Contest: Where Do You Take Your Welch's?

Disclosure: I received samples to facilitate this post; all opinions expressed are my own. 

Do you admit to stealing your kids' treats sometimes? I absolutely do. If you're like me thankfully there's a reward for that with Welch's "Where Do You Take Your Welch's?" contest. 

Welcome May (& a Winner!)

We are still holding out for consistent sunny days here in Boston, but excited that summer break starts in a few short weeks. This weekend kept us busy locally with Grayson experiencing his first eye appointment. He was in a separate exam room from his big sister, but had gone with me a few times so was very confident in the experience. Mr. Lovebird captured this shot that keeps cracking me up:

Win Big with Folgers' Jingle Contest!

This post was sponsored by Folgers as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines concerning the use of endorsement and testimonials in advertising. I received complimentary products to facilitate my 
review.

I'm a proud 80s baby and if there's one part of my childhood that's stuck with me it's my obsession with 80s TV - I even remember the commercials vividly. Who can forget the classic jingle, "The best part of wakin' up is Folgers in your cup?" As a kid seeing how snuggly and warm the coffee drinkers appeared made me want to cozy up with my own cup and while it wasn't until I had my own kids that I became an avid coffee drinker, it's no wonder that I now drink Folgers. Mr. Lovebird and I wake up to it every morning (we're huge fans of the Black Silk blend!) so when I heard about their jingle contest I was intrigued.

Winners: My Muse Dolls (& a Discount Code!)

Good morning, friends! I loved seeing all the positive feedback for my My Muse Dolls giveaway - thank you to everyone who entered to win and shared the giveaway. 

Here are the lucky winners:

Review & Giveaway: Inspiring a Healthy Self-Image with My Muse Dolls

Disclosure: I received a My Muse Doll for review purposes; all opinions expressed are my own.

Watching my children in creative moments is one of the most rewarding parts of parenting. Seeing them focused on scenarios that they've created and even stumbling upon sometimes hilarious vignettes they've staged around the house brings humor to my day. With the holidays approaching, I'm looking for gifts that will inspire more of this creative play in my children so when My Muse Dolls reached out to me I was excited to learn more about their high-quality, diverse dolls. 

Get in the Groove with State Farm® for a Chance to Win a Trip to the Essence Festival 2015!

Disclosure: The following giveaway promotion & content has been sponsored by State Farm®.

Photographer: Julie McGee

I have a strong Type A heritage in my family, so when I reached 41 weeks and 5 days pregnant, I thought I knew all there was to know about becoming a mom for the first time. From feeding, sleeping and diaper care, I had researched well before becoming pregnant. As my husband endured the endless forwarding of parenting articles I came across (often time-stamped at 2a.m.), little did I know what lie ahead on my journey as a mom. 

Meeting Virginia that Thursday afternoon on August 12, 2010 was the most thrilling experience of my life. As my husband and I held her together and cried, all that I could continuously get out of my mouth was, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I was truly grateful for that moment. As I helped her breastfeed for the first time, the bond was instant. All that book knowledge made way for a heaping dose of heart knowledge, and in those first few weeks I felt something growing: my confidence.

I've since given birth to a son, Grayson, who is rapidly approaching his 1st birthday. While there are so many familiar stages, it's definitely a new experience in some ways. It's a new kind of confidence I have and although I can say, "Oh yeah, I got this!" there are moments that completely throw me for a loop - he's added a completely different dimension to baby-proofing!

If you're feeling confident and want a chance to show it off for a chance to win a trip to Essence Festival 2015 in New Orleans courtesy of the State Farm contest “Get in the Groove”, then check this out:

Now through June 15^th you can head to the State Farm “Get in the Groove” contest page HERE and simply upload an Instagram photo or video showing off your dance skills. You don't have to be a dance star to win - all you need is confidence The winner will receive an awesome prize package including round-trip airfare, hotel accommodations and VIP tickets for two to Essence Festival as well as bragging rights!

