Make Time For Reading!

Books, books, books... We love books!

Kumon Books offers our children workbooks that help them academically. KUMON WORKBOOKS AND LEARNING AIDS introduce basic learning skills to children aged 2 through 6. Subjects covered include the alphabet and early reading/writing, counting, addition, subtraction, as well as pencil and scissors skills and fine motor control. They have many books that are great for Pre-K and for Kindergarteners.

Kumon Books also offers learning to continue during bathtime with their fun Tub Time Posters.

Looking For Miza,

is a young female mountain gorilla named Miza. One day, when Miza and her mother were out searching for food, Miza's mother disappeared, leaving her baby alone and frightened. Miza's father, a fierce silverback named Kabirizi and the leader of Virunga's largest family of mountain gorillas, set out to find Miza. The Congolese rangers, who dedicate their lives to protecting the gorillas, were searching for Miza, too. Everyone was worried about her. Then something amazing happened: Kabirizi found Miza and brought her back to live with her family.

We all had such a nice time reading this book to our children. Not only did our children really enjoy looking at the beautiful photographs but it is a touching story about a father searching for his baby.

The new Roadwork book is a new favorite of ours. "Load the dirt. Load the dirt. Scoop and swing and drop. Slam it down into the truck. Bump! Whump! Whop!" There are many big machines and busy people involved in building a road, and this riveting picture book follows them every step of the way. From clearing a pathway (SCREEK!) to rolling the tar (SQUELCH!) to sweeping up at the end (SWISH!), ROADWORK is sure to draw young onlookers with its rambunctious rhymes and noisy fun.

Every preschooler who is mad for machines will revel in this bright, boisterous picture book about the exciting process of building a road.

A Frecklebox gift is something special, for someone truly special to you. Their personalized books and unique toddler gifts allow you to put a very personal touch on your gift. You make the stories and artwork actually about the child you’re giving it to. The affect will absolutely mesmerize your child. It takes just seconds to create a personalized children’s book or another personalized toddler gift—and to create memories that last a lifetime.

We love the "My Name is..." Personalized Books. Mother Nature has never been more magical. In "My Name is..." you personalize the book’s dedication and story. The child’s name pops off of page after stunning page. Flip through a few pages and see for yourself why "My Name is..." is a unique toddler gift and a delight for children of all ages.

Check out the great items you can enter to win today:

• Two winners will each receive workbooks from Kumon

• Two winners will each receive the new children's picture book, Looking for Miza

• Three winners will each receive the book, ROADWORK

• One winner will receive a book from Freckle Box. winner can choose any book

To enter to win ONE of the above EIGHT prizes, just leave us a comment on this post sharing the title of your kiddo's favorite book.

Make sure that you have read and are following our Contest Guidelines.

For extra entries you may do the following:

• Blog about this giveaway, or the event, on your site and leave us an extra comment
• Add our main banner to your sidebar and let us know!

All giveaways will end on September 5th

To see ALL the giveaways for the Back to School Event you can find them here.

Fabulous Tip Friday!

Hi Everyone! We hope you are all having a great time at our back to school event! We love all of the comment and feedback we are getting back from all of you! Aren't you excited that we extended the BACK TO SCHOOL EVENT! YEP! WHOOOO HOOOO! That means more prizes, tips and fun for all of you. Well, I am not going to have you leave us any type of tip this week.

But, we would love to hear from all of our readers about what you like the best about our back to school event. Now if we don't ask and you don't tell us.......we won't know how to improve our site! So go ahead and tell us what you think of this event so far, we really want to hear from you!

So please take a minute and drop us a line! Have a wonderful weekend!!

It's lunch time!

One of the best things about going back to school is all of the fun stuff you get to help your kids pick out. I remember getting to pick out a new lunch box every year for school and it was always so much fun. Check out the wonderful selection of lunch boxes at lunchboxes.com.

So now that you have your lunch box picked out, we know that all of us parents are the ones who will be making their lunch. Well, you need to get your hands on some Kids Fun Cards. These are clever little cards that you can place in their lunch box or backpack to make their day a little more special. It will also let them know that you are thinking of them. You know, a little reminder of home always helps. These cards are so adorable and will make your child smile!

