Florastor Kids Giveaway

This week, I'll be traveling from my safe little country home town to the metroplolis that is Houston. Why, you may ask? Well, for my son's annual school trip. It's our first year in school, so we're all really excited! We'll be staying in a hotel, visiting countless museums, the Johnson Space Center, and riding on public transportation. Can you say GERM CITY? Yikes.


Since moving from Houston to a city with a population of 387, I've become a bit of a germaphobe. We just don't have city germs out here in the sticks. Sure, we have germs, but they are mild and few and far between. My son's elementary school has 18 students and he hasn't missed a day of school this year due to illness. Yet.


My biggest worry for this trip is that my kids will pick up a virus. Sure, we deal with cold viruses and that dreaded runny nose just like any family with little kids, but the virus I'm worried about is the stomach virus. AKA the Rotavirus and Norovirus. Yeah, you know 'em. You've dealt with them and so have we. So what can you do to help your children once they've picked up one of those dreaded stomach viruses? Well, I'm glad you asked!

MomSelect was nice enough to send me a box of Florastor Kids to keep on hand and try in the event that one of my kids came down with the stomach flu. FloratorKids is a probioctic powder that you add to your childs drink (or food). It's used at the onset of the dreaded stomach bug and is supposed to help get things 'back to normal' in a more timely fashion.


What exactly is it?

Florastor® Kids is a clinically-tested, natural, yeast-based probiotic that aids
in the growth of good microbiota in the intestines, while destroying and
removing pathogenic (bad or disease-causing) microbiota to help maintain or
restore optimal intestinal health. Unique because it can be safely given to
babies and children from the age of two months, Florastor® Kids is a
great-tasting powder that can be dissolved in beverages, including infant
formula, or soft foods, such as applesauce.

Dr. James Sears, board-certified pediatrician, author and co-host of the CBS-TV show “The Doctors,” has recommended Florastor Kids to patients for years, first of all because he’s seen its efficacy in pediatric diarrhea, and because it’s backed by scientific studies.

You can also give your child Florastor Kids 4 days before travel to help avoid the dreaded travelers diarrhea.

I'll be taking my Florastor Kids with me on our trip to Houston in the event that one of my kids comes down with diarrhea. Hopefully we won't need it, but if we do, I'll be glad to try it and see if all of the claims are accurate!

Sadly, my 17 month, Mia, started running a fever today and I'm hoping it's cleared up by morning so we can leave as planned :( Cross your fingers for me, K?

MomSelect also sent a box of Florastor Kids (valued at $21.95) for me to giveaway to one of my readers! It comes with a book titled The Budding Boolees and the Department of Intestinal Defense as well as a plush Budding Boolee toy.

If you'd like to be entered to win, leave a comment tellling me about your worst traveling related illness! For an extra entry, tweet about this giveaway and come back and leave another commented to let me know!

Enter to win until Saturday, May 16th @ 11:59 p.m. Central Daylight Time. Open to US readers only!

Print Shop Winner!!

The winner of the print from Beth's fabulous Etsy shop is:

Thea @ I'm a Drama Mama!!

Thank you to everyone who entered, tweeted, donated, and visited Beth's new shop! Even if you didn't win, if you purchase a print between now and April 30th, your purchase will benefit Beth's March for Babies team - Team James & Jake.

Take a moment today to think about Beth and her family as they walk and remember James & Jake and so many other special babies.

I Should Be Folding Laundry Print Shop - Giveaway!

Did you hear? Surely you did! Beth @ I Should Be Folding Laundry has opened an Etsy shop and is selling prints of some of her most amazing shots inspired by James and Jake, her identical twin sons whom she lost at 19 weeks gestation. It's so wonderful and beautiful. But you wanna know the best thing about it? All of the proceeds from now until April 30th will be donated to Team James and Jake March for Babies team.

So head on over to Beth's Print Shop and look around. I'm 100% positive you'll find something you can't live without!

