If you are an avid reader of GIMH then you know that there are 7 of us (YES, 7) headed to New York next week and we would LOVE to 1. Meet you and 2. shower you with totally fabulous gifts. Why? Because you actually take time out of your busy day to read our drivel (okay, my drivel…the other 6 writers are awesome).

So, if you are hoppin’ the next plane to a social woman’s HEA’ VAN leave a comment here to win these 25 prizes (YES, I SAID 25).

Rules:

1. You HAVE to be attending BlogHer 2010 to win

2. You can only enter one time

Prizes

1. Oxy Clinical, Oxy Clinical Hydrating Therapy, Oxy Clinical Advanced Facewash, Oxy Clinical Clearing Treatment. You can find more information about Oxy at www.oxyskincare.com

The over-the-counter acne medication clinically shown to provide prescription-level results* without a dermatologist. Even if you’ve tried other products that haven’t worked for you in the past, OXY® Clinical could be the solution you’re looking for. It’s the breakthrough to end breakouts.
2. Spilt Milk

Spilt Milk is a collection of brief, hilarious stories and meditations mixed with biblically based applications that encourage women in their spiritual journey. Written by a Gen-X mom, these stories remind busy mothers that God’s grace is always there in the messes and marvels of life, love, and being a mom.

3. CowGirl Dirt Makeup Gift Set – Cowgirl Dirt is an all natural, organic mineral makeup line made with all cowgirls and cowgirls at heart in mind. The gift sets could include three eye shadows and a lip gloss OR a lip gloss, lip tint and lip liner.
4. Wine Bottle Bags
5. Henna Tattoo Kit from Tandoor Chef

Tandoor Chef is so much more than great tasting frozen entrées. We’re a family–owned brand that prides itself on presenting a meal sensation that’s rich in Indian culture and flavor, and is all–natural and sensational to experience.
6. Wholly Wholesome Coupons
7. Country Time Lemonade

The taste that’s not too tart and not too sweet. Why not mix up an icy, cold pitcher, sit back and drink it all in. Summer’s just not summer without Country Time.

8. VeggieTales: Sweetpea Beauty.

See the hilarious DVD trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LELdde03eIs, and here’s a link to the Silly song “Pants”— http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNob8sZu9zs.

9. Nestle Cherry and Cranberry Raisinets.

Premium, whole dried cherries drenched in rich NESTLÉ^® Dark Chocolate. Cherry RAISINETS^® are a natural source of antioxidants from plump, tart cherries and smooth dark chocolate. This superjuicy, superfruit treat provides ½ serving of real fruit in every ¼ cup and has 30% less fat than the leading chocolate brands
10. NBI Juiceworks -
NBI Juiceworks produces an array of healthful, delicious juices to fit your personal tastes and nutritional needs. Our Drenchers and Sun Shower lines offer nectar-based juices rich in proteins, vitamins and nutrients necessary for a balanced, healthy diet.
11. (5) 50 Free Snapfish Prints

Does Snapfish need explanation? Your photos and memories are safe with Snapfish. Snapfish is a service of HP, one of the most trusted brands in the world.

12. New Limited Edition Intuition Plus and Skintimate Shave Gel.

Schick® Intuition Plus® lathers, shaves and moisturizes in one easy step so there is no need for shave gel, soap or body wash. Now with 4 blades, it will leave your skin noticeably softer! It is simple to use so Trust Your Intuition® and try it!
13. AJ Panda: One of the following from:
Chinese Character Envelopes
Twisted Chopsticks
Rhino Zoo Sticks
Dragon & Phoenix Cinnabar Bracelet
14. From Feld Entertainment:
Ringling Bros. T-shirt
monster truck keychain
Minnie mouse doll
Disney coloring books

15. One of the following from Playworks: A Blooming Flower and one of the following: one hemp jewelry kit, jacob’s ladder, or a kalidescope toys.
16. Playskool and playdoh One of the following:

Play-Doh Poppin’ Movie Snacks set, Spud Lightyear, Talkin’ Sid the Science Kid, Play-Doh Spin ‘n Store Fun Factory and Wheel Pals

17. Office 2010

Microsoft Office 2010 offers flexible and powerful new ways to deliver your best work—at the office, at home, or at school.

