Fun for Everyone at the Liberty Science Center and an Awesome Giveaway

A huge thank you to Andrea McDonald for this guest post about her family's visit to the Liberty Science Center, and also a huge thank you to Liberty Science Center for providing admission tickets, as well as tickets to giveaway.

This past President’s Day weekend, looking for something fun to do in the subzero temperatures, my family and my sister’s family decided to go to the Liberty Science Center with our four kids ranging in age from 4 to 9.  

We were excited for the Science, Sabers and Star Wars: The Force Awakens event that was taking place just for the weekend.  However, we arrived to find that what seemed like literally thousands of others were just as excited about that, and the Star Wars event was incredibly crowded with long lines.  So we quickly decided instead to check out some of the many other exhibits currently at the Science Center.  

We first found our way to the Sid the Science Kid: The Super-Duper Exhibit which runs through May 15, 2016 and is included with general admission tickets.  This exhibit allows young learners to explore STEM activities through a variety of activities like: Catapulting Sid’s toys into his toy box using a lever, testing inertia using toys on a skateboard, experimenting with friction and testing different surfaces and designing their own “Super-Duper-Ooper Big Idea. We knew our 4 year old would have fun, as he really likes Sid the Science Kid, but weren’t sure our 7 year olds or 9 year old would be engaged by it.  We didn’t need to worry.  All the kids loved it. 

Our 4 year old son could have spent all day playing with the ball machine (for lack of the technical term), using the pulleys to bring the balls up to his 9 year old cousin waiting on the top part of the structure and then catching them when they fell and trying to determine which ball would land first if two were thrown down at the same time. My daughter really enjoyed using the microscope to look at objects focused in different ways and at varying sizes.

After we managed to drag the kids out of the Side the Science Kid Exhibit, we went to Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition around the corner. Tickets are required for this exhibition - $27.75 for adults, $22.75 for children 2-12 and $24.75 for seniors.  The additional cost is well worth it for the history buffs among us.  In it, more than 130 legendary artifacts conserved from the ships debris field are showcased.  As we entered, we each received a replica boarding pass of an actual passenger aboard the Titanic.  And we moved through the life of the ship, from its construction, to life on board, to the ill-fated sinking and amazing artifact rescue efforts.  The adults really enjoyed seeing the many artifacts, while the kids especially liked seeing the re-created first and third class cabins and touching the iceberg. 

The “Memorial Gallery” where we could take our boarding passes to learn whether our passenger and traveling companions survived or died was interesting to adults and children alike.

In addition to the special exhibitions, we also visited more permanent exhibits such as Our Hudson Home, which explores our complex relationship with the distinct and special Hudson River ecosystem.  Our girls had a great time donning lab coats and conducting an experiment in ecology.

All in all, we spent a great day at the Liberty Science Center, and had so much fun at the many other exhibits that we didn’t even regret not making it to the Star Wars exhibit.  Especially after we ran into a storm trooper on our way out and managed to get our picture taken with him.

And now for the giveaway...

 WIN A FAMILY FOUR-PACK OF TICKETS TO THE LIBERTY SCIENCE CENTER!

Liberty Science Center is offering a family prize pack of four tickets to visit the museum!

Entry:

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Looking to Get Organized? Ridgewood Closets is Giving Away a Custom Closet!

Enter for a chance to win a closet worth $5,000!

Are you looking to get organized? Then go visit the Ridgewood Closets Facebook page for ideas and inspiration, AND they're giving away a custom designed closet worth $5,000! Storage, organization, hectic morning issues solved!

Entering is easy. Leave a comment on this Facebook post telling why you need extra storage or a new closet.

On October 31, 2015, Ridgewood Closets will pick one lucky winner at random from all closet give-away comments.

For design inspiration, visit Ridgewood Closets on PINTEREST.

Conditions: The winning entrant must be based in the following New Jersey counties: Bergen, Essex, Union, Passaic and Morris or in New York City or Brooklyn.

For full promotional details plus terms and conditions, see www.ridgewoodclosets.com/fbpromo.

