Tara's Dinos 'N More Dinosaur Giveaway [CLOSED]

Tara's Dinos 'N More is the most unique Etsy shop I've ever seen! I am so excited for this giveaway; it's nice to have a boyish prize for once! Check out this awesome dinosaur decor and the story behind it:

I happened to get addicted to Pinterest right as I lost my job in early March. After seeing all the DIY projects and thinking "I could totally do that!" I finally took a jump in my newly free time and tried out some projects. To my surprise, not only did I love the result, but I also found out others loved them. I started an Etsy store with a few sets of coasters, a gears necklace, and my favorite item of all - plastic dinosaur jars! Since then I've branched out to other items, but my true passion is painting cute or ferocious looking dinosaurs and animals and hearing how much my customers love a little pop of color and fun in their lives. I love them so much my apartment is overrun with ones I just couldn't bear to part with!

 

As the shop name implies, there's more than just dinos. I love this lion! So would my son, whose favorite movie right now is The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. (Note: These are not children's toys, only decor.)

Tara also sells plastic jars, jewelry boxes, ceramic coasters, light switches, mini book necklaces, and clothespins. I love this jewelry box:

There are tons of quirky and geeky stuff too for those who love video games, comic books, sci-fi/fantasy, rock music, etc.

Tara is generously giving away two dinosaurs (or the lion or elephant if you prefer those) in any colors to one lucky reader!

Mandatory entry: Visit Tara's Dinos 'N More and tell me which dinosaurs you would choose.

5 entries: Heart Tara's Dinos 'N More on Etsy. Leave your username.

1 entry: Follow Tara's Dinos on Twitter: @tarasdinos.

1 entry: Follow this blog on Google Friend Connect.

1 entry: Like The Hand That Rocks the Cradle on Facebook. Leave your name.

1 entry each (4 total possible): Post this giveaway on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or your blog.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry. All entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. MST on Tuesday, November 27. The winner will be announced Wednesday, November 28. Please leave your email address in one of your comments so I can contact you if you win. This giveaway is open worldwide. Good luck!

Farm Rich Appetizers Giveaway [CLOSED]

I love trying new things, especially for free, so I was very excited when a Farm Rich representative contacted me asking me to review two of their frozen appetizers. I had many to choose from:

• Mozzarella sticks, regular and marinara stuffed
• Mozzarella bites
• Mini pizza slices
• Stuffed pretzel bites
• Queso cheese bites
• Breaded mushrooms
• Mini quesadillas
• Philly cheese steaks
• Jalapeño peppers
• Meatballs, original, Italian style, and turkey
• French toast sticks, regular and cinnamon

Unfortunately, I could not find all of these at the store, so I got the original meatballs and jalapeño peppers.

Smiles
*Bite size.
*Easy to prepare.
*Great for parties.

Frowns
*My meat-loving hubby could tell they had soy in them. Sure enough, vegetable and soy proteins are ingredients.
*Average taste.

Smiles
*Quick to make.
*They crisp nicely and don't burst easily.
*Not overly breaded.
*The best I've ever had! I used to love these as a kid and haven't had them since. I was not disappointed.

Frowns
*None.

Farm Rich in general:
Smiles
*Excellent customer service. The representative was always quick to reply and sent me a very professional and informative letter.
*Thorough, user-friendly website.

Frowns
*Farm Rich appetizers are not for you all-natural, healthy eaters. They are better for parties or as special treats than for everyday eating.

Farm Rich is giving away a coupon for a free appetizer to two winners!

Mandatory entry: Visit Farm Rich and tell me which appetizer you would get if you won.

1 entry: Like Farm Rich on Facebook. Leave your name.

1 entry: Like The Hand That Rocks the Cradle on Facebook. Leave your name.

1 entry: Follow this blog on Google Friend Connect.

1 entry each (4 total possible): Post this giveaway on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or your blog.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry. All entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. MST on Monday, November 26. The winners will be announced Tuesday, November 27. Please leave your email address in one of your comments so I can contact you if you win. This giveaway is open to the U.S. only. Good luck!

Halloween

I wasn't sure what was going to happen this Halloween: I didn't know whether or not we were going to get trick-or-treaters at our apartments, whether or not Justin would be able to leave work to take Caden trick-or-treating, and whether or not I would take Caden by myself (and where, if so). The answer to all was no.

Fortunately, a church friend invited us to a church party where they used to live. All the kids rode on a trailor hitched to a John Deere tractor and went up and down the long, semi-rural street while the homeowners came out and delivered the candy. They do it every year. Caden loved it! He went twice because he loved the ride so much. Everyone thought he was so cute, too. My favorite was a boy in a homemade Rubik's cube costume. I didn't dress up.

We ended the night walking around Tempe's college town looking at all the weird costumes, my friend's family tradition. I saw another Rubik's cube and two people dressed up as the creatures from Avatar. It was a fun night, but also a very long one. I am never driving with that family again! Oh, and here are better photos of Justin as Psy, the "Gangnam Style" guy.

Cruisin' Caden

Yesterday we finally took Caden and his bike to the park to ride around. He's been getting really good at balancing and going fast, so the apartment has become too small for him to cruise across.

We put him in all his biking gear and let him go free. He fell down a couple times when he lost control of the steering from going too fast, but otherwise he was on fire!

He rode around the park 3 times, a good mile, and would've kept going if we had let him. We plan on taking him every week now.

See his tongue sticking out?

Waiting for us to catch up.

Family Inspired Fashion $25 Credit Giveaway [CLOSED]

Family Inspired Fashion sells adorable clothing for babies, toddlers, and young girls.

"We love to sew. Family Inspired Fashion grew from that point. We are a mother and daughter team with over 40 years of experience. With a houseful of girls, we have been sewing clothes and costumes for them forever. When our children and grandchildren were small, we always liked to dress them in sets. We decided to share our creations with others. Rarely can you find a complete set like what we sell."

This dress is perfect for a family Christmas photo or first time on Santa's lap!

Isn't she adorable in that dress?

There are even flower girl dresses.

This outfit makes me want to have a girl so badly!

 

Family Inspired Fashion is generously giving away $25 credit to their shop!

Mandatory Entry: Visit Family Inspired Fashion and tell me what you would get if you won.

1 entry: Heart Family Inspired Fashion on Etsy. Leave your username.

1 entry: Like Family Inspired Fashion on Facebook. Leave your name.

1 entry: Like The Hand That Rocks the Cradle on Facebook. Leave your name.

1 entry: Follow this blog on Google Friend Connect.

1 entry each (4 total): Post this giveaway on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or your blog.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry. All entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. MST on Tuesday, November 20. The winner will be announced by Saturday, November 24. Please leave your email address in one of your comments so I can contact you if you win. This giveaway is open to the U.S. only. Good luck!

NEW WINNER!

The new winner of the Madison Street Beauty eyeshadow giveaway is comment #23 by Maegan Morin. Remember, you need to respond within 48 hours (an extra day if it's the weekend) if you want to stay a winner!

WINNER!

The winner of the Madison Street Beauty eyeshadow giveaway is comment #62 by Danikatsouros. Congratulations, you lucky lady! And thanks to everyone who entered and made this so successful!