Manchester Orchestra is an amazing band. I heard them for the first time the other night on Jimmy Kimmel. After checking out some of their YouTube stuff I fell in love. This is not easy listening; the lyrics are powerful and the music is inspired. For more info, check out the Manchester Orchestra Website.
Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava’s Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.
Book 8 in The 39 Clues series will be released on April 6th, 2010!
Do you know of a child who loves to read? If so, they could win cash prizes by reading books in the bestselling 39 Clues series. Over $100,000 in prize money is available for a slew of winners. If you know someone between 6-14 years of age, buy them these books and they could win!
The 39 Clues is a series written by several different popular and talented authors. Books 1-7 are already available from the planned 10-book set. The first book was written by Rick Riordan, whom also wrote Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The upcoming Book 8 (pictured) was written by well-known Canadian author Gordon Kormon, whom also wrote Book 2 in the series.
A video has just surfaced that shows reporter William Michaels in an exclusive interview with Gordon Korman, author of Book 8: The Emperor’s Code. Gordon reveals extraordinary information: There are vital hints concealed in the artwork on the cover of Book 8 that could expose the location of the next Clue! Examine the artwork carefully, and your family could find out where the Book 8 Clue is hidden! http://www.the39clues.com/
The 39 Clues books centers around a challenging adventure underaken by siblings Amy and Dan Cahill. As a stipulation in their Grandmothers will, if they can uncover 39 clues before several other family “teams” they will become wealthy beyond their wildest dreams. As the pair seek out clues , readers are invited to solve puzzles and thereby find clues as well. As part of the discovery process, young readers must learn about famous historical figures. These books are an entertaining way for children to improve reading comprehension while learning about history. Best of all, there are numerous chances to win great cash prizes!
Each book comes with a set of 6 cards. These cards unlock clues online, and provide additional chances to win loot. The collectible cards make this more than a great book series, but an interactive trading-card game as well. For more information about all the ways to win cash prizes, including ways that do not require a purchase, visit the 39 Clues website!
The Giveaway
Two lucky Cakeblast readers will each win a two-book set which include signed copies of Book #1 The Maze of Bones & Book #2 One False Note!
MANDATORY ENTRY: Please visit The 39 Clues website and tell me who you would love to win this for.
EXTRA ENTRIES: To qualify for extra entries, you must also complete the MANDATORY entry. Please put each entry in a separate comment. For instance, leave two comments if you have the Cakeblast button.
**Have the Cakeblast button on your blog/website (2 Extra Entries).
** Mention and link to this giveaway in a blog post (2 Extra Entries).
** Subscribe to my blog by email or RSS feed (1 Extra Entry).
**Follow my blog with Google Connect / Blogger (1 Extra Entry).
**Tweet about this contest. Feel free to copy/paste#Giveaway (2 Winners) 39 Clues Autographed Two-Book Set includes Trading Cards 4 a Chance 2 Win Cash Prizeshttp://bit.ly/dDmEIY(1 Extra Entry – Can be done once per day).
Contest Ends Sunday, March 28th at 11:59pm CST. Must be 18+ to enter. Open to US residents only. Winner will be chosen by random.org & announced soon after the contest ends. Winner will be notified by email with “Congrats: You’ve Won The 39 Clues Giveaway” in the subject line. Winner will then have 72 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.
Disclosure: 39 Clues / BigHonchoMedia is providing me with Book 8 in exchange for this post. They are also allowing me to host this giveaway to help promote the book series.39 Clues / BigHonchoMedia will be responsible for prize distribution after I provide the shipping information of the winning entrants. No monetary compensation was received for this post. The sample products and giveaway offer in no way affected my opinion of The 39 Clues. This article offers an honest opinion and has not been reviewed or edited by anyone other than Larry H. of Cakeblast.
Does your child have what it takes to find the 39 clues?
Yesterday, I discussed how our family has been transitioning to cloth diapers. We began this adventure with the All-In-One Dream Diaper from Tot Wraps. Now, thanks to TotWrap’s generosity, I am able to give away a Dream Diaper to one of my lucky readers!
Until trying the Dream Diaper, we had only used disposables. We were nervous and did not really know what to expect. From our recent experience we have learned some interesting things about the Dream Diaper and cloth diapering in general.
Besides being cost effective and eco-friendly, the Dream Diaper is more comfortable than a disposable. Not only is the cloth diaper’s material softer against Zen’s sensitive skin, the Dream Diaper offers snap positioning for a truly custom fit in a wide range of sizes. Not only does the one diaper adjust to fit newborns through toddlers, it accomplishes this without being bulky or cumbersome. In fact, it is thinner than a wet disposable so it fits comfortably under onesies, jeans, and other clothing.
I am very happy that I began cloth diapering with a Dream Diaper. A lower quality diaper may have left us frustrated. Instead, we are more determined than ever to complete the transition to cloth. Cloth diapers are better for the environment, our pocketbooks, and most importantly our children.
Even people who use disposables should have at least one cloth diaper on hand. Trying out one cloth diaper allows parents to make a more informed decision about their preference. After all, these are not the same cloth diapers our parents may have used. Tot Wraps All-In-One Dream Diapers are easy to use, durable, comfy, and absorbent. Plus they look supercute for when you are trying to impress the in-laws
Giveaway: One Lucky Cakeblast Reader Will Win a Dream Diaper from TotWraps in their Choice of Color!
MANDATORY ENTRY: Please visit TotWraps and tell me something that you learned or found interesting.
EXTRA ENTRIES: To qualify for extra entries, you must also complete the MANDATORY entry. Please put each entry in a separate comment. For instance, leave two comments if you have the Cakeblast button.
