Summer Survival Guide- Frame-It-All 8 x 7-ft. Hexagon Sandbox with Cover Review and Pirate Treasure Sandbox Giveaway!!

Hayneedle.com includes over 220 stores for you to shop from! Each one of their stores is devoted to a single product category, ensuring you will find exactly what you are looking for. Best of all, you can purchase all your items from the same shopping cart! The people at Hayneedle work hard to offer you the finest selection, best value, and most convenient shopping experience you've ever had.

Hayneedle is known for it's awesome selection of outdoor products. They have everything you need to ensure a relaxing and fun filled summer at home... patio furniture, outdoor grills, bounce houses, sand and water tables, swimming pool toys and more!

My Experience:

I have had the opportunity to work with Hayneedle on several occasions and am continually impressed by the service I receive. Products are always shipped out quickly and arrive well packaged and in superb condition. This time around I was sent an awesome sandbox. My children have been super excited about this as they have wanted a sandbox for years.

The Frame-It-All Hexagon Sandbox is 8 feet by 7 feet and made of post-consumer polyethylene and 100% natural fibers. It is nontoxic, splinter free and made to resist warping and rotting. This is good news for my family as we live in a very sunny climate where most outdoor products get destroyed by sunshine.

This sandbox set includes 2-packs of 6 stacking joints, 12 composite plastic timbers, Sandbox liner, and cover. Also comes with a 5 year warranty! *You can also purchase this sandbox without cover.

Assembly was super easy and fast. The plastic timbers hook together by joints and the sandbox is secured to the ground with the included stakes. Makes for a nice, solid, secure unit. We also rolled out weed barrier across one side of our yard before getting started. We are putting down playground mulch for the play area, but also laid down the sandbox liner that came with the sandbox. It is hexagon shaped to fit the sandbox perfectly!

The sandbox cover is also hexagon shaped to give perfect coverage. I am completely impressed by this cover. It is made of heavy duty nylon with a UV coating for protection from the sun. It secures to each edge of the sandbox with not only a loop but also fits snugly with the draw string ties. The cover also comes with a large beach ball (see above photo) that can be placed in the center of sandbox to keep water and debris from collecting on cover when not in use. What a clever idea!

One thing that really makes this sandbox a lot of fun is the size of it. Not only is it plenty big for my 4 children, but is also 12 inches deep! Unlike most sandboxes, this gives older children opportunity to dig down deep. My kid's love to bury each other. Just like a day at the beach!

This sandbox can hold 3,350 lbs. of sand! Will cost you about $60-$75 but totally worth it in my opinion. Plenty of room for several children and lots sandbox toys. I can't recommend this sandbox enough. We love it!



BUY IT: You can purchase the Frame-It-All 8 x 7-ft. Hexagon Sandbox with Optional Cover at AllSandboxes.com (a Hayneedle store) for $279.99 (without cover) or $369.99 (with cover). To see all sandbox selections, click here.


WIN IT: Hayneedle is giving one lucky Happily Domestic reader a Classic Playtime Pirate Treasure Sandbox!! $250 Value!

Classic Playtime Pirate Treasure Sandbox

• Durable wood construction
• Removable seat lid for convenient storage
• Protective canopy blocks harmful UV rays
• Super fun wheel and pirate flag included
• Dimensions: 75L x 60W x 44H inches

First Mandatory entry:

Visit Hayneedle.com and tell me which of their outdoor products is your favorites.

After you have completed your first entry you are eligible for additional entries. *See my giveaway instructions here for more information. * *Remember to leave a separate comment for each additional entry and include your e-mail address.*

Extra Entries: (1 each unless specified, leave a separate comment for each thing you do)

• Follow my blog publicly through Google friend connect (can be found at my right sidebar.) - current follows count too! Counts for 2 entries.
  

• Follow Mama Dweeb's blog publicly on Google friend connect. Click here to be directed. Counts for 2 entries.

• Subscribe to my blog emails via Feedburner. Sign up box on my right sidebar. Counts for 2 entries.

• Subscribe to Mama Dweeb's blog emails via Feedburner. Click here to be directed. Counts for 2 entries.
  

