iTunes Gift Card Giveway

If I am not downloading a new app for the kids on the iPad, I am downloading my self-declared song of the summer, Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke.(I just love saying the "hey, hey, hey!" part like Fat Albert!)

Wouldn't it be nice to have some extra money in your iTunes account???

Thanks to our friends at MyEmoticons.com, you can win a $40 iTunes gift card!

Please use the Rafflecopter app below to enter:

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Good luck!

Origami Owl: A Great Mother's Day Gift Idea+ GIVEAWAY

Have you seen these darling charm bracelet-like necklaces by Origami Owl?  If I have seen one, I have seen a dozen different women wearing them in the past week alone. Aren't they adorable?

These are charm bracelets in the form of a necklace. They are beautiful and timeless, which makes sense, considering you design it! These lockets are truly amazing and no two are alike as they are designed by YOU to tell its own story. You can make them fancy with different chains, or perhaps a dangle or two, or can keep them as simple as can be. Creativity is the key with these beautiful lockets. The possibilities are endless.

First, you start with the charms you like.  (I am always a sucker for a lucky horseshoe and a soccer ball. There are so many to choose from.)  

Then you chose the locket...

And then the chain...

Voila!  A beautiful, personalize piece of jewelry!

These lockets also make wonderful and heartfelt gifts.  For the mom that you are never sure what to get, this necklace is a perfect Mother's Day gift. (And Mother's Day is just over a month away!)

Want to get shopping? Head over to Origami Owl now!

HOORAY!  IT'S A GIVEAWAY!

(1) lucky Houses, Couches & Babies' reader is going to win a medium silver locket, a silver ball station chain (as shown above), and one charm of your choice. Please follow the instructions below on how to enter:

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Get Ready for Spring with Gymboree + GIVEAWAY

Oh, how my daughter loves to model! (And in the case of the photo below, she loves to accessorize with stuff from my closet, too!)  It is amazing when I look in her closet and realize just how many of her cutest outfits are from Gymboree.  Take the outfit above (and below), a darling short sleeve sweater dress - it's just perfect for a mild spring day. 

I will admit, my daughter and I are very lucky that her grandmothers keep her very well-dressed. 

But I was very excited to take my daughter shopping at Gymboree to find some cute spring/summer clothes.  (I was a little nervous, too! On occasion we do butt heads.)  As luck would have it, we found so many cute things.

Take this darling Bow Striped Dress with Dragon Fly Clog Sandal.  She absolutely loves the slight wedge heel on the sandal and how soft the dress is.



And I love that all the bright stripes should hide any spills or spots, if those happen to occur. (And they always seem to occur!)

This nautical-inspired romper was my pick.  I love the navy and white stripes with the hot pink button detail.  And the Poppy Pink Espadrilles...so stinkin' cute!  I wish I could pull of such a fun outfit!  The only problem I didn't foresee when selecting this outfit: she will have to take the entire outfit off to use the restroom, which isn't always ideal for younger kids.  But I think as a 5-year old she will be able to handle it!  (This striped romper is currently only available in-store.)

The Poppy Stripe Skirt and Poppy Sequin Ladybug Tee (below) look great together, and can also be paired with other pieces.  So many of Gymboree's pieces can be interchanged, which makes dressing yourself easier for this 5-year old!

Visit our YouTube channel to view all of her fabulous modeling videos, too.

Hooray!  It's a Giveaway!

That's right! (1) lucky Houses, Couches & Babies' reader will win a $75 Gymboree Gift Certificate! Please follow the instructions below on how to enter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!

{Disclaimer: Gymboree provided the clothes of our choice for this review and the prize for the giveaway.  The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.}

Posted by Leslie

Why I Love My Husband + iTunes Gift Card Giveaway

A couple of weeks ago, I shared with you why I love my husband (and why i joined The Happy Wives Club.)

I have so many other reasons to add to the list of why I love my husband, but today's biggest reason is:

It's his birthday!

To honor his birthday, we are having a giveaway!  (Lucky you, right!?!)

