12/16/11

Blog Ad Campaign Giveaway

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Finally Friday - Weekend Blog Hop

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12 Gift Cards of Christmas - Day 12

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Winter Wonder Week Winners

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Nutrisystem Update - Five Weeks #NSNation

I am focused. I am determined. I am succeeding!
This week, I've lost FOUR MORE POUNDS,
for a total of 13 pounds lost in five weeks!!!!
Thank you Nutrisystem!

Now, granted I had stomach flu over the weekend, so two pounds was illness weight, but I gained it back, then lost it permanently so I know it's real weight loss. This morning I had a delicious garden vegetable omelet, a banana, and a chunk of fat-free cheese. Now if this coffee would just wake me up...

I also have some great news about Nutrisystem! I got an email yesterday that Janet Jackson is the new celebrity endorser of Nutrisystem. She got on the program too and even though she rarely does endorsements, she is partnering with Nutrisystem because she is finding success on the program too! She is helping to launch the new Success program, the most comprehensive weight loss program in the forty year history of the company! 
Last night, I sampled one of the new Chef's Table dinners on the Success program. The Moroccan Inspired Chicken with rice and spinach is sooooo yummy. They are now using a new patented steamer bag technology that works in the microwave, so I was anxious to see how it worked. All I had to do was put it in the microwave for five minutes and my amazing dinner was ready! For dessert, I had a Nutrisystem almond coconut chocolate bar. It's hard to believe this is "diet food" because it's all so delicious! A council of professional chefs works together to create their fabulous menu of foods.

Janet Jackson and Nutrisystem are also starting a new charity called NutriBank that will help feed the hungry around the world. For every pound lost on Nutrisystem during 2012, the company will match it with one dollar's worth of nutritious food delivered through NutriBank. How awesome is that? I get to lose the weight and a hungry child gets to gain it. What a wonderful trade-off!

Want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? 
Join today by calling 1-888-853-4689 
or or by visiting http://www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog

FTC Disclosure: In exchange for blogging my progress, I am receiving Nutrisystem foods and services at no charge.

12/15/11

Christmas Haul Giveaway - 3 Days Only

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Learning Resources Alphabet Suitcase


The Christmas Haul Giveaway is a prize package of wonderful products from several different sponsors. 
One lucky Planet Weidknecht reader will win everything in the Christmas Haul Giveaway! 
CLICK HERE TO ENTER
Sponsor #5 - Learning Resources Alphabet Suitcase
Opening a new toy is always a joy for a child. When it's a suitcase, there is no telling what treasure lies within. This four year old girl was so excited to help me discover the Alphabet Suitcase. Learning Resources has created a wonderful new addition to their line of learning toys.
Inside the suitcase we discovered an entire literacy center filled with high-gloss die-cuts, letters and activity cards. There are so many ways to use these materials and it can be adapted for varying ages and stages. The activity cards are write and wipe, with dotted letters for tracing upper case letters.
The letter cards are blue and red, to differentiate the vowels from the consonants. The picture cards have the initial letter printed on the reverse side to help children associate the letter with the picture, as well as provide practice in letter sounds. They are great for providing early vocabulary as well.
She started out with the activity cards, searching and locating the matching letter and matching picture card. There are so many different ways to use these materials but I wanted to see what she would do with them first. This educational toy would be perfect for on-the-go specialists too!
I love the divider in the bottom of the sturdy 7.25" x 11" inch suitcase. The plastic handle and metal suitcase closure tabs ensure everything stays inside like it should during travel. The metal hinges will hold up to years of opening and closing. She even decided to use the lid as she explored the activity cards.
She discovered some different activity cards at the bottom of her stack. One was A B _ D E to help with letter order and another was _ a t with a picture of a hat to help with sounding out letters. As a preschool teacher, I think this is a fabulous learning center in a box. It's portable, it's child-sized, it's made of quality materials, and can be adapted to any preschool child's level of learning.
Can you think of anyone who would love the Alphabet Suitcase? I'm so happy to announce that Learning Resources is sponsoring Planet Weidknecht for the Christmas Haul Giveaway, starting 12/16/11, so you can enter to win your own Alphabet Suitcase!