• Blog about THIS giveaway between May 1st and May 20th and gain TWO entries!!! link back to my site- leave the URL where you blogged. Please leave separate comments for each entry. Example "I blogged about your Sandbox giveaway@ #1" then "I blogged about your sandbox giveaway@ #2".

• Grab my Happily Domestic button! (found at right sidebar)- Leave the URL where it is posted.

• If you earned the 3 extra entries for blogging about my event early, leave 3 separate comments saying that you did this. See Rules here.
  

• If you earned the 3 extra entries for grabbing my Summer Survival Guide Event Button early, leave 3 separate comments saying that you did this. See Rules here.
  

• Follow HappilyDomestic on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway (counts as 1 entry)- after this you may "tweet" daily and gain an extra entry each day that you tweet-limit one per day. Leave your tweet status.

• Like Happily Domestic on Facebook. Click here. Leave a comment saying that you did this.

• Enter any of my current giveaways, leave a comment and tell me which giveaway you entered. Counts as 1 entry per giveaway entered. Please leave separate comments per giveaway you entered.

• Enter Mama Dweeb's Hayneedle Giveaway! ( Mama Dweeb is giving away a Little Tikes Backyard Barbeque Get Out n Grill.) 1 extra entry.

• Sign up for Hayneedle's emails for savings and updates. Click here (sign up box is at bottom of page). Leave a comment saying that you did this.

• Like Hayneedle on Facebook. Click here. Leave a comment saying that you did this.

• Follow Hayneedle on Twitter. Click here. Leave a comment saying that you did this.

• Subscribe to Hayneedle's Blog. Click here. Leave a comment saying that you did this.

Giveaway ends Tuesday, June 21st, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.(MST). Winner will be drawn by the random number generator at Random.org and will be notified by email. Winner will also be announced on this blog. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn.

*This giveaway is open to USA residents ONLY.
Must be 18 years old or older to win.*

Thank you to Hayneedle who provided me with the Sandbox free of charge for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own and no other compensation was received to conduct this review and giveaway.

Weekly Menu- Week of May 30th- June 5th

Finally got around to making a weekly menu plan once again. I am realizing the importance of doing this as it always saves us money in the long run as we eat out less. However, I also need to crack down and start couponing more seriously as groceries are outrageously expensive! I spent $245 this week which was WAY over budget, but also purchased quite a bit of household items, everything you see here and 2 fairly large meals over the weekend (including a cookout we had yesterday with some friends over). Not too bad considering. Most of this weeks dinner recipes came from Deals to Meals.

Monday
Breakfast- W.W. Pancakes and Milk
Lunch- Turkey Sandwiches
Dinner- Chicken Tacos

Tuesday
Breakfast- Cereal
Lunch- Chick Pea Smash on W.W. Toast
Dinner- Won Ton Chicken Salad

Wednesday
Breakfast- Egg in a Basket
Lunch- P.B. & J's and Apple Slices
Dinner- Turkey Polish Sausage, Potato Salad, and Cantaloupe Slices

Thursday
Breakfast- Oatmeal w/Raisins
Lunch- Homemade Chicken Nuggets with BBQ Sauce and Applesauce
Dinner- Easy Breakfast Casserole and Fruit

Friday
Breakfast- W.W. Waffles and Banana Milk
Lunch- Salmon Sticks, Tatar Tots, and Mandarin Orange Cups
Dinner- Spicy Honey Chicken, Mashed Potatoes with Brown Gravy, Greenbeans and Raspberry Cheesecake

Saturday
Breakfast- French Toast & Juice
Lunch- Nacho Bake
Dinner- BBQ Hotdogs, Baked Beans and fresh fruit

Sunday
Breakfast- Scrambled Eggs with Cheese and Green Pepper
Lunch- Spinach Rice Casserole
Dinner- Balsamic Chicken Pasta and Cesar Salad


For more Menu Plans join in at Organized Junkie! Click here.

ATG $100 Gift Certificate WINNER!!!

CONGRATULATIONS TO ISAAC's MOMMY!!

She left winning comment #535....

IsaacsMommy said...

Subscribe 2
dessertflower83@rocketmail.com

May 19, 2011 11:45 PM

Winner has been contacted by email and has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner will be drawn.

