Happy Birthday, Graco Pack 'N Play! (Giveaway)

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Please rise in a standing ovation for Graco, a company that has made an overwhelming contribution to raising the world's babies, including my own. Both of my kids are sadly well beyond the playpen age but since I am a Graco Nation Ambassador (we have TurboBoosters in each car these days), I was given the opportunity to give one away in honor of the quarter-century anniversary of the Graco Pack 'N Play. Can you believe it's only been around for 25 years? What did parents do beforehand?! 

Pack 'n Play® Playard with Reversible Napper & Changer™ The original Pack ‘n Play providing 25 years of heritage, trust and leadership Fact Sheet
Designed to offer a compact, convenient solution for on-the-go parents, this playard combines two of our most popular features into one convenient solution – a reversible napper and changer. The Reversible Napper & Changer is a napping station on one side and can be flipped over to become a changing station on the other side. 

MSRP: $99.99

Available online and in stores at Babies ‘R Us, Target, Walmart, Amazon.com, GracoBaby.com, Buy Buy Baby and specialty retailersFeatures:

• The first playard to feature a reversible napper and changing station, all-in-one

• Toy bar features soft toys to amuse baby
• Removable, full-size bassinet provides an extra-comfy spot for infants to nap

• Convenient carrying bag for no-fuss travel and storage
• Beautifully-styled, soft fabric cuddles baby for naps while the wipe-clean fabric resists messes

Pack Facts:

• The first Pack ‘n Play was created in 1987
• Pack ‘n Plays are currently available in more than 60 models and fashions

• Pack ‘n Plays can range in price from $49.99 to $229.99 based on model
• More than 30 million sold

Pack 'n Play Playard with Reversible Napper and Changer in Soho SquareWin one, courtesy of Graco by filling out the entry form below:


a Rafflecopter giveaway


In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I am a Graco brand ambassador and have received complimentary samples of their products in the past. They are supplying a prize for this giveaway but no compensation has been received and, as usual, all opinions are my own.

Live A Little - Baby Steps to Green with EkoBrew

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I'd love to say I was a green and crunchy earth mama but that would be a pretty massive exaggeration. I do try, whenever possible, to recycle and compost and buy local. I think that being mindful of your actions and how they impact the world around us is important but I also know how nice convenience is to busy families. That's why this week's Live a Little post is about starting small.

I love my Keurig coffeemaker but I hate the wastefulness of throwing away a non-recyclable plastic filter pack filled with coffee grounds. I've actually dissected them before to compost the coffee, at least, and assuage my latent inner hippie. It is a major pain in the butt. I've tried some after-market filter doohickeys but they've been a massive hassle to clean and reuse since they have an inner filter and outer cup- you need to take them apart and clean all the pieces. Especially since I like iced coffee in warm weather, which requires a couple of shots of strong brewed coffee. Washing the filter and drying it and refilling it usually ends up with more coffee grounds going down the garbage disposal than into the compost pail.

I was thrilled to learn about a new design by Ekobrew that fits into the Keurig brewer's filter holder without an extra cup unit. It's BPA-free, features an integrated lid so it's just one piece to deal with, it's dishwasher safe and, most impressively, can be rinsed and reused immediately. All the grounds simply tap out into the compost pail, or you can rinse them out. Love that.





If you're even lazier than I am (which is hard to imagine but I won't judge you!), you might want to order a multi-pack so you can enjoy your coffee without waiting to rinse and reuse. There's an Ekobrew 4-pack on Amazon for $30, a good value for being able to use your own favorite fair trade coffee.


What baby steps are you taking towards a greener lifestyle?



Share your Live a Little suggestions with the Skimbaco every Monday by adding the link to your Live a Little blog post in the InLinkz widget below. Rules: Link either to Skimbacolifestyle.com OR grab the InLinkz code for your blog post – or do both! If you post the widget in your blog post, please add the rules as well.








In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received a complimentary sample Ekobrew filter to facilitate this review. No compensation has been received and, as usual, all opinions are my own.

Toyota 100 Cars for Good - Kansas Council on Economic Education

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Your clicks matter.  The next 100 days your clicks – or votes – can decide which 100 nonprofits take home a new ride from Toyota.  All you have to do is go to www.100carsforgood.com where five  finalist nonprofit organizations will be profiled each day.  Registered Facebook users are be able to vote once daily for the nonprofit they think can do the most good with a new set of wheels.
The organization with the most votes at the end of the day will win a new vehicle.  The four runners-up will each receive a $1,000 cash grant from Toyota.  Voting is open now through Tuesday, August 21 from 9:00 am to 11:00 pm CST. To see a full list of finalists go to www.100carsforgood.com.

There's a Wichita non-profit in the running! Kansas Council on Economic Education is hoping to win a Toyota Highlander to help them in their mission to bring economic and financial literacy to the schoolchildren of Kansas.





If you have the time, I highly encourage you to stop by and vote every day for the organization of your choice, they are all worthy of your time and a new set of wheels.


Share on Twitter:  Click on the tweet below to easily share with your Twitter followers.The next 100 days ur votes can decide which 100 nonprofits take home a new ride from @Toyota.  Vote now @ bit.ly/100CarsForGood #100Cars
Share on Facebook:  Click on the link below to easily share with your Facebook friends.http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http://on.fb.me/100CarsForGood
In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received no compensation for writing about this program, although I wouldn't complain if Toyota wanted to send me a Prius or Sienna. As usual, all opinions are my own.