Be sure to follow Learning Resources on Facebook and Twitter, so you can be informed of new releases and special promotions. Their website currently has a free shipping offer too!
Disclosure: I received this product at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

Sprint 3 Day Sale Ends TODAY December 14

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Shutterfly Photo Books

The Christmas Haul Giveaway is a prize package of wonderful products from several different sponsors.
One lucky Planet Weidknecht reader will win everything in the Christmas Haul Giveaway!
CLICK HERE TO ENTER
Sponsor #4 - Shutterfly Photo Books
This was my first-ever product from Shutterfly and I am so happy with it. The online Storytelling with Photo Books feature helped me to design and create a beautiful photo book of my vacation with my husband to Nevada this past summer. The Storytelling destination includes tips on how to capture your stories and memories through photo books by Shutterfly Chief Storyteller Heather Maddan. Each month features different content and December is focused on family storytelling, including tips on capturing unique holiday photos and how to tell your family’s story through pictures.
I loved the options in the ordering process. The website allows users to either custom design every single page or use a template. I used a template as the basic design of my book then added my photos where I wanted them, moved some around, re-sized some of them and added a few embellishments. Very easy to use!
The shipping was quick and my book arrived in a cardboard book shipper that protected it from pretty much anything the post office could dish out. It was also sealed in plastic to protect from water. Attention to details like that make me believe a company cares about its customers. The book is beautiful and I'm so pleased with it. These would be awesome Christmas gifts!
I'm so excited that Shutterfly is a sponsor in the Christmas Haul Giveaway (starting 12/16/11) and one lucky reader will win a Free Photo Book gift code, to create their own photo book!
Disclosure: I received this product at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

Free Flizbins Video

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Current Giveaways

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Home Decorating with PartyLite is Budget Smart

This post brought to you by PartyLite Simple Pleasures Holiday Sweepstakes. All opinions are 100% mine.
PartyLite is one of my favorite companies. My neighbor hosts a home sales PartyLite party about once a year and when I walk into her house, it smells amazing. She always asks me if I want to host a party. If I'm a hostess, I can earn all kinds of FREE stuff. Then I could invite my friends over (including you, of course) and earn free products to redecorate and refresh my home! Look at this gorgeous Clearly Creative Collection. Actually, I could have four parties a year and redecorate for every season for little or no cash. You could too!
Did you know that every 18 seconds there's another PartyLite party going on someplace in the world? With 60,000 PartyLite representatives selling in all 50 fifty states, plus 17 other countries, PartyLite is the world's number one direct seller of premium candles and home fragrance products. They are always introducing new items like candles, reed diffusers, candle warmers, home decor and so much more! I love, love, love this snowman ScentGlow warmer:
Register by December 15 to be automatically entered in the PartyLite Simple Pleasures Holiday Sweepstakes. FIVE winners will each win a $500 PartyLite Gift Certificate. You can even order online if you're not the party type. Plus, the new Winter/Spring catalog comes out on December 16, so you could get all the new stuff if you win! Be sure to LIKE the PartyLite Facebook page to be notified of monthly special promotions.

12/14/11

Wedne$day Wealth Giveaway Linky

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Reading is Fundamental and Charity Giftgiving

Reading is Fundamental (RIF) has a long heritage of providing literacy opportunities to children, particularly those in under-served communities. Did you know that 75% of children living in poverty don’t have a single book in their household? A child without access to books is on his or her way to becoming one of the 33% of 4th graders who cannot read at the basic level. Reading and literacy are the keys to success in today’s education system, and RIF is striving to ensure that ALL kids have the opportunity to achieve greatness.

In March, Congress eliminated RIF’s $25 million funding allocation from the federal the budget and RIF must now rely on the generosity of private donors to continue their efforts to support the students who eagerly await book distributions and the volunteers who run RIF centers in communities across the country. Donations can be made to RIF via their website, phone or email. Details are available at http://www.rif.org/us/donate/ways-to-give.htm.

* RIF is a great way to give a gift to someone who has everything - Give in their name!
* RIF is a great way to give a gift to someone in heaven - Give in memorium!
* RIF is a great way to give a gift that helps everyone's future!

Your donation could change the life of a child! They appreciate ANY size donation!

Thanks to Klout and Purina

I love being a member of Klout.com. The perks are wonderful. Thanks to Klout and Purina for my lastest perk package. (My dog Buddy is a Purina Beneful dog food addict, by the way!)
My package included a TINTIN movie poster, two tickets to see TINTIN, and the most adorable Ty Beanie Baby that I've ever seen. Thank you Klout and Purina for these gifts!

12 Gift Cards of Christmas - Day 10

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Sing4 on Wii: Sponsor Spotlight Christmas Haul Giveaway

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Santa Claus is coming to Town for Wii - Giveaway and Review

No matter how old I get, I still love all the classic Christmas stories. I even have a set of the dvd's that the daycare kids and I watch each year. One of my favorites is Santa Claus is comin' to Town. When I heard there was a Wii game for it from Red Wagon Games, I wondered how similar it would be to the real cartoon. I was not disappointed!