Kid Co Play Den WINNER!

CONGRATULATIONS TO MAMA2THREE!!

She left winning comment #339...

Mama2Three said...

1 I follow your blog publicly
mama2three at rocketmail dot com

May 24, 2011 2:08 PM

Winner has been contacted by email and has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner will be drawn.

Summer Survival Guide- Frugal Family Travel Tips!

Frugal Family Travel Tips

With a hurting economy and high gas prices, many families are working hard to stretch every dollar earned. Planning an affordable family vacation can seem unrealistic, however with the right planning it can be done! If you shave off even as little as $100 off your trip, that is $100 you don't have to come up with. Whether you are planning a Hawaii cruise or a family camping trip, here are a few suggestions to help you save on your trip.

• Skip Lunch- Ok, here me out. I am not telling you to starve your family. Most of us eat out for every meal while traveling. What my family tries to do is eat a large late breakfast, snack for lunch and then eat out once again for dinner. We never go hungry and we save at least $30 by skipping out on lunch.

• Pack a Cooler- Although this suggestion won't help save you money on Hawaii cruises, it can help save a bundle on family road trips! Bringing enough of your own food to cover 1-2 days can save you at least $100. This also allows your family to enjoy nature by picnicking outside instead of being in a stuffy restaurant. Not to mention you will save on tips!

• Hotel Coupons- I don't know about you, but I HATE to pay full price for hotel rooms. Every time my family books a room I search for a discount first. We once stayed in a 4 star Double Tree Hotel with 2 queen size feather beds and warm chocolate chip cookies upon arrive and only paid $49 dollars!!! It even included a continental breakfast saving us more money! How did we do it? We used a coupon from RoomSaver.com. You can't usually make reservations with these coupons, however you most always only pay $50 for a pretty dang nice hotel. And like I said, if it includes breakfast you save at least another $20-$30.

• Book Hotels Online- If you know the days you will be needing a hotel and want to reserve a room, booking a room online can give you a discounted rate without a lot of hassle. Last year when my family went to Washington, I was able to book a room at the 4-star Westin Hotel in downtown Seattle for only $100 through Priceline.com. My family was on the 42nd floor and had amazing views of the city. There are many places to book discount Hotel rooms online, do a little research!

• Book Your Airfare Online- Again, doing a little research and shopping around online you are sure to take in savings on most anything! Airline tickets are no exception. My family of 6 flew from Denver, Colorado to Portland, Oregon for only $800! Granted, 2 of our kids were free as they were under 2, but that is still only $200 per ticket. We did not have to travel at crazy times either and only had 1 short lay over (about 45 minutes long). We purchased our tickets at Cheaptickets.com.

• Plan a Trip Close By- You will be amazed at the vacation possibilities right outside your own backyard! Contact your local visitors center for visitor guides of your surrounding area. Most of these guides include coupons on local attractions and inform you of off season specials and fun family friendly festivals & events. Most of my family's vacations have been within a 4 hour perimeter of our home. A mini-vacation can be just what your family needs and every bit as fun!

• Pay in Cash- One of the best tips I can give you is to pay in cash! Plan a vacation budget and take cash for the expenses. It is so easy to get off focus when you are paying with debit or credit cards. Using cash will help you keep track of where your money is going and save you from overdrafts when you arrive home (we learned the hard way on this one).

I hope these suggestions help you save money on your next family vacation. With Memorial Day right around the corner, it is time to start thinking about these things. My family usually camps every Memorial weekend, however the weather here has been so rainy and cold that we are postponing our trip until Father's Day weekend. We will probably BBQ and hang out at the house or maybe take a family hike somewhere. For tips on what to avoid this holiday weekend. Click here.

Summer Survival Guide- Modest Swimwear for Women and Girls!

Summer brings to mind popsicles, sweaty children playing late into the evening, cookouts with friends, and of course....swimming! Most people enjoy swimming a lot, but it can prove to be a bit of a challenge when you go swimsuit shopping.

It seems common for ladies to rationalize that, somehow, when they go swimming they can "bare all" and basically go swimming in their underwear. When you think about, that's all a bikini is - it's a bra and underwear! We would be mortified to walk around our male friends with nothing on but our underclothes. Yet, somehow when it comes to swimming many ladies think nothing of it.

