Giveaway: Yoomi for Duo on the iPad!

We received an extra fun gift from Mom Select for Christmas. Okay, they sent it to me to review, but I immediately wrapped it up and put it under the tree and we all opened it on Christmas. And before I even tell you what it is, I want to say this: My entire family LOVES THIS GAME. Did I say it loud enough for you? What am I talking about?

I'm talking about the Yoomi for Duo.

The Duo was just released this past month. It bills itself as "an innovative gaming device created to work with the iPad." Yoomi is the first fun family game designed to go along with it. Yoomi brings the Duo to life in as an interactive game experience that all ages will enjoy.

It's an electronic version of the verbal "Would you rather..." game, if you will. My girls LOVE it! Watch this:


They can't get enough. They ask to play it over and over and over. It's such a hit. The only thing I think would make it better is to have MORE apps to download to go along with it.

Do you have an iPad in your family? Want a Duo of your own to play with? You can win one now. Here's how:

• Simply leave any comment on this post. That's an automatic entry 
•  
• For a second entry, Check out the Yoomi Game website and learn something about the system. Come back and leave another comment to let me know.
•  
• For a third entry, follow @DiscoveryBayEnt on Twitter and tweet this: You can win a #YoomiForDuo for the iPad via @DiscoveryBayEnt and @MeganDunham here: http://bit.ly/eQjMuy! Come back and leave another comment saying you did that.
•  
• For a fourth entry, mention this contest on your facebook wall and include the link to this giveaway: http://bit.ly/eQjMuy. Come back and leave another comment for that one too.
•  
• For a fifth entry, "friend" Discovery Bay Games on Facebook and attempt to mention you entered this contest on their wall, including this link to the giveaway: http://bit.ly/eQjMuy Come back and leave another comment saying you did that.  
• For a sixth entry, subscribe to this blog, St. Louis, Seminary Style. Come back and let me know that you did it!

The winner will be selected by Random.org. This contest will close on Friday, January 7. The winner will be notified over the weekend and will need to respond within 24 hours or risk forfeiting the prize to the next in line. IMPORTANT: You must have your email address available for me to contact you. If I can't contact you, I will choose another winner. It's happened before.

Congrats to:

Yay! I'm contacting you now!

You can see the rest of this week's reviews and giveaways here.

Disclosure: I received the Duo from Mom Select for the purpose of review. They didn't force us to have a jolly good time playing it. We truly have had one. That is all. I have a proper disclosure statement available here. 

Create Your Own Chocolate Bars!

Early last month I received a gift certificate to Choccreate.com, which is a "make your own chocolate bar" website. The premise, as you have probably guessed already, is that they produce individually customized chocolate bars that YOU put together yourself. They do it with "love and care" and use the finest German Chocolate available. They have a passion for creating custom chocolate bars designed by you!

They also have a passion for aesthetic packaging because look what came in the mail after I placed my order:

They had me at the pink and brown stripes. Seriously - this is a gift box you would be super proud to present to anyone (anyone who appreciate the value of good chocolate in super cool packaging, that is).

The chocolate bars themselves:

You might be able to tell by the photo, but I got to put together four different combos for my stash. We've sampled both of the bottom bars so far (the one with bananas/peanuts and the one with M&Ms/marshmallows/rice krispies) and Y.U.M. These chocolate bars are good!

The website has several interesting options for you including choosing from their best sellers, creating your own, using the healthy choices selections, or letting Zora pick for you! (Don't tell Zora, but the Choc Mex pick just doesn't do it for me...but that's just me - might be perfect for you!)

And did I mention the awesome packaging? I'm thinking perfect Valentine's Day gift for someone you know!

They must be thinking that too because you can use the promo code: halfpint to get 20% off your order from now through February 28, 2011. Awesome!

But wait! There's more! One of you will also win a $25 gift certificate to choose your own adventure at Choccreate.com! Super!

Here's how to enter:

• Simply leave any comment on this post. That's an automatic entry.

• For a second entry, Check out the Choccreate.com website and create the perfect chocolate bar. Come back and leave another comment with your concoction.

