Child To Cherish Grandmas Little Baker Suitcase Giveaway

Oh the holidays have been such a wondrous time. I have had tons of fun and much of the reason is because of Princess. While my kids are all enjoying Christmas and have wonderful spirit it is Princess who seems to bring it home. Everything is new to her and she is into everything. She loves the tree, the presents, the goodies and just about everything. The one thing she does not love is Santa himself. So with this being said you know I have been on the outlook for all sorts of great things for Princess and me to do together. I love the Grandmas Little Baker Suitcase that Child To Cherish offers on their website. Oh the fun that can be had when Princess and I are together.

I have created cookies with my own children many times in the past. I always wondered when individuals told me that it would be great with grandchildren how that could truly be. Well, let me tell you, it is such a wonderful adventure each time I am able to spend time with Princess. Perhaps that is because she lives away from me and I do not see her every day but then maybe it is also because she is my only grandchild and so special to me or maybe it is because I get to relive the memories that I had with my own children when they were that small. Whatever the reason I can tell you that baking in the kitchen with Princess is super fun. Do you have a grandmother in your life that feels the same way about her children? Perhaps you need to purchase the Child to Cherish Grandmas Little Baker Suitcase for them as well.



The Child To Cherish Grandmas Little Baker Suitcase includes a bakers apron, a rolling pin a spoon, a recipe booklet and 3 cookie cutters and a tin to keep them all in. In other words the Little Baker Suitcase has everything but the ingredients to make a great cookie baking session.
How fun and the tin allows you to keep all the supplies in an orderly fashion so that each time you get time to bake the set is easily found.
One of Annie's Home readers will win a Child to Cherish Grandmas Little Baker Suitcase of their own. I feel a bit jealous and nearly wish that I could enter my own giveaway. The chance to review or host giveaway was offered and because I love baking with Princess so much I wanted a reader to see the love and bond of grandma and child with a bond in the kitchen as well.

To win: You must visit Child TO Cherish and let me know another item you think is tops.

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Contest starts now and will run through January 5, 2009. Please have email in comment or on blog I can not let you know if you win if I cant reach you.

Tis the Season for Baking

I love to bake and have since I was a child. My mother let us in the kitchen and I let my children in the kitchen as well. Just last night we made Peanut Butter fudge and No Bake Cookies together me, my husband and all of my children that still live at home. We had a blast. I love the giveaway on the blog Rockin Mama where she is sponsoring a giveaway for a nine (9) piece set of UltraGOld bake ware from Wilton. This giveaway ends on January 5, 2009.

Sealy Posturepedic Bed giveaway

Oh my to take a long slumber in a super comfortable bed nearly seems like a dream. As parents of six (6) children we hold the responsibility of making our children dreams come true and often ours go aside. Let me tell you though if I was able to win a Sealy Posturepedic bed on the blog Mommy Mandy it would be a dream come true. If you share a dream like mine then you may want to head over to Mommy Mandy before the giveaway ends on January 20, 2009

The Sealy Posturepedic bed is designed to offer that good nights sleep and has been fashioned so that one rest comfortable. The bed has been designed to give relaxation to the bodys pressure points. After years of working as nurses aide I have learned about pressure points and how to make sure that individuals do not sleep on them. That is exactly what this bed will do for you, me and anyone who sleeps in one.

Winner: Pro Mom Tee

Winner of the Pro Mom Tee is:

The Penny-Pinching Mama said...
I like All-American Mom but if it's out of stock...then the Peace and Love Forever Mom tee.

Thanks for all to enter there was 600+ entries

Book Review: Secrets Girls Keep

I recently was able to review the book Secrets Girls Keep by Carrie Silver-Stock. This book brought back lots of memories. Being a girl is not easy, raising girls is even harder, and having this book to read was great. I was a typical teen age girl uneasy in my own skin. I have three (3) daughters and each of them just a bit different. The book Secrets Girls Keep helped me understand and remember the problems that I faced as a teen. The secrets girls keep are many and can be a variety of sorts. These secrets often help us, hurt us and may even haunt us through out the very years of high school. High School itself can be quite rough path of life.

Many of the secrets that girls keep are secrets about how they think they look. (are they cute, ugly, pretty is there a zit coming on or is it the wrong hair style?)
One secret my eldest daughter held was the way her boyfriend treated her. She did not tell me until after she was married to another man (a great man) that her first boyfriend had treated her terribly. I had no idea all though I did thing to myself many times that I wish somehow they would break up.

I can remember the first time that I made love with my boyfriend I felt ashamed and could not tell anyone. I married this man and we have been happy for 20+ years but in the early years this always bothered me. Because of that I always had an open conversation with my girls trying to emphasize no sex before marriage but always ready to talk about it at any time. This is because this is an area I do not want my daughter to regret her firs experience.


There are many areas that a girl may keep secrets in that is why I love the book Secrets Girls Keep by Carrie Silver-Stock. Carrie shares personal stories, struggles and secrets that other teen girls have shared with her. To me this means alot it means girls will know they are not alone. Carrie wants to show her readers how to deal with everyday stresses by being self-reliant, and to speak up so that it does not become a secret.