Have a Great Family Day at the Liberty Science Center! {Ticket Giveaway} #SpringBreakLSC

My family recently spent a fun-filled day at the Liberty Science Center as part of #SpringBreakLSC with Jersey Moms Media. The Liberty Science Center is one of our favorite places in New Jersey to spend a day. It's a great place for a family outing because there are exhibits and activities for kids of all ages, not to mention plenty of interest for adults, too. 

There were several new exhibits to check out at the Liberty Science Center since our last visit:

Sesame Street Presents: The Body -- open now through May 3, 2015, this is a wonderful exhibit for kids ages 2-8, filled and lots of Sesame Street fun and lots of hands-on opportunities for learning, with 17 different activities throughout the exhibit that has three areas that cover Your Outsides, Your Insides and Staying Healthy. 

Highlights for my kids included Oscar's Sneeze Machine (pull the lever to make a giant sneeze) and meeting the furry red monster:

You can find a full list of dates when you can Meet Elmo here.

Beyond Rubik's Cube - open just until Sunday, April 19, 2015, so catch it while you can! This exhibit is the first museum  exhibition about the Rubik's Cube, and is 7,000 square feet of games, puzzles and more devoted solely to the history, art and engineering of this amazing cube.

From the LSC.org site - I have no idea how they did the animation.

Infinity Climber - this relatively new addition to the museum described as "one structure, infinite possibilities" is an incredible play space high above the atrium floor. Made from curved steel pipes and individual platforms to step on, it is the first suspended climbing play space of its kind. Don't worry - the whole area is coverd with protective mesh wire so there's no fear of falling climbers. Please note if you are going with younger kids there is a 42 inch height requirement.

Other favorites from our day at the Liberty Science Center included the Touch Tunnel (the most popular exhibit there) and Our Hudson Home (don't miss seeing the Harbor Tank with live fish!).

** Experience a family day of fun and learning at the Liberty Science Center **

Enter to win a Family Four Pack of tickets to the Liberty Science Center!

Thanks to the generosity of Liberty Science Center, one lucky winner will win four passes to visit the Liberty Science Center. Enter here. Entries close Monday, March 30, 2015.

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I received admission for my family and me as well as promotional items and a travel stipend. All opinions are my own.

For more photos and coverage, look for #SpringBreakLSC on Twitter and Instagram!

Great Giveaway from myCharge! Easy Entry!

Did you know that on average smartphone users check their phones 110 times per day and that 2.7 hours of that is just for fun?

Did you also know that without an available power source 77% of phone users will have a dead battery by 4 pm?

Whether at work or play, all of these things can be a huge strain on your phone's battery, and this is where myCharge comes in!

myCharge is a leader in portable charging solutions, and the first to offer the most advanced solutions for a wide range of charging needs. myCharge devices boast built–in charging cords that emphasize portability and versatility, and powerful lithium polymer batteries that allow you to quickly charge your smartphone, tablet, eReader and other devices so that they’re ready when you need them!

Ditch your dependency on cables and wall outlets – and let myCharge make your life a bit easier!

For the month of February myCharge is offering the Limited Edition RazorPlus Bundle for $49.99 - in it you receive a RazorPlus with the imprint: We can charge right here right now. The RazorPlus is an ultra-thin rechargeable 3000 mAh battery crafted from anodized aluminum that delivers an extra 13 hours talk time for your smartphone.

You'll also receive a shirt and a 22 oz. reusable/dishwasher safe stadium cup that changes colors! The frosted cups turn green when filled with your favorite (possibly adult) beverage. Green is the new red after all!

myCharge is giving away 20 of these Bundles FREE, so enter for your chance to win below!



Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more fun contests, promotions and product info visit mycharge.com!

Enter to win on-the-go power from myCharge!

If you're like me, the only thing more annoying than someone leaving you a voicemail is not being able to listen to that voicemail because your phone isn't charged.

Now there's a solution -- myCharge! These portable extended battery accessories are designed to make sure your devices are always fully charged and ready to go.

This holiday season myCharge is spreading the cheer - and portable power - by offering to send one of their awesome portable charging devices to anyone who follows them on Twitter (@myChargePower), who retweets this tweet from their #myChargeCheer campaign. No strings attached!