• For a third entry, follow @Choccreate on Twitter and tweet this:

You can win a $25 gift certificate to create your own chocolate bars from @Choccreate and @MeganDunham here: http://bit.ly/eQjMuy!  

            Come back and leave another comment saying you did that.

• For a fourth entry, mention this contest on your facebook wall and include the link to this giveaway: http://bit.ly/eQjMuy. Come back and leave another comment for that one too.

• For a fifth entry, "friend" Choccreate on Facebook and attempt to mention you entered this contest on their wall, including this link to the giveaway: http://bit.ly/eQjMuy They don't have a fan page, so getting on their wall takes a bit of time, but if you manage to do it, you can have another entry!  
• For a sixth entry, subscribe to this blog, St. Louis, Seminary Style. Come back and let me know that you did it!

The winner will be selected by Random.org. This contest will close on Friday, January 7. The winner will be notified over the weekend and will need to respond within 24 hours or risk forfeiting the prize to the next in line. This giveaway is limited to a US or Canada address only. IMPORTANT: You must have your email address available for me to contact you. If I can't contact you, I will choose another winner. It's happened before.

Congrats to:

Yum! Congrats! I'm emailing you now!

You can see the rest of this week's reviews and giveaways here. 

Disclosure: I received the chocolate bars you see above for the purpose of review. You can not hold me or Choccreate.com responsible for unwise consumption of said chocolate resulting in unwanted poundage. You are on your own there. See my proper disclosure statement here.

Giveaway Saturday: Cookie Swap Gift Package

The good people of McCormick have put together a super awesome gift package to coincide with the recent release of the book Cookie Swap! by Lauren Chattman.

Here's what's included in the package:

• A special holiday selection of McCormick extracts and spice
• Martha Stewart collection holiday cookie cutters
• Crate & Barrel Mini-Spatulas
• Red Mixing Bowl
• Cookie Swap! by Lauren Chattman

 Take a look:


Lauren Chattman is hosting a Cookie Swap!webcast this Monday, December 6 from the McCormick Facebook page. Be sure to check that out!
And just in time for your holiday baking, you can win the same gift package shown above. Here's how:

1. Simply leave any comment on this post. That's an automatic entry.

2. For a second entry, "like" McCormick Spice on Facebook and write something like this on their wall: I just entered to win a Cookie Swap gift pack from the Half-Pint House here: http://bit.ly/gzfusE! Come back and leave another comment saying you did that.
3. For a third entry, tweet this: Enter to win a Cookie Swap Gift Pack from #McCormickSpice and @MeganDunham here: http://bit.ly/gzfusE! Come back and leave another comment saying you did that.
4. For a fourth entry, write on your Facebook wall that you hope to win a McCormick Spice Cookie Swap Gift Pack here: http://bit.ly/gzfusE and come back and leave another comment for that one too.

The contest is open to US Residents only. The winner will be selected by Random.org. The contest will close on Friday, December 10. The winner will be notified over the weekend and will need to respond within 48 hours or risk forfeiting the prize to the next in line.
Congrats to:


Yay! I'm emailing you right now!
See this post for the rest of this week's giveaways!

Disclosure: I was given the gift pack you see in the photo above. And I squealed like a little girl when I opened the box. McCormick did not make me do that. You can see my proper disclosure statement here.

Giveaway (Before) Saturday: Studio DaySpring Christmas Cards

I'm slow on the draw here with this one, but it's only December 3. We still have plenty of time to get this done, right? I got my other set of Christmas cards through Studio DaySpring this year. Here's a peek:

I'm pretty happy with the way they turned out! The process of customizing the cards at Studio DaySpring was really easy and there were tons of designs to choose from. If you haven't gotten around to getting your cards done yet, this is your big chance. You can win 50 cards right now!
Here's how:
Here's how you can enter to win:

1. Simply leave any comment on this post. That's an automatic entry.

2. For a second entry, "like" DaySpring on Facebook and write something like this on their wall: I just entered to win 50 of your customized Christmas cards from the Half-Pint House here: http://bit.ly/fw7Kz8! Come back and leave another comment saying you did that.
3. For a third entry, follow @DaySpringCards on Twitter and tweet this: Enter to win 50 custom Christmas cards from @DaySpringCards and @MeganDunham here: http://bit.ly/fw7Kz8! Come back and leave another comment saying you did that.
4. For a fourth entry, write on your Facebook wall that you hope to win the DaySpring customized Christmas cards here: http://bit.ly/fw7Kz8 and come back and leave another comment for that one too.

