And the winner is:

Christine L. - – Looks great! So many yummy things! My kids would think we won the lottery!

Please email me (kim (at) mommyknows (dot) com with your address and I’ll get this out to you ASAP.

***

Hey Readers … it’s your Birthday!

Will the Kraft Foods goodness ever stop? I hope not!

As a thank you for attending the Kraft Kitchens Blogger event in Chicago last month, Kraft Foods sent me a HUGE basket of grocery goodness. { psst! DO NOT tell them that it’s ‘I’ who should be thanking them … DON’T … I mean it!}

The best part, Kraft Foods sent TWO, exactly the same … one for me and one for one of you.

There are a couple pounds of Nabob Traditions coffee, two jars of Kraft Peanut Butter, some Kraft PURE Strawberry Jam, a box of Peek Freans LifeStyle Coconut Lime cookies, several packages of the fabulous Back to Nature Nuts (if you can keep from eating the Back to Nature – Cranberries, Chocolate Covered Almonds and Vanilla Almonds mix in one sitting, I’ll give you a prize (not really)), a bottle of Kraft Olive Oil salad dressing, and …

there is also a package of Oreo Sippers (I’ll try to keep Georgia from ripping your box open (like the one above) before the contest ends), several packages of Christie’s Snak Paks, a box of Ritz Premier Collection Buttercrisp crackers and last (I think … maybe there’s more), but of course never the least … Toblerone Chocolates.

*NEWS FLASH –> Georgia is at this very moment, sitting beside me, crying and begging for one of the Christies Snak Paks in the Giveaway (she’s eaten all of ours).**

Really … she is:

Told yah!

Due to the absolute desirability of this prize (and the hunger level of my children), this contest can not last for long! I will randomly pick a winner from all of the entries the evening of Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009. I’ll ship your prize directly to you.

Several ways to enter:

1. leave a comment (worth 1 entry)

2. blog about it (worth 2 entries)

3. twitter about it and use hashtag #kraftkitchens (worth 2 entries)

4. stumble it (worth 2 entries)

5. follow me on twitter (do it … you’ll like it) (worth 2 entries)

MK xo
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Winner is: Justine

Do you remember way back in December, I held a Happy Book Day Giveaway on my birthday? Well I enjoyed it so much (because books are my favorite thing), I thought I’d make it a weekly occasional occurrence. For the next several weeks you can count on a ‘Happy Book Day to You ~ the Series’ giveaway every Tuesday {maybe not, it’s summer}.

Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner – I LOVED this book. It was touching and funny and a wee bit Judy Blume’ish.

Here’s the publisher’s synopsis of ‘Best Friends Forever‘

Addie Downs and Valerie Adler will be best friends forever. That’s what Addie believes after Valerie moves across the street when they’re both nine years old. But in the wake of betrayal during their teenage years, Val is swept into the popular crowd, while mousy, sullen Addie becomes her school’s scapegoat.

Flash-forward fifteen years. Valerie Adler has found a measure of fame and fortune working as the weathergirl at the local TV station. Addie Downs lives alone in her parents’ house in their small hometown of Pleasant Ridge, Illinois, caring for a troubled brother and trying to meet Prince Charming on the Internet. She’s just returned from Bad Date #6 when she opens her door to find her long-gone best friend standing there, a terrified look on her face and blood on the sleeve of her coat. “Something horrible has happened,” Val tells Addie, “and you’re the only one who can help.”

Best Friends Forever is a grand, hilarious, edge-of-your-seat adventure; a story about betrayal and loyalty, family history and small-town secrets. It’s about living through tragedy, finding love where you least expect it, and the ties that keep best friends together.

Some simple rules and things to remember:

1. This book is second hand. I’ve read it, I liked it and I am giving it to you. It may possibly have coffee rings or warped pages from sitting on my night stand. Call me cheap, or call me environmentally friendly, I’m not bothered either way.

2. Consider passing it forward when you are done, you could even have a giveaway! Remember, what goes around comes around.

3. You must come back here to see if you are the winner. I won’t track you down, if you wait to long … I might lend it to a friend or a neighbor and then YOU are out of luck. You need to email me with your address, once I receive it I will pop it in the mail to you at my convenience.

4. To be eligible to win, you need to leave a comment on this post. I’ll pick a winner sometime on Wednesday, August 5th, 2009.

5. Tell a friend—> this isn’t really a rule, but it would be really nice. wink –> think twitter, facebook, email.

MK xo
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**NOTE: this is not a paid advertisement — they’re my books and I am giving one of them away — because I am nice like that — just saying!**

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We’ve got a winner peeps –> Mel / Reese — please email me Mel with your mailing address. I want to make sure Reese gets this for his birthday. (email is –> kim (@) mommyknows (dot) com).

