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Monday, August 24, 2009

7 years ago today....

I married the most wonderful man on the planet. Today is hubby and I's 7th anniversary! I can't believe that 7 years have flown by already, it seems like just yesterday that I packed up my life, left all my family and friends behind and move to the USA to start a new life, a new married life!

I love my husband with all of my heart, I can't wait to spend the next 77 years with him. I guess with it being 7 years now, I should be feeling that 7 year itch but it's no where close to even being found.

I Love you hubby, Happy 7th Anniversary!

Now, for my blog readers, I am very sorry I've been absent from posts lately. It's a very busy few weeks around here getting organized and ready for my oldest 1st day of Kindergarten, I know I have giveaways to announce, I'll get to them I PROMISE I also have a great bunch of reviews and giveaways to come as well, just let me get things here at home straight and I'll be back on the grind!

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Disney Princess Deluxe Tea Set...

For any of you who are already stocking up on Christmas gifts, or maybe have a birthday on the way, Lillian Vernon has a great deal on a Disney Princess Deluxe Tea Set.

Was $14.98
Now $5.98
Coupon Code: 758850200
Final Price: $.98

This Disney Princess Deluxe Tea Set is a 20 piece plastic tea set that includes:
# Serving tray
# 4 tea cups with spoons,
# Teapot
# Sugar and milk servers
# 4 Plates
# Piece of "pie"
# "Donut"

You still have to pay for shipping which is $4.99, but this is still a great deal check it out: http://www.lillianvernon.com/catalog/product_display.jsp?pdId=11053&bs=1

Monday, August 17, 2009

Entering another...

I don't think there's ever been a giveaway out there that I wanted to win so much. I'm trying to find any and every 'makeover' giveaway out there in the blogosphere and entering. Lucky for me, Walmart has given some great bloggers a $500 GC for Your Zone products to give your kiddos a makeover....

Here are the latest ones I've found to enter besides the ones below:
- Life In A House of Blue (ends 9/9)
- As They Grow Up (ends 9/9)
- The "Cent"sible Sawyer (ends 8/21)
- Three Different Directions (ends 9/8)

And, you can even win a Sealy Posturepedic Mattress to go with your makeover:
- Barefoot Mommies (ends 8/23)

Hopefully I win at least one of these great giveaways ....

Saturday, August 15, 2009

I'm on a mission...

As you can see, I'm on a mission to enter any and all giveaways that are room makeover approved! I'm determined to get the girls room done, and I really can't afford to do everything I want to do to it right now, so what better than to enter giveaways and take my chances!

The newest giveaway I'ved entered is for a Sealy Posturepedic Mattress from Barefoot Mommies. Giveaway ends on August 23rd and I'm entering in every which way possible.....Although to tell you the honest truth, I may just use this giveaway for myself since we're in DIRE need of a new mattress....

Head on over to the Sealy Posturpedic Matress Giveaway today!

Thursday, August 13, 2009

My Girls room needs a makeover...

If you follow me on twitter yesterday you'll have seen that I had a hell of a day. My girls, while I was sorting through every inch of clothing they've ever owned decided that they need to come inside and go up to their room to play, that's all fine and good still allows me to finish the work I was doing.

That was until I head upstairs to check on them since they were being quiet. All you mom's know what I'm talking about, that quiet where it's too quiet and you just know they're up to no good....

I went upstairs to find their room TRASHED.... Every toy, every stuffed animal all over the floor in the middle of their room. Not only that, but I found them both on the bed, pencil crayons in hand WRITING ON THE WALLS!

I about lost it.... Here I am trying to 're-organize' things slowly as they do share a room but are getting older and are needing new space. Here I am stressing about getting my youngest out of her toddler bed that she keeps complaining is no longer comfortable and has been sleeping with her sister in her sisters bed every night, here I am stressing about making more room in their room for them, here I am stressing about getting new mattresses and beds for both the girls.......Here I am stressing that they've completely RUINED their room...

The writing on the wall is so bad its going to have to be repainted, the vinyl wall décor is going to have to come down, the rug needs to be cleaned because they wrote on that with marker and who knows if it will come out. My girls need a MAKEOVER in their room badly and I can't afford it at the moment.

That's why I'm entering the Your Zone Tween Makeover Contest on Crafty Mama of 4. The colors and products from Your Zone and Walmart is perfect for my 3yr old and 6yr olds room that they share and would help me tremendously, especially if I could get a new bed for each of them such as the Your Zone ZZZ Place to be White Twin Bed.

So if your kiddos room is in need of a makeover too, head on over and enter!

GOOD LUCK!

Can I just..... SCREAM.... at the top of my lungs here?

Stress [stres] – noun: physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension

I think I'm the most stressed out this month than I've ever been! Especially this week and the next few weeks ahead. Anything and everything is overwhelming me, stressing me out and I feel my anxiety creeping up as each day goes by.

I need a rest, I need some time for me, but that isn't going to happen anytime soon, the stress just piles up and up and up. I need to blog, I need to write up some reviews/giveaways, I need to organize my house, I need to get these rooms done, I need to get this for school, I need to get that for school, I need to get doctors and dentists appointments done, how am I going to re-work my days going forward, how am I going to get more organized......Financially I'm stressed out as well, how can we get past this hump, how can I get some more things listed on ebay and craigslist, how can I make some more money....