I would like to suggest that you don't have to compromise your standards of modesty when you want to take a plunge in the pool. There are actually many different options when it comes to modest swimwear. There are companies that specialize in making modest swimwear - yes, I used those two words in the same sentence. While not cheap, these swimsuits are designed to hold up for quite a few years. They generally look like a fitted dress that comes to right above your knee, and the top comes up quite high. You also have the option of having sleeves or not.

Another option that some friends of mine have chosen is to buy board shorts.

If you can find some that come down to your knees, it is a much better option that most swimsuits that are out there! Paired with a swimming shirt, that would work well especially for girls.

It is also possible to buy a swimsuit that looks modest on top but you may want to be more covered on the bottom. You could wear board shorts over the bottom of the suit, or maybe find a swim skirt.

Here is a list that was compiled last year for modest swimwear. There are varying degrees of what is modest, as everyone has their own opinions of what they are comfortable wearing.

Modest Women's SwimWear & SwimSuits

Under Cover Water Wear

HydroChic™

Princess Modest Swimwear

Aqua Modesta® Has swimsuits and cover ups

Swim Modest!

WholesomeWear™

Simply Modest –also has multi-sized swim suit patterns

Stitchin’ Times swimsuits for women and girls, custom swimsuits

Lilies of the Field

Cami SwimWear

Modestly Yours Swimwear- sells custom made and ready made swimwear

Meant To Be Modest

Fashionably Modest Patterns – has modest swim suit patterns

Tamanu Sun

Modest Swimwear for Girls

Under Cover Water Wear

Up Stream Girl

Aqua Modesta®

Tamanu Sun

Swim Modest!

WholesomeWear™

Swimwear Solutions – also has multi-sized swimsuit pattern

Fashionably Modest Patterns - has modest swim suit patterns

L.L. Bean

Stitchin’ Times

Lilies of the Field

Meant To Be Modest

I wrote a review here for a swimsuit from Modestly Yours Swimwear last year. I am looking forward to wearing it this year again, and I like that I have no qualms in wearing it in front of anyone!

Caroline Allen is the wife of Sean, and mother to four children seven and under. She keeps busy homeschooling, managing her home, and running her business from home - The Modest Mom, an online store that sells custom made maternity and women’s skirts.

Wordless Wednesday- Choo Choo!

Little E and Baby J LOVE Thomas the Train. E started calling Thomas "Tye Tye" and now J does the same. Baby J is now 18 months old (not really a baby at all) and his favorite things to do each day (next to getting into everything) is playing with trains. He makes the most adorable train sounds.

Here he is playing in the window seal (his favorite place), playing trains and making choo choo sounds. Oh, by the way...I ask him in the video if he is playing with Thomas and he corrects me saying, "Tye Tye Train." In case you are unsure of what he is saying. :-)

Happy Wordless Wednesday!

Shop Online and Save Money on Prescription Eyeglasses!

Did you know you can buy a great pair of eyeglasses without breaking the bank? Would you believe if I said you can do this from the privacy of your own home? Well, you can! GlassesUSA.com makes it easy to choose the perfect pair of glasses without feeling pressured.


GlassesUSA.com offers the largest selection of glasses online with everything from designer glasses, progressive glasses, prescription sunglasses, vintage glasses, and classic frames for both men and women. Choosing the right pair is easy. With the Virtual Mirror you can see the glasses on your face before you buy! If for some reason, you're not satisfied with your glasses you may return them for a refund or a new pair of glasses.

My husband got a pair of prescription eyeglasses from GlassesUSA.com over a year ago and has been so pleased. The glasses are quality made and still look as good as new. We never thought of buying eyeglasses online until we discovered GlassesUSA.com. We are so glad we did!

With fast shipping, guaranteed on-time delivery and 110% lowest price guarantee, why would you want to buy glasses anywhere else!

Ready to get started? Save 10% on your next order of glasses with the code: Mommy10 *FYI- If you spend over $100 your second pair of glasses (from the Private Collection) is FREE!!

This is a sponsored post and although I was compensated all opinions are my own.

