Celebrate the Haulidays with Chronicle Books

For those of us who LOVE books of all kinds, Chronicle Books has a dream contest going on right now. They're asking bloggers to compile a list of their favorite Chronicle books (up to $500 worth!) for a chance to win the whole list! Can you imagine? So I spent some time on www.chroniclebooks.com and put together my list. Here it goes:

- Bird Song Bible: for my dad, a retired wildlife officer. This book would be the ultimate reference guide for him.
- Giant Pop-Out Farm: to add to my niece's library - because all kids should have a great stash of books!
- Thirty-Six Views of the Eiffel Tower: this is one book that caters to my love of all things Parisian.
- Overnight Sensations, Asia Pacific: because I dream of taking a vacation to the exciting Far East one day.
- Flour: the ultimate dessert cookbook - but wait, didn't I say I was going gluten-free?
- Blackbird Bakery Gluten Free: because, well, see above - the whole gluten-free thing I'm considering.
- Fast, Fresh & Green: because I need to balance my love of sweets with the health benefits of veggies.
- Mastering the Art of Chinese Cooking: yum...my favorite cuisine!
- Tapas: who can resist small plates of goodness?
- Mexicocina: next to Chinese, Mexican is my favorite food!
- The Glorious Soups & Stews of Italy: a perfect cookbook for the wintertime.
- 52 Christmas Actvities: I love these "52" decks. And what better one than one that helps us celebrate the season?
- The Lifeboard: as the new year rolls around this board can help me plan, prepare and visual my future.
- Bedside Dream Journal: haven't you always wanted to write down those strange dreams to see what they really mean? This bedside journal is perfect for doing just that.
- 1,001 Ways to Live in the Moment: Maybe this book can help me be more spontaneous!
- Great White, The Majesty of Sharks: I love sharks! But they scare me, too! I guess it's a fascination thing...
- Around the World: a retrospective of travel to inspire me in my future travels.
- Love in Spoonfuls: a book of baby foods. Perfect for my niece.
- City Walks in Paris: I have and have used these cards before. But this is the new updated version. Perfect for my next trip to Paris!

Wow! Is this a dream list or what? Everything from travel to food to family to arts! It would be a dream come true for a book lover like me to have all of these in my possession.

So tell me, what kinds of books to you like to read?

Kolcraft Contours Classique 3-in-1 Bassinet Giveaway

So, I've blogged lately that my oldest niece announced she's pregnant. After the shock wore off (a little), I decided to put my hobby of sweepstaking to really good use and be on the lookout for baby items she'll need.

Enter the Piece of Me blog. Since I subscribe to their emails, I saw that they've reviewed the Kolcraft Contours Classique 3-in-1 Bassinet and are actually giving one away to one lucky winner...I hope it's me!

From all reports, the bassinet seems easy to put together, which is great. I also like it's sleek and somewhat modern style. Additionally I like that there is storage underneath. Babies seem to come with so much stuff!

So if you're in need of a bassinet, why not try to win one? Head on over to the Piece of Me blog, read the review to be sure it's the right bassinet for you, and enter for your chance to win!

http://bit.ly/dnOM4w

Nautica Gift Card Giveaway!

With Father's Day just around the corner I'm going through the usual struggle of what to get the man who has everything. So wouldn't it be nice if I really didn't have to think about this too much? If I had a $100 Nautica gift card to spend on clothes for dad? Their men's styles are timeless and classic and would certainly fit my dad's summer style.

Well, the fine folks over at www.yachtcandy.com are offering up just that. Entry is easy and entries are accepted through 5/31. So click the link below, check out the giveaway and just maybe you'll have your Father's Day shopping all wrapped up!

http://www.yachtcandy.com/nautica-giveaway/

Safety 1st Air Protect Car Seat Giveaway

Okay - so here I go again, on the hunt for baby stuff! Never thought I'd find myself doing this, but as I mentioned a few posts ago, my oldest niece is expecting her first baby later this year. So I'm now on the hunt for baby things for her. Since she's a starving college kid, I hope to be able to help her out with the more expensive baby things she'll need.

And one of those is, of course, a car seat. I was lucky to find www.ourordinarylife.com blog which is graciously giving away a Safety 1st Air Protect Car Seat to one lucky participant! I hope it's me! One thing that's great about this car seat is that it has the Air Protect system which helps protect the child's head. It's designed for children between 5 and 100 pounds, so can be used in both forward facing and rear facing situations.

So, head on over to this link and check it out! The giveaway ends 5/25/10.

http://www.ourordinarylife.com/2010/05/safety-1st-air-protect-complete-air-carseat-giveaway/

Kodak Easyshare Digital Camera Giveaway!

Well here's another great giveaway from The Shopping Mama blog! To celebrate Kodak's partnership with the movie "Babies", The Shopping Mama is giving away a Kodak Easyshare M580 Digital Camera and a photo gift card to one lucky person.

Go here to follow the easy instructions to enter: http://bit.ly/bT1dCM

I hear that the camera's new "Share" button makes it easier than ever to share photos. You can post them to Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, via email - so many ways to stay connected with your family and friends!

So head on over, check out the giveaway and try for your chance to win!

Win! Organic Cupcake Onesies

Normally, since I don't have kids or babies, I pass right over giveaways for children's things. Occasionally I will take a look because several friends have little ones and I do enjoy gifting them with cute baby items. But now, I'm going to be looking at baby things in a whole new light!

My oldest niece just announced she's pregnant with her first baby! Talk about a shocker - I wasn't expecting this! She's certainly old enough (21), but I still think of her as my baby.

So now I'm on the hunt for cute baby things and just came across this blog post on The Shopping Mama. They've previewed some items from www.babybunch.com and are offering up the Organic Cupcake Onesies. Go check them out - they are adorable!
These onesies or any of their other items would make the cutest baby gift. I really like the Crayon Rompers for those occasions when you don't know if someone is having a boy or a girl. And the Baby Bouquets? "Flower" bouquets made out of baby clothes? So unique and one-of-a-kind!

So if you'd like the opportunity to win some cupcake onesies, follow the link below to The Shopping Mama's giveaway. With just a few easy clicks you're in it to win it! Good luck!

http://bit.ly/chFQrA

Nestle Ice Cream Varieties at Sam’s Club + $500 Freezer Giveaway

Ahhh - summertime is right around the corner here in the South. The recent weather has been very changeable, going from hot and sunny to cool and rainy in the span of a day or two. A little unusual for this part of the country and this time of year. But, no matter - I know the endless days of Carolina Blue Skies are just around the corner!



So, to get ready for the cookouts, get togethers and other endless summertime activities, I suggest you hop on over to Sam's Club and stock up on Nestle Ice Cream varieties. Nestle has several types of ice cream treats and there's sure to be a flavor for everyone in your family.



While I'm sure I should lean toward the Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches, I just can't help loving the Drumsticks - especially when I can get the variety pack that includes original, chocolate and carmel filled - YUM! And now I even hear Nestle has a snack pack that includes Lil Drums and Dibs! This one truly would provide something for everyone.



If you're like me, you love to have the ice cream treats on hand, but sometimes have trouble squeezing those family size boxes into the freezer. If so, I suggest you head on over to the 3 Kids and Us blog to check out their freezer giveaway! With just a few simple actions you can get yourself entered into Cat's giveaway for a GE(R) 13.7 CU FT Frost-free upright freezer valued at over $500! Definitely what each of us needs to store all these great Nestle Ice Cream treats!



So use this link and head on over to check it out...good luck!



http://bit.ly/9yE1bY