Calling all wee Power Ranger loving boys kids — BE the Red Ranger! Hey guys, get your moms to comment and let me know why you’d like to Be the Red Ranger. I’ll randomly choose one entry (comment) to win this very cool helmet on Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 after 8 p.m. (‘ish).

Thanks to the ‘power of blog’ the nice people at Bandai sent me two Power Rangers Jungle Fury Mega Mission Helmets. One for my wee man and another for one of you.

As you can see it’s a hit! It’s already been on vacation.

According to Sam, it’s cool because:

It has cool sound effects.
It has Lights.
It has missions.
You can hook it up to your computer and get extra missions.
You can see out of it, but no one can see in.

He’s also begged me NOT to give the second one away, but I must. One boy can’t keep all of the fun.

The folks at Bandai say this:

Power Rangers Mega Mission Helmet: With this role-play toy, kids can truly become a real Red Ranger hero while they get active and use their imagination to play out each two-minute long audio mission. Connecting the helmet to the home computer via USB gives kids the ability to download 50+ additional role-play missions.

Comment now to be eligible to win.

MK xo
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Winner is Nikkapotamus –> email me with your address and I’ll pop this in the mail.

Welcome to week 7 of —> Happy Book Day to You ~ the Series

Can you believe it is week 7? Time flies … it surely does!

Do you remember way back in December, I held a Happy Book Day Giveaway on my birthday? Well I enjoyed it so much (because books are my favorite thing), I thought I’d make it a weekly occurrence. For the next several weeks you can count on a ‘Happy Book Day to You ~ the Series’ giveaway every Tuesday.

THE QUEEN’S FOOL (by Philippa Gregory)

I like Philippa Gregory, and I enjoyed THE QUEEN’S FOOL, but I have to say I am tired of 16th century women and SICK to DEATH of 16th Century MEN. Bleck! Good riddance. I would have been beaten to a pulp and then burned at the stake if I’d been born in any century prior to the 20th. The hygiene gets to me too. I need some good 21st century smut. Good ‘clean’ (no lice, no leeches), feminist smut.

Here’s the author synopsis of ‘THE QUEEN’S FOOL’:

At a time when an innocent woman could be burned for heresy or strangled for witchcraft, to spy on the queen for the love of a traitor was the most dangerous choice of all.

Into a Tudor court on the brink of treason comes Hannah, a young Jewish girl on the run from the Inquisition. Sworn into the service of a handsome Robert Dudley, he sends her as a Holy Fool to spy on Princess Mary Tudor, the forgotten heir to King Edward’s throne. Instead of the tyrant of popular legend, Hannah finds a woman waiting for her chance and only wanting the best for the kingdom – while her sister Elizabeth waits to take advantage of any mistakes, and longs for her death.

Caught in the lifelong enmity between the rival daughters of Henry VIII, torn between her infatuation with Dudley and duty to her family, thrilled by her own rare gifts, but scared of the unknown, Hannah must find a safe way through dangerous times. Times in which she is both key witness and key player, when the wrong religion is a death sentence, science and magic are one, and true love can mean death.

Some simple rules and things to remember:

1. This book is second hand. I’ve read it, I liked it and I am giving it to you. It may possibly have coffee rings or warped pages from sitting on my night stand. Call me cheap, or call me environmentally friendly, I’m not bothered either way.

2. Consider passing it forward when you are done, you could even have a giveaway! Remember, what goes around comes around.

3. You must come back here to see if you are the winner. I won’t track you down, if you wait to long … I might lend it to a friend or a neighbor and then YOU are out of luck. You need to email me with your address, once I receive it I will pop it in the mail to you at my convenience.

4. To be eligible to win, you need to leave a comment on this post. I’ll pick a winner sometime on Friday, March 13th, 2009.

5. Tell a friend—> this isn’t really a rule, but it would be really nice. wink

MK xo
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**NOTE: this is not a paid advertisement — they’re my books and I am giving one of them away — because I am nice like that — just saying!**

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Comments Closed – the winner is: Laurie – email me Laurie @ kim (at) mommyknows (dot) com

Welcome to week 3 of —> Happy Book Day to You ~ the Series

Do you remember in December I held a Happy Book Day Giveaway on my birthday? Well I enjoyed it so much (because books are my favorite thing), I thought I’d make it a weekly occurrence. For the next several weeks you can count on a ‘Happy Book Day to You ~ the Series’ giveaway every Tuesday.

larger than life by Adele Parks

More British chick lit (yes, I do read a lot of it, thank you very much). Here’s a little excerpt from the author’s site:

Georgina fell in love with Hugh the first moment she saw him. She was eighteen. She’s now thirty-two. In all that time she never loved another man. People are always bowled over with the concept of love at first sight and the idea of such constancy. Faces tend to fall when she mentions that at the time he was seeing a friend of hers, whom he subsequently married and had two children with.