The winner will be selected by Random.org. The contest will close on Friday, December 10. The winner will be notified over the weekend and will need to respond within 48 hours or risk forfeiting the prize to the next in line.
Congrats to:



See this post for the rest of this week's giveaways!

Disclosure: I was given the opportunity to design my own cards from DaySpring back in October. OCTOBER. It isn't DaySpring's fault I waited until the week of Thanksgiving to get my act together and snap the photo you see above. That's my own bad sense of procrastination at work. You can see my proper disclosure statement here.

Giveaway (Before) Saturday: Kiss My Face Peace Collection (St. Louis ONLY)

Are you familiar with Kiss My Face products? Check out what they say about themselves:

At Kiss My Face, we believe that nature creates the best ingredients. We believe that it's our job to combine these natural and organic ingredients in body care formulations that are potent and effective to make you look good and feel good. We strive to bring you the best nature has to offer—never at the expense of our planet, employees or values—but with honesty, humor and style. A retailer once told us, “Kiss My Face puts a smile in the aisle.”

Now check out their Peace Collection where 10% of profits support Seeds of Peace...bringing together teens from countries of conflict to build a new generation of peace:
\
If you live in St. Louis and can arrange to meet me somewhere to pick this up, the above collection is YOURS! I was given a set of these things too and they smell wonderful! The candle is lovely and I'm not just saying that. I'm kind of a candle snob and I like this one very much.
I'm sorry to have to keep this one local. I don't have a shipping budget to mail it out. Possible pick up locations include Covenant Seminary, The Maplewood Library, or some other place if you know you are already going to see me somewhere.
Here's how you can enter to win:

1. Simply leave any comment on this post. That's an automatic entry.

2. For a second entry, "like" Kiss My Face on Facebook and write something like this on their wall: I just entered to win three items from the Peace Collection from the Half-Pint House here: http://bit.ly/fuwxa4! Come back and leave another comment saying you did that.
3. For a third entry, tweet this: Enter to win Kiss My Face Peace Collection from @MeganDunham here: http://bit.ly/fuwxa4! #StLouis Only Come back and leave another comment saying you did that.
4. For a fourth entry, write on your Facebook wall that you hope to win the Kiss My Face Peace Collection here: http://bit.ly/fuwxa4 and come back and leave another comment for that one too. 
Congrats to:


Yay! I'm contacting you now!
The winner will be selected by Random.org. The contest will close on Friday, December 10. The winner will be notified over the weekend and will need to respond within 48 hours or risk forfeiting the prize to the next in line.
See this post for the rest of this week's giveaways!

Disclosure: I was given my own set of the Peace Collection and we've almost used the soap all up already. It's awesome! I was not paid to say that. I really like it. You can see my proper disclosure statement here.

Giveaway (Before) Saturday: Bon Appétit Desserts Cookbook

I couldn't believe it when Bon Appétit Desserts cookbook arrived at my door. This book is ENORMOUS. And by enormous I mean 704 pages of "All Things Sweet and Wonderful" just as they claim.
This book was just released one month ago, so it's hot off the presses. I saw it at Sam's Club the other day, so it's out there!
Here's what the publisher has to say:

We've taken more than 50 years of dessert-making experience and put it in a single comprehensive volume: Bon Appetit Desserts, our new collection of all things sweet and wonderful. More than 600 recipes are gathered together in this beautifully photographed book that is the ultimate resource for both beginners and baking pros. Whether you're looking for step-by-step illustrations or need that perfect cupcake, red velvet cake, pudding, lemon bar cookie, or granita, you'll find clever tricks, expert advice, and inspiring ideas on every page. After all, when it comes to creating sweet success in the kitchen, you could say that we wrote the book on it.