Summer Survival Guide- Great White Shark Inflatable Slide Review and Kettler Deluxe Single Swing Set Giveaway!

Best Price Toys is your one stop shop for quality children's products at competitive prices. With everything from heirloom toys, high quality swing sets, retro pedal cars, bounce houses, toy pianos, and children's furniture you are sure to find what you need!

With over a decade of exceptional customer service, Best Price Toys has become a trusted name in the industry. They are members with the Better Business Bureau, Authorize.net, Family-Friendly Site, AmbironTrustWave's TrustKeeper, and more! When you shop with Best Price Toys you are certain to have a safe, hassle free shopping experience!

My Experience:

I was thrilled when Best Price Toys agreed to work with me for the Summer Survival Guide. I was sent the Great White Shark Inflatable Slide by Blast Zone. Nothing says summer fun like getting wet and having fun in your own backyard! The Great White Shark Inflatable Slide can be used wet or dry and inflates in less than 1 minute!

Comes with ventilated storage bag, UL approved blower, stakes for blower and slide, tubing for water slide, patch kit, and instruction booklet.

Set up was very simple... roll out, spread open, attach blower and turn on. 43 seconds later you are ready to stake down and get started!

The Great White Shark Inflatable Slide is huge! Approx 18 x 6 x 8. It is made of X-Weave Heavy Duty 420D and 500D materials and built to last.

Children enter the slide by climbing up the rear climbing wall. It is easy to climb even for my little 3 year old son. There are pockets for your feet and handles for stability. There is also heavy duty safety netting around the climbing area to keep your kiddos safe!

The dual sprayers come down from the sharks teeth and wet both slides giving kids a wet ride all the way down to the wading pool. So fun!

This inflatable water slide is intended for children ages 3-10 and can hold up to 200 pounds!

My son sliding down on both his bottom and stomach.

Relaxing in the pool after a day of play!

My family is very impressed by the quality the Great White Shark Inflatable Slide. Set up was easy and my children had a blast playing on it. This would be a great investment for every family to beat those hot summer months! I can see getting many uses out of this over the years with birthday parties and play dates.

Now for the videos! This first video shows how quickly the Great White Shark Inflatable Water Slide inflates.



This video shows the water slide in action:



BUY IT: You can purchase the Great White Shark Inflatable Slide at Best Price Toys for only $399.99 and FREE SHIPPING! Click here to purchase.


WIN IT: Best Price Toys wants to give one lucky Happily Domestic reader a Kettler Deluxe Single Swing Set! This swing set is tall enough to give that real swing feeling. It is strong, sturdy and extremely safe. $209 Value!



First Mandatory entry:

Visit Best Price Toys and tell me which of their products is your favorites.

After you have completed your first entry you are eligible for additional entries. *See my giveaway instructions here for more information. * *Remember to leave a separate comment for each additional entry and include your e-mail address.*

Extra Entries: (1 each unless specified, leave a separate comment for each thing you do)

• Follow my blog publicly through Google friend connect (can be found at my right sidebar.) - current follows count too! Counts for 2 entries.
  

• Follow Mama Dweeb's blog publicly on Google friend connect. Click here to be directed. Counts for 2 entries.

• Comment on Mama Dweeb's Splash Zone Bouncer Review. Click here.

• Subscribe to my blog emails via Feedburner. Sign up box on my right sidebar. Counts for 2 entries.

• Subscribe to Mama Dweeb's blog emails via Feedburner. Click here to be directed. Counts for 2 entries.
  

• Blog about THIS giveaway between May 24th and June 12th and gain TWO entries!!! link back to my site- leave the URL where you blogged. Please leave separate comments for each entry. Example "I blogged about your Swing Set giveaway@ #1" then "I blogged about your Swing Set giveaway@ #2".

• Grab my Happily Domestic button! (found at right sidebar)- Leave the URL where it is posted.

• If you earned the 3 extra entries for blogging about my event early, leave 3 separate comments saying that you did this. See Rules here.
  

• If you earned the 3 extra entries for grabbing my Summer Survival Guide Event Button early, leave 3 separate comments saying that you did this. See Rules here.
  

