Got Box Tops for Education? (Win a $25 Sams Club Gift Card!)

Box Tops for Education (BTFE) are a great way to help schools raise money with items that you purchase and use everyday.

A much better way to fundraiser than selling gift wrap and candy, wouldn't you agree?

And now through August 13, General Mills and Sam's Club is giving you the opportunity to earn even more Box Tops when you upgrade to a “Plus Membership.”  (Like the one provided to me by these sponsors through My Blog Spark - woo hoo!)

Just visit the Member Services Desk of your local Sam’s Club and upon payment for your Plus Membership, you will receive a certificate for 150 Bonus Box Tops! For more information on how you can take advantage of the Back-to-School event at Sam’s Club, visit http://www.samsclub.com/ today!

Also, don't forget that you can get a head start on your collection and find 6 Box Tops on participating General Mills products.

And with your favorite Box Tops for Education brands at a great value, Sam’s Club is your one-stop destination for all your back-to-school supplies you need to send your kids off to school with confidence!

GIVEAWAY!!  Get a head start on your Box Tops collection at NO COST to you!  Sam's Club, General Mills, and My Blog Spark have been generous enough to offer one lucky reader of The Mom Trap a $25 Sam's Club Gift card.  (Can I get a whoo whoo?!  Oh yeah!)

Here's how to enter:


Leave a comment telling me:  What products you buy to get BTFEs?

Want to increase your chances of winning with extra entries? (Leave a comment for each additional entry; i.e. 2 extra entries = 2 comments)

• Become a Box Tops for Education Facebook Fan (1 extra entry. Already follow? That counts too!)
• Become a Facebook Fan of The Mom Trap at www.facebook.com/themomtrap (1 extra entry. Current followers also receive extra entry.)
• Follow The Mom Trap with Google Friend Connect. (1 extra entry. Current followers included.)
• Follow The Mom Trap on Twitter (1 extra entry. Current followers included.)
• Tweet this giveaway for 5 extra entries, including @kdcantrell in your tweet. (Include the Tweet status URL in your comment.)
• Blog about this giveaway for 5 extra entries. (Be sure to include the URL of your post in your comment)

The Fine Print: Contest ends at 11:59:59 PM Central Time on Wednesday, August 18, 2010. Winner will be chosen by random number generator. Must be 18 years or older to enter. Open to U.S. and territories residents only. Winner will be announced here and notified via email on Thursday, August 19, 1010, and will have 48 hours to claim their prize or an alternate winner will be chosen.

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Find Cards for Every Occasion at Cards Direct (And a Giveaway too!)

It's only July, I know.  But I am a super-planner.  Everything must be done and organized months in advance.

If possible, of course.

When Global Influence offered me the opportunity to participate in the CardsDirect campaign, I saw it as the perfect opportunity to get started on my Christmas cards.

And the company description grabbed my attention too!

CardsDirect offers the very best in personalized greeting cards for business or personal use. Over 2,000 card designs are available in categories that include holiday cards, birthday cards, thank you cards, photo cards, baby shower invitations, birth announcements and many more! With free personalization and custom imprinted verse, CardsDirect offers an easy online ordering process and top quality cards with the best selection, customer service and pricing found anywhere.

Not only is there a HUGE variety of holidays cards, birth announcements, and more to pick from - a card for everything you can think of - CardsDirect prices are very reasonable too! 

Oh, and be sure to check out their photo cards!

AND CardsDirect and Global Influence is generous enough to offer one lucky reader of The Mom Trap $25 FREE cards (Up to $50)!

Here's how to enter:
Leave a comment telling me: What style of cards would you pick if you are the winner? (Be sure to include an email address or have one available on your profile in case you win!)

Want to increase your chances of winning with extra entries? (Leave a comment for each additional entry; i.e. 2 extra entries = 2 comments)

• Become a CardsDirect Facebook Fan (1 extra entry. Already follow? That counts too!)
• Become a Facebook Fan of The Mom Trap at www.facebook.com/themomtrap (1 extra entry. Current followers also receive extra entry.)
• Follow The Mom Trap with Google Friend Connect. (1 extra entry. Current followers included.)
• Follow The Mom Trap on Twitter (1 extra entry. Current followers included.)
• Tweet this giveaway for 5 extra entries, including @kdcantrell in your tweet. (Include the Tweet status URL in your comment.)
• Blog about this giveaway for 5 extra entries. (Be sure to include the URL of your post in your comment)

The Fine Print: Contest ends at 11:59:59 PM Central Time on Wednesday, August 11, 2010. Winner will be chosen by random number generator. Must be 18 years or older to enter. Open to U.S. and territories residents only. Winner will be announced here and notified via email on Thursday, August 12, 1010, and will have 48 hours to claim their prize or an alternate winner will be chosen.

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I'm Super Impressed With Eco Store USA Products! (Review)

I've mentioned several times over the past year how my family is making new strides in becoming a "Green" family.  We're not perfect yet, by any means, but we're on our way!

When Eco Store USA contacted me about providing a couple of their products at no charge in exchange for review, I couldn't respond fast enough. 

After all, it's one more step in our transition, right?

The first product that really caught my attention plant-based Cream Cleanser.

I've tried a wide variety of glass top stove cleansers, but most of them, while doing an okay job of cleansing, have a horrific smell to them. Since Eco Store USA's noted that one of there ingredients was Lemon Verbena oil, I thought that sounded like something I might like.