This fun little limited edition Marty Snak Pak is just the right size to take your Dole fruit bowls anywhere... Just clip and go! It's insulated and surface-washable making it an easy and convenient way to pack the snacks.

Speaking of packing convenience, have you seen the handy Wrap-n-Mat? Simply place your sandwich, or other snack foods, in the center of the wrap and fold left to right, top to bottom and close the hook and loop fasteners. WRAP-N-MAT Wraps keep food fresh for hours... Perfect for packing the kiddos lunches!

Check out the great items you can enter to win today:

• 1 winner will receive a $30 gift certificate to lunchboxes.com

• 2 winners will receive a Wrap 'n Mat

• 1 winner will receive a limited edition Marty Snak Pak

To enter to win ONE of the above FOUR prizes, just leave us a comment on this post telling us what your kiddos like for lunch.

Make sure that you have read and are following our Contest Guidelines.

For extra entries you may do the following:

• Blog about this giveaway, or the event, on your site and leave us an extra comment
• Add our main banner to your sidebar and let us know!

All giveaways will end on September 5th

To see ALL the giveaways for the Back to School Event you can find them here.

Thursday Roundup

Thursday is our day to share all the great giveaways our Mommies are holding on each of our sites and also the giveaways held here on Mommies United! Each Thursday we will bring you a list of current giveaways!

If you are a blogger and are holding a giveaway on your site please let us know and we will add your link to THIS post. Please let us know when your giveaway ends as well.





AMANDA at mommymandy.com :

The Care Bears: Care-A-Lot Collection Giveawway
WIN: 5 of you will win one copy of the ne DVD
ENDS: Aug 21st

Panjo Kids Giveaway
WIN: a Panjo Kids Cape
ENDS: Aug 22nd

Dole Giveaway
WIN: a months supply of Dole Products (7 coupons total)
ENDS: Aug. 22nd

Crest Challenge Giveaway
WIN: ONE of FIVE Crest white strips boxes
ENDS: Aug. 23rd

Disney Movies Giveaway
WIN: 2 copies of Best of Both Worlds DVD (Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus) and 2 copies of Camp Rock DVD
ENDS: Aug. 24th

Jelly Bean Apparel Giveaway
WIN: a Maternity shirt from Jellybean Apparel
ENDS: Aug. 27th

Cuddlebabe Giveaway
WIN: TWO people will each win ONE cuddlebbe
ENDS: Aug. 30th

Flaunt It Giveaway
WIN:ROCK AND ROLL MAMA-sky blue maternity shirt.
ENDS: Aug. 31st

Oompa Toys Giveaway
WIN: An Acoustic Guitar
ENDS: Sept 5th

Clothespins Game from Briarpatch
WIN: Clothespin Game
ENDS: Sept 5th

Beddy Bye Baby game from Brairpatch Giveaway
WIN: Beddy Bye Baby Game
ENDS: Sept 5th

Awesome DVDs & Giveaway
WIN: ONE of FIVE copies of the new Bob the Builder ON SITE: Houses & Playgrounds DVD
ENDS: Sept. 5th

The Little Stamp Company Giveaway
WIN: A Stamp from Little Stamp Company
ENDS: Sept 6th
All of Amanda's giveawys can be found here.



CHRISTINE at From Dates To Diapers and Beyond :

Christine is focusing all her time on Mommies United right now, but stay tuned because she will be giving away a Flip Ultra Video Camcorder very soon!

You can find all of Christine's giveaways here.