• Follow Happily Domestic on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway (counts as 1 entry)- after this you may "tweet" daily and gain an extra entry each day that you tweet-limit one per day. Leave your tweet status.

• Like Happily Domestic on Facebook. Click here. Leave a comment saying that you did this.

• Enter any of my current giveaways, leave a comment and tell me which giveaway you entered. Counts as 1 entry per giveaway entered. Please leave separate comments per giveaway you entered.

• Follow Best Price Toys on Twitter. Click here.

• Like Best Price Toys on Facebook. Click here.

Giveaway ends Tuesday, June 14th, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.(MST). Winner will be drawn by the random number generator at Random.org and will be notified by email. Winner will also be announced on this blog. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn.

*This giveaway is open to USA residents ONLY.
Must be 18 years old or older to win.*

Thank you to Best Price Toys who provided me with the Inflatable Water Slide free of charge for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own and no other compensation was received to conduct this review and giveaway.

Summer Survival Guide- Save a Baby's Skin with UV Skinz!

SAVE BABY’S SKIN WITH “MY FIRST UV SKINZ”

UV Skinz sun protective clothing company hopes to shed light on Skin Cancer Awareness Month through annual “Save A Baby’s Skin” campaign. UV Skinz is giving away UV Protective Baby Swim Shirts to thousands of newborn babies this year in honor of National Skin Cancer Awareness Month. UV Skinz, one of the original companies to design and manufacture sun protective wear, wants to ensure that all babies are given proper protection against skin cancer, and has chosen to do so by donating free baby swim shirts to newborns at various maternity wards and pediatrician‟s offices throughout the United States. This is the fourth year in a row that UV Skinz has generously donated swimwear for their cause.

Rhonda Sparks, the woman who founded UV Skinz in 2005 after losing her 32-year old husband to melanoma says, “We are super excited to be offering baby UV swim shirts to the newest members of the families as we feel all babies deserve quality, chemical-free sun protection from the very start of life.” In addition to the large donations going out to the hospitals and doctors, UV Skinz will also add a free baby UV Skinz swim shirt to each order placed in May, in hopes it will find its way to a baby-in-need. Each shipment will contain a free UV Baby Skinz along with a flyer asking customers to pass along the Baby Skinz to a needy organization or even a needy neighbor. Sparks goes on to say, “We want wearing UV Skinz swim shirts to be a daily preventative to sun burns like toothpaste is to cavities and by starting the awareness when the kids are little, it will instill good sun protection habits into adulthood.” UV Skinz has shipments being sent to UCSF Benioff Children‟s Hospital in California, Evergreen Hospital Medical Center in Washington, The Queens Medical Center in Hawaii and UV Skinz corporate offices local hospital, Sonora Regional Medical Center. Sparks adds, “We are awaiting word from a few more medical facilities as well and plan on donating every single baby swim shirt we have especially manufactured for this cause!”

Without exception, babies under age six months should not be in the sun and most pediatricians recommend no direct sunlight exposure for infants within the first few years. The reality is that most infants older than six months will likely spend some time outdoors, even if just for walks in a stroller, and should therefore be sun protected from head to toe year round, not just during summer months. Skin's sun protection defenses are not fully developed in newborns and young infants so special care to protect babies‟ delicate skin from direct sun or indirect water, snow or concrete glare must be taken into consideration for the first few years of life.

The effects of sunscreen on babies thin skin have not been adequately tested to date. Babies cannot communicate what is uncomfortable or what may be irritating to their skin and eyes. UV Skinz products carry a UPF rating of 50+, which blocks over 98% of the sun's harmful UVA and UVB rays, without using harsh chemicals that can often be found in topical sun screen lotions. And then there's the "wiggle factor,” Sparks adds. “Anyone who has kids knows how difficult it is to get them to stay still long enough to get on a proper coating of sunscreen. Our UV wear minimizes unprotected skin areas that would need to be covered with a non-toxic broad spectrum sunscreen which should be applied correctly and often.”