**Have the Cakeblast button on your blog/website (2 Extra Entries).
** Mention and link to this giveaway in a blog post (2 Extra Entries).
**Tweet about this contest. Feel free to copy/pasteCloth Diaper #Giveaway : Tot Wraps Dream Diaper In Winner’s Choice of Color http://bit.ly/bgDonv (1 Extra Entry – Can be done once per day).
Contest Ends Sunday, March 28th at 11:59pm CST. Must be 18+ to enter. Open to US residents only. Winner will be chosen by random.org & announced soon after the contest ends. Winner will be notified by email with “Congrats: You’ve Won The TotWraps Giveaway” in the subject line. Winner will then have 72 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.
Disclosure: TotWraps provided me with a Dream Diaper for review purposes and is allowing me to host this giveaway to help promote their products. Tot Wraps will be responsible for prize distribution after I provide the shipping information of the winning entrant. No monetary compensation was received for this post. The sample products and giveaway offer in no way affected my opinion of Tot Wraps or their products. This article offers an honest opinion and has not been reviewed or edited by anyone other than Larry H. of Cakeblast.
THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG Will be Available on Blu-ray and DVD on Tuesday, March 16th! Princess Tiana is Disney’s ninth princess. The last Disney Princess film was Milan in 1998. I missed this Oscar-nominated fairytale in theaters, but am really looking forward to watching this future classic at home.
First of all, this is Disney’s triumphant return to traditional animation. I enjoy CGI, but dearly miss the masterful hand-drawn epics of yesteryear. From what I have read, The Princess and the Frog lives up to Disney’s proud tradition of spectacular animated musicals.
Secondly, the voice talents in this film are second to none. I was thrilled to discover that my favorite television chef Emeril Lagasse has a role in the film as Marlon the Gator. Oh yeah, babe! March 16th!
Featurette: The Return to the Animated Musical (Bonus)
Disclosure: I was not compensated in any way for this post. I just want my readers to know about this film’s DVD and Blu-Ray release date.
Recently, our family has begun making the switch from disposable diapers to cloth. By switching to cloth, we are hoping to save a little bit of money while lessening our family’s impact on the environment. I have never known anyone personally who uses cloth diapers, so making the switch has been rather intimidating. Thankfully, the internet and Tot Wraps has been making the transition easier.
The first thing we had to decide was what type of cloth diaper we want to use. After exploring numerous websites and retailers we discovered that there are four main types of cloth diapers. The types are prefolds, all-in-ones (AIO), pocket diapers, and fitted diapers. After much deliberation we chose to go with the comfort and convenience of an all-in-one.
I spent several hours exploring various cloth diaper retailers. Several websites had products that looked appealing, and one of the companies that really stood out was Tot Wraps.
The owner of Tot Wraps is a work-at-home mom named Kristy. She designs and creates several items such as soakers and trainers, but her most popular item is the Dream Diaper. This all-in-one offers an inventive design that makes them easier to use than many other cloth diapers on the market. Being the cloth diapering novices that we are, we opted to try out Dream Diaper for ourselves.
Our 10-month-old son Zen is a heavy front wetter, so we were very impressed with how easy it was to adjust the rise. After washing the diaper several times, we put it on him. We spent the next couple of hours admiring how cute and comfy it looked in comparison to white disposables.
These diapers cost less than many other brands with most of them being only $18. An insert can be added to any diaper order for only $2 more.
We received an insert and it comes in handy when we lay him down for bed. However, if he falls asleep while being held, we’ll sometimes lay him down without changing him. In the weeks since we have had the Tot Wraps Dream Diaper, he has only leaked through it a one time and it was entirely our fault. The Dream Diaper does not leak any more than Pampers or Luvs.
The insert fits inside the diaper and adds an extra layer of absorbency when it is needed. Even with the insert, the Dream Diaper seems less bulky than a disposable. It takes a lot more than one diaper to make the move to cloth diapering so Tot Wraps offers package deals to save money off their already low prices. You can even get free shipping on orders over $100 by using coupon code freeship100 at checkout!
The diapers come in a wide assortment of colors and can be customized with your choice of color for the tabs and inner. If you prefer, Kristy will pick colors for you that complement the outer shell. She makes them to order and offers a 90 day guarantee on the craftsmanship. The diaper she sent us was very high quality and will certainly last through years of duty service.
We will be getting more cloth diapers in the coming weeks and hopefully will phase out disposables entirely in the coming months. I appreciate Tot Wraps helping our family get started in this endeavor! If you haven’t tried cloth diapering, I recommend it because it is good for your children, the environment, and your budget. The Dream Diaper is a great diaper to begin with because it is easy to use, affordable, and doesn’t leak.
If you already use cloth diapers, then you should try the Dream Diaper for the same reasons I just stated. Saturday, March 13 until March 28, you have a chance to win an AIO Dream Diaper from Tot Wraps! Be sure to come back to Cakeblast for the giveaway and many more posts on the subject of cloth diapering in the future.
Disclosure: Tot Wraps provided me with a Dream Diaper for review purposes after I contacted them expressing interest. No monetary compensation was received for this post, and the sample product in no way affected my opinion of Tot Wraps or the Dream Diaper. This article offers an honest opinion and has not been reviewed or edited by anyone other than Larry H. of Cakeblast.
Recently, our family has begun making the switch from disposable diapers to cloth. By switching to cloth, we are hoping to save a little bit of money while lessening our family’s impact on the environment. I have never known anyone personally who uses cloth diapers, so making the switch has been rather intimidating. Thankfully, the internet and 
|