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Wendy’s High School Heisman Blog Tour & Giveaway

Posted on September 20, 2009 1:33 pm by TheAngelForever

One of the things that I like about Wendy’s is their commitment to the community. I was recently asked by Mom Central to help promote the Wendy’s High School Heisman program.

If you have a child that is a senior, or know of one, this is a great program to look into. Here is more information:

"With college admissions growing more and more selective, the Wendy’s High School Heisman program presents a great opportunity to help those students who have managed to balance so much, stand out. This award celebrates high school seniors who excel in academics, athletics, and community involvement; in essence, recognizing them for all of the things they already do. Colleges want to see well-rounded students who demonstrate dedication and commitment, making this program especially relevant and accessible.

High school seniors who have a 3.0 average or higher, participate in a school-sponsored sport and contribute to their community can apply at www.WendysHeisman.com, or a high school educator, guidance counselor, or coach can nominate them. As a little reward, the first 41,100 applicants will receive a free Wendy’s gift card in amounts ranging from $5 to $50. One male and one female from each high school will win the award and continue on in competition for state and national awards. Twelve national finalists will participate in Heisman Weekend festivities during an all-expenses-paid trip Dec. 11-13 to New York City. ESPN2 will feature all 12 national finalists during the Wendy’s High School Heisman Awards Ceremony, which airs Dec. 13. The Wendy’s High School Heisman website will display the names of all applicants and individual school winners on October 22, 2009."

As a parent and teacher, I love that this program encourages a well rounded student. Not only are they looking for teens that are good at sports, but they need to do well academically and help within the community. Frequently asked questions are also addressed on the Wendy’s High School Heisman website. This section helps to walk students and parents through the process of applying for these awards.

Giveaway:

Thanks to Wendy’s, I have a $20.00 gift card to give away to one randomly selected winner. Now you can have lunch or dinner out at Wendy’s for your family. Enjoy a burger, chili, fries, a frosty or something else that you select.

Rules for Giveaway:

MAIN RULE – Answer one of the following questions: What sport did you play in high school? OR Which sport do you wish you had played when you were in high school?
1 Bonus Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment.
1 Bonus Entry – Follow me on Twitter @TheAngelForever
1 Bonus Entry per day – Tweet about the giveaway. Be sure to include @TheAngelForever and Wendy’s Gift Card along with a link to my giveaway. Please leave a direct link to your Tweet in a separate comment for each daily entry. Example Tweet (feel free to copy and paste): Learn about Wendy’s High School Heisman program for seniors. Win a $20 Wendy’s gift card from @TheAngelForever http://tinyurl.com/nxzylw
1 Bonus Entry – Add TheAngelForever to your blog roll and leave a separate comment.
1 Bonus Entry – Add me to your favorites on Technorati. Be sure to leave your user name for me to check in.
1 Bonus Entry – Look around my blog and leave me a comment on another post. Please let me know which post you went to here so you get the bonus entry.
1 Bonus Entry – Head over to my hubby’s blog TechyDad and leave him some comment love. Be sure to let me know which post on the comments here for your bonus entry.
3 Bonus Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog about the Wanchai Ferry giveaway. Be sure to leave 3 comments about this to get credit for all of your extra entries

To enter, please follow the rules above within the comment section. The giveaway starts September 20, 2009 and ends at 10:59 EST on September 30, 2009. You do not have to be a blogger to enter, but must leave a valid e-mail address for me to contact you for mailing address once the giveaway is over. I will select the winner using random.org and contact you via e-mail. You will have 48 hours to claim the prize. If there is no response, another winner will be selected. Open to U.S. residents only.

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Wendy’s and received a gift certificate to giveaway and to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Categories:
Blog Tour giveaway interesting

Electrolux Text-a-Thon for a Cause

Posted on September 14, 2009 3:34 pm by TheAngelForever

Imagine sending a text message and being able to raise money for a great charity.

The good news is you do not have to dream this up. Kelly Rippa has teamed up with Electrolux for a "Text-a-Thon for a Cause" to support the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF). When I was asked by Mom Central to spread the word about this fabulous campaign, which started on September 9 and continues all month long, I immediately agreed to help out. Here is more information:

Today, Electrolux and Kelly Ripa are kicking off a unique “Text-a-Thon for a Cause” to support the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF). Moms can donate $5 to the cause by texting “KELLY” to 85944 from their mobile phones (standard text messaging rates apply) – or by logging on to www.kelly-confidential.com. Also, each day you log on to the Web site, you are entered for a chance to win a luxury frontload washer and dryer from Electrolux in Turquoise Sky, the color of ovarian cancer awareness. And don’t forget about the Electrolux washer and dryer in Turquoise Sky for giveaway on the Mom Central site!