The book Secrets Girls Keep is a guide of sorts that will teach our young women to understand the dating game, how to make and keep friends, how to deal with school because we all know that grades and peer pressure can both be tough. However, the book does not stop there because Carrie Silver - Stock wants girls to be able to learn to deal with family drama and if something is wrong to tell someone that they trust and can help them, to use the cyber scene and the computer to navigate their way around safely, and to share in stories that other girls are going through because they may be facing the same situation

If you have a teenage daughter or know a young lady that may benefit from a book that offers guidance then you need to check out the book by Carrie Silver-Stock titled Secrets Girls Keep.

Get your free ultimate cloth

Wow a freebe and a great one at that. This one is for an Ultimate Cloth. The Ultimate Cloth can help make your house keeping chores easier. The Ultimate Cloth is 13.5" X 15.5" in size and is the perfect size for most cleaning jobs. Made from high quality MiraFiber the Ultimate Cloth excels cleaning all hard surfaces of your home or business. The Ultimate Cloth is the perfect cleaning cloth whereever you need to clean.

While the Ultimate Cloth is retailed at $6 you can get one free. Not only will you save money by not paying for the Ultimate Cloth but you will also save money because you will no longer need the bottles of chemicals or the papertowels. Saving money and time is every house cleanders dream and that is exactly what the Ultimate Cloth is providing

So while cleaning your house and getting ready for the holidays and new year remember the Ultimate Cloth.

Family Dollar can help Christmas come to life

Taking a stroll through my Family Dollar I can find lots of great buys from the stylish clothing and shoes to the toys and Christmas decorations. Family Dollar has always been on my list of stores to do Christmas shopping at. My children loves buying gifts at Family Dollar as well because they have a great variety to choose from with reasonable prices. Another great reason to stop by Family Dollar is because there is a wonderful giveaway at She Scribes blog where Kim is hosting a giveaway for a $50 gift card at Family Dollar. Yeah!!!! With that I am sure that alot of shopping can be done. Hurry though as this ends tonight 12/21

Toy Kitchen Giveaway

As a grandmother of a little girl I love playing house, tea party and dolls. One thing that I know Princess needs is a play kitchen. Good thing I found a giveaway for one on the blog Two of a Kind Working on a Full House. Dee is hosting a giveaway on her blog Two of a Kind Working on a Full House where a winner will receive a toaster set from Pretend Play Kitchen. This giveaway ends January 8, 2009

White Hot Chocolate

My favorite drink on a cold morning is hot cocoa. I must say that yesterday I had one of the young men in my sunday school to gift me with some delicious packs of cocoa. They were all flavored and my favorite is white chocolate. I found this recipe on Parents.com and I thought you might want to try it as well. The recipe makes enough for you and someone to enjoy it with.

White Hot Cocoa

1-3/4 cups milk, divided
1/2 cup white-chocolate chips
Whipped topping
Blue sugar crystals and sprinkles

In a small saucepan, heat 1/4 cup milk and chocolate chips over medium heat, whisking until chocolate melts. Stir in remaining milk and heat to warm. Pour into 2 or 3 glasses. Garnish with whipped topping and blue sugar crystals and sprinkles.

Make your own Cheese Straws and Cheese Balls

we make alot of snacks this time of year and here is another great one that I found on MyRecipes.com

Cheese Straws

1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces and softened
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. dried crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon half-and-half

Combine first 5 ingredients in a food processor; pulse in 5-second intervals until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add half-and-half, and process 10 seconds or until dough forms a ball.
Turn dough out onto a well floured surface, and roll into an 8- x 10-inch rectangle (about 1/8 inch thick). Cut dough with a sharp knife into 1/4- to 1/2-inch-wide strips, dipping knife in flour after each cut to ensure clean cuts. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until ends are slightly browned. Cool on baking sheets on a wire rack 30 minutes. Break into desired lengths.

Note: To make cheese rounds, roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness, and cut with a 1 1/2-inch round cutter. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake and cool as directed. Freeze baked cheese straws or rounds in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic freezer bag up to 3 months. Let thaw at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.

Carolyn in Carolina celebrates 200th post with a giveaway

There is a super cool giveaway on the blog Carolyn in Carolina and the reason for this giveaway is super as well. The 200th post mark has been reached and to celebrate Carolyn is hosting giveaway where the prize is an autographed copy of the Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives My husband adores Guy and I love the Carolyn in Carolina blog. You should head over and visit Carolyn as well. The giveaway ends January 4, 2009

Sprig Toys

If you have visited my blog often you know that I love toys that allow imagination, adventure and learning through fun. Sprig toys I believe fulfill all three of my qualifications for good fun toys. We received a couple of different toys from Sprig to prepare this review. My granddaughter Princess was very lucky to get to play with such wonderful toys. Her daddy and her played together as a couple of the toys had age recommendations that were higher than the age of Princess. But her daddy is very often like a little boy and loves to play toys with her.

