Power of Digital Video JVC Blogher Contest

JVC recently launched the JVC HD Everio “Power Your Passion” BlogHer ‘10 Sweepstakes, which gives bloggers a chance to win an expenses paid trip to the BlogHer ’10 Conference in New York City on August 6 – 7, 2010.

For the second consecutive year, JVC will provide four winners with roundtrip airfare, hotel accommodations and a full registration to this popular event, along with a JVC HD Everio camera to power their blog with rich high-definition content. From now until June 20, 2010, women bloggers can enter the JVC HD Everio “Power Your Passion” BlogHer ‘10 Sweepstakes by visiting the sweepstakes home page and explaining how digital video could power their passion for blogging.

Video has proven to be a powerful medium for many bloggers, but the addition of high definition content can boost traffic, increase reader engagement and enliven a blog. JVC is asking bloggers how video has enhanced or could enhance their blog to help them communicate with their audience.

Bloggers can enter the sweepstakes in one of four categories: Parenting; Business & Entrepreneurship; Travel & Leisure; and Health & Community. The sweepstakes is open to all female bloggers residing in the U.S. and one winner from each category will be selected at random. Each winner will receive a BlogHer ‘10 Conference registration, roundtrip airfare to New York, hotel accommodations for three nights and a JVC HD Everio GZ-HD620 camera.

Participants can also submit additional entries by blogging about the power of digital video, subscribing to the JVC newsletter or following JVC on Twitter (@JVC_USA) or on Facebook. Winners will be posted to http://hdeveriosweepstakes.jvc.com on June 23, 2010 and will be notified via email.

JVC is an official sponsor of BlogHer ’10 and will have an exhibit at the New York conference. JVC will also sponsor the first annual Mouthy Housewives Happy Two Hours event during the conference, which will take place at the Forty Eight cocktail lounge on August 6, 2010.

Ticket Giveaway to Disney Rockin Road Show

I’m giving away four tickets to the Disney Rockin Road Show at the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis (Feb. 20 6:30 p.m. show). Head on over to Lipstick to Crayons to enter!

Taylor Gifts Offers Cool Organization Products

Do you have someone on your gift list this holiday season who loves to stay organized? Or maybe who needs to get organized? If so, you can find dozens of gifts for that individual at taylorgifts.com.

Helpful organization products – such as storage bins, shoe racks, closet organizers and garage and office organizers – can cost a lot money at specialty organization stores and even at discount department stores. Taylor Gifts offers a wide variety of these products at prices most department stores can’t beat. Plus, Taylor Gifts has a host of other gifts, including candles and candle accessories, picture frames and albums, home décor, cookware, home exercise equipment, gag gifts and even holiday decorations.

You can shop by category or price, and you can even request a catalogue if you prefer that option to online shopping.

The next time you’re doing some online shopping, click on over browse the site.

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Join the Circus — Get Discounted Tickets!

The Greatest Show on Earth is on the road and is stopping in St. Louis Oct. 15-18 at the Scottrade Center.

This year, Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey® Circus live performances provide edge-of-your-seat entertainment for the young and young at heart. And they’re giving you the chance to just about “join” the circus by providing an All-Access Pre-Show, which begins an hour before the show starts live on the circus floor. Your kids will have the chance to meet the performers, try on costumes, and get close and personal with the circus! The All-Access Pre-Show is FREE to all ticket holders and is a must see!

• Offer #1: Get 4 tickets for just $44 by entering the code “MOM” at select ticketing channels. Offer good on all weekday performances, which includes all weekday evening and Friday matinee performances; minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets can be purchased at $11 each.
• Offer #2: All weekend performance tickets will be $4 off the original price.
• Offer #3: Get the best Circus Celebrity, Front Row and VIP seats available – There are reserved seats in these sections just for you! Enter the code MOM. No discounts available on these sections.

Don’t Miss This Free Family Play Date!

If you’re looking for fun and FREE ways to entertain your kids this fall, you need add the Family Play Date to your calendar on Oct. 3.

This fun-filled event at the St. Charles Convention Center will have activities to entertain children ages 8-months to 8-years-old, and it’s completely free (including free parking). The event is presented by Parents as Teachers.

