Happily Blended Product Reviews, Giveaways, and tales from a Mommy Blogger of three

I’m a Chuggington Conductor

September 3rd, 2010 · 1 Comment · Chuggington Conductor, children

I am so excited to announce that I am a member of a group of about 10 – 20 bloggers who are Chuggington Conductors. Basically I will be able to share information with you about products, contests, fun and more!

Chuggington is on track for another season at Playhouse Disney, it’s a wonderful train show that includes the characters Brewster, Koko, and Wilson! Chuggington has also announced that it will be hosting a sweepstakes on Chuggington.com for US fans! Prizes include die-cast trains and packs!! So you certainly will want to make sure to check out Chuggington online because that’s the place to win cool stuff!

There are new toys that were introduced in May and sold real fast so be sure to check out what new toys the Chuggington Store has right now before they are sold out!

Please keep your eyes out here at Happily Blended Blog because I will be hosting a screening party that I will be sharing online in addition I will be sharing the latest and greatest news about Chuggington as soon as I receive the news as part of the Chuggington Conductor program!

Disclosure: I receive free products and similar as part of the Chuggington Conductor program. As always no matter what I receive during my participation in the Chuggington Conductor program I will share my 100% honest opinion!

Have you smiled today?

Question about this post or something found within it? Read my Disclosure Policy.

Save Energy, How do you do it?

September 3rd, 2010 · No Comments · Saving Money

As I look around I notice a lot of our water sources around the area are getting lower and lower. Are we in a need for some rain? I think maybe! The Office of Water website helps you to review the latest about our lakes and water sources all over. You can also learn ways to Save Energy, which I have thought about before by using solar power. A couple towns over there is a windmill that is used for power and I think they are beautiful windmills! As Winter nears we need to start thinking about saving energy as it pertains to heating our home!

There are shower heads that are actually made to help save energy! I bet you already knew that though, as it seems every product on the market has some for of energy saving “plus” to it. I think that’s great that so many people are looking for ways to save energy because in turn it cuts down costs we have to spend on bills. As you know most families are losing money through loss of jobs and similar that saving energy is almost a necessity for every family!

What ways do you save energy?

Have you smiled today?

Question about this post or something found within it? Read my Disclosure Policy.

Loving a Schedule Change

September 3rd, 2010 · 1 Comment · Brandy's Life

You know what I realized the other day? That the older your children get the more time they spend away from you and the more time you spend carting them around. I don’t even have teenagers yet and I feel overwhelmed some days with my oldest child’s schedule! She has soccer, Girl Scouts, School and who knows what else will come up during the year.

I am sure the age she is at, almost 8, means she will start having “real friends” that want to come over and play or have her over for a play date, which means meeting more parents and being introduced to other parents. I love the idea of sleep overs and play dates. I enjoy having the laughter of children in my home, always have been a kid type of person. Loved babysitting, that’s why I knew when I became a mother I would be that kind of mother. You know, the one that loves being a Mommy, the stereotypical “soccer mom” that has all the kids around all the time, has a smile on her face and seems to have more energy than you can even imagine for yourself?!

That is totally ME and I love it! My two sons are a bowl full of energy so when we are waiting for my oldest to get out of school, we have to play constantly until she gets out to keep the boys entertained, or else they may wonder off on me. We play racing, we play follow the leader, we laugh, we give high fives, we talk about our days in a fun way. It’s funny to look over and see all these other parents are staring at me being obnoxious, but polite, and smiling with my two sons while waiting for their sister to get out of school. I often wonder what thoughts are going through their heads, usually they will say something to me like “where do you get the energy?” and I simply reply “it’s my job, I don’t always have energy but I go with the flow because if I didn’t, all heck would break loose”.

We are parents, we chose to have children and so I am loving a schedule change, even if it means later hours working, longer days and more coffee! So how do you feel now that it’s back to school time? What do you do to entertain your younger child while the older child is at school?

Have you smiled today?

Question about this post or something found within it? Read my Disclosure Policy.

National Child Awareness Month and Ditch For Kids

September 3rd, 2010 · No Comments · children

September is National Child Awareness Month, so let’s welcome it with some information on a campaign I was recently told about!

Festival of Children Foundation has announced a Ditch for Kids Campaign that I really hope you all will take part in! The founder and executive director of FOCF, Sandy Segerstrom Daniels, initiated the effort nine years ago to designate September as National Child Awareness Month (NCAM) and she’s been diligent in raising awareness through local, state and federal political processes and by enlisting the assistance of charitable organizations nationwide.

NCAM has been designated to:

Promote awareness of children’s charities and youth-serving organizations across the U.S.
To recognize the charitable efforts on behalf of children and youth as a critical contribution to the future of our nation.

How can you show your support?

If you are on Twitter you can add a Twibbon to your profile image.
“Like” Festival of Children Foundation on Facebook.

About Ditch For Kids:

“Ditch for Kids” is a light hearted program on Facebook to remind adults to spend quality time with the kids in their lives by ditching an everyday activity such as work, chores or even social media.
Ditch For Kids will use a Facebook app to generate an “excuses” letter for parents and other adults to take the day to spend with children.
There is a down loadable excuse letter on the Facebook Page for Festival of Children Foundation.
You can choose who they would like the letter addressed to, from Twitter to your boss!

Goals and Approach of Ditch for Kids:

One of our goals is to have people understand that they don’t have to make the big grand gesture, all they have to do is spend some time with a child and it can make a huge impact in both their lives.

