In celebration of my one year blogoversary, Care4hire.com has offered to give one lucky reader a one month gift certificate for their service! This is a $34.99 value! The giveaway ends March 8 @ 9 PM MT.
Information about Care4hire.com, provided by the company (not written by me):
Care4hire.com is an online database for families and caregivers to search babysitters, housekeepers, tutors, elder/companion care, pet sitters and other miscellaneous service. A free preview of available caregivers is available to families. Whether you need a caregiver for a few hours to a few days, you will find it at Care4hire.com. Once you are a registered member, you will be given immediate access to caregiver through email and phone. We service the United States and Canada.
Top 10 List for Hiring a Babysitter
Hiring a babysitter can be a confusing task. There are so many things to consider as you face the task of selecting someone to care for your children in your absence, and you want to find the perfect fit between the babysitter and your family. Here are some of the most important things for you to consider when selecting a new babysitter for your children.
1. The babysitter should be able to relate easily and bond well with your children while maintaining a clear distinction from them. Babysitters must be able to play with and enjoy your children (which can often be construed by the child as peer-level interaction) while also maintaining discipline. It is easy for a babysitter (and a parent) to feel more comfortable in one role or the other: to be most comfortable being friends with the children, or to be most comfortable supervising the children and redirecting their errant behaviors.
2. The babysitter must be able to relate with your family and administer discipline to your children in a manner that is appropriate and consistent with your family’s boundaries. If you have a prospective babysitter that uses social isolation (sending a child to his/her room, for example) as a method of behavior modification, and you are not comfortable with that method of behavior modification, then the prospective babysitter may not be a good fit for your family.
3. The babysitter should ideally have years of experience, solid references from prior employer-families, a clean background (pursuant to background checks), and completed training on babysitter basics (CPR, first aid, the Heimlich maneuver, basic nutrition and food preparation, and general personal and home hygiene). You can obtain background checks through Care4hire.com. The babysitter should not represent a risk to your children in any way; thus, in addition to the foregoing, the babysitter should be current on his/her vaccinations.
4. If you need your babysitter to drive, then your babysitter should have a valid driver’s license, a clean (or as close to clean as possible) driving record and a reliable car.
5. The babysitter should be able to develop and carry out fun, creative, and educational experiences for your child.
6. The babysitter should be willing and able to comply with your rules about what constitutes appropriate television viewing, when s/he may use his/her cellular telephone while babysitting, when s/he may use your telephone for his/her own purposes while babysitting, when s/he may have friends over while babysitting, etc.
7. The babysitter should be capable of handling small “crises” on his/her own. You and your babysitter should come to an agreement about what issues may warrant a call to you and what issues the babysitter is authorized to handle on his/her own. Your babysitter should be able to act comfortably within the boundaries you have provided.
8. The babysitter’s expectations regarding terms and conditions of employment should be close to the terms and conditions of employment that you are offering. If you wish to hire a babysitter in a smoking home, a non-smoking prospective babysitter may not be a good fit for your family. Pay rates for babysitters should be discussed up front to ensure that the prospective babysitters are willing to work for the income you offer.
9. The babysitter should not have fears or concerns about the non-negotiable aspects of the job with your family. If you have a cat, and your prospective babysitter is severely allergic to cats, the prospective babysitter may not be a good fit for your family. (Side note: some allergic reactions can be treated with over-the-counter or prescription medications or other accommodations that may be used by the allergic babysitter.) If the prospective babysitter is unable to work specific hours or days and you need your babysitter to attend to your children on those days or in those hours, then the prospective babysitter may not be a good fit for your family.
10. The babysitter should be a positive, loving influence in your household.
I have not personally used Care4hire.com before, but I’ve used similar sites as a way to find families to sit for. Caregiver search websites such as Care4hire.com are a safe way to find the perfect person to take care of your needs.
How To Win?