It's that easy. Just visit the @myChargePower Twitter page and retweet this tweet:

Power & cheer come to those who RT! Let myCharge send YOU a portable charger to get you through the holidays / all the days! #myChargeCheer
— myCharge (@myChargePower) December 4, 2014

You can also win a myCharge portable battery right here! I'm giving away the RazorPlus, a rechargeable 3000 mAh battery that delivers an additional 13 hours of talk time for your smartphone. Crafted from anodized aluminum, the ultra-thin RazorPlus comes in four colors: red, pink, blue and silver.

ENTER NOW!

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Thank you for spreading the #myChargeCheer this holiday season!

PS Buy a portable charger at MyCharge.com and use the code JOLLY for 25% off your purchase.

This post is sponsored by myCharge, but all opinions are my own.

The Big Apple Circus is coming to New York City - Enter to Win a Pair of Tickets to See The New METAMORPHOSIS Show! {Giveaway Closed}

The Big Apple Circus will be returning to its hometown of New York City from October 17 to January 11 for it's annual engagement at Lincoln Center's Damrosch Park. This year will feature the all-new show, METAMORPHOSIS.

My kids and I love attending the Big Apple Circus, and it really is a performance that is perfect for all ages. The Big Tent is designed so that no seat is more than 50 feet from ringside, so you never have to worry about getting a bad seat. The show runs about 2 hours, including intermission. Favorite parts of the show in our family are the flying trapeze and the animal acts, especially the amazing horse and dog performances. I can't wait to see what new and exciting surprises are in store with the new METAMORPHOSIS show!

See the show!
Purchase tickets using the Promo Code BIGAPPLE and save up to $25 per ticket! Please note: this offer has limited availability and is only good on select seats and shows. Other conditions apply. Children under 3 are free when on the lap of a paid adults, one child per lap.

Enter to win tickets!
The Big Apple Circus is generously offering one lucky winner a pair of tickets to the 12:30 pm Saturday, October 18 performance of METAMORPHOSIS.

Giveaway is now closed.

Enter here:
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Enter to Win a myCharge Energy Shot Portable Charger and an iPad Mini! {Giveaway from September 15 - October 15, 2014}

My kids just went back to school, and while I thought it would mean some free time for me, the truth is things might actually be more hectic now that I've traded our summer days for the fall ones filled with homework, carpool and, of course, the endless lunch making.

When I heard about myCharge, I knew this was a product that would be perfect for these busy fall days when a few extra minutes in the car pool line means suddenly realizing my phone is out of charge, and I won't be home and reunited with my power cord for hours.

Luckily, myCharge knows how important it is for you to stay charged and connected all day - and all school year - long, so they're giving the gift of portable power so you're never left in the red!

To keep you charged and connected myCharge is giving 3 lucky winners each an iPad mini with a myCharge HUB 6000 portable charger! The amazingly compact Hub 6000 features built-in cables and connectors for smartphones, tablets, e-readers and more. Get up to 27 hours of additional talk time for your devices, as well as integrated, quick-charge wall prongs. The Hub series is commonly known as the “Swiss Army Knife of portable power devices.”

Additionally, 40 winners will each receive an Energy Shot compact portable charger for their smartphones that delivers an additional boost when you need it most. They come in a variety of styles and can give you up to 10 hours of talk time! (Please note, smart phone not included in giveaway).

So this year, stay out of the red! myCharge is here to keep you charged and connected! For more information on products visit the myCharge website or follow them on Facebook. You can find myCharge products available at retailers like Target and Kohl's.

Fill out the entry form below from September 15, 2014 to October 15, 2014 for your chance to be one of 40 winners to receive an Energy Shot Charger (10 winners randomly selected each week) and one of 3 grand prize winners randomly selected on October 15, 2014 to receive one iPad Mini with a myCharge HUB 6000 portable charger. Entrants must be at least 18 years of age or older, must live in the United States and have a valid shipping address. See giveaway form for complete list of rules and details.

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This is a sponsored post from myCharge.

Blue Man Group is a Great Family Show - and I have Tickets to Giveaway!

This spring, my family and I went to see the Blue Man Group in downtown Manhattan. Our kids are ages 10, 8 and 4 and while I was pretty sure the older two would love it, I wasn't quite sure about the youngest.