I can ramble on and ramble on, I AM STRESSED OUT!!!!! I dunno where to begin or when to stop, I need to get a million things done, and worked out and on in a short time period and for me, that brings on my anxiety and I'm done.... I'm taking a few minutes out of my morning here to try to calm myself by writing. Maybe it's not the best post, maybe it's not the more coherent post I've ever written but I just need to get some things out.

I'm also starting to stress out about my weight. For some reason the past few weeks my eating habits haven't been up to par to where I want them to be, I slipped, I slacked and I don't know why. I'm glad to say I'm down from a tight size 22 to a comfortable 18, I've been doing my KettleWorx religiously for the past week and it's a 6 week program, but I don't feel....right....

Maybe it's just that time of the month, I'm sure it is... PMS kicking in...Bloating, moody, just plain icky and with the stress and anxiety, this just isn't one of my best few days........ I wish I could just mellow out, and get over it and realize I can't get it all done in one day alone by myself, but the type of person I am won't let that happen..... I bet even if I was able to vacation right now, alone, even if it was looking at or visiting hotels panama city beach the stress would still be around and I couldn't relax the way I'd want to. So until it's all into place perfectly, this is going to weigh on me, in the back of my head...DAILY... And it seems like it never ends....

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Today I got inspired....

With all the new clothes for school (uniform) and my girls growing like weeds, I've finally decided to go through ALL of their clothes. The ones in the drawers, the ones in the closets and even the big bins full of baby clothes hiding in the closet in the guest room.

We need the room, I can't keep them forever. It brings tears to my eyes to get rid of the baby clothes, but I gotta do it... I'm taking a small break right now before I head back upstairs and grab those 4 bins full of baby clothes.

So far I've gotten every piece of clothing from their room out, 1/2 of it is sorted into keep piles, throw away piles, and sell/consignment shop piles. I still have 4 more drawers to go through, and there's a ton of laundry in the basement. I have a feeling I"ll be at this all night....

What I do need is some good organization for the closet, some better drawers or SOMETHING! (I'd be happy to review some great organizational products) So my living room is full of children's clothing, I"m on the floor watching my soaps while I do it, for some reason this so feels like deja vu..... I think I remember my own mother doing this exact thing a time or two when I was younger....

Daily Freebies...


~ Cheerios Free Sample of Honey Nut Cheerios

~ Juicy Juice Free Refillable Bottle

~ Walmart Free Scope Outlast Sample Kit

~ Filtrete Free Welcome Kit

~ Alpo Sweeps Free Can of Dog Food for entering (Exp. 09/28)

~ CVS Free Sample of Tena Serenity

~ Maybelline Free Beauty Guide Subscription (Canada)

~ Organic Valley Free Welcome Packet

Don't forget to add your freebies and/or giveaways to the MckLinky below....


Wordless Wednesday

Good Morning!

For more Wordless Wednesday be sure to visit 5 Minutes for Mom and don't forget to add your Wordless Wednesday link to the MckLinky!


Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Choose to Reuse...

Kids Konserve is hitting the schools again to continue their education and empower children and families to choose to reuse.

Coming up on their one year anniversary Kids Konserve is excited to announce some new products such as their new insulated lunch bags that are made from 100% recycled water bottles. The nesting trio are stainless steel containers that are all the right sizes. And to keep everything colder, the no-sweat ice pack fits perfectly in the bags.

Schools are also signing up to take on the waste-free challenge and earn or save money for their schools. To learn more, visit www.kidskonserve.com.

In order to help you choose to reuse Kids Konserve is offering readers of A Wrestling Addicted Mommy 15% off of their products. Simply enter the code lyrics at checkout to get your 15% off Kids Konserve products, valid until 9/30/09.

Fiber One Yogurt, 50 Calories 0 Guilt!

My family loves yogurt, and I love Hungry Girl, so when I saw that Lisa Lillien (AKA Hungry Girl) gave her 'seal of approval' on the new Fiber One yogurt I couldn't help but be interested.

The new Fiber One nonfat yogurt has 50 calories and 5 grams of fiber (20% of the recommended daily value). It's also a great source of calcium as well as vitamins A & D.

Yogurt, and especially the new Fiber One yogurt is a great option for my new healthy lifestyle. There's no guilt and it tastes great! Flavors available include Strawberry, Peach, Vanilla and Key Lime Pie. Both myself and my girls really enjoy this thick creamy yogurt, and finding ways to sneak in extra fiber isn't always easy, but now, it's simple and tasty!

You can see what Hungry Girl thinks about the new Fiber One yogurt here. Also be sure to check out the fun “50-Calorie Snack Attack” video featuring Hungry Girl and one of the Hungry Girl staffers on the hut for satisfying, 50-calorie snacks.



Thanks to My Blog Spark I was able to enjoy this simply delicious yogurt for free with a Fiber One VIP coupon which was good for a free 4-pack of Fiber One yogurt. As an extra bonus I was given a gift bag which included a Fiber One cooler pack and other storage items to carry snacks and yogurt as well as a drink on the go.

Interested in trying out the new Fiber One yogurt for yourself? Right now you can get a $1 off coupon by clicking HERE.

WIN IT!!

Three (3) lucky readers of A Wrestling Addicted Mommy will win a great Fiber One Gift Bag which includes a Fiber One Yogurt Coupon, cooler pack and the extra items as seen in the picture to the left.

To Enter: Leave a comment telling me your favorite healthy snack item.