During September, visitors to Kelly Confidential can also help spread awareness for this important cause by sending a virtual T-shirt to a friend. For every virtual T-shirt sent, Electrolux will donate $1 to the OCRF. You can also purchase a limited edition T-shirt designed by Ripa; 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the T-shirts will go to OCRF.

Please help this worthwhile cause and head over to the website to gather more information about this great new project between Electrolux and Kelly Rippa. I already sent out a Virtual T-Shirt to some friends today to get out the word about this project.

For some additional information about the cause, here is a PSA that Kelly Ripa created about the campaign:

I hope that you will text and/or create a virtual T-Shirt in support of this wonderful cause. Also, be sure to head over to Mom Central to enter for a chance to win an Electrolux Turquoise Sky Washer & Dryer.

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Electrolux and received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Categories:
Blog Tour interesting

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Tours/Discounts

Posted on September 12, 2009 12:13 am by TheAngelForever

It’s hard to believe, but I never went to see The Greatest Show on Earth until I was almost in college. I still remember feeling like a kid as I went into the arena with my Aunt S and two cousins to see the show. We arrived early to see the pre-show and everything was amazing. Each performance topped the next. The clowns made everyone laugh and we all had an amazing time. Last year the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus was visiting, but we were not able to go. Sadly, they were in our area just a day or two before we left for our week long vacation at Walt Disney World. We would have loved to go, but it was just too much. This year we have already promised the kids and ourselves that we will be there if they come to our arena.

Once again Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Baily Circus is gearing up for another season of new shows that hopefully will be visiting an area near you. To make it an even better deal, Mom Central is offering discount codes to select locations!

Mom Central is excited to extend the following special family offers; look for the box marked "MC Promotion" when purchasing tickets:

*Offer #1: Get 4 tickets for just $44 by entering the code "MOM" at select ticketing channels. Offer good on all weekday performances, which includes all weekday evening and Friday matinee performances; minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each.
*Offer #2: All weekend performance tickets will be $4 off the original price.
Offer #3: Get the best Circus Celebrity, Front Row and VIP seats available – We have reserved seats in these sections just for you! Enter the code MOM. No discounts available on these sections.

* Not valid on Circus CelebritySM, Front Row or VIP seats and may not be combined with other offers including special Opening Night pricing. Other fees may apply.

The above offers are good in the following cities:

Denver: September 30 – October 11, 2009
Boston: October 14-18, 2009
St. Louis: October 15-18, 2009
Cleveland: October 21-26, 2009
Rosemont/Chicago: November 5 – 29, 2009 *available for purchase on Sept. 8. 2009
Auburn Hills: November 18-22, 2009
Charlotte: January 27-31, 2010 *available for purchase on Sept. 12, 2009
Atlanta: February 12-21, 2010 *available for purchase on Sept. 12, 2009
Cincinnati: March 10-14, 2010 *available for purchase on Sept. 21, 2009
Dayton: April 29 – May 2, 2010 *available for purchase on Sept. 21, 2009

Shows coming this fall & winter:

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents Over The Top, an all-new live entertainment extravaganza featuring the ultimate tug of war between Ringmaster Chuck Wagner and clown eccentric Tom Dougherty over a magical top hat that controls the circus. When the Ringmaster dons the hat he conjures stupendous spectacles for his circus, like the stunt riding Royal Cossack Cavalry while the clown uses the hat to summon silly and whimsical acts for his circus, such as a cavalry of goats riding on ponies in a Barnyard Bonanza. They continue to top one another until the Ringmaster and clown realize that the magic of the circus is not in the hat but in the hearts of everyone. The show culminates in an amazing display of gigantic glowing rainforest flowers surrounding Chinese acrobats swinging on vines and propelling through the air. Over the Top is two circuses in one providing excitement for the whole family.