18. Tibetan Buddha Prayer Wood Beads Necklace

Inspired by Julia Robert’s character’s in the “Eat Pray Love” a spiritual soul-searching movie, soon to hit movie theaters near you

Malas are known as Tibetan Prayer wood Beads and can be used for meditation to center your focus, they are also often carried around for good luck. Tibetan Buddhist prayer beads can also be used for decoration or worn as a necklace or bracelet.

19. Stainless Steel reusable bottles from Tazzini

20. Baby Potential Onesies With love, education and community support, every baby has the potential to grow into a productive adult and achieve career success – regardless of gender, race or socio-economic status.
21. Arnicare for bumps and bruises:

Arnicare® topicals speed healing directly where you need it to relieve everyday body aches and pains due to muscle fatigue, strains, minor injuries or overexertion.

22. Wall Pops

23. One of the following from Namaste Foods:

Waffle & Pancake mix, blondie mix, muffin mix, cookie mix, chocolate cake mix, 2 $1 off coupons

We are a small (but growing!) manufacturer of fine foods that contain no wheat, gluten, corn, soy, potato, dairy, casein or nuts. In business since 2000, we continue to strive to be the best at what we do so that you can enjoy all the foods you’ve known and loved all your life. We truly believe Namaste Foods products are the best-tasting allergen-free products on the market!

Adoption Tribe Publishing is known, both nationally and internationally, for producing only the highest quality books on adoption. Recognized as an important and emerging publishing house, Tribe focuses on the creation of books that give tribute to the transformation of adoption.

25. And how are you going to hold all of this? With a bag from inexpensively.com of course.

Inexpensively.com is a national network of frugal bloggers whose goal is to share their knowledge of living inexpensively. From dining, to travel, to grocery shopping, the Inexpensively network shares their ideas…

But, I also had to have a sponsor. You know, food, adoption, readoption. It adds up.

So, I pounded the emails and am lucky enough tonight to announce THREE sponsors.

AJ Panda: If you don’t know of AJ Panda yet then you should, especially if you have children adopted from China. AJ Panda is an online store that features quality Chinese culture products. The store was founded by a mother who has twins adopted from China in November, 2006. The store is named after her daughters and the national symbol of China.

For those of you attending Blogher you will have a chance to one of five products from AJ Panda.

Feld Entertainment (Chicago Division): I have had the honor of working with Feld Entertainment for over a year now and my boys absolutely love it. Why? Because they get to go see Mickey Mouse and lions and tigers and Monster Trucks. Huh?

Feld Entertainment is the “Magic” behind the Magic. They put Mickey on Ice and Ringling in the Circus. Ever wonder how the Monster Trucks get so high? Feld knows the secret. shhhh!!!

If you’re headed to BlogHer you have the opportunity to win products from Feld Entertainment as well.

HP Snapfish!: Does it need an explanation? Okay, if you live under a rock… Snapfish!is the BEST storage, sharing, and printing online store. If you have not joined yet you can get 50 free 4×6 prints with your first upload, unlimited photo storage and you can either mail order or pick up your photos at your local store.

Grown in My Heart has recently signed on to work with the  Villa Group Resorts to help spread the word about their gorgeous resort properties in Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta and coming soon…Cancun and Loreto Mexico!

Now, don’t groan…I know you often do here.

If you are thinking of taking a vacation but have not figured out where this may actually be there place for you and your family (or just you and your hubby). They offer families, couples and singles incredible affordable getaway options throughout the year. This season, Villa Group has introduced ultra-inclusive vacations that include dining and beverages, a kids club, babysitting options, spa packages, golf getaways, dolphin excursions, water sports and much more!

I have not stayed there yet but one of my collegues has and she loved it.