My husband is a huge fan, and has seen Blue Man Group perform eight times. I've seen the show twice myself, but not recently, so we were both thrilled to share this show we both enjoy so much with our kids.

All three kids loved it, and it really was captivating, even for our four-year-old son, Ziggy. The show has some written word portions, but Ziggy was able to follow-along just fine even though he doesn't read since there is so much that is expressed through the performance. Also, perhaps worth noting, the "blue men" on stage don't talk at all. Like not at all.

I highly recommend the show for a great family outing, just be sure with younger kids they can sit for the duration of the performance, which is about an hour and forty-five minutes without an intermission, and that they know there will be some bright lights and loud noises during the show.

Here are my daughters after the show, thoroughly delighted to meet the Blue Man they had just seen perform on the stage. It was a very special day, and my kids still talk about how much they loved the show.

Go experience the amazing Blue Man Group yourself! 

Blue Man Group performances are at The Astor Place Theatre, located at 434 Lafayette Street, New York, NY.

GIVEAWAY

I'm giving away FOUR TICKETS to a performance of Blue Man Group. Enter here!

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Small Print:
Winner will receive two vouchers, each good for two tickets to a Blue Man Group performance Sunday-Thursday, subject to availability. Further details about the offer are explained on voucher.

I received tickets to the show for my family and myself to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

{GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED} Amazing Giveaway for RoC Brand Eye Cream and Night Cream Products!

The Giveaway is now closed. Congrats to the winner, Ellen of the Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms!


I am a member of the Collective Bias® (#collectivebias) Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser. #Eyes4NYC #ad


I'm so excited to be working with RoC® Eye Care and Duane Reade to host a giveaway for one lucky reader to win an amazing prize pack of RoC eye cream and night cream products valued at more than $100.

Prize pack includes the following RoC® skincare products:

• RoC® RETINOL CORREXION® Eye Cream
• RoC® RETINOL CORREXION® Sensitive Eye Cream
• RoC® MULTI CORREXION® 5 in 1 Eye Cream
• RoC® RETINOL CORREXION® Deep Wrinkle Night Cream
• RoC® RETINOL CORREXION® Deep Wrinkle Daily Moisturizer with Sunscreen BROAD SPECTRUM SPF 30
• RoC® RETINOL CORREXION® Deep Wrinkle Serum
  

ENTER NOW!

a Rafflecopter giveaway



To learn more about RoC® eye care and skin care products visit them online and join the fun on Thursday, April 24, for a Twitter party from 12:00 to 1:00pm, EST - no need to RSVP just search for the hashtag #EyeHeartNY.


And if you're in the New York City area, join us on Thursday, May 1 from 6:00 to 7:00pm at the Duane Reade at 44th Street and Fifth Avenue for a great event that includes a "Walk the Aisle" with prominent NYC dermatologists and health experts who will discuss RoC® product benefits and anti-aging/skin care in general, a well as answer questions.  Hope to see you there!

Great Giveaway to Neon Fireflies - A Fun New Etsy Shop!

I don't know about you, but you couldn't pay me to go anywhere near the mall this week. I don't do Black Friday sales, but I do happily shop from the comfort of my home computer.

I'm a huge fan of Etsy, and my blogging friend Stephanie from Binkies & Briefcases recently told me about a fabulous new Etsy shop Neon Fireflies, run by her friend Heather.

source

 

We're so excited to share her talent with you today!  Heather is a mom of two little ones. She loves her kiddos and she loves to crochet, so she combined her loves into a new store that sells fabulous, fashion forward crocheted pieces for babies AND their mommas. 

Neon Fireflies sells a bunch of awesome hand made items that Heather crochets herself. I love that they all feel so fresh and trendy, because sometimes crocheted items can feel a little old-fashioned. That is not the case with Neon Fireflies. Let's check out some of the things in the shop!

Scarves and boot cuffs for mommas:  

And kid-sized hats, leg warmers, shoes, and even toys  
I'm teaming up with a few of my favorite fellow bloggers and giving away a mini shopping spree in honor of avoiding the mall on Black Friday!