As a bonus, I’m giving one lucky Harlem Lovebirds' reader a chance to win a $25 Visa gift card by entering your Instagram handle on the comment widget below!

*This giveaway is closed as of June 15, 2015 and the winner has been chosen and contact privately. Thank you!*

Good luck!

Disclosure: I received compensation for this sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of State Farm. The opinions and text are all mine.

Belli Celebrates Moms with an AMAZING Giveaway!

Happy May! A few weeks ago I shared my review of Belli Skin Care and now that it's officially May with Mother's Day fast approaching I'm excited to share a HUGE giveaway for moms that Belli is hosting:

Starting today through May 31 visit www.belliskincare.com for a daily giveaway from Belli's featured brand partners. Then on May 31 you can enter to win the grand prize: a prize from each brand valued at $1,500! In addition to this contest there is also one running on Belli's Facebook page where you can win a matching $1,500 prize by uploading pictures or video of you and your mom. The one with the most likes will win all 29 prizes!

Here's a few of the amazing brands giving away daily prizes:

• Belly Bandit
• Preggers
• BabyBjorn
• For Two Fitness
• bebe au lait

Definitely follow along on Facebook and visit Belli's website to enter today! Good luck mamas!

I Won a Cruise (Again!) and It's in 30 Days!

Have you ever said, "I need a vacation!" when returning from vacation? That's exactly how I've been feeling this week. Our trip was unreal but now I'm paying for it catching up on everything and feeling exhausted in the process. It was totally worth it because while on our 7 night cruise I won another 7 night cruise!

If you've been following my blog for a while you know our very first cruise in 2013 was also one that I won courtesy of Scotch (you can see all the details here). Since that cruise Mr. Lovebird has jokingly said off and on, "How about you win another cruise?" 

My current ticker on my Galaxy S6 Edge

Well that's exactly what happened this past Friday night! There were nightly cruise trip drawings on our ship, but you had to be present to win. I'd watch each night as the prize winner would come claim it imagining how cool (yet unlikely!) it'd be that I'd win one too. Finally towards the end our cruise I was losing hope but when they kept drawing names Friday and no one came forward I began to think I just might have a chance. 

I turned to the woman next to me and pointed to myself and said, "Pick me pick me!" when they asked, "Who wants to win?"

Well after 3 or 4 names being drawn I heard, "Congrats Quiana Agbai!" I looked at Uka and smiled so big and ran to claim my prize (they were drawing names pretty rapidly, and I didn't want to delay). 

I spoke to the associate and got more details - I'm always skeptical on things like this, and it turned out there was a hitch: I could only go May 17 or May 24...THIS YEAR!

Ughhhh. So soon given the fact that we're just fresh off our cruise, but there was no way around it. 

Mr. Lovebird absolutely could not go. The cruise is on the Carnival Dream out of New Orleans and with a trip already booked May 17 and Nia's last day of school the following week - and adorable step-up ceremony - one of us has to be there. 

So . . . 

I decided I'd ask my mom to be my guest. A bonus is that I have to connect through Dallas anyway where she and my dad recently relocated to so I can literally connect with her and keep going!* I had to officially call the booking number with my prize code and when I did upon docking Sunday I was informed the cruise ship was sold out, specifically the cabin class that was my prize. 

WHAT?! I'm Miss Squeaky Wheel so I pressed on and tried a few different avenues to get a room. I thought it was a reasonable request to be upgraded but they pressed me to pay for the upgrade which would've been $800 total for me and my mom. No way! This was a prize not a bait and switch, I hoped. 

They advised me to email customer service and keep calling for a room. Well lo and behold after multiple calls a room suddenly opened and my mom and I are all set. 

Here are our ports:

Embarking out of New Orleans I wish we had more time to explore but with Uka's work schedule there is no way I can add more days. 