Having stayed at Villa la Estancia in Nuevo Vallarta, I immediately felt like I was being welcomed into the lap of luxury – receiving a hand massage the moment we walked into the lobby. We stayed in a two bedroom suite complete with marble floors, private bathrooms, cozy living room, dining room, massive kitchen and sweeping balcony with a wet bar…can anyone say…margaritas? While I’m culinary challenged (no need to cook since there are fabulous restaurants on the premises including the award-winning La Casona), it’s great knowing that while we’re on vacation, we can store refrigerated snacks, drinks, and breakfast items if we want to sleep in and the kids are in the mood for cereal and cartoons. And the granite countertops, state of the art appliances and sweeping views of the ocean and pool and bathrooms to die for, are not so shabby either!

As you contemplate where you’d like to go for your next vacation, the Villa Group Affiliate Travel Network, comprised of nearly two dozen dynamic parenting and lifestyle bloggers, will offer a series of helpful articles that will give you the inside track on all things Mexico.

For our first post, we’re tackling important questions that most travelers ask when they travel to Mexico. Hopefully, this will help guide you as you plan your next vacation!

Q. Is it safe to drink the water in Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas?

A. In Puerto Vallarta, you should be aware that incredible efforts have been made to provide safe water to residents and tourists. Over the last two decades, the Mexican government spent millions of dollars developing a safe water purification system in the area. As a result, this state of the art system has greatly reduced water-induced illnesses for travelers visiting Puerto Vallarta.

According to CaboExpo.com, for visitors to Cabo San Lucas, the resort location has never had the significant water quality problems that mainland Mexico as traditionally experienced:

“Sitting at the bottom of the Baja Peninsula, the fresh water in Los Cabos is some of the best in Baja. The local waters start thousands of feet above Los Cabos in the very tall mountains north of Cabo, drain down into local aquifers, and then are treated locally and then often treated again at the hotel or restaurant level. Tourism is just too important to let bad water become a factor.”

Q. Is it safe to travel to Cabo and Puerto Vallarta? Where are the dangerous parts of Mexico anyway?

A. According to AOL, which recently devoted extensive coverage to Mexico and issues relating to safety and even gives an overview of the places you should avoid, you’ll take comfort knowing that both Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas were ranked as being incredibly safe for travelers. As a precaution, always avoid streets that are not well lit (as you would in any country), but for the most part, your experience should be safe, relaxing and enjoyable!

Q. Are there any safety tips you can offer to a traveler who has never been to Mexico?

A. When you arrive at the airport, make sure you have made provisions for yourself and your traveling companions to take you to your accommodations. There will be many individuals offering you a ride or claiming to be your driver – while they are friendly and it is safe to ride with them, you will be better served if you book a car in advance.

If you decide to leave your resort and travel to a location in the evening, make sure when you are walking at night that you are aware of your surroundings and that you traverse well lit streets. Or, arrange for a car to pick you up after your evening is over. Better to have someone waiting for you to take you back to your hotel then go off exploring in the middle of the night!

Take precautions while swimming, snorkeling or surfing! The surf can be rough – especially in Cabo San Lucas and if you are not a strong swimmer, you may want to take precautions. Or, book an excursion that will take you on a guided water tour with experienced lifeguards on board.

Q. What about taking a road trip – is it better to book a tour or can I go on my own and explore?

A. While you can certainly rent a vehicle and explore Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas on your own, your experienced will definitely be enhanced if you register for a tour that is led by someone who truly knows the lay of the land and the water! While it’s always nice to discover new things, you can accomplish that by being a part of a guided tour and traveling with a group of vacationers like you. Of course, if you’ve been to either resort town many times, then you may feel more comfortable venturing out and returning to a favorite destination – suddenly you’ll be the expert offering tips to new travelers. But if it’s your first time, we suggest consulting with your hotel concierge who can offer some great tour options for you and your family.

Q. Are there parts of Mexico we should avoid due to the BP Oil Spill?

A. Here’s a quick geography lesson: The BP oil spill is nowhere near Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta. While the spill has contaminated many US cities located near the Gulf of Mexico, Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta are located on the west coast surrounding the Sea of Cortez. While travelers may believe that Mexico might have been affected by the recent environmental disaster, the hardest hit regions have been in the United States.