Now watch this:

 

 

Looks amazing, doesn't it? Would you like to win a copy for yourself or maybe to give as a gift? Here's how you can do it:

1. Simply leave any comment on this post. That's an automatic entry.

2. For a second entry, "like" Bon Appétit on Facebook and write something like this on their wall: I just entered to win Telestrations from the Half-Pint House here: http://bit.ly/f9AVNN! Come back and leave another comment saying you did that.
3. For a third entry, follow @BonAppetitMag on Twitter and tweet this: Enter to win Bon Appetit Desserts from @BonAppetitMag and @MeganDunham here: http://bit.ly/f9AVNN! Come back and leave another comment saying you did that.
4. For a fourth entry, write on your Facebook wall that you hope to win a copy of Bon Appétit Desserts here: http://bit.ly/f9AVNN and come back and leave another comment for that one too.

The contest is open to US Residents only. The winner will be selected by Random.org. The contest will close on Friday, December 10. The winner will be notified over the weekend and will need to respond within 48 hours or risk forfeiting the prize to the next in line.
Congrats to:


Yay! I'm contacting you now!
See this post for the rest of this week's giveaways!

Disclosure: I was given a copy of Bon Appétit Desserts for the purpose of review. I haven't tried anything from it yet, but I plan to really soon. And then I'll come back and blame Bon Appétit Desserts for the extra weight gain. You can see my proper disclosure statement here.

Giveaway (Before) Saturday: Telestrations

 
Telestrations is really what the tagline says it is: The telephone game in sketches. You start with a word and it gets passed around your group in a sketch book. Each time the book changes hands the word changes based upon how the new holder of the book interprets the previous picture drawn.

Confused? Watch this:

Did you watch to the end? There's some pretty serious giggling going on there! The game really is a ton of fun and I can think of several variations to it I can do for parties and such. My girls LOVED it!
You can see some better video of how it's supposed to work here. After watching these official videos I realized a major thing we did wrong when we played it. Oopsie! Ah, well, we still had a heaping ton of fun with it and I'll fill the girls in on the correct procedure next time.
Would you like to win a copy of Telestrations for your own family game collection? Here's how:
1. Simply leave any comment on this post. That's an automatic entry.
2. For a second entry, "like" Telestrations on Facebook and write something like this on their wall: I just entered to win Telestrations here: http://bit.ly/eBgvHu! Come back and leave another comment saying you did that.
3. For a third entry, follow @Telestrations on Twitter and tweet this: Enter to win the super fun @Telestrations game via @MeganDunham here: http://bit.ly/eBgvHu! Come back and leave another comment saying you did that.
4. For a fourth entry, write on your Facebook wall that you hope to win a copy of the Telestrations game here: http://bit.ly/eBgvHu and come back and leave another comment for that one.

The contest is open to US Residents only. The winner will be selected by Random.org. The contest will close on Friday, December 10. The winner will be notified over the weekend and will need to respond within 48 hours or risk forfeiting the prize to the next in line.
Congrats to:


Y'all, this makes me so happy. I didn't rig it, but this is the RIGHT family to win. Her girls played our game with us the other day and LOVED IT. They are going to be so thrilled to get this!
See this post for the rest of this week's giveaways!

Disclosure: I was given a copy of Telestrations for the purpose of review. I was not required to laugh my head off when my kids drew funny things. That was just a natural outcome of our experience. You can see my proper disclosure statement here.

Giveaway (Before) Saturday: GoGreen Pocket Diaper

You may be wondering why I agreed to review a cloth diaper. You have good reason to wonder. We've been out of the diapering stage for many years now and we're very happy with our non-diaper status these days. But...I have friends who are still smack dab in the middle of this stage, so I said I'd love to get one so I could give it to a friend. So when the GoGreen Pocket Diaper arrived, I handed it over to my friend Joanna.

Here's what Joanna had to day:

I recently had  the opportunity to try the GoGreen Pocket Diaper.  I've been cloth diapering for two and a half years now and have used several different types of cloth, so I was excited to try a new brand of diaper.   The GoGreen is one that I would continue to use with my girls.   My two girls wore this diaper over a period of about three weeks with no leaks.  The inserts are made of a very soft microfiber and are very absorbant.  I liked the soft fleece layer that goes against baby's skin.