Yet another thing I love about my husband is his passion for music. (Not to mention, he can totally pull off a Miami Vice look when needed at a party: see picture above.)  So, (1) lucky reader will win his/her choice of a $50 iTunes Gift card.

To enter – Please use the Rafflecopter form below to take advantage of your entry opportunities.

MANDATORY ENTRY MUST BE LEFT AS COMMENT ON BLOG POST BELOW– then you can check off in Rafflecopter that you did it. Otherwise, all other entries will be invalid. (Click instructions for what to comment about.) *** PLEASE be sure to read instructions in Rafflecopter form as to what to comment about.***

Good luck!


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Tiny Prints Flash Giveaway!

Happy Friday!  Who wants to win $20 to spend at Tiny Prints?

Hooray! It's a flash giveaway!

Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter!  Hurry, this giveaway ends at at midnight on Sunday morning!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


{$20 is in form of promo code and does expire 1/24/13}

Snow Magic Book Review + GIVEAWAY

After 4 years of dedication, my mom recently published a book!  Amazing, right!?!

Anyone who knows my mom knows that she wears many hats and always has, one of them being in education. After a wonderful trip taking my nephew on his first adventure to the snow, she was inspired to write Snow Magic.

It is an adorable tale of a boy named Joe, who goes to the snow with his grandparents. He plays in the snow for hours making snowballs, sledding and building a snowman. Before leaving, he gathers up an ice chest full of snow to take home. In the morning, after having wonderful dreams of his adventures, he awakes to find a magical miniature snowman in place of his pile of snow. It is a very sweet story, sure to melt any grandparents heart.

My mom was determined to convince a dear friend and teacher, Kathy Stillwell, to illustrate the book for her. Kathy, used her creative talents to draw a whimsical picture story to follow this adorable tale. After years in the making, the two have been able to celebrate the book's completion with a book signing at the local bake shop, Cupcake Magic. They also recently spoke at a Christian Women's luncheon sharing how they made their dream a reality.

The book is currently being sold in the Sacramento area and they are close to selling out their entire first run of printing. There are several other grandchildren who would also like a book, so there might be another in the making. We'll just have to wait for the next adventure and see!

Hooray!  It's a Giveaway!

Even though Snow Magic is currently only sold in in the Sacramento area, (1) lucky Houses, Couches & Babies' reader will have the chance to win a copy of the book, sure to melt anyone in your family's heart!

Please use the Rafflecopter form below to enter.  You have until 11:59pm on Tuesday, January 22 to enter.  Good luck!

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Posted by Liz

Accessorize Like a Celebrity With marie chavez Jewelry + $100 Gift Certificate GIVEAWAY

What do I have in common with celebrities like Julia Roberts, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Anne Hathaway, and Kate Bosworth?

We all love to wear marie chavez jewelry!

A few months ago, I received an amazing marie chavez bracelet set for my birthday and fell in love with it immediately.  (My daughter did, too, so I have to keep a very close eye on it!)  I was so excited about my new bracelet set that I had to visit the online shop to find out what other pieces were available, and, boy, did I hit the mother load! 

I was blown away by all the beautiful pieces and loved the fact that they all seem so versatile, so chic, so now, and, yet, not too trendy.  (That is a very difficult mix to achieve, if you ask me.)

mariechavez was established over a decade ago by designer Julie Marie Chavez. What’s most notable about the collection is its signature blend of carefully selected stones, charms and chain all worked together to create coveted yet easy to wear accessories. From playful stackable bracelets of graywood, jade and bronze, to a layered statement necklace of riverstone and agate, Julie’s talent for tastefully balancing colors and textures is why many pieces in her collection have graced the pages of InStyle, Lucky, Glamour, People and Us Weekly.

Hooray!  It's a Giveaway!

(1) lucky Houses, Couches & Babies reader is going to win a $100 marie chavez gift certificate! Talk about a great holiday gift for a loved one, or maybe just keep it for yourself.  

Please use the rafflecopter application below for all rules and entry opportunities.  This giveaway ends at 12:00am (midnight) on Tuesday, December 4th.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Target Gift Card Giveaway

It's simple...We L.O.V.E. Target (as Liz's post so clearly pointed out yesterday).  It is truly a happy place for so many people, especially moms.