KRISTIN at An Ordinary Life :

Handy Product to Keep Close
WIN: ONE of THREE WedgEZ
ENDS: Aug 22nd

This Movie Rocks!
WIN: ONE of TWO copies of the new Camp Rock DVD
ENDS: Aug 23rd

Fashionable Bags Meet Function
WIN: a BeLight bag from Ju-Ju-Be
ENDS: Aug 27th

Organic For Your Earth Tot
WIN: a cute baby gown and knitted hat!
ENDS: Aug. 27th

Doggie Gone Fabulous
WIN: a $50.00 gift card to Posh Doggie Necklace
ENDS: Sept 10th

Funky and Fresh Shoes
WIN: pair of Pixie shoes in a size 9 from Eleven to give away.
ENDS: Sept 15th

Even Your Little Ones Will Rock To This
WIN: an MP3 Player from Sweet Pea
ENDS: Sept. 17th



SHANDA at Parents With Style :

KickTrak
WIN: a Kick Tracker
ENDS: Aug. 28th

MatchMaster, an Interactive Game (contest)
WIN: ONE of TWO Matchmaster Games
ENDS: Sept. 13th

Ethel Gloves (CONTEST)
WIN: ONE of TWO pairs of Ethel Gloved
ENDS: Sept 20th



Mommies United:

View all of our giveaways:
Giveaway #1 FOUR Gift Baskets

Giveaway #2 TEN Winners

Giveaway #3 THREE Winners

Giveaway #4 TWENTY Winners

Giveaway #5 SIX Winners

Giveaway #6 SEVEN Winners

All Giveaways shown above end on September 5th


And of course we have to share our Guest Blogger's giveaways!


Lotus at Sarcastic Mom:

Stay tuned for some giveaways from Lotus



Tanya at Mommy Goggles :

Secure2Me
WIN: a blanket
ENDS: Aug. 24th

Busy Body Book
WIN: One (1) winner will receive one (1) BusyBodyBook item of their choice
ENDS: Aug. 26th

Laurie Berkner CD
WIN: Laurie Berkner Band live on Soundcheck
ENDS: Aug. 28th

Milk Bomb
WIN: One (1) winner will receive one (1) MilkBomb shirt of their choice
ENDS: Aug. 29th

Find all of Tanya's contests here.

Our Blogger Friend's Giveaways:
leave us a comment and we will add you here

• ends Aug. 29th
• 
  win some amazing prizes! Click the button to learn more!
• Bits From a Brit British Tea Party Launch part Starts Sept. 1st!
• JoJos Place- MomSpit, Spit Kit (includes 3, 2 oz bottles) Ends Aug. 27th
• Enter to win a Couponizer!!! - ends Aug 28th
• Belisi Designer Fashions - two winners - choice of necktie, scarf, orpocket square
• Fifi Flowers Design: $150 Framed & Matted Painting!
  

In-Style Threads

We are sure all you moms out there have probably started shopping for clothes. Of course, all the kids want the latest and greatest, most in-fashion items out there, right? Or at least you do! Well, let us Mommies help you out with a few of our favorite shops. Plus you will all get a chance to win some of them!

One our new favorite items is the Skirty from Amoretti. It's the answer to that perennial problem of how to keep your little girl looking together while she's in a dress or a skirt. It might be your three-year old doing the classic hitching-up of her dress to check on a situation that is going on with her stomach, letting the whole world in on the news that she's got her undies on backwards. It may be a four-year old, conscientiously smoothing her skirt over her knees, not yet aware that if your feet are on the chair and your knees are up around your chin, then the point of keeping your skirt down has been lost. It could be your five-year old, showing the dinner company how she's learned to stand on her head. Or it might be your 4th grader who likes to wear a skirt to school but also likes to jump off the swings...

We are all excited to finally have this answer and we all would like to add how stinking cute our girls look in them!

Bitty Braille has the most unique shirts we have ever seen. We all completely feel in love with them the moment we saw them. We have never seen children's t-shirts with Braille on them. The concept behind Bitty Braille is that it introduces Braille to young children. Bitty Braille features simple "kid-friendly" fun words, written on tees in Braille, with exquisite faceted rhinestuds for girls and metal studs for boys. Bitty Braille donates a portion of every sale to the American Foundation for the Blind (afb.org). The AFB is a national nonprofit organization founded in 1921 to provide research, representation, information and discussion regarding the possibilities for people with vision loss. Helen Keller worked for AFB for over 40 years until her death in 1968.