At bath time last night Princess played with the Dolphin Explorer boat. I was very impressed with this boat and toys by Sprig Toys as it is not a tiny one but not a giant one either. In my opinion it is the perfect size to play with in the tub. Possibly the only thing that we did not like about the toy is that the little man did not have a face. While this did not bother me or Princess for some reason her mommy thought it was weird for the man not to have a face.

Sprig Toys has many wonderful story tellers where the child build a set but tells a story of sorts as they play. We received the Story Building Barnyard and is loved by everyone including Princess. After playing farmville on facebook for so long it seems as if we have all became professional farmers ready to build and play while we tell a story and of course Princess is there to help. Other Story builders include Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs and the Story Building Palace.

Sprig Toys to me is a great toy company because they make some of the funnest toys that children can actually use their imagination and learn by they are are also protecting the earth because they are eco friendly. Sprig Toys cares about the kids so much that their desire is to keep the planet healthy and the children active. By allowing the child to use their imagination they will think more, move more and I believe have more fun. With so many children sitting and watching videos and/or playing video games the world needs more toys like Sprig Toys.

Buy: Sprig Toys can be ordered directly off their website by following this link

http://www.shopatron.com/home/index/1740

Walking makes for good exercise and health

My main way of exercising is walking. I love to walk anywhere that I can and normally do. Possibly the only time I don't walk is when I go shopping. So let me ask you do you do much walking? Whether it is fast speed walking or slow leisurely walking they both burn the same amount of calories. When I first started walking it was at a slower pace now I walk at a much speedier pace but still not to fast I like to take the world in.

Here a couple of great reasons that might just get you in the mood to walk for exercise as well:

• Walking helps to prevent type 2 diabetes. Walking 150 minutes per week and losing 12 to 15 lbs can reduce risk of diabetes by 58% is what the Diabetes Prevention Program recommends
• You can strengthen your heart by walking.
• Walking is good for your brain. Studies have shown women who walk an easy pace for 1.5 hours a week will have better cognitive function

Now that I have shared my reasons for walking and also given you some ways that walking can help your health what do you think are you ready to put your shoes on and go for a walk?

shared on Wii Mommies blog during their Fitness Friday

VTech Bugsby Reading Set

The blog Human Christian is hosting a giveaway fora VTech Bugsby Reading set. This would make a wonderful aide for any young child to learn to read or build their reading skills. The winner will receive the starter Bugsby reading kit. The giveaway ends December 27, 2009

Olive Kids Giveaway

Have you had a chance to visit Olive Kids website and see all the cool items they have for sell? I know that my daughter loves to decorated my granddaughters room. She does this quite often it seems every stage that Princess has went through they have changed just a little in decor. She Scribes is hosting a giveaway sponsored by Olive kids where the winner will receive a personalized plate and place set. This giveaway ends December 28, 2009

Coca Cola giveaway

The Fairy Blog Mother blog and Jolly Mom are each hosting a giveaway where two winners have the chance at great prizes.

• One winner will win two Coca-Cola holiday t-shirts and a plush Coke bottle.
  One winner will win a copy of Guitar Hero 5 for Xbox 360.

Both giveaways end December 31, 2009

and dont forget about the Coca Cola Gift of Gaming instant win game where you have a chance of winning as well.

Hoover WInd Tunnel giveaway

I have a good friend of mine who believes that the only good vacuum cleaner is a Hoover. I agree that Hoovers do a great job and have came out with some wonderful products. The blog Jabbering Jessi is hosting a giveaway sponsored by Hoover that will see a winner win the Hoover Windtunnel T series vacuum. I would love to win this because a couple of my teens suffer from allergies and asthma. The windtunnel will help lessen the chance of them having respiratory problems and that I like. This giveaway ends January 17, 2009.

Barnes and Nobles $25 gift card giveaway and Book assortment

The blog Cutepea's Freebies is hosting a giveaway sponsored by Cheerios in the hopes that everyone keeps on reading. The winner of this giveaway will win an assortment of books as well as $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble to choose and buy another favorite book. This giveaway will end December 26, 2009

Step2 giveaway

My granddaughter is starting to fall in love with dolls, dishes, and kitchens. Yes she is starting to make that move out of baby/toddler to that of a girls world. I believe this new period will be very fun. I would just love to get her one of the Step2 kitchens and the blog Rave and Review is hosting giveaway sponsored by Step2 for a Fresh Market Kitchen. It is super cute as you can see and I could see Princess having lots of good fun with this. The giveaway on Rave and Review will end January 30, 2009

Progesso Soup Giveaway

I have to say that soup in a can brings back childhood memories. Progresso will often be found in my cabinet. I love the taste of the soup and it is so easy to open and eat. The blog Dirty Shirt Blog is hosting a giveaway sponsored by progresso soup. The winner will receive the soup, two special soup cups and two soup spoons branded with Progresso. This contest will end December 22, 2009