One of the featured exhibits is BLOCK Fest, a hands-on block-building extravaganza. We all know kids love playing with blocks, and BLOCK Fest takes that activitiy to a new level. What you may not know is that playing with blocks helps children develop early math, science and literacy skills in a fun, interactive way. (I already knew that because I participate in Parents as Teachers, and my parent educator is always sharing that kind of useful information with me. If you have kids age 3 or under and you’re not already participating in PAT, you should check into the program.)

In addition to BLOCK Fest, there will be dozens of other activities for your kids to enjoy at the Play Date. Exhibitors include Abra-Kid Abra, Gymboree Play and Music, Magic House and Vetta Sports, plus many more.

The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., so come early and wear those kids out — maybe you’ll get a nap out of the deal, too. Concessions are available if you want to stay all day. For more information, including directions to the St. Charles Convention Center, go here.

Shop N Save $25 Gift Card Giveaway

I’m giving away a $25 Shop N Save gift card on my other blog, Lipstick to Crayons. So click on over and enter to win!

Mother’s Bracelet Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Dramaqueensmom (aka Kimberly) — she posted the winning comment as chosen by a random comment number generator. Kimberly, I hope you love your Bragelet as much as I love mine! I seriously wear it almost every single day and I get a ton of compliments on it. You really should go check out these bracelets.

Stay tuned for some exciting news about a new business venture for me and more fun giveaways for readers!

Mother’s Bracelet Giveaway

Everyone knows that Moms love to brag. Many of us Mommy Bloggers started our blogs to do just that.  But you can’t wear ablog. You can, however, wear a mother’s bracelet – particularly one made with sterling silver beads and letters, semi-precious stones, Swavorski crystals and 14 karat gold-filled beads.

I’ve seen all kinds of mother’s bracelets out there at craft shows, specialty shops and mall kiosks. But I don’t think they compare to Bragelets– a company that started in St. Louis, MO in 1992 and is now owned by Rosie VanDorpe and based in Harvard, MA.

I recently sent my old mother’s bracelet to Bragelets to have my third child’s name added. Rosie re-designed my bracelet and I love it more than ever. It’s a classy, tasteful way to “brag,” and it coordinates with just about everything in my jewelry box.  It’s casual enough to wear to playgroup, and classy enough that I recently paired it with my David Yurman pieces for a wedding.

Here’s a picture of my new Bragelet:

Unfortunately, I don’t think this picture does my Bragelet justice.  Here’s a better picture of the style I chose from the Bragelets Web site:

It’s the Silver and Gold design with the toggle clasp.

Bragelets offers dozens of ways to personalize your Mother’s bracelet, from Swavorski crystals to birthstones to dangle charms. There are standard block and premier block letters, funky beads, Thai silver beads with a matte finish and special flower beads. You can design your Bragelet with all silver beads, all gold beads or a combination of both.  You can use pearls, turquoise or eclectic cloisonne beads. Bragelets also makes Baby Brags, a perfect keepsake or Christening gift, Lilbrags for young girls who love jewelry just like Mom, Family Birthstone Bragelets and Two-strand Grandma Bragelets.

Single-strand Mother’s Bragelets start at $45, but here’s the good news: One lucky reader is going to win a single-strand for free. (Of course, you can purchase additional strands to go with your free one if you wish.)

To enter this contest, you must:

• Go to Bragelets and pick your favorite style Mother’s Bragelet.
• Come back here and post a comment telling me which style you like the best.
• Leave a valid email address in your comment so I can contact you if you’re a winner.

For additional entries, you can:

• Tweet this contest with a link back here – one entry.
• Blog about this contest with a link back here – one entry.
• Subscribe to my feed – one entry.
• Make sure you leave a separate comment for each additional effort you make for an entry.

 The contest runs through 11:59 p.m. June 23. The winner will be chosen and asked to respond within three days or a new winner will be chosen. Good luck!

Great New Song – and it’s free!

I  love the ITunes Single of the Week  free song deal, and this week the single is REALLY good. Diane Birch’s song, Rise Up, is available for a free download between now and May 25.  It’s a soulful, swing your hips kinda song that I can’t get out of my head.

According to Rolling Stone, Diane is a ”piano-playing preacher’s daughter with a shameless love for Sixties and Seventies south and singer-songwriter pop.” Her debut album,  Bible Belt, will be available June 2.

The song and album are worth checking out. Diane has been chose by the Apple folks to be a part of an elite groups known as the  ITunes Next Big Thing artists. That is also worth checking out if you’re a music junkie.