If you’re interested in finding out how you can book an unforgettable vacation in Mexico, visit Villa Group Resorts and check out their hot deals page – where they’ve got some incredible vacation options this summer – plus the offers run through December 2010 so you can book now and still save on your vacation!

And, there’s still time to enter the She Knows ultra inclusive trip giveaway to Puerto Vallarta. Enter today and you and a guest could win an all expenses paid vacation at Villa La Estancia…Arriba!!!

Is it Safe to Visit Mexico? by Beth Feldman, founder of RoleMommy.com

Together with Snappy, the Snapfish site mascot, Snapfish is offering fantastic deals and will host member’s selected favorite road trip stories and photos from around the country so other members can discover the best destinations across the land of the free.

To kick off the journey, members can enjoy 20% off digital photo frames using the code ROADTRIP712 by July 18. Additionally, throughout the month, members can access exclusive deals on a variety of Snapfish best selling photo gifts from posters to jewelry and photo books at http://summer.snapfish.com/

Where I live, you can never have enough beach towels.  Between the beach and the pool, we practically live in our swimsuits.  Our beach towels are constantly subject to sand, surf, salt, chlorine, and repeated washings.

A cute rear view!

So when Company Kids offered to send a towel for review, I jumped at the opportunity.  Could their product stand up to the rigors of our beach life?  I have simple criteria for a quality beach towel.  It must be adorable, absorbant, durable, and large.  The colors must not bleed.  The pile must not shed.  It must dry reasonably quickly, as we are often at the pool/beach more than once during a day.

When I pulled  the towel out of the shipping box, my four children (all under age 8 ) descended on it.  They thought it was a really funny, cozy toy.  The intended child, we’ll call him the Martian Child, immediately draped it around his body and curled up in front of the tv.  Apparently it makes a great blanket.  The size is huge – the bottom corner drags the ground when my tall-ish 5 year old wears it.  The hood (monster’s face) drapes well over his real face, and there are slots for his hands where the monster hands are.  The towel could double as a Halloween costume too!

The monster towel arrived just in time for 3 pool parties in one weekend.  I washed it before using – no color bleeding, no pile shedding.  So far so good.  By the end of the weekend, and another couple of washes, it still looked great.  Even the felt-ish pieces comprising the monster antennae were unfliching.  The towel absorbed and dried like a dream.  It feels as good one week – 6 swims and 3 washes – later.  I am confident we will put it to the test again and again, and I already suspect we will be able to hand the towel down to our younger son in a couple summers.

The “Ugly Monster” Hooded Towel is available on the Company Store Kids website.  There offer several styles for boys and girls, and they are all adorable.  The retail price is $29.50, and worth at least that much.  The only downside is that now, I think I will need to buy 3 more towels for my other covetous children – and maybe even one for myself.

My son is my Energizer Bunny...he just keeps going and going

Energizer has teamed up with National Geographic for their 3rd Annual Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest.

As an long-time subscriber to National Geographic, and the spouse of a photo enthusiast (an understatement) I was excited to see the details about this contest:

(from press release)

Now through June 30, photo enthusiasts of all levels, can submit photos at www.nationalgeographic.com/lithium for a chance to have their photo featured in the December issue of National Geographic magazine in an ad for Energizer_® Ultimate Lithium batteries, and they’ll also be awarded the trip of a lifetime – a National Geographic Expedition for two to the Greek Isles. What’s great is you don’t have to be a professional photographer – one of last year’s category winning photos was shot with a regular digital still camera, so we would encourage you to enter your vacation photos or any other photos you love.

There are six categories, so not matter what you like to photograph, there’s a place to enter your favorites: Animals / Wildlife,  Nature,  People / Cultures,  Travel,  Weather,  Action / Energy

THE GIVEAWAY

Energizer would like to supply a lucky GIMH reader with some batteries (the batteries the pros use) so you don’t miss a single shot this summer due to a dead camera. If you’d like to win two 4-packs of AA and two 4-packs of AAA Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries – the world’s longest-lasting battery in high-tech devices – ($45 value) simply leave your name and a way to contact you in the comments.

We’ll pick a winner on Tuesday, June 15th sometime in the evening. Good Luck!!