Enter using the Rafflecopter below and one winner will receive any one item of their choice from Neon Fireflies. This giveaway is for US residents only, ages 18 and up. One winner will be notified via email and have 48 hours to respond. In the event that a winner does not respond, another winner will be selected. Neon Fireflies is responsible for prize shipment. And in case you were wondering, this is not a sponsored post.  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Can't wait to find out if you win? Go shopping now at Neon Fireflies and save $6 on any purchase of $30 or more (excluding shipping) through 11/28/13. Use coupon code THANKS6 at checkout.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Best, Most Amazing Summer Reading Giveaway EVER... and there's more, too!

Picture yourself poolside, or lounging on the beach. It's nice, right? But it could be better. What you need are some great books to make you laugh, and some seriously stylish summer accessories. Well, we have you covered. First up, we're giving away six (count 'em, SIX) funny books that you probably already own because you have such great taste. But if, by chance, you've been busy reading the dictionary cover to cover or you tried to buy these and Amazon was all like, "Sorry, too slow, sucker. Sold out!" today's your lucky day!

 

 

At Least My Belly Hides My Cankles: Mostly-True Tales of an Impending Miracle is the debut novel of the amazing Paige Kellerman, of There's More Where That Came From. In it, she props her cankles up on the coffee table of your heart and tells the tale of her pregnancy with twins, from the reluctant announcement of the pregnancy test results to the experience of being hoisted awkwardly (is there any other way?) onto the delivery table. You'll be able to relate to every word, and Paige's unique storytelling style will keep you laughing, guaranteed.

Abby Still Has Issues is the second book by Abby Heugel of the award-winning blog, Abby Has Issues. It features a ton of laugh-out-loud essays that could only be plucked from that wonderfully neurotic head full of issues we all love so well. Laugh along as she admits to being smelly (it's not what you think), converses with her pants, and reveals why other countries hate us (hint: it's our eyelashes). Intrigued? YOU SHOULD BE. Because it's full of awesome.

I Just Want To Pee Alone, a hilarious collection of hilarious essays about motherhood by 37 hilarious mothers, covers every parenting topic from planning for your baby, to being driven insane by your children, to... wait, are there other parenting topics? Yes, don't be silly, of course there are. There's something for everyone in this #1 best selling humor anthology which, I don't mind saying, at one point ranked ahead of Tina Fey's Bossypants - a fact that many of the co-authors plan to have engraved on their tombstones.

Ketchup is a Vegetable: And Other Lies Moms Tell Themselves by Robin O'Bryant of Robin's Chicks is full of funny stories about motherhood, sex talks, the terror of car trips, and all those eye-roll inducing, forehead-vein popping, laugh-out-loud things that bond parents together under the flag of Oh Thank Heavens, It Isn't Just Me.

Also win a copy of Adrian Kulp's hilarious book Dad or Alive: Confessions of an Unexpected Stay-at-Home Dad, which is based on his popular blog DadorAlive.com. With chapters like "She's Gonna Have Daddy Issues" you know this book will be funny, relatable and just a little bit twisted (in the best possible way).

 

And we understand that you'll need to keep the kids occupied if you're hoping to get enough time to yourself to read a book with more than eight syllables per page. That's why we're also giving away 75 Ways To Have More Fun At Home, a fantastic e-book by Anna of My Life and Kids that's absolutely bursting with activities for your kids. These are cheap-to-free, unique, realistic ideas for things that real people could and would actually do. You don't want another summer day to go by without it!

I can say, without fear of hyperbole, that you're entire summer will be a complete waste of time if you don't read these books - so in the event that you don't win this amazing prize package, check out the links and buy your own copies. You'll be glad you did.

Now, while you're enjoying these fabulous books, you want to look fabulous too, don't you? Never fear, we have that covered, too! To keep the hair out of your face while you're reading (or while you're serving up a wicked ace on the beach volleyball court), you'll need headbands and hair ties from A Girl and Her Band.

These suckers are nonslip, moisture wicking, antimicrobial and machine washable, not to mention cute as all getout. A Girl and Her Band is a company started by regular (but fantastic) mamas who support and empower active girls, and give back to the community by donating a portion of all website sales to a different charity each month. They've generously offered up three headbands of your choosing, and they're throwing in a 5-pack of matching hair ties, too! Their company makes your heart feel as good as your hair will with this essential set of accessories.