So what are you waiting for? What will you ditch for your kids this month? I want to hear what you will ditch, funny stories welcomed! Let’s raise awareness for our children this month and every month!

Have you smiled today?

Question about this post or something found within it? Read my Disclosure Policy.

$100 CSN Stores Giveaway

September 2nd, 2010 · 67 Comments · giveaways

Today I get to offer a fantastic giveaway for everyone, it’s for a $100 CSN Stores gift code that is good on any item at any of the many CSN Stores, the code doesn’t cover any shipping fees though. Therefore the winner of this giveaway will pay shipping fees, unless they find a free shipping item to get with their winning promo code.

So what will you get with your $100 CSN Stores promo code? Maybe a new couch, a new platform bed or how about something for your kitchen such as le creuset cookware? I know I have a $100 CSN Stores promo code along with a $60 promo code that I am thinking about using for some storage type of items, maybe an entertainment center for my living room or some form of shelving for the house.

CSN Stores has a variety of items to choose from, you can purchase children toys to indoor furniture to outdoor furniture! It’s amazing what CSN Stores has to offer consumers! So today I can’t wait to get this giveaway started for you all ….

Giveaway starts today and ends at 11:59pm on September 14, 2010. Open to US and Canada!

To enter all you have to do is any or all of the following:

Visit CSN Stores and come back here to tell me something you may be interested in using your promo code for in a comment below.
Follow Happily Blended Blog through Google Friend Connect (right hand sidebar – Happy Friends). Leave a comment with your username.
Follow @brandyellen on Twitter. Leave a comment with your username.
Tweet up to THREE TIMES max per day. Leave a comment to your tweet, each time completed.
Subscribe to Happily Blended via RSS or email (see links in right hand sidebar). Leave a comment telling me you did this and which method you subscribed.
Subscribe to Happily Blended’s newsletter (see link in right hand sidebar). Leave a comment telling me you did this.
Stumble this giveaway on StumbleUpon. Leave your Stumbleupon username.
Share this giveaway on your Facebook Profile page and leave a comment with your FB profile name.

Good luck and have fun entering!

Have you smiled today?

Question about this post or something found within it? Read my Disclosure Policy.

Yo Gabba Gabba There’s A Party In My City @mrmeadowbrook

September 2nd, 2010 · 7 Comments · Brandy's Life, Product Reviews

As most of you know I attended a wonderful show on August 31st that was called Yo Gabba Gabba There’s a Party In my City. We went to Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion for the afternoon show. It was about a two hour drive for our family and my oldest was unable to attend the show as it was her second day of school, we didn’t realize that until after planning to get a ticket for her. The boys were excited the night before they laid down to sleep saying “Gabba Gabba” and couldn’t wait to wake up and meet their favorite characters!

The drive was long and the day was hot, AC doesn’t work in my car but we made the best of the long, hot drive and when we arrived we were amazed with Meadowbrook, having never been there I was looking all around checking it out. Overall the place seems like a really awesome place to see a live show or attend a live event, I hope to get there October 3rd for a Miranda Lambert concert actually for a birthday present for myself and my daughter!

Meadowbrook was the first live event type place that hosts concerts I have ever been to but not Justin’s first. He was able to tell me that it’s a very comfortable place but it’s smaller than some of the other places he has been. I loved that it was “smaller” as it seemed more inviting and less stressful of a place to come back for future shows. I loved the friendliness of those that ushered you to your seats, or helped lead you in the right direction. Smiles galore and even the guests were really quick to help another parent should their child’s balloon fly away!

I took a lot of pictures, normally they said they don’t allow pictures even though the website says non-professional photography is allowed there but since it was a children’s event the people there were very nice in allowing the parents to capture memories for their children on camera! I created a slide-show of the pictures I took because I feel the pictures can tell how much fun we had more than words … you know what they say; a picture is worth a thousand words!

Disclosure: This was an event my family attended for free as part of the giveaway hosted recently on site while working with Meadowbrook on promotion of the Yo Gabba Gabba show. All opinions are based on my own personal experience 100%.

Have you smiled today?

Question about this post or something found within it? Read my Disclosure Policy.

Wordless Wednesday: My Loved Ones

September 1st, 2010 · 6 Comments · wordless wednesday

Hubs and our Sons

My Daughter - Pic Taken by her Father

Have you smiled today?

Question about this post or something found within it? Read my Disclosure Policy.

Pardon Me While I Head to Yo Gabba Gabba

August 31st, 2010 · 2 Comments · Brandy's Life

: Image via Wikipedia

My family is heading to see Yo Gabba Gabba today LIVE and I have been pumping up the boys … them being “boys” said they are going to kick Yo Gabba Gabba butts. Not sure if that’s a bad thing, but for some reason kicking butts is their new “game” they play together and well they LOVE Yo Gabba Gabba so it must be their new sign of affection. Don’t worry I will keep them far away from kicking any butts!

All joking aside, today is a well deserved family time trip and I am excited but sad at the same time. My daughter will not be able to go with us as orginally planned due to school starting and today being her day to sleep at her Dad’s. Oh well, at least the boys will enjoy it and maybe I can get some pics to share with her!

Happy day to you all because today is like a late birthday present for the boys who turned 2 and 4 earlier this month and I am going to enjoy it thoroughly! Even Justin got a vacation day to go with us on this trip!