Want some extra chances to win? (above initial entry must be done first):

* Visit Hungry Girl and tell me one of one of your favorite "Chew The Right Thing" recipes or one you'd like to try.
* Visit Fiber One and tell me what one of your favorite products are or one you'd like to try.
* Follow my blog
* Subscribe to my blog by email or reader
* Follow myself on twitter and tweet about the giveaway (you can do this daily) then comment with the link.
You can use the following to tweet:
Win 1 of 3 Fiber One Gift Bags from @wrestlingaddict check it out: http://tinyurl.com/o2aeay US Only.
* Post on your blog about the giveaway linking to my giveaway then leave a comment with the link to your post OR if you don't have a blog email 3 people and CC me on the email (lyricandariasmomATgmailDOTcom)
* Favorite me on Technorati (leave your username)
* Become a fan of A Wrestling Addicted Mommy on Facebook
* Follow my blog on Networked Blogs
* Post my button or text link on your blog

Giveaway ends August 18th, 2009 at 11:59pm ET and is open to US mailing addresses only.
The winner will be chosen by using random.org. Winner will have 72 hours to respond to notification with shipping info - if no response, another winner will be chosen.


Thanks To: MyBlogSpark

Mrs. Dash - Salt Free, Flavor Full!

Eating healthier, and getting in shape has been my main goal this year, not only for myself but for my family as a whole, and that includes eliminating high sources of sodium in our diets.

I've never been a salt lover. It's very rare that I actually use salt in my cooking. Normally you'll see me using a lot of different spices and one of my favorite items, Mrs. Dash.

Mrs. Dash
seasonings are MSG and salt free which gives me the piece of mind that I'm helping keep my family a little healthier every time I cook. The newest edition to the Mrs. Dash seasonings line is the Fiesta Lime Seasoning Blend. This is a great seasoning to use on a lot of those Mexican dishes, or to use as seasoning for taco meat instead of those high sodium packets that most of us tend to use a lot of the times.

Just because your trying to eat healthier doesn't mean you have to sacrifice taste. Mrs. Dash makes sure of that!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog and giveaway campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Mrs. Dash and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

School Time!

Tick Tock, Tick Tock! That's what my head sounds like lately. I only have 14 more days until my oldest goes for her Kindergarten assessment and to meet her teacher for the first time.... And then only 6 more days after that, she's off to her first day of school.

I'm already a little irritated with things. First off uniforms are killing me! This child has grown again, needs new shoes but I can't find any decent looking shoes that are quality that are within her uniform standards, not only that but buying this kid new clothes to wear outside of school AS WELL as uniform items is breaking the bank, plus I have another child to clothe too who's grown since last season and needs new clothes as well.

School supplies, what are those? I'm trying to grab things that I think she'll need, but the school hasn't come out with a supply list yet. What?!?! Hello, I like to have things done and ready and not done last minute where I'm rushing around trying to get things for her. I've been told that the first day of school they'll have a list for me.... I'm not a happy camper at the moment.

I'm stubborn as it is, since I'm one who wanted to home school in the first place but have lost my battle with that. I'm annoyed at the fact that the school is going to try to have me purchase 'community items'. Yes I'm selfish, I'm watching out for my child, and my child alone, if I buy school supplies they're going to be for her and her only, if I have to label everything I have, I'll do it. It's bad enough that some of the supply lists I've peeked at while in the store ask for NAME BRAND items. I'm sorry but if I'm purchasing her supplies she's going to get what's cheap, works and I can afford for HER, not extra for the class or name brand items because it's called for it.

I am NOT looking forward to this assessment, the start date or any of this. Never mind the fact that I'm PMSing and school falls right into this great time for me.... I'm hoping my plans of having family/friends here for her on her first day don't fall through like it looks might happen. The support is needed....Mostly for ME!

Daily Freebies...


~ Burt's Bees Free Natural Acne Solutions Sample

~ Nescafe Free Taster's Choice Stick Pack Sample

~ Walmart Free Sample of Prilosec OTC

~ Carefree Free Ultra Protection Liner Sample

~ Jack In The Box 2 free Tacos from 12am to 11:59pm (Today only)

~ Similac Free Formula Sample (Canada)

~ Virgin Free 3D Glasses (UK & Eire)

~ Gooseberry Patch Free Fall Favorites Cookbook (US & Canada)

~ Walmart Free Sample of Playtex Sport

~ Coldplay Free "Left Right Left Right Left" Album Download (Worldwide)

~ Chickdowntown Free Friendship Bracelet and $50 Gift Card (scroll to bottom)

~ Ensure Free Gift Pack (Canada)

~ Clipper Free Tea Sample (UK)

~ Astroglide Free Sample of Astroglide X

~ Total Free Sample of Blueberry Pomegranate Cereal

~ Somersault Free Crunchy Nuggets Sample

~ John Frieda Free Samples of Brilliant Brunette Liquid Shine

~ Nutland Foods Free Sample of Nutland Crunch

~ SoftSheen Free Roots of Nature Samples

~ Scrubbing Bubbles Free Shower Caddy

~ Nexcare 2 free Bandages - Limited Amount per Day (Exp. 09/30)

~ CBS Watch! Free Subscription to CBS Watch! Magazine

~ Enfagrow Free Sample (Canada)

~ UnderJams Free Sample of Absorbent Night Wear (US & Canada)

CookiesKids.com Back-to-School $500 Gift Card Contest

Did the kids grow a size again this year, or did they hit a big growth spurt and jump two sizes this summer?

Don’t fret – CookiesKids.com is giving one lucky parent a $500 gift card for any products on CookiesKids.com!