As if that weren't enough to make you look like a million bucks while you're enjoying your summer reading, you'll also get a Vera Bradley Summer Pack, which includes a Vera Bradley sarong, a small mesh tote, and a beach towel in the gorgeous Go Wild pattern.

 

AND, just in case we missed anything, we're throwing in a $125.00 Amazon gift card so you can treat yourself to something special (I don't know if Amazon sells fruity drinks in coconuts with little umbrellas in bulk quantities, but I'd look into that if I were you). ENOUGH ALREADY, you say! I'm interested, so how do I enter?!?

To qualify: You must be able to read, or know someone who is willing to read to you, and live in the United States. Recommended: Tissues, for laughter-induced tear blotting. Large-rimmed Jackie O sunglasses for increased mysterious cool factor. A few seconds of free time here and there for reading.

Required: Do the little Rafflecopter thingy. Winner will be chosen at random and notified after the giveaway closes on Sunday, July 21. If there's no response from the winner within 24 hours, another winner will be chosen and so on until I decide just to keep everything for myself. (I'm kidding, of course. OR AM I? Yes, I'm kidding.) a Rafflecopter giveaway

Finding the Funny - June Edition

Before we get started with June's Finding the Funny, I'm teaming up with a few of my co-hosts to bring you an awesome giveaway!

Sara from Cormier Creative is a fabulous graphic designer and has helped countless women bring their blog (and brand) to the next level. She recently gave Anna at My Life and Kids a total brand makeover (see her magic here) and today, she's giving away a FREE Facebook cover design to one of you.



Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. (And be sure to visit Sara at Cormier Creative!) Giveaway ends on Sunday, June 16 at midnight.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

June Finding the Funny

Meet the Hosts:
Anna @ My Life and Kids
Kelley @ Kelley's Break Room
Robyn @ Hollow Tree Ventures
Kerry @ HouseTalkN
Julie @ I Like Beer and Babies
Keesha @ Mom's New Stage
Meredith @ The Mom of the Year
Anna @ Random Handprints (that's me!)
Ellen and Erin @ Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms
Toulouse @ Toulouse and Tonic

The Rules

Link up an old or new funny post. Link up as many times as you want (we're serious.) The party is open until Friday at midnight. The earlier you link up, the more clicks you'll get. Click around and meet the other funny bloggers that are linking up. Follow the Finding the Funny Pinterest board. We'll all be pinning our favorites throughout the month. We don't ask you to link back to us or include a button on your blog, but we do ask you to send out a tweet or post about the party on your Facebook page. Be sure to use #findingthefunny.

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Win Two Tickets to Listen to Your Mother in New York City! {Giveaway Now Closed}

 

Giveaway is now closed.

 

Congrats to the winner, Quiana!

 

 

This Sunday is Mother's Day.

This Sunday is also the Listen to Your Mother Show at Symphony Space in New York City.

The show, which also takes place in 23 other locations across the country, is a collection of stories about motherhood, read by the women who wrote them. What better way could there be to celebrate Mother's Day?

There's an amazing line-up of women reading including some of my favorite Jersey girls:

- The hilarious and inspiring Kim Forde of The Fordeville Diaires
-  Playwright Sandy Rustin of the musical Rated P for Parenthood
-  Writer Tracy Beckerman, who just released her new book, Lost in Suburbia

And.... I have two tickets to Listen to Your Mother to giveaway to one lucky winner!

To enter just leave a comment with what you think moms should get on Mother's Day.

For me, sleeping late and not cleaning-up anything that came out of my offspring top my list!

For additional entries:
- like Random Handprints on Facebook
- follow Anna_Sandler on Twitter
- follow Anna Sandler on Pinterest

Good luck! Enter now - giveaway ends at 11:59EST on Wednesday, May 8.

__________________

The Listen To Your Mother Reading Series NYC Show will take place on Mother’s Day, Sunday, 5/12 at 5pm at Peter Norton Symphony Space (2537 Broadway at 95^th Street).Tickets are $25 (advance), $30 (at the door) and can be purchased in advance online at www.ListenToYourMotherShow.com/NYC.