And because Beth is such a wonderful, amazing, unbelievable photographer (and friend), who inspires me to pick up my camera and take better shots every single day, I am going to give away one of her prints to one lucky reader. My hope is that her prints will inspire you to slow down and appreciate the beauty that is all around you each and every day.

Here's what you have to do to enter!

1. Go to Beth's Etsy shop and come back here and tell me which of her prints is your absolute favorite!


2. For an additional entry, Twitter about this giveaway! Be sure to come back here and leave an additional comment about your Tweet!


3. You can also blog about this giveaway and Beth's Etsy shop for a third chance to win. Just come back and leave the link to your post in another comment!


4. And finally, if you make a donation to Team James & Jake (any amount), you will earn another entry for a fabulous print. Again, just make sure to leave a comment letting me know you donated!

So you have 4 fantabulous chances to win! Winner can select any single 8x10 print from Beth's Etsy shop. Contest will be open until Saturday, April 25th @ 11:59 p.m. Pacific time. Contest open to US residents only.

Good luck!!!!

Shred with us

On Monday, over at the Sisterhood, we're starting a new mini-challenge! Yes, we're so full of challenges this month. We have this one going on right now and it's a total hoot! So anyway, back to the new challenge - on Monday we're going to start a Sisterhood 30-Day Shred. You know, Jillian Michaels, she yells at you alot and pushes you to the brink of cussing at the tv. Doesn't she just look mean?! But she helps you get results, and in only 20 minutes a day! Well, at least that's what I've heard. And who doesn't like to cuss a little?!

Okay, so starting today and ending tomorrow at 3 p.m. CDT, the Sisterhood is giving away 7, count them, 7 copies of Jillian Michael's 30-Day Shred. They will be shipped to the winners just in time for the start of our challenge on Monday. How cool is that? Super cool!

So get on over there. Enter to win. And get ready to cuss Shrink into Summer with the Sisterhood!

I'm dreaming of a....

.....a red Christmas. A Christmas made special & lovely by ruby & roja design!

At ruby & roja, we're giving away everything AND the kitchen sink. That's right, you can enter for a chance to win one of 2 fabulous holiday designs. With those holiday designs comes a whole year of designs for 2009. We're throwing in two Season Passes just to be crazy. So for 2 lucky winners, that's 5 custom blog designs EACH!

Head on over to ruby & roja to find out how to enter. Do it quick, because the contest ends on Wednesday, November 26th, 2008 at 10:00 p.m. CST.

Good luck!

5 Minutes for Mom - Under the Tree

Janice and Susan, the wonderful ladies over at 5 Minutes for Mom, are helping to spread some Christmas cheer this holiday season with their Under the Tree program. "Under the Tree is about getting some of that Christmas magic (bloggy style!) right to some families who need it!"

They will be choosing several families to sponsor, and the gifts will come from the wonderful companies taking part in their Christmas Giveaway 2008 program.

Do you know a family having a rough financial time this year? I'm sure you do. Please think about nominating them for this wonderful program. You can email your nominations to Janice and Susan directly at info(at)5minutesformom(dot)com. For more information on the nomination process, go to 5 Minutes for Mom's Under the Tree post.

And did you notice that I mentioned a Christmas Giveaway? Yes!! 5 Minutes for Mom is also having a huge giveaway. Starting today, they will have a more than 25 giveaways through the end of November. Go on over to 5 Minutes for Mom to find out how to enter.



p.s. We at ruby & roja had the pleasure of designing the wonderful buttons for both promotions! So please, get on over to 5 Minutes for Mom and grab the codes and post them on your blogs too. All the cool kids are doing it ;)

And the winner of the Bugaloo Kids Shoes is.....

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers: 131
Timestamp: 2008-11-05 20:20:20 UTC

Chick_w_Wit is the winner of the Bugaloo Kids Shoes!! Congratulations!