And oh, did I.

Although I'll admit I'm can't quite be sure if my satisfaction was more because it smells beautiful (not like your typical Lemon scented products that are more stout) or if I was happier about using something that was friendlier to the enviroment.

But why can't it be both?  :)

The second product I was anxious to try was the non-toxic Toilet Cleaner.

And this is where I must make a nasty little confession. (Pun intended!)

I enjoy putting products to the test. See if they can meet their expectations.

I have four boys in my home. You know ladies know what that means, right? There's more pee pee outside the toilet than in it.

And it takes a heck of a cleanser to tackle that job. (Which is daily, just so ya know!)  I really didn't think anything but toxins could get my toilets clean.

I was wrong.  Very, very wrong.  And not for a lack of trying.    

I used Eco Store's toilet cleaner FOR TWO WEEKS on it, around it, in it, and and underneath it with GREAT results!

As a matter of fact, it's my new toilet cleaner of choice.

And this from a person who is typically a fan of those little scrubbling bubblers. Know what I mean?

Eco Store USA's toilet cleaner did the job just as well, with a better scent, and....say it with me...better for the enviroment!

Oh, and let me mention, even with a daily cleaning, I've only used about 3/4 of the bottle. Wow!

Eco Store USA has thoroughly impressed me. Not only do their products pass the test but they are very much comparable in price to other brand name chemical cleaners.  (Psst, you also get free shipping with orders of $25 or more!)

Join me in the efforts to use safe, enviromentally-friendly products please and visit Eco Store USA at http://www.ecostoreusa.com/.  And be sure to join them on Facebook and Twitter too!

I would like to thank Maggie with Eco Store USA for this wonderful opportunity. 
Not only was I provided with free products, but discovered a safer way to meet my family's household needs.

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The Waiting Game: Tips to Keep Kids Busy by Wendy Toone

MobiStories.com Guest Contributor Wendy Toone shares great tips on how to keep your kids occupied when you've got tons of errands to run!

As a mom of two, I know I'm not alone when I say how challenging it is to keep young kids occupied while doing any sort of waiting. And by challenging, I mean "grit-your-teeth, pull your hair out, I can't believe they're doing that in public" challenging. How many times have you had to stop in to the bank for a quick transaction with a toddler in tow, only to find a line so long you think you made a wrong turn and ended up at the DMV. What to do?? You look at your toddler...at the line...at the very important banking you need to do...at your toddler.... at the line. It may seem like a hopeless situation, but it's not. I'm here to help.

Here are a few of my tried and true tips and ideas to try the next time you find yourself in a queue, a waiting room, on a plane, or any other situation where you may need to keep your little ones quiet and at bay. They've worked for me; I hope they work for you. The basic premise is to keep your child busy. By giving them something specific to do you'll be combating boredom, and may have fun in the process. So, give your toddler a job...Part 1 offers Gross Motor Exercises. In my follow up article I offer some Fine Motor Exercises. And the series will finish with the all-important Cognitive Exercises, to keep your little one thinking all the time.

"Gross" Motor Exercises (exercises for the large muscle groups, not the yucky ones)

Youngsters need to be active. It seems as though they're wired that way. Running, jumping, rolling are all part of everyday life for toddlers - after all, physical and cognitive development is their job. So, since screen time may not be an option, how can we expect them to stand still for any length of time? That doesn't mean you can turn your little one loose in the lobby. But you can encourage the use of large muscle groups, keeping them active but in one spot.

1. Flamingo Stand - have your child extend his/her arms out to the side for balance, then pick up one foot and see how long they can stand on the other foot. Naturally you'll want to make sure you both have a bit of room in case of tips and tumbles. But the goal is not to fall down. The goal is to stay up...counting helps and creates an opportunity for improvement as each time they try they get to higher and higher numbers.

Once your child (and probably you as well) tire of the Flamingo Stand, move on to this one.

2. Little, Big - have your child do basic squats. For those of you who workout, you know how fatiguing it can be to burn those thigh muscles. Your child reaches as tall as she/he can, up on tiptoes, then squats down as little as they can, but staying on their feet. Think duck squat. In fact, you can even give a whispered little "quack, quack" if it helps. You can get big, now get little, as often as you'd like. Be certain not to go too fast.... otherwise you move into jumping, which may require more room than you have at hand.

We adults will probably feel the burning sensation in our legs much sooner than your child; however, you can probably stop at any time and watch your child go, go, go, go.

These are just a couple of gross motor exercises you can do with your child. By the way, why do they call them gross motor exercises? I'm sure you can now think of many others along these same lines. When it comes to waiting on long lines, giving your child something productive to do will make the waiting time pass more quickly. I look for anything to pass the time by. Whether it's Gross Motor, Fine Motor or even just watching digital picture books to exercise your child's brain. You know, whatever it takes. They're only this young once!

Wendy Toone is a child expert having owned and operated a leading franchise children's fitness center and now producing MobiStories, Virtual Books for KidsTM, as well as being a mom to her two children. To experience the world of digital children's picture books, visit MobiStories.com.

To download a free digital book for your PC visit MobiStories.com, click on Summer (in the Ages 2 - 4 category) add it to the cart along with Michelle Obama (Ages 6-10) then enter the code SUM0710 in the Coupon Code Box.

*This advertorial post is sponsored by the Role Mommy Writer's Network.

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