Easy & Mandatory Entry: Which tip from the list above is most important to you when looking for a caregiver? (You can just tell me the number!)
Additional Entries (Up to 5 additional) Please leave a separate comment for each addition entry!:
1. Subscribe to my blog via RSS or email.
2. Follow me on Twitter AND tweet (click here to tweet or click “retweet” at the top of the post) about this giveaway. (MUST DO BOTH to qualify!)
3. Become a fan on Facebook (This also automatically enters you to win 1 of 3 awesome *mystery prizes*! More info here.)
4. Blog about this giveaway.
5. Add my button to your blog. (It’s on my sidebar to the right.)
Rules: Enter by commenting below. If you already subscribe, have my button on your blog, and/or follow on Twitter/Facebook, thanks! It still counts as an extra entry. You may only enter ONCE for each of the 6 total entries. The 5 additional entries can be left on the same day or different day, but must also be left under this post as separate comments for each one that you qualify for. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. The winner will be chosen by random.org. You must follow all instructions on how to enter. A valid email address must be used. This giveaway ends on March 8, 2010 @ 9:00 PM MT. (As long as the commenting is still turned on, you can still enter.) If you are the winner and I cannot contact you via email and receive a response within 48 hours, a new winner will be picked.
Real Simple Saving Methods Giveaway Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by Care4hire.com in support of my one year blogoversary. I have in no way been personally compensated with any sort of incentive or gift for posting this giveaway. This giveaway is to solely benefit my readers. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party in question.
Review ::
Are you looking for a delicious alternative for going out for Chinese food? I love Chinese and didn’t like making it at home because it wouldn’t ever turn out right. Wanchai Ferry makes frozen entrees for two that come complete with all of the ingredients needed to make your meal.
I was given the opportunity from Wanchai Ferry through My Blog Spark to try the Wanchai Ferry Orange Chicken frozen entree. The meal kit came complete with chicken, rice, vegetables, and a tangy orange glaze. The meal was very easy to make and only took about 15 minutes. The flavor of the meal was also really good and it turned out just like it would at a Chinese restaurant. I was really impressed! The only thing that I disliked about this product is that it’s made for two people, but it wasn’t very filling.
Wanchai Ferry frozen entrees are currently available in the freezer case at Target. If you’re interested in trying this product, there is a coupon on Wanchai Ferry’s website for $1.50 off a frozen entree. You can also get some great meal tips to enhance your meal on the Wanchai Ferry website.
Giveaway ::
Wanchai Ferry through My Blog Spark has offered to giveaway Perfect Night In prize pack to 1 lucky reader. The prize pack includes one VIP coupon valid for a free package of any of the Wanchai Ferry frozen entrees, in addition to a set of great Asian-inspired rice bowls, chopsticks, bamboo placemats, flavored fortune cookies, and a $25 Target gift card (all pictured above). The giveaway will end on March 7 @ 9 PM MT. Please read all rules below before entering!
How To Win?
Easy & Mandatory Entry: Visit Wanchai Ferry & let me know which frozen entree you’d most like to try.
Additional Entries (Up to 5 additional) Please leave a separate comment for each addition entry!:
1. Subscribe to my blog via RSS or email.
2. Follow me on Twitter AND tweet (click here to tweet) about this giveaway. (MUST DO BOTH to qualify!)
3. Become a fan on Facebook (This also automatically enters you to win 1 of 3 awesome *mystery prizes*! More info here.)
4. Blog about this giveaway.
5. Add my button to your blog. (It’s on my sidebar to the right.)
Rules: Enter by commenting below. If you already subscribe, have my button on your blog, and/or follow on Twitter/Facebook, thanks! It still counts as an extra entry. You may only enter ONCE for each of the 6 total entries. The 5 additional entries can be left on the same day or different day, but must also be left under this post as separate comments for each one that you qualify for. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. The winner will be chosen by random.org. You must follow all instructions on how to enter. A valid email address must be used. This giveaway ends on March 7, 2010 @ 9:00 PM MT. (As long as the commenting is still turned on, you can still enter.) If you are the winner and I cannot contact you via email and receive a response within 48 hours, a new winner will be picked.