From there it's on to Montego Bay, Jamaica (I spent a month in Jamaica during Wintersession at Wellesley, but never visited Montego Bay so I'm super excited about this port) 

Next, it's Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; I've never been but just seeing this is making me giddy: 

Image credit

Lastly we'll be in Cozumel, Mexico a port I visited during mine and Uka's first cruise, but it was cold and stormy (plus we had the moped debacle), so I'm hoping for better weather this time.

Now about the Carnival Dream . . .

Image Credit

Built in 2009, it's 7 years younger than the Carnival Pride, the ship we were just on, and it's jam packed with amenities. Also, it's HUGE - currently the 3rd largest of Carnival's ships. It holds 3,646 passengers compared to the Pride's 2,124. I was a bit nervous about this especially as the cruise is nearly full, but reviews say it's spacious enough that it doesn't feel crowded. We'll see...

Ultimately, I'm so excited to have an extra-special mother/daughter trip with my mom and to escape the cold again. Take a look at this morning's temperature comparison: 

Yes, this is from today, April 25, 2015 and YES, this completely justifies taking 2 cruises close together!

It'll be fun to have girls' time in the 2-level spa, the 21+ Serenity Adult Only Retreat  (unfortunately, I didn't get to go on the Pride, but I saw it from afar) and to eat my meals without being interrupted by little peoples' requests. Now, since Grayson still nurses I will be pumping on the trip, but I did on the recent cruise too and it was a cinch!

I still can't believe this is actually happening...in 30 days! It's crazy, but I'll take it. Now the tricky part is to continue to go hard on my fitness. Thankfully, I only gained 3 lbs during the cruise which given how much I ate wasn't bad. I took the stairs a lot, ate lean meals (sometimes), nursed Grayson and got in two hard cardio sessions during the week. I'm hoping I can walk off the cruise the same weight I got on. We'll see . . . 

Anyway, thank you Carnival for giving this mama a much needed vacation after a vacation!

Have you ever cruised? If you haven't, where would you want to go?
 


*P.S. My initial response upon winning and finding out Uka couldn't join me was to gift it to my parents, but the cruise is non-transferable.

Winner: Pampers $100 Prize Pack

How's everyone's weekend going? I nearly ended up in the ER last night after a bad fall (I saw stars for real - it was BAD), but thankfully I'm OK. Just trying to take it easy as much as possible although I'm quite sore. This bit of giveaway news for me and my BFF made my day though!

Annnnnd hearing Christmas music on the radio already while I've been out and about preparing for Thanksgiving brought this cartoon to mind:

via

Anyway, time to announce the winner of the $100 Pampers prize pack:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congrats Ashley! I'll be in touch shortly so you can receive your prize!

Enjoy the rest of your pre-Thanksgiving weekend friends! 
 

Win $1000 in Scotch Duct Tape's #TapeOn Back-to-School Contest

Disclosure: I received products to facilitate this post; all opinions expressed are my own.

Although I'm 12 years out of college I still feel angst seeing back-to-school commercials and feel for Nia and her sentiment about not quite being ready to return. Granted she's only entering PK4, but when I recently mentioned going shopping for back-to-school clothes she responded as angrily as I did in high school - she's a threenager indeed!

To make this back-to-school season more appealing Scotch has an exciting craft contest for teens running on their Facebook page until August 18. They're encouraging contestants to create fun back to school projects with their decorative Duct Tape. Teen vlogger, Sarai Jones, will be judging the contest and has a created a fun video with locker decorations for inspiration:

The contest will include prizes for the top four winners with first place receiving $1000, second place receiving $500 and third and fourth place receiving $250. 


Nia's not into notebooks and binders quite yet, but we put our own spin on a back-to-school project by decorating Gray's baby tub - it can technically fit Nia too and since she takes nightly baths during school I deemed it appropriate (we're on an every-other-night schedule for the summer!). Here's our project:

Nia was especially excited for the Batman tape (remember, she's a princess-superhero kinda girl):

However she got carried away with using the Duct Tape to decorate her brother - Mr. Lovebird and I got a good laugh when we looked over and saw this:

What were your favorite school supplies growing up? I LOVED my Lisa Frank binder!