For more information on the Listen To Your Mother Reading Series please visit www.ListenToYourMotherShow.com.

Disclosure: I received two tickets to giveaway to the show as well as two tickets to attend the show myself.


Contest small print:
Contest open to U.S. residents age 18 and over. Contest ends at 11:00pm EST, Wednesday, May 8, 2013. Winners will be randomly selected and announced here as well as emailed with the good news. Entrants must provide contact information in their comment. If winner does not respond within twenty-four hours, a new winner will be selected.

 

Finding the Funny - April Edition and a (Huge!) Chobani Greek Yogurt Giveaway!

Welcome to April's Finding the Funny! Before we start sharing our funny posts, we have a (huge) giveaway!

My Parenting Victory (and a HUGE giveaway)!

Chobani is all about celebrating the little victories in parenting, and as a mom, so am I. For me, these little victories could be making one dinner everyone doesn't just tolerate but enjoys, finding ways for us all to get dressed and out of the house on time on school days even if it means everyone is wearing mis-matched socks, and finding a bedtime routine that can be measured in minutes instead of hours.

But lately, as my kids get older and I get more zen as well as more sentimental about the years flying by, I've decided it's all about the road and not the destination. Sure, it's annoying that one of my kids will only eat spaghetti without red sauce, and one will only eat it with, but these are the things of childhood, and of parenthood, and without them you would never need to find a sauce enjoyed by all, which would mean missing out on having toddlers who like white clam sauce. And it is that small victory, as well as all the rest, that make this parenting gig so fun.

Luckily, one thing my kids all like is Chobani Champions.

Raising kids isn’t easy, but Chobani Champions is all about celebrating the little victories in parenting.

Together with Chobani, we wanna make YOU a winner. Enter below to win 1 GRAND PRIZE* of a year’s supply of Chobani and Chobani Champions.

Yep, a year’s supply of that delicious, nutritious, protein-packed parenting victory known as Chobani greek yogurt. Our grand prize winner will build a custom case for themselves to be delivered to their doorstep monthly, including: 1 case of assorted Champions Flavors, 1 case of assorted Chobani Flavors and a bonus case of either Champions tubes, Chobani Bite or Chobani 32 oz cooking sizes. Every month for a YEAR!*

10 Runners-up will receive one case of Champions Tubes delivered to their doors!

Giveaway begins April 2 and ends at midnight April 8.

Chobani is gettin' social to find the good, the bad, the ugly… and a REAL taste of life with kids. Join in on the convo!

Follow Chobani at:
@Champions on Twitter
Chobani Champion's on Facebook
@ChobaniChampions on Instagram

Join all of us on twitter for #spikedpunch Sunday night, April 7 from 9-10pm EST.
Enjoy the party and a chance to win 1 of 2 cases of Chobani tubes!

*Giveaway open to residents of the United States only. Grand prize winner will choose from products available at http://chobani.com/products/ a Rafflecopter giveaway

It's Finding the Funny Time!

Meet the Hosts:

Anna @ My Life and Kids

Kelley @ Kelley's Break Room

Robyn @ Hollow Tree Ventures

Kerry @ HouseTalkN

Julie @ I Like Beer and Babies

Keesha @ Mom's New Stage

Meredith @ The Mom of the Year

Ellen and Erin @ Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

Toulouse @ Toulouse and Tonic

Anna @ Random Handprints(that's me!)

The Rules

Link up an old or new funny post. Link up as many times as you want (we're serious.) The party is open until Friday at midnight. The earlier you link up, the more clicks you'll get. Click around and meet the other funny bloggers that are linking up. Follow the Finding the Funny Pinterest board. We'll all be pinning our favorites throughout the month. We don't ask you to link back to us or include a button on your blog, but we do ask you to send out a tweet or post about the party on your Facebook page. Be sure to use #findingthefunny.

The Good and the Bad on Pinterest and the Winners of the Book "I Just Want to Pee Alone"

Huge thanks to everyone who entered to win a copy of the book I Just Want to Pee Alone!

I loved reading your stories of Pinterest success and failure, and it's good -really good - to know I'm not the only one who often finds my Pin-reality falls short of my original Pin-spiration.