 It was very easy to change sizes for each child with the snap system on the diaper.   I love the cute prints they have available as well (we had the green star pattern, very cute).  Overall, I found the GoGreen to be a great cloth diaper and I would recommend it to others looking to cloth diaper.  I've used several different cloth diaper systems and I really liked this one!=

There you have it! Testimonial from a mama in the trenches.
Here's her sweet baby modeling the GoGreen Pocket Diaper:

Say it with me now, Awwww. She's pretty sweet, huh? Thanks, Joanna, for giving the review your two thumbs up!
Joanna also emailed a bit after sending her review to say this: "I totally didn't realize they are only $8.99!   That is an amazing deal!"
There you have it!
Now YOU can give the GoGreen Pocket Diaper a try as well! You can also get 12 reusable wipes! Here's how:
1. Simply leave any comment on this post. That's an automatic entry.
2. For an extra entry, check out the GoGreen Pocket Diapers website and mention another item that interests you.
3. For a third entry, follow @GoGreenDiapers on Twitter and tweet this message: Win a Pocket Diaper and 12 Wipes from @GoGreenDiapers and @MeganDunham here: http://bit.ly/fXNRdp Come back and leave a comment saying you did that.
4. For a fourth entry, "like" GoGreen on Facebook and leave this message on their wall: I entered to win one of your Pocket Diapers and 12 Wipes here: http://bit.ly/fXNRdp Come back and leave a comment saying you did that.
5. For a fifth entry, post this message on your Facebook wall: Win a Cloth Diaper and 12 Reuseable Wipes! Click here: http://bit.ly/fXNRdp
The contest is open to US residents only. The winner will be selected by Random.org. The contest will close on Friday, December 10. The winner will be notified over the weekend and will need to respond within 48 hours or risk forfeiting the prize to the next in line.
Congrats to:
 


 
Congrats! I'm contacting you now!
See this post for the rest of this week's giveaways!

Disclosure: I received one GoGreen Pocket Diaper for the purposes of review. I gave it to a friend who actually has a baby. She is able to use it a lot better than we can here at our house... You can see my proper disclosure statement here.

Giveaway (Before) Saturday: Flipped DVD (4 Winners!)

Watch this trailer of WB's Flipped to get an idea of what it's about:

The film synopsis, as you might have deduced from the trailer above is this:

When second-graders Bryce and Juli first meet, Juli knows it's love. Bryce isn't so sure. Beginning that day, and for the next six years, young Bryce (Callan McAuliffe) does everything he can to keep his outspoken wannabe girlfriend at arm's length...which isn't easy since they go to the same school and live across the street from each other. Smart, dreamy, independent and willing to stand up for what she believes in, Juli (Madeline Carroll) is different from anyone else he knows and, frankly, it's a little overwhelming. Though disappointed by Bryce's unwillingness to see things her way, or even to see the things in life she finds most meaningful, Juli continues to give her potential dreamboat the benefit of the doubt. Until those doubts stack up so high that she finally thinks maybe she was wrong about him. It's just about the same time Bryce starts to think maybe he was wrong about her, too. But is he too late?

I love the music in the clip and am looking forward to seeing it. You can win a copy as well! The WB Shop is giving away one copy of Flipped to FOUR of you! Woot!
Here's how to enter:
1. Simply leave any comment on this post. That's an automatic entry.
2. For an extra entry, check out the WBShop and mention another item that interests you.
3. For a third entry, follow @WBShop on Twitter and tweet this message: Win a copy of the movie Flipped from @WBShop and @MeganDunham here: http://bit.ly/igHmw0 Come back and leave a comment saying you did that.
4. For a fourth entry, post this message on your Facebook wall: Win a copy of the movie Flipped! Click here:http://bit.ly/igHmw0
The contest is open to US residents only. The winner will be selected by Random.org. The contest will close on Friday, December 10. The winner will be notified over the weekend and will need to respond within 48 hours or risk forfeiting the prize to the next in line.
See this post for the rest of this week's giveaways!
Congrats to:





Congrats, ladies! I'm emailing you now!

Disclosure: I am being given my own copy of this movie for the purposes of review. I haven't received it yet, but will watch it when it comes. You can see my proper disclosure statement here.