Real Simple Saving Methods Review & Giveaway Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by Wanchai Ferry through My Blog Spark. I was sent a Perfect Night In prize pack to try a Wanchai Ferry meal and write an honest review of. I have given my honest opinion when writing this post & it has in no way been written by anyone but myself. The views & opinions expressed in this post are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party in question.
Rating: 
Review ::
Achieve Anything In Just One Year: Be Inspired Daily to Live Your Dreams and Accomplish Your Goals by Jason Harvey is an inspiring book that can help you change your life one day at a time. This book is intended to be read on a daily basis (one page per day) for a whole year. Each day begins with an inspiring quote (which I love), and follows with questions to get your mind pondering, a mini lesson, and an “assignment” for the day. I really like that this book is meant to be taken one day at a time. I feel that too often self improvement books are meant to be read all at once and it’s usually a lot of information to take in at the same time. So you read the book in a week, take it all in, and forget half of it because of the massive amount of content and end up with no help that you were looking for to begin with. But this book is different. With only one page to read a day, the message is short, but very powerful and motivating.
I have only been reading this book for two weeks now (I began on February 8) and I have already learned quite a bit about myself. On day 1 your assignment is to begin a notebook of dreams in which you write down everything you wish to do, even if it seems impossible at the time. This notebook has shown me some new sides of me — new things I never would have thought I’d like to do, which is very interesting. I really enjoy the critical thinking questions that are asked each day. Some of them I have even written down in a notebook, along with my answer. Self discovery is important to me, so I’m glad that I was introduced to this book and I feel as though I’m on a positive journey forward in my life.
Achieve Anything In Just One Year is an excellent tool for learning how to set goals and stick to them and staying motivated throughout the year to achieve your goals. Even though self improvement books tend to have a negative stigma attached,you shouldn’t let that stop you from reading them. Not all self improvement books need to be embarrassing to be seen reading, especially this one. If anything, this book can help you feel more confident about yourself and you can begin to help motivating others through what you learn.
To take a look inside this book, click here
to visit the item’s Amazon page.
Giveaway ::
Jason Harvey, author of Achieve Anything In Just One Year, has generously offered to give one reader a copy of his book. (Lucky you!) This giveaway ends March 6, 2010 @ 9:00 PM MT. Please read all rules below before entering!
How to win:
Easy & Mandatory Entry: What is one area you’re looking to improve in your life? (e.g., happiness, becoming more motivated, following your dreams, etc.)
Additional Entries (Up to 5 additional) Please leave a separate comment for each addition entry!:
1. Subscribe to my blog via RSS or email.
2. Follow me on Twitter AND tweet (click here to tweet) about this giveaway. (MUST DO BOTH to qualify!)
3. Become a fan on Facebook (This also automatically enters you to win 1 of 3 awesome *mystery prizes*! More info here.)
4. Blog about this giveaway.
5. Add my button to your blog. (It’s on my sidebar to the right.)
Rules: Enter by commenting below. If you already subscribe, have my button on your blog, and/or follow on Twitter/Facebook, thanks! It still counts as an extra entry. You may only enter ONCE for each of the 6 total entries. The 5 additional entries can be left on the same day or different day, but must also be left under this post as separate comments for each one that you qualify for. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. The winner will be chosen by random.org. You must follow all instructions on how to enter. A valid email address must be used. This giveaway ends on March 6, 2010 @ 9:00 PM MT. (As long as the commenting is still turned on, you can still enter.) If you are the winner and I cannot contact you via email and receive a response within 48 hours, a new winner will be picked.