Here are the five book winners and their Pinterest tale:

Di: I tried, and failed, to recreate a "sock bun." I mean, what the heck lol...how could I mess that up, right! But alas, I did and my hair fell. Beautiful!

Monica: I've watched many Pinterest tutorials on curling hair with a flat iron. I can't do it!

Kathy: We tried making these SWAPS that look like cupcakes that we found on Pinterest but clearly I was doing something wrong because they came out a big gross glue mess.

Amanda: The best AND worst thing I ever tried from Pinterest was a 3 tier fondant covered Mickey Mouse cake. It was a 6 hour nightmare, cute but a complete nightmare. I will never make anything like that again. I wanted to smack the person who made Pinterest that day.

Jenny: My worst was this Dr. Seuss thing called Oobleck. It's this gooey play-stuff from mixing corn starch and water. Mine turned into disgusting soup and then hardened in a big chunk.

Thanks to everyone for entering and sharing your hilarious stories of Pinterest gone wrong!

Winners: Please email me at anna@randomhandprints.com and let me know if you'd like a signed paper copy or a digital copy.

Enter to Win One of Five Signed Copies of "I Just Want to Pee Alone" - The Funniest Book Ever About Being a Mom! {Giveaway now closed}

{Giveaway now closed.}

As I mentioned earlier this week, I am one of the contributors to I Just Want to Pee Alone, the funniest book ever about being a mom -- and I'm not saying that because, uh, I'm one of the contributors. The book really is hilarious. But you don't need to trust me, read the reviews of I Just Want to Pee Alone on Amazon here.

There are thirty-seven hilarious essays from  mom bloggers included in the book, which when arranged not in alphabetical order but in pyramid order, looks like this (Thank you Baby Sideburns for this perfect solution for sharing all the contributors in a way that is so fair, even toddler twins couldn't find complaint.)

 

RachRiot
Snarkfest


Momaical


Ninja Mom


Honest Mom


HouseTalkN

Naps Happen


My Real Life

Frugalista Blog


Baby Sideburns


Funny is Family


My Life and Kids

Toulouse & Tonic


Mom's New Stage

Random Handprints
Nurse Mommy Laughs

Cloudy, With a Chance of Wine


People I Want to Punch in the Throat


The Divine Secrets of a Domestic Diva


You Know it Happens at Your House Too


I Love Them Most When They're Sleeping


The Underachiever's Guide to Being a Domestic Goddess


GIVEAWAY - ENTER TO WIN A SIGNED COPY OF "I JUST WANT TO PEE ALONE"

In honor of I Just Want to Pee Alone holding down the #1 spot in the Humor category on both Amazon and iTunes, I'm giving away five signed copies of the book - winner's choice of paper copy (emblazoned with my signature as well as those of Kim of the Fordeville Diaries, Kim of Let Me Start By Saying and Amy of Amy's Real Life.) Or if you don't want our awesome autographs, you can choose to get the book via Kindle download, too.

My essay is entitled: A Pinterest-Perfect Mom, I Am Not. You probably already figured this out from the title, but my chapter looks at a Pinterest project at my house that goes very, very wrong.

To enter to win a copy of the book, just leave a comment with the best or worst thing you've ever tried to craft, create or bake or share the most ridiculous thing you've ever seen on Pinterest.

For three additional entries leave a comment that you did the following, or that you already:

• Like Random Handprints on Facebook
• Follow @Anna_Sandler on Twitter
• Follow /AnnaSandler on Pinterest

Good luck! Enter now! Giveaway closes on Wednesday, March 20 at 10:00pm EST.

I'll announce the winners here on Thursday, March 21! WINNERS ANNOUNCED TOMORROW

Giveaway small print: Contest open to U.S. residents age 18 and over. Contest ends at 10:00pm EST, Wednesday, March 20, 2013. Winners will be randomly selected via Random.org and announced here. Winners must email Anna (anna@randomhandprints.com) to claim their prize or entrants must provide contact information in their comment, and Anna will contact them. If winner does not respond within forty-eight hours, a new winner will be selected.  I was not compensated for this post or for promoting this giveaway.

For more information and full giveaway rules, please contact anna@randomhandprints.com.

Good luck and happy reading!

For more about I Just Want to Pee Alone, click here.