Live A Little - Opera for Everyone

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Here's an embarrassing admission: I am not a huge classical music fan or opera lover. I don't hate it necessarily, but I also don't feel compelled to listen to it of my own volition and I certainly don't go out of my way to see it live. This is embarrassing on several levels. First, because I have many friends who are musicians, several who are featured performers in the Symphony. Second, because everyone knows that listening to classical music makes you smarter. Right? (Only half joking about that!) Third, because my parents LOVE it and are huge supporters of the local opera. 

This past weekend was my mom's birthday and I begrudgingly agreed to bring the kids to a schmancy dinner benefit for the opera. It was held outdoors and I figured I could endure it, for my mom. The kids were ambivalent. And then the music started, led off by a military color guard presenting the flag and a retinue of patriotic songs. The kids were enthralled.


Seated at a table next to us was the King of Ghana and his entourage. The kids were totally entranced by his colorful robes.




I explained why opera included so many different languages and told stories that she couldn't necessarily understand. I explained the difference between classical opera and light opera. I realized that Roo and Jasper would probably go nuts for Gilbert and Sullivan. I remembered how much fun it was to witness the spectacle of the costumes and the crazy high notes. Roo was positive that her glasses would shatter. I think she was hoping they would!




The performance was eventually rained out but we really enjoyed what we did get to see. And I was reminded that we should step outside of our usual habits every once in a while, even if it doesn't seem like something we'd like, just to make other people happy.


Share your Live a Little suggestions with the Skimbaco every Monday by adding the link to your Live a Little blog post in the InLinkz widget below. Rules: Link either to Skimbacolifestyle.com OR grab the InLinkz code for your blog post – or do both! If you post the widget in your blog post, please add the rules as well.

Pinterest for Dummies (Giveaway)

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I'll admit it, I am massively addicted to Pinterest, the site that lets you create virtual pinboards to share inspiration across your social networks. Many of my friends and family are similarly afflicted, including my husband, who probably spends even more time than I do on the site. He's an artist, so collecting visual inspiration is technically part of his job. Why is everyone else so Pinterest-crazy? Well, aside from its clean visual presentation and ease of use, it's a ton of fun. Many people use it to hoard recipes or ideas for home remodeling projects. As a blogger, it's a terrific way to find people with common interests and to share my posts. Pinterest is quickly becoming a go-to search platform for tutorials and shopping, popular with consumers and marketers alike. So how can you optimize Pinterest for your personal use?








Kelby Carr is a friend of mine and she is also the founder and CEO of Type-A Parent and the Type-A Parent Conference. She recently published Pinterest For Dummies, which addresses many of these issues. Her book is organized to be a helpful reference for everyone from total Pinterest novices, who have not yet requested or received an invitation to join the site, to established Pinners who are looking for ways to expand their skill set and learn some new tips and tricks to use. I learned quite a few!


Enter to win a copy! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Look for a more business-oriented title from Kelby, Pinterest Marketing For Dummies, due out later this summer.





In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received a copy of the book to facilitate this review and the giveaway copy is also being provided. As usual, all opinions are my own. Especially the good ones!

Purple Asparagus Corks and Crayons Fundraiser

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From the press release with a bit of editing:

Purple Asparagus, Chicago’s non-profit organization at the forefront of promoting healthful eating for children at home and at school, holds its Sixth Annual Corks & Crayons Benefit at Uncommon Ground, 1401 W Devon Ave, Chicago, on Sunday, August 29th from 4-7pm. Foodies old and young will come together once again to celebrate the joys of family meals and healthy eating.

The event, run by Pivotal Chicago, will include a mini farmers’ market sponsored by Harvest Moon Organics farm, kids fun on the Dolores Kohl Education Foundation's StoryBus, music from Old Town School of Folk Music artists, a raffle, and a silent auction for bidding on gourmet treats, getaways, and more.

Guests will enjoy selections from Uncommon Ground’s kitchen (ed. note: Yum!), Candid Wines, Templeton Rye cocktails and craft beers from Three Floyds. Attendees will also be able to tour the certified-organic green roof atop Uncommon Ground where the restaurant grows some of the produce on its menu.

Tickets for “Corks & Crayons” are $55 for member adults (non members $60), $22 for young adults ages 13 through 21 (non members $25) and $12 for ages 5-12 (non members $15). Kids under 5 are free.

Tickets can be purchased via credit card at www.brownpapertickets.com or by check payable to Purple Asparagus sent in care of Melissa Graham, 1824 W Newport Ave, Chicago, IL 60657.

Purple Asparagus is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization at the forefront of promoting healthful eating for children at home and at school. Founded in 2005 to bring families back to the table by promoting all the things associated with good eating, Purple Asparagus is currently leading “Growing Healthy Kids,” a consortium of 30 plus organizations working in the schools to improve child wellness. The organization is also a key partner with Share our Strength and Healthy Schools Campaign to effectively implement the Chefs “Move to Schools” program of the White House's “Let's Move” initiative. For more information about the event and Purple Asparagus membership, visit www.purpleasparagus.com.

Breyer's YoCrunch Fruit Parfait

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Knowing how much my preteen son's Starbucks granola yogurt parfait habit cost me over the summer, I happily accepted when the folks at Breyer's offered to send me a sample pack of their granola-topped Yo Crunch Fruit Parfait.

The four-pack they sent me was gobbled up before I could say, "Yo!" Seriously, I did even get to try it.

I like that the product is HFCS-free and lowfat, though I'm not pleased about the artificial dyes. Still, these are a good size for him and easy to tote along. I'm happy that he's eager to bring these as part of his lunch.