :)

To enter: Post a comment telling me one thing you are doing this year to maintain a healthy diet. Be sure to include your email address so I can get a hold of you if you win! If you are worried about spammers, type your email address something like this: queenmotherblog(at)gmail{dot}com and you're good! This giveaway is open to residents of the US only.

**Want up to FOUR extra entries?**
1. Add my button to your site! Look over to my right sidebar where it says "Grab this button!" and copy and paste the code somewhere on your site. Then come back and leave me the link to your page in a comment.
2. You can post about my giveaway on your blog and then leave the link to your post in a comment. Though I would love a fancy write-up, a quick link on one of your posts will do!
3. Subscribe to my feed and post a comment letting me know.
4. Follow my blog and post a separate comment letting me know.

Just be sure to post separate comments for each additional entry, as I will be using a random number generator to choose the winners from all of the comments.

I will be accepting entries until 5 PM EST on February 19th, 2009. The winners will be notified by email and also a post here on the site. Enjoy, and good luck!!

Hooray! The Bloggy Giveaway carnival was a huge success! I can't believe I had over 600 entries in only a matter of days! I guess a lot of people really do love Rachael!

And funnily enough, the winner of my giveaway (#481) is another "Rach": Rachel Cordeiro! Congratulations! I sent you an email, but if you didn't receive it, please contact me.

Thanks again to everyone who entered! Just like last time, the Bloggy Giveaway carnival has been so much fun. I entered a bunch myself, and am hoping to win something this time! :)

Be sure to stay tuned to my blog; I will have a new giveaway starting up next week!

Rachael Ray really fascinates me. Mostly just because she is everywhere. You walk into a department store and Rachael's smiling face is all over her own brand of pots and pans. Turn on daytime television and she has her own show, turn on Food network and she's *everywhere*. Unfortunately for her, she's even got her smiling face plastered on the tabloids at the grocery checkout. Now, the second reason she fascinates me is because people really, really like her or hate her, hate her, hate her. Obviously, enough people really like her recipes that she has churned out a ton of cookbooks.

I have a bunch of Rachael's books and I have to say that we really like most of the meals from them. Sometimes the recipes can be pricey to make, but they are almost always very easy and fast to prepare. Here at Queen Mother Blog, I'm giving away a brand-new copy of Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals 2 cookbook.

To enter this giveaway, all you have to do is post a comment with your email address so I can notify you if you win. If you are worried about spammers, just type your email something like this: QueenMotherBlog{at}gmail(dot)com & you're golden. This giveaway is open to residents of the US & Canada.

**Want up to FOUR extra entries?**
1. Add my button to your site! Look over to my right sidebar where it says "Grab this button!" and copy and paste the code somewhere on your site. Then come back and leave me the link to your page in a comment.
2. You can post about my giveaway on your blog and then leave the link to your post in a comment. Though I would love a fancy write-up, a quick link on one of your posts will do!
3. Subscribe to my feed and post a comment letting me know.
4. Follow my blog and post a separate comment letting me know.

Just be sure to post separate comments for each additional entry, as I will be using a random number generator to choose a winner from all of the comments.

I will be accepting entries until 5 PM EST on January 30th, 2009. The winner will be notified by email and also a post here on the site.

When you are done entering here, be sure to check out all of the other giveaways going on this week at the Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival! Good luck!

Woohoo! I closed the comments down last night at midnight, and I used a number generator to pick the winner! Congratulations to MommyhoodIsThankless!

Thanks again for all of the entries!

Yes! Another blog giveaway to help you a little bit with your holiday entertaining. I tend to over-shop whenever someone is having a catalog/home show party and I have some surplus Tastefully Simple items. In the spirit of giving, I will give them away to one of my awesome readers!

The winner will receive (new and sealed, of course!) one 11.5 oz jar of Tastefully Simple Prickly Pear Cooler mix and one 11 oz. jar of Creamy Caramel Sauce. Use the Prickly Pear Cooler mix with sparkling or still water, or use it as a base for a Prickly Pear martini (recipe on the can). I don't think I have to tell you all of the things you can use caramel sauce for!

The deadline to enter is November 27th by midnight EST. The winner will be picked randomly and notified by email. This giveaway is open to anyone in the continental US only.

To enter, just comment with something you like about my blog, or would like to see me write about in the future. You don't need to be a blogger to enter, just provide a valid email address in your comment so I can get ahold of you if you win. The last two giveaways I've had, the first "winner" didn't have any way for me to contact them! If you have a private profile and you don't include your email in your comment, I can't reach you! Just type your email something like this in your comment: QueenMotherBlog{at}gmail(dot)com & you're golden.

Want three extra entries?
1. You can post about my giveaway on your blog and leave the link in a comment. Though I would love a fancy write-up, a quick link on one of your posts will do!
2. Subscribe to my feed and post a comment letting me know.
3. Follow my blog and post a separate comment letting me know.

Just post separate comments for each entry, as I will be using a random number generator to choose a winner from the comments.

Happy entrying!

Huzzah! I closed the comments down last night at midnight, and I used a number generator to pick the winners! Congratulations to Whimsical Creations & mandalyn!

Hooray for the Holidays was another big success! Thanks again for all of the entries, it was a really awesome turnout, even without the big giveaway carnival!

And guess what? Keep my page bookmarked still, I will have *yet another* giveaway starting up next week!!

Hooray for the holidays coming up, and hooray for another little blog giveaway!

This time, I have up for grabs two new "Chase the Snowflakes" doorhangers by American Greetings (think Carlton Cards). So that means two winners (one prize each) will be chosen! The doorhangers are like little pillows on a string & are super cute. Use it for your front door, a child's room or anywhere you have a place to hang it!

The deadline to enter is November 13th by midnight EST. The winners will be picked November 14th and notified via email. This giveaway is open to anyone in the US & Canada.

Just post a comment to enter! You don't need to be a blogger, just provide a valid email address so I can get ahold of you if you win. If you have a private profile and you don't include your email in your comment, I can't reach you! Just type your email something like this in your comment: QueenMotherBlog{at}gmail(dot)com & you're golden.

Want two extra entries?
1. You can post about my giveaway on your blog and leave the link in a comment. Though I would love a fancy write-up, a quick link on one of your posts will do!
2. Subscribe to my feed and post a comment letting me know.

Just post separate comments for each entry, as I will be using a random number generator to choose a winner from the comments.

Happy entrying!

Hooray! I closed the comments down last night at midnight, and this morning I used a number generator to pick the winner! Congratulations to Forgetfulone!

My First Blog Giveaway was a big success. Thanks for all of your entries, it really exceeded any expectations I had!

Be sure to keep my page bookmarked, as I have another giveaway starting up this week!