Statistics show that we aren't doing enough to curb the phenomenal growth rate of skin cancer occurrence in this country. Only one severe sunburn in childhood can more than double the chances of skin cancer developing in adulthood. The American Academy of Dermatology provides a host of alarming skin cancer facts on its website. Among these facts are that more than 2 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed annually. Melanoma accounts for about 3 percent of all pediatric cancers with 90 percent of pediatric melanoma cases found in 10-19 year old girls. With every sunburn comes a decrease in the skin's natural ability to protect itself and an exponentially higher likelihood that skin disease, eye damage or weakening of the immune system will occur later in life.

The National Cancer Institute reports that while many common cancer rates are falling, melanoma rates within the U.S. continue to grow at an astonishing rate, faster than those of the seven most common cancers. Sparks implores parents to cover their children, discourage tanning bed use and protect them from becoming the one in five Americans who will develop skin cancer in their lifetimes. “I am doing everything I can to protect my children from suffering the same fate that their father suffered when we lost him to melanoma. I hope our "Save A Baby's Skin" donation program will be a small step in preventing more families from being impacted by this devastating disease.” Rhonda Sparks is no stranger to the destructive dangers of the sun. It was losing her 32-year-old, avid surfer and snow skier husband to melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, and having to raise their three young boys on her own that spurred her to action to help raise awareness about this potentially lethal disease. “We were just so ignorant to the causes of skin cancer and how deadly it can be,” Sparks said. “If we can keep one sun burn from happening, then Darren‟s life and our hard efforts are all worth it.”

Shop UV Skinz online at www.uvskinz.com Remember every order placed in May receives a free Baby UV Skinz Swim Shirt!!!

I was sent a Baby UV Skinz Swim Shirt for sharing this information. No other compensation was given for this post.

Summer Survival Guide- $25 Michael's or Hobby Lobby Gift Card Giveaway!

As a special little extra for the Summer Survival Guide, I personally want to give away a $25 gift certificate to my readers! I want to encourage you all to get crafty this summer with your children. This gift will help you get started.

Winner will receive a choice of the following:

Or

Here is how to enter:

First Mandatory entry:

• Follow my blog publicly through Google friend connect (can be found at my right sidebar.) - current follows count too! (leave a comment below and please remember to include your email address).

After you have completed your first entry you are eligible for additional entries. *See my giveaway instructions here for more information. *

Extra Entries: (1 each unless specified, leave a separate comment for each thing you do)

• Subscribe to my blog emails via Feedburner. Sign up box on my right sidebar. Counts for 2 entries.

• Grab my Happily Domestic button! (found at right sidebar)- Leave the URL where it is posted.

• If you earned the 3 extra entries for blogging about my event early, leave 3 separate comments saying that you did this. See Rules here.
  

• If you earned the 3 extra entries for grabbing my Summer Survival Guide Event Button early, leave 3 separate comments saying that you did this. See Rules here.

• If you were one of my guest bloggers during the Summer Survival Guide, leave a comment saying which post you wrote and give yourself 4 extra entries!

• Like Happily Domestic on Facebook. Click here.
  

Giveaway ends Tuesday, May 31st, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.(MST). Winner will be drawn by the random number generator at Random.org and will be notified by email. Winner will also be announced on this blog. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn.

*This giveaway is open to USA residents ONLY.
Must be 18 years old or older to win.*

Summer Survival Guide- Homemade Sidewalk Chalk Tutorial

Making your own homemade sidewalk chalk is so simple and fun! It is sturdier and less messy than the commercial chalk, which is great when you have toddlers who love to throw the chalk and break it.

Here is what you need

Powdered Tempera Paint, Plaster of Paris, and Warm Water

Save up a bunch of your empty toilet paper tubes. Trim tubes to make smaller and tape shut.

Line tubes with wax paper. Tape down edges.

Tape one end shut. I covered one end with wax paper and then taped it shut. Much easier!

Mix 2 parts Plaster of Paris with 1 part warm water and add powdered tempera paint to get desired color.

Pour mixture into prepared tubes. Tape to release air bubbles.
Let harden in upright position.

After about an hour remove tube with scissors and peel off wax paper.
You may need to let chalk air dry a bit before use if it feels damp.

That's it! It's so simple. Your kids will have fun making the chalk and have
something fun to do outdoors on those warm summer days.

Summer Survival Guide- Summer Styles from The Children's Place!

