SHMILY Coins Giveaway, CLOSED Winner: Becky

 4/16/11 Update:  Random.org chose comment #23 as the winner.  Congratulations Becky!

 SHMILY Coins  

(See How Much I Love You)

I was so excited to get to try SHMILY coins... I’ll tell you about the fun, but first, a little background:

For over 50 years a special couple played a game, writing “SHMILY” for the other to find.  It was written in the sugar to surprise whoever was preparing the next meal, smeared in the dew on the windows, and written in the steam left on the mirror after a hot shower, where it would reappear bath after bath.  Once she even unrolled an entire roll of toilet paper to leave “SHMILY” on the very last sheet!  You can read the full story HERE. 

It was this love story that inspired Scott and Jen Ertl to start a business that nurtures family relationships. They began making wooden SHMILY coins to help others create the fun tradition.

SHMILY Coins are 1½" round and made of wood. 

All SHMILY Coins are made in the USA, are 100% wooden, and do not contain any MSG or BPA. 

I received 10 SHMILY coins to try. The coins arrived with a page telling the whole story of the loving couple who started the tradition. I immediately placed one in my husband’s sock drawer, and left for work.  Later that morning, when he was getting ready for work I received a text message from my husband. I’d tell you it was a “mushy love note,” but that would embarrass him, so I won’t tell you what it said. Haha!

So, a couple of days went by and I was anxious to see where I’d find the SHMILY coin. But, it didn’t happen. When I hinted about wanting to find the coin, he admitted that he’d kept the coin in a special drawer (you know, the one with all the cards your children created over the years), because it made him happy to see it.  Ok, well, I guess that’s a good reason to get more than one! 

So, we each took a couple of coins and that’s where the fun began. Over the next few weeks I found one in my coin purse while at Starbucks. He found the next one under the remote control (what a great place to hide it, right?) 

We had so much fun that I shared two of the coins with my daughter and son in law, and a few with friends. One friend left hers in a grandson’s lunchbox, and another placed a coin on another friend’s car seat.

Here’s your chance to try SHMILY coins…

Buy them HERE ... They’re only 99 cents each, or 10 for $7.90! 

Win them:

One lucky reader is going to WIN 10 SHMILY coins!

Mandatory Entry: 
Visit the SHMILY website: HERE  Come back to this post and tell me something you learned.  Leave your email address in your comment.

Additional Entries:    (1 entry each)
You must complete the mandatory entry first, then grab as many additional entries as you like!  The more entries you complete, the better your odds are at winning!  Leave a comment, with your email, for each.  

1) “Like” SHMILY coins on Facebook   

2)  Leave a message on the SHMILY facebook page telling them you entered the giveaway at Jewelry4Change.

3) Follow Jewelry4Change via Google Friend Connect (Click the box in the right column, above).If you already do, this counts! Just let me know.

4) Become a fan of Jewelry4Change on Facebook (Leave me a comment).

5) Enter one of my other giveaways. (+1 for each) See Giveaway tab at top of page.

6) Post about this giveaway on your blog or Facebook page and link back here.(Leave me a link to your post.)  THREE extra entries for this!

The small print:  You must be at least 18 years old, and a resident of the U.S. This giveaway will end at 11:00pm PST on  4/14/11.  The winner will be chosen using Random.org and notified via email.  You will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. GOOD LUCK!

Disclaimer:

I received ten SHMILY coins in order to facilitate an honest review. No monetary compensation was received. The opinions where expressed are my own and were in no way influenced by the sponsor. Others experiences may vary. Please note that I am not responsible for the delivery of this prize and cannot be held accountable if, for any reason, it is not received. Furthermore, I am in no way liable for any injuries that may result from the use or misuse of any products I review.  

Cancer Free Anniversary! Support EIF Revon Run/Walk for Women

This month I celebrate 6 years NED!  As any cancer survivor knows, NED (No Evidence of Disease) the best words you can see on your medical report! 

The EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women will be held April 30th in New York and May 7th in Los Angeles. That's fantastic... but here's even better news...

Even if you don't live anywhere near New York or Los Angeles you can "Run/Walk In Your Dreams" to help women facing cancer!  This sounds like fun. I'm a very fast runner in my dreams- LOL!   