 

Just in Time for Summer Break: A Make Amazing $5K Contest & Interview with Lifestyle Expert Brit Morin!

I can be a crafty girl when I put my mind to it and attending Alt Summit in January really put me back in the crafty spirit. Meeting lifestyle expert Brit Morin while there was a highlight especially as she gave such incredible insight to the business side of her brand. 

When I learned she was partnering with Scotch for another outstanding crafting contest as well as sharing ideas for summer crafting with kids I was excited for the opportunity to interview her. 

You can check it out here:

Having won a Scotch contest in the past and attended one of their big events I can attest to what a fun brand they are and how easy it is to get kids of all ages involved in crafting especially with their washi tape (Nia and I are obsessed!).

To inspire your crafting sessions this summer Brit Morin's teamed up with Scotch for the Make Amazing contest offering 3 winners cash prizes of $5,000! Amazing, right?! You can submit your inspired creations featuring Scotch Blue via Instagram using the hashtag #makeamazing. Contest ends 8/3/2014 and full rules are here.

Are your kids crafting this summer? What are some of their favorite items to craft with? (Nia's in a crayon/paper doll phase lately!)

It's Here!: Gain’s® #MusicToYourNose Laundromat Takeover & Sweepstakes

Disclosure: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom CentralConsulting for Gain. I received a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.

I remember the first time I smelled Gain when I came to the east coast for college - the smell was seriously addictive! I "bumped" into Gain again at my first Blogalicious in 2012 and was excited to see they were a sponsor. I was even a finalist in their t-shirt makeover contest and got to go on stage with Doug E. Fresh, remember? 

I always think of Gain as a fun brand so when I saw they were taking over laundromats this spring to unveil community-created art displays in laundromats throughout the Bronx, Spanish Harlem and Washington Heights I was curious to see for myself. Aiming to create a cultural immersion experience in unexpected locations, Gain celebrates the blend of music, art and culture through art installations throughout the city.

Lil Lovebird and I headed up to the Bronx a couple weeks ago to check it out after school including a street concert by Leslie Grace (here's a quick snippet!). It was a rainy afternoon, but the bright colors more than made up for it! 

Are you in NYC and want to check out Gain's laundromat takeovers for yourself? 

Here's where they are located:

• 1965 Amsterdam Avenue (between 157th and 158th Streets), Washington Heights, 10032
• 275 East 163rd Street, (between Morris Ave and College Ave), Bronx 10451
• 2037 3rd Avenue (between E112th and E113th St.), Spanish Harlem 10029
• 3825 3rd Avenue (between E 171 St and Claremont Parkway), Bronx 10457
• 938 E 163rd St (between Intervale Avenue and Kelly St.), Bronx 10459
• 1210 Webster Avenue (corner of Webster and 168th St) Bronx 10456

And with Gain's special #MusicToYourNose Sweepstakes that's running now through June 16, 2014 there's even more of an incentive to visit! Snap a selfie in front of the designated art installation at one of the laundromats and upload it on Instagram or Facebook with the #MusicToYourNose hashtag. The fab prizes?: Three winners selected to receive Gain Prize Packs including product and Amex gift cards ($150 value) and one Grand Prize winner receiving $500 in Gain products and an Amex gift card towards home cleaning service.

I could definitely use a prize like that, how about you? 

Are you a Gain fanatic like I am? 
 

Best Wrapper of 2013

Disclosure: I was invited as a guest of Scotch to attend The Most Gifted Wrapper contest and received a gift bag for attending. I was not asked to write this post, and all opinions expressed are own.

Yes, you read that right: wrapper not rapper!

Last week I was invited by the Scotch team to witness the throwdown for the Most Gifted Wrapper at Bryant Park's Celsius. Eight finalists competed for the  $10,000 grand prize and the title of having the best gift wrapping skills in the U.S. 

Although it was a dreary day, it was toasty and festive inside Celsius with a packed house to support the finalists. It really was like a sporting event with fans with signs, cheering and timed heats with finalists advancing for a total of 3 rounds. 