It doesn’t stop there – Two more lucky parents will receive $250 gift cards, and three more will win $100 gift cards to ease that back-to-school burden of clothes shopping!

Whether you are shopping for uniforms or not, CookiesKids.com has the back-to-school essentials that make it a one-stop-shop for all busy parents out there!

Simply submit a picture of your child in an article of clothing offered on CookiesKids.com at the Cookie’s Flickr group then fill out this form to be entered into the Sweepstakes. Please be sure to read the Contest "Terms and Conditions" before entering your information into this form!

GOOD LUCK!

Friday, August 7, 2009

Chinese Food made easy....At Home!

I just absolutely love Chinese food. It's probably one of my favorite cuisines, although I don't get it as much as I'd like to due to my food allergy, so I attempt to make it at home, homemade as best as I can. Thankfully I have a best friend who's Chinese and I've gotten some great pointers and recipes from her.

For my family though, sometimes homemade isn't good enough and they love to get some great tasting Chinese cuisine on their own. Now, I can do that for them at home in a quick minute thanks to the new Wanchai Ferry Entree's.

Wanchai Ferry has come up with frozen entree's which have all the ingredients you need to prepare a Chinese meal for two in about 14 minutes. There are five flavors which include orange chicken, shimp lo mein, spicy garlic chicken, sweet & sour chicken and sweet & spicy shrimp. One great thing is that these entrees all have no added MSG!

Unfortunately I'm was not able to taste the new Wanchai Ferry Orange Chicken Entree we got due to the Oyster Sauce, and thankfully Wanchai Ferry does place allergen information on the back of the bags under the ingredient list, but the rest of my family can eat this up with pleasure, and they have. I can say, it does smell DELICIOUS!! I am enjoying the wonderful gifts that came along with my Wanchai Ferry Entree though, the pack of 2 rice bowls, 2 sets of chopsticks and 2 bamboo place mats.

Wanchai Ferry is making a Chinese food more accessible at home, even when your in a rush. To get your Free coupon for $1.50 off 1 Wanchai Ferry Entree and to get more great meal tips just visit www.wanchaiferry.com.

WIN IT!!!

One lucky reader from A Wrestling Addicted Mommy will receive a Wanchai Ferry “Stay-At-Home” prize pack which includes 2 coupons for a Wanchai Ferry entree, 2 rice bowls, 2 sets of chopsticks and 2 bamboo place mats.

To Enter: Leave me a comment telling me what your favorite item is to order when you order Chinese Food.

Want some extra chances to win? (above initial entry must be done first):
* Visit the Wanchai Ferry and tell me which of the meal tip options you like with your favorite dish
* Follow my blog
* Subscribe to my blog by email or reader
* Follow myself on twitter and tweet about the giveaway (you can do this daily) then comment with the link. You can use the following to tweet: Win a Stay-At-Home Wanchai Ferry Prize Pack from @wrestlingaddict check it out: http://tinyurl.com/nc72yw ends 8/14 US Only.
* Post on your blog about the giveaway linking to my giveaway then leave a comment with the link to your post OR if you don't have a blog email 3 people and CC me on the email (lyricandariasmomATgmailDOTcom)
* Favorite me on Technorati (leave your username)
* Become a fan of A Wrestling Addicted Mommy on Facebook
* Follow my blog on Networked Blogs
* Post my button or text link on your blog

Giveaway ends August 14th, 2009 at 11:59pm ET and is open to US mailing addresses only.
The winner will be chosen by using random.org. Winner will have 72 hours to respond to notification with shipping info - if no response, another winner will be chosen.


Thanks To: MyBlogSpark

Lands' End Back-To-School Twitter Party!

Summer is almost over and everyone knows what that means....Back-To-School!!! If the thought of back-to-school shopping makes you feel overwhelmed, not to worry Lands' End is offering their expertise and a chance to win major must-haves for back-to-school!

On Thursday August 20th from 7:00 – 9:00pm CST Lands' End and 5minutesformom.com will be hosting the ultimate Back-To-School Twitter Party! Lands' End hosts will be available to answer back-to-school shopping questions and the party will feature more than 20 product giveaways. Save the date and log-on to twitter for an evening of shopping tips, socializing and great giveaways using the hashtag #landsend.

Until then, have some fun with your kiddo and head over to create a Fantasy Backpack at Packland. Me and my new Kindergartner made one of our own.

Daily Freebies...


~ Mars Free Coupon for 250,000 every Friday (Exp. 09/25)

~ Escada Free Sample of Desire Me Fragrance (Worldwide)

~ Walmart Free Nicorette Starter Pack

~ Valuemag Free Subscription to Flying

~ Always Infinity Free Sample

~ K-Y Free Sample of Intense Arousal Gel for Her (Canada)

~ Lacoste Free Fragrance Samples (UK & Ireland)

~ Home Made Simple Free $35 Coupon Booklet

~ Emeril Free Original Essence Seasoning Sample

~ Healthy Beginnings Free Baby Calendar

~ Stayfree Free Sample

~ Charmin Free Mega Roll Extender (Canada)

~ Life's A Dog Free Bumper Sticker (US & Canada)

~ Iams Free Coupon for Iams Premium Cat Food

~ Annie's Free 2010 Calendar (Code: 013562302109)

~ Parent's Choice Free Sample of Immune Support Formula

~ Valuemags Free 5 Issue Subscription to Sport Diver

~ Cetaphil Free Coupons (Canada)

~ Avril Lavigne Free Fragrance Sample (UK)

Don't forget to leave your freebies or giveaway posts on your own blog so we can all check them out. Leave your blog/post on the Mr. Linky below!