(SiLLy WOMAN!! … the author’s site didn’t say that, I DID!)

Learn more about larger than life

Some simple rules and things to remember:

1. This book is second hand. I’ve read it, I liked it and I am giving it to you. It may possibly have coffee rings or warped pages from sitting on my night stand. Call me cheap, or call me environmentally friendly, I’m not bothered either way.

2. Consider passing it forward when you are done, you could even have a giveaway! Remember, what goes around comes around.

3. You must come back here to see if you are the winner. I won’t track you down, if you wait to long … I might lend it to a friend or a neighbor and then YOU are out of luck. You need to email me with your address, once I receive it I will pop it in the mail to you at my convenience.

4. To be eligible to win, you need to leave a comment on this post. I’ll pick a winner sometime on Thursday, February 12th, 2009.

5. Tell a friend—> this isn’t really a rule, but it would be really nice. wink

MK xo
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**NOTE: this is not a paid advertisement — they’re my books and I am giving one of them away — because I am nice like that — just saying!**

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Win the most fabulous outfit ever @ Grosgrain!

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My new favorite thing is my iPhone. Seriously, sometimes I sleep with it! You know, just in case I get an important facebook text in the wee hours. OH and all the great apps and music available — I love it! I could spend a fortune at the iTunes store. Of course, I don’t have a fortune, so when I was offered two $25 iTunes cards – one for me and one to give away to one of you –> just for telling you this:

It is now possible to purchase iTunes cards at Sobeys, Mac’s and A&P (Toronto area) and Safeway, Save-on Foods and Coop (Vancouver area).

I said, “HELL YAH!” I’ll tell ‘em!

So don’t forget you folks in Toronto and Vancouver –> Next time you are in the grocery checkout grab your iTunes cards!

Now to decide how to spend the loot! What would you buy with yours?

To be eligible to win a you must comment on any CURRENT post between now and December, 22nd, 2008 @ 9:00 pm MT. You may comment every day. You may double your chances by blogging about the contest on your blog and then coming back here and leaving the url of your post in a comment on a CURRENT post or on this post. I will randomly choose a winner from all the comments.

I will announce the winner as soon as possible after the contest closes (give me an hour or two). You must come back here to see if you have won and claim your prize. You might want to set a reminder to come back here … A LOT of prizes go unclaimed.

Good Luck!

MK xo
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Winner is: (Random Integer Generator — Here are your random numbers: 14) – Organic Baby Clothes – Email me to claim your prize @ kim (@) mommyknows (dot) com

I’m borrowing this from an Outside Voice and copying the next sentence and 4 points below word for word. It’s not really a game…but the results can be interesting!
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 11.
* Find the eleventh sentence.
* Post that sentence in a comment here; include the title of book and author.

Here is the quote, title and author that I used over at the Outside Voice.

Another mounted the steps, put his thumbs to his throat and slumped, twisting his face into a grisly parody of strangulation: the others whooped in admiration, and two dogs came running into the marketplace, barking.

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

I LOVE this book a lot. I also love my readers a lot, therefore, I am going to give one of you my used copy (read by me only, includes shipping). I will randomly choose one of the ‘quote comments’ tomorrow night (25 Nov’ 08 @ 9 pm PT). Promise you’ll pass if forward? Books are so much better if you share them with friends.

Good luck!

AND …

All comments and back-links for this post will be entered to win one of two Power Ranger action figures (includes shipping and handling) in my ‘Power Ranger Giveaway’. If you comment and blog about the Giveaway you’ll receive two entries (too easy). I’ll randomly choose two winners on December 1st, 2008 @ 9 p.m. –> make sure to come by and enter often.

MK xo
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We have two winners:

#1: Andrea from ‘The Laughs will go on‘

#2: Outside Voice

All blog posts for the contest were printed and put in a big plastic tupperware bowl. Mr. MK chose winner #1 and Lizzy who should be in bed asleep choose winner #2.

Please email me to claim your prize –> kim (at) mommyknows (dot) com

The folks at Bandai recently sent me Sam a big box of the new Power Ranger Jungle Fury toys to try out. Talk about excited. I took advantage of the situation by making him promise to be good for three whole days, before he could pick one of the three toys to ‘have and to hold’ from this day forward. Really that’s how much he loves Power Rangers.

Of course he wasn’t good for three whole days, but he did try. Just the mention of the Power Rangers could get him walking the straight and narrow pretty darn quick. Oh the power of the parental bribe! Thank you Bandai promotion folks you’ve made at least three of my days easier.

