My Mini Moment Contest
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Dove Ice Cream. All opinions are 100% mine.
I have the biggest sweet tooth. It is my vice. I love chocolate, ice cream and cookies. Sometimes all I need is a taste, other times… look out.
For times when I need just a taste, Dove has introduced DOVE® Ice Cream Miniatures. All the decadence of Dove chocolate and ice cream with just 70 calories. Yum, I might need two. I am dying to try the one with dark chocolate and chocolate ice cream, but last time I was at the store they were out of this one. (I will leave the vanilla ones for my hubby!)
To make DOVE® Ice Cream Miniatures even more sweet. It recently launched the “My Mini Moment” contest. Dove Ice Cream is asking women to share their favorite mini moment of escape, and one lucky winner could win one of three sensational mini-grand prizes: a mini-getaway to Napa Valley, Spa services for a year or a mini-home makeover. (I want to win, don’t you?!) Everyone has their own idea of what their favorite min-escape would be. That’s why DOVE® Ice Cream Miniatures has given you three luxuriously indulgent choices. Women need to submit a photo and short essay at DoveIceCream.com/myminimoment by June 7, 2010.
Which prize would you choose? I think I would go with a room makeover, although a trip to Napa Vally might give the makeover a run. But our master bedroom could really use some TLC 
How to Get a Toddler to Eat Veggies (and other good stuff)!
It is the question that plaques moms everywhere, “How to get their children to eat veggies and other good stuff?” I am a bit of picky eater, so when K was born I was determined to help expand her eating horizons to include a little of everything. Since her Daddy eats everything, I turn to him for samples of things to try.
At first, things were great, and I was sure I had gotten lucky with a great eater. K ate everything I put in front of her without protest. But suddenly she changed (free will set in)… she only wants to eat snacks and even turns her nose up at even her old favorites. I hit the toddler roadblock! Some meals she eats great, other meals nada… and she seems to be giving up on her favorite veggies like peas and corn.
I am a bit of a loss, to tell the truth, I find myself in a food rut begging my little one to eat the things I give to her.
So, does work for us? The best piece of advice I can offer to other moms hitting this block is try, try, try and try it some more! We have all read the articles about it taking up to 10 tries to get a baby to accept new flavors, but I know it is easier said than done. It is so frustrating when your little one screams in protest or tosses the offending food to the floor. We all dread becoming the short-order cook for our picky kids, so if you are like me you feel panic coming on with each food protest. But there is no one magic trick to get your little one to eat. The only sure fire answer is patience and keep trying. What works today might fail miserably tomorrow. So, offering the standard veggies and trying some new ones (K has discovered a new love for edamame), and most of all keep setting a good example by eating lots of healthy stuff yourself.
Recently, I learned about Little Blends by Horizon . Little Blends mix veggies into their fruit flavored yogurts to sneak some extra good stuff into your little ones yogurt. I LOVE this idea as another way to get one of the recommended veggie servings into your toddler’s diet. Since K loves her yogurt, I plan on picking up some on my next shopping trip. (Since you know I love coupons, I even found coupons on the Horizon website to save on Little Blends!)
About Little Blends: Little Blends from Horizon is an all-natural yogurt blend of fruits and vegetables that will help parents incorporate more nutrition and variety into their child’s diet. Each 4-ounce cup packs a daily value of 20 percent calcium, 25 percent protein, omega-3 DHA and probiotics. Parents will really love how Little Blends makes sneaking fruits and veggies so much easier. This new line is just one example of how Horizon continues to deliver nutritious food options that support healthier kids and a healthier planet.
My friends over at Twitter Moms have teamed up with Horizons to offer a blogging contest to win free Little Blends for bloggers and their readers. If you are a blogger, check out the contest here.
I will report back after we try the Little Blends to let you know what K thought… fingers crossed, I would love for an easy solution to sneak in an extra serving while I continue to try to get her to eat veggies out right too!
Happy Birthday to Me – A Present for You Giveaway!
Since it is my birthday, I want to spread the birthday love. Birthdays are a special day for presents, so I have decided to host my first giveaway in honor of my birthday. (Plus it is a nice way to celebrate everyone reading my blog!)
What will you get if you win my 2009 Birthday Giveaway? Gifts from some of my favorite brands!
First – A fall must-have accessory, brooches are a great way to jazz up a jacket to make it ready for date night. This blue-jeweled brooch from Ann Taylor Loft has multiple blue-toned glass stones. (Sorry the picture is so lousy; I took it in a hurry on my way out the door to Disney.)
Second – Have you ever been somewhere and started mentally creating a to-do list only to forget everything on the list by the time a pen and paper became handy? Not any more. This handy purse-sized notepad comes complete with a mini pen for jotting down quick notes. Because it comes in a little padfolio, your notes won’t wind up in a crumple at the bottom of your purse either! This note set is made by Kenneth Cole Reaction and is a nice red “leather” that you can easily find in your purse!!!
Third – There are so many uses for my list gift I am not sure what to call it! You could use it as a cosmetic case for travel, a little bag in your purse (or diaper bag), a purse for a child, a crayon case, a wristlet, a tampon holder (J) and more!!! But I think the quote on it is the best part, “Born Free, Now I am Expensive!” Who can’t use another little bag for their stuff!
Are you excited? I hope so!
So, here is how it will work. To enter my Birthday Giveaway, leave a comment below telling me your favorite thing about my blog (after all it is my birthday!). If this is your first time to my blog, you can just tell me how you found my blog.
If you would like extra entries to my giveaway, you can do any or all of the items below (the one above is mandatory for your 1st entry). For each item you do, please leave an additional comment letting me know you completed the item. At the end of the giveaway, I will pick a random number from the number of comments below, so you must leave comments below for each entry to count.
1) Subscribe to my (brand new) newsletter (email address box to the right). (If you already are, let me know.)
2) Become a fan of TheSuburbanMom page on Facebook. (If you already are, let me know.)
3) Follow me on Twitter @SuburbanMomClub and Tweet about this giveaway. (You can tweet up to one time per day for extra entries!)
4) Blog about this giveaway on your blog. (Be sure to include a link to your post in your comment.)
5) Add a link to www.TheSuburbanMom.com on your blog or website. (If you already have one, let me know.)
Ok – that’s the giveaway. Giveaway starts today (September 14) and will run for 2 weeks until 5 pm on Monday, September 26. Be sure to include your email address so I can contact you if you are the winner!!! Winners will have 48 hours from the announcement to claim their prize or I will select a secondary winner.
Good luck! And tell your friends!!!