Wendy's Boneless Chicken Wings Blog Tour

I'm sure by now everyone has seen the new commercials for the Boneless Chicken Wings from Wendy's. It's nice to have an alternative to the usual burger and boneless chicken wings are great!

Wendy's new boneless chicken wings are made with 100% whole chicken breast and get hand tossed in one of three flavors: Bold Buffalo, Honey BBQ, and Sweet & Spicy Asian Chicken. Me and my hubby have tried them already I tried the Honey BBQ and he tried the Sweet & Spicy Asian Chicken. Of course we taste tested each others as well...

My thoughts, they're O.K., honestly I just think they're chicken nuggets with some sauce on top. Hubby loves them, he says the breading is a little less than the chicken nuggets and think they're great. He's gotten them a few more times since the first time we tried them.

The Boneless Chicken Wings from Wendy's are a great alternative to a burger and great when paired up with a side salad, is it my overall choice at Wendy's, probably not, but everyone has their own taste and my hub's seems to love the taste of these!

For more information and to check out the nutritional information on Wendy's new Boneless Chicken Wings head on over to www.wendys.com.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog and giveaway campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Wendy's and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Suave Skincare Bundle Giveaway WINNER..

Gosh, I'm so sorry, I completely forgot about this giveaway ending so soon. Time to announce the winner of the Suave Skincare Bundle Giveaway...

The winner (chosen randomly) is......


Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

325

Timestamp: 2009-08-07 13:58:06 UTC


Commenter #325: blueviolet said...

I'm a facebook fan: http://www.facebook.com/doot65


Congrats, you've win a Suave Skincare Bundle including bodywash and moisturizer. I'll be emailing you soon.
Winner has 72hrs to respond to the initial email. If no response within 72hrs winner forfeits their prize and a new winner will be chosen.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Pocketville Fun for all...

Both of my girls love to play games on the computer and internet. They're also big fans of Puppy In My Pocket.

When we found Pocketville they couldn't be more thrilled about the online virtual world where they could play games, decorate their space and adopt some of their favorite 'In My Pocket' pets.

Although my girls are a little young to engage in meeting friends online they love the free fun games and activities they can do on Pocketville. Below I have a voucher code for free tokens in which you can adopt more pets, buy new items etc. Even without the voucher code though the tokens are a pretty fair price starting at only $3.00.

Pocketville is a fun creative virtual world where kids can be safe online to meet new friends and play fun games. If your kids are a fan of the 'pocket pets' like mine are they'd love to play with their new virtual pet in this virtual world.

If you or your kids are interested in playing in Pocketville here's a code where you can get 250 free Pocketville Tokens, just enter the Voucher Code: B9GX8NUDYS (exp. 9/30)

Visit www.jungleinmypocket.com and have some online fun with your kiddos.

Quick Easy meals for back to school...

With back to school plans coming in the next few weeks, I'm trying to figure out how to balance things already around the house. Things are sure going to change around here and figuring out what to make for dinner is just going to add to the day to day stress ahead.
Quaker Maids has some great quick and easy recipes to help parents this school year, they both sound really good and with a few adjustments for my own families diets, I might just try these out.

Easy Summer Meatball Dinner
• 1 15 oz. can whole potatoes, drained, rinsed, cut into chunks
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 14.5 oz. beef broth
• 32 oz. tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 12 oz. frozen mixed vegetables
• Approx. 15 oz. meatballs.

In a large saucepan, combine potatoes, onions, beef broth, tomato sauce, water, Italian seasoning, pepper and vegetables. Bring to a boil on stove top. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes. Add meatballs, cover and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.

Meatball Pitas
1 package of Mama Lucia Italian Style Meatballs
8 small pita breads
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup cubed feta cheese
1⁄2 cup chopped black olives
1⁄2 cup chopped shredded lettuce
1⁄2 cup chopped onion
1⁄4 cup Parmesan cheese grated
1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon of oregano

Heat the meatballs on the stove top with red pepper flakes and oregano. Heat the pita breads in the oven on low heat until warm. Once heated, place 2-3 meatballs in each pita bread. Top with feta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. As cheese begin to melt, top off with lettuce, onion and black olives. Serve “taco style” for a snack or main meal.

20/20 Research is bringing the focus group to you!

Once again 20/20 Research is conducting another research study. I've done a few studies with them and am always paid.

We are currently conducting a research study regarding Child Care and would like to invite women across the country to participate using an online bulletin board. A bulletin board is a new, cutting-edge way to conduct market research. It allows you to participate from your home, office, the local coffee shop or any place that has a high speed internet connection.

The online discussion takes place: August 14-September 8, and will require going online 1-2 times per week for 3 weeks, at your convenience, to answer questions posted by a moderator.

For your time and participation you will be given a $225 online gift card. As always, any information that you provide will remain strictly confidential. To see if you qualify, please click HERE to answer a few brief questions.

If you would like to be contacted directly about future studies, become a member of our Panel by clicking HERE.

GOOD LUCK!

Beyonce at The Palace of Auburn Hills....

A while ago I told you guys about a great opportunity I had to blog about the Beyonce concert thanks to EventChasers and RazorGator.