Audiences will see nearly 100 animals including flying dogs, Asian elephants that skip, hop, and groove, miniature horses, llamas, pigs, and even a performing porcupine. In a daring feat, the courageous Daniel Raffo stands eye to eye with a pack of powerful Bengal tigers. Circus celebrities help rev-up the motorcycle madness featuring one cycle on a high wire and seven speeding riders in a Globe of Steel. Extraordinary aerial acts fill the arena sky with a rare double-decker trapeze and the Bombastic Bouncers who combine gigantic inner tubes and awe-inspiring acrobatics in a high-energy performance never before seen in America. And with the audience’s participation, this circus really goes Over The Top

Zing Zang Zoom

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents ZING ZANG ZOOM®: Through the mystery of magic and the mastery of skill, audiences will be spellbound as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents ZING ZANG ZOOM®, a thrill-filled, mind-blowing circus spectacular where family fun is no illusion.

Magical Zingmaster Alex and his assistant, the alluring Levitytia, lead audiences through a kaleidoscope of color and imagery revealing extraordinary worlds of fantasy, flight and phenomena that celebrates the uplifting spirit of the circus and wards off a cynical Mr. Gravity and his team of "heavies" who try to bring everyone down.

Be mesmerized when a four-ton elephant disappears before your eyes, and a gravity-inducing nemesis transforms across species into a ferocious tiger. Stand in awe as a dazzling trapeze artist performs a perilous, anatomically unimaginable one-arm speed-spin high atop the arena floor, and two formidable, female human cannonballs are blasted through the air in a daring, awe-inspiring display of bravery. Become electrified as the dangerous double wheel of steel, the gasp-inducing high wire and soaring gigantic swings defy both gravity and logic.

Fun-filled magic merges with traditional circus arts to create a world of infinite possibilities where apprentice illusionists levitate their parents with a wave of a wand, and audience spirits keep rising as the high flying circus is (literally) turned upside down. Perhaps the most magical of all, watch in amazement as an incomparable array of exotic animals including a herd of majestic Asian elephants, magnificent Bengal tigers and elegant Arabian and Friesian horses join forces with our human performers to create an experience that will surprise and delight Children of All Ages, rendering us speechless and reminding us that the magic of The Greatest Show On Earth® lives forever in our hearts and imaginations.

To learn more about Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey shows touring the country this year and to find shows in your area, visit the Ringling website. Do not forget to use the special discount code when purchasing tickets online. I can not wait to see Zing Zang Zoom with my family when it travels here in the spring of 2010!

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Feld Entertainment. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Categories:
Blog Tour fun show

Have you heard of BrainFuel?

Posted on September 9, 2009 12:37 pm by TheAngelForever

As an educator and mother, I am always looking to find new and exciting online resources to use with my boys. I am a firm believer that integrating technology is crucial with children these days. Recently, I was asked by Mom Central to explore and review a website called BrainFuel. To participate in this Blog Tour, I was given a one month trial to use the Brain Games on Luminosity.

When you go to the website, it is broken down into four sections.

Brain Food:

In this section, a lot of attention is put on how certain foods are important to help your child maximize their brain, concentration and memory during the day. Articles are available to read about different topics and research is integrated into them to explain the rationale behind the findings. A few examples are:

Mom Was Right – why breaskfast is the most important meal of the day
Why Vitamins – research from studies that show how vitamins from a balanced and healthy diet can make kids perform at their best and do better in school.

Brain Health

This portion of the website is broken down further into areas that talk about Brain Facts, Exercise the Brain, Protecting the Brain. There are a lot of facts and ideas in this section to help to understand your brain better. Some examples:

Family Walk – Do you know why a simple walk after dinner can be beneficial to your brain? This little article explains why.
Avoid Brain Drain – Admit it, you have suffered from this more than once in your life. This explains what you can do to prevent it from happening.

Brain Games

We all know that it is important to exercise our body, but it is also crucial to train our brains. This section points readers to Luminosity.com which hosts the special games. These have been developed to help and increase:

Quicker thinking
Improved memory
Increased alertness
Elevated mood
Better concentration

You do have to be a member to use the games and track your program benefits. The nice part is you can sign up for a free 14 day brain training trial and if you like it then get 50% off a one year subscription by using the promotion code 50BRAINFUEL. I just activated my month long complimentary membership (part of the Blog Tour) and hope to start letting my son use it more. I have to say that many of the games look like something that would keep my brain moving. Some game examples are:

Word Bubbles – Works on Processing Speed, Verbal Fluency Head on over to test this out!
Speed Match – Helps to focus on Processing Speed Another game that you can test out on their website.