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping coming up in just a week, wouldn't it be nice to be armed with a $50 Target Gift Card?

We think so!

Hooray!  It's a Giveaway!

(1) lucky HC&B reader will win a $50 Target Gift Card. Please use the Rafflecopter options below to enter.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Get Glasses Online With the Help of a Virtual Mirror + {Giveaway}

*THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED*

Have you ever purchased eyeglasses online?

Seems like a scary process, but I have found a great website that makes it super easy to order glasses at affordable prices.  GlassesUSA.com has a great selection of eyeglasses that you can try on without physically touching the glasses. 

How does that work?

The virtual mirror is an amazingly fun tool where you can upload a picture of yourself and try on and compare all the different glasses options.  Cool, right?!?

Here I am trying out the virtual mirror!

It's that fun and silly part of being in the store making faces at yourself trying on glasses, but now even easier from the comfort of your own home.  For this busy mom, getting to the grocery store can be difficult, let alone getting to an eyeglass store.  Top it off with free shipping for deliveries and any possible returns, it really makes ordering glasses online a no-brainer.

In addition to the high quality frames (Coach, Tom Ford, Spy, and Nike are just a few of the brands you can choose from) and lenses they provide, GlassesUSA.com also offers a 110% lowest price guarantee and a 100% satisfaction guarantee.  If you find a lower price on a different site than what you found on GlassesUSA.com for your purchase, they will refund 110% of the difference between the items up to the price listed on their site. That definitely exudes confidence in their eyeglasses pricing, doesn't it?

As a Houses, Couches and Babies reader, you can take an extra 15% off + get free shipping on your entire order (orders over $50).  Simply enter the promo code FS15 at checkout.  You can also take 10% off any order of prescription glasses by using the promo code Blog10.

Hooray!  It's a Giveaway!

(1) lucky HC&B reader will win a $50 GlassesUSA.com gift certificate.  Please use the Rafflecopter options below to enter.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Design a Sign with Signazon.com + Giveaway

It has become a bit of a tradition in our house to design a sign or banner for our birthdays. My son loved his last banner so much he hung it up on his bedroom wall...7 months ago!

But for my daughter's birthday that is this week, I tried a new way to design a sign for her. Typically, I just make banners for the kids out of butcher paper with markers. But because she is turning 5, I turned our typical paper banner up a few notches and designed a vinyl sign on Signazon.com.

Up until this point, I have yet to design a sign online, and let me tell you, Signazon has such an easy process:

1. Choose the material and size of your banner - In my case, I chose a vinyl banner.

2. Select from the vast template selection or you can upload your own design on a blank template - I went with a template.

3. Customize the template with text and images

4. Once satisfied with the customized template, check the proof for any mistakes

5. Choose shipping and payment options
(Steps 1-5 took about 10 minutes, the majority of the time going to the template selection and customization.)

6. Wait for the sign/banner to arrive in the mail

In my case, it took just a few days to receive the banner.

My daughter was so thrilled to receive the banner today and have it hanging up at her Pump it Up birthday party.  (More details on the birthday party coming soon!) I can't wait to see her face tomorrow when she sees that I hung it up for her in the house.

While I chose to make a birthday banner, Signazon can make banners for just about anything. From graduations to anniversaries to garage sales, they have templates for you to make the perfect banner. And even if you have a unique banner to make, you can always use the customize your own sign option and upload your own design. For a fast and easy way to design a sign that is uh-mazing, Signazon is definitely the way to go.

But wait, there's more...

Hooray! It's a Giveaway!

(1) lucky Houses, Couches and Babies' reader will win a 2ft. x 4ft. customized vinyl banner from Signazon.com (value: $30). To enter to win, simply follow the Rafflecopter instructions below. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


{Disclaimer: We received a complimentary 2'x 4' vinyl banner to help facilitate this review and Signazon.com is providing the giveaway prize to the winner.}

Ebates: Cash Back for Shopping Online Rocks + {$100 Nordstrom Gift Card Giveaway}

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

I began using Ebates in conjunction with my online shopping about a year ago, and I thought the concept was too good to be true. 