Of course, he chose the biggest and the best of the three toys. The Power Rangers Jungle Fury Jungle Master Megazord (argh … megazord makes me want to say that). Even I have to admit that Megazords are pretty cool. With this particular Megazord, you start with one toy (with a motorized thunder punch – punching is good if you are a megazord battling for the world against evil) and it morphs into three (yes THREE), cool animal zords –> … oh forget it … I’ll just show you instead.

This is the MEGAZORD (argg!)

Then you have to grab him …

And yank on him …

And twist him …

And in no time at all (if you’re a 4 – 9 year old boy), you’ll have three! Antelope Zord, Gorilla Fury Zord and Emperor Penguin Zord (and a penguin launcher!).

It’s very, very popular around here and is now hidden away from Georgia each morning. Yes, that would be the Georgia who likes to scatter the Zords around the house for her lucky brother to scavange around for, when he comes home from school.

Here comes the GOOD Giveaway part –>

I am a good mom (honest) and blogger (really MommyKnows), therefore, I didn’t let my boy have all three toys for himself as Bandai intended. There has to be a limit, right? I thought about giving him the remaining two for Christmas, but that isn’t why the Bandai peeps sent them to me, is it? So I am going to give the other two Ranger toys away to two of you. They’ll make great bribe items or Christmas gifts for you too (or any other holiday you might happen to celebrate).

Jungle Master Bat Ranger (black one) and Rangers Jungle Master Rhino Ranger (white one).

To be eligible to win you must comment on any CURRENT post between now and December, 1st, 2008 @ 9:00 pm MT. You may comment every day. You may double your chances by blogging about the contest on your blog and then coming back here and leaving the url of your post in a comment on a CURRENT post or on this post. I will randomly choose two winners from all the comments.

I will announce the winners as soon as possible after the contest closes (give me an hour or two). You must come back here to see if you have won and claim your prize. You might want to set a reminder to come back here … A LOT of prizes go unclaimed.

Good Luck!

MK xo
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*****

If you have a Power Ranger fan in your house, here is some promo information you may find useful.

Bandai is excited to announce the launch of the Power Rangers “Feel the Fury” Sweepstakes and Movie Theater promotions!

Fans can enter at www.bandai.com/powerrangers/feelthefury/ to win one of three grand prizes, including:
- 1 Grand Prize Winner to receive a 2 minute toy aisle shopping spree worth $1,000
- 2 Winners to a 2 minute toy aisle shopping spree worth $250
- 10 Winners will each receive a Power Rangers Jungle Fury Mega Mission Helmet signed by the Red Ranger
All entries must be received by Dec.12, 2008

Also, look for the Power Rangers at a movie theater near you this Fall!

Visit select movie theaters across the US from October 31st through December 4th to see the Jungle Fury Mega Mission Helmet in action and learn about the Power Rangers “Feel the Fury” Sweepstakes!

In select theaters get a “Power Rangers Fun Pack” with the purchase of a child’s movie ticket for G and PG movies! The “Power Ranger Fun Pack” includes a Power Rangers Temporary Tattoo, Jungle Fury Wish List and Jungle Fury Scratcher that reveals discounts on all your favorite Power Rangers toys!

The Toys, Buzz and “Power Rangers Fun Packs” will be in select movie theaters in Boston, MA; Brownville, TX; Chicago, IL; El Paso, TX, Fort Smith, AK; Honolulu, HI; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; Minneapolis, MN; New York, NY, Philadelphia, PA; San Antonio, TX; and San Diego, CA.

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Winner is: outside voice —> email me @ kim (@) mommyknows (dot) com.

We spent Wednesday at Universal Studios and Thursday at Legoland. Georgia did quite well at both, she even squealed with delight at Universal, when one of the dogs in the Animal show was an ‘animal actor’ from Beverly Hills Chihuahua (remember she only loves small dogs). After a two day break, we thought we’d give her one more try at getting excited about Disneyland …

Conversation earlier today –>

Me: Georgia, do you like Disneyland?
Georgia: Yes, when I am at home, I like it.
I guess she just wants to ‘like it’ from afar –> She’s just not that into you Mickey.

I’ll be doing my NaBloPoMo thingy all during the holiday. I’ll also be twittering the road trip away –> follow me on twitter @ http://twitter.com/mommyknows.

All comments and back-links for this post will be entered to win a $10 Starbucks Gift Card (includes shipping and handling) in my ‘Have a Coffee on Me’ Contest. If you comment and blog about the contest you’ll receive two entries (too easy). I have a whole ‘schwack’ of Gift Cards to give away, so make sure and come back often for a chance to ‘have a coffee on me’.

MK Exhausted in Anaheim xo
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