When we first saw Lark and Loon each of us melted. We all said how we wished they came in adult sizes! Lark and Loon commissions original pieces from artists across the country and turns them into unique, wonderfully soft, carefree clothing for children ages 2 to 12. All of our tees, drops and leggings are pure cotton, printed with water-based inks and USA made. Lark and Loon’s creations are go-to favorites for those seeking one-of-kind everyday, classic clothes to nurture the inner artist of all those who wear it. Most items come in size 2/3 all the way to a size 10.

Lark and Loon is gearing up for their back to school trunk shows. Trunk Shows are a great way to mingle with friends and neighbors, and purchase unique artistic clothing. Hosts receive 20% of their show profits towards clothes or cash, so you get paid to party! Interested potential hosts can contact Lark and Loon at nest@larkandloon.com

Tote & Tee has some of the cutest t-shirts for kids! Register at Tote and Tee for a chance to win $25 Store Credit in their monthly drawing.Do you love Tote and Tee? Looking for a way to earn free store credit? Help spread the word about Tote and Tee by having a Tee Party. It's a great way to share the site and earn store credit! Click here to read more!

We love that Tote & tee offers shirts for boys and girls from sizes 3/6 months all the way to size 12. Don't forget to get your girls some of the adorable tights or knee highs. There is always some great sales to be found at Tote & Tee, so head on over and check them out!

We all grew up wearing chonies from Hanes. In fact it's the one company we all use a lot. We have all purchased many, many pairs of chonies and socks for our little ones. Were all about comfort.

Hanes®. An American Original. Clothing, Socks & Underwear for Men, Women & Kids.
Every day, millions of people count on famous Hanes® products: bras, panties, underwear, T-shirts, socks, clothing, and more...for men, women, and kids. Why is Hanes® so popular? It all comes down to comfort. Not to mention fit, style, and outstanding quality.

See for yourself. Browse Hanes.com to view the great selection of underwear, clothing, and more.

Hanes® T-Shirts for the Whole Family Plus, check out the cool Hanes® T–shirts for men, women, and kids — ranging from updated fashion tees to classic cotton T–shirts. Try best–selling Beefy–T® T–shirts, premium Ultimate T-shirts, and new fitted women's T-shirts (for that flattering curve-conscious look). You can even design your own T–shirts through the HanesByMe website.

fliggity is home of the shirts that fliggity fly. They are long sleeved shirts and it basically looks like there are wings attached to it. Allow your child's imagination to soar as they learn to fly in this magical shirt.

Let us tell you a little bit about the other shirts from fliggity!

On your little one's special day get them a how old am i? tee. There are many different designs and colors to choose from. Every child will look absolutely adorable on their birthday in this special shirt.

The stylish superheroes is a favorite for either boy or girl! Show those other superheros how to be stylish in this washable, trendy, updated version of the cape. Each shirt is customized with child's first initial ( specify when ordering) and cape with matching embroidery detail. Cape is detachable.

Want to get a little on the retro side? Then check out the tiggity tie dye. Turn your baby or child into the most stylish kid on the block with this washable tie dye shirt. Select your own phrase or name to be embroidered. please note: all tie dyes are hand dyed so the designs will vary. Choose colors from blue, pink, greens, browns, reds, there are even twin sets.

The girls are sure to want to accessorize with BabyLegs! These fun and hip threads can be worn on the legs and arms. They can be matched or mis-matched. Let her creativity flow as she dresses to express! Babylegs even has some great styles that the boys may like to wear n their arms, too!

We have a BabyLegs gift set for you to win right here at Mommies United!

Here's all you can enter to win today:

• One winner will receive a Bitty Braille shirt

• One winner will receive your favorite tee from Lark & Look

• One winner will receive a custom initial or number tee from Tote & Tee

• Two winners will each receive a $25.00 gift certificate from Hanes

• One winner will receive a Sky Gift Set ($24) from BabyLegs

• One winner will receive any item of their choice from Fliggity

• One winner will receive a Skirty. Winner can choose their size

To enter to win ONE of the above EIGHT prizes, just leave us a comment on this post telling us where you shop for Back to School threads.

Make sure that you have read and are following our Contest Guidelines.