Registration is just $42 and you'll get a super cool EIF Revlon Run/Walk 2011 t-shirt mailed to you. On event day join in virally on the EIF Revlon Run/Walk social pages for all the event updates, special celebrity guests and more. Your feet may not be in the race, but your heart will be!

One you've registered, log in and go to your participant center. You can customize your personal page with your own inspiring brand of WOMENTUM™. Then try the online tools that make it easy to send emails asking friends and family for support. It's easy and you never even have to slip out of your slippers to put women's cancers on the run. You'll find lots of other great fundraising tips on the Facebook page too.

They say that there is strength in numbers and when it comes to the fight against women's cancers that certainly rings true.  The Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a leading charitable organization of the entertainment industry, and Revlon are encouraging everyone to use the tools at their disposal to spread the word about the importance of raising money to increase awareness, education, research and diagnostic treatment services in the fight against women's cancers.

Important links:   Revlon Run & Walk

         EIF Revlon Run/Walk on Facebook

Disclosure: As a member of MomSelect I will be entered in a drawing for a Revlon cosmetics prize pack for sharing the word about the EIF Revlon Run/Walk with you.  This in no way influenced my decision to participate.  I'd be sharing the word anyway, because I believe in this project.  :)

Blogging: Get More Exposure for your Giveaways

I just discovered a great way to maximize exposure to your giveaways...Giveaway Scout!

Giveaway Scout is a giveaway search engine. Giveaway Scout publishes your giveaways on multiple channels, which includes their website, newsletter, Twitter, Facebook and their widget network!

Submit your blog to Giveaway Scout. Once approved, they'll scan your blog regularly for giveaways and list them - for FREE.

Submit your blog today by visiting Giveaway Scout.

Panzanella Salad with Grilled Chicken

 

I LOVE this recipe... Most of it is prepared on the grill, so there's very little clean up. The grilled veggies, crunchy bread and fresh basil are perfect together.  I originally found this recipe in Good Housekeeping in 2008, and have made a couple of changes to it. This is my version... Enjoy!

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 clove garlic, crushed with press

salt & pepper 

4 Tablespoons olive oil

6 oz. country style bread, cut into 3/4" thick slices
   (sourdough or rosemary bread are great in this)
2 medium red peppers, each cut lengthwise into quarters
2 medium zucchini, each cut lengthwise into 1/2" thick strips

1 medium red onion, cut into 1/2" thick slices

1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

2 lbs. plum tomatoes (about 12 medium), cut into 1 inch chunks

1/4 cup loosely packed small fresh basil leaves

Prepare outdoor grill for covered, direct grilling on medium. Meanwhile, prepare vinaigrette: In large bowl, whisk together wine vinegar, garlic, 1/2 tspl. salt, 1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper, and 2 Tbl., olvie oil until blended; set aside.
In jelly-roll pan, brush bread slices, red peppers, zucchini, and onion slices with remaining 2 Tablespoons olive oil to lightly coat both sides; sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. black pepper. 

With tongs, place bread slices, red peppers, zucchini, onion slices, and chicken on hot grill grate. Cover grill and cook bread about 3 minutes or until lightly toasted, turning over once.  Cook peppers, zucchini and onion about 8 minutes or until lightly browned and tender, turning over once.  Cook chicken about 12 minutes or until chicken loses its pink color throughout, turning over once.

As bread, vegetables, and chicken are done, transfer to cutting board. Cut bread slices, chicken, peppers, zucchini  and onions into 1/2" pieces.

 

Into vinaigrette in bowl, stir chopped tomatoes, basil, bread, peppers, zucchini, onion and chicken; toss to combine. Scoop into bowls and serve.

Planning to grow your own veggies this spring? 
Enter my giveaway for gardening gloves HERE.