Disclosure: As a thank you for spreading the word about the contest, Energizer sent me two 4-packs of AA and two 4-packs of AAA Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries

Founded on the expectation that every employee is a valued member of a community, Nick’s has not only created a community of dedicated employees but it has also created a family of customers who come back to the restaurant time and again. And these customers don’t just come back for the food. They come back for the family atmosphere.

In fact, in a work culture that has over 150% turnover Nick’s only has 30% turnover. This, in my opinion, is dynamic.

I saw first hand what makes the restaurant tick and I was amazed. The food, undeniably, was magnificent. My favorite? The onion rings. But, I am an onion ring connoisseur. They didn’t even need ranch or ketchup if that tells you anything. The kitchen was immaculate and it ran like clockwork. Pizza’s stacked out every minute or so and had the correct ticket…an unimaginable feat.

What is even more impressive is what Nick Sarilla, the owner of Nick’s, teaches his employees. Each team member is taught how to make pizza, how to host, how to serve, how to bus tables, etc. As each team member becomes proficient in their specific skill they move up in both wages and skill set. They are also all mentored along the way by the staff and by Sarilla.

Sarillo’s leadership efforts have also caught the attention of media outlets such as Inc., Newsweek, and Fox News. And, his promotions have caught the eye of the community. Takeout Tuesday (1/2 price takout), 1/2 Price Monday, and Kids Movie Night, and even a day last year when Nick gave EVERYONE free dinner are  favorites among Nick’s fans.

That is, customers pay half price for pizza in the dining room on Mondays and half price for carryout on Tuesdays. The effect has been to turn the two slowest days of the week into the two busiest. Indeed, the program proved so popular that it initially overwhelmed the kitchens. “Our promise is to have pizzas ready in 15 minutes with no mistakes,” says Sarillo. “We had so many orders that the time got up to 25 minutes. Guests were getting upset. It was OK if I was here to orchestrate, but it got pretty bad if I wasn’t.”

So what did he do? “I built a system to replace me,” Sarillo says. “I put together a checklist of things that had to be done by 4 p.m., so we could handle the volume. It took about four weeks until it could work without me. Now we’re nailing it.”

Nailing it, he is. If you can’t make it to Nick’s but are in the area head to Blue Goose Market to pick up a frozen pizza.

Yorkville is host to THE largest water park in Illinois. Raging Waves has 12 rides that range from general swimming to speed slides. It also includes kiddie splash areas and a state of the art wave pool.

My family absolutely loved our visit and we are certainly going back…we will be taking part in the $124.99 for a family of 4 summer package because this is probably the best option for us (the admission prices are a little steep but food prices are reasonable). I understand the cost of admission, as the park was undeniably immaculate, the staff was one of the friendliest I have EVER encountered, and my boys were safe.

If you live in the area I recommend a visit. Beware, though, the wind whips across the cornfields and the sun shines bright. And, the water is solar heated so after a cool rain (like we had) the water can be wicked cold.

AJ absolutely loves when it rains now and WANTS to play outside in the rain. He was actually disappointed when it rained yesterday because by the time he got his rain gear on it had stopped raining. What kid wants it to rain?

Western Chief ‘Batman’ Raincoat

• Classic hooded raincoat is styled with a simple snap placket and features a soft, moisture-absorbent lining to keep kids extra dry.
• Removable cape.
• Polyester/cotton lining.
• Polyurethane; spot clean..

Price: $44.95

Western Chief Novelty Rain Boot

• Lively rubber boots were made for serious puddle splashers. The fun printed characters will delight kids of all ages.
• Removable footbed.
• Rubber upper/textile and synthetic lining/rubber sole.

Price: $32.95

Western Chief Novelty Umbrella

• Designed just for kids, these lightweight nylon umbrellas have full coverage on wet, rainy days. In bold, fun prints with unique appeal.
• Nylon/plastic.

Price: $14.95

Disclosure: I received a sample for the purpose of this review through Team Mom but no other type of compensation was received. This has no bearing on my completely honest review above. The opinions and experiences I’ve shared with these products are my own and yours may differ.