For extra entries you may do the following:

• Blog about this giveaway, or the event, on your site and leave us an extra comment
• Add our main banner to your sidebar and let us know!

All giveaways will end on September 5th

To see ALL the giveaways for the Back to School Event you can find them here.

Girl's Must Accessorize!

For all of our beautiful girls out there, don't forget to style your hair for school. Yep, we know you won't leave the house without that perfect accessory for your hair. The one that will make all of your friends envy your beautiful hair. For all your hair accessory needs you must check out out Mommy Mandy's shop Simply Sweet Bowtique! Amanda offers all kinds of beautiful hand made hair accessories that are hip and modern. It will be easy picking the perfect piece that will match your new school outfit!

Sally's Clippies is another one of our favorite accessory shops when it comes to our girls hair.

Adorable, funky and fun accessories that will catch all of your friends eyes. Why not start the school year out right with a pretty new headband or flower clip.

Mommies United Readers will receive 15% off all orders!

Read Our Mommies Thoughts On Sally's Clippies:

Amanda and her girls love Sally's Clippies

Shanda highly recommend the workmanship of Sally's Clippies!

Kristin and Kai love Sally's Clippies

Here is a list of prizes you can win:

• Five winners will each receive a clippie set from Simply Sweet Bowtique
  

• One winner will receive 1 headband, 1 large flower, 2 felts from Sally's Clippies.

To enter to win ONE of the above SIX prizes, just leave us a comment on this post stating how you get your day off right.

(Invalid comments will not qualify - Make sure that you have read and are following our Contest Guidelines.)

For extra entries you may do the following:

• Blog about this giveaway, or the event, on your site and leave us an extra comment
  
• Add our main banner to your sidebar and let us know!

All giveaways will end on September 5th

To see ALL the giveaways for the Back to School Event you can find them here.

Tuesday

Hello Everyone! We hope you are all having a great time with our BSE! We have so much planned and cannot wait to share all of our goodies with you! Please remember to share this event with all of your friends and family! If you are a blogger please post our button on your blog! And to all of you who already have it posted...THANK YOU!!! We love all of our readers and fellow bloggers!

Amanda and I wanted to share two great posts from her blog. Check out this one about Sam!

And don't forget to check out this one also!!

Kristin's daughter KAI is happy showing off her new.....

Shanda wants you to win this prize and this prize.

Christine is a smart and savvy mom... Check out her tips here! And she just made a BIG announcement!

Mom Has to Be Prepared, Too!

We all love Lee Jeans. We grew up wearing the, they are a classic! Lee has jeans for men, women and children. Lee Jeans offer amazing styles and are all about comfort.

Founded in 1889, Lee Jeans is a leading international retailer and manufacturer of work wear, western wear and casual wear. Lee's products fall under the Lee Jeans, Lee Riveted, Lee Dungarees, One True Fit and Lee 1889 brand names. Headquartered in Merriam, Kansas, near Kansas City, Lee Jeans currently employs more than 400 people across the United States.

Even though Summer is ending and Fall will be here we still need to protect our families skin. Sun screen is still a must all year long. Banana Boat Sunscreen offers the best sun protection.

Fast and Easy Unbeatable Protection Banana Boat Kids Sunblock SPF 50 Continuous Clear Spray has a quick drying, rub-free formula that provides long lasting protection for those bouncy kids who don’t want to stand still and are always on-the-go.
•No white lotion to rub in
•Waterproof
•Fast & even coverage

With the many store trips you'll be making and playing with other kids it's important to have some Wet Ones® Antibacterial Hands & Face Wipes
It is the best clean for hands and faces kills 99.99% of germs.

Features and Benefits:
New Non-Sticky formula
New Dura Strong™ fabric
New canister designed to fit in car cup holder*
Antibacterial formula kills 99.99% of germs
Hypoallergenic and enriched with skin conditioning Aloe
Two great scents: Light Fresh Scent & Refreshing Citrus Scent

Throw away the paper planners, and big white board calendars that clutter up your kitchen walls, Daily Home Planner is the software that will help your family get organized! All moms need a Daily Home Planner

Schedule your family's appointments and routines. Plan your family’s meals with simple clicks of the mouse. Keep all of your contacts in one location. Track family finances easily. A journal to keep your family memories alive. Set goals for your family! A place to keep lists you are always creating! Organize your LIFE today!