So far, I like what I see in these games and hope to explore them more with my son. He loves these types of items and will be intrigued with the concept of helping to make his brain bigger and better. I am interested in seeing if we will notice an improvements in his scores.

Brain Forum

In this portion of the website, you have the chance to connect with others to ask question, look for advice and see what others are doing. There are four main branches that people can leave topics/questions within. These are:

Ask a registered dietitian – Submit a question regarding brain healthy nutrition to our registered dietitian.
Food and Diet – Submit your child’s favorite brain food breakfast ideas/recipes
General Discussion – General Discussion is a place for General topics that do not fit into the categories of other forums on Brain Fuel.
Share with us

The forums look like they will be a nice resource as more people learn about this website. At this point, there are not a lot of posts and it is pretty quiet. The perk with that is if you post a question people respond to it rather quickly.

As previously mentioned, I am still exploring all that there is to offer on BrainFuel and Lumosity. I believe that helping children to be the best that they can be is part of our responsibility. This website has a lot of information that will be a nice resource for many parents.

Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of BrainFuel and received an insulated lunch bag from California Innovations to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Categories:
Blog Tour interesting Uncategorized

Clorox College Survival Guide

Posted on September 3, 2009 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Monday evening, I went out to get a few things at the store. When I walked in, it looked like a tornado had been through. Then I noticed all of the people that were shopping along side me. They were mostly college students. Yes, this weekend marked the return of all of the college students in our area. As I was walking around the store, I noticed that a lot of the college kids were looking at the cleaning supplies. They were talking about cleaning things up in their dorms. It was easy to tell the upper classmen from the freshmen. The freshmen looked overwhelmed and seemed to be piling up with more items just in case.

This made me think about when I went to college. I opted to stay home because there was a college close by that I really liked. Do not let that fool you, I spent a lot of time with my friends at the dorms. I remember the filth that they encountered when they moved in. Since I lived off campus, I often helped people to drive around town. I took them to buy supplies to clean the dorm rooms. During this time, there were no cleaning wipes, it was mops, buckets, and sprays galore.I recall spending a lot of time helping them clean because the rooms were not left in the best condition and were dirty/dusty from the summer months.

Although my children are younger, I still think about the future. I know that one day they will likely head off to college and I will be "THAT" Mom worried about her kids and making a fuss.

I was recently asked by Mom Central to participate in the Clorox College Survival Guide Blog Tour. Since I know many people that have children heading off to college, and some going soon, I thought it would be a great opportunity.

To ease Moms’ concerns and prepare freshmen for college, The Clorox Company teamed up with college students and moms across the country to develop an authentic College Survival Guide. The guide serves many purposes, with helpful advice such as:

•   A "heads up" on the popular regional trends in clothing and accessories as well as activities that come along with going to school in the Midwest, the Northeast, the South, and the West Coast
•   Instructions for a "5-Minute Dorm Room Clean-Up"
•   Seasonal influenza and novel H1N1 2009 flu virus prevention tips
•   Dorm room "must-haves" for living away from home
•   Lifestyle tips from experienced Moms

You can find the Clorox College Survival Guide 2009 national edition on Mom Central. Head on over to download the PDF format and check it out for yourself. I really think the list of must have items is a great start for all college freshman. Items you may not think of include bed risers (create extra storage under your bed), fan to keep comfortable when studying, shower caddy, laundry basket (no more mom to do laundry) and many more crucial items. In addition to this, you can visit the College Survival Guide Facebook fan page to find regional editions. Head over to Facebook and search for "College Survival Guide 2009" to get started. If you have a child that is heading to college, or know someone that is encourage them to become a fan of this resource on Facebook. I know that I hope this will still be around when my boys are ready to head to college (just let that time go slow please).

There are also videos with tips for students and parents to watch. Here is a video introduction to show you more of what the Clorox College Survival Campaign is all about.

These videos are very down to earth and contain great hints from students and Moms that have been there and done that. As much as we think we know what we need, it is so easy to forget something or not realize a must have/bring to college. I hope that you find this guide and information useful.

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour compaign by Mom Central on behalf of The Clorox Company and received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.