Here's a few snapshots from the contest:

And because it's NYC this happened and I got distracted:

Yes, those are black men dressed as Mrs. Claus

I was definitely inspired to get my Christmas wrapping started (I have presents hidden around the house and a huge roll of kraft paper staring me down!) and with the fun supplies Scotch gave us I'm feeling confident. I'm just thankful I won't be timed!

You can learn more about the Scotch Most Gifted Wrapper contest here. Maybe even enter in 2014! 

 


P.S. Don't forget to enter my My Urban Child gift card giveaway here!

I'm Heading to Salt Lake City!

2014 is going to be a big year, and I'm kicking it off in an exciting way because I won a ticket to Alt Design Summit's Alt SLC - the premiere creative blogging conference! It came about via a Twitter party yesterday afternoon, and I had to wait until the evening for the results. 

When I saw this tweet:

I was all like:

{Image credit}

This is my little blogger heart's dream come true! I've mentioned Alt from time to time and even this spring while on my cruise I waited patiently (and unsuccessfully) at an overpriced onboard computer station to purchase a coveted ticket to Alt NYC, but the site crashed immediately when the tickets went on sale. I was so sad because I dearly wanted to get a taste of Alt especially since it was affordably right in my own back yard. A ticket to the main event - Alt SLC - is sold out and a grand investment that hadn't quite been in my budget.

Don't know what Alt is? Alt attendee Koseli Cummings sums it up perfectly:

This is a group of people who travel from all over the world because they want to innovate and challenge "online journaling" into a medium of valuable curated imagery and inspiration, innovative marketing and sales strategy, unique business partnerships, and powerful community. This is a group ripe with ideas, working knowledge, and extreme passion. These are people who can't sit still, most likely have their hands in way too many pots, have too many ideas and too little time—people like you. 

Need to see pictures? 

Here's a glimpse of Alt SLC '13 (all images via Alt Summit photographer Justin Hackworth) . . .

What I'm most excited about? 

• A Different Crowd - vs. other conferences I've gone to what most appeals to me about Alt is that it's for super creative types, and I'm excited to connect with a varied group of bloggers than I've associated with previously especially as I have exciting plans for my blog and personal brand in '14 

• It's the 5th Anniversary - similar to Blogalicious' 5th anniversary this year I know Alt is going to go all out for the big anniversary; many blogging conferences come and go but Alt is here to stay, and I'm excited to join at last during such an important milestone year

• Location - it's in Salt Lake City, where I've never been, but my mom's gone and raves about it especially the topography - I'm excited to trade in views of skyscrapers for views of open sky and mountains (and super crisp air as my mom reports!)

{Image credit}

• Accommodations - the hotel is immaculate and has outstanding reviews; it appears to be sold out already so I'll be looking for a roommate situation similar to Blogalicious - any readers with leads please let me know!

• Uber Intimate & Hands-On - I've shared before how I find smaller conferences to be more my speed and this conference will probably be the smallest I've been to; not only is this good for connecting with other bloggers but also with brands as Alt arranges pre-conference dinners for the attendees to connect with them the night before registration (a few of the brands at Alt are Method, The Honest Company, Bing, Joss & Main and Minted); also the fact that there's a day designated for hands-on Design Camp makes my heart sing - rather than sit and soak up lots of good info I'm looking forward to putting it into practice immediately!

• The Halo Effect of Sundance - Alt takes place during Sundance Film Festival and conference attendees are encouraged to take advantage of the close proximity to the festivities - I'd like to slip away for a movie and some celebrity stalking sightings!

I've said it before (via my hometown pastor), and I still agree: the atmosphere of expectancy is the breeding ground of miracles, and I'm so excited with the anticipation of what Alt SLC will jumpstart in 2014!

Thank you Alt Design Summit for the opportunity.

Will you be at Alt SLC or have been before? Let me know - I'm going to be in Alt crash course mode the next couple months!