Real Simple Saving Methods Giveaway Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by Jason Harvey. I was sent a copy of Achieve Anything in Just One Year to read and write an honest review of. I have only been able to read through the first 15 days due to the nature of how the book is meant to be followed and not wanting to misrepresent this item. I have given my honest opinion when writing this post & it has in no way been written by anyone but myself. The views & opinions expressed in this post are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party in question.
Have you heard of bareMinerals’ Rethink What Matters campaign? Rethink What Matters is encouraging women speak out about what they’re rethinking in 2010. When you join in on the conversation you’ll have a chance to win bareMinerals products! All you have to do is answer the 5 questions (that are in the form of a mini quiz) that go along with the week’s topic (which changes weekly) and you could instantly win some great swag! (After you finish the quiz, make sure you share in some form, then click “done” in the bottom, right hand corner to enter your contact details for your chance to win!) You can even share your answers with friends via email, Facebook, and/or Twitter.
This week’s topic is Rethink the Need to Find Yourself.
I, personally, think this is an awesome campaign. I had a lot of fun taking the quiz and it really made me rethink what’s going on in my life.
Giveaway ::
Quick giveaway! The Rethink What Matters campaign has generously offered to give one lucky reader (1) bareMinerals Flawless Definition Mascara.(Find more information on this product here.) This giveaway ends February 12, 2010 @ 9:00 PM MT. Please read all rules below before entering!
How to win:
Easy & Mandatory Entry: Visit the Rethink What Matters campaign website, take the quiz, & tell me your answer to the first question!
Additional Entries (Up to 4 additional) Please leave a separate comment for each addition entry!:
1. Subscribe to my blog via RSS or email.
2. Follow me AND BareEscentuals on Twitter AND tweet (click here to tweet) about this giveaway. (MUST DO BOTH to qualify!)
3. Blog about this giveaway.
4. Add my button to your blog. (It’s on my sidebar to the right.)
Rules: Enter by commenting below. If you already subscribe and/or have my button on your blog, thanks! It still counts as an extra entry. You may enter once per day by leaving a comment here, under this post. The 4 additional entries can be left on the same day, but must also be left under this post as separate comments for each one you qualify for. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. The winner will be chosen by random.org. You must follow all instructions on how to enter. A valid email address must be used. This giveaway ends on February 12 @ 9:00 PM MT. (As long as the commenting is still turned on, you can still enter.) If you are the winner and I cannot contact you via email and receive a response within 48 hours, a new winner will be picked.
Real Simple Saving Methods Giveaway Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by Rethink What Matters. I will be sent a bareMinerals Flawless Definition Mascara in exchange for spreading the word on their campaign and holding a product giveaway. (I have not yet received my free product due to backorder. Therefore, I am making no claims for how this mascara works and it’s quality. For more information on this product, please click here.) I have given my honest opinion when writing this post & it has in no way been written by anyone but myself. The views & opinions expressed in this post are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party in question.
Review ::
Do you love salt? I sure do! In fact, I like salt so much my roommate from when I lived in the dorms had me in her phone as “Salt Shaker”. About a year ago my doctor told me that I had to lower my salt intake. This was a huge bummer for me.
Recently NutraSalt sent me some of their products to try out to review & giveaway. At first I was nervous — I had to try out salt…my weakness. How was this going to go? But once I started reading the product information that came with my products I came across something that relieved my worries — NutraSalt contains 66% less sodium! NutraSalt actually contains more potassium than sodium (something I’m lacking of course). It’s also all natural! Had I finally found the healthy answer to my “salt” issues?
Before trying NutraSalt I wondered if it was going to taste the same as regular table salt. Would less sodium mean less of the saltiness I crave?
I tried NutraSalt on steak first. I like my steak really salty. I was careful not to put too much salt on just in case it did taste differently in some way. But I was pleasantly surprised that NutraSalt tasted just like regular table salt. For the next week I used NutraSalt in place of regular table salt for all of my cooking & baking. I could not tell the difference one bit.