Kids play hard all summer long. You want your child to look great, but also don't want to spend a fortune on their summer wardrobe. At The Children's Place you will find everything you need to clothe your child for the warm summer months at an affordable price!

The Children's Place carries everything from swimwear, sundresses, shorts, capris, t-shirts, tank tops, and all the accessories! You can purchase adorable children's sunglasses in a variety of colors and styles for only $3.00!! Awesome! I bought a pair for each of my four children.

One thing I especially appreciate about The Children's Place is the wide variety of styles for boys. Most stores you find a huge section dedicated to girls and only a few small racks for boys. This is not the case at TCP, half the store is dedicated to boys clothing!

The Children's Place sells all kinds of graphic tees for boys starting as low as $5.00. My son is wearing a royal blue "Air Show" graphic tee with Chino Shorts. The Chino Shorts are enzyme stonewashed and sandblasted for a lived-in look. They are soft, comfortable and ready for play! He is also wearing a Children's Place bucket hat and sunglasses. The hat has adjustable self-fabric chin straps with hook-and-loop closures and eyelet vents at crown for breezy comfort.

My daughter is wearing the Tiered Braided Neck Dress. This cute halter style sundress is made of combed cotton jersey and pre-washed for softness. Very comfortable for everyday, but nice enough for special outings! My daughter is a little lady and loves wearing dresses. It is nice to find a wide selection of girl's dresses at TCP that are feminine. Anymore that is a rarity.

If you are needing summer clothing for your 0-14 year olds, The Children's Place is your answer! You can shop with them online or at any of the retailers here. You can also connect with them on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on all their latest sales and promotions! Don't forget to sign your children up for their Birthday Club. You will receive special discounts on your child's birthday. This will help save you money on that special birthday outfit.

Thank you to The Children's Place who provided me with the clothing for review.
All opinions are my own and no other compensation was received to conduct this review.

Kelty Child Carrier WINNER!!

CONGRATULATIONS TO JODI!!!

Jodi Faye said...

Tweeted! http://twitter.com/#!/JodiBzyMom/status/65438490002862080

joditrinklein at gmail.com

May 3, 2011 9:32 AM

Winner has been contacted by email and has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner will be drawn.

Summer Survival Guide- Homemade Popsicles with Catherine from Weelicious!

My name is Catherine McCord, founder and mommy blogger of Weelicious.com, a great source for moms to find fast, fresh and easy recipes for babies, toddlers, kids and the whole family!

I scream, you scream, we all scream for…homemade popsicles! Summer is right around the corner and what other way to treat your little ones than to have popsicles! Homemade popsicles that is! Store bought popsicles itself have so much sugar in them, not only is it bad for you but you also lose all the great, sweet natural taste of the fruit. Not to mention, all the unfamiliar ingredients listed on the side of the box that you can’t pronounce.

Homemade popsicles are not only free of all chemicals and cheap to make but you know exactly what you are putting in those popsicles. Also, it’s so easy and fun to prepare with your kids like having them place the fruit in the blender and pushing the button to see everything swirl, swish and puree!

Take these yummy Strawberry Popsicles for instance, packed with vitamin C, a vibrant artificial coloring-free red, and a flavor that is so sweet and delicious, your kids will be asking for more! The best part is that this recipe makes 6 popsicles, perfect for any summer day heat and enough for everyone to enjoy!








Strawberry Popsicles
(makes 6 popsicles depending on your mold)

2 1/4 Cups Strawberries, stems removed
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1. Place the strawberries and lemon juice in a food processor or blender and puree.*
2. Pour several tablespoons into the individual molds. (Follow the manufacturers directions for your mold).
3. Freeze overnight or a minimum of 4-5 hours.
4. Serve.

* If your strawberries aren't very sweet you can add 1 tbsp honey, agave or sugar to brighten the flavor.

For more great homemade popsicle recipes, visit the links below:

• Mango Pops
• Red, White & Blue Pops
• Raspberry Frozen Yogurt Pops
• Hawaiian Popsicles
• Banana Almond Butter Pops

A very special thank you to Catherine from Weelicious.com for contributing this post for the Summer Survival Guide! I am completely honored to have you here at Happily Domestic.