For those who didn't win, Hiedi @ Bugaloo would like to offer something special for you too! You can go to Bugaloo and receive 10% off your order using coupon code: itsok

Thank you to Hiedi for asking me to be part of her marketing campaign for Bugaloo and for the wonderful shoes. Mia loves them so much ;)

Bloggy Carnival Giveaway - my first giveaway!

It's time for the Bloggy Giveaway Quarterly Carnival! This time, I'm personally participating and I'm very excited about what I'm giving away.

Last week, Bugaloo contacted my dear, sweet friend and business partner Beth to ask her if she wanted to review their kids shoes. Beth sent them my way and now I'm the proud owner, well, Mia is the proud owner, of a brand new pair of Bugaloo kids shoes.

Here's a little background on Bugaloo's owner:

Bugaloo is a brand spankin' new company with aspirations to greatness. It is the brainchild of me, Heidi Wells, a young graphic designer valiantly attempting to circumvent the 9am-5pm drudgery.

Gotta love me another graphic designer. Us girls have to stick together, right?



Here are the wonderful shoes I received in the mail today! I know! They are so CUTE!

So the thing I love most about Bugaloo, next to the buttery softness of the washable leather, is the price point. I mean, you've seen shoes like this (at least you think you have, but trust me, you haven't because these shoes are SWEET!) for 30+ dollars other places. Heidi believes that kids shoes shouldn't cost more than $15. YES, I said $15, and if you buy 3 pairs, you'll get free shipping.

But you know what, you might not even have to buy a pair just yet, because Bugaloo is giving a pair to one of my lucky readers. Any pair, any size, it's your choice. Plus, they'll ship them to you free of charge. Even if you live in Canada or Australia or Tahiti. All you have to do is visit the Bugaloo's site and come back here and leave a comment letting me know which pair of shoes you'd like to have. If you tweet about it (and let me know), I'll give you an extra entry, and if you post about it on your site and link back to me, that's one more entry! So you have 3 chances to win a wonderful pair of shoes for your little one, or to give as a gift!!

Make sure you stop by the Bloggy Giveaway Carnival to see some of the other amazing things fellow bloggers are giving away! There are lots of wonderful chances to win some great things!

**Giveaway will be closed on November 4th at 10:00 p.m. central time. I will contact the winner via email by November 5th. Please make sure I can reach you! If you don't have a blog, leave your email in you comment. Winner will be chosen at random using random.org.**

There's a Method to their madness!

Three of my very special friends are having fabulous giveaways. Method giveaways!!

Go on over for your chances to win! Tell 'em I sent you ;)

The WINNER of the ruby & roja design is:

Laurie S.!!

Congratulations Laurie! I cannot wait to get started on your design.

I would also like to thank everyone who entered to win, and we at ruby & roja would like to offer a little something to all y'all too. That's right, everyone's a winner! If you are interested in one of our saucy designs, please contact us and let us know you entered to win our Bloggy Carnival Giveaway and you'll be eligible for a 10% discount on all of our services. Fo' realz!!!

Thanks again from everyone at ruby & roja designs.

be special*be different

Bloggy Carnival Giveaway

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog! I've decided to participate in Bloggy Giveaway Carnival because I have an oh-so-super, lovlier than lovely, VERY saucy giveaway.

I am giving away a Blog Redesign (The Essential) from Ruby & Roja Design. THIS IS A $70 VALUE (I KNOW!) and all you have to do...is leave a comment.

Could it be any easier than that?

One more thing! My extra saucy business partner is also giving away a Blog Redesign (cuz she's cool like that)! So head on over to her blog, and leave a comment for an extra chance to win.

**Comments will be closed on Thursday, July 31st, at 9:00 P.M. EST., one entry per person, winner will receive up to ten free iStock credits for blog redesign, redesign limited to Blogger, Typepad Plus/Pro and (upgraded) Wordpress formats, the winner will be chosen at random and announced on Friday, August 1. Please make sure your e-mail is valid.