Hot New Coupons to Print

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Tao Song and Tao Dance


The Christmas Haul Giveaway is a prize package of wonderful products from several different sponsors. 
One lucky Planet Weidknecht reader will win everything in the Christmas Haul Giveaway! 
CLICK HERE TO ENTER
Sponsor #2: Tao Song and Tao Dance by Dr. Zhi Gang Sha 

The number one NYT bestselling author of the Soul Power Series has now released Tao Song and Tao Dance: Sacred Sound, Movement, and Power from the Source for Healing, Rejuvenation, Longevity, and Transformation of All Life. It is a beautiful hardbound book with paper sleeve, perfect for gift-giving. Throughout the book you will find mantras and information to help you do the chants. Dr. Sha is trained as both a conventional medicine doctor and a conventional Chinese medicine doctor. I found it a very interesting read!
This book also comes with a bonus Tao Song and Tao Dance dvd. It includes video recordings of the mantras that are the subject of the book. It also includes a video of a teacher doing the Tao Dance. Eleven tracks are on this lovely dvd to help transform your life. This is not a religious book, but a spiritual book that is inclusive of all religions. The dvd is very relaxing to me.

One hardbound copy of Tao Song and Tao Dance, along with dvd, will be included in the Christmas Haul Giveaway prize package!

The Christmas Haul Giveaway starts 12-16-11.
Disclosure: I received this product at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

Terro Pest Control Products Review

The Christmas Haul Giveaway is a prize package of wonderful products from several different sponsors. 
One lucky Planet Weidknecht reader will win everything in the Christmas Haul Giveaway!
CLICK HERE TO ENTER
Sponsor #1: Terro
Terro has the family-friendly products you need to rid your house of ants, spiders, and many other creepy crawlers that try to sneak in during the cold winter. I used this shaker bag and Terro Ant Killer around the entire perimeter of my house two weeks ago and haven't had a single ant come inside yet. Lucky for me I don't have fleas or roaches to begin with, but knowing this would keep them out also makes me feel much better.
When I was outside on the playground with my daycare kids, I used the Terro Ant Killer spray and eliminated a whole colony of the nasty bugs. I can just imagine one of the kids stepping right into a nasty ant nest and all those ants climbing all over their little legs. I definitely want to prevent that!
My favorite is the Terro Spider Killer. I hate spiders. I mean, I really hate spiders. They creep me out worse than snakes. Even the picture on the can makes me shiver. I've had three occasions to use the Spider Killer spray and it works great. I'm glad there was someone else here to get a tissue to clean them up after Terro and I killed them. I don't even like to touch dead ones. 

Terro is sponsoring all three of these awesome products as part of the Christmas Haul Giveaway prize package! Be sure to like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter! 

The Christmas Haul Giveaway starts 12-16-11.
Disclosure: I received these products at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

More Winners on Planet Weidknecht

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One Third of Your Life

Do you realize you spend one third of your life sleeping? Well, I guess some of us a little more and some of us a little less, but it makes sense that no matter how much sleep you get, you want it to be quality sleep. Have you ever slept on sheets that were scratchy? That is the ultimate in a bad night's sleep! Most sheet sets are made in what is called thread-count, which is actually a scientific measurement of how many threads are used in a square inch of the fabric. So those scratchy sheets, likely muslin, may have been 150 thread-count (or 75 threads one direction, woven with 75 threads the other direction). The higher the thread-count, the softer the sheet, because the threads are more tightly woven together. Most sheets you get at a typical department store are 200 thread-count. But remember, you spend one third of your life sleeping, so don't cheat yourself of a good night's sleep.
Using 400 thread-count luxury comforter sheets is one easy way you can improve your quality of sleep. When the sheets are soft, it feels so good to sink into them at the end of a long, tough day. Luxury comforter sheets can help you relax faster, sleep more soundly, and they will actually last longer than traditional sheets.
After staying at a five star hotel in Las Vegas and experiencing much better sleep on luxury comforter sheets, I had to buy some for my own bed. I love the softness of the fabric and I sleep better. I spent just a bit more for the better sheets, but I deserve it. After all, I spend one third of my life there!

12/13/11

Give Love On Christmas Day Charity Giveaway

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12 Gift Cards of Christmas - Day 9

Click HERE to enter to win a 
Restaurant.com Gift Card!

Tribal Sportswear Review

They say clothing makes the man. I say clothing makes the woman happy. I am even happier when clothing arrives here at the house and I didn't have to drive in traffic or fight the crowds. I'm excited when the clothes arrive and I've lost so much weight that I should have ordered smaller sizes. I am absolutely ecstatic when the clothing is made by Tribal Sportswear!
Tribal makes fabulous clothes that are fashionable, comfortable, and affordable. These pants are made of a polyblend with rayon and spandex so they are as comfy as they are cute! The sweater is 100% cotton and I dearly love this style with the jersey flare sleeves and neckline closure.
Here's a closeup of the sweater. See the button-snap? So much better than regular knitted buttons that come loose over time! It's the details like this that make Tribal a leader in fashion. You can find Tribal in over 3000 retail outlets and pieces in their collection start at just $39. You can use their website at http://tribal-inc.com/ to locate a store near you.
Tribal clothes are perfect for work, for church, for parties, for lunch with friends, for traveling, you name it. This sweater is going to be a long time favorite of mine! (And if you know a tailor, I need the pants taken in.) Be sure you check out their beautiful new styles in the Holiday Collection.
Be sure to connect with Tribal on Facebook and Twitter so you'll know when they launch new items. They even have a special Holiday Giveaway promotion going on right now on their Facebook page, so don't miss it!
Disclosure: I received these clothes at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

Planet Weidknecht Holiday Gift Guide 2011


Click HERE to come see all the wonderful 
holiday gift ideas
recommended by Planet Weidknecht.