Well the time came, it was time to head on out to Auburn Hills Michigan and into The Palace of Auburn Hills to see Beyonce live in concert. It was special for two reasons, one I really love Beyonce and am a big fan and two, it's not often that me and hubby get to go out and do something special like this together. A date night was really needed and to be able to enjoy a great concert together was a plus.

Thanks to RazorGator our seats were pretty decent for the concert. We both had a great time, and Beyonce puts on a great show. If you'd like to read my review of the concert and venue head on over to the EventChasers site, you can read my review here: http://www.eventchaser.com/2009/08/beyonce-at-the-palace-of-auburn-hills-in-auburn-hills-michigan/

I look forward to working with EventChasers and RazorGator on my next assignment.

Daily Freebies...

You know what I've noticed, I haven't been signing up for these freebies myself. I've been more concerned with getting them up on the blog than actually signing up for the freebies myself. I have to start remembering to sign up, they come in super handy a lot of the time. Just remember though, I always verify the freebies, I'll never have you signing up for something that makes you go through loops to get the freebie like signing up for a disability insurance newsletter or something just to get the freebies....


~ Wet Free Personal Lubricant Sample

~ Heiko Free Sample of Age Defense Moisturizer (US & Canada)

~ Walmart Free Sample of Bodycology Body Lotion

~ Ideal Free Sweetener Sample

~ Stetson Free Sample of All American Cologne

~ Kotex Free Sample of Ultra Thin Overnight Pads

~ A.Vogel Free Herbamare Sample (Canada)

~ Garnier Free Pro-X Double Action Eyecare Sample (UK & ROI)

~ ValueMags Free Subscription to Seventeen Digital

~ Mercury 2 free Issues of Oprah Magazine

~ Right@Home Free Fragrance Gift Pack for the first 10,000

~ Walmart Free Scope Outlast Sample Kit

~ Matrix Free Sample of Vavoom or ShapeMaker

~ Redwood Creek Free Moose Poster (US, 21+)

~ General Snus Free Smokeless Tobacco Sample Pack

~ Living With Birds Free Bird Food and Voucher (UK)

~ Mercury 2 free Issues of Marie Claire

~ Walmart Free Sample of Oxy Gel Face Wash

Don't forget to leave your freebies or giveaway posts on your own blog so we can all check them out. Leave your blog/post on the Mr. Linky below!


Summer is officially over....

Summer is officially over, at least for us. We took our final 'summer vacation' over the weekend, and it truly was a sad weekend for myself.

We did have a great time. We took a visit to my hubby's relatives in Chicago, which also took us to Navy Pier and the Chicago Childrens Museum as well. We had a blast as a family. My end of vacation though consisted of being reminded that in a few weeks my little girl will be going to school for the very first time, which also prompted shopping of some school uniform pieces while we were there.

I'm still very depressed over her going to school. There's something that just doesn't sit right with me about it, but I have no say in the matter. Hubby refuses to let me home school and we can't afford private school. We'll see how she does after the first year, maybe a Charter School will be better than the school she's going to be going to (which in fact has failing grades which is what I hate about her going there.).

Time is flying. My little girl is growing up, she's going to school and this past week we've also noticed this little 6 year old needs to start wearing deodorant. What the hell!!! It's starting to really wear on me, depress me even that time is flying by so fast. It almost makes me want to have another little one around.....ALMOST.... But then these two start fighting and I realize there's no way in hell I could handle another baby again.

I've had the conversation with my youngest about her older sister going to school all day and won't be here at home with her. When I asked her if she's going to miss her sister she shakes her head “No!”. That kinda makes me laugh. I guess it's a good thing to look at that I'll get to spend more one on one time with my youngest daughter. My oldest had me all to herself for 2 years and now my youngest will get to have that too since it will be another 2 years until she goes to school.

So until the dreaded day of August 31 when my child walks into a building by herself, without me, without her mom being right there by her side all day, I'll be trying to keep myself busy with things around the blog, around the house. Re-arranging things somehow makes things better, so I'll start with the girls room, onto my own room, into the living room moving around tv stands and such..... I need to take my mind of the worry, of the hurt, off the depressing thoughts in my head somehow....

Dezign With A Z - Modern wall decor...

It's no surprise to many of my readers that I have a love for vinyl wall décor. It's so easy to transform a room just by sticking something up on the wall. Making your home feel like a home and wanting to re-decorate can be expensive, but with vinyl wall décor, it's affordable and easy to make a room look fantastic.

Recently I found a place called Dezign with a Z. They have more than just vinyl phrases or quote for your walls, they have home and office decorative 'decalz' that are cute, modern and sophisticated. I love that I can have just more than a quote placed on my wall, I can now have actual art that looks great and is easy to set up.

Dezign with a Z makes vinyl wall decals based on designs by young creative and talented designers from Europe and the US. Wall Decals are the most stylish home decorative products right now. They're easy to apply, easy to remove, and are a creative way to decorate your walls, especially if you're renting and can't paint, vinyl wall decals are a way to decorate your rooms and make them a little more personal.

On the Dezign with a Z website there's a large selection of decals for both your home and office decorating needs. Design with a Z manufactures the largest wall decals in the market and has over 24 different colors you can choose from to create your decal.

One of my favorite products from Dezign with a Z is the Wall Clocks. That's right, a wall decal that's also a clock, what a great idea! My favorite design (from the many they have) is the Bubble Clock, it's modern, sleek and fits with almost any décor. I choose the Bubble Clock in black and couldn't be happier. All wall clocks wall decals are delivered with a black mechanism and work with a simple AA battery (not included).