With Ebates it's simple: You shop online and you get cash back from your purchase.  Just a few of the 12,000 retailers include Toys R Us, Macy's, Home Depot, Victoria's Secret, Overstock.com, and Nordstrom.  And by cash, I mean a check in the mail, or as Ebates like to call it: A Big Fat Check.

Here's the process:

1. Sign up for Ebates.com.
2. Once you are signed in, you can look through the extensive list of retailers and any current promotions or discounts being offered.
3. Click on the retailer of your choice and you are directed to that retailer's website. While being redirected, you will notice a tracking number screen come up so that Ebates can track your purchase.
4. Then you select the items on the retailers website and pay for your items directly to the retailer.
5.  In 1-3 business days after making your purchase, you will receive an email from Ebates verifying your purchase and giving you a cash back update.

That's it!
 
Since signing up, I have received 3 Big Fat Checks in the mail, with no additional effort other than having to deposit them in the bank. Now that's an activity I am more than happy to spend time on! Checks are sent out quarterly so amounts are totaled up every 3 months.

So if you haven't already signed up for Ebates, "Do it! Do It Now!"  

But wait! There's more...

$100 Nordstrom Gift Card Giveaway

In honor of the Women's half-yearly sale going on right now and Nordstrom being one of my favorite Ebates' retailers, one lucky Houses, Couches and Babies reader will win a $100 Nordstrom Gift Card. (Shop through Ebates and you will get 3% cash back, too.)

*Please be sure to use the Rafflecopter entry form below (I promise, it's easy!):


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Good luck and Happy Shopping!

Free Prints from Shutterfly Giveaway

Who's up for a mini-giveaway to win free prints from Shutterfly?

The first person to like Houses, Couches and Babies on Facebook and send an email to info@housescouchesandbabies.com will win a promo code for 30 4x6 prints from Shutterfly.  (If you already like Houses, Couches and Babies on Facebook, then you only have to send an email!)

Enter now!

Reading Rainbow Membership {GIVEAWAY}

Earlier this week, I shared with you what a great tool the new Reading Rainbow for iPad app is, especially to keep kids engaged in learning and reading during the summer. Hopefully, you have already had a chance to sign your kids up and let them navigate through the islands in the sky.  (Downloading the app is free!)

Thanks to the wonderful people of Reading Rainbow, including Lavar Burton, (1) lucky Houses, Couches and Babies' reader is going to win a 6-month membership that enables your child to read unlimited books on the app (valued at $59.94) for the life of the membership.

Enter now!


{Entries will only be accepted via the Rafflecopter widget below.  This giveaway ends at 12:01am EST Friday, July 13th.  A winner will be selected and contacted within 24 hours of the giveaway close.} 

Good luck and happy reading!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Future Standard Online Boutique + {GIVEAWAY}

I love to shop...especially for clothes. And it seems these days I am purchasing more and more clothes online. (My kids + shopping for me = disaster)

Just recently, I found out about this amazing online boutique called Future:Standard. I was drawn to the website because of the clothing they carry. But I am even more impressed with Future:Standard's concept and business model.

Future:Standard provides ethical clothing and accessories. "Ethical" clothing? What does that mean?

Today, ethical clothing is undefined. It can mean anything from fair trade to eco-friendly to transparency in production. There are no guidelines in place. At Future:Standard, they use the term to define any item that has taken into account the planet and the people producing the item.

What a cool concept, right?

Enter to Win $1000 Plum Dollars!

Yes, you read correctly...$1000 Plum Dollars to spend on deals through Plum District!  Oh, all the wonderful things you could get with $1000 Plum Dollars! 

To enter the Plum District Summer Fun Sweepstakes, simply click on the image above or the preceding link and enter your email address to win.  You can increase your chances of winning by sharing the giveaway with your friends.  Hurry and enter now!  This giveaway ends 7/8/12 at 11:59p PT.