NEW SLIMFAST WINNER- Vicki!

Hey Vicki! You were lucky commenter number 15! Please respond within 48 hours so we can get you your prize!

SLIMFAST WINNER!!!- Wendy!

Hey Wendy! You were lucky commenter number 120! Please respond within 48 hours so we can get you your prize!

Preparing for a First Time Cruise

This is a sponsored review from BlogHer and Slim·Fast.

 

My sweet husband was rewarded for his hard work at the office by winning an all-expenses paid cruise!

 

We were head-over-heels excited because we live very stressful and busy lives. We are the proud parents of 3.5 year old QUADRUPLETS!!!! So, an all-inclusive vacation on a cruise line to the sunny beaches of Mexico was a dream. (Not to mention that the current weather conditions for our neck-o-the-woods was ice/sleet/snow and temperatures in the teens!)

 

Leaving for a 5 day cruise (Saturday to Thursday) takes a ton of planning- especially when you are leaving 4 small children behind. So I immediately began to formulate my countdown-to-cruise to-do lists.

 

#1- CHILDCARE: A total of 10+ family and friends volunteered to help with the quads while we were away. My sister-in-law, Ashley, was a life-saver. She agreed to keep all 4 of my super active kids and her 2 year old bundle of energy---all while being 20 weeks pregnant! That’s a LOT of work, folks!

 

#2- FOOD for the KIDS and CARETAKERS: I want to make it as easy as possible for people when they come over to help with the kids, so I like to have home cooked meals ready to pop in the oven. A couple of days before we left, I spent several hours in the kitchen preparing: 2 chicken pot pies, 2 poppyseed chicken casseroles, 2 cheesy noodle goulash casseroles, 1 meatloaf, and a partridge in a pear tree. I also made 8 lunches for the kids to take to school- all packed and ready to go. I had printed out a list of available food/snacks and sample menu ideas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner- and where these items were located.

 

#3- CLOTHES for the KIDS: I picked out 8 sets of clothing, socks, shoes, underwear, jackets for the kids to wear to school and set them out neatly with labels: “Monday School Clothes”, etc.

 

#4- EMERGENCY LISTS: I updated all of our emergency contact information, our day-to-day cruise itinerary, important phone numbers, medical release forms, etc. and placed them all in a binder for easy access.

 

#5- WHAT TO PACK: swimsuits, beach attire, flip flops, etc.

 

#6- DRUGSTORE ITEMS: Motion sickness medications, Sea-bands, Airborne, First Aid items, Sunscreen, Lotion, etc.

 

#7- HIT THAT GYM & EAT HEALTHY: Keep in mind, we were just coming off of the holidays. I always gain my “extra padding” in the winter…you know, to keep warm. (tsk, tsk) The thought of crawling into a swimsuit, in the middle of winter, with a boat full of Joe’s coworkers was terrifying. So I was extra-diligent in my efforts to work out and eat right.

 

It seems that all of my planning and list-making paid off. We left for our cruise and had a wonderful week of relaxation and fun in the sun.

Oh- and Ashley & the kids were still alive by the time we returned, which is always a plus.

Want to win free Slim-Fast gift pack worth $100?

Leave me a comment and tell me:

“How do YOU prepare for your big trips?”

 

Contest dates: 3/28/11 - 4/20/11

Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry
methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment
on this post
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on
this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about
an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older
Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.
You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be
selected.
The Official Rules are available here

Visit the Exclusive Offers section on the BlogHer roundup page for more chances to win!

Be sure and check out the Official Slim-Fast site.

Walgreens Review Winner!

Congrats to:

You were commenter #423!!!

Please respond to my email within 72 hours to claim your prize!!!!

Walgreen Products for your Next Vacay!

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Walgreens.

When Joe called me from work to tell me that he had won a cruise through his office, I almost collapsed on the floor! We were both SOOOO excited/nervous (we have never been on a cruise before)---and yet, there was SO much to do to prepare for this fun filled 5 day excursion.


First on my list- was trying to figure out how to get all of the supplies that we needed without breaking the bank! Sun products, motion sickness items, etc.---these things can get pricey. We are on a very tight budget in the Steece household (can I getta “AMEN” from all of you hard workers out there??!)- so I needed to find cheaper items without sacrificing the quality of the items.
That’s where Walgreens came into the picture. I was given a $50 gift card to try out some Walgreens Brand Health and Wellness products! It couldn’t have been better timing!


Walgreens Motion Sickness Relief: $5.99 (So we won’t be puking our guts out on the ship)

Its competitor: $7.99, You save $2.00!

Walgreens Continuous Spray Sunscreen: $7.99 (So we won’t be tending to 3^rd degree sunburns all week)

Its competitor: $9.99, You save $2.00!

Walgreens WAL-BORN: $5.99 (So the lady in front of us who is coughing and sneezing- will not infect us)

Its competitor: $6.99, You save $1.00!

Walgreens One Daily Energy Vitamins: $5.99 (So I can keep up with my crazy husband who has endless energy)

Its competitor: $8.99, You save $3.00!

Walgreens Spin Toothbrush: $6.49 (to take care of that funky morning breath)

Its competitor: $8.49, You save $2.00!

In addition to being an exceptional value, Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products:
a.        Are Walgreens pharmacist recommended.
b.        Most contain the same active ingredients as other national brands.
c.        Have a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
I’m sold on it the products! They are absolutely 100% just as effective as the name brands- and SO MUCH CHEAPER! I was able to save a total of $10.00 on my cruise supplies!
Which allowed me to use that money toward more *FUN* things! Yippieee!

(Cruise pictures will be up soon on my main blog: Steece’s Pieces! Be sure to check them out! We had a blast!)
Now its YOUR turn to get shoppin! How would you like to win a $100 Walgreens gift card???
Leave a comment and tell me:
“Which Walgreen Brand Health and Wellness Item Would YOU Like to Try???”

Giveaway dates are 2/18 – 3/13
o   Rules:
o   No duplicate comments.
o   You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
o   a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
o   b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
o   c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
o   d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
o   This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.
o   Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.
o   You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
o   Visit the Official Rules

I encourage you all to try the Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products. You will not be disappointed! To learn more about the products, you can "Visit the site for more information"
For more chances to win, Visit the Exclusive Offers section on BlogHer’s Round-Up page!

Weebles Review Winner!

Congratulations to Christie!

Your comment was lucky number:

You won the $100 HasbroToyShop.com gift card and Weebles gift pack! Yaay!

You have 48 hours to get back with me and claim your prize.

Intel Review WINNER!

All of the comments and entries were counted...Congrats to lucky number 259!

You have 48 hours to email me & claim your $250 Best Buy Gift Card!