Getting this up was easy I was able to do it myself. Simply find the spot you want to put the decal on your wall, stick it on, (following the instructions which come with the decal or you can find on the website) I used a credit card to smooth the decal onto the wall. When pulling up the adhesive you really do need to do this slowly as some of the 'bubbles' didn't stick instantly and I did have to go over them again to get them to stick before taking the adhesive off. I got the clock up pretty quickly though and then hung the mechanism in the nail in the middle of the clock and it looks great! I got so many compliments on this and how 'neat' people think it is.

I was also able to spruce up my newly renovated kitchen by choosing one of the Modern Wall Stickers from the Objects collection. The Tea Party! Wall tattoo is a cute little design that adorns the wall in my kitchen. Again getting this on the wall was easy and I was able to do this alone without the help of hubby. I placed the Tea Party! Wall tattoo on the wall just above my refrigerator, so looking at it head on it looks like the tea kettle is sitting on top of the fridge. It's super cute and I just love it. To go with my newly painted walls I chose the white color to let it pop out a little more and I couldn't be happier, I'm also not nervous that this is going to ruin the paint and I didn't have to put any holes in the wall to hang up a picture or anything to decorate the kitchen, which is a plus.

You also get a mini surprise decal with each order, I got some great polka dots and some extra butterflies which I used to 'dress up' the decals even more.

I also love the fact that all of the Dezign with a Z wall decals are able to be installed on smooth and not so smooth surfaces. We live in an older home and have plaster walls, I've had some trouble with wall decals from other places in the past where they won't stick to the plaster. Dezign with a Z decals have hung on and show no sign of coming down anytime soon.

If your looking for something a little more contemporary or modern Dezign with a Z is the place to be for some great wall decals, with the ability to choose the size and color it makes the decal you choose just a little more personal as well so you know the design is yours from the start. Visit www.dezignwithaz.com for more information.

WIN IT!!!

One lucky reader from A Wrestling Addicted Mommy will get to win their very own wall decal from Dezign with a Z. The lucky winner will get to choose between a Bubble Clock or the Tea Party! Wall tattoo in their color of choice.

To enter: You must head over to the Dezign with a Z website and take a look around, then come back leaving me a comment with which product of theirs you like best. Also let me know if you'd like the Bubble Clock or Tea Party! Design if you won and in what color.

**You must leave a comment with a product you like as well as which prize you'd like to win to be entered, this must be done first in order to have an entry**

Want some extra chances to win? Check out the many ways below:

* Follow my blog
* Subscribe to my blog by email or reader
* Follow myself and Dezign With A Z on twitter and tweet about the giveaway (you can do this daily) then comment with the link. You can use the following to tweet: Win a Bubble Clock or Tea Party! Wall tattoo from @wrestlingaddict and @dezignwithaz check it out: http://tinyurl.com/mkub2o
* Post on your blog about the giveaway linking to both the giveaway and Dezign with a Z website then leave a comment with the link to your post OR if you don't have a blog email 3 people and CC me on the email (lyricandariasmomATgmailDOTcom)
* Favorite me on Technorati (leave your username)
* Become a fan of A Wrestling Addicted Mommy on Facebook
* Follow my blog on Networked Blogs
* Post my button or text link on your blog

Giveaway ends August 20th, 2009 at 11:59pm ET and is open to US mailing addresses only.
The winner will be chosen by using random.org. Winner will have 72 hours to respond to notification with shipping info - if no response, another winner will be chosen.

Gather-Round!

Ever wish you had the opportunity to connect with other Moms like yourself across the country? I've been around various message boards and even ran one myself for over 4 years, there's nothing better than meeting women online who can truly understand your life and where you're coming from in the hectic world of being a mother.

Often times relationships you make online spill out into the real world as you meet women locally, end up chatting on the phone, or plan and meet up in person. Online friendships often turn into real life, lifelong friendships. It's hard for Moms to sometimes get out there and meet people on their own who share the same interests, views, challenges and dilemmas, so when great places pop up like Gather.com who create a social networking community where you can meet some great people, I hop right on board.

Gather.com hosts thousands of groups and conversations on topics ranging from how to cope with your toddler, to creating a thriving organic garden, from books that you'll want to stay awake all night reading, to the latest pilates moves; and from cooking without recipes to taking the challenge of creating movie reviews in Haiku. There's so many groups and people around on Gather.com finding something that interests you and the people to go along with it isn't very hard at all.

Something fun that Gather.com has come up with is earning points for the content you contribute to the site, you can redeem these points for gift cards at some of the most popular stores and even for PayPal cash. The more recipes, tips, stories and advice you share with others int he community, the more points you earn. It makes gather.com more than just a social networking site!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog and giveaway campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Gather. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

August Sticky Words Vinyl Lettering Giveaway

Another great giveaway. Sticky Words Vinyl Lettering is offering to giveaway to one lucky reader any one (1) of their Pre-Designed Wall Phrases, your choice! (Custom designing and monogram tiles are not available for the giveaway).

Do you want to win a beautiful vinyl wall quote or phrase for one of the rooms in your home?

WIN IT!!!

Simply head over to the Sticky Words website and take a look around. Then come back here and leave me a comment on which design you would choose if you won (you may choose a pre-designed phrase of your choice, custom designing and monogram tiles are not available for the giveaway). You must do this first step in order to be eligible to win.