I'm linking this recipe at some of these great places:

Sunday:

Cocina Diary, Seasonal Sunday,

 

Monday:

Making the World Cuter Monday, Homemaker Mondays, Menu Revamp Monday, Monday Mania, Motivate Me Mondays, Meatless Mondays, Made By You Mondays, Midnight Maniac's Meatless Monday, Just Something I Whipped Up,  Craft-O-Maniac Monday, All About You Monday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Recipe Roundtable,

Tuesday:

Dealectable Tuesday, Tutorial Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday,

Made From Scratch Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays,  Tuesdays at the Table,

Take a Look Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, 
Tuesday Night Supper Club, This Week's Cravings (themed), Let's Do Brunch, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Delicious Dishes,

Wednesday:

What's on the Menu Wednesdays,  Recipe of the Week,What's Cooking Wednesday,
No Whine Wednesdays, What's For Dinner?,

Thursday:

Friday:

Fat Camp Friday, Mommie Cooks, Finer Things Friday, Foodie Friday, Feasting on Fellowship Friday, Fun With Food Friday, Food Fight Friday,

Saturday:
Smile with Me Saturday, Seasonal Saturday,

My Spring Garden, Gardening Gloves Giveaway, CLOSED

If you guessed Bell Peppers you were correct!

Congratulations Sarah! Random.org chose comment #30!  I'm emailing you.

I’m so excited that it’s time to start working on my Spring garden once again!   This is the raised (a back-saving 3 feet!) garden bed we put in 2 years ago. The bottom half is filled with rocks for good drainage and the top half is good gardening soil. 

Some of the goodies I grew last year

Last weekend I tilled the soil, added compost and soil optimizer.

These are my garden must-haves...

trellis and tomato cages

Rain barrels

Two rain collection barrels provide most of the water I need for my veggies.  I got these online from Gardener's Supply.

This was the first veggie I transplanted to the garden this year.  So, what is it?

Post your guess (by April 8) with your email address (so I can contact the winner) in the comments. I'll use Random.org to select a comment... if it's not the correct answer I'll select another comment.  The winner gets a pair of women's gardening gloves. Good luck!

Then Sings My Soul Saturday, 3/26/11

Beautiful One by Jeremy Camp

Enjoy!

More songs linked at Then Sings My Soul Saturday.

Purex Complete Crystals Giveaway, Closed

Contest closed 4/6/11
Winners chosen by Random.org:

#56  Amber F. and #8 Beth E.

Congratulations Ladies!

Have you tried new Purex Complete Crystals?  I was recently asked to try them and share my honest opinion with you. 

Purex Complete Crystals are unlike any fabric softener I’ve ever used. These  crystals are measured into the cap and poured DIRECTLY into the barrel of the washing machine… not into the softener holder. 

 This is what impressed me:

·         Easy to use (no messy liquid)

·         My sheets and towels still smelled fantastic 5 days after I washed them.  

BUT, here’s the very best part…

            These crystals are 92% natural, NOT oil based like other liquid fabric softeners.

            

Oil-based liquid softeners can inhibit the wicking ability of sportswear, reduce the absorbancy of towels and reduce the effectiveness of the flame resistant materials used to make children’s sleepwear. 

♥ Purex Complete Crystals are 100% safe to use on children’s sleepwear

Did you know that Purex brand is committed to developing products that are readily biodegradable, are free of NPE’s, APE’s, and phosphates? Because of their commitment to using safer alternatives, the United States E.P.A. Design for the Environment program has awarded Purex Champion Status with their Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative.

 Get a $1.00 coupon now on the Purex Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/purex

WIN IT:

   2 readers will win a coupon for a FREE full size bottle of Purex Complete Crystals!

Required Entry:

You must be a follower of Jewelry4Change, and leave me a comment telling me which scent you’d like to try:   Fresh Spring Waters, Lavender Blossom, or Tropical Splash. Include your email address so I can contact you when you win!

Additional Entries:    (1 entry each)
You must complete the required entry first, then grab as many additional entries as you like!  The more entries you complete, the better your odds are at winning!  Leave a separate comment, with your email, for each.  

1) Tell me how many loads of laundry you do weekly. +1
2) Become a fan of Jewelry4Change on Facebook (Leave me a comment). +1
3) Visit Jewelry4Change on Etsy and comment here about a favorite item. +1
4) Enter any of my other giveaways. +1 for each   (See the Giveaway tab above)

The small print:  You must be at least 18 years old, and a resident of  the U.S. This giveaway will end at 11:00pm PST on April 6, 2011.  The winner will be chosen using Random.org and notified via email.  You will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. Prizes are mailed directly from sponsors. I cannot be responsible for lost packages.  