12/12/11

Win $205 Cash in the Holiday Sweep

Planet Weidknecht has teamed up 
with lots of super bloggy friends
and put together the Holiday Sweep
with Family Approve and This Lil Piglet 
as our esteemed hostesses.

*** The Prize is $205 Paypal Cash ***

Giveaway is Open Worldwide
December 13 - 16

Enter using the Rafflecopter Form Below
Good luck!


Swag Bucks Snowball Fight


Click HERE to join!
Swagbucks is having a good ol' fashioned Snowball Fight, and you can participate for a chance to win more reward points for free stuff! Go to the Snowball Fight homepage, click the button to join, and start earning points for your team just by earning Swag Bucks! Every participating member of the winning team will get 25 a Swag Buck bonus after it ends on the 21st, and participating members of the runners up get 10 Swag Bucks each. I'm on Team Let It Swag. Which team are YOU on?

New Printable Coupons

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Extravagonzo Gourmet Vinegars - Dried Tomato Recipe - Review

I knew I would love Extravagonzo NEW Balsamic Vinegars, because I already love their Olive Oils. I prefer to buy gourmet oils and vinegars because it's a tiny splurge in my tight budget and it makes a huge difference in the foods I serve. I found and modified a Dried Tomato Recipe so I could try the Extravagonzo vinegar.
You will need six Roma tomatoes, shaker of salt, 4 tbsp Extravagonzo Classic Dark Balsamic Vinegar, and 2 tbsp Extravagonzo Red Chili Extra Virgin Olive Oil. First, slice the tomatoes in half longwise and lay them on a baking sheet, center up.

Current Giveaways

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Mrs Fields Cookie and Cookie Jar Winner

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12 Days of Gift Cards - Day 8

Go HERE to enter to win a 
Barnes and Noble Gift Card!

12/11/11

It's a Wonderful Life Weekend Hop

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What's on Your Naughty List?

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Stop Collection Harassment

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Book Review - The Perfect Photo by Tobias Hagberg and Elin Rantakrans; O'Reilly Media

Since I've started blogging, I've found many occasions to take photos. My trusty digital camera that I've had for about ten years seems to produce the best shots for me, inside and out. I was glad to find The Perfect Photo: 71 Tips from the Top by Tobias Hagberg and Elin Rantakrans, as I'm always looking for ways to better my photography. The book came as a download ebook from oreillynet.com.
It seems to be written in a language for novice photographers and I was able to understand most of it. Once they began talking about shutter speeds, I was a bit lost since I love my auto-everything camera. I did get a lot of really great tips that I can use. The chapter on capturing the best light was very helpful to me because I've often wondered why some of my outdoor shots are better than others. I loved the chapter on using composition to enhance photos and really enjoyed the photography throughout the book. There are tips on photographing animals and humans, as well as landscape shots and movement shots (one I've always found challenging).

Overall, this is a great book for someone with my level of photo knowledge. I found many tips that will be helpful to me as I learn and grow with my camera. Some day I may even be brave enough to use a camera that isn't automatic, but for now The Perfect Photo is relative. I give it four stars! Disclosure: I received this ebook at no charge in exchange for my honest review. 

Breathslim Weight Loss Device - Review

Breathslim is a new device that allows the user to lose weight through the use of controlled breathing. Using Breathslim, you breathe in through the nose, then out through the mouth into a tube immersed in water. The water provides a higher resistance to breathing, so you exhale excess weight using their special breathing filter. It helps you change your breathing pattern, increasing the amount of oxygen that goes into your blood vessels.
I’ve used it a few times so far and it definitely helps me to control breathing and I can feel the water providing higher resistance, just like when I’m swimming. I could easily see this as part of a meditation routine. The only thing I had to be careful of was to not inhale the water. I found it very helpful to watch the enclosed instructional dvd, so that I used Breathslim correctly.
The benefits listed include improved metabolism, appetite suppression, improved breathing control, reducing snoring, and fat oxidation. I’m adding Breathslim to my workout routines and I'm hoping to see more weight loss. Click HERE for a contest starting January 3.
Disclosure: I received this product at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

12 Days of Gift Cards - Day 7

Click HERE to enter to win 
a Toys R Us Gift Card!

Five Winners To Congratulate

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