Want some extra chances to win? Check out the many ways below:

* Follow my blog
* Subscribe to my blog by email or reader
* Follow me on Twitter HERE and tweet about the giveaway (you can do this daily) then comment with the link. You can use the following to tweet: I'm entered to win a vinyl wall quote/phrase from @wrestlingaddict check it out: http://tinyurl.com/lvsrdl
* Post on your blog about the giveaway linking to both the giveaway and Sticky Words website then leave a comment with the link to your post
* Favorite me on Technorati (leave your username)
* Become a fan of A Wrestling Addicted Mommy on Facebook
* Follow my blog on Networked Blogs
* Post my button or text link on your blog

Giveaway ends August 28th, 2009 at 11:59pm ET and is open to US mailing addresses only.
The winner will be chosen by using random.org. Winner will have 72 hours to respond to notification with shipping info - if no response, another winner will be chosen.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Campus Chronicles New Winner

So this is a first for me. I had two winners for the Chicken Soup For The Soul: Campus Chronicles giveaway, and only one winner respond to me with their shipping information.

Therefore purango has forfeit their prize and a new winner will be chosen in their place. Using random.org and the original comments from the giveaway, the new winner of a copy of the book Chicken Soup for the Soul: Campus Chronicles is...


Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

58

Timestamp: 2009-08-01 21:08:27 UTC


Commenter #58: kcatlin said...

tweeted http://twitter.com/kellygrant1977


Congrats Kelly you've won a copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Campus Chronicles!

Solo Photo Contest Keep Cool and Win Great Prizes!

Summer is a season of celebration; from Memorial Day to Labor Day, we try to squeeze in as much fun as possible. And as Moms, we rely on an arsenal of tricks that allow us to entertain families and friends with gatherings that keep our efforts and costs low, but the fun level high! One of our go-to entertaining tips is to use high-quality, single-use cups and plates to cut down on clean-up time. And just in time for those end-of-season bashes, our favorite party-ware brand has unveiled a new line of cups designed for a more comfortable and reliable hold; Solo Squared™, a first-of-its-kind Squared single-use cup.

And because winning great prizes is always fun, we have a great contest opportunity for you! To celebrate decades of great entertaining and the new Squared party cup, Solo Cup Company has launched an online photo contest with a grand prize of $5,000 for the best photo featuring a Solo Squared cup. You'll be able to enter your favorite photos at www.SoloCups4ever.com until August 14 and the winners will be announced on August 21, 2009.

In addition to the grand prize, two $1,000 runner-up prizes will be awarded at the end of the contest. By entering, you'll also have the chance to win daily and weekly prizes of gift certificates and Solo products.

Daily Freebies...


~ Schwan's $10 worth of free food first 500,000 new customers

~ Free 2010 Memories Stitched With Love Calendar UPC Code: 0-13562-30210-9

~ Oprah.com Free Download of Let The Great World Spin 8/3 - 8/5

~ Prodlix Free Guitar Pickholder and 5 Black Picks

~ JcPenney Free Decree tank top from JcPenney 1st 15,000

~ Summit Free plastic flower pot sample

~ Free sample of Honey Nut Cheerios and a $1.00 off coupon

~ Free Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Dessert CALL: 1-800-446-1898, option 4

~ Jack In The Box Free coupon for 2 free tacos 8/4

~ Leap Frog Free Board Book

Win a fabulous top from Alight.com

With a mission of having the latest trends and most fabulous fashion available to every women size 14W to 30W alight.com is doing a great job so far.

Alight.com is quickly becoming the leading specialty online shop for plus-size women and offers a wide assortment of dresses for all occasions, jeans, tops, jackets, coats, skirts, and pants. With almost 100 brands and over 900 styles alight.com carries the largest selction of contemporary and junior plus designers including Blue Plate, Pink Girl, Angels, Abby Z, Ruby Rox, Fashion Love, ToTo, Mecca Femme, Pink Apple, Sele and many many more.

I love the variety of their styles and sizes, as my size dwindles down I can still find plus sized fashion at affordable prices and know I'd look cute in so many of their pieces.

If you haven't checked out alight.com already be sure to stop by for more information and take a browse through their collection www.alight.com.

WIN IT!!!

I've scored a great deal with alight.com and my plus sized readers are going to love this one. Every month we'll be featuring a giveaway for one of alight.com's fabulous tops (chosen at alight's choice) in your size. To enter all you have to do is be sign up for their mailing list/newsletter on alight.com then come back here leaving me a comment telling me that you did and which email you used to sign up for it with, then just let me know the size of top you'd need if you were to win.

You must sign up for the alight.com newsletter and leave a comment with your email to be eligible to enter this giveaway, winners who are not signed up with the newsletter will forfeit their winning prize and a new winner will be chosen.

Want some extra chances to win? Check out the many ways below:

* Visit alight.com and tell me what your favorite piece of clothing is
* Follow my blog
* Subscribe to my blog by email or by a reader
* Follow myself and alight.com on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway and comment with the link, you can use the following to tweet: I'm entered to win a fabulous top from @wrestlingaddict and @alightcom check it out: http://tinyurl.com/nz88m6 Open to All!!
* Post on your blog about the giveaway linking to this post and alight.com and comment with the link
* Favorite me on Technorati (leave your username)
* Become a fan of A Wrestling Addicted Mommy and Alight.com on Facebook

Giveaway ends August 30th, 2009 at 11:59pm ET and is open to everyone.
The winner will be chosen by using random.org. Winner will have 72 hours to respond to notification with shipping info - if no response, another winner will be chosen.