Disclaimer: I am a Purex Insider. Purex sent me a bottle of Purex Complete Crystals to review. They also sent me free coupons to share with my readers. The views and opinions in this post are my own. Any statistic or claim in this post can be verified by contacting Purex. I was under no obligation to write a positive review.

Protect Your Family...Emergency Tags Giveaway, Closed

Contest Closed 4/6/11
Winner chosen by Random.org:
Comment # 5 Kimmie, Nola       Congratulations!

Today I’m introducing you to two very important steps you can take to protect yourself and your family. 

First, put ICE in your cell phone.  If you were involved in an accident or suddenly became ill would emergency responders know who to call?  Help responders quickly locate the number for your “In Case of Emergency” contact by typing ICE before his/her name.  I have ICE Rick (my husband) in my cell.  

Next, (but no less important)... There may be times you don’t carry your cell phone… out for a jog? Attach an ICE tag to your shoe!  In an accident you may become separated from your cell phone.  An ICE tag on your key ring, jacket, purse or sports bag can save precious time.

 

ICE tags are also important for those with dementia or special needs who may wander off or become disoriented.

I.C.E. In Case of Emergency, Inc. offers several types of tags and gives a discount for multiples.   
I.C.E. wants to give a family 6 pack of tags to one of my readers!!

Buy It:   I.C.E. In Case of Emergency 
  (Use coupon code “Jewelry4Change” to get FREE shipping).

WIN IT:

Mandatory Entry: 
Visit I.C.E. In Case of Emergency HERE. Come back to this post and tell me something you learned.  Leave your email in your comment.

Additional Entries:    (1 entry each)
You must complete the mandatory entry first, then grab as many additional entries as you like!  The more entries you complete, the better your odds are at winning!  Leave a comment, with your email, for each.  

1) Follow Jewelry4Change via Google Friend Connect (Click the box in the right column, above).
2) Become a fan of Jewelry4Change on Facebook (Leave me a comment).

5) Enter one of my other giveaways.

6) Post about my giveaway on your blog and link back here.(Include url in comment.)

       (3 additional entries - Leave a link to your post in your 3 comments.)

The small print:  You must be at least 18 years old, and a resident of  the U.S. or Canada. This giveaway will end at 11:00pm PST on 4/6/11.  The winner will be chosen using Random.org and notified via email.  You will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. Prizes are mailed directly from sponsors. I cannot be responsible for lost packages.   I was not compensated in any way for this review. The opinions expressed are solely my own. Good Luck!

Discover Some Fun, New Blogs!

Tiffany at Making the World Cuter

is hosting a fun

FOLLOW ALONG Party!

I'm always amazed at the talent I see on blogs which feature crafts, cooking, gardening...
all of my favorite things!
Come join me in the follow along and let's see what we discover!

Go to

Making the World Cuter 

for all the details!

Thanks for the opportunity Tiffany!

Glazed Apple Spice Cake

The apple pieces keep this cake very moist. This is not an extremely sweet cake. In fact, I would call it Apple Spice Bread.  If you desire a sweeter version you may want to increase the sugar to 1/3 cup.  I hope you enjoy it!  ♥

Glazed Apple Spice Cake  
Recipe reprinted from Whole Living Magazine, September 2010

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

pinch of ground allspice

6 Tablespoons softened unsalted butter

6 Tablespoons light brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup applesauce

2 apples

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 5x9 inch loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice.

Use an electric mixer to beat together butter and light brown sugar until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add molasses; beat until combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time, plus vanilla, and beat until incorporated.

With the mixer on low, add half the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Beat in applesauce; add remaining flour mxiture until just incorporated.

Peel and core apples, reserving the peel and the core. Cut apple into 1/4 inch cubes, and fold into the batter.

Transfer to pan, and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

In a small saucepan, combine granulated sugar, 1/2 cup water, and apple core and skin. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium high heat until syrupy, about 10 minutes.

Instead of a 5x9" cake, I used a 4x8" pan and had enough left
to make two 2 1/2 x 4 1/2" mini loaves. 
The mini loaves were baked perfectly after 30 minutes.

Remove cake from pan, and brush glaze over top and sides of cooled cake.

♥  This recipe is linked at EKat's Kitchen, Feasting in Fellowship Fridays, Food Fight Friday.  ♥