Review: Hefty Kitchen Bags with Unscented Odor Block Technology

Are you familiar with the new line of garbage bags from Hefty? They are equipped not only to hold your trash, but to block the nastiness that sometimes wafts out of your bags.

What, this never happens at your house? Can I move in?

Here's what else Hefty says these bags can do:

• Help neutralize garbage odors
• Do not add any unwanted scents or fragrances
• Leaves your kitchen smelling the way youw want? (Seriously? I like mine to smell like fresh baked rolls...Hefty?)
• Everyday strength

Those are some pretty tough claims. If a trash bag can provide me with everyday strength, then I may need to invest in their stock portfolio. Or something.
Anyway, we were sent some to test out. In my kitchen, however, we have a 30-gallon barrel we use as a trash can. True story. The 13-gallon size trash bags they sent us are a little small for that. So we are using them in the bathroom instead.
They work just as well there as I imagine they would downstairs.
Now then, if we could just get Hefty to invent the kind that can carry themselves out to the curb we might have a really nice thing going on here.
See this post for the rest of this week's reviews and giveaways!

Disclosure: Hefty sent me a box of trash bags, a handful of coupons to use on more, and a $10 Walmart card to boot. In no way did I feel obligated to say nice things about the trash bags because of this. I mean, really, what is there to say about trash bags? They hold trash. But these do it AND block the odor. That's a really nice thing. You can see my proper disclosure statement here.

Cardstore.com

I was recently given the opportunity to create my own Christmas cards from Cardstore.com. Before I get to the cute designs Cardstore.com has available, let me tell you about this impressive feature of the company: sustainability. Here's a bit of what they have to say about that:

We’re concerned about minimizing our impact to the earth. From using recycled paper and eco-friendly digital printing, to maintaining FSC certified printing facilities and partnering with carbonfund.org to offset our carbon footprint, we do our part to protect the environment.
To help minimize our global impact further, Cardstore.com prints most of our cards on recycled, eco-friendly paper from Mohawk. This paper is made up of 100% post-consumer waste, is processed chlorine free and is Green Seal Certified. In addition our paper is manufactured entirely with wind-generated electricity.
Our print-on-demand process is by its very nature responsible production; we make what we sell, nothing more. A large portion of traditionally manufactured greeting cards remains unsold, and ends up in landfill.

Now then, care to peek at one of our Christmas card designs for this year?

Pretty cute, huh? They came quickly too! I placed the order on November 22. The cards were shipped on November 24. If you remember correctly, Thanksgiving was November 25. The cards were in my mailbox on November 29. That's pretty fast considering the holiday that was smack dab in the middle of all that!
Here are some other products of note that Cardstore.com carries:

• Custom Gift Tags - These were featured in the Nov 2010 issue of Real Simple Magazine!
• Embellished Card Kits
• 2010 Holiday Cards
• Photo Notebooks

As a special treat to you, Cardstore.com is offering all of you a 15% discount code for their website. Enter MERRY15 when checking out.
As another special treat to you, Cardstore.com is offering one set of custom photo gift tags as a giveaway! Interested? Here's how to enter:
1. Simply leave any comment on this post. That's an automatic entry.
2. For an extra entry, check out Cardstore.com and mention which other item also interests you.
3. For a third entry, "like" Cardstore.com on Facebook and post something like this: "I entered to win some custom photo gift tags from your shop here: http://bit.ly/fBSTMo!" Come back and leave a comment saying you did that.
4. For a fourth entry, follow @cardstyle on Twitter and tweet this: "I entered to win some custom photo gift tags from @cardstyle and @MeganDunham here: http://bit.ly/fBSTMo!" Come back and leave a comment saying you did that.
5. For a fifth entry, post on your Facebook wall that you entered to win some custom photo gift tags here: http://bit.ly/fBSTMo ... and come back and let me know you did that!

The contest is open to US residents only. The winner will be selected by Random.org. The contest will close on Friday, December 10. The winner will be notified over the weekend and will need to respond within 48 hours or risk forfeiting the prize to the next in line.
Congrats to:



See this post for the rest of this week's giveaways!

Disclosure: I was given the opportunity to design and receive a set of the photo cards you see above. I love them. I really do. I was not forced to say that to you. You can see my proper disclosure statement here.