NutraSalt comes in several different flavors/varieties. I was sent a 6 pack variety and used the Sea Salt in most of my cooking & baking.
I’ll have to give NutraSalt 5 out of 5 stars. It’s a healthy alternative to regular salt if you’re in need of a salt intervention.
Giveaway ::
NutraSalt has generously offered to give one lucky reader a 4 pack variety of salts. This giveaway ends January 27, 2010 @ 9:00 PM MT. Please read all rules below before entering!
How to win:
Easy & Mandatory Entry: Visit NutraSalt & leave a comment with a fact about NutraSalt. Please leave a valid email address so I can contact you if you’re the winner.
Additional Entries (Up to 4 additional) Please leave a separate comment for each addition entry!:
1. Subscribe to my blog via RSS or email.
2. Follow me AND NutraSalt on Twitter AND tweet (click here to tweet) about this giveaway. (MUST DO BOTH to qualify!)
3. Blog about this giveaway.
4. Add my button to your blog. (It’s on my sidebar to the right.)
Rules: Enter by commenting below. If you already subscribe and/or have my button on your blog, thanks! It still counts as an extra entry. You may enter once per day by leaving a comment here, under this post. The 4 additional entries can be left on the same day, but must also be left under this post as separate comments for each one you qualify for. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. The winner will be chosen by random.org. You must follow all instructions on how to enter. A valid email address must be used. This giveaway ends on January 27 @ 9:00 PM MT. (As long as the commenting is still turned on, you can still enter.) If you are the winner and I cannot contact you via email and receive a response within 48 hours, a new winner will be picked.
Real Simple Saving Methods Product Review & Giveaway Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by NutraSalt. I was sent a 6 pack of their salts in exchange for an honest review of their product. I have given my honest opinion when writing this post & it has in no way been written by anyone but myself. The views & opinions expressed in this post are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party in question.
I am giving away (1) Memorex DVD Player. ($30 value!) 3 other prizes (yet to be determined) will also be given away to 3 runners up (1 prize each)! There will be a total of 4 winners for this giveaway.
Product features:
- Compact Size
- Progressive Scan DVD/CD player
- DVD, DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, Audio CD, CD-R/RW, MP3 CD, & Picture CD Playback
- 16:9/4:3 Picture Select
- Dolby Digital(R) Output
- On-Screen Graphical User Interface
- Multi-Angle Menu
- Zoom Function
- Component & S-Video Outputs
- Full Function Remote Control
How To Win?
Easy & Mandatory Entry: Just leave a comment below telling me your favorite movie! Please leave a valid email address so I can contact you if you’re the winner.
Additional Entries (Up to 4 additional) Please leave a separate comment for each addition entry!:
1. Subscribe to my blog — either through email or RSS updates. To subscribe, click one of the buttons on the right in the sidebar.
2. Grab my button and post it on your site.
3. Follow me on Twitter AND tweet about the giveaway: Click here to tweet or click “Retweet” at the top of this post! (MUST do both to qualify.)
4. Blog about this giveaway.
Rules: Enter by commenting below. If you already subscribe and/or have my button on your blog, thanks! It still counts as an extra entry. You may enter once per day by leaving a comment here, under this post. The 4 additional entries can be left on the same day, but must also be left under this post as separate comments for each one you qualify for. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. The winner will be chosen by random.org. You must follow all instructions on how to enter. A valid email address must be used. This giveaway ends on December 30 @ 1:00 PM MT. (As long as the commenting is still turned on, you can still enter.) If you are the winner and I cannot contact you via email and receive a response within 48 hours, a new winner will be picked.
Real Simple Saving Methods Giveaway Disclosure: This giveaway is in no way affiliated with Imation or any other PR company. I received this item as a door prize at a party. Since I do not plan on using it, I have decided myself to give it away to one lucky reader. The 3 other prizes (yet to be determined) will also in no way be affiliated with any company and will be purchased with my own money for the purpose of giving away.