Each of us Mommies have found that using our Dymo Label Maker has been very helpful. We have been able to label all of the school supplies and even label things around the house. The Personal Label Maker LetraTag Plus LT-100H is small, sleek and super portable, the hand-held DYMO LetraTag Plus LT-100H is the ideal label maker for the home or small office. It prints on a variety of colored labels, plus adds popular text features like multiple font styles, underlining, bolding, text sizing and more .

I'm Not Your Friend, I'm Your Parent: Helping Your Children Set the Boundaries They Need...and Really Want Instructional and conversational, I'm Not Your Friend, I'm Your Parent challenges parents to reclaim their roles, make the hard decisions, and put their children's characters and well-being ahead of peer pressure and social status. With entertaining stories from her own family and those of others she has encountered in her profession as a journalist, E. D.

tackles parental challenges:
* Manners: thank you and other common courtesies
* Discipline: tantrums and time-outs
* Money: chores and allowances
* Sportsmanship: fair vs. foul
* Clothing: fashion and dress codes
* Teenagers: structure and consequences
* Includes a special chapter on Driving, Dating, and other Death-Defying Feats along with contracts for use with teens

Scholastic's Parent Guide to Hassle-Free Homework Homework is an important part of a child's education; unfortunately, these daily assignments can easily become a daily hassle for families. The experts from the Research Institute for Learning and Development are here to help.

We have found this very helpful, especially for the kids who just hate doing their homework. Read this book, it can be very helpful.

The The Cupcake Courier is a new product designed to transport and/or store cupcakes and muffins in a stylish carrier. It was invented, developed, and designed by a mother of two in need of a product to safely transport the gazillions of cupcakes she takes to her children's parties, school gatherings, and all sorts of functions. The CUPCAKE COURIER is a rectangular, translucent plastic container that holds three stack able cupcake trays. Each tray has 12 deep cups to hold each cupcake secure. It has a comfortable handle, and 4 bottom latches that hold the base securely.

Need to label clothing, shoes and school items? Then check out Mabel's Labels. We love the Back to School pack. Labels in the Ultimate Back-to-School Combo pack offer playful ways to ID one’s personal belongings – jackets, uniforms, shoes, bags, pencil cases and more. It is available in four NEW colour combinations. True Blue: berry blue, ocean blue, sky blue. Juicy Citrus: orange, lemon, lime. Tickled Pink. Pack in Black. Available for a limited time only, until September 30, 2008.

This pack includes a pack of 40 Skinny-Minis™, 50 Tag-Mates™, 16 Shoe Labels, 2 Bag Tags.
Dishwasher/microwave/laundry-safe and UV resistant.
The name on the labels can be whatever you like to a maximum of 20 characters. Names are printed exactly as you type them.

Enter to win:

• Ten moms will each win a pair of Lee's jeans

• Four winners will each receive a Banana Boat and Wet Ones gift pack, including 6 cans of spray-on sunscreen and plenty of Wet Ones

• One winner will receive a full planner from Daily Home Planner

• One winner will receive a Dymo Label Maker

• One winner will receive a copy of the book I'm Not Your Friend, I'm Your Parent

• One winner will receive a copy of the book Parent Guide to Hassle-Free Homework

• One winner will receive a Cupcake Courier with Cookie Tray

• One winner will receive the limited edition Ultimate Back to School Combo from Mabel's Labels
  

To enter to win ONE of the above TWENTY prizes, just leave us a comment on this post telling us if you feel prepared for your kiddos to go back to school.

(Invalid comments will not qualify - Make sure that you have read and are following our Contest Guidelines.)

For extra entries you may do the following:

• Blog about this giveaway, or the event, on your site and leave us an extra comment
  
• Add our main banner to your sidebar and let us know!
  

All giveaways will end on September 5th

To see ALL the giveaways for the Back to School Event you can find them here.